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Federal Judge Nominated as Homeland Security Chief; Rescuers Save Baby from Flooded River; Former Bush Homeland Security Adviser Weighs in on Nominee; Scientists Evaluate Environmental Damage from Tsunamis

Aired January 11, 2005 - 14:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "CNN Security Watch": President Bush taps his second choice to head up homeland security. Who is he, and what challenges does he face?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have all elements be alert. When we get in Baghdad, there have been two IEDs within the last 20 minutes that detonated, over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: On the alert as a target for terror. You'll hear from an American commander trying to move his convoy in the midst of a battle zone.

NGUYEN: And tsunami impact. Human beings are the only ones feeling the long-term consequences of the horrific disaster -- or they're not the only ones.

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

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

Well, if you never knew water could move mountains, we draw your attention to this: an avalanche of mud, rocks and trees, thundering down a bluff in Southern California after days of relentless rain.

Officially, three people are dead in what used to be a neighborhood below. As many as 40 still unaccounted for. The latest in a live report now from La Conchita momentarily.

NGUYEN: Whitewater investigator, U.S. attorney, assistant attorney general, federal judge, now homeland security secretary nominee. He's Michael Chertoff, President Bush's second choice to succeed the nation's former homeland security chief, Tom Ridge.

In a veiled reference to the problems surrounding previous DHS nominee Bernard Kerik, Mr. Bush noted Chertoff has been confirmed by the Senate three times.

Ridge still has his hands full, overseeing what he calls unprecedented security for Mr. Bush's second inauguration. It is the first inauguration post-September 11.

And while Ridge won't go into specifics, he says security is modeled largely on the political conventions last summer.

Well, early reaction to the Chertoff choice is positive. And we get more on the back-story now and future prospects from CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House.

Hi, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

The White House reached out to Judge Michael Chertoff last month after the Kerik nomination fell through and was surprised to learn that yes, indeed, he was interested in leaving his position on the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and taking the homeland security cabinet post.

Chertoff met with President Bush here at the White House Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, the president called Chertoff and offered him the job.

In making this morning's announcement, Mr. Bush pointed out that as head of the Justice Department's criminal division from 2001 to 2003, Chertoff played a critical role in formulating U.S. legal strategy in the war on terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On September the 11th, 2001, he was managing the criminal division of the Department of Justice, an 800-person operation devoted to enforcing our nation's criminal laws.

In the days after September the 11th, Mike helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network. He understood immediately that the strategy on the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Looking at Chertoff's biography, he was a 1978 graduate of Harvard Law School. He began his career with a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.

From '83 to '87, Chertoff served as assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan, later becoming U.S. attorney in New Jersey. In 1994, Chertoff launched a career as a corporate defense lawyer before joining the Justice Department.

Most agree that, in naming Chertoff, the White House was playing it safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL LIGHT, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: You know, here's a guy who has been confirmed twice during the Bush administration, gone through the wars on Capitol Hill. He's been thoroughly vetted and certainly is a known quantity. He's known to the Senate. He's known to the White House. He's known to the judicial community. So there are going to be no surprises about him as he moves through this process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only senator to vote against Chertoff when he was nominated to the appeals court in 2003. But Chertoff has already gotten qualified endorsement from New York's other senator, Charles Schumer, who in a statement today, said he looks forward to sitting down and fleshing out his views with Chertoff, but that, quote, "he appears to be a strong choice" -- Betty.

NGUYEN: So he's been confirmed by the Senate three times. Does he face any kind of challenges this time around?

KOCH: Well, again, right now all we're hearing is accolades for him. There is some concern, though, again, about his role in formulating anti-terrorism strategy in the days after 9/11.

Some critics say that the Patriot Act and some of the steps included in there, that Chertoff helped draft, that they actually eroded U.S. civil liberties.

So certainly the nominating committee senators, many of them will have some serious questions for him on that issue, but he's still expected to sail through, Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House for us today. Thank you, Kathleen.

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

Just moments from now, we'll get some insights on the choice of Michael Chertoff and the staggering responsibilities that await him. Former White House adviser Richard Falkenrath is our guest at a quarter past this hour of LIVE FROM -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: In the San Dimas Canyon area, a mother and her 2-month- old baby are safe after a very close call in raging floodwaters.

Soledad O'Brien has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING" (voice-over): Daring and dramatic moments in Southern California: a two-month-old baby rescued from raging floodwaters, not once but twice. It happened in San Dimas.

All seemed to be going well in the first rescue attempt, but watch: the inflatable raft carrying the rescuer, the mother and her baby suddenly overturns, throwing all three into the water.

Luckily, another rescuer rushed in and was able to reach them. He grabbed the baby, fighting through knee-deep water to get back to dry land.

CAPT. SAM MALDONADO, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: Her and the baby again were again taken under. And I was trying to yell at her as she was moving downstream, "Hold the baby up; hold the baby up."

And every time I would say that, she'd actually listen, and she would try to get the baby up. But it was -- it was quite hard for her.

S. O'BRIEN: Officials say the infant's body temperature dropped to 90 degrees. He was quickly put into warm clothing and taken to a hospital, where he's expected to make a full recovery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Elsewhere amid the deluge in southern California, a deadly mudslide. Rescuers feverishly looking for possible survivors buried in that mudslide that has killed at least three. Many others unaccounted for.

CNN's Kimberly Osias on the scene in Conchita.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (NO AUDIO)

O'BRIEN: All right. We're not able to rectify that audio problem for you right now. We're going to work on it and try to get back to Kimberly in just a bit.

Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. With any luck, she'll be able to hear me, we'll be able to hear her, and we'll talk a little bit about this terrible weather in the West Coast -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

News across America now.

Howard Dean isn't ready to pack away his political running shoes yet. Today the former Vermont governor formally announced plans to run for the chair of the Democratic National Committee. The decision comes as no surprise to insiders. Dean's been campaigning for the gig for a few months now.

A sit-in of sorts, protesting the pledge. A county school board in Virginia is changing its policy requiring students to stand while the Pledge of Allegiance is recited. The change, in response to a 12- year-old who felt the requirement was unconstitutional. He'll be allowed to sit it out, at least for now.

A Virginia lawmaker is pushing for students to get parental consent if they'd like to sit out the pledge, as well. Hacked in Fairfax. Virginia's George Mason University feeling a little vulnerable today. Personal information for more than 30,000 of its students and staff stolen by computer hackers. Ironically, the theft happened just as the school was switching to a more secure computer system.

NGUYEN: Well, it was a moment that endangered thousands of people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the men started screaming, "I can't breathe! I can't breathe! I need help!" And I started hollering for him to get out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A toxic train crash that is still keeping some people out of their homes. That story ahead.

And plucked from the sea. More than two weeks after the tsunami struck, a survivor is brought ashore.

Plus, President Bush says his new pick for homeland security secretary is a key leader in the war on terror. But he's not exactly a household name. We'll get some insight on Michael Chertoff from a former deputy homeland security adviser right after this break.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Inside the Beltway today, some arched eyebrows in the wake of the Bush administration's second choice to succeed Tom Ridge as homeland security secretary.

Michael Chertoff is a noted lawyer, prosecutor, judge, and legal scholar. But his resume is a little thin when it comes to management, an important trait for riding herd over the cobbled patchwork bureaucracy that is the Department of Homeland Security.

There's some talk around town that several others turned down the job before Chertoff accepted.

For more on the man and the mission that lies ahead, presuming confirmation, we're joined by Richard Falkenrath. He is a former deputy homeland security adviser to the president.

Richard, good to have you with us.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, FORMER DEPUTY HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: This is not the most popular job in town, is it? FALKENRATH: This is a thankless job. It's a job that if there are no terrorist attacks, people wonder why you're there. And if there are, you're often to blame and may take the fall for it. So it's an incredibly hard job for anybody to take.

O'BRIEN: Would you take the job?

FALKENRATH: Well, anybody would have the -- would serve at the pleasure of the president, I think. But it wasn't offered to me, and I'm not seeking it, and I'm glad the president found someone like Mike Chertoff to take it.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense of the kinds of challenges a person at the top of this agency faces and, as a result, what kind of characteristics you would look for in a homeland security secretary.

FALKENRATH: Well, the challenges are enormous, and there's no person on earth, I think, who is perfectly qualified to do them all right away. There's going to be some on-the-job training, no matter who took the job.

The person has to communicate with the American people in times of crisis. That is a very important requirement for the secretary of homeland security.

The secretary also has to manage the politics of homeland security with the Congress, governors and mayors around the country.

He has to set policy on a very wide range of issues, everything from border policy, transportation security, biosafety, biosecurity, emergency response, science technology, an enormous canvas in which it's wide latitude to act.

And he also has to manage a huge new department.

This is a really tough job.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, and let's take that middle point you talked about, that list of chores. These are the chores that nobody wants on their honey-do list, you know? This is -- this is a tough job. These are all the don't want them jobs. And as a result of that, I think it requires an extraordinary person, doesn't it?

FALKENRATH: It does. It certainly does.

The chores that the secretary has to do are some of the hardest in government. Immigration, for example, by itself, is one of the single toughest things any federal government has to manage. It is entirely under the authority now of the secretary of homeland security. So he will have to deal with that.

Transportation policy, another thankless job. The secretary is in charge of our airports. And the type of screening that happens there. No one really likes the long lines, but it's his job to prevent an attack and to balance the different pressures at play there, extremely hard. In the middle of the night, the secretary will get a phone call about, say, a train wreck carrying chlorine and will wake him up. His aid will wake him up, and he'll have to decide, "Should I wake up the president? What action should I take? Should I set up an operations center?" He'll have to do it immediately.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, here's the thing. As I look at his resume -- and people of course, can surprise you. Resumes don't tell you everything about a person.

But he looks like he could be a great choice if there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court, or, for that matter, attorney general. I see a lot of legal experience. I don't necessarily see that communication in management skill that you talk about there.

What are your thoughts on Chertoff? Can he step up to the plate here? Is there anything on his resume that would indicate he's got those skills?

FALKENRATH: Well, you're right. He's something of a surprise pick. He wasn't really on anybody's list for this job.

What I like about him is he's clearly a first-rate intellect. He's someone who shows a real capacity to learn, and he will have a lot of learning to do. And so that's hopeful.

I also think he has a no-nonsense and a steeliness to his character that will -- the American people will like and the president will like, and it will help him with the challenges.

Clearly, the White House is going to be looking for a strong manager to fill the No. 2 spot, the deputy spot, to complement Chertoff's strengths. But I think the more important thing is the quality of his mind and his capacity to deal with these huge challenges.

O'BRIEN: Richard Falkenrath, who is a former deputy homeland security adviser to President Bush, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

FALKENRATH: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN, of course, committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Please stay with us for the information whenever you turn on the TV, day and night.

NGUYEN: Now to the latest on the tsunami disaster, an amazing survival story.

A 21-year-old Indonesian man survived 15 days at sea, clinging first to a plank of wood, then a broken boat, and finally, a drifting raft. He lived on coconuts that floated by, ripping them open with his teeth.

The raft had a hut on it and, miraculously, a bottle of water. He was picked up by a passing ship and is recovering in Malaysia.

O'BRIEN: The U.N. has picked an independent firm of auditors to make sure money pledged to tsunami relief finds its way to those in need. Volunteers from Price Waterhouse Coopers will track how the more than $6 billion that's pledged is disbursed.

U.N. relief coordinator Jan Egeland says relief efforts so far are following a best-laid-plan scenario. He's hopeful predictions of epidemics will not happen.

Now, do you know the earthquake which spawned the tsunamis is actually having an impact on your health? In a sense, you're getting older quicker.

NASA says the quake caused the Earth to spin just a little bit faster, and that means our days are roughly 2.68 microseconds shorter.

The quake also pushed the North Pole one inch east, and it actually changed the shape of the planet, taking a little of the equatorial bulge off the Earth's midsection, which is something every middle-aged planet hopes for.

O'BRIEN: I thought you were looking a little older today, Miles. That explains it.

All right. Well, the tsunamis produced other traumatic effects on the environment as well, which could hamper recovery efforts long term. There's dramatic ecological damage to many of the natural resources in the region, natural resources that many there rely on to survive.

Here's our Gary Strieker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY STRIEKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beyond the tragic loss of life, suffering, and property destruction, the tsunami caused catastrophic environmental damage that relief officials and scientists are just beginning to assess.

SUSIE ELLIS, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: There are issues of water land fisheries, and they're all of concern right now.

IAN DUTTON, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: Some reports out of colleagues in Sri Lanka, Thailand and around the Sumatra area suggest that there's been extensive physical damage to the coral reefs and some of the low-lying coastal areas, including wetlands and beaches.

STRIEKER: There are critical immediate problems directly affecting human health.

In many areas, fresh water supplies are polluted by seawater, chemicals and sewage. And without clean drinking water, many survivors could die from disease in the weeks ahead.

And there are widespread reports of extensive damage to other ecological resources, natural assets supporting local fishing communities, farmers and tourism industries.

DUTTON: One of the most immediate impacts has to do with food security. Something like 53 percent of all of the protein for Indonesians comes from fish. And if those coral reefs are badly affected, the fish have no habitat to live in.

STRIEKER: Coastal wetlands and rice paddies are flooded with salty seawater. U.N. officials estimate rebuilding agriculture will take at least two years and billions of dollars in aid.

Scientists say surging waves in some areas would have taken a heavy toll on marine life up to a mile offshore. In Thailand, dolphins were swept into an inshore lake, where they were trapped.

Some beaches were reportedly littered with dead marine animals, including corals.

Following a pounding by incoming waves, coral reefs in shallow water were then raked by a powerful backwash carrying heavy debris, including trees and cars, then covered with smothering sediments.

Coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are a major tourist attractions and key habitats for fish. And scientists say it's too early to know how badly they're damaged or what impact this disaster will have on fish populations and the livelihoods of fishermen.

ELLIS: The fact that these nursery areas have now been plowed under by mud and have been destroyed are inevitably going to have long-term effects on fisheries.

STRIEKER: Some experts believe these Indian Ocean coastlines have become more vulnerable to tsunamis because of the damage humans have caused to coral reefs and mangrove forests, natural coastal barriers that can buffer the force of tidal waves.

But others say this tsunami was far too powerful to be weakened by any natural defense.

Meanwhile, authorities report there's no evidence of any major loss of endangered wildlife on land. Conforming to age-old beliefs that they seemed to sense impending disaster, elephants and other animals sought refuge on higher ground before the tsunami struck.

Gary Strieker for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The daily commute to work can be a time-consuming exercise in frustration. You know what I'm talking about. But for one man, getting to the job to work, it's a risky proposition at best and a possible death trap at worst.

Ahead on LIVE FROM, the commander of a transportation unit in Iraq lets our camera follow him on an event-filled day on the job.

Plus, listen up. SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen up, Mac lovers. The rumors have been laid to rest. A cheaper iPod is on the way. I'll have all the details after this break. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, what is good news for people about to purchase Mac products is bad news for this particular reporter, having made several purchases over the Christmas season, and thus being stuck...

NGUYEN: You've got to be versatile.

O'BRIEN: ... at the higher prices. Will they take them back is the only question I have.

NGUYEN: Well, Susan, can you answer that?

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 11, 2005 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "CNN Security Watch": President Bush taps his second choice to head up homeland security. Who is he, and what challenges does he face?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have all elements be alert. When we get in Baghdad, there have been two IEDs within the last 20 minutes that detonated, over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: On the alert as a target for terror. You'll hear from an American commander trying to move his convoy in the midst of a battle zone.

NGUYEN: And tsunami impact. Human beings are the only ones feeling the long-term consequences of the horrific disaster -- or they're not the only ones.

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

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

Well, if you never knew water could move mountains, we draw your attention to this: an avalanche of mud, rocks and trees, thundering down a bluff in Southern California after days of relentless rain.

Officially, three people are dead in what used to be a neighborhood below. As many as 40 still unaccounted for. The latest in a live report now from La Conchita momentarily.

NGUYEN: Whitewater investigator, U.S. attorney, assistant attorney general, federal judge, now homeland security secretary nominee. He's Michael Chertoff, President Bush's second choice to succeed the nation's former homeland security chief, Tom Ridge.

In a veiled reference to the problems surrounding previous DHS nominee Bernard Kerik, Mr. Bush noted Chertoff has been confirmed by the Senate three times.

Ridge still has his hands full, overseeing what he calls unprecedented security for Mr. Bush's second inauguration. It is the first inauguration post-September 11.

And while Ridge won't go into specifics, he says security is modeled largely on the political conventions last summer.

Well, early reaction to the Chertoff choice is positive. And we get more on the back-story now and future prospects from CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House.

Hi, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

The White House reached out to Judge Michael Chertoff last month after the Kerik nomination fell through and was surprised to learn that yes, indeed, he was interested in leaving his position on the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and taking the homeland security cabinet post.

Chertoff met with President Bush here at the White House Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, the president called Chertoff and offered him the job.

In making this morning's announcement, Mr. Bush pointed out that as head of the Justice Department's criminal division from 2001 to 2003, Chertoff played a critical role in formulating U.S. legal strategy in the war on terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On September the 11th, 2001, he was managing the criminal division of the Department of Justice, an 800-person operation devoted to enforcing our nation's criminal laws.

In the days after September the 11th, Mike helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network. He understood immediately that the strategy on the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Looking at Chertoff's biography, he was a 1978 graduate of Harvard Law School. He began his career with a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.

From '83 to '87, Chertoff served as assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan, later becoming U.S. attorney in New Jersey. In 1994, Chertoff launched a career as a corporate defense lawyer before joining the Justice Department.

Most agree that, in naming Chertoff, the White House was playing it safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL LIGHT, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: You know, here's a guy who has been confirmed twice during the Bush administration, gone through the wars on Capitol Hill. He's been thoroughly vetted and certainly is a known quantity. He's known to the Senate. He's known to the White House. He's known to the judicial community. So there are going to be no surprises about him as he moves through this process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only senator to vote against Chertoff when he was nominated to the appeals court in 2003. But Chertoff has already gotten qualified endorsement from New York's other senator, Charles Schumer, who in a statement today, said he looks forward to sitting down and fleshing out his views with Chertoff, but that, quote, "he appears to be a strong choice" -- Betty.

NGUYEN: So he's been confirmed by the Senate three times. Does he face any kind of challenges this time around?

KOCH: Well, again, right now all we're hearing is accolades for him. There is some concern, though, again, about his role in formulating anti-terrorism strategy in the days after 9/11.

Some critics say that the Patriot Act and some of the steps included in there, that Chertoff helped draft, that they actually eroded U.S. civil liberties.

So certainly the nominating committee senators, many of them will have some serious questions for him on that issue, but he's still expected to sail through, Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House for us today. Thank you, Kathleen.

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

Just moments from now, we'll get some insights on the choice of Michael Chertoff and the staggering responsibilities that await him. Former White House adviser Richard Falkenrath is our guest at a quarter past this hour of LIVE FROM -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: In the San Dimas Canyon area, a mother and her 2-month- old baby are safe after a very close call in raging floodwaters.

Soledad O'Brien has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING" (voice-over): Daring and dramatic moments in Southern California: a two-month-old baby rescued from raging floodwaters, not once but twice. It happened in San Dimas.

All seemed to be going well in the first rescue attempt, but watch: the inflatable raft carrying the rescuer, the mother and her baby suddenly overturns, throwing all three into the water.

Luckily, another rescuer rushed in and was able to reach them. He grabbed the baby, fighting through knee-deep water to get back to dry land.

CAPT. SAM MALDONADO, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: Her and the baby again were again taken under. And I was trying to yell at her as she was moving downstream, "Hold the baby up; hold the baby up."

And every time I would say that, she'd actually listen, and she would try to get the baby up. But it was -- it was quite hard for her.

S. O'BRIEN: Officials say the infant's body temperature dropped to 90 degrees. He was quickly put into warm clothing and taken to a hospital, where he's expected to make a full recovery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Elsewhere amid the deluge in southern California, a deadly mudslide. Rescuers feverishly looking for possible survivors buried in that mudslide that has killed at least three. Many others unaccounted for.

CNN's Kimberly Osias on the scene in Conchita.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (NO AUDIO)

O'BRIEN: All right. We're not able to rectify that audio problem for you right now. We're going to work on it and try to get back to Kimberly in just a bit.

Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. With any luck, she'll be able to hear me, we'll be able to hear her, and we'll talk a little bit about this terrible weather in the West Coast -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

News across America now.

Howard Dean isn't ready to pack away his political running shoes yet. Today the former Vermont governor formally announced plans to run for the chair of the Democratic National Committee. The decision comes as no surprise to insiders. Dean's been campaigning for the gig for a few months now.

A sit-in of sorts, protesting the pledge. A county school board in Virginia is changing its policy requiring students to stand while the Pledge of Allegiance is recited. The change, in response to a 12- year-old who felt the requirement was unconstitutional. He'll be allowed to sit it out, at least for now.

A Virginia lawmaker is pushing for students to get parental consent if they'd like to sit out the pledge, as well. Hacked in Fairfax. Virginia's George Mason University feeling a little vulnerable today. Personal information for more than 30,000 of its students and staff stolen by computer hackers. Ironically, the theft happened just as the school was switching to a more secure computer system.

NGUYEN: Well, it was a moment that endangered thousands of people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the men started screaming, "I can't breathe! I can't breathe! I need help!" And I started hollering for him to get out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A toxic train crash that is still keeping some people out of their homes. That story ahead.

And plucked from the sea. More than two weeks after the tsunami struck, a survivor is brought ashore.

Plus, President Bush says his new pick for homeland security secretary is a key leader in the war on terror. But he's not exactly a household name. We'll get some insight on Michael Chertoff from a former deputy homeland security adviser right after this break.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Inside the Beltway today, some arched eyebrows in the wake of the Bush administration's second choice to succeed Tom Ridge as homeland security secretary.

Michael Chertoff is a noted lawyer, prosecutor, judge, and legal scholar. But his resume is a little thin when it comes to management, an important trait for riding herd over the cobbled patchwork bureaucracy that is the Department of Homeland Security.

There's some talk around town that several others turned down the job before Chertoff accepted.

For more on the man and the mission that lies ahead, presuming confirmation, we're joined by Richard Falkenrath. He is a former deputy homeland security adviser to the president.

Richard, good to have you with us.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, FORMER DEPUTY HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: Hi, Miles.

O'BRIEN: This is not the most popular job in town, is it? FALKENRATH: This is a thankless job. It's a job that if there are no terrorist attacks, people wonder why you're there. And if there are, you're often to blame and may take the fall for it. So it's an incredibly hard job for anybody to take.

O'BRIEN: Would you take the job?

FALKENRATH: Well, anybody would have the -- would serve at the pleasure of the president, I think. But it wasn't offered to me, and I'm not seeking it, and I'm glad the president found someone like Mike Chertoff to take it.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense of the kinds of challenges a person at the top of this agency faces and, as a result, what kind of characteristics you would look for in a homeland security secretary.

FALKENRATH: Well, the challenges are enormous, and there's no person on earth, I think, who is perfectly qualified to do them all right away. There's going to be some on-the-job training, no matter who took the job.

The person has to communicate with the American people in times of crisis. That is a very important requirement for the secretary of homeland security.

The secretary also has to manage the politics of homeland security with the Congress, governors and mayors around the country.

He has to set policy on a very wide range of issues, everything from border policy, transportation security, biosafety, biosecurity, emergency response, science technology, an enormous canvas in which it's wide latitude to act.

And he also has to manage a huge new department.

This is a really tough job.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, and let's take that middle point you talked about, that list of chores. These are the chores that nobody wants on their honey-do list, you know? This is -- this is a tough job. These are all the don't want them jobs. And as a result of that, I think it requires an extraordinary person, doesn't it?

FALKENRATH: It does. It certainly does.

The chores that the secretary has to do are some of the hardest in government. Immigration, for example, by itself, is one of the single toughest things any federal government has to manage. It is entirely under the authority now of the secretary of homeland security. So he will have to deal with that.

Transportation policy, another thankless job. The secretary is in charge of our airports. And the type of screening that happens there. No one really likes the long lines, but it's his job to prevent an attack and to balance the different pressures at play there, extremely hard. In the middle of the night, the secretary will get a phone call about, say, a train wreck carrying chlorine and will wake him up. His aid will wake him up, and he'll have to decide, "Should I wake up the president? What action should I take? Should I set up an operations center?" He'll have to do it immediately.

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, here's the thing. As I look at his resume -- and people of course, can surprise you. Resumes don't tell you everything about a person.

But he looks like he could be a great choice if there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court, or, for that matter, attorney general. I see a lot of legal experience. I don't necessarily see that communication in management skill that you talk about there.

What are your thoughts on Chertoff? Can he step up to the plate here? Is there anything on his resume that would indicate he's got those skills?

FALKENRATH: Well, you're right. He's something of a surprise pick. He wasn't really on anybody's list for this job.

What I like about him is he's clearly a first-rate intellect. He's someone who shows a real capacity to learn, and he will have a lot of learning to do. And so that's hopeful.

I also think he has a no-nonsense and a steeliness to his character that will -- the American people will like and the president will like, and it will help him with the challenges.

Clearly, the White House is going to be looking for a strong manager to fill the No. 2 spot, the deputy spot, to complement Chertoff's strengths. But I think the more important thing is the quality of his mind and his capacity to deal with these huge challenges.

O'BRIEN: Richard Falkenrath, who is a former deputy homeland security adviser to President Bush, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

FALKENRATH: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN, of course, committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Please stay with us for the information whenever you turn on the TV, day and night.

NGUYEN: Now to the latest on the tsunami disaster, an amazing survival story.

A 21-year-old Indonesian man survived 15 days at sea, clinging first to a plank of wood, then a broken boat, and finally, a drifting raft. He lived on coconuts that floated by, ripping them open with his teeth.

The raft had a hut on it and, miraculously, a bottle of water. He was picked up by a passing ship and is recovering in Malaysia.

O'BRIEN: The U.N. has picked an independent firm of auditors to make sure money pledged to tsunami relief finds its way to those in need. Volunteers from Price Waterhouse Coopers will track how the more than $6 billion that's pledged is disbursed.

U.N. relief coordinator Jan Egeland says relief efforts so far are following a best-laid-plan scenario. He's hopeful predictions of epidemics will not happen.

Now, do you know the earthquake which spawned the tsunamis is actually having an impact on your health? In a sense, you're getting older quicker.

NASA says the quake caused the Earth to spin just a little bit faster, and that means our days are roughly 2.68 microseconds shorter.

The quake also pushed the North Pole one inch east, and it actually changed the shape of the planet, taking a little of the equatorial bulge off the Earth's midsection, which is something every middle-aged planet hopes for.

O'BRIEN: I thought you were looking a little older today, Miles. That explains it.

All right. Well, the tsunamis produced other traumatic effects on the environment as well, which could hamper recovery efforts long term. There's dramatic ecological damage to many of the natural resources in the region, natural resources that many there rely on to survive.

Here's our Gary Strieker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY STRIEKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beyond the tragic loss of life, suffering, and property destruction, the tsunami caused catastrophic environmental damage that relief officials and scientists are just beginning to assess.

SUSIE ELLIS, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: There are issues of water land fisheries, and they're all of concern right now.

IAN DUTTON, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: Some reports out of colleagues in Sri Lanka, Thailand and around the Sumatra area suggest that there's been extensive physical damage to the coral reefs and some of the low-lying coastal areas, including wetlands and beaches.

STRIEKER: There are critical immediate problems directly affecting human health.

In many areas, fresh water supplies are polluted by seawater, chemicals and sewage. And without clean drinking water, many survivors could die from disease in the weeks ahead.

And there are widespread reports of extensive damage to other ecological resources, natural assets supporting local fishing communities, farmers and tourism industries.

DUTTON: One of the most immediate impacts has to do with food security. Something like 53 percent of all of the protein for Indonesians comes from fish. And if those coral reefs are badly affected, the fish have no habitat to live in.

STRIEKER: Coastal wetlands and rice paddies are flooded with salty seawater. U.N. officials estimate rebuilding agriculture will take at least two years and billions of dollars in aid.

Scientists say surging waves in some areas would have taken a heavy toll on marine life up to a mile offshore. In Thailand, dolphins were swept into an inshore lake, where they were trapped.

Some beaches were reportedly littered with dead marine animals, including corals.

Following a pounding by incoming waves, coral reefs in shallow water were then raked by a powerful backwash carrying heavy debris, including trees and cars, then covered with smothering sediments.

Coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are a major tourist attractions and key habitats for fish. And scientists say it's too early to know how badly they're damaged or what impact this disaster will have on fish populations and the livelihoods of fishermen.

ELLIS: The fact that these nursery areas have now been plowed under by mud and have been destroyed are inevitably going to have long-term effects on fisheries.

STRIEKER: Some experts believe these Indian Ocean coastlines have become more vulnerable to tsunamis because of the damage humans have caused to coral reefs and mangrove forests, natural coastal barriers that can buffer the force of tidal waves.

But others say this tsunami was far too powerful to be weakened by any natural defense.

Meanwhile, authorities report there's no evidence of any major loss of endangered wildlife on land. Conforming to age-old beliefs that they seemed to sense impending disaster, elephants and other animals sought refuge on higher ground before the tsunami struck.

Gary Strieker for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The daily commute to work can be a time-consuming exercise in frustration. You know what I'm talking about. But for one man, getting to the job to work, it's a risky proposition at best and a possible death trap at worst.

Ahead on LIVE FROM, the commander of a transportation unit in Iraq lets our camera follow him on an event-filled day on the job.

Plus, listen up. SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen up, Mac lovers. The rumors have been laid to rest. A cheaper iPod is on the way. I'll have all the details after this break. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, what is good news for people about to purchase Mac products is bad news for this particular reporter, having made several purchases over the Christmas season, and thus being stuck...

NGUYEN: You've got to be versatile.

O'BRIEN: ... at the higher prices. Will they take them back is the only question I have.

NGUYEN: Well, Susan, can you answer that?

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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