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CNN Live Saturday
Train Derailment in Chicago; Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts; Some New Orleans Business Owners Returning to Assess Damages; Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Finding and Attempting to Relocate Remaining Victims; Tropical Storm Ophelia Tropical Storm Philippe; Bush says Budget Cuts not Tax Hikes
Aired September 17, 2005 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.
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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Hello from the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We're watching our breaking story out of Chicago right now. This Metra train rail system has derailed apparently involving five cars. One confirmed death at this juncture and dozens of people who have been injured who have been taken to various medical facilities via helicopter as well as EMS trucks.
We don't know the exact cause at this derailment at this juncture, but we've heard reportedly that this train was making its way from Joliet, Illinois and heading into Chicago when this occurred near the 47th Street intersection. And one initial report indicated that this 47th Street viaduct may have collapsed, but none of that information is being confirmed.
We don't know exactly what caused the derailment only that it is a working scene right now. Investigators are there, all emergency crews. They're trying to attend to those injured persons right now and airlifting the most critically injured. Of course when we get more information, we'll be bringing that to you.
Now, meantime, some 2,000 children are still missing or separated from family after Hurricane Katrina. And CNN wants your help in locating them. Throughout our program, you'll see their names and pictures on the left side of your television screen, plus a phone number to call if you have any information. CNN is taking on this effort in collaboration with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia. A live report from the center straight ahead.
Let's begin with the latest mission critical, rather, from the disaster zone. The confirmed death toll across the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina is now 812. Most of those deaths, 579, are in Louisiana. Mississippi has the next highest with 211.
President Bush says federal funds to rebuild after the hurricane will come from existing programs, not from new taxes. No word yet on where those cuts would be made. The estimated price tag is around $200 billion. And in New Orleans, the pumps are doing their jobs, dropping the stagnant waters in the city by a foot per day. The Army Corps of Engineers says draining the city is about halfway completed. Residents will be allowed back into the Algiers area of this city on Monday.
Right now, some New Orleans' business owners are getting their firsthand look at the bars, restaurants, and shops they left behind. Depending on what they find, some might even reopen for business. CNN's Mary Snow is covering that for us, live -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, as business owners come back to the uptown district and two other districts in New Orleans, they're doing so with a new warning reissued, again, by the Department of Homeland Security warning them of the potential risks they've faced whether they get here.
This, because of damaged electricity, water, the sewage system, and also public safety. A statement, earlier today, released from the Department of Homeland Security, here in the state of Louisiana, say that he is releasing this statement so that people can be fully informed of the risk they may face in this city.
We've been in a couple of hours in the uptown district which is higher ground, so the damage was not as extensive as in other parts of New Orleans. We're seeing people come trickling in and that includes a restaurant owner we met up with earlier today. He was coming in to inspect the restaurant he left behind. And there is physical damage to that restaurant, but also in a business like his, you have to rely on water and electricity which he doesn't have, doesn't know when he'll be able to get back but he is fully confident that he will.
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HASSAN KHALEGHI, RESTAURANT OWNER: That's all we have. This is what we have and this is our home, we're going to stick with it. And hopefully everybody feel the same way we are, because we are some friends, they are coming back. And I just want to let everyone know this is a beautiful town. You better come back.
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SNOW: The central business district and the French Quarter also are seeing business owners coming back in -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Mary Snow, thank you very much, out of New Orleans.
Well, residents who stayed put in their home to take care of their pets or their property are heading into a third week in the flood-ravaged areas of New Orleans. Authorities have dropped the plans of forced evacuations but everyday, special teams go out to find some of the stragglers. CNN's Alex Quade went with one of them and gives us this look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their job is usually to hunt down bad guys. Today these Special Operation Forces are going in by Black Hawk helicopter on a mission of mercy. Searching for people still trapped, by chance or by choice. This New Orleans neighborhood is near City Park. It's relatively dry but cut off, an island formed by canals and floodwater from Lake Pontchartrain.
SGT. BRIAN LAMPARD, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: People who are here cannot walk out, the only way to get to them is to be airlifted in. We're going to try to find people that we have in here, relocate them to a landing zone here and then airlift them out.
We're going to go in teams of four, two on each side of the street.
QUADE: These special agencies mean business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys go left, Brian and I'll go right.
QUADE: They are SWAT team members, immigration agents, and elite local law enforcement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police, anyone home?
QUADE: From Tampa, San Diego, New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police, open up.
QUADE: Special Agent Fred Stacy is from Washington, D.C.
FRED STACY, SPECIAL AGENT: Our mission is to clear residences, make sure that there's no one there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police officers.
STACY: And if there is someone there to help them evacuate.
QUADE (on camera): Do you think that when they see you with your M-4s that this is a persuasive tactic?
STACY: No, it's -- the guns are just in case we run into looters. It's not trying to intimidate anyone. It's for our protection and for the protection of the residents, here.
QUADE (voice-over): But 60-year-old holdout, Brian Leighty (ph), got the message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy came out of nowhere, camouflage clothing, he had the biggest gun, it made the New Orleans' police guns look like pop guns. You don't give that gentleman any lip whatever.
QUADE: Leighty stayed because he worried about his house. He and his two dogs survived by raiding his neighbor's fridges.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got all of their bread, their fruits, their water, their batteries. So, we had seven houses to draw upon for hurricane supplies. I've got so much bread and so much fruit, I can't eat it all.
QUADE: Now he says, he'll leave on an army helicopter knowing his house is safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am just pleased at this punch that they're walking these streets, watching our property. And when you have armed guards with very large riffles walking the streets, I feel comfortable when I leave here my house is going to be protected by those people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police officers, anybody home?
QUADE: Authorities say there may be as many as a few thousand or as few as a handful of people like Brian Leighty. Still in their homes, two weeks after the storm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police officers, anybody home?
QUADE: Alex Quade, CNN, New Orleans.
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WHITFIELD: Now an update on a story that we continue to follow at this hour. We're talking about a train derailment. Metra Train derailment out of Chicago on the south side. An affiliate out of Chicago WCLTV has this coverage, we want to bring it to you right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got slammed up against the door. I held on. The book I was reading, flew up in the air. I mean, there's stuff everywhere. The guy next to me was laying on his back and people were screaming and crying. And it was just like people were in hysterics. So nobody knew what happened and we all just tried to get out. So you felt like the train -- I mean, like you felt like it was going to fall over its side and it was just like, back and forth, back and forth, very scary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were all on the floor, they were all screaming and crying. I was very nervous. I didn't know what to do, but personally nothing happened to us, though.
BETH BENNETT, CLTV REPORTER: A Loyola University chopper just got here. We saw another helicopter pull away about 10 minutes ago. They're taking the injured to hospitals around this area and all throughout this neighborhood you hear the sounds of sirens.
Dozens of emergency vehicles are on the scene, they keep coming and going. Also the passengers who were not injured were taken into a Metra station not too far from here. Metra tells us they are free to go but of course many of them are giving their own detailed reports to police and letting them know what they saw and heard. Back to you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chicago police...
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: All right that report coming from Beth Bennett of CLTV out of Chicago out of the Metra train derailment, a commuter train derailment, taking place just a couple of hours ago. The plane -- the train making its way from Joliet, Illinois into Chicago, derailing at the 47th Street.
No explanation as of yet as to why it derailed, but at least five cars were involved. Several injuries, at least one confirmed death is a report we're getting -- the latest report we're getting and of course emergency crews continue to be on this scene attending to the injured first before they're able to assess exactly why this happened.
All right, on now to the aftermath of Katrina. This weekend, as we've been telling you all morning, CNN and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are trying to reunite more than 2,000 children with their families. CNN is showing the children's names and photos, now through Sunday evening. The children are reported missing or displaced after Hurricane Katrina. Let's get an update now from CNN's Kimberly Osias in Alexandria, Virginia, the headquarters of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children -- Kimberly.
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, as grim as the hurricane is and continues to be on many fronts, there are stories of help and hope. Stories that abound here in the center and we are able to fortunately witness that as it unfolds minute by minute. It is amazing just a short time ago, there was a successful reunion of a child with her mother.
There is nothing like that feeling and I'm listening to these former law enforcement officers on the phones. Really they have been diligently working, following down, tracking any kind of lead and you'll hear them oftentimes saying, "God bless you too." and I saw one woman wiping a tear away. I was speaking with her off camera saying, that you know, you can give money, but this is really much, much more.
This is giving of the heart. And she said just as great as it is to have those successes, and she had about six under her belt now she said, were the times that you really sort of provide hope to those families and tell them to keep on going. Because obviously as these days continue to wear on, hopes start to wane.
So it is really important for the public to actually help us, help these families as well. Help the center. We are working in concert with them to see if any of these pictures happen to jar your memory. That may actually help the foot soldiers on the ground, help the investigators here. Help to piece those pieces of puzzles together.
Take a look at this sisters pair here, these two little sisters from Alabama. And Alabama, also an area, very hard hit, but limited in terms of pictures. These are the only two pictures on the Web site, the www.missingkids Web site. Take a look at Jasmine Valencia and Jaydan (SIC) Valencia.
Distinguishing features, there's a birthmark on the right side of Jasmine Valencia. If these children ring any kind of bells in your memory, important to call in and help these folk. And we will continue to be here in the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Hopefully having more reunion stories for you -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Kimberly Osias. And now the focus in other parts of those gulf states, in addition to looking for those misplaced children, reuniting them with their family members. They're also talking about the rebuilding process with some business owners and residences being allowed to enter parts of New Orleans. Right now I want to take you straight to Baton Roughen where Kim Hunter Reed is briefing reporters there on the recovery effort.
KIM HUNTER REED, DIR. OF POLICY PLANNING GOV.'S OFFICE: How we are moving in terms of our relationship with FEMA and trying to move our Louisiana citizens back home and as close back to their affected areas as possible and certainly those are our goals to bring Louisiana citizens home and to bring them as close as to home as possible through this process.
We are articulated to FEMA, our top three priorities, equal priorities, that we asked them to address. And those are: First responder housing and ensuring that those workers who were needed to bring our cities back online and our perishes back online, that they had appropriate housing right away so that they could immediately get to work; general population housing, which is critical as we move people out of shelters and into other housing options; and third, getting Louisiana working again, and ensuring that we're doing all this we can to connect our citizens back with their jobs and their opportunities.
You know that we have cruise ships in St. Bernard and in New Orleans that are providing housing for first responders, and those individuals who are helping to put the city back online. We also have -- in trying to get our petrochemical industry stood up. So we have housing solutions in parking lots, at plants that are assisting and trying to make that happen.
To support our vision in terms of general population housing Jerry Jones and his team have shared with FEMA, early on, all of the state properties that are available, including state parks, university housing, and any commercial properties that have been brought to our attention as citizens throughout the state have made us aware of acres of land that they have and are available as well.
We've also reached out to our police jury association and municipal association asking the mayors and police juries across the state to assist us in housing our citizens and we are continuing to hear from mayors who have housing opportunities that they would like to offer as well and we are passing that information on as it is made available to us.
And we're also trying to move this general population housing solution forward by going directly into the perishes. We are hearing from parishes who are very concerned how to navigate through this process, citizens who have been trying to get online to register with FEMA, citizens who have been trying to get through the 1-800 number. So, what we have done is we have gone directly to the parishes and asked FEMA if we can go to the parish, presidents, their OEP directors, and ask them to certify the housing solution needs of their citizens.
Can we break through the red tape and allow for a run to be given on a daily basis of citizens who need housing and how we can solve that for them? And that can range from transitional community in dry space in a parish that has been affected to trailers that would put on driveways of people's existing homes that while their home is being repaired, if that is possible. So those are the types of things that we have been doing in trying to move this piece forward.
We realize that this must be done as expediently as possible and also as effectively as possible. We have clearly articulated that our expectation is that transitional communities will be built in a way that improves our citizen's opportunities, that this is not an exercise for a cot and a hot meal, that given the challenges of public transportation and health care, the mental health needs and all of the needs of our citizens that we want to ensure that these transitional communities are enriched communities that serve our citizens well.
So we realize that there are properties that are being reviewed in small communities and large communities throughout the states. Regardless of where those are located, we must ensure that the citizens that are placed there have transportation and that we're meeting all of their needs. And those...
WHITFIELD: You've been listening to Kim Hunter Reed, director of policy planning for the state of Louisiana. She's been talking about the focus of the emergency workers there on trying to get housing up and running, primarily for the first responders, for the people who are able to get into these parishes and start doing the work of rebuilding, of cleaning up, et cetera, and by way of doing that, there are a couple of cruise ships that are parts there, outside of Orleans Parish and Jefferson's Parish, to assist in accommodating that housing.
And they're also trying to work through the tangle that has resulted from the FEMA telephone line that has been made available. And people have been encouraged to call ever since the president made his address from New Orleans two nights ago. Well, that number has been difficult to get through and so they are trying to sort that out. When we come back, we're going to give you an update on the Metra commuter train derailment out of Chicago on the South Side. More when we come right back.
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WHITFIELD: An update right now on the train derailment taking place in the South Side of Chicago. The Metra commuter train, which was making its way from Joliet, Illinois into Chicago, apparently derailed around the 47th Street area. Some reports indicate that the viaduct there may have collapsed or been compromised in some way causing the derailment, but no official word coming from the Metra commuter rail folks on exactly what happened. Right now, they're concentrating the efforts on tending to the injured. Dozens reportedly injured, one confirmed death. Many of those who were been injured here have been taken via helicopter or EMS trucks to various hospitals, but right now many of the activity -- much of the activity is concentrated on the derailment, the five cars of that derailed in that section of town. And of course when we get more information, we'll be bringing that to you live.
And now more on the aftermath of Katrina. The central Gulf Coast faces a long road ahead as it struggles to rebuild. And the task will require a huge undertaking in the city of New Orleans, in particular. With me here in Atlanta, former New Orleans Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, and in Boston, Dorothy Terrell, she's president of Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. Good to see you and good to see you as well. Good to see you. And good to see you, as well.
SIDNEY BARTHELEMY, FMR. NEW ORLEANS MAYOR: Happy to be here.
WHITFIELD: All right, Miss (SIC) Mayor, let's begin with residents and some business owners being allowed to return to parts of the city of New Orleans. A great emphasis being on the French Quarter. It was much more elevated than the rest of the city, so it didn't have the kind of standing water that other places did. But we're already hearing from business owners who are hoping open the French Quarter as early as October. Is it a bit premature for that?
BARTHELEMY: Well, it possibly could be depending on how the rest of the city can be dewatered, because I had a friend go by my house and there's still water in neighborhoods all over the city. I know their business community would like to start commerce as quickly as possible, and I would like to see that happen also. But again, I think the critical thing right now is to make sure you get all of the water out the neighborhoods first.
WHITFIELD: Certainly, because it seems like health risks are still rather imminent there. I mean, even with the water being depleted in certainly communities you have the residual effects of it being in the soil, potentially in the drinking water. So you've got to sanitize this city before, in large numbers, people would be able to return.
BARTHELEMY: Right, because even the drinking water you can't drink out of the normal faucets anymore. And you can't even use it to take baths because it's still contaminated so that's a critical problem.
WHITFIELD: Ms. Terrell, where do you see the focus needs to be at this juncture? Just three weeks after this storm and already we're seeing some activity on the ground there in New Orleans to try to restore some normalcy?
DOROTHY TERRELL, URBAN ADVOCATE: Well, the principle behind ICIC or the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, is that we believe there's a role for the government, but also a strong role for the private sector to take a lead. WHITFIELD: I what way? Because it doesn't sound as though we're hearing, at this early phase, that the residents are being encouraged to participate in the planning. Instead, we've got a lot of government entities and private business owners and advocates who are trying to talk about rebuilding a bigger, better New Orleans. How do you involve the residents?
TERRELL: There's no way to have a bigger, better New Orleans without involving the residents. Because what -- the pictures that we saw coming out of New Orleans really distort the picture or the truth what was behind with the residents there. Eighty-seven percent of the residents were working. They contributed to the economic vibrancy of New Orleans to the tune of $2 billion.
The hospitality sector contributed $5 billion. So compare and contract that, $2 billion is a significant contribution. And the inner city residents were also the ones that did contribute to the hum and rattle of the inner city and 30,000 of them worked in the French Quarter and the garden district and the convention area.
WHITFIELD: So then, Mr. Mayor, you know, she makes a valid point, then. You know, the people of the city really are the pulse of the city. It's what makes New Orleans so unique. So, the concern has to be that after any hurricane, a community, a city becomes something else.
It's often is the case where people who were barely making it before the hurricane get squeezed out, the real estate cost of living everything sores. Is it your fear that might happen here? So while you build, physically, a bigger, better city, it becomes a very different city. The character goes away because people can't come back, can't afford it.
BARTHELEMY: I think that's a fear of many people who live in New Orleans and who have participated in its economy, its social life. The people who have been evacuated, some 400,000 people are all over the United States and we have to see an effort to bring them back home. And also the economic development that's going to take place in the rebuilding, I believe those people need to participate in that.
They have to be offered the jobs. You can't give all the contracts to outside contractors to come in and clean up and not consider the local people and the local businesses and the people who need jobs right now because they don't have jobs. Schoolteachers, everybody really is out of a job.
WHITFIELD: A former mayor of New Orleans, Sidney Barthelemy and Dorothy Terrell, president and CEO of the Initiative of Competitive Inner City out of Boston. Thanks to both of you for joining us, appreciate it.
TERRELL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And more on the aftermath of Katrina in a moment. Also, we'll have more of our continuing coverage on this developing story out of the South Side of Chicago. A commuter trail -- train derailing there causing several injuries and at least one confirmed death. More in a moment.
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WHITFIELD: We want to remind you that this is a developing story out of the south side of Chicago. A train derailment involving the Metra commuter train, about five cars are involved, dozens of injuries, one confirmed death. It happened just a few hours ago on this train traveling from Joliet to downtown Chicago. It apparently has now disrupted all Rock Island's service.
The number of this train was 504. It's unclear exactly why it derailed. Some earlier reports indicate that the 47th Street viaduct might have been compromised in some way, causing the derailment, but no official word coming out of the Metra commuter train folks. We're waiting for more confirmed information as they are to brief reporters momentarily. Here's the latest sound that is coming out of CLT-TV, Monique Bond.
MONIQUE BOND, OEMC SPOKESPERSON: One dead on arrival is confirmed, and basically the Salvation Army, Red Cross has been here assisting the scene. Assisting the fire department with the scene and at this time, that's basically all we have right now. The NTSC is also investigating. At this time we don't know what has caused the derailment. But that is under investigation and continues to be under investigation. OK, so fire department's going to come and give you -- go into more detail about the rescue effort and...
QUESTION: Is Metra's coming over.
BOND: Metra's not here yet.
QUESTION: Really?
BOND: We've been waiting for Metra. Their public affairs, they're not on the scene yet.
QUESTION: Where were the passengers taken?
BOND: The passengers were taken to six area hospitals, Cook County, Providence, Northwestern, Mercy, University of Chicago, and Mount Sinai.
QUESTION: Cook County, Providence...
BOND: Mercy, University of Chicago, Mount Sinai, and Northwestern.
QUESTION: Cook County, Northwestern...
QUESTION: How many people...
BOND: Approximately 125 passengers.
QUESTION: Cook County, Providence, U of C...
BOND: Within that number, 76 and that number is, you know, fluctuating right now with varying degrees of injuries. Some are...
QUESTION: The DOA is 76?
QUESTION: Do you know how fast the train was going?
QUESTION: It's the 77th person?
BOND: Seventy-seventh, yeah.
QUESTION: Do you know how fast the train was going?
BOND: We don't know, that's under investigation right now. So, Metra will have all of those detail.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
BOND: I'm not sure. I think it was going...
QUESTION: Some of those injuries on 76, any of them would you consider serious or...
BOND: Varying degrees, serious, stable. They're varying degrees of injuries and I'll let the fire department talk a little bit more about that when they get them over here.
QUESTION: Where are they taking passengers who are not hurt?
BOND: passengers are also going to varying hospitals around the area. Just as a precaution.
QUESTION: ...able to go (INAUDIBLE) to go home or...
BOND: That I don't know. Some of them may have, but at this time we want the passengers to go to the area hospitals as a precaution.
QUESTION: So you taking all passengers even if they're not hurt to hospitals?
BOND: Those passengers that are still remaining on the scene have been transported -- are being transported to area hospitals as a precaution.
QUESTION: None needed to be transported by helicopter, correct?
BOND: There have been some helicopter transports.
QUESTION: Have there?
BOND: Yes. There have been.
QUESTION: How many?
BOND: I don't know. But the fire department and there was another... WHITFIELD: All right, that was the official update coming out of the south side of Chicago where this Metra commuter train derailment is being investigated now by the NTSB, they're on the ground there trying to figure out why this derailment took place at the 47th Street location where it intersects with Wentworth. There were 125 people onboard this train heading from Joliet to Chicago.
Seventy-six people have been injured and have been treated, various degrees. Whether they've been treated there on the ground or they've been treated at six different hospitals. One confirmed death. But still no explanation as to why this happened just a couple of hours ago.
Now onto the aftermath of Katrina. CNN is working all weekend to try to reunite more than 2,000 children reported missing or displaced in the aftermath of the hurricane. We're showing their names and any photographs now through Sunday night. We're also teaming up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This is a live picture from the headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, your about to it see.
Well, when we get it, we'll show it to you. They are busy at work answering a lot of phone calls. We're encouraging you to call this phone number, 1-800-843-5678 if you have any information about the photographs that you're seeing on the left hand side of the screen there, of any of these children or their names, ages, et cetera, any information to try to reunite them with their family members.
An estimated $200 billion is needed to rebuild and repair New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast. The federal government will foot most of that bill but the president says tax increases are not on the table. In his radio address today, Mr. Bush again used a spiritual tone to paint a picture of recovery.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins me now from the White House with more on that -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, absolutely right. President Bush, the administration saying that they are not going to go for these tax cuts, rather tax hikes, but they want to keep the tax cuts permanent. They believe that's the best way to keep the economy strong, a robust debate taking place in Washington over that.
But President Bush, of course, trying to give more information to really sell his federal programs here. Talking about gulf opportunity's zone, or GO zones. Tax credits for small businesses. Also about Urban Homesteading Act to provide free land to low income families to help them rebuild. As well as recovery grants, these kinds of accounts that would provide for education, for housing, things like that.
But of course democrats are saying they believe that perhaps a tax hike is important because they don't believe the federal government is going to be able to afford it. President Bush is saying that is not so. Today in his radio address, he tried to outline again, giving more details of the program.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The recovery of the Gulf Coast region will be one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen. And I have made a pledge of the American people. Throughout area hit by the hurricane, we will help our citizens rebuild their communities and their lives.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, the White House economic adviser Al Hubbard did concede that this is going to be federal taxpayer dollars that is going to pay for most of this. He also said he believes that it's going to mean an increase in the federal deficit.
We're looking at a federal deficit now at $314 billion for the 2006 budget. That could balloon by $200 billion. Of course the White House refused to speculate what kinds of cuts that they are willing to make here. But there are some fiscal conservatives who are making their views very much known today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We're going to end up with the highest deficit probably in the history of this country. So we need to find ways to impose efficiencies. One of the ideas that we're kicking around is to take the $25 billion that was added in highway port some way and help that, eliminate that and put that towards paying off the disaster relief efforts in New -- in the gulf states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Fred, just to let you know as well, for the 2006 budget, we are talking about 12 out of the 23 government agencies that are already facing cuts -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: And Suzanne, now a planned fifth visit to the gulf region? Is this a direct response to the sinking approval ratings for the president?
MALVEAUX: Well, what this is, is part of an ongoing strategy by the White House, by the president, acknowledging, recognize, there were some missteps and perhaps slow communication in the beginning. They want to make up for that. They want to show the president is in fact on top of this. That he is playing a leadership role. We expect to see the president making many, many visits in the weeks to come.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thanks so much.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is expressing gratitude to the nation and to President Bush, in particular, for the outpouring of aid to her state. Blanco's remarks were made during this week's democratic response to the president's radio address.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: I offer our profound thanks to all of you who opened your homes, your hospitals, your classrooms, your churches, your wallets, and your hearts to our people. As long as the Mississippi river flows into the gulf, we will never forget your generosity.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Blanco also says she hope Louisiana evacuees will eventually return to the state.
Former President Bill Clinton says that during a disaster the head of the FEMA is the most important person in federal government. Last night, he admitted a basis. Clinton told CNN's Larry King, he thinks FEMA functioned better during his own administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I think the president did the right thing in taking responsibility. Clearly the FEMA response was slow and there are lots of reasons that I think that happened. I believe that there should be some reorganization there.
But I think the important thing is -- I had hoped this bill to set up a commission would pass because I don't want it to obscure the president's urgent need of everybody working together. We now have, apparently, a very able person in the Coast Guard admiral that's there overseeing the FEMA operations.
If they want to leave it within Homeland Security, I still think it should be somehow made quasi independent and the disaster preparedness, of the version capacity should be strengthened. A lot of that was taken away. So, I think, you know, there are lots of options to do it. But the main thing I want to say is that should not obscure what is now being done by everybody. We've got everybody on the same page now it looks like. We've got everybody working together and we've got a huge job to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: As Hurricane Katrina showed us, catastrophic events can happen anywhere, they're not confined to third world countries. This evening, CNN is teaming up with President Clinton on a global summit on poverty, climate change, religious conflict, and corruption. Tune in tonight at 8:00 Eastern.
A look at our other top stories. A passenger train from Joliet, Illinois, derailed on Chicago's south side. The Cook County coroner's office confirms at least one death in the Metra train accident. Several injuries are also being reported.
The 17th tropical depression of the season as formed east of the Windward Islands. The system is expected to strengthen later today and become Tropical Storm Philippe. Meteorologist are closely monitoring the depressing because storms that form where this one has, often has ended up in the Gulf of Mexico.
Iran's new president vows his country will not abandon its nuclear program. The president is expected to talk about his country's nuclear standoff with the West during a speech to the United Nations general assembly this afternoon. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Mr. Ahmadinejad insisted Iran has the right to retain control of this nuclear energy program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are against nuclear apartheid, which means, some have the right to possess it, use the fuel, and then sell it to another country for 10 times it's value. We are against that. We say clean energy is the right of all countries. But also it is the duty and the responsibility of all countries, including ours, to set up frameworks to stop the proliferation of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: You can hear more of that exclusive interview with Iran's new president at 2:00 Eastern on CNN.
Now, more on the Metra commuter train derailment on the south side of Chicago. Evelyn Holmes is a reporter with WLS. She's on the telephone with us.
And Evelyn, what are you hearing is the latest information. We know at least 76 people injured, one confirmed death. What caused this?
EVELYN HOLMES, WLS-TV REPORTER: Well, it's still unclear as to what caused the derailment, but some of the witnesses that I have spoken with say that they saw -- heard a support give way and then the train went off the tracks and there was a big explosion-type noise when that support gave way and then of course, a lot of smoke and chaos to follow. What is unclear though, this is this is unconfirmed by the investigators who are still looking to confirm what actually caused this derailment.
It's still unconfirmed if this support -- if a support gave way and what the sequence was. But what I'm say is that if the support gave way, if that is indeed a contributing factor to this derailment, it's unclear if the train hit the support and that's what caused it to give way or if the support gave way, and then the train was derailed as a result of that.
But of course this is still very much under investigation. This is a fluid situation. Anyone who has covered these things or seen these things, investigators are very slow to come to the cause initially. Their main concern, obviously, is for those passengers and those individuals who may or may have not been injured to secure that scene and to secure whatever evidence -- information they have there so they can try to determine a cause of the derailment.
WHITFIELD: And Evelyn, eyewitness accounts are very important in investigations like this. We know the NTSB is on the ground right now. At least one witness and passenger on the plane (SIC) is being quoted as saying, "We were skidding out of control. Weaving back and forth, people were weeping and screaming." So, there's almost a description from some of these passengers that there was a bit of time that took place between something terrible happening on that train before it actually became even worse by derailing.
HOLMES: Right. And, you know, this is an interesting spot. Let me just describe to you what this looks like if you haven't already seen it. This train, the Metra train, commuter train, that was traveling, we believe, from Joliet, it's a Metra Rock Island which goes from Joliet to downtown Chicago. Now, it may have originated somewhere further south or inland, but that remains to be confirmed.
It's up on a railroad bridge. So basically, cars that are heading east and west, the bridge runs north and south, cars that are heading east and west have to go under viaducts. One of the witnesses that we spoke with said that he was driving eastbound on 47th Street right about to go underneath this viaduct and that's when he saw the support give way and then the train skidded, as you would say, and then began to derail.
Right now, up on this railroad bridge, you have about five passenger cars in addition to a number of engines -- locomotive engines and some other cars and they're all listing to one side or the other. There are apparent several brakes between these cars. Meaning that you might have a collection of two or three cars and then there's a break and then two or three more cars. Where this derailment -- at the front of the derailment actually occurred a little further, closer to the ending of the train, and that is where those cars are missing the most to one side or the other.
If you look up there, you see windows that have been broken out, either by passengers who are trying to escape or by emergency medical technicians who came on the scene after the 911 was called and try to break those windows out and get people out who were obviously injured and could not free themselves. And so it is quite possible that, that motion, the momentum of the train after this derailment would continue for several hundred feet.
WHITFIELD: And now the extent of the injuries, are you able to give us in any kind of detail what the majority of injuries are?
HOLMES: Yes, I am. You -- as you saw, there is one confirmed death. We do have -- what we know about this individual, that she is a woman, we don't know where she is from or her age. We -- we're still trying to await information about that in particular. We do know also that about 10 people, nine or 10 people were most seriously injured and we're talking some internal injuries and broken bones.
After that you have about another 10 people who received some minor scrapes, bruises, sprains that like. About 25 other individuals were taken to the hospital for observation. There were about 125 people on this commuter train at the time of this derailment. And as a mentioned, they were all in those five passenger cars that were either being pushed or pulled by that engine. WHITFIELD: And describe for me that area, you know, clearly a very developed, congested area, you mentioned the 47th street support system, the viaduct there. This derailment taking place just shy of, it seems from the pictures that we're seeing, the bridge, which would have involved a number of vehicular traffic on the road as well as what appeared to be residents and businesses nearby.
HOLMES: Right, it is an area -- the bridge actually runs north/south along a street between LaSalle and Federal. And the viaduct where you have that vehicular traffic runs underneath the bridge. Fortunately, at the time of this accident, which was around 8:30 this morning on a Saturday you're going to have (INAUDIBLE) vehicular traffic. So, that was not so much a concern.
The way this bridge is, is this bridge is very wide. The train was really on one of the middle tracks. So in terms of rolling over, most likely that was not -- unless it was a huge velocity, that was not one of the possibilities. Many of these cars in one way or another looking at the tracks, that they are listing. So somewhere along that car, they're still connect or touching the tracks.
This area is on Chicago's South Side. It's an area that's denitrifying (ph). So, you have, at this time, a lot of empty and vacant land that is continuing to be developed. Directly to the east of this bridge is what looks to be almost like a construction-type area. Meaning, it is -- it's -- they're older buildings that are being torn down, they're making way for new developments in the area. It remains to be seen if indeed that may have had some impact on that.
WHITFIELD: All right.
HOLMES: That, of course at this hour is unconcerned.
WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Evelyn Holmes of WLS. Thank you very much for that update. So, all Rock Island's service on the Metra system there -- in Chicago, has been disrupted. Evelyn Holmes doing a great job explaining why. We'll have more on this when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A live picture right now of the south side of Chicago. This is what's taking place. Investigators are on the scene of a Metra commuter train derailment. Train No. 504 from Joliet on its way to downtown Chicago derailed. Reports are indicating that there were some compromising of the viaduct at the 47th Street, but no confirmation coming from the Metra commuter train folks as of yet.
They have not officially briefed reporters. But passengers onboard experienced some sort of wrinkle in their commute, and then suddenly the train started waving back and forth, left to right, before then skidding and then many of the people going -- tumbling out of their seats before five of the passenger cars then derailed there. And one of the reporters we talked to just moments ago is describing the scene right now as those five cars listing on its side. Most of the passengers who were injured, 76 reportedly injured, are out of those trains, but many of them had been taken to six area hospitals either for bumps, bruises, broken bones, cuts, et cetera, one, however, confirmed death. As we get more information as to why this took place, we'll be bringing that to you as we get it. But for the meantime, the NTSB has joined the local emergency and investigative forces there trying to figure out why this took place a couple of hours ago.
Now, meantime, Tropical Storm Ophelia is headed for Canada after drenching the coast of North Carolina this week and spinning off of the coast. And now there is yet another threatening system out in the Atlantic. Here is CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras with an update.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Ophelia is moving very quickly away from the northeast. Basically the only concern here is the marine interest and rough surf for us in the United States. But likely is going to be making landfall later on today over Nova Scotia. Probably won't even be a tropical storm, then. It will lose its tropical characteristics now that it's over much cooler water. But it will bring in, certainly, some tropical storm force wind gusts to the Canadian Maritime.
We will have a brand new tropical system. This is TD No. 17 developed earlier this morning, and likely it's going to strengthen even later on this afternoon, we think, as the hurricane hunters fly into this, it could become Tropical Storm Philippe. The forecast is for it to continue to strengthen over the next 24 to 48 hours. It could become a hurricane as early as Monday. Still way too soon to tell whether or not it will affect the lower 48.
Cold front across the east coast today helping to kick Ophelia away from the coastline. Also helping to kick up a couple of isolated showers and thunderstorms, particularly from the mid-Atlantic on northward. Can't rule out maybe a 20 percent shot across the southeast ahead of the front.
Storm system across the nation's mid section to the upper Midwest here, will bring you rain later on today for in Minneapolis. It's like risk of severe thunderstorms across Southern Kansas extending through the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.
West coast looking pretty good, the inner mountain wet weather and we'll see a little bit of snow above 6,500 feet in Montana and Wyoming. Sixty-four in Billings, 84 degrees in Denver. A nice day in Chicago with 79 degrees, 90 in Atlanta, and 84 degrees in New York City. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Jacqui. All right, an update now. We've been trying to reunite children with their family members separated, particularly children who are out of the New Orleans area who were separated from their family members during the confusion of the Superdome, the convention center evacuating et cetera.
One of the young children, Tyrielle, had been separated from her mother. We have the picture of Tyrielle on the television set, her mother had been pleading for anyone with information to contact her. Well, we have since learned that Tyrielle Guillot made her way to her grandmother somehow, Mary Guillot, who is on the telephone with us now to explain this mass of confusion.
This kind of case is being repeated over and over again because of course it was so confusing with the whole evacuation out of the New Orleans area. This has become a very typical story. She's on the telephone with us now. Glad that you have your granddaughter. But explain to us, Ms. Guillot, what happened, and how this now reuniting is to take place between mother and daughter.
MARY GUILLOT, GRANDMOTHER: OK. What initially happened was when we got word of the hurricane and the danger that it posed, I had my daughter to pick Tyrielle Guillot up from her mother and to take her with us on our way to Houston and that's what we did, we evacuated. And at that time, we lost contact with her mother.
And when the hurricane struck, and the danger that came with us we had no way to contact one another to find out if everyone was OK and it was major concern by her mother whether or not her child was, you know, just safe at that time.
And since then Tyrielle's picture has been posted on CNN News, and I thank god for that, because it made it possible for me to have a number to call it and get in touch with her mother through CNN in order to let her know that Tyrielle is fine. And to make arrangements now through you guys to also reunite Tyrielle with her mother and, you know, just have a happy ending from that point. But it has been a trying time because she's been very concerned about her mother.
WHITFIELD: Sure.
GUILLOT: And wanting to know that mother had not...
WHITFIELD: I'm sure her mother has been concerned about her. She must have been heartbroken.
GUILLOT: Yes. Very much.
WHITFIELD: Over the past couple of weeks.
GUILLOT: Yes, yes. And this has a double-edged sword to it because I'm glad to have her united with her mother and at the same time, it hurts for me because I have to release her to her mother knowing that she will be in (INAUDIBLE), but I will miss her as well because of the storm. It has everyone going in different directions. That's kind of disheartening for all of us.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I'm certain it is, but at the same time, so many conflicting emotions. Sad that you're going to see her go, at the same time, happy now that everybody is being brought together.
GUILLOT: Right. And happy that everyone is safe and it's going to be a very welcomed reunion for Tyrielle because she has missed her mother and brother tremendously. WHITFIELD: Oh, and we're so happy for all of you. Mary Guillot, thank you so much. And glad we got a happy ending here and that we were able to help facilitate the relocation of your family.
GUILLOT: OK and I thank you all so much. Again, god bless you all.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you. And we'll be right back.
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