Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Underground Explosion at West Virginia Coal Mine; California Storms and Oklahoma Wildfires Causing Serious Problems; Moscow Cuts Off Natural Gas Supply to Ukraine After Claims That Ukraine Has Been Stealing Gas; Confusion Over the New Medicare System has Discouraged Many From Signing On;

Aired January 02, 2006 - 13:58   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're continuing to follow that story from West Virginia, where right now they're still trying to rescue 13 coal miners. Those miners are trapped more than a mile underground following an explosion this morning in Upshur County, West Virginia, just about 100 miles northeast of Charleston.
Tony Harris working the story for us.

Tony, what's the latest?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Kyra. A short time ago, as you know, we talked to Steve Milligan -- we did that together -- with West Virginia's Office of Emergency Management, and he shared with us his frustration as emergency teams have been stymied in their attempts to get into the mine and effect some kind of a rescue of these coal miners, these -- at least 12 coal miners now underground there, at least a mile underground in Upshur County, West Virginia.

Bruce Dial is on the phone with us right now. And Bruce is a mine expert.

And Bruce, I know you've been following this story today, but give us a sense of the difficulty that these -- these recovery -- these rescue teams are having now in getting into the mine and make these rescues happen.

BRUCE DIAL, MINE EXPERT: The mine accident itself, I don't know too many details right now. But I do know that any -- we have mine rescue teams that are trained to go in and fight fires, to go in and move material that might have fallen or in the way of getting to the trapped miners. The trapped miners themselves are trained to build barricades to barricade themselves in safe areas, and they are required to carry self-rescuers which will give them oxygen for a certain period of time, usually about an hour.

HARRIS: Wow. Just an hour?

DIAL: Just an hour. That's all that's required. Hopefully within that hour that they can build a barricade where they can get oxygen. Usually the biggest hazard in a mine explosion like this is the carbon monoxide that's put off by the fire itself.

HARRIS: OK. Now, I want to sort of slow this down and just sort of take this piece by piece, if you wouldn't mind, Bruce. So, OK, you get this event, you have this explosion, and the miners then snap into action. Give us the first three, four steps that kicks in as -- in terms of their training as to what they do.

DIAL: The very first thing they do would be put on their mine rescuers. That way they would have oxygen and they would be able to stay out of the gases long enough to maybe get out of the mines themselves.

If their means of escape out of the mines is cut off and they can't get out because of fire or water or rock fall or whatever it is, they are taught to build barricades that would help them to keep the smoke and the gases and things out. And the mine rescue teams are trained to go in and find these barricades, and they would carry the necessary supplies to get those miners out.

HARRIS: I have to ask you, is there any way for the trapped miners to communicate once the explosion happens? Is there any way for the miners trapped to communicate to folks above ground?

DIAL: Sometimes the telephone wires stay in tact and they are able to stay in contact with the outside. Walkie-talkies and radios and things like that usually don't work underground because there are, you know, so many turns and there's so many areas to block the radio frequencies. So there's usually -- unless the wires were cut, they should have communication.

HARRIS: All right. Help us with this: we're getting reports that methane gas is a problem in and around that mine right now. What can be done other than fans being brought in to try to dissipate the gas? What else can be done, and how dangerous a situation are we talking about here?

DIAL: Well, the methane gas is the igniter. That's usually what causes the small explosion or the fire. The main hazard in a coal mine is the coal dust itself. The methane will explode and it will cause the coal dust to explode. And that's what causes the major fire and the major explosion.

HARRIS: And what can spark that? What can trigger that? What's the igniter? What makes that blow?

DIAL: Anything. It could be an electrical spark, it could be just a spark from steel hitting steel. It might even be somebody smoking in a non-smoking area. All it takes is just one little spark to ignite the methane and then the methane will ignite the coal dust.

HARRIS: So, put us in the mind of rescuers now. The folks with the emergency management in West Virginia are telling us that there is essentially nothing they can do right now. So, if you're hearing that, paint for us a picture of what must be going on in and around that mine. What is the situation like on the ground?

DIAL: If they can't get the mine rescue teams in the mine, that means there is a fire, there is something blocking their way that would be too dangerous for the mine rescue team themselves to go in. It might be even water-inundated. But if they can't get in, if they can't do anything right now, that would be the only thing that would keep them from doing it, just the hazards to the mine rescue teams themselves.

HARRIS: I have been reading some of the wire on this, and there is a line that I don't understand. Maybe you can help me with it, that the rescue teams hit a wall. Make any sense to you?

DIAL: That might be just a term, they hit a wall, like they can't go any further than that. It might be burning, the fire is too hot, or it might even be the roof caved in or something like that. Usually just a wall is just a term.

HARRIS: Oh, OK.

And one last question, Bruce. We're talking about an explosion that happened, first reports are due to become available at about 8:00, shortly before 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but we have concession from the folks at the emergency management that the explosion happened some time before that. So how much air, how much water, what kind of supplies? Do these miners have supplies sufficient to keep them sustained? And if they do, for how long?

DIAL: Well, if they're able to use the mine rescuers which has one hour of oxygen to get to an area where the oxygen and the air is still flowing, they can last for a long time. If the fires are real hot and there was no way to get oxygen to the mines, usually it's the gases from the fire that would injure the people, that would kill the people, more than the lack of oxygen.

HARRIS: OK. Bruce Dial, a mine expert for us.

Let's leave it there. And Kyra, we'll continue to follow this and bring you more information as we get it.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tony. Thanks so much.

We've been working on some information about coal mining. You know, it's always been a dangerous business.

Four hundred and fifty-nine workers have died nationwide since 1993. Kentucky and West Virginia suffered the most deaths during that period; 130 for Kentucky and 127 for West Virginia.

Pennsylvania, Virginia and Alabama follow on the fatality list. And last year alone there were 22 coal mining deaths nationwide. But none was attributed to explosions. Most were blamed, instead, on collapsing roofs and what regulators call powered haulage, basically, mishaps involving vehicles and heavy equipment.

San Anselmo to Santa Monica, Petaluma to Pasadena, it's yet another miserable day in what we can safely say has been a miserable year in California weather-wise. 2006 is picking up right where 2005 left off. Adding to the misery, major floods north of the bay area and major flood potential around LA.

CNN's Katharine Barrett is in the Marin County community of San Anselmo, where seven inches of rain in five hours added up to a pretty big disaster.

Katharine, are businesses able to open up today?

KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, Kyra. I'm here to tell you that really no one has opened actually for business. Some of their doors are open, but they're carting in and out muddy piles of debris.

They have piled some of their equipment and damaged goods in the street. And now the bulldozers and loaders and dump trucks are getting busy hauling away everything from couch cushions to sodden mattresses to sodden linens and lingerie from these stores. Owners have had to -- or will have to simply write this stuff off.

Some of this also goods from the ground floor of houses that were inundated with four feet of water from what has been described as a real flashflood. The waters rose in a matter of a half an hour and then subsided actually within about two hours. But still, the damage was done, goods were ruined.

Some merchants are frustrated because, with the extended New Year's holiday, they're unable to get their insurance agents on the phone, even or to come out and take a look and start assessing damages so they can start making repairs. Some business owners think they can reopen in a week, a couple of optimists think they can actually start serving food in a couple of restaurants here in town as early as tomorrow. But at least one shop owner told his employees he wouldn't have work for them for the better part of a month.

So a big cleanup and assessment effort going on. This is the third day of cleanup already, and still a long way to go for these people here in San Anselmo -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Katharine Barrett, we'll keep checking in with you. Thanks so much.

And massive flames torching the horizon in the Southwest. Wildfires are burning in three states today.

Firefighters are battling a 35-mile-long blaze in north central Texas. More are burning in the panhandle in west Texas.

Some 25 grass fires have ravaged hundreds of acres across Oklahoma City. Fires have forced many residents to flee their homes just northeast of the city. And across Oklahoma, wildfires charred more than 25,000 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 a lot of hot spots today.

In one minute he was at home in bed, the next he was driving through an inferno. An Oklahoma man who lost his home to a wildfire in Oklahoma City told our Ed Lavandera about his escape earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The fire at this particular location came raging from just over the hill right over here toward the home. This is the home of Howard Lusk. And Howard joins me now.

Howard, walk me through -- you only had a few minutes to react to this fire, you said, in less than 10 minutes from the moment you smelled it, right?

HOWARD LUSK, OKLAHOMA CITY HOMEOWNER: Yes, less than 10 minutes to the time that we smelled smoke. And I actually got up from a sleep and went to investigate, and put on some jeans and went to the front. And we could see the crest of glow and, you know, the horizon there.

And so I knew it was coming off the hilltop there. And so I said I wanted to go see my sister and make sure she's safe. I ran down the road a little bit to talk to my sister and make sure she's ready to get out of here, because we know the wind was blowing 40 miles an hour and we knew what could happen here.

LAVANDERA: You didn't have time to save anything?

LUSK: I didn't have time to save anything. I ran back up -- by the time I ran back up here, you know, only a few minutes, I could see the flame coming off the trees, the cedars, the flame over.

We had ash coming and dropping on us. And by the time I made it to the front of my house, there were embers, flaming embers coming at us. And we turned around, and she wanted to get a grass -- a water hose to put out some grass, but the embers had burned and started a fire around the house. So we actually jumped in the truck and we took off, you know, we drove through the fire.

LAVANDERA: We also want to let people know you spent eight years, much of this home you built with your own hands.

LUSK: Yes. This is a home that my brother, who has since been deceased, Joe, we built this with our own hands. Every nail we put in here. And so it's -- I don't know whether to be rejoiced or just grateful that we got out alive. And I'm somewhat still devastated over this, but we'll rebuild and we'll see another day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, is the weather likely to give firefighters a break? Let's get straight to Jacqui Jeras with the latest conditions.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Cool, wet relief today in Australia, but the fire danger is far from over. Brush fires down under destroyed more than a dozen homes and vast farmlands over the weekend, fueled by record-high temperatures and strong winds. More than two dozen brush fires are still burning across New South Wales. It could take days to get them under control. More extreme heat is expected later in the week.

We're watching several developing stories for you. Trapped miners in West Virginia, severe weather in California. We're live on both stories.

The news keeps coming. We're going to keep bringing it to you.

More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, as we've been reporting, a weather map of California is a patchwork of flashflood and high wind watches, warnings and advisories right now. Four to eight inches of rain, potentially destructive winds are in the forecast and in progress, as CNN's Jen Rogers can attest. She was with us from Santa Monica, now she's moved her way down the beach. She's in Venice Beach now.

Pretty much the same? Is it getting worse? What do you think, Jen?

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is pretty much the same. We're letting up a little bit in the rain, Kyra, but we wanted to come down to the beach just to give you an idea more of the force of the surf that we're getting here in California right now.

We just went through high tide, and you see all these waves come coming in. This is actually the Venice Pier here. It is closed to the public right now.

What they've done here is they've built up a berm. It's about 15 feet high. We're standing on it.

On one side we have the Pacific Ocean and all this white water. And then on the other side over here we have businesses and homes and relatively dry land, so to speak.

Again, we did have high tide here a little while ago. Obviously, they did not breach over this berm at all here. So all the businesses, the parking lot, the cars, everything has been fine. And now, of course, the tide is going to be going out.

That said, the high surf advisory does stay in effect. Heavy winds here, obviously. And the winds have been a problem, especially in terms of power outages.

The Department of Water and Power has about 9,000 customers in Los Angeles out. High surf, high wind aren't all. We still have coastal flooding warnings and flash flood watches and warnings in effect for berm areas. And those, of course, are up more in the mountains and outside of Los Angeles City proper -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jen. We'll keep checking in with you. Thanks so much.

Jen Rogers.

Well, rain in the valleys and the beaches and most everywhere between translates to snow in the mountains. The Sierra Nevada have two to three feet on the ground as we speak and could have twice that much by tomorrow. CNN's Sumi Das filed this report this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Last night it was raining here in Truckee, but temperatures dropped overnight. and this morning we woke up to snow on the ground. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning that will remain in effect until 4:00 p.m. time this afternoon. They have predicted that rain and snow will continue in the Sierra and it will be heavy at times on Monday.

Now, Caltrans, the department of transportation here in California, has been really busy with these storms. They were out here at 3 a.m. this morning, plowing the streets of downtown Truckee.

And they have had a huge task of cleaning up an enormous mudslide over the weekend. That shut down a stretch of Interstate 80 about five miles east of where we are here in Truckee. They tracked six tractor trailer rigs and it was so strong that they it pushed 350 feet of the center divider to one side of the road.

Now I did speak to a California Highway Patrol officer earlier this morning and he told me that there have been no major accidents as a result of this current storm. Many folks actually left on Sunday morning because of the rain. So they missed out on the snow that we're experiencing right now, but this isn't the kind of snow that forces people to make a mad dash to the slopes for those great runs. This is really wet snow, and I heard one local describe it as Sierra cement.

Sumi Das, CNN, Truckee, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, an avalanche in Utah. One man survived it. The fate of his friend is grim.

Jeff Frederick (ph) and Marshall Higgins (ph) were hiking in Snowshoe Saturday when they were swept down a mountainside. Incredibly, Frederick (ph) was able to ride out the avalanche and call for help. Higgins (ph) is presumed dead. And that search for him was called off because of heavy snowfall and unstable conditions.

Meanwhile, in another area of Utah, a 16-year-old boy was found alive and in good condition after being reported missing from the snowboard ski resort. He survived a night in extreme weather by building a snow cave.

Well, a newly released document solves an old mystery. What did Winston Churchill want to do with a Adolf Hitler after the end of World War II? We're going to tell you when LIVE FROM continues.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to Tony Harris. He's in the newsroom with an update on those trapped minors in West Virginia.

What do we know, Tony?

HARRIS: Kyra, just to give you the update on this, more than six hours now since we first learned of the mine explosion in Upshur County, West Virginia. A short time ago, we talked with Steve Milligan of West Virginia's Office of Emergency Management. He shared with us the frustration of emergency teams highly trained in this area that have been essentially stymied in their attempts to rescue 12 miners trapped at least a mile below ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN MILLIGAN, UPSHUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: The normal ventilation system for the mines that can bring fresh air in and take the bad air out, and apparently (INAUDIBLE) the mine at this time to get the extra air out such that we've had to move people away from most of the mine to an 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. Initially there were four miners that went back in, and they came upon a wall of debris. And they were not able to contact the miners on either side of the wall debris. So there's been no contact with the miners at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And as you can see there from the map -- let's just put it back up for a second here. The mine is in north central West Virginia, about 100 miles from Charleston.

And Kyra, we were able to rustle up some factoids on the West Virginia coal industry. And I'll tell you what, this is an important industry to West Virginia.

Coal occurs in 53 of West Virginia's 55 counties. The West Virginia coal industry provides about 40,000 jobs. West Virginia leads the nation in underground coal production, and West Virginia coal accounts for about 50 percent of U.S. coal exports. So very important to that state.

Now, back to the situation in Upshur County, there was an initial attempt to get to the miners. That proved to be unsuccessful. And now there is an issue with methane gas.

We don't know if the initial blast was a methane gas explosion, but methane gas is in the area. And that has brought the rescue efforts to a halt.

Six miners were able to escape the initial blast and none required medical attention. So, Kyra, on one hand, we have 12 families waiting for any kind of news about their loved ones. And on the other hand here, we have highly trained coal mine rescue teams seemingly unable to do a thing until the mine area is made safe.

More to come, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. And Tony, I've just been told, believe it or not, that West Virginia's governor is here in town. He was actually here for one of the bowl games.

HARRIS: For the football game, yes.

PHILLIPS: Exactly. So we're going to have him on set with us at 3:00 Eastern Time to talk about this.

HARRIS: Oh, that's right.

PHILLIPS: And maybe we'll get some of those questions answered that we're still wondering about.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tony. Thanks so much.

HARRIS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Adolf Hitler committed suicide just before the end of World War II, but there's always been speculation about what would have happened to the German dictator if he had been taken prisoner by advancing allied troops. Now there's evidence that Britain's wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill had very specific plans.

Chris Rogers of Britain's ITV News has this pretty interesting report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS ROGERS, REPORTER, ITV NEWS (voice over): Previous records of war cabinet meetings have only ever revealed the general tenure of discussions on what to do with Nazi leaders. At the time, capital punishment in Britain involved hanging. But now we know that Churchill favored the electric chair for Hitler as punishment without trial.

(on camera): Churchill revealed his brutal attitude towards his enemies during a series of meetings on how to deal with war criminals that were held here at the cabinet war room. The short-hand notes were taken by the deputy cabinet secretary. And now released to the public, we have the first insight of what was said and who said it. And not everyone agree would the prime minister.

(voice over): At a cabinet meeting in December 1942, Churchill noted, "Contemplate that if Hitler falls into our hands, we shall certainly put him to death. This man is the mainspring of evil." But the future labor prime minister, Clement Adley (ph), badgered the wartime leader to moderate his combative fuse.

Two years later, the home secretary, Herbert Morrison (ph), argued that a mock trial of Nazi leaders would be objectionable. Churchill agreed that a fair trial for Hitler would be a farce. However, within weeks, the U.S. and Russia insisted on court proceedings.

Churchill was to be irritated further. The papers revealed he favored letting Gandhi die while under British detention if he went on hunger strike. But the spiritual campaign of India's independence was saved by ministers who opposed the tactic. Gandhi had become a martyr. He was eventually released officially on compassionate grounds.

Chris Rogers, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, Britain's current leader, Prime Minister Tony Blair, is trying to give people a better idea of what he does all day. He's released a short video that includes what his Web site says is the first public look ever at a cabinet meeting inside Number 10 Downing Street. The video also includes some comments by Mr. Blair about his job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The thing about this job is that everything you say is on the record and is then subject to the most minute scrutiny. So, if suddenly you end up getting a fact wrong, or even just get hold of the wrong end of the stick -- and it's happened to me on several occasions -- then you can end up in a lot of trouble.

The hours are very long. I've never actually counted out the number of hours I do in any week. It's probably not lawful under some directive or other.

What is worthwhile is getting things done. And when you get things done and you see results, and you think, well, that, in part, happened as a result of something I did or we did or decisions that were taken here, that's what makes everything worthwhile. And it is an enormous privilege to be able to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Not everyone is applauding Mr. Blair's new video. Critics dismissed it as a public relations tool designed to bolster the prime minister's popularity.

Well, she's not exactly one of his screaming and underwear-throwing fans, but the queen of England is honoring singer Tom Jones. He's becoming a knight, joining an elite group of singers with "Sir" in front of their names, including Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Elton John.

Jones is best known for songs such as "It's Not Unusual," "Green, Green Grass at Home," and "She's a Lady."

Feeling the freeze, Russia suspends the flow of gas in Ukraine over a pricing dispute. It's happening right now. We're on that story. LIVE FROM is going to take a quick break. We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Fuel crisis is looming in Iraq. A hike in gasoline prices and shortages at the pump are causing an uproar and Iraq's oil minister resigned today over the situation. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston has more from Baghdad.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hundreds of motorists waited in line for hours across Baghdad today and then told to go home because there was no more fuel.

Now, gas stations across the city are out of fuel because they haven't been resupplied in days and that's because the main distributor north of Baghdad was temporarily closed due to a tanker truck driver strike after threats of insurgent attacks.

Now, even if the motorist could buy the fuel, the process would still be exasperating as fuel prices jumped five fold since early December. From three cents a liter to about 16 cents a liter. That's around 60 cents a gallon.

That may seem low to the viewers in the United States and Europe, but in a country where unemployment stands around 50 percent and where the average income is roughly $35 a month to most Iraqis, the price hike is outright extortion.

Some motorists telling CNN today that they now spend half of their income on gas. The price increase was introduced as part of a loan agreement with the IMF, the International Monetary Fund. They want this oil rich nation to lessen its dependence on subsidized fuel.

The man in charge of oil, Bahr al-Ulum, agrees with that, but he said the hike should be phased in over time. They weren't, so he resigned.

Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmed Chalabi will take over the oil ministry helm until a new government is formed and a minister is selected. Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.

PHILLIPS: Now to that dispute that some are calling the new Cold War. One day after Russia cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine, it has some harsh words for its neighbor and Europe is anxiously watching the battle. CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The gas war, as it is now known, between Russia and the former Soviet republic of Ukraine is heating up, sending shivers across Europe.

Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on New Year's Day in a dispute over prices. Then, Monday, accused Ukraine of stealing from the pipeline that carries its natural gas across Ukraine to customers in Western Europe.

ALEXANDER MEDVEDEV, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, GAZPROM: The amount of gas stolen on January 1 by Ukraine from the European pipeline is around 100 million cubic liters with a market price of over $25 million U.S. If the theft were to continue at such a tempo, the value of the stolen goods will be extremely significant.

CHILCOTE: Ukraine denies the charge, although some Ukrainian officials say they will take some of Russia's Europe bound exports if the temperature drops a few degrees below freezing, but it won't be stealing, they say, it will be extracting payment for transit fees.

Russia cut off gas sales to Ukraine after the Kiev government refused to pay what Russia calls market rates for the fuel. The new rate is more than quadruple the old subsidized rate Ukraine paid. The price hike is punishment, Ukraine says, for its Orange Revolution and desire to develop closer ties with the west.

It calls the new rates an attempt to undermine the economy, blackmail.

(on camera): Ukraine, a country of 48 million, is believed to have enough gas in its own reserves to get through the winner. Western country's reserve of patience is running dry. United States and the European Union, which gets a quarter of the natural gas it needs have called for a speedy resolution.

(voice over): In what's been the coldest winter in years, some European countries have already experienced a drop in their supply from Russia. Russia's Kremlin-controlled gas company says it has a plan, but is not announcing details.

MEDVEDEV (through translator): To ensure the energy security of Europe, we have taken all necessary measures to restore the export levels.

CHILCOTE: But the reassurance has done little to ease fears with every winter day the battle ground expands and the cost of the Russian- Ukrainian gas war gets a little bigger.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Another indication today that the war in Afghanistan isn't over, a suicide car bomber blew himself up near a U.S. military convoy in the southern city of Kandahar, wounding an American soldier and an Afghan woman and child.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack. Kandahar is a former Taliban stronghold and the site of a string of recent suicide bombings. More than 50 U.S. soldiers and some 1,600 Afghans, including insurgents, were killed in the fighting last year.

Fighting a war in rugged Afghanistan is difficult any time, but especially now in the dead of winter. These Rumanian troops battled fierce winds and freezing temperatures while on patrol near the eastern city of Gardez. Troops are part of the foreign coalition forces now in Afghanistan. There's a new drug plan in the new year for millions of senior citizens. Find out why many of them are already saying the program is in complete chaos. That story next on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The biggest change to Medicare in the program's 40- year history. Seniors can now get prescription drug coverage under a new plan that took effect on Sunday.

But as CNN's Chris Huntington shows there's so much confusion that nearly half of those eligible for the drug benefits have not even signed up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Lee and Mike Temares thought signing up for Medicare prescription drug benefits would be a cinch.

MIKE TEMARES, MEDICARE RECIPIENT: I thought from reading all the literature when this plan first came into effect, I thought I had it down.

HUNTINGTON: The president had joked about it.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You have to fill out a form.

HUNTINGTON: And TV ads featuring Fred and Ethel made it look easy.

Mike is 69 and no stranger to contracts as an adviser on reverse mortgages. Lee, 66, is a rare book dealer and completely at home on the Internet, but they were baffled by having to choose from 47 different drug plans offering a dizzying array of premiums, deductibles and coverage options.

LEE TEMARES, MEDICARE RECIPIENT: The Medicare site only lets you compare three plans at one time. So, I started figuring out the math and how many times I would have to do that, and I said, forget about it. I'm going to bed.

M. TEMARES: I don't know how to handle it.

HUNTINGTON: Mike tried calling the Medicare help line, but says he was put on hold for three hours. Lee couldn't get on the Medicare web site.

L. TEMARES: We're currently experiencing high traffic. Please, try again later. Sorry for any inconvenience.

HUNTINGTON: Their frustration is not unique. Robert Hayes, who runs the Medicare Rights Center, says millions of seniors are having the same trouble. ROBERT HAYES, MEDICARE RIGHTS CENTER: People in their 80's and in their 90's, people with severe disabilities, with cognitive impairments are being asked to figure out which of 40 in some cases, 50 or 60 different plans are best for them. They can't do it.

HUNTINGTON: Most of those eligible for the new drug plans have until mid-May to sign up.

The concern right now is for 7 million Medicare recipients who are also very poor and, therefore, on Medicaid, which used to cover their prescriptions. They've been automatically enrolled into one of the new plans and should have been notified by now. The fear is that new plan may be worse than what they already have.

DENISE SOFFELL, COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY: They are going to go to the pharmacy on January 2nd and who knows what is going to happen. They may or may not know what plan they are in. They may or may not know whether the drugs that they are currently taking are covered by the plan that they were randomly assigned into.

HUNTINGTON: Medicare administrators insist they're looking out for those who might get lost in the shuffle.

LESLIE NORWALK, CTR. FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERV.: We've worked very closely with all the plans to make sure that they have appropriate transition policies.

HUNTINGTON: As for Mike and Lee Temares they did finally pick a drug plan, and it's better than no coverage at all. They're just not convinced it was worth all the trouble.

M. TEMARES: I don't think it's any place near where it should be.

L. TEMARES: Or what it could be.

HUNTINGTON: Chris Huntington, CNN, Manhasset, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Shutting down. Low cost carrier Independence Air plans to stop flying as of Thursday. A company statement blames a lack of financing in the face of bankruptcy. And if you have a ticket for a flight on that airline after January 5th, company executives say you should be getting a refund, as long as the bankruptcy court approves. The airline was launched just a year and a half ago.

Well, you get what you pay for, right? In 2006, that may become truer than ever when it comes to air travel. For his New Year's prediction a top travel analyst says that airline service A La Carte is likely to be the new trend. You want a pillow on your flight just order it up at the airport kiosk for a fee. The same could apply for seating requests, food and beverage choices and others. Well, if you want it, you might have to pay for it.

Joining us now from Minneapolis, the expert behind the prediction, travel analyst Terry Trippler.

Terry, good to see you. Not thrilled about the subject matter though, I have to tell you.

Before we get though to the specifics, Terry, why are you making this prediction?

TERRY TRIPPLER, TRAVEL ANALYST: After I have watched these airlines for a number of years and particularly the last 18 months, they try to do whatever they can to increase revenue.

I've seen changes occur already. American Eagle charging $1 for sodas out of Los Angeles. Aliant Air charging $5 to assign a seat. And I have seen the cost of excess baggage skyrocket, and the airlines install these kiosks at the airport with credit card capabilities.

I think it's coming. I think 2006 is the year you buy a ticket. It's good for point a to point b on many airlines, and now you can purchase additional items.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now, when we're talking about the additional items, let's take a look at what you have told me. Advance seat assignment, emergency row/ bulkhead/ aisle seats, pillow and blanket, checked baggage, carry-on baggage. You actually think that each one of these things will be an extra cost some time this year.

TRIPPLER: I actually think that we're going to start to see it happening. Right now I think the airlines have realized that Southwest Airlines has done very well without assigned seats.

So I think many of the airlines will look and say, if you want a seat prior to the day of departure, an assigned seat, we will charge you for it. We'll charge you for emergency exit, maybe aisle seats. We'll charge you for bulkhead seats.

I think also the baggage situation is going to change where they will charge for checking a bag, carrying on a bag and, of course, I do expect to see they'll continue to charge for snacks, many of them. And they'll start to charge for sodas.

PHILLIPS: You said American Eagle already charging for sodas, a buck, for whatever it is they want to drink. Is this sort of the test market? I mean, why this airline? Why starting with this?

TRIPPLER: Right, they're testing it. They're trying it out of L.A., basically see what people will buy. Will they pay a buck for a soda? I have had many people contact me and the question has always been, if we pay a buck for a soda, do we still get just the two ounces or will we get the whole can? That always remains to be the question.

That I think that's the test. I didn't know they were giving two ounces out, Kyra. I thought it was just a half an ounce now.

PHILLIPS: Or a shot, right?

TRIPPLER: Right. PHILLIPS: What about first class? Are you predicting first class to be the same way?

TRIPPLER: Absolutely not. The fact is I predict that the difference between the service in the coach section and the service in the first and business section will get wider as airlines do whatever they can to cater to those first and business class travelers. They're paying a very premium price or they are the airlines best customer. I think we'll see them do whatever they can to keep those people happy.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now, what about airlines like lower cost airlines like say, Southwest, Airtran. Like Southwest, it's first come, or they don't have assigned seating. So do you think the lower cost airlines will be doing the same thing?

TRIPPLER: I don't think this is going to trickle down to all the lower cost airlines. I don't see that. They've done very well on their own, and I say as long as Southwest is giving peanuts and sodas free of charge. Airtran provides peanuts free of charge et cetera. I don't think they'll make the change.

I particularly think the legacy carriers will make the change. When we look at some of these low-cost carriers. Some country airlines headquartered out of Minneapolis, St. Paul, serves hot sandwiches in coach and a full hot meal in first class. There's no reason for them to change that. That's what has created their loyal following.

But the legacies, American, Delta, Continental, Northwest, I do think that will come down the pike.

PHILLIPS: You think it is going to affect the way people travel? Do you think they will stop flying? I mean, people have to fly, right? No matter what. They will just complain more.

TRIPPLER: That's right, Kyra.

We want to go see the grandkids in Sacramento. We are going to see the grandkids in Sacramento. We are averaging about $40 more on the cost of a leisure ticket now as it was a year ago. And yet, if we look at the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, records. Americans just won't stay home.

PHILLIPS: All right, Terry Trippler, we'll see how your predictions fare.

TRIPPLER: Have a good new year.

PHILLIPS: Same to you Terry. Thanks.

Well, there's so much property damage from Hurricane Katrina it's hard to know where to even begin. Up next, you are going to meet one woman who's keying on what's important to her. LIVE FROM is back right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're still working as many details as possible with regard to that explosion at the Upshur County coal mine in West Virginia. As you know, 13 minors are still trapped. They're trapped more than a mile underground. County emergency officials have responded to the scene trying to figure out how to get those miners out of that mine. Don't know the condition of those trapped miners right now, but we do know there's a methane gas threat, another thing that emergency workers are dealing with. We're going to have the governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, with us live in the 3:00 hour.

Well, for some in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina shattered not only families and homes, it silenced their music. Our Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen looks at the effort to restore it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Mary Ann Bulla finally got into her flooded home in New Orleans, the thing she most wanted to find out was what happened to her pianos? She had not one but two Steinways.

MARY ANN BULLA, ORCHESTRA PIANIST: I just couldn't believe my eyes. They looked like two -- the first thing I thought was two wounded big animals, like two pachyderms or something, with their arms up in the air, like help me, you know, and I couldn't help them, you know.

ROESGEN: Bulla is the pianist for the Louisiana Philharmonic. She took pictures of her two crippled Steinways, but the worst thing was watching the garbage crew haul them away.

BULLA: They lifted them up in the air and let them go, and they went down in this iron dumpster, and the sound was amazing. It was this huge echo boing, like that, you know?

ROESGEN: Who knows how many pianos wound up like hers, chopped up in a pile beside the curb. But now hundreds of damaged pianos are in need of repair.

Stacked end to end in storage, these are pianos rescued from the flood. They're high-end instruments, worth $50,000 or more each. The average cost of repair: $15,000.

STEVE KINCHEN, HALL PIANO COMPANY: There are pianos here that we will probably rebuild against our better judgment, because the costs associated with the rebuilding related to the value of the piano after the rebuilding -- it wouldn't make economical sense.

ROESGEN: A wooden instrument is no match for high water. Wood and felt and glue -- that's about all there is to a piano. But putting those parts back together requires a master craftsman. It takes two years to learn how to repair a piano. That's a hard sell when there's a lot more money to be made in New Orleans ripping out sheet rock. Piano repairmen are in short supply. Since Hall Piano Company has just four trained repairmen, getting a piano fixed could take up to a year. Repair wasn't possible for Mary Ann Bulla's Steinways, but she did manage to save something.

BULLA: These were two of the post -- of the pedals. Of the older one, the 1903.

ROESGEN: She also pulled a few of the keys out of the trash heap, just enough to make a couple of octaves, something she says she'll put under glass maybe and hang on the wall -- a reminder of how the hurricane silenced the music.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Also today the New Orleans Saints have closed the book on their nightmare football season by firing their head coach. Coach Jim Haslett led the team to a dismal record of three wins and 13 losses in a season that was doomed before it started. After Hurricane Katrina blasted New Orleans, the team was forced to play its home games in Baton Rouge, San Antonio, even one in New Jersey. Haslett's record in six seasons with the Saints was 45 wins and 51 losses. His replacement has not been named.

What do investigating crime and the Sugar Bowl football game have in common? We're conducting our own "CSI." You'll be amazed at what we uncovered. Daniel Sieberg live with us here on set, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Still too dangerous for rescue workers to enter a West Virginia coal mine where 13 workers are trapped more than a mile underground. We continue to follow the aftermath of an explosion this morning at a coal mine in Upshur County, West Virginia. That's about 100 mile northeast of Charleston. Tony Harris standing by in the newsroom with the very latest information. Tony?

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com