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Standing up to Ike by Turning to Prayer; OPEC Oil Production; Liquids Ban Safe?; McCain/Palin Ticket Campaigns in Virginia
Aired September 10, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Developments are coming into the NEWSROOM live this Wednesday morning, the 10th of September. Here is what's on the rundown, plenty.
Hurricane Ike spinning off Cuba and into the Gulf. A few Texas communities already under evacuation orders this morning.
Seven years after the 9/11 attacks, how safe are flyers? As you'll see this hour, any security blanket can have holes.
The race to the White House -- Democrats working to turn Virginia blue, but McCain/Palin fighting back. And live this hour.
Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
OK. Let's get started this morning with Ike. And there is plenty to tell.
The hurricane feeding on warm waters from the Gulf this morning, regaining power and targeting Texas. People from Galveston to Corpus Christi to Brownsville are getting their homes ready for Ike today.
Coastal communities are evacuating elderly and others with medical need by bus. One area already calling for mandatory evacuations in low-lying areas.
This is Brazoria County, Texas, this morning; a calm scene that could turn nightmarish in the days to come. We'll talk about that more in just a moment.
Ike's rampage across the Caribbean left major damage and misery. Haitians aid groups pleading for staples such as rice and flower today. A U.S. Navy boat is delivering supplies to the hard-hit town of Gonaives right now.
Cuba says it's moved 2.5 million people -- can you imagine that? -- a quarter of the island's population, to higher ground. Four deaths and hundreds of damaged homes there after Ike cut across the entire length of the island.
A few specifics now on Texas and the preparations there for Ike.
This morning, Brazoria County issued a mandatory evacuation order for coastal residents in Corpus Christi. Plans are in place to open an evacuation route today along Interstate 37. The American Red Cross in San Antonio is moving in food trucks to feed evacuees.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: You know, there are all kinds of ways to prepare for this big storm. In Houston, the faithful are standing up to Ike by turning to prayer.
Here is reporter Kevin Reese with affiliate KHOU.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN REESE, REPORTER, KHOU (voice-over): In an open field next to a southeast Houston church...
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Amen!
REESE: ... we found this against the backdrop of tropical September Texas clouds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To speak to those things that bring us harm...
REESE: A prayer to keep more of those clouds from coming our way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To pray against this hurricane.
REESE: Yes, they are praying...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dissipate Ike, in Jesus' name.
REESE: ... against Hurricane Ike.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We speak to Hurricane Ike and we command the winds and the storms to dissipate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have people who do believe in miracles and healing and godly intervention. But we didn't know we might have the authority and the power to affect the weather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
REESE: But since Hurricane Rita, members of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church have offered this prayer. Does it work? Well, they'll tell you Edouard slowed and turned to the right, and so far Ike is veering left.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Speaking to the storms and command peace, and that they would obey.
REESE (on camera): But church members admit there is the concern that some people might find this a little eccentric, a little crazy. But they say this is not a question of atmospheric sciences or barometric pressures. For them, it's a question of faith.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's definitely by faith that we know we have an impact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that we are peculiar people. We believe when others do not. We know what hope is. We know what faith is.
REESE (voice-over): Faiths of every culture have prayers for it to rain more, for it to rain less, for weather to change its course. And whether you believe or not, they promise to keep facing this storm and hope the answer they get is yes.
Kevin Reese, 11 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: If you would like to get involved in relief efforts for those already affected by Hurricane Ike in Cuba, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos and elsewhere, visit CNN.com's Impact Your World page. There you will find links to groups providing food and shelter to people in need. That's CNN.com/impact.
All right. Let's turn our attention now to presidential politics.
The road to the White House makes its way through Virginia today. We are awaiting remarks from John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin at a rally in Fairfax, Virginia. Fred Thompson now making some comments. We will take you there live once they begin to speak.
This is McCain and Palin's last rally together for a few days. She is actually scheduled to fly home to Alaska tonight.
Barack Obama blasting the McCain campaign over the so-called "lipstick" controversy. The McCain camp suggested Obama's remark about putting lipstick on a pig was directed at Sarah Palin, referring back to a comment she made in her acceptance speech.
In Norfolk, Virginia, just moments ago, Obama said it's time to focus on the real issues instead of creating phony ones.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are here to talk about education, but, you know, I'm running for president. So that means that I've got to spend just a brief moment talking a little bit about politics.
Before we begin today, I want to say a few words about the latest made-up controversy by the John McCain campaign. What their campaign has done this morning is the same game that has made people sick and tired of politics in this country.
They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know that it's catnip for the news media. Some of you may have -- I'm assuming you guys heard this watching the news. Right? I'm talking about John McCain's economic policies, I say this is more of the same, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. And suddenly they say, oh, you must be talking about the governor of Alaska.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: See, it would be funny -- it would be funny, except, of course, the news media all decided that that was the lead story yesterday. They'd much rather have the story -- this McCain campaign would much rather have the story about phony and foolish diversions than about the future.
This happens every election cycle. Every four years this is what we do.
We've got an energy crisis. We have education -- we have an education system that is not working for too many of our children and making us less competitive. We have an economy that is creating hardship for families all across America.
We've got two wars going on, veterans coming home not being cared for. And this is what they want to talk about. This is what they want to spend two out of the last 55 days talking about.
You know who ends up losing at the end of the day? It's not the Democratic candidate, it's not the Republican candidate. It's you, the American people, because then we go another year or another four years or another eight years without addressing the issues that matter to you.
Enough. I don't care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swift Boat politics. Enough is enough.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And just a footnote here. Earlier, Obama pointed out that McCain himself once used the "lipstick" expression to describe Hillary Clinton's health care plan.
All right. Let's take you back now to Fairfax, Virginia. Fred Thompson's still rallying the crowd just ahead of John McCain and Sarah Palin. The two will be speaking in just moments.
Again, it's the last campaign stop for the Republican duo before Palin returns to Alaska. And then she'll begin holding events on her own.
McCain and Obama coming together on the same stage, remembering the victims of 9/11 and the need for us all to give back. "Ready to Serve," McCain, Obama, it's a live forum right here on CNN tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern. The economy, it is issue #1. We start today with OPEC asking members to stop overproducing, which would effectively curb supplies by about 520,000 barrels a day. That brings us back down to a production level of 28.8 million barrels a day, which is about the same level set in 2007. Now, OPEC says it's trying to balance falling oil prices with production levels.
Earlier, our senior business correspondent, Ali Velshi, talked with NEWSROOM's Heidi Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is very typical for OPEC countries to actually produce more and export more oil than the cartel agrees to. And obviously with oil of $100 a barrel, it pays somebody to cheat a little bit and sell a little more oil as long as there's a buyer.
So, OPEC is saying they're going to have 500,000 barrels less per day on the market than they do now. I must say, to their credit, they say that they'll probably see oil prices falling. We've not seen much of a move in oil prices after this announcement.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
VELSHI: So he might be right, but at the moment we're still looking. We're still above $100 a barrel for oil, which is a lot higher than it was a year ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: But remember, if you look at the record highs set in July, oil prices are down about 30 percent. Gas prices back up today as Hurricane Ike barrels toward Texas, jumping nearly two cents a gallon to $3.67. AAA says the last time we saw a spike in prices was 10 days ago, when Hurricane Gustav forced drilling crews to abandon their rigs in the Gulf.
Put on hold for now. The Pentagon temporarily cancels its contract request for a new fleet of refueling tankers. The Defense Department says it's leaving that decision for the next administration.
Boeing and Northrop Grumman have been in heated competition to build 179 new planes for the Air Force. This is the second time the contract has been delayed. Northrop Grumman won it earlier in the year, but the Government Accountability Office found fault with the decision and reopened the bidding process.
All right. Let's take you live now to Capitol Hill. Strong testimony about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen discussing a plan to shift troops to Afghanistan without sacrificing security gains in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The continuing drawdown is possible because of the success in reducing violence and building Iraqi security capacity. Even with fewer troops, U.S. troops in Iraq, the positive trends of the last year have held, and in some cases steady continued in the right direction.
Our casualties have been greatly reduced, even though one is still too many. And overall violence is down 80 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: President Bush is also focusing on Iraq. He is now preparing to meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. He visits the White House just a few hours from right now. The meeting comes a day after President Bush announced 8,000 American troops will be withdrawn from Iraq in the next five months.
Serious questions about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Intelligence officials tell CNN he may have had a stroke. He hasn't been seen in weeks. And yesterday he missed his country's 60th anniversary parade.
But officials in the communist country insist there's nothing wrong with the man they call "The Dear Leader." These health questions come amid a dispute between Washington and Pyongyang over a North Korea nuclear disarmament deal.
How safe is safe when you're flying? Explosive news from one expert. He says those plastic bags of liquids you're allowed to carry on may put you in danger.
A symbol of somber reflection at the Pentagon. We'll preview a new memorial to be dedicated on tomorrow's anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
Hurricane Ike refueling over warm Gulf waters. This morning, coastal Texas scrambling to stay ahead of this storm.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning again everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
Let's take you now to Fairfax, Virginia, waiting for a rally to begin any moment now. Cindy McCain speaking to the crowd there in Fairfax. This is a late-morning rally at a local park there.
We get an opportunity to gauge the Sarah Palin effect in northern Virginia in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Just want to pass along this information just into the CNN NEWSROOM. We just heard from White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. As you look at these pictures, the devastation in Haiti right now, so many people struggling now to just get through the day without supplies. I mean, just look at these pictures.
Dana Perino announcing just moments ago $10 million in aid on its way to Haiti right now to help in the recovery efforts right now. That news just into CNN. And obviously it's a humanitarian crisis there. We will keep on top of this story and we'll get some reporting next hour from our Karl Penhaul on the situation in Haiti.
Your security watch right now.
The TSA restricts the amount of liquid that you can carry on a flight, but is that enough to keep you safe?
Our Paula Newton live now at London City Airport.
Paula, it's a good question do ask this week, particularly after the court decisions that were rendered just this week.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. In fact, Tony, we just found out that the prosecution here is going to retry that case.
HARRIS: Ah, OK.
NEWTON: To recap, that was the plot two years ago to bring down those seven transatlantic airliners. And that, Tony, is what led to this, this bag we all travel around with. And most people would think this keeps us safe. Well, you decide.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No drinking fluids as well, please.
NEWTON (voice-over): By now we all know the routine, one clear plastic bag, shove in all those little bottles, and you're through. And most people would assume safe.
SIDNEY ALFORD, EXPLOSIVES EXPERT: This is a liquid that we don't want.
NEWTON: Not Dr. Sidney Alford, a veterans explosives expert and adviser to the U.S. and British military, even the FBI.
ALFORD: Now we have a (INAUDIBLE) bomb.
NEWTON: Since 9/11, Dr. Alford has been taking a close look at what could bring down an airplane.
(on camera): I just flew with this, hand sanitizer. I've got medicine here for my kids, I've got lotion.
ALFORD: This is capable of containing enough to be most detrimental to any aircraft. Probably destroy it.
NEWTON: Just the one single bag?
ALFORD: Oh, yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And our apologies. We're going to jump out of that piece and we're going to get you -- and our apologies and our thanks to Paula Newton for that.
John McCain, Sarah Palin in Fairfax, Virginia.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he is the right man for the job to lead our country through these next four years.
(APPLAUSE)
Do you remember -- it was just about a year ago when the war in Iraq looked very bad. And the consequences of failure there would have been terrible. Defeat at the hands of al Qaeda in Iraq would have left millions to a very violent outcome and would have left our own country much less secure.
Some in Washington had claimed at that time that all was lost, there was no hope for victory there with that war. They had also said, though, at the same time that there was no hope for the candidate who said he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
(APPLAUSE)
But the pollsters and the pundits, they forgot one thing when they wrote him off. They had forgotten about the caliber of the man himself, the determination and the resolve and the sheer guts of Senator John McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
But you all knew better. People all around this great country knew better. The American people, they understand that there is a time for politics and a time for leadership, a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.
(APPLAUSE)
He is a man who wore the uniform of his country for 22 years, and he refused to break faith with the troops who now have brought victory within sight.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you for that sign out there, because as the mother of one of those troops, he is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, for his part, our opponent, he still can't bring himself to acknowledge that coming victory in Iraq. He couldn't just the other day in an interview. He says he's for change, but in Iraq change happened.
And that is a great thing for America, Senator.
So here is how I look at the choices that we face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are others, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
(APPLAUSE)
Americans, this is a time when principles and political independence matter a lot more than just a party line. He doesn't run with the Washington herd. He's willing to shake things up in Washington. And that is only one more reason to send the maverick of the Senate to the White House.
(APPLAUSE)
So I don't mind at all. The senator has called us a team of mavericks. And I'm honored to be considered on this team of mavericks, because he knows -- the senator knows that we've done some shaking up, up there in Alaska.
As the mayor of a small town, I shook up the old system. I took on the good old boys. And I reminded people that, no, government is not always the answer. In fact, too often government is the problem.
(APPLAUSE)
So what we did, simply, we put government back on the side of the people. What I did there was eliminate personal property taxes.
(APPLAUSE)
I eliminated small business inventory taxes and business license renewal fees. Those things that were getting in the way of the private sector, being able to grow and prosper and to thrive.
Property taxes were too high, so every year I cut that each year that I was in office. And those reforms worked, and our community was able to grow and to thrive. We really took off.
As governor then, I brought that same agenda of positive change to the state level. We took on the old politics as usual in Juneau.
I broke the monopoly that had controlled our state, and that was the lobbyists and the special interests that had controlled big oil. See, we had come to office promising major ethics reform to end the culture of closed doors and self-dealing, and today that reform, because it works -- that reform is the law of the state of Alaska.
(APPLAUSE)
And you know, as mayor and as governor, I tried to lead by example. So as mayor, I took a voluntary pay cut which didn't impress my husband at all. He wasn't thrilled. And then as governor, I eliminated the governor's personal chef position from the budget, which didn't thrill my kids at all. And I put the state's checkbook online for all the world to see, how we were spending the people's money.
(APPLAUSE)
Of course, that didn't thrill all the bureaucrats.
And then finally, that luxury jet that came with the office, it was a bit over the top. So I put it on eBay.
I had come to office promising to control spending, by request if possible, ideally, but by veto if necessary. And today our state budget is under control and we have a surplus. I had to put the veto pen to nearly half a billion dollars in reckless spending.
(APPLAUSE)
We suspended the state fuel tax, and we have a surplus. So what I'm doing with that surplus, I'm taking a big chunk of it and I'm returning it right back to the people where it belongs. They can spend it better than we can spend it for them.
We gave that money back to hard working Alaskans. And in these tough times, I'm ready to join John McCain in Washington. And we're going to do the same for you, tax relief for all Americans.
I championed earmark reform, also, to help Congress stop wasting money on those things that do not serve the public interest. I told Congress thanks, but no thanks for that Bridge to Nowhere. In Alaska, if we wanted that bridge, we'd build it ourselves.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, just the other day, our opponent brought up earmarks. And frankly, I was surprised that he did considering his record on earmarks. I didn't think he'd want to go there.
In just three years, our opponent has requested nearly a billion dollars in earmarks. That's about a million dollars every working day.
We reformed the abuses of earmarks in our state, and it was while our opponent was requesting a billion dollars in earmarks as a senatorial privilege. What I was doing was vetoing half a billion as an executive responsibility.
(APPLAUSE) And now, here again, I'm ready to join John McCain in Washington so we can end the corrupt practices of the abuse of earmarks once and for all. We'll do that.
Through competition as governor, I got agreements to build a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline. That's going to help all of you. It will help free America from foreign suppliers, as we're dumping so much money into some countries that don't really like America.
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
PALIN: In a McCain/Palin administration, we are going to expand new energy resources, the development of, and expand our alternative uses of energy, also. We're going to tap into the wind and the geothermal and the hydro and the biomass. Those things that God has blessed our country with also, those renewables. We're going to start plugging those in and funding those projects that will be good for America. We are going to make this nation energy independent.
(APPLAUSE)
It is for national security reasons and for our prosperity, we need American energy resources brought to you by American ingenuity and produced by American workers.
(APPLAUSE)
So you know, our opponents, they've been going on quite a bit lately about how they always -- quote -- "fight for you." And since my running mate won't say this on his own behalf, I'm going to have to say it for him -- there is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you. That man is John McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
Fairfax, you know he is the only great man in this race, the only one ready to serve us as our 44th president. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you all of northern Virginia. Thank you from the Commonwealth of Virginia, thank you.
My friends, the Commonwealth of Virginia is a battleground state we must win it, and we will win it with your support.
(APPLAUSE) And you have shown us here today -- you have shown us here today the enthusiasm, the effort and the patriotism and the love of country, and thank you for that wonderful welcome to the next vice president of the United States, Governor Sarah Palin.
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!
MCCAIN: And thanks to my wonderful wife and partner and the person that people in Arizona say why isn't she the candidate, Cindy McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
And may I say -- tell you, Sarah is a little modest about Todd. You've got to know in this iron dog race, this 2,000 mile race in the dead of winter in a snow mobile and 40 degrees below zero, this guy wins it four times. He's the world champion. He's not afraid of Washington. He's not afraid --
(APPLAUSE)
-- in fact, he's not afraid of anything that I know of. And what a family. What a family. What a family. Thank you so much.
(APPLAUSE)
And may I say that I'm so happy to be introduced to you by Governor Palin today. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington, D.C. and the pork barrelers and the big spenders and all of the earmarkers and all the bureaucrats because, my friends, let there be no doubt we're going to win this election. And let me offer an advanced warning to the old big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: change is coming, change is coming and it's coming to our nation's capital. And we'll clean it up.
(APPLAUSE)
Change is coming.
(APPLAUSE)
Now we're called a team of mavericks. I'm honored by that. That's people that march to the beat of their own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment. Sometimes not. But what it really means is we understand who we work for. We don't work for a party. We don't work for a special interest, and we don't work for ourselves. We'll work for you and we'll put our country first and that's what this campaign is all about -- change and reform. Change and reform.
(APPLAUSE)
And I've fought corruption, and it didn't matter if it was Democrats or Republican, and so has Sarah Palin. I fought big spenders in both parties who waste your money on things you don't need and things you don't want. My friends, this is while you're struggling to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment. I've stood up, I've stood up and I guarantee you the first thing that we will do -- I got an old ink pen, my friends, and the first pork barrel-laden earmark big spending bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. You will know their names. I will make them famous and we'll stop this corruption.
(APPLAUSE)
We will stop this corruption.
(APPLAUSE)
My friends, we will stop it. You heard Governor Palin mention that my opponent who talks about change, in the short period of time in the United States Senate, he's asked for $932 million in earmark pork barrel projects. That change while the governor has vetoed a half a billion dollars worth of pork barrel earmark projects. My friends, that's about, as I figure it, about a billion and a half swing. That's a lot of money any place in America. We're going to stop it, and we're going to reform it.
And, my friends, we can do it. Americans together can do it. Our best days are ahead of us. We're the greatest nation in the world. And one of the ways we're going to do that --
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
HARRIS: There you have it. John McCain, Sarah Palin in Fairfax, Virginia, today targeting that key battleground state. Barack Obama was in Norfolk, Virginia, last hour. Both campaigns seizing on the importance, certainly acknowledging the importance, of Virginia in this election cycle. More on these campaigns throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A special investigations unit correspondent Abbie Boudreau is just back from an exclusive interview with vice presidential candidate Joe Biden. That interview will be part of the documentary "Joe Biden Revealed," this Saturday on CNN.
Here is a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I never saw myself as an underdog, but I was raised by a dad and a mom who -- you've heard me say it before, always said, look, when you're knocked down, get up. Just get up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Abbie will be here in our next hour to talk about the interview and some of the revealing things he had to say. A symbol of somber reflection at the Pentagon. We will preview a new memorial to be dedicated on tomorrow's anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Breaking news into the CNN NEWSROOM at this time. Want to get you caught up on this story.
We're just getting word from officials at Gallaudet University in northeast Washington, D.C. that at least one building -- at this time it is just one building -- has been evacuated on the campus, and that federal officials have been called in to investigate a hazardous chemical, or chemicals, possibly ammonia nitrate, which was discovered in a room on the campus there at the university. Of course Gallaudet is a university that does such a wonderful job of teaching hearing impaired students.
And again, this news of an evacuation of at least one of the buildings on the campus because of hazardous chemicals, possibly ammonia nitrate, discovered in the a room on the campus. We will keep you updated with the latest information on this story.
So, Ike says adios to Cuba and sets its sights on Texas. The storm is over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico this morning. You know what that means. A minimal hurricane right now. Forecasters say it could grow into a Category 3 hurricane again. People all along the Texas coast are scrambling to get their homes ready for Ike's arrival. Sooner is better, of course, than later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY MOHN, W.GALVESTON PROP. OWNER'S ASSN.: If they decide to wait until the last minute to come down and board up their home, they could be caught in some high tides. And this particular area here floods at about three to four feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Home builders are clearing construction sites. A hurricane can turn 2x4s, as you know, into missiles. A few towns on the Texas coast are already facing mandatory evacuation orders.
Hurricane Ike did a little more than sideswipe Key West, but the images are still pretty dramatic. Take a look at this. I-Reporter Pat Clyne shot this video of flooding near the southern-most point of the United States. And remember, an opportunity here to remind you to send us your i-Reports when the weather becomes the news. This is what you do, you just go to ireport.com or type ireport@cnn.com into your cell phone. As always, we remind you in these circumstances to -- and instances -- to be safe.
Meteorologist Rob Marciano, hurricane hunters, flying into Ike and checking it out. Rob has a little more about -- well, look, about these brave men and women. Let's call them what they are --
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly that, Tony.
We often talk about recon, kind of a cool military term for reconnaissance. And that's what these hurricane hunters do. So let's break down some of the aircraft and show you the kind of flight patterns that they go through when they fly into these storms. This is a C-130. It's an airforce plane, typically based out of Keesler Air Force Base. This is a work horse. These guys go out nearly all the time and they fly through the storms, they actually punch through the eyewall, a wall that -- an eyewall that may have winds easily in excess of 100 miles an hour.
This is a NOAA plane, this is a P-3. This was developed way back when, actually to fly low, drop torpedoes into the water and shoot down ships and submarines. This thing has instruments in the front, underneath and aft to measure all sides of the storm.
So what's a typical flight pattern? Check this out -- when these hurricane hunters fly into the storm. This came out of Tampa, McGill, so this is a P-3. They fly into the storm and they do what's called an alpha, or A-pattern, in all four quadrants, measuring all facets of the storm and they drop, also, instruments that fall through the storm to try to get a read on the pressure, the wind, the humidity and the temperature so that we can take those numbers and plug them into computer models.
We also have this thing. This is pimping, check it out -- G-4. This thing flies around the storm, at the upper levels of the atmosphere, try to get a hold on the steering currents so that we can take all those numbers and then plug them into our computer models.
You hear us talk about these computer models. Well, what are they? Well there are these big computers that crunch complicated mathematical equations and they're only as good as the numbers you put in them. That's why getting this information is so vital. So we take these computer models and we throw these numbers into them. They crank out actual -- actual forecasts on the track. There you see it. Every one of these lines that you see is an actual track, and also, is an actual -- throws out numbers, very specific numbers and time frames: 123 miles an hour, 124 miles an hour.
Obviously, I know computers, they just do what they can and they give you specific numbers. It's the job of the forecasters at the Hurricane Center to figure out which one of these models is --
HARRIS: That is something.
MARCIANO: -- which one is most accurate and then throw the human equation in there as far as the experience goes and where this thing is going to go.
Notice, Tony, these are pretty -- coming together pretty well here. So the confidence is rising that we'll probably see landfall somewhere between Galveston and Brownsville and looks like it's going to be Friday night and into Saturday morning.
HARRIS: Spaghetti strands there. MARCIANO: Yes, exactly. We call this the spaghetti model.
HARRIS: That's the -- thank you.
I pay attention. I keep telling you I pay attention.
All right, Rob. That's good.
MARCIANO: All right, Tony.
HARRIS: You're good with that board.
MARCIANO: It's fun.
HARRIS: Nice. Teach me a couple things, would you please.
MARCIANO: Come on down.
HARRIS: All right now.
Let's turn to business news now. A major concern for many Americans is energy prices. And overnight, some of the world's top oil men made a decision that could affect prices at the pump. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details of the OPEC meeting in Vienna.
Susan, good morning to you.
And look, I guess the decision by OPEC was not unanimous.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It wasn't unanimous, and it was a surprise. The expectation was that OPEC was going to keep production levels steady, but some OPEC nations were pushing for a cut. And what we got was a compromise. OPEC deciding to actually abide by its production quota. The quota is 28 million barrels a day, amounts to a small cutback of about half a million barrels a day.
What happens -- what has been happening, and what often happens, is that OPEC nations have been over producing, or in the words of one analyst, it's like basically they're admitting that they were cheating. They were going over what the production amounts were supposed to be.
This comes, meanwhile, at the same time we got about an hour ago, Tony, the weekly inventory of crude and gasoline supplies, and they fell sharply last week. We were expecting a fall because of Hurricane Gustav which shut down production in the Gulf. But they fell by more than expected, Tony. Still, oil prices are down.
HARRIS: I've got a quick one for you, Susan. So with less oil in the market, should we anticipate a rise, a spike in prices?
LISOVICZ: Well, it takes a while for OPEC cutbacks to reach the world's oil supply. And remember, we're not talking about major cutbacks here. But one of the big reasons why oil has been falling dramatically is that global demand is slowing, led by the biggest consumer of all, the United States. And in fact, the International Energy Agency has trimmed its forecast for annual global demand. Demand remains high in China and India, but it's outweighed by economic slowdowns in developed countries like the U.S.
And, as I mentioned, oil prices down about a buck. We're only about two bucks and change from $100 a barrel which, well a while ago, not too long ago, Tony, remember, it sounded like, oh, my gosh --
HARRIS: We'll never get there again.
LISOVICZ: -- that was just the absolute ceiling. And now, look at the big drop from nearly $150 a barrel.
Right now the Dow on the comeback, up 87 points. The Nasdaq is up 16. So each up about three quarters of a percent, Tony.
Back to you.
HARRIS: We got to $100 a barrel, we thought the world was going to come to an end. And now we're thinking that we wouldn't --
LISOVICZ: We survived it.
HARRIS: -- get back to $100, and we're close.
All right, Susan. Appreciate it. Thank you.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
HARRIS: And now to something many are calling an emerging public health crisis: teen suicide. Coming up in the next hour, I will talk to a young woman who tried to kill herself, not once, not twice, but three times when she was a teen. She turned her life around and is now a motivational is now a motivational speaker. What we can all learn, talking about parents and young people, from her story in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: Reflection and remembrance. Thousands gather at the Pentagon tomorrow to dedicate a memorial at the 9/11 attack site. Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us live with a preview.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.
It is just one day from the seventh anniversary, of course, of the terrible 9/11 attacks. Thousands of people are expected to begin gathering here in the very early morning hours at the Pentagon for the dedication of the first major memorial at one of the attack sites. We were very privileged to have an early look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Water, sunlight and trees. It's being called The Park. There was horror that morning when hijackers crashed American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon -- 184 souls lost. Now on this 9/11, the first major memorial at one of the attack sites is being dedicated.
Tom Heidenberger's wife and young Thomas' mother, Michelle, was a flight attendant.
THOMAS HEIDENBERGER, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: She was a great woman. She was my best friend. It was very hard losing her.
TOM HEIDENBERGER, HUSBAND OF 9/11 VICTIM: The best way to explain Michelle is to look at Thomas and see how proud I am, and so would his mom be.
STARR: A bench, a tree and water pool for each victim.
KEITH KASEMAN, 9/11 MEMORIAL ARCHITECT: This place is really all about the visitors' thoughts, your interpretation when you visit this place.
STARR: Architect Keith Kaseman placed it all in lines (ph) marking their ages.
KASEMAN: When we learned that there were five children who lost their lives that day, that's really what sparked the idea.
STARR: One man already had made history.
(on camera): This is the bench commemorating the life of Max Beilke, who died inside the Pentagon. But decades ago as a young man, Max Beilke was the last U.S. combat soldier to leave Vietnam.
(voice-over): Visitors will discover details as they explore. To read a name on the bench of a Pentagon victim you must face the building. For someone on the plane, you read the name facing the sky.
Seven years later, this is one of the most guarded sites in the country, but it's estimated now 1 to 2 million people will visit each year to pause, reflect and remember.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, Tony, at this hour we can tell you the site is closed to the public today. Family members and members of the Pentagon are touring it and we are told many are leaving very private flowers, mementos and notes at these various benches. Also, tomorrow, here inside the Pentagon, there are going to be a number of very private remembrances up and down the halls here as offices pause and remember the co-workers, the friends and colleagues that they lost -- Tony.
HARRIS: Barbara, I can't let you go without asking: How do you remember this day, year to year -- seven in all now -- come tomorrow?
STARR: Well if you're asking, and I have to be very candid and say I think every year, myself, my colleague, Jamie McIntyre, who was also in the building that morning when the plane hit, you know, we're pretty callous, hardened lot here in the Pentagon press corps, but every year when it comes around you can't really help but be overcome by emotion. We come into this building every day. This is where the CNN office is, in an area that was destroyed and then rebuilt. So every day we walk past the area, we now will walk past the memorial, and you really just can't help but remember -- Tony.
HARRIS: Barbara, thanks for that.
As we mentioned, tomorrow marks the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States. American flight 77 out of Washington, D.C. rammed into the Pentagon building at 9:37 a.m. Eastern time. 184 people died. We will bring you live coverage of the Pentagon memorial dedication. That's tomorrow morning as part of our remembrance of the 9/11 anniversary.
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