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Fighting Intensifies in Gaza; Israelis Fearing Hamas Rocket Attacks; Senate Democrats Won't Let Senate Pick on Floor; President- elect Barack Obama and his Family Move to D.C.; Black Cab Woes
Aired January 02, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Waiting for orders at the border. Could Israel's air attacks on Gaza now be backed up by a ground assault?
And he's the governor's choice to take Barack Obama's Senate seat, but Democrats now say they won't let him in the door.
It's Friday, January 2nd, 2009. I'm Heidi Collins and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Israeli tanks perched on the border. Could an invasion of Gaza be on the horizon? The fighting intensifies on this seventh day of the offensive.
This is video of an Israeli air strike on a mosque. Israel says it was a Hamas stronghold where weapons were being stored.
Warplanes also hit about 20 homes linked to members of Hamas and other militant groups.
Also today, a funeral for the Hamas military leader killed in yesterday's air strike. He is among the growing death toll. Palestinian medical sources say more than 420 people have been killed in Gaza.
Israel says four people have been killed by Palestinian rocket fire.
There's awful lot going on today, but not only in the region. Also, in the international community which is getting more vocal now about the conflict.
Want to get the very latest developments.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is along the Israel-Gaza border.
Paula, good morning.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, certainly the international community is getting worried about this because the death toll keeps rising.
At least 420 have been killed now in Gaza according to Palestinian medical sources, and well over 2,000 have been injured. Now, obviously many of these that have been killed are Hamas operatives. Israel's made it very clear that it is after the Hamas leaders and certainly, yesterday, we saw one of the top leaders, one of the founders of Hamas, being killed along with his four wives and nine of his children.
So the ground operation is still an option. We're still seeing the tanks on the horizon, all facing in the direction of Gaza. But, of course, it is a very difficult decision for Israel. If it does go in a ground operation, it is more than likely to take heavy casualties. And of course, that could well be more Palestinian civilian casualties as well.
Now one other thing that did happen this morning, about 280 foreign nationals were allowed out of Gaza. Israel opened the border crossing at the northern tip of Gaza to allow those foreign nationals out.
Unfortunately, they did not allow foreign journalists the other way, which is why we're still on this side of the border. Israel still not allowing us to report from Gaza itself. Heidi?
COLLINS: All right. Understood, Paula. You know, I wonder, though, there'd be plenty of military strategists, I think, that would agree that you can't really have a successful outcome in a military conflict without backing up an air assault with a ground attack.
But, clearly, you know, every situation is different. What's the thinking here?
HANCOCKS: Well, certainly the indications are that the Israel military would like to back it up with a ground operation just because it is able to target more of the rocket launches, more of the rocket caches, and actually find the Hamas leaders who are pretty much all underground at the moment.
Apart from the one that was assassinated yesterday, most of them were under ground trying to hide from these air strikes.
And the ground operation would really give them access to what they can't see from the air. There's only so much you can see from a drone and of course, the Israeli military says that if there are too many civilians around a certain target, they won't go for that target.
So a ground operation would help them in that respect. But Hamas has already said if the troops come in, then there will be fire and volcanoes under their feet. They had booby-trapped the way into Gaza.
It will be a bloody operation, according to everyone's estimates especially the military experts who think that there could be heavy Israeli soldier casualties.
COLLINS: Absolutely. All right. They've certainly got a lot to weigh on their minds. Appreciate the reporting.
CNN's Paula Hancocks for us this morning. From Israel to Afghanistan now, protests against the air strikes on Gaza. As you see here, there were a few rock throwers in Jerusalem, but the demonstration fell far short of what Hamas leaders called for. They demanded a quote, "day of rage."
Protesters were also out of Mideast capitals of Tehran, Damascus and Cairo.
As long as you're near a computer, you are never far from the latest developments in the Middle East. So just go ahead and log on to our Web site, CNN.com.
The Pacific Northwest pummeled by one storm after the other last month is getting hit again. This one could dump as much as 18 inches of new snow on the cascades.
Two main east-west mountain passage in Washington are still close for fear of avalanches there.
And parts of Oregon getting more of the rain. And that's causing a whole lot of flooding. Portions of several state highways have been closed. And flood warnings are out.
Wow.
Reynolds Wolf is standing by now in the weather center to talk a little bit more about this.
Boy, quite a bit of water there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, Heidi, I think we've covered all the bases.
COLLINS: Yes.
WOLF: Rain, sleet, snow, maybe even some thunderstorms all in the mix as we move in the weekend.
COLLINS: Yes. And Happy 2009, huh?
WOLF: No question.
COLLINS: All right, Reynolds. Thank you.
President-elect Barack Obama in Chicago today. He has said good- bye to his Hawaiian holiday and now it's time to get back to work.
CNN's Brianna Keilar is joining us now live from Chicago this morning to talk a little bit more about that.
Good morning to you, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Yes, back to work. Plans underway for a meeting between the president-elect and House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, to talk about Obama's proposal for a new, massive economic stimulus plan.
Now the Obama transition team not actually confirming that this meeting is the taking place in Washington on Monday, but a congressional Democratic leadership aide is, but of course, Obama has to get to Washington first.
We are expecting that the soon-to-be first family will be moving to the nation's capital this weekend. And this, of course, coming a little earlier than other administrations as the Obamas trying to get their girls, Sasha and Malia, settled ahead of Monday, which is when the girls' new school comes back into session from the holiday break -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, and we're also hearing rumblings, too, Brianna, that controversial Senate-designate, Roland Burris, as I'm sure you're very well aware of that story, might show up in Washington Tuesday.
This could be kind of a scene, if you will.
KEILAR: Yes, and also, this is something that's kind of distracting for Senate Democrats as well as for the Obama transition team because there's a bit of a question mark as to what happens.
But at this point, Senate Democratic leaders, according to an aide, are kind of creating a contingency plan in case Burris shows up because they're actually expecting that he is going to show up on Tuesday for the opening day of Congress.
This contingency plan includes -- if he shows up, what they're anticipating is that he comes with an appointment form that's not signed by the Illinois secretary of state. They say they will consider then this to be incomplete and they're going to want to kind of send it back this way to Illinois.
But they say they've gone as detailed, according to this aide. Democratic leaders have gone as detailed as to if Burris tries to go on to the Senate floor, that he'll be turned away.
There's a plan that if, you know, he is to make a scene, that police will be summoned, that the sergeant-at-arms of the Senate will be summoned.
But for his part, Heidi, Burris tells the "Chicago Tribune" that he's not wanting to make a scene in Washington and that what he wants to do is coordinate with Senate Democratic leaders ahead of going so that they kind of understand...
COLLINS: Yes.
KEILAR: ... they have an agreement on what's going to play out.
COLLINS: Yes. Who could it (INAUDIBLE) him possibly to speak with the people in his state before going to Washington to kind of get -- I'm talking about secretary of state of Illinois who would need to maybe on his side of this whole discussion before going to Washington.
I mean wouldn't that help?
KEILAR: You know, I'm not exactly sure, but certainly the secretary of state here in Illinois has said he has no plans to sign...
COLLINS: Right.
KEILAR: ... this -- it's basically -- it's like a permission slip. Imagine showing up as a kid going on a field trip, you don't have the permission slip signed.
So the secretary of state has said...
COLLINS: Yes.
KEILAR: ... I know he's not going to do that. And Burris is trying to force his hand in court. So as you can see, it's not really a discussion level. This is kind of...
COLLINS: Yes.
KEILAR: It's -- you know, it's a legal issue.
COLLINS: Yes. All right. Well, we're following that one very closely.
Sure do appreciate it. Brianna Keilar live from Chicago this morning.
And some information just in to us now. Want to make sure we let you know that, apparently, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going to be speaking from the White House. It's going to be happening in about 20 minutes, 9:30 or so, this morning regarding the situation in Gaza.
So we will be monitoring that and bring it to you live if we feel it is warranted.
Meanwhile, Rahm Emanuel expected to give up his House seat today.
Emanuel has already started working as Barack Obama's chief of staff, as you know. The Illinois Democrat was just reelected to his fourth term in the House.
Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to announce his plan for a special election to fill that vacant seat.
Caroline Kennedy may soon be the next senator from New York. The Associated Press reports this morning two people close to New York governor David Paterson say he's leaning that way.
Paterson spokeswoman says they have no comment. Same answer came from the Kennedy camp.
This comes one day after New York's influential state assembly speaker came out in support of Kennedy.
One year ago, the price of oil hit $100 a barrel for the very first time. What pushed it up then and what's happening to the price now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
COLLINS: Once again, want to remind you we have just learned here at CNN that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going to be speaking from the White House today. It's going to be happening at 9:30 this morning. 9:30 Eastern Time, so about 15 minutes away or so, regarding the situation in Gaza.
So we'll bring that to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is the first day of trading for the New Year and many markets, though, are still close. But a bright start for those that did open.
It's been a mostly up day for Asian and Pacific markets. Major European stocks climbed as well, and Wall Street futures are pointing to a mixed open.
Oil prices fell below $42 a barrel today. One year ago, oil prices, as I'm sure you remember, soared to $100 a barrel for the very first time.
So what a difference a year make, huh?
CNN's Christine Romans is joining us now with more on that historic rise.
Historic, that is for sure.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We were at $100 a barrel and people were trying to figure out why. It turns out there was -- there were a lot of fundamental reasons why. Strong demand from China and from India, from emerging markets from United States and economy that was still strong then.
And also supply disruptions, the concern for them, in Nigeria and elsewhere, so you had all of this conspiring to drive oil prices above $100 for a barrel of crude. You also had a technical glitch where a trader put in an order for it 100 and it got it over that mark, so there was a little bit of that going on as well.
But what a difference a year makes.
And so let's talk about 2007. 2007, first of oil, you saw oil prices rally sharply. Up 57 percent, culminating in that $100 at the very beginning for 2008. And then 2008, prices rallied. It's $147 in the middle of the summer and then plunged so for the year last year, oil prices down 61 percent.
So it's really been a wild ride now.
Peter Beutel, who's an analyst over at Cameron Hanover, he accurately predicted to me late last year what would happen. He said the cure for these high oil prices -- this is before they get to a $100 a barrel.
So the cure here is a global recession. That will cure high oil prices. That's exactly what happened.
So I asked him what's going to happen with gas prices and oil prices this year, because he was right last year.
He says he thinks gas prices are going to go to 2.60 to 2.99 a gallon, maybe by Memorial Day. They're going to go back up by Memorial Day but that he says they're going to retreat, and they'll retreat into the end of maybe new lows late this year or into early next year.
He said this is a little bit -- we've had a brief relief here from those high oil prices.
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: But he said longer term, we still have the same issues. You know, if the economy starts to grow again, we'll be back to where we were before, with the same kind of issues and heavy demand for crude.
But, boy, it has been really a wild ride. Now the reason why those oil prices have come down, those gas prices have come down, make no mistake, because of a global recession. There is decreased demand for crude.
Where we were a year ago and where we are today in terms of the macro fundamentals of this economy are completely different, frankly, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, no question about that. And certainly, we always remind everybody, oil prices too, too low are also a bad thing.
ROMANS: That's right.
COLLINS: All right. Christine, we'll continue to follow that one with you.
ROMANS: Yes.
COLLINS: Thanks so much.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
COLLINS: We have gotten used to those low gas prices, right? But get ready because we may see some of those savings slip away. A federal commission wants to pump up the national gas tax we pay. The commission, which overseas funding for transportation projects, is suggesting another dime a gallon for gas and as much as 15 cents for diesel. The reason, Americans are driving less and buying less gasoline. So that's making it tougher to pay for road, bridge and mass transit projects.
In Illinois, federal aviation investigators want to know why this plan crashed at the Joliet Regional Airport last night. Two people on board were killed when the plane burst into flames. The sky was clear at the time and there is no word of any mayday from the pilot.
The flight apparently originated in Buffalo, New York.
The Coast Guard still searching for a cruise ship worker who fell into the water early yesterday. The accident happened just days after a passenger on another cruise ship fell to her death.
CNN's Ed Lavandera reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Carnival Sensation cruise ship was just hours away from the end of a four-day New Year's journey through the Bahamas when a crew member was seen falling over board.
MADELINE CZERWINSKI, PASSENGER: You really couldn't see anything. It's -- night. It's dark, but you know, it's just a tragedy. I mean, he just fell over.
LAVANDERA: Carnival says it was an accident and describes the victim as an off-duty male crew member of the entertainment staff. His name hasn't been released but one passenger says he knows something about him.
JOEL WEBER, PASSENGER: He said that he was, he was on the first round of and "American Idol" and didn't make it. And here -- so he came on here to get his act together.
LAVANDERA: It happened just before 1:00 a.m. as the crews passengers we're celebrating the new year.
SUSAN KELSALL, PASSENGER: It was really (INAUDIBLE). This tragic thing happened. You know, so, it's affected the whole ship and you can see it everybody's eyes, you know. Just, just so very sad.
LAVANDERA: The ship was about 20 miles off the Florida shoreline. Six other crew members say they saw the man plunge 82 feet into the water. They three a lifeline and called the Coast Guard, but the missing crew member has nothing found.
MARSHALL RIFF, U.S. COAST GUARD: 68 would see it, right now. So it's pretty rough out there, especially on -- in those seat conditions to spot anybody in the water.
LAVANDERA: This accident comes just a week after a woman disappeared into a Norwegian cruise line ship disappeared into the waters off the Mexican coastline.
The search for her has been called off after her family said she may have committed suicide.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: While people were celebrating the New Year, he was strapped in a bus seat and shivering. A man with cerebral palsy left in the cold for 19 hours.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Free antibiotics. That's the offer from Giant Foods. The Mid-Atlantic grocery story chain is launching a new program in their stores. Starting today, you can get a two-week supply of some generic antibiotics for free with the doctor's prescription.
He offered runs through March. Giant has stores in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C. Other grocery stores in places like Target and Wal-Mart already offered generic prescriptions for as little as $4.
He hasn't discovered the fountain of youth. But our Dr. Sanjay what good are you?
Hi, Dr. Sanjay, good to -- is here now talking today -- about more ways to live longer. And we were discussing in the break why other people would still want to do that, but...
(LAUGHTER)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No one wants to live forever.
COLLINS: No, I don't think so.
GUPTA: But you don't want to die tomorrow either, and there lies part of the problem, right? You want to try and add years and functionally you're still alive.
COLLINS: A quality year.
GUPTA: That's right.
COLLINS: Right.
GUPTA: Be it sound mind, a sound body, for sure. And besides going to stem cell clinics in Moscow, which we did, or are trying to figure out suspended animation, there are some simple things you can do to try and add some years to your life.
Flossing is something that people talk about. Pretty simple. Adding a couple of minutes at the end of your day. But idea is -- or the beginning of your day. The idea is that simply trying to decrease some of the inflammation in your gums can thwart heart disease later on in life.
That -- which is great because that's something you certainly want to do in terms of trying to add years to your life. But there are some other simple ones as well. Overall, if you add these all up, you can add 10 years. Flossing, low-dose aspirin. You can add two years for that.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Limiting coffee intake. Are you a big coffee drinker?
COLLINS: I didn't used to be until I started working here.
GUPTA: Well...
COLLINS: I never touched the stuff.
GUPTA: And you kind of add two cups a day because if you do...
GUPTA: Yes, I can do that.
GUPTA: ...you add a year to your life with that as well. Checking your vital signs, finding things that high blood pressure may cause earlier can add a year and a half in your life.
Exercise in three times a week can heave three years and cutting back on work a little bit to 40-50 hours a week. That can help as well, and those all up you get 10 years of life.
Now, you know, I'll be the first to say, I don't always practice what I preach, but if you're about adding functionally years to your life, this can certainly help. No one has officially died of old age in this country since 1951.
That when they took it off the books. It's all these other thinks the cause the problems.
Yes, wow. You know the whole work thing, though, I mean very few of us are in control of how many hours a week we can work unless -- I guess you're an entrepreneur. You work for yourself.
GUPTA: That's right.
COLLINS: So how do you really make a change there and have it have an impact on your health?
GUPTA: Well, you know, it's not so much about the number of hours, they say, or even the stress, but it -- but more about how you manage that stress in the long run.
Stress and the physical ailments, we know a lot more about the interplay between these two things.
For example, yes, your shoulder...
COLLINS: Yes. GUPTA: Take a look at this animation here if we have it. Stress affects starting to your jaw. Tightly jaw can cause headaches. Your cardiovascular system, your heart can raise your blood pressure, you can go up. Your intestinal system, you're G.I. system caused stomach, nausea, G.I. irritation.
Overall, your whole body is less able to tolerate the stresses and the assaults that are constantly placed on you.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Your immune system starts to fell and that can be a problem. But again, it's more about you manage that stress. You know, something I've told you that I do. I meditate for 20 minutes a day now.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Which is something I never did before and I try to write down the things that are stressing me the most and figure out why that's occurring.
COLLINS: Dr. Andrew Wiel tried to teach me to do that. I only lasted a day.
(LAUGHTER)
GUPTA: I'm going to keep on you for this.
COLLINS: I know, I know it's good, but it's hard.
GUPTA: It is good.
COLLINS: It sounds so easy just 20 minutes, it is really hard to be quiet and still for that long.
(LAUGHTER)
GUPTA: It is for some people.
COLLINS: OK. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much.
GUPTA: All right, Heidi.
COLLINS: And great, great tips especially it's the beginning of the New Year.
.Also want to remind you about this. That we're expecting Condoleezza Rice we are expecting her to make some comments at the White House. Any minute now, about five minutes from now, is the scheduled time regarding the fighting in the Middle East. Gaza to be specific.
We've been following it very closely here on CNN, so we will bring those comments to you live just as soon as they happen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: We are waiting for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to come to those microphones at the White House there. Apparently she will be making some comments about the situation in the Middle East.
Gaza, of course, some say it's air strikes there. We've been following the story very, very closely from the Israeli-Gaza border so we will be interested to hear what she has to say.
Bring it to you just as soon as it happens.
Meanwhile, the opening bell just about to ring on Wall Street. What, that I heard it?
Investors are hoping to get the New Year started on a good note.
Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stocks Exchange, let's look at how this first trading day of 2009 -- there it is -- is shaping up, and there's Suze Orman.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: Meanwhile, back to the main story of the day. Israel keeps pounding Gaza from the air. Hamas leaders call for a day of rage. A few dozen demonstrators threw stones at police after Friday prayers in Jerusalem, but there weren't any large-scale protests. Israel banned men under the age of 50 from going into the mosques.
The seven-day offensive has yet to stop Hamas militants from launching rockets into southern Israel. At least 20 more rockets were fired today.
In Gaza, a funeral for the Hamas military leader killed in an airstrike yesterday. Palestinian medical sources say more than 420 people are dead in Gaza.
Israeli tanks are positioned all along the Gaza border, so the question, will they go in?
CNN's Ben Wedeman is on the phone with us now with the very latest.
Ben, tell us a little bit about what you're seeing there.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, what I'm seeing right now is an Israeli jet that appears to be returning from a mission over Gaza. Now, what we've seen, of course, is this concentration of troops going on for quite some time.
Now, there's no clear indication at this point, however, when they're going to launch this offensive. One of the major factors they have to keep in mind is the weather, and it's been fairly cloudy and rainy for the last few days. They don't want to go in under those conditions. And, of course, the main concern of the Israeli command regarding this operation is the kind of logistics they're going to need once they go inside Gaza. It's well known that Hamas has been training for months and months for exactly this eventuality (INAUDIBLE) waiting for the Israelis when they go in. In fact, Hamas has said their troops are looking forward to the Israeli invasion, ironically enough -- Heidi.
COLLINS: I'm sorry, Ben, there was a little bit of feedback. I just want to make sure I understood what you said. Hamas is actually putting out a statement that says they are looking forward to a possible invasion on the ground from Israel?
WEDEMAN: That is correct. They have come out and said that they are ready and waiting for this Israel invasion. But obviously, that does not apply to the majority of the population of Gaza which does not look forward to this sort of operation because given the crowded conditions in Gaza, there will be a huge amount of civilian casualties -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, no question about that. Clearly, when Hamas speaks, it isn't always exactly what the rest of the people in the country are saying.
Ben Wedeman, we sure do appreciate that. We'll stay in touch with you should any more developments happen on this potential ground attack.
And more now from southern Israel. People there living in fear of those Hamas rocket attacks.
Our Nic Robertson now has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A huge crater where, only minutes earlier, the house of top Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan once stood. Like the house, Rayyan is gone. The first upper echelon Hamas leader confirmed killed in the past six days of Israeli attacks.
Less than 24 hours earlier, he had been on the Hamas TV channel telling Palestinians they will win the fight against Israel and kill...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: We'll try and get back to the rest of the piece, which is a terrific one from Nic Robertson.
Right now, though, directly to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the situation in Gaza.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: ... discuss with him the situation in Gaza. Obviously, the United States is very concerned about the situation there and is working very hard with our partners around the world to address it.
I want to begin by noting that Hamas has held the people of Gaza hostage ever since their illegal coup against the forces of President Mahmoud Abbas, a legitimate president of the Palestinian people. The Hamas has used Gaza as a launching pad for rockets against Israel cities and has contributed deeply to a very bad daily life for the Palestinian people in Gaza and who -- a humanitarian situation that we have all been trying to address. But frankly, Hamas has made it very difficult for the people of Gaza to have a reasonable life.
We are working toward a cease-fire that would not allow a reestablishment of the status quo ante, where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza. It is obvious that that cease-fire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a cease-fire that is durable and sustainable.
I might note that it was Hamas that rejected the Egyptian and Arab calls for an extension of the takia (ph) that Egypt had negotiated, but I have been in constant contact with the key Arab states, I have talked with our European colleague, and we are talking constantly with the Israeli government to find a solution to Gaza that will be a sustainable one for the people of Gaza, the people of Israel and for the people of the Palestinian territories in the Middle East and more broadly.
The president has also been in touch with the major leaders of the Arab states and with the Israelis, and we're going to continue our work towards a cease-fire that will not allow a return to the status quo ante and that will be durable.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: Secretary Rice, do you plan to go to the Mideast...
RICE: I have no plans at this point.
Thank you.
COLLINS: All right. So we had thought perhaps the secretary of state would take a few questions there, but you heard her say her self that she has no plans at this time to go to the Middle East. And several other things. Most importantly, saying that everyone is trying to monitor and improve the humanitarian situation that is happening in Gaza.
So we will continue to follow this story right here on CNN.
A quick break now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly, just want to show you some of these pictures that we are getting, live pictures, in fact, from Gaza City, just to give you an indication of how intense this fighting still is on the seventh day of air assaults.
Again, you see that black smoke that we were showing you a little bit yesterday as well. Those missiles and bombs reigned down along Gaza there.
So again, pictures live, coming to us from Gaza City. We'll continue to follow those pictures and, of course, this story as well.
In fact, want to take you back now to southern Israel, where people there are living in fear of Hamas rocket attacks as well. And our Nic Robertson has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): A huge crater where, only minutes earlier, the house of top Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan stood. Like the house, Rayyan is gone, the first upper-echelon Hamas leader confirmed killed in the past six days of Israeli attacks.
Less than 24 hours earlier, he had been on the Hamas TV channel, telling Palestinians they will win the fight against Israel and kill and imprison their men -- according to Israel's defense forces, Rayyan's house used to store weapons, according to Hamas, some of Rayyan's family also killed.
Hours later, another Hamas leader the target. Unclear if he survived. Gaza's also parliament hit. And, in the city's hospitals, children rushed in for urgent treatment caught in the strikes Israel says target Hamas leaders, infrastructure, and resupply tunnels in the battle to stop them firing missiles into Israel.
Israeli officials won't specify how effective their attacks are.
HAIM RAMON, ISRAELI VICE PREMIER: We're hurting severely Hamas and on all those fields.
ROBERTSON (on camera): How much of their infrastructure has been destroyed? How many of the tunnels have been destroyed?
RAMON: Substantially. I'm not going into details, but substantially.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Driving around Ashkelon, in Israel, six mimes from Gaza, we are learning firsthand Hamas is far from defeated.
The siren has just gone off. Everybody is getting out of their cars, getting down in the road, waiting to see what happens. That was the explosion. We just heard one explosion going off. I think it came from that direction over there.
(voice-over): A few minutes later, another rocket is detected.
(on camera): Well, that's another siren going off. That's another siren just going off. We're getting down behind the car again. All the cars are stopping at the moment. I did hear a boom. It came from that direction over there. (voice-over): Outside of Israel, international pressure is mounting for both sides to reach a cease-fire and end the suffering. In Paris, Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, met the French president to discuss what it would take.
TZIPI LIVNI, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: But, in order to stop it completely, there's the ability and the willingness -- or the ability and the understanding of Hamas that enough is enough.
ROBERTSON: But neither side seems to have had enough yet. With dusk, more missiles on Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're right by those...
ROBERTSON (on camera): That's the siren?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the siren.
ROBERTSON: And, in Ashkelon, yet more rockets.
That's the siren is going off again. I'm beginning to lose count of how many times I have heard the sirens going off.
OK, the siren has stopped now. We just wait maybe 20 seconds or so. But having just come from where we have been, a few miles away, where a missile literally went over our heads and landed close by -- OK, there was a thump.
There's the bang. There's the bang. It's down there.
I'm just very wary. That's all.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Ashkelon, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Getting ready for more U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Army Corps of Engineers is spending more than $1 billion on new construction projects to prepare for the deployment. At least 20,000 new troops are expected to be sent in this year. The first wave arrives in the spring. The Corps of Engineers is building new housing, runways and outposts.
Former Senator Claiborne Pell has died. The influential Rhode Island Democrat may be best known for the college grants that bear his name. He also wrote legislation establishing the National Endowment of the Arts. Pell served six terms in the Senate, starting with his election in 1960.
Parkinson's Disease influenced his decision to retire in 1997. Claiborne Pell was 90 years old.
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(WEATHER REPORT) COLLINS: Quickly, we want to get back to some of these live pictures. Well, actually, this is some new video, first off, just into us here at CNN regarding the situation that's been happening for several days now, the seventh day of this air attack.
This is the aftermath of what happens from above. Gaza City, the pictures that you're looking at there, the black smoke coming up from the ground once again. We've seen video like this now this morning and yesterday, in fact, several different times now. So we just want to bring it to you as soon as we get it in.
Again, it is the seventh day of fighting between Israel and Gaza. Right now, according to Palestinian medical sources, more than 420 people have been killed in Gaza, and Israel saying that four people have been killed by Palestinian rocket power. Live pictures now for you of generally the same area, the area that we've been talking about for several days here.
Once again, we continue to follow this story very, very closely. We have several correspondents in the area. We will bring you the very latest information just as soon as we get it here.
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COLLINS: This next story probably going to give you goose bumps. Jumping into lakes or oceans half naked in freezing temperatures, it might not be everyone's idea of ringing in the new year, but these so- called polar plunges have become a tradition for many people across the country. Of course, other people call them crazy. But one jumper in Maine says the plunge makes him feel warm inside because his event raises money for charity and it's a way of giving back to the community.
Another icy foray. Each year a group of guys in Defiance, Ohio, go water skiing on the frigid Maumee River. Defiance, this is; remember?
Yesterday the temperature was about 20 degrees there. The water was so cold, a boat had to run through the water to break up the ice before the skiers went out on it. After about 10 minutes and two wipeouts, the skiers had had pretty much enough.
Wow. You know, that's like forced wind-chill that you're adding in, too, when you're being dragged behind a boat. Right, Reynolds?
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COLLINS: Quickly now want to take a look at the Big Board to see how well that first day of trading is going of 2009. Whoo! Look at that, up about four points, Dow Jones Industrial Averages. But it is a positive sign, so we'll stay positive about the whole day of trading, if we can.
They are as much a part of England's history as the royal family, but these days black cabs are not being haled like they used to be.
Here now, CNN's Jim Boulden.
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JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Coventry, England, where the London taxi is built. And this is the man who was brought in to save the venerable black cab.
JOHN RUSSELL, CEO, LONDON TAXIS INTERNATIONAL: Our business has been difficult for the last 12 months, partly because the taxi trade is slightly down in our major markets, particularly in London. But mainly because of confidence issues and people postponing purchases.
BOULDEN: Add to that the latest model from London Taxi International, or LTI, had to be recalled because of engine fires. Who should compensate drivers for lost hours is an ongoing headache.
(on camera): London taxis neither have to be black or this traditional shape. And in fact, LTI now has competition in the form of a silver Mercedes taxi.
RICHARD BELASCO, LONDON CABBIE: It drives like a limousine, it feels like you're in a limousine. It's a bigger vehicle to work with in London, if you can appreciate.
BOULDEN (voice-over): Richard Belasco was the first London cabbie to get the modified Mercedes veto when it was launched in June.
BELASCO: Servicing, which is your main cost that you need to cut down on when you drive a taxi in London, is anything serviceable. And that's where the cost is going to be cut.
BOULDEN: The London taxi is steeped in history and myth. The cab no longer has to have an extra high ceiling, once upon a time needed for a man's top hat. But that still has benefits.
RUSSELL: The height also gives us good wheelchair access. And obviously today, if you like the high hat, it's going to be replaced by the need to make it accessible for the disabled. So wheelchair accessibility is one of our great strengths.
BOULDEN: LTI's Russell says there are no plans to change the shape. And, by the way, a wide variety of colors are available.
(on camera): The taxis come in 12 colors, but you wouldn't see many white ones in London. In fact, these are for LTI's newest customer, an order of 200 taxis for Bahrain.
(voice-over): The international market is now key for LTI's growth plans. It also builds London taxis in China, just in time, perhaps, as more Mercedes cabs can now be seen on the streets of London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the drivers I speak to, a big percentage of them are really considering buying this vehicle as opposed to the other one.
BOULDEN: Workers here are hoping you'll be able to hail one of these where you live someday soon.
Jim Boulden, CNN, Coventry, England.
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