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CNN Live Today
California Braces for a Fourth Day of Storms; CBS Fires Four Over Bush Guard Report; Mahmoud Abbas Wins 62 percent of the Vote in Palestinian Election
Aired January 10, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We have a lot to get to, a lot of updates on tsunami relief. Plus, we're going to be checking in on southern California and northern California.
TONY HARRIS, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Which is a mess right now.
KAGAN: Big, wet mess.
But first, let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
HARRIS: Moving to the next step of U.S. assistance in the tsunami zone. Secretary of State Colin Powell is making his suggestions, as he briefs President Bush at this hour. Powell is back from a five-day tour of the region. He says it's not just food, water and medicine needed there. Powell was also pushing for economic aid and rebuilding infrastructure.
Mahmoud Abbas was declared the winner today of the Palestinian presidential elect. The former prime minister took around 62 percent of the vote. Abbas dedicated his victory to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could come later this week.
The Supreme Court reconvenes this hour, but without Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Rehnquist has been working from home, as he continues receiving treatment for thyroid cancer. The 80-year-old Rehnquist still plans to swear in President Bush for a second term at next week's inauguration.
And it's the most snow they've seen there in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area they've seen in years. Nineteen feet less than two weeks in some areas and more heavy snow is predicted from northern California and Nevada. Major roads have reopened for the time being, but there is still possibilities of avalanches. And low visibility is making driving very dangerous.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris sitting in for Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: Good morning. Good to have you here with us.
HARRIS: Thank you. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: Good morning to all of you. I'm Daryn Kagan. From the snow-covered tip of northern California to its soggy border in the south. A relentless string of storms making for some treacherous conditions. We're going to begin southeast of Los Angeles where heavy rains and raging floodwaters led to some harrowing moments during this dramatic rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab the rope! Grab it tight!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on now! Come on now! Come on!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on with all you've got.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the water!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the water!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: As you can see, the man was finally pulled to safety even after that part of the ordeal. His ordeal began minutes earlier when floodwaters swept away his car with him and his two children, both daughters inside.
Earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING," two of the rescuers talked about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. THOMAS MCGAULEY, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA. F.D.: We had one vehicle that was actually in the riverbed itself. We had approximately 40 bystanders that were up on board the bridge at the railing. They were attempting at that time to remove two of the females from the vehicle itself. We arrived on scene, assisted them. And the vehicle was actually floating down the riverbed. So it happened to be pinched at that time.
We were able to assist them, bet the first two females out of the vehicle. And then the vehicle continued to float underneath the bridge out of our view. Our initial response, we went ahead and moved units further down stream in case we had to utilize them. And it became apparent at that time we had to utilize those.
CAPT. MIKE YULE, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA. F.D.: During that time, we had people that were actually running the riverbank and keeping an eye on him. Captain McGauley on Engine 81 and myself on Truck 8-11 went down one of the main streets and set up at the bridge. And we had visual with him the whole time and set up the rope systems to get him out of the water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Well, that one finally had a happy ending. The man traveled for two miles on top of his car before those downstream units had their chance to intervene. Once he latched on to that rope, the swift current swept away his car, also his pants. Today he is fine along with the two kids rescued earlier.
HARRIS: And to the north, danger has taken form of a mind- boggling snowfall. A series storms has buried the Sierra Nevada under as much as 19 feet of snow. It is the most snow in nearly 90 years. Last night officials found the body of a 13-year-old boy after an avalanche knocked him off a ski lift at a resort northwest of Las Vegas.
KAGAN: It has also stranded motorists and even bogged down an Amtrak train. Now that is a lot of snow. Now there is another winter storm warning for the region.
Our meteorologist Rob Marciano in Tahoe City, California with more on that.
Rob, good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn. You know, Tahoe sits at about 6,000 feet in elevation. It's no stranger to big snowstorms but this is such a huge storm. Even in the deserts, 50 miles north and east here in Reno, Nevada they have had 6 1/2 feet of snow since December 28. And this is turning out to be the worst storms they've had since 1916.
Look at snow banks on either side of me. I feel like a kid again, you know, this tall. Except, now I'm this tall and it comes up to my head, tremendous amount of snow falling here at lake level. You take that amount of snow and double it up at the mountain.
Clearing the roadways, well, that's no kid stuff for sure. They're working around the clock, and doing a darn good job of it especially here around the lake. At times Highway 80 was closed but right now it's open. At one point the Reno Airport was closed, now it's open. Skiers, if you can get up here, we're loving life in the form of some fresh powder. But visibility is low on the ski slopes and also roadways. So winds gusting at times over 160 miles an hour over the weekend.
This is a monster storm. We mentioned that. Snow in the mountains and rain down in valleys. Before this storm hit the L.A. area saw 12 inches of rain in a 12-day period. That's a record. Since then, since this storm began another half a foot around the L.A. basin. Of course, that has turned to snow up here in the mountains. And avalanche a huge concern. Over the weekend, that's all you would hear is booms and bangs from explosions being set off by ski patrollers and some of the highway patrollers trying to relieve that avalanche danger.
Look at the snow bank. Picture this up at higher elevation, twice as much snow, and even steeper angle. I mean that snow just wants to come down just due to gravity. So they'd rather do it on their terms by setting off these explosions.
Something else that happened interesting over night, the snow level rose briefly. Actually rained briefly here last night. Now it's dropped. So we've got different layers of snow. You can see it's a bit crusty right through here. And when that happens, that also a danger for avalanche when you have that little layer of ice. So we're watching out for that.
We're going to expect another two feet of snow it looks like tomorrow. So those roadways, which are now open, may very well be closed again by this time tomorrow afternoon. If we get two feet here at the lakes, you can bet that will be twice as much up at the mountain passes.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: OK. So the question becomes for the meteorologist, why? Why so much?
MARCIANO: Why so much? Because we had this storm just sat out there. It's what we called a "closed low," meaning it cut itself off from the rest of the stream. Like if you were to see a twig in the stream just sitting there and spinning, kind of caught in an eddy, that's what happened with this storm. It just sat out there in the West Coast. And those typically take a long time to kick out.
This one is being very stubborn about that. So once we get it through though tomorrow, Daryn, it looks like the West Coast is going to see an extended dry period. So that will be good, as they dry out. That will be great for the ski resorts, they'll dig out and there will be some fresh pow on the hill as well. So they'll be able to go the skiers from the Bay Area back up to the hill safely so that they can enjoy this great snow.
KAGAN: Fresh pow.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
KAGAN: Of course, in the interest of fairness, we should also explain you're only about 5'2".
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: See you later, Daryn.
KAGAN: Not true. What? You're like 6'1" or 6'2", right? So people can really appreciate how big the snowdrifts are.
MARCIANO: Yes. They are tall. I'm getting shorter in my old age.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: But I think I'm still over six feet.
KAGAN: All of this work. Thank you, Rob. We'll see you in a bit.
HARRIS: Fresh pow.
KAGAN: Fresh pow. HARRIS: Dude.
Yes. In the Midwest, more weather three days of heavy rains have created havoc on the Ohio River. Some 27 coal barges were adrift on the river yesterday and river traffic was halted in those areas. In one incident near Industry, Pennsylvania, three crewmembers were killed and a fourth presumed dead, after the rain swollen river swept seven vessels over a dam spillway. Tugboats sank along with the six coal barges it was pushing.
A lot of snow, a lot rain. A lot of hmm.
KAGAN: And why so many people are interested in what's coming next. Jacqui Jeras standing over the West Coast there to tell us what is in store for there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: We do have some breaking news coming in the wake of the scandal at CBS News with the report they put together on President Bush's National Guard service, in which the documents they used were found to be forged. CBS has now asked three news executives there for the resignations. A fourth, the producer Mary Mapes who was in charge of the piece, she has been fired. The three include "60 Minutes Wednesday" executive producer Josh Howard, his deputy senior broadcast producer Mary Murphy.
One again, they had an independent panel that they put together to look at how this organization went wrong. And they believe it was not a political bent that led the way, but a zeal to be the first to put together a ground breaking piece on President Bush's National Guard service.
So once again, three people, three executives at CBS News asked to resign, a fourth has been terminated. Dan Rather, of course, the anchor of that story has already decided to step down later this year. More on that just ahead from New York.
Meanwhile, we move on to the Middle East where Mahmoud Abbas becomes the first new Palestinian leader in four decades. His victory is welcomed by Israel as a possible promise for a new era of peace. Still, his greatest challenge may come within from Palestinian militants.
CNN's Guy Raz joins us Ramallah.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we're outside the Mukata. This is the administrative headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority and soon to be Mahmoud Abbas' permanent office space. Now, it was indeed a momentous day across the Palestinian territories in the West Bank Gaza, East Jerusalem. Mahmoud Abbas is now inheriting the mantel of the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority.
Now, he's regarded as a moderate by the international community. He's somebody who opposes violence. And he has spoken out quite firmly on it in the past few weeks, calling militant attack against Israelis, quote, "useless." Now, Mr. Abbas is seen as somebody who could revive the Middle East peace process.
Now, Daryn, while official numbers aren't in, final numbers, it does appear from preliminary exit polls has Mr. Abbas has won with some 62 percent of the vote. His closest rival, Mustafa Barghouti, a human rights campaigner, won about 19 percent of the vote.
Last night in Ramallah, crowds were cheering, chanting, gunfire -- celebratory gunfire in the streets here in Ramallah. I wouldn't say that all or even many Palestinians are optimistic necessarily that Mahmoud Abbas can bring about change. But certainly, many of them believe they have no other choice but to place their hope in a man that they believe could possibly bring about a final change to their situation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Guy, what this represents on even bigger picture we don't often see democracy being practiced in the Arab world. The sign this could send to Arabs elsewhere?
RAZ: Precisely. In fact, President Bush has been calling on Middle Eastern countries to encourage democracy, to ferment democracy. And essentially, we've seen an example of that right here among the Palestinians; 1.1 million Palestinians voted. There were seven candidates. This was by no means a coronation. Mahmoud Abbas fought for every vote. This election was open, transparent. There were hundreds of international monitors.
So certainly a success for an example of democracy emerging in the Middle East, Daryn.
KAGAN: Guy Raz joining us from Ramallah, thank you.
HARRIS: And Guy talking about observers. U.S. Senator Kerry served as one international observers monitoring the Palestinian election. Kerry then met with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and other government officials. Kerry, the Democratic nominee in last year's presidential election reaffirmed the United States' allegiance to Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER: Israel is our special ally, our special friend. It is a relationship that no one can tear apart. I'm proud to be here to talk with prime minister about the days ahead which are potentially historic and important obviously to all of us.
The security of Israel is the paramount concern. I know the prime minister has taken important steps in order to protect that over the course of the last year. The United States, both parties, Republican and Democrat, stand behind Israel in that effort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And later today, Israel's parliament is to approve a new coalition government. It is considered more moderate and more likely to approve Mr. Sharon's controversial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements.
KAGAN: Former President Carter also served as an election observer. He monitored the polls in East Jerusalem. That's where he said early chaos and confusion may have kept some Palestinians from voting. International monitors say that Carter contacted Prime Minister Sharon who resolved those problems.
Mr. Carter will be our guest today on "NEWS FROM CNN" with Wolf Blitzer. That's at noon Eastern, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.
HARRIS: And still to come in this hour, a street turned into a flowing river. We'll take you live to Indonesia for the latest in the tsunami devastation.
KAGAN: Plus, the excused ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal goes on trial. His attorney says he's going to try something he has never done before.
And later...
HARRIS: He's no stranger to action. Coming up later, one of the many faces of James Bond joins us live with what he's doing now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We want to go back to our developing story concerning CBS News taking action in the wake of the scandal around the story of President Bush's National Guard service.
Let's go to Chris Huntington in New York with more on that.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) Dan Rather is not leaving CBS. Let's back up just a bit here. This is all stemming from the September 8 broadcast on what was then called "60 Minutes II" a broadcast that purported that then-Air National Guardsman George Bush avoided service. There were documents citing that sort of avoidance and other efforts by then-Air National Guardsman Bush to avoid service.
These were purported to have come from a file of a Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Killian. Two hundred and twenty-four pages made public today was seeking to find exactly the providence of those documents.
Several executives and producers involved with the story have been terminated by CBS. And I'll run through the names quickly. Senior Vice President Betsy West, who supervised the production, will be leaving. Executive producer of the broadcast the "60 Minutes" broadcast there, Josh Howard. Also Howard's deputy, senior broadcast producer Mary Murphy. And most significantly, the direct producer of the piece Mary Mapes, a longtime and distinguished producer of "60 Minutes" broadcast.
Dan Rather announced back in November he would be stepping down from the "CBS Evening News" in March 9. There's apparently no change in that plan. At the time, it was announced Rather would stay on to work as a CBS correspondent in general and also on "60 Minutes" broadcasts.
Les Moonves, the president of CBS included in statement in today's report saying in part that Rather was pushed to the limits in the week before the September 8 broadcast. He was finishing up his anchoring duties at the 2004 Republican convention, was covering hurricanes in Florida. He asked the right questions initially but then made some errors.
A lot to get through in a 224-page report. Daryn, we'll certainly be covering this story throughout the remainder of the day.
KAGAN: Right. And also in that report, it's not just the heads that are rolling in this. This independent went panel looked about how this happened, why this happened and makes suggestions to improve CBS News so it doesn't happen again.
HUNTINGTON: Absolutely. There will be big, sweeping changes at CBS. Already, the network executives have admitted both in part, as I indicated here in the statement from Les Moonves, that there was perhaps enthusiasm that got ahead of normal and proper procedures for filing such a barbed report, if you will.
KAGAN: That's one way to put it. Chris Huntington in New York, thank you for that.
HARRIS: Now, turning the tide. Fifteen days after the tsunami disaster, UNICEF now has added urgency in its campaign to vaccinate 600,000 survivors against measles. Today it confirmed two cases of the highly contagious disease, which can attack the immune system in children. So far, there have been no outbreaks of any disease in the region.
U.S. military officials say all 10 people aboard a Navy helicopter that crashed into Indonesia suffered only minor injuries. The Seahawk SH60 helicopter crashed at the airport in Banda Aceh, where it was taking part in tsunami relief efforts. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
And Sri Lanka and Indonesia, a return to class, if not a return to normal. Schools across those two countries reopened for the first type since the December 26 disaster. But since tens of thousands of children are among the dead, many desks sat empty.
KAGAN: Secretary of -- U.S. military officials say all 10 people aboard a Navy helicopter that crashed in Indonesia will recover from their injuries. The Seahawk SH-60 helicopter crashed at the airport in Banda Aceh, where it was taking part in a tsunami relief effort. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Now to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He is briefing President Bush on the tsunami recovery this morning. Powell went to the White House after returning from the region. The secretary plans to discuss long-term assistance to nations hit by the killer waves.
Later this hour, Bill Clinton will announce a special fund for clean water and sanitation for the tsunami-hit areas. The former president's announcement will be made in at the UNICEF headquarters in New York. Clinton and former President George Bush are leading a nationwide fund-raising campaign for tsunami victims.
HARRIS: And still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, we'll take you live to Indonesia where a wedding photographer grabbed some unbelievable pictures of a street suddenly turned into a river of debris.
But first...
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: So are the battle days of inflation coming back to bite you? We'll tell you what to do if you think rising prices are going to hit your wallet when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And last week the Federal Reserve hinted that the economy could be facing a new era of inflation. While moderate inflation is natural during times of economic growth, prices that rise too quickly can hurt consumers and businesses.
CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis is our -- well, I don't want to say inflation -- you're watching inflation for us and you have the day's "Top Five Tips" to help us prepare. I tell you what, at times like this, I want to call the administrator of my 401k and ask what does all of this mean?
WILLIS: Hey, it's not a bad idea. I got to tell you, you've got to check that 401k. Anytime there's a major change in the market, you want to got through your asset allocation make sure it's right.
Now, here's the bad news, inflation hurts both stocks and bonds. It's not good news for either investment. But there are tweaks you can make right now that can help protect you if inflation were to rise dramatically.
Take a look at something called Inflation-Protected Bonds. Now, these are issued by the federal government. You can go to treasurydirect.gov to find out more about them. And if you don't want to invest in them on your own, you can go to one of the major mutual fund companies and buy a mutual fund that invests in these bonds. Check out Vanguard and Pimco.
And if you want to know more about asset allocation, if you just want to bone up on that topic, go to investoreducation.org.
HARRIS: And Gerri, inflationary times, how do I build some value in my home, which is my chief investment?
WILLIS: Well, here's the good news. Inflation actually helps you build value in your home.
HARRIS: Really?
WILLIS: You don't have to do anything at all. The price will just go up. And it's good news for you. Bad news for people in the market trying to buy a home; doesn't help them at all. They're going to have to pay more. But if you already own that house, it's a good thing.
HARRIS: I have debt concerns, though. You know, I've got a second mortgage here, I've got loans, I've got car stuff. How does all of this impact me?
WILLIS: Well, I got to tell you, if you have fixed rate debt, let's say you have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, or maybe you have a home equity loan, or maybe your credit cars are tied to a fixed rate. It's good news for you because that money becomes worth less over time. The burden is eased.
But if you have got variable rate interests, let's say you've got a home equity line of credit, Katie bar the door. That is bad news because the rates are going to go high.
HARRIS: And you're advising us to watch our wages?
WILLIS: Yes. You know what this means. When inflation ticks higher, higher, higher, the amount of money you're paid if it stays the same means you're actually losing ground against inflation, what you earn is less. You're going to have to become your own advocate out there. Really press hard for wage increases. Make sure that you're on the mark that you have everything you need to convince your boss, hey, I'm really worth more money and I need it now when inflation is higher.
HARRIS: All right, Gerri. A sort of bottom line, give us the reality check here.
WILLIS: Oh, absolutely. You know what? Talking about 3.6 percent inflation right now. And this is just a worry of Alan Greenspan's that inflation will tick higher. We don't know if it's actually going to happen. Remember, look back to the 1980s. Inflation hit 14.6 percent. We're nowhere near that. So don't overreact. Inflation may tick higher here. But you want to take a measured response instead of doing something willy-nilly.
HARRIS: Yes, watching our money.
Gerri Willis, we appreciate it. Thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
KAGAN: More cuts from one automaker to tell you about. Still to come, a look at which company is forced to put thousands of its workers on the unemployment line?
HARRIS: And ladies, we all know this one. He likes them shaken, not stirred. Coming up later, a talk with the 007 man himself about his new mission.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 10, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We have a lot to get to, a lot of updates on tsunami relief. Plus, we're going to be checking in on southern California and northern California.
TONY HARRIS, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Which is a mess right now.
KAGAN: Big, wet mess.
But first, let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
HARRIS: Moving to the next step of U.S. assistance in the tsunami zone. Secretary of State Colin Powell is making his suggestions, as he briefs President Bush at this hour. Powell is back from a five-day tour of the region. He says it's not just food, water and medicine needed there. Powell was also pushing for economic aid and rebuilding infrastructure.
Mahmoud Abbas was declared the winner today of the Palestinian presidential elect. The former prime minister took around 62 percent of the vote. Abbas dedicated his victory to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could come later this week.
The Supreme Court reconvenes this hour, but without Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Rehnquist has been working from home, as he continues receiving treatment for thyroid cancer. The 80-year-old Rehnquist still plans to swear in President Bush for a second term at next week's inauguration.
And it's the most snow they've seen there in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area they've seen in years. Nineteen feet less than two weeks in some areas and more heavy snow is predicted from northern California and Nevada. Major roads have reopened for the time being, but there is still possibilities of avalanches. And low visibility is making driving very dangerous.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris sitting in for Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: Good morning. Good to have you here with us.
HARRIS: Thank you. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: Good morning to all of you. I'm Daryn Kagan. From the snow-covered tip of northern California to its soggy border in the south. A relentless string of storms making for some treacherous conditions. We're going to begin southeast of Los Angeles where heavy rains and raging floodwaters led to some harrowing moments during this dramatic rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab the rope! Grab it tight!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on now! Come on now! Come on!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on with all you've got.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the water!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the water!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: As you can see, the man was finally pulled to safety even after that part of the ordeal. His ordeal began minutes earlier when floodwaters swept away his car with him and his two children, both daughters inside.
Earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING," two of the rescuers talked about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. THOMAS MCGAULEY, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA. F.D.: We had one vehicle that was actually in the riverbed itself. We had approximately 40 bystanders that were up on board the bridge at the railing. They were attempting at that time to remove two of the females from the vehicle itself. We arrived on scene, assisted them. And the vehicle was actually floating down the riverbed. So it happened to be pinched at that time.
We were able to assist them, bet the first two females out of the vehicle. And then the vehicle continued to float underneath the bridge out of our view. Our initial response, we went ahead and moved units further down stream in case we had to utilize them. And it became apparent at that time we had to utilize those.
CAPT. MIKE YULE, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA. F.D.: During that time, we had people that were actually running the riverbank and keeping an eye on him. Captain McGauley on Engine 81 and myself on Truck 8-11 went down one of the main streets and set up at the bridge. And we had visual with him the whole time and set up the rope systems to get him out of the water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Well, that one finally had a happy ending. The man traveled for two miles on top of his car before those downstream units had their chance to intervene. Once he latched on to that rope, the swift current swept away his car, also his pants. Today he is fine along with the two kids rescued earlier.
HARRIS: And to the north, danger has taken form of a mind- boggling snowfall. A series storms has buried the Sierra Nevada under as much as 19 feet of snow. It is the most snow in nearly 90 years. Last night officials found the body of a 13-year-old boy after an avalanche knocked him off a ski lift at a resort northwest of Las Vegas.
KAGAN: It has also stranded motorists and even bogged down an Amtrak train. Now that is a lot of snow. Now there is another winter storm warning for the region.
Our meteorologist Rob Marciano in Tahoe City, California with more on that.
Rob, good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn. You know, Tahoe sits at about 6,000 feet in elevation. It's no stranger to big snowstorms but this is such a huge storm. Even in the deserts, 50 miles north and east here in Reno, Nevada they have had 6 1/2 feet of snow since December 28. And this is turning out to be the worst storms they've had since 1916.
Look at snow banks on either side of me. I feel like a kid again, you know, this tall. Except, now I'm this tall and it comes up to my head, tremendous amount of snow falling here at lake level. You take that amount of snow and double it up at the mountain.
Clearing the roadways, well, that's no kid stuff for sure. They're working around the clock, and doing a darn good job of it especially here around the lake. At times Highway 80 was closed but right now it's open. At one point the Reno Airport was closed, now it's open. Skiers, if you can get up here, we're loving life in the form of some fresh powder. But visibility is low on the ski slopes and also roadways. So winds gusting at times over 160 miles an hour over the weekend.
This is a monster storm. We mentioned that. Snow in the mountains and rain down in valleys. Before this storm hit the L.A. area saw 12 inches of rain in a 12-day period. That's a record. Since then, since this storm began another half a foot around the L.A. basin. Of course, that has turned to snow up here in the mountains. And avalanche a huge concern. Over the weekend, that's all you would hear is booms and bangs from explosions being set off by ski patrollers and some of the highway patrollers trying to relieve that avalanche danger.
Look at the snow bank. Picture this up at higher elevation, twice as much snow, and even steeper angle. I mean that snow just wants to come down just due to gravity. So they'd rather do it on their terms by setting off these explosions.
Something else that happened interesting over night, the snow level rose briefly. Actually rained briefly here last night. Now it's dropped. So we've got different layers of snow. You can see it's a bit crusty right through here. And when that happens, that also a danger for avalanche when you have that little layer of ice. So we're watching out for that.
We're going to expect another two feet of snow it looks like tomorrow. So those roadways, which are now open, may very well be closed again by this time tomorrow afternoon. If we get two feet here at the lakes, you can bet that will be twice as much up at the mountain passes.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: OK. So the question becomes for the meteorologist, why? Why so much?
MARCIANO: Why so much? Because we had this storm just sat out there. It's what we called a "closed low," meaning it cut itself off from the rest of the stream. Like if you were to see a twig in the stream just sitting there and spinning, kind of caught in an eddy, that's what happened with this storm. It just sat out there in the West Coast. And those typically take a long time to kick out.
This one is being very stubborn about that. So once we get it through though tomorrow, Daryn, it looks like the West Coast is going to see an extended dry period. So that will be good, as they dry out. That will be great for the ski resorts, they'll dig out and there will be some fresh pow on the hill as well. So they'll be able to go the skiers from the Bay Area back up to the hill safely so that they can enjoy this great snow.
KAGAN: Fresh pow.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
KAGAN: Of course, in the interest of fairness, we should also explain you're only about 5'2".
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: See you later, Daryn.
KAGAN: Not true. What? You're like 6'1" or 6'2", right? So people can really appreciate how big the snowdrifts are.
MARCIANO: Yes. They are tall. I'm getting shorter in my old age.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: But I think I'm still over six feet.
KAGAN: All of this work. Thank you, Rob. We'll see you in a bit.
HARRIS: Fresh pow.
KAGAN: Fresh pow. HARRIS: Dude.
Yes. In the Midwest, more weather three days of heavy rains have created havoc on the Ohio River. Some 27 coal barges were adrift on the river yesterday and river traffic was halted in those areas. In one incident near Industry, Pennsylvania, three crewmembers were killed and a fourth presumed dead, after the rain swollen river swept seven vessels over a dam spillway. Tugboats sank along with the six coal barges it was pushing.
A lot of snow, a lot rain. A lot of hmm.
KAGAN: And why so many people are interested in what's coming next. Jacqui Jeras standing over the West Coast there to tell us what is in store for there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: We do have some breaking news coming in the wake of the scandal at CBS News with the report they put together on President Bush's National Guard service, in which the documents they used were found to be forged. CBS has now asked three news executives there for the resignations. A fourth, the producer Mary Mapes who was in charge of the piece, she has been fired. The three include "60 Minutes Wednesday" executive producer Josh Howard, his deputy senior broadcast producer Mary Murphy.
One again, they had an independent panel that they put together to look at how this organization went wrong. And they believe it was not a political bent that led the way, but a zeal to be the first to put together a ground breaking piece on President Bush's National Guard service.
So once again, three people, three executives at CBS News asked to resign, a fourth has been terminated. Dan Rather, of course, the anchor of that story has already decided to step down later this year. More on that just ahead from New York.
Meanwhile, we move on to the Middle East where Mahmoud Abbas becomes the first new Palestinian leader in four decades. His victory is welcomed by Israel as a possible promise for a new era of peace. Still, his greatest challenge may come within from Palestinian militants.
CNN's Guy Raz joins us Ramallah.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we're outside the Mukata. This is the administrative headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority and soon to be Mahmoud Abbas' permanent office space. Now, it was indeed a momentous day across the Palestinian territories in the West Bank Gaza, East Jerusalem. Mahmoud Abbas is now inheriting the mantel of the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority.
Now, he's regarded as a moderate by the international community. He's somebody who opposes violence. And he has spoken out quite firmly on it in the past few weeks, calling militant attack against Israelis, quote, "useless." Now, Mr. Abbas is seen as somebody who could revive the Middle East peace process.
Now, Daryn, while official numbers aren't in, final numbers, it does appear from preliminary exit polls has Mr. Abbas has won with some 62 percent of the vote. His closest rival, Mustafa Barghouti, a human rights campaigner, won about 19 percent of the vote.
Last night in Ramallah, crowds were cheering, chanting, gunfire -- celebratory gunfire in the streets here in Ramallah. I wouldn't say that all or even many Palestinians are optimistic necessarily that Mahmoud Abbas can bring about change. But certainly, many of them believe they have no other choice but to place their hope in a man that they believe could possibly bring about a final change to their situation -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Guy, what this represents on even bigger picture we don't often see democracy being practiced in the Arab world. The sign this could send to Arabs elsewhere?
RAZ: Precisely. In fact, President Bush has been calling on Middle Eastern countries to encourage democracy, to ferment democracy. And essentially, we've seen an example of that right here among the Palestinians; 1.1 million Palestinians voted. There were seven candidates. This was by no means a coronation. Mahmoud Abbas fought for every vote. This election was open, transparent. There were hundreds of international monitors.
So certainly a success for an example of democracy emerging in the Middle East, Daryn.
KAGAN: Guy Raz joining us from Ramallah, thank you.
HARRIS: And Guy talking about observers. U.S. Senator Kerry served as one international observers monitoring the Palestinian election. Kerry then met with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and other government officials. Kerry, the Democratic nominee in last year's presidential election reaffirmed the United States' allegiance to Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER: Israel is our special ally, our special friend. It is a relationship that no one can tear apart. I'm proud to be here to talk with prime minister about the days ahead which are potentially historic and important obviously to all of us.
The security of Israel is the paramount concern. I know the prime minister has taken important steps in order to protect that over the course of the last year. The United States, both parties, Republican and Democrat, stand behind Israel in that effort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And later today, Israel's parliament is to approve a new coalition government. It is considered more moderate and more likely to approve Mr. Sharon's controversial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements.
KAGAN: Former President Carter also served as an election observer. He monitored the polls in East Jerusalem. That's where he said early chaos and confusion may have kept some Palestinians from voting. International monitors say that Carter contacted Prime Minister Sharon who resolved those problems.
Mr. Carter will be our guest today on "NEWS FROM CNN" with Wolf Blitzer. That's at noon Eastern, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.
HARRIS: And still to come in this hour, a street turned into a flowing river. We'll take you live to Indonesia for the latest in the tsunami devastation.
KAGAN: Plus, the excused ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal goes on trial. His attorney says he's going to try something he has never done before.
And later...
HARRIS: He's no stranger to action. Coming up later, one of the many faces of James Bond joins us live with what he's doing now.
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KAGAN: We want to go back to our developing story concerning CBS News taking action in the wake of the scandal around the story of President Bush's National Guard service.
Let's go to Chris Huntington in New York with more on that.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) Dan Rather is not leaving CBS. Let's back up just a bit here. This is all stemming from the September 8 broadcast on what was then called "60 Minutes II" a broadcast that purported that then-Air National Guardsman George Bush avoided service. There were documents citing that sort of avoidance and other efforts by then-Air National Guardsman Bush to avoid service.
These were purported to have come from a file of a Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Killian. Two hundred and twenty-four pages made public today was seeking to find exactly the providence of those documents.
Several executives and producers involved with the story have been terminated by CBS. And I'll run through the names quickly. Senior Vice President Betsy West, who supervised the production, will be leaving. Executive producer of the broadcast the "60 Minutes" broadcast there, Josh Howard. Also Howard's deputy, senior broadcast producer Mary Murphy. And most significantly, the direct producer of the piece Mary Mapes, a longtime and distinguished producer of "60 Minutes" broadcast.
Dan Rather announced back in November he would be stepping down from the "CBS Evening News" in March 9. There's apparently no change in that plan. At the time, it was announced Rather would stay on to work as a CBS correspondent in general and also on "60 Minutes" broadcasts.
Les Moonves, the president of CBS included in statement in today's report saying in part that Rather was pushed to the limits in the week before the September 8 broadcast. He was finishing up his anchoring duties at the 2004 Republican convention, was covering hurricanes in Florida. He asked the right questions initially but then made some errors.
A lot to get through in a 224-page report. Daryn, we'll certainly be covering this story throughout the remainder of the day.
KAGAN: Right. And also in that report, it's not just the heads that are rolling in this. This independent went panel looked about how this happened, why this happened and makes suggestions to improve CBS News so it doesn't happen again.
HUNTINGTON: Absolutely. There will be big, sweeping changes at CBS. Already, the network executives have admitted both in part, as I indicated here in the statement from Les Moonves, that there was perhaps enthusiasm that got ahead of normal and proper procedures for filing such a barbed report, if you will.
KAGAN: That's one way to put it. Chris Huntington in New York, thank you for that.
HARRIS: Now, turning the tide. Fifteen days after the tsunami disaster, UNICEF now has added urgency in its campaign to vaccinate 600,000 survivors against measles. Today it confirmed two cases of the highly contagious disease, which can attack the immune system in children. So far, there have been no outbreaks of any disease in the region.
U.S. military officials say all 10 people aboard a Navy helicopter that crashed into Indonesia suffered only minor injuries. The Seahawk SH60 helicopter crashed at the airport in Banda Aceh, where it was taking part in tsunami relief efforts. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
And Sri Lanka and Indonesia, a return to class, if not a return to normal. Schools across those two countries reopened for the first type since the December 26 disaster. But since tens of thousands of children are among the dead, many desks sat empty.
KAGAN: Secretary of -- U.S. military officials say all 10 people aboard a Navy helicopter that crashed in Indonesia will recover from their injuries. The Seahawk SH-60 helicopter crashed at the airport in Banda Aceh, where it was taking part in a tsunami relief effort. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Now to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He is briefing President Bush on the tsunami recovery this morning. Powell went to the White House after returning from the region. The secretary plans to discuss long-term assistance to nations hit by the killer waves.
Later this hour, Bill Clinton will announce a special fund for clean water and sanitation for the tsunami-hit areas. The former president's announcement will be made in at the UNICEF headquarters in New York. Clinton and former President George Bush are leading a nationwide fund-raising campaign for tsunami victims.
HARRIS: And still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, we'll take you live to Indonesia where a wedding photographer grabbed some unbelievable pictures of a street suddenly turned into a river of debris.
But first...
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: So are the battle days of inflation coming back to bite you? We'll tell you what to do if you think rising prices are going to hit your wallet when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And last week the Federal Reserve hinted that the economy could be facing a new era of inflation. While moderate inflation is natural during times of economic growth, prices that rise too quickly can hurt consumers and businesses.
CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis is our -- well, I don't want to say inflation -- you're watching inflation for us and you have the day's "Top Five Tips" to help us prepare. I tell you what, at times like this, I want to call the administrator of my 401k and ask what does all of this mean?
WILLIS: Hey, it's not a bad idea. I got to tell you, you've got to check that 401k. Anytime there's a major change in the market, you want to got through your asset allocation make sure it's right.
Now, here's the bad news, inflation hurts both stocks and bonds. It's not good news for either investment. But there are tweaks you can make right now that can help protect you if inflation were to rise dramatically.
Take a look at something called Inflation-Protected Bonds. Now, these are issued by the federal government. You can go to treasurydirect.gov to find out more about them. And if you don't want to invest in them on your own, you can go to one of the major mutual fund companies and buy a mutual fund that invests in these bonds. Check out Vanguard and Pimco.
And if you want to know more about asset allocation, if you just want to bone up on that topic, go to investoreducation.org.
HARRIS: And Gerri, inflationary times, how do I build some value in my home, which is my chief investment?
WILLIS: Well, here's the good news. Inflation actually helps you build value in your home.
HARRIS: Really?
WILLIS: You don't have to do anything at all. The price will just go up. And it's good news for you. Bad news for people in the market trying to buy a home; doesn't help them at all. They're going to have to pay more. But if you already own that house, it's a good thing.
HARRIS: I have debt concerns, though. You know, I've got a second mortgage here, I've got loans, I've got car stuff. How does all of this impact me?
WILLIS: Well, I got to tell you, if you have fixed rate debt, let's say you have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, or maybe you have a home equity loan, or maybe your credit cars are tied to a fixed rate. It's good news for you because that money becomes worth less over time. The burden is eased.
But if you have got variable rate interests, let's say you've got a home equity line of credit, Katie bar the door. That is bad news because the rates are going to go high.
HARRIS: And you're advising us to watch our wages?
WILLIS: Yes. You know what this means. When inflation ticks higher, higher, higher, the amount of money you're paid if it stays the same means you're actually losing ground against inflation, what you earn is less. You're going to have to become your own advocate out there. Really press hard for wage increases. Make sure that you're on the mark that you have everything you need to convince your boss, hey, I'm really worth more money and I need it now when inflation is higher.
HARRIS: All right, Gerri. A sort of bottom line, give us the reality check here.
WILLIS: Oh, absolutely. You know what? Talking about 3.6 percent inflation right now. And this is just a worry of Alan Greenspan's that inflation will tick higher. We don't know if it's actually going to happen. Remember, look back to the 1980s. Inflation hit 14.6 percent. We're nowhere near that. So don't overreact. Inflation may tick higher here. But you want to take a measured response instead of doing something willy-nilly.
HARRIS: Yes, watching our money.
Gerri Willis, we appreciate it. Thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
KAGAN: More cuts from one automaker to tell you about. Still to come, a look at which company is forced to put thousands of its workers on the unemployment line?
HARRIS: And ladies, we all know this one. He likes them shaken, not stirred. Coming up later, a talk with the 007 man himself about his new mission.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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