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Rescuers Work to Save Trapped Miners; California Sees Storms, Flooding; Skaters Trapped in German Rink Collapse; Two Rescued from Plane Crash in Hudson River
Aired January 02, 2006 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: From CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, I'm Kyra Phillips, working on a number of stories for you right now, starting with that explosion that's trapped at least a dozen miners more than a mile underground. We're following the developing story in West Virginia.
Deadly and damaging flood waters. We're live from the rain- soaked California area, where the cleanup is just beginning.
River rescue. Two people plucked from danger after their plane crashes. We've got the details and the amazing video.
And western wildfires scorching homes in Texas and Oklahoma. We're tracking every detail of this developing story.
All that and more straight ahead. CNN's LIVE FROM stars right now.
And that story we're following from West Virginia, where they're trying right now to rescue 13 coal miners. The miners have been trapped more than a mile underground following an explosion this morning in Upshur County, West Virginia. That's about 100 miles northeast of Charleston.
There's no word yet on the condition of the miners, and there's no immediate information about what caused the blast. A specially- trained rescue team was heading to that mine.
Carrie Jones of CNN affiliate WDTV is in Upshur County, West Virginia, joins us by phone.
Carrie, what can you tell us about those trapped miners?
CARRIE JONES, WDTV CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now the rescue mission has been paused because everyone has been evacuated from the area because of high levels of methane gas from the mines, and just standing near the gas, it is very, very strong.
But before anyone can attempt to get down in the shaft to rescue the 13 miners, they have to make sure that the mine is safe. They're not going to be sending anybody right now because of all of the gas leaking. But they do have a fan running, trying to get as much of it out, not only to protect the rescue workers, but the miners that are down there right now.
Six miners were recovered right after the blast happened this morning, but they did refuse treatment.
PHILLIPS: Now Carrie, those miners that are still trapped, has anyone been able to communicate with any of them down there?
JONES: That's something that they're trying to tackle right now, because they have no communication with them whatsoever. So it's not really sure of their location. They do know that they're at least a couple of miles back. That's just -- that's what they're trying to tackle right now, is actually finding out exactly where they are because of the lack of communication.
PHILLIPS: Now, you're talking about methane gas threat. Do you have any idea what caused this explosion? What exploded, any of your sources telling you any details?
JONES: Some of the people I talked to say that the methane gas is used to that because underground it is naturally forming, and there are certain levels that can be there, but it's just so much. They're pretty sure that's what, the overload of the methane gas, is what caused the explosion.
PHILLIPS: Carrie Jones with our affiliate WDTV. We'll keep checking in with you, Carrie. Keep us updated. Thanks so much.
Our other top story, floods in the north, rain in the south, mud in the hills, wind in the valleys, snow in the mountains. If Californians are trying to get a year's worth of yucky weather out of the way early, well, they're off to a great start.
The weekend floods north of the Bay Area are giving way to downpours in and around Los Angeles. Four more inches of new rain expected by tonight. That means a lot more mud and a high risk of more scenes like this one. Earlier, wildfires stripped away hundred of acres of trees and brush that would hold the soil in place.
And speaking of the hills, go up high enough and you'll hit snow and not the fluffy skier-friendly type stuff, but heavy, wet flakes that locals call Sierra cement. Three to five more feet of that snow are expected on top of two to three fetal ready on the ground.
Let's start in Marin County and that town, San Anselmo, where seven inches of rain in five hours sent four feet of water through 80 businesses. You can just imagine that mess, but you don't have to.
CNN's Katharine Barrett is there. Tell us what you're seeing, Katharine.
KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is quite a mess, Kyra. You can actually see behind me the dump trucks and loaders that are lifting sodden couch cushions, wrecked carpeting, mattresses, clothing, the contents of some of those 80 businesses up and down this street, where the San Anselmo Creek jumped its banks and soaked businesses up to four feet in these storefronts, in homes, in residences.
Most of these -- none of these businesses on this main street are open for business today. Some are open to be cleaning out, throwing out the clutter and assessing the damage.
We spoke to the owner of Bubba's Diner on the main street here. He said he's in his third day of cleanup and still has a week more to go before he expects to reopen for business and that, he says is ahead of schedule, but he puts his own loss, perhaps at $20,000.
Town officials estimate San Anselmo could lose -- or could cost businesses here between 20 and $30 million, the consequence of this flooding for them.
But they are cleaning up today. This main street is cordoned off by police, really to let residents take the time and heavy equipment to clean up, to dump out. But people have had to throw out things as huge as refrigerator freezers, display cases, really a lot of losses for the businesses here along this street.
But at least it's drying out. The rain here has now slowed to a slow drizzle for the moment, at least and people are trying to pick up the pieces and get on, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: As you hear about refrigerators you think about New Orleans and the problems they had. Did a lot of people ride this out? I heard that it happened so fast a lot of folks really didn't have the time to get out. Did you see the same thing?
BARRETT: Well, the business owner we spoke to said that he was actually a little bit out of town and when he heard there was going to be the flood, he tried to get back to his store to secure it in some way and couldn't actually get in. The road his been closed or washed out. There were a lot of washouts and isolated mud slides closing roads.
So if people were in here they were stuck. Some sandbagged. Some tried to put up just a small row of sandbags under the doors of some of these stores, but the water went right through it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Katherine Barrett in Marin County. Thanks, Katharine. Well, it's coming down in...
BARRETT: Still, there's relief, that no loss of life here.
PHILLIPS: Well, that's good to hear. Thank you, Katherine.
Let's talk about Pasadena, California, now. That means, of course, the famous parade. It's not exactly coming up roses, if you know what we mean. It isn't exactly New Year's Day, either.
But the Tournament of Roses Parade has a strict policy of taking Sundays off. It's a policy they might want to reconsider.
You're looking at live pictures right now of that parade taking place in downtown Pasadena. It wasn't rained out. It's just getting rained on for the first time in 51 years. Still, folks there at least had a parade to go with. Most of the region didn't and that includes Santa Monica, where we find CNN's Jen Rogers.
Hi, Jen.
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.
We are definitely getting rained on here. Another issue here is that we are getting a lot of wind. The wind gusts are supposed to be up to about 40 miles per hour. If you take a look at the trees behind us, we've had branches coming off a lot of the palm trees.
We just talked to the Department of Water and Power here in Los Angeles. They have about 9,000 customers in different pockets throughout this city that are without power right now. They're thinking about four to six hours to get that restored.
Traffic, of course, a huge issue here in Los Angeles, the big car community. We have reports of some minor slides and little issues here. You can see a little bit of buildup on the Pacific Coast Highway here in the right lane. Cars having to move over there.
High surf is also an issue. We're right here on the Pacific Ocean. We have a lot of beach here. This is very wide. But in other parts of the coast, you know, the houses are much closer to the water. The high surf advisory in effect. The other issue, we have high tide coming in right now. So you can see that we have very large waves.
Now of course, landslides and mud slides are a big issue any time we get rain. You were talking earlier about what happens when an area has been burned and that that leads to just destabilization in the ground because there's no vegetation.
Well, you can see here that we also have an issue near this highway other and places along the coast. This is not a burn area, but we get a lot of soil erosion here and that can lead to debris flows that go out into the road, and that of course, can be a nightmare for traffic.
Right now, though, the burn areas outside of Los Angeles proper, really in the city they're a little bit further away, places that burn in the fall and the summer are under a flash flood watch right now -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jen, of course, if we look at Northern California we see the flooding that happened in those businesses. I mean, to your left, Third Street Promenade, pretty high up. It doesn't look like businesses there would have to worry, but you did mention on the right in the mud, I mean, the famous Pacific Coast Highway there that goes all of the way up toward the north.
I mean, I remember, what was it a year or two ago there were a lot of mudslides that happened on that highway and people couldn't get through, right?
ROGERS: That's right. There was a very deadly mudslide up here. I believe it was last year. And you know, there could be some property damages along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Right now where we are, obviously, we are up out of it. Down in Venice Beach, though, which isn't too far away from here, they're sandbagging different areas.
It's a little bit different than what you've seen up in northern California, and San Anselmo and Napa, along the Russian River, those places flood every time, you know, there's one of these big things. Here, our problems are really the landslides, the mudslides and then, of course, we're going to have to see what happens with these power outages.
PHILLIPS: All right. Jen Rogers, we'll keep in touch. Thanks so much, Jen.
The California storms aren't the only ones lighting up Jacqui Jeras' radar screen, though. She's all over all of them in our weather center.
It's pretty busy, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Jacqui Jeras, thanks.
A story we're following right now here at CNN. Rescue crews frantically digging through snow and debris right now after a roof collapsed on an ice skating rink in southern Germany. They're trying to reach dozens of people that are still believed to be trapped inside. At least one person is known dead. Ten others slightly injured. Possibly 50 people were on that skating rink when the roof gave way.
CNN Berlin bureau chief Chris Burns on the story now. He joins us on the phone from Berlin.
What more do we know, Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, they're pretty police dogs as rescue dogs to sniff their way to some of those missing. The officials are now saying 20 to 25 missing, 20 to 25 injured. Among those was one seriously enough to have to be revived, resuscitated. Three people dead so far at least. That includes a man, a woman and a child of about 8 years old. As you say, about 50 people were under that roof skating at the time.
Heavy, very heavy snow in the last few days along with rain mixed with that for making for some pretty heavy weight on that roof. So it was an accident, perhaps, waiting to happen -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now Chris, what do you know about this skating rink? Obviously, it's the holidays. Is this a place where families like to bring the kids to go ice skating? Is it a professional venue for skaters who train?
BURNS: We understand it's both and today being a bank holiday, a lot of people were not working so it was really a holiday for a lot of people. This is really a beautiful area high up in the Bavarian Alps, very close to the Austrian border. In fact, it's very close to Berchtesgaden that was Hitler's Eagle's Nest. So it's way up in the Alps, very far removed. And that is what has been very hard for the rescuers to get to some of those missing, because they needed a heavy crane, and that crane took hours to get through there.
And it's finally gotten through. They are finally starting to raise parts of that very heavy roof, but it's a very slow and painstaking process and could last through the night.
PHILLIPS: Chris Burns, we'll keep talking to you about it. Thanks so much.
Straight ahead the, a ribbon of flames and flying embers which residents in the U.S. are anxiously awaiting to see if their homes are going survive.
The news keeps coming. We're going to keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after this.
You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Here's our top story. Tony Harris is monitoring two developing stories in addition to that. Of course, the miners trapped in West Virginia and a small plane down now in the Hudson River.
Tony, what's the latest on both?
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Kyra. Let's start with the coal mine story.
As you know, 13 miners are still trapped more than a mile underground, and this is in Upshur County, West Virginia. The blast happened shortly before 8 a.m. Eastern Time. Six miners were able to escape the initial blast and have not required any medical attention.
The mine is owned by the International Coal Group, and that's an energy consulting firm. So who is actually leading the rescue? Well, there was a team working on this, made up of federal and state mine safety workers as well as local fire, police and medical emergency service workers.
But as you were reporting at the top of the hour, Kyra, high levels of methane gas is making the job of the rescuers extremely difficult right now. Fans are blowing to try to help dissipate the gas. And our understanding is that that the rescue workers have not been able to get into the mine to make these rescues happen.
And here's the thing, communications with the miners, we understand now, nonexistent. We still don't know exactly where they are in the mine itself.
Now, shifting to another story that you've been following for us this morning, you've seen dramatic pictures. And we'll show them to you right now of a river rescue near New York City in Westchester County. The U.S. Coast Guard actually fished two people from the muddy waters of the Hudson River after a small plane went down in the river near New York City.
Let's get an update now on how those rescues happened. Coast Guard Petty Officer Mike Lutz is on the line with us. Mike, good to talk to you.
LT. COL. MIKE LUTZ, COAST GUARD: Nice to talk to you, too.
HARRIS: Well, Mike, talk us through this. My understanding is that you began to get word of this crash about 11, 11:40 this morning eastern time. Is that correct?
LUTZ: That is correct. It was 11:40 today that -- this afternoon that we got the call.
HARRIS: OK. Give us a sense of the resources you immediately, quickly deployed to the area.
LUTZ: We immediately launched a small boat rescue crew from Station New York, and a 65 helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City.
HARRIS: And?
LUTZ: And the New York Police Department also launched boats and a helicopter.
HARRIS: OK. And Mike, my understanding is you were able to actually fish one person out who was in the water, and then you needed the helicopter to effect the other rescue. Is that correct?
LUTZ: I didn't -- I don't have the details on the helicopter picking anyone up yet.
HARRIS: Got you.
LUTZ: But yes, both people who were on the plane were both rescued.
HARRIS: And...
LUTZ: And were both taken to a local hospital.
HARRIS: And can you give us a sense of what kind of shape they were in at the time of the rescue?
LUTZ: I have not yet received details from the scene about their condition. We did find out from them that they were the only two on the plane.
HARRIS: Right. OK. That's good news.
LUTZ: Definitely.
HARRIS: OK, Mike. We appreciate it. LUTZ: You're welcome.
HARRIS: Petty Officer Mike Lutz with the U.S. Coast Guard, involved in that river rescue there in the Hudson.
So there you have it, Kyra, two stories that we're following for you throughout the afternoon here on LIVE FROM.
PHILLIPS: I'll tell you, Tony, you look at those basket rescues. Right?
HARRIS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You've got the hovering helicopter. And it's hard -- I mean, if you go through training like this -- I've been lucky enough to do it, actually, with the Navy -- you would not believe how much force there is. So just imagine going down in that plane, being able to egress and try to work your way into that basket. I mean, what this guy is going through, it's unbelievable.
HARRIS: Well, and Kyra, you can see it here. The propeller blades are generating quite a wake...
PHILLIPS: Yes.
HARRIS: ... which is part of what you're talking about.
PHILLIPS: It's hard to get in.
HARRIS: It's hard to get in the basket. It's just amazing work that these rescue teams are able to pull off.
PHILLIPS: That's pretty awesome. Tony, thanks.
HARRIS: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Massive flames torching the horizon in the southwest; wildfires burning in three states today. Firefighters battling a 35- mile long blaze in north central Texas. More are burning in the panhandle and west Texas. And those flames are blamed now for three deaths.
High winds could turn more of the plains and prairies into powder kegs today. Some 25 grass fires have ravaged hundreds of acres around Oklahoma City. The fires have many residents to flee their homes just northeast of that city.
And then across Oklahoma, wildfires charred more than 5,000 acres yesterday alone. In southeastern New Mexico, fires have scorched more than 65,000 acres. Among them, 14 homes and barns.
Firefighters are mopping up hot spots today, too. The big worry is that hot, windy conditions could reignite the blazes where the grass is already parched or still smoldering.
Operating on adrenaline and on high alert. Oklahoma City firefighters are watching for flare-ups. Those grass fires charred hundreds of acres across the city this weekend, as we told you. And unseasonably dry conditions across the state fueled a number of wildfires, sending flaming debris flying through the air.
Ed Lavandera is in Oklahoma City with the latest on the firefighters' efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of four homes on the edge of Oklahoma City that was destroyed by Sunday's wildfire. You can that see just down this hill this, this is where the wildfire had come raging toward this home.
The owners here, Howard and Deborah Lusk, told me that they only had about 10 minutes to react from the moment they started smelling the smoke to the moment where they started seeing flames kind of falling off the trees and onto the home.
This was a two-story home that essentially collapsed all into the basement, and they say that firefighters never even had a chance to come and douse this home with water to at least try to salvage something.
Everything here has been a total loss. Howard and Deborah say they were not able to salvage anything or escape with anything before the flames and it had just completely taken over the home.
And firefighters in Oklahoma and Texas are worried that scenes like this will continue to play out in the coming days throughout Oklahoma. Some 30,000 acres of land have been scorched in the last week.
And even though firefighters are hopeful that today weather concerns a little bit more favorable and that perhaps there will be a decrease in the number of wildfires they'll have to fight. They know that the conditions will only worsen in the week ahead. There's low humidity, high winds and there hasn't been any kind of significant rainfall in this region for quite some time.
And it's not just Oklahoma that is battling the problem, but also in Texas, where firefighters have been battling major fires in Eastland County, which is west of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a little town called Ringgold, Texas, near Wichita Falls, completely wiped out by fires that engulfed that town Sunday afternoon, as well.
So everyone here on high alert, but Howard and Deborah Lusk are just left going through this home. Howard Lusk spent eight years building much of this home with his own hands, and he says that it was just a matter of minutes before everything that he worked so hard to build completely disappeared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD LUSK, LOST HOME TO FIRE: I'd say less than 10 minutes from the time we smelled the smoke and actually jumped in the truck. It was on us.
DEBORAH LUSK, LOST HOME TO FIRE: We'll bounce back. We are not without hope, and so we will rebuild. We'll be back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Deborah Lusk really hopes that her story resonates with people who live in the Oklahoma and Texas area and who might be in the paths of these wildfires. She really wants people to understand that these fires can move quickly. And if there are orders to evacuate, she really says that she has learned firsthand that when those orders come they should really heed the warnings, because she says that she was completely amazed at just how quickly the flames took over her home, and that is something she will never forget.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Oklahoma City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And a powerful earthquake sparked fears of a tsunami today in a country devastated in last year's disaster. The 7.3 magnitude quake rocked the south Sandwich Islands off of South America. News of the quake sent people a half world away in Sri Lanka heading for higher ground. So far no word of any injuries from that quake.
The first severe weather of the season is hampering relief efforts in earthquake-battered Pakistan. A major storm has unleashed a foot of snow and icy rain in that region, halting relief work and flooding the tents of earthquake survivors. Hundreds of people are still living in tent camps following October's quake. The weather isn't expected to clear until the end of the week.
We're following that story from West Virginia, where they're still trying to rescue 13 coal miners. It's happening right now. We'll stay on the story. LIVE FROM is back after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Tony Harris still following the story that's happening in West Virginia, those trapped coal miners. What's the latest, Tony?
HARRIS: Kyra, we're just trying to get you the latest information we can here. Steve Milligan is on the line with us, and Steve works with West Virginia's Office of Emergency Management.
Steve, good talk to you...
STEVE MILLIGAN, WEST VIRGINIA'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Thank you.
HARRIS: ... on what has to be a very difficult day for you. First of all, let me try to clear up some things, if I can here. We understand -- we're getting some conflicting information that as may as 13, maybe 12 miners are still trooped. What's the best number that you have? MILLIGAN: I think it's 12. I'm not sure. One of the phone calls from one of the news agencies said that they confirmed 12 with Upshur's miners (ph). So 12 may be a better number.
HARRIS: OK. So 12 may be the best number right now. And I've also heard a couple of conflicting reports as to the time of the blast. Some reports have it at shortly before 8, and then I've heard one report that it happened as early as 6 a.m. Eastern Time. Clear that up for me if you would, please.
MILLIGAN: Well, I believe that emergency services was notified around 8. You have to understand that this incident happened almost a mile underground. So if the miners had to walk out from that part of the mine, it would take a while to get out and get to the surface to actually call for help.
HARRIS: OK. Once again, talking with Steve Milligan, West Virginia's Office of Emergency Management. And Steve, are we talking about a methane gas explosion here?
MILLIGAN: Don't know for sure.
HARRIS: OK.
MILLIGAN: I'm on the scene and I have come in contact with the scene, but I've not heard anybody that said what actually caused the explosion.
HARRIS: My understanding is that there is a lot of methane gas in the area to the extent that you have fans now trying to blow the gas away, to try to dissipate the gas, correct?
MILLIGAN: Normally, there's a normal ventilation system for the mines that can bring fresh air in and take the bad air out, and I'm told they are venting the mine at this time to get the extra air out. Such that we've had to move people away from most of the mines to the area where there's not so much of the gas coming out.
HARRIS: OK, have you been able to establish any kind of communications at all with the miners underground?
MILLIGAN: Not to my knowledge, no. Additionally, there was four miners that went back in and they came upon a wall of debris and were not able to contact the miners on the other side of the wall of debris. There's been no contact with the miners at all.
HARRIS: Steve, how would you handle that? In the case of an explosion there are all kind of contingencies for this kind of thing. What would be the system that would kick in if there is an explosion for miners to contact folks above ground?
MILLIGAN: I think the only thing at this point is to send the mine rescue crew in and to dig through the hole. They have some equipment for boring through the hole and see if there's anyone on the other side and essentially they'll have to go through the pile of debris, from my understanding, to get to the miners. HARRIS: I think you mentioned just a moment ago. Who's taking the lead on this? I understand there are federal teams on hand.
MILLIGAN: Federal and state mine safety people are on the scene.
HARRIS: And have they been able to get into the shaft at all at this point?
MILLIGAN: I don't believe they have, but additionally four miners went in and they could only get so far. They're in the preparation now of making (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: Before I let you go, what happens now?
MILLIGAN: We just sit around an wait because nobody can go into that mine unless they qualify through OSHA as a mine rescue team. We can't do anything until those mine teams go in and can locate the miners and bring them out.
HARRIS: Let me understand this, Steve. You have 12 miners as much as a mile underground right now. You don't have any indication of their condition right now and there is, right now, nothing that you can do, that teams can do to get in there and effect some kind of a rescue.
MILLIGAN: They have to go one mile underground, wearing breathing apparatus. Get through the wall and try to breach that wall to get to the miners and check their condition and try to rescue them. It's frustrating.
HARRIS: Yes. Okay. Kyra, did you want to jump in?
PHILLIPS: I guess I'm listening to -- I'm asking the same questions you are, Tony. Steve, it sounds like that you're really not able to do anything at this point until you're able to make sure that the air that everybody is breathing is safe, but you are saying that the emergency team, the special team has special breathing apparatus?
MILLIGAN: Yes. They have a breathing apparatus that goes for an hour.
PHILLIPS: How long does it take to go a mile underground and how would they go a mile underground or would they not do that? Would they lower some type of device down into the ground?
MILLIGAN: I believe in this case they would have to drive in one of those little buggies or walk in the mile to the area where the crash was. But with the gasses there may be as an issue as far as safety.
Essentially, they are going to have to walk in or ride in one mile into the area where the crash was and try to breach that wall to get to the miners.
PHILLIPS: It's not only a breathing issue with the methane gas, but another explosion could be triggered. MILLIGAN: I would assume so, yes. Wow. Steve Milligan. Tony, what do you think? Did we cover all of the bases? I think so, Kyra. It is a sad situation right now. It doesn't sound like there's much they can do at all.
PHILLIPS: You think back to the story, it was in 2002, right? Those miners in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and it took, my gosh, 77 hours to get those guys out, but they got them out alive.
HARRIS: We'll keep our fingers crossed and see if we can get a similar result here.
PHILLIPS: Thanks so much. Steve Milligan, thank you so much. We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.
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PHILLIPS: It's been a violent start to the new year in Iraq. In Baqaba, seven people were killed today in a suicide attack on a bus filled with Iraqi police recruits. At least three of the dead were recruits; the others were too charred to identify immediately.
Iraq's oil minister resigns amid protests over a hike in gasoline prices. The oil minister threatened to step down three weeks ago because of the situation. The price hikes triggered violent protests among Iraqis who are still struggling in the post-war economy.
Ahmed Chalabi, the former Iraqi exile who had a rocky relationship with the U.S., has taken over as the interim oil minister.
Turkey's embassy says its ambassador to Iraq survived an assassination attack today. An embassy official says about 15 gunmen fired into the ambassador's convoy as it was leaving the U.N. mosque in Baghdad. Nobody was injured.
The Christmas holiday is over for President Bush in a big way. He returned to Washington from Texas yesterday with a controversy over his domestic spying program. It shows no sign of going away, while still insisting that the program is legal, Mr. Bush is getting down to work on his agenda for his sixth year in office.
Joining us will all of that, White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. I guess we should start with the eavesdropping and move into the agenda items for 2006, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Of course, Happy New Year to you. President Bush beginning his new year aggressively defending the domestic spy program. It was just yesterday he returned from his Crawford ranch after visiting with 50 or so wounded soldiers and giving out purple hearts, the president was asked by a group of reporters about that program, specifically whether or not he was aware of any resistance to the program from top officials within his own administration.
President Bush sidestepped this question, but he did make the case that this program was legal and essential.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can say that if somebody from al Qaeda's calling you, we'd like to know why. In the meantime, this program is -- is conscious of people's civil liberties as am I.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Kyra, White House spokesman decided to add some comments clarifying what the president was saying. He said that these communications can go both ways, from Americans here, overseas, contacting and reaching out to possible terrorists in al Qaeda or perhaps the other way around as the president had suggested.
It is going to be a very busy week at the White House as he kicks off 2006. It starts tomorrow, today pretty quiet day. He just went on a bike ride. Tomorrow he's going to be having a meeting with top officials on The Patriot Act. That act will expire in February, so he's trying to regroup and go in for some of the debate, of course, over some of those more controversial measures, those that some believe violate civil liberties.
Then, on Wednesday, he's going to be making a statement on the war on terror at the Pentagon. Then following up on that on Thursday, he's going to be meeting with not only the current secretaries of state and defense, but also former ones, really to just give the message that whatever is the past is the past, we moving forward now, we're united in making this whole U.S. mission in Iraq work.
Then finally he's going to turn the corner on Friday. That's when he's going to be talking about the economy. He takes a trip to the Chicago Board of Trade and that's where he'll be talking about some of the economic progress that they've been making over the last year -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, Suzanne, you mentioned the word "united."
You know, the president's had a bit of a rocky relationship with Congress within the last year. What do you think? What's the talk about the year ahead? Do you think he'll handle members of Congress differently on issues like the Iraq war?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly what's going to happen is that they are not going to be as ambitious as they were last year. You know, the Social Security reform plan basically fell through. They didn't have the kind of support they needed.
So look for modest legislative victories. They're not going to be pushing Congress on any kind of major, broad initiatives here.
They're going to focus on two things, however. One, of course, is the situation in Iraq, the critical six-month period now that we're looking at since the election. They're certainly hoping that they're going to turn a corner. And then the other is going to be the economy.
Those are the two main things that they're going to focus on. And really the goal behind all of this is that when we get to those mid-term elections, that Republicans are going to stick by the president, they're not going to feel as if they're going to lose any seats in the House or the Senate.
PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux live from the White House.
Thanks, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, rough weather out West -- floods, mudslides, and the rain keeps coming.
I'm going to speak with a California woman whose home is flooded. We're going to get her story.
LIVE FROM is back right after a quick break.
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PHILLIPS: Back now to the high water in wine country, much of the rest of California. The Russian River has been doing just that, though it's finally crested in the Sonoma County of Guerneville, population 2,441. Still it's expected to slip below flood stage until some time tomorrow morning.
Maureen Weinstein is counting the minutes. Let me tell you, her Guerneville home is on an island, but her phone still works.
Maureen, how is the weather right now?
MAUREEN WEINSTEIN, SONOMA COUNTY RESIDENT: Well, it's actually still raining. It's not coming down in buckets, but it's still raining.
PHILLIPS: Now, you sent us some pictures of your neighborhood, of areas there in your neighborhood to kind of give us a feel for what it looks like.
Describe to me, as we look through these pictures, as you look out your window, what are the water levels like?
WEINSTEIN: Well, they're coming down now a little bit.
There were tides about 42 feet. The picture you're looking at right now is in front of the post office in Guerneville -- it almost came up to the roads in the town, but not quite as bad as the flood of '95.
PHILLIPS: So it's not as bad.
Now, you actually -- your home, though -- you did pretty well. You had even people coming over for coffee and asking to use your restroom, right?
WEINSTEIN: Yes.
Our house is kind of an island. We get water all the way around it and our -- the floor of our house is about 50 feet and so a lot of the neighbors are able to get to our house by boat and -- so they were using our restroom and we also had a small party for New Year's right in front of our house.
PHILLIPS: You're lucky to have the island home.
How did you score that, Maureen?
(LAUGHTER)
WEINSTEIN: I don't know.
It's pretty funny to -- it's interesting to watch the water come up around our house. And our deck is, you know, out on the road, but when the floods come up it looks like we have a dock instead of a deck.
PHILLIPS: Well, I'm noticing your daughter here giving a big smile and she's probably thinking, "Mom, I'm really glad you bought this house a number of years ago."
WEINSTEIN: Yes. Well, you know, for kids it can be kind of exciting.
PHILLIPS: Well, how did your neighbors do?
I mean, I'm seeing -- obviously here in the neighborhood there's a popular golf and arcade. That was pretty much down under, yes?
WEINSTEIN: Oh, definitely. That's completely under. Our famous dinosaur...
PHILLIPS: Looking at him now.
WEINSTEIN: Yes. It came right up to his chin, and when his head goes under, then we're all in trouble.
PHILLIPS: Then you know it's big.
WEINSTEIN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Well, how fast did the water rise?
I mean, did you have a chance to even prepare for this in any way or your neighbors that got it worse than you did?
WEINSTEIN: Well, the problem is, is the people who are here that are fairly new that haven't lived here for, you know, 20 years -- the ones that maybe have moved in around eight or 10 years -- they don't know what the levels mean. We get a pretty good accurate forecast that says what levels the river is going to, but if you haven't lived here for a long time it's hard to translate what that means.
Because we've lived here, we know what a 45-foot flood means or a 38-foot flood, and a lot of the neighbors that haven't been here for very long were really caught by surprise.
PHILLIPS: Well, yes. And we're looking at some of these homes -- I mean, it looks like New Orleans, Maureen.
I mean, tell me -- kind of give us a sense. I mean, were there a lot of homes that got submerged -- completely submerged or is this just certain parts of the area, as we look at this videotape?
WEINSTEIN: Oh, no, there's a lot of homes underwater all the way to the roof.
Many of the homes that have been here for many years, for permanent residents, were required to raise their houses to 50-foot levels. So all their basements are under, but their living quarters is above the flood levels.
But some of the older homes that have not been raised are completely under.
PHILLIPS: Do you know if those residents were able to get out? I mean, have you heard about your fellow neighbors that are maybe a little older? Were they able to get out of these homes that were built a long time ago?
WEINSTEIN: Yes.
The sheriff's department out here is wonderful. They come in and they have boats and they rescue people out, and they've been just great.
So most of the people did get out. Some of the people down on one of the roads next to our house have been completely out of power for three or four days and some of them have had to been rescued for medical reasons.
PHILLIPS: Maureen Weinstein, thanks for your time.
And, Maureen, that's -- it's pretty wonderful that you've cared for for so many of your neighbors and let everybody come inside.
WEINSTEIN: Well, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Maureen, thanks for your time.
Straight ahead, he's traveled back and forth and he isn't even old enough to drink, vote or fight for his country. We're going to bring you up to date on Farris Hassan's trip to Iraq and his return to the U.S., straight ahead on LIVE FROM.
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A Florida teenager is home from a solo trip to Iraq. Farris Hassan's returned Sunday night, three weeks after heading to the Middle East without telling his family.
CNN's Christopher King has more on this 16-year-old's adventure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Farris Hassan, the 16-year old with a yen for adventure, is back in Florida after traveling to Iraq unbeknownst to this parents. He flew into perhaps the world's most dangerous city, unaware of the perils that could have awaited an uninitiated American teen like himself.
His family says they're planning a happy reunion after a long, tiring and bizarre odyssey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's just tired. He wants to rest.
KING: Did you have a chance to go over what happened and...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not (INAUDIBLE). I just want to make sure he's OK. We're happy he's fine. He's home. He's safe. And that's it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been through a lot. And his whole family's been through a lot.
KING: The prep school junior is fascinated by war and sympathizes with the plight of Iraqis. He studies journalism in high school and decided he had to go to see the war torn country first hand.
So on December 11th, he embarks on a trip, winding his way through Miami, Amsterdam, and Kuwait. From Kuwait City, Hassan takes a taxi to the Iraqi border on December 13th. But it's closed ahead of elections. So he goes back to Kuwait City, where he finally tells his parents of his plans.
His father encourages his son to fly to Beirut instead, where the boy stays more than a week with family friends. And on Christmas Day, he flies to Baghdad.
The friends in Beirut arrange for a driver to pick him up. And together, he and the driver safely navigate the notoriously dangerous highway from the airport into town.
Hassan checks into the Palestine Hotel, largely populated by Westerners. His parents were born in Iraq, but left for the U.S. decades ago. On first glance, he looks like he could blend in, but then the teen doesn't speak Arabic. And with his sneakers and jeans, he's better suited for the mall than the streets of the war ravaged Iraqi capitol.
On his second day there, Hassan walks into the offices of the Associated Press, stunning the journalists who work there. The AP calls the U.S. Embassy, which makes arrangements to get the boy out of Baghdad, much to the relief of his very worried family.
HAYDER HASSAN, FARRIS HASSAN'S BROTHER: He wants to rest. It's been a long journey for him, and we're going to, you know, get him a nice dinner, and then I'll just get him rest.
KING: Christopher King, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: That was Hayder Hassan. His brother, Farris, is tired and weak, he says.
And as for any parental punishment, well Hasn't mother tells CNN, this weekend she plans to confiscate his passport.
Doctors are getting a better idea about the prognosis for little baby Noor. The Iraqi infant arrived in Atlanta over the weekend for potentially life-saving treatment. The surgeon who agreed to take the case says the girl is a delight, with good mental function, but he predicts she won't be able to walk. Baby Noor suffers from spina bifida, a birth defect in which the back bone and spinal cord don't close before birth. U.S. troops discovered that during a routine raid in Baghdad last month. Her surgery is tentatively scheduled for a week from today. We're going to stay on that story. LIVE FROM is back right after a quick break.
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PHILLIPS: Former star runningback on the run. Maurice Clarett is accused of armed robbery outside a bar in Ohio. Clarett, you may remember, handed the Buckeyes the national championship in 2002.
Patrick Preston with our affiliate, WBNS says that Clarett is a well-known figure in Columbus, where the alleged crime took place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were, you know, in between the back of the bar and right here.
PATRICK PRESTON, WBNS REPORTER: Chris Campbell celebrated the new year inside the Opium Lounge in downtown Columbus, at the same time police say former Buckeye Maurice Clarett was outside in the club's back alley, flashing a gun while robbing two customers.
CHRIS CAMPBELL, CLUB PATRON: Pretty much everyone was talking about it, and it was kind of a funny way to start the new year. He should have done it in a city where everyone doesn't know him so well. Two victims, a 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman stepped into the alley for fresh air when the suspect, they identified as Clarett, asked them to empty their pockets. The women didn't have anything. The man only had a cell phone.
MAURICE CLARETT: I don't joke around and I handle my business. PRESTON: Clarett's downward spiral over the past few years has made his image unforgettable to most central Ohioans, including the owner of the club, who interrupted the robbery as it was taking place.
SGT. SHAUN LAIRD, COLUMBUS POLICE: The owner actually knows him. So that's the part with the identification that we feel very confident that it's Maurice Clarett.
PRESTON: Sergeant Shaun Laird says Clarett went so far as to hug the owner before fleeing the alley in a white SUV with two other suspects in the car. He adds it will be hard for Clarett to hide with his celebrity status.
LAIRD: Anybody that follows sports knows this person.
CAMPBELL: It's sad that he makes bad decisions.
PRESTON: A diehard Buckeye fan, Campbell says he'll have no sympathize for Clarett if the charges prove true.
CAMPBELL: Honestly, I don't feel too bad for the guy. I mean, I think he had everything on a silver platter and he kind of blew it. I think it's his own fault.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: The Denver Broncos took a chance on Clarett, drafting him last April, but he was cut from the team in August.
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