Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

China's One-Child Policy Strikes Parents Hard; Firefighters Gaining Ground on Wildfires Along Florida's Atlantic Coast; Blogging to Make the World a Better Place; New Fuel in the Global Warming Debate

Aired May 15, 2008 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

HARRIS: You will see events come into the NEWSROOM live on this Thursday, May 15th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

WHITFIELD: John McCain presidency -- what does he want to do? The Republican lays out his goals live shortly.

HARRIS: And listen to this. China says 50,000 may be dead in this week's big quake. Today, saving survivors before the clock runs out.

WHITFIELD: And gas zooming past $4 a gallon in places, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Will you park or pop? You're in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Boy, a very, very busy news day shaping up for you this morning. We seem to say that every morning when we join you. Strap in on tap. John McCain next hour highlighting his vision for the White House. You will want to stick around for that.

Also will the Barack Obama campaign get a bounce from the John Edwards endorsement? We will tell you about that, including some news made just a few minutes ago.

But first developing story this hour with a threat of more severe weather. Meteorologist Rob Marciano joining us now from the Severe Weather Center.

Rob, where do you want to start, along Louisiana, the Gulf Coast there?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: In some parts of the country, extreme summer heat. And in some parts of the country, it barely feels like spring.

MARCIANO: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I know. (INAUDIBLE) hodgepodge out there.

HARRIS: OK, Rob. Appreciate it, thank you.

MARCIANO: All right.

HARRIS: Again, as always, when whether becomes the news, as is the case again today, we are going to ask you to do us a favor and send along your iReports. It just helps us tell the story better with your descriptions. Go to CNN.com and click on iReport. Or you can type iReport@CNN.com into your cell phone. As always stay safe.

WHITFIELD: Dreams and visions in the presidential race. John McCain outlining his vision of a first time as president and Barack Obama winning a dream endorsement from John Edwards.

The best political team on television has you covered. Suzanne Malveaux is in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the Obama endorsement. Dana Bash in Columbus, Ohio with a preview of McCain's speech next hour.

But first, Suzanne, let's talk about the Obama camp, getting the endorsement from John Edwards and now possibly having to respond to the president's remarks overseas where he really was kind of talking about Obama without saying the word Obama. So let's have a listen to what he just said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We've heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939 an American senator declared -- Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.

We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's that word appeasement Senator Obama had said in the past that he'd be willing to talk to Hamas, willing to talk to, quote-unquote, "enemies." What is the Obama campaign saying now in response to the president, Suzanne?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, you will notice that President Bush did not mention Obama by name but my own colleague -- our own colleague Ed Henry who is traveling with the president there said that he spoke with White House aide who acknowledged that, yes, he was referring to Barack Obama when he made those comments.

And it really is that whole idea, the policy of appeasement that has the Obama campaign quite surprised by all of this, the fact that the president is making these remarks in Israel, but also it is designed really to have that kind of impact, at that setting, in that particular moment, to talk about what is going to be a really hot political issue for the general election.

It is only -- not only about national security, but it is also about Middle East peace. President Bush trying to make a push in that direction, saying that he had hoped that he would bring that about before the end of his administration.

The Barack Obama folks have reacted quite strongly this morning. We heard from Robert Gibbs. He is the communications director. Let's just take a quick listen at how he responded to President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GIBBS, OBAMA CAMPAIGN: Obviously, this is an unprecedented political attack on foreign soil. It's, quite frankly, sad and astonishing that the president of the United States would politicize the 60th anniversary of Israel with a false political attack.

I assume he also is going to come home and fire his secretary of defense who was quoted in the "Washington Post" just yesterday saying we need to figure - quote, "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage and sit down and talk with them," them being Iran.

Look, we have come to expect and we've seen from this administration over the last eight years this type of cowboy diplomacy. Again, we've come to expect it, but over the past eight years it's made this country far less safe than we were. Ronald Reagan once asked Americans whether they were better off than they were four years ago.

And I think people are going to ask themselves in this election: are we safer than we were eight years ago under this president? I think the answer is going to be a resounding no.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Right. But as you know what Senator Obama said so many months ago was fairly controversial because he said that he would sit down with the leaders of these countries without precondition. Senator Clinton has said sitting down without precondition is not a great idea. You need to start it, first of all, at a diplomatic level, and then before you get anywhere near the leader level.

GIBBS: John, let's not confuse...

ROBERTS: So for President Bush to say that leaping immediately to the leader level might not be a policy the United States wants to follow. Does he have a point there?

GIBBS: No, John, let's not confuse precondition with preparation. Obviously, these meetings would be full of preparation. But if we are not going to sit down and engage Iran unless or until they give up their nuclear weapons program, how are we going to sit down with them to get them to give up their nuclear weapons program?

Let's take the example of North Korea. When the Bush administration came in, there -- our intelligence estimates are that they had enough material for maybe one or two nuclear weapons. Right? While we have ignored the North Koreans and outsourced our diplomacy to the Europeans, now it's revealed that they have enough material for eight to 12 weapons and it's likely that that estimate will soon be revised upward.

This is the kind of -- again -- cowboy diplomacy, head-in-the- sand type diplomacy that we've come to expect from the Bush administration. This just simply made us far less safe.

I don't think what Senator Obama said was that controversial. If you look at some of the leading foreign policy minds throughout country and throughout the world, again, Senator -- President Bush's own secretary of defense just yesterday in the "Washington Post" said we need to sit down and engage the Iranians.

ROBERTS: Well...

GIBBS: Again, we can put our heads in the sand and hope some of this stuff never happens or we can sit down with strong principal diplomacy and force these countries into giving up the exact programs that we think threatened not just the United States but our allies throughout the Middle East and stalwart allies like Israel.

ROBERTS: Robert, I mean, clearly, this was aimed at Jewish/American voters, some of whom may be a little bit suspicious of Senator Obama and his intentions. What does he say to those voters this morning to counter the argument that President Bush is making?

GIBBS: Look, I think we have a strong record as anybody in this race when it comes to Jewish issues. Obviously, Israel is our greatest ally in -- one of our greatest allies in the world -- our principal ally in the Middle East. We have to have a strong relationship with them.

It's unfortunate that an American president chose to fly halfway across the world and make a political attack instead of honoring the tremendous accomplishment and achievement of the 60th anniversary of the birth of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Fred, really what this underscores is the fact that President Bush making these statements and before the Knesset in Israel at this time, the 60th anniversary. Clearly what this is saying is this is going to be a very important political issue, likely in the general election. They are looking, the Republicans, at Barack Obama as the likely nominee. This is something that John McCain has talked about in the past, a real philosophical difference -- a different approach when it comes to diplomacy.

Whether or not it would set these preconditions to talk to the leaders of, say, Iran, Syria, North Korea, that type of thing, that has already been quite a hot back and forth, and the fact that the president on this level getting involved really shows you that this is going to be something national security, the top of the list for the campaign -- Fred? WHITFIELD: Right. Does it also not show you or the audience for that matter that now it's up to the Obama camp to seize upon this opportunity to better spell out maybe what his foreign policy or national security, I guess, approaches might be now that the Republicans, i.e., the president, are acknowledging he's the one, he is the opponent come November?

MALVEAUX: That's a very good point. I mean this could be a real opportunity for them to talk about some of the details. A lot of people have felt that they need to be more detail oriented and at least they've got broad statements, but you hear at least -- from a lot of the Clinton supporters that they're looking for some of those policy details.

This is something that the Obama camp -- they have been dealing with -- first and foremost is talking about national security, talking about patriotism. They are trying to counter John McCain's own very strong image as a war hero, as a veteran, by reaching out and by talking to veterans -- we've seen Obama do that -- and also by highlighting his own family's military experience, his patriotism, his wearing the flag pin, all of those things, really kind of setting the stage, setting and painting this picture of Barack Obama and also talking about the issue of national security which is going to be very important, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much from Grand Rapids, Michigan -- Tony.

HARRIS: So, to the Republican side of the election. Outlining his vision for a first term as president, Dana Bash in Columbus, Ohio, with a preview of John McCain's speech next hour.

And Dana, before we get to that speech, you know, there are dustups that feel minor and then there were dustups that feel like they're major. And the comments from the president this morning in the Middle East feel major, taking on Barack Obama in this way, certainly suggesting an argument about Obama's experience or lack of experience and his willingness to sit down and talk to some of our country's adversaries.

John McCain has often taken Barack Obama to task for stating publicly his willingness to sit down with our adversaries. I'm wondering how all of this might play out for the McCain campaign.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It completely dovetails with what the McCain campaign has already been working on publicly and privately, and you can bet is going to be a major, major theme in the general election campaign that they intend to run against, what they expect will be a Barack Obama as their Democratic opponent.

You've already heard, for example, Tony, John McCain say several times that he -- that Barack Obama has been, quote-unquote, "endorsed by Hamas, seizing on the idea that Hamas is political -- one of his -- the political leaders here in the United States has talked about the fact that they would prefer a Barack Obama presidency and John McCain has seized on that, saying, well, Hamas -- for Hamas I would be their worst nightmare.

When you talk to John McCain senior advisers about that, whether or not that really is fair play, their first answer is, well, remember, Barack Obama is somebody who has suggested that he would sit down with dictators like Ahmadinejad.

So what you heard from President Bush is exactly the kind of thing that we expect to hear over and over and over from the McCain campaign when they start much more aggressively trying to, what they call, contrast John McCain with Barack Obama, assuming as everybody does at this point...

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: ... that Obama would be his opponent.

HARRIS: Dane, I wonder if the comments from the president overseas in the Middle East, making these comments might overshadow the remarks about to be made by John McCain next hour.

But let's talk about that speech because it is an interesting speech that John McCain is going to deliver next hour. We're talking about his vision for his first term as president.

BASH: Exactly. This is definitely a different kind of speech that I have heard from a presidential candidate. And that's precisely the point of why he's giving it. It -- what he is trying to do is get everybody to turn the clock, to fast forward the clock to 2013 at the end of what he hopes would be his first term, and explain in pretty stark detail what he hopes would be accomplished.

And he really goes through some things that are big accomplishments and hard to do. For example, he says that he would hope Osama bin Laden would be captured or killed. On the issue of Iraq, he says quite -- in a quite risky way, Iraq has been won and talks about the fact that there would be a stable democracy at the end of his first term and most of the troops in Iraq will have come home.

Talk also about a big theme in the speech is about bipartisanship. He insists he will have Democrats in his administration and talks about the fact he wants to go before Congress, much like you see in the British parliamentary system, and take questions and even criticism from members of Congress.

So those are the kinds of themes that he is going to give. And I'll read you a quote from what we expect to hear from John McCain.

"This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end. We belong to different parties, not countries. We are rivals for the same power, but we are also compatriots."

He is going to talk about wanting the end of the permanent presidential campaign and vow, vow in this speech that if he's elected he won't focus solely on getting reelected which, of course, is what we see many times, often times in Washington. And he -- really does tick through a host of issues, Tony, whether it's health care or the economy or even something that has been tough for him, immigration, and the kinds of things that he hopes to envision. A lot of this is perhaps John McCain's political utopia...

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: .. but there is a really specific reason why he's doing this. You hear Barack Obama talk about change. And what the McCain campaign is trying to do and really trying to do specifically with this speech is say, he talks about change, well, here are some of the specific ways I can give you in detail that I intend to really bring about change.

A lot of this is going to be hard to do, and he admits that, but it's really going to be a different way...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

BASH: ... of look at -- laying out benchmarks for a presidential candidate.

HARRIS: Yes. I hope it gets the attention that it deserves, because -- and I know you will give it the attention it deserves, Dana, in light of the president's comments in the Middle East this morning. But yes, it's -- the idea of here's what the world looks like, my vision of a 2013 after my first term.

Dana Bash in Columbus, Ohio for us. Thank you, Dana.

HARRIS: John -- what was that? What was that note? John McCain, OK, yes, absolutely. John McCain next hour right here. We'll carry the speech from Columbus, Ohio live on CNN.

But again, the president's comments in the Middle East this morning -- we are going to bring our Ed Henry into the discussion and get further reaction to the president's comments in just a couple of minutes right here in the NEWSROOM.

And to find more on the candidates, just go to CNNpolitics.com. CNNpolitics.com is your source for everything political.

WHITFIELD: All right. You also may have heard this: that speculation is driving up the price of oil. Well, what exactly does that mean? Ali Velshi has the answer for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

Blogging to make the world a better place. Veronica De La Cruz will show us how it is happening today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: President Bush on the road and on attack. Just last hour he raised eyebrows with the stinging rebuke of Barack Obama without actually using Barack Obama's name specifically.

Let's go now to Jerusalem where our Ed Henry is traveling with the president.

And so the -- I guess the inferences are being made when Bush was talking about appeasement, when it comes down to talking to enemies, and Senator Obama has made it very clear in the past that he doesn't have a problem doing that, the conclusions were made that President Bush was talking about Obama without actually saying his name.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Clearly. Let me give you the context here. The bottom line is that the president, big picture, was addressing the Israeli parliament on the 60th anniversary of Israel's declaring independence and was talking about a strong alliance between the two nations and said there's an ideological struggle in the Mideast right now between the U.S. and Israel on one side, extremists on the other -- Hamas, Hezbollah -- terror groups like that as well as the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

That's where the reference to Obama comes in. While the words Barack Obama were never used White House aides privately admit the president was referring, not just to Barack Obama, but also other Democrats like Jimmy Carter, for example, who has recently suggested and himself has sat down with Hamas leaders and has suggested that the U.S. government should also sit down with Hamas.

So the inference is clear. Although the president didn't name names, administration officials are privately acknowledging this was a shot at Barack Obama and other Democrats.

Let's take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We've heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939 an American senator declared, "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided."

We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: That's where the tough talk is, suggesting there's appeasement right now the Democrats are advocating of terrorists and comparing that directly to what U.S. leaders did with Nazi leaders in the run-up to World War II.

Very strong language from the president of the United States especially when you think about the context of him delivering this before the Israeli Knesset. And the bottom line, though, is the Bush administration itself in recent months, at a lower level, has, in fact, met with Iranian officials at the ambassadorial level in the small context, though, of security on the ground in Iraq.

What the White House would say is that Barack Obama has advocated more broad diplomatic talks with Iran, Syria, other nations like that. But it's worth noting that this administration itself has, at a lower level, sat down with Iranian officials in recent months.

And you heard from Senator Obama -- I think my colleague Suzanne Malveaux pointed out -- they have a tough statement of their own, saying that they are not talking about negotiating with terrorists but what they are talking about is tough diplomacy, sitting down face-to- face and getting tough with these leaders -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And is there a quick answer as to why the president decided to do this?

HENRY: Well, I think in the context of what he was saying about how he believes there's an ideological struggle right now going on in the Mideast and that the U.S. has to speak out, I think you have to remember he was saying it in that context. But there's no doubt this is remarkable for a president who has repeatedly said he wants to stay out of 2008.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HENRY: He jumped into it in a big, big way.

WHITFIELD: He's in it. He's in it now.

All right. Ed Henry, thanks so very much, from Jerusalem -- Tony.

HARRIS: Polar bears being added to the endangered animals list. What role will that play in the debate over global warming? "Polar Bear Politics."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Another day, boy, another record for the eighth day in a row. The price of a gallon sets a new record high. Today the gallon of regular is costing you, on average -- are you ready for this -- more than $3.77 a gallon, Fred. That's according to AAA.

Today's price up almost two cents from yesterday. It's an increase of 39 cents compared to a month ago, and it's about 67 cents more than what we were paying on average a year ago.

Easing the oil crunch, let's start there by freeing up thousands of barrels a day. That's the plan anyway. Congress moves overwhelmingly to stop putting oil in the strategic petroleum reserve. President Bush has steadfastly rejected the idea. But now the White House says the president will sign the bill. The government has a reserve of more than 700 million barrels of oil. It adds 70,000 barrels a day. President Bush and oil industry experts have argued a halt in those shipments won't have much of an impact on the world market.

WHITFIELD: And just to underscore where we are on gas and oil. So today, oil trading this morning at $125 a barrel.

So what exactly is driving crude prices to record levels?

Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business." So explain this one. First of all, now it's a whole new term that I'm being introduced to - speculators, speculators.

ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Trading in oil futures. What do you mean?

VELSHI: Well, let's -- you know, just in the last little while oil has actually gone up a couple bucks and we're now looking at about $126 and change. That's almost as high it's been. $127 is almost where it went.

We've heard people saying that so much of the price of oil is about speculation. We heard Hillary Clinton talking about those. John McCain, Barack Obama. But what are we talking about here?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

VELSHI: Well, first of all, oil has two purposes. One is we use it or for everything we know we use it for. The one is that it is an investment like the stock market, like investing in antiques, like investing in wines. There are people who buy it because the value of oil -- they think it will go up. So a speculator is someone who invests in oil, trades in oil futures with the expectation that they will profit from the price change.

Now it doesn't mean that the price change has to be up. You can speculate in both directions in the same way you would buy anything else. But that's what a speculator does. Now a speculator does not use the commodity. So they're not buying or trading oil to do something with it.

They are putting their own money up -- or borrowed money -- to trade in oil, and they make a profit when oil goes up or down. Now the fact is that oil has become a more attractive investment than so many other things out there. So people have moved their investments from bonds, because the U.S. dollar is lower...

WHITFIELD: And gold.

VELSHI: ... the stock market or gold, or whatever the case is. And that's why there are people invested in oil for no reason other than to make money. Now let's take a look at how much of the value of a $125 -- let's use that for a round number.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

VELSHI: How much of $125 barrel is speculation? Well, we have some estimates that are between 30 and 60 percent of that is speculation. So if you took the speculation out of the price of oil, estimates are that, a barrel of oil should sell for $50 to $88 right now.

But it is a market and that means you can't take all of the speculation out of it. It is like saying if we took all the speculation out of the stock market or the housing market or the antique market. There's always going to be some in there, it just has never been this much.

So that is what -- when we hear people saying it is speculation driving the price of oil up, that is a little bit of a background of what we are talking about.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Wow, that is fascinating stuff. You just break it down for us. Ali, we can always count on you.

VELSHI: Still can't save you a buck at the gas station.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I see. You know, and when I drove in this morning and I saw diesel at $4.65, my heart just stopped.

VELSHI: And Fred, remember, I don't know if you drive a car that takes diesel, most people say why do I worry about it.

WHITFIELD: No, I don't, but I still notice.

VELSHI: But all the trucks that transport everything you buy, you diesel all the farm equipment that grows -- you know, that processes all the food you eat, you have diesel. So when diesel goes up, it hurts us.

WHITFIELD: Yes and it's hurting everybody. All right. Ali, thank you so much.

And speaking of hurting, let's check the numbers on Wall Street with the opening bell. This happening just moments ago. Wonder if there will be any response to barrels of oil, $125. Just yesterday we were talking about it being down slightly. Well, now it's back up.

So anyways, the DOW is down 22 points I'm hearing just at the start. And the NASDAQ down one point. So we're just getting started but, of course, we are going to keep a close watch on your money, Wall Street all day. And of course, keep watching CNN. Our money team has you covered, whether it is gas, or jobs, or housing, or savings, join us for a special report. It's called "ISSUE #1," the economy every weekday, noon Eastern only on CNN.

HARRIS: And when hope is gone for an only child, China's one child policy strikes parents hard. After the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And welcome back. You're in the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. We showed you the man in the severe weather center for a reason because there was a lot of activity popping in the severe weather center this morning. Rob Marciano on his post.

Rob, at this moment, what states are you focusing on?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Thank you, sir. Let's get some I-reports going. What do you think?

WHITFIELD: I think that's a great idea.

HARRIS: All right. Let's get some I-report. We need your help when weather becomes the news. That is certainly the case today. Again, send along your I-reports. Go to cnn.com, click on I-report. You can type I-report at cnn.com. There you go. Right into your cell phone. As always, be safe.

And army of firefighters gaining ground, we are happy to say, on wildfires along Florida's Atlantic Coast. Schools in Palm Bay and nearby Malabar that were closed for two days reopened today. Police say an arson suspect arrested yesterday is cooperating. Fires destroyed 22 homes and damaged 160 others. Meantime, seven wildfires in 14 counties have burned more than 17,000 acres.

WHITFIELD: And then in China, a big jump in the estimated death toll. State-run media now reporting 50,000 people may have been killed in Monday's massive earthquake. China is ramping up recovery efforts. Officials are dispatching thousands more troops and medical teams to the hardest hit areas and deploying more than 100 helicopters.

China is also admitting export teams from Japan and other countries. And we are hearing scattered stories of survival. But relief workers say the window is closing for the tens of thousands of people still trapped. Search teams have been pulling one lifeless body after another from the rubble of a collapsed school. And officials say more than 4 million homes were damaged or destroyed in that horrible earthquake.

China's one child policy adding to parents' grief after the quake. CNN's Kyung Lah explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's defies the natural order, a parent losing a child. Yet, many of the parents of the 900 children buried in the rubble of Beichuan (ph) Middle School are now confronting that horror. And under China's one-child policy may have lost their only child.

This woman's five-year-old son, her only child, is missing in the ruins of a kindergarten in the Beichuan County. LI YUNXIA, SON MISSING IN BEICHUAN (through translator): Children were screaming but I couldn't hear my son's voice, she says.

LAH: It is an intolerable grief shared by so many here. Back in 1979, the government mandated a one child per family policy as its population neared one billion. Some wealthier families ignored the order and pay a fine. And in rural areas like the earthquake devastated Beichuan Province, families can petition for an additional child. But the government rarely relents.

Last year violence broke out in Southwest China after authorities went house to house collecting $1000 fines from families with more than one child. China's population minister praised the one child rule saying it has prevented 400 million children from being born.

But thousands of Chinese parents are now coping with one tragic consequence on the rigid law while others pray for the miraculous rescue of their one child.

This rescuer tells a trapped second grader to hang on, then they pull the small child out of the rubble alive. Applause as rescuers free an eight-month pregnant woman trapped for two days. But for every child saved, so many are lost. Many are missing at a middle school in King Chuan (ph). And back in Beichuan (ph) Middle School, the sorrow seems endless.

VOICE OF JAMIL ANDERLINI, FINANCIAL TIMES: There were screaming parents, as the bodies would come out, the parents were trying to identify whether it was their child or not. And once they -- the parents realized it was their child, you know, obviously they collapsed in grief. It was very, very shocking thing to watch.

LAH: A shock that will reverberate much longer than the physical damage of this powerful quake.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: It's always been -- a tough couple of weeks to watch these images. China this week. Myanmar, that story continues. The cyclone's fallout for a moment here. The U.N. now estimating the death toll in Myanmar could top 100,000. Aid agencies still concerned about survivors getting what they need. The military junta is welcoming supplies but not international aid workers.

A U.S. marine spokesman says the junta has approved five more U.S. aid flights. Three other U.S. planes loaded with aid landed earlier this week. The junta says legal action will be taken against people who trade or hoard aid. You know, there have been reports the military has been stealing supplies for its own use.

At cnn.com, here's what we have done. We set up a special -- kind of a special page on the devastation in Myanmar, complete with links to aid agencies, that are organizing help for that region. It is a chance, obviously for you to impact your world. Let us be your guide.

WHITFIELD: Blogging to make the world a better place. Well, Veronica De La Cruz will show us how exactly it's happening today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, perhaps you are looking for a little adventure. How about zipping over the Swiss Alps at 186 miles an hour in your own jet powered suit? Rocket man flying high in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Wow.

WHITFIELD: That's you, huh?

HARRIS: That is a great picture, isn't it? A new fuel in the global warming debate. The government says polar bears are now a threatened species. Here's CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A moment of relief but perhaps little more for environmental advocates who sees the polar bear as an eminent victim of climate change and a symbol of the world's failure to act. With the federal court deadline looming, the Bush administration was forced to make the first government decision ever to connect global warming with the need to save an animal from extinction.

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, INTERIOR SECRETARY: I believe it was the only decision that I could make.

JOHNS: The administration has been reluctant to dive into the global warming debate, but it's own expert said polar bears are in serious trouble. After all the United States Geological Survey concluded rampantly deteriorated sea ice could lead to the loss of two thirds of the world's polar bears in less than 50 years. The bears hunt on the ice. No ice, the bears starve. But here's the catch.

KEMPTHORNE: This decision today does not suddenly give you a path forward that will grow more ice. That is part of a larger discussion that will take place by the major economies of the world.

JOHNS: At first environmental groups cheered the decision, saving the bears they hoped meant the government might have to declare millions of acres on northern ice as critical polar bear habitat and therefore off limits to business.

SUSAN CASEY-LEFKOWITZ, NATIONAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Just from listening today it sounded as though it was going to be business as usual up in the arctic especially regarding oil and gas drilling.

JOHNS (on camera): Some environmentalists had also hoped that using the Endangered Species Act to save polar bears would also force the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow the ice melt.

(voice-over): But at least one powerful global warning skeptic was waiting for them.

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: The listing of the polar bear is not about protecting the bear but about using it to achieve global warming policy that special interest groups cannot achieve otherwise achieve through the legislative process.

JOHNS: But the decision made it clear, the politics of polar bears won't do anything to cool off the debate over global warming. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A four-year lease on the oval office. What would John McCain do? Well, he lays out his vision live. You see the setup right there, 10:00 Eastern in the NEWSROOM and we'll carry it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Same sex marriage, the issue faces a big test today. California's highest court will deliver its long awaited decision on same sex marriages and whether they are legal. Gay rights activists say laws banning same sex marriage are discriminatory and that includes a measure approved by California voters eight years ago. It reaffirmed marriage as a union between a man and a woman. And one gay rights advocate says California's decision will have a big impact on similar debates around the country.

HARRIS: The humanitarian aid crisis in Myanmar, genocide in Darfur, human rights abuses in China, some of the issues tackled today by bloggers who might otherwise be blogging about less consequential topics. There she is. Veronica De La Cruz joins us from New York to tell us about bloggers uniting for human rights.

So we are talking about bloggers with a heart, bloggers for a cause.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Bloggers for cause, bloggers who want to make the world a better place, Tony. Because like you just said, think about what's going on in the world right now. It's happening in Myanmar, the crisis in Darfur. Like you just said, it's the reason why BlogCatalog is teaming up with Amnesty International today.

They are challenging all those out there in the blogosphere to get the word out about a number of human rights issues. Tony, let's take a look. See how the events going. If you check the web right now, you Google human rights, click on the word blogs, you're going to get more than 7 million blog entries. So lots of people participating here.

Bloggers from all walks of life. For example, we are looking at this blog right here. It's called DeadRooster. DeadRooster, you would normally find jokes, humor, well, this blogger says he is going to take the day off from all of that and he is writing about what is happening in Myanmar. He wants to make a difference. He is urging readers to click on a link that will send e-mail to Myanmar's ambassador to the U.S. demanding that the country allow aid to reach cyclone victims.

Also, another blogger at pointlessbanter.net, struggling with what to write here, posing the question, "Ultimately, what can I do? To throw a few bucks to an aide organization and walk away would be kind of insulting. So I have decided to educate myself about Darfur, violence against women and children's rights."

So, you know, really interesting way to raise awareness on a variety of human rights abuses around the world, Tony. And I want to let people know that they can get more information by logging on right now to unite.blogcatalog.com.

HARRIS: OK. I like the idea here. I mean, I'm just wondering -- there are couple of things you want to figure out if there's something you can do to get yourself more educated in all the issues at various places in the world right now. And perhaps the best of this may be you come together with a new idea that might actually make a difference?

DE LA CRUZ: Absolutely. You got that right. So more information like I just said, unite.blogcatalog.com. We have to move on, right now. I have to ask you this question. How many times a day do you Google? How many times a day do you visit Google?

HARRIS: Are you kidding me? At this desk when anything can happen in the world, at any moment? All the time.

DE LA CRUZ: All right. Well, are you familiar with the Google Doodle? Do you know that?

HARRIS: No.

DE LA CRUZ: Do you know the Google Doodle.

HARRIS: No way.

DE LA CRUZ: You know, on special days they go ahead and they throw up a piece of artwork around the word Google. You know, it's created by 29-year-old Dennis Wong back in 2000, since then it's gained a lot of notoriety, that's kind of cult following.

So Google, Tony, is hosting this really cool contest for kids K through 12, they're asking these kids to participate in creating their very own Google Doodle. They have to draw their own version, they have to submit essay. So we want to show you some of the submissions because they are pretty cool. This is one from the kindergarten through third grade category.

HARRIS: OK, OK. I wondered where you were going with this, OK.

DE LA CRUZ: So you've seen it before, right? Google Doodle. You've seen it. I know you know it. I know you do. OK, well, this one is from Nathan Viola at Spencer Pointe Elementary in Illinois. In his essay, I have to read you some of this. This is too cute. This is called "Living under the sea." He said living under the sea would be so cool. Eels and stingrays would be at my school. HARRIS: Nice. Nice.

DE LA CRUZ: All right, from the older kids in the category -- there's a category for students in grades 10 through 12, Google makes a splash. This one is in honor of Jackson Paulic, Gabriel Kitzman from Elbert School District in Colorado. It says when I think of what if I think of an abstract idea to express your opinion. So what better way can you think of than abstract impressionism. So you get it, right? The Google Doodle.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. OK, I'm with you now.

DE LA CRUZ: OK. Great. Good. So the finalists here are competing for prizes like a $25,000 technology grant for the students' school. Also a $10,000 scholarship for themselves. So you can actually vote right now. You can log on to Google. Cast your ballot. And you have until May 18th, that's Saturday. They're going to announce the winner, Tony, on May 21st. And get this, this is pretty cool, the winner's Google Doodle will live on the home page for one full day.

HARRIS: And be totally ignored by me as I'm searching through at warp speed trying to get my information as long as it doesn't slow me down I'm OK with it. Good idea.

DE LA CRUZ: You're familiar, right? Do you have a favorite? Is there one out there that, you know, kind of comes to mind? No.

HARRIS: No. But thanks for asking. Appreciate it, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: You know, I'll draw you one. I'll send it your way, how is that?

HARRIS: All right. Thank you. See you tomorrow, Veronica.

WHITFIELD: All right. How about this? An office worker learns how to take down a terrorist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't often shoot at people so that is probably the most vivid for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Crash course for career employees at the Homeland Security Department.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Fighting off those aches and pains. Medical correspondent Judy Fortin with tests and tips for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At age 45, Trisha Bursey Elmore isn't slowing down. She's never been one to sit on the sidelines. Still, she says she can't ignore the aches and pain that come with age. In order to stay healthy, she gets a physical every year, along with a mammogram. She says she's also hoping to drop a few pounds.

TRISHA BURSEY ELMORE, HEALTHY MOM: Well, I worry about my diet, my weight, cholesterol, things that you didn't worry about so much in my 30s.

FORTIN: In their 30s, women should pay attention to their hearts. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. And doctor say the focus on heart health should begin at a young age.

DR. PATRICIA DAVIDSON, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: The point is that you don't want to plaque to form. You don't want to have to be trying to reverse it after your angioplasty or bypass surgery.

FORTIN: Doctors say that means exercise and eating a healthy diet. Low in sodium and fat. High in Omega 3 fatty acids and loaded up with fruits and veggies. Keeping up with regular breast exams, pelvic exams, and pap smears also important.