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CNN Sunday Morning
Average Gas Price Tops $4; Search-and-Rescue Mission in the Gulf of Mexico; State of Emergency in Indiana
Aired June 08, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: All right. We've got some breaking news that actually could break your bank. Listen up. AAA has just announced that for the first time ever, the average price of gasoline in the United States is over $4 a gallon.
DAN SIMON, CO-HOST: And search and rescue, five of six missing sailors plucked from the Gulf of Mexico. Just a short time ago, the coast guard is searching for the sixth crew member right now.
NGUYEN: And disaster in Indiana. A state of emergency is declared for nearly half the state.
We have so much to tell you about today.
But first up, good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, it is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Guess who's here? Dan Simon.
Good to see you.
SIMON: Good to see you. Thanks for having me back.
NGUYEN: It's been a pleasure.
We've got a lot to tell you about, a lot of news happening this morning. So, let's get straight to it.
First up, the price of gas reaches a milestone. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4. That is a first. It's also more than 1.50 cents from the previous average.
SIMON: The news came to us moments ago from AAA, but don't expect it to stop at $4 because the cost of oil went up nearly $16 just last week. And gas is almost certain to head higher in the days ahead.
High drama on the seas. We are following a developing story off the coast of Matagorda, Texas. Earlier this morning, a coast guard helicopter rescued five people from a sailboat that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico.
NGUYEN: All are in stable condition and at this hour the coast guard is still searching for a sixth person missing from that Texas A&M vessel.
SIMON: The crew included four college students and two safety officers. All were experienced sailors. They were taking part in a regatta race when they missed a radio check yesterday morning.
NGUYEN: Parts of Indiana are under water and under a state of emergency this morning. And now, authorities say at least one person has died after being swept away while driving through flood waters. Nearly a foot of rain fell in some areas, and crews used boats and helicopters to rescue people stranded by the rising water -- just look at all of that.
Indiana's governor says the state responded quickly to this latest weather emergency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WRTV)
GOV. MITCH DANIELS, INDIANA: Well, Mother Nature has landed another one on our chin. But we will get on top of this. We have -- we have a full compliment of state resources at the disposal of all the communities that have been affected so far. I'm advised that every local request for assistance has been met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, Johnson and Morgan counties are among the hardest hit. And a local official says dams in the Prince's Lake area are failing. Now, the governor declared emergencies in 41 counties that have been affected by the storm over the past week.
SIMON: The heavy rain and flooding sent water gushing into a hospital in Franklin, Indiana. Floodwaters reached the first floor at Johnson Memorial Hospital. You see the pictures right there. At Columbus Hospital, south of Indianapolis, more than 100 people had to be evacuated because of flooding there. Ambulances and school buses transported them, fortunately, to other hospitals.
NGUYEN: All right. We want to give you some live pictures coming to us now from Martinsville, Indiana. This, thanks to our affiliate WTHR. As you can see right there, I mean, just look down there, there's nothing but what appears to be a lake. But these, indeed, are neighborhoods, obviously, flooded by this.
Again, the governor has declared 41 counties disaster areas.
I want to tell you this, a hospital, with 100 people inside, have to be evacuated because of the rising water. And then, more than 1,000 shelters have been set up across this state because of the flooding.
We'll stay on top of all this and bring you the latest as soon as we get additional information.
In the meantime though, the Chicago area -- talk about storms -- is cleaning up from powerful tornadoes. Part of an interstate actually had to be shut down yesterday while crews worked to clear overturned tractor trailers. The storm ripped roofs off of homes and buildings, frightened residents, no doubt, who watched in disbelief as they tried to take cover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CLTV/CHICAGO HEIGHT, ILLINOIS/SATURDAY)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had my land on the screen door, and you could feel the door start to vibrate and shake. It was just like something was coming, something was coming. And it was, you could feel (ph) it was just moan. It moaned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Clouds were close, close together. Sirens were going off.
UNDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could see beds from the building inside. You could see the beds. You could see the wall came down. The bricks are on the ground, a lot of trees down, rooftops on the ground. So, it was just terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the storm that hit the Chicago area also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin.
SIMON: While the Midwest is getting soaked, the east coast -- it is getting baked. Some places could hit triple digits today.
NGUYEN: And we're not even into summer time just yet, although it's going to feel like it, no doubt. Washington, D.C. is right in the thick of all the heat.
I see you got the gauge out, Reynolds. I'm almost afraid to ask at 7:00 o'clock in the morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, right now, guys, believe it or not, we already have 80 degrees as you can see by the trusty thermostat right here. But with the high humidity, it already feels like it's approaching 90 and that's just the thing of a -- that's kind of a trend of what we're going to see over the next couple of days -- where this heat is going to remain in place for over eight states including the District of Columbia. So, we've just got some oppressive conditions.
You know, you guys mentioned the rough conditions we have in parts of the Midwest in terms of flooding. The reason why the rain has been staying there is the reason why we've been getting the heat here. This big area of high pressure is really, has just been a blocking mechanism. You'll see how it's providing a compressing effect on the atmosphere and that's going to help things begin to heat up.
You see this graphic where temperatures were expected to range anywhere from 95 to 103. And with the heat index, it could get up as high as, say, 110. That's going to be the situation for many of these spots until 11:00 p.m. on Monday.
And as we get into Tuesday and then we get in to Wednesday, we're going to see this big ridge begin to break down a bit. That's going to allow for a few scattered showers, and temperatures by the end of the week here in the nation's capital back into the mid 80s for high temperatures. So, certainly, better things are on the way. As it stands though, we have got a very warm time. Yesterday, it's certainly was the case - 98 degrees at Washington National; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina broke a record at 98; Georgetown, you see 97; mid to low 90s for Williamsport, Pennsylvania and Binghamton, New York.
Today is record high. The high in the state set back in 1999 was 98 degrees. The forecast today also calls for 98 degrees but then when you pile in the humidity, you're looking for even more, more misery for a lot of folks.
Very quickly, right behind me, take a look of what we've got. Of course, we've got the Capitol building and I'm going to step out of the way for a bit. You can see that we've already had some crews out here. They're doing the smart thing. They're getting out here early before the peak heating hours which will take place between noon and by 6:00 o'clock, we're going to see the temperatures just begin to skyrocket before cooling down into the evening hours.
These gentlemen have been drinking plenty of water, wearing light clothing. And those are just a few tips that we can give you in terms of how to battle this heat.
And coming up, we're also going to tell you how Washington, D.C., the city itself, plans to battle this intense heat wave. It's the first one of the season. One of many I'm sure we'll deal with during the summer months. We're going to talk more about it coming up. Back to you...
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, you're going to get your fair share, no doubt. Although, I hate to point it out but I'm going to because you mentioned it. You know, light clothing, you've got kind of a dark- colored shirt on. Is that going to attract some heat there?
WOLF: Betty, it was either this or a purple polka dot shirt.
NGUYEN: OK. Just checking, you know...
WOLF: No, it's like fiber. I mean, this is the kind of stuff you want to wear. This thing is very loose-fitting. Certainly, best. Certainly, you don't wear things that are super dark. This is kind of easy. I'm not going to be out here wearing a sweater.
NGUYEN: Definitely, not a good idea today. All right, Reynolds. Thank you.
All right. So, going on a high note, let's talk about this for a second because Hillary Clinton just captivated the crowd with her concession speech yesterday.
SIMON: She suspended her campaign, of course, and threw her enthusiastic support behind Barack Obama. We're going to get more from CNN's Candy Crowley, part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, this isn't exactly the party I planned, but I sure like the company.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They crowded the floor and balconies of Washington's historic building museum to watch a history-making bid come to an end, giving way to another.
CLINTON: So, today I am standing with Senator Obama to say -- yes we can.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
CROWLEY: Channeling Obama's signature phrase, Hillary Clinton mentioned his name 14 times in the 30-minute speech -- a full-on endorsement.
CLINTON: Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president.
CROWLEY: An Obama strategist called the speech generous without ambiguity. "I appreciate," he added, "how hard this is for her."
Online, Obama asked his supporters to thank her. On her Website, she put a link to his. Unity in cyberspace as she pushed for it in the grassroots.
CLINTON: The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: Mostly they cheered his name, though there were scattered boos. It is too early for some. And in the end, winning her voters is up to him. She can only start the process.
At times, there was a hint of a screen test for the number two spot on Obama's ticket as she underscored power player status, the nearly 18 million people who voted for her -- blue-collar voters, Latinos, women. Sources close to her say it was important to Clinton to put history in perspective, important she write the last graph in this chapter.
CLINTON: Although weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
CROWLEY: To try so hard so long and lose by so little surely hurts. Along the rope line, they said Bill Clinton had tears in his eyes. She did not, leaving the race as she came in -- tough, determined.
CLINTON: You'll always find me on the front lines of democracy.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
CROWLEY: Moving forward if not where she thought she was headed.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Barack Obama was not at the event but did offer this statement afterwards saying, quote, "I'm a better candidate for having had the privilege of competing with her in this campaign. No one knows better than Senator Clinton how desperately America and the American people need change, and I know she will continue to be in the forefront of that battle this fall and for years to come."
SIMON: Betty, we are also following some developing news out of Afghanistan this morning. First Lady Laura Bush, she made a surprise stop in the country. She's highlighting the progress it's made towards democracy since the fall of the Taliban.
NGUYEN: And during the visit, she is meeting with American troops, visiting Afghan women training to be police officers, and she's also expected to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Now, later this week, though, the first lady will attend a donor's conference in Paris where the U.S. hopes billions of dollars in international aid will be pledged for Afghanistan.
SIMON: It is the worst flooding in a century. This was a backyard swimming pool. Now, it's just a muddy mess.
NGUYEN: Wow. Our coverage of the crisis in Indiana continues this hour with live updates from the scene.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN: The news channel watched by more Americans. Now: Back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
BETTY: Well, time to now to check some of other stories that are making headlines today.
SIMON: Space shuttle Discovery astronauts, they are putting the finishing touches on the new lab at the International Space Station this morning. In just a couple of hours, the astronauts are going to go on their final spacewalk and do a little more maintenance -- well, a little more maintenance work on the space station.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY ABC/ELMONT, NEW YORK)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: He's trying to do it here, here's the shocking wire to wire win in the Belmont stakes at 38 to one, it is Da'Tara. He wins by four lengths (INAUDIBLE) once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Da'Tara, that's right. You heard it right there. No Triple Crown for Big Brown. Long-shot Da'Tara actually won at the Belmont Stakes yesterday and Big Brown, can you believe it -- came in last, a nightmare finish for the horse. The trainer guaranteed him to win. Big Brown is the 11th horse in 30 years to win at the Kentucky derby, the Preakness and then lose it all at the Belmont Stakes.
SIMON: Clearing 21 hummers at the Texas Motor Speedway. Robbie, the son of the late Evil Knievel, he was supposed to jump 25 hummers, but strong winds forced him to remove four gas guzzlers. You know, 25, 21, still an impressive feat. Knievel says this actually may be his last jump in Texas. Maybe that not his last jump, this is last jump in Texas.
NGUYEN: But why is it going to be the last one in Texas? What's that all about?
SIMON: Where is he headed next?
NGUYEN: All right.
Well, people in central Indiana -- man, hoping the floodwaters will just start to reside. Look at this. But much of the areas are still under water this morning.
SIMON: Let's get the latest now on the flooding from reporter Leslie Olsen of affiliate WISH-TV.
And, Leslie, I think you're in a shelter there. Give us a sense in terms of how folks are coping.
LESLIE OLSEN, WISH-TV CORRESPONDENT: This has been a devastating experience here for these people. At this shelter, which is the community church of Greenwood, the Red Cross has set up a shelter for 17 victims of horrendous floods overnight. The people are just awakening.
As you can see, most of them are elderly people telling horrible stories of flash floods just rushing into their homes, sweeping away their trailers overnight -- yesterday afternoon, leaving them with virtually nowhere to go. No time to get anything out, needing medication, needing walkers and wheelchairs.
Mr. Legan (ph) here, Oscar Legan (ph) was in his basement apartment when you said six feet of sewer water, floodwater came up. You spent the night here at this emergency shelter. What happens now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no idea.
OLSEN: You don't have anywhere to go. You have no idea what are you going to face when you get back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. That's absolutely right.
OLSEN: What was it like when the water came in? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I was down the street, actually, relocating my car when the major of it came in. And it just kept rising then until it was nearly six foot deep in my rooms.
OLSEN: It has been amazing tales of stories like that here south of Indianapolis. But the Red Cross has set up many shelters such as this one and they've been so grateful for the amount of food, restaurants have come forward, lots of clothing coming in, things for children. And today, now, they spend the day trying to help these people pick up their lives, get their medicine, get the things that they need, the medical attention that they need.
They have no idea what they're going to face when they get home. But most of them know that it's not going to be good. Several of them are here from a trailer park where their trailers were simply just swept away.
Reporting from the Indianapolis area, I'm Leslie Olsen, back to you.
SIMON: All right. Leslie, thanks very much.
And the pictures, Betty, are certainly dramatic. We know that 100 people were evacuated from a hospital, 1,000 people spent...
NGUYEN: The night in shelters. In fact, one shelter had to be evacuated because of the rising water as well. So, they've got a lot of problems on their hands today and a lot of that water are just still sticking around.
We do have something else to tell you about. Two former enemies, they're actually talking again and it could directly affect U.S. troops in Iraq.
SIMON: Still ahead, a live report from Tehran on the Iraqi prime minister's visit there and what the two sides are talking about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: You know, in this unstable economy, you really never know when you're going to need some extra cash and in a hurry.
SIMON: Well, Ali Velshi, he has some tips on where to keep your emergency funds. It's advice that's Right on Your Money.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protect yourself. When it comes to this economy, having easy access to cash gives you a safety net for the unexpected, like losing your job. So, you should have enough on hand to cover your lifestyle for several months.
WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, MONEY MAGAZINE: For my emergency reserve, these three to six months that I need. Your primary concern here is safety. You're not trying to get the absolute highest deal.
VELSHI: The key is putting your money in an investment you can withdraw from any time without penalty.
UPDEGRAVE: Security is of utmost importance. So, you want to stick primarily to savings accounts, money market accounts, short-term CDs. You want to do the best that you can within those categories.
VELSHI: So, shop around and remember, this is a low-risk, low- reward investment. That's why finding the best rate is your best bet.
UPDEGRAVE: You are still, probably, a little bit below 4 percent, so you may be still losing out a little bit to inflation. But you can still do a little bit better than, for example, just getting the average return, just going -- automatically going to your local bank.
VELSHI: And that's Right on Your Money.
Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, do you have a question about where the economy is heading or maybe questions about your own credit? E-mail them to HYPERLINK "mailto:Issue1@CNN.com" Issue1@CNN.com. And then tune in tomorrow as CNN takes a day-long look at ISSUE #1 which focuses on solutions. So, you are going to get some answers. Gerri Willis, Ali Velshi, and the ISSUE #1 Team will have special reports all day.
And coming up: Deep water rising fast. Take a look at backyard swimming pool in Franklin, Indiana, still above the flood.
SIMON: But just barely. Two hours later, it was under water. We're going to have a live update just ahead from the Indiana flood zone.
WOLF: And a brutal heat wave grips the eastern third of the nation. Coming up: I'll tell you how Washington, D.C. is playing to deal with the intense temperatures, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody, on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
SIMON: And I'm Dan Simon. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
NGUYEN: Man, look at this -- flood zone there in Columbus, Indiana. You can see homes submerged, but we also have some video aside from this live picture coming to us of -- this is a dairy farm, folks. And if you look very closely in the middle of your screen, here it goes, it's going to zoom in for you. See all those little black and white items there? Yes, a dairy farm. Those are cows and they are under water in some areas. So, not only are humans dealing with it but livestock as well. In fact, it caused the governor of Indiana to declare 41 counties disaster areas.
SIMON: It's just such a mess there. We saw people evacuated from hospitals, you know, numerous homes and businesses affected. And this really is the tip of the iceberg, we're hearing -- we are hearing that more rivers are continuing to crest and there could be some more problems as the day wears on.
NGUYEN: Yes. With the levee there's at Prince's Lake. Some of the roadways trapped an entire community that was downstream from the levee because the roads were just simply flooded. They were submerged and there was no way out. So, indeed, a lot of problems on their hands as they try to dry out.
And we'll talk to Reynolds a little bit later to see what the weather is going to do, but no doubt, this is going to be a big story today.
SIMON: Right. We're going to continue to monitor this story all day long and we're going to have the report coming up - actually right now, we're going to talk about more of the homes flooded, roads under water -- all over Indiana, particularly in central Indiana. And authorities say one person, in fact, has died in the flooding. Nearly, a foot of rain fell in some areas. Boats and jet skis, incredibly, it's just about the only way to get through many of these communities.
Indiana's governor has declared a state of emergency in the hardest hit counties, as you were saying, Betty, more than 40 counties under a state of emergency. And the state, you know, really is still trying to clean up from these storms just from last week.
NGUYEN: Well, the rain did fall hard and the water rose very fast, as you could see in those pictures.
SIMON: People who got caught in the flooding, they were forced to get out by any means necessary, as we'd just talked about. Jay Hermansinski of our affiliate WISH-TV, he reports from Martinsville, Indiana. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAY HERMANSINSKI, WISH-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the streets of Martinsville, jet skis, not cars, were the preferred mode of travel. Neighbor's used the craft to rescue people from a flooded out trailer court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In between here and there, it's -- I would say a good three, four feet deep. But down by the trailer, it's only about two feet.
HERMANSINSKI: The flooding so bad, water rescue teams were brought in to get the people out. This big rig, half submerged, made it out with a handful of soaked children and their parents. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. It's crazy. It's not even -- like, all the water is up to the houses, the cars. Our car is, like, flooded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it was in our vehicle, in the floor board already. It was up to my knees.
HERMANSINSKI: Flooding wasn't the only problem in Morgan County. The heavy rains caused mudslides that covered roads and took out houses.
(on camera) Take a look at what happened to the Williamsburg apartment homes here. Residents say it didn't take long for these flood waters to rise and flood their apartments out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It went up two and a half feet in 15 minutes, according to what the tenants are telling me.
HERMANSINSKI: Thirty-one tenants lived at the complex, which according to the apartment manager, has now been condemned.
Gary Fox (ph) waded through the water to save what he could.
GARY FOX (ph), RESIDENT: It's just horrible. Can't believe it. I was going through, trying to save people from this stuff, and I have to deal with this. Just hits hard.
HERMANSINSKI: In Martinsville, Jay Hermansinski, 24-hour News 8.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Heavy rains and powerful storms also hit Wisconsin. The storms spawned tornadoes and caused flash flooding, and there were reports of large hail. You can hear some of it right there. Winds up to 70 miles per hour. Authorities say six people were injured in those storms.
SIMON: We're going to talk about the other big weather story today. Heat. It's blanketing the East Coast there.
NGUYEN: Reynolds Wolf is a lucky man today, although I use that word lightly. He's on the National Mall in Washington, which is the good part of it, but I guess the downside is you are going to be sweating it out there today, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Betty, I'd like to hear your definition of luck, first and foremost.
No, you're right, though. It is a very pretty day here in Washington, D.C., but the crazy thing is the heat is going to be very intense. And believe it or not, what we're dealing with here has a lot to do with what's been happening over in parts of the Ohio valley with the intense flooding.
The reason why we've been seeing the intense flooding there is because high pressure that set over the mid-Atlantic states is having a compressing effect on the atmosphere, causing us to heat up; at the same time keeping them very damp. And until this high moves off, the heat's going to remain in place and that rain is going to keep going in parts of the Ohio Valley.
Take a look at the temperatures we can expect today. Anywhere from 95 to 103. The heat range index anywhere from 100 to 110. You see the numbers from yesterday. Washington National, 98 degrees. Ninety-eight for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And Georgetown, Delaware, 97. Ninety-six in Williamsport. Binghamton also into the 90s, Binghamton, New York.
So today we can expect this heat wave to continue. In fact, it should last all the way through tomorrow. We're talking about eight states that are going to be dealing with this intense wave of heat. The first big heat wave so far of this year.
And the city of Washington, D.C., certainly has quite a few plans. What they have been doing is setting up cooling centers around the city. They've got water out for people. Anyone who might feel they're just being overcome by the heat is urged to go to these cooling centers. They have places called spray centers, where you can actually go up and get sprayed down by water. All the city pools are open. It won't cost you a dime to go in, if you've got the -- of course, the swim suit, you can hop right in and cool down.
Plus, all the great buildings -- we have the Capitol building and, of course, the Smithsonian, every place you want to see has got air conditioning. And that certainly would take one edge off the heat. Certainly a smart thing to do in these summer-like conditions.
Back to you.
NGUYEN: You may need to get over to one of those spray centers sometime soon, Reynolds.
WOLF: Working on it, Betty.
NGUYEN: I know you are. All right. Well, try to stay cool. Talk to you soon.
A graceful exit for Hillary Clinton. Speaking in front of a packed house in Washington, she suspended her campaign and then threw her support behind Barack Obama. She also noted the history both made in this campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When we first started people everywhere asked the same questions: could a woman really serve as commander-in-chief? Well, I think we answered that one. And could an African-American really be our president? And Senator Obama has answered that one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: CNN deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, joins us now from Washington.
Paul, the big question today is, despite all the applause and all the smiles, were Senator Clinton's supporters actually satisfied with her support for Obama? Satisfied enough that they're going to throw their support behind him, as well.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think a mixed message yesterday. I'd say mostly yes with a little bit of no. You know, you heard her say Barack Obama's name there, by unofficial counts, 14 times. She mentioned Obama's name 14 times in the 30- minute speech. That's a lot more than I thought she would -- she would do.
And when she first mentioned Barack Obama's name and said that she wanted her supporter to now back Barack Obama, there was a smattering, a scattering of boos. Mostly cheers. But by the end of the speech, no boos when she mentioned Barack Obama's name.
I think yesterday was a first step, an important first step, but just a first step in Hillary Clinton getting her supporters to come around and back Obama like she is doing. And it's going to take a while, though. Listen, this was a long, long, historic and yet bitter primary battle between Clinton and Obama. And there are still some bruised feelings. I think for her, as well, but definitely for her very committed supporters. And it's going to take some time.
And what's next for Hillary Clinton? First off the bat, next week, she's on vacation. I think she deserves it. She's going to take a week off. But then the action is what does she actually do to help Barack Obama win and beat John McCain in November? Is she an active part of the campaign? Does she do things separately?
And then she's also got her day job. Remember that. She is a U.S. senator, so expect her back on Capitol Hill a little bit more than you've seen her lately.
NGUYEN: No doubt she is going to stay busy after a little rest and relaxation.
And we're getting reports today that Obama actually watched that speech on the Internet. So that's an interesting little footnote there. And I wonder what kind of message that sends about technology and the way this campaign has been run.
But speaking of Obama, him versus McCain, where does the main event stand right now?
STEINHAUSER: The main event stands as basically a statistical dead heat. Our latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, which we took just this past week, shows Barack Obama at 49 percent, John McCain at 46 percent. That is within the sampling error of the polls. So it is a dead heat. And it's similar to what most other polls are showing right now.
You may see in the next couple of weeks a little bit of a bump for Barack Obama because the battle with Hillary Clinton is now over. He has -- he's clinched the nomination. So you could see those numbers rise. But you know, it is pretty close overall between Obama and McCain.
The two of them, you're going to see them on the campaign trail a lot over the next couple months but probably not as much as you've seen lately. I think it's going to temper down just a little bit the next two months before it rises again in August for the conventions and then the final push.
This week Barack Obama is kicking off on a change -- a change tour that emphasizes economic issues. You'll see him tomorrow in North Carolina, Tuesday in Missouri.
John McCain, this week, he is going to be in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states. He's going to be raising money, because he needs to do that. Remember, he's pretty far behind Barack Obama on the fundraising front. And you'll see him campaigning, as well.
But one thing you won't see from either candidate is any announcement this week or next week, most likely, on a running mate. That will probably come much later this summer.
NGUYEN: They're going to keep us waiting, aren't they?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, for sure.
NGUYEN: OK, Paul. Thank you.
STEINHAUSER: Take care.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, she may be out of the race, but Hillary Clinton is still on a pedestal for a 13-year-old girl from Ohio. Ann "Sparky" Riddle has spent much of her young life idolizing the former first lady and her husband. In fact, she was so enamored with Senator Clinton that she actually sacrificed a dream vacation to work on her campaign.
Clinton cited that youthful enthusiasm in yesterday's concession speech. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: To the young people, like -- like 13-year-old Ann Riddle from Mayfield, Ohio, who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her mom and volunteer there, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There you are with the senator. Let me ask you a question. Now that Hillary Clinton has bowed out and we're left in the Democratic side with Barack Obama, and we're left on the Republican side with John McCain, who are you going to vote for? ANN RIDDLE, VOLUNTEERED FOR CLINTON CAMPAIGN: Well, I probably -- I really haven't studied either of -- either of their issues. I mean, I basically -- Hillary was my candidate. I was going to go for Hillary through thick and thin, and since she's bowed out, I really have to research the other candidates' issues.
SANCHEZ: Hey. Mom, what makes your daughter so political?
DEBBIE RIDDLE, MOTHER: She just -- she -- she heard Bill Clinton speak back in January, and she heard Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and they inspired her to get involved. And she did.
SANCHEZ: That's great. You know, it's so nice of you to join us tonight. What a great story. I mean, listen, there's not a lot of people who get mentioned on national television that way, and you did. You ought to feel good about what you did.
A. RIDDLE: Yes, I am so honored that I was mentioned, my story was mentioned out of the millions of people who volunteered who helped on her campaign. And she singled out my story. I am just so honored.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: So that was Ann and her mother talking with CNN's Rick Sanchez. Ann says her political activism will not be limited to just the sidelines. She says some day she actually may pursue political ambitions of her own. Good for her.
NGUYEN: Yes. And good luck to her, as well.
This is something people are talking about today. Look at that: floodwaters in Indiana. Columbus, Indiana, to be exact. This coming to us from our affiliate, WTHR, live pictures of the flood zone. As we've been telling you about, 41 counties have been declared disaster areas by the governor.
And at least one person was killed yesterday due to all of this. That victim was swept away while driving a car through floodwater. And that's a big problem any time you see flooding in areas. People just think that -- they don't realize how deep the water is, they can make it through, and before they know it the car is swept away.
So we're going to continue to follow this story and bring you the latest as more information comes into the CNN newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the news channel trusted by more Americans. Now back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
SIMON: We're keeping our eye on the situation in Indiana, where some of the worst flooding they've seen in 100 years. More than 40 counties have been declared a disaster area by the governor there.
Look at these dramatic pictures. Cows on a farm, several inches of water. We know that there have been a few injuries. In fact, also one person died when -- it was a driver who got caught up in some rushing water.
We know that some rivers are continuing to swell, and the situation could actually continue to get worse there. A thousand people spent the night in shelters. And it's just such a mess there. And we obviously wish the folks there in Indiana the best.
NGUYEN: Yes. They're going to need to dry out. And that's going to take a little time.
In the meantime, though, how safe is your car in a rollover accident? Well, did you know that car roofs are built to suit standards set more than 30 years ago?
SIMON: I had no idea.
NGUYEN: Yes.
SIMON: The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration wants car makers to change that because of fears you could be crushed. Our Zain Verjee has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Car rollovers kill more than 10,000 Americans a year. David Garcia's car rolled twice.
DAVID GARCIA, ACCIDENT VICTIM: I thought that it was going to be just in the first roll, because I already felt the pain on my neck of that roof crushing me in.
VERJEE: He was heading to a baseball game with his fiance.
GARCIA: The first thing I said was, "I'm dead."
VERJEE: They never got married.
GARCIA: That's what rollovers does. It breaks relationships.
VERJEE: Garcia was an athlete. Now he's pushing for stronger car roofs.
(on camera) Garcia and his supporters say if your car rolls, there's a danger that the roof will crush you. They want the standards changed.
(voice-over) Vehicles are tested today to meet standards set in 1973. Car and truck roofs have to withstand one and a half times their weight. Critics say that's too low.
PAULA LAWLOR, PEOPLE SAFE IN ROLLOVERS FOUNDATION: The strength of the roofs needs to be raised, needs to be raised at least 3.5, to three and a half times the vehicle weight.
VERJEE: The automobile industry argues most rollover deaths happen because passengers are thrown or don't wear seat belts.
ROBERT STRASSBURGER, ALLIANCE OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS: We don't see a causal relationship with injury risk and roof strength.
VERJEE: But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is under a deadline to come up with a new standard for stronger roofs by the end of the month.
JAMES PORTS, NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION: The agency developed and is implementing a comprehensive plan to address rollover crashes.
VERJEE: It's still unclear what those details are. But an earlier proposal suggested increasing the standards so vehicles had to withstand two and a half times their weight. Critics say that saves about 13 to 44 lives.
Some in Congress may step in.
SEN. MARK PRYOR (D), ARKANSAS: I'm afraid they're just not going to go far enough and make these vehicles safer.
VERJEE: As for Garcia, he challenges car buyers to ask dealers this question.
GARCIA: What is the roof strength of my vehicle? I will be very surprised if they knew the answer to that.
VERJEE: Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: Well, it is the end of an influential and inspiring career.
NGUYEN: Sportscasting legend Jim McKay has died. And we're going to take a look back at his impact on so many people. That's ahead here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the news channel trusted by more Americans. Now back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Well, this just in to CNN. We have learned that the Texas governor's mansion is still burning this morning. It caught fire last night, in fact. Fire departments responded to this four- alarm fire overnight, and we understand they're still working on that at this hour.
But just to give you a little bit of history as we wait on some pictures to come into the CNN newsroom, the governor's mansion is the most historic house in Texas. It actually -- it takes up an entire city block in Austin near the capital building. It was built in 1856, and it is the oldest continually occupied executive residence west of the Mississippi. So they are obviously trying to save this as best as possible, but it has been unoccupied -- do want to let you know that -- because the governor's mansion has been undergoing some renovations as of lately. And so this is obviously going to put that back a little bit and the date they were hoping to get that done.
But again, the Texas governor's mansion still burning at this hour. It started last night, a four-alarm fire. So this was a huge fire. And as soon as we get some pictures, we'll bring that straight to you.
SIMON: Sunday morning in Iraq. Deadly violence explodes in the capital. At least seven people are dead, and almost 50 wounded in three separate attacks. Most of the casualties near a square in the center of Baghdad. Police recruits were apparently the target, but the dead and wounded are actually all civilians.
In a separate attack, two mortar rounds slammed into an entrance to the Green Zone. At least three people killed. Seven others wounded.
NGUYEN: The leader of Iraq, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, is in neighboring Iran this weekend to meet with that country's top leaders. And it wasn't so long ago that the two sides were engaged in a long and costly war.
SIMON: Well, a lot has changed since then. CNN's Morgan Neill, he is in Tehran. Morgan, what's the goal of this meeting?
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Dan.
That's right. Here in Baghdad, the way people are tending to look at this issue is that the two -- the two neighbors have a lot of issues to discuss right now. Perhaps most prominently among them, Iraq and the United States are currently debating, negotiating a long- term security agreement known as the Status of Forces Agreement. It's necessary to keep U.S. forces in Iraq beyond 2008.
This has been a real source of tension between Iraq and Iran. Iran's leaders have denounced any form of agreement, saying that this essentially amounts to having military bases on their doorstep, posing what could be a permanent threat to Iran.
But Maliki on this visit has sought to reassure Iran's leaders, saying that Iraq would never allow its territory to be used to launch attacks on its neighbors.
At the same time his office has said any agreement between Iraq and the United States of this sort would be just that, between those two countries. And that Iran's campaign against this sort of agreement is infringing on Iraqi sovereignty.
In general, however, relations have warmed considerably between the two neighbors since Saddam Hussein's fall. But Maliki, as we can see in this agreement, is in a difficult position. He's got close ties with the United States and Iran, whom the United States accuses of training and equipping Shia militants who then carry out attacks back in Iraq -- Dan.
SIMON: All right. Morgan. Morgan Neill in Baghdad for us this morning. Thank you.
NGUYEN: And we do invite you to stay with us, because our coverage of just the massive and historic flooding across Indiana continues next hour.
SIMON: And a heat wave that is baking the East Coast. Reynolds Wolf live in Washington with a preview.
Hey, Reynolds.
WOLF: That's right. It's an oppressive heat wave that's going to cover eight states and last for possibly a couple of days. Right now we're in the epicenter in Washington, D.C. Coming up, I'll tell you how the city plans to battle the heat.
You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, it's the passing of a television pioneer. Sportscaster Jim McKay dead at the age of 86.
SIMON: Many of us grew up with Jim McKay. Of course, on "The Wide World of Sports," he took us to events and places we'd only dreamed of. CNN Sports' Ray D'Alessio, he has more on McKay's long and incredible career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAY D'ALESSIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jim McKay was one of the most accomplished sports commentators in the history of television. He was first seen on a Baltimore station in 1947. Fourteen years later he was brought to ABC by Roone Arledge and hosted a show called "Wide World of Sports," which became a viewing staple for millions of Americans.
BRENT MUSBURGER, ABC/ESPN SPORTSCASTER: I don't think anybody was ever better at hosting studio shows than Jim McKay. And certainly, 1961 when he became the host of "Wide World of Sports," it became an American institution. And he moved over to the host chair of the Olympics. And the Olympics rose to new heights here in the United States. And Jim McKay had an awful lot do with all of it.
TIM LAYDEN, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": McKay was really the studio host for almost everything of importance that really unfolded before America on weekends in sports.
PHIL JACKSON, LAKERS HEAD COACH: I guess I remember him, more than anything, standing on some ski slope with some snow falling around him and covering some ski, you know, downhill somewhere in the world, whether in the Olympics or not.
D'ALESSIO: McKay covered 12 Olympics, but it was his coverage of the 1972 summer games in Munich, when Palestinian terrorists kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes, that he considered the most memorable single event in his career.
MUSBURGER: I can remember Jim McKay on that night. I was a young broadcaster in Chicago, anchoring a sports strip. And we were all glued to ABC that night.
LAYDEN: He was the guy who broke the news that the hostages being dead. And it was at a time when nobody really understand that a guy who was doing sports could make that kind of pronouncement and be that kind of newsman under pressure. And it really probably paved the way for, in a sense, changing what sportscasting was.
D'ALESSIO: McKay won a sports and news Emmy for his Munich reporting, two of the 12 he would be awarded during the course of a broadcasting career that spanned nearly six decades.
CHRIS FOWLER, ESPN SPORTSCASTER: Jim McKay was an icon, an idol, and one of the biggest thrills of my career was getting a chance to work with him in horse racing near the end of his career. And it was a blessing. And he was so generous, and kind, and giving, and tolerant. And such a good soul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. From the CNN center here in Atlanta, it is Sunday, June 8. I'm Betty Nguyen.
SIMON: And I'm Dan Simon, in today for T.J. Holmes. Thanks a lot for starting your day with us.
We're going to start with another dubious milestone, Betty. The average price of gas...
NGUYEN: Go ahead and tell us. It's right there. Jeez.
SIMON: OK. It's reached a dubious milestone, $4 a gallon now, the national average.
NGUYEN: Well, I guess the bad news, and the big bold print right before your eyes. AAA released the unfortunate news just a short time ago.
SIMON: It is the first time that the average price has hit that $4 range. The price is up a penny and a half over yesterday.
NGUYEN: We also have some other news to tell you about. This just in to CNN.
We are learning out of Austin, Texas, today that the Texas governor's mansion is actually still burning at this hour. It caught fire overnight. A four-alarm fire. So this was a pretty large fire that they've been dealing with.
Here are some live pictures. You can't see too much in this. Just outside the governor's mansion. This coming to us from News 8 Austin, one of our affiliates there. But you do see the fire trucks still on scene. You see a ladder up there. And I can't see any smoke in this particular shot, but we understand that they are still working on that fire.
But just to give you a little more information about this, the governor's mansion, don't worry about Governor Rick Perry. Because he is not there. The governor's mansion is currently unoccupied, and it has been for some while as it undergoes some renovation, multimillion dollar renovations and, of course, it looks like that may be costing them even more, considering the damage caused by the fire.
So, we'll stay on top of that story for you.
SIMON: Also new this morning, high drama on the high seas. Earlier this morning, a coast guard helicopter rescued five people from a sailboat that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. The Texas A&M vessel went missing yesterday morning off the coast of Matagorda, Texas. One sailor is actually still missing.
For the latest on the continuing search, we're going to turn now to Captain William Diehl of the U.S. Coast Guard. He joins us now by phone from Galveston, Texas.
Captain, like we said, they were in some sort of regatta. How did this boat actually go missing?
CAPT. WILLIAM DIEHL, U.S. COAST GUARD (through phone): What they were doing, Dan, they were in a race from Texas down to Mexico, and basically they failed to check in yesterday morning at 8:00 o'clock. And the university notified us that they missed their check-in. And we started looking for them then.
SIMON: Well, I'm not getting any reports that the weather was bad down there. How does a boat just suddenly go missing? Were these inexperienced sailors?
DIEHL: No, they were very well trained. Obviously, the more senior cadets at the university here, and they had very experienced safety people on board. When we did find the hull later in the day, we noticed that the keel of the vessel was missing, that's the part that keeps the sailboat balance in the water. And from talking to the survivors this morning, that's where the flooding started for them.
SIMON: So, you debriefed the survivors and they'd told you that they lost their keel, and that's what happened. Any word about the one victim who apparently is still lost?
DIEHL: No. We -- after picking up the five survivors this morning at 1:00, we dropped them off at the air station here to get them to the hospital. And then we refueled up and went back out looking for Mr. Stone.
SIMON: Were there other boats in the area who saw what happened? I mean, were there any attempts from some of the other boats involved in that race to maybe launch a rescue? DIEHL: Well, my understanding of the race is once they get off shore, the boats kind of spread out. So, there was -- we tried getting a hold of the other vessels in the race to see if they could assist, but they were quite a ways away from the scene at the time.
SIMON: And did they have a radio and some GPS equipment on board?
DIEHL: They had a lot of equipment. They had everything that you would want. The EPIRBS, the radios, life rafts, ring buoys, everything that you would want. The vessel was perfectly outfitted. But in this case, the flooding was so fast that the thing flipped over.
The survivors told us that they went into the water, they had four life jackets among the five and they huddled together and exchanged the life jacket among them so that they could stay afloat.
SIMON: And in terms of trying to find the one survivor who is still missing, what efforts are being conducted right now?
DIEHL: We have one helicopter out there right now. We have a C- 130 from the Marine Corps that came down from Fort Worth out there. We have a cutter out there, the Manoire (ph), and that's our assets on scene now.
SIMON: All right. We'll keep an eye on that situation. Captain William Diehl from the U.S. Coast Guard, thanks so much.
NGUYEN: Homes flooded and roads under water in central Indiana this morning and authorities now say one person has died after being swept away by floodwaters. Look at all of that. Nearly a foot of rain fell in some areas. Crews actually used boats and helicopters to rescue people stranded by the rising water. Indiana's governor says the state responded quickly to this latest weather emergency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WRTV)
GOV. MITCH DANIELS, INDIANA: Well, Mother Nature has landed another one on our chin. But we will get on top of this. We have -- we have a full compliment of state resources at the disposal of all the communities that have been affected so far. I'm advised that every local request for assistance has been met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, Johnson and Morgan counties are among the hardest hit. And a local official says dams in the Prince's Lake area are failing. The governor has declared emergencies in a number of counties, several of dozens of them, in fact. He issued additional emergency declarations because of the latest flooding.
SIMON: The heavy rain and flooding sent water gushing into a hospital in Franklin, Indiana. Floodwaters reached the first floor of Johnson Memorial Hospital. At Columbus Hospital, south of Indianapolis, more than 100 people actually had to be evacuated because of flooding there. Ambulances and school buses transported them to other hospitals.
NGUYEN: The Chicago area is also cleaning up this morning from tornadoes and powerful storms. Part of a major interstate had to be shut down yesterday while crews worked to clear overturned tractor trailers. The storm also ripped roofs off of homes and buildings. There's a picture of one of those overturned trailers. About 25,000 people are still without electricity this morning.
And we want to show you some new video coming in to CNN of an effort under way right now in Austin, Texas. This is coming to us from our affiliate of News 8 there. This is just in, a 4-alarm fire at the Texas governor's mansion. They are working to get that under control. It started overnight and so, fire crews are still out there this morning.
But to give you a little more information, the governor's mansion is currently unoccupied as it undergoes a multimillion dollar renovation. So, it's not known at this time exactly what started the fire if indeed those renovations may have sparked something which led to the fire. But, at this point, nothing is known as to the cause of this. We'll continue to follow it for you.
SIMON: Well, there's been so much rain in the Midwest and so much heat in the east. Turns out the two are directly related.
NGUYEN: Yes. CNN Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in Washington with more on this heat wave.
It's not even summer time yet. But I want to ask -- 8:00 o'clock Eastern Time, how hot is it where you are?
WOLF: Try a few degrees shy of 90. In fact, yes. We're right about 90. But then when you factor in the high humidity, it feels like it's well into the 90s. Today, the surface temperature in Washington, D.C. should get about to 98 degrees, but with the high humidity, it's going to feel much warmer. It's going to feel like it's in the century mark.
Now, we were talking about how -- what is happening here on the east coast has a lot to do with what is happening in the parts of the Midwest. You've got all the action out there in parts of the Ohio Valley where they've been having this serious flooding.
But on the east side, you've got this area of high pressure that is settling right off the Carolina coast and that is going to just really intensify the heat and be a blocking mechanism, keeping all the rain, all the cooler air off to the west. So, the result is, from Philadelphia southward to Washington, D.C. and Raleigh, it is just going to be brutal today.
Right now, Philadelphia currently has an excessive heat warning. In D.C., we've got the heat advisory. Again, as I mentioned, it covers some 18 states. It should last, as we get through the midweek and then begin to drop down a little bit.
Yesterday's highs, look at these -- 98 degrees in Washington National, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 98; Some upper 90s and mid 90s for Georgetown, Delaware, for Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and Binghamton, New York, even got into the 90s.
Today, it should be warmer in all locations. In fact, the record high here in Washington, D.C. on this date was set back in 1999, when it got up to 98 degrees. And today, we're expecting about the same. But considering it's already into the 90s here at this point, I think we may, indeed, past that.
Right behind me, you'll notice, you've got some construction workers that I mentioned. They're out, and they're moving, this big pallets (ph). We've got a big event here -- one of many, many events here in D.C. today. They're going to keep on working as much as they can, almost at a feverish pitch because they know that the temperatures are going to get warmer.
And the city of Washington, D.C. has been doing what they can to help people battle the heat. What they've been doing is opening up cooling centers around the area. They've got a lot of pools that are open up. Spray centers where people can actually walk of and get sprayed down.
And if you're not able to make any of those locations, the city advises its people to go visit some of the great sites here in the city. Everything is air-conditioned from the Smithsonian to the Capitol to you name it. It will do, certainly help you take the edge off the heat. Well, that's what we're dealing with. A Two-day event and we're in the brunt of it. We'll have more coming up in a few moments.
NGUYEN: So, possible some record-breaking heat today. Not only could you see history but you could feel it out there.
All right, Reynolds, thank you.
To politics now, and Hillary Clinton's farewell address. She is getting off the presidential campaign trail, as you know, and she spoke directly to her supporters, telling them that she is suspending her campaign. She also left no doubt who she is backing in November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WASHINGTON, SATURDAY)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
CLINTON: Today -- today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Here's part of the statement that Barack Obama released afterwards. He said, quote, "I'm a better candidate for having had the privilege of competing with her in this campaign. No one knows better than Senator Clinton how desperately America and the American people need change, and I know she will continue to be in the forefront of that battle this fall and for years to come."
SIMON: First Lady Laura Bush is in Afghanistan this morning on a surprise visit. She is highlighting the progress the country has made towards democracy since the fall of the Taliban.
Our Ed Henry is following the development from Washington.
Ed, I take that this is going to be a short visit?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Dan. Good morning to you.
Clearly, the first lady is only going to be on the ground for about nine hours in Afghanistan because of security reasons. This is, obviously, a war zone. And that's what makes it so extraordinary that the first lady is there on the ground. You can see her with President Karzai of Afghanistan.
She's already been very active in foreign policy issues. We've seen her recently working on the issue of Myanmar. She's been pressuring the military ruler there's to release political prisoners, also pressuring the leaders to also provide aid to victims of that cyclone in Myanmar.
But Afghanistan is not a new issue to the first lady. This is her third trip to that country. But this time, I think, what's a bit more prominent, is when you see her with President Karzai, literally standing in for President Bush. She's also visiting the city where those giant Buddhas, carved in to the mountains, were destroyed in 2001 because of the Taliban. That really outraged much of the world.
She's also visiting U.S. troops there on the ground. They've been fighting for almost seven year now in that war. This bilateral meeting with President Karzai and the message clearly is, as you noted, that there are some hopeful signs of progress on the ground in Afghanistan, but also a tough message from the first lady to the international community. You see her with the U.S. troops there, also with Afghan security officials being trained by U.S. troops.
But she's got a tough message, is that the international community really needs to stand with President Karzai because, while there's been signs of progress, there's also been signs of backsliding, and the U.S. is very, very concerned about that.
And I think that what's clear here, why the first lady, why do you send her into a war zone? She has been taking on a more prominent foreign policy role and the reason is simple. President Bush is not very popular around the world, this gives the administration a chance to have a sort of a softer face on their foreign policy, not just because she's a woman but because she really has developed some diplomatic skills over the last few years.
And, I think, the administration is trying to highlight that. And where they can find spots where the first lady can play a positive role, they are going to do it more and more, Dan.
SIMON: OK. Ed Henry is live for us from Washington this morning -- thanks, Ed.
HENRY: Thank you.
NGUYEN: We're also get you more on the flooding in Indiana, that's ahead as we keep an eye on those dramatic pictures. You're looking at some of it right now. Plus, the evacuations.
SIMON: Also ahead, hot property for thieves, taking the manhole covers right off of the streets. We're going to tell you why when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You are watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING on CNN: Watched by more Americans than any other news channel.
NGUYEN: Happening right now. Firefighters are trying to knock down a blaze at the governor's mansion in Texas. This fire started around 1:45 in the morning central time on the porch there at the governor's mansion. And what we understand from a news conference that just happened a little bit earlier, that that fire went up into the walls, and up into the ceiling and, in fact, that firefighters were just overwhelmed and had to go into defensive mode.
You can see from these pictures from our affiliate, News 8 Austin, some of the flame there at the governor's mansion. It was a 4-alarm fire at one point. We don't know how much has been contained at this hour or we also don't know what caused this fire. But what we can tell you is that the governor's mansion is currently unoccupied as it undergoes a multimillion dollar renovation.
And we're being told from that news conference that no valuable possession or historical possessions were inside at the time. So, that's good. Obviously, they try to get as much out as possible while they undergo those renovations. And it's a good thing considering this fire sparked overnight and they are still working to contain it. So, we'll stay on top of this story.
SIMON: Well, there is a new kind of thief invading cities all over the country. Crooks are trying to get some cold hard cash and taking advantage of the high prices for metal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON (voice-over): This is where the metal winds up -- at a scrap yard. These wires contain copper. When stripped down they will look like this -- clean and bright.
Lance Finkel says his business has never been more profitable. (on camera): There's a lot of money in this scrap metal business.
LANCE FINKEL, SCRAP METAL DEALER: There's big money today in the scrap metal. The price of copper, aluminum, brass, are four to five times of what it was three or four years ago.
SIMON (voice-over): Christmas lights, computer cable, old water pipes -- it can all be recycled. As some say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure."
(on camera): The prices of metal keep getting higher and higher. The industrial boom in China is one of the main reasons. To make a little cash, all you have to do is drop off your scraps at any recycling yard and whenever there's easy money to be made, there's bound to be a criminal element.
(voice-over): Thieves are busting in the air conditioners, stealing manhole covers and ripping off urns from cemeteries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, there are people in the world that, you know, they don't think twice about robbing a grave or desecrating a grave.
SIMON: In Los Angeles last month, someone stole plumbing valves from an elementary school, forcing the water supply to temporarily shut down. The thieves take the stolen metal and sell it to unsuspecting or worst unscrupulous scrap yards. They're like pawnshops, providing instant cash for metal. Finkel says he frequently turns sellers away.
(on camera): So, what do you say to them?
LANCE: Well, we tell them that first of all, we ask them where did you get it at. Do you have an ID and when they don't give us the right answers, we tell them that we don't take it.
SIMON (voice-over): The city of Richmond, California, near San Francisco has been particularly plagued by the thefts. This month, thousands of gallons of a toxic solvent spilled into a waterway after thieves stole the brass fittings off some storage tanks.
SGT. JOE SILVA, RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA POLICE: Everybody is a potential victim -- a home, a business, a warehouse -- abandoned or occupied.
SIMON: Richmond Police Sergeant Joe Silva took us to some unusual crime scenes -- a jogging trail, the lights ripped of their copper wire, and a giant vacant warehouse, at least to the lay person, it's guts (ph) filled with wire. In fact, Silva believes thieves were in the building as we walked with our cameras. He thought he saw some moving shadows.
SILVA: By the time that we got anywhere near them, they would be down deep into the caverns of this building, they will crawl through the crawl spaces to where they know policemen will not go. SIMON: Such brazenness is likely to continue, as long as metal stays at these record prices.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: I got to tell you, that got my attention when he told me that he thought there were actual thieves inside that big warehouse when we were there. I was concern for my own safety. But he said, you know, these people are basically harmless. All they want is the wire and will take to the pawnshop.
NGUYEN: Well, the thing that got me that made my jaw drop is they were stealing the urns, you know, at cemeteries. That's crazy.
SIMON: And I had no idea that this was going on. But this is literally happening in communities all over the country. In Atlanta, they had a big problem with manhole covers. And it's all brought on by the high price of metal because China has such a demand for metal. I mean, copper wire is used in everything. And China is really pushing up the price of metal.
NGUYEN: That's why if you go to any construction, you know, a home site, one of the first things that's stolen there are the copper wirings.
SIMON: That's right.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, obviously, there's a need and thieves will do what it takes to make a little cash.
SIMON: That's exactly right.
NGUYEN: Coming up, a stealth bomber crash in Guam.
SIMON: This morning, new video of the frightening February incident and what investigators say caused the crash.
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ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING on CNN: The news channel watched by more Americans than any other news channel.
SIMON: Some other stories we are watching this morning. Salmonella illnesses have been found in four more states bringing the total to 16 now. This map that you're look at, shows which states have been affected. The outbreak of more than 100 cases in Texas and New Mexico is being linked to large raw tomatoes.
The CDC however has not been able to pinpoint the original source. Investigators are trying to determine if raw tomatoes are also responsible for people getting sick in the other 14 states.
NGUYEN: This new video to show of a stealth bomber crash. This is something you rarely will ever see. It happened back in February. Watch the video closely. The bomber takes off from an air force base in Guam. There you see it right there. Almost immediately, though, there is a problem. Then you see fire.
Crew members can't get the bomber under control. They eject. The plane slams into the ground. You see all the smoke. All of it just breaking part.
Well, the military is blaming the crash on moisture build-up in the plane's center. But I understand from earlier reports that the pilot was able to get out of that plane.
SIMON: Skyrocketing energy prices, they have fueled international concerns. And now, a pledge from the world's top industrialized nations, energy ministers from the group of eight countries that guzzle nearly 2/3 of the world's energy are meeting in Japan. They vow to increase efficiency and accelerate investment in new technologies. They also urged oil producers to boost their output.
Now, do you have a question about where the economy is heading or questions about your credit? E-mail them now to HYPERLINK "mailto:issue1@CNN.com" issue1@CNN.com. Then, you'll want to tune in on Monday as CNN takes a day long look at ISSUE #1, focusing on solutions. We're going to be seeing from Gerri Willis, Ali Velshi, and the ISSUE #1 Team. They're going to have special reports all day long.
NGUYEN: And speaking of money, especially when things start to heat up outside, a nice, sweet, cold piece of watermelon sounds really great, right? But how much would pay for it?
Listen to this, folks. Some people in Japan are willing to pay top dollar.
SIMON: I've got to tell you something. You're not going to believe how much this one cost. And that is coming up next in the water cooler.
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NGUYEN: Time now for the water cooler. And nothing says summer like a chilled watermelon.
SIMON: Hopefully, a seedless watermelon.
NGUYEN: Yes.
SIMON: But you'd have to be, maybe a fool -- I don't know -- to plunk down lots of cold hard cash for this. A Japanese businessman paid a record -- get this -- $6,000 for an 18-pounder with nearly black skin. I've never seen a black-skinned watermelon before.
NGUYEN: Well, the price alone, forget what it looks like, is outrageous. That's nearly twice of what someone pay ford one a few years ago. Now, these melons, though, gets to the black skin that you're talking about, are only grown in northern Japan and are highly prized. Receiving one as a gift is considered a huge honor. I would say so and it costs you $6,000. Well, check out this pooch in Darwin, Australia. She is lucky to be alive. Bella (ph) is her name and she was chowing on table scraps when she managed to woof down a poisonous cane toad whole.
SIMON: Bella (ph) was rushed to the vet and given drugs to make her throw up and I guess she's doing OK. The toad emerged 40 minutes after being swallowed. None the worse for her, though. She's looking pretty good.
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NGUYEN: Yes, you didn't hear Big Brown there. You're not going to hear it at the end. Well, unless you're waiting for the last horse to come through. Big Brown was in a lot of trouble yesterday. Long shot Da'Tara won the Belmont stakes yesterday, and Big Brown, like I said, came in dead last.
SIMON: It was a nightmare finish for the horse. Everybody said Big Brown was guaranteed to win, and so it wasn't meant to be. So I guess we're going to have to wait, I don't know, who knows how long before somebody can win the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness, and then have a shot at winning the title.
NGUYEN: Well, I mean, the chances are really difficult. They're tough races, and I think Big Brown is now the 11th horse to win the first two but not the last one for that triple crown.
Well, there is much more to come at the top of the hour. We'll bring you more pictures out of Indiana, where it is under water and under a state of emergency. So stay with CNN SUNDAY MORNING at the top of the hour.
SIMON: But first, "HOUSE CALL" now with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
