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CNN Live Today

Port Security Fears; Massive Mudslide; Trapped Miners; Powerball Jackpot; Polishing Your Corporate Image Tips

Aired February 20, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll go ahead and get started and do that by taking a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."
President Bush hits the road on this President's Day to pitch his energy program. Mr. Bush will promote technologies designed to reduce America's dependence on imported oil. The president's first stop is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We'll have live coverage of his speech there beginning at 12:25 p.m. Eastern.

It has been a very bloody day in Iraq with numerous bombings. In the most severe attack, a suicide bomber detonated explosives aboard a mini bus, killing 10 people. It happened in a Shiite area of Baghdad. In other violence, military officials say that a U.S. soldier died in a roadside bomb attack southeast of Karbala.

Iranian and Russian officials kicked off nuclear talks in Moscow today. At issue, Moscow's offer to enrich uranium for Iran. Several western nations, including the U.S., think Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and Russia's offer is seen as a last chance for Iran to avoid punishing U.N. sanctions.

And good morning to you on this President's Day. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

The management of six major American ports is being taken over by a company that is based in an Arab nation. This deal has outraged members of Congress who worry that port security is now in the hands of a country with terrorist ties. CNN's Elaine Quijano is on CNN Security Watch with a look at port security fears.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff is defending the Bush administration's decision to approve a deal allowing a state owned Dubai company, Dubai Ports World, to take over operations at six major American ports.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The general process that has to work before this occurs require as very thorough review and, where appropriate, necessary conditions or safeguards have to be put into place.

QUIJANO: The ports affected include ports in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami and New Orleans. But both Democratic and Republican lawmakers say that could make Americans less safe. REP VITO FOSSELLA, (R) NEW YORK: Imagine if today there was an official announcement that Dubai was to take over security at our airports. Would not the American people question why and be somewhat outraged that we would delegate authority and security of our airports to a foreign nation?

QUIJANO: New York Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on President Bush to personally intervene to block the contract.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) NEW YORK: Outsourcing the operations of our largest ports to a country with long involvement in terrorism is a homeland security accident waiting to happen.

QUIJANO: According to the 9/11 Commission report, at least one hijacker drew money from bank accounts based in the UAE to help fund operations. And, the commission noted, one of the hijackers, Marwan al-Shehhi, was from the UAE. But the Bush administration calls the United Arab Emirates a leading partner in the fight against Terrorism. And Chertoff say there is are other factors to consider.

CHERTOFF: Certainly Congress is welcome to look at this and can get classified briefings. You know, we have to balance the paramount urgency of security against the fact that we still want to have a robust, global trading system.

QUIJANO: The company, DP World, could not be reached for comment. Meantime, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is calling the Bush administration's decision "unbelievably tone deaf politically." Last week Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Robert Menendez said they were working on legislation to ban foreign state owned companies from controlling operations at U.S. ports.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And then there's this from former Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge. He says the administration might owe Congress an explanation on this one. He told CNN's "American Morning" there are reasons to worry about port security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Well, I think the anxiety and concern that has been expressed by congressmen and senators and elsewhere is legitimate. The optics at this point don't look very good. But I've also sat in on that similar process when we reviewed some other potential sales that could have an impact on American security. And I do think that at some point in time you have to say to yourself, would Secretary Rumsfeld and Snow and Chertoff and Rice compromise America's security? I don't think so. The bottom line is, I think we need a little bit more transparency here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And Ridge adds that the administration needs to assure Congress that security has not been compromised.

Will a terrorist attack target the U.S. economy next? Homeland Security officials worry that the assault could come from cyberspace. How worried should you be. We'll take a look at that threat and what Homeland Security is doing about that later this hour.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

In Mexico and the Philippines it's a race against time for search and rescue teams. In the southern Philippines, hundreds of people are still missing three days after a wall of mud buried their village. The search goes on for survivors. One official says it's now a matter of hoping for a miracle.

In Mexico, just south of the U.S. border, another grim scene as rescuers try to reach dozens of coal miner who are trapped underground at this hour.

That desperate search on Leyte Island in the Philippines involves rescue teams from all around the world. And, in places, the mud and rubble is 100 feet deep. CNN's Hugh Riminton is on the phone now from the scene.

Hugh.

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The situation today took a bizarre turn because just as the searchers were calling it a day for the night, as the sun went down, there came a report on a local TV channel that 50 survivors had been found. They were quoting a Philippines government official. It seemed always an unlikely number, but it was greeted with jubilation as these exhausted searchers leap back into trucks and went across on to the mountain side in darkness and in pouring rain to try to bring the supposed 50 survivors down. Unfortunately, somewhere the wires got crossed. There were no 50 survivors. And the heartbreaking news of a false alarm had to be filtered back down through the searches and off to the wider community.

What they have heard is persistent sounds of "scratching, rhythmic tapping" and what has been described as "increasingly positive signs of life." All of this has come from the Filipino authorities and it has to be said they're being treated with some skepticism by their international partners in this search effort who are far more pessimistic, who think that the sounds that they're hearing are more likely to be just the shifting of all the rubbing, not tapping in the deliberate sense, simply rocks knocking against each other. But there remains, as a senior search officials said, a great deal of adrenaline that they may yet even now out of this amazing, awesome site of destruction still pull someone out alive.

KAGAN: Hugh, I understand there actually were evacuation orders because of the intense rain. That the concern was flooding. And many of these people had left this area only to come back too soon.

RIMINTON: The rain is totally unseasonal. It's supposed to be the dry season. They have had -- you won't even call them record rains. They've had rains immediately before this landslide that were four times the highest level every previously recorded for that time of year. In fact, the rains had eased a little bit. And although some people had been evacuated or had simply left because they were afraid that something might happen from flooding, it had started to get sunny during the daylight hours and people had gone back into their homes. That was why the population was almost up to its normal level when the landslide struck.

KAGAN: Hugh Riminton live on the phone from the Philippines. Thank you.

We move on now to a remote region of Mexico. An around-the-clock rescue effort continuing this hour. So far there's no word of any contact with about 65 coal miners that are trapped underground by a gas explosion. CNN's Morgan Neill is with us now from San Juan De Sabinas in Mexico.

Hello.

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Officials say they're making progress but it's a slow and painstaking process -- progress. Despite having worked around the clock since this explosion happened on Sunday, they've made their way only one-third of the way to where they believe those 65 miners are trapped underground. Each hour that passes, fewer and fewer people realistically believe that anyone will emerge alive. Nevertheless, we do see family members, co-workers, huddling around, offering comfort to one another and paying close attention every time authorities offer any sort of update here.

Daryn.

KAGAN: I understand most of the miners did have oxygen tanks, but only about six hours worth?

NEILL: That's right. That's right, Daryn. And that's why we see fewer and fewer people when we ask, are you optimistic? Do you have hope? Do you think this could have a good ending? We hear appeals to faith and we hear hope in their voices, but it becomes less and less realistic the more often the question is repeated.

KAGAN: Morgan Neill with the latest from the northern remote region of Mexico. Thank you. We'll continue to track that story.

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S., depending on where you are, you probably feel it this morning, it being winter, which has taken hold across much of the nation. An arctic blast blew in this weekend and, along with it, major wind damage and deadly accidents. In New York, fierce winds toppled trees and snapped power lines. Crews are now working to restore power to thousands of customers. Several states have opened shelters for those without heat and power.

Whether it was the Midwest, the Northeast or the South, driving conditions were dangerous and potentially deadly. A number of accidents were reported in Oklahoma. At least three people were killed on icy roads in Arkansas over the weekend.

And a slow moving storm brought snow to Nevada. This was a scene in Las Vegas. Don't bet on seeing this type of thing often in Vegas. As you probably know, you're witnessing a rare sight. I wonder if they take bets on that at the casinos? Probably.

And how about this for a rare occurrence. So cold, so cold in Madison, Wisconsin, even the Polar Plunge charity event was called off over the weekend. So you know it's cold. Organizers say it was just to frigid for folks to take their annual wintertime dip in the lake even for a few seconds.

And, Jacqui, you know those people know cold. They seek cold.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Talking about the hugest Powerball jackpot ever, $365 million smackeroes. That's what the winning ticket is worth that was bought in this store in Lincoln, Nebraska. So far the big winner has not stepped forward? Are you out there? We'd love to hear from you. We'll have more when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

Also, security in cyberspace is the net vulnerable to attack. A full scale test strike looks for holes.

And a couple of retirees have just moved south. It's a family reunion that, if you believe the old saying, they will never forget.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: You know somebody out there, one of you, jumping for joy this morning after winning the record Powerball lottery jackpot. That lucky gambler is not, though, making a mad dash to pick up the cash. One winning ticket matched all the numbers drawn Saturday night. The jackpot is worth an estimated $365 million, the biggest lottery jackpot in the nation's history. A U-stop convenience store in Lincoln, Nebraska, sold the ticket and that's where we find our Jonathan Freed. He is at the lucky store.

Hello, Jonathan.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And I just want to say the number again because it's big.

KAGAN: Go ahead.

FREED: It's so much fun to say, isn't it? Are you ready?

KAGAN: Yes.

FREED: $365 million. It's really unbelievable. And so far, you're right, whoever won has not called in yet and it's possible that they may not have realized that they won the Nebraska lottery tells us. They do have six months in order to claim their prize and it may be that even if they have checked their ticket that they've called their lawyer first before they're actually calling Nebraska Lottery.

I can tell you, Daryn, that that machine right over there, that red machine, is the one that sold the $365 million ticket. And the way it all breaks down. If the person takes it in cash, it's about $177 million. And once you take taxes out of it, it comes out to about $124 million.

I got a good story for you. We talked to a clerk earlier today when we were showing up here and he was towards the end of his shift. He came on at 11:00 last night. He hadn't heard the news yesterday and when he showed up for work, Daryn, when he saw the media trucks parked outside, he thought the place had been robbed. So totally different story once he came inside.

KAGAN: The place hasn't been robbed, the coffers of the lottery have been robbed. They're going to be emptied out very soon.

FREED: Right.

KAGAN: Now so this Lincoln, Nebraska, there's this one ticket. But we had heard claims earlier someone in Colorado said they had the winning ticket. What do you know about that?

FREED: Yes and that was reported earlier today. Nebraska Lottery told us that they had received a call from a man in Colorado who described the scene here and went on to describe enough of the exchange of conversation with some of the clerks here to make them feel that maybe he was indeed the winner. And he was supposed to call back about a half an hour later. He didn't do that. And when the lottery people tried to reach him later, it turned out to be the number of a radio station in the Denver area. So right now Nebraska Lottery thinks that they've had a bit of a joke played on them.

KAGAN: A radio prank. Exactly.

FREED: Yes.

KAGAN: All right, Jonathan. Well, I bet they're really happy there. What does the store owner get for all this?

FREED: $50,000. Not bad. And when they first heard the news, they remembered thinking, oh, it's 1 percent of the win. Oh, my gosh, it's $3.6 million. Then they realized, no, it's 1 percent but capped at $50,000. Still, $50,000 today that you didn't have the day before. Not bad.

KAGAN: Well, that's true. That's true. But if I were that winner, just for the record, I would -- the clerk I would give a little something to and the store.

FREED: That's -- and maybe that person's listening.

KAGAN: Maybe. I think they're a little busy with their accountant and their lawyer this morning.

FREED: Right. KAGAN: Jonathan Freed, thank you.

Well, you don't have to be a lottery winner to look like a million bucks at work. Gerri Willis is here with some advice on dressing for success. And a great person to talk to because Gerri always looks fabulous.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, you always look ready for prime time.

So what we're going to talk about today is dressing for success for the corporate office. It's changing. You'll want to know how. "Five Tips" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: If you're looking to move up the corporate ladder, there are some things you just need to know. And Gerri Willis is here with some "Top Five Tips."

Ger.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn, good to see you.

Workplace clothing these days, is getting more formal. So guys out there, you've got to ditch the jeans, the baggy sweatshirts. Hey, even that basketball jersey you're so fond of. Get rid of that. How about some sharp chinos and a shirt that's really dressy.

For women, guess what, it's dark, it's fitted, it's patterned. You want to make sure that you look professional in the workplace. And make sure you pay attention to color too. Red is a power color. If you use really soft pastels, you can really soften you image. And good news here, Daryn, you don't have to wear heels anymore according to the experts out there in corporate imagery. You can wear flatter shoes, maybe even 1 «, 2 inch heels.

KAGAN: Very good, especially for us tall girls.

What about leaving voice mail?

WILLIS: Well, guess what, you know, you've got to be careful about your voice mail message because it really sends signals about how serious you are about what you do. So don't make it too chummy. Keep it incredibly short. Maybe as short as ten seconds. Just get across the information you need to get across and make sure, too, that it doesn't sound too monotone. You know, Hello, leave your message at the tone. You don't want to go there.

KAGAN: No. E-mail, that's how it seems like most people are communicating these days.

WILLIS: That's right. And it's also where people are making a loft mistakes. You know, if you're one of those people who puts the smiley face in your e-mail to the staff, not a good idea. It's to informal. It sends the wrong message about who you are. You want to make sure like that you sound like it's a formal -- not a formal letter, but at least professional. And whatever you do, make sure you don't forward all those off-colored jokes that people send around the office because you never know when that's going to end up in the boss's inbox.

KAGAN: What about good old-fashioned conversational skill, Gerri?

WILLIS: Not everybody has them, surprisingly. Guess what, there are rules of the road. If you run into the boss in the elevator, don't talk about religion, don't talk about politics, stay with the safe topics like the weather, maybe what you did over the weekend and get that person to talk about themselves because, let's face it, Daryn, everybody loves to talk about themselves. It's their favorite topic.

KAGAN: Me, me, me, me, me.

Now to my weak link, which is my desk. It's true here at work. It's true at home.

WILLIS: What's the problem with your desk, Daryn?

KAGAN: It's a disaster area. Stacks of stuff and -- I'm just bad at putting stuff away.

WILLIS: Well, you know, it's that. It's the messiness but it's also what you put on your desk that can be the problem. A lot of women will have stuffed animals and dolls and that sort of sends the message that you're not all that serious. And if you're a fellow, you want to take down all the sports memorabilia.

Look, this isn't a place where you live, this is a place where you work. And if you want people to understand you're serious about your job, you'll communicate that with the stuff on your desk. Particularly if you're sitting out in the middle of an open office, everybody sees your desk then. It's really almost an ad for who you are.

KAGAN: See the good news is, is that -- the bad news, I might have all that stuff on there but you wouldn't know it because it's underneath so many stacks of stuff. It's hidden so, you know.

WILLIS: Well, that's another way to do it.

KAGAN: Yes, that's for sure.

WILLIS: We'll come in and investigate.

KAGAN: I don't suggest this for those at home.

WILLIS: We're scheduling an intervention, Daryn. We're coming.

KAGAN: OK. Come on down. Need the help.

Gerri, thank you. WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: We're at 26 minutes past the hour. The next terrorist attacks on America may not come by air, land or sea. It could come in cyberspace. Ahead, concerns about whether the net is vulnerable.

And the good times roll once again in New Orleans. How the big easy is moving on when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are just about at the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. This is CNN LIVE TODAY. Let's take a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

Hopes are fading. The search for survivors of Friday's huge mudslide goes on right now in the Philippines. The mud buried an entire village, including an elementary school. More than a thousands people are still listed as missing.

Nigerian militants holding nine foreign hostages claim they have now blown up an oil pipeline. Today's attack is part of the ongoing violence that has cut off about 20 percent of the oil production in Nigeria. The hostages, including three Americans, were kidnaped last week. They work for an oil services firm.

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