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American Morning

Smoke and Flames Keeping Major Interstate Closed in Florida; In Massachusetts, Dams at a Breaking Point

Aired May 16, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian in Methuen, Massachusetts, where a dam is at its breaking point. This after the worst flooding in 70 years.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Smoke and flames are keeping a major interstate closed in Florida. Firefighters battling hundreds of fires now across the state.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bob Franken in Hamilton, Ohio, where the president was playing before a tough crowd -- of Republicans.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Teens turning away from marijuana and cocaine. But listen up parents -- they're addicted to some dangerous ways to get high already in your house.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY'S DAUGHTER: I'd make I've very clear that I worked on the campaign and supported George Bush and Dick Cheney and still do, but that I disagree with President Bush on the issue of the marriage amendment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: We sit down and chat with Mary Cheney ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Let's get right to one of our top stories this morning.

Nearly 2,000 people across New England forced out of their homes by flooding. Many just hoping that they're going to have something left to come home to.

Pictures from southern Maine this morning. Heavy flooding there has damaged roads and bridges. Maine's governor is asking that his state be declared a federal disaster area. The same story in New Hampshire. A plea for federal help is coming, while many people there are still trying to save their homes by building sandbag walls. Some rivers are well above flood stage, though, and they're expected to crest today.

In Massachusetts -- take a look at these pictures -- the dams are at a breaking point. That has many people fearing that the worst is yet to come.

All that brings us right to AMERICAN MORNING'S Dan Lothian.

He's live in Methuen this morning.

That's in Massachusetts -- hey, Dan, good morning.

LOTHIAN: Good morning, Soledad.

Well, we spoke to an emergency management official here in Massachusetts earlier this morning and he says that he's hopeful that they can turn the corner later today.

The rain is expected to let up and they're hoping that they can still get some release -- relief.

But, yes, the whole issue of the rivers and the rivers cresting continues to be a concern. Most of the rivers have crested. But this one here, the Spickett River, has not crested. It is about four feet above flood stage. Another concern, obviously, as you just mentioned, continues to be the dams. Many of them are old dams. This one in particular, the Spickett River Dam, has been -- well, there was some thought that it would buckle and perhaps send a wall of water flowing down river.

We are told now that officials are cautiously optimistic that it will hold.

But all across New England, there are major, major problems. Businesses and homes have been flooded. And obviously for the folks who have found their homes with five to six feet of water in them, they're having to deal with all of the loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our furnace is underwater. Our hot water tanks are underwater. We have no heat. We have no hot water. We have no oil. And we're kind of like living by candlelight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Now, emergency personnel have set up shelters. They're also taking in some relief supplies for these folks who have been displaced from their homes. And, in addition, we've been talking about this this morning, some of the problems that officials have to deal with -- set up evacuation centers, evacuate folks safely and try to contain these rivers, they're also dealing with a mess of sewage. Millions of gallons of sewage have spilled into waterways and so they're working to contain the sewage and prevent any more contamination flowing into the waterways -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it sounds so nasty, when you were talking about it, the last problem.

Just how big is that problem, the sewage flowing in?

LOTHIAN: It is a major concern. I mean, first of all, they have to cap these pipes that have been broken from the pressure of the water. So they're trying to prevent more sewage from flowing out and also contain what has already gone out there.

So, yes, it is a big concern. It's certainly something you have to watch out for as you're walking through the water, flooded streets and so forth. And that's why the National Guard -- in part, that's why the National Guard has been set up around some of these downtown areas in the cities that have received a lot of flooding, trying to keep people out of the water, which, in some cases, is contaminated.

S. O'BRIEN: Dan Lothian for us this morning.

Dan, thanks.

Quite a mess where you are today.

LOTHIAN: OK.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get to Jacqui Jeras live now with an update on what folks there can expect -- hey, Jacqui, good morning.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Soledad, good morning.

Yes, more wet weather is pushing into the region right now.

We saw that picture of the guy in the snorkel gear. And as Dan is talking about the sewage getting into that water, this is not the kind of stuff you want to get around and play in.

You can see the wet weather across much of New Hampshire right now, very heavy to the north and to the west of Concord, extending up the I-95 Corridor into the Portland area.

I want to show you this map. This what we're expecting for additional rainfall in the next 48 hrs. And check out where the heaviest of it is going to be, right here. This is along the I-89 Corridor, right in this area of New Hampshire.

Those colors, you can see the legend right up here in the top of your screen. The purple is anywhere between about two and three inches of rainfall.

Traveling today across the Northeast not just tough by the roadways, but by the airways, as well. We've got ground stop -- nobody in and out of Logan at this time. Boston airport, Philadelphia ground delay. That's arrivals, at 35 minutes.

In Atlanta we've got a ground stop. And, by the way, today, a new runway, the fifth runway should be opening up at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Up to 6,000 National Guard troops will be heading to the border with Mexico-under President Bush's immigration plan. Just a few minutes ago, we asked the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, how that plan might work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Well, the answer here, of course, is to leverage the people with technology. And that's why the president talked about doing things like getting more unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors, infrared detectors, because with these kinds of tools, you can use what will ultimately be over 18,000 Border Patrol to do the entire border in a way that is cost-effective and also effective in terms of mission completion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: The president trying to thread the needle on the polarized immigration debate. He says he wants more boots on the ground on the U.S.-Mexico-border while giving immigrants a path toward citizenship. It is possibly the elusive middle, or is it guaranteed to offer something for everyone to gripe about?

AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken in Hamilton, Ohio, where he's been checking in with folks in a conservative part of the world. We'll ask him about that.

And congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.

Let's begin with Bob -- Bob, what are people saying there?

FRANKEN: Well, it's interesting because this is an area where the president is wildly popular usually. We were with a group of Republicans last night that normally are very enthusiastic. But last night he did not get any standing ovations.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will make it clear where I stand.

FRANKEN: These are among those who party leaders mean when they talk about the Republican base. They were invited to the home of Butler County, Ohio Commissioner Michael Fox, along with some reporters, to watch and see if President Bush could soothe the anger here over how he's handled immigration.

BUSH: I've asked for a few minutes of your time to discuss a matter of national importance -- the reform of America's immigration system.

FRANKEN: The question was whether the president's speech was a step in the right direction. The most common answer? Maybe. ARNOLD ENGEL, HAMILTON, OHIO RESIDENT: I liked the speech, but as it is right now, it's nothing but talk.

HALL THOMPSON, HAMILTON, OHIO RESIDENT: I thought it was a pretty good speech. I think it's a beginning. I don't think it's, by any means, the end.

HEATHER MCINTYRE, HAMILTON, OHIO RESIDENT: It was a nice step, but we need to see some real action. The words are nice. I'd like to see some -- some real action before I believe this.

FRANKEN: The most prominent hardliner in the county on immigration is the sheriff, Richard Jones. But he was almost gushing about the speech. Almost.

SHERIFF RICHARD JONES, BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO: I'll tell you who he reminded me of tonight. He reminded me of Ronald Reagan. Now I want to see the beef.

FRANKEN: And as for the host for this president's speech watch, County Commissioner Fox was one of the most disappointed.

MICHAEL FOX, BUTLER COUNTY COMMISSIONER: The president is a good man but he doesn't have a good plan. And I think the weakness is the border security and the enforcement piece. For my county, it didn't do anything.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

FRANKEN: And this is a county that helps determine, that has a significant amount of determination on how Ohio goes. As we've heard so many times, Miles, how Ohio goes, so goes the election in the United States. And what it's going to depend on, apparently, is how immigration goes.

M. O'BRIEN: It's been proven time and again.

And, you know, you'd think that would be the case in a border state. Interesting.

Let's talk about the guest worker program that the president is pushing for. Some would call that amnesty, just a different name for it.

What did people say there?

FRANKEN: Well, it's interesting, there was quite a bit of feeling at this party, quite a few people who do not hire immigrants, illegals. They go to great pains not to. And they say that that leaves them at quite a competitive disadvantage. So they're really hard line about keeping them out.

M. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken in Hamilton, Ohio this morning.

Thank you very much.

So now what?

The president appears to be a lot closer to a Senate immigration bill. But House lawmakers do not appear ready to compromise on their bill, which would force mass deportations.

Congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel joining us live now from Capitol Hill with more on where this heads politically now -- Andrea, good morning.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Well, as to what's next, in about an hour, the Senate is going to resume debate on several dozen possible amendments to the Senate's immigration reform legislation. Now, both Republican and Democratic leaders say that they expect most, if not all, of these amendments to not pass through. And they also predict that they will have a bill some time by the end of next week, before they had out for the Memorial Day recess.

Now, according to a senior GOP staffer who's kind of plugged into the debate out here, he said that President Bush's speech really wasn't directed over here at the Senate, but rather over at the House. And, in fact, you heard as much from the Democrat who delivered the response, Senator Dick Durbin, implying, really, that President Bush is going to have to do more than just put more boots on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: The president has the power to call up the National Guard to patrol our border, but now he must summon the power to lead his own Republican forces in Congress to support a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: So, in other words, President Bush -- they hope, if they're going to get a comprehensive bill, Miles, that he is going to have to pick up the phone, make phone calls and really start doing some hands-on lobbying.

M. O'BRIEN: I still don't see the middle ground here, Andrea. And when it comes down to it and there's that conference committee -- the House and the Senate get together, they're so far apart here, I wonder if that speech in any way changes that dynamic.

KOPPEL: That's exactly right. Well, certainly there is a hard core group, both in the Senate and the House, of folks who are completely against amnesty. Tom Tancredo, the Republican -- the Congress from Ohio -- had a conference call after President Bush's speech last night. And he said yes, it's good that the president is beefing up border security, but he still heard the word amnesty. That is a red flag. He says he can't support it -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.

Thank you very much -- Soledad. S. O'BRIEN: Happening in American right now, a scheduled court appearance today for the third Duke lacrosse player who's been indicted in the rape investigation. Lacrosse team Captain David Evans says he is innocent. He posted bond after he was charged with first degree forcible rape and kidnapping. His attorney says Evans may skip today's court appearance. Durham D.A. Michael Nifong, says he doesn't expect any more indictments.

A hearing today for four teenagers accused of plotting to attack their high school in Riverton, Kansas. The court must decide whether to try the four boys as adults. Eighteen-year-old Charles New, seen here in these pictures, he's already been charged as an adult with incitement to riot and making a criminal threat.

Alleged child molester Ken Gourlay is in jail this morning. He was picked up by Michigan police more than a month after he was identified at a congressional hearing on Internet predators. You'll remember, he was named by teenager Justin Berry, who claimed that Gourlay repeatedly abused him.

Closing arguments expected in just about 90 minutes for the defense in the Enron trial. Enron founder Ken Lay and the former CEO, Jeff Skilling, are both accused of fraud and conspiracy. The jury will likely begin deliberating tomorrow.

And Doug Flutie trading in his spikes for a microphone. He announced his retirement from the New England Patriots after 21 years as a pro-quarterback. Flutie played in the USFL, the Canadian Football League and the NFL. He's still best known for the Hail Mary pass that happened at Boston College. He's going to be a TV analyst now for college football games.

I can't believe it's been that long.

M. O'BRIEN: That Hail Mary pass, was that -- that was like 1953 now, wasn't it?

S. O'BRIEN: No. No, I remember it, so it wasn't that long ago.

M. O'BRIEN: It was 20 years, right?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Twenty years now?

S. O'BRIEN: Can you believe it?

M. O'BRIEN: Wow!

Anyway...

S. O'BRIEN: Wasn't that in the...

M. O'BRIEN: Well, he'll do great on TV.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, he will. He's... M. O'BRIEN: I have no doubt he'll be a superstar.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I agree. I agree.

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, if you are a parent and you worry about your kids and what they might be finding in the way of drugs on the street or even at the playground, maybe you should be a little more focused on what is in your medicine cabinet. We'll explain.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, a really disturbing study to talk about.

Also, a brain drain at the FBI -- is it leaving America vulnerable to a terror attack? We'll talk about that.

M. O'BRIEN: Plus, how is the president's speech playing in Laredo? We'll talk live to the mayor of that border town. They know a little something about illegal immigration there. She's pretty skeptical about the president's plan. We'll ask her why.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: No big surprise that immigration is a hotly debated issue in southern California.

In San Bernardino last night, the city council rejected a proposal that lays out a tough set of rules over illegal immigrants. This divisive issue, though, goes before the voters now.

Peter Viles has our report this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For supporters of illegal aliens, it was a victory of sorts. The city council in San Bernardino rejected a proposed crack down on illegal immigrants.

MAYOR PATRICK MORRIS, SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA: We have jobs to do as a city. They do not include immigration law enforcement. That's pre-empted, quite frankly, but the constitution.

VILES: The measure, written and promoted by 29-year-old Joseph Turner, would fine any landlord who rents to an illegal alien, prevent the city from sponsoring day laborer centers and require city business to be conducted in English.

JOSEPH TURNER, SPONSORED PETITION: Americans are tired of pressing, one, for English. They're tired of feeling like foreigners in their own country.

VILES: The council voted after hearing three hours of often heated public comment, much of it directed at Turner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoever he is, he hasn't lived here long enough. And I take offense to him spreading hatred in our city, using our beloved city's name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here to say that I -- to speak against this ethnic cleansing initiative. Let's call it what it is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I work at a school that is 96 percent Hispanic. Many of those students are illegals. It's difficult because they are not taught any respect for our country. They don't even know what country they belong to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My teenaged son applied for work at a San Bernardino Burger King. The manager could not speak English and an employee told us in broken English that he cannot work there unless he speaks Spanish.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have grandbabies. There's no room in the schools for my grandbabies. My boys can't keep work because the illegals are taking their jobs.

VILES: The city charter requires that petitions either be adopted by the city council or voted on by the city. So Turner's petition now goes believe the voters, and he's claiming an early victory.

TURNER: We have the momentum. I mean the same people who are claiming victory are the ones who were claiming victory a couple of weeks ago when they had 500,000 people marching in the streets with Mexican flags. And then a couple of weeks later you have the president declaring he's putting troops on the border.

There's a disconnect there.

VILES (on camera): This debate just a preview of what is to come in the special election campaign on this issue. One city counselor warned it will be a "ugly process that will drag this city's good name through the mud."

Peter Viles for CNN, San Bernardino, California.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, a so-called brain drain at the FBI. We'll tell you why it might be hurting their efforts to protect us.

And later, the vice president's daughter, Mary Cheney, breaking ranks at the White House on the issue of same sex marriage. We'll talk with her about that political and personal dilemma ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: All right, you're getting the kids ready. You're getting ready to get yourself to work, as a matter of fact, and you're dreading your job, right?

What are you going to do about it? Well, we have some ideas for you today.

In our next hour of AMERICAN MORNING, our special series "30s, 40s and 50s," which is specifically tailored to those age groups. We're talking about careers. Do you need to change your job? We have some advice. If you have to change jobs, we've got advice, too. Would you like a raise? Would you like a better work space? Lots of issues to contend with -- how do you balance parenthood, motherhood and work?

We've got a personal coach -- everybody should get a personal coach. And, we have one of the big time recruiters to give us some techniques on hunting for that better job, to get rid of that boss you can't stand.

All of those will be coming up. But we need you to participate to make this work. So, what we'd like you to do is send us an e-mail now. Am@cnn.com is the place. A little later, we're going to open up our phone lines. Operators standing by, as they say. 877-AM6-1300. That's 266-1300. And we would love for you to participate. Ask some questions of our experts. You might get the answer that will change your life.

That's coming up at 9:00 Eastern, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Maybe you don't need a new job after all. Maybe it's your Dilbert-sized cube that's bugging you.

Well, Welcome To The Future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At 5:00, I'm ready to run-out the door screaming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The current work environments are probably not very efficient.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some workspaces can be sort of cramped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a cubicle. They tend to have less privacy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Phone calls were like heard all over the place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The future office might have more technology.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A relaxation room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lighting actually plays a huge key into an office space.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just want to be more relaxed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're there most of your day. It really matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: A noisy newsroom, glaring studio lights, a guy in a tie yammering over your shoulder. If you had the chance, you probably could come up with some pet peeves about your workspace, as well.

So if life in your cube seems as grim as a Dilbert cartoon, we have some new ideas for you to consider.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): When it comes to office space, steel case designer James Ludwig is thinking out of the cube. He's trying some new shapes and sizes in office design.

JAMES LUDWIG, DESIGNER: But it's about bringing architecture, furniture and technology together in new ways to make their people more effective.

M. O'BRIEN: For noise control, how about a real life cone of silence, ala "Get Smart?"

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GET SMART," COURTESY ABC TELEVISION)

DON ADAMS, ACTOR: There's something wrong with the cone of silence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Step into the cell, cell.

LUDWIG: The industrial cell is a sound absorbent material and the ambient lighting is created by LED, which also brightens when the space is occupied.

M. O'BRIEN: Need to collaborate with a co-worker? Have a seat in the digital yert (ph). Its hard outer shell reflects outside noise. The felt-lined walls inside keep conversations private.

LUDWIG: When two people come together, decisions are made more quickly. They tend to be smarter and they tend to have deeper impact. Innovation flows more quickly through a network.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning.

Welcome back, everybody.

I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

Thanks for being with us.

Carol Costello is looking at some headlines for us in the newsroom -- hello, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Miles.

Good morning to all of you.

The Saddam Hussein trial back in session in Baghdad, but without the usual suspects. Hussein was not in court this morning and only three of his seven co-defendants showed up. Those who were in the courtroom heard from the first defense witnesses, one of whom referred to Hussein as "His Excellency, The President."

Washington's archbishop is stepping down. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick submitted his resignation when he turned 75. That's church policy. The Vatican accepted it this morning. That's according to the Associated Press. There are reports that Pittsburgh's bishop, Donald Wueri, will replace McCarrick.

In Washington, President Bush is ready to welcome Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the White House. He's set to arrive within the half hour. Howard is a strong U.S. ally in the war in Iraq. An official gala dinner is planned for tonight.

Five-month-old twin girls surgically separated last week are improving. Doctors upgraded their condition from critical to serious. Abbigail and Isabelle Carlsen remain in intensive care, though, at the Mayo Clinic. Their parents are thinking health officials and the public for their prayers.

And Bausch & Lomb is pulling its moisture lock solution off of store shelves for good. The product has been linked to fungus infections that could cause blindness. The Food and Drug Administration says it supports the permanent recall.

And if you're driving between Edgewater, Florida and New Smyrna Beach, ooh, better avoid this, Interstate 95. It has been shut down indefinitely. Officials say a brushfire jumped the highway early this morning. It's one of more than 2,500 wildfires in the state this year.

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