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Federal Judge Appointed to Head Homeland Security; D.C. Security Tightened for Inauguration; Rescuers Work to Save Those Trapped in Mudslide; New Breast Cancer Drug Approved

Aired January 11, 2005 - 13:00   ET

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

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


MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: A second try to name a homeland security chief. President Bush picks a former prosecutor and judge. Live at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. SAM MALDONADO, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: I was trying to yell at her as she was moving downstream, hold the baby up, hold the baby up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: A baby saved from raging floodwaters in Southern California. We will take you inside how that rescue went down.

O'BRIEN: A huge wall of mud wipes out homes, leaves several missing. The search is on for survivors in Southern California. That's quite a picture. We'll take you there live, give you an update.

NGUYEN: And a new effort to solve an ancient mystery. What killed King Tut? Well, the doctor leading the investigation into the famous pharaoh's mummy join us live from Cairo.

From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Here comes the judge. He's Michael Chertoff, former assistant attorney general, former U.S. attorney, currently a federal appeals court judge in Philadelphia. He's President Bush's second choice to be the second secretary of homeland security.

If you don't know his name, you're probably familiar with his work. CNN's Kathleen Koch fills in some blanks for us, live from the White House -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, we just had some blanks filled in for us by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, because everyone was wondering how, indeed, did this nomination came about.

And Scott said basically after the Bernard Kerik nomination failed and he withdrew his name, the former police chief of New York, that White House chief of staff Andrew Card had, indeed, been in touch with the judge. And had said -- had approached him.

Again this judge, Michael Chertoff, had spoken with him. And the White House thought he would not be interested, because he had only in 2003 been named to the appeals court.

But Chertoff indicated he was interested. He came to the White House Saturday morning, met with President Bush. And then Sunday, on his way back from a bike ride, President Bush called Judge Chertoff and offered him the position.

And this morning, in choosing the judge, Mr. Bush said he was choosing a talented, experienced public servant who had had a stellar career and ample experience in fighting terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our nation is still at war. We're focused. We're taking decisive actions on the home front that are critical to winning this war.

When Mike is confirmed by the Senate, the Department of Homeland Security will be led by a practical organizer, a skilled manager and a brilliant thinker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: In 2001 -- from 2001 to 2003, Judge Chertoff served as assistant attorney general in the criminal division at the U.S. Justice Department, where he played a key role in formulating the legal response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

From 1994 to 1996, he was the special counsel for the GOP Senate Whitewater committee. And then from 1990 to '94, he was U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

And one thing the president pointed out in making this announcement today that does stand Judge Chertoff in good stead is the fact that because he had served -- had such a long career as a public servant, he had already been approved three times by the U.S. Senate.

So the White House believes he will have smooth sailing this time, as well, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kathleen, it is a little surprising for someone who's made it to the federal bench to leave. That's a great job.

KOCH: It is. And again, that is what -- what Scott McClellan said today, why the White House had not really carefully and ardently pursued him, because they thought that was a position he, indeed, wanted to stay in.

Then again, the White House chief of staff was able to approach him, speak with him, and, indeed, find out he was willing to make this major transition. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch, doing a great job at the White House, thank you very much -- Betty.

KOCH: Thanks, Miles.

NGUYEN: The top job isn't the only job at DHS. The inspector general's office awaits a permanent replacement for Clark Kent Ervin, who left last month after two busy and controversial years as the department's internal watchdog.

Ervin stepped on toes with reports criticizing airport screeners and a lavish staff awards ceremony. His last official act was a blunt critique of the way the department allocates and oversees, or doesn't oversee, its grants to local governments.

So who's to blame for the homeland security flubs and fumbles? Ervin addressed that question as a guest on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, it's a combination of things. First of all, and most importantly, think it's a failure of leadership and management attention.

PAULA ZAHN, HOST, "PAULA ZAHN NOW": Are you saying that Tom Ridge was a failure when he ran the Homeland Security Department?

ERVIN: Failure is a very, very incendiary term, of course.

ZAHN: What would be a more accurate word to describe how you felt about his performance?

ERVIN: Well, I think department as a whole, the whole leadership of the department, starting with the secretary, I think that the department did not live up to its promise.

And I think we have a ways to go, considerable distance to go, before we're as safe as we need to be in this post-9/11 environment with a determined enemy like the one that we have.

ZAHN: At any point during your two years of service as inspector general did anybody try to silence you or mute your criticism?

ERVIN: Happened all the time. And I resisted it, very, very fiercely.

ZAHN: Clark, can you explain to me how pressure was put on you to mute your criticism along the way?

ERVIN: There were times when I was urged not to release a report...

ZAHN: By whom? Would these be members of Congress?

ERVIN: Not by members of Congress, but by senior members of the department. It happened on a number of occasions. And I resisted each time. The good news is that the law gave me the authority to do just that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Shining brightly on the homeland security radar screen today is the presidential inauguration, nine days hence. It's a pressure-packed, last hoorah for Tom Ridge, who briefed reporters today on inaugural preps and procedures.

CNN's Sumi Das has details for us -- Sumi.

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: the press conference wrapped up just about one hour ago.

Now, prior to that conference, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge met with the emergency and tactical officers who were present here. He also toured the mobile command centers that will be used on inauguration day.

Secret Service director Ralph Basham introduced Ridge. The Secret Service is the lead agency in the design plan and implementation of security for the 2005 inauguration.

Ridge reiterated several times that the inauguration will have an unprecedented level of security, but that, due to the sensitive nature of the event, many details of security protocol would remain classified.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the inauguration a national special security event, but the terror alert level will not be raised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There's nothing that we've seen, not just today but over the period of the preceding several weeks that give us any reason to even consider at this point raising the threat level.

We've had this discussion many times before. Normally, it's an aggregation of information we receive that we conclude is credible over a period of time, but there's absolutely nothing out there that suggest we should even think about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAS: The U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Park Service are among the agencies that will be providing mobile command centers on inauguration day.

There will be thousands of law enforcement officers present in the air, on the ground, in the subway stations and even on the waters, on the Potomac and the surrounding harbors.

A no-fly zone will be tripled. Currently, it's a 16-mile radius around the Washington monument. It will be expanded to an area around a 23-mile radius around the three airports serving D.C. However, this FAA restriction will not affect the scheduled passenger and cargo flights -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Sumi Das in Washington, thank you very much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: For what it's worth, Americans seem to feel safer than at any I'm since September 11.

A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows 39 percent of Americans believe acts of terror are likely inside the United States over the next several years. Nearly 60 percent say they're not likely.

The likely figure is the lowest since 9/11 and is down 12 points since summer.

CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. You want to stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

Mountain in motion, disaster unfolding in La Conchita, California. At least 12, perhaps as many as 40 people are believed to still be trapped at the bottom of this massive mudslide, triggered by days and days and day of pounding rain.

Three people are dead, but so far, nine have been pulled out alive.

And CNN's Kimberly Osias is there and joins us with the latest.

Hi, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.

Well, I'll tell you, finally, a respite of this wicked weather. Some beautiful sunshine today. The precipitation has stayed at bay. Certainly bodes well for the rescue efforts.

However, it is definitely not indicative of the tenor of the town. I just spoke to one gentleman who lost his business partner in the landslide yesterday, could not keep from crying speaking about everything. Said basically there just wasn't enough warning, and simply they felt they didn't have enough time to get out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I am not. It's coming down.

OSIAS (voice-over): This flood of mud looked like a scene from South Asia's tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just too much. I don't know. I just hope everyone's OK. We're just all praying they're all right.

OSIAS: But this was Southern California, the small coastal town of La Conchita, 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Emergency crews continue to comb the thick debris. Many people are still unaccounted for, reported missing by family or friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he was over there helping the boy to get his stuff out of there, and they didn't make it. They didn't make it.

OSIAS: About 100 residents evacuated before the landslide crashed down, but 18 refused to get out.

Neighbors and rescue workers remain hopeful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have sound sensors placed in the debris, and that's been what's led us to the people we've recovered from that debris field. There wasn't -- there was a cessation of sound for awhile after we made initial recoveries. About 12:30 this morning, they were able to detect the sound again.

OSIAS: Mudslides are causing problems in other part of Southern California, too. Chunks of this road washed away this morning in San Juan Capistrano, a couple hours south of La Conchita.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Rescue workers say they are seeing more bodies, although they are not officially counting them until they pull them out and identify them -- Betty.

NGUYEN: What a desperate situation there. Kimberly Osias, thank you for that report -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, if you tuned in yesterday, and we know you did, you might have wondered what could possibly top this hair-raising video we showed you time and again yesterday? Hanging on, losing his grip on the rope as the rope breaks. He falls into the river.

Well, the man was rescued again. He's doing just fine, as we told you yesterday.

Today that video takes a back seat to William Henderson. William, 8 weeks old, already has a story to tell his grandkids. He and his mom were swept away in the San Dimas Canyon late yesterday and pulled into a raft by firefighters.

The raft overturned, as you saw a few seconds ago. William went back into the rapids. So did two more rescuers, sans raft. Watch this now.

We kind of missed the action there. You get the idea.

We're told William's temperature through all of this, as you see him being carried by that rescuer there, struggling against the rapids, his temperature was down to 90 degrees when he was finally dried off, bundled up and taken to a hospital. He and his mother expected to be just fine.

Great job, guys, there on the scene. Later this hour, we'll get the ins and outs of swift water rescue from a man who's taught it, our every man of law enforcement, Mike Brooks.

All right, Jacqui Jeras, yesterday you were talking about Omega blocks. And for folks who were not watching, that is not frat row at a college. Omega block is a term that has something to do with this wild weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, it's an amazing story of survival. More than two weeks after the tsunami, the man here in the white T- shirt is found at sea. Hear how he survived, right ahead here on LIVE FROM.

And later, is the King Tut mummy cursed? Investigators conducting a new investigation into the Egyptian pharaoh's death have some stories to tell. We will hear from them just ahead.

Plus, are you a Mac or PC user? Well, Apple makes an aggressive move to push you into the Mac camp.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Two weeks and two days after the Indian Ocean cataclysm, almost no one expects to still be finding survivors, which explains all the fuss surrounding 21-year-old Ari Afrizal of Indonesia's Aceh province.

Afrizal touched solid ground in Malaysia today for the first time since the monster waves carried him out to sea on December 26.

He clung to a piece of wood for a day, then made his way to a fishing boat, then to a raft, where he survived on coconuts, while ship after ship passed him by.

Finally a Liberian freighter spotted him. And for all his relief at being rescued, like so many Indonesians, Sri Lankans and Thais, he still doesn't know the fate of his own family.

A little health news now. There's a new weapon in the fight against breast cancer. It's a chemotherapy drug that can be administered over a short period of time and cause fewer side effects.

We get the details from our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The FDA just approving a new drug called Abraxane for the treatment of aggressive breast cancer. But on full disclosure, it's actually an old drug called Taxol in a new distribution form.

This might be exciting news for the thousands of patients out there with aggressive breast cancer.

Now, Abraxane is delivered in a new way. Part of the problem with Taxol for some time was that it was too toxic. It actually had to be mixed with toxic solvents. Steroids had to be given as well.

This drug actually might be much easier for patients to tolerate with aggressive breast cancer.

Take a look here. On the left, that little dot actually is the size of the new chemo regimen when the Taxol is mixed with the small protein. On the right is the size of a blood cell. You can see this chemo regimen actually traveling through the bloodstream, targeting a tumor, being very specific.

Now, there are lots of advantages, potentially, to distributing the drug in this way. You could use a 50 percent higher dosage, for example, with fewer side effects. The chemotherapy itself may take less time, 30 minutes versus three hours.

And a big plus, really, is that no steroids are needed. Again, steroids can be a great limiting step for a lot people who are taking chemotherapy.

It's unclear whether or not this new drug could actually lead to increased survival. But what does seem clear is that patients who take this medication may have fewer side effects overall. The chemo side effects, well known: nausea, the vomiting, loss of hair as well. All those things may be minimized with this new drug.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt the magic and the mystery of King Tut.

NGUYEN: What really killed Egypt's most famous pharaoh? We'll talk with the man leading a forensic team on a high-tech quest.

Later on LIVE FROM, a "CNN Security Watch": preparing for the first presidential inauguration post-September 11. We'll go live to our nation's capital.

Tomorrow on LIVE FROM, the images of African-American women in music videos. The editors of "Essence" magazine say it's time to take a close look at what's really going on. We'll talk about it tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, Mac fans are all excited, waiting to hear what the CEO of Apple might say at the Mac world convention today. And Susan Lisovicz joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange for that report.

Hi, Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 11, 2005 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CO-HOST: A second try to name a homeland security chief. President Bush picks a former prosecutor and judge. Live at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. SAM MALDONADO, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: I was trying to yell at her as she was moving downstream, hold the baby up, hold the baby up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: A baby saved from raging floodwaters in Southern California. We will take you inside how that rescue went down.

O'BRIEN: A huge wall of mud wipes out homes, leaves several missing. The search is on for survivors in Southern California. That's quite a picture. We'll take you there live, give you an update.

NGUYEN: And a new effort to solve an ancient mystery. What killed King Tut? Well, the doctor leading the investigation into the famous pharaoh's mummy join us live from Cairo.

From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Here comes the judge. He's Michael Chertoff, former assistant attorney general, former U.S. attorney, currently a federal appeals court judge in Philadelphia. He's President Bush's second choice to be the second secretary of homeland security.

If you don't know his name, you're probably familiar with his work. CNN's Kathleen Koch fills in some blanks for us, live from the White House -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, we just had some blanks filled in for us by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, because everyone was wondering how, indeed, did this nomination came about.

And Scott said basically after the Bernard Kerik nomination failed and he withdrew his name, the former police chief of New York, that White House chief of staff Andrew Card had, indeed, been in touch with the judge. And had said -- had approached him.

Again this judge, Michael Chertoff, had spoken with him. And the White House thought he would not be interested, because he had only in 2003 been named to the appeals court.

But Chertoff indicated he was interested. He came to the White House Saturday morning, met with President Bush. And then Sunday, on his way back from a bike ride, President Bush called Judge Chertoff and offered him the position.

And this morning, in choosing the judge, Mr. Bush said he was choosing a talented, experienced public servant who had had a stellar career and ample experience in fighting terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our nation is still at war. We're focused. We're taking decisive actions on the home front that are critical to winning this war.

When Mike is confirmed by the Senate, the Department of Homeland Security will be led by a practical organizer, a skilled manager and a brilliant thinker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: In 2001 -- from 2001 to 2003, Judge Chertoff served as assistant attorney general in the criminal division at the U.S. Justice Department, where he played a key role in formulating the legal response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

From 1994 to 1996, he was the special counsel for the GOP Senate Whitewater committee. And then from 1990 to '94, he was U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

And one thing the president pointed out in making this announcement today that does stand Judge Chertoff in good stead is the fact that because he had served -- had such a long career as a public servant, he had already been approved three times by the U.S. Senate.

So the White House believes he will have smooth sailing this time, as well, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kathleen, it is a little surprising for someone who's made it to the federal bench to leave. That's a great job.

KOCH: It is. And again, that is what -- what Scott McClellan said today, why the White House had not really carefully and ardently pursued him, because they thought that was a position he, indeed, wanted to stay in.

Then again, the White House chief of staff was able to approach him, speak with him, and, indeed, find out he was willing to make this major transition. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch, doing a great job at the White House, thank you very much -- Betty.

KOCH: Thanks, Miles.

NGUYEN: The top job isn't the only job at DHS. The inspector general's office awaits a permanent replacement for Clark Kent Ervin, who left last month after two busy and controversial years as the department's internal watchdog.

Ervin stepped on toes with reports criticizing airport screeners and a lavish staff awards ceremony. His last official act was a blunt critique of the way the department allocates and oversees, or doesn't oversee, its grants to local governments.

So who's to blame for the homeland security flubs and fumbles? Ervin addressed that question as a guest on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, it's a combination of things. First of all, and most importantly, think it's a failure of leadership and management attention.

PAULA ZAHN, HOST, "PAULA ZAHN NOW": Are you saying that Tom Ridge was a failure when he ran the Homeland Security Department?

ERVIN: Failure is a very, very incendiary term, of course.

ZAHN: What would be a more accurate word to describe how you felt about his performance?

ERVIN: Well, I think department as a whole, the whole leadership of the department, starting with the secretary, I think that the department did not live up to its promise.

And I think we have a ways to go, considerable distance to go, before we're as safe as we need to be in this post-9/11 environment with a determined enemy like the one that we have.

ZAHN: At any point during your two years of service as inspector general did anybody try to silence you or mute your criticism?

ERVIN: Happened all the time. And I resisted it, very, very fiercely.

ZAHN: Clark, can you explain to me how pressure was put on you to mute your criticism along the way?

ERVIN: There were times when I was urged not to release a report...

ZAHN: By whom? Would these be members of Congress?

ERVIN: Not by members of Congress, but by senior members of the department. It happened on a number of occasions. And I resisted each time. The good news is that the law gave me the authority to do just that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Shining brightly on the homeland security radar screen today is the presidential inauguration, nine days hence. It's a pressure-packed, last hoorah for Tom Ridge, who briefed reporters today on inaugural preps and procedures.

CNN's Sumi Das has details for us -- Sumi.

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: the press conference wrapped up just about one hour ago.

Now, prior to that conference, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge met with the emergency and tactical officers who were present here. He also toured the mobile command centers that will be used on inauguration day.

Secret Service director Ralph Basham introduced Ridge. The Secret Service is the lead agency in the design plan and implementation of security for the 2005 inauguration.

Ridge reiterated several times that the inauguration will have an unprecedented level of security, but that, due to the sensitive nature of the event, many details of security protocol would remain classified.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the inauguration a national special security event, but the terror alert level will not be raised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There's nothing that we've seen, not just today but over the period of the preceding several weeks that give us any reason to even consider at this point raising the threat level.

We've had this discussion many times before. Normally, it's an aggregation of information we receive that we conclude is credible over a period of time, but there's absolutely nothing out there that suggest we should even think about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAS: The U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Park Service are among the agencies that will be providing mobile command centers on inauguration day.

There will be thousands of law enforcement officers present in the air, on the ground, in the subway stations and even on the waters, on the Potomac and the surrounding harbors.

A no-fly zone will be tripled. Currently, it's a 16-mile radius around the Washington monument. It will be expanded to an area around a 23-mile radius around the three airports serving D.C. However, this FAA restriction will not affect the scheduled passenger and cargo flights -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Sumi Das in Washington, thank you very much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: For what it's worth, Americans seem to feel safer than at any I'm since September 11.

A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows 39 percent of Americans believe acts of terror are likely inside the United States over the next several years. Nearly 60 percent say they're not likely.

The likely figure is the lowest since 9/11 and is down 12 points since summer.

CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. You want to stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

Mountain in motion, disaster unfolding in La Conchita, California. At least 12, perhaps as many as 40 people are believed to still be trapped at the bottom of this massive mudslide, triggered by days and days and day of pounding rain.

Three people are dead, but so far, nine have been pulled out alive.

And CNN's Kimberly Osias is there and joins us with the latest.

Hi, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.

Well, I'll tell you, finally, a respite of this wicked weather. Some beautiful sunshine today. The precipitation has stayed at bay. Certainly bodes well for the rescue efforts.

However, it is definitely not indicative of the tenor of the town. I just spoke to one gentleman who lost his business partner in the landslide yesterday, could not keep from crying speaking about everything. Said basically there just wasn't enough warning, and simply they felt they didn't have enough time to get out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I am not. It's coming down.

OSIAS (voice-over): This flood of mud looked like a scene from South Asia's tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just too much. I don't know. I just hope everyone's OK. We're just all praying they're all right.

OSIAS: But this was Southern California, the small coastal town of La Conchita, 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Emergency crews continue to comb the thick debris. Many people are still unaccounted for, reported missing by family or friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he was over there helping the boy to get his stuff out of there, and they didn't make it. They didn't make it.

OSIAS: About 100 residents evacuated before the landslide crashed down, but 18 refused to get out.

Neighbors and rescue workers remain hopeful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have sound sensors placed in the debris, and that's been what's led us to the people we've recovered from that debris field. There wasn't -- there was a cessation of sound for awhile after we made initial recoveries. About 12:30 this morning, they were able to detect the sound again.

OSIAS: Mudslides are causing problems in other part of Southern California, too. Chunks of this road washed away this morning in San Juan Capistrano, a couple hours south of La Conchita.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Rescue workers say they are seeing more bodies, although they are not officially counting them until they pull them out and identify them -- Betty.

NGUYEN: What a desperate situation there. Kimberly Osias, thank you for that report -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, if you tuned in yesterday, and we know you did, you might have wondered what could possibly top this hair-raising video we showed you time and again yesterday? Hanging on, losing his grip on the rope as the rope breaks. He falls into the river.

Well, the man was rescued again. He's doing just fine, as we told you yesterday.

Today that video takes a back seat to William Henderson. William, 8 weeks old, already has a story to tell his grandkids. He and his mom were swept away in the San Dimas Canyon late yesterday and pulled into a raft by firefighters.

The raft overturned, as you saw a few seconds ago. William went back into the rapids. So did two more rescuers, sans raft. Watch this now.

We kind of missed the action there. You get the idea.

We're told William's temperature through all of this, as you see him being carried by that rescuer there, struggling against the rapids, his temperature was down to 90 degrees when he was finally dried off, bundled up and taken to a hospital. He and his mother expected to be just fine.

Great job, guys, there on the scene. Later this hour, we'll get the ins and outs of swift water rescue from a man who's taught it, our every man of law enforcement, Mike Brooks.

All right, Jacqui Jeras, yesterday you were talking about Omega blocks. And for folks who were not watching, that is not frat row at a college. Omega block is a term that has something to do with this wild weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, it's an amazing story of survival. More than two weeks after the tsunami, the man here in the white T- shirt is found at sea. Hear how he survived, right ahead here on LIVE FROM.

And later, is the King Tut mummy cursed? Investigators conducting a new investigation into the Egyptian pharaoh's death have some stories to tell. We will hear from them just ahead.

Plus, are you a Mac or PC user? Well, Apple makes an aggressive move to push you into the Mac camp.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Two weeks and two days after the Indian Ocean cataclysm, almost no one expects to still be finding survivors, which explains all the fuss surrounding 21-year-old Ari Afrizal of Indonesia's Aceh province.

Afrizal touched solid ground in Malaysia today for the first time since the monster waves carried him out to sea on December 26.

He clung to a piece of wood for a day, then made his way to a fishing boat, then to a raft, where he survived on coconuts, while ship after ship passed him by.

Finally a Liberian freighter spotted him. And for all his relief at being rescued, like so many Indonesians, Sri Lankans and Thais, he still doesn't know the fate of his own family.

A little health news now. There's a new weapon in the fight against breast cancer. It's a chemotherapy drug that can be administered over a short period of time and cause fewer side effects.

We get the details from our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The FDA just approving a new drug called Abraxane for the treatment of aggressive breast cancer. But on full disclosure, it's actually an old drug called Taxol in a new distribution form.

This might be exciting news for the thousands of patients out there with aggressive breast cancer.

Now, Abraxane is delivered in a new way. Part of the problem with Taxol for some time was that it was too toxic. It actually had to be mixed with toxic solvents. Steroids had to be given as well.

This drug actually might be much easier for patients to tolerate with aggressive breast cancer.

Take a look here. On the left, that little dot actually is the size of the new chemo regimen when the Taxol is mixed with the small protein. On the right is the size of a blood cell. You can see this chemo regimen actually traveling through the bloodstream, targeting a tumor, being very specific.

Now, there are lots of advantages, potentially, to distributing the drug in this way. You could use a 50 percent higher dosage, for example, with fewer side effects. The chemotherapy itself may take less time, 30 minutes versus three hours.

And a big plus, really, is that no steroids are needed. Again, steroids can be a great limiting step for a lot people who are taking chemotherapy.

It's unclear whether or not this new drug could actually lead to increased survival. But what does seem clear is that patients who take this medication may have fewer side effects overall. The chemo side effects, well known: nausea, the vomiting, loss of hair as well. All those things may be minimized with this new drug.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt the magic and the mystery of King Tut.

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Later on LIVE FROM, a "CNN Security Watch": preparing for the first presidential inauguration post-September 11. We'll go live to our nation's capital.

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NGUYEN: Well, Mac fans are all excited, waiting to hear what the CEO of Apple might say at the Mac world convention today. And Susan Lisovicz joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange for that report.

Hi, Susan.

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