Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Imam Breaks Silence; Detroit Burning: Firefighters Battle as Many as 85 Fires; Obama Heading to Ohio; Obama Heading to Ohio; Daley Wouldn't Seek Re-election; A Soldier's Story; A Dream Turns to Ashes; Political and Religious Leaders Call for Tolerance; Beach Bot

Aired September 08, 2010 - 06:00   ET

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


JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Wednesday morning. Thanks so much for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. It's the 8th of September. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. We have a lot to talk about this morning.

First, we're starting with the imam at the center of the controversy over building an Islamic center and Mosque near New York City's Ground Zero. He's breaking his silence this morning. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf says that the project will not stop. He's giving an exclusive interview to CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. And this morning, we're digging deeper on the emotional debate.

ROBERTS: When is the last time you heard something like this? The city of Detroit in a blaze of smoke and flames. Severe winds whipping up at least 85 fires, all in a period of about four hours time. Tens of thousands of people without power this morning. Every firefighter available was called in. Minutes away, we'll talk to the city's fire commissioner about the city that's still smoldering this morning.

CHETRY: It was so unusual. And a lot you deal with high winds. But for so many homes to be set aflame, unbelievable.

Also, the president, he's bound for Cleveland today. He's preparing to announce his $350 billion plan to get the economy rolling again. The White House is avoiding using the word "stimulus." Republicans say not enough. And there's a live report from CNN's Ed Henry following the president in Ohio.

ROBERTS: And the amFIX blog is up and running this morning. Join the live conversation going on right now. Just go to CNN.com/amFIX.

CHETRY: So we're hearing this morning from Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He is behind the controversial Islamic community center and mosque that's set to be built just blocks from new York City's Ground Zero. The imam is speaking in a "New York Times" in the form of an editorial saying that the project will go forward.

ROBERTS: And he addresses the emotional debate over the Islamic center in that op-ed in the "New York Times" saying, quote, "I am very sensitive to the feelings of the families of victims of 9/11 as are my fellow leaders of many faiths. We will accordingly seek the support of those families and the support of our vibrant neighborhood as we consider the ultimate plans for the community center. Our objective has always been to make this a center for unification and healing."

The imam just returned from a State Department sponsored trip to the Middle East promoting U.S.-Muslim relations.

CHETRY: CNN's Deb Feyerick has a closer look at the imam who, despite all of the firestorm, says he's committed to working toward peace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You have never heard him speak, this is what Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has to say.

IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, AMER. SOCIETY FOR MUSLIM ADVANCEMENT: The major theme in Islam is the oneness of God. And that we should worship one God, love and adore the one God.

FEYERICK: People who know Imam Feisal say he's a voice of moderation. The State Department --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His work on tolerance over (INAUDIBLE) diversity is well known.

FEYERICK: The developer of the controversial Islamic center near Ground Zero.

SHARIF EL-GAMAL, CEO, SOHO PROPERTIES: He is somebody who has sacrificed his life to building bridges within communities.

FEYERICK: Islamic scholar and university professor John Esposito.

(on camera): How would you describe him? Is he a threat?

PROF. JOHN ESPOSITO, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Feisal is, from my point of view, he is Mr. Mellow.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Imam Feisal is a Sufi Muslim, at the other end of the Islamic spectrum from the radical theology that feeds groups like Al Qaeda.

ESPOSITO: He approaches Islam spiritually. He is a Sufi in background (ph), which means one pursues, if you will, a more kind of spiritual mystical path. He's somebody who would find terrorism and religious extremism as abhorrent. He's run a mosque in this area for years and years and years.

FEYERICK: That mosque, the Masjid al-Farah (ph), is 10 blocks from Ground Zero and has co-existed peacefully in the Tribeca neighborhood for 28 years.

ESPOSITO: He has integrated himself into the community.

FEYERICK: According to his biography, Feisal Abdul Rauf was born in Kuwait in 1948 into an Egyptian family steeped in religious scholarship. In 1997, he founded the nonprofit American Society for Muslim Advancement. Its mission described on its Web site as "strengthening an authentic expression of Islam based on cultural and religious harmony through interfaith collaboration, youth and women's empowerment."

Several years later, Rauf founded the Cordoba Institute to improve relations between the Muslim world and the west, writing how American Muslims can help bridge the divide. The State Department noticed sending him as a cultural ambassador on four trips to the Middle East, most recently this summer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They try to get people who reflect the best aspects of American society.

FEYERICK: Rauf is often asked to speak at meetings like the World Economic Forum in Davos. He was criticized after 9/11 for saying U.S. support of oppressive regimes was partly responsible for the attacks but maintained his remarks on "60 Minutes" had been taken out of context. Rauf supports Israel's right to exist but says as a bridge builder he can't condemn radical Palestinian group Hamas as terrorists. As for the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero, he says that, too, is about bridges.

RAUF: This is also our expression of the 99.999 percent of Muslims all over the world including in America who have condemned and continue to condemn terrorism. This is about our stand as the Muslim community which has been part of this community.

FEYERICK: But right now, this moderate Muslim cleric finds himself at the eye of a storm.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: And so as we mentioned, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will appear exclusively on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. He's going to be speaking to Soledad O'Brien, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

ROBERTS: Meantime, there's growing outrage over a Florida preacher's plan to burn copies of the Quran on 9/11. Terry Jones says it's intended as a message of warning to the radical element of Islam. On CNN's "AC 360," Jones responded to General David Petraeus who said burning the Muslim holy book could put American troops in danger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY JONES, PASTOR, DOVE WORLD OUTREACH CENTER: We are burning the book. We are not killing someone. We are not murdering people. We are not dragging people out of the cars who are doctors and killing them. We are simply burning a book. The general needs to point his finger to radical Islam and tell them to shut up. Tell them to stop. Tell them that we will not bow our knees to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the planned Quran burning a, quote, "disrespectful, disgraceful act." She spoke last night at a dinner celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

CHETRY: Well, coming up 6:40 Eastern, Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, as well as Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, a Baptist pastor with The Interfaith Alliance, will be joining us. They had an emergency meeting yesterday with Attorney General Eric Holder about the growing anti-Islamic sentiment in America. We're going to talk to them about why this meeting was called and what they felt came out of it.

ROBERTS: A developing story this morning. As many as 85 fires burning across Detroit. All of it happened in the small span of about four hours last night. Officials think that 50 mile-an-hour winds brought down several power lines on top of fanning the flames.

CHETRY: Hundreds of firefighters had to be called in to tackle the situation. They, in fact, needed help from neighboring firefighters in other communities. And so we're finding out what happened exactly in Detroit. Fire commissioner James Mack joins us on the phone this morning.

Good morning, Commissioner. Thanks for being with us.

JAMES MACK, DETROIT FIRE COMMISSIONER (via telephone): Good morning, Kiran. Good morning, John.

CHETRY: So 85 fires in a span of four hours. What's the latest on the situation this morning? Is everything under control?

MACK: Well, we got these under control. What we actually had, we had 85 calls for service. Up until midnight from 8:00 in the morning until midnight thus far, we got about -- over 170 calls for service. So that taxes our resources.

ROBERTS: So, Commissioner, how did all this happen? You know, we've got fires burning out in Boulder, Colorado, you would expect that. You don't expect to hear something like this in an urban center like Detroit.

MACK: Well, we had a number of calls for wires down. I think what we just had is the perfect storm as far as fires for us. We had winds up to 49 miles an hour. You combine that with wires down and once we get a fire, the winds take the embers and blow those all around. So that creates that firestorm similar to a forest fire.

CHETRY: Yes. I mean, it's surreal to see all of these homes on fire right in the center of a, you know, city like Detroit. Was anybody injured or killed in all of this?

MACK: At this point I have no reports of any civilian injuries, no deaths. The men and women of Detroit Fire Department did a great job, and they gave me 120 percent to extinguish these fires out.

ROBERTS: Yes, you've got some sense of the degree of loss there, Commissioner? We understand that a lot of these buildings were either empty or abandoned.

MACK: That's the report. I haven't -- we haven't had a chance to go through to see exactly what was occupied or not occupied. But the information that I do have is that there were a number of vacant buildings but (INAUDIBLE) zone is the much more occupied stretches that we lost.

ROBERTS: Right. Right.

CHETRY: Are there any changes set to take place to prevent this from happening again next time there's high winds?

MACK: Well, I mean, at this point, you know, we have an older infrastructure. Our power lines are above ground. So until the day comes that we can get them buried, this is a situation that a lot of older cities run into.

ROBERTS: Wow. Pretty startling scene there. James Mack, he's the Detroit fire commissioner. Thanks for joining us this morning. And good luck to you in the cleanup efforts there today.

MACK: All right, John, Kiran. Thank you very much.

ROBERTS: Thank you.

CHETRY: And he mentioned the situation in Boulder, Colorado, as well. They're battling to try to save homes and forests. This is the wildfire that's still burning out of control this morning. The governor declared a state of emergency yesterday after the fire more than doubled in size. Ninety-two buildings including homes have been destroyed, and it could be days before more than 3,000 people can return to their homes. We're going to be checking in live with Casey Wian. He is at the scene. He's going to give us an update on the situation in about 30 minutes.

ROBERTS: And what's left of tropical storm Hermine, and yes, that's the pronunciation from the National Hurricane Center. For those of you who have been writing and saying it's Hermine, well, NHC is saying it's Hermine. Dumping heavy rains in central and north Texas. Forecasters say the weather system is going to move into Oklahoma tonight. Up to four inches of rain washed out streets in San Antonio yesterday. San Antonio, just like the famous song. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical depression last night.

CHETRY: So at 10 minutes past the hour, we get a check of the morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano in the extreme weather center this morning. Wow, so it's still doing damage as a tropical depression right now.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is, and we expect more rain. So, you know, this thing much weaker than the last hurricane that's got the Outer Banks. And this one affecting a lot more people and sticking around a lot longer. Sometimes tropical storms will do that especially in the Texas area.

So the rains keep coming down. You see the swirled atmosphere there and tapping that Gulf of Mexico moisture. So more thunderstorms, more rain expected. In some cases, we've already seen 10 inches. And flash flood watches and warnings are posted up and down the I-35 corridor from San Antonio all the way to Dallas for another six plus inches today.

All right. The front that pushed through Detroit yesterday bringing those dry winds heading towards New York and the northeast, a couple of showers and thunderstorms. Windy conditions behind that. So three big news events as far as flooding and fires go, all weather related. One in a very wet environment, another in a very dry and windy environment. Of course, very different places but nonetheless, drastic effects by that.

CHETRY: Yes.

MARCIANO: We'll talk more about that stuff in a little bit.

CHETRY: And as you point out, I mean, tropical storm Hermine, you know, considered, obviously, a lesser storm and doing more damage than Earl.

MARCIANO: And, you know, Texas has a history of this, unfortunately. And we'll try to get that rain out of there for them today.

ROBERTS: All right. Rob, thanks so much. We'll talk you again soon with the travel forecast.

MARCIANO: All right, guys.

ROBERTS: We're following developments in Pakistan this morning. Devastating floods there impacting the lives of millions of people. Angelina Jolie is in Pakistan as part of the U.N. humanitarian mission there. CNN's Sanjay Gupta is going to talk with her. We'll air a portion of that interview coming up in our 8:00 a.m. hour.

CHETRY: And still to come on the Most News in the Morning, the president trying to jump-start the economy. He's taking his message on the road as we've seen. Today he's talking to voters in Ohio. And we're going to be checking with a live report coming up.

It's 11 1/2 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Fifteen minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

President Obama is on the road today. He's heading for the home of the rock 'n' roll hall of fame.

ROBERTS: He is announcing his plan to try to rock the economy by rolling out billions of dollars in new tax cuts. The White House hoping that it's going to be music to the ears of struggling American business owners.

CHETRY: Yes. Ed Henry is in Cleveland this morning. Have we put in enough references to the rock 'n' roll hall of fame?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think you did, Kiran. You know, I think they're also trying to get Democrats singing on the same song sheet. And bottom line is that White House aides are really trying to push back hard on this notion that this is all about politics and the midterm elections. They say it's really about the president trying to rebuild the economy.

(AUDIO GAP)

This is not a - a stimulus package or just new proposals to show their long-term commitment. But there's no denying that they are trying to show a contrast to Republicans. In fact, they picked Cleveland (INAUDIBLE) for this speech, they openly acknowledged, because the Republican, John Boehner, the man who would be speaker, just laid out his economic vision the last couple of weeks here in Cleveland.

So let's look at what the president is going to lay out. He's going to talk first of all about a $200 billion (INAUDIBLE) tax credit for businesses, writing (INAUDIBLE) new plants that they build, new equipment that they purchase, $100 billion - businesses in terms of (INAUDIBLE) for research and development tax, and then also $50 billion in - in new infrastructure spending.

And to the White House's point about how they're looking at this long term, when you read the local papers, here, it's just heartbreaking. Unemployment worse here in the state of Ohio than it is nationally. People talk about going to job fairs, not being able to find a job time and time again.

Three hundred and ten thousand people in this state now collecting unemployment checks, and the biggest number is 60 percent of those people have been unemployed long term. That means unemployed at least 27 weeks or more.

Republicans, though, trying to call the White House's bluff and say this is very unlikely to pass in the next few weeks on Capitol Hill, so if the president really wanted to fix the economy with these new measures, why didn't he introduce it, say, six months ago when it had a better chance of passage? The White House retort, of course, is if the Republicans are saying these are popular tax cuts they're ready to support, let's do it in the next couple of weeks, and then the argument will be over - John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: So, Ed, on a - a totally different topic, we hear that the Chicago mayor Richard Daley says he's not going to run for re- election, and, at the same time, rumblings that Rahm Emanuel may want to become his honor. What do we know about all of that?

HENRY: Well, you know, Rahm Emanuel is keeping his cards close to the vest, no surprise. I mean, yesterday he put out a statement just lauding Richard Daley. He - the last thing Rahm Emanuel wants to do right now is look like he's - he's jumping in right away and not giving Richard Daley his - his time in the sun here.

But when you talk to people close to Rahm Emanuel, (INAUDIBLE) they note that he's publicly said before he wants to be mayor. They say (ph), privately, he still wants to do it. They're not sure if he's going to jump in now, but the smart money in both Washington and Chicago is that it's very likely he's going to run.

The filing deadline will be late November. The race is in February. So the bottom line is he was going to probably leave his White House staff of - White House Chief of Staff in a few months down the road anyway. This might speed up the timetable, if you will, you know, if he does jump in. He hasn't decided yet.

But the bottom line is this job doesn't open up a lot. Richard Daley in office for six terms. If you want to be mayor, as Rahm Emanuel has said he wants to be, you better jump in because this job doesn't open very often, John.

ROBERTS: Strike while the iron's hot.

All right. Ed Henry for us in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this morning, Cleveland. Ed, thanks so much.

Top of the hour, by the way, we're going to be joined by David Axelrod, the president's Senior Adviser. We'll ask him about the president's stimulus plan and - and what about tax cuts? You know, and his former budget director, Peter Orszag, said, hey, leave them in place for another couple of years then raise taxes on everybody. The White House pushing back against that.

But are they prepared to veto such a proposal if it comes out of Congress? We'll find out.

CHETRY: Also, the midterms now just 55 days away, and crossing the CNN Political Ticker this hour, Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski now reconsidering retirement. You may remember, she lost the GOP primary in a pretty surprising upset to Tea Party candidate, Joe Miller.

Now, Murkowski's people say that she's been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and is now considering her options, among them a possible third party candidacy or a write-in bid.

ROBERTS: After the success in Alaska, leaders of the Tea Party Express are hoping to continue their winning streak in Delaware. They're now backing Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell and they're launching a six-figure ad campaign to run from now until next week's Republican primary.

And, again, for the most political news with the midterm elections approaching, you can always go to CNN.com/ticker.

CHETRY: Well, coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, no shoes, no shirt, no service. We've heard that one. But one restaurant is now saying no screaming kids either.

How are they going to enforce it? We're going to take a look, coming up.

Twenty minutes past the hour. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twenty-three minutes past the hour right now. We're "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Health care could soon cost you more. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting this morning that several big insurers are planning to raise health care premiums for some Americans by one to nine percent as a direct result, they say, of health care reform.

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield are among the companies filing for these increases, saying it is the only way it can cover the cost of extra benefits that are now required under the new health care legislation.

ROBERTS: And there's a new item on the menu at a North Carolina restaurant that some parents may have a hard time swallowing. Screaming children are no longer welcome at the Olde Salty Restaurant on Carolina Beach.

The owners have put up signs warning parents. They say they're tired of hearing customers complain about screaming kids while they're trying to eat.

CHETRY: They have a perfect name, Olde Salty.

ROBERTS: Maybe the airlines could adopt a similar rule. What do you think?

CHETRY: Maybe.

Well, next on the Most News in the Morning, we'll be live with Jason Carroll in Afghanistan with his ongoing series "A Soldier's Story." He's been following Sergeant Shorter as he takes yet another risky tour of duty at a forward operating base in one of the most dangerous parts of that country.

It's 24 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's coming down to 27 minutes after the hour.

This morning, we're giving you an inside look at how troops in Afghanistan feel about the dangers that they face every day. It's part of our ongoing series "A Soldier's Story."

CHETRY: We've been following Sgt. Randy Shorter in his third tour of duty from forward operating base Rushmore. It's in Paktika Province.

Jason Carroll sat down for a very candid discussion with our soldiers, and he joins us live this morning from Kabul. How are they feeling these days, Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to tell you, they're feeling good. These - these soldiers have been waiting a long time for this. There were some nerves for those of those soldiers who were out there for their first time, their first deployment, but even though soldiers said that they were ready to get out there and start their mission.

And as you know, in terms of where they are, they're about an hour - a hour and a half south of where we are here in Kabul, depending upon the condition on the roads. And their mission is now under way, and we were there for the beginning of it. We saw them as they went out on the security patrols. We were with them when they were out there, Kiran, engaging the Afghan people, especially some of the children as well as the village elders.

And we - just before we wrapped up this particular round of our shooting, we had an opportunity to sit down with some of the men in the unit, talk to them about their thoughts on the war and also about this close bond that they all seem to share.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPC. FRANK WHORTON, U.S. ARMY: We are not trying to fight them at all. We - all we do is protect ourselves. We're - we're just trying to get these people together, you know, get them built up to where they can take care of themselves.

PVT. TERRENCE LEE ARMSTRONG, U.S. ARMY: I think it's the fear of what's going to happen next. You never know, you know, what's behind that corner, what's going to - you know, just never know what's going to happen, so -

SGT. RANDY SHORTER, U.S. ARMY: You have to understand, too, you know, it's not like a common war. You know, we're fighting guys behind - behind civilian clothes. They're embedded with the population.

CARROLL (on camera): Where do you think the bond between you guys comes from?

SGT. CHARON RICHARDSON, U.S. ARMY: I believe it's sweating with them. You know, you bleed with them, you sweat with them, you know? These are your brothers. Like - like when we're deployed, my problems are their problems. Their problems are my problems. You know, we share that among each other and you can't get no tighter than that.

SSG. ANTHONY COOK, U.S. ARMY: Everybody knows that we're here for each other and we love each other and we know that we're each other's brother. So we understand that. We're going to get mad at times. We're going to get frustrated. But at the end of the day, we know, hey, we're here - I'm still here. You're still here. We're going to make it. And that's what it's all about is just making sure that we're together 100 percent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: And the deployment will last for about a year which puts them about the same time that this drawback is supposed to happen around July 2011. Of course, we'll be following them throughout this year, checking in with them from time, Kiran and John, and chronicling their experiences and hopefully letting them share with us what this experience has been like for them. John, Kiran?

ROBERTS: But let's - let's talk about that drawdown in December of next year. You know, these troops are going out there. They're putting it all on the line. They're doing the best job they can do to try to bring stability to Afghanistan.

What do they think about the drawdown plan? I would assume it look forward to going home, but are they concerned about what they might leave behind?

CARROLL: Well, I think it's both. And, quite frankly, in talking to most of the men in the unit, I think the consensus is that they have concerns about whether or not that drawback is actually going to be able to happen, simply, because, as you know, John, one of their missions is to train the Afghan police and Army to take over the security reigns here. And in terms of how that's going, so far, there is still a ways to go before they say that that's going to happen. So, I think the definite consensus from -- at least, from these guys that we spoke to is that may need to stay a little bit longer.

CHETRY: Well, it's great to hear, you know, from them firsthand so we get, you know, a clearer picture of exactly what's going on there. Great reporting, Jason. Thank you.

Well, it's 30 minutes past the hour. We check our top stories. The imam behind the controversial Islamic center and mosque that's planned near Ground Zero is speaking out today in form of a "New York Times" editorial. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said that he's determined to go ahead with the project. It will include separate prayer spaces for Jews and Christians, as well as Muslims. The imam sits down for an exclusive interview tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE" with Soledad O'Brien. It's at 9:00 here on CNN.

ROBERTS: Five months after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP is ready to release the results of its own investigation into the disaster. It's expected to come out at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. Our Ed Lavandera is monitoring the situation. He'll be poring over the documents just as soon as it comes out, bringing you the details in our next half hour.

CHETRY: Also, more than 100 buildings and homes have been damaged or destroyed by a 7,000-acre wildfire near Boulder, Colorado. Right now, there are no reports of any injuries.

They have several volunteer firefighters battling the flames. These are people that are working to put the fire out at the same time. They've lost their own homes because of it. There is still no estimation of when they will get this fully under control.

ROBERTS: Well, they're certainly no stranger to wildfires in the foothills of the Rockies. There, our Casey Wian is live for us. He's in Boulder County this morning.

CHETRY: And, Casey, you know, as we're just saying, these firefighters have lost their own homes. They're sitting there trying to battle these flames, you know, putting themselves in harm's way.

Do people understand it's the price you pay for living in this location?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I think they do.

And Colorado's governor, Bill Ritter, spoke to some of those people yesterday. And he warned residents to be patient, those residents who have been evacuated because of this wildfire in the hills.

Behind me, you can see the fire now, but you can certainly smell the smoke. Some of those residents are very anxious, very concerned. And some of them are already learning that they're not going to have homes to return to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (voice-over): Steve and Dee Spencer (ph) built their home in the Colorado mountain community of Sunshine 25 years ago.

STEVE SPENCER, LOST HOME TO FIRE: It's 2,400 square feet, three bedroom, two bathroom. And we built it. And we, you know, designed it ourselves.

WIAN: Today, it lives only in their camera, reduced to ashes by Colorado's wildfire.

DEE SPENCER, LOST HOME TO FIRE: The sun was orange and sort of obscured. There is a really weird light from the fire, you know, in front of the sun.

S. SPENCER: Very eerie, very spooky.

D. SPENCER: It was all smoky.

WIAN: There's never a good time to lose your house. But this is particularly bad for the Spencers.

S. SPENCER: I was working on a deck because we were landscaping and building an outdoor setting for our son's wedding which, you know, is a week and a half from now.

D. SPENCER: The reception dinner was going to be at our house.

WIAN: Then came the reverse 911 call, instructing the Spencers to evacuate.

S. SPENCER: We very casually packed up the important things that we value which turned out wasn't very much. We would have packed more but, you know --

D. SPENCER: We kind of thought they were going to go back.

WIAN (on camera): When did you find out that your house was actually in trouble?

D. SPENCER: Last night.

S. SPENCER: Last night, one of our neighbors called and said that she had a call from somebody who stayed in Sunshine and had a walked and saw the house burned to the ground.

D. SPENCER: It still feels really surreal.

S. SPENCER: It doesn't sink in, you know, until we see -- until we have visual confirmation by us, it's hard to sink in.

WIAN (voice-over): That may take days.

D. SPENCER: Let's go see our new house.

WIAN: The Spencers already are looking for a local house to rent, one with space for their son's wedding reception.

D. SPENCER: Both of our sons, Dustin and Noah, said, you know, we have each other and our family is safe. We're close. So, it's important.

S. SPENCER: Our youngest son who is a junior in college, when we called him last night to tell him the house burned down, he paused and said, "Bummer."

For every end, there is a new beginning. And I don't want to diminish it all or of the joy of this marriage because, you know, a couple special people who found love and are going to celebrate that. That's what we're going to focus on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: Clearly, it's early. But the Spencers say they do plan to rebuild. But this time, a more fireproof house. They do have fire insurance. So, hopefully, the financial hit should not be too severe -- John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: Yes, as long as you got insurance, I guess you can rebuild. But you got to feel for those firefighters out there, Casey, who are on the fire lines. They're putting their life on the line and working so hard. And they've lost their homes themselves.

WIAN: Yes, you really do. It's really very fortunate that there have been no serious injuries among those firefighters or among the residents who live in those hills because the people who went through it say that the wind was whipping up so fast and the fire was moving quickly. They're used to brush fires in this area. But they're used to it going to the top of a hill and stopping. They say that this fire crested over the hills and was really moving faster than anything they've seen in decades.

CHETRY: It's exhausting work, unpredictable and, boy, you know, hats off to them for everything they're trying to do there to help that community.

Casey, thanks. Also the homeowners, what a good attitude. I mean, they -- you know, they're really trying --

WIAN: Got to be pragmatic, I guess.

CHETRY: And see the silver lining in all of that. Wow.

Well, coming up next on the Most News in the Morning, we've been talking about the growing anti-Islam sentiment here in the U.S., the debate over the Ground Zero mosque. Now, word that a small congregation in Florida plans to burn the Koran. Well, there's an emergency meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder and leaders of many different faiths.

We're going to talk to two people who are at that meeting. Was anything solved? And what are some of the ideas moving forward to bridge this gap?

Thirty-six minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Forty minutes past the hour right now.

Political and religious leaders are uniting to denounce a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment we've seen here in the United States. They're outraged over the plans by a Florida pastor to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11.

And speaking last night at a dinner that was celebrating Ramadan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her feelings about the growing controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, meantime, Attorney General Eric Holder met with Muslim as well as Christian, Jewish, other interfaith leaders, to address the anti-Islamic sentiment.

Two people at the meeting join us now from Washington. We have with us this morning, Farhana Khera, the executive director of Muslim Advocates. And right by her side is Reverend Dr. Welton Gaddy, the president of the Interfaith Alliance.

Thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.

REV. DR. WELTON GADDY, PRES., INTERFAITH ALLIANCE: Glad to be with you.

FARHANA KHERA, EXEC. DIR. OF MUSLIM ADVOCATE: Thanks for having us.

CHETRY: This is being characterized, Farhana, as an emergency meeting that called, you know, bringing people together because of the concerns of this growing anti-Islamic sentiment in the United States.

Why did you attend? And what do you think you got out of it?

KHERA: Yes. So, what we've been hearing in the American Muslim community has been deeply troubling. And, frankly, on the level of fear and anxiety that we're hearing in the community is really unprecedented. We're hearing from people -- parents who are concerned about their school children -- about their children going off to school. People are concerned about even just attending prayer services.

Later this week, actually, Muslims celebrate one of the most significant holidays of the year in which literally hundreds of Muslims will be packing into mosques across the country to celebrate through religious services.

And so, we thought it was important to speak directly to the attorney general and as the nation's law -- chief law enforcement officer, it was important for the attorney general to send a very strong, clear message that hate motivated violence will not be tolerated, it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And I must say, Kiran, I was incredibly comforted by the attorney general's words. And we're encouraging him to send a message that he gave to us privately to do so in a very, very public way.

CHETRY: And Reverend Gaddy, what did you get out of yesterday's meeting?

GADDY: Well, I got the feeling of affirmation from the attorney general that there really is and should be a partnership between the religious community and the Department of Justice and the government in dealing with a very, very serious crisis. The attorney general said it best, I think, when he said this may be the civil rights issue for our generation.

We will define ourselves as a nation in relation to how we respond to this crisis of religious diversity. There's a legal side of it and there is a moral side of it. The Department of Justice is clearly ready to keep on addressing the legal side. We're trying to get at the attitudinal part of it.

And for one thing, say, regarding what's happening in Florida, for example, this isn't either good patriotism nor go religion. This is just kind of old-fashioned hate.

CHETRY: And you mentioned what's happening in Florida. Farhana, I'd like to get your take on this. We spoke yesterday to Pastor Jones. He's the one who has a small congregation. They're planning on burning the Koran on 9/11.

And, of course, we've heard General David Petraeus speaking out against this. We heard Hillary Clinton -- as you said as well, the Attorney General Holder.

How concerned are you that the actions of this small congregation could have huge worldwide implications as people react and respond to these images?

KHERA: Right. Well, look, we're very concerned about this planned activity. And, first, you know, we certainly recognize that while it may not be a violation of the law, it certainly violates our sense of decency. I think all Americans would agree that it's really not the right thing to do, to desecrate a sacred text.

CHETRY: Right.

KHERA: And I think what we're really concerned about, in fact, is the activity in which this activity might incite hate and violence against American Muslims. You know, and again, that was why it was so important to hear directly from the attorney general saying that really no American should have to live in fear to have to -- and all America should be able to worship without fear.

CHETRY: Right.

KHERA: You know, I might add, Kiran, you know, I actually grew up in a small town in Upstate New York, not too far from where one of the recent hate acts took place recently. And, you know, in the America I grew up in, my family and I could worship freely. And, unfortunately, today, that is not the case.

With this rise in anti-Muslim bigotry and hate violence taking place across the country, it's really time for all people to come together. And that is why I'm so pleased at Reverend Gaddy and a number of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Arabs and South Asian American leaders are coming together. And it's really incumbent on all of us as Americans of good faith and conscious to come together and speak up and make our voices heard.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: You're right. And it's great that we saw this take place. Reverend Gaddy, as a Christian leader, how do you counter the messages and the potential images that we may be seeing if, indeed, this congregation goes through with this Quran burning this weekend?

REV. DR. WELTON GADDY, PRES., INTERFAITH ALLIANCE: I think there are two or three messages that have to go out. And I think one of them is a message that has to go out across the international community. Fortunately, yesterday, I had a chance to talk on Arabic television to people in the Middle East. And I said, look, please understand this isn't about American patriotism. We don't encourage this in America.

And this is not about Christianity or Judaism or any of the other religions that have their home here in the United States. In fact, it runs counter to it. And in the United States, what we're saying is this is not the nature of the historic religions. It's not essential in their scriptures. It's tangential at best.

And that we need to remember in this land that religion has thrived because of the first amendment to the constitution and the freedom people have to go and worship in safety. An attack on any religion in this nation is, in fact, an attack on every religion in this nation, and we got to counter that.

CHETRY: And this is where it gets a little hairy, Farhana, because also, the freedom as of horn (ph) as we may think it is also includes the right of Pastor Jones and members of his congregation to burn the Quran.

KHERA: Right. And the same rights allow people to burn the American flag, but I think just as we find burning the American flag abhorrent, I think most Americans of faith and goodwill find desecrating holy texts abhorrent as well. And that is why we are so pleased that Reverend Gaddy and so many Americans are increasingly making their voices heard on this issue.

GADDY: We have been through this before. Let's remember that. We didn't do well in handling Judaism when it came to this country. We didn't do well with Catholicism. We have to counter this. If we counter it solidly, we will eventually work our way through this.

CHETRY: As you said, it could be the civil rights issue of our time. I want to thank both of you for joining us. Farhana Khera and Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, thanks.

GADDY: Thank you.

KHERA: Thank you.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Still to come this morning, Rob Marciano is monitoring severe weather in several parts of the country. He got this morning's travel forecast right after the break.

And it looks nothing like Pam Anderson, but this device named Emily could soon be patrolling and rescuing swimmers at a beach near you. That's coming up. It's 48 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Tropical storm Hermine yesterday coming on shore. This is shot in San Antonio. Look at that. Talk about winds and rain. Lawn furniture going a ride there into the pool. Yes. As far inland as San Antonio, a wind and rain damage. This reminding me of tropical storm Aaron back in 2007. Look at this. I mean, the thing still hasn't moved much.

It hasn't moved out of Texas just yet. You see that rotation. You also see a fair amount of moisture being tapped from the Gulf of Mexico. So, in some areas, we have seen over ten inches of rainfall, and some of the cells that are percolating from the Gulf and through Austin up the I-35 corridor towards Dallas and across the Red River, some of this are going to be heavy producers as far as rainfall goes. So, on top of what we've already seen, we could see another six inches in this area. So, flash flood watches in the red areas. Those counties and bigger cities, San Antonio, also in the Dallas, are under a flash flood warnings currently for some smaller rivers that are up and over their banks. All right. Wind and some dry air across parts of the northeast. Red flag warning up for Philadelphia to point this out because we have those damaging winds across Detroit.

And a couple days ago, we had damaging winds in Boulder, Colorado. This particular front looks like it's coming through for the most part dry, hence the red flag warning, but you may see a thunderstorm or two. As far as temperatures today, you're looking at lower 80s in St. Louis, 85 degrees in New York, and 92 degrees in D.C. That's a quick check on weather. AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Five minutes now to the top of the hour. A new robotic device is getting its figurative feet wet in California. The drone nicknamed Emily is designed to assist in water rescues and a whole lot more. Gary Tuchman takes Emily out for a swim in today's "Edge of Discovery."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This lifeguard might be the best on the beach. Her name, Emily, which stands for emergency integrated life saving lanyard.

BOB LAUTRUP, HYDRONALIX: It doesn't replace the lifeguard. It may enable the lifeguards to get to an individual if they would not have been able to get to in the past.

TUCHMAN: Emily speaks (ph) through high waves and rip tides in seconds, directed from shore by a remote control. When she reaches swimmers in distress, they can hold on to her until more help arrives. Her creators are also working on a setup that will allow lifeguards to talk to swimmers through an onboard PA system.

LAUTRUP: We have worked on having a radio to send Emily out to say, stand away from this. You're in the danger of going into tide (ph).

TUCHMAN: And that's not all this bay watching bot might do. Her designers, Emily could be equipped with sonar and cameras to monitor erosion, stock (ph) collision or remote areas or be used for military surveillance. Emily is still being tested. So, it could be a while before can you check her out at a beach near you.

Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: That is a great idea.

CHETRY: It's pretty cool, right? ROBERTS: She just goes right out there. So, if somebody is, you know, 100 feet, maybe 100 yards from shore in trouble, zang.

CHETRY: Yes, get that thing out there.

ROBERTS: Fifteen seconds.

CHETRY: Yes and then join them later.

ROBERTS: Fantastic.

CHETRY: I feel safer. It's three minutes to the top of the hour. We have your top stories coming up after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)