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CNN Live Today
West Coast Hit with Massive Storms; Military Conflict Complicates Aid Efforts; Four CBS News Staffers Fired over National Guard Story
Aired January 10, 2005 - 11:00 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.
(WEATHER REPORT)
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Well, you know, Southern California, you're right, you folks need the flippers.
DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: Maybe a new song (ph), about it not raining in southern California. It always rains in Southern California. Thank you, Jacqui.
HARRIS: That's all for this hour. Ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, what are the hot spots for 2005? We'll tell you about some travel destinations you might want to consider this year.
KAGAN: We'll look at some pretty scenery (ph).
Plus, tension among tragedy, how conflict is getting in the way of delivering aid to those in need. The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
HARRIS: And here's what's happening now in the news.
CBS has fired four employees in the fallout over the Bush National Guard story. The scandal erupted when questions were raised about the authenticity of documents used in the story. CBS says an independent panel concluded that the network failed to follow basic journalistic principles. The panel also criticized the network's rigid and blind defense of the story.
President Bush visits agencies involved in the tsunami relief to thank them for their efforts. He's expected to make some remarks in about 10 minutes. And we'll bring those to you live.
Earlier, Secretary of State Colin Powell briefed the president on his tour of tsunami-devastated areas of South Asia.
Just a short time ago, former President Clinton announced a new fund to aid tsunami victims. It will help with clean water and sanitation needs in the disaster area. He says inquiries determined that those were among the most pressing needs.
In Baghdad today, two U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. The military says the blast was so powerful, it destroyed their Bradley fighting vehicle, one of the military's heaviest armored vehicles.
Insurgents have stepped up attacks ahead of Iraqi elections this month. The latest on the violence and a live report at the half hour.
Daryn, I'm a mess up here.
KAGAN: This show will do that to you.
HARRIS: It does it. It is 11 a.m. on the East Coast and 8 a.m. out west. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: There's a paper trail, as I say. There's a method to the madness.
Good morning all of you. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Ask people in the west about the wicked weather. They might say it feels like it is never going to end. The mess in the west seems to be gaining power by the hour, complete with snow, mud much and mire. And it is not over yet.
CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is in Tahoe City, California, with more snow.
Good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn.
It's been an amazing weekend as far as how much snow has physically fallen in such a short period of time.
Here at lake level in Tahoe, it's at 6,200 feet. So they're no stranger to seeing significant snowfall. But this is such a massive storm, from the flooding to, in L.A., even severe weather like Jacqui Jeras talked about, snow getting up and over these mountains into the desert.
Reno, Nevada, high desert, doesn't typically get this much snow. Since December 28, they've had over six feet of snow. And this is going to go down in the record books as the worst storm they've seen since 1916.
The Reno airport was closed for a time. A lot of the highways were closed for a time. They're being closed again tomorrow. And at one point over Saturday night, Amtrak got a train stuck over Donner Pass. Two hundred passengers had to spend the night in the train on the mountain until they arrived safely back in Sacramento.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): Snow, snow and more snow. A series of storms has dumped as much as 19 feet of snow in the High Sierra Mountains. It's believed to be the most snow in the region in nearly 90 years. Avalanches and hazardous driving conditions are top concerns.
LEL TONE, AVALANCHE COORDINATOR: Visibility goes down to absolutely zero. A lot of accidents happen. The winds are absolutely screaming on the ridges. We had winds last night of 163 miles per hour.
MARCIANO: Plows and snow blowers working around the clock to keep traffic flowing. But despite their best efforts, several major highways between California and Nevada shut down and, in one instance, travelers were stranded in their cars for over 12 hours.
Conditions on the slopes are even more difficult. Although some skiers decided to brave the elements, at least until resort managers shut the slopes down.
GARY MURPHY, AVALANCHE FORECASTER: Wind is the architect of avalanches. And what we're seeing here is slab avalanches developing in the upper mountain because of wind-driven snow.
MARCIANO: Ski patrols hit the most unstable areas of the mountain, setting off charges to blast away potentially deadly avalanches. And even more snow may be on the way. Local forecasters in the area have extended a winter storm warning across the Sierra and parts of northern Nevada into Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Just a couple of hours ago we started to hear those bangs again. They're controlling those avalanches up at the ski resorts and along the highway and mountain passes.
With more snow expected tonight, two feet here on the valley floor, at least at lake level, you can double that in mountain passes and the highway. Folks are going to have their hands full trying to keep the roads clear.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: All right. Rob, you try to stay dry and warm there. Thank you.
MARCIANO: Will do.
HARRIS: Also in the Wild West, the city of angels is praying for no more rain as the relentless storm batters southern California with torrential downpours, flooding. We showed you a house in Santa Clarida (ph), virtually being washed away. Rock slides, headache upon headache. In all of that, some amazing stories of rescue and survival.
Here's CNN's Miguel Marquez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's about as dramatic as a rescue gets: a man stripped of his clothing by the rush of water almost doesn't make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move him this way.
MARQUEZ: Before the man was pulled to shore, he spent about 40 minutes floating through the Los Angeles suburbs on the roof of his BMW. His kids had been rescued earlier, but his car became a boat for about two miles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab the rope! Grab it tight!
MARQUEZ: In the Hollywood hills, a house crumpled after the water-sodden hillside behind it gave way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard this woman from this house say, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God! My house fell down! (ph)"
MARQUEZ: A 33-year-old man and his two kids were plucked from the debris. Fire officials say his 10-year-old son, buried up to his neck in mud, was lucky to survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got a baby, Michael.
MARQUEZ: In the suburbs north of Los Angeles a river raged in what was once a dry creek bed. After a wall collapsed, a trailer park flooded. Residents packed up children and Chihuahuas and headed for drier ground.
REBECCA HAYES, EVACUEE: My dad wants to stay but we have no choice. We have to evacuate.
MARQUEZ: Across southern California, mud slid off rain-soaked hills. Rock and mudslides blocked roads, creating hazards almost everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Mother Nature at its worst.
MARQUEZ: Mother Nature relentless. In Malibu, a car with five passengers plunged onto the rocky shore. One person was killed.
Near Dodgers Stadium, a homeless man died after being buried in mud.
(on camera) I want to give you a sense of where I am. We're in the Hollywood Hills on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where the street has literally turned into a river tonight. Many cars not even coming up the boulevard here because they're so concerned about the water.
California's Office of Emergency Management says officially two people have died in this storm but several others have been killed in traffic-related accidents. And California's due for another belt of storms Monday evening.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Now for the man just seen being rescued in Miguel's report. The raging waters swept away his car and his pants. Earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, two firefighters who helped save him talked about how they did it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. MIKE YULE, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, FIRE DEPARTMENT: And people that were actually running the riverbank and keeping an eye on him. Captain McGauley on Engine 81 and myself on Truck 811 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)
HARRIS: Well, today the man and his two children are doing just fine.
In about 15 minutes, CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will join us with a complete look at weather conditions out west.
KAGAN: It has been just over two weeks since the epic tsunami disaster in South Asia, and relief agencies are reporting progress despite setbacks.
A helicopter crash temporarily halted some relief flights in Indonesia. Ten people aboard the U.S. Navy chopper suffered minor injuries. The U.S. military is stepping up its efforts in Sri Lanka and in addition to distributing aid, Marines today began clearing debris in a coastal community on the southern end of the island nation.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has wrapped up a visit to the Maldives. He toured areas of the tiny low-lying islands battered by the tsunami. Damage is so extensive on some of the islands that they will not be resettled.
Relief efforts in part of Asia -- parts of Asia are taking place along a backdrop of long-standing conflict. Indonesia, for example, the government has been battling a separatist movement in the Aceh province for decades.
Let's go live to CNN's John King, who is in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. He looks at how the conflict is affecting the massive relief mission -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, it is quite a dramatic story unfolding here.
There are international troops here by the thousands, international aid workers here by the hundreds. All of this in a part of Indonesia that was off limits to outsiders until disaster struck 15 days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING (voice-over): The Indonesian military is a constant presence on the streets of Banda Aceh, both before and now after the tsunami. Its familiar and often controversial role here is to keep tabs on the free Aceh separatist movement, a military accused of frequent human rights abuses now the host of an unprecedented humanitarian coalition.
COL. AHMED TAR, INDONESIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN (through translator): we will accommodate everyone who wants to be involved, but, of course, everything will be under one coordination and control.
KING: The military muscle here makes many on the streets reluctant to talk politics. Some, seeing all the newcomers, hope for a better life and maybe an independent Aceh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We would be happy. Kids can play, pray, go to school. When this place it a mess, it is not good. Violence is not good.
KING: U.S. AID coordinator Michael Bak recalls being followed. He made rare solo visits to Aceh before the tsunami. Now foreigners are here by the thousands.
MICHAEL BAK, U.S. AID: That is an issue I am certain that the Indonesian military authorities and civilian authorities are grappling with.
KING: Like any major endeavor, relationships matter.
BRIG. GEN. CHRISTIAN COWDREY, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES, INDONESIA: There has to be an understanding. There has to be an opportunity to get to know you.
KING: Military sources tell CNN the first U.S. forces to reach the area could have land sooner but had to wait for permission.
Marines now want to help troops from Singapore clear blocked roads in isolated coastal areas. The top U.S. commander here is diplomatic but still waiting for an answer.
COWDREY: I think there's a need to -- to build trust to a certain extent. To offer a helping hand, to say we're here to support your efforts at your direction, where you need it.
KING: West of Banda Aceh is hard to reach. This French medical team waiting four days now for permission and a lift. Most aid officials talk of hiccups, not crises.
BAK: I think whenever there are issues that arise where maybe there are differing opinions, we can negotiate and discuss the -- how it ought to be done.
KING: But there is tension just beneath the surface. Some relief workers quietly discuss expanding beyond refugee camps and trying to document alleged human rights abuses. They also talk of establishing long-term missions here.
The military, though, makes clear its promised accommodation is by no means open-ended.
TAR (through translator): Of course, the level of importance would be assessed. The government would make a decision from these assessments, just how important it is for these groups to stay.
KING: The military reports just a few firefights in recent days but accuses rebels of infiltrating refugee camps.
The military presence on the streets dipped just after the disaster, but is back in force now. A watchful eye here is nothing new. Now the world is watching, too. Aceh's delicate and often violent politics, a subplot to disaster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: And relief organizations, again, say that so far relatively so good. They report some indications, some issues with the Indonesian authorities in moving into certain areas. But they say most of those have been worked out.
But Daryn, the most interesting thing here is this is so unfamiliar for so many relief workers to be in a place that they have been denied access to for so long. There is suspicion, perhaps on both sides, as everyone thinks as this drags on into a third or fourth or fifth week and beyond, the patience of the Indonesian military and government might soon be tested -- Daryn.
KAGAN: So the good will not be that long lasting. And whether this is going to have any long-term of bringing peace to this area, I guess we'll still have to just wait and see.
KING: That wait and see. There's a great deal of tension about that, and there's suspicion on both sides.
So far, again, everyone says the Indonesian military is cooperating, but in the streets over the past several days, there's a greater military presence each and every day. That presence seems to be in response to there being more and more foreigners out on the streets interacting with every day Indonesians.
If you stop to talk to them, it's not surprising at all for a military person to wander over and eavesdrop on the conversation. That is part of every day life here in this part of the country.
But of course, the new thing is to have so many Americans, Australians and others from around the world wandering those streets. It's not -- The concern now is not just separatists.
And the government is also concerned that with all the foreign journalists here, the separatists will try to get international attention and perhaps international sympathy for their cause.
KAGAN: An ongoing story. John King from Banda Aceh. Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, the latest images emerging from the tsunami disaster underscore the horror of the rushing wall of water. This video was shot by a wedding photographer perched on a rooftop in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
People rushed to escape the force of the water as it carries away debris from what used to be buildings. Look at this: cars and uprooted trees are also swept away by the force of the water.
And stay tuned to CNN for the latest developments on the tsunami recovery efforts. We have reporters stationed throughout the devastated region.
KAGAN: Now here in the U.S., a shakeup at CBS News. The network has fired four employees following an investigation into a "60 Minutes" story about President Bush's military service. That story relied on allegedly forged documents and aired during the presidential campaign.
CNN Business reporter Chris Huntington joins us in New York, where he's following the story -- Chris.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thank you very much.
What is interesting, perhaps, in this report is what it could not find out. And that is, the independent report commissioned by CBS to get to the bottom of the Bush Air National Guard document story could not determine whether or not those documents were, in fact, authentic or forged.
In other words, the basic question that is at the root of this controversy is whether or not four letters that purportedly came from the files of Lieutenant General Jerry Killian, who was a commander in the Texas Air National Guard and overseeing then Air National Guardsman George Bush.
No word from the investigative panel, run by former attorney general, Dick Thornburgh, and the former head of the Associated Press, Louis Boccardi. They could not determine whether those documents are authentic.
But they did find that there was a major breakdown in fundamental journalistic practices at CBS, driven in part by competitive zeal and a firm belief in the truth and also driven by the fact that the story was pushed by Dan Rather and one of the senior most -- one of the most talented and revered producers at CBS, a woman named Mary Mapes.
Mary Mapes is now losing her job. She is, as Daryn pointed out at the top, among four people losing their jobs. Also asked to resign, senior executive vice president Betsy West, executive producer Josh Howard and Howard's assistant, Mary Murphy. Those people have been asked to resign. Mary Mapes, in the words of CBS, has been terminated.
Dan Rather, no word exactly on his -- no new word, I should say, on his fate, except that he will be stepping down as planned and previously announced from his anchor chair on the "CBS Evening News on March 9. No successor has been named yet -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Chris, you talk about the competitive zeal that it faults in this report. But let's get right to it. A lot of people talking about this think there was a political bent to the people working at CBS News.
Did the independent panel look at that and believe whether or not this is a political conspiracy to go after President Bush?
HUNTINGTON: Daryn, yes, they did look at that. They pretty much threw water on the notion that it was a political conspiracy.
But they certainly said that a phone call from Mary Mapes to a gentleman named Bill Burkett, who was the source of the document or at least the purported connection to the documents, raised the appearance of political impropriety.
And indeed, that is the essence of the story that leads people to call for the notion that this was a politically motivated. The report pretty much says that, while there was an appearance and some sloppy handling of the situation, that there did not appear to be a political motive driving the CBS News report.
KAGAN: Chris Huntington from New York. Thank you.
HARRIS: Palestinians pick Yasser Arafat's successor, but does Mahmoud Abbas really have what it takes to get the Middle East back on track to peace?
KAGAN: Still to come, as election day nears, in Iraq assassins target yet another Baghdad official. What does it mean for Iraqis who want to head for the ballot box.
HARRIS: And the West Coast isn't the only region of the country being punished by the weather. Find out which river in the Rust Belt had homeowners running for higher ground.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A live picture from Washington, D.C. These are U.S. AID workers in Washington, D.C. President Bush will be coming by to talk with them in just a bit. We'll carry some of those remarks live, talking about what's being done to help tsunami victims around the world.
HARRIS: An impressive mandate, the Palestinian Election Commission today declared Mahmoud Abbas the winner of the presidential election with almost two-thirds of the vote. His nearest challenger was 40 percentage points behind him.
CNN's Guy Raz looks at the man who will succeed Yasser Arafat and the many challenges he faces.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president of a nation without a state. But the challenge ahead for the man known as Abu Mazen will rival that of any world leader.
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): We have a difficult, tough task ahead of us, to build a secure and stable state based on the rule of law.
RAZ: A man better known for being unknown, Abu Mazen quickly embraced the limelight on the campaign trail and the legacy of Yasser Arafat, even mimicking the scarf-waving style of his predecessor, but the two men couldn't be more different.
NASSER JUMAA, AL AQSA MARTYRS BRIGADE (through translator): Abu Mazen should pursue Arafat's path in insisting on Palestinian national demands, but we don't want him to follow Arafat's legacy of complete and utter corruption.
RAZ: This is another Abu Mazen, a man with the same nom de guerre as the president and someone Mahmoud Abbas has to contend with. We met him at a safe house. He's the Nablus leader of the armed Palestinian faction, al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. His real name is Nasser Jumaa.
He's constantly on the move, a target for assassination by Israeli intelligence, which sees him as a terrorist and believes he's responsible for the death of Israelis.
To locals, he's a hero of the resistance. Here in the warren of alleyways of the old city of Nablus, Jumaa is safe and important. Important enough for Mahmoud Abbas to pay a special campaign visit to see him last week.
Abbas wants these men to end their attacks against Israelis. In return, he promises to protect them.
ABBAS (through translator): As for the honorable wanted men from al Aqsa and other factions, we will not accept anything less than a dignified, secure, stable life in their society.
RAZ: Nasser Jumaa says his group is prepared to call a cease- fire with Israel, but he doesn't believe Israel will agree to his terms. And ending the violence, he says, is a two-way street.
JUMAA (through translator): Abu Mazen needs to understand that our guns will not be disposed of as long as there is Israeli occupation, and this is a subject we won't even discuss.
RAZ: In parts of Nablus, Jumaa's men control the streets, not the official Palestinian police. Mahmoud Abbas wants them all under his control, a major challenge. For the time being, Nasser Jumaa is willing to give it a chance.
Mahmoud Abbas accepted this role reluctantly. He didn't want the job. Now he can expect to be squeezed from every side, his own people and Israel.
Guy Raz, CNN, Nablus, in the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And a programming note, former President Jimmy Carter served as an election monitor for the Palestinian elections. He talks next hour with our Wolf Blitzer.
KAGAN: Well, the West Coast gets some relief from the weather today. Jacqui Jeras will have the nation's forecast, next.
HARRIS: Plus, it's not just the west that's all wet. Find out what other part of the country is now looking for some flood relief.
KAGAN: And if you're looking to get away from it all, we'll tell you what's new when it comes to travel in 2005.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Damaging weather. We've been talking about it all morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, we have, with good reason.
HARRIS: Yes. It's also making a stop in Ohio, as you can see here. There, recent rains and melted snow have caused the governor to declare a state of emergency in about one half of the state's counties. Officials are just beginning to assess the damage caused by all of this severe flooding. What a mess.
KAGAN: Of course then there's also California, the west coast. Jacqui Jeras here, following all of us for it -- Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All right. Thank you for that, Jacqui.
We're standing by. President Bush expected to speak in Washington, D.C., and there's a live picture. We'll be going to him as he makes his remarks. Remarks in front of U.S. AID workers. That's just ahead.
And we'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 January 10, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Well, you know, Southern California, you're right, you folks need the flippers.
DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: Maybe a new song (ph), about it not raining in southern California. It always rains in Southern California. Thank you, Jacqui.
HARRIS: That's all for this hour. Ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, what are the hot spots for 2005? We'll tell you about some travel destinations you might want to consider this year.
KAGAN: We'll look at some pretty scenery (ph).
Plus, tension among tragedy, how conflict is getting in the way of delivering aid to those in need. The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
HARRIS: And here's what's happening now in the news.
CBS has fired four employees in the fallout over the Bush National Guard story. The scandal erupted when questions were raised about the authenticity of documents used in the story. CBS says an independent panel concluded that the network failed to follow basic journalistic principles. The panel also criticized the network's rigid and blind defense of the story.
President Bush visits agencies involved in the tsunami relief to thank them for their efforts. He's expected to make some remarks in about 10 minutes. And we'll bring those to you live.
Earlier, Secretary of State Colin Powell briefed the president on his tour of tsunami-devastated areas of South Asia.
Just a short time ago, former President Clinton announced a new fund to aid tsunami victims. It will help with clean water and sanitation needs in the disaster area. He says inquiries determined that those were among the most pressing needs.
In Baghdad today, two U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. The military says the blast was so powerful, it destroyed their Bradley fighting vehicle, one of the military's heaviest armored vehicles.
Insurgents have stepped up attacks ahead of Iraqi elections this month. The latest on the violence and a live report at the half hour.
Daryn, I'm a mess up here.
KAGAN: This show will do that to you.
HARRIS: It does it. It is 11 a.m. on the East Coast and 8 a.m. out west. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: There's a paper trail, as I say. There's a method to the madness.
Good morning all of you. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Ask people in the west about the wicked weather. They might say it feels like it is never going to end. The mess in the west seems to be gaining power by the hour, complete with snow, mud much and mire. And it is not over yet.
CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is in Tahoe City, California, with more snow.
Good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn.
It's been an amazing weekend as far as how much snow has physically fallen in such a short period of time.
Here at lake level in Tahoe, it's at 6,200 feet. So they're no stranger to seeing significant snowfall. But this is such a massive storm, from the flooding to, in L.A., even severe weather like Jacqui Jeras talked about, snow getting up and over these mountains into the desert.
Reno, Nevada, high desert, doesn't typically get this much snow. Since December 28, they've had over six feet of snow. And this is going to go down in the record books as the worst storm they've seen since 1916.
The Reno airport was closed for a time. A lot of the highways were closed for a time. They're being closed again tomorrow. And at one point over Saturday night, Amtrak got a train stuck over Donner Pass. Two hundred passengers had to spend the night in the train on the mountain until they arrived safely back in Sacramento.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): Snow, snow and more snow. A series of storms has dumped as much as 19 feet of snow in the High Sierra Mountains. It's believed to be the most snow in the region in nearly 90 years. Avalanches and hazardous driving conditions are top concerns.
LEL TONE, AVALANCHE COORDINATOR: Visibility goes down to absolutely zero. A lot of accidents happen. The winds are absolutely screaming on the ridges. We had winds last night of 163 miles per hour.
MARCIANO: Plows and snow blowers working around the clock to keep traffic flowing. But despite their best efforts, several major highways between California and Nevada shut down and, in one instance, travelers were stranded in their cars for over 12 hours.
Conditions on the slopes are even more difficult. Although some skiers decided to brave the elements, at least until resort managers shut the slopes down.
GARY MURPHY, AVALANCHE FORECASTER: Wind is the architect of avalanches. And what we're seeing here is slab avalanches developing in the upper mountain because of wind-driven snow.
MARCIANO: Ski patrols hit the most unstable areas of the mountain, setting off charges to blast away potentially deadly avalanches. And even more snow may be on the way. Local forecasters in the area have extended a winter storm warning across the Sierra and parts of northern Nevada into Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Just a couple of hours ago we started to hear those bangs again. They're controlling those avalanches up at the ski resorts and along the highway and mountain passes.
With more snow expected tonight, two feet here on the valley floor, at least at lake level, you can double that in mountain passes and the highway. Folks are going to have their hands full trying to keep the roads clear.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: All right. Rob, you try to stay dry and warm there. Thank you.
MARCIANO: Will do.
HARRIS: Also in the Wild West, the city of angels is praying for no more rain as the relentless storm batters southern California with torrential downpours, flooding. We showed you a house in Santa Clarida (ph), virtually being washed away. Rock slides, headache upon headache. In all of that, some amazing stories of rescue and survival.
Here's CNN's Miguel Marquez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's about as dramatic as a rescue gets: a man stripped of his clothing by the rush of water almost doesn't make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move him this way.
MARQUEZ: Before the man was pulled to shore, he spent about 40 minutes floating through the Los Angeles suburbs on the roof of his BMW. His kids had been rescued earlier, but his car became a boat for about two miles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grab the rope! Grab it tight!
MARQUEZ: In the Hollywood hills, a house crumpled after the water-sodden hillside behind it gave way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard this woman from this house say, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God! My house fell down! (ph)"
MARQUEZ: A 33-year-old man and his two kids were plucked from the debris. Fire officials say his 10-year-old son, buried up to his neck in mud, was lucky to survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got a baby, Michael.
MARQUEZ: In the suburbs north of Los Angeles a river raged in what was once a dry creek bed. After a wall collapsed, a trailer park flooded. Residents packed up children and Chihuahuas and headed for drier ground.
REBECCA HAYES, EVACUEE: My dad wants to stay but we have no choice. We have to evacuate.
MARQUEZ: Across southern California, mud slid off rain-soaked hills. Rock and mudslides blocked roads, creating hazards almost everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Mother Nature at its worst.
MARQUEZ: Mother Nature relentless. In Malibu, a car with five passengers plunged onto the rocky shore. One person was killed.
Near Dodgers Stadium, a homeless man died after being buried in mud.
(on camera) I want to give you a sense of where I am. We're in the Hollywood Hills on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where the street has literally turned into a river tonight. Many cars not even coming up the boulevard here because they're so concerned about the water.
California's Office of Emergency Management says officially two people have died in this storm but several others have been killed in traffic-related accidents. And California's due for another belt of storms Monday evening.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Now for the man just seen being rescued in Miguel's report. The raging waters swept away his car and his pants. Earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, two firefighters who helped save him talked about how they did it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. MIKE YULE, SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, FIRE DEPARTMENT: And people that were actually running the riverbank and keeping an eye on him. Captain McGauley on Engine 81 and myself on Truck 811 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.
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HARRIS: Well, today the man and his two children are doing just fine.
In about 15 minutes, CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras will join us with a complete look at weather conditions out west.
KAGAN: It has been just over two weeks since the epic tsunami disaster in South Asia, and relief agencies are reporting progress despite setbacks.
A helicopter crash temporarily halted some relief flights in Indonesia. Ten people aboard the U.S. Navy chopper suffered minor injuries. The U.S. military is stepping up its efforts in Sri Lanka and in addition to distributing aid, Marines today began clearing debris in a coastal community on the southern end of the island nation.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has wrapped up a visit to the Maldives. He toured areas of the tiny low-lying islands battered by the tsunami. Damage is so extensive on some of the islands that they will not be resettled.
Relief efforts in part of Asia -- parts of Asia are taking place along a backdrop of long-standing conflict. Indonesia, for example, the government has been battling a separatist movement in the Aceh province for decades.
Let's go live to CNN's John King, who is in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. He looks at how the conflict is affecting the massive relief mission -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, it is quite a dramatic story unfolding here.
There are international troops here by the thousands, international aid workers here by the hundreds. All of this in a part of Indonesia that was off limits to outsiders until disaster struck 15 days ago.
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KING (voice-over): The Indonesian military is a constant presence on the streets of Banda Aceh, both before and now after the tsunami. Its familiar and often controversial role here is to keep tabs on the free Aceh separatist movement, a military accused of frequent human rights abuses now the host of an unprecedented humanitarian coalition.
COL. AHMED TAR, INDONESIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN (through translator): we will accommodate everyone who wants to be involved, but, of course, everything will be under one coordination and control.
KING: The military muscle here makes many on the streets reluctant to talk politics. Some, seeing all the newcomers, hope for a better life and maybe an independent Aceh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We would be happy. Kids can play, pray, go to school. When this place it a mess, it is not good. Violence is not good.
KING: U.S. AID coordinator Michael Bak recalls being followed. He made rare solo visits to Aceh before the tsunami. Now foreigners are here by the thousands.
MICHAEL BAK, U.S. AID: That is an issue I am certain that the Indonesian military authorities and civilian authorities are grappling with.
KING: Like any major endeavor, relationships matter.
BRIG. GEN. CHRISTIAN COWDREY, COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES, INDONESIA: There has to be an understanding. There has to be an opportunity to get to know you.
KING: Military sources tell CNN the first U.S. forces to reach the area could have land sooner but had to wait for permission.
Marines now want to help troops from Singapore clear blocked roads in isolated coastal areas. The top U.S. commander here is diplomatic but still waiting for an answer.
COWDREY: I think there's a need to -- to build trust to a certain extent. To offer a helping hand, to say we're here to support your efforts at your direction, where you need it.
KING: West of Banda Aceh is hard to reach. This French medical team waiting four days now for permission and a lift. Most aid officials talk of hiccups, not crises.
BAK: I think whenever there are issues that arise where maybe there are differing opinions, we can negotiate and discuss the -- how it ought to be done.
KING: But there is tension just beneath the surface. Some relief workers quietly discuss expanding beyond refugee camps and trying to document alleged human rights abuses. They also talk of establishing long-term missions here.
The military, though, makes clear its promised accommodation is by no means open-ended.
TAR (through translator): Of course, the level of importance would be assessed. The government would make a decision from these assessments, just how important it is for these groups to stay.
KING: The military reports just a few firefights in recent days but accuses rebels of infiltrating refugee camps.
The military presence on the streets dipped just after the disaster, but is back in force now. A watchful eye here is nothing new. Now the world is watching, too. Aceh's delicate and often violent politics, a subplot to disaster.
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KING: And relief organizations, again, say that so far relatively so good. They report some indications, some issues with the Indonesian authorities in moving into certain areas. But they say most of those have been worked out.
But Daryn, the most interesting thing here is this is so unfamiliar for so many relief workers to be in a place that they have been denied access to for so long. There is suspicion, perhaps on both sides, as everyone thinks as this drags on into a third or fourth or fifth week and beyond, the patience of the Indonesian military and government might soon be tested -- Daryn.
KAGAN: So the good will not be that long lasting. And whether this is going to have any long-term of bringing peace to this area, I guess we'll still have to just wait and see.
KING: That wait and see. There's a great deal of tension about that, and there's suspicion on both sides.
So far, again, everyone says the Indonesian military is cooperating, but in the streets over the past several days, there's a greater military presence each and every day. That presence seems to be in response to there being more and more foreigners out on the streets interacting with every day Indonesians.
If you stop to talk to them, it's not surprising at all for a military person to wander over and eavesdrop on the conversation. That is part of every day life here in this part of the country.
But of course, the new thing is to have so many Americans, Australians and others from around the world wandering those streets. It's not -- The concern now is not just separatists.
And the government is also concerned that with all the foreign journalists here, the separatists will try to get international attention and perhaps international sympathy for their cause.
KAGAN: An ongoing story. John King from Banda Aceh. Thank you.
HARRIS: Well, the latest images emerging from the tsunami disaster underscore the horror of the rushing wall of water. This video was shot by a wedding photographer perched on a rooftop in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
People rushed to escape the force of the water as it carries away debris from what used to be buildings. Look at this: cars and uprooted trees are also swept away by the force of the water.
And stay tuned to CNN for the latest developments on the tsunami recovery efforts. We have reporters stationed throughout the devastated region.
KAGAN: Now here in the U.S., a shakeup at CBS News. The network has fired four employees following an investigation into a "60 Minutes" story about President Bush's military service. That story relied on allegedly forged documents and aired during the presidential campaign.
CNN Business reporter Chris Huntington joins us in New York, where he's following the story -- Chris.
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thank you very much.
What is interesting, perhaps, in this report is what it could not find out. And that is, the independent report commissioned by CBS to get to the bottom of the Bush Air National Guard document story could not determine whether or not those documents were, in fact, authentic or forged.
In other words, the basic question that is at the root of this controversy is whether or not four letters that purportedly came from the files of Lieutenant General Jerry Killian, who was a commander in the Texas Air National Guard and overseeing then Air National Guardsman George Bush.
No word from the investigative panel, run by former attorney general, Dick Thornburgh, and the former head of the Associated Press, Louis Boccardi. They could not determine whether those documents are authentic.
But they did find that there was a major breakdown in fundamental journalistic practices at CBS, driven in part by competitive zeal and a firm belief in the truth and also driven by the fact that the story was pushed by Dan Rather and one of the senior most -- one of the most talented and revered producers at CBS, a woman named Mary Mapes.
Mary Mapes is now losing her job. She is, as Daryn pointed out at the top, among four people losing their jobs. Also asked to resign, senior executive vice president Betsy West, executive producer Josh Howard and Howard's assistant, Mary Murphy. Those people have been asked to resign. Mary Mapes, in the words of CBS, has been terminated.
Dan Rather, no word exactly on his -- no new word, I should say, on his fate, except that he will be stepping down as planned and previously announced from his anchor chair on the "CBS Evening News on March 9. No successor has been named yet -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Chris, you talk about the competitive zeal that it faults in this report. But let's get right to it. A lot of people talking about this think there was a political bent to the people working at CBS News.
Did the independent panel look at that and believe whether or not this is a political conspiracy to go after President Bush?
HUNTINGTON: Daryn, yes, they did look at that. They pretty much threw water on the notion that it was a political conspiracy.
But they certainly said that a phone call from Mary Mapes to a gentleman named Bill Burkett, who was the source of the document or at least the purported connection to the documents, raised the appearance of political impropriety.
And indeed, that is the essence of the story that leads people to call for the notion that this was a politically motivated. The report pretty much says that, while there was an appearance and some sloppy handling of the situation, that there did not appear to be a political motive driving the CBS News report.
KAGAN: Chris Huntington from New York. Thank you.
HARRIS: Palestinians pick Yasser Arafat's successor, but does Mahmoud Abbas really have what it takes to get the Middle East back on track to peace?
KAGAN: Still to come, as election day nears, in Iraq assassins target yet another Baghdad official. What does it mean for Iraqis who want to head for the ballot box.
HARRIS: And the West Coast isn't the only region of the country being punished by the weather. Find out which river in the Rust Belt had homeowners running for higher ground.
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KAGAN: A live picture from Washington, D.C. These are U.S. AID workers in Washington, D.C. President Bush will be coming by to talk with them in just a bit. We'll carry some of those remarks live, talking about what's being done to help tsunami victims around the world.
HARRIS: An impressive mandate, the Palestinian Election Commission today declared Mahmoud Abbas the winner of the presidential election with almost two-thirds of the vote. His nearest challenger was 40 percentage points behind him.
CNN's Guy Raz looks at the man who will succeed Yasser Arafat and the many challenges he faces.
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GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president of a nation without a state. But the challenge ahead for the man known as Abu Mazen will rival that of any world leader.
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): We have a difficult, tough task ahead of us, to build a secure and stable state based on the rule of law.
RAZ: A man better known for being unknown, Abu Mazen quickly embraced the limelight on the campaign trail and the legacy of Yasser Arafat, even mimicking the scarf-waving style of his predecessor, but the two men couldn't be more different.
NASSER JUMAA, AL AQSA MARTYRS BRIGADE (through translator): Abu Mazen should pursue Arafat's path in insisting on Palestinian national demands, but we don't want him to follow Arafat's legacy of complete and utter corruption.
RAZ: This is another Abu Mazen, a man with the same nom de guerre as the president and someone Mahmoud Abbas has to contend with. We met him at a safe house. He's the Nablus leader of the armed Palestinian faction, al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. His real name is Nasser Jumaa.
He's constantly on the move, a target for assassination by Israeli intelligence, which sees him as a terrorist and believes he's responsible for the death of Israelis.
To locals, he's a hero of the resistance. Here in the warren of alleyways of the old city of Nablus, Jumaa is safe and important. Important enough for Mahmoud Abbas to pay a special campaign visit to see him last week.
Abbas wants these men to end their attacks against Israelis. In return, he promises to protect them.
ABBAS (through translator): As for the honorable wanted men from al Aqsa and other factions, we will not accept anything less than a dignified, secure, stable life in their society.
RAZ: Nasser Jumaa says his group is prepared to call a cease- fire with Israel, but he doesn't believe Israel will agree to his terms. And ending the violence, he says, is a two-way street.
JUMAA (through translator): Abu Mazen needs to understand that our guns will not be disposed of as long as there is Israeli occupation, and this is a subject we won't even discuss.
RAZ: In parts of Nablus, Jumaa's men control the streets, not the official Palestinian police. Mahmoud Abbas wants them all under his control, a major challenge. For the time being, Nasser Jumaa is willing to give it a chance.
Mahmoud Abbas accepted this role reluctantly. He didn't want the job. Now he can expect to be squeezed from every side, his own people and Israel.
Guy Raz, CNN, Nablus, in the West Bank.
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HARRIS: And a programming note, former President Jimmy Carter served as an election monitor for the Palestinian elections. He talks next hour with our Wolf Blitzer.
KAGAN: Well, the West Coast gets some relief from the weather today. Jacqui Jeras will have the nation's forecast, next.
HARRIS: Plus, it's not just the west that's all wet. Find out what other part of the country is now looking for some flood relief.
KAGAN: And if you're looking to get away from it all, we'll tell you what's new when it comes to travel in 2005.
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HARRIS: Damaging weather. We've been talking about it all morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, we have, with good reason.
HARRIS: Yes. It's also making a stop in Ohio, as you can see here. There, recent rains and melted snow have caused the governor to declare a state of emergency in about one half of the state's counties. Officials are just beginning to assess the damage caused by all of this severe flooding. What a mess.
KAGAN: Of course then there's also California, the west coast. Jacqui Jeras here, following all of us for it -- Jacqui.
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KAGAN: All right. Thank you for that, Jacqui.
We're standing by. President Bush expected to speak in Washington, D.C., and there's a live picture. We'll be going to him as he makes his remarks. Remarks in front of U.S. AID workers. That's just ahead.
And we'll be back.
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