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Quake Felt in Southern California; One Earthquake Fatality Confirmed in Mexico; Possible Supreme Court Retirement; 7.2 Earthquake Hits California; Tiger's Comeback at the Masters; Michael Baisden: Man with a Mission

Aired April 04, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Don Lemon here live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

Breaking news tonight of a major earthquake on the West Coast. The number is big, magnitude 7.2. The epicenter was near Mexicali, Mexico, but the shaking was felt throughout southern California and Arizona. CNN has confirmed at least one death in Mexico. In addition, smaller aftershocks have rattled the entire region for hours.

We want to get now to our meteorologist, Bonnie Schneider. She has been following the developments on this all day with me.

Bonnie, one person has now died from this.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's not surprising when you look at how severe and violent the shaking was at the epicenter itself. And I can show you here on our shake map that the area where the epicenter occurred in Mexico did experience violent shaking.

Now, this was in a less populated area, perhaps only several thousand people experienced the violent shaking, whereas tens of thousands may have experienced very strong shaking. And then when you look further past northward towards California, you tend to see much lighter intensity in terms of what people felt. That's an estimation from the USGS.

Now we're looking at a map to show you where the original quake occurred, right near here in Mexico and a 7.2 magnitude. Originally, the depth was recorded at 20.1 miles, but then it was re-evaluated to be much more shallow at 6.2 miles.

And many aftershocks, numerous, over 19 of them in Mexico and in California, and you can see that many of them traveled pretty far to the north as well. And we heard from a seismologist from Caltech earlier this evening that said, don't think it's over yet, we're likely to see more aftershocks.

Though, Don, the strongest aftershock has been below a 5.2 magnitude, but it's not to rule out that we couldn't see something more intense. We're going to have to wait and see. Some of the more strong aftershocks tend to occur within 24 hours of the original quake, but really it's possible to see this continue for weeks and maybe even months because 7.2 is so strong.

LEMON: All right. Bonnie Schneider, we will check back with you. Thank you very much with that, Bonnie.

Many people in Los Angeles thought it was the big one. It wasn't. But still lots of nervous people all over the Los Angeles basin tonight. And our Ted Rowlands joins us now by phone. He is on his way to San Diego from Los Angeles.

It was a big one, not the big one? Ted, what are you seeing?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, boy, a lot of rattled nerves, Don, as the bottom line here is that people that did feel it did have that sense of uh-oh because it lasted so long in 30-plus seconds in many cases. And there was that moment for a lot of people of oh, boy, it is the big one. People going into the doorjambs. People going outside.

Down south even over the border in Tijuana, there were reports of people flocking into the streets. There were some folks in Los Angeles that were stuck in elevators. Some minor power outages around southern California, but all in all, not a lot of damage. There were a lot of frayed nerves and some minor damage and some great reports of people talking about their swimming pools sloshing back and forth and specific stories about rattling chandeliers, et cetera.

And it really was -- this was one of those cases where like you alluded to it, not the big one, but a lot of people were nervous that it was going to be a big one. And I think it's safe to say a lot of people now tonight sort of nervous about what may happen in the next 24 hours, if there will be something else triggered.

LEMON: And Ted, you know, it certainly caught a lot of people off guard. I'm sure you were at home enjoying the Easter holiday this Easter Sunday, as were a lot of families. And a lot of families were out and about, Ted, at amusement parks, which people typically do maybe after church on a beautiful day like today, as it was in California. So, caught a lot of folks off guard, a lot of people had to end up fleeing those parks and rides and finding their way home.

ROWLANDS: Yes. Southern California is home to a lot of theme parks and all of them shut down immediately, as did the airports, to survey the damage. People were brought -- you know, pulled off of roller coasters, et cetera, but no significant damage at those parks.

But it took, as you said, everybody by surprise. Of course, earthquakes always do. You just are never ready for them. And when they first start, you never know, you know, how long is this going to go, et cetera. And it is very, very nerve-wracking because you're thinking about your safety, the safety around you, and the safety of your family and loved ones that you know were also in the region.

And this one really did push the limit, getting to that 30- second-plus feeling for a lot of people. A lot of people said this was the worst one they've ever felt. A lot of people in San Diego County, specifically, lifelong Californians. LEMON: Our Ted Rowlands, and that's one reason we are sending you to Los Angeles -- to San Diego, I should say, to sort of survey the damage and see what's happening there. So thank you. And Ted may cross over into the border as well, cross over to Mexico to see. So Ted, keep us posted. We're going to be on here until midnight Eastern Time. So, if you get any information, please call back. Safe travels, OK?

Let's check in now on the first responders. I want to go down to Captain Steve Ruda of the L.A. Fire Department. Spoke with CNN just a short time ago. He says the city came through this quake largely, largely unscathed. Listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CAPT. STEVE RUDA, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT (via telephone): The city of Los Angeles is safe. We have a couple of reports of trapped elevators, people in elevators, that's probably from a power outage, maybe the elevators shut down. But this is another good opportunity for the families that are together on Easter Sunday to talk about preparedness here in Southern California.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: So as you just heard, right after the quake and aftershocks hit, emergency crews and firefighters were out in the streets, making sure people were OK. So we want to know how the situation is now. We go to Kelly Huston of the California Emergency Management Agency, and she joins me now by phone from Sacramento.

So, listen, we've heard about downed power lines. We've heard, at least in Los Angeles, they were up in helicopters. They had taken to the air. They were in full emergency mode. What about for you there?

KELLY HUSTON, CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Well, of course, most of Southern California immediately feeling the quake. There's already a lot of different jurisdictions that have immediate plans, like you heard from Captain Ruda in Southern California, the L.A. Fire Department.

We at the state operation center in Sacramento is monitoring these type of activities all the time. It seems like California is just prone to earthquakes. What we have discovered so far is that -- developing is that the southern tip of the state, which is Imperial County, near the town of Brawley or El Centro, they've had some widespread power outages, some water main breaks, and they're still out now looking to see if there are any damages to the roadways down there.

That seems to be the place where we'll probably see the most amount of actual physical damage. We did do some checking in San Diego, in Los Angeles, other jurisdictions. San Diego had a few of their elevators stuck, like they had in Los Angeles, but really no significant damage so far. LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. We really appreciate it. Kelly Huston from Sacramento -- California Emergency Management Agency in Sacramento. We appreciate it.

There were some scary moments in Southern California as the ground moved, windows shook and water splashed out of swimming pools and much, much more besides that. Electrical lines were falling down. Sabrina Torres of San Diego says she thought it was the big one.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SABRINA TORRES, SAN DIEGO RESIDENT: Well, being from San Diego, I was, of course, a little bit worried. And when the windows started shaking and it started going on a little bit more, and I literally felt almost like -- I describe it like a snake moving underneath my building, my apartment building that I live in, I started to get really, really panicky.

And then things started falling off my shelves and then I just went and I stood in the doorway, because that's the only thing I know to do. I went out. I got the chills. I started sweating. I was thinking it might be the big one, and then it just slowly passed.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Wow. We know this quake could be felt strongest near Mexico. One woman in the border town Brawley, California, she captured the strong quake with her video camera. I want you to listen to this as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(WATER SPLASHING OUT OF SWIMMING POOL)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like an ocean. Tsunami.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Can you imagine that? There's water lapping up into your home and you don't know what's going to happen next. This quake caused waves to form in her swimming pool, causing the water to wash into her patio. Luckily, luckily, it didn't cause any real damage to this Southern California home. And again, people are still surveying the damage, trying to figure out exactly what's going on.

You know, the quake hit in the border town - in border towns along the Mexico-California border. We're still trying to get information down in Mexico now where there are not lots of resources. We're hearing that there's damage there. People are asking what's going on in that area.

Our Latin Affairs correspondent -- editor, I should say, checking on that for you.

Also, it is Easter Sunday. We're going to tell you how the First Family celebrated. And the Pope. Did he talk about the scandal that is ravaging the Catholic Church during his Easter Sunday service? A lot of people are upset by his comments, or lack of them.

Also, make sure you log on to the social networking sites tonight. We're getting information from those sites and we're putting in on the air as we get them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: As we follow our breaking news, we want to tell you about some other stories. This is, of course, Easter Sunday, Easter, the holiest day in the Christian calendar. Our coverage begins in Washington on this when President Barack Obama attended Easter services at the Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast D.C. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia joined him there.

American troops in Afghanistan attended Easter services in a tent at a Camp Leatherneck.

And just across the Potomac, from the nation's capital, the faithful were greeted this morning with inspirational songs and a sermon at Arlington National Cemetery.

Many Catholics, in particular, were waiting to see if Pope Benedict XVI would address the child sex abuse scandal on this Easter Sunday. But the pontiff remained silent on the subject during his Easter mass at St. Peter's Square. Cardinal Angelo Sodano defended Pope Benedict XVI from what he described as gossip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (through translator): Holy Father, on your side are the people of God who do not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Cardinal Sodano's tribute to the Pope was a rare departure from the Catholic Church's traditional Easter Sunday rituals.

Checking other headlines this hour. Deadly violence in Baghdad today. Suicide car bombers set off three blasts within five minutes of each other, killing at least 30 people. Hundreds of others were wounded. There are new concerns that insurgents are trying to capitalize on political uncertainty in the wake of recent elections.

And updating a story we first reported to you last week. Workers in Northern China have pulled at least nine people from a flooded mine. The rescue comes two days after tapping was heard from within the mine. Rescuers have already reached 108 mine workers. 144 remain unaccounted for.

All systems are go for tomorrow morning's launch of the shuttle Discovery. Takeoff is now on track for 6:21 Eastern Time. Discovery will carry seven astronauts plus loads of supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. And it's worth noting that the 13- day mission marks the first time four women have been in space at one time.

You're looking at live pictures now of the shuttle on the launch pad. They said all systems are go for 6:21 a.m.

A top White House economist is predicting more slow but steady growth from the labor market. But economic adviser Lawrence Summers had a word of caution today on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE SUMMERS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: We've got a long way to go. We've inherited a terrible situation, the most pressing economic problems since the Great Depression. In our country, it is the president's preoccupation to put people back to work. That's what the Recovery Act was all about. That's what the legislation he signed into law to give incentives to businesses, to hire people who have been out of work was all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Summers' remarks come two days after the announcement that 162,000 jobs were added in March, the biggest job gains in three years.

We're covering breaking news here on CNN. An earthquake, magnitude 7.2, rocked Southern California and Northern Mexico. The damage -- they're still trying to estimate it. And there's also one death reported across the border tonight in Mexico. We're going to check in with that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. Don Lemon here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

And we want to tell our viewers out West, especially in California, that we have been with you live throughout the evening here and we're going to remain until we get some better estimates of the damage and injuries there, because you never know.

Also, according to the USGS, they said expect some aftershocks or triggered events to happen after this. So we're looking out for you. We're going to have more now on this powerful earthquake, the aftershocks, the triggered events that rocked parts of Mexico and Southern California today and into the evening.

The largest quake measured 7.2 in magnitude. At least one person is dead in the city of Mexicali. We have crews on the way and we're checking in there. So for now we go to our senior Latin American affairs editor, Rafael Romo. He joins us now. He has been checking with sources in Mexico.

What are you hearing? RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, Don, I just received this statement from Mexico's government, confirming what we were talking about earlier, that there's been, indeed, one fatality in the city of Mexicali, or Mexicali as it is known in Mexico. At least one fatality at this point.

They're also talking about widespread problems when it comes to water, electricity, telecommunications, water main breaks, all kinds of power lines down, and also, cell phones and conventional phones not working at this time in Mexicali, just to give you an idea. That's across the border from Calexico, California.

This area that -- the pictures that you're seeing right now come specifically from that city of Mexicali and you see the devastation. Here you see the Chamber of Commerce in that city, broken windows, big structural damage.

And also this hospital that had to be evacuated right away after the earthquake hit this area. Patients had to run out of there.

You also see stores were -- the shelves were basically left empty because they fell off during this earthquake, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. So that's the situation right there in the city of Mexicali, Don.

LEMON: Yes, thank -- hey, listen, Rafael, thank you.

And I wanted to -- we also have, as I said, crews on the way to Mexicali and people have been asking me about the Imperial Valley as well. Again, I want to tell you that we're on top of that and we're following the breaking news coverage of this earthquake that hit Southern California and other triggered events that really trembled all across California.

We're going to stay on the air live for you. If you're on the East Coast, you can stay tuned in because we're getting pictures in any second. If you're on the West Coast, you can definitely look to CNN for information and guidance on this event, how to get through it, who you should call, what you should do, how bad the damage is.

We're going to take you to Washington as well where there's a shake-up or a possible one with the Supreme Court. One of the justices is sort of insinuating that he is ready to retire. Will it change the balance of the Court? Is it good or bad for the Obama administration?

Our political editor, Mark Preston, is going to guide us through all of this and tell us what it means to you as well.

Breaking news coverage plus other news, live here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Breaking news here on CNN. And we're covering it live for you. Here is why. This is according to reports out of Los Angeles. Damage reports -- this is from the wires -- from the U.S.- Mexico border region are growing, growing tonight after a magnitude 7.2 quake in Baja, California, that was felt from Tijuana and Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Phoenix.

The reports are coming in. We're watching our affiliates. We're checking with our sources and we have reporters and crews on the way to the scene. We're going to update you on this story throughout the evening here on CNN live until midnight Eastern Time. We're looking out for our viewers on the West Coast and informing our viewers in the East and points in between the East and the West of what's going on out there.

Meantime, some other news to talk about. Possible changing of the guard. It could be close, close at hand for the Supreme Court. Longtime liberal justice John Paul Stevens is hinting at retirement, telling two major newspapers that he's considering stepping down after almost 35 years on the bench. Stevens says he wants to do what is best for the Court, and says he'll surely depart during President Obama's term. Stevens will turn 90 years old on April 20th.

So, just eight months after the swearing in of the nation's first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice, President Obama may soon have another opportunity to make a lasting mark on the High Court. But he could face a tough political fight ahead. So let's talk about it now with CNN political editor Mark Preston.

Also, Mark, last night, we heard our legal -- senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, saying that he thinks it's imminent, within the next month, that Stevens is going to retire.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Stevens is 90 years old, as you said, Don. He was first appointed to the Court back in 1975 by President Ford. I think he wants to go out on his own terms and I think that's what we saw him say in the last couple of days to the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post." Of course, our own Jeffrey Toobin, as you said, has actually spoken to him as well.

So, with him leaving, it does offer this opportunity for President Obama, Don, to really put his imprint on the Supreme Court.

LEMON: It is not going to change the balance as far as liberal and conservative. Even though Stevens believes he's conservative, he is seen by the majority of people as a liberal. It won't change the balance, but what people are more concerned about rather than balance is ideology.

PRESTON: Yes, really. And the way the Court is made up right now, nine justices, one of them, of course, being the chief justice, five of them are considered conservative, four of them are considered liberal. And, of course, Mr. Stevens -- Justice Stevens is one of those who is considered on the liberal end.

So, President Obama, of course, is going to choose somebody of his ideological stripe. That could very likely be somebody who is a Democrat, somebody who is liberal and would, of course, keep that in line. But Don, as you said, this has a lot of political implications. We're heading into a midterm election year. Of course, a lot of people will look at the midterm elections as really a yardstick to determine how President Obama is being viewed by the public and by voters.

And of course, if he has to fill a vacancy on the Court, there is going to be a big fight. You are going to see interest groups pouring tens of millions of dollars into this, trying to persuade President Obama, or more likely to persuade voters to try to persuade President Obama to go one way or the other in his choosing.

LEMON: And the concern from people in Washington as well as everyone -- many people throughout America, is that this may be a possible distraction in some way. Or just something else that the administration has to deal with, when most people are concerned about jobs and the economy. Yet another thing for the president to have to deal with.

PRESTON: Right on with that, Don. And of course, President Obama came under a lot of criticism over the past year, because he was focusing on the health care reform legislation, a massive undertaking, and he was successful in getting that through. However, he wanted to try to get that legislation done by last August.

During this whole time, though, he was still having to do this dual track. The economy was really in a downward spiral. People were losing their jobs. People were losing their homes. There was a lot of criticism from Republicans and even some Democrats, Don, that he had taken his eye off the ball and hadn't been focusing on the economy.

LEMON: And even now, because he still has to sell the health care bill, he is going next week to sign an agreement in Russia with Medvedev, a nuclear agreement. But here's what I'm going to talk about. It was an interesting week last week for the Republicans and it's going to be an interesting week this week. They've got to take care of some business down in New Orleans.

PRESTON: They have to take care of some business down in New Orleans, some immediate business, and of course some long-term business.

Let's start with the immediate business. Chairman Michael Steele of the Republican National Committee has come under a lot of criticism, Don, for his stewardship of that organization. Under a lot of criticism for his spending habits, under a lot of criticism for some of the missteps that have happened under his watch.

Of course, some of those being the misprint of a phone sex line on a RNC mailer that went out to raise money. The misstep of having one of his aides approve an expense for a night out for some young donors at a, say, questionable nightclub, certainly questionable for social conservatives. So under a lot of criticism.

Expect there to be a lot of talk at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference about Michael Steele. In addition, we're going to be hearing from a lot of potential 2012 presidential candidates, Don, including everyone's favorite, Sarah Palin.

LEMON: All right. We will be looking forward to that. Mark Preston, thank you. Happy Easter. I hope you and your family enjoyed it, OK?

PRESTON: You too, Don. Thank you.

LEMON: The biggest job gains in three years. Home buyers have more ways to save and chocolate makers cash in on Easter. CNN's Stephanie Elam is "Getting Down to Business" tonight.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNNBUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It was welcome news for many Americans -- 162,000 jobs were created in March. That's the biggest jump in employment in three years. While this shows signs of strength in the economy, experts caution not to get too excited about the news just yet. One-third of the jobs came from temporary hiring for the census and the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent.

Watch for more on the job market when weekly unemployment claims are released on Thursday.

For those in the market to buy a home, listen up. You have less than a month before the home buyer tax credit expires. First-time home buyers may qualify for up to $8,000, while those trading up could get as much as $6,500. Contracts must be signed by the end of April. But don't rush just to get the tax credit. Home prices are still dropping in some areas so you could save more if you wait.

And finally on this Easter Sunday, while most people think of giving chocolate on Valentine's Day, more chocolate is actually sold the week leading up to Easter, according to the Nielsen Company. Nearly 71 million pounds of chocolate is sold the week before Easter compared to about 48 million pounds sold during Valentine's week. But neither compared to Halloween. That's by far the chocolate king.

That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

LEMON: Thank you very much. We really appreciate that.

Listen, we're following breaking news tonight here on CNN. We told you about a major earthquake out on the West Coast. We're going to be with you for the next hour and a half, at least until midnight, and if it warrants after that, live to give you continuing coverage as they assess the damage out on the West Coast in California and specifically border towns in Mexico as well.

Our Bonnie Schneider tracking all the aftermath and the aftershocks and triggered events that happened after that quake hit. We're told by one seismologist to expect an event, maybe a 6 in magnitude, in the next coming days. We're watching it.

Also, like who is back. Tiger Woods on the course. He was there today in Augusta, just ahead of this week's Masters. And we're going to talk about Tiger's return, what he can expect, what we can expect from our sports analysts -- our business analyst here, Rick Harrow. We're back in moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The latest on an earthquake that happened out in California is that damage reports are growing in California and along the U.S.-Mexico border in that region, as they try to assess the damage from a 7.2 quake.

Look at the video here. This sort of shows you how the earth was moving there. And you see the water lapping over the pool and you see that in many of the reports and videos that we are getting in here to CNN.

Also, some downed power lines in the area. There are people who are without power. Our iReporters sent us video of homes shaking, restaurants shaking, and of course, all of this catches people off guard, coming really just a couple of weeks after a big earthquake in Chile.

This is Mexico that you're looking at. The first one was a grocery store. There you go. There's a grocery store where there was merchandise spilled and this is only small damage, the small damage. There are some much bigger damages from pictures that we have seen as well.

As we go to our meteorologist, Bonnie Schneider -- Bonnie, we're going to be on the air here again until midnight Eastern Time and beyond if it warrants, because we don't really know how things are going to end up there at this hour. We're already hearing of one death in Mexico, Bonnie. You saw the video there. And considering the size of this thing, 7.2, if it turns out that we have one death and, you know, minor injuries like we've seen, boy, they really dodged it.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, that's for sure. And looking at where the quake occurred, there are so many factors that indicate whether or not we're going to see catastrophic damage or many people affected. You can see the epicenter there in Mexico.

And on my map, I can show you that when we're looking at the population and the shake map of where it was felt, you can see an area concentrated around the epicenter where there was actually violent and extreme shaking, and that's probably likely where the death occurred.

And looking at the structures of this region -- the USGS put a statement on their website, saying that there is mixed home use. There is some that are resistant to earthquakes. There are some that are not. So structures vary in this area.

But then you can also see, right here, Brawley and El Centro. And earlier this evening, Don, you had California Emergency Management officials talking about power outages, and look where they were. -- right here in the Imperial Valley, just north of the epicenter. And that is an area that received perceived shaking, moderate to strong, but in terms of potential damage, light. So that's where we did see the power outages.

So everything is sort of kind of coming together as we look at what we're getting perception-wise from the USGS to what we're hearing from official reports.

Here's another look at the epicenter and the population affected and population exposure. And really, again, this is not a widely populated area, where the epicenter occurred. There is a larger city called Guadalupe, Victoria, that's not too far from the epicenter, and that has a population of between 14,000 and 18,000 people. But, again, where the actual center occurred, that's a less populated area.

You mentioned also how we're getting new reports and new information and changing information as this situation unfolds. Earlier, the first initial report of the quake was a depth of 20.1 miles. That was later corrected dramatically, and now we learn that the depth is 6.2 miles, making it a much more shallow, yet intense quake.

And you have to realize, the way the land is structured in this part of Mexico, it's more solid rock than the looser soil that we saw in Haiti, for example, so that is another factor. The shock absorption is a little bit better in this region.

Now there is another factor I want just to mention. There are some rocks and mountains in this area, so we also run the risk of possible land or rockslides, as the sediment is loose.

And Don, something else that occurs after a earthquake is called liquefaction. And what that means is the water that's in any sort of constructed building, when it shake, it kind of shakes up the water inside or any liquid inside, and that could loosen the structure. So we could see something standing after an earthquake and then suddenly collapsing. So everything is on shaky ground right now.

LEMON: Bonnie, thanks for guiding us through this. We really appreciate it. Bonnie is going to continue to be with us until midnight, Eastern Time. Thank you, Bonnie. We will check back.

As you know, it may be a long, long night for people in Southern California and Northern Mexico, of course. They are hoping for no more repeats of the powerful 7.2 magnitude quake that struck just earlier today. Buildings swayed, windows shattered, pipes burst and power went out in some areas.

Captain Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Department spoke with CNN and had some advice for people who live out there.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CAPTAIN STEVE RUDA, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPT.: Once again, Mother Nature has sent all Los Angeles firefighters out into the communities, out into the streets. Our helicopters are flying overhead, checking our infrastructures. A couple of websites people can check, resolvetobeready, mysafela.com. Those are some of our preparation sites that people can look at. It gives people an opportunity to talk about, and as a family, we're all together today, what do we do in case of emergency?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. Our thanks to Captain Ruda.

Hey, listen, we have taken you to California, to Mexico and to Washington. Now we're going to get you to Augusta, Georgia, right near Atlanta, and talk about Tiger Woods. The question is, can the world's most famous golfer write a new chapter at the Masters and put scandal behind him?

He is already taking a swing at it. We'll talk about Tiger Woods' much-anticipated return to the links at the Masters tomorrow morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Listen. The wait is nearly over. So everyone, you can relax. It appears that rumors -- oh, listen, this is -- this is different. Let's go now. Let's just go to Rick Horrow.

Hey, Rick, a couple of things different here in scripts in the prompter. So let's talk about this. Here's what we're going to talk. I want to talk Tiger, I want to talk Butler and Duke, and then if we have time, we're going to talk some baseball, right?

So Tiger coming back tomorrow. He's not one to usually show up early for practice, right? Or get there before the tournament. Doesn't start until tomorrow -- the practicing doesn't start until the morning, he's already out there on the links at Augusta. What exactly is going on with him?

RICK HORROW, SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: He wants to get as much practice as he can, Don. And he was not in Houston, where the other pros were to play a golf tournament that ended today. So I guess he has the benefit of playing Augusta National, while other people are focusing on winning or losing the tournament in Houston a few days before.

He now goes into a very carefully controlled environment with a press conference that starts tomorrow at 2:00 at a private club. So as much as he possibly can, he can try to shape the message.

LEMON: So we shouldn't read anything, too much into this, is that what you're saying? Because some people are saying, oh, it's a new Tiger, maybe he's going to be more open, he's going to hang out with the other players, get there early. Or does he just need more practice because he has been off the course for so long?

HORROW: Well, he needs more practice also because, frankly, his image now totally depends on how well he does this weekend and in subsequent weeks. If he wins or does well, we go after the Jack Nicklaus 18 major records. If he doesn't do well, then all the infidelity stories start resurfacing.

LEMON: Yes, this is a true test. So, are you going? HORROW: Oh, yes, I'll absolutely be there. I will be there for the week. We'll, you know, cover it again for next week's perspective. It will be one of the most anticipated sporting events, as you know, maybe in sports history.

LEMON: I'll be there. And I just -- not because of that, but I just happened to get tickets. Won them in an auction. So, it's going to be great.

HORROW: All right.

LEMON: This story -- I am fascinated by this story. I'm not a huge sports fan. I love to go and watch, you know, to the games. But Duke versus Butler, I am fascinated by this story. It's David and Goliath, and then it's right in the shadows. The game taking place right in the shadows of Butler's campus. They're the underdogs and they could win.

HORROW: A couple of dimensions to this story, Don. First, I was there yesterday for the final four. Here's the shameless plug and the shameless prop. Butler is one-tenth the size of Michigan state, enrollment-wise, dispatched them yesterday, an incredible run in their home stadium.

LEMON: Hang on one second. I want to -- I want to explain why we're playing. A lot of people are comparing this to the movie "Hoosiers," right, where the underdogs came in and did so well. So, they're comparing this Duke versus Butler to that. And that's why we're showing you the video.

I'm sorry. Continue, Rick Horrow.

(CROSSTALK)

HORROW: And by the way, that film, on Butler's campus. But here's the other bottom line of all of this. It's good for Indianapolis because that's the hometown campus. It's good for these mid-majors. There's hope for teams that are smaller that don't have a lot of money.

It's good for Indianapolis because they're doing such a good job of putting on the final four. HKS designed a flexible building not just for the Colts, but for basketball. They'll get the women's and men's final four and the hundreds of millions of dollars of impact they generate every three or four years, which is very important stimulus-wise for Central Indiana as well.

LEMON: OK. Hey, I want to go here real quick. Donovan McNabb, was this a surprise, he's being traded?

HORROW: Hey, it's a big surprise where he was traded to, if the rumors are correct. The press conference tomorrow will be to announce that he goes to the Washington Redskins. So it's not only trading a player within their division, but it also paves the way for the start of Michael Vick.

LEMON: Mike Vick is a starter now, right. So we shall see where he goes. You did pretty good tonight.

HORROW: Got a lot of stuff going on, man.

LEMON: Hey, listen. I will see you at the Masters, hopefully, and again, tomorrow, opening day of baseball, officially. I love the seventh inning stretch and hot dogs. It's going to be fun. I can't wait to get out there to some games. Take care of yourself. I'll see you.

HORROW: All right, man.

LEMON: All right. And you can check out Rick Horrow's weekly sports business blog. Just log on to my blog at cnn.com/don.

Hey, going broke to pay for college could become a thing of the past. Changes to the way student loans are handed out were included in the health care reform legislation. A lot of people didn't realize that student loans were tucked into health care reform. So CNN's Christine Romans is here to explain the details in this week's "Mastering your Money."

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It just got easier to borrow money for college. And for students enrolling in the year 2014 and after, it will also be easier to pay off their student debt. At least that's the aim of new sweeping laws governing student loans. The president says no one should go broke to get a college education.

Here's how it works. Graduates with federal student loans won't have to pay more than 10 percent of their income on their student loan payments every month. After 20 years of paying their bills, their remaining student debt would be forgiven. Enter a public service like become a nurse, a public defender, a teacher, your student loans could be wiped clean after ten years.

LEMON: All right, Christine, thank you very much.

We're following breaking news here on CNN. A 7.2 magnitude quake hit out in California along the border with Mexico. There is some damage and we're -- they're assessing it now and we're sending crews, our crews are on the way. We'll have reports coming up for you here on CNN. We're live until midnight Eastern Time, just to cover the damage there and see how everything comes together there.

Also, severe weather tonight throughout the U.S. It's not just in California where we have an earthquake, but we have some severe weather going on. There is a tornado warning that Bonnie Schneider is circling right now, I am being told. In just a moment, on the other side of this break, she's going to tell us about these warnings and watches and what your commute is going to be like in the morning. I want you to stick around because you need to hear it.

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LEMON: Bonnie Schneider, a very busy day for her. Our meteorologist here holding down the fort in the CNN severe weather center. Bonnie, before we had the earthquake out West, you're telling us about severe weather in the West -- Midwest, I should say, and now there's a tornado warning in southern Illinois?

SCHNEIDER: That's right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Bonnie. We will check back with you.

Radio host Michael Baisden is on a cross-country mission to help America's black youth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BAISDEN, RADIO HOST: The term has always been used, you know, be the example that you want to see in other people. And I wanted to be an example by showing and not telling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Here's what some are saying that he and other radio hosts across the country may be positioning themselves as civil rights leaders of a new era. Who are the African-American leaders today? We're going in depth to find out. It's "What Matters" tonight.

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LEMON: Today marks the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in Memphis. Forty-two years later, Dr. King's legacy has taken root in a new generation of black leaders. Many of them, including radio host Michael Baisden, are using the airwaves to push Dr. King's message forward. It is "What Matters" tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The baddest man on the radio.

LEMON (voice over): Michael Baisden is on the air.

BAISDEN: Welcome back to the "Michael Baisden Show."

LEMON: And spreading the word.

BAISDEN: This is how you change lives. Come on.

LEMON: He's not a preacher, but his secular sermons fill the airwaves all across America, leaving some to suggest black radio hosts are replacing the iconic civil rights leaders of the past.

(CHANTING)

LEMON: In 2007, instead of Washington or Selma, they marched on Jena, an obscure Louisiana town, until six African-American students were charged with beating a white student after nooses were hung in a schoolyard tree.

BAISDEN: This is my home away from home.

LEMON: Today, Baisden and his co-host George Wilborn have taken their "Power to the People" message on the road -- on a tour bus that will take them to 73 cities, encouraging adults, especially African- American men, to get involved in young people's lives as mentors.

(on camera): This is your life, man -- for how long?

BAISDEN: For five months, until mid-June. We end the campaign in New York City.

LEMON (voice-over): But before the Big Apple finish, Baisden says he will match contributions to local mentoring programs with up to $350,000 of his own money.

BAISDEN: I didn't see it as giving away money. I saw it as investing in our kids. And the term has always been used, you know, be the example that you want to see in other people. And I wanted to be an example by showing and not telling.

Hugs only. Hugs only.

LEMON: At each stop, he is greeted like a rock star.

In Augusta, Georgia, so many people showed up, there wasn't enough room. But local mentoring group Dad's in Action got in. For them, mentoring starts at home.

(on camera): Do you feel lucky and sort of privileged that you have -- you're here and you're able to be your own son's own mentor?

TERRENCE PAYNE, "DAD'S IN ACTION": Yes, I'm very privileged. And I take this honor very highly to -- just to have a son or even have a child to just to be a part of his life, you know? And I take off from work and don't work as much just to be with my son.

I mean, it means more to me than -- just being with him every day. And anyone here in this town would know who knows me, I have been carrying him in one arm and doing my work with the other. I have -- my whole life is this young man here.

LEMON: That should be the message to all dads, don't you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outstanding.

LEMON: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, it's true.

BAISDEN: That's right, I said it.

LEMON (voice-over): Inside the chapel, Baisden is preaching, firing up the crowd, hoping his passionate pitch resonates long after he gets back on the bus. (on camera): So, it's not just your voice going all over the country. It's you.

BAISDEN: Yes. Sometimes, got to show up, right? You can't just let them hear you, they have to feel you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And our breaking news tonight -- a 7.2 magnitude quake strikes in California and killing one person in Mexico. We are hearing that the man's home collapsed on top of him. Make sure you stay with CNN for continuing coverage.

I'm Don Lemon.

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