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CNN Live Today
Cleaning up from Hurricane Jeanne; Shortened Tours of Duty?; Book about Raising Children in the City; Missile Strike in the Gaza Strip
Aired September 27, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We have some breaking news to tell you about out of the Gaza Strip today. An explosion has rocked a Palestinian town in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli helicopters flew overhead. This is according to witnesses.
Now, local radio reports said a car was hit by an Israeli missile in the Khan Younis area. The Israeli Military would not comment on this report, but we're being told that since a Palestinian mortar attack killed an Israeli woman in a nearby Jewish settlement on Friday, Israel has carried out a number of attacks in Khan Younis.
Again, an explosion has rocked a Palestinian town in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Of course, we will continue to follow this and bring you the information as it becomes available to us.
Here are some stories also in the news today -- boats tossed like toys and structures splintered by Hurricane Jeanne. There's more cleanup to be done today in the same parts of Florida that Hurricane Frances hit just three weeks ago. Jeanne, now a tropical storm in southern Georgia, has a 2.6 -- or has left 2.6 million Floridian homes and businesses in the dark.
And we're keeping a close eye on a developing story in Baghdad Sadr City. The U.S. launched an airstrike there this morning, and hospital officials say at least five people were killed and 46 others wounded. Many of the injured are said to be women and children. A U.S. Military statement says the strikes destroyed insurgent targets.
A terminal under construction in Dubai at the airport there collapsed. United Arab Emirates officials say at least five people are dead and 12 others injured. Those numbers could rise, though. Witnesses say dozens of people are trapped in that rubble.
And Virgin Atlantic Airways head Richard Branson wants to take future travelers into space. Branson says passengers in groups of five could be sent into orbit by 2007 at about $200,000 a ticket. Branson wants to use the money from the first passengers to help lower the cost for future space travelers.
And we want to let you know that next hour I'll be talking live to Richard Branson about this new venture. That is coming up at 11:45 Eastern.
Fourth hurricane to hit Florida: Hurricane Jeanne. We want to talk to Jacqui Jeras about Jeanne, because she is still causing problems. Good morning, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, hurricanes scar the landscape, but many victims say their insurance companies are rubbing salt into those wounds. CNN's John Zarrella explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the span of three weeks, Mary Sue Davis has been victimized twice.
MARY SUE DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: Everything's totally gone. It had all fallen in here.
ZARRELLA: The eyes of two hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, passed directly over her Stuart, Florida, home. Frances did most of the damage. Her ceilings are nearly completely gone. Her furniture destroyed.
DAVIS: There's no way that you can replace these things, ever.
ZARRELLA: It will be many months before this home is livable.
DAVIS: It would be anywhere from four to six months or longer before we would be back in our homes. That takes you through all the holidays. So, you can have Thanksgiving dinner in an RV or hotel room, Christmas.
ZARRELLA: Compounding Davis' problem, her insurance company has still not sent an adjustor to assess the losses from the first hurricane.
Barbara Motisi lives across the street. She's in the same boat.
BARBARA MOTISI, HURRICANE VICTIM: I feel like they're giving me the runaround. Because when I call one number, they say OK you're supposed to call this number. So, I call that number where the adjustors are supposed to be and they tell me I wasn't assigned to an adjustor yet.
ZARRELLA: Motisi's home is unlivable, too. Mold covers the walls.
MOTISI: This is from the first one. Yes -- no, I haven't had an adjustor here from the first storm yet.
ZARRELLA: Now, water from Jeanne that streamed through holes in the roof covers the floor. This entire subdivision is a mess. Tarps that covered roofs were ripped off by Jeanne, exposing gaping holes left behind by Frances. Debris piles never picked up after the first hurricane, will now only get bigger.
John Zarrella, CNN, Stuart, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: So much devastation. President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration in Florida, the first state in more than a century to withstand four major hurricanes in one season. The storms have also created a historic response. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they have launched their largest-ever relief effort in a single state.
Last hour, we heard from FEMA's director on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: We fly generators in, and we put those in the high-priority places that the state asks us to put those. Those might be hospitals. They might be comfort stations. They might be police or fire stations.
So, we put those in very high-priority areas that do the most good. But the power situation will improve. Yesterday, it was 1.6 million people without power. They reduced that by 450,000 people just overnight. So, they're making good progress right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And Brown says he has 5,000 people now fanning out all across Florida. And if things go as planned, there will be dramatic progress in the next two to three weeks.
While FEMA is a federal agency, the American Red Cross is not. The organization relies on the public for financial support. After Jeanne hit many homes and businesses across Florida, thousands of Red Cross volunteers have fanned across the state to help residents put their lives back in order.
Chris Paladino of the American Red Cross spoke about the relief efforts earlier today, also on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS PALADINO, AMERICAN RED CROSS: I'm amazed at how we're keeping up. We've had over 26,000 volunteers travel down to Florida for two or three weeks at a time to help folks begin the recovery. Our biggest challenge is, frankly, of course, money -- paying for this. We anticipate that the costs of the first two storms alone are going to be about $67 million. We haven't even put estimates together for the second two storms yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, to see more pictures of Hurricane Jeanne and the damage there, all you have to do is go to our Web site. You can also find the latest coordinates of the storm as it makes its way through the southeast. Check it out at cnn.com.
Turning now to a woman implicated in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Lynndie England will face court-martial for her role in the abuse of Iraqis at that prison. That announcement coming from military officials in North Carolina today. England faces 19 charges, including conspiracy and assault. A hearing is set for early December, and the trial, that could start in January.
Under a plan being considered by the U.S. Army, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan could see their combat tours shortened. For more, we turn to Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
Well, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is looking at this whole question: combat tours in Iraq. The Army, they spend one year on the ground in Iraq. The Marine Corps, seven months. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is continuing, we are told, to ask questions why both services can't have exactly the same tour of duty.
But we should caution, there's absolutely no indication that the Army tour of one year is about to be shortened anytime soon. The Army leaves people on the ground a bit longer. They feel that it is more in line with their doctrine: combat power on the ground, taking and holding and controlling territory, if you will.
They feel it is safer to have soldiers know the piece of territory they're working, rather than have new soldiers, if you will, come in all the time. The Marine Corps moves around a little bit more. So, this entire question being looked at.
One of the reasons, of course, a lot of concern behind the scenes about the long-term outlook for recruiting and retention. With a war going on in Iraq, just how many more months and years will people continue to sign up for military service if they have to spend a year in a combat zone.
All of this being looked at, Betty. No indication of any decisions any time soon -- Betty?
NGUYEN: Barbara, John Kerry has complained about a backdoor draft. Any indication as to whether this campaign rhetoric is affecting the Pentagon's thinking?
STARR: Well, if anybody asks Secretary Rumsfeld one single question that seems to publicly annoy him the most, it's the draft.
Long before the presidential campaign really heated up, the secretary of defense said there is absolutely no plan in the United States government, in the military, in the Pentagon, for any type of draft situation. He reiterated that as recently as last week.
The feeling in the military is that, for now and for the foreseeable future, they can continue to get people to join the volunteer force, that there's no need for a draft or compulsory service, if you will -- Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thank you. An airshow in California goes horribly wrong, and a home video camera is rolling. The latest on the condition of those aboard straight ahead.
And raising children in the city. Our guest will talk about the special dangers and opportunities they face.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. Take a look at this. A small plane crashed during an airshow in Fullerton, California -- the airport there over the weekend. The two men aboard that airplane are hospitalized in critical condition. The plane crashed after takeoff, just missing the control tower before slamming into a parked car. Now, the two people sitting in that car were not badly hurt.
Scientists are concerned that minor earthquakes within Mount St. Helens may indicate the volcano could blow its top. About 10 quakes in the two-point range were recorded yesterday, the most in a 24-hour period in some 18 years. One seismologist says if the Washington volcano did erupt, it would possibly spew ash and steam.
And here's a hurricane effect that all Americans can feel, at the pump. Gas prices rose more than a nickel over the past two weeks. Analysts say Hurricane Ivan damaged or forced the closing of refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. And deliveries from offshore were also delayed because a number of ports were closed, as well.
Want to get the latest on oil prices from our Rhonda Schaffler at the New York Stock Exchange. Good morning, Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
NGUYEN: All right. Rhonda Schaffler, thank you.
Raising kids is tough. Raising kids in a big city presents a whole new set of challenges. Up next, meet two women who want to help parents meet those challenges head-on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, rolling fields, apple trees, a gurgling stream -- that's how Norman Rockwell envisioned childhood. But what about being little in the big city?
Our guests co-authored "The City Parent Handbook," the complete guide to the ups and downs and ins and outs of raising young kids in the city. They join us today. Kathy Bishop and Julia Whitehead are both parents living in New York and have learned some lessons that they're going to share with us.
Good morning.
KATHY BISHOP, CO-AUTHOR, "THE CITY PARENT HANDBOOK": Good morning. JULIA WHITEHEAD, CO-AUTHOR, "THE CITY PARENT HANDBOOK": Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, Kathy, let's start with you. Of course the major concerns, health and safety -- are there some specific concerns in dealing with raising children in the city when it comes to health and safety?
BISHOP: Absolutely. One of the things we talk about is the need to choose your pediatric ER. We have choices in the city, and not all pediatric ERs are created equally. And you really, really need to have a hospital at your disposal that is accustomed to young children.
Imagine you have a child who is having an asthma attack. Well, do you want the child to use if -- God forbid, need a breathing tube that is jury-rigged for an adult, or should there be a breathing tube that's actually appropriate for a child?
There's so many health and safety issues. Lead is very, very underestimated and is actually more of a threat than we realize, particularly for people renovating homes.
WHITEHEAD: Not to be alarmist about it, there are just specific health and safety issues. But they're very easy things you can do that will prevent your child from coming to harm. And that's one of the things you want to do, and this book gives people sort of the easy tips that has the biggest bang for the buck, recognizing that the city is a very different place to raise kids.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Julia, let's stay with you for a minute. Let's talk about education, because some people will leave the big city because there's a lack of choices there or, if there are good choices, they're kind of expensive.
WHITEHEAD: You know, I think a lot of people who do leave the city -- and that's absolutely a true statement, because of the schools -- haven't really spent the time to look at the schools around them. In every city, there are some excellent, excellent schools. You just have to do a little work to do the research and to find out, you know, where are the good schools, what's the curriculum like.
And there's some real advantages, because one of the things that you have in the city is you have very diverse students and very diverse parent bodies. And that can bring a really rich environment for learning -- in addition to all the things that you get in your city anyway, which can really supplement your child's education: the culture, the museums, the arts.
So, we really recommend the parents, before they make that decision, do the work and do the research to find out if that really is a smart choice.
BISHOP: And don't discount public schools, because in every city there are some great public schools. You just need to know how to find them, how to research, and of course, how to get your child into them. NGUYEN: Absolutely. And Kathy, what about tight living quarters? That can always be a problem in the big city, not just for a couple, but when you have a family, that can really be difficult.
BISHOP: The level that dirt that you bring into your apartment or small home when you have a family, the lack of square footage, these are all things that you have to consider. Particularly how you decorate -- you need durable design. You need to go up as high as you can, take every inch of space for storage as possible.
And you absolutely need to go on midnight runs. You have to throw out -- when nobody is watching, you go and you throw out.
NGUYEN: Kathy Bishop, Julia Whitehead with "The City Parent Handbook." Thank you so much for that information today.
BISHOP: Thanks for having us.
WHITEHEAD: Thank you.
NGUYEN: All right. Now we want to bring in some pictures that just arrived in to CNN today out of Khan Younis, which is the town in the southern Gaza Strip that was rocked by an Israeli helicopter explosion there.
Local radio reports say a car was hit by an Israeli missile in Khan Younis. These are some of the first pictures of the damage from that rocket. The Israeli Military, though, has not commented on that report. But since an Palestinian mortar attack killed an Israeli woman in a nearby Jewish settlement on Friday, Israel has carried out a number of attacks in Khan Younis. And of course, these are the latest pictures coming in to us here at CNN. We'll continue to follow up on this story.
Do stay with us. We're going to take a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Four in six weeks and still two months to go in hurricane season: How Floridians are coping with Jeanne's aftermath and how relief agencies are trying to keep up.
Plus, a magazine challenges sports fans to hit the road. We'll look at 64 sporting events to get you up off of that couch. That happens in the second hour of "CNN LIVE TODAY."
Now here's a look at what's happening in the news. A female soldier faces a court-martial in January on charges stemming from the Iraq prison abuse scandal. The Army made that announcement this morning regarding Private Lynndie England. She faces 19 charges, including conspiracy and assault. England is seen in some of the more notorious photos from Abu Ghraib Prison.
Israel fired a missile on a car in southern Gaza today. Palestinian security sources say one person was killed, four others wounded. Israel has carried out a number of attacks in the area since Friday when a mortar attack killed a Jewish settler.
The British Embassy takes to the airwaves to appeal for the release of hostage Kenneth Bigley. A radio spot was released on Arabic language radio today. Bigley was taken 11 days ago, along with two American colleagues who were later beheaded. There has been no definitive word about Bigley's fate.
The presidential candidates are preparing for Thursday night's debate. Democrat John Kerry is spending the next few days at a Wisconsin golf resort to get ready for the face-off, but he's also doing some campaigning today. Kerry is attending a town hall meeting that began last hour in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
The White House says President Bush has been practicing in mock debates as he gets ready for Thursday night. Spokesman Dan Bartlett admits Bush faces a skilled debater in Senator Kerry. He says the president may stumble over a word or two, but his message will be clear. The president takes a break from his debate preparation today to campaign in Ohio.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 27, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We have some breaking news to tell you about out of the Gaza Strip today. An explosion has rocked a Palestinian town in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli helicopters flew overhead. This is according to witnesses.
Now, local radio reports said a car was hit by an Israeli missile in the Khan Younis area. The Israeli Military would not comment on this report, but we're being told that since a Palestinian mortar attack killed an Israeli woman in a nearby Jewish settlement on Friday, Israel has carried out a number of attacks in Khan Younis.
Again, an explosion has rocked a Palestinian town in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Of course, we will continue to follow this and bring you the information as it becomes available to us.
Here are some stories also in the news today -- boats tossed like toys and structures splintered by Hurricane Jeanne. There's more cleanup to be done today in the same parts of Florida that Hurricane Frances hit just three weeks ago. Jeanne, now a tropical storm in southern Georgia, has a 2.6 -- or has left 2.6 million Floridian homes and businesses in the dark.
And we're keeping a close eye on a developing story in Baghdad Sadr City. The U.S. launched an airstrike there this morning, and hospital officials say at least five people were killed and 46 others wounded. Many of the injured are said to be women and children. A U.S. Military statement says the strikes destroyed insurgent targets.
A terminal under construction in Dubai at the airport there collapsed. United Arab Emirates officials say at least five people are dead and 12 others injured. Those numbers could rise, though. Witnesses say dozens of people are trapped in that rubble.
And Virgin Atlantic Airways head Richard Branson wants to take future travelers into space. Branson says passengers in groups of five could be sent into orbit by 2007 at about $200,000 a ticket. Branson wants to use the money from the first passengers to help lower the cost for future space travelers.
And we want to let you know that next hour I'll be talking live to Richard Branson about this new venture. That is coming up at 11:45 Eastern.
Fourth hurricane to hit Florida: Hurricane Jeanne. We want to talk to Jacqui Jeras about Jeanne, because she is still causing problems. Good morning, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, hurricanes scar the landscape, but many victims say their insurance companies are rubbing salt into those wounds. CNN's John Zarrella explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the span of three weeks, Mary Sue Davis has been victimized twice.
MARY SUE DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: Everything's totally gone. It had all fallen in here.
ZARRELLA: The eyes of two hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, passed directly over her Stuart, Florida, home. Frances did most of the damage. Her ceilings are nearly completely gone. Her furniture destroyed.
DAVIS: There's no way that you can replace these things, ever.
ZARRELLA: It will be many months before this home is livable.
DAVIS: It would be anywhere from four to six months or longer before we would be back in our homes. That takes you through all the holidays. So, you can have Thanksgiving dinner in an RV or hotel room, Christmas.
ZARRELLA: Compounding Davis' problem, her insurance company has still not sent an adjustor to assess the losses from the first hurricane.
Barbara Motisi lives across the street. She's in the same boat.
BARBARA MOTISI, HURRICANE VICTIM: I feel like they're giving me the runaround. Because when I call one number, they say OK you're supposed to call this number. So, I call that number where the adjustors are supposed to be and they tell me I wasn't assigned to an adjustor yet.
ZARRELLA: Motisi's home is unlivable, too. Mold covers the walls.
MOTISI: This is from the first one. Yes -- no, I haven't had an adjustor here from the first storm yet.
ZARRELLA: Now, water from Jeanne that streamed through holes in the roof covers the floor. This entire subdivision is a mess. Tarps that covered roofs were ripped off by Jeanne, exposing gaping holes left behind by Frances. Debris piles never picked up after the first hurricane, will now only get bigger.
John Zarrella, CNN, Stuart, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: So much devastation. President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration in Florida, the first state in more than a century to withstand four major hurricanes in one season. The storms have also created a historic response. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they have launched their largest-ever relief effort in a single state.
Last hour, we heard from FEMA's director on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: We fly generators in, and we put those in the high-priority places that the state asks us to put those. Those might be hospitals. They might be comfort stations. They might be police or fire stations.
So, we put those in very high-priority areas that do the most good. But the power situation will improve. Yesterday, it was 1.6 million people without power. They reduced that by 450,000 people just overnight. So, they're making good progress right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And Brown says he has 5,000 people now fanning out all across Florida. And if things go as planned, there will be dramatic progress in the next two to three weeks.
While FEMA is a federal agency, the American Red Cross is not. The organization relies on the public for financial support. After Jeanne hit many homes and businesses across Florida, thousands of Red Cross volunteers have fanned across the state to help residents put their lives back in order.
Chris Paladino of the American Red Cross spoke about the relief efforts earlier today, also on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS PALADINO, AMERICAN RED CROSS: I'm amazed at how we're keeping up. We've had over 26,000 volunteers travel down to Florida for two or three weeks at a time to help folks begin the recovery. Our biggest challenge is, frankly, of course, money -- paying for this. We anticipate that the costs of the first two storms alone are going to be about $67 million. We haven't even put estimates together for the second two storms yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, to see more pictures of Hurricane Jeanne and the damage there, all you have to do is go to our Web site. You can also find the latest coordinates of the storm as it makes its way through the southeast. Check it out at cnn.com.
Turning now to a woman implicated in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Lynndie England will face court-martial for her role in the abuse of Iraqis at that prison. That announcement coming from military officials in North Carolina today. England faces 19 charges, including conspiracy and assault. A hearing is set for early December, and the trial, that could start in January.
Under a plan being considered by the U.S. Army, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan could see their combat tours shortened. For more, we turn to Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
Well, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is looking at this whole question: combat tours in Iraq. The Army, they spend one year on the ground in Iraq. The Marine Corps, seven months. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is continuing, we are told, to ask questions why both services can't have exactly the same tour of duty.
But we should caution, there's absolutely no indication that the Army tour of one year is about to be shortened anytime soon. The Army leaves people on the ground a bit longer. They feel that it is more in line with their doctrine: combat power on the ground, taking and holding and controlling territory, if you will.
They feel it is safer to have soldiers know the piece of territory they're working, rather than have new soldiers, if you will, come in all the time. The Marine Corps moves around a little bit more. So, this entire question being looked at.
One of the reasons, of course, a lot of concern behind the scenes about the long-term outlook for recruiting and retention. With a war going on in Iraq, just how many more months and years will people continue to sign up for military service if they have to spend a year in a combat zone.
All of this being looked at, Betty. No indication of any decisions any time soon -- Betty?
NGUYEN: Barbara, John Kerry has complained about a backdoor draft. Any indication as to whether this campaign rhetoric is affecting the Pentagon's thinking?
STARR: Well, if anybody asks Secretary Rumsfeld one single question that seems to publicly annoy him the most, it's the draft.
Long before the presidential campaign really heated up, the secretary of defense said there is absolutely no plan in the United States government, in the military, in the Pentagon, for any type of draft situation. He reiterated that as recently as last week.
The feeling in the military is that, for now and for the foreseeable future, they can continue to get people to join the volunteer force, that there's no need for a draft or compulsory service, if you will -- Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thank you. An airshow in California goes horribly wrong, and a home video camera is rolling. The latest on the condition of those aboard straight ahead.
And raising children in the city. Our guest will talk about the special dangers and opportunities they face.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. Take a look at this. A small plane crashed during an airshow in Fullerton, California -- the airport there over the weekend. The two men aboard that airplane are hospitalized in critical condition. The plane crashed after takeoff, just missing the control tower before slamming into a parked car. Now, the two people sitting in that car were not badly hurt.
Scientists are concerned that minor earthquakes within Mount St. Helens may indicate the volcano could blow its top. About 10 quakes in the two-point range were recorded yesterday, the most in a 24-hour period in some 18 years. One seismologist says if the Washington volcano did erupt, it would possibly spew ash and steam.
And here's a hurricane effect that all Americans can feel, at the pump. Gas prices rose more than a nickel over the past two weeks. Analysts say Hurricane Ivan damaged or forced the closing of refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. And deliveries from offshore were also delayed because a number of ports were closed, as well.
Want to get the latest on oil prices from our Rhonda Schaffler at the New York Stock Exchange. Good morning, Rhonda.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
NGUYEN: All right. Rhonda Schaffler, thank you.
Raising kids is tough. Raising kids in a big city presents a whole new set of challenges. Up next, meet two women who want to help parents meet those challenges head-on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, rolling fields, apple trees, a gurgling stream -- that's how Norman Rockwell envisioned childhood. But what about being little in the big city?
Our guests co-authored "The City Parent Handbook," the complete guide to the ups and downs and ins and outs of raising young kids in the city. They join us today. Kathy Bishop and Julia Whitehead are both parents living in New York and have learned some lessons that they're going to share with us.
Good morning.
KATHY BISHOP, CO-AUTHOR, "THE CITY PARENT HANDBOOK": Good morning. JULIA WHITEHEAD, CO-AUTHOR, "THE CITY PARENT HANDBOOK": Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, Kathy, let's start with you. Of course the major concerns, health and safety -- are there some specific concerns in dealing with raising children in the city when it comes to health and safety?
BISHOP: Absolutely. One of the things we talk about is the need to choose your pediatric ER. We have choices in the city, and not all pediatric ERs are created equally. And you really, really need to have a hospital at your disposal that is accustomed to young children.
Imagine you have a child who is having an asthma attack. Well, do you want the child to use if -- God forbid, need a breathing tube that is jury-rigged for an adult, or should there be a breathing tube that's actually appropriate for a child?
There's so many health and safety issues. Lead is very, very underestimated and is actually more of a threat than we realize, particularly for people renovating homes.
WHITEHEAD: Not to be alarmist about it, there are just specific health and safety issues. But they're very easy things you can do that will prevent your child from coming to harm. And that's one of the things you want to do, and this book gives people sort of the easy tips that has the biggest bang for the buck, recognizing that the city is a very different place to raise kids.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Julia, let's stay with you for a minute. Let's talk about education, because some people will leave the big city because there's a lack of choices there or, if there are good choices, they're kind of expensive.
WHITEHEAD: You know, I think a lot of people who do leave the city -- and that's absolutely a true statement, because of the schools -- haven't really spent the time to look at the schools around them. In every city, there are some excellent, excellent schools. You just have to do a little work to do the research and to find out, you know, where are the good schools, what's the curriculum like.
And there's some real advantages, because one of the things that you have in the city is you have very diverse students and very diverse parent bodies. And that can bring a really rich environment for learning -- in addition to all the things that you get in your city anyway, which can really supplement your child's education: the culture, the museums, the arts.
So, we really recommend the parents, before they make that decision, do the work and do the research to find out if that really is a smart choice.
BISHOP: And don't discount public schools, because in every city there are some great public schools. You just need to know how to find them, how to research, and of course, how to get your child into them. NGUYEN: Absolutely. And Kathy, what about tight living quarters? That can always be a problem in the big city, not just for a couple, but when you have a family, that can really be difficult.
BISHOP: The level that dirt that you bring into your apartment or small home when you have a family, the lack of square footage, these are all things that you have to consider. Particularly how you decorate -- you need durable design. You need to go up as high as you can, take every inch of space for storage as possible.
And you absolutely need to go on midnight runs. You have to throw out -- when nobody is watching, you go and you throw out.
NGUYEN: Kathy Bishop, Julia Whitehead with "The City Parent Handbook." Thank you so much for that information today.
BISHOP: Thanks for having us.
WHITEHEAD: Thank you.
NGUYEN: All right. Now we want to bring in some pictures that just arrived in to CNN today out of Khan Younis, which is the town in the southern Gaza Strip that was rocked by an Israeli helicopter explosion there.
Local radio reports say a car was hit by an Israeli missile in Khan Younis. These are some of the first pictures of the damage from that rocket. The Israeli Military, though, has not commented on that report. But since an Palestinian mortar attack killed an Israeli woman in a nearby Jewish settlement on Friday, Israel has carried out a number of attacks in Khan Younis. And of course, these are the latest pictures coming in to us here at CNN. We'll continue to follow up on this story.
Do stay with us. We're going to take a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Four in six weeks and still two months to go in hurricane season: How Floridians are coping with Jeanne's aftermath and how relief agencies are trying to keep up.
Plus, a magazine challenges sports fans to hit the road. We'll look at 64 sporting events to get you up off of that couch. That happens in the second hour of "CNN LIVE TODAY."
Now here's a look at what's happening in the news. A female soldier faces a court-martial in January on charges stemming from the Iraq prison abuse scandal. The Army made that announcement this morning regarding Private Lynndie England. She faces 19 charges, including conspiracy and assault. England is seen in some of the more notorious photos from Abu Ghraib Prison.
Israel fired a missile on a car in southern Gaza today. Palestinian security sources say one person was killed, four others wounded. Israel has carried out a number of attacks in the area since Friday when a mortar attack killed a Jewish settler.
The British Embassy takes to the airwaves to appeal for the release of hostage Kenneth Bigley. A radio spot was released on Arabic language radio today. Bigley was taken 11 days ago, along with two American colleagues who were later beheaded. There has been no definitive word about Bigley's fate.
The presidential candidates are preparing for Thursday night's debate. Democrat John Kerry is spending the next few days at a Wisconsin golf resort to get ready for the face-off, but he's also doing some campaigning today. Kerry is attending a town hall meeting that began last hour in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
The White House says President Bush has been practicing in mock debates as he gets ready for Thursday night. Spokesman Dan Bartlett admits Bush faces a skilled debater in Senator Kerry. He says the president may stumble over a word or two, but his message will be clear. The president takes a break from his debate preparation today to campaign in Ohio.
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