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CNN Sunday Morning
Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in Indiana; State of Emergency in Greece
Aired August 26, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, it is August 26. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, T.J. Good morning everybody. We are so glad you are with us. I'm Alina Cho. Betty is on assignment. It's 7:00 a.m. in the East, 6:00 a.m. in Indiana where someone could be waking up rich this morning. It's not us. The winning Powerball ticket with a jackpot of $314 million was bought in Indiana.
HOLMES: Also keeping an eye on this morning something we were watching all day yesterday, Greece is in a state of emergency right now, look at these pictures of the forest fires are raging still this morning. People are trapped in their homes right now in the path of these flames.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) He said everything is fine. I love you. Talk to you later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Just what happened in the days following hurricane Katrina that caused that man to die in a New Orleans hospital? CNN investigates.
HOLMES: But first hundreds of thousands across the Midwest still without electricity this morning.
CHO: The area hit hard by severe storms over the past week plus more last night. In fact in Fenton, Michigan, the mayor closed off the town to nonresidents. Fenton was devastated by a tornado that tore through on Friday.
HOLMES: The violent weather also hitting Ohio again. Even as thousands wait for lingering flood waters to recede. Ohio's governor says he may ask for federal assistance as early as tomorrow.
CHO: People around Columbus, Ohio got a real scare as severe storms blew through the area. We get more on that from Laura Cole from affiliate WBNS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA COLE, WBNS: First the sirens, then the damage.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): We went down the basement; just as I was closing the door I heard a loud, loud crack. It wasn't thunder.
COLE: But it was a tree cracking in half here on Glasgow and landing on the neighbor's front porch. The force enough to crush it, they were at a wedding but rushed home as soon as they heard the news.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) There is a hole in the roof.
COLE: A brand new roof. They just finished a renovation job in June.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) If something took enough wind strength to move this gazebo, it would have at least turned over the barstools and it didn't.
COLE: That is one of the reasons they believe whatever did this damage was more than strong wind. Damaged trees in a straight line, tomatoes ripped from the garden, a gazebo once bolted to the concrete slab lifted and bent. But then there are those things untouched like this candle that didn't budge an inch. Adding to this damage is that of his son's car. At his mother's request, he was rushing home to check things out and he totaled it.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) The minute he got on 315 he spun out. His car is totaled. It's been one of those days.
COLE: Just why she always keeps her aspirin nearby. Perhaps she will share it with her neighbor's two doors down, who will also come home to a few headaches when they return from a camping trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well there are some strong storms moving east as well, meteorologist Bonnie Schneider has more on that in the Severe Weather Center. So Bonnie I'm flying back to New York today, this afternoon in fact. Am I going to have some delays?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You may actually. The earlier the better I'd say the better you head back because we are looking at the same strong thunderstorms to slide further to the east. Right now good news, it's pretty dry over Chicago, over Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, and Columbus, just some spotty showers. We are watching a larger system work its way to the east. As the rivers take time to recede we still have flood warnings for rivers around northern Illinois, and parts of Iowa, Indiana and Ohio but I think that situation will improve because looking ahead you can see the precipitation totals now have us more towards areas in West Virginia and Ohio.
We are certainly tracking areas where we are expecting some heavier rain. Right now, this morning, we are getting rain in lower sections of New York, not quite in Manhattan but south of Kingston into New York, into southwest Connecticut we will see some rain sweeping across State College, Pennsylvania this is in advance of a cold front that will bring some changes. We will see some big-time relief from the heat. Temperatures are cool in Boston after a record high yesterday of 97. Look for temperatures to get even better if you like the cooler temperatures. I will have more on that coming up.
T.J., Alina.
HOLMES: If you can't make it back, we'd love to have you. We'll keep feeding you.
CHO: That would be a good thing.
HOLMES: We have a quick update here this morning on a security scare involving a Carnival cruise ship. The cruise line says it did turn out to be a false alarm. A suspicious bag was discovered during the pre-boarding screening for the cruise ship celebration yesterday. The ships departure from Jacksonville to Key West and the Bahamas was delayed for several hours, but officials were able to give the all clear.
CHO: In Utah, more bad news for the families of those trapped coal miners. A lawyer for the relatives says a sixth hole drilled into the mine shaft was filled with rubble and contained no space where the men could have survived. A mine official told distraught relatives that they have not ruled out drilling a seventh hole but the mine owner Bob Murray said without some signs of life there was no point in continuing. A news conference is expected later today. Murray tells CNN he plans on establishing a memorial for the six missing miners at the site. Three other miners if you recall died trying to rescue them.
Defending rapper DMX, an attorney for DMX denies allegations that a dozen dogs seized at the rapper's Arizona home were not fed and hydrated. But he admits the caretaker neglected to bring them into the air conditioned home when temperatures reached over 110 degrees. The attorney says DMX was not home during Friday's raid. Authorities made no arrest but they are investigating alleged charges of animal cruelty.
And suspended NFL star Michael Vick won't be calling the plays when he heads to court tomorrow. That will be up to a judge to decide Vick's fate after his plea deal on a dog fighting conspiracy charge. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback may be in for another hit. The "Atlanta Journal Constitution" reports that the Falcons want him to pay back a $22 million signing bonus.
HOLMES: Senator Barack Obama is in New Orleans this morning. He will be talking about Gulf Coast recovery efforts. He campaigned in Miami yesterday. In a speech the Democratic presidential candidate criticized President Bush's Cuba policy. We will talk more politics this morning. A little later on we will talk to Ken Rudin; he is the political editor for National Public Radio. He will join us at 9:00 Eastern.
CHO: As you may remember just yesterday, T.J. and I said if we won the Powerball jack pot we wouldn't be here today. Obviously we didn't win but someone else did. That single winning ticket worth $314 million was sold in Indiana. Thirty one other tickets matched five numbers; each of those is worth $200,000. That's not bad. The winning numbers, in case you missed them are 2, 8, 23, 29, and 35. The Powerball number is 19.
HOLMES: Our tickets were bought in Washington, D.C.
CHO: I matched one number.
HOLMES: How many? Two numbers?
CHO: One number. Just one number. That's why we are here this Sunday.
HOLMES: I don't think you get anything. Not even ten bucks.
CHO: A lot more coming up this Sunday morning, including the nagging questions that just won't go away. Nine people died in a New Orleans hospital during Katrina. Some say it was homicide. CNN investigates.
And this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): It's happened once, that's hard. That doesn't help you for it happening again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: An American family sent three sons to Iraq. The loan survivor comes home. A real-life Private Ryan story to tell you about.
Also a state of emergency in Greece. Fire so numerous Greek officials say this is no accident. Stay here. You are watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: They are sorting through the rubble in India following two blasts. More than 40 people are dead in what Indian officials are calling terrorist attacks in the city of Hyderabad. India officials say it could have been worse. Unexploded explosives were found at 16 other locations. Tighter security measures are in place this morning in India's airports and rail stations.
We turn to the fight for Iraq. Violence in Baghdad purportedly is down largely due to the build-up of U.S. troops.
CHO: That is right but the Associated Press is reporting that the insurgents have been pushed out of the capital; they have taken the violence to other parts of the country.
HOLMES: The AP says the overall the civilian death toll has almost doubled in the past year.
CHO: Meanwhile, in Clovis, California, the community there is mourning one family's huge sacrifice. For the second time in three years, one of the Hubbard brothers was killed in action. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They were literally a band of brothers, Nathan, Jason and Jared Hubbard. Inseparable until war tore them apart.
In 2004, Marine Corp. Jared Hubbard was killed by a roadside bomb in Ramadi, Iraq. Along with his best friend Jeremiah Baro.
JEFF HUBBARD, FATHER: The warriors (INAUDIBLE) move off the chart.
GUTIERREZ: Despite the death of their brother, Nathan and Jason decided to enlist in the army. Pastor Tim Rolen a family friend said they wanted to honor their brother.
REV. TIM ROLEN, FAMILY FRIEND: The word I get from their family, these two brothers wanted to finish what Jared had started.
GUTIERREZ: Then this week, 21-year-old Nathan Hubbard was killed when his Blackhawk helicopter carrying 14 U.S. soldiers crashed in northern Iraq. Jason was in another chopper when his brother went down.
ROLEN: They were on the same mission in two separate helicopters. Jason, the older brother was in the helicopter that did not go down. It was their responsibility to land and attempt any kind of rescue that might be possible. But there were no survivors.
GUTIERREZ: In Clovis, California, flags line the street where the brothers grew up.
ROLEN: It happened once, that's hard that does not help you for it happening again.
GUTIERREZ: The residents of Clovis mourn once again. Nathan Hubbard is the seventh U.S. service member from this town who was killed in action since the war in Iraq began. Five were from the same high school. Now this memorial for Jared and his childhood friend Jeremiah has become a gathering place for people to grieve.
ROLEN: I will remember them as heroes, OK? I will -- I'm going to remember them as young men with courage.
GUTIERREZ: Jason Hubbard, now the only surviving son, is on his way home from Iraq to be with his family as his younger brother, Nathan, makes his final journey home to be buried here next to his beloved older brother Jared.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Clovis, California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Today on "This Week at War," CNN correspondents will talk about that Iraq progress report which is due in mid-September. Examine insurgency strength and talk about what day-to-day life is like for Iraqi families. Join host Tom Foreman for "This Week at war" that is today at 1:00 Eastern Time.
HOLMES: Well the Katrina hospital deaths. Questions persist who is to blame what New Orleans officials know and what they're not telling. CNN pushes for answers.
CHO: And inspired by a CNN hero, how the story of a doctor making a difference inspired so many of you to lend a helping hand. Stay with us we will be right back. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back on this Sunday morning. Tens of thousands of you have come to the aid of a doctor in southern Arizona who is giving medical care for free to street kids who have no one else to turn to. His name is Dr. Randy Christensen, a CNN hero. Because of you he's been able to expand his work. Now he travels the streets of Tempe and Phoenix full-time in two health mobiles instead of one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) When I was 10 years old, I decided I was going to run away from home, I have been on the streets from 12 to 20.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): It's scary being on the streets. There is so many drugs and there is violence.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) I sleep in an abandoned house.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) I live in a shack.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) I was taken away from my parents at 10 years old.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) My dad dropped me off at a dumpster. He told me don't think about going home.
DR. RANDY CHRISTENSEN, CREWS'N HEALTHMOBILE: There's as many as 5,000 to 10,000 kids on the streets of Arizona. We turn our heads; we don't look at them in the eyes. Many of the kids are truly forgotten. I'm Dr. Randy Christensen. I'm the medical director for the Crews'n Healthmobile. We take care of kids on the streets.
Everything that would be in a regular doctor's office is on the van. All the kids that are seen by us are seen free of charge. Did you need anything? A new backpack? I've never really been about the money. I went to medical school thinking that I would be a surgeon, but everything that made me stop and think had to do with children and adolescents. I chose to come out on the streets.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE) Dr. Christensen makes it so people actually want to come back and actually want to get help.
CHRISTENSEN: We pull up in the van. Within 5 to 10 minutes there's 20 or 30 kids coming out of every different alley or street. You get out there and see some of these kids. You talk to them and you give them a little dignity and respect and all of a sudden they open up. It is like a light bulb goes on and they want to talk and tell you their story. Let me listen to you. I think you might have is a pneumonia. Take a deep breath. They still have that gleam of hope in their eyes. It's that hope that gives you hope. High five. Yeah. And at the very end, they give you a big hug and they say, thank you, and that means the most to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: If would like to make a contribution to the organizations that support Dr. Randy Christensen, you will find links to their Websites on ours at CNN.com/heroes. You can also nominate a hero of your own on our Website. Selected winners will be honored during a live global broadcast on December 6th hosted by our very own Anderson Cooper.
HOLMES: A tree of all things getting special treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): They put it on the special trailer and they will slowly roll it through downtown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: No problem. Talking about a tree here, a huge tree. The big move coming up later this hour.
And also the woman who gives hugs. But why do people travel great distances to get one of these hugs? A "Faces of Faith" report right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A spiritual leader in India may be the most hugged woman in the world. Yes, hugged. She grew up poor in south India but is using her unique gifts to touch people across the globe. Delia Gallagher has her inspiring story in this mornings "Faces of Faith."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): To some, she is divine, a goddess capable of miracles. To all who follow her, she is mother. The last word in compassion and selfless love. Amma, whose name means mother, attracts millions to her spiritual center in south India, with the promise of a hug. This woman has taken an 11-hour train ride to see Amma. Now I only have one feeling that I touched god, she says.
She hopes to become pregnant and decided to come when Amma appeared to her in several dreams, she says. Mata Amma Algrew (ph) grew up in this poor remote seaside in south India. Villagers sought out the little girl who was said to cure sick cows, and who would give her own food away so someone else could eat. Followers now come from all over. For some, it is a working vacation with its emphases on service rather than study. For others, it is home. Gautam came from California eight years ago to live with Amma. His name used to be Brian Harvey, he worked at Yahoo! Now he works for free as one of Amma's aides.
GAUTAM, AMMA DEVOTEE: Before I met Amma, the typical American lifestyle, living for myself. Trying to make myself as comfortable as possible. After meeting Amma, it is trying to live more for others.
GALLAGHER: Darshana left a successful private practice as a psychotherapist in St. Louis 12 years ago to serve full-time.
DARSHANA, AMMA DEVOTEE: The capacity that Amma has to hug 50,000 people today, travel on this bumpy road in India for 15, 20 hours to the next stop, get off, bright, shining, and hug another 50,000, 20,000, 75,000 people.
GALLAGHER: This is an average weekend here. There are some 35,000 people expected here today from all over the world. They come to just get a hug. This will continue 16, 20 hours until each person had a moment with Amma. What do you think people are in search of?
MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI, SPIRITUAL LEADER (Translator): Fundamentally what everybody needs is mental strength and self confidence to manage the mind as we manage the outside world.
GALLAHER: Why do you hug people?
AMRITANANDAMAYI (Translator): I want to awaken motherhood in both men and women. Motherhood is something that is fast disappearing from the world. It's very much needed in today's world. Cynics may sneer, but look at what Amma has done. This is her orphanage where 500 children live. Amma has donated $46 million to tsunami relief in south Asia and $1million to the Katrina relief fund in the U.S. She gets the money from private donations and sales of promotional material. A multimillion dollar international charity that blossomed from a smile and a hug. For Amma, its proof of what a mother's love can do.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, South India.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Coming up on this Sunday morning, the Katrina hospital deaths.
HOLMES: What happened inside this New Orleans hospital while Katrina raged outside? Nine people died and some medical experts say it was homicide. CNN investigates.
Plus we have Bonnie Schneider with us this morning.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning everyone. The temperature in Boston right now, it may be 66 degrees, but yesterday it got up to 97. What's in store for that city today? We have some big changes ahead for the northeast. There is a live picture of Boston for you waking up to a cooler morning after a hot one yesterday. I'll have your complete forecast coming up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back on this Sunday morning. I'm Alina Cho. So glad you are with us.
HOLMES: So glad you are with us again. It's been a treat having you with us this weekend.
CHO: Thank you. It's nice being in Atlanta.
HOLMES: Everybody I'm T.J. Holmes. We are watching these pictures out of Greece this morning. Forest fires are nearing some historic landmarks.
CHO: And just three days before the second anniversary of hurricane Katrina you are looking at a church in New Orleans where presidential candidate Barack Obama will talk about his plan to restore the Gulf Coast. That's happening this hour.
HOLMES: All right. Also we are keeping an eye out for something this hour and this morning. Somebody out there is my new best friend because they have picked a ticket worth $314 million in the Powerball jackpot. That winning ticket was sold somewhere in Indiana. With us now, Andrew Reed, I believe with the Powerball group, is that right? Are you with me?
ANDREW REED, HOOSIER LOTTERY: Yes, I am. I'm with the Hoosier Lottery in the state of Indiana.
HOLMES: How are you feeling this morning that the ticket was sold there in your state?
REED: We are elated. We haven't had a jackpot winner here in Indiana for a while. A lot of folks don't know that, but Indiana leads all the nation as far as the number of Powerball winners are concerned.
HOLMES: Is that right? I will head your way next time I need a ticket.
REED: Come on down.
HOLMES: So tell me what will this mean for your state?
REED: It's generating a lot of excitement, not only here in Indiana but across the country. We are looking forward to the jackpot winner coming in. We don't have any information on the winner as of yet. We do plan to get out to the retail location where it was sold in Richmond, Indiana, which is about 45 minutes east of Indianapolis.
HOLMES: And tell me, do you -- know exactly what store it was sold in, is that correct? Do you know when it was -- when that ticket was bought as well?
REED: We don't know. I don't know that information, when it was purchased. But I do know it was purchased at a Speedway gas station in Richmond, Indiana.
HOLMES: All right. Now, tell me, how does this usually work? We have seen these over the -- over the years, I guess, kind of gotten used to it sometimes takes people a while to come forward with these huge winning tickets because they want to get their ducks in a row.
REED: That is correct. And we do advise our winners to make sure that they have their financial house in order before they come in and claim a prize.
So, we don't expect someone to come in tomorrow. But if they do come in tomorrow, that will be fine. But we do expect them to take a little while to make sure they talk to an attorney, a financial planner and tax planners, and all those types of things.
HOLMES: And do people have to -- I've bought a couple of tickets over the years, but do people have to say ahead of time when they buy the ticket whether or not they're going to take the lump sum, or do you have -- you make up your mind after you come in with the ticket?
REED: They can make up their mind after they come in. They have the option of taking the lump sum value, or they can take it over 30- year annuity payments.
HOLMES: That doesn't sound like fun. How do -- and how long do they have to bring this ticket in before, I guess -- does this thing ever expire?
REED: By our rules here in the state of Indiana, a player has 108 days from the drawing, or they have roughly six months to come in and claim their prize.
HOLMES: Well, hopefully they will get in before that. Can you imagine if that ticket expired on somebody? Just sitting on the dresser, $314 million, it expires.
Well, Andrew Reed, hopefully it won't take them that long.
Again, Andrew Reed with the Hoosier Lottery. Like he said, elated this morning that the Hoosier State there has a big winner.
Sir, thank you for your time. I'm sure we will be talking to you again and we'll see you down the road when this person comes forward. And I might be standing right next to my new best friend.
REED: I appreciate it. And we hope to see you, too, as well.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Mr. Reed. Take care.
CHO: Or the owner of the convenience store, by the way...
HOLMES: Yes.
CHO: ... who will probably get, what, about $150,000?
HOLMES: They always pick up a nice chunk of change as well. CHO: They always get a little. Yes, they do. And there are a half a dozen people or so who have matched five numbers...
HOLMES: Five numbers, $200,000 as well.
CHO: ... so they get, like, 200,000 bucks.
HOLMES: I'm looking for new friends all around.
CHO: I'd like to be one of those people.
HOLMES: All right.
CHO: Other news we are watching, in the upper Midwest, more severe weather for people there. Strong winds causing damage near Columbus, Ohio.
The new storms coming as people are still trying to clean up from massive flooding in other parts of the area. Hundreds of thousands throughout the Midwest still without power this morning. After touring some of the most effected areas, Ohio's governor says he could ask for federal relief aid as soon as tomorrow.
And people on the East Coast may see some storms today. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider bringing the bad news to us.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, guys, tragedy is overshadowing a wedding in Canada today following an accident that left six people dead and 17 injured.
A pickup truck plowed into guests taking part in a traditional Indian wedding parade. Police say it's too early to determine whether the 71-year-old driver will face charges, but they have ruled out drugs or alcohol. The wedding is expected to go on as planned today, but the reception has been canceled.
Also, an update this morning on that horrific balloon accident in Canada. Authorities have recovered the bodies of a woman and her daughter killed in that fiery accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anyone in there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, but it's coming this way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The balloon caught fire as it was preparing to launch from Surrey, British Columbia. Some of the passengers managed to get out before it exploded and shot up into the air.
We were taking a peek at some of these pictures yesterday. These are some of the latest. Just an amazing site to see. Eleven people were injured in this accident. Witnesses, as you can imagine, watched in disbelief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY HUNDAL, WITNESS: It was something like you see in the movies, you know? It was just -- it was just horrifying. Just looking at people screaming, jumping out of there.
You know, Some of them, I think, had fire on them, their clothes or something like that. It was just awful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people were screaming and trying to get out. And, of course, four or five people jumped out, and the basket got a lot lighter and it started lifting off. And another one or two jumped out. And then it was quite high, roughly 40 feet out, and another fellow jumped out at that level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The balloon plunged to the ground and landed in an RV park. Witnesses say propane tanks and debris set fire to three trailers and several cars.
Two people now under arrest in connection with major wildfires raging across southern Greece. Take a look at these pictures now.
The fires have killed 49 people. Dozens of villages have now been evacuated. And the famed city of Olympia may be in danger.
Some of Greece's European neighbors are sending planes to help drop water on those fires. While the majority of the fires have been centered in southwestern Greece, there are also two major fires burning north of Athens.
We'll bring you a live report from Greece coming up in our next hour.
CHO: Here in the United States, people around Columbus a little shaken up when they heard wailing tornado sirens. Some heavy damage there, although there have been no reports of actual twisters.
Joining us live now from Columbus this morning is Matt Alvarez of affiliate WCMH.
So what's it like where you are, Matt?
MATT ALVAREZ, REPORTER, WCMH: Well, good morning, Alina.
It's pretty interesting right now because there's going to be some cleanup efforts here in Columbus. It took about 45 minutes for this storm to go in and out of the area. These storms popped out of nowhere on the radar, high winds of about 58 miles per hour recorded over at Port Columbus Airport.
Not many reports of actual power outages. There were some trees down and tree limbs down in the area. Now, as you said, some of the viewers in our area saw a couple funnel clouds in the area, but the National Weather Service has yet to confirm an actual touchdown. But the thing that's pretty interesting is these storms are nothing in comparison to what happened in the northern part of Ohio this week.
There's been record flooding, record rains there. The governor toured all that damage, declared nine counties states of emergency in the area. I toured Bucyrus, and most of the residents say that they've never seen that kind of flooding in decades.
CHO: Matt Alvarez of affiliate WCMH.
Matt, thank you very much.
HOLMES: Well, two years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans with devastating fury. Well, for nine patients inside one of the city's most well-respected hospitals, this would be their last week alive.
CHO: It was one of those stories of Katrina that was hard to believe, allegations that medical professionals killed patients instead of evacuating them. Those accused deny it, including Dr. Anna Pou.
Now CNN has learned that the search for the truth may have ended inside a New Orleans grand jury room.
Here is investigative correspondent Drew Griffin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just before Katrina struck New Orleans, Carrie Everett got a call from her wheelchair-bound husband Emmett. The 61-year-old, 380-pound man was recovering from an infection but upbeat because he had just been moved to the biggest hospital in the city, Memorial Medical Center.
(on camera): How did he sound?
CARRIE EVERETT, VICTIM'S WIFE: To me, his old self. He wasn't complaining of hurting or nothing.
He said, "I'm in Memorial, I'm on the seventh floor." He gave me the room number, the telephone number.
He said, "Everything is fine. I love you. Talk to you later."
GRIFFIN (voice over): But within hours after family members were forced to leave Memorial Hospital in a chaotic final evacuation, Emmett Everett and eight other patients would all be dead. And expert reports obtained by CNN through a public records request say all of them were deliberately killed.
DR. ART CAPLAN, MEDICAL EXPERT: The evidence in this case for going forward to a trial is absolutely overwhelming. GRIFFIN: Dr. Art Caplan, one of this country's leading experts on medical ethics, was one of five medical experts hired by the state to review toxicology and autopsy reports. Like the other experts, he believes all nine patients are homicide victims.
(on camera): How were they killed and why did all of them die together? For two years, CNN has been trying to get the answer to that lingering mystery. Now records have been released showing five renowned experts say there is no mystery. Their answer is right here in these scientific reports -- all the patients were homicide victims.
(voice over): And like the other experts, Caplan does not believe a grand jury ever saw his reports, and certainly never got to hear him or his colleagues talk about their conclusions.
CAPLAN: I was never called to the grand jury. As far as I know, the grand jury never saw my report.
GRIFFIN: And that's apparently fine with New Orleans district attorney Eddie Jordan, who says simply the case is closed and no one will be charged in these homicides.
CNN wanted to ask District Attorney Jordan why, but he refused our request to be interviewed. Instead, he sent this statement. "It's inappropriate to disclose what the grand jury did or did not consider," he says. "The Orleans Parish grand jury concluded that there was insufficient evidence to indict Dr. Pou on any violations of criminal law."
CNN first broke this story of suspicious deaths at Memorial two years ago, when this doctor said doctors and nurses openly discussed euthanizing patients because they would be difficult to evacuate. A year later, Attorney General Charles Foti announced he was charging Dr. Anna Pou and two nurses, Lori Budo and Cheri Landry, with second- degree murder in the deaths of four patients.
Foti said all four died from drug overdoses of the painkiller morphine and the sedative Versed.
CHARLES FOTI, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Either one of them can kill you, but when you use both of them together it becomes a lethal cocktail and guarantees they're going to die.
GRIFFIN: But by Louisiana law, the case had to be turned over to New Orleans district attorney Eddie Jordan, along with all the evidence that the five experts had that Attorney General Foti thought was irrefutable. A grand jury was convened and then -- and then nothing. The charges against the nurses were dropped after they were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony. The grand jury then last month decided not to indict Dr. Pou or anyone else.
The case, according to District Attorney Eddie Jordan, is closed. But should it be?
When we come back, find out what five leading forensic experts say about the evidence they reviewed. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We do continue now with our report on the deaths of nine patients inside a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina.
CHO: Once again, here is CNN's investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: New Orleans district attorney Eddie Jordan said a grand jury decided not to indict anyone in the deaths of the Memorial Hospital patients, but others think he is closing the books before justice has been served. Look at the near identical findings of five medical experts hired in the case.
Dr. Michael Baden, forensic pathologist, concludes, "The immediate cause of eight of the deaths was acute morphine and Versed poisoning and of one death was acute morphine poisoning; and that the manner of death for each is homicide.
Dr. James Young, former chief coroner of Canada's Province of Ontario, "The manner of death in all nine of these cases is homicide."
Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, "The cause of death, acute combined drug toxicity. The manner of death would be classified as homicide."
And Dr. Frank Brescia, a specialist in end of life care, concluded, "The manner of death obligates the legal process to consider them as homicides"
Remember, not one of the experts appeared before the grand jury investigating this case.
Dr. Brescia says Emmett Everett's case is the most troubling.
DR. FRANK BRESCIA, ONCOLOGIST: But he was -- seemed to be fine. In fact, he -- in the notes, he's stable, he's eating, he's comfortable, he's not febrile. And he's dead.
GRIFFIN: The Louisiana attorney general who made the initial arrests worries the homicides will remain unsolved.
Kris Wartelle is his spokeswoman.
KRIS WARTELLE, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE: Nine people died, according to one of the experts, in a three-hour period. One of the experts called that beyond coincidence. People -- the loved ones here want to know what happened to their family members.
GRIFFIN: Attorneys for the two nurses say the grand jury's actions speaks for itself and the medical experts opinions are irrelevant.
In a lengthy written statement to CNN, Dr. Pou's lawyer denied that the combination of morphine and Versed is a lethal cocktail. In addition, Rick Simmons said Pou's own experts said it was well known among scientists that blood levels of morphine are "greatly increased" in patients who have been dead for many days.
However, in an interview with "Newsweek," Dr. Pou said she did give the patients drugs, and, "If in doing so it hastened their deaths," she told "Newsweek," "then that's what happened. But this was not, 'I'm going to go to the seventh floor and murder some people.' We're here to help patients."
Pou's attorney is now in court, along with the hospital's former owner, Tenet Healthcare, and a number of other attorneys, trying to have all the records sealed so they never become public. If that happens, the victims' families may never know the truth.
CNN is in court now fighting to get call the records released.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: We will keep you posted on that story.
Meanwhile, stay with us. There's a lot ahead on this Sunday morning, including this -- Katrina's legacy. Next hour, CNN's Soledad O'Brien goes back to Saint Bernard Parish, what some call the forgotten parish, to see what is life like nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina.
HOLMES: Also, time for us to say good morning to Veronica De La Cruz with the .comDESK.
Hello there.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there. Good morning to you, T.J. and Alina.
You know the Powerball jackpot a whopping $314 million. What would do you with all that money? I'm not even going to ask you guys.
But we've got a look at that, plus the most popular stories on CNN.com when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back, guys.
CNN.com up and running around the clock. A great place to get the day's news any time.
Veronica De La Cruz of the .comDESK is here.
You are watching a lot this morning. Lots of different things.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, we are. Yes, there are a lot of great stories on CNN.com this morning. You know, I just had a chance to speak with John Singleton, the director, last week about his upcoming film. And, you know, unfortunately, he's in the news today. It's one of the top stories on CNN.com.
Singleton struck and killed a 57-year-old pedestrian when she stepped in front of his vehicle. John Singleton the director was allowed to leave the scene after talking to police, but because the woman died, the matter was turned over to the district attorney for review.
One of the top stories on CNN.com this hour.
Another popular story this morning, I guess she just got out of rehab, but still there's drama in her life. We are talking about sultry singer Amy Winehouse.
She is in the news this morning because of tabloid photos showing her bloody and bruised. Her husband also appeared with scratches on his face and neck. But Winehouse denies they had a fight. She says her injuries were self-inflicted.
Also popular this morning, if the premise for the FOX reality show "Anchorwoman" sounds like a train wreck, hey, it was, but not the way producers had hoped. Ratings were so poor that that show was cancelled after only one episode.
Yes, "Anchorwoman" bites the dust there. Just one show.
CHO: She can't read a teleprompter, but she can paint her toenails while she's driving.
DE LA CRUZ: There you go. There you go.
HOLMES: That's talent.
DE LA CRUZ: And you know, also, you guys, this morning, dare to dream. We know someone out there is about, what, $314 million richer today after winning last night's Powerball lottery.
So, we would like to know, what would you do with all that money? You can e-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.
And, you know, I'm scared to even ask you guys. Do I even dare? Do I ask you guys?
CHO: T.J. already spent it in his own mind.
HOLMES: No.
DE LA CRUZ: And on what?
HOLMES: I would give back to everyone who has helped me in my life.
CHO: Yes, you would. DE LA CRUZ: You know what? He would.
CHO: You're right, he would.
DE LA CRUZ: And I know you would. And we're going to talk about that coming up this morning.
HOLMES: Oh, yes. We'll talk about that.
DE LA CRUZ: Because you are giving back in so many ways.
HOLMES: Thank you.
CHO: But it does buy 1,400 Ferraris, so...
DE LA CRUZ: And Alina, you?
CHO: I haven't really thought about it, but the 1,400 Ferraris doesn't sound bad.
DE LA CRUZ: Oh, you know you have.
All right. Well, weekends@CNN.com. Send us your thoughts. What would you do with all that money?
HOLMES: That's going to be good.
CHO: Oh yes.
HOLMES: All right, Veronica. Thank you.
CHO: Thanks, Veronica.
HOLMES: Well, folks, so you think moving a big couch is tough or a big potted plant, even, maybe?
CHO: Well, how about this -- saving a tree in Texas. Why it became such a big deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Yes, it's been a busy week for me.
CHO: Yes, it has.
HOLMES: As you know.
CHO: You just got back.
HOLMES: Just got back. Right before I went on the air yesterday I got back.
CHO: Right.
HOLMES: But that was a trip to Costa Rica that I took in San Vicente, doing a volunteer trip. Had a blast. We're going to be talking about that a little more in the next half hour. But that's just one shot of...
CHO: More than just having a blast. You helped a lot of people, which is such a great thing.
HOLMES: Yes.
CHO: In honor of your 30th birthday.
HOLMES: In honor of my 30th. My 30th birthday celebration. Didn't want to just party.
CHO: That's right.
HOLMES: Wanted to do something positive. That's -- we're going to talk about it in a little bit.
CHO: We look forward to seeing those pictures.
HOLMES: Yes.
CHO: Meanwhile, residents of Austin, Texas, saw a unique parade through the streets.
HOLMES: Yes. It was a VIT tour -- VIT, as in very important tree.
We get more now on this story from Quita Culpepper of our affiliate KVUE.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUITA CULPEPPER, REPORTER, KVUE (voice over): For years, this live oak has called this plot of land home, but now that a new W hotel is going in, the 40-foot tree has to come out. Developers say due to its size, building around the live oak isn't an option, so a company that specializes in moving large trees was called in to help.
ERIC WEBBER, STRATUS PROPERTIES SPOKESMAN: They dug it up, they put it on this special trailer, and they're going to slowly roll it through downtown.
CULPEPPER: An enormous project like this is guaranteed to attract quite a crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw it moving when we rode up on our bikes.
CULPEPPER: Like Bernard and Nancy Nunn (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a shame they haven't left it on the site where the building is, but apparently for some reason they can't. So I'm glad they have done something to save it.
CULPEPPER: With experts mapping out every inch, police blocking traffic, and utility workers taking down traffic control arms, it took hours to cart the 215,000-pound tree four blocks to its new home along the hike and bike trail. Those who watched the move say they appreciate the effort that went in to saving this long-time Austin resident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is indicative of an increasing sensitivity on the part of developers about the environment, for sure, because 20 years ago this wouldn't have happened. Twenty years ago they would have probably just cut it down.
WEBBER: So, instead of bulldozing it, it's going to be in a place where a lot of people from Austin can enjoy it.
CULPEPPER: Quita Culpepper, KVUE News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Welcome back, everyone.
Form the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
It is Sunday, August 26th, 8:00 a.m. at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in the heartland, where rain and flooding remain a big problem.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Alina Cho.
Betty is on assignment.
We're so glad you're with us.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Good morning to you all.
"On Our Radar" this morning, rebuilding the Gulf Coast. This hour, Senator Barack Obama is going to be speaking at a New Orleans church. He and plenty of other presidential candidates are visiting New Orleans in this week of the Hurricane Katrina anniversary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two years after hurricane Katrina put his parish under water, only about 1/3 of the 65,000 residents have come home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: And our Soledad O'Brien talks with larger-than-life Sheriff Jack Stevens about rebuilding St. Bernard Parish.
HOLMES: But first, we're going to be talking about those raging wildfires in Greece, 49 people dead so far, and that number could rise. Right now the fires have stalled in southwestern Greece, about 200 miles from Athens. This is what it looks like. Let's show you these pictures. This is what it looks like there from space. Massive fires, now moving closer to the historical ancient city of Olympia. Anthee Carassava joins us now on the phone with the latest, reporting for us this weekend. Anthee, we appreciate your time once again. Give us the update, at least, of how much progress the firefighters have been able to make against some of these huge fires.
ANTHEE CARASSAVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, officials here are more upbeat today. No new fronts have been sparked. Even so, firefighters continue to battle more than 70 fires across the country, mainly in the southern Peloponnese and north of Athens. A major fire on the eastern outskirts of the greater Athens area has been brought under control and authorities are scrambling now to bring most of these other forest fires under control, especially as EU firefighting assistance trickles in today.
We've had assistance come in from France, Cyprus, Italy, and Greece is expecting more assistance to come in from more than 12 countries, including Serbia, Israel, Spain and Germany. Now, the death toll remains high at 49. Officials, however, fear it may climb even further as firefighters have not been able to enter the flame-hit regions and assess the total extent of destruction.
Back to you.
HOLMES: Anthee give us an update on the investigation itself. We understand that a couple people have been arrested.
CARASSAVA: Yes, two people have been arrested, and the most serious case, of course, involves a 65-year-old who, according to eyewitness accounts, was literally torching areas in the southern area of the Peloponnese. He is facing murder charges and arson related charges and other charges. A 75-year-old woman is also facing similar charges, but because of negligence.
HOLMES: And also, the ancient sites of Olympia, word is that that site now being threatened by these fires. How serious is that threat? Anthee, it sounds like we might have lost Anthee Carassava. Are you still with me, Anthee? Well, apparently we have lost our reporter there, reporting for us this weekend on the scene there, those fires in Greece. The update, 49 people have been killed and possibly that death toll could rise because firefighters have not reached certain areas where the fire has been devastating. So it's actually anticipated possibly to find more deaths related to these huge fires.
CHO: Really a desperate situation. Residents have been using garden hoses in some cases to try to fight those fires, and arson suspected as the cause in some of those fires. So really a terrible situation there. And of course, we were watching that very closely.
HOLMES: All right. We're going to take a closer look at these fires and where they're burning. Actually, Bonnie Schneider, our meteorologist, keeping an eye on these fires as well. Good morning to you, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning, T.J. and Alina. Taking a look at Greece on Google Earth. We're going to zoom into the country to show you the fires have been burning in the north and especially the south in the Peloponnese Peninsula which is down here in this region you can see it is about 85 miles from Athens to the southwest.
Zooming into this area, there is an area to the south, known as Zahara, where we've had some of the worst of the fires occurring so far. In fact, at least seven people were killed in the fires. To the north of that site is a very famous archaeological site known as Olympia. Now, I'm sure you've heard of Olympia, because it's the site of the first Olympics, and that was back in 776 BC, and there are some famous archaeological excavations that have happened in this area, like the temple of Zeus, the temple of Hara. And as we click on some of the pictures, courtesy of Google Earth, we can show you some of the archaeological sites.
They started excavating this area back in 1776 and it's still going on. Incidentally when Athens held the Olympic Games in 2004, this area, the recreated and restructured area of Olympia was the site of the woman's shot put competition. So it's still an area being used today, even though it dates become to thousands of years ago. And you can see, it's a popular tourist destination as well. And since the fire is burning to the south of this region, to the southwest, that's why this area is threatened by the fires. And even though the fires have been at least 85 miles, some of the larger ones, from Athens, we have seen some of the smoke visible by some of the tourists in Athens, they have been reporting to us through I-reports.
That's something we're monitoring closely. So this area now, Olympia, unfortunately threatened by the large wildfires, that are being aided by strong, gusty winds of 40 miles per hour. And you have to realize, the past few days in this entire region of southern Greece they have had temperatures 100 degrees plus. That's 40 Celsius, very hot and dry there. Unfortunately, very detrimental for fires burning.
T.j.
HOLMES: Doesn't sound good there. Bonnie Schneider thanks for keeping an eye on a lot of things for us this morning, including the weather conditions there in Greece.
Also in a few minutes, we're going to be looking at the photos you have sent us in the I-report.
CHO: More heartbreak for the families of six trapped miners in Utah. A lawyer for some of the families says a sixth hole drilled in the mine revealed a chamber filled with rubble. Officials have not ruled out drilling a seventh hole, but the mine operator said earlier than this, this would be the last. We expect a news conference from officials later today. There has been no sign of the miners since the August 6th collapse.
HOLMES: And rehearsing for a disaster, if some of you saw a lot of emergency vehicles around New York's Penn Station overnight, it was just a drill. Emergency managers were conducting a field exercise to gauge how prepared they are for the real thing. The drill was designed to improve the city's capabilities for responding to a terrorist incident within a train station.
CHO: Politics now. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be in New Orleans later today. In the next hour he'll be talking about his plans to rebuild the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. Obama campaigned in Miami yesterday at a speech in Little Havana. The Democratic candidate criticized President Bush's Cuba policy.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): What's up, Miami!
HOLMES: Well, jackpot! In Indiana, there is a single winning ticket for the $314 million Powerball lottery. Ticket was bought at a gas station in Richmond, Indiana, just across the border from Ohio. Ohio does not have the Powerball lottery.
Now, we heard from one lottery official a short time ago who said it may be a few days, of course, before the winner comes forth to claim that quick cash. Of course, people recommend they get their financial ducks in a row before you come forward and someone just hands you a check. You have to know what you're doing.
CHO: Suddenly people come out of the woodwork and want to are of be your best friend.
Finally some relief for the Midwest, the weather is getting better, but folks are still cleaning up from flooding and severe storms. A curfew remains in effect in Fenton, Michigan, that city is badly damaged by a tornado Friday. Heavy winds also causing damage around Columbus, Ohio, but no tornadoes reported there.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Midwest are still without power this morning. And some areas are still under flood warnings. CNN's Jim Acosta joins us live now from Des Plaines, Illinois with more. Jim good morning.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alina. And things are moving in the right direction in Des Plaines, Illinois. That's where we are right now. It's about 20 minutes west of Chicago, and this is the Des Plaines River behind me. And typically, residents say, you could walk across this river because it's usually only about 3 feet deep. It crested at about 8.6 feet on Friday night, late Friday night. And what that did to this community, it sent water spilling over its banks into this community, into these homes and their properties all along this road where we're standing right now.
And completely flooded this man's backyard. You can see behind me now this playground set that is almost totally submerged. Truth in advertising here, this neighbor here gets flooding quite a bit. But what I can tell you is that during all of this, when it was at its peak, this flood water went into the neighborhood, into the road in front of these homes. We're in the backyards of these homes. All of that water has started to recede, and that is welcome news. Just last night we were being warned when we were driving in here this morning, we were told you were going to have to drive through water, so be careful when we drove in this morning, the street was dry and the only thing that was left to remind people of the flood that was in here was the no wake sign posted on the road for people driving through here. So that is very good news.
So what happened? Well, they were expecting this flood to reach record levels back in 1986 this river reached 10.9 feet. And they were expecting that to happen again. It did not happen. And that is because the rain that was forecast for this area over the weekend did not materialize. That is very good news.
Now, on the Fox River, west of Chicago, farther west than we are, people over there are also dealing with flooded conditions, but those waters are also receding. So people in the Chicago area are drying out and they're cleaning up. And hopefully, over the next couple of days, getting back to normal.
CHO: You are in that one bright spot amid so much devastation in the upper Midwest. CNN's Jim Acosta. Jim, thank you very much.
HOLMES: Stay with us folks. Coming up, we're going to be talking about life after Katrina.
CHO: That's right. Signs of abandonment two years after the storm. CNN's Soledad O'Brien is in the region. She's talking to people who are trying to live there.
Plus, Veronica De la Cruz at the ".com desk." Hey, Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, DOT COM DESK: You know when there is breaking news; our I-reporters are on the scene. We'll have the fires in Greece, plus the floods in the U.S., all through your eyes. It's coming up next from the ".com desk."
T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Veronica.
Also, back-to-school and back to the backpack. New concerns about chronic pain. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to experts. That's coming up on "House Call."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Giving you a live picture of a church here in New Orleans. It's empty there at that spot. You only see the microphone and the choir in the back. This is the First Emanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans, but right there in a short time will be Senator Barack Obama, who is going to announce his plans for recovery in New Orleans, Gulf Coast recovery, if he becomes president. This is going to be the focus of a lot of the presidential candidates this week, of course, on the two-year anniversary this week of hurricane Katrina disaster, really.
But he is going to announce his plans there. We are expecting to see him at some time in the next, within the hour, really. He's also going to be taking a walking tour of the community. But the big plan for him today is to announce his plans and what he would do as president to help that area recover. This has been a focus for Democrats to, of course, talk about so much that went wrong there and attack the Bush administration, which of course has been criticized by a lot of sides, not just Democrats, for how it handled the recovery there in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina. So that will be the focus of Senator Obama and many of the presidential candidates, including some Republicans this week as well.
Here, we're taking a picture of the president, video of the president. He is continuing what at times is a working vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. He's due to visit New Orleans, as well, later this week. The 29th, of course, marks the second anniversary of when hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.
CHO: Well, when there's breaking news, of course, our I- reporters are often there on the scene. Veronica De La Cruz joins us now with a look at that. What do you have?
DE LA CRUZ: They've been so instrumental in so much of our coverage and I wanted to show you these great pictures we just received, just got these in, of the fires in Greece. You know, there are always some pretty amazing sunsets after wildfires. Take a look at these pictures.
Nick Topolitti sent us these images and said the sky and the sun turned red above Athens yesterday as these wildfires continue to burn for the second day all over the southern part of the country. Nick is 21 years old. He used a digital camera to take these photos from just outside of his house. He said that the fire is not in Athens, but that the smoke had reached Athens, and as you can see, it turned the sky reddish-orange. He also said it's been hard to see anything and that the trees and a lot of other things are all covered with ash.
So that's Greece.
Let's get back to the states now. These pictures from Jonathan Pomeroy, who took these near Lowell, Indiana. He said the roads were flooded everywhere from the heavy rain. And as you can see, one motorist ignored the road closed sign; try to drive through all the high water. Unfortunately, it did stall his car.
CHO: Not a good idea.
DE LA CRUZ: Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Jonathan, of course, for sending your pictures.
You can be an I-reporter by logging onto CNN.com/ireport. Don't forget, the question of the day today, dare to dream. What would you do if you won the Powerball jackpot, $314 million? I know we've all been sitting up here with a pen, piece of paper, writing out the list. I would want a -- anyways, it's your turn to do that. Send your e- mails to Weekends@CNN.com.
CHO: That last I-reporter had plenty of time to take photos and be an I-reporter because he was stuck.
DE LA CRUZ: Yeah, exactly. Be careful if you're out there. Safety first.
CHO: Veronica, thank you.
HOLMES: Thank you so much, Veronica.
Well Katrina, nobody wants to hear that name, and that's certainly one for the history books now.
CHO: Two years after the storm, our Soledad O'Brien returns to the Gulf Coast, she is looking for signs of recovery.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a preview of what's ahead on "House Call."
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, guys. We've told you so much about childhood obesity and how schools are trying to combat the problem. Well, now we're going to do a check-up, from school lunches to phys. Ed classes, are things getting healthier?
Then, unexplainable pain. It's hard to diagnose, sometimes even harder to treat. We've got some solutions coming up this morning. All that in your medical headlines coming up on "House Call" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Need some motivation to exercise? How about a partner on a bicycle built for two? Christina and Mitch Trahan are among 80 bikers in a tandem bicycle rally that will take them on a 60-mile course in about four hours.
CHRISTINE TRAHAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT: I will burn close to 1,500 calories. He will burn about 3,000 calories.
COSTELLO: Trahan, a physician assistant, says she and her husband get a great workout, but tandem biking hasn't all been this strenuous. Invented in the 1800s, the bicycle built for two was created for the man to steer from the back so that the woman would have a better view. These days, the larger rider or captain sits up front and is responsible for steering and controlling the bike. The stoker is the person in the back. No matter where you sit, modern tandem riding is good for your heart.
C. TRAHAN: The thing that really prevents vascular damage is exercise. Keeps the blood vessels clear, keeps them healthy.
COSTELLO: The Trahan's enjoy the health benefits, but also know it's a great way to spend time together.
C. TRAHAN: When we get off the bike, I probably love Mitch more than I loved him when I got on it.
COSTELLO: A romantic and healthy reason to keep on pedaling.
Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back on this Sunday morning. We're coming up on the second anniversary of hurricane Katrina on Wednesday. In some areas of Louisiana, there has been more resentment than recovery, and among those disappointed, the sheriff of St. Bernard Parish, often called the forgotten parish. Special correspondent Soledad O'Brien spent some time with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF JACK STEPHENS, ST. BERNARD PARISH: But right now, we don't have that, you know.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens is frustrated.
STEPHENS: We're here on a slab now of what used to be the General Hospital, a 300-plus bed facility.
O'BRIEN: How far are we from the nearest hospital?
STEPHENS: We're probably doing the best drive time, 30 to 45 minutes away. If you're suffering from a serious injury or stroke or heart attack, chances of you reaching an emergency room in time to be saved are not very good.
O'BRIEN: You're going to die?
STEPHENS: Yeah, you're going to die.
O'BRIEN: Two years after hurricane Katrina put his parish under water, only about 1/3 of the 65,000 residents have come home. Weeds grow, cement slabs sit empty, while people wait for medical services, for a fully working sewer system, for more schools, more fire stations. The sheriff says there is lots of blame to go around, but mostly, he's angry at FEMA.
STEPHENS: Part of the problem is that we're probably on our 10th or 12th set of FEMA representatives.
O'BRIEN: Each new group of representatives has a different set of rules, he says. So, the money is slow to nil. And sometimes, the sheriff says, they ask for what he thinks are ridiculous things, like written proof that his deputies worked overtime immediately after hurricane Katrina struck.
STEPHENS: We were sleeping on cement slabs. We didn't have cars, we didn't have boats. They want us to produce sheets for the deputies to justify the overtime, we didn't even have toilet paper, much less paper to fill out trip sheets.
O'BRIEN: FEMA director David Paulison.
DAVID PAULISON, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: We ask for documentation to prove they worked overtime? The answer's yes.
O'BRIEN: Looming above the destruction are vote for Sheriff Jack Stephens's signs. This is the jail?
STEPHENS: Yeah. O'BRIEN: A year ago, Sheriff Stephens told us he wasn't running. Why would you run again, after all that you've described?
STEPHENS: Every day I try to convince the ranking officers and the manpower that we had here to give this place a chance, to stay here to try it out. And I started to feel guilty about me persuaded them to stay when I wasn't going to stay.
O'BRIEN: It looks beautiful. Jackie Groshe is a resident who decided to come back. I remember the first time we came; we kind of walked through your house, through the wall. We found her home two years ago while walking the neighborhood with the sheriff. There are other questions about how much of their house is worth saving. You look at something like this and you have to think, well, maybe not very much. But now --
JACKIE GROSHE: This is the master bedroom.
O'BRIEN: Wow! It looks great. It looks great. It looks great, but it's just a few steps away from a levee that hasn't seen many repairs. The levee is just one more thing keeping residents away. How long before St. Bernard Parish is back, do you think? 10 years, 20 years?
STEPHENS: It won't be back in my lifetime.
O'BRIEN: Soledad O'Brien, CNN, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Soledad is reporting from New Orleans in a lead-up to the anniversary of hurricane Katrina on Wednesday. She airs her special "Children of the Storm." Soledad and Spike Lee gave 11 area students cameras and asked them to film their lives. "Children of the Storm," this Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.
CHO: I interviewed Jack Stephens when I was down there after the storm and he is such a larger than life character and has such a great attitude. So when you see all that devastation, it's good that he has a good attitude about it, because it will be a long road.
HOLMES: You have to.
CHO: Guess what? It's been a week since your big 30th birthday, right?
HOLMES: Do I look older and wiser?
CHO: You look older.
HOLMES: I learned much in a week, actually.
CHO: Yes, you did. As a matter of fact, T.J.'s done a lot in the past week. His landmark birthday did something very special for others. We'll show you his birthday pictures and his stories after the break. Stay with us. SCHNEIDER: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. Well, it's not raining in Illinois or Indiana, but we still have flood warnings. Runoff from streams will cause some problems today. I'll have a complete report coming up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, if you're a regular viewer here, you know that T.J. Holmes has been a very busy man, recently celebrated his 30th birthday.
HOLMES: Yes.
CHO: With a humanitarian trip to Costa Rica. So interesting. Veronica?
DE LA CRUZ: Absolutely. It wasn't just any trip. You wanted to start your 30th on a positive note.
HOLMES: I did. I know you all were trying to get me to party and all those wild things for 30th.
CHO: You, T.J.? No.
DE LA CRUZ: You do enough of that here.
HOLMES: That's not me. Yes, I wanted to start off with a new foot here. 30th birthday that was part of what I was doing. That was a two-room school in this community of 290 people, tucked in the hillside. And those are the kids we were working with. A two-room school. This is a community of 290 folks, who by American standards and things we live by have absolutely nothing in this town, but they have everything they could possibly want. Now, that, a local station got word that it happened to be an American journalist there and they wanted a story so imagine, I went all the way there --
CHO: Couldn't escape the news.
HOLMES: But they got exposure, so that's a positive thing for their community. They're trying to build up their community, meet certain environmental standards and standards for the community to where they become almost a blue-ribbon community, to where they can get certain funds coming in to them; they can get that exposure and possibly build up some tourism so they can bring more things to this town. And yes, we painted a huge mural on the outside of this school, and I have no artistic ability whatsoever.
CHO: Looks like you do.
HOLMES: No, it was a coloring book type thing for me. They just told me...
CHO: Paint by numbers.
HOLMES: Fill in here, drill in there, but... CHO: One thing I thought that you said that was so interesting was that you mentioned these people really had nothing by Western standards, and yet you said these were some of the happiest people that you'd ever met your whole life.
HOLMES: No question. These were the happiest people I had ever met in my life. They have everything they could absolutely want or need, but it was - it was a cultural exchange, if you will. They got exposure to us, we got exposure to them, and I've just never seen anything like it.
Look at it.
CHO: Just one road?
HOLMES: That's the town. That's it. Pretty much two roads, 70 buildings in the whole community, 290 people. These were right there, I mean...
CHO: Are you a changed man? Did you come back a changed man?
HOLMES: I absolutely did. It gives you a different perspective. You get exposure to different things and different people and different cultures and a different understanding, which I think we all need. We just need to understand each other a little better and to help out like that. So it was great, and a great way to celebrate my 30th, but now we need to turn it over to a guy who's a little older than I am, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, for "HOUSE CALL."
CHO: We're back in 30 minutes.
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