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San Francisco Bay: Oil Spill Criminal Probe Launched; Finland School Shooting; Pakistan in Crisis

Aired November 12, 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.

Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Monday morning, November 12th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Did human error lead to an oil spill in San Francisco Bay? A federal incrimination investigation is now under way this morning. We're going to be talking live with the Coast Guard commandant.

And a school shooting in Finland, a school attack plotted in Philadelphia. Are the two linked?

An elderly couple loses their life savings to a phony flower deliveryman.

Bandits of the bouquet in the NEWSROOM.

Developing this hour, eyes on the skies, tense moments on the ground. A short time ago a massive fire in east London sent a huge cloud of smoke over much of the city and immediately ignited fears of terrorism.

Look at this live shot now. You can see why.

Police say though there is nothing to suggest a suspicious cause, but the blaze is under investigation. Police are saying the fire apparently broke out in an abandoned bus garage. The warehouse is close to the site of the 2012 summer Olympics.

We will be watching this one for you.

And also developing this morning, the worst oil spill in San Francisco Bay in nearly two decades. Now the question, who is to blame? A criminal investigation is under way this morning.

Here now, CNN's Vince Gonzalez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCE GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Federal officials have taken over the investigation of the 58,000-gallon San Francisco oil spill and say early indications are it was caused by human error, not mechanical failure as originally thought. Senator Dianne Feinstein says there is no excuse for the ship hitting a support tower of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: This is an incident, in my view, which should not have happened.

GONZALEZ: While the investigation continues, officials say saving the bay is the priority.

REAR ADM. CRAIG BONE, U.S. COAST GUARD: We have to move beyond the incident and the fact that it occurred and moved forward into the response.

GONZALEZ: As part of that response, special teams and scores of volunteers have been working hard to contain the spill and protect wildlife. Birds have been affected the most so far. Volunteers have been collecting them and bringing them to cleaning centers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just drove in about seven or eight birds. And I'm going to go back and get some more.

GONZALEZ: At this center the birds are examined, cleaned and fed. Once they get a clean bill of health, they will be returned to the bay, where hopefully they will avoid the oil.

California's governor declared a state of emergency in the spill zone.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: The cleaning up of the beaches have to be taken care of. This could have an affect on tourism and all kinds of other things. So we want to make sure that everyone works together.

GONZALEZ: The spill has already affected the local economy. The swimming portion of a planned triathlon was canceled. So was the local sports fishing season. Local crab season has been delayed indefinitely.

Vince Gonzalez, for CNN in Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to let you know we are following this story all day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Next hour I will be talking with the head of the Coast Guard about the current situation there.

And word this morning of a possible U.S. connection to that deadly school massacre in Finland.

Our Jim Acosta has new developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Before he gunned down eight people at a Finland school and before he left this cryptic YouTube warning of his campus attack, Finish authorities suspect Pekka-Eric Auvinen was a visitor to this MySpace page glorifying the Columbine massacre. It was there, investigators in Finland say, where Auvinen may have chatted with a 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy named Dillon Cossey, who police say planned his own school shooting outside Philadelphia last month.

BRUCE CASTOR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's very sketchy. The Finnish authorities have said that there might be this connection, but they don't cite what makes them think that.

ACOSTA: The district attorney handling Cossey's case says he just learned of the alleged connection in an article that appeared in "The Times of London" newspaper. The story quotes Finnish authorities saying the Pennsylvania teen may have used a previously unknown screen name, shadow19462, to visit that MySpace page dedicated to Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris.

CASTOR: We have a special unit of forensic detectives that deal with just computer cases. And I asked them to tear down the computer and check for this other screen name.

J. DAVID FARRELL, COSSEY'S ATTORNEY: Knowing my client as I have gotten to know him, I would be very surprised if he were engaged in any true planning or encouraging behavior to an individual in Finland who was planning some sort of school attack.

ACOSTA: Cossey's attorney says any connection between his client and the Finland school shooter should serve as wake-up call to parents that troubled teens may be socializing on Web sites that lionize campus killers.

FARRELL: Surely it's disturbing that online there is this hero worship of two killers.

ACOSTA (on camera): And is that poisoning the minds of some of these kids out there?

FARRELL: I would say it reinforces their alienation and feeds into their violent fantasies, absolutely. It's poisoning them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Wow. Jim Acosta joining us now live.

Jim, you have to wonder if there is a connection between these two cases. Are police saying anything about paying more attention to sites like we just saw?

ACOSTA: Well, they probably should. If these Web sites are out there and they are dedicated to the Columbine killers, and there are these disaffected young teenagers visiting these sites leaving messages like, you know, "Yes, I would like to do this sort of thing at my school," it raises the question that perhaps law enforcement might want to start paying better attention to these Web sites.

It almost, as we were talking with this prosecutor here in Pennsylvania yesterday, sort of reminds people of some of these jihadist Web sites out there. You know, the CIA, the FBI paid lots of attention to those Web sites, and if there is a way to perhaps go to these Columbine, you know, dedication Web sites to p perhaps take a look at who's out there, what people are saying, yes, maybe there is some way of preventing the school attacks of the future.

COLLINS: Boy. It is stunning, that's for sure.

All right. Jim Acosta for us in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Jim, thank you.

Fatal storms, rescue and cleanup operations going on right now on the Black Sea. Storms have sunk several ships. The official Russia Today Web site reports five bodies have actually been recovered. News agencies report 20 sailors still missing. And concerns about the spilling of oil from at least one of those ships. The spill could be the worst environmental disaster in the region in years.

Four ships sinking in the strait connecting the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. A Russian government official reportedly says one of the ships that sank was designed to travel on rivers not to withstand storms at sea.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Murder/suicide, that's what police think is behind the killing of five people in a California neighborhood full of retired people. It happened in Temecula, about 50 miles north of San Diego.

Police say that they responded to a call of shots being fired at a house yesterday. They found four people dead. Another died later at the hospital.

Neighbors say all five lived at the house. None of the victims has yet been identified.

Hip-hop star Kanye West mourned the death of his mother this morning. A spokesman says Donda West died Saturday night in Los Angeles. She was 58 years old.

A publicist tells CNN Donda West died after a cosmetic surgery procedure, but there is no specific word on the cause. Her death is a huge loss for the rapper. She was not only his mother, but his inspiration.

West often spoke of the strong bond they shared. He says she was the inspiration for his song "Hey Mama." In May, she published a book called "Raising Kanye."

Out of control in Italy. Soccer fans riot. And it's not because of the game.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: America observes the Veterans Day holiday today honoring U.S. troops. And on this Veterans Day we want to show you some terrific pictures coming in from tributes around the country.

This, what you're looking at now, is Fort Stewart, Georgia. It's home of the 3rd Infantry Division.

And this is called Warriors Walk. It's where one tree is planted for each of the more than 300 soldiers from the 3rd ID who lost their lives in Iraq.

We'll continue to show you those pictures throughout the day here. Just gorgeous shots coming in.

And now to Pakistan. A date set for elections, but the state of emergency is still in effect.

More now from CNN's Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and Gentlemen, the president.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He called a news conference even though his own emergency powers knocked independent media off the air in Pakistan. General Pervez Musharraf had a message designed to offset international criticism that his week-old state of emergency marked a slide to dictatorship.

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: I would request the election commission to hold elections as soon as possible, as fast as possible. Which means if you calculate 45 to 60 days from the 20th of November, we should have the elections before the 9th of January.

PENHAUL: But there is a catch. The president isn't saying when he will lift emergency rule.

MUSHARRAF: I do understand that (INAUDIBLE) has to be lifted, but I cannot give a date for it. We are in a difficult situation and, therefore, I cannot give a date.

PENHAUL: That may make it difficult for some candidates and political parties to campaign for general elections in January. Under emergency power, Mr. Musharraf has banned political rallies and repeatedly in the last week sent in security forces to break up gatherings with canes and tear gas.

Some key opposition figures are under arrest; their homes surrounded by police and barbed wire. Addressing another key international demand, Musharraf pledged to quit as army chief as soon as Pakistan's courts confirm his re-election as president. That could be sooner rather than later after Musharraf fired incompliant supreme court justices and replaced them with his allies.

MUSHARRAF: The moment we give a decision on the removal of the -- on allowing the notification, I shall take oath of office as a civilian president of Pakistan. PENHAUL: Musharraf repeated assertions Sunday that emergency rule had been necessary to fight an uptick in Islamic militant attacks but said the decision had not been easy.

MUSHARRAF: It was indeed a bigger pill to swallow. There's no doubt about it. There's no doubt that this was the most difficult decision I have ever taken in my life.

PENHAUL (on camera): A decision that Mr. Musharraf's war on terror ally, President George Bush, has been pushing him hard to revert.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get to you the story that we have been following for several days now. It happened about five days ago, in fact, in California, the oil spill that we have been telling you about where a cargo ship hit the Bay Bridge in the San Francisco area. Now learning about 58,000 gallons of oil has spilled into that waterway.

Claudine Wong with our affiliate KTVU is joining us now live with the very latest.

And Claudine, it seems like the headline today is that there's now a federal criminal investigation that's been opened on this.

CLAUDINE WONG, REPORTER, KTVU: That's right, Heidi. There is a criminal investigation looking into this. Politicians are certainly taking note, trying to figure out how the best way to deal with the spill and whether or not the Coast Guard dealt with this properly.

We're at Crissy Field. It's just one of about 20 beaches that remains closed this morning. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be here in just a couple of hours to tour the beach and give her thoughts, although she has already expressed concern.

Crissy Field is closed. You can see the sign and then the boom that still sits outside on the water trying to protect the beach from the oil that still sits in the San Francisco bay.

Just to give you some reference points, this is right near the Golden Gate Bridge. You can see that in the background. And certainly a very popular beach out here.

The cleanup, however, of this 58,000-gallon oil spill does continue this morning. More than 12,000 gallons have been collected by skimmers, but the Coast Guard has said the more time passes, the more this oil spreads and the harder it is to collect it. They will not be able to collect it all. Wildlife also continues to suffer with 465 live birds found covered in oil and 196 birds found dead. The Coast Guard says they have about 900 contract workers involved in the cleanup. Local cities, of course, are volunteering to help out. The city of Berkeley had volunteers handing out signs. The city of San Francisco, however, has been critical, saying that they have offered 150 specially trained workers and those offers weren't taken up immediately.

Of course, they are saying that special training is very important for this. Dianne Feinstein was out here, our senior senator, telling people to stay away, because certainly people see the birds, they see the spill, and they want to do something to clean it up. But this is toxic material, and they're wanting to leave that certainly to the professionals.

So, again, this morning, Nancy Pelosi will be out here to take a look at the damage. Senator Dianne Feinstein also spent the weekend out here. She said she will be talking to Michael Chertoff today.

So a lot of attention being paid to the cleanup, but also to the investigation. Looking at criminal charges. Looking at how this all started and how it can be prevented from happening in the future.

That's the very latest live from San Francisco.

We will send it back to you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: OK, Claudine. Quickly, you would be a good person to ask about what people are saying, just regular residents there.

You know, when we see the video from this far away, it's obviously very upsetting. But I imagine the talk of San Francisco is pretty obsessed with this right now.

WONG: Yes, certainly. It is affecting people across the bay, up and down the coast. And certainly we have a lot of beaches. And really the problem is there's so many birds coming up, so many problems that people can see with their own eyes, and yet they can't do anything about it.

They want to help clean up. They want to help these birds. And everyone keeps telling them, don't touch anything. Don't do anything.

COLLINS: Yes.

WONG: So certainly that has been a frustration out here for people who want to help and they just can't find a way to help.

COLLINS: Yes. Very understandable.

All right. Claudine Wong, thanks so much, from KTVU this morning.

And want to let you know that we are following this story all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Next hour, I'm going to be talking with the head of the Coast Guard, the commandant, about this situation, give you the very latest. Meanwhile, world stock markets in a tumble this morning. Japan's Nikkei Index falls to its lowest level this year. And markets in Hong Kong and Shanghai closed down sharply.

So what's the culprit? Banks in the U.S. losing billions on the mortgage crisis.

Thought we were done talking about this, but then again, maybe not for a really long time.

ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We are done. We are done. This isn't live. I taped this three weeks ago.

COLLINS: Good point.

VELSHI: The banks are losing money. There is a housing slump.

You know, Heidi, the thing is it's not that they are just losing money. We have seen times when people lost money. The issue is most people think the banks, Wall Street, should know what's going on, and they keep coming out saying we're losing more money than before.

Take a look at last week on the stock market. Last week, these numbers look like they could be months and months.

The Dow down 4 percent in one week. Nasdaq, 6.5. The S&P down 3.7 percent. Confusing is beginning to reign. And confusion and uncertainty are not good things for financial markets -- Heidi.

COLLINS: No, not even close. But you know, we always like to put it in perspective.

I mean, obviously, it is no small thing when you lose four percentage points in one week. But the numbers overall still pretty high. I think even though that's the case, people are wondering how worried they should be. They are thinking about their 401(k)s every day.

VELSHI: Well, that's a good question. Well, let's look at your 401(k)s, because you want to look at those over a course of a few months or even a year.

Starting from January, take a look at how you did if your portfolio follows one of the major indices, because a lot of people have a good diversified, you know, portfolio.

Don't love the red arrows, but the fact is we are still -- we're still up for the year on the Dow. A little more than 4 percent. Almost 9 percent on the Nasdaq. That's not pretty bad -- not pretty -- not bad.

But the S&P 500, look at that, only 2.5 percent. And that is the most diversified of all.

Many people in their 401(k)s have an index fund that mimics this S&P 500. So, you know, if nothing else, look at your fund, talk to whoever your adviser is and say, am I in the right place in case this kind of turmoil continues? It's not that you're always going to make money, but you want to be able to sleep at night not having to worry about these hundred -- you know, few hundred point ups and downs -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, everybody wants to be able to sleep when they are talking about the stock market. That's for sure.

VELSHI: Yes.

COLLINS: All right. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Ali, thank you.

VELSHI: See you, Heidi.

COLLINS: A driver says that this is proof his truck is built Ford tough. Do you think?

The company's slogan doesn't mention driving skills, of course. But the Cincinnati man says he was merely backing out of his parking spot when his floor mat apparently got jammed. He says it locked down the gas pedal and kept him from hitting the brakes.

The next stop, two floors down. Believe it or not, nobody was hurt in all of this. Good picture, though.

Well, they've helped search for the missing and now the center is looking for enough cash to stay afloat. An important resource facing a shutdown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is off today.

That San Francisco Bay oil spill, was it the result of negligence or was it an unavoidable mistake? The ship's crew now being questioned as part of a criminal investigation.

The oil spilled Wednesday when a container ship struck the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. The incident ripped a gash in the ship, too.

Fifty-eight thousand gallons spilled out of that ship. The oil now spreading along the Pacific coastline. At least a dozen beaches are now closed. Hundreds of sea birds either dead or coated in oil.

You see it there.

Today, wildlife teams are looking for more birds to save. San Francisco's mayor complains the Coast Guard underestimated the severity of the spill. The head of the Coast Guard says that response also under investigation. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN, U.S. COAST GUARD: By late in the afternoon between 4:00 and 5:00, we had determined based on the ability to move the fuel into soundings (ph) in the tank, what the likely discharge was. At that time we were immobilizing resources and response equipment, putting booms in place, getting skimming equipment that was out there. And it was an error of omission, not commission. It shouldn't have been done, and we're looking into that as part of the spill response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: I'll be asking Admiral Allen about the response and what investigators have learned so far when I speak with him, that's coming up in the next hour.

Meanwhile, I want to take a look at the big board now and hear that opening bell for this Monday morning. As you know, it is a federal holiday. However, the Stock Market is open and will be trading today. On Friday, I'm sure you know, Dow Jones industrial average is down about 224 points. Resting at 13042. So, we will watch those numbers very, very closely. Talk more about the mortgage crisis and, of course, those oil prices. Will get to that straight away.

Police say she made the whole thing up. A Missouri woman facing charges this morning after claiming she was kidnapped. The woman sent text message to her sister saying she was abducted by people she did not know. She claims she was being taken to Virginia. Instead, police found her at a friend's house. She is now charged with making a false police report.

And the search for missing adults interrupted. An important resource helping families now facing a crisis of its own. CNN's Vince Gonzalez with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCE GONZALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the groups brought in by the government to help families looking for relatives swept up in the storm was the National Center for Missing Adults.

KYM PASQUALINI, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING ADULTS: We had 13,502 calls just for Hurricane Katrina alone.

GONZALES: Now at Kim's Pasqualini Center that could soon be among the missing. A financial crisis could close its doors for good on Monday. The center received $50,000 to help Katrina families. But the job was so big it cost five times that. When Kim asked the government, she was told no more funding was available.

PASQUALINI: I was told go back home and to fire my staff. I had 13 staff. I now have two. They have not been paid. GONZALES: She says she has not taken a salary since 2006. And a bill in congress reauthorizing her regular funding is stalled. Congresswoman Sue Myrick is one of its sponsors.

SUE MYRICK, (R) NORTH CAROLINA: We are extremely frustrated. We've been sitting in subcommittee so we are trying to push it out of subcommittee.

GONZALES: The centers headquarters was here at this large office park. But then they lost their lease, now the For Rent signs are up and the center has been forced to move to much more modest accommodations. Before the crash crunch, the center provided resources and support to thousands of families and was a key ally of law enforcement in nearly every state where the staff and their website help with missing persons cases and unsolved homicides.

ROGER GEISLER, GLENDALE, ARIZONA POLICE: Losing this resource is going to hurt law enforcement everywhere.

GONZALES: Detective Roger Geisler of the Glendale, Arizona, police department said the center has been invaluable in investigations across the country. Are there people who might still be missing if they hadn't been there to help?

GEISLER: Absolutely. Absolutely.

DR. PHIL RANDOLPH, PARENT OF MISSING ADULT: It's just like a nightmare you are saying I can't believe what we are living.

LINDA RANDOLPH, PARENT OF MISSING ADULT: And it never stops. 24/7. A year later, it is 24/7.

GONZALES: Phil and Linda Randolph's daughter, Marcy (ph), disappeared in a small plane flying to Sedona, Arizona. They say the center supported them and should get the same funding and attention as the national center for missing and exploited children.

P. RANDOLPH: The most vulnerable and easily victimized and -- so you should have that focus. But -- we say sometimes a missing adult is somebody's child, too.

L. RANDOLPH: Always somebody's child.

GONZALES: On Monday, the center's phone will be replaced with a recording telling families of missing adults there's no one available to help them. Vince Gonzalez for CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to take a moment to get to Bonnie Schneider in the weather center this morning. I love when you have this kind of stuff. The new Macy's Day thanksgiving parade balloons.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they were unveiled for a test run in Wasting New York yesterday and we've gotten pictures to show you. Take a look at this. You will probably recognize some of your favorite characters. There's Shrek, of course. Look how big this one is. And we also have Abby Cadabby this is from Sesame Street. There's Hello kitty. This isn't just ordinary Hello Kitty. This is Hello Kitty super cute.

COLLINS: Hey, Bonnie, you know what, I'm hearing that there's some sort of helium shortage. Don't know much about it. But it will be interesting to see how this all goes. Because I guess they're having trouble getting the helium in these things.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A can says town almost wiped off the map by a tornado. Now rebuilding with a conscience. CNN's Betty Nguyen has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA MUNTZ, TORNADO SURVIVOR: And you could just hear it ripping the house away. You could hear the roof going. You could hear things hitting the house.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: May 4th, 2007. An F-5 tornado nearly wiped Greensburg, Kansas, off the map.

MUNTZ: I really felt like we were going to die that night.

NGUYEN: In fact, 11 people did die. The rest are left with this. Painful reminders of what the town used to look like.

MUNTZ: She lost her job. The church was gone.

NGUYEN: Pamela Muntz has lived here 32 years. She says the only way to heal is to focus on the future. And today, part of her future just arrived.

MUNTZ: And when it got here today, it became a reality. It became reality. It is really here. It is going on the foundation. It is reality.

NGUYEN: And it is emotional for you.

MUNTZ: It is. It is emotional. It is. You don't realize how important your home is. To me, your home is your safe haven. And we have not had a safe haven for five months.

NGUYEN: She now finds peace of mind in this customized modular home. It comes already built. And it is designed to be energy efficient.

MUNTZ: It's all together. It is one piece now. It is not two pieces.

NGUYEN: That's the beauty of starting over. The tornado wiped the slate clean and now the town is rebuilding with a conscience. The goal is to go green. Create a place that's so environmentally friendly it sets the standard for communities across the nation. Where was your basement? STEVE HEWITT, GREENSBURG CITY ADMINISTRATOR: Good right here.

NGUYEN: Steve Hewitt who also lost his home in the tornado is the city administrator helping lead the way.

HEWITT: By building efficient homes, you are seeing less energy wasted. And by not wasting energy, then you have an opportunity to be friendlier to your environment which is important because we are not building a town. We are not making continued decisions. We are make 100 year decisions. We are building a town for our kids not just for ourselves.

NGUYEN: Which is why students are taking part in the design. Just listen to some of the ideas on the table.

LEVI SMITH, HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE: Geothermal energy. They are talking about wind energy. Use of natural lighting. And we are going to have -- we are trying to get -- Kansas has an opportunity to -- giving schools the opportunity to be wind powered. If that came through that would just be incredible. That we had our wind turbine and we are completely self-reliant energy wise.

NGUYEN: It is almost ironic how the same element that destroyed the town is being used to rebuild it. But according to city planners, Stephen Hardy, it just makes sense.

STEPHEN HARDY, CITY PLANNER: They are really starting to understand that that means money. There is money blowing around in the air. That it's a resource that they can harness.

NGUYEN: While still in its early phase, the plan is already creating a buzz. That's attracted camera crews from the Discovery Channel. The producer Johnny Gould says Discovery plans a 13-part documentary called "Ecotown."

JOHNNY GOULD, PRODUCER PILGRIM FILMS: For a lot of these people green was a color on the wall. And now they are learning that building green can be a type of nail or a specific type of siding or a special window that you use that's more energy efficient.

NGUYEN: And that can be more expensive. Part of the challenge is getting people to make the investment now so they'll save later. But when most of the town is still living out of FEMA trailers, there are those who just want their house built the fastest way possible. Even if it is not green. How much of this town is going to be eco- friendly?

HEWITT: Well, our goal is to make everything eco-friendly. I think we've -- is that a goal we can reach? I don't know. We sure are going to try.

NGUYEN: Do you see it moving?

And this grandmother of two is determined to do her part.

MUNTZ: I see this house and I'm so excited and I'm not even thinking about, you know, starting over. It is a new life. And it is going to be good.

NGUYEN: For both her family and the town that's raising the bar of what it means to rebuild responsibly. Betty Nguyen, CNN, Greensburg, Kansas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Is your child grumpy? It could be the milk. Our Elizabeth Cohen is joining me with the symptoms and solutions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We just want to remind you that you can have the opportunity to download our fabulous, wonderful, (INAUDIBLE) podcast. And you can do that by just logging on to cnn.com/podcast. We'll have all kinds of stories for you there. And a lot of them will not be broadcast in our program everyday so special stuff just for you.

Meanwhile, kids and milk allergies, a new study indicates allergies may be more common than you think and may last a little bit longer. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now with more on this.

Boy, it is certainly a subject that a lot of people seem to be talking about. Their kids and allergies.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Kids and allergies because they are more common than you think as you said. And with this new study, it talks about how tough they are to get over. Because parents keep hearing "Oh, they will outgrow it, don't worry about it," and that does not always happen. But first, let's talk about what some of the signs are of a milk allergy. Because sometimes parents -- sometimes doctors even miss it. So, here's some of the signs of a milk allergy.

The first one surprise a lot of parents and that is skin problems. The sign of a milk allergy, Eczema for example, is a common sign of a milk allergy, GI problems like an upset stomach or nausea, and breathing problems. Wheezing for example can be because of a milk allergy and specifically with this study found, a lot of pediatricians will tell parents, "Oh your baby is allergic to milk but don't worry. They will outgrow it by the time they're 4." But they said, 80 percent of the kids that they looked at still have a milk allergy at age 4.

COLLINS: Wow, 80 percent. Really? I've got so many questions but I mean, how do you know? Can you get a test? How do you find out for sure that yes, indeed it is milk and not something else?

COHEN: Right, there is a test that a doctor can do. Because that's really important. Because, at first, you want to know what to avoid. So, there are tests that your doctor can do.

COLLINS: OK, good. So, then how do you know whether or not they are going to outgrow it? COHEN: You know, what's interesting about it is that this test will actually give you some indication. There are tests that your doctor can do. They can give you, not an exact idea, like they will outgrow by July 31, 2000. No, because I can give you sort of an idea of what age they will outgrow it. And some people keep this allergy all the way through life or certainly through their teen years.

COLLINS: Wow and so if it is not 4 -- is there a general number that it is closer for everybody?

COHEN: At age 8, still more than half the kids still had a milk allergy and then at 12 it was less. By 16, about 80 percent of them have outgrown it. So by 16 most of the kids had gotten over it.

COLLINS: Don't forget to have your child checked for gluten allergies, too. You know, I had to get that in.

COHEN: That's another important one. It's very important.

COLLINS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

We want to tell you about this story now. Shot down over Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The pedal weren't responding, why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't have any legs.

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Pilot on a new mission. Tammy Duckworth's story in a moment.

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COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm HEIDI COLLINS. San Francisco bay, spoil by an oil spill. Is it a crime? Half and aboard this cargo ship.

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COLLINS: A change of heart. Minnesota Vikings player Troy Williamson will not be docked for missing a game after his grandmother died. Coach Brad Childress say he learned it was more important to get it right than be right. Childress was widely criticized for withholding Williamson's paycheck after the player took a week off to grieve. Williamson says he will donate that check more than $25000 to a charity in honor of his grandmother.

She lost her legs in combat and now she's found a new mission. Today marks the anniversary of Tammy Duckworth's new life. CNN chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: For Tammy Duckworth, the fight began November 12th, 2004. Tammy is seated in the cockpit of a Black Hawk helicopter just north of Baghdad. On her last flight of the day with Dan Milberg, the pilot in command.

DAN MILBERG, PILOT IN COMMAND: I'm thinking this is great. 15 more minutes we're going to be home. Eating chow. Nobody sees it. Nobody has any clue or even hear and then all of a sudden, boom.

TAMMY DUCKWORTH, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: Then I remember a big orange fireball in my face.

GUPTA: A rocket propelled grenade ripped through her body.

DUCKWORTH: And I don't remember my physical feelings other than absolute frustration that the pedals of the aircraft were not responding to me pushing on them.

GUPTA: The pedals weren't responding why?

DUCKWORTH: I didn't have any legs.

MILBERG: She swamp over up against the instrument panel. Didn't seem like Tammy. She didn't have a smile on her face. She wasn't talking. I thought she was dead. And...

GUPTA: An ocean away, Tammy's husband Bryan Bowlsbey was celebrating with his family in Maryland. It was the night before his brother's wedding. Brian was best man. The evening interrupted when he played a voicemail. It was Tammy's dad.

MAJ. BRYAN BOWLSBEY, TAMMY'S HUSBAND: The Department of the Army Casualty called him and told him that Tammy had been shot down and lost both legs and was likely to be a triple amputee.

GUPTA: 13 long months at Walter Reed. Tammy Duckworth had a lot of time to think about the future. And it looked bleak.

DUCKWORTH: Watch out. I started becoming more and more worried that transition from the incredible care received at Walter Reed was not going to happen smoothly as I went to the V.A. Then I started worrying about the fact that maybe this country won't remember in five years that there are all this war wounded and that this is also a price of the war.

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COLLINS: For more on Tammy Duckworth's fight for Veterans join CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a "Broken Government" special this weekend. "Waging War On The V.A." It will come to your way Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern.

Man without a home. But with a load of courage.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just glad that I did the right thing at the right time.

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COLLINS: He stopped a police shooting suspect and now he is getting rewarded.

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COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Heidi Collins. A hip hop star loses his mother. Did plastic surgery lead to the woman's death?

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COLLINS: Young voters unplugged by politics.

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QUESTION: Are you registered to vote?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm actually not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just did it when I renew my driver's license (INAUDIBLE).

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COLLINS: A talk with a film maker about his new documentary "18 in '08," that's coming your way in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In the meantime, they came armed with flowers and left with a couple's life savings. At least $60,000 stolen in New York. Police say, two men knocked on a woman's apartment door. They told her the flowers were from her husband. Once they get inside, they tied up the 80-year-old, ransacked her home and took the couple's savings. The woman's husband was not home. He told police he mentioned the money to someone and believes that may have led to the robbery. The wife says of her husband "He has a big mouth."

Homeless man hailed as a hero. Marcus Bradley saying, "He just did the right thing." Mark Spradley picked up a hitchhiker who turned out to be Michael Maza. Maza was wanted for allegedly shooting a Broward County Florida deputy. Spradley drove him around for a couple of hours not realizing who he was until he stopped in a store and saw Maza's photo on a TV screen. Spradley then called 911.

MARK SPRADLEY, HELPED CAPTURE SUSPECT: My main demeanor was to not trigger him off and not make him panic. It's just to keep him occupied, keep him comfortable. Keep his mind on that I'm in the store trying to buy some stereo speakers or try to buy speaker box. You know, just had no kind of implication that something else was going to happen.

COLLINS: Spradley will be getting a check today for $2,500 from a national police group. He received two other checks totaling $3500 yesterday. F-15s now grounded for more than a week. Did the same fighter jets have a future? CNN's Chris Lawrence reports.

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CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The F-15 has been a workhorse for three decades. But the Air Force is trying to figure out when it will be safe for hundreds of its premier fighter jets to fly again. The entire fleet was grounded after one F-15 disintegrated on a routine trainee mission over Missouri. That plane was built in 1980.

LT. COL. CLAY GARRISON, F-15 WING COMMANDER: That's pretty old. All of the airplanes are pretty old. You probably didn't drive up here in a 30-year-old car.

LAWRENCE: Lieutenant Coronal Clay Garrison is piloting one of the F-16s. Reassigned to pick up the slack from the grounded jets. He says that some older models engineers are trying to pipe 21st century data through a system built in the 1970s.

GARRISON: From my perspective, flying this airplane or flying an F-15, I just look at what's possible and then I look at what we are doing and from that aspect it is frustrating.

LAWRENCE: As a replacement, congress authorized the Air Force to buy about 180 F-22s. But the Air Force says it really needs more than twice that amount. Keeping an old plane in operation means mechanics build up experience but...

MAJ. JOE HARRIS, F-15 MAINTAINER: Costs for flying or maintaining the jet continues to rise. I've seen the double in my time with the F-15s.

LAWRENCE: One thing that continues to be updated is the plane's emergency system. So, if a pilot has to eject there is a stabilizer in the chair that will guide him during his freefall. So he's not tumbling end over end. There is also a parameter that sends the air pressure so it will fire the parachute at a certain safe altitude. The ejection saves that pilot in Missouri when his F-15 crashed. Now, the engineers are trying to figure out what cause the crash in the first place.

COL. STEVE GREGG, F-15 WING COMMANDER: Once they identify the cause, then they will give this some type of inspection to conduct on our jets to find out if whatever they find is happening in other airplanes.

LAWRENCE: If it's just faulty maintenance, the F-15 could be clear to fly again soon. If it is structural problem, the fix could be long and expensive. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Portland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins. Stay informed all day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown. Oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Did the crew of a cargo ship commit a criminal act, we'll talk this hour with a costar comment on.

Foreclosure fiasco. Even renters need to be worried. What to do when your landlord losses your home.

And did plastic surgery have a hand in this woman's death? Hip hop model Kanye West mourning his mother this Monday, November 12th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

That San Francisco Bay oil spill, was it the result of negligence or wasn't an unavoidable mistake. The ship's crew now being questioned as part of a criminal investigation. The oil spill happened Wednesday.

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