Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Explosion Rocks Texas Oil Refinery; Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin; High-Stakes Election in Pakistan
Aired February 18, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: First up, let's take you to Big Spring, Texas, where an oil refinery plant has exploded today. You can see big black smoke billowing into the sky.
On the phone is Russ McEwen. He is the mayor of Big Spring, Texas.
And Mayor, first of all, let me ask you -- I understand that you have been to this scene of this explosion. What happened?
MAYOR RUSS MCEWEN, BIG SPRING, TEXAS: Pardon me?
NGUYEN: You have been to the scene of this explosion, correct?
MCEWEN: That is correct. I am actually about a mile from it right now.
NGUYEN: All right. Tell me what you're seeing and if you have any indication as to what happened.
MCEWEN: No indication whatsoever of what has happened. But what I see right now is a lot of black smoke and some fires on the periphery of the conflagration.
NGUYEN: We understand about 170 people work at that plant. It produces 70,000 barrels of petroleum a day.
Are you under the impression, especially as we watch some of the I-Report videos come in, that this fire is just going to have to burn itself out?
MCEWEN: Well, there's some of that because it's petrol in nature, but they're also fighting it right now to keep the right vessels cooled down and, you know, try to maintain as much of the integrity of that plant as they can.
NGUYEN: Have you ever seen anything like this, not only being mayor of the city, but as long as you've lived there?
MCEWEN: Well, yes. I mean, I've lived here all my life, so I have seen fires at the refinery. I mean, it's...
NGUYEN: This big?
MCEWEN: very rare. You know, when you go back 20 years or 25 or 30 years, it's hard to remember how big they are. I mean, this is a very large fire, obviously, and we're very anxious to get it put out.
NGUYEN: Yes, you seem to be taking it in stride. Let me ask you this. I understand you live, what, about a mile, two miles away from this refinery? Did this jolt your home?
MCEWEN: Yes, it did.
NGUYEN: What happened?
MCEWEN: Well, we were -- my wife and I were sitting around, and it sounded almost like thunder. And I said, "Goodness. Where's that thunder?" And we looked outside and there were clear skies, so obviously it wasn't thunder. And we looked out toward the refinery, which we can see, and were able to, you know, see what was going on.
NGUYEN: And when you looked at this kind of smoke just billowing into the air, I think one of the main things, especially after a jolt like that, you think of is, did anyone get injured in this? Have you heard...
MCEWEN: Well, the absolute first thing you wonder is, are there people who have been hurt?
NGUYEN: Right.
MCEWEN: And our understanding right now is that no one has died, and that there's only been one casualty, one person who has been taken to the hospital out of this, which is just a miracle.
NGUYEN: Do you know the seriousness of the injury?
MCEWEN: I have no earthly idea.
NGUYEN: OK. But at this point there are no fatalities, and one injury related to this.
When we look at smoke in the air -- and we were talking to our meteorologist. She said the winds aren't too high right now. Are you worried at all about people inhaling this?
MCEWEN: We are monitoring everything to make sure that we do everything necessary to take care of the public safety of everyone in Big Spring.
NGUYEN: So do you expect any kind of evacuations or any kind of warnings to go out to those living near the plant?
MCEWEN: At this point in time we are not. But we are monitoring everything by -- minute by minute, to make sure that if we need to do that, we do that. And we also have contingency plans in force that if something like that needs to be done, that we can implement those plans quickly.
NGUYEN: So, at what point do you think this fire -- or do they even know -- when this fire will become under control? MCEWEN: There's no -- there's no idea. It's too fresh. It is just -- I mean, this happened just this morning, in the last few hours. So it's -- we just have to let it play out for a while to know where we're headed.
NGUYEN: And when it comes to the number of personnel on the scene, the emergency crews, the firefighters and whatnot, do you feel pretty secure that there are enough people there to handle this type of fire?
MCEWEN: Absolutely. Absolutely. And more people are showing up all the time.
I'm looking down at Sterling County and Nolan County, emergency vehicles that are here. So, I mean, it's the typical west Texas reaction to something. When someone out here has a problem, then we get in a situation and take care of one another. So we've got lots of emergency vehicles at the staging area just waiting to be used if they need be.
NGUYEN: All right.
Russ McEwen, the mayor of Big Spring, Texas.
And what we've learned in this is that so far there have been no fatalities and one injury related to this oil refinery explosion that occurred around 8:30 local time this morning. And just to give you an idea of where Big Spring is, it's about 280 miles west of Dallas. They don't know exactly how long it will take to get this fire under control, but at this point it does appear that it is kind of burning itself out and causing the large amounts of smoke going into the air, which we've been seeing through our I-Reports this morning.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of that smoke, everybody is kind of wondering certainly if it's toxic in the first place, it can harm anybody. And where is it going?
Our Jacqui Jeras keeping an eye on that.
And earlier you said not really high winds there.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No.
HOLMES: And that's kind of an upside and a downside to that.
JERAS: Yes, absolutely. The downside is that you're right there, right next to it. It's all going to be concentrated thick near you.
But the good news with it, with calm winds and not a lot of direction going on, so that means it's not going to be moving downwind, so to speak. So it's not going to be spreading miles and miles from the site of the explosion.
There you can see Dallas. You mentioned about 280 miles to the west of there. It's right along I-20. It's just to the north of there.
I-20 is closed in the region. The winds are being calm. They're a little bit light and variable, so they should stay under five miles per hour, we think.
The closest observation site that we could find near it showed winds in the east at four miles per hour. But we think as we progress throughout the morning that those winds are going to start to pick up, and they're predominantly going to come in from the south and west. And so that will be moving everything up to the north and to the east of town, if that smoke is still out there once those winds kick in. We think that's a couple of hours from now.
There's also an inversion in the atmosphere, as we call it. Just a little thin, warm layer. And if you take a look at that video there right next to me, see how the clouds spread out just a little bit right there? We think that's probably right where that inversion layer is. And so it kind of caps everything back in that area.
You know, not just calm winds and things going on in Texas today. We've got a lot of other weather to talk about as well, the big tornado outbreak that we had across the Deep South yesterday.
All of our watches now have been expired into the Southeast. But the storm system still affecting much of the Eastern Seaboard with rainy conditions and some strong, gusty winds.
Light showers still continuing in Boston, down towards Providence. And we have a lot of airport delays in the northeastern corridor as a result of this. Over an hour in Boston. LaGuardia, about an hour and a half. Pushing two hours in Newark, and minor delays in San Francisco.
We still have some snow showers lingering across parts of the upper Midwest. And there you can see the snow showers pushing into parts of Michigan. It could be a little bit on the heavy side.
Of course, the primary taking place tomorrow in Wisconsin. And we're expecting folks there to be waking up to temperatures in the single digits, and even single digits below zero.
Light snow showers will continue on and off through the day, but very little accumulation will be expected. And you're not going to get out of the teens for high temperatures in southern Wisconsin. And not out of the single digits across parts of the North.
So, bitter cold Arctic air mass in place in the North. And that's going to stick around for a good couple of days -- T.J., Betty.
NGUYEN: All right.
HOLMES: All right.
Jacqui Jeras for us there.
We appreciate you keeping an eye on all of that stuff for us. JERAS: Sure.
HOLMES: Now the Reagan revolution. Is John McCain the guy now to lead it?
He's casting himself, well, as the heir apparent. And just minutes ago he received a key endorsement to bolster the claim, an event you saw live here on CNN. McCain got the backing of former President George Herbert Walker Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At this critical time in history, the key point I want to make is the United States of America cannot be permitted to falter. Part of our Republican creed is a prevailing sense of duty, and in the coming election we do not have the luxury of taking a pass on our unique role and responsibilities in the world. And the indisputable fact that unites the greatest number of Republicans, the most Independents, and many good Democrats as well, is the fact that no one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, McCain says the endorsement will help attract Independents, as well as the so-called Reagan Democrats.
Well, there's something going on on the Democratic side as well. There you see Senator Hillary Clinton. She is in Wisconsin, talking to a crowd there before tomorrow's primaries happening there. There's also voting in Hawaii as well.
Let's take a listen to her.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... begin to create new jobs. And people say, well, how will we do that? Because over the last seven years we haven't created very many new jobs, have we?
So, we've kind of forgotten that back in the '90s we created a lot of new jobs. And there's no reason we shouldn't be able to do that again.
Well, here are some of my ideas. And I want to hear from you. I'm going to talk for a little while, and then I want you to ask questions, because, you see, I think this election is about you, it's not about me.
It's about your hopes, your dreams, your ideas. And I always think you learn more by listening than just talking. So I'm going to share some of my ideas, but then I want to hear from you.
I think we can create new jobs with a clean renewable energy future.
(APPLAUSE)
We can be investing in those kinds of jobs and new technology. You know, I outline it here because I'm convinced that if we get smart about clean renewable energy, we'll be able to create at least five million new jobs across Wisconsin and America.
Now, how would we do that? Well, we would start by saying that we'll have a strategic energy fund to make investments in clean renewable energy technologies. And we're going to pay for it because Barbara Lawton told you, I don't propose anything unless I tell you how I would pay for it, because I don't want to take any money from anybody unless it can be put to a good use that will help us as a country.
We're going to take the tax subsidies away from the oil companies. They do not need your money to make a big profit.
(APPLAUSE)
You know, we have a history in America of subsidizing certain industries, and that makes sense at certain points in our history. So, for a long time we subsidized the oil and gas industry. And they've taken your hard-earned tax dollars and put them to work on exploration and drilling and extraction. But they don't need it anymore.
We need to have competition for carbon-based fuels. That's why we need to invest in solar and wind and geothermal and biofuels.
I've done a lot of work in New York with our dairy farmers on methane and looking for other ways of using byproducts of dairy farming for energy production. I don't think we even know everything that we could possibly use for energy, and to do it efficiently. So if we take the tax subsidies away, and if we also say, look, $40 billion in the last quarter was Exxon Mobil's profits, I think a windfall profits tax on some of that in order to jump-start our economy to put people to work and clean energy makes sense.
(APPLAUSE)
And the reason it's so important is, we all know we're dependent on foreign oil. We all know that we have a problem with global warming. So it's for our security, and for our environment, and for our economy.
Now, I don't expect we'll be able to start doing what I have outlined until we have a new president, but we need to be more energy efficient. We need to be looking to see how we get more electricity from renewable sources.
You know, I was down in Milwaukee because of the snow yesterday, and there are a lot of people of German descent who live in Milwaukee. Well, Germany's made a big commitment to solar power. Germany's employing hundreds of thousands of people putting solar panels on buildings, helping to retrofit public buildings and private buildings so that they can use solar power.
Now, the last time I looked, Wisconsin had as many sunny days as Germany, and so you could be putting people to work right here on behalf of solar power if your government gave you the support through the tax system, through the incentives. That's what I will do as your president.
And for the mayors who are here, retrofitting public buildings, making them more energy efficient, you may not be able to do that on your own, but I've proposed a green building fund that cities and counties could draw upon, because we have proven that if you make relatively minor adjustments -- you know, the thickness of the glass and the window, for example, better insulating the heating and cooling systems -- you can save money in a relatively short period of time.
So there's a lot for us to do. We're an innovative people. We just have to start acting like it again. We have to be back in a solutions business and innovating our way into the future.
(APPLAUSE)
HOLMES: All right. Listening to Senator Hillary Clinton there talking about energy policy and, of course, taking a hit at her opponent, as you hear there, something that has been her theme there lately, talking about being in the solution business versus Barack Obama just giving speeches.
But Wisconsin going to be voting tomorrow, as well as Hawaii and Washington State. But a lot on the line there. We'll be keeping an eye on it, of course, here at CNN.
Also, if you want to stick with this, you can go to CNN.com/live as you see and continue to listen to what she has to stay. Also, you can stay tuned for much more on the candidates as they cross the country. You can get a full hour of "Ballot Bowl" today from noon until 1:00 Eastern.
Remember, CNN equals politics.
NGUYEN: And speaking of politics, high-stakes election in Pakistan. The parliament chosen today could very well determine the political survival of President Pervez Musharraf. He stood side by side with President Bush in the war on terror. And CNN's Jennifer Eccleston joins us from Karachi.
Jennifer, the polls are closed at this hour. So any idea how soon we'll know who the winner is?
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we'll start getting preliminary polling results at this hour and in the coming hours. But just to give you an idea of the magnitude of what they're up against, there are 272 voting districts and 64,000 polling stations that have to be registered and counted -- and accounted for before they can come out with some official tally.
We'll get a better idea of who's taken what seat as the night progresses, and then we should have some form of final count tomorrow morning. And then this country will finally know which party is going to have the majority, if they get the majority, of the parliament and who they'll name as their prime minister who will work alongside President Pervez Musharraf, in case they decide to do so. Or if there's a two-thirds majority of the opposition, they may have the right in that event to oust President Musharraf from his seat -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Jennifer, I know early on polling was pretty light there. What's the security situation like, and did that deter some people from heading to the polls?
ECCLESTON: In the run-up to this vote, so many people have said to us that they were absolutely frightened to go to the polls. They were worried about suicide bombings, they were worried about suicide attacks. And that was going to keep them at home.
We don't have a good sense of what the exact numbers of polls of the people turnout was. But we did see a fair number of people come into town to go into the polling stations and cast their vote.
There is heavy security here. In Karachi alone, there are tens of thousands of security forces there'. Police there, army there, paramilitary forces. They are guarding the vote. They're outside of the polling stations and they are making sure that nobody here gets out of hand, that there are no spontaneous protests that erupts, and that there are no injuries to people or to businesses.
Their presence is very visible. And while it may have kept some of the people home -- some of the people may have been concerned about violence -- still, others came along to cast their vote. And we'll get the numbers tomorrow about how much the population actually did so -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston joining us live from Karachi, Pakistan, where they went to the polls today in a major election.
Thank you, Jennifer.
HOLMES: Well, an animal cruelty case leads to the largest beef recall in U.S. history, but the government says there's only a remote chance that anybody could actually get sick.
Westland/Hallmark Meat Company of California is recalling 143 million pounds of beef. It was produced over the past two years. So people aren't really looking in the freezers for them, there's a good chance you've already digested this stuff. Most of it was eaten a long time ago.
This all started with accusations from the Human Society of the United States last month releasing this video that you're seeing of the inhumane treatment of cows that could not walk. And that led to animal cruelty charges against two former plant workers, and they got the USDA's attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. KENNETH PETERSEN, USDA: We did investigation, obviously for what you see on the tape, which is just clearly unacceptable handling practices. And then during the course of the -- during the investigation, we did uncover some evidence that after mine (ph) inspectors looked at animals prior to slaughter, and they look at them to make sure they're healthy and they look at them in motion. After that, on rare occasions, an animal may have gone down, and the plant is obligated to notify us so that we can come out and reexamine that animal. They did not do that, and that's a serious violation, and that's really what led to the recall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And listen to this little detail. Some of that beef, about a quarter of it, was used in school lunch programs. School systems in 36 states were warned to stop using it two weeks ago.
NGUYEN: Well, we have some new video to show you just into CNN. This coming from our affiliate KWES in Midland, Texas. But what we're showing you is the result of a oil refinery plant explosion in Big Spring, Texas, which is about 280 miles west of Dallas.
Just look at that smoke, black smoke, billowing into the air. And if you look at -- toward the right side of your screen there, you can still see the fires burning brightly.
It's not known exactly what caused this explosion, but we do know that about 170 people work at that plant. It's the Alon USA plant based in Dallas. It produces about 70 thousand barrels of petroleum a day.
Now, I just spoke with the mayor of Big Spring a little bit earlier, and he said that there are no fatalities at this moment, and that there is one injury to report, but he didn't know the extent of that injury. But just to show you the power of this kind of explosion, people living even a few miles away felt their homes just being rocked by this explosion. Doors were popped open, and a lot of people were awakened this morning by just the loud sounds of this oil refinery just undergoing this fire. And now what you're seeing is the smoke that has occurred as a result of it.
We'll stay on top of this and bring you much more just as soon as we have it into CNN.
Other stories that we want to follow for you. Students packing heat -- can concealed weapons help stop violence on school campuses?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The shooting at Northern Illinois University is raising questions this morning -- should students be allowed to carry guns to protect themselves?
Well, joining me now is W. Scott Lewis, with Students for Concealed Carry On Campus. And Garrett Evans, a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre.
I want to thank you both for being with us today.
W. SCOTT LEWIS, STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY ON CAMPUS: Thank you.
GARRETT EVANS, SURVIVOR OF VIRGINIA TECH MASSACRE: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Let me start with you, Garrett, because you were shot in both legs during that massacre at Virginia Tech. In fact, I even think we have some video of you in the hospital.
What do you think about students being able to carry guns on campus? Would that have prevented so many deaths?
EVANS: Well, first of all, I think this is a little bit inappropriate for a victim who had survived something so horrific, you know, in recent times.
NGUYEN: What do you mean inappropriate?
EVANS: Because I survived something very, very traumatic, but I will answer your question.
What would have prevented that situation was having an emergency alert system. And you know, 30 people died and 26 were wounded. And that's the reason I co-founded schooldispatch.com.
Now, staying with the issue of the guns, first of all, John Lott (ph) has been discredited for this whole idea. Second of all, students are not old enough and mentally responsible enough to deal with having guns on campus, you know, a concealed weapon, because they act on impulses because of raging hormones, instead of the use of logic. Third of all...
NGUYEN: So, you think as we see all of these shootings...
EVANS: Third of all...
NGUYEN: ... the last one being at NIU, that if a student didn't have a handgun, that student wouldn't have been able to take out the shooter before he hurt so many people?
EVANS: Well, that brings me to the third point. The third point is, it doesn't matter how trained you are. You look at what happened to Jim Brady, President Reagan and two Secret Service men. Bought a Saturday Night Special, shot them, got all six shots off before he was detained.
And you look at the St. Louis, Missouri, situation, that guy brought in his gun, shot the officer, grabbed his gun, killed five city councilmen and then shot the mayor. OK? It doesn't matter how trained you are, you could still be gotten.
NGUYEN: Well, that is a good point. And I want to bring you in, Scott, because he does make a very good point. When it comes to people who are trained, police officers trained at shooting suspects out there, I want to bring in a statistic. In 2006, the New York police statistics show that officers, when they intentionally fired a gun at a person, the hit rate was only 28 percent.
So what makes you think that students carrying guns on campus would make a difference?
LEWIS: Well, as to that accuracy rate of New York police officers, you have to understand that they're dealing with scenarios that a concealed handgun licensed holder is never going to encounter. They're firing at individuals barricaded inside of buildings, they're chasing people through dark allies.
Concealed handgun license holders are not amateur police officers. They don't go looking for a bad guy.
Most of these self-defense shootings take place at point-blank range. You don't have to be -- you don't have to dead-eye accuracy, you don't have to have lightning-fast reflexes to shoot somebody who's attacking you from only a few feet away.
NGUYEN: But the shooter could be moving. I mean, it's not like they're going to be standing still all the time. And if you're under immense pressure in an emergency situation, you're panicking because someone is shooting in the classroom, could a student be able to handle that situation and take a shooter down?
LEWIS: Well, absolutely. And as to Mr. Evans' argument that students are not mature enough, all we're talking about is allowing the same individuals who are trained and licensed -- and we're talking about individuals age 21 and above in most states -- to carry concealed hand guns virtually everywhere else. These people are already carrying at movie theaters, office buildings, grocery stores, shopping malls, churches, banks, et cetera.
NGUYEN: And, in fact, you carry a gun. Are you carrying one today?
LEWIS: Well, that's the beauty of concealed carry. You'll never know.
But the fact of the matter is, individuals have used concealed handguns under very intense circumstances, individuals with concealed handgun licenses, to stop crimes in progress, to mitigate shootings. And although we can't say that a concealed handgun can be used in any particular instance to stop a particular shooting, we can definitely say it would even the odds.
If I recall Mr. Evans' own account of the shooting, the shooter actually stopped in his classroom to reload. So there was ample time for someone with a concealed handgun to draw, take aim and fire at this individual. NGUYEN: Well, let me bring Garrett in, because, Garrett, in 12 states they're already considering bills to allow concealed weapons on campus. And the point being, if a shooter is there in a classroom, don't you think the students would have a better chance if someone else in the classroom was armed?
EVANS: First of all, thousands and thousands of schools do not have this, and they haven't had shootings either.
Second of all, you don't know how that shooter is going to attack. You don't know which way he's coming, you don't know how fast and hard he's coming. You don't even know if he's going to come with two guns. You cannot plan this.
But also, if you bring the idea of concealed weapons, you know, it's going to provoke vigilantism. OK. Let's say you do this. The criminal mind is far more advanced than the collegiate mind.
The criminal mind is going to say, what reason do I have for coming in with a shotgun or a handgun, two handguns, when I can come in with an Uzi or AK-47 to take everybody out? Then what are you going to do?
NGUYEN: Yes. That's a good point, Scott.
EVANS: Then what can they do? They can't deal with it.
NGUYEN: Scott, let me ask you that...
EVANS: Because it's going to happen.
NGUYEN: If someone who is hell bent on killing people on a school campus knows that other students have weapons, don't you think that's going to escalate the violence?
LEWIS: I have to disagree with you that that's a good point. I think that, in fact, a person with a concealed handgun license can take on someone with an AK-47 or an Uzi just as easily as if they had any other weapon, because what we're talking about are civilian firearms that are semiautomatic. They all fire one shot for one pull of the trigger.
So, this is kind of, I think, a nonsensical argument.
What we're talking about is allowing licensed individuals to carry on college campuses like they do everywhere else. And if you look, there are already 11 U.S. campuses that have for a combined total of 60 semesters allowed concealed carry on campus without a single incident of gun violence, without a gun theft, without a gun accident. This is not causing problems in many of the colleges where it's allowed.
EVANS: But you have thousands of colleges that don't have it and haven't had a problem either.
LEWIS: Well, Virginia Tech... NGUYEN: Let me see if I can get some kind of...
LEWIS: ... and Northern Illinois University had not had a problem until they had a problem.
NGUYEN: Well, let me see if I can get some kind of agreement out of you two. And maybe I can't here.
Obviously, you don't agree that students, at least Mr. Evans doesn't agree, that students should carry, obviously. Mr. Lewis, you do.
What about professors? What about those teaching the class?
If you don't think students should have it, what about those running the classroom? Should they at least have a handgun?
Let me start with you, Garrett.
EVANS: Well, believe it or not, with all the added responsibility in the riggers of daily life, added because of technology, professors I found to be very, very high strung as well. And I have seen them get angry and -- with students and things like that. So it doesn't matter how responsible you are. Somebody could -- you know, could be so angry and just so disoriented from anger, they could just go ahead and just take the problems out on somebody.
NGUYEN: Well, Scott, would you be satisfied if a professor is allowed to carry a handgun if students aren't?
LEWIS: Well, unlike Garrett, I do have some faith in our collegiate system here in America. And, I think letting professors carry it would be a good step in the right direction. But, I think, eventually we need to let everyone who is authorized by the state, who has gone through the training, who's gone through the testing, who's gone through the background checks, to obtain a concealed handgun license, we need to let them carry them carry on college campuses just like we do in most other unsecured locations.
EVANS: -- comfortable. We do not need a nervous and uncomfortable situation. Students need to be in a situation where they're happy to be. They need to learn in a peaceful environment. Okay? Also, we need to be helping people talking to people, being there for people. And, another thing, you want to prevent all this, we need to put God in schools, we need peaceful situations, because --
NGUYEN: So, your focus, Garrett, is on prevention.
EVANS: Right, prevention, because we need peaceful situations. We want these students to be comfortable, not be on edge and worried about somebody shooting them, because they were -- they called somebody a name.
NGUYEN: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. We are out of time. We do appreciate both of you coming on the show, and talking about the issue that a lot of people are discussing right now, especially in light of the NIU massacre. Thank you both.
LEWIS: Thank you.
EVANS: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is 30 past the hour out here in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes we're sitting in today for Heidi and Tony. We've been following this story this afternoon. It's not afternoon just yet. It's still morning time. A lot of news happening, time flies. But, yes, this morning a massive oil refinery explosion in west Texas. To tell you about the blast -- is happening in Big Spring, Texas.
Shaking homes. We've got i-Reports who were miles away, folks could feel their homes shake. Mayor is telling CNN that there is one injury, but no one has been killed in this fire. Firefighters still on the job right now. The Alon refinery employees are working a this thing, Alon based in Dallas. They employ about 170 people.
This particular plant is, however, about 290 miles west of Dallas. Not yet known what has caused this blast. We're keeping a close eye on this story.
Also, accusations of conspiracy, murder and cover up. Mohammed Al Fayed lashing out at Britain's royal family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Accusations today of murder, conspiracy and a royal cover-up. Mohammed Al Fayed lashing out today during an inquest into the death of Princess Diana. Our Alfonso Van Marsh outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Alfonso, a lot of people still scratching their heads. Here we are all these years later, over a decade now, and people are still investigating the death of Princess Diana.
ALFONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We're expecting at any moment for Mohammed Al Fayed to come out of the Royal Courts of Justice here behind me. I can tell you that when Mohammed Al Fayed appeared this morning he did not say much to reporters. When CNN got his attention, he raised his hand and his eyes up towards the sky.
That is a common Muslim gesture as if to say today's events are in the hands of God. Once he was inside the court he spent no time, wasted no time repeating his allegations that he believes that the royal family and the British establishment was behind the deaths, that car crash that did kill Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi over 10 years ago.
He mentioned that a little over an hour before that crash, that Diana and Dodi called him, repeating his allegations that Diana was pregnant and that they were about to announce their engagement. That's an allegation that a number of witnesses in this inquest have denied. Now, it's important to know is that during the inquest, this testimony today, he said that the crash was a slaughter, murder.
When pressed by lawyers in the inquest to provide proof for those allegations he got frustrated, emotional and at least on one occasion refused to answer questions. The justice said that it was time to take a break. Now, we also heard this afternoon a little bit more about Mohammed Al Fayed's rationale, as it were.
He made a number of allegations against the royal family, alleging that Prince Philip, the husband of queen -- of the queen, saying that he was a racist, and that he just couldn't bear to see a Muslim that would be his son Dodi, to become a stepfather to the future king of England. T.J.?
HOLMES: Well, Alfonso, also along this same lines, there is some reporting going on there as well about Diana's former butler. What's the word?
VAN MARSH: That's right. Now, while this testimony was going on inside the Royal Courts of Justice, the public outside was taking a look at this tabloid newspaper. As you mentioned, this allegation that a former royal butler also testified in the inquest told the truth, but not necessarily the whole truth, perhaps withholding some information of what he knew may have happened within that tight circle that, of course, being Diana Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed.
Now, at this point, we understand from an editor of that tabloid magazine that the justice for the inquest is launching an investigation. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. My goodness. Will this ever get worked out, and will she ever rest in peace? Alfonso Van Marsh, on the scene for us there. Alfonso, we appreciate you.
NGUYEN: Unhooked and on its own, the space shuttle Atlantis is heading home. The crew wrapped up an almost nine-day mission at the International Space Station early this morning. Atlantis is due to land Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center, and things are already hoping there. NASA wasting no time, has already put the shuttle Endeavor in motion for it's launch for March 11.
HOLMES: Well, protecting soldiers, the Army now going to the movies to combat the rise in suicide.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: An alarming rise in soldier suicides. Now the Army responds with a new strategy. CNN's Kate Bolduan has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mike Bowman says his son, Tim, was much more than just a soldier.
MIKE BOWMAN, SOLDIER'S FATHER: Very accomplished musician. He was in the school plays as the lead actor in both his junior and senior year. BOLDUAN: But after returning from a year in Iraq with the Illinois National Guard, this is the image of Tim the Bowmans are now left with. He killed himself Thanksgiving Day, 2005. He was 23.
M. BOWMAN: He came home a completely different person. It's like the life was gone out of his eyes.
BOLDUAN: Bowman says though something was wrong, his son refused to get help. Other military families tell us similar tragic stories.
COL. ELSPETH RITCHIE, U.S. ARMY PSYCHIATRIST: Multiple deployments and the length of the deployments are taking their toll on relationships and that contributes to the number of suicides and suicide attempts.
BOLDUAN (on-camera): One problem, the Army says, is soldiers are trained to be tough, to offer help rather than ask for it. But the suicide rate among soldiers, the highest is more than 25 years. Suicide attempts on a dramatic rise as well. The Army is now taking a creative step to try to stop that trend.
SHARON SLOANE, CEO, WILL INTERACTIVE: It immerses learners into an experience through the interactive movie that they can then reach back to when they're under stress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Action.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): The Army is funding an interactive video being filmed now. The aim, to expose soldiers to real life situations and challenge them to find the peaceful outcome to each scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care much mass (ph) anymore --
BOLDUAN: The goal is suicide prevention. The movie's producer says, play it out before soldiers live it out.
SLOANE: You will be making a choice every 45 seconds, maybe a minute, that will alter the story line and lead to different endings, different outcomes. It's about seeing the consequences of your choices.
BOLDUAN: Mike Bowman is fighting to stem the suicide surge as well. He spoke to Congress in December.
M. BOWMAN: Help preserve their American dream as they did yours.
BOLDUAN: He applauds the Army's effort, but Bowman says the video must be one aspect of a larger prevention program.
M. BOWMAN: It's a beginning, not a solution.
BOLDUAN: While he waits for that solution, he hopes Tim's story will open eyes and even save a life.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: A safety net for a nation, President Bush launches an international strike on tiny killers. They attack while their victims sleep.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, disappearing honeybees have scientists buzzing now. But could your favorite flavor of ice cream get stung?
Susan Lisovicz in New York, explain to people how their ice cream and these bees are connected. Nobody would have really thought that.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's actually the latest chapter in a story that we've been reporting for some time now. It's the case of the humble honeybee that is causing a major problem for food companies, including the Haagen-Dazs ice cream company.
Haagen-Dazs says the mysterious disappearance of bee colonies across the U.S. could affect 40 percent of its 60 flavors. The bees aren't around to pollinate a variety of fruits and vegetables, putting flavors like strawberry, toasted pecan and banana split at risk. And Haagen-Dazs says all its flavors are natural, so it needs those bees.
The company says if scientists can't come up with a solution soon it will have to reexamine the flavors that it currently offers customers. And if there's a shortage of these key ingredients, T.J., that means prices could go up. And you know, Haagen-Dazs is a premium ice cream. It's not cheap. I'll leave it at that.
HOLMES: Well -- I know, if some of the people I know are watching this segment right now, a tear just came to their eye about this --
LISOVICZ: They'll start hoarding it. Their freezers are going to be packed.
HOLMES: Well, of course, bad news for the ice cream fans. But, do scientists even know what is really happening here?
LISOVICZ: Well, it's been quite a mystery. Penn State University, for instance, has taken up the cause, T.J., because this affects much of our food supply, not just ice cream, as you said. Scientists there have looked into a variety of causes, including the prevalence of cell phones. The latest theory is that a virus transmitted by parasites is one cause. Another is the build-up of pesticides in bee hives.
The virus in question comes from Australia and scientists are trying to figure out the best way to combat it. Haagen-Dazs says it's donating $250,000 to fund research at Penn State and Cal Davis University. Haagen-Dazs is owned by Nestle. Nestle is a publicly traded company. But stocks are not trading today in honor of the President's Day holiday. So far I'm happy to report this month has been calmer than January. Back in January, the Dow Industrials lost more than four- and-a-half percent. February is also a down month, but the Dow Industrials are off by less than two-and-a-half percent. Last week the blue chips were up one-and-a-third for the week.
Still, lots of concerns about the economy, but it was a nice week for the bulls. And we have lots of information once trading commences again tomorrow. And we'll be talking about the numbers at that point. In the meantime, we talk about ice cream today, T.J..
HOLMES: We talk about ice cream today, a nice break at least. But yes, they're trying to save the ice cream. Ice cream research and things like that.
LISOVICZ: That's right, and saving the honeybee.
HOLMES: Saving the honeybee. Susan Lisovicz, always good to see you, kind ma'am. Thank you.
NGUYEN: President Bush in Africa and on the offensive against deadly malaria. Today, in Tanzania, he toured a factory that makes mosquito netting. The insect-borne disease kills 100,000 people a year, just in that country alone. The president called those deaths "needless." And today he announced an international effort to hand out millions of bed nets in the east African nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I'm pleased to announce new steps in the bed net campaign. In the next six months the United States and Tanzania in partnership with the World Bank and the Global Fund will begin distributing 5.2 billion free bed nets. This ambitious nationwide program will provide enough nets to protect every child between the ages of and 5 in Tanzania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: During the President's six-day trip he is planning to visit five countries on the impoverished continent.
Well, a showdown in Texas. Clerk against robber, and it's a gunfight, in the NEWSROOM. yellow ribbon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, see it for yourself. Look at this. New video coming in to us from Prattville, Alabama. And you can see the damage right there. A tornado blew through that area. 29 people were injured in yesterday's storms. No deaths reported. But some 9,000 homes and businesses were without power following the storm.
And the city was obviously under a curfew last night after so much damage. In fact, the Alabama governor Bob Riley, he is going to visit areas in Prattville today, touring some of what the tornado just ripped apart. Of course, we'll stay on top of this story and bring you the latest as soon as we get additional information.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And got a showdown in Texas to tell you about, between a cashier and a robber. Cashier is pretty quick on the draw. The story now from Bob Hallmark, he's with our affiliate, KLTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB HALLMARK, KLTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over) : Like she does every day, this Longview clerk helped a customer. But then a man runs in with a gun and points it at her head. For 37-year-old Robin Adams, it was the most frightening moment of her life.
ROBIN ADAMS, LONGVIEW CLERK: As soon as I raised up, I saw -- all I saw was the barrel of his gun. I don't know, he didn't ask for money, he didn't speak, he just wanted to shoot me. And I don't know why.
HALLMARK: With only a second to react, Adams says she ducked to the right as the shot was fired. Miraculously, the bullet misses, tears through a cigarette pack and out a plate glass window.
ADAMS: All I remember at this point is like I'm going to be shot, a split second, and I ducked to the right and he did shoot.
HALLMARK (on-screen): Adams' split-second decision to lean to the right is what saved her life. The bullet that exited through this glass window was aimed right at her head. In another second, Adams makes a gutsy move to grab a '32 pistol under the counter and fight back. Take another look. She goes barrel to barrel.
ADAMS: He immediately ducked and ran out the door. I just followed him with the gun and shot.
HALLMARK (voice-over): The suspect runs for the door and Adams fires. But a metal bar blocks the bullet.
ADAMS: And I looked at that glass and all I could think of was that would have been the back of my skull, my children would have had their mother in a closed cassette.
HALLMARK: Adams is grateful just to be alive.
ADAMS: I don't know how or why I reacted the way I did, but it worked. I have a lot to be thankful for, a lot to pray for, and it was not my time.
HALLMARK: In Longview, Bob Hallmark, KLTV-7 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And a last word from the affiliate there, the robber was still on the run.
NGUYEN: What an amazing story. Gun to gun there. CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now. LEMON: Ballot Bowl is next with live coverage of the candidates as they criss-cross the country. We'll see you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxantshop.com
