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CNN Live Today

Iraqi Expatriates Vote Today; Bush Addresses Retirees About Healthcare Issues; Fire Rages at New Jersey Apartment Building

Aired December 13, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And checking some stories "Now in the News," firefighters in New Jersey are battling a big fire at an apartment complex. And high wind is making their job a lot tougher. Police say the fire in Bergenfield likely was sparked by a gas explosion. We have reports of some injuries, but there's no definite word on how many.
We'll have more on this story as it develops.

This hour, the Federal Trace Commission is scheduled to announce a settlement with a major American company over alleged violations of the "Do Not Call" rule. We'll have details in a live report from CNN's Kimberly Osias.

DirecTV, we're getting word that it's -- the settlement is with DirecTV. And we'll get the figures in just a moment.

Today marks the 1,000th day of the war in Iraq. And as this milestone is reached, the country continues its path to democracy. While Iraq holds its parliamentary elections Thursday, some Iraqis, including many here in the United States, are voting early. We've got live reports from London and McLean, Virginia, in just a moment.

After more than two decades on death row, Stanley "Tookie" Williams has lost his battle to live. The state of California executed the former gang leader early this morning. He was put to death by lethal injection. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected final efforts to spare Williams' life.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will do all it can to make sure Hurricane Katrina victims get the help they need as they try to get back on their feet. Those comments after a federal court blocked FEMA's January 7 deadline for storm victims to move out of government-paid hotels and motels. That deadline is now extended to February 7.

In Arkansas, an all-out search is under ways for signs of an endangered species. Teams of volunteers are now looking for nest holes and other signs of the ivory-billed woodpecker. They're hoping any discoveries will bolster efforts to bring the bird back from near extinction. One of the birds was spotted in the National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Arkansas in March of 2004.

And good morning, everyone.

Let's sort of recap the story from just a moment ago, breaking news just in to CNN. The Federal Trade Commission is scheduled to announce the settlement with DirecTV over the company's violations of the "Do Not Call" rule. I'm trying to get the figure here on the settlement -- $5.35 million.

Here's a line right off the top here. DirecTV Incorporated will pay $5.35 million to settle the charges that its telemarketers called households listed on the national "Do Not Call" registry. To do what? Well, you know, to pitch satellite TV programming.

And right now, we're going to listen in to the FTC news conference.

DEBORAH PLATT MAJORAS, FTC: The "Do Not Call" registry provides meaningful protections against unwanted telephone solicitors. It speaks volumes about the success of a program driven by consumer choice and Americans' preference for privacy in their homes.

Independent consumer surveys and our analysis of complaints about "Do Not Call" violations confirm the anecdotal reports that consumers are getting far fewer unwanted telemarketing calls. For example, a 2004 Harris Interactive survey indicated that more than half of the U.S. population, 57 percent, said they had registered their numbers, with 92 percent recording fewer telemarketing calls. Twenty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they had stopped receiving telemarketing calls all together.

Compliance is good. And to protect the success and the integrity of the registry, enforcement remains a top priority.

Today I'm pleased to announce a multimillion-dollar settlement that demonstrates that the registry is a program consumers can continue to believe in. DirecTV, one of the nation's largest providers of digital and satellite television services, is paying a penalty of $5.3 million for violating the "Do Not Call" providing of the telemarketing sales rule.

This is the largest civil penalty the commission has announced to date in a consumer protection matter, and a penalty that drives home a simple point: sellers are on the hook for calls placed on their behalf and for their benefit. The "Do Not Call" rule applies to all players in the marketing chain, including retailers and their telemarketers.

Yesterday, the commission's complaint against DirecTV was filed by the Department of Justice in federal district court in Los Angeles. The complaint names DirecTV as the defendant, along with five firms that telemarketed on their behalf and six principals of those telemarketing firms. Settlements with DirecTV and two of the telemarketing firms and their principals were filed along with the complaint.

DirecTV entered into contracts with many companies to market its satellite TV subscriptions. DirecTV provided one of those companies with...

HARRIS: And there you have it, a news conference from the FTC chairperson, Deborah Platt Majoras, outlining the settlement with DirecTV.

DirecTV paying $5.35 million to settle charges that its telemarketers called households listed on the national "Do Not Call" registry to pitch satellite TV programming.

And moving on now to Iraq, this marks election day for Iraqis living outside the country and a milestone for U.S. troops on the ground inside Iraq. Today marks 1,000 days since the war began with the U.S.-led invasion.

Iraqi expatriates are going to the polls today in 15 countries. About 1.5 million are expected to cast ballots. Voters are choosing the first-ever permanent democratic parliament that will govern Iraq for the next four years.

We are following the vote by Iraqi expatriates both here in the U.S. and overseas.

Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is in London, and Virg Jacques, of our affiliate, WTTG, is in McLean, Virginia. And we begin with Bill.

And Bill, let me start by asking you, in a real sense, this sort of feels like kind of a defining moment here, this vote for a permanent parliament. From where you are watching in London, does this feel more significant than the other two trips to the polls by Iraqis?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: It certainly does to them. There's a mood of celebration.

I spent the morning with Iraqi expatriates near Wembley Stadium, at the Wembley Convention Center, where thousands of them were voting, the polling places were crowded. What you saw were Iraqis dressed in their finery, often in ceremonial costume. They were dancing and singing.

They were there to celebrate. They saw themselves as making a strong statement of hope and confidence in the future of their country, in the future of Iraq. So it really was a significant celebration.

HARRIS: And you know what? You know, we are so caught up, stateside, with the casualties and how long we've been on the ground, sometimes we lose sight of what a real moment this is for expats and for folks inside the country, don't we?

SCHNEIDER: Yes, we do. And for many of these people it is extremely meaningful.

They all told -- told me stories as I talked to them, I interviewed them. They talked about their experiences under Saddam Hussein, the thrill of being liberated, the suffering and sacrifice their families have made.

Now, these people are living in Britain, many of them for many years. But they're keenly aware of what happened to themselves and their families in Iraq. And they saw the coalition forces as liberators, something that's very much in doubt among many Americans.

But these voters clearly saw them as liberators. And, in fact, it was an odd election. Every time someone went in to vote, they would cast the vote. The ballot was four pages long, and they would tear up the unused pages, put their vote in the ballot box, and then, all of a sudden, people would start clapping and cheering and onulating (ph), the particular Arab sound that people made to cheer each other on.

It was a real cause for celebration.

HARRIS: Bill, I'm sorry, I have to wrap it there. We've got some breaking news we want to follow up on. But good to talk to you this morning.

Right now, we want to update that big fire that's burning at an apartment complex in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is on the phone with us to give us as much information as he can right now.

And Sheriff, good to talk to you. Just sort of set the scene. Our understanding is, is that the fire began at about 9:30 Eastern Time this morning?

SHERIFF LEO MCGUIRE, BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT.: That's correct. About 9:40 we got the call.

HARRIS: OK. And when units arrived, describe that scene. What did your units find?

MCGUIRE: Well, I'm not the first responder. Bergenfield Municipal Police Department is in the area. They have their own police force and their own fire department, were the initial responding officers. And what they found was the back of the building completely blown out by an explosion.

HARRIS: Wow.

MCGUIRE: A further investigation has found that it may have been caused by a gas leak, where a contractor was working in the driveway and ruptured a high-pressure line going into the 30-family apartment complex. And that may have caused the explosion.

HARRIS: Is the fire -- we're looking at live pictures now, we're still seeing a lot of smoke. Has that gas line been shut off so that it is no longer feeding that fire?

MCGUIRE: Well, public service and the brave firefighters from Bergenfield...

HARRIS: Yes.

MCGUIRE: ... are certainly trying to knock down the fire as much as possible. One person still unaccounted for. And once that fire gets under control, which will be some time -- it's fully engulfed, still -- and with the cold, cold weather, it just makes fighting that type of fire even more difficult.

HARRIS: And Sheriff, we can also see from the pictures, the live pictures that we're getting here, is that it is a windy day there. And tell us how that makes the job difficult.

MCGUIRE: Well, of course with the wind chill you have to worry about the welfare of the firefighters and the police officers, the Bergenfield police officers, as well as my own that are assisting, getting frostbite and being taxed to the limit. So the command center has to ensure that there are enough personnel available to relieve them so that they can continue to fight the fire while reducing the dangers to themselves as much as possible.

HARRIS: OK. Sheriff, thank you for your time this morning, and thanks for the update on that fire. It really does look like a massive fire. And just to recap, did you say it's going to take quite a while for that to be brought totally under control and put out?

MCGUIRE: The fire is still -- it's still raging, pretty much uncontrollably.

HARRIS: Yes.

MCGUIRE: There's quite a few municipal fire departments and mutual aid there. They will continue to come in as necessary. They'll get it under control soon, but most importantly, those that have survived and have been evacuated will be at a senior citizen center at Merry Hill (ph) in Sylvan (ph), run by the Red Cross.

HARRIS: OK.

MCGUIRE: So if there are any family members looking for evacuees, that's where to find them.

HARRIS: Oh, that's great information. OK. Sheriff McGuire, thanks for your time this morning.

MCGUIRE: Thank you.

HARRIS: Let's get to some breaking news. And this just in to CNN.

Four Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed while on patrol. And that word is coming to us from the U.S. military, killed on Tuesday.

The four died when an improvised explosive device detonated. This is northwest of the capital of Baghdad. Again, four Task Force Baghdad soldiers killed by an IED, this improvised explosive device that is responsible for so many deaths in Iraq. Four soldiers killed while on patrol just northwest of Baghdad.

And back now to the Iraqi voting. Iraqis living in the U.S. hope a vote here will help to calm the insurgency, the violence in their homeland. Tens of thousands are expected to cast ballots between now and Thursday at seven polling stations around the country.

Virg Jacques of affiliate WTTG joins us from one of those locations in McLean, Virginia.

Virg, good to see you. Good morning.

VIRG JACQUES, REPORTER, WTTG: Good to see you again, Tony.

This Best Western Hotel is the primary voting place for Iraqis along the East Coast. We've seen a steady stream of voters since the polls opened here at 9:00 this morning.

Uniform and plain-clothes police officers are inside and outside the hotel keeping watch on things. So far, no problems. But they are not in the meeting room where the actual voting is taking place.

Dr. Ali Alattar is one of the people voting early this morning.

Yes, you have the ink to prove it.

By the way, this ink they are putting on fingers just to make sure you don't vote twice.

ALI ALATTAR, IRAQI EXPATRIATE: Correct.

JACQUES: No irregularities here.

Dr. Alattar, tell me, why is this day so important?

ALATTAR: Good morning, everybody.

This day is extremely important for the Iraqis all over, because this is the beginning for the new Iraq, the beginning of a new government that's going to be in power for four years. And people of this -- people of Iraq are eager to see a stable government, to put an end to all the insurgency and terrorism in Iraq once they have a sovereign, stable and elected government.

And this is -- the previous one, which the current government, is a temporarily one, or a transient one. This one is going to be permanent for four years.

JACQUES: Obviously, we want to know, when will the insurgency end. You think this is a step in the right direction toward that?

ALATTAR: This is -- this is the step in the right direction, because it will marginalize all those terrorists and those who are against the new Iraq, the Saddam loyalists and rejectionists. This is the time that all Iraqis are going to go to the polling, Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis, who boycotted the last election.

This election is very important because the Sunnis are back on track and they are going to participate heavily in these elections. And this will put those terrorists, Zarqawi and his followers, and the followers of Saddam, as marginalized. And they are going to be isolated, and the Iraqis are going to fight them. JACQUES: Dr. Alattar, you left Iraq in 1980. Did you ever think that this day would come, when you would be voting for that country's rulers?

ALATTAR: Let me take the opportunity to thank the American people. Without them, this would -- this dream would not come true. And this is because of the sacrifice of all those fine men and women in uniform. And their families should be proud that today they have 27 million Iraqis are free.

And like me, one of them, I am an American-Iraqi, and I'm able, again, to vote. And I encourage all my family to go out and vote, and to really defy the terrorists -- the terrorists who want to suffocate Iraq and Iraqis, and not let them breathe the freedom and the free world, again, and put Iraq back on track.

And this is why, I should say, all America should be proud, because they participated in the liberation and freedom of 27 million Iraqis. And without their sacrifice, this day would not come true.

JACQUES: Dr. Ali Alattar, thank you very much.

By the way, we believe as many as 3,000 voters will turn up at this polling place before the voting ends Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Polls open today, tomorrow and Thursday until 9:00 p.m. -- Tony.

HARRIS: Good to see you, Virg. It's been a long time. Thanks for that report.

Still ahead, what is life like in Iraq now in those 1,000 days since the war began? Our Anderson Cooper is in Baghdad for this historical week. He'll show us what progress actually looks like.

And witnesses to the execution. Hear from the people who watched Tookie Williams put to death this morning.

And imagine this: an earthquake under the sea leads to a tsunami on the West Coast. Could California survive? We'll take a look at the possibilities.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BECNEL, TOOKIE WILLIAMS SUPPORTER: The state of California just killed an innocent man.

(APPLAUSE)

BECNEL: We are going to prove his innocence. And when we do, we are going to show that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in fact, himself, a cold-blooded murder. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Emotions run high in California as a lengthy battle to avoid execution comes to a close. As you may have heard, Stanley "Tookie" Williams was put to death early this morning, two and a half decades after he was charged with four murders.

The former gang leader was executed by lethal injection after last-minute bids to spare his life failed. Prison officials and reporters were among those witnessing Williams' final moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN ORNOWSKI, WARDEN, SAN QUENTIN PRISON: He spent his last hours communicating with his attorneys and friends by telephone, pretty much unrestricted. He refused food, but requested and was provided with milk. And I believe also water. He invited five witnesses but declined to invite a spiritual adviser.

STEVE LOPEZ, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": He came in without any kind of resistance shortly after 12:00, it seemed. He was helped on to what, I guess, is a converted dentist's chair and was strapped down. At no point did he seem to give any kind of resistance whatsoever.

JUDY CAMPBELL, KQED RADIO: He raised his head a lot. He looked around. He did in the beginning look at his supporters. Supporters Barbara and a woman next to her were holding their hands in prayer. Another man lifted his right fist.

His lawyers waved at him, nodded, smiled. He nodded, sometimes at his supporters. Often, he hook his head slowly from side to side with sort of a -- kind of a for shame sort of look about him.

BRIAN ROONEY, ABC NEWS: I was struck by what a personal process it was, in that all the people attending to him had their hands on him most of the time. One guard near the right side of his head, in particular, was touching his upper arm a lot of the time. I think in an effort to comfort him.

DAVID WOHL, CBS NEWS: He was a very, very big guy. I had heard he was smaller. He looked like he had been lifting weights nonstop for years. And so I could understand the nurse was having a great deal of difficulty. She was sweating, she was asking for help.

This took much, much longer than I thought it would.

KEVIN FAGAN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": And the most notable thing was that Williams had supporters at the back of the room. Ms. Becnel was among them, I understand.

We could see them. And throughout the last part of the -- or preparing him when he was still conscious, they gave black -- what looked like black power salutes several times to him, one man and two women. And most strikingly at the end of the execution, as those three were heading out, they yelled, "The state of California just killed an innocent man!" Which is the first time I heard any outburst in the death chamber there.

And the folks who were there on behalf of the victims, they were stony.

RITA COSBY, MSNBC: I felt that Tookie Williams died the same way that he lived. He was belligerent, he seemed steadfast to the bitter end.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: While Williams' supporters mourn his death, some family members of the four people Williams was convicted of killing say justice has been done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORA OWENS, STEPMOTHER OF VICTIM: The reason I came out and started talking was because people said it doesn't matter what he did years ago. And it does matter. It matters a lot, not only to us and to Albert, or the Yang family, but other victims, too. There's a lot of victims out there. We need to remember them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Williams was convicted of killing Lora Owens' stepson in a convenience store holdup.

Just another update now on the breaking news, developing story we've been following all morning long, this horrendous apartment complex fire in Bergenfield, New Jersey. As we heard just a couple of moments ago, this was a gas explosion. And while efforts are under way to make sure that the gas line is shut off, we heard from a sheriff just a short time ago that this fire, still fully engaged, will be going on for quite a while.

Firefighters doing the best they can to control it. As you can see, there was a lot of wind in the area, and there is still great concern that flames and embers may be tossed to other buildings in the surrounding area.

We will keep an eye on this situation, this developing story out of Bergenfield, New Jersey, and come right back with more CNN LIVE TODAY after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And more breaking news just in to CNN. We're getting word that a Navy helicopter has crashed somewhere off the coast of Colombia. We're getting this from a Navy official today.

Still not a lot of details to be known right now. We do not have any word of the status of the personnel on the aircraft or even the type of helicopter that we're talking about.

A search and rescue effort is under way right now. And we can tell you that if you're wondering why this area, Navy aircraft often fly counter drug missions off ships in the region.

So once again, a Navy helicopter has crashed somewhere off the coast of Colombia. We're still working to get information about the status of the personnel on the aircraft, and when we get that information we will bring it to you as soon as we can.

In just a few days, "TIME" magazine will unveil its "Person of the Year." The title is given to the person who, for better or worse, had the greatest impact on the year's events.

Here's a look at one of this year's candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President George Bush has had quite a ride in 2005. And as the key decision- maker in a year when the news never stopped, President Bush is a candidate for "TIME" magazine's "Person of the Year."

LISA BEYER, ASST. MANAGING EDITOR, "TIME": There is rarely a year when the person who most affects the news, for better or worse, isn't the leader of the free world, the president of the United States of America. So given that that's the case, certainly in the year 2005, when the president of the United States was the one who was waging a war in Iraq and trying to make the region and bring democracy to Iraq, and that was having great consequences for the region as a whole. Given that the president of the United States was the one called upon to answer the greatest natural disaster in this country, the Katrina disaster, which was huge, was a huge story, the president was really at the center of all of the biggest stories of the year and could arguably be, once again, the "Person of the Year."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: We want to get an update now on the situation in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Tom Phelan is on the line with us as we take a look at those live pictures of this massive apartment complex fire there in Bergenfield, New Jersey.

Tom Phelan not only works in the building, he also lives in the building. And Tom, what can you tell us about the situation? First of all, where are you right now?

TOM PHELAN, LIVES, WORKS IN BUILDING: Right now I'm on Washington Avenue, right around the corner from the -- from my building that's demolished.

HARRIS: Demolished. OK, your building is on Elm Street, is that correct?

PHELAN: Thirty Elm Street. I live on the top floor.

HARRIS: OK. This sounds simple, but let me ask it anyway. When you say demolished, what do you mean by demolished?

PHELAN: Well, I've been talking to the police officers here and they told me that -- forget about it, the building is just -- it's gone.

HARRIS: And what do you know about the possibility...

PHELAN: It's billowing, gray-black smoke is billowing. It's like a -- it's a horrible scene.

HARRIS: Tom, were you in the building this morning when the first explosion happened and then the fire?

PHELAN: No, I wasn't. I usually am, but I stayed at my fiance's residence. I've been having premonitions of something like this happening...

HARRIS: Why is that? Why is that?

PHELAN: I don't know. Believe it or not. I know I sound like I'm crazy, but I do get things like that once in a while.

HARRIS: So are you saying you had a vision that something like this was possible, that something like this could happen?

PHELAN: Yes, the same I did in 1993 when the World Trade Center went up. I was security adviser to the Japanese in that number one financial center.

HARRIS: What kind of work do you do in the building?

PHELAN: I'm a private detective. I have -- I live there. I live on the top floor.

HARRIS: So you live on the top floor.

PHELAN: Yes, and I run my office out of there.

HARRIS: OK. Were you able to talk to anyone, any of your friends, neighbors, in the building?

PHELAN: No, I haven't been able to get ahold of them. I don't know where they're at.

HARRIS: The rest of your family and friends, were they able to get out OK?

PHELAN: No family, no friends, I'm by myself there.

HARRIS: All right. So what's your plan? You're going to stay with friends, you're going to maybe seek shelter with Red Cross?

PHELAN: All my books are being -- all my books are burnt. I was writing -- I'm an author. I've got four books published. And I was writing three or four other books. A martial art manual and an autobiography and so forth, you know. And I was editing them and getting them ready to send them to a publisher. And my screenplays are gone, and everything is gone.

HARRIS: How big a building are we talking about here? PHELAN: We're talking about a four-story building.

HARRIS: Four-story building, 24 units. Does that sound about right?

PHELAN: It has about six, 12, 18 -- yes, it may about 24, yes.

HARRIS: And it looks like a pretty tight, condensed area, a lot of residential homes around that building?

PHELAN: There's a lot of industry, too. You have a lot of trucking company corporations and residential and two apartment buildings. There's the two apartment buildings on the same side of the street, on the south side of the street.

HARRIS: All right, Tom Phelan, thank you. And thanks for the information. And the best as you sort of put the pieces back together as best you can. We're sorry to hear about your loss.

PHELAN: Yes, when I get -- I don't know. Well, I told the cops I that I heard these guns up there. So, you know - OK, then, listen, it was really great to talking to you.

HARRIS: Thank you.

Let's get you caught up on headlines "Now in the News."

The president of the Red Cross has resigned. The organization says Marsha Evans will step down at the end of the month. Evans had faced harsh criticism for the charity's response to Hurricane Katrina. Jack McGuire, executive vice president of the charity's biomedical services, has been named interim president and CEO.

DirecTV is ordered to pay $5.3 million for no-call violations. The Federal Trade Commission announced the decision earlier this hour. FTC officials say this ruling proves no-call regulations work for consumers. Our Kimberly Osias will have more in a live report coming up.

Four American soldiers died today while on patrol northwest of Baghdad. The military says an improvised explosive device detonated. The soldiers were part of Task Force Baghdad. This brings the total number of U.S. fatalities in the Iraq war to 2,150.

Iraqi expatriates are turning out to vote today their homeland's parliamentary elections. From Virginia to Australia, Iraqis are leaving voting stations expressing the hope the violence in Iraq will end. Approximately 1.5 million Iraqi citizens live outside their country. Their ballots are being cast in 14 countries between now and Thursday's vote in country.

And then there were four. A Washington state couple greets four new babies. After years of trying to have a family, Staff Sergeant Rob Kinard and his wife Kathy are delighted by their instant family, but the war in Iraq may cut short their time together. The father may have to return to Iraq in June. And we are standing by, awaiting to hear from the president, who made a couple of stops in McLean, Virginia, today to talk to seniors at a senior center there. As the president turns his attention away from speeches he's been making over the last week on progress in Iraq to domestic issues -- namely here Medicare and prescription drugs.

I believe I see the president -- the president will have comments in just a moment. There's the president. And let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Dr. Mark McClellan and I have just heard from folks who have been analyzing and/or helping people analyze the current Medicare drug benefit and current modernized Medicare program.

A while ago, I worked with the Congress to modernize and strengthen Medicare for our seniors. And the reason we did, we said if the government commits to health care for our seniors, it ought to be a program that does the following things: one, provide modern medicine and, two, give seniors a variety of options from which to match their needs to that which is available.

We fully recognize that for some seniors that this is a daunting task. You know, when you give people choice and options, it can be a situation where people say, "I don't really -- this is something I may not want to do."

And so I want to assure the seniors the following things: One, the new Medicare plan is voluntary, it's optional; two, that there are people around who are willing to help explain the program for you and to you.

When you have choices to make, there is going to be -- you do have choices to make and somebody will be able to sit down with you and explain why this program is good.

For example, Eloise was talking about the fact that she's spending a lot on prescription drugs, and under the new Medicare plan she is able to choose a program that will substantially reduce the cost of her prescription drugs.

Low-income seniors will get substantial help. People will be able to match a program to their specific needs.

And what we want to assure seniors around the country is that there is help. You can call 1-800-MEDICARE. You can get on the Internet with medicare.gov, ask your son or daughter, ask people in your church, ask people in AARP, ask people in your community center to help you look at what's available for you.

It's a good deal. It's a good deal for our seniors. And so, one of the reasons we have come today is to encourage people to see what is available in the new law.

Enrollment began in mid-November. The program will begin in January of this year. We urge you to look at the options available to you and sign up by May of next year. This is government that has recognized it has a responsibility to help our seniors. And the bill I was fortunate enough to sign into law does just that.

Again, I want to thank you all for joining us.

I thank you for your hard work, Charlotte.

Ellen Dimucci (ph) is a pharmacist. One of the interesting groups that are reaching out to our seniors are those who are behind the counter. Ellen and her fellow pharmacists interface with seniors on a daily basis. They know the needs of seniors. They have, in many cases, analyzed what's available for our seniors. They're available to help seniors fill out the forms. She has worked with Eloise.

Again, I urge our fellow citizens to help our seniors realize what's available in this wonderful program.

I, finally, want to thank Senator Allen and Congressman Davis for joining us as well. They're interested in this program. They're interested in the people of Virginia. And they want to make sure the seniors of Virginia get all the options available for them to choose from.

Thank you all.

HARRIS: There you have it. The president visiting a retirement community in Springfield, Virginia, just outside of Washington. Taking part in a roundtable there, talking about Medicare and prescription drugs. The president in those comments saying that the plan is voluntary for seniors and acknowledging that there's been some difficulty among seniors trying to figure out many different plans.

The president making the comment that there is help available for people to sift through the number of choices, and that if help is needed, there are a couple of ways to get it. You can call 1-800- Medicare or you can go on the Web and get information at medicare.gov. The president there in -- just outside of McLean, Virginia, this morning.

When we come back, could it happen here? We all remember the horrible images from the tsunami in Southeast Asia. What if an earthquake affected the West Coast of America? One expert weighs in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A powerful 6.6 magnitude undersea earthquake strikes outlying Fiji islands, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning. The effects of the first quake were so strong, scientists initially reported there were two. So far, there are no reports of any damages, injuries or oversized waves.

It's been almost a year since a catastrophic tsunami struck South Asia, devastating countries that border the Indian Ocean. Families were ripped apart, nearly 200,000 people died. Now scientists are asking, is the U.S. ready to handle this magnitude of a disaster? Specifically, California.

Joining me now to help answer that question is Lucy Jones. She is scientist in charge, love the title, with the U.S. Geological Survey -- love the title -- with the U.S. Geological Survey Southern California Earthquake Hazards Team.

Lucy, good to see. Thanks for taking the time. Thanks for getting up this morning.

LUCY JONES, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: Thank you. Good to see you.

HARRIS: Well, I have to ask you, had a bit of a scare, didn't we, Crescent City, California, what, June?

JONES: That's right. Back in June, there was an earthquake offshore. We called -- there was an alert called by NOAA. It showed some of the weaknesses in how we're responding. It's very difficult to prepare for something that has happened so infrequently. And it takes a lot of preparedness and effort on the part of government to be ready.

HARRIS: OK. How unprepared is California for a tsunami?

JONES: Well, we know the tsunami is inevitable. It's only a matter of time.

HARRIS: Really? It's inevitable?

JONES: It's inevitable. There is a fault very similar to the one that produced the Sumatra -- earthquake and tsunami that extends from Cape Mendocino in Northern California up to Victoria Island in Canada.

So, and it will at some point produce a magnitude-nine earthquake, it has in the past, and it will produce a tsunami.

The biggest problem with being ready for it is our people don't know what to do. We ended up concluding in this report from the Seismic Safety Commission that the biggest problem was that we have not provided any education, and it's a place where it really makes a difference.

If you get a warning and you go down to the beach to see what's going on, you aren't making yourself safer, and we really need to make sure that our people understand we're at risk and what to do about it.

HARRIS: I've got to ask you. Talk a little bit more about that fault, 50 miles off the West Coast, and you're particularly concerned about this, aren't you?

JONES: Well, yes, It's called a subduction zone. When you look around the world, these are the places where we have magnitude nines, and a really brilliant study by some people up in Seattle and in Japan showed that the earthquake -- there was a magnitude-nine on this fault in the year 1700 that produced a tsunami that caused damage in Japan. It's actually through analysis of the Japanese records that we can show what happened in the event.

HARRIS: Right, right.

JONES: And it happens, I mean, on average, once every 500 years. We know it's coming again.

HARRIS: Hey, Lisa, Let me stop you just to get one more quick question here. How many people live in low-lying coastal areas? Who stands to be wiped out by a tsunami in California?

JONES: Right, it's about a million people. You have to be very close to the coast. The good news is that we have cliffs, 77 percent of the coast is cliffs, and that helps protect us. You have to be below 15 feet elevation to have it matter, but we have some very highly populated areas along the coast, and we need to educate those people and get ready for it.

HARRIS: Lucy Jones, she is the scientist in charge -- I love that -- with the U.S. Geological Survey Southern California Earthquake Hazards Team. Lucy, thanks for sticking around with us through all the breaking news. Thanks for your time.

JONES: Thank you.

HARRIS: We'll take a bread and come back with more of CNN LIVE TODAY right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Back overseas now. Today marks 1,000 days since U.S.- led forces launched the invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein. In two days, Iraqis will vote in elections crucial to the country's future and the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Despite the problems that still exist in Iraq, there are signs of progress, as we hear from CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: (voice-over): Sometimes lost in the headlines from Iraq, the daily death toll, the lack of reliably clean water and regular electricity, the fears of security are positive signs, signs of progress. Iraqi forces, for instance, plagued with low morale and limited training -- they are improving.

The U.S. says its trained, equipped and engaged some 150,000 Iraqi forces, though even U.S. commanders question the readiness of many units.

KEN POLLACK, SABAN CENTER AT BROOKINGS: What we're seeing is that more and more of these units are able to function in combat alongside American units, and actually contribute in a meaningful way to the counter-insurgency campaign. That's a very big step forward from where we were in the past.

COOPER: Freedom of the press. It didn't exist during Saddam's reign. Today there are nearly 200 Iraqi newspapers, 30 Iraqi television stations and 80 radio stations, though many are affiliated with particular groups.

POLLACK: A free press is a critical element of any democracy. One of the best ways to get at a horribly corrupt system is to have a free press that will go after it and find out about the corruption and expose it to daylight. So the fact that you now do have a real free press in Iraq is very important of a long-term health.

COOPER: The economy. Iraq is still plagued with poverty, but it is experiencing economic growth. U.S. officials say 30,000 new businesses have opened and more goods are in shops, thanks in part to a thriving black market.

Unemployment estimates range from 27 to 40 percent. Still very high, but down from 60 percent, soon after Saddam's fall in April 2003.

And consumer technology is exploding. There were no cell phones before the war, now there are 3 million. And Internet subscriptions have rocketed from less than 5,000 to more than 147,000 now.

POLLACK: There are some things that are going better now than they were before, and it's one of the reasons why most Iraqis remain hopeful that the future will be better than the past.

COOPER: And perhaps the most important sign of progress of all -- elections. A majority of eligible Iraqis are expected to vote this week in free elections -- the greatest hope for ensuring more progress in the future.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Anderson Cooper is reporting live from Baghdad all this week on Iraq's historic election and what it means for the country's future. Watch "ANDERSON COOPER 360" at 10:00 -- at 11:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And again, just trying to get as much information as we can for you on this massive apartment fire that's burning right now in Bergenfield, New Jersey.

News 12 New Jersey reporter Tony Caputo is on the scene for us. And boy, Tony, what can you tell us?

TONY CAPUTO, NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY: Well, I tell you, I've never quite seen something like this. The apartment building itself, the actual building where the explosion occurred, it's almost like a child's toy when you see it broken in half or if it's made to kind of crumble, if you will, like one of the Batman toys that you see on occasion. But this is the real deal, folks. Let me give you a live look at basically the smoke that continues to billow out from that apartment building. Now, it's not the buildings in the front here, it's just beyond there. But this is the closest we could get with our satellite truck in a situation like this. They have it basically blocked off for four or five blocks away.

But let me roll you some video from earlier, when I arrived with my photographer Joe Caruso (ph). We got up close. And you can see, folks, that the brick is just gone from this explosion. It's destroyed several apartments. Now, what we're hearing from the mayor here in Bergenfield is that there is a belief at this point that most of the people, if not everybody, may have gotten out of that apartment OK, which is amazing, considering the destruction you're seeing to that apartment.

And these firefighters have been trying to bring the flames under control for hours now. This happened just after 9:00 a.m. this morning. so they continue to battle and try and bring the flames and the smoke under control. But that's not happening any time soon, from what we can see, folks.

This continues to billow, and the folks around here continue to gather. We just spoke with one person from nearby who just came from work when she heard. She said her mother lives in one of the buildings that's just next to the building that exploded and she can't get a hold of her. So that's the situation.

HARRIS: Yes, Tony, we appreciate it. Thanks for that report live on the scene there in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Of course, we'll be following this story throughout the day.

I'm Tony Harris, in for Daryn Kagan. International news up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee.

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