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Powerful Earthquake Rocks China: Thousands Feared Dead; Clinton Expected to get Big Win in West Virginia; Severe Weather Strikes Across the Midwest

Aired May 12, 2008 - 10:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Describe for us if you would Joan just how unnerving because there were a lot of people who are watching us right now who have never experienced what you've gone through a couple of occasions now. Would you describe for us how unnerving it is, frightening it is to be in the middle of an earthquake.
VOICE OF JOAN UHT, AMERICAN TOURIST NEAR QUAKE'S EPICENTER: It was very frightening. Because you don't know if it's going to go on and on, what effect it's going to have on the buildings. Because they could start falling apart. And when you get out on the street, or, you know, we got outside of the house, you didn't know where it was safe to be. So the maid let us out to the street, where it didn't have any buildings, you know, to fall on you. They were there too. It was a thoroughfare where there were traffic jams. We could hear sirens. And people were just clustered along the street. We were the only Americans on the street.

HARRIS: Yes.

UHT: Everybody else was Chinese. And they were frightened to death. That makes you even more frightened.

HARRIS: Joan, if you would, just hang on for just a second. Don't go anywhere. I just want to give folks watching us a bit of a reset on where we are on this story.

Once again, top of the hour, welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.

Tony Harris and Betty Nguyen and a powerful earthquake rocks China. It has been the story of the morning. Three thousand people feared dead, that according to Chinese media. And that figure does not include almost 900 children buried in the rubble of their collapsed high school. Still waiting for updated information on that. The report does not say if the buried children are believed to be alive.

The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude, and Joan Uht is on the line with us. She can testify to the intensity of this earthquake -- 7.8 magnitude quake is expected to continue to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings. And Joan, is an American tourist. She is in Chengdu in Sichuan Province which is the epicenter of this earthquake.

And Joan, given the damage, well, let me ask it as a question, how much damage have you been able to see? UHT: Well, really, in this area, it's mostly residential around here. I haven't seen anything significant. I know in the house itself, pictures were, you know, askew on the walls. And the first floor, I think one piece of glass broke.

HARRIS: How about drywall? Are you talking about cracks in the drywall? Anything like that?

UHT: We haven't seen any cracks. It's really very unusual. On the second floor, things were flung off a desk. And pictures, again, askew. And, you know, kind of a little disordered on the second floor. The third floor took quite a hit, with TV sets on the verge of falling on the floor. You know, just -- that was a mess up on the - I haven't even gone up there. I haven't been up on the second story yet myself. I was just so unnerved.

HARRIS: Joan, if you would, it's another kind of question to the point of how unnerving something like this is. But tell us what it feels like, because I've been through an aftershock, which was a little crazy making for me.

Give me a sense of what it's like, what it feels like, and what it does to your orientation, to your senses, when the ground starts moving.

UHT: Well, I mean, you just don't want to fall over, No. 1, because it was really violent. You want to find something to hang on to. And we were very fortunate, I had been on the second floor, and I came down to have tea with a friend. And if I had been on the stairs, it probably would have thrown me down the stairs. That's how powerful it was.

HARRIS: My goodness.

So how fortunate do you feel?

UHT: Very.

HARRIS: Yes.

UHT: Very, I just feel so sorry for the people. I'm sure there are people who have been really hurt. Now, we did hear that all of the hotels were being evacuated. They wouldn't let people back in. And on television I saw people standing around in bathrobes.

HARRIS: Yes. Well, Joan, we can't thank you enough --

UHT: Well, you're very welcome.

HARRIS: -- for your time.

Joan is an American tourist in Chengdu. That's in the Sichuan Province, the epicenter of the earthquake. Jaime FlorCruz is at our Beijing bureau and will be joining us, pardon me, in just a couple of moments. BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we do have severe weather here to tell you about, because our other big story is this. You're looking at it right there, picking up the pieces in the plains, and the southeast, after a series of violent storms and tornadoes over the weekend. At least 22 people killed across Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia. A deadly Midwest tornado just ripped through this part of Oklahoma. The twister was a mile wide at times. And all that is left of this house, you see it there, just the bathroom.

Tornadoes also tore through Arkansas. The high winds crumpled sheet metal like it was just paper, snapped utility poles like matchsticks. Several cars flipped over. Georgia has declared a state of emergency in six counties on Sunday. President Bush has already promised federal aid for the hardest hit areas. And the head of FEMA will be touring those regions tomorrow.

Let's talk now about Picher, Oklahoma. Because it is one of the areas hardest hit.

Our Susan Candiotti is there. And she's going to be showing us around.

Susan, what a tail especially of people, just trying to save themselves and their children?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

And they'll be starting to offer counseling for those who did survive. Six people were killed. Everybody knows everybody in this small community, of anywhere from 800 to about 1,000 people or so. But just to give you a sense of the utter destruction, I mean, you see this pile of rubble, yes. But the force of those winds are so strong, in a tornado this size, an EF-4, as it's described, that it can actually strip the bark off of a tree.

Look at this. Smooth, the bark. And then you walk over here and have to worry about the dangers, because people will be coming back in to retrieve their belongings, and what they can salvage. I mean, you see this all over the place, you really have to be careful wherever you walk. Because injuries, people are very worried about that, and sanitation as well.

Yesterday we spent part of the day with John Hutchison and his family. His wife is in the hospital. But his daughter and two grandchildren, all of them survived this storm by huddling together in a closet. And their whole house was moved about 70 feet from where they were to where they landed. And yet they came out of it alive. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: John, as we look at the foundation here of your house, is this all that is left?

JOHN HUTCHINSON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: That's it.

CANDIOTTI: What was it, a one-story house? Two-story house?

HUTCHINSON: It was a one-story, three-bedroom.

CANDIOTTI: Three bedroom and it's all gone.

HUTCHINSON: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: It's all gone.

HUTCHINSON: It's all over there by the tree.

CANDIOTTI: Can you show me where you and the family were bunkering down?

HUTCHINSON: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: Be careful. Over here.

HUTCHINSON: This was the closet. There was a bathroom right here. And there was a closet door going to each bedroom on each side. But we got in this closet right here and we all huddled down together on the floor.

CANDIOTTI: But the storm shoved you way over here. Where did you wind up?

HUTCHINSON: Under this door just on the other side of this little table. And my wife was right next to me. She had the little grand baby in her arms.

CANDIOTTI: How old?

HUTCHINSON: About two.

CANDIOTTI: About two.

HUTCHINSON: And my daughter, Tressy, was just on the other side of her with the other grand baby. She's about 4. Between 4 and 5.

CANDIOTTI: So all of you were under this --

HUTCHINSON: Well, I was right here. My wife was here with one grandbaby. And Tressy was holding the other one. We was all laying right there. We all walked out alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now, if you want to get an idea of what Mr. Hutchison was staring in the face before he and his family took shelter, you're looking at it now. A home video shot by Wesley Schultz. He was driving along. He stopped actually to fill up with gas right here in town. Looked up and saw this monster funnel cloud coming right at him. Had the presence of mind to pick up a camera to get a shot of it, and then quickly got him and his children out of dodge.

Now, Mr. Hutchison and other people took shelter. But they survived. Others did not. I want to briefly show you, this is the gravel pit. You can call it a chat pile. It is the mining waste from the lead and zinc mines that were operating until the 1970s that were shut down by the federal and state government. A massive cleanup was under way. There was contamination caused by these mines, and also there were cave-ins. That's what prompted the federal home buyout program and cleanup.

Now the question is going to be for all the people who own these homes, are they still going to get that buyout. Will they have to go to their home insurance and/or will they get assistance from FEMA. Authorities are trying to sort all this out. Who knows how long it will take. They say they're trying to do it quickly to get these people some answers.

Back to you, guys.

NGUYEN: My goodness. What a number of issues they have on their hands. And most of them are just trying to figure out where do I go next.

All right. Susan Candiotti joining us live. Thank you for that.

Well, there is more help for Florida fighters this morning. One hundred additional firefighters are expected to be called to help battle this brush fires in Brevard County. Fires have burned more than 2,000 acres there, and threatened some homes.

Now, farther up the East coast, brush fires forced the evacuation of about 400 homes in Cocoa, Palm Bay and Daytona beach. Heavy smoke forced the closing of interstate 95 along a 15-mile stretch yesterday. But it is back open this morning. And we understand a news conference is happening right now, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Let's take a listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, some of those in Bayberry here, that evacuation order has been rescinded. So it's not quite that high total now. But again, that could change today as fire conditions, you know, as the events play out.

QUESTION: Do you have any indication that -- (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have no indication one way or another yet. Basically everything was dedicated yesterday to either trying to get people out of the way of the fire, or try to contain the fire. Today, you know, with daylight and more resources available, I'm sure they'll be dedicating some investigators to determining the cause.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certainly. Every home in the area was threatened. The burning embers from one of these fires can fly a mile to a mile and a quarter away from the fire. So, just because a home isn't immediately adjacent to it doesn't mean it's not threatened. But there were plenty of homes that were adjacent. Fortunately, you know, through the efforts of the fire department and forestry firefighters, no homes were severely damaged or lost. But the potential was certainly there.

QUESTION: There were people throwing buckets of water on the fire. But really, how do you plan to get this under control?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, fortunately Florida has some of the best wildland firefighters in the world. So as bad as conditions can be, we've got the people with the training and experience and the equipment, that we will get it stopped eventually. The water drops that you're talking about from the helicopter are just basically kind of a short-term attempt to knock down the fire intensity, which will allow the ground crews to get in.

Basically, you can't put a fire out from the air. You have to be on the ground. And the helicopter can assist the ground forces by knocking down hot spots, and doing reconnaissance. But the tractors have to get in there, and basically create a firebreak between where the fire's burning and the fuel ahead of it. And the stronger the wind is blowing, the wider that break has to be. So we've got some heavy tractors in there creating very wide fire lines, and then we have crews patrolling them. So that if a burning ember were to cross the line, hopefully we'll be able to spot it immediately and respond

NGUYEN: So we've been listening to a news conference out of Florida, dealing with the firefights there. And the firefighters who are helping, we understand 100 additional firefighters are on the scene trying to put out this wildfire.

The big concern, though, is burning embers moving into neighborhoods and then catching homes on fire. Let's take you now to the CNN severe weather center and Rob Marciano.

Rob, the question right now, is mother nature going to cooperate with them trying to fight this fire?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not today, Betty.

We've got, this is all from the storm that brought the tornadoes to Oklahoma, throughout the southeast, now it's kind of cranking itself up across parts of the northeast. So that's the main problem. Get rid of this map, I want to get to another one. It's the second and it's going to show the winds that are driving down across Florida.

And with that, we've got dry air. We've got winds that are gusting at times 20 to 30 miles an hour. And this is not good for firefighters. So we've got relative low levels of humidity, northwest and west winds kicking off the land. And even at this hour of the morning, we're seeing between 10 and 20 miles an hour. And the threat for today will be extreme fire danger. That's one step above just plain old critical.

Tomorrow, slight relief. We go to critical as opposed to extreme. So, the next two days are going to be very bad there. Where the rain is, is up across the northeast. The center of the low is here. That's helping drive some of those winds across Florida. It's also helping drive winds into parts of the northeast.

A quick shot of Daytona Beach. Here you go. WFTV, our affiliate right there. These fires - well, I can't see it on this monitor, but you probably can't see the smoke from there. Nonetheless, Florida under fire danger for sure as we go through today. We have areas in Delaware that are evacuating along the coast, Kent County specifically, because of the heavy rains and the strong winds that are pushing water onshore. Jersey also seeing some flooding.

We've got delays at the airports. All the major airports are seeing traffic delays at this hour. Two hours and five minutes at La Guardia. Newark at almost two and a half. And Philly, same deal. So, all sorts of headaches we're trying to get through here.

NGUYEN: You're just as busy over there as we are over here, Rob.

MARCIANO: Get through it. It's only Monday.

NGUYEN: That's true. Happy Monday to you.

Speaking of being busy, we want to check now on our breaking news out of China. Thousands feared dead in an earthquake there. Plus, almost 900 children believed buried in the rubble of their collapsed school. So let's get you right to CNN Beijing bureau chief, Jaime FlorCruz.

Jaime, we're looking at numbers between 3,000 and 5,000 already reported dead, or feared dead.

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Betty, and that could still rise, the death toll could still rise, because the rescuers and rescue teams are just barely able to reach the epicenter.

The epicenter is in a very mountainous, lush area. In fact, the habitat of the giant pandas in Sichuan the province. But also, it's home to about 110,000 people. So we're talking a lot of people who live in houses that are usually three, four-story houses, made of bricks, or of flimsy materials. And many of these structures are believed to have collapsed and have cost many of the people to be trapped in the rubble. And that's why we are just beginning to hear that the rising toll from 3,000 to almost about 5,000 people dead so far -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Jaime, Chengdu is the area where the epicenter was. Talk to us about this area.

Are there a lot of high-rises? You talk about buildings being collapsed, but what is centered in this area?

FLORCRUZ: Well, Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, which is still about 150 kilometers, or about 50 miles away from the epicenter. The epicenter itself is a county that is mountainous. I've been there a few years ago to report on the pandas. That's where the panda reserve area is located. It's lush, it's mountainous. But it's only about 50 miles away from Chengdu, but it took me about four hours to drive from Chengdu to the panda reserve area.

So you can imagine how difficult it is to reach this place, and how difficult it will be for the rescuers to reach those who are trapped in the collapsed structures in the places where they have been, where the epicenter is right now.

NGUYEN: And Jaime, we haven't even begun to talk about the number of people injured. We're just talking about the people feared dead, feared under all that rubble. But when it comes to injuries, I'm seeing a number around 10,000 people who might be reported injured at this hour. Is there enough emergency personnel, enough crews to handle not only the rescue operation, but the injured?

FLORCRUZ: Well, 10,000 is probably a very conservative estimate right now. As I said, they are just beginning to restore communications there. Transport and telecommunications were cut off after the earthquake. The Chinese are very good at organizing rescue and medical operations in natural disasters like this one. Because of their top-down government structure, they're able to muster enough manpower, and goods to send to these disaster areas.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army is usually very good at responding to these emergencies, and they're in fact leading the operations right now. A lot of the operations may in fact involve using things by hand. For example, wading through the rubbles of collapsed structures to rescue people who are trapped there. And many of these will have to be done by the People's Liberation Army soldiers -- Betty.

NGUYEN: A lot of work to be done. Time is of the essence. As people are indeed trapped under rubble. Considering how many are affected by this 7.8 magnitude quake, a very powerful quake.

Jaime FlorCruz, joining us live from Beijing.

Thank you, Jaime.

And CNN I-Reporters in China are sending us their photos. Take a look at this. This one from Michelle Christenson, a daughter of a diplomat in Beijing. Michelle says she was sitting at her computer when the quake. It made her feel very dizzy and see the walls shaking there a little bit. She said the quake shook her house and made the lights sway as evident in that shot.

Well, this picture from Yi Wei Ang who lives 30 minutes from downtown Beijing and granted Beijing is about 900 miles away from the epicenter.

This I-Reporter says school was evacuated. Everything in the neighborhood was relatively calm. Residents are now bracing for those aftershocks.

In other news, help for cyclone survivors. CNN exclusive video, you have to see this, a U.S. aid plain arrives in Myanmar. More flights are planned. We have so much more on this story we are covering for you. That's ahead here on the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Hello, everybody on this Monday morning, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Betty Nguyen.

Hillary Clinton, a voice for the common man. Well, we're going to take a look at her message in West Virginia on this eve of the primary there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, American aid is arriving in Myanmar. Take a look. The first flight landed just a few hours ago. This is exclusive CNN footage of the plane's arrival. Onboard, water and blankets. Those supplies are being turned over to Myanmar's government. Now, the U.S. has clearance for two more flights tomorrow. Four U.S. Navy ships including THE U.S.S. Essex are moving closer to the coast. All of them ready to provide support if they get the go ahead from Myanmar's military junta government.

Right now though, international aid has reached about 200 cyclone survivors. But that is just a drop in the bucket. A British aid agency said as many as 1.5 million people could be in danger if they do not get help soon.

NGUYEN: Grim devastation, no doubt in Myanmar. Cyclone survivors running out of food. And more importantly, water. Joining me now on the phone is CNN correspondent who is in Myanmar. We will not divulge his name due to safety concerns. But I do want to ask you, what is the latest on the ground where you are because I know you've been able to travel to some of the hard hit areas.

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

You know, it's exactly like you say. Water is really the main concern of people we've been talking to on the ground, in those really hardest hit areas. Let me just describe the situation for you a little bit. There is some aid coming into sort of bigger cities down in that devastated area. Most of it is private aid. You'll see sort of three or four trucks from one company in Myanmar or from one individual, or a group of individuals that have banded together in trying to start private initiatives to bring aid into that area.

There's a little bit from international organization and very, very little from the Myanmar government. And the one thing that's really lacking down there, the professional distribution system. You see the governments, the troops trying to distribute some of the aid. But it's really on a very small scale. It's not very well organized. The international organizations that are down there, the very few are trying to do their part as well. But really, there's not enough of them down there. And as I said, this is just in the major cities, in the bigger cities down there.

We were able to travel down the Irrawaddy River Delta, into those smaller villages, and there's so many of them down there. And many of them have been completely destroyed, and many of them have not seen any aid in the 10 days since this cyclone hit. We were able to go to one village in particular, and they said that they've been waiting for days. They've not had anything yet. They said they have some food left, very little food left. That they're sort of dividing among the people who live there. But the one thing they said is what exactly what you were saying, the main concern is clean drinking water. That's something they don't have.

They're trying to get their water from a pond that's in the village. But that pond is very much contaminated, they say, by river water from the flooding that the cyclone brought forward. And also from dead bodies laying in that pond. So water and medicine. But foremost, water is the biggest concern of many of those people in that affected area.

NGUYEN: So, let me get this straight, people, 10 days now since this deadly cyclone hit, people are forced to get their drinking water from a pond that's being fed by the river where bodies are floating in?

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely. I mean, the pond itself really was in the middle of the village. But what happened when the cyclone hit is there was a big flood wave, and all that water came into that pond. And of course, many of the people who were living in between the pond and the river were -- got drowned, and were swept into that pond. So, they say there are dead bodies laying in that pond.

There's obviously very much contaminated drinking water in that pond. That's where they're having to get their water from. Of course, they're doing the best they can to purify that water. But they don't really have the measure to do that. So, they say water is their primary concern. That's the biggest problem they have right now. That, of course, is a very big health risk as well, because that contaminated water can just spread diseases so fast in that area. That's what people are saying is their primary concern is the water there.

NGUYEN: Well, that's what I wanted to ask you about, because they are drinking this water, are you seeing water-borne illnesses set in?

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: We haven't seen those yet. But people are saying that is the fear they have. Obviously they're trying to cook their water, they're trying to do the best they can to purify that in some way, shape or form. But as all of this goes on, as the situation does not get any better for so many people in those smaller villages, they say with every day, the risk obviously becomes a whole lot greater of diseases spreading there -- Betty.

NGUYEN: No doubt. Ten days since this deadly cyclone struck, people are still waiting for some kind of aid, some kind of relief. We do appreciate your time on the ground.

Our CNN correspondent joining us live from Myanmar. Again, we cannot divulge his name die to safety concerns. Well, we do know that many of you want to help. And at CNN.com we have a special page on the devastation in Myanmar, complete with links to aid agencies that are organizing help for the region. It is a chance for you to impact your world, so let us be your guide.

HARRIS: And still to come, working from home. Want to save on gas? How to sell your boss on the idea of telecommuting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, our top story this morning, the death toll in the powerful China earthquake now reported, up to 5,000 and rising. Here's what we know: At least 50 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a high school that collapsed. That's an update there. Almost 900 students were buried in the rubble. Reports say some buried teenagers are struggling to break loose from underneath the ruins, while others were crying for help. The 7.8 magnitude quake was felt in most parts of China. China's vast military is leading the recovery effort.

Let's quickly now get you to the New York Stock Exchange inside the first hour of the trading day. And as you can see, the Dow in positive territory, up 23 points. Nasdaq, Tom, up six? All right, we are checking the markets in just a couple of minutes with Susan Lisovicz right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

With gas prices hitting record his, telecommuting is looking more and more attractive.

Personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here with how you can convince your boss that you should work from home.

Gerri, good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, Tony.

HARRIS: I'm keenly aware. I'm wondering if I can anchor this newscast from home.

WILLIS: No, you're one of those people.

HARRIS: Hello!

WILLIS: You've got to go to work.

HARRIS: Exactly. How do you know, Gerri, if your job in particular is suited for telecommuting?

WILLIS: Well, look at it this way -- if you spend most of your time on a computer or talking on a phone, there's a good chance you can telecommute.

Now if you don't usually have a lot of meetings with coworkers or handle all your projects independently, your actually a good candidate. This would include accountants, travel agents, public relations specialist, customer service jobs, writers, you get the picture.

HARRIS: Yes, doesn't sound like one day you can walk in and say, boss, hey, you know, telecommuting, sounds like a good idea; I think I should be candidate. It seems like you need to lay a bit of a foundation, some groundwork here?

WILLIS: Yes, there's some work to do. First off, check with your human resources department, see if telecommuting is even an option in your company. Start your telecommuting campaign by making sure your boss knows your work habits and your record of successes. You'll be more successful if you've been at the company a little while, at least a year, since managers will be more comfortable having you out of sight. And make sure you demonstrate your reliability with having projects done by deadlines and being as communicative as you can be about issues that might arise.

HARRIS: Yes, I'm just sort of, bottom line, thinking here, how you make the case to your boss. Because I'm thinking most bosses are saying, you just want to be home in the comfort of your own work environment, your own living environment.

WILLIS: Well, look, if you're going to propose this, remember, it's all about what telecommuting can do for your boss, not what it can do for you. So don't be talking about -- maybe you want to call it tele-work instead of telecommute. It's all in the details, right.

HARRIS: There you go.

WILLIS: Here's one approach: When you approach your boss, don't mention how much gas it would save you, and don't talk about how you'll have more time to spend with the kids. Instead, you want to explain how working at home one day a week will bring you closer to clients on your side of town. It's a good idea to start small. Ask about telecommuting a day or two a week. And if you don't want to be out of sight, out of mind too long, make sure you get into the office regularly if your boss actually does agree to it.

HARRIS: Yes, I think that's a great point. Are there any other ways that you can sort of put your boss' mind at ease with this concept?

WILLIS: Yes. If you want to make your boss really feel at ease having you off site, think about the following things. Ease the anxiety, paint a picture of a safe, professional and well-equipped workspace that is free of distractions. You might want to provide your boss an actual picture of it. Make sure you address what equipment you'll have at hand and how data security and liability issues will be handled. Then give your boss all the numbers, where you can be accessed, including your phone, your fax, your pager, your cell phone number, your e-mail address, all of the details so they can feel like they're always in constant communication with you. Instant messaging is another great tool for realtime communication with the office.

And of course if you have any questions or any success stories with telecommuting, tell us at toptips@CNN.com. We love hearing from you, and we answer these questions right here every Friday.

HARRIS: So maybe I just start with a Web-cam. Maybe start with a Web-cam, the phone, the wires.

WILLIS: I don't know, Tony. I just maybe it's not going to work for you.

HARRIS: It's not going to work.

All right, Gerri, talk about issue No. 1. It is a tight economy, which is the reason I'm thinking about telecommuting, to save some gas.

WILLIS: Correct. Well, and you know, because of that, a lot of people have been laid off. We talked a lot about employment on the show. And there's a new study out from "Business Week" that shows that women are doing better in this recession than men. We'll give you all the details right here at noon right here on CNN, "ISSUE #1." We answer all the questions of interest you about your wallet.

HARRIS: There she is, CNN personal finance editor, Gerri Willis. Gerri, great to see you.

WILLIS: Thank you, sir.

NGUYEN: I don't, Tony, I think we could do our shows from our homes, don't you think, you know, in our living rooms?

HARRIS: It's something to talk about.

NGUYEN: You might have to take the mud mask off every now and then.

HARRIS: Oh, doggone. You can't do the show in your PJs, I suppose.

NGUYEN: May increase ratings, depending on what yours look like.

All right. Well, it is standing room only on some trains, as some of you are leaving your cars at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's so busy, there's no seat for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can live with that, compared to gas price. I definitely can live with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All aboard for motorists dumping the pump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: With gas prices rising, a lot of people are turning to trains, CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is watching this shift in the way some of you get to work, and he joins us now from a commuter rail station in Short Hills, New Jersey.

All right, I've got to ask you, for you to be there, what are gas prices at where you are?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, around here, gas prices are about $3.60 a gallon, not as bad as the national average. But nonetheless, a growing number of commuters are leaving their cars here in the parking lot and waiting for a ride to work on the train.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The 9:00 train to Trenton, New Jersey. After 17 years of driving to work, Eric Scott is now a daily rider. A change that's saving him $300 a month.

ERIC SCOTT, COMMUTES TO WORK BY RAIL: In today's economy, every penny counts. I'm just glad I made that switch.

CHERNOFF: Joanne Ralston became a train commuter in February to avoid a 60-mile drive.

JOANNE RALSTON, COMMUTES TO WORK BY RAIL: It's a huge savings for me. It's easily $200 a month for me.

CHERNOFF (on-camera): As gas prices have soared, a growing number of commuters are getting onboard and leaving the car in the garage. Rail lines across the country are reporting record ridership.

(voice-over): Up 15 percent in the suburbs of Seattle, 13 percent in Miami, and better than 5 percent in the New Jersey community surrounding New York during the first quarter.

RICHARD SARLES, EX. DIR. NEW JERSEY TRANSIT: The buzz is, you know, get ready for more passengers, they're coming and you've got to prepare for it.

CHERNOFF: Urban rail transit is gaining as well -- in car-loving Los Angeles, Dallas and Minneapolis.

(on-camera): So busy there is no seat for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can live with that, compared to the gas price. I definitely can live with that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: Last year, as gas prices jumped, Americans took an estimated 10 billion rides on mass transit, the most in 50 years. Now, as gas prices are approaching $4 a gallon, and even higher in some communities, more and more commuters are listening to the conductor when he says: all aboard -- Betty.

NGUYEN: No doubt.

OK. Besides those commuter trains and the rail system, what about bus lines? Are they increasing? CHERNOFF: Long-distance bus lines are seeing big gains as well. Within urban areas, though, the gains are much more moderate because a lot of people who take a bus within a city, they do that all the time. And many don't even own a car. So the big differences we're seeing now are for long-distance commuters who are really saving big dollars on gasoline.

NGUYEN: All right -- Allan Chernoff.

Thank you, Allan.

And keep watching CNN. Our money team has you covered, whether it's jobs, debt, housing or savings. Join us for a special report, it's called "ISSUE #1," the economy. It's all this week at noon Eastern, only on CNN.

HARRIS: The Democrats race for the White House for the first time in weeks, Hillary Clinton goes into a primary virtually assured of a big win. But is it too little in her battle against Barack Obama?

CNN's Sean Callebs previews tomorrow's contest in West Virginia. He is with the Election Express in Charleston.

Sean, has Barack Obama even bothered to campaign there in West Virginia?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Funny you should say that, Tony.

In about an hour and a half, Barack Obama is going to be just a few blocks from where we are at the Civic Center here in Charleston. He is doing campaigning. He by no means is writing off this state.

That's significant because Hillary Clinton has really upped the stakes in this state. If you look at what the polls say, she could win by as many as 40 percentage points, and that is important to her. Because if she can win enough of the popular vote to actually take the lead over Barack Obama in the popular vote, that is going to be a strike, something she can play to and say, look, I am not going to drop out of this race yet.

And by all accounts, if you listen to what she says, she has no intention of surrendering just yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I guess my favorite message was from a woman named Angela. "Keep strong," she said. "It's not over until the lady in the pant suit says it is."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: And one of the issues here in West Virginia, well, chiefly, the economy. This is a state that is seeing its population dwindle over the past decade or so. They've also seen a number of industrial jobs -- jobs in the coal industry, jobs in the steel industry -- leave the state as well. So they're trying to find a way -- they want the next president to find a way to spark this economy.

Now, Barack Obama, as I mentioned, is not writing off this state. He is going to do some campaigning here today. And clearly, he wants to find a way to narrow the gap between he and Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The primary is not over. And, you know, Senator Clinton has been an extraordinary and formidable candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: We talked with the executive director of the state Democratic Party and he said certainly this state is going to be important. But is it going to be enough to give Hillary Clinton that all-need momentum, to keep going for days and weeks to come? He's not ready to make that bet just yet.

We haven't talked about John McCain either. Now, this is a state where in registered voters, the Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly a 2-1 margin. However, don't write John McCain off just yet.

Tony, if you look back to 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush carried this state -- Tony.

HARRIS: Good point.

Sean Callebs for us in Charleston, West Virginia.

Sean, good to see you. Thank you.

Hillary Clinton, a voice for the common man. We will take an in- depth look at her message in West Virginia on the eve of the primary there next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. So as we were talking about right before the break, Hillary Clinton looking ahead to a big win tomorrow in West Virginia. She's spent a lot of time there delivering a message that seems to be tailor-made for blue collar voters. So here to break it down is Jake Stump, he is a political reporter for the "Charleston Daily Mail."

Jake, thanks for being with us.

Let's talk about Hillary first up. She's got a double digit lead, at least that's what it looks like right now in the polls. But when it comes to the issues, where is she resonating with voters there?

JAKE STUMP, "CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL": I think some of the issues she's been hitting on recently is health care. You know, she has been a big proponent for universal health care all these years. West Virginia has an elderly population, senior citizens. A lot of people have health problems here in West Virginia. So I think that's one big issue she is trying to hit on.

NGUYEN: What about the economy?

STUMP: Yes, the economy. I mean, West Virginia always ranks 49th, sometimes last in economy. We've got a lot of low-wage earners here. And one of the things she's also discussed is the gas tax holiday, suspending the federal gas tax to help out these people driving to work -- on a minimum wage --

NGUYEN: Well that is something Obama has criticized. And in fact, he has spent little time there in West Virginia, but he has picked up the endorsements from key players there, like Senator Jay Rockefeller, also Representative Nick Rahall.

Is this helping him at all when it comes to gaining some momentum before tomorrow's vote?

STUMP: I really don't think so.

Senator Rockefeller and Nick Rahall, they've been representing the state for decades. They're very popular here. But when it comes down to it, I think the West Virginia voters will -- they've made up their minds. I don't think any endorsements will really help Obama at this moment.

NGUYEN: But why is that? Why does Obama have so little support there?

STUMP: Well I think, in part, our demographic is largely made up of blue collar, white, older folks, who they kind of relate more to Hillary. And one thing that's kind of emerged here is, she's seen as a fighter. She's not given up in the fight. She's kind of the underdog here. That's something that West Virginians can relate to.

NGUYEN: Very quickly, though, let me ask you this. You say she's a fighter. They're behind her. We're looking at the polls. It shows they're behind her. But even with the support, do West Virginians feel like this is actually going to keep her in this race, or do they feel like regardless if she wins West Virginia, which she's expected to do by a lot of the polls, it's still not enough for her to take this?

STUMP: Yes, it's definitely not enough. West Virginia only has 28 delegates at stake here. But, you know, West Virginians, they're just hopeful, they're excited because we haven't had a presidential primary that meant this much since 1960 when JFK won. So they're just excited that the nation's focused on West Virginia right now pretty much.

NGUYEN: All right, Jake Stump, political reporter with the "Charleston Daily Mail." We will see how it shakes out tomorrow night. Thank you. And you can find out more about the candidates at CNNPolitics.com. CNNPolitics.com is your source for everything political.

HARRIS: Twenty-two people killed in three states. Violent storms pound the Plains and the Southeast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Tornadoes, floods, natural disasters. Who are you going to call? How about the Army general who brought order amid chaos. That's him right there, Russel Honore -- General Russel Honore. Hear what he has to say about disaster live, ahead on the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: I'm having all kinds of fits this morning. Now I'm having a contact lens attack.

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NGUYEN: In the meantime, we want to tell you about this: Panic across china. A powerful earthquake. Thousands killed. Hundreds of children buried at school.

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