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CNN Sunday Morning
Wildfires Out West; Get to Know Michelle Obama
Aired July 08, 2007 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be with us this morning. We're watching a developing story out west this morning. At least a dozen wildfires burning. The largest in Utah. We'll take you there.
Plus, we'll have this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to be first lady?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: She is a strong woman putting her mark on her husband's campaign. Could Michelle Obama be our next first lady? You'll get to know her. That's ahead on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: We'll start, though, with the fast-moving wildfires burning in several southwestern states. Right now hundreds forced from their homes. People in Nevada, California, Idaho, Washington and Utah all in danger. One of the worst fires we're seeing is in central Utah. That massive fire already has destroyed 250 square miles, and it is still growing. The fire jumping a major interstate, closing down a 100-mile stretch of highway. We get more from Alex Cabrero of Salt Lake City affiliate KSL.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX CABRERO, KSL: No matter what firefighters do to fight this fire --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
CARBERO: Nothing seems to be working.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty well doing what it wants to do.
CABRERO: All day long this fire kept growing and growing. The wind pushing it faster than crews can handle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just locked up and keep our firefighters safe and hope for the best.
CABRERO: Ranchers are hoping for the best, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to burn this all as a backfire.
CABRERO: Trying to herd their cattle out of the Kanosh area by foot and by truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we've got 900 head of cattle out here.
CABRERO: In Kanosh, Glenna Davis and her family decided it was time to go as the fire headed towards town, making the sky dark and the wind hot.
GLENNA DAVIS, KANOSH, UTAH RESIDENT: We have seen fires, but it has not gotten this close to home.
CABRERO: An evacuation order has not been put into place here, but firefighters told residents to get ready just in case.
DAVIS: We've got our purses, my 8-year-old; he grabbed some pillows, blanket and his stuffed animal.
CABRERO: And then there is I-15 with thick, dark smoke causing problems everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire's going to hit the freeway here in about five minutes.
CABRERO: Forcing a closure between I-70 near Beaver and Sippio, as the fire continues to burn and grow out of control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just can't stop it. We get fire lines put in, two heads will pinch together, blow over our fire lines and we're off running.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, fire, flooding, and heat, CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has been watching it all for us.
HOLMES: He's here now with the latest. Good morning to you Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN: Good morning. Unfortunately, in terms of news out west, it really doesn't look good. In parts of Utah, right now where they're fighting these fires, they'll be dealing with not only heat today, but possibly warmer conditions in days to come. In fact, by Wednesday of next week, Salt Lake City could be seeing temperatures up to 102 degrees. Today not quite as warm, 95 the high. A little warmer, obviously, in Salt Lake -- rather Las Vegas, as well as Phoenix, where they'll easily get into the triple digits.
The problem with the heat out west is it's not going to stay out west it is going to roll across the central Plains. We have highs in the 90s from Minneapolis clear down to Dallas, but the heat index is feel even warmer. But check out the eastern seaboard, from New York, we're looking at 95 degrees, 97 in Washington, DC, 82 in Atlanta, because we're getting showers, but in the northeast especially, heat will be just brutal, 97 by the time we get to tomorrow's forecast in New York City, and that combined with the humidity, as I mentioned is going to make it feel much warmer.
The nation's capitol's not going to fair much better with high temperatures right near the century mark for Monday, for Tuesday, by Wednesday and Thursday, we cool down a little bit, but still well into the 90s with nighttime lows mainly into the 70s. Good part of the forecast is that we're getting some scattered showers in places that desperately need it, especially into central Alabama, now moving into Atlanta, soggy commute out along I-285. That's going to continue through the afternoon hours, certainly some great news there, and it may continue for tomorrow, but also, the heat out west and the heat moving to the eastern seaboard and those fires, well, they're going to keep going, too. That's latest. Back to you.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
NGUYEN: We do want to talk to you about a welcomed break from the rain in Texas. And looking at these pictures, you see why. Devastating floods there have already been blamed for 15 deaths, the toll there rising with the recovery of a 6-year-old boy who was swept out into the Gulf of Mexico. One person is still missing.
And in northeast Oklahoma, two counties have been designated federal disaster areas. President Bush signing that order. Those residents are now eligible for federal flood relief.
HOLMES: Two people in Texas pretty fortunate this morning after they took pretty much a wild ride on a Texas lake. You could I guess call this a launch. Things looked to be going pretty well here. Look at this video.
NGUYEN: Woo!
HOLMES: And that is not supposed to happen. They headed towards this spillway on the lake, and they launched, essentially, off this nearly 30-foot jump off the edge of that lake. They did not have serious injuries, however, but a fascinating shot to see. And you can see somebody flying in the air at the end there, but again, no serious injuries to report in this accident.
NGUYEN: They have quite a story to tell, and luckily, they lived to tell it.
Well people aboard a sightseeing helicopter in New York get more than they bargained for. Instead of a tour of Manhattan, they ended up in the Hudson River. The Coast Guard says the chopper crashed yesterday, but all eight people on board are fine, some said to be suffering from minor injuries. Authorities say they were pulled from the water by two good Samaritans in private boats. The FAA plans to investigate that crash. HOLMES: Well, in the Middle East, a gesture for peace. Israel's cabinet today approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners. An Israeli official tells CNN the move is intended to bolster ties between the Jewish state and moderate Palestinian leaders. Israel says it will not release any prisoner linked to violence against civilians. A committee will publicize the list of names and the Supreme Court will allow 48 hours for any formal changes to the plan released.
NGUYEN: The U.S. death toll in Iraq is climbing again. The Pentagon says a roadside bomb killed one U.S. soldier yesterday and wounded four others. It happened in the Salah ad Din Province which is northwest of Baghdad. The U.S. death toll for July now stands at 28.
HOLMES: Global concerts to combat global climate change. We've been talking about it a lot the last couple days, Live Earth. Saturday's series of shows on seven continents, even Antarctica, designed to draw awareness and build support for the fight against global warming. Music with a message. CNN's Brooke Anderson takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll send an S.O.S, to the world. I'll send an S.O.S. to the world.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sending an environmental S.O.S., the worldwide Live Earth concerts came to a close on a strong note at its final destination.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a kiss away; it's just a kiss away.
ANDERSON: The eight-hour New Jersey event included Keith Urban and Alicia Keys bringing the house down with the Rolling Stones' "Give me Shelter," and Melissa Etheridge captivating the audience with this impassioned performance.
MELISSA ETHERIDGE: I've been asleep and I need to wake up now.
ANDERSON: But just before the meadowlands, Live Earth hit the nation's capitol.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We shall be free.
ANDERSON: Former Vice President Al Gore is the man behind the message. He maintains stumping not for political office, but for the environment.
AL GORE. PARTNER, LIVE EARTH: And thanks to these fantastic performers in helping to launch this global effort to solve the climate crises. Ooh
ANDERSON: Dave Matthews was singing for a cause he believes in, having set an example for other artists by greening his own concert tours.
DAVE MATTHEWS, SINGER: There are organizations that have made that a possibility, and we had the resources to step in, you know, to join their effort.
ANDERSON: Because it can be expensive.
MATTHEWS: Yeah, you know, and also the more people that do it, the less expensive it becomes, that's sort of how everything would work.
ANDERSON: And Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall has taken steps to lessen her impact.
KT TUNSTALL, SINGER: I have a forest of 6,000 trees in Scotland eating all the carbon from my CD Production and I use bio diesel buses.
ANDERSON: Gore asserts this is the beginning of a three to five- year campaign to fight global warming, but critics, including singer and activist Bob Geldof, who was instrumental in two previous global benefit concerts, say Live Earth lacked final goals. Not so, insists Gore, and artists who took part.
ALICIA KEYES, SINGER: Like here we are, people really taking, putting our lives to the right, coming together for a moment in time. I mean, all over the world and really showing a unanimous front, a united front. And I think that that's, that in itself is an important statement to make, that we can all come together and say that this is not something that should continue.
ANDERSON: Full of hope and optimism and a potential audience of 2 billion, Live Earth ended with this from The Police, Kanye West, and John Maher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sending out an S.O.S., we can save the world.
ANDERSON: A fitting end to a massive event intended to be a global cry for help.
Brooke Anderson, CNN, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the folks in Utah are sending out their own kind of S.O.S. That's dealing with a fire there, wildfire that has burned some 160,000 acres so far. Let's get you on the phone now with Karen Feary of the Richfield fire dispatch. Good morning. If you would, please, just give us the status of this fire right now. How much is burning and how much is contained?
KAREN FEARY, RICHFIELD, UTAH FIRE DISPATCH (via telephone): Good morning. We currently have approximately 160,000 acres that have burned. It has not been contained at all. There is still active fire on all perimeters, and we're going to get a better look at it today, hopefully, when the smoke lifts and we'll be able to get some aircraft in.
NGUYEN: That is just remarkable to think that this thing is as large as 150,000 to 160,000 acres, and none of it is contained at this point. How fast is this fire moving?
FEARY: OK, it started on Friday afternoon between Friday afternoon and in 24 hours it moved 40 miles. So it was very actively burning, and it was very intense.
NGUYEN: Do you know what started it?
FEARY: Lightning.
NGUYEN: OK, got it. At this point I understand the fire is threatening railroad lines, bridges, even some homes. Do you know how many homes have burned?
FEARY: Right now we've had very few structures that have been burned. We've had only one vacation home and some out -- not outhouses, but out buildings. So right now the threat to the communities has diminished. The winds have pushed the fire in a different location. We don't have any evacuations in effect at this time.
NGUYEN: That is good news. And it's also forced the closure of an interstate. Is this correct, for a 100-mile stretch?
FEARY: It's more like 92 miles, but to round it off to 100, it's fine. It goes from the north end of the fire down to an area where it's convenient for people to get off the freeway and get on another highway.
NGUYEN: Has the fire or the smoke caused any traffic accidents?
FEARY: We had one traffic accident toward the beginning when the fire was very intense before they closed the highway, and there were two fatalities in that accident.
NGUYEN: Really. Any other lives lost because of this fire?
FEARY: No. And there have been no other injuries.
NGUYEN: OK. And just very briefly, I know that at this point, none of it is contained. What's being done right now to try to slow this and keep it from spreading?
FEARY: OK, we've had crews out during the night. The fire did lay down quite a bit, and they were actually trying to get some of the hot spots put out that were of large concern. So we have had people out 24 hours a day trying to work with these areas of concern, and then we will be having additional resources coming in. Today we have a type one incident management team, which is a national team that will come in and take the fire from the local unit and manage the fire and get more resources in.
NGUYEN: Yeah, you definitely need more resources, looking at how large this fire has burned. We thank you, Karen Feary; I know you've got a lot on your hands there with the Richfield Fire Department. We appreciate your time today. Thank you.
FEARY: You're welcome.
HOLMES: Coming up, an unusual funeral. It's not for a person, not for pets, but for a word, one that has been making headlines nationwide. The death of the n-word in a small Texas town.
NGUYEN: Also, presidential candidates in the spotlight right now, but what about their mates? Yes, spouses playing a major role in the race for the White House. Meet Michelle Obama. That's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, so the role of the running mate in the 2008 election, no, we're not talking about the vice presidential front- runners, we are talking about their spouses.
HOLMES: Yes. For the next several weeks we're going to be taking a closer look at the women, or in the case of Bill Clinton, the man behind the candidates. We begin with Michelle Robinson Obama. And there is a buzz building behind her husband's life story and success, and it will only get louder once people hear her story. CNN's Anderson Cooper reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, SEN. BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: My husband's the next president of the United States, Barack Obama.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She's the woman behind the juggernaut that is Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle. But she's still a bit of a political mystery. Is she the reluctant spouse of a superstar candidate?
Are you ready to be first lady?
OBAMA: No comment.
COOPER: Or a political savvy mate working to find just the right tone to get her husband to the White House?
CHRISTI PARSONS, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: I think both things are true. I think in the beginning, she, there are some signs that maybe she wasn't wholly given over to the idea of politics. She objected to the fact that she was spending so much time alone without him and without help raising the family. I think she sometimes views his politics as something that sort of intrudes on something that's very important to her, on the family life.
COOPER: Michelle Robinson Obama is a success story in her own right. Born and raised on Chicago's tough south side, she graduated cum laude from Princeton, then Harvard Law School and joined a prestigious Chicago law firm that is where she met her future husband. He was a new summer associate at the firm. She was his adviser.
PARSONS: She was a little unsure about the fact, about them working together. And one of her friends told me that she thought it would be tacky for two of the only African-American lawyers working at the firm to be dating.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Illinois!
COOPER: The Obamas still live in Chicago. They both took the path into public service. Michelle worked as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and now is vice president of Community Affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals. And she's the mother of two daughters, Malieah, who is 8, and Natasha, 5. When the power couple appeared on "Oprah" in October, it was already clear that Barack Obama is a political star, but it was also clear that his wife knows how to keep him grounded.
B. OBAMA: I just introduced this bill on non-proliferation, you know, nuclear weapons that are out there, loose nukes and former soviet territory. So I was working with my Republican colleague, Dick Lugar, to introduce this bill. I was excited about it. I called Michelle, saying, look, this is going to be a terrific piece of legislation. She says, we have ants. Ants? She says, yes, we have ants, and I need ant traps. We have ants in the bathroom and the kitchen. So on your way home, can you pick up some ant traps, please? So --
I'm thinking, you know, is John McCain stopping by Walgreen's to grab ant traps on the way home?
OPRAH: Yes, yes. If he's not, he should be.
COOPER: Some that met her describe her as determined, tireless, fearless, up at 4:30 every morning, in bed by 8:30 at night. And she's clearly on board for her husband's campaign, telling the audience on "Good Morning America" just one reason why the Obamas belong in the White House.
M. OBAMA: This is who we are. I've got a loud mouth. I tease my husband. He is incredibly smart, and he is very able to deal with a strong woman, which is one of the reasons why he can be president, because he can deal with me.
COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Our running mate series continues next Sunday with a look at Cindy McCain, wife of Republican candidate John McCain.
And one word with a lot of power, now one small Texas town puts the n-word to rest for good.
NGUYEN: Also, smoking? Well, millions of Americans are trying to kick that habit. It is a struggle, especially for first lady Laura Bush. She can identify with that, and she talks to a CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta about quitting. That is ahead on "House Call" at 8:30 Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It has been called one of the hottest workouts, but you have to take your exercise sitting down. Creator Josh Crosby says Indorow is all about teamwork.
JOSH CROSBY, INDO-ROW.COM: Train with a group, and you're going to get better, you're going to maintain. But there is no impact. You burn tons of calories, you build muscle, you build long, lean muscles, which seems to be the trend these days, not bulky anymore, and it's just a lot of fun.
COSTELLO: Crosby is passionate about rowing. He's on the U.S. National Rowing Team and a third-generation rower. He ends each class at the sports club L.A. with a little competitive racing.
KEELY WILLIAMS: And the fact he puts you in teams, as you're rowing like you're really rowing in a boat, that's just an extra-added motivation.
DR. ARASH LALEZARY: My favorite part is when he makes us go all out, when he builds it up 50 percent strength, then 100 percent, when you're doing it and giving it everything you have.
AUDREY ADLER, INDO-ROW PARTICIPANT: I am an endurance athlete and this is taking it to a whole new level.
COSTELLO: Crosby says besides working all the muscles in your body, rowers can burn 400 to 900 calories in a 50-minute class.
Carol Costello, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, DOT COM DESK: What are you clicking on this morning at CNN.com? Well, a story out of China. A lulu of a loo, and it is on the most popular list. So is it art or is it toilet humor? Details next from the ".Com desk."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, in Texas, an unusual funeral, not for a person, but for a racial slur.
NGUYEN: A Houston area group buried the n-word. And as CNN's Rick Sanchez reports, media buzz may have triggered what's becoming a movement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Snoop Dogg raps about it.
SNOOP DOGG: [ bleep ] get an attitude.
SANCHEZ: "South Park" talked about it. SOUTH PARK: I cannot believe you said the n-word on national television.
SANCHEZ: And last year comedian Michael Richards' angry rant made headlines about it.
MICHAEL RICHARDS: [ bleep ] he's a [ bleep ].
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god!
SANCHEZ: Yes, the n-word is still around nearly 150 years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. And a group in Texas thinks it's time to bury it. They gathered Saturday to do just that.
TAMMIE CAMPBELL, EVENT ORGANIZER: I would like for you to take note of the casket. [ bleep ] the first documented use was 1786, which will be laid to rest today, 7-07.
ROBBIE EVANS, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON: We want positive affirmations from everyone that the n-word dies with all of this.
SANCHEZ: The message is spreading. Brazoria, Texas, is a small, industrial city with 2,800 residents. In January, its mayor became the first in the nation to propose an ordinance banning the use of the n- word. In March, New York became the first city to pass a resolution. And in April, music mogul Russell Simmons called on recording artists to stop using it.
Back in Texas at the n-word funeral services Saturday, young rapper J. Xavier was happy to follow the lead.
J XAVIER, RAPPER: I don't use the n-word because that's a bad taste in my mouth, so I spit it out. If you feel like me, people wave your hands and shout.
SANCHEZ: Rick Sanchez, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, you are waking up to seven new wonders of the world. The announcement has been made, and Veronica De La Cruz will bring us up to speed, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, CNN.com is blowing up this morning.
DE LA CRUZ: It is.
NGUYEN: It's off the chain.
DE LA CRUZ: Goodness.
NGUYEN: Veronica De La Cruz joins us now with a look at what's most popular. DE LA CRUZ: Well, the new Seven Wonders of the World, of course. A lot of people are very interested in this story. Let's take a look at some of those ireports that people have been sending us. Take a look at this. This is from Marcus Pennell of Brighton, England. He sent us this picture of the Taj Mahal. That was my pick, you guys. That was mine.
NGUYEN: That's beautiful.
DE LA CRUZ: The Indian landmark was closed on the day he visited back in 2004, so his guide took him around to the back side for a view that most tourists don't see.
Marcus, what was your guide's name? Because I would like the same tour, right? That's kind of unfair.
NGUYEN: Right, you want the special tour.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Next one. Annemarie Bain of New York. She sent us this picture of Machu Picchu. It also made the new seven wonders list. She tells CNN that photographs can do justice to these unique ruins high in the Andes mountains.
They truly are a wonder. What about this? Do you guys think that this should have been on that list?
From the wonders of the world to the wonders of the loo? I mean, when you've got to go, you've got to go, but here in this facility in China, it is making the most popular list this morning at CNN.com. And all together, there are 1,000 toilets in the four-story public restroom. They come in all shapes, colors and sizes.
NGUYEN: And they're open-air toilets, just the kind that you want.
DE LA CRUZ: And the Guinness record folks, they are on their way out to see if that is some sort of a world record. But definitely not a seventh wonder. Eighth wonder, maybe.
NGUYEN: No, not a wonder. Kind of wonder why you'd go there.
DE LA CRUZ: T.J. thinks it is, though.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Thank you, Veronica.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta starts right now.
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