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Utah Mourns Death of Mine Rescue Workers; Congressman Dennis Hastert Resigns; Fit Nation

Aired August 17, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Category 3 and still growing, all eyes on Hurricane Dean as it churns across the Atlantic.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And Utah mourns three rescuers killed trying to reach those six trapped men. What happens next at the scene of the deadly mine?

LEMON: Plus, with less than an hour to go, whether the Dow ends up down or whatever it is, the bottom line for you, we will have it.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips. You're in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: It is 3:00 p.m. here in the east, and we start with this.

Dwindling hope turns to heartbreak in central Utah. The tunnelling operation to reach six men trapped in a coal mine is suspended indefinitely. Now, that's after an underground tunnel caved in on a rescue team. Three men were killed. Six others were hurt.

They were digging toward the site of another collapse, hoping to find some sign that six fellow miners are still alive. So far, there's been no such sign.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Huntington, Utah -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the head of the federal safety administration that is overseeing this rescue effort has just offered some very graphic new detail about this collapse.

He called it a seismic -- he called it seismic activity, a mountain bump. They have had several of those up until this point. But he went into much more graphic detail than that. He said at the time of this collapse the rescue workers were in that main tunnel digging through. They were down at one of the deepest parts of the mine he said under some 2,000 feet of surface area.

And, eventually, he said, the weight, all of that mountain weight, became just too much to bear for the tunnel and its supports. He said all that weight created a tremendous amount of energy, which just built up and then essentially exploded. And what he said was that the right rib, the right wall of that tunnel, just blew right out, clear to the other side of the tunnel. Nine miners he said were standing right there. Several of them, he said, were buried in several feet of coal, and they had to dig them out.

Now that that mining operation, that digging through that main tunnel has been suspended indefinitely, while they assemble a team of experts to determine even if they can continue in that main tunnel. It is very unsafe right now. But the drilling of the bore holes continues. The fourth hole is being drilled from the top of the mountain.

And Richard Stickler, the head of the federal Mine Safety and Health administration, offered a hint that those bore holes may be the best chance of finding these trapped miners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD STICKLER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION: If we can find miners alive, we can keep them alive by lowering water and food through the bore hole. If we can find miners alive, then we will start drilling a bore hole that would be large enough to put a capsule into the mine and bring the miners out through a capsule.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: But to indicate just how far we are from that ever occurring, that fourth hole is still being drilled. It's about 600 feet down. It needs to go at least another 900 feet. Every time they drill one of these holes and it rains, which it just did, it just poured here, the ground becomes too unstable for them to continue drilling. So, even that part of the operation may be compromised right now -- Don.

LEMON: Yes. All right, Brian Todd, we certainly wish them the best. Thank you so much for your reports today.

Now, here's the main challenge for rescuers laid out in this diagram of the Crandall Canyon mine. It's not just a deep hole straight in and straight out. The mine is enormous and it's also complex. After the first cave-in, the six miners were thought to be trapped about four miles from the entrance, 1, 500 feet below ground. They could be in any one of several chambers, and the clock continues to run. This is day 12, as we have been telling you.

If you're looking for a way to make a difference for the families, well, you can. Impact your world by logging on to CNN.com/impact to learn how you can become part of the solution. We have posted information about the Crandall Canyon family support fund. Impacting your world now just a click away at CNN.com/impact.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Don.

LEMON: Eying what is expected -- thank you, Fred -- to be one nasty storm. Hurricane Dean, we're talking about. It's now a Category 3 hurricane. And it's barrelling through the eastern Caribbean. It's already pounded the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia. Hotels along their coasts, well, they are evacuated, and airports were just shut down. Tourists huddled in shelters. So far, no word on any injuries, just a lot of downed trees and buildings without roofs.

Now, Jamaica may not get off as lucky. It is bracing for a direct hit, and that should happen some time on Sunday.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

WHITFIELD: Well, still a very serious situation in parts of Texas, which are right now underwater. And they're about to get drenched again. At least four deaths are blamed on the torrential rains from what was tropical storm Erin.

Sean Callebs is in waterlogged Houston, and hopefully trying to stay dry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After an anxious night characterized by heavy rains and significant flooding, it has been a day of cleanup here in the Houston area.

If you look behind me, you can see that brick building is a grocery store. It is lined with police tape. Now, from above, you can see how significant the damage is. The roof collapsed because of the rainfall, more than seven inches in a short period of time. It claimed two lives.

Now, those weren't the only lives lost in the Houston area. An 18-wheeler ran off the road into a retention pond, killing the driver of that rig. This heavy rain of Tropical Depression Erin came during rush-hour traffic in Houston and in San Antonio. Scores of roads, including portions of interstates, had to be closed for a period of time. And a lot of people simply abandoned their cars when the water got too high.

In the San Antonio area, at least one person was swept away and died. Authorities are also investigating a head-on collision during the height of the storm that claimed three lives.

And we have some amazing video of one very lucky individual. This guy bailed out of his car when the water got too high, was caught up in the current, and was able to cling to this tree until emergency crews were able to pluck him out safely.

But emergency services tell us they are concerned about the conditions. Even though it is sunny right now, they say parts of Houston, San Antonio, could get as much as four to six inches of rain today. So, the possibility of more flooding continues.

Sean Callebs, CNN, in Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Now to southwest Peru, a desperate search for the living and a rush to bury the dead amid more aftershocks. At last count, 447 people have died from Wednesday's tremendous earthquake. More than 1,000 are hurt. The International Red Cross was on the ground within hours of that quake. Other charities and governments are launching massive relief efforts.

In fact, the first U.S. military assistance is on the way to the hardest-hit area. Peruvian President Alan Garcia already has been there, reaching out to the survivors as well as the rescuers. An untold number of people are said to have lost everything.

WHITFIELD: Well, you knew this was coming. NFL quarterback Michael Vick, he's on his own today. Vick's remaining co-defendants both pleaded guilty in federal court and agreed to assist the government in the dogfighting case that has jeopardized Vick's career.

Time is running out on Vick to either plead guilty and face prison time, or to risk going to trial. A federal grand jury scheduled to meet next week is expected to hear evidence that could result in additional charges, including racketeering.

LEMON: A former House speaker bowing out -- Republican Dennis Hastert says he won't run for reelection. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, the '08 election in Illinois just got a lot more interesting. Probably nationally, it has repercussions.

WHITFIELD: And after Wall Street's recent beating, the Fed finally throws a flag. Stocks are up, but what does today's rate cut mean for the housing market? CNN's Gerri Willis takes a closer look -- coming up.

LEMON: OK, look at your set.

WHITFIELD: Oh.

LEMON: Happy birthday times four.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEMON: But, if mom thinks she's tired now, just wait until her babies figure out the practical joke possibilities of being identical quadruplets. Don't adjust your sets -- the NEWSROOM.

Aww. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is 14 minutes after the hour and here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A major aftershock has rattled Peru in the region where an earthquake now is being blamed for nearly 500 deaths. In the shattered town of It is 14 minutes after the hour and here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A major aftershock has rattled Peru in the region where an earthquake now is being blamed for nearly 500 deaths. In the shattered town of Pisco, soldiers are digging through the rubble of a church where several hundred people may be buried.

The season's first hurricane is looking like trouble. The Hurricane Center has upgraded Dean to Category 3 over the weekend. Dean is expected to brush Hispaniola and Jamaica before growing into a monster storm that could threaten parts of Mexico and Texas.

And a U.S. Marine has survived the crash of a helicopter that killed four other service members. The chopper went down yesterday on a training mission in Arizona. Rescue teams reached the crash site north of Yuma today. Three Marines and a sailor were killed.

LEMON: On now to a very big shakeup in politics. The nation's longest-serving Republican House speaker is announcing his retirement. Illinois Congressman Dennis Hastert says he won't seek reelection next year.

Congressional correspondent Jessica Yellin joins us now live from Washington with more.

Jessica, a little tongue-twister there saying your name.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: How are you?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm new. I'm well. I'm well, Don.

You know, this marks an end of an era for the Republicans. Just about a year ago, Dennis Hastert was predicting that Republicans would hold the majority and even make gains in the 2006 election. Now he's retiring. He says he's going to finish out his term and then he will return to Illinois. Today, he made the announcement from his home district, with a note of nostalgia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), ILLINOIS: Who could have predicted all this would have occurred over 20 years ago? Who would have guessed that a wrestling coach from Kendall County in Illinois would be the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House of Representatives?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Now, the announcement is not a total surprise. Some people thought he might retire last year, after the Republicans lost control of Congress and Nancy Pelosi became speaker.

Today, Republicans remember him as a leader who was great behind the scenes. Some say the stability that he brought to the party laid the groundwork for George Bush to become president. And more recently, he was the leader, you will recall, during the Mark Foley page scandal and the Republican corruption scandals.

But, today, people aren't talking about that. Even Nancy Pelosi is offering him praise, saying he should take pride in his record.

Now, Hastert did not indicate what he's going to do next, but, not surprisingly, Democrats have already fielded a candidate to try to take his seat.

LEMON: You know what, Jessica? I'm glad you mentioned that scandal, because it was sort of, I don't know, intimated that he would possibly step down after the scandal.

So, my question for you is, the recent GOP retirements, what does that mean for the fight to regain control of the House? Because that was a question then when they thought that he may have to step down because of the scandal.

YELLIN: Absolutely. Well, the Republicans lost, as you know, in 2006. Democrats gained 30 seats. And now the fact that more and more Republicans are retiring is going to make it even harder for Republicans to claim the majority in the next election.

In addition to Hastert, two other members of Congress have just announced, two Republicans, that they won't seek reelection. So, it is going to be an uphill fight in 2008 for the Republicans in Congress.

LEMON: Jessica Yellin. Jessica Yellin.

(CROSSTALK)

YELLIN: You got it.

LEMON: Hey, welcome aboard.

YELLIN: Thank you. Thanks.

LEMON: All right. It's good to have you. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: John McCain speaks out about his belief that we're winning the war in Iraq, and how that opinion may have hurt him in his race for the White House -- straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, after Wall Street's recent beating, the Fed finally throws a flag. Stocks are -- stocks, rather are up, but what does today's rate cut mean for the housing market? CNN's Gerri Willis takes a closer look -- up next.

LEMON: But first, summer break, well, it is over, back to school. For most kids, this is a very exciting, even a little bit scary time, with friends and new teachers, new subjects. But, for some children who are overweight, sadly, school can be -- can be kind of tough.

Here's today's "Fit Nation" and chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the sound of a new school year, as millions of kids head back to class. But, for some young people, school pressure is more than just reading, writing and arithmetic.

A new study by the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University finds many overweight kids are avoiding school, setting themselves up for other, more dangerous problems, including increased drug use and pregnancy and poor grades.

DR. GARY FOSTER, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Heavier kids were the most absent among all of the kids in the school. And this is after controlling for other factors that influence attendance.

GUPTA: The study looks at more than 1,000 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders from the Philadelphia school system and finds four main predictors for missing school: race, age, socioeconomic status, and gender.

But, in digging deeper, researchers also discovered that overweight children were absent an average of 20 percent more than other kids.

FOSTER: There's a lot of social stigma associated with being an overweight kid, from bullying, to teasing, to perhaps even some concerns about how they will perform athletically in P.E. classes.

GUPTA: Just ask Shawna Rubbeck, who went through constant teasing when she was heavy.

SHAWNA RUBBECK, STUDENT: People would call me "Cupcake" as a joke. And I would just sort of laugh about it because, you know, I knew I couldn't do anything about it.

GUPTA: Doctors say their research shows that being overweight not only causes health problems in children, but psychological ones as well. They say schools need to look at how they can help kids with weight issues overcome these pressures, so they will feel comfortable going to class.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone.

I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Kyra Phillips.

A wild ride this week on Wall Street, capped by a surprise rate cut from the Fed.

LEMON: Well, you'd better keep your seat belts fastened. It's not over yet. Still about 30 minutes left in the trading day. We've got all you need to know, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

But first, we start with some developing news on quarterback Michael Vick.

It has been said that he's given a deadline by prosecutors on whether or not he can make a plea deal. Well, just a short time ago, one of his attorneys, Daniel Meacham, appeared on an Atlanta radio talk show. And here's what we are told he did.

He denied other media reports that there's a split amongst his attorneys over whether he will take that plea deal or not. He also denied there is a deadline today at 9:00 a.m. Imposed by prosecutors for Vick to submit that plea.

Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, COURTESY RYAN CAMERON SHOW/V103)

DANIEL MEACHAM, MICHAEL VICK'S ATTORNEY: There's no plea as of this moment. And what I wanted to say is, I'm under the impression that the government wants a plea to be done, if at all, by the end of this week.

But there is no plea at this point.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: All right.

One of Michael Vick's attorneys, Daniel Meacham, appearing on a radio show here in Atlanta, V-103. In fact, it's the Ryan Cameron Show.

More details on this, if we get them, as they become available. Again, that was supposed to be a deadline today. We have not heard anything from Vick or his defense team, but we did hear in a radio show that he denied that there's a plea deal deadline. We shall see by the end of the day -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A surprise rate cut by the Federal Reserve and a surge on Wall Street.

CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, is here to help put the dramatic events into perspective -- so, first, Gerri, good to see you.

GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so what exactly did the Fed do?

WILLIS: Well, before the market opened, the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by half a percentage point, to 5.75 percent. Now, it was responding to fears about the meltdown in subprime loans. That's loans to people with poor credit. Plus, it was concerned about the big swings in the stock market over the last few weeks.

Now, the discount rate -- that's the key rate they cut -- is the rate the Federal Reserve charges banks for temporary loans. But the central bank did not change the federal funds rate. That's the rate that affects how much consumers pay for loans.

The move eases the pressure on banks, who are having trouble borrowing money to loan to consumers and to businesses -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so why does this matter so much?

WILLIS: Well, listen, in a financial crisis, the number one variable is confidence. The Fed is trying to inject some confidence in the banking business. It's saying, hey, we're not going to sit idly by and watch the credit crunch stop lending and seize up the economy. Ultimately, by making money available at the lower rate at banks in trouble, it can also stabilize the banking system.

WHITFIELD: And so what does this mean for, say, the housing market in particular and for people who want to buy a house?

WILLIS: Well, there's not a huge impact directly on the interest rates that consumers pay on credit cards or mortgages. However, by instilling confidence and sending a message it's willing to act in this crisis, lenders are likely to weather the credit crunch better. That means consumers are more likely to get the loans they need.

In fact, one mortgage broker told me today he expects the spike in interest rates on the big loans, the so-called jumbo loans, to come down quickly. Now, those are loans for amounts over $417,000.

So, bottom line?

You're not going to see a direct effect on consumers in the housing market in the short-term. But in the long-term, it will probably ease fears, make lending easier and if you're in the market trying to sell a house, it may give you a boost.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, that's some encouragement there.

Gerri Willis, thanks so much.

WILLIS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: and be sure to catch more of Gerri on "OPEN HOUSE" this weekend. She'll have more on the mortgage meltdown, plus how to choose a home contractor and the new rules of workplace etiquette. That is Saturday morning 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

One entrepreneur who has made a fortune in real estate is developer Donald Trump. Everyone knows that.

Well, in an earlier interview on CNN, he called the Fed's action a start.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, DEVELOPER: But I believe he's going to have to go further. I predicted -- I have not predicted, I thought it should be a point. I didn't think he'd go for a full point. But he's gone for a half a point. It's had a somewhat positive effect, but now people are realizing it's not enough.

So I believe that they're going to have to go for another half a point and then sit for a while. I don't think it will stay at a half.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: and some advice from The Donald for homeowners worried about their mortgages. If the bank sends you a notice, he says, "Don't panic." Go back and negotiate.

And he bets you will make a better deal than you did five years ago.

LEMON: Ah, good advice there from Donald Trump.

The son of another presidential candidate apparently will be heading to Iraq.

Beau Biden, son of Democratic Senator Joe Biden, is preparing for deployment some time next year. Beau Biden, shown in the background here, is Delaware's attorney general and a captain in the Army National Guard.

At a campaign stop in Iowa, Senator Biden said he didn't want his son going, but he didn't want his grandchildren going back 15 years from now either.

Two other presidential hopefuls, Republicans John McCain and Duncan Hunter, have sons that have been deployed to Iraq.

Senator John McCain was once considered the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination. But his campaign has taken some serious hits lately. Polls show him running behind Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson, who hasn't even declared yet.

Is it McCain's support for the war in Iraq that's dragging him down?

Well, he spoke with Kiran Chetry on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING")

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Every poll I've seen is the war in Iraq slash -- they call it war on terror. I don't like to use that phrase, particularly. But the struggle against radical Islamic fundamentalism as the overwhelming concern that people have. And it should be, because we're in a titanic struggle against a force of evil that wants to destroy everything we stand for and believe in. KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, "AMERICAN MORNING" CO-ANCHOR: It seems you've been painted as being a huge supporter of the president's Iraq strategy.

Is that an inaccurate portrayal?

MCCAIN: It's entertaining in that I was the greatest critic of the initial four years, three-and-a-half years. I came back from my first trip to Iraq and said this is going to fail, we've got to change the strategy to the one we're using now. And -- but life isn't fair.

But I do believe that this general, who will report back in the middle of September, as you know, and this strategy, is succeeding.

CHETRY: CNN had a poll out today that found that more than half of the respondents say that they don't trust the report to paint an accurate picture of what's really going on in Iraq.

Do you trust that the report will be an accurate portray from Petraeus?

MCCAIN: I totally believe that it will be an accurate report. And I think when the American people see General Petraeus give it, I think that's -- those numbers may change.

Look, I understand the frustration because the war was mishandled for so long. But I think they'll believe it.

And I think, at the end of the day, the Americans want us to succeed. They're just frustrated that we haven't. (END VIDEO TAPE)

LEMON: Well, McCain says he thinks it's the immigration issue, not his support for the war, that has cost him.

Fred Thompson is testing the Republican presidential waters. The former Tennessee senator took his would-be campaign to Iowa. Though still undeclared, Thompson ranks second in national polls among GOP presidential hopefuls. He's expected to formally announce his candidacy early next month.

Our John King caught up with him in Des Moines.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

FRED THOMPSON (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I will be in traditionally when people get in this race. People announce, traditionally, in September, October and November. Things have been moved up a little bit at this time in terms of the caucuses, but the campaigns have really been moved up and they've been going on for a long, long time. And we're doing in a few months what most campaigns have done over a much longer period of time.

But with the ways that we have to communicate today and the modern era, there's no question that we can do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Make sure you catch more of John King's interview with Fred Thompson on "THE SITUATION ROOM," starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

WHITFIELD: and Hurricane Dean now a category three, threatening to become a category four, impacting NASA astronauts in outer space and also NASA employees here on the ground.

Miles O'Brien reported earlier that Dean may mean that Houston's mission control would have to relocate.

Well, Matt Abbott, who is the lead shuttle flight director, addressed that just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT ABBOTT, LEAD SHUTTLE FLIGHT DIRECTOR: We have the capability to do both an emergency mission control center activation by flying teams of flight controllers to Florida to support the shuttle and also we have capabilities which we exercised during Hurricane Rita, a couple of years ago, to take a team of Space Station controllers to another city to set up and work with our colleagues in Russia to keep the Space Station operations going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: and we're continuing to monitor those briefings out of NASA. When there's any more information to pass on, we'll do just that -- Don.

LEMON: The centuries old battle over Hebron.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on "God's Warriors," straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Recognize that person, Fredricka Whitfield?

WHITFIELD: Yes. I think a lot of folks, the jazz enthusiasts, do.

Max Roach.

LEMON: Yes. Max Roach.

He died on Wednesday. He was 83-years-old.

Here's the interesting thing about him. He never took a musical lesson. And the reason that he became famous is because Duke Ellington's drummer fell ill in 1940. He got his big break.

When I said never took a musical lesson, a piano left by a previous tenant in his Brooklyn apartment when he was a kid, that's how he started playing piano. WHITFIELD: Amazing.

LEMON: Originally born in North Carolina, in Newland, then moved to Brooklyn.

Legendary jazz drummer Max Roach dead at 83.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEMON: But we celebrate his life and his achievements and career (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: Yes, the last -- he was the last living of the original, you know, modern jazz musicians, along with Theolonius Monk and Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. And he was the last one standing.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely.

WHITFIELD: We all celebrate his life and music.

Well, 40 years after Israel captured thousands of square miles of land from its Arab enemies in the Six Day War, Jewish settlers in the occupied territory are as determined as ever that it not become a Palestinian state. They want Israel to keep it forever.

In an excerpt from an upcoming documentary series called "God's Warriors," Christiane Amanpour explains why the most zealous settlers risk their lives for what they believe is a biblical birthright.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the Jewish bible, the Torah, the book of Genesis says, "God gave this land to the Jewish people."

The 500 Jewish settlers of Hebron are surrounded by 140,000 Palestinians. Choosing to live here means risking their lives.

SIPPI SHLISSEL: My mother was holding the telephone and suddenly she heard screaming like she never heard in her life.

AMANPOUR: The screaming that night in 1998 was Sippi Shlissel's (ph) father, 63-year-old Rabbi Shlomo Rahanan (ph).

SHLISSEL: This is the house my parents used to live.

AMANPOUR: A Palestinian man had broken into her parents' house.

SHLISSEL: You see now where the terrorists came. He went on this wall, into the window.

AMANPOUR: The man who once held Sippi as a little girl was now fighting for his life.

SHLISSEL: He was in his pajamas and the terrorist was holding his hands and my mother tried to save my father and pushed him in the other hand, like my father was in the middle. And then the terrorist took the knife and he stabbed my father in his heart, in his heart. And all the blood was, like, going all over. And my mother, she's a nurse. And she tried to save him. But it was impossible.

AMANPOUR: Despite everything, Sippi, her husband and their 10 children stay in Hebron, a few doors from her parents' house.

SHLISSEL: We have the holy land. It's where god said this is where the Jews has to live.

AMANPOUR: This is central to their belief that only when the Jews return to their homeland and live their lives according to the Torah will the messiah come to save the world.

SHLISSEL: The people that don't keep the Torah, they don't understand the meaning of being Jews, the meaning of the land. They're they wasting their life.

AMANPOUR: The impact of god's Jewish warriors goes far beyond these rocky hills. The Jewish settlements have inflamed much of the Muslim world.

GERSHOM GORENBERG, AUTHOR, "THE ACCIDENTAL EMPIRE": You can't understand the anger of radical Islam unless you understand the conflict between, you know, the Jews and the Palestinians. This tiny piece of land matters much more to people than huge countries elsewhere in the world.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow!

This six hour television event premieres next week, "God's Jewish Warriors," on Tuesday, August 21st.

"God's Muslim Warriors" on Wednesday, August 22nd, and "God's Christian Warriors" on Thursday, August 23rd, all at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

And if you'd like to know more now instead of waiting until next week, until all this airs, you can go to CNN.com/godswarriors.

But you want to tune in again next week.

LEMON: Searching for survivors and recovering the dead from collapsed buildings -- help is on the way as crews struggle with the aftermath of a powerful earthquake.

That is ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: But, first, one former attorney is making a living with her passion of taking photos.

Ali Velshi has more on this week's Life After Work.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

VELSHI (voice-over): Rosanne Pennella is living her picture perfect life. She traded her stint as an attorney in 1996 for a career with a different focus.

ROSANNE PENNELLA, TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER: Practicing law was not something I really enjoyed. So when I started to really think about what I wanted to do, the driving force in my life was always travel.

I had always been interested in photography. At that time I thought about being a travel photographer.

I've photographed all over the world. I've been in all seven continents at this point.

The kind of images I like to capture tend to be ones that capture a sense of place and I'm really interested in capturing people.

VELSHI: Pennella's work has appeared in a number of travel books and magazines, including Nikon's "Legends Behind the Lens." And sharing knowledge about how to take these pictures is something she finds equally rewarding.

PENNELLA: Teaching, for me, feels like something that's a very natural outgrowth of talking about a passion that I have. To do something you love allows you to step out and be really much more fundamentally who you are in the world.

And so, in that context, I think the way I am as a person in general has also changed because I'm much more happy in my life.

VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Eyeing what's expected to be one nasty storm. Hurricane Dean, now a category three, is barreling through the Eastern Caribbean. It has already pounded the islands of Martinique and St. Lucia. Hotels along their coasts were evacuated and airports have been shut down. Tourists have huddled in shelters. And so far, thankfully, no word of any injuries. Just a lot of downed trees and buildings without roofs.

Jamaica may not get off as lucky. It's bracing for a direct hit sometime Sunday.

LEMON: and amid more aftershocks in Southwest Peru, a desperate search for the living. It's fired as many as 60 people could still be trapped under the rubble. At last count, nearly 500 people have died from Wednesday's tremendous earthquake. More than 1,000 others hurt. International Red Cross was on the ground within hours. Charities and governments worldwide are launching massive relief efforts of their own. The first U.S. military assistance is already on its way to Peru.

A short time ago, we spoke with Sergeant Shelby Hatch about that mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GT. SHELBY HATCH, U.S. AIR FORCE: Once we hit the ground, we're going to be unloading the aircraft. We've got our MSC unit on our pallet. We've got a Humvee with our generator. We're going to unload everything. We're going to set up our tent, hook up our generators, set up our surgical unit. And then as soon as our patients start walking through the door, we're going to be doing surgeries.

We can do 20 at one time without any turnovers. But we've got a team set up so we can clean our instruments one case at a time. We can do 20 right off the bat. And then after that, we can do, we can keep going.

We can do at least 40 within a week's time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Peruvian President Alan Garcia has visited the hardest hit areas, reaching out to survivors and rescuers.

WHITFIELD: The governor of Minnesota is pushing a quick timetable for replacing the interstate bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. This week, as rescue divers continue to find bodies, the Minneapolis mayor expressed concern about moving ahead too quickly.

But Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty said today the project needs to get going.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, COURTESY WCCO 830 AM)

GOV. TIM PAWLENTY (R), MINNESOTA: We, perhaps, could get the bridge open by the very end of 2008.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:

Right.

PAWLENTY: So it's not a matter of weeks or months. We're still going to have, you know, a pretty long period of time here where this bridge is going to be out. And that's why it's important to try to move forward, you know, reasonably and quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Meanwhile, the two bodies recovered from the Mississippi River yesterday have been identified as Vera Peck of St. Anthony and Christina Sacorafas of White Bear Lake.

In all, 11 bodies have been recovered. Two people are still missing.

LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Identical quadruplets -- well, they're extremely rare. WHITFIELD: Whoo!

LEMON: And the chance of having them?

Well, reportedly just one in 13 million. But these next pictures, priceless.

WHITFIELD: Pretty. Adorable. A Canadian woman has done exactly that, as you see right here. She gave birth to four identical girls last weekend in Montana. The babies were conceived without -- people, listen up -- fertility drugs.

Man, that is lucky, huh?

Or, I should say they are blessed.

Well, the babies were born two months early, but all are in good condition. So that's the good news.

They look great, too, don't they?

LEMON: Um-hmm.

Two-and-a-half pounds each?

WHITFIELD: Yes, two-and-a-half pounds each.

There are fewer than 50 sets of identical quadruplets in the entire world. That is remarkable.

Congrats to them.

LEMON: Yes, we're talking about numbers.

What are the odds -- what are the odds with that?

They are gorgeous, gorgeous babies.

We wish them the best. Again, what are the odds?

What are the odds of Wall Street -- Susan Lisovicz?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Giving birth, if you will, to a rally.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: Imagine that.

LEMON: Very good, Susan.

WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE).

LEMON: Man, there it is.

Listen folks, good night, everybody. LISOVICZ: I just want to say, look, I want to -- I want to pay homage to the late, great Yankees shortstop, Phil Rizzuto, who passed away this week and say holy cow!

LEMON: Yes.

LISOVICZ: Look at the Dow.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LISOVICZ: Have a great weekend.

WHITFIELD: You, too.

Fantastic.

LEMON: What a roller coaster.

Thank you, Susan.

LISOVICZ: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, time now for THE SITUATION ROOM.

What do you say?

LEMON: Oh, I'd say.

And Miles O'Brien, who just -- he's all over the place. Next week he's going to be doing weather and maybe sports after that -- Miles O'Brien, take it away, man.

WHITFIELD: He does it all.

LEMON: And have a great weekend.

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