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Hurricane Humberto Slams Into Southeastern Texas; President Bush Delivers Speech on Iraq Tonight; Anti-al Qaeda Leader Killed
Aired September 13, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris has the day off.
Watch events coming into the NEWSROOM live on Thursday, September 13th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
The U.S. coast hit by a surprise hurricane. Humberto could flood coastal Texas and Louisiana today.
A television ad under scrutiny. It urges women to undergo very expensive genetic tests for cancer.
And a man wearing a diaper. A teenager tells police he sent her text messages out of the blue.
Cell phone predators, in the NEWSROOM.
We begin this morning with driving rain, 80-mile-an-hour winds. Hurricane Humberto slams ashore in Texas. The intensity catching forecasters and local officials by surprise.
Humberto blew up into a Category 1 hurricane overnight. It made landfall near High Island. That's just north of Galveston.
Humberto could dump more than a foot of rain over parts of Texas and Louisiana. Texas already soggy, as you well know, from one of the wettest summers on record.
Louisiana under a state of emergency right now as Humberto moves through.
Rob Marciano joining us now from the severe weather center to tell us more about this.
Boy, that is the truth. Texas has just been hammered with rain for a long, long time, it seems.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has. And so has southwest Louisiana. But as we get into the eastern part of Louisiana, and in other places in the southeast, we'll squeeze out a little bit of good moisture from this storm. But first we have to get through the hurricane, and it is still a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, with winds of 80 miles an hour.
There you see it on the radar scope, the center of which is right about there. We'll zoom in just a little bit and show you where most of the action is.
A lot of heavy rain coming off the Gulf of Mexico into Vermilion Parish and across the (INAUDIBLE). Lafayette getting into the action now as well. And up cross parts of Beauregard and Calcasieu parishes here.
Here is where the eye wall is, but it's beginning to get a little bit less organized. We have had reports of at least 75,000 people without power, some roadways closed. I-10 westbound was closed near Viter (ph), Texas, earlier today. And here is the latest track out of the National Hurricane Center as well.
You can see it does head towards the north and east. It will decrease in intensity, but because this thing increased in intensity as it was making landfall, kind of hanging on to its hurricane status a little bit longer than you would think.
Typically, we look for it to cut in half as far as its intensity every 12 hours. So with an 80, 85-mile-an-hour landfall, that means that throughout much of the day today, we'll at least see it as tropical storm status.
The other issue is going to be the threat for tornadoes. We've had a couple of tornado warnings out, and this tornado watch box is in effect until 10:00 a.m. local time for the threat of tornadoes.
And then also, we're getting a bit of a surge here in through Vermilion and Cameron parishes. So be aware of that, anywhere from two to four, in some cases five, feet above average, and then the potential for flooding rain.
Here's the thing. You get east of Lafayette, Heidi, and that starts to turn into more beneficial rain. Places like Mississippi, Alabama, and here in Georgia, we are in a drought. So we get east of Lafayette, you start to add into the plus category, the good news category of this storm.
COLLINS: Right.
MARCIANO: But meanwhile, we're going to get a tremendous amount of rainfall that will lead to flooding in southwest Louisiana. Those winds are still cooking at 75, 80 miles an hour.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes, boy, just the last thing they need.
All right, Rob. We'll check back in later and keep our eye on this thing together.
Much of Beaumont, Texas, in the dark this morning. Hurricane Humberto knocked out power when it plowed through overnight.
We want to go live to Beaumont right now with CNN's Ed Lavandera. He is standing by with the very latest.
Good morning to you, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, there were several intense hours of rain and wind in the overnight hours here in the Beaumont area and throughout much of southeast Texas, as Rob has mentioned. And you know, one of the concerns had been that this storm was going to move too slowly throughout this region and really cause a severe threat of flooding throughout many -- many portions of this southeast area, Texas area.
Now, I just spoke with one of the sheriff's officials here in Beaumont who says that they only have some reports of just a few roads that had been flooded out and they anticipate that those water levels will decrease rapidly. And the worst of the damage so far being two mobile homes that were flipped over in the middle of the night because of the winds.
They had to rescue an elderly woman out of one of those. We were told that she is -- she is fine. And right now they have high-water rescue teams and other crews surveying the county area around Beaumont, making sure that there aren't any other people who might need to be rescued or anything like that. But for the most part, officials here feeling very confident that the worst of this is over and that they have come out through this rather unscathed, considering that many people here were surprised by the intensity of this storm as it roared ashore here overnight -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Boy, I bet they're very happy, too, to be thinking that the worst may be over.
Ed Lavandera from Beaumont, Texas, this morning.
Thanks, Ed.
If you are being soaked by Humberto or know someone who is, send us an I-Report. Go to CNN.com and click on "I-Report," or type ireport@CNN.com right into your cell phone. You can share your photos or video with us that way. But remember, as always, your safety comes first. Avoid any dangerous storm situations.
President Bush expected to bring troops home from the Iraq war. Tonight, he addresses the nation and faces a skeptical audience.
CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano sets the stage for us this morning.
Hi there, Elaine.
Tell us a little bit about what we expect to hear from the president tonight.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Heidi. Well, Bush aides say that the president is still revising and will be practicing throughout the day this primetime address to the nation. They say it runs less than 20 minutes long. But in that, he's going to reiterate some familiar themes.
A senior Bush administration official says that among those themes, the president will once more try to connect success in Iraq with the security of the United States. And the president, as we've heard him do in recent days, will recap security gains and so-called bottom-up political progress in the Al Anbar province of Iraq.
Now, on the heels of that congressional testimony this week by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the president is expected to go through the general's recommendations to sign off on them. They include, of course, drawing down potentially to pre-surge levels of 130,000 troops in Iraq by next (AUDIO GAP) depending on conditions on the ground.
Now, Democrats argued that that does not amount to a change in policy or a change in strategy at all. They note that the surge was slated to come to an end because of normal troop rotations. The White House, though, argues it does amount to a change and they say it reflects the success of the surge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You don't have the same country you had in 2006. You're assuming that nothing has changed. The whole -- what General Petraeus is saying is that you are able to move forces out as a result of success, not simply -- this is not an exercise to get to a number.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now (AUDIO GAP) the president is also expected to discuss the U.S. mission (AUDIO GAP) transitioning to more of a partnership with the Iraqi forces. Now, that is not something new. We've definitely heard that before. But what is different now, Heidi, is that the administration now sees evidence and will cite evidence, they say, to show that their strategy in Iraq is working.
COLLINS: Accurate to say, Elaine, that there is quite a bit at stake for the president tonight?
QUIJANO: Yes. You know, there is a lot at stake; namely, Republican support for this White House.
The Bush administration understands full well that it's going to be very difficult for Republicans to continue supporting the president on his Iraq policy unless there is some sign at the very (AUDIO GAP) Baghdad, some movement towards political reconciliation. We have not really seen that up until this point.
So that is why we're going to hear the president tonight talk about so-called bottom-up grassroots reconciliation at the local level in the Al Anbar province. The president and his aides believe that that could be duplicated elsewhere in Iraq, but, of course, the president's critics argue that what happened in Al Anbar is a very different set of circumstances than the rest of the country. They say that the very deep sectarian divisions that exist in Iraq are going to be difficult to overcome, and no amount of U.S. forces they believe can force the Iraqis to come together -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, that's true.
All right. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much for that. We'll talk more with you a little bit later on.
Meanwhile, count on CNN to bring you the most comprehensive coverage on the presidential address tonight. You can join us for a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM" starting at 7:00 Eastern. We will also bring you a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" following the president's address.
That's all tonight right here on CNN.
This news just in to us here at CNN. We have been able to confirm some news out of Baghdad today.
One of the most prominent figures, some arguably would say the most prominent figure in the revolt of the Sunni sheikhs against al Qaeda, has been killed. This happened today. It was an explosion near his home in Anbar province.
Anbar province has been in the news quite a bit lately. Military reports saying some success there with the so-called surge. So this is important information certainly in that regard.
The name, Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, was the leader of the Anbar Salvation Council. That's an alliance of plans that is backing the Iraqi government and the U.S. forces there.
We will be talking with Aneesh Raman, our correspondent in Baghdad, to learn more about this and the implications that it could have.
Once again, the most prominent figure of Sunni sheikhs against al Qaeda has been killed in an explosion near his home down in Anbar province. And we'll get more information, should it come in to us here at CNN.
Meanwhile, four strong earthquakes, dozens of big aftershocks rattling Indonesia in the past 24 hours. The seismic shakedown began with a deadly 8.4 magnitude quake triggering tsunami warnings and watches in countries across the Indian Ocean. At last report, nine people dead in Indonesia. Several buildings collapsed, sparking horrifying memories of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in the region.
Still ahead this morning, a horrible story -- sexually assaulted and hanged. The body of a 6-year-old girl found in her family's garage.
A massive blame game now on Capitol Hill over China's dangerous toys. More about that in just a moment.
And raising awareness or anxiety? Controversy around a new ad urging women to undergo genetic testing.
Our Elizabeth Cohen joining us this morning with some perspective in just a moment.
Also, have a baby, win valuable prizes. A Russian region makes an offer it hopes couples can't refuse.
But first, our News Quiz of the Day. What was the last hurricane to make a U.S. landfall?
We'll tell you straight ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins.
Iraq's prime minister defends the job he's doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Does it anger when you hear politicians essentially saying you should resign?
NURI ALL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Frankly, I don't blame them when they don't know the facts and when they don't realize the difficulties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Nuri al-Maliki and Anderson Cooper, more on this straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Just before the break we asked you, what was the first hurricane to hit the U.S., make U.S. landfall? We're going to give that answer to you in just a moment. But first, we want to get to the new information that we brought you minutes ago, a new development out of Iraq. A U.S. ally has been killed in a roadside bombing.
We're going to bring up CNN's Aneesh Raman, who is live in Baghdad this morning gathering information on this.
Tell us a little bit more about who he was. We understand one of the most prominent figures by way of Sunni sheikhs revolting against al Qaeda, Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, this is a significant development in the talk of the success in that western Al Anbar province. Sheikh Sattar Abu Risha was the key figure in turning the tide there late last year and in dividing the Sunni population against al Qaeda.
Just about an hour and a half ago, he was killed as he was returning home west of the city of Ramadi in Al Anbar province. Interior Ministry officials say an IED, an improvised explosive device, detonated as he was going home. At that point, killing the sheikh. And soon after that, they say a car bomb also exploded. So far, we know that the sheikh has been killed and two of his bodyguards.
Now, this is a man that has met with President Bush, that has been put forward on Iraqi state-run television as the face of this success, of turning the tide against al Qaeda in that western Al Anbar province, a process that not only is the cornerstone to the U.S. military success within the surge, but that they are attempting to varying degrees to mimic elsewhere. What the effect will be now is critical.
Will it further the divide between the Sunnis in Al Anbar province and al Qaeda? Will it further their resolve to keep the fight against al Qaeda going, or will it trickle down that renewed sense of fear? Because keep in mind, in a lot of these areas the Sunni population wasn't necessarily explicitly supporting al Qaeda.
Out of fear for their own lives, they were quiet, passively allowing al Qaeda to pass through and operate. How this will then affect not just in Anbar, but how this will affect the Sunnis populations that the U.S. military is looking to bring on board elsewhere is a key question -- Heidi.
COLLINS: It is a key question, Aneesh. In fact, we have had General Petraeus and even Ambassador Crocker speak specifically about this area and about what is going on with the Sunnis in Anbar province going against al Qaeda, of course. I wonder if we will hear anything about this from the president tonight.
RAMAN: Yes, it will be interesting if we do. It will also be, in terms of the situation on the ground, interesting, or at least something we will watch for, is what reaction there is countrywide.
You have these Sunnis in these areas that are essentially militias backed by the U.S., done so to drive out al Qaeda. But they are now armed. They are operating at some level unto themselves.
As we spoke of last week, a sheikh in Falluja has 3,500 fighters under his command. A fourth of which are under the Iraqi security forces. Do they decide to take any unilateral action out of revenge?
How this changes the dynamic that has been so sensitive and so carefully crafted over the past few months is important. But again, the whole point of why these sheikhs and these Sunni populations turned against al Qaeda was moments like this, was the moment they realized al Qaeda was killing indiscriminately.
This could very well further that resolve. But it does put in doubt that allegiance to the program only because this man was the face really for Iraqis. He was described as a strong man, a hero, really, on Iraqi TV. The man that stood up and fought al Qaeda. And so, again, it will be a significant blow to the morale, at least of those that have turned against, but it will be key to see which way they turn from here.
COLLINS: All right, Aneesh. Great job. Thanks for helping us explain that one. And we will let you get more information if you can there.
Live from Baghdad this morning, Aneesh Raman.
We'll check in a little bit later, Aneesh. Thank you.
Meanwhile, we want to get to this -- more information just in to us here at CNN and these pictures, too. Wow.
This is a three-alarm fire that we are bringing you from our affiliate KSDK, Warren County, Missouri. It's happening at the Warrenton Oil Company. Obviously, not a good mix, oil and fire that we see there. I'm trying to get you the information I have in front of me.
We do know at this point, at least according to our affiliate there, no one has been hurt, no one has been evacuated, even. So possibly it may look worse than it is. But lots of black, thick smoke there, as you see.
We will continue to follow this one. We know that there are several firefighters from all different districts that are fighting this.
Once again, a three-alarm fire that we are watching from our affiliate, KSDK. Here's another angle for you coming in.
According to the DNR, Department of Natural Resources, this company was cited for a violation in the past when inspectors found a leaking oil tank on the premises. We will be checking into all of this for you. But meanwhile, today, it basically operates retail and wholesale and transportation divisions -- convenience stores, actually.
So it sells and distributes fuel oil and lubes. So who knows exactly what is inside there and what could be on fire, and certainly how it ever began in the first place. But we will continue to watch this and get more information on it for you just as soon as we can.
Again, our affiliate KSDK coming out of Warren County, Missouri, today. We'll watch this one for you.
Before we head to the break -- before we went to the break -- I can't actually remember because there is so much going on -- we asked you this question: What was the last hurricane to make U.S. landfall?
Well, there's your answer. Hurricane Wilma. It was back in October of 2005. Who could forget? CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano with the very latest on the hurricane that we are following today, Hurricane Humberto, coming up in just a few minutes.
Also new this morning, Japan's outgoing prime minister in the hospital now, just one day after suddenly resigning from office. Doctors say Shinzo Abe is being treated for an intestinal disorder brought on by exhaustion and stress.
Abe's party lost control of parliament following a series of scandals. The U.S. waiting to see if the current turmoil will impact Japan's cooperation in the war in Afghanistan.
A controversial new television ad is making headlines this morning. It urges women to get a genetic test to see if they are likely to get breast cancer.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breast cancer runs in my family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My grandmother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad's sisters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wondered if it would be inevitable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I found out it didn't have to be. I found out my risk through BRAC Analysis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Critics say the ad scares women unnecessarily. Myriad Genetics, the ad's sponsor, says it has an obligation to educate women about genetic testing.
Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is following this story for us. She's in our Boston bureau today.
Elizabeth, I know Connecticut's attorney general is actually investigating this ad now. Why?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they feel -- he feels that it is possibly misleading. If a woman were to sit down and watch this ad, she might think, oh, gosh, I'm nervous. I want to go get myself tested now, maybe I have these genes called the BRACA genes that will make me more likely to get breast cancer when the reality is that a relatively small number of women have these genes.
In fact, these genes account for or cause only about two percent of all breast cancer. So people like the Connecticut attorney general are asking the question, is this fear mongering among women? COLLINS: But sometimes ads are pretty short, most of the time maybe 30 seconds or so, and they don't mention some of the pitfalls of genetic testing. What about those?
COHEN: Right. There are some problems with genetic testing.
First of all, you'll probably be -- you'll likely be out about $3,000, because insurance often doesn't cover this kind of genetic testing. And it's expensive.
And secondly, let's say you're positive. There is a possibility that you're going to have a hard time getting life or health insurance, because if you're positive, it means that you have up to an 80 percent chance that you're going to get breast cancer. That's a very high risk.
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: And also, you have to think about -- yes, it's a very high risk. And also, you have to think, Heidi, what am I going to do if I'm positive? If I find out that I've got a high likelihood of having breast cancer, am I going to remove my breasts? Am I going to have them surgerially removed? That's a huge step.
Am I going to tell my sisters and have them worry about their own health circumstances? There are a lot of questions that people don't always think about before they get the testing.
COLLINS: Yes. So then tell us, who should actually go out and get tested?
COHEN: Well, women who have two or more close relatives, like a mother or an aunt or a grandmother or a sister with breast cancer, should talk to their doctor -- or a genetic counselor might be even better -- about whether or not they should get tested. And before they get that test they really need to think through, if this is positive, what am I going to do? You want to know that answer before you get the test.
COLLINS: And you want to think about what to do, as you said. I think it's a great point.
All right. Elizabeth Cohen from Boston for us today.
Elizabeth, thanks so much.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: A reporter stands up to Hurricane Humberto. But who wins? The surprise storm and a flood-filled forecast.
Live to the CNN hurricane center in just a couple of minutes.
Web site spat. Fred Thompson's campaign points a finger at Mitt Romney's team over a fake Web site. Romney says it wasn't me. ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Ali Velshi in New York, "Minding Your Business" with my trusty oil barrel. Why? Because we've got another record.
Stay tuned. I'll tell you about it when we come back in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Want to take you back to some of these pictures that we've been getting in from our affiliate KSDK out of Missouri -- Warren County, to be specific. Live pictures, too.
And as I continue to look at them on our monitor, they are pretty dramatic. A lot of thick, black smoke coming out of this building.
Several hazmat crews are on the scene. It's a three-alarm fire. This is the Warrenton Oil Company, and all kinds of different districts responding to this.
As I said, a three-alarm fire. Gladly, though, and fortunately, no one has been hurt. Apparently no one even really evacuated from the area. So that tells us, at least initially, that they feel like they're getting it under control.
It is a place that operates retail, wholesale, transportation divisions, and basically handles some convenience stores where they sell and distribute fuel oils and lubes. So, obviously, the concern is exactly what is inside. Mixing that with flames, not a good thing.
Another interesting tidbit we have here -- here's another angle for you a little bit earlier, I believe, when -- possibly when it first erupted. Coming in again from our affiliate KSDK.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, this company was apparently cited for a violation in the past. Not sure when that was, but inspectors apparently found a leaking oil tank. So not sure if that has anything to do with what we're seeing today or what the situation is. But thought it important to point that out to you as we continue to watch these pictures.
Wow.
Meanwhile, speaking of oil, oil is soaring to a new high, breaking $80 a barrel for the first time ever, then settling just below to set an all-time record.
Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" now.
Ali, no one really likes to hear this at all. I see your big oil barrel there.
How is it going to impact our gas prices? Because obviously, that is what everybody cares about.
VELSHI: Yes. Well, that's exactly right. And this is kind of where it becomes interesting -- $79.91 is where we settled on the price of oil, but oil kind of trades all the time, and it got up to $80.18.
Looking at the trading now, it looks like it's a little higher than the settle point. And it's kind of interesting, because this week we heard OPEC say that they're going to have their member countries add 500,000 barrels a day to production to the world as of November. And this seems to be a reaction to say that's not enough and it's too late in November. We need to start happening -- see this happening earlier. We got a report yesterday from the Department of Energy to say that our crude stocks, our accumulated crude oil in this country, is much lower than expected.
Now, you would typically expect, Heidi, to see gas prices go up but, in fact, the gas prices yesterday, the national average was actually down a cent from the day before. And so we're see ago bit of disconnect.
In this country, gas prices have been going up because of end user demand -- car drivers and truck drivers demanding more gas and not being able to make it through the refineries.
When the refineries start getting into problems, whether it's because of shutdowns ahead of storms or maintenance or power outages -- and we've got a couple of those this morning -- that's when you start to see the gas prices going up.
There's some speculation that because of all this mortgage and credit crisis that's going on, Americans might have a little less money to spend...
COLLINS: Yes.
VELSHI: ...and they might have to pull back their demand on gasoline. They may choose to drive less because it's expensive. So, at the moment, we're not seeing those gas prices following oil prices, but I would bet it's going to happen soon enough.
COLLINS: Yes. And we never really seem to see that, though, people pulling back on their driving habits.
VELSHI: You know, it's funny, around $3 a gallon you start to see some behavior change. You start to see more of a pick up on fuel- efficient cars, continued pressure on big SUVs and trucks. And we've definitely seen a combination of high gas prices and a cutback in home construction has really affected a lot of the big trucks, because the contractors who drive those pickup trucks are trying to get a little more time out of them or choosing things that are more fuel-efficient.
So, it's all...
COLLINS: Sure, commercially, yes.
VELSHI: ...(INAUDIBLE) looks bad right now.
COLLINS: Yes. Weren't we just talking yesterday about OPEC and the possibility of more production?
VELSHI: Yes. And so they said a half a million barrels by November, is when their member countries are going to kick up their production. And a lot of people are saying, well, come on, it's the beginning of September. Why don't we see those a little bit earlier and get more oil flowing into the system?
The spread between the amount of oil produced in the world and the amount of oil consumed in the world every day is actually remarkably small. So, little problems around the world can really have an impact on that.
The other thing, speaking about the world, Heidi, I just want to remind people, if they think gas is too expensive and they don't want to drive around at home, going overseas is going to get a little more expensive, too, because a lot of the economic problems we're having are affecting the dollar. And if the Fed reduces interest rates in a week from yesterday, next Tuesday, you're going to see a further drop.
Look at that. If you want to get a euro, it's almost $1.40. A Canadian dollar, which was, generally speaking, a cheap trip up to Canada, almost the same -- $0.96 to get you a Canadian dollar. And the pound, $2.03. We are seeing -- so, you know, it's expensive to go away. It's expensive to stay home.
And guess what?
If you do decide to stay home and not drive and eat your cereal, wheat prices hit a record high yesterday, as well.
COLLINS: Well, wheat is bad. I'll tell you, there's gluten in there. It's bad.
VELSHI: Well, and then -- but we had cocoa prices coming down on the commodity index. So what was -- Coco Puffs are probably...
COLLINS: Coco Puffs have malt in them, which also is a product of gluten.
VELSHI: Yes, you've got me.
COLLINS: But, clearly, we're digressing.
VELSHI: I didn't check the price of malt.
COLLINS: Yes.
All right, Ali Velshi.
I guess everybody will just have to stay home and put a tent in their backyard for a while.
VELSHI: Yes, that's right. And eat vegetables or something.
COLLINS: Yes.
VELSHI: But they're up, too.
COLLINS: Yes.
Ali, nice to see you.
VELSHI: All right, I'll keep you posted.
COLLINS: All righty.
Great.
VELSHI: See you.
COLLINS: Good morning, everybody.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins.
Tony Harris is off today.
Tracking Humberto -- the category one hurricane surprised forecasters when it slammed into Southeastern Texas overnight.
A report from our affiliate, KTRK, was in the thick of it.
WAYNE DOLCEFINO, KTRK CORRESPONDENT: We think this is Ground Zero -- Gilchrist just between Crystal Beach and Higher Island. The worst wind and rain we've seen. The power is out. The only light, our flood light, shining on me as I try to stand just off Highway 87. The wind and the rain -- the rain really starting to sting as it comes ashore.
COLLINS: That does not look very pleasant. Humberto quickly grew into a category one hurricane and made landfall near High Island -- that's just north of Galveston -- early this morning. The storm could actually dump more than a foot of rain over parts of already soggy Texas and Louisiana.
Humberto's heavy rain soaking Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well. The governor has declared a state of emergency there. Some areas in Humberto's path were devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Rob Marciano is watching all of it for us this morning -- Rob, the very latest is?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's still a hurricane.
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: It will probably downgraded by the next advisory within the next hour and 20 minutes. But still officially winds of 80 miles an hour sustained. The rainfall is certainly a huge issue with this at the moment. And the satellite picture indicates how it blew up overnight last night.
Here is the radar. This kind of gives you a better indication of where the center is, right about there. And it's moving off to the northeast at about 12 miles an hour.
So the bigger concerns now are a storm surge coming into Vermilion Parish and heavy rain that's being drawn into this area across Yuchafway (ph) into parts of Lafayette and also in through parts of northern Calcasieu Parish and in through Beauregard Parish.
There's the northern part of the eyewall. That's probably where the nastiest weather is right now, in the form of winds that could be gusting over hurricane strength and certainly some heavy rain with this, as well.
All right, it will begin to wind down. But because it blew up overnight, intensified as it made landfall, that's probably one of the reasons that it's holding on to its strength.
Here are some of the wind gusts -- 85 miles an hour wind gust at Sea Rim State Park, Texas. And in Beaumont, Texas, the had saw a wind gusts at 84 miles an hour. And you can imagine, with some of the oil refineries in this part of Texas, as well, they go up pretty high in the sky. I'm sure some of the wind gusts there were pretty substantial.
Arm this watch box in effect at least until 10:00 a.m. local time for the possibility of seeing tornadoes spin up from this system. We often see that from Gulf landing systems, especially to the right. And then, as we go through time, we'll also see the potential for flooding rain.
But the sliver of good news with this is that you go about east of this line, all the rain that falls there is going to be beneficial. So that part of the story, at least, is good.
Here's the forecast track. Look for it to decrease in intensity and move across Central Louisiana.
And then the other interesting point I'll just throw out there, Heidi, is you see the southern edge of this four and five day track brings it close to the Gulf of Mexico. And, believe it or not, some of our computer models want to loop de doop this thing around and maybe give it a second life. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
COLLINS: Yes, because it gets over the water again, right, the warm water, and it picks up strength?
MARCIANO: Heidi, (INAUDIBLE) this morning.
COLLINS: That's what I've learned from you.
You don't know anything about it?
Is that what you said?
Terrific. Four or five days away. I understand what you're saying. It could change a lot in that time.
MARCIANO: Yes. COLLINS: All right, Rob Marciano, thanks so much.
MARCIANO: OK.
COLLINS: All right, if you are being soaked by Humberto right now or know someone who is, send us an I-Report. You can go to CNN.com and click on I-Report or type ireport@CNN.com right into your cell phone. You can share your photos or video with us that way. But always remember, of course, please be safe when you do that and avoid any dangerous storm situations.
A young woman tortured in West Virginia. More details coming out now about a crime almost beyond comprehension.
U.S. troops in Iraq -- the president about to make an announcement.
Is a skeptical public ready to listen?
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: General David Petraeus says Iranian weapons are being used against U.S. troops in Iraq.
I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
We'll have that story next.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: President Bush addressing the nation tonight. His prime time speech focusing on Iraq, specifically, what his administration calls bottom up political progress. The president will argue progress is being made in Iraq and now is the time to build on it. He is also expected to announce the withdrawal of some 30,000 U.S. troops by next summer.
Critics say that's nothing to celebrate. They say it merely reduces troop numbers to the beginning of the year before the so- called surge.
While President Bush prepares to address the nation tonight about Iraq, we have new numbers showing what Americans think about how the president is handling his job. A new CNN/Opinion Research poll just out this morning has the president's approval rating at 36 percent, the same as it was one month ago. Sixty-one percent disapprove. Thirty-four percent believe the president's policies would move the country in the right direction. Sixty-one percent say they're moving the nation in the wrong direction.
As for Democrats in Congress, 50 percent of respondents believe their policies would move the country in the right direction. Thirty- nine percent say the wrong direction.
You can count on CNN to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the presidential address tonight. You can join us for a special two hour "SITUATION ROOM". It begins at 7:00 Eastern. We'll also bring you a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" that will follow the president's address. That's all tonight right here on CNN.
A deadly rocket attack on an American nerve center in Iraq. Fallout echoing now from Washington to Tehran.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on this story -- Barbara, what's the latest here?
STARR: Well, Heidi, you know, the officials in the Tehran government have continued to deny any direct involvement by the Iranian regime in the attacks inside Iraq. But we sat down yesterday with General David Petraeus. He made very clear that he is absolutely certain there are Iranian weapons inside Iraq and that they are being used to target U.S. troops.
Listen to what he had to say about the most recent attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: We have no question whatsoever about Iranian weapons being used to kill our soldiers. In fact, we have the remnants of .240 millimeter rocket that hit one of our camps yesterday and caused a number of caused wounding of a number of our soldiers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: U.S. officials say that this is a longstanding problem. Of course, we've heard a lot about it. One of the big concerns is not just the weapons being shipped in, but the amount of training that insurgents inside Iraq are getting from Iran. And that is a major concern. The belief is that Iranian operatives are teaching them how to more accurately fire their rockets and mortars and those attacks are becoming even more deadly.
But, again, the government in Tehran says they're not behind it all -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And we've been talking for quite some time, throughout all of this, about the influence that Iran apparently has over Iraq -- even more so, many would say, than the United States.
STARR: Well, many people do say that. Of course, it's absolutely worth noting each time that the current government in Baghdad is a Shia-based government, that the prime minister, Nuri Al-Maliki, has traveled, has met with Iranian leaders. He knows that they are a big foot in that neighborhood and he knows he wants to get along with them. So he continues to walk that very fine line between Washington and Tehran, indeed.
COLLINS: It is a fine line, that's for sure.
Barbara Starr.
Thanks so much. Our Pentagon correspondent with us today.
Thanks, Barbara.
STARR: Sure.
COLLINS: Total turnoff -- it says, "I'm wearing a diaper right now." That's a quote, by the way. Teen gets troubling text message and the picture to prove it. But this baby got spanked.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A horrible story to tell you about this morning out of Texas. A little girl sexually assaulted and hanged. Authorities confirming little more in the gruesome killing of 6-year-old Hannah Mack. They say her mother found the child's body in a garage behind the family's home about 65 miles south of Dallas. Her great grandmother says Hannah was last seen by her mother sleeping on the couch around 1:00 Monday morning. She was discovered missing hours later, at a time when the first grader would have been getting ready for school.
Police have made no arrests or named any suspects. Residents in the rural community fear a child killer is on the loose.
We are learning more about the case of a woman police say was tortured in West Virginia. Twenty-year-old Megan Williams is recovering today. Police now say six people accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and torturing could face more state charges. But they will not face federal hate crimes, at least for now. The county prosecutor says Williams, an African-American, had a previous relationship with one of the accused. He did not elaborate on the type of relationship.
All of those charged are white.
Also, allegations Williams was forced to eat rat and dog feces and drink from a toilet. The prosecutor planning to seek maximum prison time for the kidnapping charge.
What was he thinking?
Police say a 48-year-old man posed in a diaper, then sent the disturbing cell phone photo to a teenager.
Josh Davis of affiliate WMUR reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHIEF RICHARD CRATE, ENFIELD, NEW HAMPSHIRE POLICE: They were, you know, very disturbing given her age and what the text messages were. JOSH DAVIS, WMUR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police say this picture shows a bottle of baby powder and two diapers. The caption reads: "Show this to your lady friends, then have them call me if they're interested, OK?"
This was the text message sent to a 15-year-old girl, police say by this man, 48-year-old Lawrence Robarge of Vermont.
(on camera): Did it seem like he knew this girl previously?
How did he get her phone number?
CRATE: The investigators don't believe that he had any knowledge of this girl, that it was just a random -- you know, he just picked a random number and called it or text messaged.
DAVIS (voice-over): At first the girl responded, "gross old man, leave me alone."
Police say he didn't, instead, sending this text: "I am wearing a diaper right now," followed by a picture police say is him actually wearing one.
Another text reads, "I am an adult baby and I love wearing diapers."
The texting and cell phone messages eventually got to the point where Robarge arranged to meet the girl here, at this shopping complex in West Lebanon. He never showed up and neither did the girl because she was now working with police. Robarge was later arrested. He is now being charged with stalking and harassment. More charges could follow. As for the victim, police say she's OK.
CRATE: The girl cooperated with us, actually, you know, did a great job in speaking with him and following, you know, the script that we gave. So, you know, given the circumstances, you know, she was very brave.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: Website spat -- Fred Thompson's campaign points the finger at Mitt Romney's team over a fake Web site. Romney says it wasn't me.
A reporter stands up to Hurricane Humberto. The surprise storm and a flood filled forecast, live from the CNN Hurricane Center in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We just want to remind you that you can catch a very interesting pod cast that we do. We record it every day after the show. A lot of stories that you won't find in our actual newscast of the day from 9:00 until 12:00, so we've put together kind a cool thing for you. You can download it onto your iPod 24-7 and pick up those stories. One of the most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis. And it can hit when you least expect it -- in your 30s, 40s and 50s.
Here now, CNN's Judy Fortin.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doctor turned art dealer Mark Sublet (ph) likes to be in the game.
MARK SUBLET: They're authentic, for one thing.
FORTIN: Bidding at a Sotheby's auction, high adrenaline sports. But osteoarthritis made physical activity tough, even running his gallery.
SUBLET: Most people think of it as oh, you look at some art, you, you know, maybe have a glass of wine and you talk about, you know, the painting. No. The answer is really it's quite physical.
FORTIN: Osteoarthritis can happen in any joint in the body, especially knees. Bones are cushioned with cartilage and surrounding synovial fluid. With osteoarthritis, you lose that cartilage, resulting in bone to bone exposure and pain.
Aging certainly plays a role, but it's not an old people's disease.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Osteoarthritis, which has been associated with older age, really occurs in people in their 20s or 30s. So it's a young person's disease.
FORTIN: In your 30s, managing osteoarthritis is all about exercise. Get plenty. But go easy on joint busters like running, tennis and skiing, particularly after knee surgery. Just as important, keeping your weight down.
In your 40s, it's important to see a doctor before starting on painkillers. You want to properly diagnose the disease, not just mask the symptoms.
In your 50s, some studies have shown taking supplements glucosamine and chondroitin may help stem the progression of the disease.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're keeping your weight down, if you're exercising, if you're taking the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin, you can actually slow the process. And some people actually get better.
FORTIN: Sublet now gets help handling heavy paintings, but has managing his osteoarthritis down to an art.
SUBLET: There's a point where you have to be smart and say, OK, I'm not going to do this. Yes, I could do it, but I don't want to pay the price of what potentially could happen. FORTIN: Experts say with proper care, you can lessen your pain at any age.
Judy Fortin, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: An oil company and fire -- an explosive mixture outside St. Louis today. We'll bring you the pictures.
And Hurricane Humberto hammers Texas. Driving rain and strong winds -- one person says it snuck up on us. Find out where it's headed next.
And Iraq's prime minister defends the job he's doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Does it anger you when you hear U.S. politicians essentially saying you should resign?
NURI AL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: Frankly, I don't blame them when they don't know the facts and when they don't realize the difficulties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS:
CNN's Anderson Cooper reports straight ahead here in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Good morning, everybody.
I'm Heidi Collins.
Tony Harris is off today.
Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Here's what's on the rundown.
Breaking this morning, now he's turned against Al Qaeda and joined forces with U.S. troops. This Iraqi sheikh pays with his life today.
Also, surprise hurricane -- Humberto raking Texas and Louisiana with driving wind and rain right now.
And the New England Patriots accused of cheating -- did they videotape the opposing team's sidelines signals?
Our guest on NFL Spy Games this Thursday, September 13th.
You're in THE NEWSROOM.
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