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Working on a Jobs Bill; Eight Missionaries Back in U.S.; China Angry Over Dalai Lama Visit
Aired February 18, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's get you going here.
It is Thursday, the 18th of February, and here are the faces of the stories driving today's headlines.
The Dalai Lama -- a White House meeting this hour with fellow Nobel laureate President Barack Obama.
Tiger Woods -- his first public statement before TV cameras since he admitted infidelity. But please, please, please no questions.
Professor Amy Bishop -- red flags and warning signs. Why weren't they enough to stop a campus shooting spree?
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Fresh evidence today that the job market continues to struggle. The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly last week.
The Labor Department says initial jobless claims rose by 31,000. Analysts had expected a small decline. The total number of new unemployment claims climbed to 473,000 for the week ending February 13th.
Now, with the problems in the job market, it is no surprise most of you think the economy is in pretty bad shape. In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, just 17 percent of you say economic conditions are good, 83 percent say conditions are poor.
Younger Americans are more optimistic. Good to hear this. Thirty-two percent of respondents 18 to 39 think conditions are poor, compared to 51 percent who are 40 and older.
Most of you don't think Congress is doing enough to tackle the jobs problem. Again, poll numbers here.
Let's get an update on the effort to pass a jobs bill.
National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin joining us from are Washington.
And we'll get to those poll numbers in just a minute here, Jessica. But maybe you can start by telling us, all of us, where do things stand right now with the jobs bill?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid, is trying to get one Republican to agree to vote for a jobs bill Monday night. What they have to do when they come back into session on Monday is -- he's going to present a pared-down version of the jobs package they were discussing earlier.
It's going to just address purely job creation measures. None of the other elements that were in the big package are there, just things like tax breaks for businesses that employ somebody who's been out of work for 60 days, earlier tax incentives for businesses that buy new equipment.
Right now they have 59 Democratic votes to proceed with a bigger vote on this. They need one Republican.
Guess who the chairman is working? Harry Reid is working Scott Brown of Massachusetts. He campaigned on jobs.
HARRIS: Really?
YELLIN: He wants to see if he can get him over to vote for this.
HARRIS: All right. Will you explain to me -- I'm looking at your note to me here, and will you explain to me how all of this -- we're talking jobs here. And again, we'll get to the numbers on jobs. We're talking about the first-time claims for unemployment benefits, an uptick last week. And it looks like the jobs bill caught up in the politics of the moment?
YELLIN: It's amazing. You know, there's not an American you can find who will say anything other than jobs are our number one priority. I mean, there are, but overwhelmingly this nation wants Washington to act on jobs.
So why is there such gridlock? Well, the House of Representatives passed their version. The White House has said we're going to get behind something, just give us a bill, we'll sign it, basically. And the Senate is deadlocked.
Harry Reid, the Democrats, had a proposal they were negotiating with the Republicans. They need bipartisanship on this one. And I'm told by multiple sources that while there was public negotiations, when Harry Reid went to privately meet with the leader of the Republican side, Mitch McConnell, Mitch McConnell did not agree that he would get behind the bill and make sure Republicans vote for it. So there was a political calculus that seems to be going on here where Republicans have to decide whether or not they want to give Democrats a "win" on a jobs issue.
HARRIS: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Jessica. You're suggesting that they were working together on a bill.
YELLIN: In public. HARRIS: In public, but in private the messaging from the Republicans was maybe we won't do it even though it's something that we're working on with you?
YELLIN: That's -- now that's what we're told about the private conversation. I'm told that the Republicans say, look, if Harry Reid had given us more time and hadn't just yanked this bill, then we could have come to some agreement possibly. And that the Democrats acted precipitously by pulling the original bill and moving to break it up.
HARRIS: So they're going to take their marbles and go home? Is that what we're to conclude from this?
YELLIN: Well, what's happening now is the Democrats have said we're going to strip out every element of this bill and vote individually so we can -- they're trying to force Republicans to take a yes or no vote on something like taxes for businesses creating jobs versus taxes that benefits that go to corporations.
HARRIS: Yes.
YELLIN: It's such an ugly mess right now. And it's about politics rather than getting it done.
HARRIS: Well, I'm glad America heard that. That's solid reporting on that.
Jessica Yellin for us.
Appreciate it. And I know you were, last minute, before coming on the air with us, on the phone with us nailing that down.
Jessica, appreciate it. Thank you.
And checking our other big stories for you this morning.
President Obama sets up a commission focused on bringing down the soaring federal deficit. Last hour, he signed an executive order creating the panel. The Senate, earlier this month, killed a proposal for a stronger commission. The president says he hopes lawmakers will put aside partisanship and support the action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Without action, the accumulated weight of that structural deficit of ever-increasing debt will hobble our economy, it will cloud our future, and it will saddle every child in America with an intolerable burden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A security breach at the winter Olympics. Canadian Mounties say they spotted a man with fake credentials trying to reach Vice President Joe Biden at the opening ceremonies. He was about 12 rows away at the time. Canadians stress the vice president was never in any danger. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUD MERCER, RCMP ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER: He had an infatuation with the U.S. vice president, at which point he attempted to run and was taken into custody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Authorities say the man apparently suffers from mental illness. He was not armed and likely will not be charged. Our Jeanne Meserve takes a closer look at what happened later this hour.
The Transportation Department is set to investigate 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corollas. Some drivers say they couldn't control the car's steering at highway speeds, that the Corolla wandered in the lane for several hundred yards. And Toyota is promising a recall if a defect is found.
Their prayers answered. Eight of the 10 America missionaries who faced child kidnapping charges in Haiti are now back on U.S. soil. They arrived in Miami late last night after being freed by a Haitian judge.
Our John Zarrella is at the Miami airport.
John, good to see you.
What now for these Baptist missionaries?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what now is getting home, Tony. That's the first order of business.
You know, as you mentioned, they came in here very late last night. The plane landed from Port-au-Prince, a military C-130, at about 11:30 p.m.
It took about an hour and a half to clear Customs, and then they were kind of spirited away out a side door. They didn't come out the usual exit from the Customs enclosure here at Miami airport. And most of them spent the night here at the airport hotel.
About three hours ago, we got a glimpse of four of them, four of the men, and they were heading down to the Delta Air Lines concourse. And they were going through the security terminal at that point, the checkpoint.
And it took them some time because, you know, as we've been told, that when they left Port-au-Prince last night, they really weren't even allowed to take any of their identification with them. So we noticed that TSA agents were going over with the men the paperwork that they did have with them before letting them go through to the concourse.
Now, I did manage, through the glass, to kind of get the attention of one of these men and asked him how he was doing. And he said, "You know, I'm feeling OK." And he also said -- I said, "Did you get any sleep?" And he said yes, he did get some sleep here.
But the first order of business, heading home. There's still three of them, Tony, that we believe -- three of the women who have not left the airport yet.
HARRIS: Well, John, OK. So the missionaries get home, they get an opportunity to rest. But what's happening with the case in Haiti? Any news on that?
ZARRELLA: Well, you know, here's the situation in Haiti with all of them. They're not talking here, when you ask them, because of the fact that these kidnapping charges are still hanging over their heads.
Now, there are, as you mentioned, the two other missionaries who remain in Haiti, and the Haitian judge has said, you know, you're not leaving here until we take a look at a prior trip that the two of you made here to Haiti and try to figure out what all that was about. So, you know, through the attorneys, at least one attorney we talked to who represents Jim Allen (ph), who's from Amarillo, Texas -- and he's headed back there today -- that attorney said, look, we're glad we're back here and there's going to be a reunion today in Amarillo, but we're not saying anything right now. There's just too much still hanging over everybody's heads.
HARRIS: Yes, that's for sure. OK.
John Zarrella for us at the Miami International Airport.
John, good to see you. Thank you.
The Tibetan spiritual leader is at the White House, and China isn't happy. Our CNN correspondents are covering the world.
Tiger Woods breaking his silence tomorrow, in this hour. We will be hearing from him. But today, the pundits are taking their shots.
And it is cold but calm around a lot of the country today. Meteorologist Rob Marciano -- there's the man -- tracking the system that could bring some warm temperatures to the South.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The Dalai Lama, one of our "Faces of the Story" today, is sitting down this hour with President Obama at the White House. While the private meeting is low key, China isn't happy. Beijing considers any contact with the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet meddling in its internal affairs. So what do Americans think?
In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 41 percent say the U.S. should take a stand on the status of Tibet, but 53 percent say good relations with China are more important. Fifty-six percent have a favorable opinion of the Dalai Lama, 18 percent unfavorable.
The president and the Dalai Lama are holding their meeting in the Map Room of the White House. When it is over, what's likely to be Beijing's reaction?
CNN's Emily Chang is in the Chinese capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMILY CHANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of Chinese worshippers flock to the Lama Temple, praying for blessings. It's a shrine to Tibetan Buddhism.
But this isn't Tibet. It's Beijing, and this is a state- sanctioned temple.
(on camera): Over the years the Lama Temple has become one of China's most popular tourist attractions. It's a traditional stop for national and international visitors and an opportunity for the Chinese government to show the world it allows the practice of Tibetan Buddhism.
(voice-over): Worshippers are required to recognize the Panchen Lama chosen by the Chinese government, rather than the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. Some don't seem to worry about the difference.
"Average Chinese people have no opinions on the Dalai Lama and what he does," this incense vendor says. "We just care about having enough food to eat and clothes to wear, not politics. That's the government's business."
Very troubling government business. As President Obama prepares to meet the Dalai Lama in Washington, harsh words from Chinese authorities.
"This will seriously undermine the political foundation for Sino- U.S. relations," this official says. "The Chinese people will not turn a blind eye to those who undermine China's sovereignty and national dignity."
Chinese officials have called the Dalai Lama a wolf in monk's clothing, determined to separate Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama says he merely wants greater autonomy, not independence, while the White House says President Obama will meet with him as a respected religious and cultural figure.
All American presidents have met with the Dalai Lama since he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The difference is when, where and how.
PROF. DAVID SHAMBAUGH, CHINA SCHOLAR: He could have met him as a spiritual leader in a neutral place like a church. But he's going to receive him in the White House. That's a political act. And that is indeed going to irritate China very much.
CHANG: Analysts say the Chinese could retaliate by cutting off political exchanges, as they did after the Dalai Lama met with the heads of state of France and Germany. President Hu Jintao could turn down an invitation to visit Washington in April.
SHAMBAUGH: Well, it's going to be another event in the recent downward spiral, one has to say, in U.S.-China relations.
CHANG: Relations are already strained over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Internet censorship and trade disputes. This meeting will add fuel to the fire.
Emily Chang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And Monday, a "LARRY KING LIVE" exclusive. The Dalai Lama in his first interview after his controversial meeting with President Obama. "LARRY KING LIVE," Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
OK. So you need a job to keep food on the table and a roof above your head. But beware. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis says there are some job placement scams that could ruin your life.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Look, if you're job hunting, you know how frustrating it can be, and you may want to grab the first thing that sounds pretty good. But our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, says beware.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Tony, with unemployment close to 10 percent, people are desperate to find work, and con artists are ready to take advantage of that, tricking the most vulnerable into parting with their last dollars. It's a bad economy and the time is ripe for scammers. And we've seen a proliferation of bogus employment ads from jobs with the federal government, movie extras, or mystery shoppers, to work at home opportunities stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.
Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission announced charges against seven firms that targeted the unemployed. Now, one of those companies called Real Wealth sold booklets on how to make a living on government grants and working from home mailing post cards and envelopes. They allegedly conned more than 100,000 people.
Another firm, Entertainment Work, offered television and movie jobs right near job seekers' homes. And that's in return for a fee, of course.
There's no shortage of false advertisements out there, so watch out for the red flags.
First, be careful if a company offers jobs that require little or no education but promise high pay. Also, be wary of firms that charge upfront fees for helping you find work. Be extra cautious of companies that offer membership to Web-based job opportunities.
A good rule of thumb, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is -- Tony.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right, Gerri. Appreciate it.
And if you want to know more about all the reforms taking place with credit card companies right now, check in with Gerri Saturday, "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," here on CNN at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
You know, there is good news on the job front. Some factories are rehiring. Details from the New York Stock Exchange.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on our top stories now.
The federal government plans to take a look at steering problems with the 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corollas. Some drivers say the car became erratic at highway speeds. Toyota is investigating as well. The company says it will fix the Corollas if a defect is found.
The Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, opens its yearly meeting in Washington today. The first major speaker, Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio, a Tea Party favorite. Frustration over jobs and the deficit has the right pretty fired up right now. Angry delegates will be able to whack a Nancy Pelosi pinata.
Golfer, and that's what he does for a living. You know, he's a golfer.
Tiger Woods plans a public statement tomorrow during this hour. He will reportedly apologize for being unfaithful to his wife, but Woods will take no questions from reporters. The event expected to be about five minutes in length.
Live coverage right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, Friday, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. That is 8:00 Pacific.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: At this hour, the Dalai Lama is meeting with President Obama, and it isn't going well overseas in China. Our Jill Dougherty will explain.
And the CNN Stimulus Project is tracking how your money is being spent. Our Josh Levs will show us the largest road project in the nation. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Take a look at these pictures. And the pictures sort of speak for themselves here. This is pretty dramatic stuff here. We've got a building on fire. This is in Austin, Texas. And I'm not going to get ahead of the story here, I'm just going to tell you what I know.
We've got reports of a small plane into that building. I have no idea what's housed in that building, but you can see multiple floors there and you can see firefighters are on the scene.
You see the ladder there extended to try to get some water on it, maybe to get some folks out of that mess. But again, a small plane into a building -- that's all I know -- in Austin, Texas. Pretty dramatic video coming in now.
We will keep an eye on this. And we are, I promise you, hustling up some more information on this. As soon as we get it, we will certainly bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And more now on one of our big stories.
China ticked off by the Dalai Lama's latest visit to the United States. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet is meeting right now with President Obama.
Beijing considers Tibet its territory and accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring up separatist sentiment. So why does China matter so much?
Here's CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Dougherty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown -- a symbol of the old China Americans still think of.
(on camera): Was that a poor China at that point? We're going 150 years ago.
DOUGLAS H. PAAL, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: China was very poor and under a lot of stress. It had both civil wars and foreign invasions.
DOUGHERTY (voice-over): But Douglas Paal says that's out of date. He studied China for decades as investment banker, diplomat, CIA expert and presidential adviser. China, he says, is now a major international player, holding more than $1 trillion of U.S. debt and a burgeoning economy.
PAAL: China doesn't want to make cheap things. It wants to make better things. And if you have an iPhone or if you have an Apple computer, that came from China. It didn't come from the United States.
DOUGHERTY (on camera): What's happening with U.S. exports to China? PAAL: U.S. exports are zooming to China. It's the largest export market for the U.S. -- largest growing export market for the U.S. It grew 65 percent this past year alone.
DOUGHERTY (voice-over): So, in spite of disagreements about the Dalai Lama and U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, neither China nor the U.S., Paal says, can afford a major falling out.
(on camera): There's often the impression that the United States, let's say, needs China more than China needs the United States. What's the true story?
PAAL: Well, we both need each other. We need each other for a number of international security issues, to deal with the global climate crisis, to deal with the global financial crisis.
DOUGHERTY: For an average American --
PAAL: Yes.
DOUGHERTY: -- what is the most important trend in China that they should be looking at?
PAAL: And Americans should ask themselves are we at home taking care of our economy and moving ourselves forward so that China will always see us as a source of strength and not as a potential weak party to deal with and put pressure on. If that's done, everything else becomes easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Let's get you back to these pictures. I mean, look, this is pretty dramatic stuff. We want to stay on top of it as best we can for you right now.
The picture that you're seeing here is from News 8 in Austin, Texas, and all the information that I have right now is that a small plane has crashed into this building in Austin.
Now you see the firefighters working over the structure right now. They're up on the ladder. They're manning the hoses and working over it right now and trying to put out the hot spots. You see all of the smoke associated with it.
And I have no idea the make, model of the plane involved in this. I have no idea how many people might have been in that building at the time of this crash. No word yet of any injuries. We are checking the affiliate websites for additional information.
Our National Desk in the Southwest region is working this as well to try to get additional information for you, but all we have right now is that we've got a small plane into that building right there in Austin, Texas. No word of injuries at this point in time. A number of fire crews on the scene. Emergency vehicles, as you would imagine.
I don't know if this is an industrial park, how close to central downtown Austin this might be. We have an address and maybe we can pull up -- maybe we can do a little mapping on this. The 9400 block of Research Boulevard, if you're familiar with the area and might have an idea. A better idea of where this is.
But that's what we have. We have fire crews working diligently right now. Two-alarm fire? OK, we've got a two-alarm fire and -- OK. So the FBI offices in Austin are apparently adjacent to this building. I'm drawing no connections at all here, it's just information. There you see a major highway right there.
OK, great. Getting some additional information. I apologize, but I'm just trying to get it to you as quickly as I can. We're getting word of four separate buildings on fire right no now. And we're talking about the fire contained, at this point, to the second, third and fourth floor levels.
All right. OK. I think we're working up our Ed Lavandera. He may be on the phone with us right now.
Ed, are you there?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Actually, no, I'm on another story out in east Texas in the town of Tyler.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. You're in Tyler, Texas, right now?
LAVANDERA: In Tyler, Texas, right now. But we've been talking to some folks who are starting to get aware of what's going on.
Originally, they had thought, according to the sources that we've been talking to, that this building that was hit in Austin was the building that housed the FBI agents there in the city of Austin, but it probably turned out that that is not the case. So I want to be very clear about that, it appears the initial information we're getting right now and hearing is that it was the building next door to where the FBI agents are housed there in Austin. So exactly what is going on with that situation isn't clear, but that's the latest bit of information we've been able to put together.
HARRIS: Well, Ed, maybe you can help all of us. Look, you're our man in Texas and I'm sure you spent a good deal of time in Austin. Are you familiar with this area here? We are talking about the 9400 block of Research Boulevard. Are we talking about an industrial -- a business park here?
LAVANDERA: That is in the north part of Austin. I know Austin very well, actually.
HARRIS: OK.
LAVANDERA: It's one of those places that has become highly developed over the last ten years. It's been a long time since I lived there. That was the northern part of town, but now it's probably a lot of business complexes. There are residential areas in that neighborhood. There's a lot of small little airfields going into that part of -- when you leave Austin, which is Travis County, into the northern county, there are small little airfields and a lot of popular little air strips out there. So I'm not exactly sure. I haven't been able to hear exactly what kind of plane we're talking about, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, I don't have the information. I wish I could share it with you. All we're getting is that it was a small aircraft, a single-engine aircraft. And maybe that makes sense that it would be either taking off or landing at one of those small airfields that you just mentioned.
And maybe I can run some of this additional information by you to see if you're getting the same reporting. We're talking about maybe three to four buildings that might be on fire at this point. Clearly, we don't have, you know, all angles available to us right now to show you where the other areas might be that are involved right now. And we're hearing that the fire is essentially contained to two to three floors of this one building that we're seeing now. We're also hearing that there are two people who are unaccounted for right now.
Are you hearing anything else, Ed?
LAVANDERA: No, no. That's the latest I have there, but the folks that we're with are actually getting updates as they get them. So as soon as we hear something of significance, we'll be happy to pass that along, Tony.
HARRIS: OK. No, that would be terrific. Call us, hit us up with an e-mail, whatever it takes to get us that information.
LAVANDERA: You got it.
HARRIS: Ed Lavandera is actually in Tyler, Texas, right now. But as you heard, he lived in the Austin area a lot of years and knows that area very well.
So, as Ed mentioned, this is an area that's undergone a lot of development recently. We've got a number of buildings, you know, office buildings in this area right now. We have got a small single- engine plane that crashed into it looks to be that building right there, but we're also hearing maybe as many as four other buildings might have been impacted by this.
Debris -- hard to say at this point. The fire is seemingly contained to two to three floors of this particular building. As you see the fire hoses working on the fire right now. A lot of smoke coming out of the building right now. Two people unaccounted for right now.
The pictures you are seeing provided by News 8 in Austin, and we are working over the websites right now of our affiliates in Austin to get you any additional information. Austin's FBI headquarters, if you look at the information in the breaking news box there, is next door to this particular building.
So that's what we have right now. We're continuing to work every angle of this story that we can. Why don't we do this, why don't we take a quick break and we'll come back and give you a complete reset and have some additional forks.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. We want to get you back to the breaking news that we've been following the last 15, 20 minutes or so. A single-engine plane apparently has crashed into a building here, an office building. It's beginning to take on the feel that maybe we're talking about some kind of a government building office park here.
This is in Austin, Texas, right now, northwest Austin. And we have some additional information from our affiliate station there. Well, I hope it's one of our affiliates, KVUE in Austin. And here's the information on their website. A small single-engine plane crashed into the building you see right here, this is northwest Austin, and you see the firefighters working over the fire that resulted from that crash. It happened near MOPAC. I'm not familiar with that but maybe you are as you watch this, and Highway 183.
And the reporting goes that smoke could be seen pouring from a building on traffic cameras. I think we're trying to work in a TDOT camera, Texas Department of Transportation. We've been showing you pictures from News 8 Austin. And the reporting from KVUE goes on to say that most of the windows in this building blown out. People are being evacuated. At this point, no word of how many people might have been injured.
A moment ago we saw a shot, this particular shot pan over to the right and we saw the highway close by, probably Highway 183. Traffic in that area is being diverted right now and you see -- you can't really get -- do we have an iReport? Let's show you the iReport. Again, iReport.com, if you have an opportunity to be close enough to give us -- stay safe, obviously, and stay out of the way of the work going on by fire crews right now.
But let's show you the iReport that we have. All right, I see the video. I'm not sure what I saw. What was that? I just saw a drive-along. I didn't even see the smoke. Is there a way for us to sort of rerack that? If we can. Let's try to rerack that, if it's possible.
So we understand that maybe three or four buildings could possibly be involved in all of this. We are getting word that two people are unaccounted for at this time. And that's essentially the information that we have right now. You can see there in the breaking news box the building hit by a plane is next door to Austin's FBI headquarters.
Here's the iReport. That's a better view of it. Let's take a look and listen.
OK, it's very short and I apologize for that. We'll rerack it again.
There we go. Wow! All right. Maybe we can grab some freeze frames. You know, we'll take it back and work on it a little bit and maybe grab some freeze frames of it. But you can see that's pretty dramatic stuff there. The smoke, the thick, black smoke from the jet fuel obviously just pouring out of the building right now.
And this is the scene right now. And again, this -- I don't have a time on when this crash took place, but that's something we're working on as well. Our Ed Lavandera very familiar with this area. He said it's an area that's gone through a lot of development in recent years and there were a number of small airfields in the area. We don't know if this was a case of a plane trying to land, a plane trying to take off. Ed is working the phones. Our National Desk working the phones as well to get any information that we can on this.
No report of any injury 'tis point. Two people unaccounted for. Have no idea how many people might have been on board the small aircraft. But again, we're talking about a small aircraft that smashed into this building. A single-engine plane was the last bit of information that I received on the plane.
And this is in northwest Austin, Texas. The crash happened near MOPAC and Highway 183. Smoke, as you can see, and we'll roll it in again from this iReport, smoke just came pouring out of the building. And one of our iReporters was able to capture that for us. Again, if you're able to get us some pictures, we appreciate it.
Take a look at this, the smoke literally pouring out of this building from the crash.
Traffic in the area is being diverted. And there are a number -- I would suspect that we would be able to get some pictures from affiliates on the ground here pretty soon. And we appreciate those pictures.
Again, here is a look at the scene right now. Firefighters have done a pretty good job of putting out the flames it looks like and the smoke has pretty much dissipated at this point. You still see some of it.
And we want to -- which affiliate? We're going to take the air check of one of our affiliates. Which affiliate -- let's just roll it.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MATT FLENER, KXAN REPORTER: ... nothing I have ever seen here in Austin, Texas, before.
CHRIS WILLIS, KXAN ANCHOR: I'm live on the scene and you can see that brown dirt, that's where that retaining wall --
FLENER: Yes, and unfortunately Chris or whatever is back in the studio, I can't hear you, unfortunately, but we do see lots of firefighters out here. The highways are still open. Now, we can see people coming off of the entrance ramp from 183. They're going north on 183, traffic south on 183 is still open. Obviously this would be a huge mess up here if they closed these highways. The highways are still open.
But, wow, what a scene up here. Really lots of law enforcement personnel. We've probably seen in the upwards of 80 to 90 law enforcement personnel up here today. We see lots of people standing around, milling around as well, trying to figure out what exactly happened. Presumably these were people -- Mark, you can see some of these people that are here. If you take a picture all the way over there across the highway, you can still see people that are outside. They have marked the area off with yellow tape. You can see people obviously looking around, trying to figure out what exactly happened here early this morning.
We don't know the exact time of what happened this morning. We're supposed to get some more information hopefully here within the next hour or two from the Austin Police Department.
I'm looking around once again, just doing to do a real quick survey of the scene. I see an ATF agent over there. There's the Austin Police Department. We see lots of other people as well.
WILLIS: OK. That's the spot we want to look at right there because that appears to be point of impact and that appears to be plane remnants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or it could be air conditioning ductwork.
WILLIS: I'm not an aviation expert by any stretch of the imagination. But that brown dirt there, as you're looking live at it, from what we're telling now appears that it could be the point of impact.
Our Carla Costano is also on the scene and joins us now with another perspective -- Carla.
CARLA COSTANO, KXAN REPORTER (via telephone): Yes, Chris. I'm actually here at 183 and 360. There is a complete -- the freeway here, the roads are going very, very slow. Traffic is moving very slow. You can see thick, black smoke billowing from the billing. The Williams County Constable's Office has shut down part of 360 where it meets 183.
I talked with some folks who work at the Bank of America and they say that just before 10:00 they felt a huge blast. They went outside and saw smoke billowing from the building. They say that their building shook.
We're also hearing that they have -- on the scene there, they are doing a roll call and trying to make sure that everyone is accounted for, but there -- right here at 183 and 360, there's just I would say dozens of law enforcement officials out here. We also keep hearing fire trucks which are rushing over to the scene trying to make their way through traffic. So very tense situation here right now. WILLIS: All right. Again, Carla Costano on the scene.
And that could be the shot so far that tells the biggest story. That's the front of -- and just to recap if you're just joining us. This is happening as we're continuing the day, so it is continuing to come in, the information.
APD's PIO confirms a small airplane has crashed into the Echelon Building, and again, that's 9430 Research Boulevard, Building One. From some of the witnesses that we have had joining us today, that retaining wall that goes in front of that building appears to be completely demolished and the focus of a lot of emergency operations right now. As you can imagine, you are going to see just about every kind of emergency personnel in central Texas on the scene of that as well as probably the federal government.
Let's go back to Matt Flener who is there live. And Matt, is that -- first of all, can you hear me?
FLENER: Yes, I got you.
WILLIS: Second of all, is that point of dirt that you were showing us, does that appear from your perspective to be an impact point?
FLENER: Chris, I had a little trouble --
HARRIS: All right, let's do this. We're going to keep an eye on the affiliate work there from KXAN. Good stuff. I think most dramatically you saw pictures there of what looked like the wreckage of the aircraft in question here into that building there.
Our Marylynn Ryan -- and Marylynn runs our Southeast Bureau. And, Marylynn, you're on the phone with us?
MARYLYNN RYAN, CNN SOUTHEAST BUREAU CHIEF (via telephone): Hey, Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, good to talk to you. What are you learning about this?
RYAN: Well, I talked to the FAA twice in the last ten minutes and the second time he relayed to me, the spokesperson there in Dallas, relayed to me that they had no planes in report of any trouble at the time of this crash and that the airports -- this would not be on any approach to the airports. The airports in this area are quite a distance away and that they continue to work on the information and get any tail information. But they, again, reported earlier that it was in a federal -- into some type of federal building.
HARRIS: Yes.
RYAN: Possibly the IRS building.
HARRIS: Yes, it looks like we're talking about some kind of a government office building park here. I got a couple of -- maybe you can help me with this. I've got a couple of airports apparently that are nearby of the scene of this crash. There's the Austin International Airport, had is some 15 miles away, in southeast Austin, and the building is reportedly on the flight path from that airport. And then there is another airport about 17 miles west, Lakeway Air Park. And at this point, Marylynn, we don't know from which airport this plane may have been trying to land or taking off from, right? We just don't know.
RYAN: Right. The FAA is still working that, Tony, and as soon as we get anything official from them, and we're calling all the other federal and local sources, we'll get that to you guys as soon as possible.
HARRIS: Marylynn, appreciate it.
RYAN: No worries.
HARRIS: Let's go back to our affiliate in Austin, KXAN and pick up their reporting.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
KATE WEIDAW, KXAN REPORTER: Have you heard anything for the search for survivors or anything like that?
FLENER: Well, I tell you what, Kate, we're directly across the highway from where the building is at. I can tell you, it's been kind of eerie, because I don't see anybody going into the building itself. There may be firefighters on the other side of this building or EMS personnel trying to get people out, but it looks like -- it looks like nobody is going into the building, at least from this side of the building.
We do see one EMS truck over there, but we're unsure if there's more EMS vehicles on the other side of the building across from us.
WILLIS: OK, our Matt Flener on the scene. Matt, we'll continue to check in with you.
FLENER: Sure.
WILLIS: Boy, great perspective on those pictures. If that's Mark on the camera, keep those shots, because that's a great reference.
We've been getting e-mails obviously and phone calls. One of the viewers that called actually works in that building, he was home because his child was sick. So he was getting phone calls from friends that work on the fourth floor where he works with. He works for the federal government, but would not confirm which branch of the federal government he works for. Mostly private firms on the first floor, he said. The rest of the building occupied by a lot of federal and state offices.
The building shook upon impact is how they were describing it, as you looking at now them now getting a different perspective from the air in the chopper there. Said that the building shook, all this smoke -- and they were trying to get downstairs. The FBI and the CIA pretty tightlipped about who works there.
They first thought it was a bomb that exploded there, because the entire building -- and, again, this is a person who works in that building relaying this information to us. But, again, a big shaking and explosion upon impact.
And we've been continuing to gather information from folks on the scene there. We have James Irater (ph) on phone with us right now. And, James, are you there?
CALLER: Yes.
WILLIS: What can you tell us?
HARRIS: All right, let's do this. We will keep an eye on the coverage from KXAN in Austin. But we want to bring in our homeland security expert, Jeanne Meserve.
And, Jeanne, we're always on pins and needles a bit when we see scenes like this. But I know you're working the phones and share with us what you're learning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, have just gotten a statement from Matthew Chandler at the Department of Homeland Security, a spokesman there, who says, at this time, we have no reasonable to believe there is a nexus to criminal or terrorist activity.
Let me say it again, at this time no reason to believe there is a nexus to criminal or terrorist activity. He says, the DHS in the process of coordinating with state officials and other federal partners to get more information. Things obviously very sketchy at this point in time. Secretary Napolitano is down in Mexico, but she has been made aware of this situation.
Meanwhile, we've been talking to the FBI because there have been reports about this being in proximity to an FBI office. We're told by an FBI official that although their offices are nearby, this is not their building, and this -- this official says there is nothing to indicate that they were targeted in any way here.
So, once again, no reason to believe terrorism, no reason to believe criminal activity, no reason to believe at this point that the FBI was targeted. That's the latest, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, Jeanne, appreciate that.
We're also trying to figure out, because I think you heard just moments ago from KXAN, some reporting from someone who works near that area that while the information seems to suggest that the FBI offices is next to, adjacent, to the building that was impacted here, that the building that was hit may have housed some state or federal offices. We've got to work on that. We've got to see if we can -- tighten that up, button that up just a little bit, because we still have nothing on the building itself. Except that it's in the area of the 9400 block of -- the 9400 block of research boulevard, and this is northwest Austin.
Let's give you information that we know right now, and maybe we'll dip in again to the coverage from KXAN. This crash apparently happened about -- just before 10:00 a.m. Local time there in Austin, and some of the witnesses apparently just described the building shaking, the sound of an explosion going off. It is apparently a single-engine aircraft. A small single-engine aircraft that crashed into this building this morning.
You're getting the latest that we have in terms of pictures. We can also, guys, loop in that iReport from someone who -- I believe was probably traveling, was probably traveling on highway 183, and took out their cell phone and hit the camera and started taking some pictures. And the pictures revealed all of the smoke. It looked like some of the immediate moments after the crash. All of the smoke pouring out of the building. And you'll see that coming up here pretty soon.
But we're getting -- these are new pictures, a different angle on the building right now, provided to us from News 8 in Austin. We have been hearing some reporting on the number of windows blown out of this structure. Well, you can see it firsthand for yourself here. We also understand that people are being evacuated. Makes all the sense in the world. But we also understand there are two people unaccounted for.
Here is the iReport I was just mentioning a moment ago. Great work to take that full there. Let me stop and see if there's any sound on at all. OK.
All right, let me get to the phones right now. Helena Wright is on the phone from the Austin Police Department.
Helena, are you there?
HELENA WRIGHT, AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT (via telephone): I am.
HARRIS: If you would, just take your time and walk us through about what you know about what happened this morning. We understand this crash happened at about just before 10:00 a.m. local time.
WRIGHT: Right. Just before 10:00 a.m. we received a call of a plane crashing into a building, located at the 9400 block of Research Boulevard here in Austin, and that's located near MOPAC and the capital of Texas Highway.
Our public information officers are on scene gathering information, such as the kind of plane it was. We cannot confirm yet if this was a commercial airline or if it was a private airline. They are also gathering information on casualties. And once we gather that information, it will be provided. HARRIS: OK. Helena, let me take this apart with you, if you wouldn't mind, here. Do you know where this plane was either taking off from or attempting to land?
WRIGHT: That is also information that our public information officers are gathering.
HARRIS: How many casualties at this point?
WRIGHT: Again, that's information that we are working on gathering. And once we get that information, it will be provided to media.
HARRIS: But you -- OK. I get that. But you do have -- you do have casualties. Can you confirm that?
WRIGHT: At this time, no.
HARRIS: OK. Cannot confirm. OK. Because we had reports of two people unaccounted for.
WRIGHT: There had been reports, but we're hesitant to say, until we get actual confirmation.
HARRIS: No, I understand. Please, appreciate that I'm just trying to get information.
WRIGHT: I understand.
HARRIS: Helena, what is this building? Is this a government office building? We have no information on the building. We know that the FBI is in an office close to this building, but what is the building in question? Is it -- is it government? Is it -- what is it?
WRIGHT: We have also received reports that there is a government building in the area, and, again, our officers are on scene, confirming exactly what building it is. And until we get those reports, we're hesitant to say exactly what building it is at this point, until we get exact confirmation.
HARRIS: OK. But you -- you -- you are with the Austin Police Department, I'm assuming you know that area pretty well. So, is this a -- is this a park of government office buildings?
WRIGHT: Tony, at this time, until we are absolutely sure, we cannot provide that information until we receive confirmation from our officers who are on scene.
HARRIS: All right. Forgive me for pushing.
WRIGHT: That's OK, I understand.
HARRIS: But I have to do it.
Helena, will you promise us when you have something more, you'll reach out to us and we'll be in touch with you?
WRIGHT: We absolutely will.
HARRIS: Helena Wright, from the Austin Police Department, the spokesman.
