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Six Dead in Sugar Plant Explosion; Missouri City Hall Shooter 'Went to War,' Brother Says; Bush Visits Tornado-Damaged Area; FDA Warns of Possible Side Effects from Anti-Wrinkle Drugs; Conservative Leader Endorses Huckabee
Aired February 08, 2008 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A city council meeting in the heartland, a college classroom on bayou, a sugar plant in the Deep South. Two of those are scenes of deadly violence, the third a violent and deadly explosion. We'll tracking all three of them in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Don Lemon is at the refinery blast near Savannah. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's go ahead and begin in coastal Georgia. A sugar refinery in full operation explodes and burns. Many people are hurt, and as we just learned a short time ago, some people are dead.
Don Lemon has been in Port Wentworth, Georgia, since about 1 in the morning.
Don, we've just seen the new video of the scene just the last few minutes, actually, courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and let me talk to you about the video. First of all, the most important thing, Kyra, is that we want to point out six people are dead in all of this. And we're going to tell you their stories in just a second.
But shortly after we found out about those six people, or almost simultaneously, they were holding a press conference and the insurance commissioner came over. Then the Coast Guard came, and they did this sort of PowerPoint presentation inside and showed this new video. And they said the reason they were showing the media this video is to show everybody what they were up against.
You can see how the -- that explosion really just carved a big trench right into the middle of that building, as you watch the Coast Guard fly over that. And that's today. You can imagine the intensity last night. That fire is still smoldering at this hour inside the Imperial Sugar plant.
Now, I want to tell you about the victims. Six people here that we know of so far, and they said possibly more, according to investigators who are on site here.
As I've been telling you throughout the day here, family members have been showing up, the parking lot just to my left here, and then police sort of escort them over to a church in a school that they have set up for them over here as a sanctuary. And then the police are trying to keep the media from speaking to them.
But several of the family members want to speak, want people to know how they're doing and want people to hear about their families.
We caught up with Janay (ph) just moments ago. Her 56-year-old uncle, she says, is still missing. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So how is your aunt? How is your aunt doing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So far, I guess she -- I don't -- I really don't know. Because right now she can't cope with it, because her husband is missing. And that's all I really can say at this point.
LEMON: What do you want people to know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, everybody got my sympathies, and I'm praying for everybody. And I hope everybody get out of here safe and sound.
LEMON: How is everybody today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About as well as to be expected.
LEMON: What are they telling you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd rather not discuss that right now.
LEMON: The whole nation is watching, wondering how you all are doing. What do you want the nation to know about, how the family is doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That God has a way of waking people up, that's all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: God has a way of waking people up. And God has a way of keeping people strong in these very terrible situations.
We told you about the intensity of that blast. Many people were in the area when that happened. Sadly, the people who were inside of the plant, obviously, were injured.
But one of the people who came to the rescue was Father Michael Kavanaugh, from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church just across the street, really, from this plant. He said the intensity of the explosion shook him right out of his seat, but he jumped into action to help the victims and their families.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FATHER MICHAEL KAVANAUGH, OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH: I ran out the back door and saw a huge column of smoke and flare-burning material flying up into the sky. I called a couple of people who lived nearby to see if they were OK and talked to neighbors on the other side.
And then we said there's going to be a good crowd here, so we went ahead and opened the church and opened the parish hall, turned all the lights on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So there are a lot of people helping people out here. That's, you know, this is the spirit: people come together in these tragedies.
I just want to give you some numbers, and it's really not numbers; it's people here. The latest on this: six bodies, six people, as I said earlier found, possibly more inside of this. Sixty- two people, at least, were injured, some of them -- many of them critically. Some had to be flown by helicopter to one of the best burn units in the state of Georgia. Seventeen people with burns to more than 30 percent of their body, eight people with burns to over 60 percent of their bodies.
So, we're still awaiting word about more people, possibly, inside of this building. They said it's very structurally unsafe now. Right now it's a recovery effort, and they're going in and they're picking up debris. And if anyone else is in there, they hope that they are in a bunker somewhere and hoping that they are still alive -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And we'll follow that investigation with you. Don Lemon, thanks so much.
Shock and horror on a college campus in southern Louisiana. Police say that two college students are dead, shot by a young woman who then killed herself.
Both victims are female, their identities not yet released. It happened about 8:30 this morning inside a classroom at Louisiana Technical College. The shooter's name or whether she was also a student, is unknown. We're going to update you as we learn more.
And in a small town in Missouri, a deadly assault on city hall. At last report, the mayor of Kirkwood was in serious condition, while the town mourned the death of five city officials, including two police officers. The gunman reportedly left a suicide note and was also shot dead.
With the latest for us now live, Jim Acosta -- Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
His name is Charles Lee Thornton, the man identified by witnesses as the shooter in one of the worst acts of violence here in Missouri in recent memory. And while police have not officially named their suspect, people here at the city council meeting last night know Thornton all too well. Thornton regularly appeared at city council meetings to complain about what he considered to harassment by local officials. Investigators say the gunman stormed his way inside the city council chambers last night, shooting and killing five people, including two police officers, two city council members and a public works director. It all ended when Kirkwood Police finally took down the gunman.
Earlier this afternoon, the gunman's brother, Gerald Thornton, talked to reporters. He said Charles Lee Thornton essentially went to war with this town.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERALD THORNTON, BROTHER OF SHOOTER: My brother went to war tonight with the people that were of the government that was putting torment and strife into his life. And he has spoke on it as best he could in the courts. And they denied him all access to the rights of protection. And, therefore, he took it upon himself to go to war and end the issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Charles Lee Thornton had a long-running dispute with city council officials over citations to Thornton's paving business. City officials claimed that Thornton did not have the proper permits for his asphalt paving business in this town.
Thornton then tried to appear at city council meetings, trying to talk during the public comment period. Eventually, he was blocked by the city officials here, saying that he was essentially just ranting. And that decision was backed in court, of all things, by a federal judge, who essentially denied Thornton's request to continue to appear at city council meetings and rant at city leaders.
And we can tell you, Kyra, that we just spoke to one of the friends of one of the victims here just a few moments ago. And this was the city councilwoman, Connie Karr. She died last night. She was killed in the shooting attack here.
She was actually running for mayor of Kirkwood, and this is one of her brochures that she was -- or pamphlets that she was handing out to citizens in this town as she was running for mayor. We talked to that friend a little while ago, and she told us that this town lost a true public servant -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jim Acosta, appreciate your report.
Well, if Kirkwood, Missouri, sounds familiar, then here's a face you problem probably remember: convicted molester Michael Devlin, who held two kidnapped boys at his Kirkwood apartment. The pizza parlor that Devlin managed is right around the corner from Kirkwood City Hall. Devlin was sentenced to three life terms plus 170 years on federal charges.
He came to lift their spirits, and people in tornado-ravaged Macon County, Tennessee, say President Bush did just that. He saw the damage from the air and later toured a neighborhood.
Even before he landed, he declared major disasters in five counties in Tennessee and more in Arkansas. That help, well, he says that will help with the cost and the cleanup and starting over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No doubt in my mind this community will come back better than before. Macon County people are down-to-earth, hard-working, God-fearing people who, if just given a little help, will come back stronger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Picking up the pieces is just part of what those devastated communities are facing. People still are unaccounted for, and police have other worries.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is out and about in Lafayette, Tennessee, with more -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the president and his entourage left just about an hour ago. He spent about two hours here touring one of the hardest-hit areas, an area known as Akersville Road. At least five people died on that road alone. It was an area where there's about a three-quarter-mile swath of where the tornado just cut a path of destruction.
Now, the president did tell people that he saw sadness and worry in their eyes, and he attempted to comfort them by saying people were not going to forget them. There were a lot of volunteers. That the government was not going to forget them.
And he did say that, however, that life was unfair and understood that they had been dealt a very raw hand in this situation. For many of the people who are still stunned, many of the victims, the area is still what do we do next?
Dr. Loraine Purchis, who we've been speaking to over the last few days, with the Macon County Veterinarian Hospital, has been trying to clean up, trying to figure out where she goes now. What -- what will happen now that all of her debris and all of -- some of the things that she's been able to salvage have been cleaned out?
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LORAINE PURCHIS, MACON COUNTY VETERINARIAN HOSPITAL: Now we're to the point where, OK, now we've got stuff in piles. What do we do? You know, I mean, I don't know if we can burn this. I don't know if they're going to pick it up. I don't know if we should put it all in one big pile.
And I'm sure everybody's like that. They're looking around saying, what do we do? I mean, it took me a couple days to get hold of my insurance company, and I wasn't sure whether I could even take anything out of the building. I mean, we did, because it was supposed to rain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Now, you're looking right now at one of the power companies, trying to get up one of the many poles that have been down in this area in Lafayette. The town itself has been restored power, but this is the highway, along Highway 52, that they've been trying to get the power restored.
There's 13 power companies here that have been going around just all day long, trying to get the power back on for the folks here. But so much was destroyed in this area that it's taking days, and it may take weeks for everyone to get their power back.
Meantime, of course, the president coming to visit is of some comfort. Of course, they're happy to hear about the federal funds, but it does shut things down when he does come visit. People can't get into the neighborhoods. They can't clean up, that sort of thing. So, now people are just getting back in after President Bush has left, so they can start cleaning up again and figuring out what's next -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And hopefully, they'll get that money and that help there soon. Rusty Dornin, thanks.
If the images of the tornadoes have moved you, and you'd like to help the people affected, just go to CNN.com and "Impact Your World." Add your name to the growing number of CNN viewers grabbing the opportunity now to take action. That's at CNN.com/impact.
A developing story this hour, a government warning that we told you about. Potentially deadly side effects of two anti-wrinkle drugs, including Botox.
To tell us about it, medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
This was just happening when you and I were up here talking about an entirely different issue. So what's going on? A lot of people use this.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of people do use this. And the FDA is putting out a report that they're wording very carefully.
What they're saying is that there have been reports to the FDA of adverse events. That's sort of FDA-speak for bad things happening when people use these botulism toxins. Botox is just one of the types.
What they've found is that, basically, some people have actually gotten signs of botulism poisoning, because, of course, this is an inactivated form of that toxin.
Let's take a look at the specific problem that people are having as these reports -- have come into the FDA. They've been having difficulty with breathing and speaking, weakness. Some people reportedly have not been able to hold their heads up. Also, difficulty with swallowing. And that these problems sometimes have happened the day after receiving something like Botox or have happened several weeks after.
Now, the FDA is being extremely careful to say that they don't know if Botox and these similar drugs are causing these problems. They're just letting it all out there. They're letting everybody know, patients, doctors, that they've had these reports come in from people after receiving these drugs.
PHILLIPS: Hey, you just never know. Now, were all these people getting Botox for wrinkles?
COHEN: You know what? They haven't been specific about why these people were getting these drugs like Botox. But what they -- here again is the list of problems that people have had, after getting drugs like Botox.
What they have said is that all of the deaths, and they haven't given a number, but that all of the deaths who are among children. Children receive Botox and drugs like it for things that aren't actually FDA approved but have become more and more common for doctors to give to children, especially children with cerebral palsy. But there have been a number of hospitalizations among adults.
They're being very careful with this, Kyra. They're not saying exactly how many people have become ill, exactly how many hospitalizations and how many deaths. It sounds like they're just trying to let people know, "Hey, we're seeing this and we want to sort of, you know, be open about it."
PHILLIPS: I know there's a lot of people that are going to be paying attention to this study. That's for sure.
COHEN: Right. And they're definitely not telling people to stop taking Botox. They're just letting the information out there.
PHILLIPS: Why take the risk? OK, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.
Well, no time for a break. With four contests coming up, the presidential candidates are shaking a hot of hands. And Obama Girl, well, she pledged her devotion to the senator from Illinois, but did she vote? We'll find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: 2:15 Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Concern today about two missing tanker trucks containing burnt oil. They were stolen from a construction company lot in northern Virginia. It's not clear why.
They'll have to decide on a new form of capital punishment in Nebraska, the last state to rely on the electric chair as its exclusive method of execution. The Nebraska Supreme Court banished the chair today, calling it cruel and unusual punishment.
A painstaking inspection aboard the Atlantis Space Shuttle. Some debris fell off the fuel tank during yesterday's launch. Astronauts are using lasers to determine whether any of that debris damaged the shuttle.
Leading our political ticker, a big endorsement for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. James Dobson, who heads Focus on the Family, says Huckabee is the best remaining choice for president. On Super Tuesday, the evangelical Christian leader said he couldn't, in good conscience, vote for John McCain. And yesterday, as you know, Mitt Romney dropped out.
Today, Romney's back home in Massachusetts with a major dent in his bank account. He spent more than $40 million of his own money to capture fewer than 300 delegates in 29 contests.
Republican frontrunner John McCain is looking for votes in Virginia now, where folks go to the polls on Tuesday.
CNN's Mary Snow has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One day after Mitt Romney dropped out of the race, making Senator John McCain the presumptive Republican nominee, McCain took his campaign here to Norfolk, Virginia. The topic? National security.
But reporters were asking him about potential running mates. He says he doesn't want to discount the campaign of Mike Huckabee, who's still in this race and saying he's a viable candidate.
Huckabee lags far behind in the number of delegates, but he is defiant in staying in the race. He also picked up the endorsement of James Dobson, the leader of Focus on the Family, calling it a significant endorsement.
(on camera): Saying, until there is a nominee, who has the 1,191 delegates needed to seal the deal, he says he feels he owes it to his supporters to stay in this race. He's been campaigning in Kansas ahead of Saturday's caucuses, and saying he looks forward to also competing here in Virginia where there will be a primary on Tuesday.
Mary Snow, CNN, Norfolk, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And Bill Clinton is campaigning again. This time he's focusing on Maine, which holds its Democratic caucuses on Sunday. The former president says if his wife wins the White House, he won't have a full-time role, besides husband. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will not be in the cabinet. I will not be on the staff full time. I will not in any way interfere with the work of a strong vice president, a strong secretary of state, strong secretary of the treasury.
I will do what we've always done for each other, I will let her bounce ideas off of me. I'll tell her what I think. We'll talk through things, and I'll be available for whatever specific assignments that seem right. You know, I'd do that for President Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right, what position did he not name? The former president says that he risks being misquoted and stealing the limelight whenever he comes to Hillary Clinton's defense, so he's going to let the candidate just defend herself.
The delegate count is key to each party's nomination. Here's where things stand on the Democratic side. Hillary Clinton has 1,033 delegates, Barack Obama, 937, John Edwards, 26. That includes pledged and super delegates, who can side with whomever they wish.
Now on the Republican side, John McCain has 714 delegates, Mitt Romney, 286, Mike Huckabee, 181, Ron Paul, 16. That includes pledged and unpledged delegates.
The next round of presidential contests is now just hours away. The Louisiana primaries, Washington state caucuses, Republican caucuses in Kansas, and Democratic caucuses in Nebraska all happen tomorrow.
Democrats in Maine will caucus on Sunday. And then coming up on Tuesday, both parties hold primaries in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland.
A rare look at discontent in Cuba as students push government officials for change. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: So far, everything seems to be OK with the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The astronauts spent part of their first full day in space looking for damage from liftoff. NASA images show at least three pieces of debris came off the fuel tank, but astronauts haven't found any evidence that they hit the shuttle. Atlantis is set to arrive at the International Space Station tomorrow.
What if a major push to help the environment did more harm than good? That's the question being raised right now by two new reports on biofuels.
Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with that and a check of the markets. Hey, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Well, things are mostly negative on renewed fears of a subject we know all too well: credit-crunch fears. Investors have been concerned for some time about the health of bond insurers who are also vulnerable to mortgage defaults. And today Moody's, a ratings service, lowered its rating on bond insurer Security Capital Assurance. Its stock right now down more than 19 percent.
The Dow Industrials are lower, too, but just modestly, off 93 pints or 0.75 percent. It's been a tough week. We did have a modest rally yesterday. The NASDAQ composite, meanwhile, is up, but just two points.
But oil prices are on the move, soaring $3 to above $91 a barrel on a report OPEC may cut production, as well as the forecast for cold weather over the weekend here in the U.S.
Many folks hope biofuels like ethanol will reduce dependence on foreign oil and help save the environment in the process. But two new studies are casting doubt about whether it will really help the environment. In fact, these studies claim biofuels cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's quite a statement. But what are they basing it on?
LISOVICZ: Well, the idea, Kyra, is that, if we all switch to biofuels, we'll lose forests for scrubland and, eventually, that means lands other than existing farmland will need to be used.
When we lose that natural undisturbed land, the study says we'll lose areas of the earth that absorb carbon dioxide, and the net result will actually be more greenhouse gases.
The study's authors sent an urgent letter to President Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urging them to reevaluate their alternative energy policies.
Kyra, it is a complicated issue. That's for sure.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's stay on the green theme, shall we? One retailer you were mentioning is taking some action to help save forests?
LISOVICZ: Yes. And certainly, it's one that uses a lot of paper or consumes a lot of paper, or sells a lot of paper, the office supply retailer Staples severing supplies from its Singapore-based supplier.
Staples apparently feels the supplier was not doing enough to prevent the destruction of natural rainforests and other global warming impacts.
"The Wall Street Journal" says other large paper sellers, including Office Depot, have already cut ties with this Asian paper supplier. So perhaps it will change its practices as a result.
Coming up, who will be the big winners when the president signs the economic stimulus package into law? Well, among the winners, people who own big homes. I'll tell you why in the next hour of NEWSROOM.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Thanks, Susan.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: We're monitoring Tacoma, Washington, also Seattle, Washington. As you see here, Hillary Clinton getting ready to step up to the mikes and address her supporters there.
And then Obama expected to speak also in Seattle. We will check in on that, take it live when he starts to talk. Monitoring all the rallies across the country today.
Super delegates, they'll make up one-fifth of the votes of the Democratic National Convention. Will they decide the party nominee? Our Bill Schneider takes a look at problems facing the Democrats.
And she's got a crush on Obama. Remember that? But was that enough to get her to the polls on Tuesday? You'll find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
First off, presidential hopefuls stumping all across the United States. Right now, Hillary Clinton in Tacoma, Washington. Barack Obama in Seattle, Washington. Hillary Clinton getting ready to address a large number of nurses, talking about the critical need for them. And talking about her health care plan, if she were to become president. We'll dip in live when she steps up to the mic.
Imagine a political convention that actually picks a presidential nominee. It hasn't happened in a long, long time, but it could happen this summer in Denver. CNN political analyst, Bill Schneider, looks at the delegate drama, make that super-delegate super drama, potentially facing Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: What happens if the Democratic stalemate persists? Then two fights could break out at the Democratic convention. One is a fight over the super-delegates who hold 20 percent of the convention votes. Those are officeholders and party officials who automatically get convention votes, but are not pledged to support any particular candidate. The super-delegates dare not reverse the decision of the primary voters.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The argument we would be making to super-delegates is if we come in to the convention with more pledged delegates, then I think we can make a very strong argument that our constituencies have spoken.
SCHNEIDER: But if the voters can't make up their minds, the super-delegates could make it up for them. It's a political junkies' dream and the Democratic party's nightmare. Backroom decisions, wheeling and dealing.
The second fight is likely to be over seating delegates from Michigan and Florida. The Democratic party has already voted no to seat their delegates because they held early primaries. Hillary Clinton won both contests. She wants those delegates seated.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I promise you, I will do everything I can to make sure not only are Florida's Democratic delegates seated, but Florida is in the winning column for the Democrats in 2008!
SCHNEIDER: The Democratic party is urging Florida and Michigan to hold caucuses to pick delegates. But the Clinton campaign doesn't think much of that idea. Barack Obama has been winning most of the caucuses.
HOWARD DEAN, DEM. NATL. CMTE. CHAIRMAN: I dare say Michigan and Florida will ask for reinstatement and the credentials committee, which will not be under my control, will make that decision at that time, later down the road. It'll be up to the -- and the convention as a whole.
SCHNEIDER: A full-fledged credentials battle on the convention floor. Oh, boy! Oh, boy.
(on-camera): The record shows the more divided the party, the more likely it is to lose in November. As Chairman Dean himself observed, there have been three divided Democratic conventions in recent decades -- 1968, 1972, and 1980. And the Democrats lost each time.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And the next round of presidential contests is just hours away. The Louisiana primaries, Washington state caucuses, Republican caucuses in Kansas and Democratic caucuses in Nebraska all happening tomorrow. Democrats in Maine will caucus on Sunday. And then coming up Tuesday, both parties hold primaries in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
With Fat Tuesday behind them, voters in Louisiana turn their attention now to primary Saturday. Some feel both parties' candidates are only paying lip service to a region still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
More now from CNN's Sean Callebs in New Orleans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Super Tuesday in New Orleans. As much of the country went to the polls, people in Louisiana hit the streets for Mardi Gras.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Fat Tuesday down here in New Orleans, man!
CALLEBS: On this day, Louisiana's February 9th primary was the last thing on minds here.
CLANCY DUBOS, GAMBIT WEEKLY: If we were trying to have a primary here during carnival season, that would be like trying to have a papal mass in the middle of an Ozzy Osbourne concert, it just wouldn't fit, you know? Wouldn't work, bad idea.
CALLEBS: Clancy Dubos is a columnist with the local alternative newspaper.
DUBOS: You can look at the last two elections, if Louisiana had gone the other way in either of those elections, George Bush wouldn't be president.
CALLEBS: Louisiana could be the key again, something not lost on both Democratic campaigns here to drum up last-minute votes.
OBAMA: When the storm came, what happened?
WILLIAM J. CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You hire a president in part to make good decisions in hurry under duress.
CALLBES: With a convoluted caucus and primary process here for Republicans, GOP candidates largely stayed away and shied away from comments about recovery and rebuilding. Voters say both sides need to say and do more.
TROY MCGOWAN, PARADE WATCHER: They need to do better than what they are doing, because we could be a lot further along than where we are right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People here, in New Orleans, are taking it upon themselves to make a difference, as well as all throughout the Gulf Coast, regardless if the government is participating or not.
CALLEBS (on-camera): Whoever wins the White House inherits Current Boulevard here in New Orleans and all of its problems. Sadly, an image like this is all too common here in this region, a full two- and-a-half years after the storm. Folks here have heard a lot from the candidates about the economy, religion, immigration, Iraq, but almost nothing about the issue closest to them. What about the promise to make the Gulf, and all of this, whole once again?
(voice-over): Waiting and wondering if they will ever hear or get what they feel they need. JEFF CROUEREE, POLITICAL ANALYST: People are concerned about coastal restoration and flood protection and one disappointing thing about this race is these issues have pretty much been forgotten.
CALLEBS: Voters here are desperate to hear candidates' plans for a city still on the brink, and a state in desperate need.
Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, now, we've been following that top story throughout the morning, that sugar refinery explosion that took place in Port Wentworth, Georgia, just outside Savannah. Getting word now that death toll has claim climbed. There were six reported dead, at least 62 injured. We're going to go ahead -- did you say we are connected or we're -- OK.
Don Lemon is standing by now with that update with regard to the death toll.
I'm sorry, I'm being told it's dropped, is that correct, Don?
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Yes, Kyra.
And you know, you've been on as many of these situations as I have. Many times, when there are situations like this, the numbers go back and forth. We just got out of a 2:00 briefing, just a short time ago, from investigators.
And I want to apologize if I jump around a little bit, I was taking notes here with my BlackBerry. But according to the officials here at this last press conference, they said that there are only three bodies. Three bodies have been recovered in that lower part of the plant. They said that three are still unaccounted for, and that's all they'll say.
We asked them why the discrepancy, and they said, well, in this situation, situations like this, it's very fluid. There are a lot of moving parts. I said, a high-ranking statement official confirmed live on the air, to us and other news organizations, that it was six bodies found, and they said they're going to back off of that for now and say that there are three bodies so far. And three people, possibly more, still unaccounted for.
Here's also what they say. The fire crews are doing their second sweep of the building now. The -- the standpipe and the plumbing, a lot of it failed during the blast last night, so the lower floors are flooded, so they have to pump some of the water out. They are dealing with -- like in some situations, they say eight to ten feet of water. Several structures, they say, have failed.
The fire is under control. Three hot spots burning in three small areas. And the search area they say is in a warehouse-type situation, about 20,000 to 30,000 square feet. And they said they, again, they won't -- they haven't identified the bodies and they won't until they see them. The bodies have just been removed a short time ago and they were taken to the medical examiner's office so that they could be identified.
The latest numbers they say, 32 people hospitalized, at least nine airlifted to Augusta. Again, the areas where the fires are small, bodies removed to the medical examiner's office. Sugar dust, they say, is a viable option, because it's a very volatile mixture there.
The ATF, of course Alcohol Tobacco Firearms, on the scene. That's standard, they're here just for observing. And if they need to jump in and take over the situation, they will. The floor is five floors in some areas in this building, some floors two areas -- some areas two floors. So they have a big area to search. So they want to make sure before they put their people in, more people in this building, they want to make sure it's as structurally safe as possible.
And the families, which is the most important thing here, they are working with special teams here, and also at the hospitals, to try to help them to deal with the situation happening here. That's the very latest, Kyra, I'm going to toss it back to you.
PHILLIPS: OK, Don, thanks so much.
We want to quickly get over to Tacoma, Washington, now, where Hillary Clinton is stumping for votes. She's speaking to a group of nurses touting her health care plan. Let's listen in for a moment.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
H. CLINTON: ... child in America. No one left out. My opponent's plan would leave out at least 15 million people. Leave them uninsured, including more than 250,000 right here in Washington. My plan provides tax credits to make sure everyone can afford health insurance. It limits what you have to pay to a small percentage of your income ever. It will not go up. It helps small businesses cover their employees without demanding or requiring it. But if they wish to, the help will be there for small businesses.
It bans insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. And when it comes to universal health care, my opponent is saying, no, we can't. Well, I say, yes, we can, and yes, we will, if we make the right decision in this election! Now, there are a lot of experts here, people who really understand health care. And I want to have a conversation about health care, but I want to make a few other points, because I know that a lot of people here in Tacoma and throughout the state are interested in a -- in a wide variety of issues.
And especially here in this beautiful part of America, I want to make a specific pledge to you. No. 1, I will work with Congressman Dix (ph) and your congressional delegation and your state leaders to restore the Puget Sound, to give it the national priority that it deserves to have. I know -- I know a little bit about this, because I've been fighting to save the Long Island Sound, which is between New York and Connecticut.
See, I believe we owe our highest duty to our environment, our stewardship of this -- of the Earth that we inherited. I know that Indian Country believes that, that we have a special obligation. And when you look at Puget Sound and its importance to the ecosystem, as well as to tourism and all other kinds of business and pleasure and the health of this community, this is a national priority.
I also want to pledge to you that I will continue to be a strong and staunch supporter and champion for our men and women in the military and for their families and for our veterans. I am so proud to have been endorsed by a great number of retired military officers as well as, you know, NCOs and enlisted people, people who know what it's like to be on the front lines, people who have served our country, going back to World War II.
And I particularly want to thank General Paul Eaton who is here, who has been a strong supporter of mine, who led our ground forces in Iraq. And I am proud to have his support. And he's written an op-ed in the paper today, explaining why he is supporting me. And so thank you very much, General Eaton.
You know, tomorrow you get a chance to help pick a president. And, you know, if this were a primary, where everybody could vote all day, I'd feel pretty good about it. But it's not, it's a caucus. And you got to show up at 1:00, and I already met three nurses outside, and I said, well, are you going to caucus for me? And they said, well, we're working tomorrow. So, I need all of you to redouble your efforts to go to the caucuses tomorrow, to be there, to stand up for what we need in a president.
Because the way I look at it, we need somebody who can start being president and commander in chief on day one. We need -- we need a president who will start making it clear that we're going to manage this economy so it works again for everybody, not just for the wealthy and the well connected. We need a president who believes, as I do, that we can set big goals for our country again.
That's what's missing. There isn't anything we can't do once we make up our minds to do it. We just haven't had a president who has summoned us to any greatness, to anything bigger than ourselves, who has set a vision for what America needs to be in the 21st century. That is what I will do if you give me the chance to serve.
And here are some of the goals that I think we can achieve, we can have a clean, renewable energy future that puts Washington state right in the leadership of achieving that. Now, why is that important? Because we cannot continue to be dependent on foreign oil and on a carbon-based economy. We can't, for our security, for our environment, because of global warming. So, I have said, let's start a strategic energy fund that would invest in clean, renewable energy and new technologies.
And here's how I'd pay for it, take the tax subsidies away from the oil companies. They do not need our money to make a profit. And, you know, Senator Cantwell has been a leader on energy in the Senate. She's somebody we all look to. She knows we can be more energy efficient. She knows right here in Washington, you have cutting-edge companies, including Boeing, that's looking for ways to make photovoltaic cells that are more efficient, looking to make jet engines more efficient.
We can do this. But we can't do it until we get the two oil men out of the White House and began to figure out what kind of future we're going to have together!
PHILLIPS: Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton stumping for votes there in front of a group of nurses in Tacoma, Washington. Asking them to double up on their efforts to get out and vote tomorrow. She's talking about her health care plan among other issues.
Meanwhile, on the other side of your screen, Barack Obama talking about change as well, changes of his own. He'll be stepping up to the mics in Seattle, Washington. We're monitoring that. We'll dip in live when he starts.
If you'd like to watch any of the candidates today, just go to CNN.com/live, to watch their rallies and events live and unfiltered. Again, that's CNN.com/live.
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PHILLIPS: We listened to Hillary Clinton live stumping for votes in Tacoma, Washington. Not far from there, in Seattle, Washington, Barack Obama getting ready to step up to the mics. We will listen to him once he begins.
And we hear a lot about change in the U.S. presidential race. But change may also be in the air in Cuba. Young Cubans, especially seem less and less afraid to say what they think.
And CNN's Morgan Neill has been listening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): In this video obtained by CNN, a rare public expression of the discontent voiced every day by many Cubans in private.
Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba's National Assembly met with computer science students in Havana and got an earful.
"It seems to us a revolution cannot advance without a plan", said this student. "I'm sure it exists, we just want to know what it is."
He went on to voice some of the questions that Cubans say frustrate them the most. "Why can't the people of Cuba, workers and their families, travel to certain parts of the world?" he asked. "Why are we charged at the market in a currency worth 25 times that in which we're paid? Why can't Cubans go freely to resorts in their own country? And what are the reasons," he asked, "for the restrictions on Internet? Why, for example, were the sites Yahoo! and Google suddenly restricted?"
In a response lasting at least 30 minutes, Alarcon addressed some of the students' points. On why Cubans aren't allowed to travel freely? "I wish all the Cubans could go out and get to know the world outside," he said. "I think it would be the end of the ideological battle in this country, when the people see how things really are, what's real, how other people live."
On why Cubans aren't allowed to enter tourist hotels freely, Alarcon tells students about his times in New York as Cuba's ambassador to the U.N. "How many times do they kick us out of a store," he said, "because of the Latino accent and the color of our hair. They realized we weren't Anglo-Saxons and shouldn't be in the store."
Another video obtained by CNN shows a meeting held to explain a new tax on Cubans working for foreign companies. The unpopular proposal drew open jeers and mocking laughter, something officials here just aren't used to.
(BOOS)
NEILL (on camera): While the questions and complaints on these tapes are nothing new, it is new to hear them voiced so openly. A year-and-a-half since Fidel Castro's last public appearance, many Cubans appear to be growing impatient for change.
Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And on the theme of change, Barack Obama getting ready to speak to supporters there in Seattle, Washington. We will take a dip in and listen live once he begins.
Dazed and confused. We're going to tell you who's playing Bonnaroo and who isn't. There was a little misunderstanding going on out there. We'll tell you what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Amy Winehouse gets a big no, no, no to her request for a Visa to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, but -- I made a mistake there. I was supposed to tease Barack Obama getting ready to speak. Sorry about that, Chris.
He's getting ready to speak in Seattle, Washington. We had dipped in on Hillary Clinton. She was stumping for votes in front of a bunch of a nurses there in Tacoma, talking about her health care ideas for the presidency.
Now, Barack Obama there in Seattle. All his supporters waiting for him to step up to the mike and see what he is going to talk about today. We will dip into that live once it happens.
Now, let's get back to Amy Winehouse. Sorry about that. The British singer has been nominated in six categories at Sunday's Grammys, including record of the year for her hit "Rehab." It's sort of ironic. Her publicist says that Winehouse's Visa request has been denied by the U.S. government.
No word why, but Winehouse has been very publicly battling drug addiction, as you know. We've been talking about that in our entertainment reports. She's leaving a London rehab clinic today and Scotland Yard is looking into a video that shows the singer smoking something in a glass pipe. She's expected to perform via satellite on Sunday's award show. We sure hope that she gets sober.
Your favorite TV shows could be back in production pretty soon, that's according to former Disney's CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner says that there's an agreement now to end the Hollywood writers' strike and it'll be presented to the rank and file tomorrow. Other reports, however, call the process fragile and say it could still derail.
The Writers Guild went on strike three months ago demanding a bigger share of the windfall from new media. That walk-out brought most TV and movie production to a stand still, and threatened this year's Oscar ceremonies.
Dazed and confused. You can never get enough Zeppelin, folks. We're going to tell you who's playing Bonnaroo and who isn't. There were a few misunderstandings out there, but I never lose an opportunity to play a little Zeppelin.
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