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Hanna Brings Wind and Rain, Some Flooding; Gulf Coast Residents May Soon Face Another Major Hurricane

Aired September 06, 2008 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Mary and Suzanne. Next in the NEWSROOM, tropical storm Hanna is here. A more powerful storm might be coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA: There's always uncertainty with these forecast tracks as you're aware, but forecasters tell us that Ike could threaten Florida by Tuesday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Florida taking no chances as hurricane Ike picks up steam now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH PALIN, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers, and then there are those who, like John McCain, use their careers to promote change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Plus - the political road show featuring the republicans' leading lady rolls along in Colorado.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Two big storms bearing down this hour, fast moving Hanna belts D.C. on its way right up the northeast coast. And Hurricane Ike gets a second wind as it churns toward the gulf. In just a few moments we'll get live reports out of Florida on the preparations being made there.

In the meantime, let's check in with our Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center in the hurricane headquarters to find out exactly how we're monitoring these two storms.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We'll start off with Hanna. You know, Hanna has got plenty of problems associated with it here this evening. In particular, say from Baltimore to D.C. and northward, it's still packing a punch, 50-mile-per-hour winds. While that's kind of wimpy when you think about tropical systems, 50-mile-per-hour, 60- mile-per-hour gusts is going to knock down sizeable tree branch and cause you a power outage. So this is going to be a problem.

It's rough on the roadways. We've got flooding from North Carolina on through Virginia, also into Maryland. Some evacuations had to take place near the Huntington area of Virginia this afternoon. And that rain is now spilling into places like Philadelphia. It's starting to clear up a little bit in D.C. now. We think the center of circulation is around here in Annapolis. It's moving very quickly to the north and to the east. But check out some of these winds right now. Cape May, 37 miles per hour, that's your sustained wind, not to mention those gusts which could reach 40, 50, maybe 60 miles an hour just yet. So use a lot of caution.

By the way, the airports just a nightmare across the northeast so make sure that you stick around because I'll have more details on that coming up in a minute. As for Ike, a category 3 storm again, back up there, 115 miles per hour. It's moving west-southwesterly and unfortunately it's probably going to bring a lot of rain here to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, exactly what they don't need after dealing with Hanna.

And the forecast track bringing it to the north and west of there eventually and bringing it up to the Gulf coast. Really too soon Fredricka to say what kind of impact this is going to have on the U.S., but it's going to make a close flow probably on Tuesday to the Florida Keys and then we'll be watching the northern Gulf. And we can't even rule out Texas yet as we have some models bringing it over that right.

WHITFIELD: OK. Just days, maybe even just hours away then. Jacqui, we'll all be watching and we'll keep posted with you coming up as well.

All right. As the northeast braces for Hanna, millions of people who braved the storm this morning have switched now to the cleanup mode. Here now is CNN's Stephanie Elam on the outer banks of North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the middle of the night, tropical storm Hanna made landfall, bringing strong winds and rain but leaving little disruption in her wake. Today businesses along the Carolina coastline are resuming operations. Eager to make up some revenue before the warm summer days come to an end.

VICKI HAWKE, MANAGER, SURFSIDE SUITES: It did affect the business, but, of course, it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Because most people are still coming back in today.

ELAM: Still, Hanna had enough force to cause some significant flooding in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is coursing quickly up the eastern seaboard affecting every major airport on the east coast within the next 24 hours.

While it looks like Hurricane Ike will miss this area, North Carolina's governor says officials are still keeping an eye on that brewing storm.

GOV. MICHAEL EASLEY (R), NORTH CAROLINA: I don't want people worried about that right now, but I do want them to know that we're worrying about it and we're preparing for it.

ELAM: For now, there are plenty of people happy to take advantage of Hanna's lingering wind.

MICHAEL RAGAZZO, SURFER: Good surfing day. This is well over --

ELAM: The surfers were out early in the morning, thrilled to hit the waves even if they hit back.

CONOR BUCKLEY, SURFER: The waves crashed, hit me off my board, and I guess the waves so powerful as it brought it down, snapped it in half.

ELAM; Stephanie Elam, CNN, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. The storm that is causing the most worry is still just several days away. Hurricane Ike intensified today as it churns toward the Gulf of Mexico. In the Florida Keys, evacuations have already started with the story for us live now. CNN's Susan Roesgen in Key Largo where we're looking at the north bound traffic behind you, still moving at a clip but not like we saw earlier.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it has slowed down some, Fredricka. Of course, Miami is that way. That way is Key West, the very tip of the keys, the very last key and the closest right now to Hurricane Ike. So you are all looking at the traffic getting away from there. Going about 100 miles between Key West and Miami on this series of islands connected by little bridges and, as you can see, just this two-way highway. This is the only way in and the only way out if you're going by car, and most people are. So there is a mandatory evacuation right now today for visitors, for tourists to the island.

And we met several Europeans who are here, including one woman who said she had never seen a hurricane before, but she wasn't going to wait around to find out what it was.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN: Do you think the hurricane is exciting?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I don't think so. I don't have a clue what is hurricane. I see it only on television. I don't think I'm going to (inaudible)

ROESGEN: You're going to get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What can you do? It's mother nature. Just roll with the punches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to evacuate tomorrow. I'm fishing today. It's my only day off this week and (inaudible). You know, while the weather is still good, sunshine up there. We're going to catch some fish and then we start, you know, fixing things up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN: You know, fishermen always say the fishing is really good right before a storm. It seems like the fish in the schools out there in the water are just as disoriented as people are trying to evacuate in the home depot parking lot. Can't quite figure out what they want to do or where they want to go. So that guy is going to go fishing today but as you heard in there, he is going to evacuate tomorrow. He's a local and locals here on the Keys have to evacuate tomorrow. That's the mandatory evacuation order. Of course, if they have to, Fredricka, but they're not going to be forced to. The police don't come around and get them out of their homes and force them to go, but if they stay, they may assume responsibility for their own safety.

We have here again a lot of traffic moving north toward Miami and also the Florida Highway Patrol tells us they got extra tow trucks out because you can imagine if there was just one accident here, even a small one, that could back up traffic for miles. So they've got extra tow trucks. They say they'll be able to get right on it if they have to and keep things moving smoothly. Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so, Susan, how about further south from you where we're talking about the key west airport, a lot of tourists relying on it. Given these evacuations taking place involving the tourists, what about the, I guess, availability or the openness of the airport?

ROESGEN: Well, the airport is open. We did check with the director of airport there in Key West. It is open, but we're hearing that there are very few seats left on the last flights out. They're going to keep it open, the last flight is going to be tomorrow night around 7:00. Then that's it except for private planes. So most people are going by car. The Greyhound buses are running. Rental cars are hard to come by in Key West. They said they only keep the rental car offices open through Sunday evening, in case anyone wants to try to get one and get out. But I think most people are tourists who would need the rental car, they know to get out today. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And I know it's deceiving for a lot of people who are there enjoying themselves in Key West, the Keys, or any part of Keys because it's so beautiful as the back drop we see behind you. But that weather can change on a dime and so hopefully everybody heeds the warning. All right. Thanks so much, Susan Roesgen there in Key Largo.

All right. If you are one of the Gustav evacuees, should you go back home now with Hurricane Ike looming? Probably not. Well, some answers from General Russel Honore coming up. Plus, the McCain-Palin road show, does it overshadow the Obama-Biden experience?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The presidential election just about six weeks away now, and after of months of campaigning and two conventions, both campaigns are in a mad race to the finish line. Today John McCain is courting votes in the battleground states of Colorado and New Mexico, and Barack Obama stumped in Indiana where voters are leaning McCain's way. Obama threw some political punches as well, telling a crowd that McCain's calls for change ring hollow. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us now from Terre Haute, Indiana. Suzanne, what's the latest?

MALVEAUX: Well, Fred, you got a little bit of the red meat, obviously Barack Obama hitting back on John McCain. But he also made some news just moments ago, holding a live press conference reacting to the widely anticipated move by the federal government to take over the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now, this would really represent possibly one of the most significant government interventions in the financial markets in U.S. history. That's meant to kind of stem the housing crisis, the mortgage crisis, but could also cost taxpayers in the tens of billions of dollars. So Barack Obama addressing what is widely anticipated to happen and what he believes could be a good move but at the same time could be a somewhat alarmist in some ways when it comes to looking at those financial markets and how they have behaved in the past. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any action we take has to be focused, not on the whims of lobbyist and special interests worrying about their bonuses or hourly fees but on whether it's going to strengthen our economy or it will help stabilize the housing market, help struggling homeowners who are also being hit by lost jobs, stagnant wages and spiraling costs of everything from gas to groceries and will help stabilize the financial markets.

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MALVEAUX: So, Fred, Barack Obama really taking a cautious note here, saying that there's a need to protect taxpayers, also to regulate the financial markets and using this as a way of also making the case that he believes a second economic stimulus package would be important for the American people. Obviously setting himself up as a contrast between his economic plan and that of John McCain's. Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Suzanne, what's the next step for the Obama, you know, campaign? I mean, we're seeing Biden and Obama make very separate appearances, and certainly bringing out crowds in both places. But we're seeing a different strategy for McCain and Palin where we're seeing them together.

MALVEAUX: You're seeing these two candidates apart, Joe Biden and Barack Obama, obviously are hitting those very critical swing states. You're talking about Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado. You'll see them basically blanket those particular states. They feel that they're battleground states, very, very important. They feel like they are strong on their own to campaign in those particular areas. Terre Haute, Indiana, for example, Fred, this is really a place where democrats have not had success in some 70 years of getting presidential candidates, a winning one, from this particular state or at least winning the support from this state. They believe they've got a shot at this here, but he's here because he's addressing those blue collar voters, talking about those economic issues. They think that that is really what he needs to push through to break through in order to win. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much from Terre Haute, Indiana.

All right. John McCain, he's making his case to voters in the toss-up state of Colorado. And by his side, as I mentioned, running mate Sarah Palin whose speech at the convention this week got rave reviews and still a lot of ripple effects from that. Let's turn now to Mary Snow in Colorado Springs where the McCain-Palin team just wrapped up a rally. What was the turnout like?

SNOW: Well, I tell you, Fredricka, one of the ripple effects is the crowds. The McCain campaign on the ground here says they gave away 12,000 tickets for today's rally, and certainly people in the crowd said while they may have supported Senator McCain beforehand, they said they felt much more enthusiastic about it today and it turned out in this crowd.

As you mentioned, Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been campaigning together, delivering their message. They're trying to strike home the message that they are reformers and also taking aim at Barack Obama, saying that he cannot bring about change. We will talk about that more in a minute. But also they did touch upon the headlines today about the expected takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Senator McCain made a brief comment alluding to it, talking about tough times, citing the unemployment number yesterday, also saying that it's important for government to stand with people, not get in the way. And Governor Palin actually addressed this. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH PALIN, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John McCain has been calling for years to reform things and cut bureaucracy, even at the lending agencies that our government supports. The fact is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers. The McCain-Palin administration will make them smaller and smarter and more effective for homeowners who need help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And that was pretty much the extent of what the republican ticket had to say about today's developments with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fredricka, you also mentioned the message of change and how Senator Barack Obama had taken aim at the republican ticket saying, really, what change would they bring about? We talked to Senator McCain that is, talked about the fact that he is a maverick, trying to paint himself and Governor Palin as reformers. Here's a little bit about what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I fought the big spenders, my friends, both parties who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, and I want to promise you, as president of the United states, the first earmark, pork barrel-laden, big-spending bill that comes across my desk, I'll veto it. You'll know their names and I'll make them pay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And now, that is the theme that Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been striking in recent days. They are now headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico. And, Fredricka, Governor Palin had been scheduled to go solo beginning on Monday, but change in plans. The campaign is now saying that she will stay with Senator McCain for the next few days into the early part of the week. And then they'll update the schedule but at this point also, no plans for any kind of press conference for Governor Palin. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Interesting stuff. All right. Mary Snow in a very windy Colorado Springs. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right. In our political ticker, senators Barack Obama and John McCain will be coming together to mark the seventh anniversary of 9/11 this Thursday. They released a joint statement today saying "all of us came together on 9/11 - not as Democrats or Republicans - but as Americans. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost love ones."

That joint statement coming from McCain and Obama.

Meantime, check out our political ticker for all the latest campaign news. Just logon to cnnpolitics.com, your source for all things political.

Well, a stunning announcement today about two mortgage giants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some economic news now. Thousands of Boeing workers went on strike today after two days of talks came up empty. The main sticking points include job security, outsourcing and health care benefits. One worker says the strike is about lack of respect. The striking workers assembled Boeing's commercial planes and some key components.

And a potential bombshell at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A number of sources and reports say the federal government is in negotiations to take over the mortgage giants. Together, Fannie and Freddie hold or back almost half the nation's mortgages worth more than $5 trillion. Let's talk about what this means to homeowners.

Joining me in Washington is Michael Crittenden. He's a reporter for the Dow Jones Newswires. Good to see you.

MICHAEL CRITTENDEN, WSJ/DOWN JONES NEWSWIRES: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So break down exactly what this means when the federal government could potentially go in and say, OK, we're now going to control Freddie and Fannie.

CRITTENDEN: Well, it's really is a huge deal. The goal here I think is to offer some stability in the housing markets. Obviously, data yesterday showed a record number of homeowners are behind or in foreclosure. So the goal here really is to add some stability. It's a huge move. I mean, there's no doubt about that. These are two major companies.

WHITFIELD: So some did see something coming, that there needed to be some safety net because there had been revealed some trouble, financial difficulties, involving these mortgage giants. Was this the only, I guess, saving grace here?

CRITTENDEN: Well, lawmakers, policy makers, the treasury at the Federal Reserve, they've been struggling with this for months. It's a huge step. It's sort of what you saw with Bear Stearns. It's not a step many people wanted to take. But these two companies do serve - they are part of the engine in our economy. They are the only game in town when it comes to mortgages. The hope is that by taking this step, they can offer some stability and will lower interest rates for a lot of borrowers nationwide.

WHITFIELD: So it sounds like this was really the only option. Because if not, Freddie and Fannie could end up just like say the 11 banks so far that have folded because of the mortgage mess.

CRITTENDEN: Well, yes. That's exactly what they wanted to do. The timing is interesting. It's after both political conventions but far enough away from November's elections so that there isn't the political component you might see. So this is a step hopefully lawmakers and policy makers hope that this will stabilize the two firms. They're still going to see some losses, but this sort of allows the federal government to run the day to day operations and have a stronger hand with both firms.

WHITFIELD: So what does this mean if I'm trying to buy a home, trying to take out, you know, a loan and these two giants are my only option?

CRITTENDEN: Well, the uncertainty surrounding the two firms has resulted in higher interest rates nationwide. So I think the hope among many here in Washington is that this will lower rates for people, add some stability in the housing market, sort of get things back on track. I mean, these two firms guarantee, like you said, a little more than $5 trillion worth of U.S. loans. So this is meant to be a message to markets worldwide, plus the U.S. homeowners, Main Street and Wall Street, to just sort of send the message that the U.S. government is not going to let these two firms fail.

WHITFIELD: People need to feel that this is hopeful. This actually is encouraging news to help save these giants.

CRITTENDEN: Yes. And, I mean, there is an aspect of risk to taxpayers, but even, you know, at historical levels, say, three percent of their loans that they guarantee default, that would be $150 billion taxpayers would be on the hook for. But that's a worst-case scenario. Most likely this isn't going to cost taxpayers anything the way the treasury is structured. Details are still coming out as we speak.

WHITFIELD: Not perhaps like it would have had there had not been a bailout or a potential bailout in tens of billions of dollars that it might cost taxpayers of.

CRITTENDEN: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Crittenden, thanks so much of Dow Jones Newswires. Appreciate your time.

CRITTENDEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to talk more weather straight ahead with Hurricane Ike making its way seemingly toward the Gulf coast. It does beg the question, if you evacuated the region because of last week's Hurricane Gustav, should you be going back right now? Some answers from General Russel Honore.

JERAS: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in your hurricane headquarters. The latest forecast track on Ike and Hanna becoming a real headache for travelers. We'll find out who's got the worst delays. That's coming up with your forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: For a moment, it was Hurricane Hanna, now Tropical Storm Hanna. Still a problem. It brought a lot of wind, a lot of rain, a lot of water. Big mess all along the east coast. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras. It is still a problem, maybe not as significant as people thought initially, but it's still a problem.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Oh boy. Well, we're talking about what's happening now and what's next with Hanna and Ike. But then there was also what just happened last week. Remember that? Gustav. I know, a lot of folks want to put that behind them. But if you live in Louisiana and you're along the Gulf Coast, it's kind of hard to do that, because five days ago Gustav hit Louisiana. Nearly one-third of the state's power customers are still now in the dark. Residents of 47 parishes are still being told to boil their water. And an over night curfew is still in effect in Louisiana's capital city of Baton Rouge.

So with the threat from Ike, should people be actually going back to Louisiana right now? Because a lot of folks are just really antsy to get back home. Here to answer that, CNN contributor and retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore. Good to see you. There are a lot of folks who left the Gulf Coast region, either moved even further north than Baton Rouge, who want to make their way back. But is now really the right time?

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, each family must decide that, based on if you're up in Point Depuis (ph) Parish or Baton Rouge and you are without power, because that's where you evacuated to with families, it certainly makes a lot of sense to come home to New Orleans or St. Bernard Parish. Realize, you may not have power, but you're in your home.

Look, Fred, the only thing worse than evacuation is the re-entry, because the re-entry is going to be worse because now you have the effects of the storm to deal with; no power, no cell phones, no hot water.

WHITFIELD: Maybe not even your phone service.

HONORE: This is a painful thing people are going through. It's hard to describe it if you haven't been there and done it. There's a lot of suffering going on for people trying to --

WHITFIELD: The reason why we're asking that question, not because it's just five days after the fact, should you really go home; it may not be comfortable. But because there is another storm that threatens that same region. We're talking about Ike. That's why this question is being asked right now. If you're antsy to get home, need you be thinking about the potential of what's next? Do you really want to go through this all over again? Do you want to have to evacuate all over again? Certainly you don't want to try to weather this storm.

HONORE: Yes. It's a reality we live with. Right after Katrina, two and a half weeks later, we had Rita. It's a condition we live with in the Gulf States. It's one that families have to make the decision on based on where they are. There's a lot of poor people, people struggling economically. Many of them spent their rent money to get out of town and now they're coming back. They still have to pay their rent. They have to buy food.

Evacuation is expensive. It's stressful. And it creates a lot of drama in people's lives, particularly with kids and the elderly they have to pay special attention to.

WHITFIELD: When we talk about re-entry as well, how about all the emergency responders, who need the room to do their jobs to restore that power, to get those power lines out of the way, downed trees out of the way? When you come back home, you kind of are hampering those efforts, aren't you?

HONORE: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: If you come back too early.

HONORE: But do I stay four or five days in hotels out of town? FEMA has established a procedure for people to get help with hotels. The problem is, the people who need it most, they don't have power. So we can't communicate. They don't have access to Internet. And the state and parishes are working on that, but that is a very difficult process these next few days. And at the same time, as you said, they've got to make a decision about if Ike comes and when do they move and if they're going to move.

WHITFIELD: These are tough choices that are going to have to be made over the next couple of days. Lieutenant General Russel Honore, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Helping keep us on our toes, and make some good decisions, as we have more threatening weather on the way. HONORE: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, when a school district is rated the worst in the country, you can expect some changes, right? But is money for good behavior the answer?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Students attending public schools in Washington, D.C. are under-performing and have been for years now. Well, now the new school chief is hoping to turn things around by shaking things up. Here now is CNN's Kate Baldwin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first day back for D.C. schools, and Chancellor Michelle Rhee says they've hit the ground running.

MICHELLE RHEE, D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR: Do I deliver?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Working phones, clean floors, and textbooks in place are a few examples of improvement, but Rhee, now entering her second year in charge, says it's the decades of poor student achievement that call for drastic action.

RHEE: We need to see radical changes because the outcomes for kids that are happening right now are robbing them of their futures.

BALDWIN: An annual record card by Education Week grading public schools across the country ranks D.C. Last. A D plus overall, and an F for K-12 student achievement. Rhee's answer? In one year, she closed 23 schools, fired 36 principals, and cut 15 percent of central office staff.

(on camera): Why so much? Why so fast?

RHEE: For our eighth graders, only 12 percent of them are proficient in reading, according to the Nape Exam, and only eight percent of them are proficient in math. When you look at those statistics, you have to have a sense of urgency.

BALDWIN (voice-over): Her latest move? A pilot program paying middle school students cash for good behavior and attendance, up to 100 dollars a month.

RHEE: There are a whole lot of incentives to do the wrong things, negative things out on the streets, hustling, dealing drugs, all that sort of thing. We have to have a counter-balance to that.

BALDWIN: While Rhee says the initiative has proven successful in other cities, some, including father of five Clarence Terry, call the cash and Rhee's overall direction misguided and reckless. CLARENCE TERRY, FATHER OF FIVE: It is a very dangerous game. You can't come in and fix a 20-year issue in one or two years, or even three years. It has to be long and brought out.

BALDWIN: Rhee's plan to turn the failing D.C. School system on its head has met protest every step of the way, even from teachers in her own district.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the people who view her aggressive actions as a positive thing, I think they're missing the boat, because if it results in more chaos and dysfunction, it's not the solution that we need.

BALDWIN: Rhee insists she's listening, but when it comes to kids' education, she firmly believes the only way to work is fast.

RHEE: Hundred miles an hour, 100 miles an hour. Are we going fast enough?

BALDWIN: Kate Baldwin, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Do Americans have a whitening disorder when it comes to their teeth? And are your kids too young to get theirs whitened? The topic in today's health for her segment with CNN's Judy Fortin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a nation, we're obsessed with white teeth. In fact, it may have replaced the never too thin or too rich mantra we've been chanting over the years. Some dentists think we've taken it one step further.

DR. SUSAN ESTEP, COSMETIC DENTIST: I think we have whitening disorder just like we have eating disorders. I have people come in who have, you know, their teeth are as white as a window pane, and they say, you know, my teeth are yellow and I just want to get them whiter.

FORTIN: And whiten they do. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, teeth whitening has become the country's number one requested cosmetic dental procedure. And its bleaching ways are reaching a younger and younger crowd.

ESTEP: We're at this point comfortable whitening as young as 10. So when the permanent teeth first start to come in.

FORTIN: But some parents worry that these chemically induced bright smiles in children may have dire consequences for their kids' dental future. While in extreme cases, too much whitening can lead to decay or even discolored teeth, most dentists say, when done as directed, there is little cause for concern.

ESTEP: As long as you're using a whitening system that is either through your dentist or has the ADA seal of approval, there's not really any risks. Your teeth might become sensitive, but we've done studies on hundreds of thousands of teeth at this point, and not found the whitening to ever damage enamel, damage the roots or damage the teeth in any way.

FORTIN: And while the over the counter products cost less, there are some reasons to let a professional sign off on your or your child's decision to go brighter.

ESTEP: The one reason we want people to do this in a professional setting is that sometimes teeth are dark for reasons of trauma or decay. And sometimes if they whiten, that tooth will get white and it will mask a problem, an underlying problem, that maybe we would have found out if they would have had an examination before they start the whitening process.

FORTIN: Because in the end, after all that whitening, you want to make sure that where your teeth are concerned, you still have plenty to smile about.

Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about vacations. For a lot of folks, tough times means it's pretty tough to plan one. But there are some shortcuts out there if you're on a budget. We'll take a look, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: A light earthquake took place in San Francisco. The magnitude four quake was centered about 14 miles east of Oakland. No reports of injuries or even damage. That's good. It hit just after 9:00 Pacific time last night, enough to rattle dishes however. Fans at a San Francisco Giants game said they felt a shudder. But the game, of course, played on.

And talk about a surprise. Take a look at this. A single-engine plane made an emergency landing on the busy New Jersey Garden State Parkway. That was yesterday. Police say the plane lost power after taking off from a nearby airport. Fortunately, no one hurt there either. Not on the plane, not on the ground.

Well, the economy might have stopped some people from planning a vacation getaway. But CNN's Veronica de la Cruz has some tricks to help you get out of town for less.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An affordable vacation may be all about the timing.

CHRIS MCGINNIS, EXPEDIA.COM: If you can time your trip properly and travel during non-peak travel times, you can save 40 percent or 50 percent right off the bat. The cheapest time to fly is mid-week. The key is to travel when business travelers are not traveling. CRUZ: But the opposite may be true when searching for the best deal on a hotel.

MCGINNIS: Weekends in business travel cities are a lot less expensive. In vacation destinations like Las Vegas or Orlando, you'll find that you'll get the very best deals if you're willing to travel mid-week.

CRUZ: McGinnis also suggests thinking outside of the box when choosing a vacation destination.

MCGINNIS: Consider going somewhere like Arizona. Some of the most beautiful and luxurious spas in the world are in this area.

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WHITFIELD: All right, well, for us it was indeed the trip of a lifetime. My dad, the Olympic champion, returns to the summer games and we've got pictures to prove it.

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WHITFIELD: While they are planning for THE NEWSROOM straight ahead, Josh and I are planning to chat a little bit. You might want to join in.

JOSH LEVS, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: I mean, I have the honor today. I get to debrief Fred on this incredible trip she took with her dad. We were talking about it a few weeks ago. They remember. Your dad, the Olympic champion. You went over to Beijing for this incredible reunion. Tell us about it.

WHITFIELD: Now it's a week or so after the games. And dad and I are both still in our kind of Olympic high. because we had a great time. It was a great reunion for him particularly, because he's a 1948 and '52 Olympian.

LEVS: Gold medalist.

WHITFIELD: This year, it's 60 years since his first medals, he along with three other Olympians that he got to reunite with. He didn't know they were going to be there. I did, of course. He didn't know they were going to be there in Beijing. He saw them. It was beautiful. You know, some of the videotape that you see behind us I actually shot. I am no photographer, by any stretch of the imagination. But I took home video that I just really wanted to document for my dad's personal diary and mine as well.

You see here in these images here of him reuniting with Sammy Lee, a diver, gold medalist, right there, Herb Douglas, there to the left, and then Harrison Dillard. And all of them there -- it was a beautiful reunion of all of them. They had a great time at the games. You know, to see one another and of course to take in some of the events.

LEVS: What was it like for him all these years after being a historic figure in so many ways? I read he was praised by Ronald Reagan. He's a major figure in sports history. Here he is returning, in a sense, to the Olympic spirit, to the Olympic scene. What was it like for him? What was tough for him? What was new for him?

WHITFIELD: It was all encompassing. It was really exciting for him. He still says to this day that this was one of the most exciting Olympic experiences he's ever had since his Olympic medal wins, of course. Just to go back and to see all of his old buddies from long ago, and to see China and the way it has evolved over the years. It's been 27 years since he has seen China.

LEVS: Let's see the photos.

WHITFIELD: Some of the still images there, that's actually Kathy Order (ph), who is the wife of the late Al Order, who is a decathlete, who just passed away last fall. There's me trying to take video. You see, I'm terrible at it. Anyway, the idea here is while this was a reunion of the '48 Olympians, it also meant bringing together that Olympic family. So Edwin Moses from '84, he was there. Dick Fozbury, you know, of the Fozbury flop, he was there as well. He's also the president of the World Olympic Association.

But this really was a big Olympic family gathering, and I was lucky enough to be the fly on the wall and be able to witness it all. There's me talking with Edwin Moses, an extraordinary individual.

LEVS: Really quickly, you're seeing your dad in this whole new context there. Did you learn new things about your dad? Did you see your dad in a new way? Because to everyone else he's Mal Whitfield. To you he's dad.

WHITFIELD: I did, in part. I mean, I always knew he was pretty extraordinary. I've known over the years how -- that's us getting ready to go to the athletics -- I've always known he was extraordinary, but it was just nice to see him -- kind of that locker room atmosphere with he and his buddies. It was real sweet.

LEVS: He's watching right now, right?

WHITFIELD: Yes, he is.

LEVS: So proud of you for this whole trip, for everything you did about it. You can watch video and read more about it at CNN.com. We encourage you all to check that out. Incredible story.

WHITFIELD: Exactly. Thanks, Josh, for letting me relive it all over again. It was fun.

Thanks for going along with us for the ride, and letting me talk about it forever!

LEVS: It's my favorite story. Everybody knows this. I've been looking forward to this. Got to go, bye, bye, bye. I know. I know.

WHITFIELD: Rick Sanchez coming up next here in THE NEWSROOM.

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