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The Situation Room

Florida Braces For Katrina; Iraqi Lawmakers at Loggerheads Over Constitution; Anti-War Mother Returns to Crawford; Interview With New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

Aired August 25, 2005 - 15:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer. And you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information arrive at one place simultaneously. Standing by right now, we have CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you the day's top stories happening now.
It's 3:00 p.m. in southeast Florida, where five million people are warned to get ready for Tropical Storm Katrina, which could hit the coast as a hurricane. We have full coverage coming up.

In Baghdad, it's 11:00 p.m. There's death and deadlock, a bold attack and a cowardly slaughter, as lawmakers are at loggerheads over a constitution.

It's 2:00 p.m. in Crawford, Texas, where an antiwar mother is back shadowing the president, asking for answers.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

They are boarding up and battening down along 170 miles of Florida coastline where a hurricane warning is now in effect. Tropical Storm Katrina is already making its presence felt. And it's getting stronger. The storm is projected to make landfall approximately here.

CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is standing by live over at the CNN hurricane headquarters. Could Katrina have you paying even more at the pump? Our Ali Velshi is standing by live in New York.

But let's begin with CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano. He's in the path of the storm, happens to be right now, Hollywood, Florida. Rob, what's -- what is going on where you are?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some rain squalls have been moving in periodically for the past couple of hours, Wolf. We just arrived, actually, about two hours ago.

Wind gusts, not that bad, 25, 30 miles an hour. Where is the storm right now? Well, right now, we're on Hollywood Beach. And if you know Florida at all, you know that the beaches on the east side for sure pretty much run from north to south, give or take a little bit of a skew towards the west. So, the beach behind me -- we're looking east. The storm itself is out that way 40 miles. Pan across my left shoulder, you see the waves breaking in here. Surf, we have seen at about five to 10 feet at times. It could come up as much as 10 to 15 feet. As those waves break in, you see the sea spray kind of be pushed offshore. So, what that tells us is, right now, we kind of have a wind that's going offshore.

So, that tells us that the center is off to our east-northeast, very slow movement. The wind is not going to be the biggest issue with this storm. It's not even a hurricane yet, very close to being that. But even if it comes onshore as a minimal hurricane, with winds 75, 80 miles an hour, that will produce scattered power outages, so wind is not too much of an issue.

The storm surge itself, maybe three to five feet. So, there will be some beach erosion, but not a drastic amount. The big story with this storm is going to be the amount of rainfall. Because it's such a slow-moving storm, Wolf, we will see rainfall amounts inland as much as 10 to 15 inches.

And Florida, the entire state itself, the past month, has already seen pretty much twice their normal amount of precipitation. So, inland flooding is going to be the bigger issue with this. Landfall, the eye itself, expected pretty close to here in about four to six hours from now.

BLITZER: All right, Rob, we will be checking back with you constantly. Thank very much, Rob Marciano.

Let's get a fix now on this tropical storm. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is over at the CNN hurricane headquarters. Give us a sense, the latest information, Jacqui, of what we're getting.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Wolf, the 3:00 advisory just came in just now. We almost have a hurricane, 70-mile-per-hour winds now with Katrina. So, we've seen some significant strengthening just in the past couple of hours. You have to have 74-mile-per-hour winds for this to become a hurricane. So, we're very close to that.

We've also seen some very gradual stalling out with this system. I don't want to say stalling out altogether, but it slowed in the positions between the 1:00 and 2:00 hours, didn't move at all. And now it's picked up just a little bit. So, it's moving westward about five miles per hour and it's that very slow movement that is the significant problem, because this thing is going to take a long time to make its way across the Florida Peninsula.

Forecast track on landfall is still a little bit iffy because it's been changing its speed a little bit. But we think that's going to be happening sometime in the evening hours for tonight, taking maybe some 24 hours to make its way across the peninsula as a weak Category 1 hurricane, probably back down to a tropical storm. But then it's going to move back over the open waters and likely strengthen and become a hurricane once again.

We will be watching this part of Florida, maybe possibly slightly to the west of there, for a second landfall, as we head towards the latter part of the weekend into the early part of next week. Now, there are some pretty heavy showers and thunderstorms that have made their way onshore already. Here's Ft. Lauderdale. The center of the storm is about 35 miles east-northeast. So, there you can see kind of the center of circulation here. The heaviest of thunderstorms, though, have been on the south side of the center. And, as the storm spins this way, that's been kind of keeping them away from the land areas right now.

So, that's some good news there. It's about 25 miles away from shore, according to our tracker. So, that looks like it could be moving in maybe 7:00 tonight, if it stays on its current speed. Wolf.

BLITZER: Is there a good fix yet, Jacqui, where ground zero, where the actual impact might be hardest on the shores of Florida?

JERAS: Well, where ground zero is and where the worst of the weather is going to be are going to be two different things.

Right now, it's continuing to move due west, so just slightly south of Ft. Lauderdale. We saw the pictures from Rob in Hollywood. We think it's going to be just north of where he is.

BLITZER: All right, we will be watching. Thanks very much, Jacqui, giving some useful information.

Also watching Katrina, consumers and investors. Could the storm put oil rigs, for example, at risk over in the Gulf of Mexico?

Let's check in with Ali Velshi. He's in New York. There's a direct impact, the hurricane, the price of oil, and gasoline.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Very definite direct impact. We have another record for oil prices now. After following -- tracking the path of Katrina very carefully, oil companies went this morning from saying, no big deal, to two of them, Shell and BP, evacuating all nonessential personnel from eastern Gulf Coast oil rigs and platforms.

Now, what we're talking about here, Wolf, first of all, we are talking about oil trading at about $67.49 a barrel. But what we're talking about is 4,000 rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. That's 30 percent of all U.S. crude oil production. That's 21 percent of all U.S. natural gas production. And when these things start to look like they are going to get serious, the oil companies have to monitor it and decide to evacuate those things.

There are sometimes hundreds of people on these rigs. They have got to think about how to get them off. So, that's what we're tracking right now. Obviously, as the next few hours unfold, we will tell you more about what it's doing to oil production and how that's going to affect you. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Ali, thanks very much. We will get back to you.

And, to our viewers, stay with CNN as we continue to track Katrina. We will let you know whether the storm does develop into a hurricane. We will keep you informed every step of the way, also about storm damage. Remember, CNN is your hurricane headquarters.

Other news we're following, in Iraq today, top leaders are targeted and dozens of bodies are found in a river, as negotiations over a new draft constitution reach the take-it-or-leave-it stage.

Let's go live to Baghdad, CNN's Aneesh Raman standing by. Aneesh, what's the latest?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good afternoon. A press conference set to take place in about a half hour, called by the office of the speaker of the National Assembly. We hope to get a sense of where exactly things stand. We're told from those involved in the negotiations that some compromises have been made on key issues, including the monster issue of federalism. Whether those compromises are enough to bring the Sunnis on board remains at this late hour unclear.

We have been told all day, Wolf, that a draft constitution would be completed by midnight tonight. That could be what we're told at this press conference. It could be, as some are suggesting, that they extend this further, perhaps for another day. It gives you a sense of how intense these talks are. All three groups, the Sunnis, the Shia and the Kurds, have the power in terms of numbers to veto this constitution and the referendum to come this fall.

The Sunnis have been very vocal, saying that if there is any mention of federalism in this draft constitution, they'll mobilize their community to vote no on this constitution. So, everyone now, until the midnight hour, still trying to work a compromise, Wolf, and, yet again, a bit of political confusion that has come to define this process.

BLITZER: We're not surprised about that.

What's the latest on the violence front, though? Some pretty gruesome details emerging.

RAMAN: Yes. We have -- we have been told by Iraqi police, Wolf, that 36 bodies were found south of the capital in a river near the Iranian border, all of them shot execution-style, bullet wounds to the head. They were all men between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. They were bound, with their hands tied behind their back.

There's no sense yet whether this was an insurgent attack. The police say the bodies could have been there for up to five days, an investigation now under way after this gruesome discovery, Wolf. BLITZER: We will check back with you, Aneesh, if there's movement on the draft constitution. The deadline, at least the deadline was supposed to be midnight Baghdad time, which would be 4:00 p.m. here on the East Coast of the United States.

Let's check in with Jack Cafferty. He's joining us now with the "Cafferty File" and his question for this hour. Hi, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, how you doing? Lance Armstrong has come out swinging against the director of the Tour de France. Jean-Marie Leblanc claimed in a French sports daily yesterday that Armstrong fooled race officials and the sporting world by doping. This came a day after the paper reported Armstrong's urine samples from 1999 tested positive for a substance called EPO, which is banned. Armstrong said the claims are preposterous. He also questioned the science involved in testing samples from seven years ago. Armstrong, who won his seventh consecutive Tour de France last month, has always insisted he never took performance-enhancing drugs. Here's the question. Has Lance Armstrong's image been tainted by doping accusations? You can e-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com.

My sense is, Wolf, that the French are probably just cheesed off because some American has been kicking their butt for seven straight years. There aren't any French cyclists who can compete. So, since they can't compete fair and square, the next thing to do is tear down the guy's reputation, which they are trying to do here.

BLITZER: I think a lot of our viewers have that sense as well, Jack. But we will wait to get their e-mail. And you'll share it.

CAFFERTY: Hey, Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, go ahead, Jack.

CAFFERTY: One other thing. Can we -- I saw Rob stand on the beach with that CNN jacket and hat on. Can we get some SITUATION ROOM clothes?

BLITZER: Let me check. Let me check with our people here, see what I can do.

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: OK.

BLITZER: All right, Jack. Thanks very much.

This note to our viewers. Lance Armstrong will be a special guest tonight on LARRY KING LIVE, his first live television interview since this latest accusation against him has been leveled. Don't miss it tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.

Still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, Tropical Storm Katrina with an eye on Florida, South Florida, specifically, we will have live coverage. We're going to go over to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Plus, war clash in Crawford. The protest mom and the president of the United States, they are back in that same small Texas town. We will take you to what's becoming known as Camp Casey.

Also, the New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson. He's declared a state of emergency over illegal immigration. But is it really the right solution? We will ask him some tough questions. He'll be my guest in THE SITUATION ROOM.

And a little bit later, "The Apprentice," Martha Stewart. She's getting ready to shake off that ankle bracelet and hit prime time. She's speaking out today. Our Mary Snow was there, has the story.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM.

We're standing by to speak with Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, momentarily. We will get the latest information on what this Tropical Storm -- potentially hurricane -- Katrina is up to, where it will be hitting. We will go there very, very soon.

But let's head out to a political storm in Texas. The antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan is back on the president's home turf and she's responding to critics who say she doesn't speak for them.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is joining us now live from Crawford with the latest. Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, here at this campsite, one of three in Crawford where Cindy Sheehan and her fellow protesters have been camped out for going on three weeks now, this is the closest site to President Bush's ranch. And a short while ago, Cindy Sheehan, after arriving here in Crawford last night, spoke at length with reporters, answering the criticism that we're hearing from the caravan making its way from California to Texas who are those in support of President Bush that say that Cindy Sheehan does not speak for them, Cindy saying that she never, ever claimed to speak for anyone else except for herself and anyone else who showed up at this protest site.

We also asked Cindy Sheehan about the criticism that her protest here has been criticized as anti-American and hurting the troops. And she says, nothing could be further from the truth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY SHEEHAN, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: If there is any family who says that they believe their child died for a noble cause, I say that's your right if that helps you get through the day, if that helps you in your pain, because we all -- we might not have the same politics, but, trust me, we have the same pain. And we do what we have to do to get through our pain. And we hope they respect us for that. And we respect them in any way they have to do to get through their pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Wolf, to give you a sense of just how mobilized each side of this issue has become over the last several days, as Cindy Sheehan supporters and those protesting against the war, have set up camp in various locations in Crawford.

Those who support President Bush are also starting to come out, as I mentioned, a caravan making its way from California to Texas, supposed to be here this weekend, and then, along the roads that lead up to President Bush's ranch, a series of signs placed out over the last couple of days describing Crawford as Bush country. So both sides literally lined up along the street, each on different sides. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Ed Lavandera, reporting for us from Crawford, Texas.

The Florida governor, Jeb Bush, is warning his state could have a very, very dangerous storm on the way.

For the latest on Katrina, let's turn to Max Mayfield the director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. He's joining us live. Mr. Mayfield, thanks very much for joining us. What is the latest information you are tracking? You are in Miami. You're not very far away from where this potential hurricane might hit.

MAX MAYFIELD, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: That's right, Wolf. And the center of the tropical storm is about 35 miles east of Ft. Lauderdale. It's moving very slowly towards the west at about five or six miles per hour. And that should bring the center on to the coast, you know, later tonight, if it keeps that forward motion up. If it slows down a little bit, it will be, even after midnight.

But that's a little academic. The outer rain bands here are already moving onshore. They are getting winds to tropical storm force right now in Palm Beach County. Those -- the conditions will continue to deteriorate. The really strong winds are in this inner core right down here.

And looking at the radar data, they are just below hurricane strength. We're getting aircraft data from the NOAA plane out there right now. And this is a good size (ph) tropical storm, almost a hurricane. And if it stays out over the water a little bit longer, it still has a chance to reach Category 1 strength.

BLITZER: Category 1 would be 74 miles per hour. But, for practical purposes, whether it's 65, 70 or 74 really doesn't make much difference.

MAYFIELD: Absolutely. You know, people should be planning on a strong tropical storm or weak Category 1 hurricane.

And the main threat really is still from the rainfall. And we don't want to let down our guard even after landfall. We can learn some lessons from previous hurricanes and storms. Irene, for example, back in 1999, we had eight deaths well after landfall, electrocutions and flooding, you know, people driving their cars into canals.

So, this, the rainfall, is going to be with us here over the peninsula for, you know, a few more days. And then, as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, we will have to look up into that northeastern Gulf area. It will weaken over land, but it could very well come back and become a hurricane in the Gulf.

BLITZER: All right. We will be tracking this together with you every step of the way. Max Mayfield, we will have you back. Appreciate it very much.

MAYFIELD: Thank you.

BLITZER: If people are inside, this is a good time to remain inside in South Florida.

We are tracking Tropical Storm -- potentially hurricane -- Katrina as it approaches South Florida. We will hear from the mayor of West Palm Beach. We will get some information on what's going on there.

Also, he rode into office on a wave of popularity. But less than two years later, he appears pretty unpopular. We will tell you about some surprising new poll numbers for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And Lance Armstrong -- his reputation and record are being questioned right now. But what do you think? Jack Cafferty is waiting to get your e-mail, the "Cafferty File."

Much more coming up. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're watching Tropical Storm Katrina. We're not going to be going away from that story very long.

Zain Verjee is joining us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's take a quick look at some other news out as there. Hi, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.

The hospital considered the best of military medical facilities may shut its doors. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission today voted to close Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The goal would to be merge the Washington facility with a more modern facility in Maryland. Walter Reed was first established in 1909.

Tropical Storm Katrina is a big potential flood worry here in the U.S., but much of Central and Southern Europe has been underwater for days. Floodwaters are receding, but more than 40 people are confirmed dead; 31 of them lost their lives in Romania.

Thousands of homes were destroyed by the flooding and landslides, and countless people have been displaced. Also hit hard by the wild weather, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria and Switzerland.

And, in Switzerland, the waters have begun to recede in some parts of the more remote mountainous towns. People are being allowed to return to access the damage, but they're not being allowed to stay. Residents had to be airlifted from a low-lying area of the Swiss capital of Bern. And much of the historic old city of Lucerne remains underwater.

But a little bit of good news there. Swiss Railways says main -- the main north/south routes through the Alps are open again.

The surf is way up and air traffic and oil shipments to Japan are disrupted as a powerful typhoon chugs toward -- northward, rather, over the Pacific Ocean. The storm surge is over Tokyo as we speak. Forecasters expect more than a foot of rain in the next 24 hours. Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Zain.

That Pacific Ocean not very pacific, at least right there.

Tropical Storm Katrina not only raising fears in Florida, it's also raising lots of anxieties over oil prices, as if we weren't worried enough to begin with.

Let's check in with Ali Velshi for the "Bottom Line". Ali?

VELSHI: It's always something, Wolf. It's demand. It's politics on the other side of the world. And, this time, it's storms in the Gulf Course -- Gulf Coast; $67.49 is the price for a barrel of oil right now.

Now, what we're looking at is the safety of rigs and platforms in the Gulf Coast. There are more than 4,000 of them. And just to give you some perspective as to what we are comparing this to, Hurricane Ivan destroyed, fully destroyed seven of those platforms and caused significant damage to 24 of them, some of which are not back online yet.

We are talking about rigs, which are floating devices -- they float and they can move -- or platforms, which are solid and placed into the bed of the sea of the Gulf. Platforms can't be moved. They have to be blasted out if they ever want to be moved somewhere else. So, we have a lot of staff on these platforms. The oil companies have a lot people on them. They have to make decisions about whether to bring those people in for their own safety or to be able to protect the rigs and platforms that are out there.

Now, you should know there are over 33,000 miles of pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. And the area where they drill for oil is 1.75 billion acres. So, there's a lot of oil out there. It gets brought to the coast, usually to Louisiana. That's the big port. But Houston and other places are where the oil comes in. And then it gets distributed to the refineries and gets made into gas, which ends up in our cars. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. The last thing we need is a hurricane to disrupt all of that.

VELSHI: Yes.

BLITZER: Thanks, Ali. We will be checking back with you.

We're also waiting for the storm.

Coming up, we have been talking about where and when Tropical Storm Katrina might hit. After the break, I will speak with the mayor of West Palm Beach. We will get some insight into what's happening on the ground.

And he's the chief executive of New Mexico. And he has a lot to say about base closings, border security, other important issues. The governor, Bill Richardson, he's standing by to speak with us live.

And, for seven years, you applauded his impressive wins. So, has your opinion of Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong changed at all in light of recent allegations in France against him? Jack Cafferty will have your e-mail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: "This Week in History", Hurricane Andrew devastated parts of the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana. More than 125,000 people were left without homes. Andrew is the costliest natural disaster ever to hit the U.S.

In 1989, Major League Baseball permanently banned Pete Rose from gambling on baseball games. Though Rose initially denied the claims, 15 years later, he admitted to betting on the team he managed, the Cincinnati Reds.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Two years later, the painting was recovered. It now sits protected behind a thick box of triplex glass.

And that is "This Week in History".

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Tropical Storm Katrina is gaining strength as it closes in on the Southeast Florida coast. And it could reach hurricane strength by the time it hits.

Reporter Al Pefley of our affiliate WPEC is live at Delray Beach, which is sort of in between Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm. What's it like where you are, Al?

AL PEFLEY, WPEC REPORTER: Very, very windy here, and it's getting worse. We've been here since about 10:00 this morning and things have kicked up quite a bit. It's -- the rain has kind of come in bands on and off right now. It doesn't seem to be raining very much. But it is howling out here. The wind is really kicking things up.

We'll show you a shot of what the ocean is doing right behind me. You may be able to see what appears to be a surfer out there. A couple of guys, actually, on surfboards. Surfers have been trying their luck. But a couple of them told me earlier that it's really not that great out there. It's too choppy to really get up on a wave and have much fun. But they don't get many days like this here in South Florida, because generally it's very flat. The ocean is very flat. So when they get this opportunity and see waves like that, because of a tropical storm in the vicinity, they want to take advantage of it and see how much fun they can have.

The tropical storm is actually supposed to come ashore in the Ft. Lauderdale area, according to what we understand. That's about 30 or 40 miles from here. This area in Delray Beach is probably going to get a pretty good taste of the wind and rain, but the business owners here in Delray Beach that are right along the coast have not boarded up. The majority of them are still here and they're trying to ride this out.

Earlier this morning, we talked to a couple of business owners who felt that the customers were so few and far between that it wasn't really worth it for them and they did put up some shutters. Also, the signs out on the beach that the lifeguards update daily to talk about the beach conditions -- the signs are reading "No swimming today, hurricane on the way." And rip currents are quite possible out there. So swimming is certainly not advised. But some surfers who feel quite experienced are out there, anyway, seeing what Katrina has to offer.

Live in Delray Beach, Al Pefley. Now back to you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much. Al Pefley of our affiliate WPEC. Thanks, Al, very much.

Florida residents, they feel like they've been through enough over the past year -- let's say, the past years. But are they ready for yet another storm?

Joining on us on the phone, the mayor of West Palm Beach, Lois Frankel. We seem to be speaking periodically on these hurricanes. Mayor, thanks very much for joining us. Tell our viewers what it's like where you are right now.

MAYOR LOIS FRANKEL, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: It's quiet. The wind's starting to gust a little bit. Rain is on and off. And we -- just about everybody has been sent home from work around our city, and I think just battening down the roof and just wait it out.

BLITZER: Have you ordered any evacuations in the Palm Beach, West Palm Beach area, which is a little bit north of where they expect this hurricane to hit?

FRANKEL: The south part of our county, Palm Beach County, there's been a mandatory evacuation in the barrier islands and the mobile homes. Here in our city, we just issued a volunteer evacuation for the folks who live on the Intercoastal waters. But I don't believe that too many people are going to leave their homes today.

BLITZER: When do you expect the worst of it to hit the Palm Beach area, the West Palm Beach area, Palm Beach County?

FRANKEL: Well, the storm is moving a little bit quicker than first anticipated. So we think it's going to start to pass through in the early evening and hopefully will be through here by middle of the morning.

BLITZER: Do you have all your ducks in a row, in terms of first responders and police, fire, all of those people ready to help out?

FRANKEL: Well, as you know, we've been through this drill a number of times in the past year, and we're ready to go. We've added our police -- we have deployed about twice as many as we usually do. Our fire personnel are at regular strengths, but they're all on standby to come in as needed.

BLITZER: All right. Mayor Lois Frankel, good luck to you, good luck to all our friends in West Palm and that whole area of South Florida. Tropical Storm Katrina moving closer and closer, could reach hurricane status -- that would be 74-miles-per-hour winds -- shortly. We're continuing to watch that.

Here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're also plugged into almost everything happening online. Right now, lots of people kicking up a storm over the storm.

Our Internet reporters Jacki Schechner, Abbi Tatton, standing by to check the situation online. What are they saying about this, guys?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Well, before we tell you what they're saying, Wolf, we wanted to show you some resources online so you can check out what's going on if you're interested in more information. This is hurricanezone.net, forecasting possible tracks. Another one we wanted to show you from NOAA, the probability it's going to hit certain areas. You can continue to follow this one online, nhc.noaa.gov.

Another site we found for you from Unisys. This is weather.unisys.com. And it's got the tropical storm paths for this season, 2005. You can see where storms in the area have tracked to. Another one we thought was cool is weather cams from weathermatrix.net. For example, you can go to St. Andrew's School in Boca and take a look at what the weather's there right now online, weathermatrix.net.

ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: And these Web cams are being constantly updated. You can look at them up and down the coast -- South Beach Park, Boca Raton here. This one is updated all the time. Video Web cam. Another, the latest still pic, this updated every five minutes. You can see some of the surfers there heading out to sea, trying their luck. Further, we've got the north shoreline here at West Palm Beach. These updated every hour.

And the blogs, as well, are giving information. The "Sun Sentinel" newspaper online has got a hurricane blog about the weather, school closings, malls, all updates for local residents there. They're also reporting the latest casualty. The first casualty, not a human one. The MTV mascot on top of a hotel came tumbling down this morning from the roof there, the Moon-man. Also, Pensacola, further north now, but still worried. Pensacola pummeled by Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis. They're worried about the personality of this storm, how's it going to change, what kind of defects Katrina may acquire by the time she hits the Gulf Coast.

SCHECHNER: One of the things we wanted to point out real quickly, that yesterday was the anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, and that is affecting the way people in South Florida are looking at Katrina. For example, in Vitamin C, talking about family members in the Miami area, saying after Andrew, this is very much in perspective for them not as big of a deal. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jacki and Abbi, we'll be checking back with you. Very good useful information for our viewers.

It's Thursday, August 25. Coming up, the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. He'll speak about base closings, Iraq, immigration, lots more. We'll go one-on-one with Bill Richardson. He's here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

And from one governor to another. California's Arnold Schwarzenegger. He might not be smiling about some troubling new poll numbers.

And Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, they certainly have lots to smile about. We'll tell you what's happening in their lives.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Lots coming into THE SITUATION ROOM from our friends over at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.

In Peru, workers sift through the rubble of an airliner that crashed Tuesday during an emergency landing. The crash killed 31 people, including three Americans.

In Japan. No, it's not Miami. A massive wave during a typhoon engulfs fishing boats. The storm also disrupted air traffic and oil shipments as it headed toward Tokyo.

Egypt, where a worker drags a giant billboard of President Hosni Mubarak. It's all part of the first ever multi-party election in Egypt. The vote takes place September 7. Our own Christiane Amanpour will be there.

And in Kenya -- look at this -- wildlife workers load a 22-year- old elephant into a trailer. Four hundred elephants are now being relocated to Kenya's largest national park.

Check out these pictures. They are from the best photographers from around the world. He's a former Clinton administration official, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a current governor. And New Mexico's Bill Richardson always has lots to say about many subjects. We'll speak with him coming up -- right now, in fact. The governor is joining us from Arlington, Virginia. Governor, thanks very much for joining us. If you can hear me -- OK. I see you fine. Can you hear me all right?

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Yes, I can.

BLITZER: All right. Let's -- first of all, you're here in town. You're trying to prevent a base or two from being shut down in your home state of New Mexico. Lots at stake for people there, but isn't there a bigger issue for the United States involved right now: How best to use Defense Department dollars?

RICHARDSON: That's right. And my argument for keeping Canon Air Force Base, which is an F-16 base, is that the cost -- the savings is minimal. This is a wonderful base, great economic support. You can fly everywhere, supersonic, no encroachment, but it's also an economic issue. One-third of eastern New Mexico would be devastated.

So, I think the Air Force made some wrong decisions in choosing this base to be closed. And for many senators, congressmen, governors, these are life-or-death issues because we're talking about a major economic presence. And I'm fighting with every ounce of my body to keep this base open. And I've just been informed that it's now been postponed until tomorrow. So, I am hanging by my fingernails and now I'll have to do that until tomorrow.

BLITZER: All right. Let's move on. We'll talk tomorrow more about the future of this base in New Mexico.

Iraq: You have some strongly held views as far as the U.S. policy toward Iraq is concerned. Do you agree with Russ Feingold, your Democratic colleague, the Senator from Wisconsin, who says that it's time to set a date certain for an exit of all U.S. troops? He wants them out by the end of next year.

RICHARDSON: No, I don't agree with that position. But I can understand his frustration and that of many Americans. I believe we need to do a change in policy and that is, number one, we've either got to do it right in Iraq, strategy to win or do the transfer correctly or get out. We have no policy now except stay the course. We have no creative collaboration with other countries. This Iraqi...

BLITZER: Well, what specifically would you do, Governor -- what would you do, Governor, differently, than what the president and his military team are trying to do right now?

RICHARDSON: Well, I would have a specific strategy to win. I would have a specific strategy that basically had the whole civil administration, the constitution issue -- I mean, the fact that there is no constitution yet, that there are delays -- the working of all the different ethnic groups. I would have some military goals. I would have a quicker transfer of security to the Iraqis. I would bring other nations in. I just don't think we've explored that. We're doing it all alone.

I don't think it makes sense to set a deadline, because what that does is it just emboldens the other side. But at the same time, we need to start talking about a transition. What are our goals? What are our objectives? What is America ready to do in the Persian Gulf? What are we ready to do in the fight for -- against international terrorism?

I just think there's too much of a focus in Iraq. We have international terrorism wars. We've got to deal with North Korea. We've got to deal with Iran and we're not doing that.

BLITZER: You've been to -- speaking of North Korea, you've been there. You've seen this situation unfold. I know you have some strong thoughts on what's happening there right now.

RICHARDSON: Well, the Bush administration is actually moving in the right direction there. What they are doing is talking bilaterally to the North Koreans within the six-party talks. I think they've been more realistic in their negotiating and I do think that there's a potential compromise in the civilian nuclear reactor, which the North Koreans want. We don't want. But I believe a compromise whereby that reactor might be set perhaps outside the boundaries of North Korea, maybe in South Korea, that still services North Korea, is something that is a potential compromise. But I do think the Bush policy has been moving in the right direction. They're talking directly. They're going to talk again August 29. So, I'm a bit encouraged there.

BLITZER: I know you've been there. You want to head back and see if you can help out first hand? RICHARDSON: Well, they've invited me back, but I don't want to get in and not be supportive of the administration and only if it makes a difference. So, that trip is kind of on hold, but it is possible.

BLITZER: All right. Let's talk about immigration. You've declared a state of emergency along the border between New Mexico and Mexico. Your colleague Janet Napolitano in Arizona has done the same thing. What's the basic problem?

Because Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary -- let me read to you what he said just yesterday. He said, "We have decided to stand back and take a look at how we address the problem and solve it once and for all. The American public is rightly distressed about a situation in which they feel we do not have the proper control over our borders." What do you want the federal government to do?

RICHARDSON: Well, several things. Number one, I want them to put more Border Patrol agents on the New Mexico border. I want them to give us more equipment, more radios, more aerial-manned vehicles to detect immigration violators.

I want them also to put fines on employers that hire undocumented workers.

But what I also want them to do is pass an immigration bill in the Congress that deals with the 11 million undocumented workers in the United States.

And I think the president made the right decision in starting the debate by saying we need a guest worker program -- certain number of years, if they properly behave, pay their taxes, are part of society and we can bring them out of the shadows. That makes sense. But the Congress has refused to deal with immigration because it's such a polarizing, difficult issue. There are no votes in it. So, they put it aside and that causes governors like me and Napolitano -- our constituents are being threatened by violence, by drugs, by the trafficking, not just the people, but of the nefarious activities.

Some of my ranchers lose their cattle on the border. Some of my sheriffs get shot at. And the federal government doesn't respond. So, I think that Chertoff, the secretary, is moving in the right direction, but we've been waiting. And you've got to include state officials like myself and my constituents.

The border is very porous.

BLITZER: All right.

RICHARDSON: And we've got to really get Mexico to work more closely with us.

BLITZER: All right, Governor Richardson. Welcome to Washington. We'll see you soon. Always good to have you here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

RICHARDSON: Thank you. BLITZER: Fed up with a high cost of high octane? Maybe you should move to Hawaii. Coming up, we'll tell you how that state is saying, 'enough is enough.'

And a music legend with a message to antiwar activists. We'll tell you what Pat Boone is now saying.

And you've heard the strong allegations against Lance Armstrong, but does it change the way you think about him? Our Jack Cafferty, sifting through your e-mail. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Zain Verjee is joining us from the CNN Center with a quick look at some other stories making news. Zain?

VERJEE: Hi, Wolf. The crash site of a Peruvian airliner is in danger of being compromised before investigators even get there. Scavengers by the hundreds are swarming over the wreckage scattered in the Amazon jungle near Peru's border with Brazil. At least 37 people died when the plane went down on landing Tuesday two miles short of the runway. Fifty-eight people survived. Three people aboard the plane remain unaccounted for. The prime minister of the Russian republic of Ingushetia was hospitalized with wounds from an apparent assassination attempt today. Ibrahim Mogushkov's office says his leg was injured when the car he was riding in was hit by an explosive device. His driver managed to avoid a second explosion. A bodyguard, though, was killed. Ingushetia is in southern Russian. The blast occurred near its border with the rebel republic of Chechnya.

Skyrocketing gas prices have prompted the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission in Hawaii to set caps on wholesale gasoline prices. The caps made possible by a 2004 law are the first to ever be imposed on a state level. Hawaii's legislature designed the law to force the state's refiners to set wholesale prices closer to mainland rates.

It takes a village, or perhaps an entire country to name a panda. The National Zoo in Washington is holding a contest to name a male giant panda born there last month. Now you can vote online through September 30. One voter will be selected at random to win a trip for two to Washington and a private visit with the panda family.

Now there are five names to choose from here. There is Hua Sheng, and that means China Washington and magnificent. You can vote for Sheng Hua, that means Washington China and magnificent. Tai Shan means peaceful mountain. Long Shan means dragon mountain. And Qiang Qiang means strong or powerful.

Wolf, what would you pick?

BLITZER: Zain Verjee. But we'll leave that for another day. Zain, thanks very much. I love the way she speaks French. She speaks Chinese. Jack, what do you think? CAFFERTY: I want her to record the thing on my voice mail for my phone at home. It would add a lot of dignity and class to the Cafferty household when people dial my number instead of the grunts that are there now.

What nationality is she, by the way?

BLITZER: Zain?

VERJEE: Actually, I'm Kenyan. I was born in brought up in Nairobi. I'm ethnically Indian, but I'm from East Africa.

CAFFERTY: The answer is much too long. I have to move along here.

VERJEE: Sorry, sorry.

CAFFERTY: Lance Armstrong -- I'm sorry that was terrible to do to her.

Lance Armstrong has come out swinging against the director of the Tour de France. Jean-Marie Leblanc claimed in a French sports daily yesterday that Armstrong fooled race officials and the sporting world by doping. Armstrong said the tour director's claims were preposterous. The question is this. Is Lance Armstrong's image been tainted by the doping accusations?

Joey in Erlanger, Kentucky writes, "Just one more reason to dislike the French. I thought we'd already been over his cancer treatment drugs before. Obviously, the French like to rehash things. Give it a rest. He won the Tour de France seven times and the French hate it. Just let it go, Pierre."

John in San Diego, California, "Lance Armstrong on performance- enhancing drugs? Maybe the accusation would hold a little more credibility if the reporter's countrymen didn't spit on Armstrong while he raced to his seventh consecutive win. Let's just take France out of the equation and call it the Tour de Lance."

Now Richard writes, "Haven't the French always been known for their fine 'whines?'"

And Steven in Long Beach, California, "Jack, I don't care who is writing this doping controversy. I am a little more concerned about your anti-French. I never even heard of you before this new show came on. I was starting to think you were a pretty nice guy. Now this. Now stop blaming the French for everything. They're pretty cool when you get to know them."

And the best letter of the first hour of THE SITUATION ROOM is from Dave. "The only banned substance that Armstrong used in France was deodorant."

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: All right, Jack. Let's leave it alone. Thanks very much.

CAFFERTY: You're most welcome.

BLITZER: We got some serious news we're following as well. Even if you don't live in Florida, Tropical Storm Katrina could hit you where you live. Coming up, will the storm push gas prices even higher? Ali Velshi is standing by with the bottom line.

And when we go "Inside Politics," one-time music icon Pat Boon takes on a hot topic. We'll tell you what he's so angry about.

And we'll also tell you why President Bush might look at Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and think things could get worse. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's immediately go to CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. She's standing by with new information on Katrina. What's going on, Jacqui?

JERAS: It's a hurricane, Wolf, officially. Just got word in from the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane hunters are presently flying in the storm, and also looking at Doppler radar estimates of the wind velocities. And they support that they are at least at hurricane strength. So 74 miles per hour. So officially, Katrina no longer a tropical storm and it is now a hurricane. The other big news I have to report right now is just coming in. It looks like the outer band, the outer eye wall is making its way on land between Ft. Lauderdale, and there you can see Boca Raton. Hurricane hunters are estimating that the center of circulation is about 25 miles east-northeast of Ft. Lauderdale and about 25 east- southeast of Boca, so draw your isosceles triangle right there, and there you can see the center of circulation. You can kind of pick it out a little bit here on our Doppler radar pictures.

So, more strengthening is going to be expected as it's still over the open water moving very, very slowly. Very concerned about the flood threat. Our winds are picking up. Now that this eye wall is going on shore here. We've been receiving gusts. Pretty common in this area, between about 25 and 35 miles per hour. Pompano Beach with the highest gusts they've seen so far at 40 miles per hour. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. We're going to check right back with you, Jacqui. Thanks very much. It's now Hurricane Katrina.

Let's check out with our Ali Velshi how all of this is playing out as far as crude oil -- oil prices are concerned. Ali, what's going on?

VELSHI: Oil prices have settled for the day. We might see it trade a little higher in after market trading, but $67.49. That is another all-time high for a barrel of crude oil.

Markets are settling in. They have managed to stay above ground today, but what we're looking at right now is word from various oil companies. We have been making calls. Now, what has to happen in the Gulf, is oil companies have got to report on a daily basis to the Department of the Interior whether or not they are going to evacuate, and what their and what their safety situation is. We are hearing from most of them that no decision has been made, aside from BP and Shell, at the moment to evacuate some non-essential personnel. But we will continue to track that as this develops.

Markets are closing, as I mentioned -- 10,450 is the number on the Dow, that's up 15 points -- managed to stay up even though oil hit a new record. And on the NASDAQ, closing 4 points higher -- that's one quarter of a percent. The final number there -- it probably will settle in, but right now 1565.88. We'll keep tracking this for you, Wolf, and let you know how it affects your money. Back to you.

BLITZER: All Right. Thanks very much, Ali. We're going to continue our extensive coverage right now.

Katrina, gaining strength -- just named a hurricane only a moment or so ago -- bearing right down on Florida's southeastern coast. Hurricane warnings are in effect in that entire area. Residents have seen more than their share of devastating storms in recent years.

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