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CNN Live Saturday

Ariel Sharon's Illness And Political Ramifications; Randal McCloy, Jr.'s Battle To Survive; Wildfires Still Raging In Texas And Oklahoma; Tom DeLay To Step Aside; Martin Toler's Family Speaks; Elderly Couple Saved From Oklahoma Wildfires

Aired January 07, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up with Ariel Sharon's fragile health weighing on the nation, political uncertainty in Israel and the prospects for peace in the Middle East. What's to come of Israel's relationship with the United States? Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem talks to a veteran diplomat who served eight presidents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to think of him waiting on death to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIS: One miner's family reacts to a letter left behind. That heart wrenching story is coming up.

And they've lost their home, but not their spirit or their sense of humor. How the Oklahoma fires just add to the adventures of this unusual couple. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Gerri Willis sitting in for Fredericka Whitfield. We have a busy hour ahead, but first some stories we're following "Now in the News."

Firefighters in Texas and Oklahoma are still on the frontlines this weekend as new wildfires break out in that region. Authorities say arson maybe to blame for many of those blazes. And in Texas around three dozen new fires broke out between Thursday and yesterday, destroying at least five homes.

A U.S. congressional delegation is in Iraq to get a firsthand look at the situation there. Members of the bipartisan group are meeting today with American troops and military commanders. The visit comes after a stop in Israel. Tomorrow the senators leave for Qatar and then it's on to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The British embassy in Amman Jordan is now shut down for what officials are calling "security reasons." A statement from the British government says terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against westerners and places they visit. Now, that statement also calls for extra care at Jordan's borders with Israel and Iraq.

It's a busy hour ahead as we follow the major stories around the world. In Israel, a leadership crisis goes on as Prime Minster Ariel Sharon clings to life. CNN's Wolf Blitzer is live from Jerusalem. And from Pittsburgh, encouraging news about the sole survivor of the West Virginia coal mine tragedy. We'll find out the latest in Randal McCloy's condition. Plus we'll check in with meteorologist Bonnie Schneider for an update on those wildfires that are still scorching parts of Texas.

We begin with the continuing uncertainty in Israel as Prime Minster Ariel Sharon clings to life after suffering a massive stroke. The Israeli leader underwent another brain scan earlier today. CNN's Wolf Blitzer is keeping track of the latest developments in Jerusalem -- Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Gerri, the encouraging word from the doctors over at the Hadassah Medical Center, here in Jerusalem, is that that latest brain scan showed that the bleeding has stopped, the pressure apparently has stopped as a result of that as well and that Sharon's condition remains critical, but he is now being described as in stable condition. Let's listen to this excerpt from the director of the Hadassah Medical Center, Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef.

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DR. SHLOMO MOR-YOSEF, DIR. GENERAL HADASSAH HOSPITAL: Prime Minister Sharon, as I said, is still at risk. There is an improvement in the CT scan result which is a slight improvement in the edema. We'll be able to tell something about the meaning of this improvement only when we slightly reduce the depths of the anesthesia which we'll do in the next few days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And Dr. Mor-Yosef said that tomorrow morning here in Jerusalem over at the hospital all of the doctors involved in Prime Minister Sharon's case, the neurosurgeons, the neurologists and all of the scan -- the readers -- all of the experts will gather to assess when they'll be able to begin the process of trying to get him off this induced coma, to wean him off some of these drugs so they'll have a better chance of understanding what's next for the prime minister, but his life clearly remains in danger right now. A whole host of potential complicating factors as well, but right now he remains in critical, but stable condition.

The political fallout of all of this could be significant, at least during the course of this political vacuum that may develop over the next few weeks, months, here in Israel. Let's get some analysis on what potentially the ramifications could be for that. We're joined by the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Edward Djerejian, a longtime U.S. diplomat. He's the founding director of the Baker Institute at Rice University in Texas.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks very much for join us.

EDWARD DJEREJIAN, BAKER INSTITUTE, RICE UNIV.: My pleasure.

BLITZER: How worried are you about this political vacuum in Israel right now because by almost all accounts, as you well know, even if he recovers to a certain degree from the hemorrhaging, from the stroke that he endured, Ariel Sharon is never again going to be in any position to be a political leader of Israel.

DJEREJIAN: I agree with that, Wolf. The internal dynamics of Israeli politics now is something that is hard to predict, but the reality is that Prime Minister Sharon's formation of his Kadima this, forward party which is a centrist grouping of Likud, labor and others to really move on the next stage of his disengagement policies or if you want, separation either by negotiation with Palestinian leaders or unilateral moves in order to start defining the borders of Israel that will secure Israel as a democratic Jewish state.

This is Sharon's policy and he was just in the throws of forming this new party to be able to make those new steps after the elections in March, and of course, the Palestinian elections in January. So this -- this hemorrhage that he has had, this cerebral stroke could not be more untimely and it has vast internal political ramifications.

Let's face it, Sharon is one of the original generation of Israeli leaders like Rabin and Shimon Peres. The people coming up do not have his stature and it's going to be an extremely difficult thing to predict on exactly what the fallout will be.

BLITZER: The acting prime minister is a man you know, Ehud Olmert, the former mayor of Jerusalem. He's now expected to emerge as the leader of this new Sharon-formed centrist party to be on top of that list. It's a party that supports what is called a two-state solution: Israel living alongside the state of Palestine, which is something the bush administration supports as well.

Between now and the scheduled elections at the end of March, how does the U.S. government deal with Ehud Olmert? For example, do they invite him to Washington to meet with the president? That would be seen as interfering and domestic Israeli politics? It's a delicate, delicate moment. What would be your advice?

DJEREJIAN: Well, I think there's no question that whoever emerges as prime minister of Israel even if it's a temporary for a hundred days or whatever the timing is, I see nothing that would really deter Washington from engaging very closely with Olmert and in anticipation of the elections in March, on March 28, and working very closely with him because what is very sensitive at this period is that even before Prime Minster Sharon's stroke, Israel was an in electoral mode.

The Palestinians are in an electoral mode, but on the ground, one has to keep moving forward in stabilizing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank in terms of economic rehabilitation and in terms of security.

The Palestinians have to get their security forces together to be able to control their environment, their political environment and, therefore, there are steps that both sides, Israel and the Palestinians, should be taking during this period and despite the electoral situation on both sides. So I think Washington must be engaged very closely. I think that will happen. I think, certainly, the president and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, will engage with Olmert and the emerging Israeli government. It's essential.

BLITZER: As you also know, Mr. Ambassador, the Palestinians have their own elections scheduled for the end of this month and the president of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, is facing a serious challenge from Hamas and other militant groups within the Palestinian community. How concerned are you that the militants would emerge from these elections victorious?

DJEREJIAN: Well, I don't think they're going to be victorious in terms that they'll have an overwhelming majority. the polls as what we can rely on them in the last month or so indicate that Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian party will obtain at least 50, 52 percent, but -- and that Hamas will show a strong -- will be strong in the electoral results, anything from 35 to 41 percent according to latest polls.

So the point is that they will not be victorious in taking over the Palestinian authority, I don't think, but they will be a major force that has to be dealt with and that, Wolf, is really one of the critical issues that the Palestinians and the Arabs and we, in the United States, have to begin to really determine how we're going deal with Islamists who come in to power through the democratic process, this is a key issue in the Middle East and the Muslim world.

BLITZER: Well, we'll be watching it very closely. Ed Djerejian, and as usual, thanks very much for joining us. Ed Djerejian, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, to Syria. He's the founding director of the Baker Institute and Rice University in Texas. Thanks very much.

Gerri, the situation in Israel remains tenuous, right now. Everyone is watching the continuing condition of the prime minister of Israel, but we won't know much more, at least until Sunday morning, Israel time, when the doctors consult amongst themselves to get a better appreciation of what to do next. Gerri, back to you.

WILLIS: Wolf, thank you so much.

Here are the latest developments in the Sago Mine tragedy. Doctors say they've made substantial progress in treating Randal McCloy, Jr., he's the lone survivor of the Monday's explosion at the West Virginia mine. Now, the 26-year-old minor remains in critical but stable condition in a medically-induced coma at a Pittsburgh hospital.

Funeral home visitations begin today for the 12 miners who died. Six funerals are planned for tomorrow, others will be held Monday and Tuesday.

Work has started on purging poisonous gasses from the mine. Once that's finished, investigators plan to begin their probe to determine what caused that blast and how the miners spent their final hours. Back to the lone survivor of the mine disaster, Randal McCloy, Jr., and his battle to survive. As we said, he's in a medically- induced coma. His wife has brought several items including some of his favorite music to the hospital hoping that might help him recover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA MCCLOY, RANDALL MCCLOY'S WIFE: My husband likes to listen to hard metal, like Metallica, Korn that kind of stuff. I like the country music.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIS: The chairman of medicine at the hospital where McCloy is being treated spoke earlier today with CNN's Betty Nguyen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. RICHARD SHANNON, ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL: Overnight Randal has been very stable. He had a very good night, a restful night. He -- we've made considerable progress in stabilizing a number of his injuries and this morning we're going to begin our reevaluation of his neurological status.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get to that in just a moment. As we just heard his wife speak, just moments ago on tape, about the fact that she was playing music for him. She also bought his favorite deodorant, hoping that the sounds and the smells will bring him back out of that coma and then hopefully help him on his road to recovery. Does that work? Does a person in a medically-induced coma, hear, smell, and those things? Are they coherent in that respect?

SHANNON: Well, I think a medical induced coma has various levels, depending upon how much medication the patient is receiving. So during periods of time where the medication is being withdrawn, Mr. McCloy and other people in the medically-induced coma will tend to wake up a little bit and begin to move around.

So it's conceivable that he can hear the music and hear her voice and all of those things, I think, in the otherwise pretty sterile environment of an ICU, I think, create a very nice environment and atmosphere in which to hopefully enhance his healing.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about two areas of concern, starting first with his brain. Have you been able to assess the damage that may have been caused by this?

SHANNON: The assessment is really ongoing in that each morning we are performing CAT scans, principally to look at the small areas of hemorrhage that are a result of the toxic (ph) injury and we'll be conducting that this morning. In addition, Dr. Valeriano, the staff neurologist, who is leading that effort, will be evaluating him and at that time we will probably attempt to withdraw the medication just so that Dr. Valeriano has a chance to evaluate his mental status to a larger extent. NGUYEN: Now, he is set to receive three more sessions in the hyperbaric chamber. Explain to us how that works and can it reverse any brain damage that may have already been caused.

SHANNON: Sure. The principal reason that Mr. McCloy was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital is so that he could receive the hyperbaric treatments. At this stage, those treatments are largely being targeted at preventing any long-term neurological consequences.

There's evidence to suggest that treatments even at this stage removed from the acute carbon monoxide poisoning may favor his neurological recovery weeks to months from now. That's the reason we're doing the treatments.

He has received two treatments. He did not undergo what was a tentatively scheduled treatment last night. We thought it was better to spend our time focusing on the care of his injured lungs and I'm pleased to report overnight that we've made substantial progress in that regard, so I think the time was well spent.

Following his neurological evaluation this morning we will give consideration to a third hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The absolute number of treatments is not etched in stone. He's completed two very successfully and I think we'll look to perform a third once we are confident he's stable enough to tolerate it.

NGUYEN: Now, you mentioned his lungs, Doctor, which was another big area of concern, especially that one in particular. You said there's been a little bit of progress. Tell us about that and exactly what caused all of the damage to his lung?

SHANNON: Well, we believe that the damage to his lung, in particular his left lung, was a result of the fact that he inhaled a lot of particulate matter, coal dust, at a time when he was losing consciousness and no longer able to protect his airway. So lots of dust in the environment instead of being able to cough it away, unfortunately, he inhaled into his lung and I think because he was slumped to the left side, much of that particulate matter tended to localize in the left lung.

In addition, as he lost consciousness, he may have aspirated some of his own secretions and the combination of those two may have led to this intermittent collapse of the left lung as a result of mucus plugging up the airwaves.

Over the course of the night with very good care of the airway and some additional medical treatment we're happy to report the lung is fully re-expanded and that Mr. McCloy is requiring less oxygen and less ventilatory support, so we think these are signs to suggest at least at the moment the acute lung inflammation is resolving.

NGUYEN: That is very good news. And of course we, our hearts and our prayers go out to him. And, but, we wish you and your team the best as you treat this man who so -- has survived such an ordeal. Our hearts are with all of you. Thank you so much, Dr. Shannon. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: You can catch CNN LIVE SATURDAY each weekend Betty Nguyen and Tony Harris beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

Coming up more on the Sago Mine tragedy. We'll hear from one victim's family and how loved ones reacted to a letter left behind.

Plus could conditions be right for more wildfires in Texas today? Bonnie Schneider is up next with an update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Texas Governor Rick Perry is ordering an investigation to determine whether a recent string of wildfires was intentionally set. Since last month firefighters have battled more than 70 fires across the state. They're blamed for the deaths of three people, the burning of nearly 250,000 acres, and the destruction of dozens of homes. Weather conditions present a whole new set of challenges with dry weather, no rain, no breeze, pop-up fires are inevitable. Bonnie Schneider is going to join us now to talk about that.

Bonnie, I hear conditions are getting worse in Texas. What can you tell us?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: Thank you for that.

Right now, though we've got some breaking news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: We're going go to Ed Henry who's with us by telephone with some news about embattled Representative Tom DeLay -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Gerri, that's right. CNN has confirmed with DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden that he has informed the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, that he will officially step aside and no longer try to become the majority leader of the House of Representatives. You'll remember that late last year DeLay stepped aside after being indicted in Texas in the case involving money laundering and charges, campaign violations.

DeLay has been fighting for his innocence, insisting that he's innocent and has been waiting for trial in Texas. In the meantime with this Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, rank and file Republicans, yesterday, filed a petition urging that a new majority leader be selected and that DeLay step aside.

Amid this pressure, we are now learning that DeLay has officially told the speaker of the House he will no longer seek the job of majority leader, will not try to reclaim his old post. This is a major development, it could be the beginning of a major shake-up in the Republican leadership.

There are some Republicans agitating for a real cleaning of the House in the wake of the lobbying scandals or on the other hand it could clearing the way for the Republicans getting their House in order having DeLay step aside, it may calm things down, but right now this is something that has been bubbling and bubbling and finally Tom DeLay has stepped aside -- Gerri.

WILLIS: Ed, obviously a big turn around for Tom DeLay. He had been saying he was going to do just the opposite. You say a shake-up might be eminent. What could happen?

HENRY: Well, you know, there are Republicans agitating to also potentially to challenge the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert. Other Republicans insist that his job is safe and it might not be about one man, Tom DeLay, there's so -- you know, a couple of months ago it was all about DeLay.

But now with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, the potential for other Republicans to be implicated, as well as, yesterday CNN reporting that Duke Cunningham, who has already stepped aside, a Republican, a immoral liar for a brief time, was recording conversations with defense contractors, there's speculation that maybe other Republican lawmakers could be implicated in the Cunningham Scandal.

The bottom line that all of this means that Republicans are nervous that there could be a real blow-up in the November elections that voters could say that the Republican leadership is really allowed a lot of corruption to happen and so what could happen is it could go beyond DeLay and there could be a shake-up where other leaders could be knocked out -- Geri.

WILLIS: Ed, it looks like there's some real jockeying because of those upcoming elections. Do you see this more as strategy that's going right now to plan for those elections?

HENRY: Yeah, absolutely. I think that the Republican rank and file felt that having DeLay at top, if he tried to come back, would have really been a weight on the Republican Party and it was time to start a new day, have him step aside. He's done that now. So they want to get some new blood. Roy Blunt from Missouri was acting majority leader in DeLay's place, while he was fighting for his innocence in Texas. He'll be a candidate for majority leader.

Another name to watch is John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, who use to be in the Republican leadership, left -- got knocked out several years ago, now plotting a comeback. There are other conservative rank and file law makers that are looking at this as well.

But, I think you're right, it's all really about November and these ethics scandals, there's great fear among the Republican rank and file that the democratic line, that there's a quote unquote, "culture of corruption" among Republicans in Washington.

There are Republicans who fear that is starting to resonate and so they want some new blood and they want more, they actually want to reform agenda so that speaker Hastert and other leaders will show that they mean business and that they're really clean up Congress in Washington. If they don't do that, I think Hastert and other people could be in trouble as well.

WILLIS: Well, Ed Henry, thank you for that report.

Again, if you just joined us, embattled representative Tom DeLay has decided to give up his post as House majority leader. We'll have more on this after the break. Stay with us.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your "Cold and Flu Report" for Saturday. As we take a look at the map, we can show you areas of the country with reports of the flu so far this season. Widespread activity reporting through much of the southwest including California, New Mexico and Arizona and Utah.

Otherwise, local activity in states like Wyoming, you'll find regional outbreaks of the flu in Texas and as we look to the East mostly a sporadic outbreaks all of the way up and down the eastern seaboard. Some states, though, reporting no activity including Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

That's a look at your "Cold and Flu Report" for Saturday. I hope everyone stays healthy this season.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Just this afternoon, embattled Representative Tom DeLay decided to give up his post as House majority leader, clearing the way for new leadership elections among House Republicans. They are eager to shed the taint of scandal.

Our Washington correspondent, Ed Henry, just reported -- confirmed the fact that DeLay decided to resign under pressure from other Republican leaders.

They are planning for those mid-term elections and are concerned about calls that the Republican Party is corrupt by Democrats. They want to shed that and get it over as quickly as possible for mid-term elections. Very big story out of Washington this afternoon.

Other stories now in the news, just an hour ago a hospital spokesman in Jerusalem said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remains in serious, but stable, condition after three rounds of brain surgery.

Mr. Sharon suffered a major stroke Wednesday night. Doctors say a scan revealed some slight improvement in the swelling in his brain. They will decide tomorrow when to reduce anesthesia to bring him out of an induced coma.

Starting tomorrow, it's going cost you more to send anything by the U.S. Postal Service. For example, a first-class stamp jumps two pennies to 39 cents. The postal increases are projected to build a three billion Congressionally-mandated postal reserve by the end of September. Congress has not decided how that money be used.

And doctors say they're making substantial progress treating the inflamed lung of Randal McCloy, Jr. who is the sole survivor of Monday's mine explosion in West Virginia. The 26-year-old miner remains in critical, but stable, condition in a medically-induced coma at a Pittsburgh hospital.

Coming up, more at tragic week in West Virginia for coal miners and their families.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone from beyond the grave. That's the only way I know to describe it. It just feels like you are connecting with someone that's already passed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIS: How they are coming to terms with a horrific accident and the loss of loved ones.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Imagine knowing exactly what your loved one was thinking moments before he died. That's the situation for the family of one of the miners killed in West Virginia. CNN's Randi Kaye examines the final words of Martin Toler, Jr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This note scribbled some time before Martin Toler Jr.'s final breath may be a clue to his state of mind in the Sago Mine.

RANDY TOLER, MARTIN TOLER'S NEPHEW: The first part of the note was written at an earlier time, I believe, based on the legibility of it and I think the first part is kind of a testimony and a witness to others of what he believed. The last part was written to comfort the family and I feel that it was done just moments before unconsciousness.

KAYE: The note reads "tell all I see them on the other side." It's signed Jr. as in junior, below that, "I love you," then on the side, "it wasn't that bad, just went to sleep."

(on camera): Did it appear to you at any point that the writing was stressed or different than his typical writing which might indicate his condition?

TOLER: "Tell all I see them on the other side." I'm sure he meant to say I'll or I will. The will was left out or the apostrophe L-L was left out. And then the legibility of it was getting worse as the note progressed. KAYE: And are you comforted by his words?

TOLER: It was gut-wrenching at first but it is a priceless relic for the family now.

KAYE (voice-over): The Toler family had been mining for more than a century. Martin mined for 33 years before he died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's my favorite picture of all of us. It's over a hundred years of mining experience right in that one picture.

KAYE (on camera): When you worked alongside him in the mine, what was that like for all of you, as brothers and ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that was the happiest time of our life.

KAYE (voice-over): Tom Toler got his brother's note from the coroner. He knew if rescuers couldn't get inside in time, his brother would not go silently.

(on camera): Where did the piece of paper come from?

TOLER: It was folded up in his pocket. It was a new insurance form. I got his belongings today, his personal things that he had on him, and of course, he had his notebook pad in there so we was kind of puzzled, you know, why he didn't use his notebook pad.

KAYE: How did you feel knowing that your uncle had time to write a note and may have stayed alive even longer than anyone thought it was possible?

TOLER: It's hard to think of him waiting on death to come. The rescue teams did a fabulous job and I don't think that there was any way that they could have gotten to them in time before serious neurological damage had taken place.

KAYE: When you held the original in your hand knowing that that was probably one of the last few things that martin touched.

TOLER: It just kind of feels like touching someone from beyond the grave. That's the only way I know to describe it. It just feels like you are connecting with someone that's already past.

KAYE: What are you going miss about him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Companionship.

KAYE: He was a good brother?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best. The best.

KAYE (voice-over): The night before Martin died, he read this scripture at church. First Corinthians, three, verse two, "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

KAYE: And what would you say the meaning of that is?

TOLER: Well, it's maybe ironic or maybe prophetic. I tend to think prophetic.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Summersville, West Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: One family's tale of tragedy. On a different note, coming up, what's happening around the world. Shanon Cook is here to give us a preview -- Shanon.

SHANON COOK, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Gerri. We have a really chilling story out of China and when I say chilling, I mean chilling. Some daring divers take a swim in a freezing cold river, minus 20 degrees. I'll tell you why, coming up.

WILLIS: Why? That's a good question.

COOK: A very good question.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Another suicide car bombing in Baghdad with at least 13 people wounded. Police say the bomb went off today as an Iraqi police commando patrol passed by. Six of the wounded are police commandos.

Here's more news making headlines around the world. Shanon Cook is here with those stories -- Shanon.

COOK: Greetings. Happy Saturday. Not a happy Saturday in some parts of the world, though, unfortunately. Thanks, Gerri.

Let's start with the latest developments on the bird flu situation in Turkey. You may have heard that three children have died in eastern Turkey from avian flu, all from the same family.

Earlier today, the European Commission confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu in poultry in the country. The World Health Organization is now sending its own team to investigate the outbreak, and if the WHO can confirm that those victims' deaths were the result of infection of the deadly strain, we're looking at these first known human deaths from H5N1 outside China and Southeast Asia.

To Japan now, where a U.S. sailor has been transferred to Japanese custody. Officials say 21-year-old William Reese admitted to killing a Japanese woman during an apparent robbery. The 56-year-old woman's body was found beaten near the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka. She died from excessive bleeding. Her empty purse was found nearby.

Reese faces murder and robbery charges. Now, about 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan. FYI, something that many locals oppose, particularly since the 1995 incident where three U.S. service men raped a school girl in Okinawa. All right, well, Christmas may be over for many, but Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe actually celebrate Christmas today. On Friday night worshippers gathered in churches across Russia to begin observances with Christmas Eve services. More than two-thirds of Russia's population are members of the Orthodox Church.

All right. Now take a look at this. This is how a group of Muscovites chose to celebrate Christmas by taking a dip in an icy pool on the outskirts of Moscow.

A hole had to be cut through this really thick ice. Look, that dog just thinks they're absolutely insane. Ice swimming is a traditional pastime in Russia, believe it or not. It's considered to have medicinal benefit.

WILLIS: How does that help you? I mean, that just looks painful.

COOK: They're saying it's medicinal. That's like the people who say drink a shot of whiskey when you have a cold. I just don't believe it. These people by the way, they get -- they are called walruses, people who take part in these icy swims.

WILLIS: Makes sense to me.

COOK: Pretty crazy. Now there seems to be a worldwide trend with shedding your clothes and diving headfirst into ice cold water. Take -- we've got more video of something like this.

These daring swimmers out of China, this is the Songhua River this guy's about to jump into, in China's northeast. These people are going for an icy dip in the river's minus 20 degree water. Why? Well, because, you know, it's medicinal. They think it's revitalizing. It's also a ritual for an annual winter festival in the city of Harbin.

WILLIS: Now, haven't we heard about this river before?

COOK: The Songhua River? Absolutely. In fact, recently it was contaminated. A plant exploded nearby and it dumped large amounts of -- I'm looking in the wrong camera every time. She's pointing and I'm totally going in the opposite direction, but a plant exploded and dumped -- all right. Where am I looking? Here!

A plant exploded and dumped a large amount of the cancer-causing chemical benzene into the Songhua River and it caused huge problems for water supplies. That was six weeks ago, but city officials in Harbin said the water has been tested and it's now back to safe levels so the people are just saying all right, well, contaminated or not, let's go for a swim.

WILLIS: I think the cold water would be enough to keep me away. I'll tell you, Shanon.

COOK: Never mind the pollution, just the cold temperature.

WILLIS: You bet. Shanon, thanks for that.

COOK: Thank you.

WILLIS: Coming up, they faced a blazing fire that destroyed their home. Why this Oklahoma couple is taking it all in stride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: In the last few weeks wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes in Texas and Oklahoma. One couple in Guthrie, Oklahoma, has a lot to be thankful for this first week in the new year, despite losing everything in the flames. Their story from CNN's Drew Griffin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the narrowest of escapes, a raging grass fire New Year's Day was racing past Guthrie, Oklahoma. In its path, a home that withstood the prairie winds for a hundred years, but it would not last one more day. And inside two people who would have just seconds to get out but only if they ran.

(on camera) Sit right down there.

ALBERT CLAYTON, WILDFIRE VICTIM: Here?

Yes, right there. Save room for your wife.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): These are those two people.

Wilma Clayton is 87. Her husband Albert will turn 100 on Thursday. And if you ask them it really wasn't that big a deal.

(on camera): Did it scare you?

WILMA CLAYTON, WILDFIRE VICTIM: Well, not right at the time. You don't know what's coming. You just see that smoke coming.

GRIFFIN: Wilma and Albert weren't planning on leaving. She'd lived here 52 years and never ran before. That's when Dama Maker spotted them. She and her husband were out taking these pictures of the fire when she saw the couple standing on their porch about to be engulfed in flames.

Albert, she says, wasn't budging.

DAMA MAKER, RESCUER: By the time I got him down even to the step way to get down to the vehicle they were still so reluctant. I spent five minutes probably trying to talk him into getting into the car.

GRIFFIN: He wanted to stay and fight.

MAKER: He wanted to stay and use the water hose to fight the fire.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Albert and Wilma came by Monday to salvage what they could. All they found worth saving was a Purple Heart earned by Wilma's husband in World War II. Not Albert, her first husband.

You see as frail and as old as they look, these two are practically newlyweds.

W. CLAYTON: We met nine years in April.

GRIFFIN (on camera): This burned out house was actually home to two love affairs. The first was with Wilma and her first husband, who raised a family here and eventually married two of their children to two of Albert's children.

Most of their adult life Albert and Wilma were in-laws. When their spouses died, they decided to start that second romance right here.

KEN SMITH, SON-IN-LAW: Just eight years ago the family thought it was wonderful. We think it's just great that they have company and somebody they know, the two families have melded together real well

GRIFFIN: And that love affair can survive this?

SMITH: Oh, of course it can. There's no doubt about it.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Their son-in-law, Ken Smith, says the family will soon start the search for Albert and Wilma's new home.

As for the couple that lost everything, they really didn't lose anything at all. The house was just that, a house. The love affairs that started here still burn bright in the young at heart lovers who call this home.

W. CLAYTON: It doesn't do any good to cry. As long as we can sleep. We can forget about it.

GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Guthrie, Oklahoma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Now they're the people who have their priorities straight. It's good to see how some people are taking this in stride, but now there may be brand new grass fires, this time in Texas. We'll have the very latest on the situation there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: There's much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. "IN THE MONEY" is next and here's a preview.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks. Coming up on "IN THE MONEY," something is rotten on Capitol Hill, hey there's a bulletin. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy this week. We'll find out if his way of business is the rule or the exception in the nation's capital.

Plus, a leaner, meaner war on terror. The military is taking a page from the business world. We'll tell you why the days of big brigades are gone.

And, digging your way out of debt. Find out why paying off your steep credit card balance could get a little tougher for you in 2006. All that and more right after a quick check of the headlines.

WILLIS: Now in the news, embattled representative Tom DeLay is permanently giving up his post as House Majority Leader. DeLay is fighting campaign finance charges in his home state of Texas and House Republicans are anxious to get new leadership in place and remove any hint of scandal in this Congressional election year.

The sole survivor of the West Virginia mine explosion is still critically ill in a medically induced coma. Doctors at Allegheny general Hospital in Pittsburgh say they have made substantial progress treating Randal McCloy's inflamed lung. But they are still very concerned about possible brain damage.

And doctors in Jerusalem say a brain scan done this morning on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shows slight improvement. But he is still in critical condition and they won't know the extent of damage to the prime minister's brain until he is slowly brought out of a medically induced coma.

Mr. Sharon suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday. He has undergone three brain surgeries since then.

Strong winds and warm weather in Texas today could increase the danger of wildfires. That's the warning from forecaster. Authorities are urging resident to contact police immediately if they spot anyone trying to start a fire. Nearly 250,000 acres have been burned by wildfires across Texas since the day after Christmas.

And more bloodshed in Baghdad. People say at least 13 people were wounded when a car suicide bomb exploded today. The blast happened just as an Iraqi police commando patrol was passing. Six of the wounded were police commandos. Those are the headlines. More news as it happens. "IN THE MONEY" is next.

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