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CNN Live Today

Wildfires Rage in California; Polygamist Fugitive in Custody; Tropical Storm Ernesto Heads Towards Carolinas; Crisis in the Middle East

Aired August 30, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: For this AMERICAN MORNING. Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center to take you through the next few hours.
Hello, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Miles, good morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning.

KAGAN: You have a great day in New York City. Soledad's coming back to New York? She's on her way back? All right.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, she is. She'll be back tomorrow.

KAGAN: Safe journey for her. Thank you.

Well, it looks like it's already shaping up to be a very busy Wednesday morning. And let's get started with what we're following this hour.

Ernesto wimping out. The storm drenching south Florida with buckets of rain, but the wind not much of a wallop. The next stop, though, could be the Carolinas. This is still very much a story.

A most-wanted fugitive gets ready for a court date. Two states now fighting over which gets the first shot at polygamist Warren Jeffs.

And Katrina's darkest hours. A place to heal becomes a morgue. A CNN exclusive investigation. Prosecutors are calling it death by doctor.

No powerful punch, no dreaded hurricane, but Ernesto is till a storm to be reckoned with. Flooding is a major concern right now in Florida as the tropical storm slowly spins to the north. You see a lot of red there down in south Florida, well, and yellow on the radar screen. That means there was a lot of heavy rain.

In fact, just hours ago, Ernesto limped ashore in the Florida Keys and the Miami area. Much of Florida and the peninsula there did get drenched. Forecasters, though, are looking forward. They say once Ernesto passes through it could regain some strength in the Atlantic and take a swipe at the Carolinas. Which is why Chad Myers has his eyes focused on the storm as well from our super, duper weather center. Good morning, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well it is the opposite problem in California. Look at these pictures from early this morning. San Bernardino, southern California, wildfires. They're really concerned about this one getting even more out of control. Our Fredricka Whitfield is with us today covering breaking news and has more on the fires.

Fred, good morning.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

They're concerned indeed because already 2,000 acres or three square miles have been scorched. One home has been damage and a couple of other building. And it has led to the evacuation of a couple of small communities. One, which is a 60-home community called Mountain Home Village, and a Christian camp.

Now with us on the phone is Melody Lardner with the Forest Service Fire Information Center, who can give us a little bit more detail on how this fire is being contained.

At last report, Melody, it was about 10 percent. Bring us up to date now.

MELODY LARDNER, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: Yes, that figure is as of this morning. It's 2,000 acres and 10 percent contained. We do expect full containment by September 1st at 6:00 p.m. The air tankers have been key to this fire, as well as the helicopters and helitankers. We also have hand crews and fire engines and bulldozers on this fire. We have over 575 personnel assigned to the fire. The steep, rugged terrain, the hot temperatures and low humidities have made this fire very difficult.

WHITFIELD: Well, given the hot temperatures and the humidity, how is it you're able to pinpoint this date of September 1st in the evening time by the time you have it under control?

LARDNER: That's what they're estimating based on the resources they're using at this time.

WHITFIELD: And I understand a portion of Highway 38 has been closed. Why?

LARDNER: The highway is adjacent to the fire. The fire burned right up to the edge of the highway and the community of Mountain Home Village is right along that highway. Equipment has been using the highway to fight the fire and they've been staging off of the highway.

WHITFIELD: Now what about other homes or businesses in the area? How concerned are you about them and getting these evacuation orders in place for more than just those two tiny communities that we mentioned? LARDNER: At this time, there's no immediate threat to any other communities. There's other mountain communities in adjacent area. But right now there are no evacuations of those areas.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Melody Lardner, do you expect to get any sort of assistance from outside of that jurisdiction to help battle this blaze?

LARDNER: Oh, we have many agencies already cooperating on this fire. California Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County and others.

WHITFIELD: Very good. Melody Lardner, Forest Service Fire Information Center, thanks so much for being with us and good luck on battling that blaze.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Fred, thank you for that. We'll be keeping an eye on southern California.

On to the southwest now. Authorities say he claimed to be invincible, protected by God, but now fugitive polygamist Warren Jeffs is behind bars. He faces sex crimes, charges related to children. An extradition hears is set for tomorrow. Now we're watching this story as it broke right here on the show yesterday with the news of Jeffs' capture. Now an update on the case from our Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Warren Jeffs may have spent his last day as a free man. Of the five charges he faces, two carry a maximum sentence upon conviction of life in prison.

MARK SHURTLEFF, UTAH ATTORNEY GENERA: We have the strongest charges. There's no doubt about that.

SIMON: That's why Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff would like to see Jeffs go on trial first in Utah. Jeffs is charged here with two counts of rape as an accomplice. In layman's terms, he's accused of arranging a marriage between and underaged girl and an older man.

SHURTLEFF: If you're charged with accomplice to a rape, ordering, facilitating and so forth, then you're guilty of the same thing and that's what we hope to have him -- have to prove his guilt on that.

SIMON: The penalty, five years to life in prison for each charge. Jeffs' also faces charges in Arizona. He presides over polygamist communities in both states. Colorado City in Arizona and Hilldale in Utah. The towns sit side by side. Prosecutors in those jurisdictions will want first crack at Jeffs, but Shurtleff vowed the competition will be civil.

SHURTLEFF: It's not going to be about turf. We're going to work together on this.

SIMON: Still, he couldn't help point out the disparity in the sentences. In Arizona, the total amount of prison time Jeffs would face if convicted is only six years.

Jeffs is charged in Arizona with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly performing marriages in that state between older men and young girls. He also faces an additional charge of conspiracy.

TERRY GODDARD, ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This, as I said, isn't the end of the road, but it certainly is a very important development for the people of Colorado City. We've made a lot of progress on many fronts. But I think the most important is proving to everyone that Warren Jeffs couldn't flaunt the rule of law.

SIMON: Prosecutors want Jeffs held without bail because of his history as a fugitive and his alleged criminal behavior.

SHURTLEFF: Ripped kids away from parents, and kick kids out into the desert, make little girls marry old guys. This guy's a bad guy and he belonged on the 10 most wanted list for these reasons.

SIMON: Thanks to good law enforcement, that list, for the moment, is now down to nine.

Dan Simon, CNN, Salt Lake City, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Let's get back to this developing story out of southern California. The wildfire that is ripping through San Bernardino. Making use of our affiliate and Willa Sandmeyer, a reporter who knows southern California very well, bringing us the latest from there.

Willa, good morning.

WILLA SANDMEYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, we are here just about 75 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino National Forest. Let me show you what's going on here. To the left you see there is the smoldering flank of the fire. And the good news is, the temperatures are cooler here this morning. The winds have died down.

And there, more to the right, you see smoke rising. That is a backfire that was set early this morning by fire crews here on the scene. They wanted to remove fuels because this fire had been heading east.

And I'm going to asked the cameraman to pan just a little bit more to the right. See all these hills that were scorched. This fire had been heading toward the community of Mountain Home. A tiny mountain community that is now under a mandatory evacuation because just one road out of there and we're standing on it, Highway 38, and so they have been evacuated and there was concern because this fire had been heading in an easterly direction.

Now this is being called the Emerald Blaze. It broke out about 3:00 yesterday afternoon. Right near a community of Redlands. Redlands is right around 70 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

Cause of the fire still isn't known, but this fire has already score some 2,000 acres. There are more than 200 firefighters who are working on the fire lines there, being assisted by water dropping helicopters and air tankers. Really essential to being able to stop the advance of a wildfire when the winds are not high.

The flames so far have destroyed two homes. They can move very quickly out here in California when the humidity drops low. It's probably a humidity you couldn't even imagine back there in Atlanta. But sometimes it's down below 10 percent out here in southern California in the eastern communities.

So this fire is only about 10 percent contained. And they really don't expect containment until 6:00 Friday night. But the good news is, at this hour, it's not threatening any homes.

KAGAN: Yes, they don't know . . .

SANDMEYER: Reporting live, I'm Willa -- back to you.

KAGAN: OK. Well, I was going to say, they don't know 10 percent humidity here in the southeast, but we are kind of coming into that time in southern California where things get even drier and more Santa Ana winds. So hopefully the conditions will cooperate with firefighters.

SANDMEYER: Yes, its certainly been great to have the cooler temperatures and very, very light wind this morning.

KAGAN: All right. Willa, thank you. Willa Sandmeyer with our affiliate KTLA from Yucaipa, California.

Taking the wrong runway. It is not the first mistake the crew of Comair Flight 5191 made on Sunday morning. Ahead, new details on that crash.

And in the Middle East, blockade blockage. These two men can't agree to end the one against Lebanon.

And they were charged with taking care of patients and now they're charged with taking those patients' lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm, like, who give them the right to play God? Who give them the right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: A hospital death after Katrina. Questions and charges ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're watching these pictures. This was just a couple hours ago in southern California. This is in San Bernardino outside of Los Angeles. They're calling it the Emerald Fire. So far there have been evacuations and two homes have been burned. It's estimated at about 2,000 acres right now. But with the conditions in southern California, keeping an eye on that one.

So that's southern California. On the east coast, the southeast coast, it has been Ernesto. Which, with all due respect, didn't turn out to be quite the storm that some were predicted. Not our Chad Myers, who was on top of things. But, Chad, you're saying hold on. We are not done with Ernesto yet?

Hold on. OK. Chad, are you with us now?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: OK. Yes, you can hear me.

KAGAN: OK. Our audio fun continues.

MYERS: What I was saying was that now the entire system, as it makes its way onshore and then offshore, will be a completely different forecast for the people up in North Carolina and South Carolina. As the low continues to move off, we are going to see the potential for a significant change in the forecast, whether this is on the left or the right of this cone. The warnings are still there. Tropical storm warnings all the way from Charleston down into all of Florida. But a hurricane watch has been posted to the north of there.

Now you were asking, well, it's not really even a tropical storm anymore. Isn't it almost a tropical depression? Yes. It's losing strength now. But when this gets back over the water, this will be a significant storm again.

If it's over water for 12 hour, maybe it comes back up to 45 or 50. If it comes back over water for 24 hours, Ernesto is going to be way too big for us to worry about here right now at this state. We're going to worry about it again on Tuesday night and Wednesday for North Carolina, maybe even for Virginia. And if it stays out onshore, if it stays out about Cape Hatteras and moves into D.C. or Richmond, then it's going to be even a bigger storm yet. This could actually start to talk about categories if it's in that water that long.

KAGAN: Categories as in hurricane status?

MYERS: Category one, category two, category three. Yes.

KAGAN: All right. Still a lot potential.

MYERS: Sure is.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. KAGAN: As we move into world news, the head of the United Nations, the leader of Israel, looking at Lebanon through different lenses. Our Chris Lawrence reports on their meeting which took place today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Despite a friendly greeting between the heads of Israel and the U.N., the tense relationship is being tested.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I've been urging for the immediate lifting of the blockade on Lebanon.

LAWRENCE: Kofi Annan is pushing Israel to reopen Lebanon's ports of entry. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert won't do it until the U.N. enforces an arms embargo against Hezbollah.

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It has to be effective, it has to be strong, and it has to be in all entry points.

ANNAN: But in the meantime, I do believe that the blockades should be lifted.

LAWRENCE: Annan accused Israel of violating the cease-fire agreement and jeopardizing U.N. Resolution 1701. Olmert shot back, questioning when a full international force will be deployed to the border.

OLMERT: The sooner it will take place, Israel will pull out entirely from Lebanon and there will be no basis for any arguments or any accusations.

ANNAN: But we need to be flexible. We shouldn't insist that the only way to do it is by deploying international forces.

LAWRENCE: Annan says 2,500 troops are already on the border. He hopes to double that number within a week, but says Israel should continue its pullout now. The two did agree, in a way, on the two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah. Annan met with their families and promised to work for their release. Olmert says it should be immediate and unconditional.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And our Chris Lawrence is live from Jerusalem right now. Let's talk about this blockade, Chris. Just how far apart are the U.N. and Israel at this point in talking about getting rid of the blockade?

LAWRENCE: Well, Lebanon's prime minister believes the blockade will be ended within the next few day. But there are some serious complications. Israel also wants international troops stationed on Lebanon's northern border with Syria to prevent arms and weapons from being smuggle through there. Syria considers the presence of international troops on its border a hostile act. So problems to be sure.

Daryn.

KAGAN: So big, big sticking points, still. The talks will go on and you'll be there covering it for to us. Thank you. Chris Lawrence live from Jerusalem.

We're going to have more on the Middle East and what's happening there ahead.

A marketplace massacre. One of several deadly bombings across Iraq today.

Plus, three more suspects in Britain are charged in the airline terror plot. The latest on this unfolding case. One that rattled transatlantic passengers. This is CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The markets have been open not quite an hour on this Wednesday morning and things are moving up nicely, rather slowly. You can see the Dow is up 20 points. The Nasdaq -- all right, we'll call it positive territory. It's up three -- 0.16 percent. But we'll call it positive.

We are watching what is happening in southern California. A wildfire going on. And Fredricka Whitfield has the latest on that.

Fred.

WHITFIELD: And the one in particular we're focusing on, it's called the Emerald Fire. It's at the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest. And about 2,000 acres have been scorched.

And you remember, Daryn, I talked with one of the fire officials earlier. She says that 10 percent is contained and they're very optimistic, even though it's very dry, it's very hot. They expect that by Friday evening, west coast time, they will have that fire fully contained.

So far one house and a couple other building have been damaged by the fire. But right now, fire officials are very optimistic they'll be able to contain this fire by the end of the week and hopefully no more structural damage will take place.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Certainly for those who have had to evacuate their homes. Thank you, Fred.

New details for you now about the crash of Comair Flight 5191. We know now -- well, we've already known that they took the wrong runway. Now CNN has learned the captain and first officer got on the wrong plane after arriving at the airport on Sunday. A ramp worker alerted them to their mistake. CNN has also learned there was only one air traffic controller on duty at the Lexington, Kentucky, airport. The FAA requires two. Officials say the lone controller was not watching the takeoff that ended with 49 dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE HERSMAN, NTSB: At that point in time, he turned around to perform administrative duties. He had cleared the aircraft for takeoff and he turned his back and performed administrative duties in the tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: On to our CNN "Security Watch." To London. Today, the first court appearance for the latest suspects in the alleged airline terror plot. The men are charged with conspiracy to murder, as well as terrorism related counts. They're being held without bail. In all, 15 people are charged in the alleged plot. Police say they planned to detonate liquid explosives aboard flights from England to the U.S.

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

They were charged with taking care of patients and now they are charged with taking those lives. A hospital death after Katrina. Questions and charges. That story is ahead.

Plus, a marketplace massacre. One of several deadly bombings across Iraq today. The latest developments on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A south Florida soaker, Ernesto, not the storm it might have been but still a storm to be reckoned with. Flooding is a major concern in Florida as a tropical storm slowly spins to the north. You see a lot of red, a lot of yellow on the radar screen. That means there was a lot of heavy rain.

And just hours ago, Ernesto limped ashore in the Florida Keys and Miami area. While much of the Florida peninsula gets drenched, forecasters are looking ahead. They say once Ernesto passes through, it could regain some strength in the Atlantic and take a swipe at the Carolinas. Which is why Chad Myers has not taken his eye or his respect away from the storm.

MYERS: That's right. This storm basically was a tropical depression this time yesterday. It was almost down to nothing when it got off the Cuban coast and then into the Florida straights. Well, it did gain

(INSERT 1000)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Speaking of Ernesto, as we were with Chad, we're waiting, standing by. We do expect any minute North Carolina Governor Easely will be coming out and talking about what they're doing to prepare in case and when Ernesto stops by and pays them a visit.

Back to looking at Katrina. Hospital deaths after Katrina. A doctor and two nurses are charged. They deny a crime took place. Supporters say the three were working under horrific conditions. But in this investigative report, one woman says the sympathy should lie with the dead.

Here's our Drew Griffin with a CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emmitt Everett was a 61-year-old 380-pound man who needed a wheelchair to get around. His wife says he was being treated for a urinary tract infection.

(on camera): Was your husband dying?

CARRIE EVERETT, WIDOW: No way. No way. No.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): On the Saturday before the storm, Everett was a patient at a smaller hospital, in a low-lying area outside New Orleans. It was run by a company called LifeCare. He was to be transferred to the company's facility inside the much bigger Memorial Hospital.

After the transfer, Emmitt called his wife, Carrie, to report he was now safe on Memorial's seventh floor.

(on camera): How did he sound?

EVERETT: To me? His own self. He wasn't complaining of hurting. Or nothing. He said, I'm in Memorial. I'm on the seventh floor. He gave me the room number, the telephone number. He said, everything's fine. I love you.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Then Katrina hit. The Everetts' home in the Lower Ninth Ward was destroyed. The family fled. Phones went down. On September 16th, after days of searching, Carrie Everett finally reached an official at LifeCare to find out about her husband.

EVERETT: I said, I want to know one thing, where is my husband? Well, Ms. Everett, are you -- I said no, no, no, no, no, where is Emmitt? Ms. Everett, Emmitt expired September 1st. I said, today is the 16th. When were you going to tell me? When were you going to tell me?

GRIFFIN: The death certificate says Emmitt died on September 1st; cause of death, Katrina. Carrie Everett was told the heat and the lack of water killed her husband. But last month, she was shocked to learn that the people taking care of her husband may have murdered him.

EVERETT: I'm like, who gave them the right to play God? Who gave them the right? GRIFFIN: The Louisiana Attorney General's Office has charged Dr. Anna Pou and two nurses, Cheri Landry and Lori Budo, with four counts each of second-degree murder.

Announcing the charges, Attorney General Charles Foti said his investigation uncovered a lethal cocktail of drugs in at least four patients. Emmitt Everett was one of those patients.

The evidence from witnesses, medical records and autopsies, Foti said, pointed to one conclusion.

CHARLES FOTI, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This is not euthanasia. This is a homicide.

GRIFFIN: The affidavit from the attorney general's office, charging the medical workers with second-degree murder, uses initials to refer to victims and witnesses. It says that witnesses informed Dr. Anna Pou that one patient, E.E., was aware, conscious and alert, but that he weighed 380 pounds and was paralyzed, and that Dr. Pou decided E.E. could not be evacuated. The affidavit says that Dr. Pou told one witness a decision has to be made to administer lethal doses.

(on camera): Do you think they just didn't want to bother moving him?

EVERETT: That crossed my mind. You know, let's be real. You're on the seventh floor. You have a man that's paralyzed, 6'4", 380 pounds. You want to risk hurting yourself to try to carry him down seven flights of steps?

GRIFFIN (voice-over): While the Everetts wait to see if criminal prosecution will go forward, the family has filed a civil lawsuit. Their home is destroyed, their lives torn apart, and only three water- damaged photographs remain of the man Carrie Everett says should still be here.

(on camera): You think this was murder?

EVERETT: Yes. Yes, I do.

GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Let's go to North Carolina now. The governor talking about preparing for Ernesto, and saying that he has already activated the National Guard.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GOVERNOR MIKE EASELY, NORTH CAROLINA: Most likely, the rain will occur. At this time, we're projecting between Winston-Salem and Greenville. As far east as Greenville, as far West as Winston-Salem. However, the projected path still varies as far as West of Asheville and to the coast. And as I said earlier, it is -- they just cannot be so sure at this point on the projected path. But we're giving you the latest information we have. We'll get an update at 11:00 and then another one about 5:00 or 6:00 this afternoon.

If you live in low-lying areas, flood-prone areas -- you know where they are -- please, pay attention to weather forecasts and to the evacuation orders and instructions that you may get from local officials. Shelters are available to be opened if that becomes necessary.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch from the Cape Fear to South Carolina. And that is more of a precaution, we are told. They don't think it will be hurricane strength. They think the most winds we're going to see are 25 to 35 miles per hour, which don't cause a lot of damage. But you could see some power outages. And that amount of wind, combined with that amount of rain, could create some tree falling and those sorts of things.

There's always the possibility, according to the hurricane service, that once the storm gets back off of Florida and into the warm Atlantic waters in the Gulf stream, it could reach that hurricane-force strength. Not anticipated, again, but a possibility. Also, in its wake, there's always that possibility of tornadoes that we've seen in the last few years, and we want people to be aware of that, even after the storm and winds pass.

At this point, we expect that there may be some power outages. Again, slight chance of tornadoes. And the most important thing that we want to ask people to do, at this point, other than paying attention to the local officials, is to get prepared. I mentioned earlier this week, a series of stops, that there are basically three things people need to do, not just for this hurricane or storm or whatever it may be, but for the entire hurricane season.

And that is, first of all, make a plan. Know where you and your family are going to go in the event that there is an evacuation order, and have somebody that everybody's going to contact that lives outside of the area, so you can stay touch in the event you get separated.

Secondly, have an emergency supply kit. In that emergency supply kit, you should have enough food, water, medication, clothes for three days, minimum. Also, we would like for you to have a battery-operated radio, batteries, flashlights, hopefully your insurance papers, as well as some cash in the event that you have to stay on the road for a day or two.

If you need further instructions, go to readync.org. That's readync. O-R-G, will give you all the information that you need, not only for hurricane storms, floods, but other disasters. I want to get people used to going to that Web site.

Most important, if I don't say anything else that people hear today, the most important thing I can tell you is do not drive in flooded waters after the storm. That's when most deaths occur, in automobiles and after the storm has passed. Take some time for a lot of the water to saturate in one area. If there are washouts on the road, you don't know, you don't know how deep it is, and once you get in to flooded water and it starts moving with that current, you can be swept away very rapidly. That's the one thing I'd ask people not to do, don't drive in flooded waters.

Now, the other thing, a I really shouldn't have to say this, but parents, don't let your children play in flooded areas after the storm. We saw some of that earlier this year in Alberto and last year. Kids can be swept away very quickly. As I say, we shouldn't have to say that, but I do want to make sure people understand that. That happens, and it is a big problem.

Let me give you somewhat of an update on state preparedness. We've been working since this weekend, state emergency management has, with local officials. They've been working, coordinating, federal officials in anticipation of this particular storm. A FEMA representative, as I noted, is already here, in Mike Bolch (ph), to get us whatever assets we might need.

Third, the state emergency response team -- is often called a SERT team to members of the press -- they have been partially activated this afternoon, will be fully activated by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. We've activated 150 National Guard soldiers to be deployed with one group in the west, one group in the east. Also, with them will be two Blackhawk helicopters that can be used for aerial rescue, along with our swift water rescue teams. Each of those units will have 19 vehicles with them for a total of 38 to be used -- especially the high-water clearance vehicles -- to be used to transport people, if necessary, but generally items.

The two warehouses are fully stocked with tarps, food, water, generators, all of the items that we always have in cases of storms. So we're prepared there. We've alerted our swift-water rescue teams, and they are ready. They're already in place all across the state, so we don't have to deploy them.

KAGAN: We've been listening into Governor Mike Easely of North Carolina, talking about what they are doing in that state in order to get ready for Ernesto. If there's a hurricane watch, it is not a hurricane, has yet to become a hurricane, but they're doing all this as a precaution, and they have activated the National Guard.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: He calls himself a prophet, but it seems he didn't see his capture coming. A fugitive polygamist behind bars. Details on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

KAGAN: All right, thank you very much. We are keeping an eye on what's happening in southern California. Another wildfire concerning a number of homeowners there. We'll have the latest from San Bernardino.

Also, a marketplace massacre. One of several deadly bombings across Iraq today.

Ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: There is a new 11:00 a.m. Eastern advisory on Ernesto. Good news for those along the Southeast coast, not so good for Ernesto.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: A Bay Area rampage. Police say an SUV swerved on to sidewalks, blasted through crosswalks, the driver apparently aiming for pedestrians and bicycles. The final toll: one person is dead, 13 others injured. The 29-year-old driver in custody. A man who identified him as a cousin of the suspect says the man was stressed out by an arranged marriage in the family's homeland of Afghanistan. The victims range from 18 to 84 years old.

In Bakersfield, California, an apparent case of child's play, and results are deadly. An explosion left two children dead and six others injured. Neighbors say some of the kids found unused shotgun shells. They tossed them in to a burning barbecue pit. The victims included four boys and four girls. Their ages from seven to 12.

A fast-moving wildfire in southern California. Two communities are threatened. We will go there live, just ahead.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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