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Many Still Hold Out Hope for Loved Ones Trapped in Haiti; Past CNN Hero's Innovation Helps Haitian Relief Effort; Triple-Round '30- Second Pitch'

Aired January 21, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Wet soggy and just plain miserable in southern California. Thanks to heavy rains and the threat of mudslides, it's the third round of storms in as many days. Foothills around L.A. are saturated now and even the police chief there in L.A. is warning residents to leave now or risk your life. Actually giving orders.

I-Reporter Robert Sides captured the downpour near his home in Long Beach yesterday. His camera was still rolling as strong winds blew and sheets of rain pelted the area. A rare tornado warning was issued.

We have a number of people on the scene. Rob Marciano is following things for us there in Los Angeles. Also Reynolds Wolf is following things here from our Severe Weather Center. As we told you, the LAPD has issued not just warnings to the people there in the La Canada Flintridge area, they are actually -- he is actually saying, rather, the chief, to get out of the area. These are live pictures just coming into us from our affiliate KTLA there in Los Angeles.

This is actually the La Canada Flintridge area. And as you can see, if you know the area well, these roads lead into the La Canada area. A lot of those houses on the mountain side, so you can see with the weather and the devastation how it can affect homes. You saw actually, Reynolds, those mud slides right there along the highway. I remember living in Los Angeles, driving this highway. You just knew as soon as you heard about heavy rain and possible mud slides, you just did not go that route.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Well, you lived there, I've lived in California several times in my life and you know, it's part of the process. Unfortunately, if you live in the Golden State, you're going to deal with this kind of thing. Certain times of the year, you have the heavy rainfall. Certain times of the year, you have the wildfires. When you have the wildfires that burn up all those grasses, it burns up not just the grass but also the root systems underneath.

And so when you do have the heavy rains that come every winter, it's a foregone conclusion the rain is going to cause the ground of course to soak up and then of course everything runs off. I believe we've got Rob available. I believe he's live in part of Southern California. Rob has been seeing a lot of this firsthand. Rob, from your present location, how bad do things look? I mean, you know we've got more rain on the way. Do things look pretty firm on the hill sides for the time being?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I'm just surprised, I'm amazed. Actually there's been geologists up in this area, residents of course, officials, with all the rain that they have gotten and for as scorched as this landscape is, people are just amazed that more hasn't slid down.

We're standing in a neighborhood that bellies up against the foot hills or in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains where 250 square miles of real estate was burned from last summer's fires and these are the homes that are in danger. They have evacuated about a thousand homes. And the way they're protecting them is with good old- fashioned sandbags. They have done this relatively recently. These k-rails, a lot of these have been put in place since the fires in anticipation, as you said, Reynolds, the amount of rain that they typically get during the winter time.

But they don't typically get this much rain over and over and over, over a week's time. All right, behind me you see some of this rugged terrain, some of these angles, 70, 80 degrees and up closer to the top of the ridge there you can see some of that scorched vegetation. So therein lies the danger. And well, we've seen some mud already come down. Just on the other side of this k-rail, yesterday when the rain was coming down the heaviest, there was debris coming down and protected this roadway by this k-rail.

But if more comes down and if the entire hillside gives way, what they have put up here isn't going to be able to handle it. So that's why they have the evacuations that are underway. The earliest people will be able to come back is tomorrow afternoon. Most likely they'll keep people away through the weekend.

We've reached a bit of a dry slot here, Reynolds. I don't know if you're still with me, but it seems like rain has been going south and north the past couple of hours it's been relatively dry here, at least in this neighborhood in La Canada Flintridge. Residents here certainly hope that trend continues until this next surge of moisture passes off to the east.

By the way, they got like five feet of snow up in the mountains in the Sierra Nevadas, unbelievable amounts of snow up there. Waves that are battering the coastline, so they're getting it from all fronts here, not just in the mud slide prone areas.

WOLF: Rob, you're absolutely right, plenty of rainfall there. You are getting a little bit of a dry slot that's moving through the area, a little bit of a break. We've got more developing off to your west so you're not done just yet. Don't put away the rain gear as of yet. And as you mentioned, in terms of the snowfall, Rob, you're absolutely right, several feet of snow.

Not only that but some 60 and 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts in the high sierras, so we're talking just a nightmare situation in many parts of southern California. But it looks like it will get a little better into the weekend. But even when the rain is gone, you still have a threat of the gravity really taking toll on those hillsides pulling that earth down and then we're going to see some issues. That is the latest we've got for you, Kyra. As always, it is a very busy weather day. Let's send it back to you.

PHILLIPS: OK, we'll keep talking to you guys.

Well, Mr. Brown goes to Washington? No, he's just arrived there at the Capitol in Washington. There you go. The newly elected senator from Massachusetts headed to the Capitol today where his stunning upset has definitely changed the balance of power. He just arrived last hour. This is our first glimpse of him. He arrived actually at Reagan National Airport and then headed to the Capitol. CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is also there at Capitol Hill, just outside Senator John McCain's office. Brianna, what do you think? Where do you think he will begin? Where will he go first? Obviously he's got a lot of meetings to tend to today.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He has several meetings, Kyra. And the first one is going to be at Senator John McCain's office. Really the most high-profile backer that Senator- elect Scott Brown had during his campaign. And while Tuesday night's election was -- you know, we heard the victory speech, that was really the night for Senator-elect Brown. But when it comes to Republicans in the Senate, this is really the day for them because this is really tantamount to a victory lap that Senator Scott Brown is going to make. I don't know if you can see it, Kyra. Can you see him talking outside of the Russell Senate office building talking to reporters right now?

PHILLIPS: That's exactly where he is. We can see him, he's talking to reporters. You can see all the cameras. And I feel bad, are you not able to be there because we're talking?

KEILAR: No. I'm actually looking out of a window at it because I am standing upstairs waiting for him to come in. My colleague, Dana Bash, is talking to Senator-elect Brown as we speak right now, as are a number of other reporters.

PHILLIPS: Well let's see if we can hear it. Hold on, Brianna, let's see if we can hear it. Let's bring up the mics. Hold on.

SCOTT BROWN, NEWLY-ELECTED SENATOR: No. Listen, when I spoke to the president, we had a lot of laughs. I told him he has to keep his sense of humor because you need to -- even me, even in my acceptance speech I joke around because I'm a regular guy and I have a sense of humor. That's one of the things that kind of insulates me from a lot of the negativity.

So, you know, I agree with him on a few things. I think he's done a great job with North Korea and how he handled that and the war in Afghanistan. I thought he's done a very nice job.

The simple fact that he had the guts to step back, analyze the situation and then make a determination that we need to finish the job and provide the tools and resources for our soldiers to do just that, I thought was great. So, you know, the health care bill which you're probably thinking about, for Massachusetts, it wasn't good. To think that we would pay higher taxes and have a half a trillion in cuts and basically be subsidizing places like Nebraska when we already have 98 percent of our people insured, we have a very good plan, it didn't make sense.

QUESTION: As a senator, you're also going to be thinking about the whole country and not just Massachusetts.

BROWN: Of course.

QUESTION: Given that, do you think it is your responsibility to perhaps work with Democrats, work with the president if they are thinking about a smaller, scaled-back health care bill? Would you be willing to look at that?

BROWN: I look at every bill. I plan to look at every bill and make a rational decision. My first interest would certainly be Massachusetts, but I've always said that everybody deserves some form of coverage, whether it's -- but I was not in favor of the one size fits all. I'm more of a states' rights person.

Like we did, we actually looked at it, we had a free enterprise, no new taxes, it was a competitive plan and we have some of the best hospitals and teaching hospitals, doctors, nurses in the world. That's why people come to Massachusetts. So maybe we can allow the states to come up with their own plan and use the federal government to incentivize them in some way.

QUESTION: Senator McCain has said you should scrap this health care bill, start over, no more back room deals. Do you agree with Senator McCain?

BROWN: Yes, I think people lost confidence. I think that's evidenced by the fact that they're talking right now about that. And in Massachusetts, it wasn't the only issue. It was certainly an important issue but the taxing and spending not only locally in Massachusetts but here in Washington. The fact that there seems to be no transparency and the back room deals, people are outraged by that. Just do everything above board. This is what this place is about. This is like -- this is the best place in the world when it comes to solving problems and we've kind of lost our way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to go upstairs. Thank you. We'll take questions upstairs. Right this way, guys.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let me ask you before I wrap there, do we still have Brianna Keilar with us?

KEILAR: Yep.

PHILLIPS: You with us? OK, Brianna, so there you go. That worked out really well. You and I started talking and then we got the live shot up there with Scott Brown as he's arriving to -- well, I wonder what's going to happen. Are they going to give him two seconds to get the lay of the land as he meets with folks today or do you think they're going to start hammering him right out of the gate on health care? KEILAR: Well, he's certainly going to be getting a lot of questions from the media and we're actually hoping to catch him as he comes inside. I'm watching him right now, I'm going through this entrance. And pretty interesting, Kyra, because this is the entrance that Senator Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, whose seat Senator-elect Brown will be taking when he's sworn in. And this is the entrance that he would also be taking. But I thought it was really telling, because you heard Senator-elect Brown speaking about Democrats' health care reform efforts. He said for Massachusetts it wasn't good. Did you catch that? Here we go. He's coming into the elevator.

PHILLIPS: Let's go for it. Go ahead, Brianna.

KEILAR: Senator-elect Brown, CNN. If Democrats pare down some of their -- if Democrats pare down some of their ideas for health care, are there any elements that you would go along with? Which ones?

BROWN: Well, I'd like to look at the bill but I'm certainly not in favor of higher taxes, cutting Medicare half a trillion, affecting medical coverage for veterans and basically having a one size fits all. So I know what I don't want. Now I'm looking forward to reading the bills, as I have the others, and coming up with a plan because, you know, if it's something the president feels is important, I'm certainly willing to look at it.

KEILAR: Stopping the denial of coverage on the basis of pre- existing conditions?

So there you have it, Kyra, him coming in here to so much applause. We were trying to pin him down on some of the details. As you know one of the avenues that Democrats could take now would be to pare down their health care reform efforts without having that key 60th vote that they need and really go for some elements of health care reform that maybe they can get some Republican support on.

We're trying to figure out exactly which of those Republicans, including Senator Brown, might support. We don't know at this point but he's going to be meeting inside this room, as he sort of really glad hands -- like I said, this is very much the victory lap here on Capitol Hill. He'll be meeting down the way where you can see just a massive strum of reporters and cameras. He'll be talking with Senator John McCain. He's going to talk with Senator John Kerry, the senior senator from Massachusetts. He'll also be talking with Senator Paul Kirk, who has been really holding that place for Senator Kennedy until this special election, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK, Brianna, I just have to say something for the sake of transparency. That's what you call a beautiful television moment. And what makes CNN so great. We've got Dana Bash outside waiting there for Scott Brown. We're live, we're able to get him as soon as he arrives and then there you are at the tip of the stairs just outside the elevator and you remember staking out Kennedy, you know, right there in that same spot looking for comments from him. Now Scott Brown, the new senator there that will replace him and are you going to be heading down for a gaggle now or what's going on? KEILAR: Well, we're heading down and I may lose some, just so you know, Kyra, but we're heading down because there's actually a photo opportunity that's going to be going on where he's going to be meeting with Senator John McCain. This, of course, this is one of the big shots of the day. As I said before, Senator McCain was one of the most high profile backers of Senator-elect Brown and we're actually going to have an opportunity to throw a few questions at him, see if we can get some details about how he fits into the mix on health care reform. And I can still hear you actually, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You can? OK. Well I'll tell you what, go do your thing. If we still have a live signal and we see you and him and Senator John McCain, we'll come right back to you. Great job, Brianna, thank you so much.

KEILAR: And we'll be following him throughout his meetings this morning. We'll be bringing all of them to you to tell you everything that he says, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Terrific. We look forward to it because there's a lot of people wondering what the heck is going to happen with health care. Brianna, thanks so much.

Well while that was happening, we actually had some breaking news from the Supreme Court on campaign finance. We will have that right after the break.

But first, your nest egg, we always like talking about that. Live picture now of the big board. We're going to tell you where Wall Street is headed this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, the breaking news from the Supreme Court now, a ruling just in about the future of election funding. The court ruling against limits on corporations. So what does it mean? Let's get straight to CNN's political editor Mark Preston. He's live in Washington. And I understand you're reading the ruling as we speak, is that right?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yeah, you know, Kyra, it just came down. We're trying to parse and make sure that we get it correct. But I will tell you, big news across the street in the Capitol today with Scott Brown becoming the 41st senator of course for the Republicans.

However, what just happened across the street at the Supreme Court could be -- have further, further more important consequences to how politics are played here in the nation. Basically what we do know now is that the Supreme Court has just dropped this ruling that will lift restrictions on corporations and unions in how they spend money on TV advertising. So what we'll probably see in the next few months is this flood of money heading into the 2010 midterm elections by corporations, by unions, and also private individuals, Kyra, people who want to influence certain races can put as much money as they want down to try to influence them and try to run ads. Let me just give you some numbers very quickly. In the last 25 days leading into the Massachusetts special election, about $9.5 million was spent, Kyra, on that election, half of that money by special interests. So if you can just imagine as we're heading into November how much that is going to multiply.

PHILLIPS: And Mark, this all started after a movie about Hillary Clinton, right?

PRESTON: Yeah, it was. It was a movie by a group called Citizens United. Of course they were not in favor of Hillary Clinton's candidacy at the time for president. The Federal Election Commission, Kyra, at that time said that it should be treated as a campaign ad. It went to the court, went through the courts, ended up at the Supreme Court and of course this ruling has gotten broadened. We'll talk a little more about that and how we arrived there. But, yes, really big news out of the Supreme Court as far as how politics is played in the U.S.

PHILLIPS: CNN's political editor Mark Preston. Mark, thanks.

Well, it may be a wake-up call for Washington. This week, independent voters seized a Democrat strong hold and handed it to Republicans, but the message goes for both parties. Listen to this or listen to us or we'll elect someone who will. That's basically the gist of it. CNN's Tom Foreman looks at the power of non-partisanship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you are searching for the secret to Republican's Scott Brown's long-shot in Massachusetts, look no farther than Illinois, where not so long ago, a long-shot Democrat, Barack Obama, also celebrated victory.

In each case the decisive factor was voters, many of them independents, angry about the economy and politics as usual. More than half of Massachusetts voters are independent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want a change in Washington.

FOREMAN: Independent voters have been trending up for more than 30 years. In Richard Nixon's day, they were just 19 percent of the electorate nationwide, compared with 46 percent Democrat and 35 percent Republican.

(on camera): But now it appears they have reached the tipping point. Independents are now casting a third of all votes, some say even more. And this militant middle seems ready and willing to rip into either party if they feel ignored or taken for granted.

(voice-over): A case in point, while some Democrats try to rally around the Massachusetts race as a contest for the late Ted Kennedy's seat, analysts believe candidate Brown scored big when he said this.

BROWN: Well, with all due respect it's not the Kennedy seat and it's not the Democrats' seat, it's the people's seat. (END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So, is anyone listening? Well, our next guest appears to be. Senator Lincoln Chafee is a former U.S. senator from Rhode Island. He was elected as a Republican, but nearly 10 years later, he's now an Independent seeking the governor's office. So we just heard Brown say, quote, "the people's seat." Now, it's very interesting, David Gergen said last night on our air something about that comment. And take a listen, I want to get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER EDITOR, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT: I want to emphasize something about what Scott Brown did and why he's different in part. Wolf, if you went to his Web site during the campaign, it was hard to find. I don't think it's on there that he's a Republican. He ran strictly as an Independent. He didn't identify --

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Pretty smart.

GERGEN: He was very smart. He didn't have the Republican heavyweights come in. He didn't have the establishment come in. He essentially ran an anti-establishment campaign. And what democrats have to be concerned about tonight is not simply Massachusetts, but there are a lot of polls in other states now, in fact around the country you find that generally speaking, Independents are breaking about two to one against Democrats right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So what do you think, senator? Gergen said that was very smart. Do you agree?

LINCOLN CHAFEE, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Yes, absolutely. The facts support that there are more people registering as Independents and voting more independently and we're seeing that in the recent elections in New Jersey for governor, in Virginia for governor and now in Massachusetts, a very, very blue state.

The Independents have spoken very loudly. They voted 62 percent a year ago for Barack Obama. Just one year later, 53 percent for a Republican to go to the U.S. Senate. So very, very important swing of the voters in one year in Massachusetts.

PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to talk more about why that is. We're going to take a quick break. Stay with us, senator.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Our focus this morning, the Independent voter. They can be a Democrat or a Republican, but here's the thing. They never vote for someone just because of the letter "R" or "D" is behind their name. Lincoln Chafee, an Independent running for the governor's office in Rhode Island continuing this conversation with us.

So just looking at the impact of the Independent voter, specifically in the Scott Brown race, you know, do Independents really stand for something, or is this a group that just goes for the contrary vote?

CHAFEE: I think they're very well-informed voters. And certainly in Massachusetts, it was a combination of events. Scott Brown got a message on the health care and then Martha Coakley stumbled in that she thought she had the election won, after winning the Democratic primary, so a combination of events.

But the Independent voters were listening to Scott Brown's message on health care, there was no doubt about that. And they're restless. The voters are restless. They want to see the two parties working together, and that certainly hasn't happened under this administration, unfortunately. The stimulus bill was -- came through Congress with a very partisan vote. Now health care is very partisan. So I think the Independents are restless.

PHILLIPS: Interesting you use the word "restless." I remember covering Ross Perot back in the early '90s and we thought that was going to be a game-changer and it short of vanished. And so now we see the impact of the Independents here, and you mentioned a couple other examples as well last year. So are we seeing a legitimate third party coming about here, or is this just a group of restless voters or frustrated voters, as you sort of pointed out there?

CHAFEE: No, I think there's opportunity for a new third party, whatever it might be called, to get things done for the country. And certainly I'm running as an independent here in Rhode Island for governor, hoping that that is true, that there's a new way forward to get things done here in my state, but I think voters across the country, we're seeing it in Virginia, in New Jersey and now in Massachusetts. They want the two parties to work together. And health care is a real issue. Our emergency rooms and our hospitals are full of people getting their primary care in an emergency room. That's unacceptable. We need to do something about that and yet we seem to be unable to even move any way in a bipartisan manner. So the voters here have spoken.

PHILLIPS: Interesting. Because you were a Republican and you're now an Independent. What caused the switch? What was that moment? Why did you do it?

CHAFEE: Well, after I lost my senate election in 2006, I saw that the Republicans, despite having lost many races across the country, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Montana, Rhode Island, across the country we lost and yet they didn't change. They still were talking about the social issues and not addressing what I thought Americans really cared about, the environment, the deficit, the wars, personal liberties enshrined in our constitution, particularly warrantless wire tapping. And so I wanted to try something different and I disaffiliated from the Republican Party and now running for office as an Independent.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's interesting to follow the influence of the Independent voters, specifically in the last year. Senator Lincoln Chafee, we'll follow your run as well. Appreciate your time today and your insight.

CHAFEE: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

Well, I couldn't help but look at this picture and think that is going to hurt coming off. This is the statement that Cindy McCain is making about gay marriage. Basically she supports it and she's saying it with duct tape. Daughter Megan McCain doing the same thing. The photos are on No H8's Web site. That's actually a group opposed to proposition 8 in California. Senator John McCain, well, not a fan of gay marriage, but apparently a fan of the mrs. And the daughter having their own views.

We want to know what you think about that photo of Cindy McCain. Go to my blog, CNN.com/kyra, post your thoughts. We'll read some of them at the end of the hour.

More than just a box of aid. These big green containers have so much more inside, giving Haitians a roof over their head. Plus looking for loved ones lost in the quake.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every story of a survivor found in Haiti gives families all over the world new hope that their loved ones will be found alive under the rubble. I'm Josh Levs. And coming up, you're going to hear the story of a woman who says she knows her son is alive. We'll tell you what she's doing to find him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Check out this exclusive new video. It shows the moment of impact of the quake in Haiti and all those aftershocks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm serious shaking, man. My house is like it's going to fall. Here is another one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And there were dozens of those aftershocks. Some not that much less intense than the original quake, by the way.

Money for Haiti also still pouring in. Add the president and first lady to the donor list, too. The Obamas gave 15 grand for the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. Money is great, but food and medicine is even better, at least on the ground in Haiti. U.S. officials say they have a way to break up the aid logjam by paying better attention. They are going to actually keep track of what's on all those planes now landing at the airport in Port-au-Prince.

More than a week after the quake, people all over the world are holding out hope that their loved ones will be found alive beneath the rubble. Josh Levs joins us with the story of a mother's heart ache. Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's incredible. It's just hard -- everyone's hearts ache for these stories.

Kyra, what I want to do is start off with this piece of video we've been looking at today. Because to us, it's about the miraculous rescue of a child. To families all over the world who are terrified for their loved ones in Haiti, this kind of video has immediate, strong, pragmatic effect. This kind of video when they hear any survivor story tells them their loved ones trapped beneath the rubble right now might be alive. I'm hearing 24/7 from families all over the world from people who believe their loved ones might be alive.

Joining us is a mother of a man who was lost underneath the university. Mariette, are you with us? .

MARIETTE TOUSSAINT, SON TRAPPED BENEATH RUBBLE (via telephone): Yes, I am.

LEVS: All right, Mariette. We have some photos of your son who was lost at GOC University. What is it in you that tells you right now that your son is alive?

TOUSSAINT: Just -- good morning.

LEVS: Good morning.

TOUSSAINT: I would say I know my son is alive because I got a feeling he's not dead. As a mother, if he's dead, I would know. But I've got a feeling he is alive.

LEVS: You told me your faith is getting you...

TOUSSAINT: And, and by my faith, because I know God is still God. The same God yesterday is today. He can do it again because he did it before. I know he can do it again because when he is dead (INAUDIBLE) in his place is crying -- but when it's God, (INAUDIBLE) it's always him from the grave. He did it before, he can do it again.

And he can do it again just for the world (ph) even Haiti -- even Haiti there's voodoo and everything, but there's God and faith in Haiti. He's still God.

LEVS: I know that your faith is getting you through. Let's come back to my screen just a second. I want to show everyone where your son was at the time that this happened.

This is Port-au-Prince right over here. Using a google map, so the letter A right here is a town called Nazon (ph), and there's a university there. That's where you told us through CNN iReport, University GOC in Nazon, that's where he was.

We do know that there have been efforts at the university. I understand that on Saturday, a cousin of yours heard his voice. I called your cousin today inside Haiti, and he tells me that he believes that yesterday, he believes -- I'm going to emphasize that, that yesterday when he went to that site that he could still hear the voice of your son calling out saying that he's hungry and he's alive.

Voices like that, messages like that, are they getting you through?

TOUSSAINT: What is it?

LEVS: Are messages like that getting you through when you hear these moments of hope, like when you hear this from your cousin in Haiti?

TOUSSAINT: Yes.

LEVS: OK. OK. Listen, we need to go. We're going to follow your story very, very closely. Thank you so much for joining us today.

I want to tell everyone quickly, we have had so many people turn to this page, which is Looking for Loved Ones in Haiti. It's gotten so huge. In fact, let me show you what we've now done. It's gotten a lot more complex.

These lists of names are huge, they're alphabetical. If you're looking for someone in Haiti, all of this at CNN through our iReport system -- we highlight someone when they have been found. We definitely encourage you to come to CNN.com and share those stories. And here, Kyra, we're all holding out hope for people like Mariette there and her son.

PHILLIPS: Yes. We sure love the miracles, that's for sure. Thanks, Josh.

LEVS: You got it.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's not too late to help. Be sure to tune in right here tomorrow night for the Hope for Haiti telethon. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join from Haiti and stars like Bruce Springsteen, George Clooney, Beyonce, will all be on to hand -- lend a hand, rather -- to help lend support. That's tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, when in doubt, Google. It's probably not what you'd usually think to do when trapped in an earthquake, but it worked for American Dan Woolley, and he's back home in Colorado Springs after being rescued from the collapsed hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince. He used his cell phone to Google tips on stopping the bleeding from a severe gash in his leg. He said he thought he might not make it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN WOOLLEY, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: (INAUDIBLE) I wrote goodbye notes. God was with me right away. This was a huge event, and I knew right away this was the difference between life and death. You know, I could make it out or I might not.

So, immediately just went to my knees figuratively, just went to God and just asked him to be with me and help me to make this what it needed to be. I made peace with God in case that was it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Woolley was working on a film project in Haiti when the earthquake hit.

Connecting job hunters with potential employers. You'll want to hear our "30-Second Pitch" today. We've got three.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We are checking our top stories now. Police think this man is behind a bloodbath that killed eight people in and around a Virginia home. Thirty-nine-year-old Christopher Speight has been charged with first-degree murder. Three teenagers and a four-year-old are among the dead. Explosives were also found at the home. Police have not revealed a motive.

Crib safety; it can be a matter of life or death for babies. Right now, on Capitol Hill Congress trying to figure out if there's a need for stronger federal standards for infant cribs. The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is among those testifying.

And we're used to a lot of freedoms in this country. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press. Now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is delivering a speech on Internet freedom. Aides say she'll unveil new policies meant to encourage online freedom worldwide. It comes as Google considers leaving China because of censorship worries.

All right. I want to take a little more time now to talk about the aid that's going into Haiti. Not just food but shelter.

And believe it or not, one of our former CNN Heroes had a fantastic idea just a few years back to help with disaster relief. It's called a shelter box. Tom Henderson is his name, and his creation is actually helping hundreds of people in Haiti right now. My guess: more people will be helped. That's Tom right there that you just saw.

And right here is Wayne Robinson. He's on the ground in Haiti actually putting those shelter boxes to work. Wayne, let's start with you. Tell us how -- what was exactly in the boxes and how you've put them to work.

WAYNE ROBINSON, SHELTERBOX: Well, the main content of our box is a ten-person tent. There's enough room in a ten-person tent for blankets and sleeping bags. We have water purification containers, mosquito nets and some basic rebuilding tools for the folks to use. We also have a kit in there with pots, pans, plates and utensils.

PHILLIPS: Wow. So, Wayne, does this just make your heart sing when you see your creation at work right now in one of the most devastating times in the world?

Tom, can you hear me OK?

TOM HENDERSON, CREATOR, SHELTER BOX: Sorry. I thought you were talking to Wayne.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead. I'm sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

HENDERSON: (INAUDIBLE) Yes, it does. It seems a long time ago that I put my first box together. As you heard from Wayne what's in it. It's a real privilege to be able to help in Haiti. Yes, it just makes us a little bit taller every time that we see a green box opened.

PHILLIPS: Aww. And, Wayne, how has this changed the situation that you first came into? Give an example of what it was like. And then when you got the shelter boxes, how it started to save lives.

ROBINSON: Well, this whole thing started probably about 12 minutes after the earthquake hit when I got a call from the general manager in the UK and asked me what I had heard. And basically, I had made a decision within 12 minutes of the earthquake hitting to travel to Haiti and see what I can find out, and with a couple other Shelterbox response team members from the UK and U.S.

Just like most large-scale disasters, you run into a lot of obstacles and logistics you need to attend to, but it was fantastic when we got our first 12 boxes in. I believe three nights ago from France via the Red Cross plane.

PHILLIPS: Wow. So, Tom, I know you decide OK, we're going to put in certain things in the boxes depending on the disaster. So, how did you get the items and decide what items would go into these boxes?

HENDERSON: Well, it's really simple. (AUDIO GAP) We wanted to provide shelter. As you heard Wayne say, a ten-person or a family tent, cooking pots and pans and stuff for the children, some tools, all of the basics you need in a disaster.

In this particular one, we're going to initially put in enough boxes, 3,000 boxes for 30,000 people. As we speak, we're packing more boxes here in Cornwall ready to ship out, and they'll be leaving very soon.

It's just really basic stuff, but the challenge really, as Wayne said, is to get it on the ground and hand it out to the people. The inventory is just basic stuff.

PHILLIPS: And, Wayne, before we go, can you show us one of the boxes? Can you bring us closer to a tent? Is there anything you can show us right there that's close to you by chance?

ROBINSON: You should have a number of tents right in the background from me right now. The cameraman assures me they are in the background.

We are at a hospital right now, and it's fantastic. At this particular hospital where there's probably 400 or 500 people being attended to in various states of inbound and outbound, it's just terrible. We put up 14 tents here right now, and immediately upon erection of those tents, they roll two or three patients into them to get them out of the heat and sun and I'm sure the rain soon.

PHILLIPS: Wow, absolutely incredible. Wayne Robinson, fantastic work. So glad we could connect with you there on the ground.

Tom Henderson, our CNN hero. This was your creation, now seeing it work. What a fabulous humanitarian effort. I lift both of you guys up today. We salute you both. Thank you so much.

HENDERSON: Thank you, and thanks for all you're doing, CNN.

ROBINSON: Just glad to be here, glad we can do it.

PHILLIPS: It's you guys. It's you guys, not us. We're just covering your remarkable work.

And there you go. Couple of things we want to tell you about. CNN.com. First our Morgan Diehl (ph) followed those Shelterboxes on the way from England all the way over to Haiti there. You can actually go to our CNN.com Web site and learn more about them and also nominate your own CNN hero. We're taking those in right now. That's at CNN.com/heroes.

Connecting job hunters with potential employers. It's Thursday, and it's time for our "30-Second Pitches."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Okay. Out of work looking for a job? Here's your chance. It's Thursday, and that means it's "30-Second Pitch" day. We're giving job hunters an opportunity to sell themselves to potential employees.

And today we've got Jackie Mosley. She's in Memphis. Reggie Johnson right here in Atlanta and Valerie Harris in Houston.

Let's go ahead and begin here in Atlanta with Reggie. So, what happened? Did you see it coming? What kind of work were you doing?

REGGIE JOHNSON, JOB SEEKER: I was in health care. And in April of 2008, unfortunately the company went through a restructuring and a lot of executive level positions were laid off. Unfortunately, my number was up at that time.

PHILLIPS: And, boy, you must be watching the whole health care debate...

JOHNSON: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... with intense passion.

JOHNSON: Very much so.

PHILLIPS: That really depends on what happens for you, right?

JOHNSON: Exactly.

PHILLIPS: Family situation, what kind of -- savings are you living off of? JOHNSON: Fortunately, initially I was given a very generous severance package, and then I had savings, and I've been doing marketing consulting work until I find the right opportunity.

PHILLIPS: Okay. Got it.

Now, Jackie, we learned about you through Rob Marciano when he was actually doing weather reports, and your story caught our attention because you couldn't even pay your bill because you were out of work and the weather was affecting you. Tell us what happened.

JACQUELINE MOSLEY, JOB SEEKER: Oh, everything has been wonderful since then. I've gotten so many wonderful e-mails because of CNN and the story that you broadcast and the story of others. It's not just my story, it's the story of others that are just like me.

But so many wonderful things have happened. I do appreciate all of the good, kind words that everybody has written me through my e- mail and given me so much encouragement. I just think -- I feel a new arising. It's a new beginning for me.

PHILLIPS: Well, when the cameras were first at your house with Rob Marciano, tell our viewers what the situation was like.

MOSLEY: Well, it was grim and dismal. And that's just -- that's speaking lightly. I mean there are worse words for it. But you learn to deal with it, you learn to survive, you learn to do what you've got to do.

And it was hard on me, but I prayed hard and I knew that I would come out of it. I knew that it was just a test, and I feel like I'm passing the test. I may have to take another test, but this test, I think I'm passing. And I'm beginning to see positive things happen in my life, and I feel much better than I've felt in two years that I've been back in Memphis.

PHILLIPS: And just right now our viewers are looking at video of you, OK, when Rob came to your house. And you could not pay your bills. And you were out of work. I'll never forget that interview of you in the dark just struggling.

Now look at you. I mean, you look beautiful, you're smiling, you know, you're praising God. It shows, you know, when you keep a positive attitude what can happen. Which leads me now to Valerie Harris, also struggling right now.

What happened to you? What was your situation like, Valerie, and did you see it coming?

VALERIE HARRIS, JOB SEEKER: Well, I just want to make one correction. We're not struggling, but I, like the other two -- I was on maternity leave, and two days before Christmas, midway through my maternity leave, I received a phone call from my manager to inform me that upon returning on my relief from maternity leave that my position was going to be eliminated. Kyra, the reason why it's so important for me to say -- first of all, we're not struggling, but I was prepared because we were all watching a tumultuous economy, you know, the months prior, too. And our company -- the company I worked for at the time, CBS Radio, was going through major structure changes. We were picking up two local radio stations here in the market, so I suspected something was going to happen, so I was very much prepared. And I have to say it's been an absolute wonderful, wonderful year in between that time.

PHILLIPS: Well, I respect your transparency. You really put it in perspective. Some people were prepared, like you. Others were not, like Jackie. Reggie, you know, you weren't quite sure what was going to happen.

Let's go ahead and get straight to the pitches. Valerie, why don't we go ahead and start with you. We will start the clock. You've got 30 seconds. Go right ahead.

HARRIS: I'm Valerie Harris and I have 20 years of media experience to help build brand immersion through your new media marketing initiatives. I can create and monetize digital content. I can create mobile marketing campaigns and social media integration.

My knowledge and understanding of audience measurement and technology ensures that you reach your targeted audience with the right media experience. I'm accepting contract and consulting projects. You can find me on Facebook and LinkedIn under Valerie Harris.

PHILLIPS: There you go. HireValerieHarris@gmail.com, with even one second to spare. Great job, Valerie.

Okay, Jackie Mosley, your 30 seconds starting right now. Go for it.

MOSLEY: Yes. I'm Jackie Mosley. I'm from Memphis, Tennessee, and I'm an administrative support professional with a thorough knowledge of complex office procedures, policies, practices and procedures.

I utilize the Internet and a vast array of computer programs to include Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook. I'm energized by challenges and demands. I have an exceptional facility for meeting organizational objectives, demands and great attention to detail.

I'm highly self-confident...

(BELL RINGS)

MOSLEY: ... with a good sense of humor, projecting a pleasant personality and enthusiastically...

PHILLIPS: That's it. We know you're enthusiastic. OK, hold on. I don't want to cut into Reggie's time, Jackie. Great job.

Reggie, you ready to go? JOHNSON: I'm ready.

PHILLIPS: Reggie Johnson. Camera number one there. Thirty seconds. Fire away.

JOHNSON: I'm Reggie Johnson. I'm a marketing and brand management executive with 13 years of proven accomplishments, generating over $400 million in sales.

I am skilled at developing and executing programs that drive not only market share but sales as well. I am seeking a marketing director or account management opportunity. And the attributes that I bring, one, leadership. Two, passion, and three, a drive to deliver impactful results. If a company is interested in speaking with me, please contact me.

Thank you. And thank you, CNN.

PHILLIPS: Right on the 30 seconds. Great job, Reggie. All right, Valerie Harris, Reggie Johnson, Jackie Mosley, guys, thank you so much.

If you want to make a pitch, if you want to hire one of these enterprising people, you can find out more by going to my blog at CNN.com/kyra.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Reynolds Wolf, I tell you what, rough time across the country, especially southern California.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Califonia, we've been focused on an area like a laser beam, but we can rule out parts of Florida and into Georgia where we have a tornado watch that is currently in effect right into this area, which includes a good part of the I-10 corridor, including the state capital of Tallahassee. That's going to be in effect until 4:00 p.m. We'll have more on that coming up in just a few. Let's send it back to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So, Tony Harris was just singing the new theme song of the independent party.

(CROSSTALK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Something to believe in.

(SINGING). Something to believe in --you make me do stuff -- but no We are trying to figure out what it is independents believe today, maybe tomorrow. We'd like to know.

PHILLIPS: Whatever they believe, they're making an impact.

HARRIS: A huge difference.

PHILLIPS: As we saw in Scott Brown's race there in Massachusetts.

HARRIS: You would like to know what the core beliefs are. Is it what side of the bed you got up on today? Is it a feather in the wind?

PHILLIPS: Hey, politicians are figuring this out.

HARRIS: Oh, yeah.

PHILLIPS: Scott Brown didn't even say he was a Republican on his Web site. This was "the people's seat." Do you have it on there?

HARRIS: Yes, it's the blog question! We just want to know if we're going to spend this much time courting you, we'd like to know what you believe.

PHILLIPS: What are you? What do you believe? Who are you? What do you stand for?

HARRIS: Who are you?

PHILLIPS: I know what you stand for.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM...

HARRIS: You rock so hard (ph)!

(LAUGHTER)