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CNN Live Today

President Bush Tours Damaged Areas; John Roberts Confirmation Hearings; New Orleans Jazz; Protect Your Valuables Tips: Evacuees Leaving Houston Astrodome

Aired September 12, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Tony Harris in for Daryn Kagan this morning.
Two major stories we're covering this hour.

President Bush makes his first ground tour of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit. About an hour ago, Mr. Bush was briefed on the relief effort while on board the USS Iwo Jima.

And Judge John Roberts' Senate confirmation hearings begin two hours from now. Last week the president re-nominated Roberts to be chief justice of the United States. More on the Roberts hearings later.

Right now, "Mission Critical," the latest development on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans police say they won't forcibly evacuate residents but officers will continue going door to door to tell holdouts they're violating mandatory evacuation orders.

The Red Cross says it has served more than seven million meals to hurricane survivors. Boiled water restrictions for some parishes in Southeast Louisiana have been lifted.

Military cargo planes will start spraying for mosquitoes and flies in New Orleans this evening. Mosquitoes were already a problem in the area before the floods came.

In other health related news, five hospitals are now open in New Orleans.

An estimated 340,000 evacuees are in shelters, hotels, homes and other house in 34 states and Washington, D.C. Those numbers come to us from the Red Cross and state officials.

And 67 pumps are now online slowly draining New Orleans. Officials say about half of the city remains flooded. That's down from the height of 80 percent. President Bush is in the midst of his third post-Katrina trip to the Gulf Coast. He'll have a lot to see. He begins his day in New Orleans. He'll ride in a convoy of military trucks to survey damage to flooded neighborhoods. Mr. Bush plans to tour surrounding parishes by helicopter, touching down to meet local leaders. The president will later travel to Gulfport, Mississippi. Sean Callebs will be coming up in just a moment with the latest developments on the president's trip from New Orleans.

And let's go to Sean Callebs now.

And, Sean, the president will see two very different pictures of the city of New Orleans today. Describe those different views, if you would.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's start with where we are now. This is one view he's going to see. There are just loads of people down here and equipment doing what they can to clean up. This is Decatur Street on the fringe of the French quarter. And you can see the remnant of what looks to be a live Oak. On down on the other end, they've done a great deal of work cleaning a Maple tree. Historic Jackson Square. Very pristine here. However, there are other areas I can tell you it is just horrible.

Now, the flooding has subsided significantly in New Orleans over the past, oh, 24 hours or so. At the height, 80 percent of this city was flooded. Now it is down to about 50 percent. That is because pumps have been working around the clock. Something like 67 pumps.

But what he'll also see, remember the convention center. Really the flash point for everything that could have gone wrong right after Hurricane Katrina certainly did go wrong. And people were stranded there. They had very little food. They had very little water. Well, that area is being cleaned up. Bulldozers have been working in that area as well. So he will see very significant signs that this city is fighting its way back to life. Power is being restored here as well.

Also, search and rescue operations are going on. We talked about that water that is up. It is simply a toxic soup. It is a cauldron of everything nasty you can imagine: fuel, sewage, trash, just everything. And authorities are really worried about their crews that are out in that water doing the search and rescue operations. The are decontamination units are out there as well but that can only do only so much good. Of course, the spread of infection, the spread of disease also a concern.

And remember when the mayor talked about perhaps 10,000 lives would be lost because of the tragedy that wasn't a hurricane. Well, now that apparently is going to be somewhat significantly less. Still, even one death too many. There are 197 at last count. And we know that crews are out. We have seen a number of air boat goes by. A number of rescue operations. It is going to be very, very busy here. And another very hot day, Tony.

HARRIS: And, Sean, give me a sense of this. You know there you get into a situation like this and you feel like you're playing catch up, catch up, catch up. Do you feel like the people on the ground are starting to at least get on top of the situation there?

CALLEBS: I don't know about that. I would say they're celebrating very little victories. I mean the devastation is just so widespread. We drove in from Houston and really, right when you hit the area near Lake Pontchartrain, as you come down the Interstate 12 it leads to 55, it's simply a mess. Homes are leveled. Where the water has gone away, it is so nasty. So not only the president will see but he will also smell what it's like out here, Tony. It is just horrific.

HARRIS: Well, CNN's Sean Callebs for us.

Sean, thank you.

In one of President Bush's stops today, there's a sign of some normalcy returning. CNN's Allan Chernoff reports from Gulfport, Mississippi, on the area's first school reopening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of very happy parents this morning. The kids, well, you can see them behind me. Some smiley faces, some not so smiley, but all of them adorable and everybody glad to have the kids back at school here at the St. James Catholic Elementary School in Gulfport. The very first school to open in the region.

They have 300 kids here. Also taking in another 35 children who were displaced. So they're preparing to cut a ribbon in just a few moments. And then classes will actually begin here at school.

This, of course, a very important move towards getting back to normal, getting recovery going in the area of Gulfport. We spoke with the mayor earlier today and he said the town is making progress. But there is still a very long way to go because the storm was simply so devastating.

MAYOR BRENT WARR, GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI: The city of Gulfport's doing well. We've got incredible people with strength beyond anything that I've ever imagined. I knew a year ago when I was asking y'all for the opportunity to be in this position that I was asking to be associated with a world class group of people. But I never knew that it was this magnificent.

CHERNOFF: Bottom line, the mayor said it wasn't FEMA's fault, it wasn't anybody's fault, it was really Katrina's fault. It was just such a devastating storm nobody could have fully prepared for it. But at least, as I said, we do have a step right here back towards normalcy. And more schools will be opening in the coming weeks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: CNN's Allan Chernoff for us.

Let's get a check on what's happing now with Hurricane Ophelia. Chad Myers is upstairs in the CNN Weather Center.

Chad, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: And you can follow the path of the erratic Hurricane Ophelia on our Web site, cnn.com. And while you're there, you can check on updates and the Katrina recovery mission.

History unfolds in the Middle East. Earlier today, Israel withdrew its final troops from Gaza and ended a 38-year presence. Palestinians rushed into the abandoned settlements. Some firing guns and setting fires to empty synagogues there. Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas says the next goal will be ending the Israeli occupation in the West Bank along the Pakistan/India board.

The two countries have begun exchange of prisoners. Leaders in New Delhi and Islamabad reportedly have agreed to release nearly 600 prisoners. Many of those prisoners were fishermen and other whose had accidentally wandered across the border. The prisoner release is the latest step in a peace process that has recently gathered steam.

Mickey Mouse crosses yet another international border with today's official opening of a theme park in China. The Hong Kong Disney Land is designed to not only draw visitors but also bring millions of new customers for the company's many products. Disney sold about 50,000 tickets to the premier event.

Less than two hours from now, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee begin confirmation hearings on Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts. Here's a quick sketch of the man nominated to become the next chief justice of the United States. Roberts is 50 years old and holds both his bachelors and law degrees from Harvard University. He clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the man he's considered likely to succeed. Roberts is married and has two children. Here is CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken to set the stage for Roberts' hearings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In less than two months, John Roberts has been nominated to be on the Supreme Court not once but twice.

BUSH: And I am pleased to announce that I will nominate him to serve as the 17th chief justice of the Supreme Court.

FRANKEN: Roberts had clerked for William Rehnquist, the man he would now replace. He was originally nominated to fill the seat of Sandra Day O'Connor. The president believes that because Roberts' record is well-known now, he'll be quickly confirmed, particularly with his pleasant demeanor that should smooth over any rough spots. But skeptics charge that Roberts' personality masks a hard-core conservative, out to undue civil rights and abortion rights.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: The burden is on Judge Roberts to show that he is within the mainstream of America.

FRANKEN: As a prospective chief justice, Roberts will have to finesse even more probing questions than when he was named to succeed Associate Justice O'Connor.

EDWARD LAZARUS, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: Democrats are going to argue that there's a higher threshold for someone who's going to come in and be chief justice. But at the end of the day, they're still going to have the same information available that they have now, Roberts is going to be still just as impressive as he was before.

FRANKEN: Barring any surprises, a full Senate confirmation vote on Roberts could come in plenty of time for Chief Justice Roberts to be at the Supreme Court when it's new term begins October 3rd while Associate Justice O'Connor still waits for her replacement.

Bob Franken, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: One couple's dream came true right in the midst of a nightmare. Still to come, after Katrina, the storm dropped in on this evacuee family and that's not the only surprise.

Plus, thousands of Katrina victims will return to houses that are ruined to look at how they might salvage and protect those items that mean the most.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Those who love New Orleans fear for its future, the culture, the food, the music. They've all made the city world famous. Will they be able to survive and thrive once the city is livable again? Here's CNN's Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): New Orleans pre- hurricane. This is Snug Harbor, once a thriving local jazz institution.

GEORGE BRUMAT, OWNER, SNUG HARBOR: This club has been the modern jazz club for a quarter of a sentry.

SIMON: George Brumat owns the place and refuses to officially close up shop.

BRUMAT: We'll have music here the moment we can, even if there's not paying customer, even if we're doing it pro bono, even if we're doing it just for our moral. Just to have music.

SIMON: And the music, George says, is what he misses the most.

BRUMAT: You become addicted to it. When you do it every day it's like a necessary infusion of energy. It's true.

SIMON: The city's distinct culture is what's kept people like George from ever leaving. BRUMAT: You don't have to be of any social strata to have access to it. It's there. It's there for the taking. You feel it the moment you land. The moment you're in New Orleans, you feel it.

SIMON: But living here now is not easy.

BRUMAT: This is where I'm sleeping. That's my that's my front door.

SIMON: On this day we find him fixing himself a cup of java on a portable gas stove.

BRUMAT: (INAUDIBLE) espressos.

SIMON: New Orleans was a huge coffee town well before Starbucks.

BRUMAT: French roast is kind of a New Orleans invention, right?

SIMON: Most here will tell you that New Orleans, of course, also invented jazz. Such as the life of a prominent jazz club owner.

BRUMAT: Don't worry, baby, we'll be swinging any time soon. All right.

We will be. There's no choice. You can't have a United States without New Orleans. It's one of the most interesting cities in the states. Almost no other place feels like it.

SIMON: Dan Simon, for CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: A bit of a surprise for a evacuees at Houston's Astrodome in the midst of uneasiness and displacement, some dreams still come true. Details straight ahead.

Plus, Gerri Willis, there she is. Gerri has some tips.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

HARRIS: Good morning, Gerri.

WILLIS: Good morning.

HARRIS: And Gerri has some tips for those looking to return to their homes.

WILLIS: What to do if your prized family heirlooms have been damaged in the storm? We'll give you some tips when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: And the markets open for just about coming up on an hour now. In early trading you can see that the Dow is down just about 7 points. Early trading still this morning. The industrials at 10,670. We'll be following the markets all day today for you.

It's been two weeks since Hurricane Katrina plowed into the Gulf Coast and for many the road to recovery has just begun. And today's five tips, the top five tips of the day, some lessons on what matters most in piecing together your past and your future is Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis.

Gerri, good morning to you.

WILLIS: Good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

Of course, the most important thing isn't your personal possessions, it's really your family. If you're still having trouble connecting with family members, there are a couple of great places to go. Our own cnn.com can help you hook up with family members but also Katrina's peoplesearch.com, as well as the Red Cross's own family links registry. You'll definitely want to check those out.

And, Tony, for people who were not impacted by the hurricane, it's important to come up with a plan in case something like that happen in your neighborhood. If there's a family member who lives beyond most other family members, you should designate them as the safe place to go, the safe place to call in case there is a disaster.

HARRIS: Boy, Gerri, you know, the other thing, once you get back into your home, the one thing you want to do is round up those keepsakes and particularly those pictures.

WILLIS: Yes, a lot of people had their photos damaged in this terrible storm. And, of course, those are irreplaceable. If you find water damage in your photo albums, there are a couple of things you can do quickly. First, rinse them off with water and then package them together, seal them in a plastic bag. And if you have a freezer, stick them in the freezer. This will help minimize the damage that they've already encountered.

Now if you have photos and you're afraid something like this might happen in your neighborhood, what you can do is put them in an acid file box. That will help preserve them over time and then make sure, for goodness sakes, that they're not at floor level in your house. Make sure you have them high up on a shelf somewhere in a closet.

HARRIS: You've got to salvage those records, those important papers, don't you?

WILLIS: Absolutely. The deed to your house, your wedding license, your marriage license, all those important records you want to make sure you have. And certainly these are easier to take care of than your photos if they have been damaged. You just dry them out. Find the driest room in your house and make sure they dry out.

But if you're in a situation where you want to make sure that your records are safe over time, make sure that you put them in a fireproof file cabinet. That way, they'll be safe and you can count on them being there. You can also store them with maybe a relative who lives far away so that you make sure that you have all those important documents when you need them.

HARRIS: How about tip number four, preserve your clothes.

WILLIS: Now this sounds crazy.

HARRIS: Well, OK.

WILLIS: I mean, think about it. You've got a wedding dress, maybe, you know, important things like that, a quit maybe a relative made for you.

HARRIS: Baby shoes, baby clothes. Things like that?

WILLIS: You bet. People want to hang on to that stuff. Job number one, make sure you don't wring the water out of them. That will damage them further. What you need to do is blot them with a towel, get the water out and then lay them out and make sure they dry. That's the best thing you can do the preserve those items that you want to make sure that you never ever lose.

HARRIS: And you want us to call a professional.

WILLIS: Well, some items you're not going to be able to repair yourself. Artifacts, heirlooms, antiques. Maybe a piece of furniture or something that's been in the family for years. There are a couple of places to go that we want to show you here that you can check out, professionals that you can hire. Now, keep in mind, this is actually pretty expensive. It's not cheap. But the Regional Alliance for Preservation can help you connect with professionals who will put to it right. They're conservators and it's their job to make sure that your artifacts are safe.

HARRIS: Beautiful. OK. The top five tips from Gerri Willis.

Gerri, thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Still ahead, the number of evacuees is dwindling at Houston's Astrodome. But there were a few new face there over the weekend. How their arrival brought smiles to everyone and a big surprise for this couple as well. See what else the stork dropped in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Coming up on 10:30 in the east here at the CNN Center in Atlanta, 7:30 in the west. Welcome back, everyone, to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Tony Harris in for Daryn Kagan this morning.

As the flood waters recede in New Orleans, the number of evacuees is ebbing at the Houston Astrodome. Just a week ago the city's Reliant Center Complex was virtually overflowing. Today, those numbers continue to slide. CNN's Betty Nguyen is there with the latest.

And, Betty, good morning.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

You're right, the numbers keep dwindling here at the four main shelters in Houston. It now stands at 4,600 evacuees housed here. Now, that is down from 5,200 at last count yesterday. Which puts all of this on track for the evacuees to be in temporary homes and out of these shelters by this weekend.

I want to introduce you to Toranzette Andrews. In fact, she has an apartment waiting for her. That won't happen until when, Toranzette?

TORANZETTE ANDREWS, EVACUEE: Wednesday.

NGUYEN: Wednesday. So but you have a house. That must be so comforting know that you've been staying in this Reliant Center on cots for the past week and a half.

ANDREWS: Yes, I'm relieved a whole lot.

NGUYEN: But before you leave, though, Toranzette wants to make sure she can find her 14- year-old son. Tell me when you last saw him.

ANDREWS: Thursday before the hurricane.

NGUYEN: And what kind of situation was he in?

ANDREWS: A good situation. He was headed to his grandmother's house and he called me and he when he made it all right he called me, told me he was leaving here because he was going to evacuate to Texas. But I haven't heard anything. I don't know if he's out here or not and I'm kind of getting worried as the days go by.

NGUYEN: I imagine because you're lucky to even be here. You had to wade through waters, carry your children in buckets, pushing them through water just to get here.

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