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Apartment Fire Rages in Atlanta; Sago Mine Survivor Moved to Rehab Facility; Kerry, Kennedy Call for Filibuster of Alito Vote; Palestinians Protest Over Election Results

Aired January 27, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, HOST: Welcome to CNN's LIVE FROM. I'm Betty Nguyen here, in for Kyra Phillips today, standing in Control B. We do have a breaking news story for you this afternoon. Let's go live to CNN's Tony Harris in the newsroom with the latest on this fire in Atlanta -- Tony.
TONY HARRIS, ANCHOR: Good to see you, Betty. And right off the top, a huge fire to show you this afternoon. Let's look at those live pictures right now from our affiliate WAGA, right here in Atlanta.

And as you can see, this is a huge fire, burning right now, midtown Atlanta. This is the Ansley Park area near Piedmont Park, if you're familiar with downtown and midtown Atlanta. This is a three- story apartment building, and we're still checking everybody to make sure this is a situation that it is, in fact, an apartment building. It may be one of those building that's been converted into condos.

So far, no injuries have been reported. And just a couple of -- I'm going to show you pictures from just a few moments ago. In working this fire, we have seen huge spouts of water coming from the top -- there you go, right there. And the firefighters have been using these high pressured hoses, just to try to get a handle.

Look at those, look at those pictures. Waterspouts, huge waterspouts blasting from the ground through the building, through the roof of the building, trying to get that fire under control.

And this is a situation, this is an older building and you have a situation here, we have a wood roof. You have wood beams. Live pictures now. And a windy day. And these are conditions that are ripe for this kind of fire.

Betty, we will keep an eye on this. Again, no injuries to report right now. This is in midtown Atlanta. A huge fire in a three-story apartment/condo building. Back to you.

NGUYEN: And just some remarkable pictures with the water shooting through. You don't see that every day, Tony. We'll be staying on top of that.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: Thank you. We'll check in with you a bit later.

All right. Now to rehabilitating Randal McCloy. The sole survivor of West Virginia's Sago mine disaster has moved from a hospital to a long-term rehab center, where doctors are about to brief reporters on his treatment.

Let's go now to CNN's Randi Kaye, who joins us from Morgantown.

Randi, what do you know about this center?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, good afternoon to you.

We're talking about the HealthSouth Mountainview Rehabilitation Center. It's not far from the University of West Virginia campus, which is where we are right now. It's just on the edge of campus, actually.

It's an 80-bed facility, much smaller than the hospital that he has been treated at for the last few weeks. It is a place that would treat all kinds of injuries for people who need treatment for brain injury, coma management, pain management, also for folks who have neurological disorders.

And they also have a speech pathologist on staff, Betty, which could turn out to be very important to Randal McCloy because, as you know, he has not said a word since January 4, when he was pulled out of that Sago mine.

So how long he'll be there, a matter of weeks, a matter of months, it's hard to tell. We're hoping to get some answers when his doctors speak here in just a few moments. We're hoping to hear from Larry Roberts and Julian Bailes. Those are both Randal McCloy's doctors. And his new rehabilitation specialist, Russell Biando (ph). We're also going to hear from Gayle Manchin, who is the first lady of West Virginia -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Randi, while we wait, let's get an update on his condition. What do you know about it? And the fact that he was moved from a hospital to this rehab center, what does that say about the chances of a full recovery?

KAYE: Let me first just address his condition. He was out of the coma. He was in a coma for three weeks. He came out of that coma on Wednesday. He is eating small morsels of food, although he still does have a feeding tube. He is breathing on his own. We're told that his kidneys are doing better. He has not needed any kidney dialysis in the last few days.

He is not speaking but we're told that he's responding. His wife, Anna McCloy, his children have been at his side since this happened. And we're told that he -- he does make expressions and his eyes do follow them when he's at their side and in the room. He follows them around the room.

Some of the doctors we've spoken with, not his doctors, but other doctors tell us that it appears that he's almost trying to speak to them with his eyes. He does have movement when it comes to his limbs. He does have control of his motor skills. But he has not said a word, Betty, since he was pulled out of that mine.

Now, he was exposed to carbon monoxide for 41, 42 hours or so. His doctors have said this is a miracle that he's even alive. It certainly is remarkable, what we've seen here in terms of his improvement. But he certainly is not out of the woods yet. There is a long road ahead for Randal McCloy.

His family, of course, is confident, but cautiously optimistic. And the doctors, of course, are still concerned about his brain damage if he did indeed suffer some and if he did, how severe that might be -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And we're hoping to hear more in the news conference that will take place just shortly from now. Randy, thank you for that.

Also want to let you know about another related story. West Virginia's governor has signed a mine safety law, saying it will help prevent tragedies like the two that killed 14 miners this month.

The law calls for wireless communication instead of hard wired systems, underground oxygen supplies with lights, signs and ropes leading to them. And the threat of $100,000 fines if coal companies don't report emergencies in 15 minutes. Lawmakers debated, and unanimously passed the bill, at the governor's behest, in a single day.

Now, a bid by Democratic die-hards to derail Samuel Alito. The Senate duo of John Kerry and Edward Kennedy are struggling to drum up support for a filibuster. Their Republican opponents are struggling to keep from giggling, convinced they have the votes to confirm Alito's Supreme Court nomination before the president speaks to Congress and the nation Tuesday night.

Our Ed Henry is in the thick of this fight on Capitol Hill. He joins us now.

Ed, what are you hearing about the Democratic attempts for a filibuster?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're hearing Senator John Kerry should be arriving on Capitol Hill shortly. He, as you know, was in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.

That laughter you were referring to, I believe, is about the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, coming out, pretty tough today, this morning, and putting out a statement saying that, quote, "I think it was an historic day yesterday. It was the first-ever call for the filibuster from the slopes of Davos, Switzerland."

Kerry's staff insisting to me, of course, he was not skiing. He was focusing on international matters over at that economic conference. But that's where word first broke on CNN yesterday afternoon that Kerry, in fact, was planning to launch this filibuster with Senator Kennedy.

We expect -- did not really see any fireworks on the Senate floor today. Instead we expect Senator Kerry to be working behind closed doors, calling colleagues, trying to whip up support. Not really giving any speeches. In fact, Senator Kennedy's not even in Washington today. We understand he's in Boston.

So this effort to really get the filibuster going, it's really going on behind the scenes, not really in public. But they have little hope. Even Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid today told CNN he doesn't see them having the votes, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, let me ask you, then, if this does go through, what are political risk associated with them if the votes just aren't there?

HENRY: I think there could be clearly be some backlash against the Democrats. We saw this morning Judge Alito was on Capitol Hill meeting with Democratic Senator Conrad. He's up for election in this year in a conservative state, North Dakota. And he came out and clearly said he does not think a filibuster is warranted.

I think you're going to see that from more a lot more moderate, centrist Democrats who are concerned that in red states across the country, states that President Bush carried, this kind of a filibuster is going to look obstructionist and it's going to look like it's just playing to left wing that -- the liberal base of the Democratic Party.

I think, though, that obviously Senator Kerry feels that this is a principled stand. And he feels like there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who feel that Judge Alito would pull the high court too far to the right, and he wants to take a stand, Betty.

NGUYEN: Ed Henry, thank you for that. We'll be checking in.

Well, with all the talk about last-ditch efforts to block a vote on Alito, we thought it might be worth a refresher course on filibusters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN (voice-over): What may be the most famous filibuster wasn't even real. Many recall actor Jimmy Stewart's courageous stand in the Senate in the movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

The real filibuster dates back to the 19th Century. The word itself was derived from a Dutch word for pirate, but today a filibuster is any act that delay or blocks legislative action.

The way it usually goes down is that a group of senators who can't win a vote will take the floor and refuse to step down to actually allow the vote to occur. Senate rules allow any senator to speak on any issue as long as they want.

The only way a filibuster can be broken is if 60 of the 100 senators vote for cloture. That's not always as easy as it sounds. Ironically, the only time a filibuster has been used to successfully block a vote on a Supreme Court nominee was in 1968, when the nomination of Justice Abe Fortas to become chief justice was blocked by a filibuster led by members of the Republican Party.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, to several congressional Democrats, it seems, a little suspicious. The prosecutor investigating outlaw lobbyist Jack Abramoff is being removed from the case.

Late Wednesday, the White House announced that President Bush has tapped Noel Hillman for a federal judgeship. Hillman is leading the probe that secured a guilty plea from Abramoff, plus Abramoff's help in the ongoing hunt for influence peddling by others.

Now yesterday, two Senate Democrats urged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to name a special prosecutor. At his news conference yesterday, Mr. Bush acknowledged having posed for photographs with Abramoff but said smiling for photos is part of his job.

Now to politics in the Middle East. Never a model for stability, never boring, now more topsy-turvy than ever. Yesterday saw a big election victory for the military group Hamas. It was democratic. Observers say it was fair and free. Still, sharp reaction abounds from around the world and the streets of the Palestinian territories.

CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us by phone from the West Bank.

Ben, how many protesters took to the streets today?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's hard to put a precise number on it, but probably several thousand, if you count the several demonstrations which occurred throughout the Gaza Strip, where I'm currently located.

In several refugee camps and also, of course, here in the main city, Gaza City, we saw several hundred members of the Fatah movement surround the house of president -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. And since Abbas is not here, he's not actually in town, they went on to the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Now, what they're demanding is that the leader of the Fatah movement, their leader, resign, because they feel that, through mismanagement of the election campaign, through a legacy of corruption, mismanagement and nepotism, Hamas was allowed to win in the elections. That simply Fatah failed to address the concerns of the Palestinian people and now, of course, Hamas is in control.

Fatah has run the Palestinian movement now for 40 years and suddenly it's out of power. So the members of that movement were very angry indeed -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Have you heard any reaction from President Mahmoud Abbas about what has happened, these protests?

WEDEMAN: No, he's not here, actually. He's in Ramallah, the main town of the West Bank. And he was expected, in fact, Betty to come here to Gaza to discuss with Hamas leaders the formation of a new government. He was expected to come either today or the following day. But obviously, because of the tensions here in Gaza, he may have to postpone his trip to this area.

NGUYEN: You know, this is in, really, contrast to what we saw with Hamas taking to the streets, celebrating. And tonight, the situation is very different. Who are these demonstrators? And who is leading this movement?

WEDEMAN: Well, many of them are young men, possibly in the security services, possibly part of the armed faction, armed wing of the Fatah movement, many of whom suddenly find themselves in a position of political isolation.

This has really been -- actually, this is not a problem that's new. Many of these young men have not been paid or they don't have jobs or they want jobs. And they feel that the Authority, the Palestinian Authority, and the Fatah movement, have let them down. And, therefore, they are venting their anger against their leaders. And, of course, now because of this crushing defeat of Fatah by Hamas, they're very angry, indeed, and they don't really know what to do next.

NGUYEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman from the West Bank. Thank you for that update, Ben.

Following a couple things here. We are still keeping an eye on that news conference that's set to go under way in West Virginia in regards to Randal McCloy, who's been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation center. Once something of note comes out of that, we'll bring that to you live.

Also, we have a lot more that we're following. Hamas in charge, Middle Eastern politics in flux, at best. Upheaval at worst. What is the fallout for U.S. foreign policy? We're going to take a closer look when CNN LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: There are several developments just in to CNN. Tony Harris is working these. Tony, we've got an earthquake, an explosion and a fire. Boy, that's a lot on the plate.

HARRIS: A lot on the plate. Complete menu for you, Betty. Let's get to it.

If you were watching "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with us earlier in the last hour or so, you heard Jim and Zain reporting on a magnitude 77.7 earthquake under sea in the Banda Sea. Let's put a map up so we can give you a frame of reference of what we're talking about here.

We can tell you that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no destructive tsunami threat exists, but clearly, Betty, given what happened in that region December 26, 2004. We were on the air that morning. We are going to keep a close on eye on this situation. Let's get you an update now on a huge fire still working. This is in midtown Atlanta. Live pictures now. Ansley Park, this is very near Piedmont Park if you're familiar with the area. This is a three- story apartment building/condo building that is burning. No injuries reported so far.

Firefighters had to pull back from parts of the building, when there was a partial collapse. You can see pieces of the building falling, even as we speak. And the roof of the building, as you can see, is essentially gone. But it looks as though firefighters have been able to contain that fire, at least to the burning structure. And it's a windy day. That's no easy task.

And Scotty, roll this next piece of videotape for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, action!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: This did not go as planned, as you can see. Not as planned. This is a videotape from earlier this week of a planned explosion for the ABC soap "All My Children," and it went wrong. Four stunt people were injured. This explosion was to be part of an upcoming Mardi Gras episode that was to include an explosion that -- and here's the promo line -- that rocks Pine Valley and its residents. Well, it certainly did that, and a lot more. One more time.

NGUYEN: And there it goes. Tony, if you look at the faces of some of the people who hit the ground there, one of the ladies comes up smiling. It's almost as if a lot of the folks there didn't even know this was unplanned.

HARRIS: They didn't -- well, they knew it was a planned explosion, and I guess you don't really know how to react and you don't know if anyone's hurt at that moment.

NGUYEN: Right.

HARRIS: So, yes, four of the stuntmen were hurt. But we understand that they are recovering quickly and will be back on the job in short order. So that's the good news in development.

NGUYEN: All right. Tony Harris.

HARRIS: More to come.

NGUYEN: Always explosive. Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: Thank you.

NGUYEN: All right. We want to take you live to West Virginia and that news conference that is under way, dealing with Randal McCloy, the sole survivor of the Sago mine tragedy.

Let's listen in to Larry Roberts, director of the trauma center.

LARRY ROBERTS, PHYSICIAN: ... recover function and hemodialysis, which was required for the three previous weeks, now appears to no longer be necessary. There is no more ongoing muscle damage. He is breathing entirely on his own, and other bodily functions all appear to have normalized.

Why has Randy progressed so well? And what does the future hold? I do not have a crystal ball but I can tell you that, with the coordinated care, starting with rescue personnel in the mine, to the ambulance personnel, to each of the other hospitals who contributed directly to Randy's care, to the multitude of consultants throughout the country, to the amazing health care team-manship and collaboration at our own facility in West Virginia University, to the fantastic support from Randy's wife, children and family and friends, and to West Virginia's support, from the governor's office all the way down, and to all of the well-wishers who prayed and offered their kindness, Randy has come through an unprecedented ordeal and is continuing to improve.

However, there is a great deal to accomplish, and I sincerely hope Randy continues to do better and better.

I would like to give my personal thanks to everyone, this is a -- your success more than minor anybody's in particular. And I'm just happy to have been part of the process.

Let me turn over the microphone, then, to Dr. Julian Bailes, who's the chairman of the department of neurosurgery, who will make additional remarks about Randy's neurologic condition. I would also like to introduce Dr. Russell Biando (ph), who is the medical director of HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, in whose hands Randy's care now falls.

NGUYEN: And you've been listening to Larry Roberts, director of the trauma center. Good news today for Randal McCloy, the sole survivor of the Sago mine tragedy.

Just to recap, that he is breathing on his own. There's no more ongoing muscle damage. And his heart has begun to regain normal function. Although the doctor did say he does not know what the future holds, but the good news is that he's made a lot of progress. But there still is much more progress to be made.

Of course, we're going to stay on top of this and bring you the latest developments as we follow Randal McCloy's recovery.

Well, in medical news now, a shot heard around the world and no extraordinary bullet, either, but potentially a magic bullet in the battle against the flu pandemic.

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh say they have created a bird flu vaccine that is 100 percent effective in mice and chickens when delivered as a shot. But medical experts that the results don't matter as much as the method used to get there. Here's why. Instead of using chicken eggs to develop a vaccine, a traditional process that's slow and unpredictable, this team created this vaccine in a Petri dish. First, they officially generated the DNA code for the H part of H5-N1 virus, then spliced it onto a common cold virus. The whole process took just 36 days.

Since experts say you can't make a vaccine against a flu pandemic until the strain emerges, the speed shown in this experiment is extremely promising.

So coming up in our next hour, magic bullet or just a promising first step? We will talk with infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci about the experiment some are calling a breakthrough in medical technology. Definitely want to stay tuned for that.

And alas, news of this vaccine didn't get to Cairo, Egypt, in time to prevent a peck of trouble caused by a farmer more than 800 dozen eggs and an attack of the jitters.

The farmer, faced with 10,000 newly hatched chicks, apparently panicked over the possibility they might have bird flu. So he drove the baby birds off his property, and dumped them on the side of a desert road. A giant traffic snarl ensued, of course. Can you just envision this? Stunned motorists called the cops and eventually, after his peep tested negative -- a peep is a group of chicks, and we looked it up -- the farmer took them all back, and he won't be charged with a crime. Interesting.

Well, like in a war zone -- this is serious -- bombs go off daily, kidnappings are common, security is almost nonexistent. Could you live there? Coming up, we'll see how some Iraqis are coping.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, it pays to make waves. Just ask the passengers on the Queen Mary 2, who refused to sit still for 50 percent refunds after the cruise line canceled three ports of call. The world's largest cruise ship sustained some engine damage on a marathon sail from New York to Los Angeles and scaled back its itinerary to make up time.

Actually, the disgruntled sailors did sit still, or threatened to, at least. They said if they didn't get all of their money back, they'd hold a sit-in, refusing to disembark in Rio De Janeiro. So you know, we were curious. Sure enough, company officials met the ship in Rio today and promised full refunds.

And good news on the money front. Incomes are on the rise, but there is a black cloud to that silver lining. Of course, always seems to happen. The income gap between rich and poor is also on the rise.

Let's get the rest of the story now from Susan Lisovicz, who's live from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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