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CNN Live Saturday

Deadly Explosions in Bali; U.S. Begins Operation Iron Fist in Iraq; Solar Power Makes Comeback

Aired October 01, 2005 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Terror in Southeast Asia. The death toll is climbing tonight after a string of explosions rips through a crowded resort. The latest ahead.
Also, back from Iraq, with the death toll of U.S. service members approaching 2,000, we are going to profile a Marine unit once known as "Lucky Lima."

And as life slowly gets back to normal along the Gulf Coast, a look at some of those heroes who saved the smallest victims of Hurricane Katrina.

It is October 1st and you are watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin.

To our top story in just a moment but first to stories making news right now. American and Afghan forces clash with militants near Kandahar. One U.S. soldier and an Afghan soldier died in that fighting today. Another American and two Afghans were wounded.

And the Corps of Engineers is nearly finished pumping floodwaters out of New Orleans. The Lower 9th Ward is still under water and the work is expected to be completed by tomorrow.

A tropical depression caused Mexican officials to issue tropical storm warnings for the Yucatan Peninsula. The storm is 100 miles southeast of Cozumel. It could become a tropical storm before hitting the eastern Yucatan today or tomorrow.

That's the news happening right now, and this is our top story: an attack targeting innocent people at dinner time. Once again, deadly explosions have rocked the Indonesian resort island of Bali. At least 36 people were killed and dozens were wounded. Just weeks ago Indonesia's president warned terrorists might attack.

CNN's Andrew Stevens reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in nearly three years terrorists struck this tourist haven. Around 8:00 in the evening bombs exploded virtually simultaneously. The targets, a beachfront restaurant packed with Western terrorists and local Indonesians in one of Bali's resort areas of Jimbaran Bay and a busy shopping center 30 kilometers away in downtown Kuta, the shopping and entertainment hub of the island.

Police say the bomb appears to have gone off in this restaurant on the second floor of a three-story building. U.S. journalist Maria Bakkalapulo described the scene.

MARIA BAKKALAPULO, U.S. JOURNALIST: There was a tremendous amount of glass all over the road. And the whole building is completely mangled on the outside even though the building is still standing.

STEVENS: The dead and the injured include foreign nationals. No one knows yet exactly how many, but the island attracts a wide range of overseas tourists, particularly from neighboring Australia. Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, immediately described the bombings as terrorist attacks.

PRES. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, INDONESIA (through translator): These were clearly acts of terrorism because the victims were indiscriminately chose and the targets were public areas. As president and on behalf of the Republic of Indonesia, I strongly condemn these inhuman acts.

STEVENS: The blasts came just days ahead of the third anniversary of the twin nightclub bombings in Bali in 2002. Two hundred and two people died that night. Security was increased in both Bali and Jakarta in July after intelligence reports indicated terrorists were planning to target Indonesia.

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, an Australian journalist was in a building next door to a restaurant gutted by one of the blasts. Sean Mulcahy joins me now by telephone.

Sean, first of all, are you doing OK?

SEAN MULCAHY, BOMBING WITNESS: Yes, I am, Carol. Thank you, thank you.

LIN: All right. Give me an idea of what did you hear, what did you feel, what did you witness?

MULCAHY: Well, we arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. We were due to dine at Jimbaran, of all places. And because of the festivities that were taking place in (INAUDIBLE), the night and the traffic that was coming in, we decided to stick around, which is probably a move that saved our lives. But we decided to eat somewhere in Kuta and arrived shortly after the blast to find utter chaos, I think it's fair to say.

LIN: Utter chaos. What was the damage like? I mean, I don't think the pictures really do it justice.

MULCAHY: Well, I think it's -- to paint the scene, it's a very, very busy tourist area, a Saturday night, the peak of the high season. It is 30 degrees, it's a beautiful night. The place was chock-a-block full of people enjoying themselves. This is a device that was put in restaurant and, you know, can only be described as something that was purely set out to maim and kill as many Westerners as it possibly could. I mean, bodies were coming out. People were being brought out for hours after.

LIN: And what was the police response like? Was it quick?

MULCAHY: Well, I think they have a saying out here, Bali time. There's real time and there's Bali time. I think there were -- the emergency vehicles arrived fairly quickly but, you know, in these situations you need more than an fireman and -- you know, and an ambulance officer, you need military personnel to arrive and you need specialist medical personnel.

You know, thankfully the hospitals here had a bit of practice and a dry run to this type of event with the 2002 attack. And so the facilities at the hospital are certainly up to date and they are doing their best under what I can only imagine are extreme circumstances.

LIN: Sean, you're a journalist but you were there on holiday, right?

MULCAHY: No, I'm actually out here doing some public relations on another matter. But, you know, I've sort of -- I've obviously the hat (ph) came on tonight and I've picked up this story.

LIN: So what are people telling you? What are your sources, what are the people around you telling you? Who do they think is responsible?

MULCAHY: Well, I think everyone, as you can imagine in these sort of circumstances all over the world, people are quick to put their hand up and say, it was me. But there are a couple of bodies out here, Jemaah Islamiyah and obviously al Qaeda, there are the obviously likely targets. I think they have both claimed responsibility.

But you have a general out here by the name of Pastika, and he led the investigation into the 2002 Bali bombings. And...

LIN: And the man responsible is behind bars.

MULCAHY: ... I think there no better man for the job.

LIN: That's right. The man responsible in that case, there was a conviction in that case. The man responsible, Abu Bakar Bashir, is behind bars. So who could have perpetrated this kind of act?

MULCAHY: Well, I think it's -- you know, these bodies have many followers and just like al Qaeda. I mean, nobody has seen much of Osama bin Laden, but there are various followers and people who pick up where he left off. And I think that's probably the same in Bali.

Sean Mulcahy, stay safe. Thank you very much. MULCAHY: Thank you.

LIN: Indonesian officials are absolutely sure this was a terrorist attack. But who exactly is responsible? Well, one of my guests tonight has a pretty good idea. He joins me in less than 30 minutes from now.

To Iraq now, the U.S. military is making a particular region of Iraq a focus of a new attack. Operation Iron Fist is under way in Anbar province near the Syrian border. The aim there, to root out insurgents and stop the infiltration of foreign fighters.

CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is embedded with U.S. troops right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has been called Operation Iron Fist, but Marines here like to say it is a sweep and clean mission. And by that they mean that they swept through this town street by street, house by house and they are hoping to clean it out of any insurgents, of those insurgents who have been operating here.

And they knew it was going to be a fight and it was one from the get-go. As soon as the Marines entered the town, it was about two minutes later that they came under small arms fire. And as they progressed into the city it became clear that the very road they were traveling on, that the very road as they dismounted their vehicles and walked into the city was littered with IEDs. They were discovered by Marine engineers and detonated as a result.

But it is very much an effort, as you say, to defeat the insurgency is very much at its focal point here in western Al-Anbar province. And the city, Sa Da, is along the Euphrates River. There have been numerous incidents of terrorists coming over from Syria and also homegrown insurgents in this country using this area as a staging base, as a weapon supply, people supply, with people in and out from Syria into Iraq.

And very much they feel that if they defeat the insurgency in this part of the country, then that will be able to stem the tide of violence that we see in the major population centers throughout Iraq, especially those in Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And still others are coming home. Coming up a little later in this program, the bittersweet story of a Marine unit once known as "Lucky Lima."

In the meantime, some California residents are returning home while others are still under orders to leave. Firefighters battle two very different fires there. One near Los Angeles should be under control soon, but the second in Burbank is being called totally unpredictable. CNN's Peter Viles is on the scene there.

Peter, Burbank is pretty close to a big population.

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sure is, Carol. And 1,000 acres have burned in this Burbank fire. Only 15 percent contained right now. But the good news is that 15 percent containment is on the Burbank City side of the fire. In other words, they believe the fire is prevented and contained from going into the Burbank residential area.

Not a lot of smoke and fire behind me at the moment. But this morning when we arrived here there was pretty heavy smoke and we would see the flames licking up from out of those canyons behind me. But they have been hitting this fire awfully hard from the air with one helicopter assault after another dropping water on it.

And it seems like every time the smoke comes up and we see the smoke, they go in there with the helicopters and knock it down. And they do seem to have the upper hand on this fire right now. Although as you say, it is only 15 percent contained at the moment.

Now just to give you some idea of how Southern Californians are dealing with this annual fire season, there is function center up here where they have weddings, several weddings a day this time of year. And yesterday those weddings went on as scheduled. And even today those weddings went on as scheduled in the shadow of the flames and the smoke of these wildfires.

So there are a number of couples who will be able to say that we got married in the shadows of the Burbank wildfire in 2005. But those weddings went off without a hitch.

Now the other fire, the bigger fire about 10 miles east of here, the Topanga fire, which burned 24,000 acres, is now 40 percent contained. But the good news is they believe they will have it 100 percent contained by Monday. And they have only lost one house out there. They haven't lost any houses here in Burbank, but 70 people -- or 70 homes, rather, have been evacuated in preparation for the possibility that this fire could move in that direction -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Peter, we'll keep our fingers crossed, we'll hear from you throughout the evening. Thank you.

Well, a third of New Orleans is open again. More evacuees returned to the city today. CNN's Chris Lawrence is standing by live in New Orleans to tell us how things are going -- Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, more and more people are coming back home as part of Mayor Ray Nagin's aggressive plan to bring back New Orleans, but they are all getting completely different views depending on where in the city they are heading.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Music is playing again in parts of New Orleans, but it's dead silent in George Brumat's jazz club which still has no power.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any idea when it's going to come up?

GEORGE BRUMATT, JAZZ CLUB OWNER: Only rumors. Only rumors. It's been five weeks now.

LAWRENCE: It has been more than a month. And many New Orleans hospitals are still shut down. In devastated Saint Bernard Parish, the sheriff says less than one in four homeowners had flood insurance. Across the city, homes saturated with water have mold growing everywhere. And the city literally stinks.

BRUMAT: This is the fifth week they haven't even picked up the trash.

LAWRENCE: Mayor Ray Nagin is asking the federal government to provide an income tax credit for people who live and work in the city. He also wants a light rail train to Baton Rouge to avoid traffic jams. And he wants authorities to reinforce the levees to withstand a Category 5 storm.

Nagin is trying to bring people back to the city, but some residents like Brumat say the mayor helped drive them away with exaggerated reports of violence and by saying early on that as many as 10,000 people could be dead.

BRUMAT: All that did was convince the young people to get the hell out of here and work somewhere else. And in fact, they're doing so in droves.

LAWRENCE: There is life along Bourbon Street, as some bars and restaurants reopened. And the suburb of Metairie is back on its feet.

And while the storm destroyed hundreds of businesses in New Orleans, it could lead to a boom in others.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Yes. The demand for roofers and contractors is just unheard of. Now some of the areas that we have seen look like they could be back up and running in a matter of months. For others, it looks more like years -- Carol.

LIN: Chris, a crazy question, but any sign of any tourists there?

LAWRENCE: Not that I have seen. In fact, most of the people on Bourbon Street, it looks really bustling. But I would say most of those people are police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, contractors, people who are trying to get the city up and running. I haven't seen a whole lot of tourists, at all.

LIN: Right. That's what Ray Nagin is hoping for with this rush to recover. Thanks very much, Chris Lawrence, live in New Orleans.

Well, as we focus on the recovery and the rebuilding of New Orleans, CNN is asking you, what should be done with the city? Log onto cnn.com/stories to share your thoughts and ideas. In the meantime, residents of Taiwan are bracing for the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, a Pacific typhoon is headed right their way tonight. An update on its potentially deadly path straight ahead.

And later, the displaced babies of Hurricane Katrina. I'm going to talk with a doctor taking care of some of the babies who have been evacuated from New Orleans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, after all of the devastation from Katrina and Rita in the United States, now to a monster storm on the other side of the world. Taiwan is bracing for a typhoon. So for the latest we're going to go to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.

Dave, this is a pretty serious situation and we understand that all too well.

DAVE HENNEN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is, Carol. Indeed, in fact, it was a stronger storm so the storm has weakened. That is good news. It was the equivalent of a Category 5 yesterday, it was called a supertyphoon. Remember, a typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane in the Atlantic. It is just called a typhoon in the pacific. And it is a big typhoon. A supertyphoon has winds over 150 miles an hour. You can see the eye the storm very distinctly over the last 24 hours, It was weakened, though, that is the good news, but it is going to move into Taiwan later on tonight.

Winds 135 miles per hour, gusting up to 160. So this is very similar in size to what we saw when Hurricane Rita made landfall. And here's the track of the storm. Over Taiwan, the biggest city, Taipei, it's going to pass south of there, so most of the destruction will stay south of Taipei, although hurricane force winds expected there. And into the central China coast, and we do expect it to weaken as it heads in that direction.

Back into the Caribbean we have problems of our own to watch back through the tropics here. Into the Caribbean, this is Tropical Depression Number 20, which formed. It's not very organized at the present time, and it's heading toward the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula. It looks like it is going to head into the peninsula later on tonight and bring with it some pretty gusty winds, very heavy rainfall amounts too, up to five to 10 inches in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The track keeps it south of the U.S. And that is pretty consistent with most of our computer models. It is forecast though, as you notice, to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall.

One other quick note here as well. We take you into the Pacific, back into the eastern Pacific, look at where this storm is heading. This is Hurricane Otis heading towards the southwest. That is good news for firefighters, I think, Carol, but we do expect some flooding with this system as it moves in sometime around the middle of next week. We'll keep a close eye on that. LIN: Busy map, Dave. Hey, getting back quickly to the typhoon. What time is it expected to hit Taiwan?

HENNEN: Next few hours, actually. It is just off the coast now. So about the next six hours they will see the worst of it before it moves back towards to China coast.

LIN: OK. All right. Well, we've got our Mike Chinoy in position in Taiwan to get us the very latest by video phone. So thanks very much, Dave.

HENNEN: All right. No problem.

LIN: We want to take a look at other parts of the world in our "World Wrap" today. Artillery shells explode during a fire at a Russian naval base. Thousands of people evacuated towns on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula after the fire spread to an ammunition dump. Explosions were heard as far away as 30 miles. And at last report the fire is still burning.

Now in Afghanistan today the British defense chief backed closer cooperation between the NATO peacekeeping effort a military push by U.S. troops against Islamic insurgents. The two countries working together. Defense Secretary John Reid met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to talk about boosting the number of troops in that region.

And gay rights activists marched today in Taiwan even as the island continued to brace for that approaching typhoon. Some 4,000 marchers took to the streets to demand the right to marry and an end to discrimination.

All right. Members of the Marine Reserve unit once known as "Lucky Lima," well, they are headed home. Find out how they have been changed by their experiences in Iraq. Straight ahead, in our "Front Line" segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. And today we have a story of Lima Company, an Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit that suffered heavy casualties in Iraq.

Well, now the troops are back on U.S. soil, trying to leave the anxiety and the anguish of war behind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN (voice-over): A quiet homecoming for an Ohio unit that spent seven months in the thick of fighting in Iraq.

CPL. NATE ICKES, U.S. MARINE CORPS: This is great, it is a great feeling to be back together and just be able to give her a kiss and hug.

LIN: These are men and women of a Marine Reserve unit formally known as "Lucky Lima." They come back having sacrificed greatly, fortune not always on their side.

LANCE CPL. ERIC BILDSTEIN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's good but it's kind of bittersweet. We lost a few guys out there.

LIN: Lima Company numbers 180 Marines, 16 lost their lives within a four-month span in Iraq.

CPL. DONALD BOSLEY, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It is tough but it is part of the job. And I think as Marines we understand that and kind of expected it going into the whole thing.

LIN: Wesley Davids was killed on May 11, one day after his 20th birthday. His parents will never forget the moment they got the news.

MICHAEL DAVIDS, LOST SON IN IRAQ: I was making dinner.

JODY DAVIDS, LOST SON IN IRAQ: Yes. For one minute you have a normal life with dinner cooking and the next minute everything changes.

L. DAVIDS: We regret to inform you.

LIN: And then there was August 3rd. A roadside bomb. The single most deadly attack against U.S. forces, 14 Marines killed, nine of them from Lima Company. Back on U.S. soil, the members of "Lucky Lima" are spending a few days in North Carolina before going home for a full reunion with their families.

SGT. TRAVIS BRILL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It is going to be a real transition, you know, going from hunting down insurgents to going back to being dad.

LIN: These men and women are reservists. They are going home to jobs at fire houses, stores and schools. But they go back changed by the experience by the loss and by the knowledge that it could have been them but wasn't.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to visit the unit and pay tribute to its sacrifices on Monday.

Well, coming up, what to do on today's attacks in Bali and what do they say about the fight against terror in the region.

Also, find out what some customers are doing to save energy. You are watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. I'm Carol Lin. And here is a quick look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

A powerful typhoon killed at least 52 people in Vietnam and another one is on its way to Taiwan right now. The storm triggered flash floods and landslides. It also killed people in China, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Meantime, people in Taiwan are bracing for an even more powerful typhoon, so please join us at 10:00 Eastern tonight when we are live close to where the storm is supposed to hit.

In the meantime, firefighters are making headway on the massive Chatsworth-Topanga fire near Los Angeles. It has burned 24,000 acres but it's about 40 percent contained. Now if the weather holds, the fire could be fully contained by Monday. But a smaller fire in nearby Burbank continues to spread and is threatening that city.

Well, at least 36 people were killed in a string of blasts on the resort island of Bali today, more than 100 others were wounded. Indonesian officials are calling the explosion a terrorist attack. So far no one has claimed responsibility for the blasts but suspicion immediately fell on the al Qaeda linked group blamed for the 2002 bombings. Rohan Gunaratna is the author of "Inside al Qaeda," and he joins me now by telephone from Singapore.

Rohan, who do you think is responsible?

ROHAN GUNARATNA, TERRORISM EXPERT: Jemaah Islamiyah is only group that has the intention and the capability to mount (INAUDIBLE) fatality attacks in Indonesia.

LIN: And so if it is still active, it was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings, correct?

GUNARATNA: I have no doubt that Jemaah Islamiyah conducted the attack in Bali.

LIN: But the group's leader is in prison for those attacks. He was able to be released briefly though two weeks ago for a hospital visit. Do you think that was a critical turning point in this terror attack planning?

GUNARATNA: Certainly Abu Bakar Bashir is a leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, and Jemaah Islamiyah is responsible for this particular attack. And it is important for the Indonesian authorities to keep Abu Bakar Bashir in custody because he's due to be released shortly.

LIN: But clearly they did not keep him in custody, though it was for a medical reason. So what does that say about the Indonesian officials? I mean, you know, they were attacked once in 2002. It has got to be a humiliating, horrible accusation to think that they would look the other way just three years later.

GUNARATNA: The Indonesian authorities have not been steadfast in their response in the fight against terrorism. It is important for Indonesia to proscribe, to designate J.I. as a terrorist group. J.I. remains an open entity still operating in Indonesia. It is not illegal for anyone to be a member of J.I. And I hope that this attack will open the eyes of Indonesian authorities and...

LIN: So why haven't they cracked down? Why haven't they cracked down? What does that say about the Indonesian government? GUNARATNA: It is because there has been lack of political will and an overall lack of understanding of the terrorist threat in Indonesia.

LIN: Well, what would be the consequences of cracking down for the government?

GUNARATNA: Certainly there will be some Islamist organizations that will mount pressure on the Indonesian government, but overall Indonesia will be able to prosper and attract great investment in Indonesia if it moves decisively against J.I.

LIN: But if two bombings in three years does not result in action, I mean, what will?

GUNARATNA: Perhaps this attack may because right now there is a debate and there is a greater call for Indonesia to designate J.I. as a terrorist group.

LIN: All right. So what do you think the United States should do in this case? We don't know yet if Americans were targeted or wounded or killed in this attack yet. But what do you think the United States' responsibility is in terms of putting pressure on the Indonesia government to crack down?

GUNARATNA: The United States must continue to invest in Southeast Asia in building capabilities, not only tactical and operational capabilities, but legislative and strategic capabilities to fight terrorism, to build greater political will, legislating will and capabilities.

LIN: All right. Are you convinced that that is going to happen though, Rohan?

GUNARATNA: I believe that it will because there is greater understanding at least in the Pacific Command that J.I. is becoming and remains a credible threat in this region, and decisive action is needed.

LIN: Rohan Gunaratna, thank you very much, author of "Inside al Qaeda."

Well, it is not just rising gas prices that have people examining alternative energy sources. With winter approaching and most experts agreeing that home heating bills will soar, many Americans are looking at solar power for some relief.

So here's our Alina Cho.

All right. We're having problems bringing you that package. So we're going to hope to bring it to you later in our follow-up to our hurricane coverage. In the meantime, let's talk about our "Fountain of Youth" segment. But wait a minute. The producer is trying to reach me. OK. We're going to take a quick break, they're going to get their papers in order and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, dozens of fragile newborns were airlifted to safety from hospitals in New Orleans. And many have now been reunited with their parents.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien looks at how hospitals work together to save their youngest patients.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the days following Hurricane Katrina, doctors at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans were forced to evacuate their tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

DR. HARLEY GINSBERG, NICU DIR., OCHSNER HOSPITAL: It was a lot more difficult to watch babies leave than I ever thought it was going to be. We had babies down between a pound-and-a-half, all the way up to about eight or nine pounds that were all paying the price for what Katrina had brought us.

O'BRIEN: Two dozen newborns rescued from the neonatal intensive care unit and taken to regional hospital have since been reunited with their families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of us have learned a lot of lessons going through a storm of this magnitude. So I think that's why we reached out so quickly to the hospitals to the west of us because we knew that it would be in their patients' best interest to perhaps be somewhere else.

O'BRIEN: Then came Hurricane Rita and with it a chance for doctors and nurses at Ochsner to return the favor.

GINSBERG: When Rita showed up in the Gulf and started heading toward Houston, I felt compelled to at least make the phone call to find out if there was anything we could do for them since they had helped us out in such a dramatic fashion. And as it turned out, we were able to pick up a set of twins from Houston and bring them back here.

O'BRIEN: Those twins, Joshua and J.C. Hall (ph), were among seven babies taken in for Rita. They were supposed to be born at Ochsner, but the parents, Tara and John Hall, were evacuated during Katrina. And the twins, who weren't due until November, entered the world in Houston, Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just keep waiting for her to open her eyes. And she's just so beautiful.

O'BRIEN: Now both the parents and hospital staff are breathing sighs of relief after weathering two storms.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been an emotional rollercoaster, as you can imagine. We have gotten through what we hope is the worst although it is still storm season so we don't know what else is out there. But it has been an incredible experience, really a life- altering experience.

TARA HALL, EVACUEE: It's an amazing story. You know, who has this many things happen when they are, you know, born, so it is -- we have a lot to tell them. They have a lot to be thankful for.

O'BRIEN: Soledad O'Brien, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, many of the newborns were evacuated to hospitals in Baton Rouge. On the telephone is Dr. Steven Spedale, he is the chief of neonatology at the Woman's Hospital there.

Dr. Spedal, you have how many babies now? Because last count I had 41.

DR. STEVEN SPEDALE, CHIEF OF NEONATOLOGY, WOMAN'S HOSPITAL: Well, total during all the transports that -- there in the two hurricanes, we actually received 105 babies.

LIN: One hundred and five babies!

SPEDALE: And of those we still have 40 left.

LIN: Oh my goodness. What was that like? What is it like to have -- to be inundated with more than 100 babies all at once?

SPEDALE: Well, it was really busy. We have a very large NICU. We normally have 60 to 65 babies any way, but at our peak with the influx, we got over 110, 115 babies at one time -- you know, during a couple of days. It was pretty busy for a couple days. But we transported a lot of babies to different hospitals across the state based on their acuity or their -- you know, the needs that they might have. So right now our census is down to the 80s. And so we feel like it is really pretty slow right now.

LIN: Have all of the babies been reunited with their families though?

SPEDALE: Yes. Everyone has been reunited.

LIN: Were you there for any of the reunions?

SPEDALE: Yes, actually, I was. And I was kind of busy arranging all of the transports. But I know from talking to the staff and my fellow physicians who witnessed a lot of the reunions, it was a lot of happy time. It is always a real tough time when your baby is in an intensive care unit, and then to be separated by, in some cases, miles and across state lines, and not being able to get to your baby for a week or two is really tough on some folks.

LIN: Right. And there were even days when parents had no idea where their babies went. I mean, some babies went, you know 100 miles the other way and the parents fled in the opposite direction.

SPEDALE: That's correct. When some of the babies first came in, we really did not know where the parents were. And so it took a while to -- a lot of people working hard, volunteer in social services, Red Cross, and a state agency to find where the parents had been evacuated to. But eventually we got everybody back together.

LIN: Right. Did you feel prepared for this? Was there plan in place for a catastrophe of this nature?

SPEDALE: I don't think there was plan in place. I don't think anyone really could have planned for a catastrophe this large. But as a large transport unit, we're used to bringing babies in. So it was really a lot more of what we just do every day. Now we did use a lot of military transports. We also used private air ambulances to help us that are located here in the States. So it was just doing a lot of what we do every day, but all at one time.

LIN: Right. Definitely. Oh, if only these babies would remember this experience, I wonder what stories they would tell. Thanks very much, Dr. Spedale. You take care of the remaining babies for us.

SPEDALE: OK.

LIN: All right. In search for the "Fountain of Youth." It can take you down many paths. So later we're going to check in with Dr. Ro for her 10 secrets to living healthy. You're going to be surprised and pretty happy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: All right. We're staying on top of rising gas prices. And a lot of you have been looking at alternate energy sources. Winter is coming and a lot of people are agreeing that home heating bills are going to be crazy this winter. And a lot of Americans are looking to solar power for some relief.

Here's our Alina Cho.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINO CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every time Dan Sabia looks at the solar panels on his roof...

DAN SABIA, SOLAR POWER CONSUMER: I see dollar signs coming out of them.

CHO: He sees the money he's saving each month on electricity costs.

SABIA: We basically wipe out of our electric bill to a zero balance.

CHO: He used to pay $230 a month for his four bedroom house. Then Sabia learned about solar energy. He installed the panels three years ago, liked them so much, he also put them on his rental house next door.

SABIA: It's better than putting money in the stock market. It's guaranteed.

CHO: The panels are expensive, they can cost up to $75,000 per house. Sabia, who was among the first on New York's Long Island to install them, got a $60,000 rebate from the power company. The rebate is $40,000 now but there are also tax breaks. Sabia's out-of-pocket expense, about $7,000. He saves about $2,800 a year on his electric bills. So in three years, the panels have paid for themselves.

DR. RICHARD KESSEL, LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY: That's good for the customer. But it's also good for society because it reduces our dependence on oil.

CHO (on camera): People who support solar power argue now in the time to convert. Just this week the Long Island Power Authority announced another rate hike and that means residents in this area will soon be paying on average, $28 more a month for electricity.

SABIA: I'm very happy every time they raise the rates. Because I'm the one that goes around telling people you have solar, it's an option, it's a solution.

CHO (voice-over): Part of the reason why Sabia and others who use solar energy on Long Island are holding open houses this weekend, inviting people in to tell them about the benefits. It's a strong draw for people like Dominick Ognibene.

(on camera): What piqued your interest?

DOMINICK OGNIBENE, INTERESTED IN SOLAR POWER: The high cost of the fuel and electric and my last electric bill that I just received at $900-some-odd.

CHO (voice-over): Homeowner Mike Diehl says he saves about $250 a month.

MIKE DIEHL, SOLAR POWER CONSUMER: That's groceries. That's a small vacation. That's a nice hit.

CHO: Diehl calls it is a no-brainer. So does Sabia, who says solar power is no longer a luxury. In this environment, he says, it's a necessity.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Now our "Fountain of Youth" segment today. Diet and lifestyle changes that are supposed to improve your health. They are outlined in the book, "Dr. Ro's 10 Secrets to Living Healthy." And Dr. Ro, otherwise known as nutritionist Rovenia Brock is with me now from Washington, looking pretty good. Mind over matter, is that what you're saying?

ROVENIA BROCK, NUTRITIONIST, AUTHOR: That's exactly what I'm saying. It's a pleasure to be with you, Carol. LIN: Yes. It's great to have you, too. You know, I was very interested in what you were talking about in your book about lifestyle changes. For example, instead of grabbing that entire bag of popcorn, think about it first before you head to the TV.

BROCK: Yes. I think it is more important to take portions, to portion out those things that you want. So whether it is popcorn or chocolate chip cookies, rather than take the whole box or the whole bag to the television set, take out one serving and put it in smaller container such as a ziplock bag so at the end of the program you've only eaten one serving as opposed to the whole box.

LIN: Yes. But why do you have to tell people that?

BROCK: Well, because I think -- you know, there are mindless things that we can do to make big differences in the quality of our lives. And we just don't think of them normally. You know, I don't think most people are thinking about what servings are. If you pick up a bag or a box of something, a lot of people tend think of that as a serving. And they don't realize that sometimes there are four, five, six servings in that container.

LIN: I would think so, especially when you grab a bag of cookies, you know? And then you get distracted and there you go. So how does that apply to exercise, especially for those of us who don't like to?

BROCK: Well, what it means is that you use the opportunities to do those things that you must do and those things that you like to do so that you get the calorie burn. For example, if you have carpet on the floor, why not do lunges and squats as you do the -- you know, as you vacuum the carpet. If you like to dance, why not go out and cut up a rug by dancing the salsa or the meringue or hand dancing or whatever it is that you like to do and really get the calorie-burning benefit from doing those activities. The point...

LIN: All right -- go ahead, I'm sorry.

BROCK: The point is that there are everyday activities that we can include in our lives and really maximize the benefit from that toward the goal of living healthy.

LIN: Gotcha. But you say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. I mean, what is going to get you through those 21 days?

BROCK: Well, the thought that this is a process. The weight didn't just jump there overnight, it didn't just jump on your body overnight, it's not going to go away overnight. See it as a process and be in the process and maximize every moment, every opportunity to get it right.

So at every meal, every opportunity there is a way -- or everything that you do there's an opportunity to make a real difference and to make a healthful choice.

LIN: Why do you thing carbs are going to be the next big diet trend? I like that one.

BROCK: Well, you know, carbs are making a comeback, Carol. They were given a bad rep. But the point is, if you eat -- you need to eat complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains. You need them for energy to get you through your day doing those things that you must do and those things that you like to do.

As well as you need them for brain power. So they are coming back because people are beginning to realize that to limit them really sells them short.

LIN: Yes. And it gets a little tiring just chewing on a piece of old roast beef, you know?

BROCK: There you go.

LIN: Just to stay slim.

BROCK: Can't sustain that kind of a diet for a lifetime. What we're talking about is making small, incremental changes for a lifetime of good health.

LIN: All right. What is your personal sin food? Like, what do you just allow yourself to eat?

BROCK: Well, I like ice cream. I do like ice cream. And I write about it in the book. I had a binge. You know, my mom never met a steak she didn't like and I think I inherited her love of steak, so I was going for the cheesesteak subs quite frequently on a regular basis.

(LAUGHTER)

BROCK: But I had to learn to cut portions.

LIN: All right. Well, you know, the next time you go out for one, you just consider it research, right, Dr. Ro?

BROCK: Yes. And just eat much less of it.

LIN: Yes. And much less. Hey, thanks so much. It sounds like, you know, a better way to live and not so much pressure, you know?

BROCK: That's right.

LIN: Not so much pressure. All right. Thanks so much.

BROCK: Thank you.

LIN: Well, a 60-year-old grandfather from Princeton, New Jersey, is rocketing toward the International Space Station. Millionaire businessman Gregory Olsen blasted into space on a Russian-led mission today. He's only the third tourists to travel into space. And he's paying plenty for that privilege.

Here's CNN's Matthew Chance. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was a flawless blastoff from the Kazakh steppe. The Russian Soyuz rocket carrying U.S. space tourist Greg Olsen, streaking into the skies on time and problem-free.

With the U.S.-Russian crew at the controls, it took exactly nine minutes to reach orbit. Ahead, a grueling two-day flight to the International Space Station.

Olsen, who is a 60-year-old grandfather and a successful businessman, has undergone hundreds of hours of training for the trip. He says he'll be conducting his own experiments in space and is more than just a tourist. Members of his family were at the launch site to see him off.

Two other millionaires have flown before him. With tickets of $20 million, paying passengers have become a crucial source of funding for the cash-strapped Russian space agency. The U.S.-based company organizing the trips says it plans to expand space tourism, offering a flight around the moon for $100 million.

ERIC ANDERSON, SPACE ADVENTURES: Over the next five or 10 years at Space Adventures we will fly more people in space as commercial passengers, as tourists and private explorers, than have flown in space in the history of mankind, over the next five or 10 years. And long term, it will definitely be private companies, alongside governments, that really open up the space frontier and make it something that the rest of humanity can benefit from.

CHANCE: The latest mission will deliver supplies and a fresh crew to the International Space Station, and after 10 days of high flying, the latest millionaire space tourist will come back to Earth.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Up next, find out what tools weather watchers have for tracking the storms that threaten our coastline.

And at the top of the hour...

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: We're "ON THE STORY" at The George Washington University in the nation's capital. Our correspondents have the inside word on what they're covering. John King is "ON THE STORY" of rebuilding New Orleans. Will poor residents be shut out?

Dana Bash has the latest on the CIA leak. The New York Times reporter is out of jail. What happens next? I'll talk about the new chief justice and a powerful Republican lawmaker indicted. All coming up all "ON THE STORY."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: Two big hurricanes have slammed into the U.S. this season. And while a lot of progress has been made in predicting where the big storms are going to make landfall, pinpointing the location remains a guessing game.

CNN's Jim Clancy takes a closer look at all the hard work confronting forecasters as they tracked Hurricane Rita.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The forecasters first thought Rita would grow to a Category 4 storm around 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Rita did intensify, but it became stronger, quicker than what we had predicted.

CLANCY: Predicting a storm's intensity is one of the major challenges scientists face. They have satellites in space to see it, buoys in the water to take the temperature, and airplanes in harm's way to measure wind speed and moisture. All this data, and forecasters have cut the margin of error for where a storm will hit by 50 percent over the last 15 years.

But as for forecasting the intensity of a storm ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We haven't gotten much better at all in predicting wind speeds in hurricanes. We don't do a very good job of that.

CLANCY: Late Wednesday afternoon, more data from an Air Force plane in the center of the storm. Rita has become a monster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rita reached Category 5 hurricane with 145 knots.

CLANCY: For those in Rita's path, the only hopeful sign is the possibility the storm could pass over an eddy of slightly cooler water and weaken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So is that great news for Texas?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no good news for Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: At 8:00 Eastern be sure to watch "CNN PRESENTS: Tracking the Storm," how were the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina were used to prepare for Hurricane Rita.

And at 9:00, "LARRY KING." Larry is going to talk to some of his favorite authors.

And I'm going to be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT." We are going to examine a case where a legal loophole set a killer free. Plus, we're tracking typhoon that's going to hit Taiwan.

A check of the hour's headlines, and then "ON THE STORY."

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