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CNN Live Today

Minority Sunnis Turn Out to Vote in Large Numbers; What's a Tour of Katrina's Aftermath Worth to You?

Aired December 15, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'll talk with a member of the Iraqi electoral commission about this unique system and who gets to vote and how they're doing it.
Also ahead, you'll meet a family desperately trying to save children from the flu as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening now in the news. Several lanes of Florida's Palmetto (ph) Highway have just been reopened after this explosion. Authorities were taking no chances with a suspicious package found along the highway this morning. The bomb squad blew up the briefcase that was found near an entrance ramp near Miami. And they've also been checking out an abandoned car nearby.

Members of a Senate panel are looking for answers about the failed levees in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Engineers and city officials are testifying at a hearing on Capitol Hill this morning. Lawmakers want to know why the levees were unable to withstand the force of the storm.

An actor who appeared on "The Sopranos" in a Bronx tale faces arraignment today in the death of New York police officer. Prosecutors plan to charge Leo Broncado Jr. (ph) with second-degree murder. Another man faces first-degree murder charges. They're accused of killing an off-duty police officer in a shootout after he caught them trying to break into a home.

Time is running out to try to revert a transit strike that could strand millions of New York commuters. Bus and subway workers are threatening to walk off the job when their contract expires at midnight. The city has outlined a contingency plan. Under one provision, vehicles entering areas of Manhattan will be required to carry at least four people.

And the notable Senate maverick died this morning at the age of 90. William Proxmire had battled Alzheimer's disease. Wisconsin voters sent him to the Senate for five terms. He retired in 1990. Proxmire pointed out frivolous government spending with his monthly golden fleece awards.

Good morning once again. Welcome back to the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY. Checking the time around the world, just after 11:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, Georgia. Just after 7:00 in Iraq, where the nation's parliamentary elects wrapped up just about an hour ago. From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

First up, it is Election Day in Iraq. Poll workers are counting the ballots now, and they have a late start because polls stayed open an extra hour across the country. That's because some precincts had long lines of waiting voters.

And unlike last January, minority Sunnis turned out to vote in large numbers today. Insurgents for the most part stayed home. Both factors may mean a new parliament with plenty of new faces. CNN's Aneesh Raman reports on the big day in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iraqis kind down until 7:00 a.m., when the gates opened at polling stations across their country. Here in the northern city of Kirkuk, the site of much division, where Kurds want full control, something others in Iraq don't want, for Hussein Kiryami@, this day was about attempting unity.

"I came to Kirkuk on foot, which took an hour," he says. " I came to vote for the right, and I'm happy for the Iraqi people, all from the north, middle and the south."

In Baghdad, as the polls open, there seemed to be hope, for now, that a four-year government would do what the two previous governments could not, better the basic needs of Iraqis. "These elections will pave the way for freedom," says this man. "And we need electricity and water for all Iraqis."

The would-be leaders came out to the polls as well. Secular politician Ayad Allawi dipping his finger in ink, hoping this election gives him what the last one did not, the chance to be prime minister again.

Abdelaziz Hakim, the cleric who is also the most powerful Shia politician, on the streets rallying supporters. And in the north, Jalal Talabani, the country's president, aware that Kurdish turnout is key to securing yet again a crucial role in the new government.

But Sunni turnout will be the most watched number of all. Many of their area is still too dangerous for the voters to head to the polls. Militia is providing security to ensure turnout. Sunnis know this time they cannot afford to stay home. They are expected to show up and now test the political waters.

It will take perhaps two weeks for the votes cast at polling stations like this one to be officially certified. And then expect a game of intense politicking among the leading lists (ph), which means it could be a month or two before Iraqis who voted today know who will be their next prime minister.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Today, good turnout was helped by the extraordinary security put in place by U.S. and Iraqi forces. Iraq's borders were sealed tight. The streets cleared except for government and military traffic. Polling stations were surrounded by concrete barriers to deter suicide car bombers. Every voter went through a full body search before entering the site.

Authorities say the biggest threat throughout the day, possible suicide bombers who waited in line with voters. That fear never materialized. More than a million Iraqis spread across 15 other countries can vote in today's election. Here in the U.S., polling stations are set up in five states. CNN's Gary Nurenberg is at one of them this morning and he joins me from McLean, Virginia.

Gary, good morning.

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. It's a snowy day here, but despite that, hundreds of Iraqi-Americans from throughout the northeast have driven hundreds of miles in order to vote at one of the few centers in the United States where they can vote today. This is day number three here in McClain, and about 1400 voters have voted so far.

Security far less noticeable than it was in the temporary elections that were held in January of last year. Since that time, the State Department and Homeland Security consulted with FBI and local authorities and determined that they overspent on security a year ago. And so although security here is still very tight, everyone who goes into vote is searched, it is not the kind of intense security that we saw in the January elections of last year.

There are 275 members of the parliament being chosen in this election. Forty-five of them apportioned throughout the nation, not to the individual provinces. And American voters are voting for those 45 seats. Among those who have taken part in campaigning here in the United States among Iraqi-Americans, Ahmed al-Saady, who has been campaigning for Shia candidates.

Tell me what the campaign has been like here in the United States.

AHMED AL-SAADY, IRAQI-AMERICAN VOTER: Well, it's like we have a lot of groups here from different states. Most of them, they come after the uprising in 1991. They absolutely will vote for five, five, five.

NURENBERG: Five, five, five, the political coalition you represent here?

AL-SADDY: Yes.

NURENBERG: I've noticed that many of the voters when they come out seem enormously happy. Why is there that sense of happiness here?

AL-SADDY: Well, they are happy because, you know, they've been under a lot of pressure, under the regime of Saddam Hussein for 35 years.

NURENBERG: Thank you very much for helping us. Hope your campaign goes well. It was nice of you.

AL-SADDY: Thank you so much.

NURENBERG: Daryn, we talked to a number of people who said that they really want to take part in this new democratic process because they believe it's the future of Iraq. We talked to one woman just a moment ago, we haven't had time to turn the tape around. When I said, "Why did you drive all the way from Long Island to come to Virginia and vote?" she said, "Because I think it is the only way we are ever going to get Americans out of my country" -- Daryn?

KAGAN: All right. Another take on the elections today. Gary Nurenberg in McClain, Virginia. Thank you.

Well, and you saw the snow on Gary as we were looking at McClain, Virginia. And icy chill is sending shivers from the east coast into the South this morning. Sleet, ice, and freezing rain are making travel treacherous in many areas.

And we're looking at Roanoke, Virginia and the storm-coated streets and roads in much of Virginia with ice, as well. It looks pretty from this far away. That icy weather left more than 100,000 customers in Georgia without power this morning. Students in several counties get an unexpected day off.

More than a dozen school systems in North Carolina also canceled classes today. Freezing rain is making roadways dangerous. Western North Carolina could get up to a half inch of ice. Bonnie Schneider, North Carolina often seems to get the short end of the stick. They get the ice storms, snowstorms, hurricanes. Fabulous place, though.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is, it is. I used to live in Winston-Salem. It is really nice. But what happens is, when you have all these different elevations and you're on the coast, you're affected by the hurricanes, and then you start heading to the west and the foothills and the mountains, you've got snow.

So we've got snow in Ashville, kind of a wintry mix going on towards Greensboro, towards Winston-Salem, and down through Charlotte, where freezing rain is still being reported at this hour. But head to the east, we're looking at Raleigh right now. Plenty of just heavy rain across a good portion of the region.

And as we take a closer look now as we look toward Virginia, what we're looking at are some very varied conditions, just like North Carolina, one state to the north. We have 36 degrees, rain to Richmond. And then for Roanoke, the temperature, the higher elevations of course, colder, right at 25 degrees.

Look at this picture. I said earlier, it looks like a postcard, and it does. I imagine this is why a lot of folks love living in Roanoke, because it's so pretty when it snows. But it does make for some tough conditions when you are going to be traveling.

And speaking of which, if we come back to our graphics now, I just want to show you what's happening, because it's really interesting in the Midwest. We're getting that wrap-around effect from the low-pressure system as the colder air comes along in the backside of the low.

So what's happening now is ahead of the system, we're getting plenty of rain as the warmer temperatures surge further to the north. But then wrapping around, we're seeing the rain change over to snow. And that includes cities like Cincinnati and Indianapolis for today, and even Columbus, Ohio.

Well, areas to the east like the Carolinas and Virginia will be seeing that changeover to just rain. The reverse is happening further to the west as this cold air comes in and changes all the rain to snow for Columbus, Ohio for today. And we are looking at some accumulations expected in the forecast. Not too much, but just enough to cause some trouble.

Taking a look at highs today, St. Louis, we're look at high of 43, 34 towards Chicago, and then 37 for Washington, D.C. And that's, again, also very important to note, starting off with snow in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., area, changing over to rain once those temperatures get above freezing.

So really depending where you live, you're really seeing a dramatic change in the weather, even just driving ten miles or so -- Daryn?

KAGAN: All right, Bonnie, thank you. We'll try to stay dry and warm today. Not so easy here in Atlanta.

Still to come, you've seen it on television, but some things are just different when you see them in person. Now, one enterprising company is putting that theory to a test in a disaster zone.

Plus, are your kids safe from the flu? No matter how much Dr. Mom is on the job, your child could be in danger.

And a mother sends her baby boy through the window in order to save his life during a fire. You're going to hear from the man who made the rescue three stories below.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan, let's take a look at stories making news overseas this morning. The European parliament will look into CIA flights that allegedly ferried Al Qaeda suspects through European airports. The E.U. also voted to investigate persistent allegations of secret CIA prisons on the continent. Member states involved in either matter could face sanctions.

The E.U. summit will consider possible travel restrictions against Iran's president. Germans are furious over remarks by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that he says the Holocaust was a myth. Such a statement is a crime in Germany. The Iranian leader irritated the West back in October. He said Israel should be wiped off the map. And in Hong Kong today, South Korean farmers protested outside the meeting of the World Trade Organization. The demonstrators say that a WTO treaty that opened South Korea's rice market to foreign competition will drive them out of business. Rice is South Korea's biggest crop.

Each December, "Time" magazine showcases a person of the year on its cover. It's been a staple for "Time" magazine since 1927 when Charles Lindbergh graced the cover. Anderson Cooper has a look at one of this year's potential candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In capturing another Tour de France title this year, Lance Armstrong broke away from the pack and rode straight into the record books. A heroic feat for anyone to accomplish and one made more impressive, considering Armstrong was fighting for his life while battling cancer back in the 1990s. It's enough to make Lance Armstrong a candidate for "Time" magazine's person of the year.

ADI IGNATIUS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "TIME": A person who has a lot of support as a person of the year candidate is Lance Armstrong, who's just come off his seventh straight win in the Tour de France, and who has raised millions and millions through Live Strong, his charity, to help cancer patients and to enhance awareness for cancer issues.

And he's a hero. I mean, what he has accomplished in terms of one of the most grueling sporting events that exists is just incredible. And then he has taken his fame, taken his money, and put it into causes that matter. So he's definitely somebody to consider seriously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So who's your guess? "Time's" person of the year issue is out this Sunday.

Still to come for us today, an up close view of the disaster zone along the gulf coast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only way that we are going to educate the rest of the country on what really happened down here is when we bring people down to see it firsthand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: But you're going to have to pay for that look. What's a tour of Katrina's aftermath worth to you? That story is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: For more than three months after Hurricane Katrina, residents who lost their homes and just plain curiosity seekers are drawn to areas of New Orleans damaged by the storm. And starting next month, a tour company will give visitors an up close look at the devastation. It'll cost you 35 bucks. So the question is, is that an education or is it exploitation? The story from reporter Tom Trong (ph) with our affiliate, WWL.

TOM TRONG, WWL REPORTER: Lakeview and the now-infamous 17th Street Canal are attracting the curious. As of late, more and more people are taking pictures and driving through an area which suffered major flooding. This is this is Suliman Ayaden's (ph) third time touring Lakeview.

SULIMAN AYADEN, LAKEVIEW RESIDENT: I don't know. It's hard to explain. I mean, I cry a couple times. It's tough. It's very tough.

TRONG: Ayaden has lived in New Orleans for 20 years and he wanted to see Hurricane Katrina's impact for himself, as does Bob Selzer (ph). He came to Lakeview from Texas.

TRONG (on-camera): Is it almost educational for you to see this?

BOB SELZER, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: It is. I mean, this is my home. And to see it as different as it is now is sobering.

TRONG: Humbling?

SELZER: That especially.

TRONG (voice-over): Selzer is the type of tourist Gray Line is catering to. The bus company will launch a tour in January, taking passengers through sections of town which, in the last three months, have made headline news throughout the world. Greg Hoffman is Gray Line's vice president and general manager.

TRONG (on-camera): Are you being too insensitive in bringing a tour bus through Lakeview right now?

GREG HOFFMAN, GRAY LINES NEW ORLEANS: I understand those questions because I myself lost our home in Lakeview, lived and grew up in Lakeview. So it is a very sensitive subject. Believe me, the turning point for this tour was when we decided that the only way that we are going to educate the rest of the country on what really happened down here is when we bring people down to see it firsthand.

TRONG: Hoffman says tours will be on 25-passenger mini buses. And no one will be allowed to roam. Tickets will be $35, $3 of each ticket will be donated to four different nonprofit groups.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And the New Orleans levees that failed during Hurricane Katrina are the focus on Capitol Hill this morning. Live pictures from the Hill. A hearing is under way this hour before a Senate committee. Federal and local engineers are testifying, along with New Orleans officials. Lawmakers are trying to determine why the levels were not able to withstand the force of the storm. Coming up, it is a tool in the war in terror, but did you know the Patriot Act may fight America's growing meth problem as well? We'll tell you about some of the changes that could be ahead at your local pharmacy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening in the news.

They're starting to count votes in Iraq. Polls closed less than two hours ago. Voters turned out in large numbers to pick a 275- member parliament. Iraqis outside the country also cast ballots. We'll have a guest to discuss the expatriate vote in about five minutes from now.

Florida bomb experts blew up a briefcase on the Palmetto in Dade County a short time ago. It had been left on an entrance ramp and was treated as a potentially dangerous as a precaution. Officials shut down the expressway. As you can imagine, that left traffic backed up for miles.

A huge win for big tobacco. The Illinois Supreme Court has reversed a $10 billion verdict in the class-action suit against Philip Morris. The court has ruled that the tobacco giant did not defraud customers into thinking light cigarettes were safer than regular cigarettes.

A Fed-Ex cargo plane ran off of a taxiway and became stuck in mud this morning. That happened at the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. Authorities say the pilot turned short while taxiing the plane to a ramp area. No one was hurt.

Ugly weather in Charlotte and elsewhere in the eastern section of the country. Yes, that is Charlotte through a traffic cam. People are coping with icy conditions in parts of the Carolinas and West Virginia. Forecasters are expecting up to a half-inch of ice to pile up. In Georgia, freezing rain has downed tree limbs and knocked out power to thousands of people.

The House of Representatives easily approved a renewal of key portions of the Patriot Act. It extends some provisions another four years. The law gives federal agents certain powers in the fight against terrorism. Opponents warn that it gives authorities too much power to investigate Americans' private claims.

The renewed Patriot Act will face tough going in the Senate, however. It faces a possible filibuster, in fact, and even some Republicans say that it tramples civil liberties. CNN's justice correspondent Kelly Arena explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CROSSTALK)

KELLY ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: ... telling you your privacy cannot be guaranteed. A computer record may have to be turned over to the government.

ALICE KNAPP, CONNECTICUT LIBRARY ASSOCIATION: I have grave concerns both on a practical level what this does in terms of making people fearful about using the library, but also the danger sign, that is, for our whole democracy.

ARENA: Librarian Alice Knapp is very concerned about National Security letters, or NSLs. The FBI can use them during terrorism investigations to get records and information quickly without going to a judge. Instead, they are approved by FBI supervisors.

RACHEL BRAND, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: At stake is our ability to quickly track down information that can enable us to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur.

ARENA: Everything about them is secret, how many have been issued and who has received them. The case we know the most about involves a Connecticut company, Library Connection. It provides Internet services for some state libraries. When it received an NSL, it refused to comply and went to court. But the company isn't talking.

CAROLINE FREDRICKSON, DIRECTOR, ACLU WASHINGTON: The secrecy is a big problem. What happens when, say, a business gets a national security letter, is that the business also receives a gag order.

ARENA: Critics also argue NSLs give the FBI too much power. Agents an get financial information from a bank, for example, toll records from a phone company or Internet information, like who you e- mailed or which Web sites you visited. But assistant attorney general Rachel Brand says a lot of information is off limits.

BRAND: They cannot get the contents of an e-mail. They cannot listen in on anyone's telephone conversations. They cannot get, for example, library circulation records, the books that someone checks out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: The bill to renew the Patriot Act calls for an audit of the FBI's use of NSLs and for some public recording, but it does not require any judicial review before NSLs are issued. Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

KAGAN: There's also a bill attached to the Patriot Act that would restrict the sale of over-the-counter cold medications. It's an effort to battle the spread of illegal and highly-addicted methamphetamine. Meth is a stimulant that's easily made from household chemicals and cold medicines.

The legislation would require pharmacies to sell such medicines from behind the counter or keep them locked up. Customers must show I.D. and stores must keep records of sales. The bill would put a daily and monthly limit on the amount customers can buy.

CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on safety and your security. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Iraqis at home and abroad are having a say in today's election. Millions of voters cast their ballots across Iraq today. Their countrymen around the world are also voting, an estimated one and a half million Iraqi ex-patriots are eligible to vote in 15 countries, that have set up polling stations for them. Salem Aljawad, national media coordinator for the independent electoral commission of Iraq joins me now live from San Diego. Good morning.

SALEM ALJAWAD, INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF IRAQ: Good morning.

KAGAN: And it is a big day for you. A lot more polling places than you had in January for Iraqis here in the U.S.

ALJAWAD: Yes, we have.

KAGAN: And -- for example, in California, what, there was one or two, and now there's five.

ALJAWAD: No, in California we have three polling stations. One in San Diego, one in Los Angeles, and one in the San Francisco area.

KAGAN: And in order to be able to qualify, you don't have to have been born in Iraq, it's enough that your father was born in Iraq.

ALJAWAD: Yes. The only thing is that you have to be 18, today, age 18 and from a father of an Iraqi, either to prove a citizenship that he was born in Iraq or of an Iraqi citizenship.

KAGAN: One thing in the reading I was doing, I found fascinating: the diversity of Iraqis that are living here in the U.S. You have the full gamut. You have Sunnis, Shiites, you have Kurds, you have Christians as well. And those different factions are looking to vote in order to support their brethren back home in Iraq.

ALJAWAD: Yes, of course. And also to support themselves because a lot of the Iraqis who live here, they would like to go back one day, if not to live, to visit at least.

KAGAN: And what about you, how does that apply to you?

ALJAWAD: For me, actually, I have been here for about 26 years. I would like to go back. In fact, I have been back three times already, since the change of the regime. I would like to spend a lot of time over there, to help the country, to rebuild itself. And as an engineer, I would like to participate for whatever I can.

KAGAN: So someone like you, or other people that you know, how do you know who to vote for?

ALJAWAD: Well, actually, Iraqis who keep in touch with the politics and all the other things back home, they know all the factions, they know all the parties.

And I mean, in general, I should say, not individually. Sometimes individually as well. There are a lot of information on the Internet, a lot of newspapers, on T.V.

We have satellites, which gives us a lot of information about what's going on in the country, as well. So those who are looking for information, they can always find it nowadays.

KAGAN: We've been able to talk to a few voters that are showing up at the polling place in McLean, Virginia, today. And you can really sense the excitement and the emotion for them. Many of them came a long way just to get to that polling place in Virginia. How was it for you, Salem, when you voted?

ALJAWAD: Well, for me personally, I really didn't have to drive that much. It's only 75 miles for me.

KAGAN: No, not the driving, but the actual emotional experience of placing that ballot?

ALJAWAD: Yes. This is the second time we are actually voicing our opinion and we are very happy to participate in this historic events. It's a feeling that, obviously, any person will be proud of, to be part of a historical event to reshape the country. This is the first -- actually, the second time that we have a say-so in the forming of our country.

KAGAN: And as Iraq moves forward with this democracy, what are you looking for?

ALJAWAD: Well, obviously we would like to see a fully Democratic system in Iraq. We will be very happy to help in that respect as well. But we are very helpful. The majority of Iraqis are very helpful to see the country moving forward.

Today's event is a major historical event in our history. And I am very happy, not only to see this, but I am -- I talked to my friends and family back home and they are -- although the conditions is not very good right now, but they are very hopeful, looking forward to the future and they are very happy to have this system.

KAGAN: Well, as you said, this is a historical day for you and your other country, because I'm sure you consider America home now. But we thank you.

ALJAWAD: We do -- I actually, sometimes when it comes to events like this, I am an American-Iraqi. And quite frankly, I do have two countries. So it's -- for me, I can say the same thing when it comes to elections here because I do participate in elections and I do have my opinion over here as well.

KAGAN: Well, very good. Well, we're glad to have you here and we're glad to have your time, as you share this historic day back in your other country as well. Salem Aljawad, thank you for your time today.

ALJAWAD: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: All this week, Anderson Cooper reports live from Iraq. He's in Baquba today for a closer look at this historic election. Don't miss "A.C. 360," tonight, 10 Eastern right here on CNN.

We're going to talk some health news, just ahead. It might seem like your average childhood flu bug at first, but it's nothing to mess around with. Coming up, why very young children, even healthy ones, could become victims of a deadly flu.

And when you see the daring rescue that happened outside this burning building, we guarantee you will have two words -- nice catch. Yes, that's a baby, tossed out of the window. There is a happy ending.

First, a look at what they're saying about Iraqi elections online, check out Veronica De La Cruz at CNN.com.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Now that Iraqi citizens have gone to the polls to elect a full four-year parliament, CNN.com is asking you what needs to happen for the creation of a stable democracy in Iraq.

Bill in Connecticut, says, "The rival factions need to agree to disagree without violence. They should have a common goal and rid their country of outsiders bent only on destroying what they may achieve."

Ramon in New Jersey, writes in, "Iraqi oil generates more money than some people can imagine. Give back around $250 per month to each Iraqi citizen. Once they have tasted the bounty, then they will, as their right, fight and help in the restoration of their country."

And from Edward, in Michigan, "There will be no peace until we leave, just like Vietnam. There was no peace there until we left, and they seem to be doing just fine without us."

To read more, you can log on to CNN.com. From the .comdesk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In our daily dose of health news, the flu and children. A study says 153 children in the U.S. died from the flu during the 2003-2004 season, that's more than chicken pox, whooping cough and measles combined. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the story of one family's fight after losing a child to the flu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One day last year, Emily Lastinger, a healthy, energetic 3-year-old, wasn't feeling well. Her pediatrician diagnosed the flu. Five days later, she was dead.

JENNIFER LASTINGER, EMILY'S MOTHER: She was laying on the bed not breathing, and I just kept looking at her, like, this just can't be happening.

COHEN: It's a shockingly common story. Half of all children who died of the flu the winter Emily died were previously healthy.

JENNIFER LASTINGER: She was beautifully, beautifully strong and healthy.

COHEN: Joe and Jennifer Lastinger figured Emily was so healthy she could fight the flu. Two years later, the Lastingers say Emily did not have to die.

JOE LASTINGER, EMILY'S FATHER: Careful with Allie (ph).

COHEN: They say she could be alive today, playing with her brothers and little sister, born two weeks after her death.

(on camera) Could Emily's death have been prevented?

JENNIFER LASTINGER: I do believe that the flu vaccination would have -- would have saved Emily.

COHEN (voice-over): So why didn't Emily get a flu shot? Ironically her own health worked against her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, three.

COHEN: Pediatricians usually don't give flu shots to healthy kids. They follow guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC encourages flu shots only for sick children if they're over age 2.

The CDC says the shot works and is safe for all kids. They just worry that if too many parents rush out to get their kids vaccinated, there won't be enough shots left for other groups like the elderly.

DR. JOHN ABRAHAMSON, CDC VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: We don't have that many doses right now so we have to build up the manufacturing capacity.

JOE LASTINGER: I look at these pictures and...

COHEN: The Lastingers, along with other parents who have lost children to the flu, formed Families Fighting Flu. They want the CDC to encourage flu vaccinations for all children.

They point out that vaccinating kids can save older people, too, since young children tend to have terrible hygiene and spread the disease to others.

Dr. John Abrahamson, head of the CDC vaccine advisory committee, says he can't publicly encourage parents to go out and get flu shots for their healthy kids, but he does make sure that his own healthy children are protected.

(on camera) So do you make sure that your children are vaccinated against the flu?

ABRAHAMSON: Our children are vaccinated against the flu.

COHEN (voice-over): The Lastingers wish someone had told them about flu vaccines.

(on camera): Do you ever think, "What if?"

JENNIFER LASTINGER: Only every five seconds.

JOE LASTINGER: Our lives would be different, completely different.

JENNIFER LASTINGER: Bye, baby.

COHEN (voice-over): It's too late for Emily, but they continue on, hoping that their fight will save someone else's child. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Grapevine, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And for your daily dose of health news online, log onto our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports, and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.

Coming up, a daring leap of faith for one new mother. Hear what happened when a building caught on fire and she didn't think she'd get her baby son out alive. The incredible catch, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: They are feeling the Christmas spirit and the holiday spirit and the Hanukkah spirit, whatever you're celebrating. They're feeling it in Washington, D.C. We're looking at the White House, which really is white today. Lots of snow up and down D.C. and all around Virginia. We'll talk more about weather in just a minute.

First though, we've got to show you these pictures. These are the pictures we were talking about the most throughout the morning. Get this, a baby boy was thrown out of the window of a burning apartment building. It's the makings of a disaster, but there is literally a catch.

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KAGAN (voice-over): It's a parent's horror story, trapped in a burning building and the only way to save your baby is to throw it out the window. Tracinda Foxe was living that nightmare Wednesday in her third floor Bronx apartment. She says she closed her eyes and threw her one-month-old child, Eric. On the ground, housing authority employee Felix Vazquez made the catch of a lifetime.

FELIX VAZQUEZ, CAUGHT BABY: She was panicking and she just said, "catch my baby, catch my baby." I had caretakers (ph) under the window. But she didn't let it go (INAUDIBLE). She just threw him. I jumped over the gate. I caught the baby.

KAGAN: But after catching Eric, Vazquez realized quickly that the child was not out of danger. The baby wasn't breathing. VAZQUEZ: I just tilt the head back, gave him quick mouth to mouth, got the baby back to screaming and crying, and took him to the fire department and the ambulance took over.

KAGAN: Up on the third floor, Tracinda Fox was ready to jump out the window as well, when firefighters arrived to save her.

DENNIS MARTIN, NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER: The woman was out the window, she was trapped behind the child gates. We rushed in up to the third floor, up the stairs, came in, got in the apartment, which was really heavily charged, broke down the floor, so we got her, got a mask in there for her, managed to calm her down, shut the door.

KAGAN: Both mother and son were treated at a local hospital, and they've been released. As for Felix Vazquez, after playing the hero, he was back at work on Wednesday afternoon.

VAZQUEZ: It's good to save a live. It feels real good.

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KAGAN: And get this additional information. Felix Vazquez, our hero, he's a catcher for the housing authority's baseball team. He talked to Miles and to Soledad on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" about the reaction from the mother whose baby he saved.

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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: How is she doing?

VAZQUEZ: She's doing great. She took a lot of smoke in, but she's doing excellent.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So What did she say to you then?

VAZQUEZ: She came up to me, hugged me, kissed me, and just kept thanking, thanking me.

S. O'BRIEN: That's never going to stop, you realize that? for the rest of your life, she's going to be thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

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KAGAN: And you can wake up with AMERICAN MORNING weekdays. They're getting up early these day. They starts at 6:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Another fire rescue, this one requiring mouth-to-snout resuscitation. Firefighters in Salem, Massachusetts rushed to the scene of a burning home, they found fond the family's dog passed out, not breathing. Firefighters jumped into action to revive the dog, administering CPR and oxygen.

Pixie, you're a very lucky dog. The dog is doing just fine. No people were injured in that fire either. We love all these happy endings.

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KAGAN: And I'm Daryn Kagan.

International news is up next. Stay tuned for YOUR WORLD TODAY. Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee are here with you today after a quick break.

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