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California Arson Investigation; Congress Approval Rating Down; Florida Democratic Convention; International Space Station Expansion; Genarlow Wilson Released
Aired October 27, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Right now in the NEWSROOM, we're going to delve deeper into the new clue in the search for the firebug who started one of the massive fires burning in southern California. We're live in the fire zone to bring you the latest developments.
And think Congress is doing a lousy job? Well, you're not alone. Well, what's behind the growing anti-Washington sentiment?
And then talking turkey with a big city police chief battling wild turkeys. Not your ordinary turkeys, these guys have an attitude.
The news unfolding live this Saturday October 27. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and you're in the NEWSROOM.
Fires in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas are still burning. Perhaps cooler weather and calmer winds also help firefighters today. And the public now is being asked in an arson investigation. It's considered a crucial new lead in California's arson investigation, a white pickup truck like this one seen here. Orange County officials are looking for the driver of a Ford F-150 model year between 1998 and 2004. It has chrome tube running boards and they say it was seen near the site of where the massive Santiago Fire started last Sunday.
The blaze has burned 27,000 acres and destroyed more than a dozen homes. And officials confirm that the fire was deliberately set. They're offering $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
So, let's now zero in on the Santiago Fire area, just south of Los Angeles in Orange County, California. Our John Zarrella is there.
And so, John, are the cooler temperatures, they dying down winds, is it having an impact, helping the firefighters in any way?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly has helped them get into the fire zone and to try to get a handle on the fire. But of course, it's only about 35 percent contained right now. It did fair up a bit last night and there were some additional homes threatened, but we talked to Orange County, fire authority officials, this morning, who said that still they have not lost any more structures. They've got nearly 2,000 firefighters out on the lines trying to get some containment on this blaze. And it's just been very, very stubborn.
Only, again, about 35 percent contained as of this morning. And we could see as we were driving here from the hotel this morning, in the -- along the hillside, you could see the fire on the hillside, the flames, and the smoke still coming up. So, quite a ways to go yet. They say several more days before they're really going to feel comfortable about where they are in fighting this particular fire.
And going back to what you were discussing about that Ford F-150, yesterday at a news briefing, here, said they received about 700 tips coming into the tip lines they set up from people. And it was one of those phone calls that led them to this Ford F-150. And it's an F- 150, very much like the one -- it's not the one, but like the one we're showing in the picture. And it is between the years of 1998 and 2004.
And officials are saying, look, we don't want people calling in with every F-150 they see, only if they saw the F-150 on the Santiago Canyon Road Sunday night sometime between 5:45 and 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. That's the time the fire was started along that Santiago Canyon Road. That's where the arson took place.
So, if anyone saw the F-150 there, that's the person -- that's the F-150 they're looking for. Again, they're saying they're not suspects, they're persons of interest. So, they would even like those people, if they happen to be up there and they were the ones driving and they see the reports about the F-150 to call in so they can be removed as suspects, if they had nothing to do with the fire.
And again, as far as the fire goes, the fire chief yesterday during that news briefing, talked about the difficulty in fighting this blaze.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF CHIP PRATHER, ORANGE CO, FIRE AUTHORITY: On the fire, we're now at about 27,000 acres. There is active fire toward the top of the peak and also in a couple canyons. We have our air tankers working aggressively across the ridge tops, helicopters along Silverado Canyon, and while the community can't see it, there are firefighters on the ground and bulldozers on the ground working just as intensely as the fire is burning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: In a couple of hours, now, this morning here, we expect Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be here. He's going to be briefed by the fire officials and police. And then he'll talk with all of us about the investigation and about the fires and how things are going in fighting the fires across southern California and particularly this one -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, John Zarrella, thanks much.
All right, let's broaden it out a bit and talk about the fires as a whole. In numbers there in southern California, 14 of the 23 wildfires are now fully contained. About 250,000 acres, 788 square miles, scorched. Authorities say 14 have died and half of the deaths are attributed directly to the fires. The others happened during or after evacuations.
And many of the almost one million people who were forced to flee their homes, are now returning to downed power lines, leaky gas lines, poor air and water conditions, as well as, ash and rubble, of course.
Let's move south now to San Diego County, hardest hit with nine blazes. It torched more than 450 square miles. Several major fires are still burning there and covering the situation from Rancho Bernardo is CNN's Reynolds Wolf -- Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, you know, it's amazing. I've been listening to some numbers you were talking about. Nearly a million people evacuated. This is the largest evacuation that we've had since Katrina, just giving you an idea of how massive this action was and how big this fire is. And obviously how many people have been affected by it.
Now, I got to tell you, the men and women of law enforcement, of the firefighters, of -- they have done such a remarkable job battling this fire. They've worked so efficiently, they've worked so hard. They're tireless and their courage is just remarkable, to say the least.
But because this fire was so big, so tremendous, many people were forced to pretty much battle it on their own, and that's what they did. They did what Americans always do, they took matters into their own hands and fought it up close.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE PERRY, POWAY RESIDENT: We started going back and forth along the ridge. Just damp -- you know, stopped everything that came out along the ridge. If it came on down here, you know, obviously these homes would go and then the rest of the -- you know, there's so much fuel to continue the fire.
SAL CRIVELLO, POWAY RESIDENT: The purchase I made after the Cedar Fire was the fire hose, the nozzle, the attachments and the wrench to open the water. It was a helpless feeling then. And in a weird way that's what saved us this time, just living through that, you know -- we knew what we need.
It's a long silver wrench that actually has a grip that you can just crank these off and then it fits over here. You tighten it up, turn it on.
The worst case scenario if we're stuck up here and can't get out, at least give ourselves a chance.
The fire department was terrific once they could get out here, but so much stuff was going on at the same time, you have to do it yourself.
PERRY: You look out here, it burns through the valley, it can go miles, into more homes, and you know, more brush and things. You know, it had to stop here. CRIVELLO: It was surreal in that we were just clearly thinking. We were -- we knew what we were doing, we knew what we had to do, we weren't freaking out, it was very calm. We acted automatically in hindsight.
PERRY: Hey, you just had to save your homes and your neighbors' homes and that's all that mattered.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Think about it, Fredricka. Fredricka, these are men in Poway, California -- Poway, California -- they're not trained firefighters. And it's just neighbor helping neighbor. I mean, that's what America is about, coming together in times of need, helping each other keeping their community safe. It is -- out of this horrible situation, stories like that keep popping up all over the place. Certainly some of the bright spot we have seen over the past several days. And even more are popping up today and know they're going to pop up through next week. It's a beautiful thing to see.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, and while they did a tremendous job and they certainly, you know, put their lives in jeopardy in which to do that, it still is not one method to be recommended to anyone because it's a dangerous fire, a deadly fire. We heard it from the firefighters, it's dangerous for them and they have the training and the equipment, so...
WOLF: You're absolutely right.
WHITFIELD: So, I think when you've heard of stories just like this from these men you're also hearing this, you know, cautioning tone from others who are saying, but don't make this a habit. Don't try this because it could go the other way.
WOLF: You're absolutely right about that. But you know, it's one of those things where these people they just throw caution to the wind and they've watching out for each other. Again, not advisable, but it's what people have been doing.
WHITFIELD: All right. Reynolds Wolf, thanks you very much. We'll check back in with you throughout the day.
Oh and Reynolds, actually, before I let you go, are you already starting to feel kind of the changes weather-wise? You still with me?
WOLF: Yeah, I'm still with you. We're feeling a little bit of a change, here, in the weather. I must tell you the wind has not been that strong this morning, but I know that as we get to late Sunday into Monday there is that possibility we may seeing some of those winds begin to churn up again.
Now, will they be as strong as what we had last week with gusts on the hot peaks that were approaching 100 miles-an-hour, well beyond hurricane force, at least Category 1 hurricane force? They shouldn't get that strong. But when you still have a fire of that huge size, you don't need any wind at all and that may be in the cards for us. WHITFIELD: All right Reynolds, thanks so much.
Let's check in with Karen McGinnis who's here in the Weather Center. She's monitoring the winds, the patterns, as well, of this fire, because we know, we saw, as Reynolds was saying, Karen, we saw nearly hurricane force-type winds or at least that magnitude when this was at the worse with the Santa Ana winds. The good thing is it's kind of died down a little bit and wouldn't it be nice if it dies down long enough to let the firefighters get ahead of all the fires that are now only 35 percent contained?
KAREN MCGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. And it does look like we've got a couple of little troughs off shore, and so that will keep the wind flow onshore rather than the off-shore flow that did kick up the fires, the Santa Ana winds that produced very dry conditions.
With the onshore flow you get the humidity that is up. And the winds have been very variable. One of the biggest fires we have is the Harris Fire. Already 16 firefighters have been effected by that they've been injured. The other fire that is the largest one already has consumed 200,000 acres and 26 firefighters have been injured.
Now, I want to show you what happened on Wednesday. I know this is a while back, but this is from Weather Bonk, yes there is a Web site called Weather Bonk. And this is a camera up on an observation tower. Look at these fires and the visibility has gone down to near zero as you can see in this loop of images.
It's amazing that the fire and the camera were both -- well, the camera was intact. There you can see the visibility was greatly reduced and you can imagine breathing that. They are saying the particulates in the air, extraordinarily harmful, so if you can stay indoors that's the best thing to do.
Right now, the winds, mostly light and variable, it looks like rainfall making its way onshore, but it's not really, there's only about a 20 percent chance. So, there is a marine layer that is moisture being generated from an area of low pressure off shore. Just not going to make it on land, it's just way too dry.
Well, what happens in the forecast? Can we expect the Santa Anas again? Well, later on I'll let you know what we can expect and look elsewhere around the country -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll look for that. And Karen, this is our first time together on the air.
MCGINNIS: It is.
WHITFIELD: So good to see you.
MCGINNIS: Thank you. You too.
WHITFIELD: Glad you are joining me on this lovely Saturday. All right, we'll check back in with you throughout the day, and of course within this hour for more on the winds and the patterns there. Thanks.
All right, well California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken quite a bit on this very topic. Well, he's going to talk again today in a live news conference at 2:30 Eastern to update us on the developments there and the efforts. We'll bring that to you live as it happens, 2:30 Eastern Time, 11:30 Pacific.
And you could call it blind justice, or maybe a lucky shot. How a blind man fought back when an intruder broke into his home. And next, Florida Democrats are meeting this weekend in Orlando, but you won't see Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or any other top presidential candidates there. Why? We'll explain, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So, the question being asked on and around the Hill in Washington, congressional Democrats, have they delivered? Keeping them honest, take last year's mid term elections and the promises made. Many voters expected change when choosing a more Democratic Congress. Well now, nearly a year later new figures show even less public approval of Washington.
CNN's senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, breaks it down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): A year ago voters were furious at Congress. Congress' job approval, 28 percent. So, voters threw the Republican majority out. A year later, how's Congress doing? Worse, 22 percent. Who's down on Congress? Republicans? No. Everybody.
Congress symbolizes Washington. Congress's job rating is an index of anti-Washington sentiment. When Congress' job rating goes down, say below 30 percent, where it is now, it means anti-Washington sentiment is up. Congress was down in the late 1970s after Watergate. Those were the years of gas lines and stagflation. Anti-Washington sentiment brought Jimmy Carter to power and threw President Carter and the Democratic Senate out of power.
RONALD REAGAN, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: You know that might be more fun pulling rabbits out of the hat than jackasses out of the way in Washington.
SCHNEIDER: Congress' job ratings dipped lower in the early 1990s when the country faced a deficit crisis and recession and tax hikes and a congressional banking scandal.
Anti-Washington sentiment brought down the first President Bush. It gave Ross Perot his day in the sun. It got Bill Clinton elected and then nearly brought him down, too, when the Democratic Congress was thrown out in 1994.
Have voters ever felt good about Congress? Sure. Approval of Congress was over 50 percent in the late 1990s, and early 2000s. The economy was booming, the budget was in surplus and Americans didn't think anybody threatened them. We learned otherwise in September 2001, but that shock caused national pride and confidence in Washington to soar.
CROWD (singing): God bless America, my home sweet home ...
SCHNEIDER: Now voters are furious at Washington, again -- the war in Iraq, congressional scandals, a soaring deficit, a broken immigration system.
(on camera): What does it mean for 2008? It means voters want change. It could be a change in the White House, like 1980 and '92, or a change in control of Congress, like 1994 and 2006. No one is betting that the Democrats will lose their majorities in the House and the Senate, but when anti-Washington sentiment is as high as it is now, politics is very unpredictable.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: On to presidential politics, now. Florida is going to be a key battleground state, again, only this time Florida is finding itself unpopular with some of the Democratic hopefuls for a new reason. CNN's Jessica Yellin is in Orlando where the state's Democratic convention is missing a few honored guests.
What's going on, Jessica? Why are they not there and who's not there?
JESSICA YELLIN, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Fredricka, I'll tell who's not here, all of the major Democratic presidential contenders -- no Clinton, no Obama, no Edwards. It's a little odd. Florida will be one of the key battleground states next year. If this was any normal year they would all be here. This year they are just -- what's up? The Florida legislature decided Clinton, no Obama, no Edwards.
It's a little odd. As you said, Florida is going to be one of the key battleground states next year. And if this was any normal year they would all be here. This year they're getting Mike Gravel.
So, what's up? Well, what happened, was the Florida legislature decided to move their primary date up ahead of Super Tuesday. The National Democratic Party did not want them to do that, so to both punish Florida and also to discourage other states from doing the same, they asked the candidates not to campaign here and the candidates agreed. As a result, they're not showing up today and some local Democrats are trying to put a positive spin on this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN THURMAN, FL. DEM. PARTY CHAIR: I think there's some disappointment, sure. You know, I'm not going to say there's not and diminish that. But, I do think that, you know, because they're not here people see a different kind of, you know, grassroots organization moving, doing the kinds of things that are necessary to win. (END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Now, there is some enthusiasm inside, still. But the problem that Democrats here acknowledge is that Republicans are in Florida in force. They have been campaigning up and down the state. All the major candidates were at a Republican convention in Orlando last week and there is some concern within the party that the Republicans will get a leg up as a result of all this exposure and that could hurt the Democratic nominee next year, come November -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And that was going to be my follow-up question. I was wondering whether there could be some real backfire for the Democrats. So, maybe, since you kind of answered that, maybe I would ask you, too, is it too late? Could Florida change its mind about this primary? Could they move the date now back?
YELLIN: They -- the date is set. They could move it, but there's very little time. What's more likely to happen is that after a nominee is chosen at the end of primary season, that the Democratic Party nationally might decide, you know what, forget about all that old acrimony, we're going to let you come to the convention, we're going to let your delegates count and we'll let all your Florida votes count. We'll have to wait and see.
WHITFIELD: All right, fiery Florida, once again. Jessica Yellin, thank you very much.
All right, when we come back, more on the California wildfires and the search for a suspected arsonist. Now, an important clue that could lead investigators right to that person of interest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The International Space Station is getting bigger and better. Astronauts opened the hatch to the new shuttle addition "Harmony," just a short while ago. The room will serve as a docking port and nerve center for future shuttle lab projects. Here's an exterior view now of "Harmony," right there, which took about six and a half hours to actually install. Astronauts used a robotic arm to lift the school bus-sized room. Pretty extraordinary.
Well, this too is pretty extraordinary, particularly in the legal circles. Georgia's Genarlow Wilson is savoring his first full day of freedom. The 21-year-old former high school football star and honor student walked out of the Metro Atlanta lock-up Friday after serving two years of a 10-year prison term. A sentence, Georgia's Supreme Court ruled, as cruel and unusual punishment.
Wilson was convicted with felony aggravated sexual battery of a child for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl while he was a teen. He was 17 at the time. The law was later amended, but Wilson's sentence was not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GENARLOW WILSON, CONVICTED OF CONSENSUAL ORAL SEX: For the most part, I matured, you know, as a young man. I know that this is no place that I ever want to come again. And you know, I wouldn't advise anybody to come here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: What a horrible lesson to have to learn. Wilson says he's now very much looking forward to getting on with his life and putting the whole incident behind him.
Well, coming up in the 2:00 hour, we're going to talk about it some more. We'll talk to our legal experts, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman, and ask them what is at the root of this case? Does this exemplify a judicial system stacked against black men? The roll race may have played in this high-profile case of Genarlow Wilson.
Well, here now is proof that blindness does not mean helpless. Meet Gainesville, Florida's Arthur Williams who, for the most part of his 75 years what been blind. Well, that explains why a would-be burglar probably thought that a man who couldn't see would be an easy target. Well boy, did he get the lesson of his life. Arthur Williams turned the tables by actually pulling the trigger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARTHUR WILLIAMS, SHOT INTRUDER: I bought that gone back 25, 30 years ago for my protection.
LT. KEITH KAMEG, GAINESVILLE POLICE: This is the classic example. If you commit crime, you can get hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And that's what happened to the suspect. He was shot in the neck and he was treated before being booked on burglary and battery charges.
Well, hundreds of thousands of Californians are now returning to their homes, unfortunately to find them in ruins. Next, one of those families joins us in the CNN NEWSROOM. The challenges they face after they were forced to leave their home.
Plus wild turkeys ruffling the feathers of some city dwellers? Well, some of these turkeys are just downright mean.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So, Air Force spy planes are being used to keep an eye on the fires raging across Southern California. CNN is the first to bring you these pictures right here taken over the region by U-2 planes and Global Hawk drones.
This one shows the scope of the fires. All those lights are flames or those brighter portions on that black and white photo, those are the actual flames. And this one shows the massive clouds of smoke billowing from the fires. All the smoke was -- has really been working these firefighters who are working their darndest to try and contain them, and it means that the aircrafts are also getting a lot of work as well.
So, where there is fire there is smoke. And there is still a lot of thick smoke hanging over much of Southern California. Just look at this right here, wow.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has been looking into the smoke issue and she reports from Camp Springs, Maryland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here at the NOAA World Weather Building south of Washington, D.C., meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use images from satellites high above the earth that are gathered 24/7 to track fires around the country. Right now, their focus, of course, is Southern California.
Mark Ruminski is a fire program team leader. Mark, show me the images you have here. Now, I understand this is from Monday at the height of the fires?
MARK RUMINSKI, NOAA: That's correct. This is a geostationary imagery, which means that we get a picture every 15 minutes so that we can continuously monitor the progress of the fires.
KOCH: And what was striking about these? I can see the smoke rolling up there (ph).
RUMINSKI: Yes, this kind of shows -- this is over the course of about a 24-hour period, and it shows how the fires rapidly moved from up in the hills above San Diego almost down to the coast.
KOCH: Now, show me the next image of the smoke plumes. Wow.
RUMINSKI: Again, this is the smoke that extends all the way out 1,000 miles into the Pacific Ocean.
KOCH: Very striking. Let's look at the real time images, because this screen shows the pink blobs, fires burning right now as we speak, correct?
RUMINSKI: That's correct. You can see the bigger fires you got down, obviously, in Southern California, with the bigger blobs. We have some other fires that we're also monitoring.
KOCH: Arizona, Colorado. Now, what about the plumes, what do these mean, these red and green plumes? What are these?
RUMINSKI: That's the areas of smoke that we can see using satellite imagery. The different colors are just, you know, the different intensities of the smoke. The green would be the most dense smoke that we could see.
KOCH: And this indicates a very serious fire, correct? The bigger, the more green, the more serious the fire, the larger the plume, the larger the fire?
RUMINSKI: That's correct.
KOCH: So, again, these are just very small fires. Anything that anyone's worrying about much right now, or this is the main focus?
RUMINSKI: No, this is the main focus. And the fact that you can see all this kind of black area, these are clouds that are moving in. And now that the smoke is moving inland, that means we're getting an on-shore, more moist flow that's going to help the firefighters.
KOCH: Good news and obviously, great information that helps state and local officials better track the fire and plot how they're going to fight them.
Kathleen Koch in Camp Springs, Maryland. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, life has been pretty miserable the past few days for the near million of Californians displaced by the wildfires, not just because of that smoke, but obviously, the fire. But for one family, the ordeal was even more unimaginable. They had to evacuate not once, but six times to stay ahead of the flames.
So, let me introduce you to the Chammas family from Escondido joining us right now. Camilia Chammas and her three sons, Andrew, Chris and Luke. Good to see all of you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, good to see you.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS, EVACUATED MULTIPLE TIMES: Hi, how are you?
WHITFIELD: And I'm glad to be able to say that that debris behind you is not your home. You all's home actually made it OK, but this is the location that we could -- in which to get to you because you had to evacuate so many times. So tell me about this whole journey for you, Ms. Chammas, first. I mean, you guys were in your homes or at least one of you was at home when you got the notice that it was time to evacuate. And then what?
CAMILIA CHAMAS: Yes, well, it all started around 4:00 in the morning on Monday. We got a phone call that told us that you should evacuate. As normal, you know, you don't take it seriously. And then, we kind of ignored it, and went to sleep again and then we got another phone call and our neighbor started calling us, said you better get up, you better get up. And then, the -- we heard on the news that 15 South was closed.
So, we had only one route to get out. And we took the famous Del Dios, which is like a death trap. By the time we got on Del Dios, it was really dark, it was really smoky, it was very scary. We got -- we made it all the way to Del Mar. We sat in a Denny's and we had -- just to collect our thoughts and see what we should do.
We had breakfast, and then -- where should we go, where should we go? We called our family that lived in Renso Penasquitos (ph). We couldn't get to them unless we made a big run, so we went to our friend's deli. Everybody was -- they had a deli in
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Del Mar.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: No, in La Hoya. And everybody was there. We said we'll just go spend some time until some roads opened up or anything. So, we went there, and it was so crowded. Kids and everybody was there and all that. So, we went to Del Mar. We had friends in Del Mar, the Monues (ph) family. We stayed with them.
WHITFIELD: So, you went to -- you ...
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: They got a phone call.
WHITFIELD: ...well, good thing for having lots of friends in lots of places. You had places to go. You didn't necessarily ...
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...need or feel like you wanted to go to shelters ...
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: We did.
WHITFIELD: ...but you went to reach out to friends, but everyone else thought the same thing. So, in the end, as you were having to, I guess, leave from one location to the other, where was the fire going? Was it getting closer and closer to all these places that you had gone?
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Yes, it was -- yes, the -- it was like it was chasing us.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: So, we would go from one place to another and wait for the phone call. We would call them, did you get the phone call yet? They would say, no, no, we didn't get it. So, we'd go to their house. And then, when we would get there, you know, like settle in, take our suitcases out, and then they'll get the phone call.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: At couple of the places, it wasn't only a phone call, we got the police cars driving through the neighborhoods, yelling like, get out of the neighborhood right now, and so.
WHITFIELD: Wow. What an odyssey.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Yes, that was, that was ...
WHITFIELD: So, Chris, let me ask you ...
CAMILIA CAMMAS: That was very scary.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it sounds like it was really scary. So Chris, in the end, you guys have moved from, you know, to six different locations. You had to be worrying, at this point, about what about our home. Is it going to be there? You know, you had to be feeling homeless as it was. Your worries about what your house was going to -- whether it was going to be able to withstand this?
CHRIS CHAMMAS, EVACUATED SIX TIMES: Oh, yes, yes. Well, when we were evacuated, it looked like hell outside. The sky was black, even though it was morning, so there was daylight. You could look to the horizon and you could see daylight, but over our house was just dark. And it looked like something out of the War of the Worlds. So, and that was on Monday morning.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
CHRIS CHAMMAS: So, by the time it got to Tuesday and Wednesday, we were wondering, had this fire overtaken our neighborhood?
WHITFIELD: And the good news is, at least for ...
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Because we could hear our street ...
WHITFIELD: Yes, go ahead.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: We could hear our street name.
WHITFIELD: Oh, you could, so you were worried?
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: We could hear our street name -- I'm sorry.
WHITFIELD: No, that's OK.
CHRIS CHAMMAS: They -- they ...
WHITFIELD: Go ahead.
CHRIS CHAMMAS: What happened was -- what happened was we were hearing reports on the news of our particular neighborhood being effected and evacuations.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
CHRIS CHAMMAS: And even our street name. They said our street name, Falicita (ph), Hamilton Street, those are the streets -- that's the street that we live on.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
CHRIS CHAMMAS: And we were -- at that point, we were just -- I was glued to the computer, looking for fire maps to see where they had traced the fire up until then.
WHITFIELD: But then, even better than that you got, a chance to see that your house did OK.
So Andrew, real quick before I let you guys go, what was the favorite thing that you were worried about losing and come to find out its OK, it's saved?
ANDREW CHAMMAS, EVACUATED SIX TIMES: Just the whole house. Like, you were expecting the house to be -- like the houses around here. Right when you see them, you're like -- it's like a load off your shoulders. It's like a blessing. And we're very fortunate to still have our house.
WHITFIELD: All right.
A. CHAMMAS: And I just want to -- yes. Our prayers are out for all the people that lost their homes over here.
WHITFIELD: Well, that's well said. I'll leave it on that note. So many folks have lost so much, you guys are among the lucky ones, even though ...
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...your odyssey of escaping the fire was quite the journey. But, all the best to you, to the Chammas family. I know your husband couldn't be with us, but glad that you're all safe and sound.
CAMILIA CHAMMAS: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All the best to you.
Well, we have received thousands of i-Reports on the California wildfires and you can view them at CNN.com/ireports. Get a really good picture of exactly what has taken place there in Southern California and the harrowing stories of escapes, of evacuations just like the Chammas family and the recovery efforts that are already under way.
And I bet you're feeling pretty stressed, who isn't these days? Well, this woman was definitely stressed until she turned to meditation. The technique that helped her ward off her worries. And the spiritual leader who actually helped inspire it all.
And guess who's turning 60? Take some guesses. I'll let you keep guessing. Maybe you can recognize the photograph there. And also, see who serenaded her on this big day. Maybe you recognize him.
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WHITFIELD: In the wake of rising fuel prices and bankruptcies, there hasn't been a lot of positive news for the airline industry in recent years, but things just might be looking up. This week's "On the Go" has more on the new open skies agreement and how it could change the way you travel.
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MARK ORWOLL, SR. CONSULTING EDITOR, TRAVEL + LEISURE: Because of the weak dollar, the cost of traveling to Europe has never been more expensive for Americans then it is now. But there's some good news on the horizon.
In March 2008, a new "Open Skies" agreement goes into effect between the United States and the European Union. For the first time, U.S. airlines will be able to fly from one European city to another, and European airlines will be able to fly to the United States from any European country, not just the country in which they're based.
This new agreement will probably benefit business travelers the most. To attract those high-paying passengers, the airlines are likely to make improvements in business class cabins. You can even expect to see an increase in business-only flights across the Atlantic.
Well, what about the average traveler? With more airlines flying to more destinations, experts foresee more convenient flight times with multiple airlines flying to your European destination.
As for the affect on air fares, don't look for significant savings any time soon. Despite some claims that one day, we'll see transatlantic flights in the double digits, prices, at least in the near term, are expected to remain steady.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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WHITFIELD: So, a health alert for you now. Are you feeling stressed out? So is almost everybody else, so take comfort in that. A new report says one in three people actually feels extreme stress, and almost half say stress means they can't sleep at night. So, what can we do about all of this?
Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta went to someone who epitomizes inner peace for some stress-busting advice.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two years ago as a freshman at Emory University, Sally Mengel discovered that along with classes and freedom came stress.
SALLY MENGEL, COLLEGE STUDENT: I'm a college student, so I tend to, you know, procrastinate, and then have that night before an exam and just cram it all in. And then, of course, I get stressed out.
GUPTA: So Sally decided to take a unique approach to remedy that, enrolling in a clinical study.
DR. CHARLES RAISON, EMORY UNIVERSITY: We've actually been looking at a type of meditation that has not been examined much scientifically.
GUPTA: Not just any meditation and not just to relieve stress. Dr. Raison and his team are studying a unique practice called compassion meditation, and the possibility that it could prevent depression. It's based on Tibetan Buddhist teachings, and the team got its inspiration directly from the source, his Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
DALAI LAMA: Some depression due to something wrong with physical conditions, and some purely due to one's own sort of -- thought process. In that case, the remedy must come from within mind.
GUPTA: Raison and his colleagues agreed.
RAISON: So, the compassion meditation technique that we've been studying, basically, is based on this idea that our perceptions of other people are flawed, that we tend naturally to see some people as friends and other people as enemies, and a whole bunch of people in the middle as sort of non-entities.
GUPTA: It's those people in the middle, like the guy who cuts you off in traffic, who can become critically important later on.
RAISON: If you're not married yet, a stranger is your wife. You know, a stranger is your next boss. It's a way to change your mind so you're more rationally say, I should be more equitable toward everybody.
GUPTA: By improving your outlook about people, in theory, it will reduce your chances of depression.
(on camera): Can you show us how you meditate?
MENGEL: You just breathe through your nose and then out through your mouth.
GUPTA (voice-over): Sally says for her, the technique has helped ward off depression, stress and anxiety before they start.
MENGEL: I think it's kind of like, you know, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. So, it's like meditation is that prevention as well.
GUPTA: So far, study results are looking good. Dr. Raison recently presented his findings to the Dalai Lama at Emory University.
RAISON: We're in the first stages of this, but yes, results are very promising.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And, by the way, you can see more of Sanjay's exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama by downloading his podcast, just logon to CNN.com/podcast.
And next in the NEWSROOM, we're talking turkey. No, really, turkey. Oh, out in the open. Oh yes, they're loud and they're very rambunctious, just like that one taking over the sidewalk. And you know what, when that lady approaches that bird, he just might attack her, too.
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WHITFIELD: OK, so let's talk turkey, wild turkey. And I don't mean the whiskey nor the turkey you're going to put on your table at Thanksgiving.
So, you won't believe this one. Wild turkeys are roaming the streets of some pretty big cities from Boston to Brookline, Massachusetts, it is turkey time. Check out these photos from the "Boston Globe." They're everywhere. The gobblers are stopping traffic and in some cases, even attacking people on the street.
So now, police are being flooded with phone calls and Captain John O'Leary of the Brookline police department is one of them. He joins me on the phone right there.
So, the turkeys are crossing the road there and the feathers are flying?
VOICE OF JOHN O'LEARY, BROOKLINE POLICE DEPT.: Yes, they have, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: How bad a problem is this?
O'LEARY: In over the last six months to a year, it's gotten worse. You know, as they move down into the urban areas, they are creating a nuisance. At first, people were intrigued by them. But now, more and more -- we have about four families in the urban area.
WHITFIELD: So, how come? Is it as simple as their nests are being disturbed because of development, that kind of thing?
O'LEARY: Exactly, and so, they're looking for new habitats as well as food.
WHITFIELD: All right, so what do you do about it? How many close calls are there?
O'LEARY: We've only really had one that we had a traffic accidents with the birds. But basically, what is happening is they're creating inconvenience, especially when they're down in the commercial areas. They will attack people if people come close to them.
WHITFIELD: So they're quite aggressive.
O'LEARY: Oh, right.
WHITFIELD: And territorial.
O'LEARY: Yes, very much so. And one of the families, we have 13 members of the family, and they usually always travel together.
WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh.
O'LEARY: And so, they can take up quite an area.
WHITFIELD: Oh my God, what a crazy scene. So, now, are you hearing anything from folks who are thinking about actually gobbling up these turkeys and, you know, disposing of them or plucking them or whatever and putting them on the table by Thanksgiving?
O'LEARY: No, no we haven't heard any of that. But we would definitely recommend against it. You know, they are a wild animal, so, you know, you don't know what they may carry. And you know, so, people probably wouldn't catch them. They are very fast, they can fly.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
O'LEARY: A human being wouldn't be able to catch them.
WHITFIELD: And just looking at the pictures, they are rather beautiful. And to see a family of 13 walking in the downtown streets of Brookline or Boston is pretty extraordinary.
O'LEARY: It is, it is. For the first couple of times, and then when you're in a hurry and they're crossing the street and they take their time and they go in a single file, so.
WHITFIELD: They might become a little bit of a nuisance. Well, at least for now, enjoy them as your Brookline mascot, perhaps, just in time for the season.
O'LEARY: That's right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Captain John O'Leary of Brookline police, thanks so much, and thanks for having a good sense of humor about it all, too. And it sounds like everybody else is in those cities as well. I guess they don't have any choice, they might as well.
All right, by the way, if you live in Massachusetts, anywhere in that state and you have seen one of these wild turkeys just like this, we'd love to hear from you. Grab a camera, snap a picture, send us your i-Reports. It's pretty easy, just log on to our Web site, CNN.com and look for the i-Report link.
So, Hillary Clinton, yes, she just had a birthday and she's the big 6-0. So, how does a front-running presidential candidate and former first lady celebrate such a milestone? You need to stick around to find out.
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GERRI WILLIS, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): "Money" magazine takes on the windy city as one of its top five best places to live after work. The traffic, the construction, with so much to offer, Chicago may be an ideal place to live after work if it wasn't for all the noise. But "Money" magazine has found a way for you to enjoy the city life without living in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a wonderful, vibrant city. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's always happening, always something to do.
WILLIS: Chicago's South Loop, once abandoned warehouses, is now full of trendy lofts. The area is also home to Chicago Bears Soldier Field as well as several museums. And with a 15-minute bus ride, you're shopping and ding on Michigan Avenue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have beautiful parks, we have wonderful museums, theater, opera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love the restaurants. I love Michigan Avenue. Just a great city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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WHITFIELD: All right, partying just like a rock star Thursday night, and maybe even liking comedian, too, there. Hillary Clinton joined by all those frontliners and family celebrating her 60th birthday party, all taking place in New York. Of course, her husband, Bill Clinton, her daughter Chelsea, Elvis Costello, you saw him, and even Billy Crystal, all those folks coming out to celebrate her birthday. But it also was a presidential campaign fundraiser where guests paid $2300 each, raising one-and-a-half million dollars for Clinton's campaign. What a birthday party that was.
And I'm back in the NEWSROOM at 2:00 Eastern, "YOUR MONEY" is next. Here now is a sneak peek.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST: Thanks.
Coming on "YOUR MONEY," what you need to know about home insurance coverage, whether you're facing a wildfire or a leak in your ceiling.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Plus, how the mortgage crisis is hitting your hometown, what it means for your taxes and your services where you live.
VELSHI: And get through open enrollment with the health coverage that's best for you, not necessarily best for your company.
ROMANS: All that and a lot more after a quick check of the headlines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And now, the news. A new lead in the California's arson investigation. A pickup truck just like this one could be the key. It's a white Ford F-150 from model years 1998 to 2004. It was seen near the spot where the Santiago fires started in Orange County.
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