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CNN Saturday Morning News
Rescuers Help Whale Stranded In River Thames; Most Valuable Football Franchises; More than 3,000 People Still Missing From Hurricane Katrina; Which Party Is Going To Clean Up Congress First?; Rescue Work For Trapped Miners Ongoing; Despite Osama Bin Laden's Threatening Audiotape, Threat Level Remains Unchanged; No Word On Jill Carroll's Fate;
Aired January 21, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: In London now, take a look at this. A group of marine experts are stepping in to help a whale lost in the Thames River. Here are live pictures of them trying to rescue this whale. The plan is to airlift the whale onto a barge and take it back to its home in the Northern Atlantic. But first they've got to get that whale on the barge.
Experts are worried that the five ton mammal may be sick or confused, maybe a little bit of both.
We're going to take you there live with a reporter on the scene to give us the low down on exactly what's happening at the moment. And that will happen in just a few moments from now.
All right, now to Iraq. Still no word on abducted American journalist Jill Carroll. The 28-year-old freelance writer was kidnapped in Baghdad two weeks ago. Now the militants who took her are demanding the release of Iraqi female prisoners held by U.S. troops.
Rescuers in West Virginia are combing through miles of tunnels, searching for two trapped coal miners. Crews are drilling a six-inch wide hole into a section of the mine this morning to try to contact them. They were trapped Thursday night by an underground fire. And we're going to go live to that search in just a minute to get the latest there.
Also, former President Gerald Ford is said to be doing well and responding to treatment in a California hospital. The 92-year-old was admitted a week ago for pneumonia. Ford's spokeswoman says doctors are assessing his recovery to see if he can be released.
And Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has designated today as Louisiana Recovery Planning day. And, to that effect, she is hitting the road to meet with hurricane evacuees. Today, Blanco will visit with displaced Louisianans now living in Atlanta. Similar forums will be held across the Southeast.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 12:00 p.m. in London. We'll go to that whale in just a moment. Also, 3:00 p.m. in Baghdad. It is all so exciting. You see animals, especially ones that are trapped and need help?
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
NGUYEN: Everyone wants to know -- there are those live pictures.
HARRIS: There's the live pictures. Yes.
NGUYEN: Oh, they're about to lift the whale right now, you can see.
HARRIS: Yes. We're going to go to the whale for, what, a live interview?
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: That was coming up a little later?
NGUYEN: The whale is going to tell us exactly what's going on minute by minute.
HARRIS: Before it's put to sleep and lifted to safety.
NGUYEN: Yes.
Well, hopefully it won't have to be put to sleep. They're trying to go it without tranquilizers, but you know how that is.
HARRIS: Oh, they're going to have to.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: They're going to have to.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: But good morning, everybody.
We keep you on top of all of this.
HARRIS: How about that?
All right, good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris.
Betty Nguyen with you this morning.
Coming up this hour, what would he have done differently in the wake of Hurricane Katrina? New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin speaks for the first time about that tough question in an interview you will only see here on CNN.
And later, another weekend of NFL play-off action is underway.
But where are all the high priced stars? And why didn't the teams with the biggest payrolls make the cut?
We will show you the money when we go "Beyond The Game."
And speaking of money, D.C. lobbyists have been showering Capitol Hill bigwigs with it for years -- fancy trips, golf outings, sporting events. But no more, says Congress.
Is lobbying reform really possible? A look at who's monitoring the money.
NGUYEN: But we begin this morning in Logan County, West Virginia at the Aracoma Alma Mine Number One. That is where the search for two missing coal miners enters a third day, with anxiety rising and hope somewhat dimming.
For the latest on the search, we want to go now to CNN's Bob Franken, who is in Melville, West Virginia following the story very closely -- Bob, any developments overnight?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're going to find out in about an hour when we have a new briefing. The governor of the state and the people who are leading the rescue operations will be gathering, as they have several times, to bring us an update.
The last time what we heard is that they had made substantial significant progress to deal with the fires that had caused this, fires on a conveyor belt that, at about 37 hours ago now, had caused the men, who were in a team going into the mine, to hear alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, actually, turn around and go back on their transport.
At some point they had to get off the transport and crawl out. And when they got to the entrance of the mine, it was discovered that two of the men were missing. Those men are still missing. Their families and friends are gathered at a church up the road in the all too familiar vigil.
Meanwhile, we get the periodic briefings. And the rescue officials, of course, operate with an underlying optimism. They have to, because they are there trying to rescue. And what they're saying is, is that the possibility now is that air is still available to the two.
NGUYEN: Right. And we should hear more at 8:00 Eastern this morning as that news conference gets underway. Bob Franken, of course, we'll be chatting with you in between that time and now. Thank you, Bob.
HARRIS: And looking for clues. That tops our "Security Watch" this morning.
Counter-terror officials are studying a newly surfaced audiotape from Osama bin Laden. They're hoping to get some hint of where and when it was made. They also want to find out if the tape sends a signal to al Qaeda followers.
Homeland security chief Michael Chertoff says there's on reason to believe a terror attack is imminent. But he also says Americans should be prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Common sense says we should brace ourselves for an attack. On the other hand, we certainly, our aspiration is to avert attacks. We've been successful up until now and we're going to continue to pursue that ideal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has more on the long U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There were some people in the U.S. military who thought maybe Osama bin Laden might have died given that he hadn't been heard from in over a year. At the very least, senior Pentagon officials thought he was lying so low that he was reduced to being a symbolic leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I suspect that, in any event, if he's alive and functioning, that he's probably spending a major fraction of his time trying to avoid being caught.
MCINTYRE: The new audiotape, thought to have been recorded in December, provides few clues to bin Laden's condition or location. The U.S. thinks the al Qaeda leader is still holed up in a lawless tribal region of Pakistan, avoiding too many trips into neighboring Afghanistan, where U.S. Special Forces commandos are waiting to take him dead or alive. But with no hard intelligence about his whereabouts, experts say the truth is bin Laden could be almost anywhere.
LT. COL. STEPHEN DONEHOO (RET.), U.S. ARMY: He certainly could be in Iran. He could be in parts of Baghdad that we wouldn't know about. I mean there are places where he could be completely hidden. It took us a long time to find -- to find Saddam Hussein. It takes a long time to find these people.
MCINTYRE (on camera): The manhunt for Osama bin Laden is not so much a physical search as it is an intelligence gathering exercise. And ultimately the U.S. believes it will get Osama bin Laden the same way it got Saddam Hussein -- when someone who knows where he is gives him up.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: A counter-terror official says he does not put much weight on a newly released audiotape from al Qaeda's number two man. That tape, from Ayman al-Zawahiri, was posted on the Internet yesterday, just one day after Osama bin Laden's tape. Al-Zawahiri recites poetry to Islamic militants across the globe. But he does not mention last week's CIA strike in Pakistan aimed at killing him.
The counter-terror official says if al-Zawahiri wants to prove he survived that attack, the tape does not do it.
Well, we talk much more this morning about the significance of the latest audiotapes from al Qaeda.
CNN terrorism expert Peter Bergen joins us next hour for a status check of the war on terror, so you want to stay with CNN for the most reliable news about your security.
HARRIS: A citizen commission in New York says it will break an unwritten rule in this country by speaking the unspeakable. All weekend long, the commission is hearing testimony on this basic question -- is the Bush administration guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity?
Actor, singer and activist Harry Belafonte spoke last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY BELAFONTE, ENTERTAINER & ACTIVIST: I have high hopes and I certainly, like all my colleagues, do everything we can to get America into a dialogue, to get the voices of dissent to be heard and to begin to speak to what is happening to our nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The former commander of Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison is also among those scheduled to speak.
NGUYEN: Some other stories making "News Across America" this morning.
We begin in Alaska, where there is concern the Alaska pipeline may be targeted by terrorists. A recent Web site posting purportedly linked to al Qaeda is calling for militants to attack the 800-mile pipeline. Federal authorities won't say if they are beefing up security in light of that threat.
A tip pays off big along the U.S.-Mexican border, where a partially completed tunnel was discovered yesterday near San Diego. A U.S. Customs and Immigration official says the tunnel was nearly finished. It was wired for electricity and could have been easily used by smugglers. No arrests have been made.
And in New York City, fear that another possible transit strike looms this morning. Union workers narrowly rejected a tentative agreement that ended last month's strike. Seven votes against the proposed contract sends negotiators back to the drawing table. Contract opponents bristled at a provision requiring employee paid contributions for health care. HARRIS: Will they ever be found? You might be shocked to hear how many people are still missing because of Hurricane Katrina. We'll tell you more coming up.
NGUYEN: But first, it is a whale of a tale with a British accent. We will have the latest -- I don't know if that whale really has a British accent, but hey -- we'll have the latest on the rescue of the whale in the Thames River there in London, and what went wrong.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this morning, there's no word on the fate of American reporter Jill Carroll. She was abducted in Iraq two weeks ago. Her captors are demanding the U.S. free all Iraqi women detainees.
In Florida, one of the survivors of last week's attack on two homeless men is out of the hospital. Ramon Perez says attacks against him and two other homeless men were not random, but he didn't elaborate. One of the men died. Three teenagers have been arrested.
At least five people died overnight in Moscow due to the icy cold temperatures nationwide. There have been a total of nearly 40 deaths. Russia has been locked in a deep freeze since Monday. In some cases, temperatures dipped to 24 degrees below zero.
NGUYEN: Tony, a wayward whale visits London, giving sightseers something extra, shall we say? The northern bottle-nosed whale apparently is injured or disoriented or even both.
CNN's Jim Boulden joins us now live as rescue crews try to save this mammal.
They've been at it for a little while -- Jim.
Any progress so far?
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Betty. I think what you're seeing right now, you can see some live pictures from a helicopter. It's about two miles away from me inland, in an area of London, Southwest London, known as Wandsworth. Apparently there are a number of men who have entered the water and they have taken some yellow sheets and they're placing it under the whale.
We were told a few hours ago that there would be a rescue attempt made. They clearly think the whale is distressed and injured enough they can no longer try to hope that the whale would make the 50-mile journey back out to sea. So what you're seeing right now is a rescue attempt by marine biologists, veterinarians and the harbor police.
They have entered the water and they are apparently going to put a yellow sheet or have put some sort of yellow inflatable sheet underneath the whale. We were told they had two choices. One, they were going to sedate the whale and then move it on a hoist onto a barge and wait for it to take up again, then move it out to store. Or, if they were very desperate, they were just going to hoist that whale up onto the barge and move it out to sea.
As I say, this rescue attempt has just unfolded in the last few moments. They did leave the whale alone during the morning hours. They were trying to get the stress levels down. They did not want to have boats surrounding the whale and add to its distress. But clearly the vets have made a decision that this whale needs to be rescued and needs to be rescued now -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And, Jim, we're looking at those live pictures right now. You see a number of people surrounding this whale. And it appears that the whale probably is sedated, considering it's not doing a whole lot of movement. And we do see that yellow piece of tarp that you mentioned that they're going to try to put underneath the whale. Once this is all said and done, exactly what happens then? They're going to hoist it onto a barge. And where does the whale go?
BOULDEN: Well, of course, this whale is from the Northern Atlantic. And it entered the Thames on Friday morning from the Northern Atlantic. And so the idea, we were told a few hours ago, was that they would hoist the whale onto a barge and that they would take it out to sea and hope that it would survive.
There was blood coming from the whale yesterday. It did try to beach itself twice near the houses of parliament. And they pushed it back out into the water. And then they said, well, you know, this whale is not going to survive. It's certainly not going to survive in the Thames. There's never been a whale in the Thames in living memory.
So they know this is unprecedented. And they know they need to do something. So the idea is that hopefully if they take it back out to sea, it might survive.
NGUYEN: Well, what about those injuries, though? If there was blood coming from the whale, are they going to try to at least treat the mammal before it's put out to the ocean?
BOULDEN: Well, one of the experts said very clearly that it's interesting, whales have very deep red blood and that part of the fin is very thin. So it's like getting a cut on your head -- it looks a lot worse than maybe it really is.
NGUYEN: OK.
BOULDEN: You would see a lot of red, deep red blood and you'd see a lot of blood on the surface. So, I think that, yes, of course, the vet will have a better look at the whale if, in fact, it is sedated. They could certainly treat it before they put it out into sea.
NGUYEN: Well, yes, you go through all this trouble to make sure it gets safely out to sea, you definitely don't want anything to happen to it because of injuries that perhaps could be treated. Jim, obviously, we're going to stay on top of this. Just really fascinating. And everyone likes to see a good ending. Hopefully this will be, once those rescue crews get the whale onto a barge and out to sea. And, of course, we'll be checking in with you, as well. Thank you for that update. Now, let's get an update on the weather with Bonnie Schneider -- hi, Bonnie.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: And we do want to tell folks, look at the bottom left- hand corner of the screen. We are going to be following this whale rescue...
HARRIS: Whale cam.
NGUYEN: You know, yes, it's a whale cam. But, you know, I think we've got to find a name for this whale. You know, this whale has become a part of us.
HARRIS: Well, you know...
NGUYEN: I don't know...
HARRIS: Willie is used.
NGUYEN: Maybe Thames, since it was in the Thames River.
HARRIS: It's in here...
NGUYEN: Tim, Timmy, something like that.
But hopefully this works out well for the whale. And you can see a lot of people are interested. Not just us, but look at all those people on the banks, Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, David Clinch, is that the Chelsea Bridge we're seeing there just below?
I'm yelling over to the international desk and no one's listening to me.
You see there are a bunch of folks lined up on the bridge. And this is part of the reason, because this is kind of -- a bit of must- see TV right here.
NGUYEN: Well, this has really never happened there...
HARRIS: Folks care about this.
Right. Right.
NGUYEN: ... for a whale to get into the Thames River and just be swimming around, hoping for a way out, or someone to rescue it.
HARRIS: And, you know, the whale is a little disoriented.
NGUYEN: Yes, and sick, maybe.
HARRIS: Perhaps sick.
NGUYEN: Because we -- we're talking about a little bit of blood that was coming out of one of the fins there.
HARRIS: Right. OK.
NGUYEN: But hopefully that will all be taken care of and this whale will be put out to sea alive and well. And we'll be following it, so stay tuned.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at these live pictures. We fired up the whale cam and we're going to be following this rescue as it happens throughout the morning.
This is in the Thames River in London, as a wayward whale apparently is hurt and disoriented. Crews are trying to get it back out to sea and to safety.
Stay tuned, because we're going to follow every little development in this rescue -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK, it is down to pro-football's final four. And by the end of the weekend, we will know who will play in perhaps the biggest sporting event in the world, the Super Bowl.
What we know already is none of the final four sits atop of the "Forbes" magazine list of the NFL's most valuable football teams.
So what happened to show me the money?
Let's bring in the author of "When the Game Is On the Line" and CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow for some answers, a whale of a guy. Pardon me.
As usual, he joins us from West Palm Beach, Florida -- Rick, good to see you. Rick, are you there? Rick, what are you doing?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, no, I'm kidding.
HARRIS: What are you doing, buddy?
HORROW: I want to see -- where's the whale? I'm looking for the whale.
HARRIS: There -- oh, wait. There's the whale cam. Take a look now.
Can you see it now? Do you see it now?
HORROW: Yes, yes, yes. HARRIS: OK.
HORROW: Yes, I got him. I got him right there. Thank you very much. No more whale jokes. Can we get through this?
HARRIS: Thank you.
HORROW: Is that OK? I appreciate that.
HARRIS: Well, exactly.
HORROW: Yes.
HARRIS: Take a look at this list. Let's put it up here right now full screen.
HORROW: All right.
HARRIS: The "Forbes" top five most valuable teams, NFL franchises. The Redskins number one. The Cowboys -- we're talking in the billions here for the first three here. The Patriots at $1 billion. The Eagles, Houston. Only two of those teams, Rick, made the playoffs, the Redskins and the Patriots.
All right, what's your takeaway from this?
HORROW: Well, first of all, it's not that bad, because the NFL, because of its system of salary cap and revenue sharing is really the only league that's the gold standard of pro sports and it allows teams that weren't very well, good last year to be great this year. Half the teams that made the playoffs this year weren't in them last year.
When you look at that list, the Dallas Cowboys were one play away this year from making the play-offs. The Philadelphia Eagles, where a bunch of injuries and a Terrell Owens mouth from doing a little better.
But the economics are critical. The average franchise value of all 32 teams, by the way, about $815 million, a 12 percent increase over last year. Ten years ago, the revenues per team were about $75 million and players were making $600,000 average.
HARRIS: Wow!
HORROW: This year, $190 million and players, on average, making $1.3 million.
So, Tony, with your astronomical salary, if you scrape up $800 million, I'll go in with you to buy an NFL franchise.
HARRIS: Yes.
Appreciate it. And we'll build that stadium and we'll really roll in the bucks.
Limited star power, it looks like, for this year's Super Bowl is a guarantee. Let's do a little show and tell here.
Only one of the top 25 highest paid players is still in the play- offs and he's a defensive end.
HORROW: Yes.
HARRIS: Grant Wistrom?
HORROW: Yes, Wistrom, hey, but -- and the bottom line is there are, you know, players like Sean Alexander, Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis, who are in top jersey sales who are in. But there are a lot of teams that are not.
Does the NFL care, as you know?
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: No, not really, because the Super Bowl is still a premium buy. Television ratings mixed this year. Even so, the 15 average rating on a weekend is 60 percent higher than the whole set of prime time averages for the whole week.
HARRIS: Really?
HORROW: That's why the NFL gets a $17 billion TV boom, even with the Super Bowl being the premium buy.
Now we go to Detroit. We talk about the Super Bowl, corporate America.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: $2.5 million for a 30 second spot. It's a whale of a league.
HARRIS: Nice, nice.
HORROW: Yes. Sorry.
HARRIS: All right, let's get to the real business here. I know we've got a slight wager on the line, I think. I'm not sure. Picks ...
HORROW: Well, we do, for this.
HARRIS: How did we do last week? What do you want to go to first, my picks or Rick's picks, and get the record as to where we stand? How did you do last weekend?
HORROW: Let's move this along, OK? I was 50 percent because I went out on a limb and for the first time in a couple of years, you're fairly close. And I understand what Eddie has up on the board. You're one game ahead of me. But we still have three games to go, so let's stop.
HARRIS: I mean, if you need some help with this weekend's games, just let me know. OK, whose picks are we going to first? Throw it up there. All right, so three wins, one loss. OK, that's my record. OK, the weekend...
HORROW: Today. Hurry up.
HARRIS: All right...
HORROW: Let's go.
HARRIS: ... who are you picking, Seattle or Carolina?
HORROW: Well, it's going to be Seattle, I think, this, the first time they go to the Super Bowl in history.
HARRIS: OK.
HORROW: They're very excited about it. Even if Sean Alexander is not 100 percent, the defense is much better.
HARRIS: All right, and I'm taking Carolina in that game.
What about in the other game, Pittsburgh?
HORROW: Well, I changed my mind on that one, because Pittsburgh, I think, is overdue. I think Denver looks like they're a favorite going in but, you know, the Steelers have been the sixth seed.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: It's the first time they've gone that far. I think it's going to be Pittsburgh and I think it's going to be Pittsburgh and Seattle in the Super Bowl...
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness.
HORROW: ... which would be a big deal in Detroit.
HARRIS: All right, that's OK. Great, great, great, because I'm taking Carolina and I'm taking Denver. All right, there you go. See you next week. We've got to get back to the whale.
HORROW: All right, man.
HARRIS: OK?
HORROW: Yes, sir.
NGUYEN: I was about to say, you know, I'm picking team whale, because I think this is a winning combination here. We're taking a look at live pictures of the device that they're trying to put underneath the whale that, as we understand from Jim Boulden, is going to inflate and then they'll get it over to a barge and send it out to sea.
But we're going to have whale cam up all morning long for your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, here's our question this morning. The whale has taken over the show. So, it might as well be our e-mail question, as well.
What would you name this wandering whale? And don't ask us. We don't know if it's male or female. Just tell us what you would name it. Who cares if it's male or female? What do you think it should be named? We're going to go ahead and name it this morning and you're going to help us.
E-mail us, weekends@cnn.com. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right, Betty, here's where we stand right now. Well, you know, we're going to try to lift...
NGUYEN: This whale up...
HARRIS: ... the whale...
NGUYEN: ... and onto a barge.
HARRIS: And we're taking ownership of the whale.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
HARRIS: We're going to be with this whale all morning long, OK, so...
NGUYEN: Not only that, but we're going to try to name the whale.
HARRIS: Ownership with a name.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: OK. So...
NGUYEN: But we need your help from that.
HARRIS: And so is that the e-mail question, what would you name the stranded...
NGUYEN: Yes, what would you name the wandering whale? And we've already gotten a couple of names from folks around here. And, you know, the funny thing is, they don't ever listen to our e-mail questions until this one came up and everyone swarmed us.
HARRIS: And now, yes.
NGUYEN: Well, I want to name it Tim, I want to name it Chelsea...
HARRIS: Tim. Well, you named -- what did you name the whale?
NGUYEN: Timmy.
HARRIS: Timmy? That's...
NGUYEN: I don't even know if it's a guy.
HARRIS: That's so cute. Fathead is a contender.
NGUYEN: Fathead.
HARRIS: And there are a couple of others here.
NGUYEN: Lost.
HARRIS: Yes, Lost is another.
So there it is. There's the e-mail question. Should we put it up there?
NGUYEN: Let's do it one more time.
HARRIS: What would you name the wandering whale? Weekends@cnn.com, and we'll read some of your thoughts in just a couple of minutes.
NGUYEN: I'll tell you, we're tackling all the tough issues this morning.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Stay tuned for the Web cam -- the whale cam.
All right, in other news today, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is here in Atlanta. It is the latest stop on the Finding Our Folks tour. That tour is visiting the cities were displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors are currently living.
Now, the effort is to reconnect those displaced by Katrina with their families and communities. The tour is also meant to explore and discuss the conditions that led to the devastating impact of Katrina.
HARRIS: It has been nearly five months since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for from New Orleans alone. By way of perspective, that's more than were killed on 9/11.
CNN Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen picks up the story from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): For weeks, search teams went into the hardest hit areas. And when they couldn't find bodies, they sent in cadaver dogs. Since the hurricane, more than a thousand bodies have been recovered in Louisiana, yet nearly 3,000 people still are unaccounted for. People like Viola Eaton.
(on camera): This is the block that Viola Eaton used to call home. Somewhere in here was her house. But now, almost five months after a wall of water flattened this neighborhood, Viola Eaton is still among the missing.
SUSIE EATON, MOTHER MISSING: Not knowing is the thing that is really mind bothering, not knowing. I need closure.
ROESGEN (voice-over): Susie Eaton says she needs answers. Louisiana's medical examiner, Dr. Lewis Cataldie, does too. He's asking that search teams be sent back to look again for hurricane victims, focusing on about 400 specific addresses where people are listed as missing.
DR. LEWIS CATALDIE, LOUISIANA MEDICAL EXAMINER: You can go into a house and furniture is piled on top of furniture. And there's sludge in these houses. And you may have thought that you, indeed, had cleared a house, and in reality it wasn't cleared. And so we've going to go back to take another look.
ROESGEN: When we told Doctor Cataldie about Susie Eaton's mother Viola, he took notes and promised to help her. With a sample of Susie Eaton's DNA, he might be able to identify one of the bodies at the state morgue that have baffled him for weeks.
CATALDIE: I've got about 75 people right now who I have absolutely no clue who they are. I mean none.
ROESGEN: Cataldie and others believe that most of the people on the missing list have already been found alive, but their families have forgotten to take their names off the list.
Not Susie Eaton. Doctor Cataldie would like to put her mind at rest.
(on camera): Why not just say we're never going to be able to find these people?
CATALDIE: Would you want me to give up on your mother? And I don't want you to give up on mine.
ROESGEN: Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right, former FEMA chief Michael Brown admitted to being slow in getting hurricane relief to New Orleans this week. And the self-blame didn't stop there.
Last night, in an exclusive interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said if he had a chance to do it all over again, he would have done some things differently, too. He said he should have responded more immediately when National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield called him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: When I got that call and he was so emphatic and so passionate, we had never -- this city had never done a mandatory evacuation in its history. I immediately called my city attorney. I said look, in the morning, I don't care what you have to do, figure out a way for us to do this.
I wish I had done that earlier.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So, what about those proposed new lobbying rules, or old rules, for that matter?
NGUYEN: Yes, how did lobbyists end up with so much power on Capitol Hill? And will limiting what can be spent on gifts, trips or even meals really make a difference?
We're going to take a closer look.
And we are also following, as you see there, live pictures of the whale rescue that's underway. We're learning more information about the condition of this whale, that this is a critical phase, obviously, trying to get it onto a barge and out to sea. But the whale is injured and we're going to be learning more throughout the morning, details on those injuries and, indeed, how critical the situation is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Once again, the Thames River in London. Very close to the Chelsea Bridge. You can't see it from this view from the helicopter picture. If it pulls back, you'll see that a lot of people have lined up, very concerned, curious onlookers trying to figure out just what's going on with this stranded, confused, disoriented whale.
Now, we've been having a little bit of fun with it this morning, but the fact of the matter is, is that the whale is disoriented by virtue of the fact that it's not in the North Atlantic, it's in the Thames River.
So we'll continue to follow this rescue and bring you the developments and we'll keep a little picture below there in the box so that you can watch it yourself as we go throughout the morning here.
Still ahead, talk about a diehard football fan. One Pittsburgh Steelers' enthusiast was so into last week's play-off action, he almost lost his life watching the football game. Meet Terry O'Neill. The unfolding drama landed him in the hospital after suffering a heart attack. The Steelers fumbled the ball on the two yard line late in the game, but held on to win.
Will doctors let him watch another potentially heart-stopping game this week?
Terry O'Neill joins us live tomorrow on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There is a bipartisan movement underway on Capitol Hill, sort of. As Republicans and Democrats try to beat each other jumping on the lobby reform bandwagon, CNN's congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, takes a deeper look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stampede is on to see which political party can clean up Congress faster.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We are here today as Democrats to declare the independence of Congress from lobbyists.
HENRY: Hoping to capitalize on the growing Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, Democrats made a big show of signing a pledge to bring integrity back to Capitol Hill. And nervous Republicans who have been rocked by the Abramoff revelations are scrambling to out- reform the Democrats.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Private travel has been abused by some and I believe we need to put an end to it.
HENRY: The rhetoric on both sides has the ring of sinners vowing they've found religion.
Here's how they got to this point. There was former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's trip to Scotland to play golf at the historic St. Andrew's. The trip, which included DeLay's wife and two staffers, cost more than $70,000, more than $10,000 of that for meals alone.
While DeLay has been dogged by allegations Abramoff improperly helped bankroll that trip, lawmakers in both parties are frequent travelers at the expense of organizations that want to influence government policy.
Republican John Boehner, who's running on a reform agenda to replace DeLay as majority leader, has been on 39 trips in the last five years, worth more than $157,000. Boehner has had winter stops in golfing meccas like Scottsdale, Arizona; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Pebble Beach, California.
Senator Evan Bayh, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, has taken 45 trips worth almost $170,000, including $8,000 for a week long trip to Hawaii for a conference on U.S.-China relations.
Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert now wants to end all privately funded travel and limit gifts from lobbyists to $20.
Democrats want to up the ante, by banning all gifts.
But watchdogs wonder if senators might be corrupted by a $50 steak, how can they still accept thousand dollar campaign contributions from the very same lobbyists? CHELLIE PINGREE, COMMON CAUSE: It's important that they get rid of gifts and it's important that they get rid of travel. But, frankly, it's minor compared to the importance of changing the way we finance elections and reducing the corruption of the influence of money in politics in Washington today.
HENRY: The disparity is absurd to some veteran politicians.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MISSISSIPPI: Some of it is outrageous. I mean now we're going to say you can't have a meal for more than $20? Where are you going, McDonald's?
HENRY (on camera): Critics note that Congress already has rules that some lawmakers chose to ignore. So new regulations will be meaningless unless they're strictly enforced.
Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we're going to talk more about those regulations, at least the ones that are being proposed.
But we also wanted to remind you that on the screen we're still following the whale rescue that's underway right now near London, as they try to get that whale onto a barge, treat it for its injuries. And we're going to find out a little bit more about how critical those injuries might be, and then hopefully off to sea and back to a happy life out in the ocean. So we'll stay on top of that.
But in the meantime, so what about those proposed new rules, or old rules, for that matter? Will they make a difference?
Joining us from Washington is Paul Miller, the president of the American League of Lobbyists.
We appreciate your being with us this morning.
PAUL MILLER, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN LEAGUE OF LOBBYISTS: Well, thank you for having me, but I'm not sure I can compete with the whale story today.
NGUYEN: I know. Everyone is just glued to this whale story. And we all want to see a happy ending, so we'll stay on top of that.
Let's talk about some of these proposals. There are six in particular that we want to run through with you and get your take on them. One is banning privately funded travel, meaning no more trips to Scotland to play golf and things of that such.
What do you think about that idea?
MILLER: Well, I think what the speaker is talking about has some merit to it, because there does appear, at least through the Abramoff case, that there has been some abuses through the travel.
I would hate to see that all travel be eliminated because a lot of these trips are very valuable to members of Congress...
NGUYEN: Like how? Give me an example why it's valuable that a lobbyist pay for a trip for a lawmaker to take?
MILLER: No, I'm not saying a lobbyist pay for a trip, but for a lawmaker to take a trip that may be funded by a company or even the government.
If you want to fix this problem, there's two ways to do it. One, you ban all publicly funded travel and you make the congressional committees pay for it that have jurisdiction over the issues that are then vetted through the Ethics Committee to make sure that they're not junkets.
So that solves your problem very quickly. Otherwise, you put very strict restrictions on these publicly funded trips that, again, it has to be vetted through the Ethics Committee. There has to be very detailed reporting to make sure that it's not paid for by lobbyists.
But if you really want a quick fix to this, ban the travel and make the congressional committees pay for it and make the Ethics Committee vet them to make sure that they're legit.
NGUYEN: All right, let's get to some of the other ones.
Another is extending a waiting period for legislators to become lobbyists, meaning that once they step down from office, they have to wait. Right now, I believe it is one year. They want to double this to make that waiting period two years.
Is that really going to make much of a difference?
MILLER: I'm not so sure it is. And I think none of what's being proposed, either in the current form in the legislation or in the principles that have been outlined by the Republicans and the Democrats, are going to mean much right now unless we start with enforcement.
Until Congress creates some sort of enforcement mechanism in any principle or in any current legislation, this is going to be meaningless because we have some rules and nobody can honestly say that the rules are currently broken until we look to enforce them. And they're not being enforced now.
NGUYEN: Yes, and that's one of the big questions, who is exactly going to enforce these? And what is the penalty for breaking these rules? That hasn't been defined, has it?
MILLER: No. I mean right now there's a $50,000 fine for violations to the Lobbying Disclosure Act. Again, I don't think you have anybody shaking in their boots right now because nobody is enforcing that.
What Congress is proposing is upping that fine to $100,000. Again, I don't think you're going to see anybody running scared, because you're not imposing the $50,000 fine. What makes you think you're going to enforce the $100,000 fine?
NGUYEN: All right, you talked about running scared.
Is this idea something that's going to make some folks be really not happy the a new plan and possibly even running scared? Because some folks are talking about an outright ban on gifts, period, from lobbyists.
Is that going to eliminate corruption or is that taking it too far?
MILLER: Well, I think we're taking it too far and we're making a big issue out of, really, nothing here. And I think -- I applaud Senator Trent Lott for coming out with his comments.
If you really think that members of Congress are being bought and, for, even, say, a $20, $50 or $100 meal, I think you're kidding yourself and you really -- people haven't spent enough time here to understand the process.
And if you can be bought for that little amount of money, what does that say about you as a person?
NGUYEN: And there's another one here that I find interesting, a ban on adding -- and I'm jumping ahead -- special interest provisions into legislation without a committee review. So you can't just throw something in there, kind of sneak it through, without a committee looking at it.
What do you think about that idea?
MILLER: Yes, but I'm not sure that needs to be in lobbying reform legislation. That just is a simple House or Senate rule, internal rules that they can create. You don't need to legislate that. The leadership on both sides can come to agreement on that, that that's going to be what they're doing.
I think we're trying to load this up with so many different provisions that cross over lobbying reform into campaign finance reform; and, quite frankly, into House and Senate internal rules.
NGUYEN: But don't you agree, quickly, that something has to be done?
MILLER: I'm not sure so sure yet. I like some of the ideas about creating a commission to look at the current rules. If there are abuses, we would like members of Congress to work with the lobbying profession because, you know what? Jack Abramoff is truly not the norm. He is somebody who broke the law. He lied, he cheated and he stole from his clients. That's what not what we do and that's the perception the public is getting and it's the wrong perception.
NGUYEN: Paul Miller, the American League of Lobbyists, thanks for your time today.
We appreciate it. MILLER: Thank you. Good luck to the whale.
NGUYEN: Yes, I know. We'll be watching. Actually, Tony, have you got the latest on this?
HARRIS: Well, yes, I've got a bit of an update on the whale.
Here's what we have. Injured, confused, disoriented bottle-nosed whale there in the River Thames in London. And as you can see, what's happening now is that the rescue effort and the team there is bringing the whale as close to the shore as possible.
And I've just been told that one of the options that's being considered right now is that they will take a crane, lift the whale out of the water, place it on the truck and then transport the whale to the mouth of the River Thames and then, you know, lower the whale back into the water and hopefully shoo it to sea.
So that's one of the options that's being considered right now. We will continue to take a look at the scene and from time to time we will squeeze the box, put it in one of the corners there so you can follow the rescue attempt and all of the efforts of those folks who are working on that whale for yourself.
We'll take a break right now and come back with more of CNN SATURDAY MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, progress is being made on this wayward whale that found itself in the Thames River. As you can see, the yellow floating device is around the whale and they were pouring some water on it just moments ago.
They're going to get it hoisted up and onto a barge. They're also going to check out the injuries that the whale has and see if that's something that needs to be treated immediately, and then hopefully get it out to sea just as soon as possible.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: We will keep on top of all of this with our little whale cam that we're going to have up all morning long.
HARRIS: That's right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And just another reminder. We are standing by waiting for a news conference to begin at the top of the hour. Live pictures right now from Melville, West Virginia on the rescue efforts for two trapped miners. We're expecting to hear from the state mine safety chief, Doug Conaway, Jesse Cole with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and West Virginia's governor, Joe Manchin.
That's at the top of the hour when that happens. We'll, of course, bring it to you. We'll take a break and come back with more CNN SATURDAY MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And as you take a look at the live pictures of the Thames River and what's going on there as they try to rescue this whale and get it to open water so it can swim back out to sea, our e- mail question of the morning, we're adopting the whale.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: We need a name. We need a name. What would you name the wandering whale?
NGUYEN: Chris says: "Will, for will to live." I like that one.
HARRIS: That's good. That's good.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: And Rayma says: "I have the perfect name for a wayward whale. What about Wrong Way?"
NGUYEN: Oh, right.
HARRIS: I know.
NGUYEN: And Karl says: "Wanda, the Wandering Whale."
And hopefully she'll be wandering -- if it's a she, or a he, it doesn't matter -- out to sea, back where it has to be so it can live a happy life. But first, they need to tend to those injuries and determine exactly how critical they are.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: So, we'll stay on top of it throughout the morning. You'll want to stay here for that.
HARRIS: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Family and friends awaiting news, holding out hope, as two miners remain trapped underground in West Virginia. It's a developing story that we are following this Saturday morning, January 1st.
From the CNN Center, good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. We're expecting a briefing in just a few minutes. But first, let's get you up to date on other headlines now in the news. The world is anxiously awaiting word this morning on the fate of hostage Jill Carroll, the American journalist kidnapped two weeks ago in Iraq. On Tuesday, her captors set a 72-hour deadline for the release of female Iraqi prisoners. A closer look at Carroll's work in Iraq, and why many Iraqis are upset about her abduction, is coming up in about 15 minutes.
The Palestinian parliamentary election is still four days away, but take a look at this new video. About 60,000 Palestinian security forces have begun casting their ballots today. They're allowed to vote early so they will be at their posts to provide security for the general voting on January 25.
And British authorities have decided it's time to act to save a wayward whale in the Thames River. The injured bottlenose whale has been undergoing -- Do we have those pictures, live pictures? OK -- an examination for the past hour or so while rescuers decide how best to return the animal to the ocean.
Stay with CNN as we monitor this unfolding story.
NGUYEN: We begin this hour, though, in Melville, West Virginia, and the desperate search for two missing coal miners. We're awaiting the start of a news conference at the scene. Rescuers are using every tool at their disposal to locate the two men, who failed to emerge with the rest of their crew when fire forced them to flee the Aracoma Alma Mine late Thursday.
Now, CNN's Bob Franken is live in Melville, West Virginia, with the latest on this update. Any idea what we may hear from this news conference, Bob?
FRANKEN: No, and as a matter of fact, they've been very, very close-mouthed about reporting anything, obviously, because things got so out of hand at the Sago Mine with the false news that was so tragic that got out there.
But the governor and his entourage has not arrived yet for this briefing. Before the briefing, they always talk to the members of the family and friends who are up the road at the church, where they've all gathered.
You used the word a moment ago, a desperate search, and that's a fair word. But at the same time, it's extremely methodical, rescue teams working, inching their way through these mineshafts. And this is a massive mine.
We heard at the last briefing that they had drilled a hole, which gives them the chance for observation, for air, it gives them the chance to put in other devices. There's a device that they use that is expected to look for audio cues. They literally bang on the roofs of the different shafts, and it's, as I said, a big mine. It extends from over there to over there literally under our feet here.
In any case, we do know from the briefings that we've had over the last 37 hours now, that they've been successful in putting out the fire that started all this, that caused the two men who they're searching for to go missing, while the others got out.
We do know that they are now able to enjoy some visibility, they, the rescuers, that they were not able to before. And I can point out, as you're seeing, that the weather has become a factor here. It's raining lightly, but all of this becomes that much more slippery.
No word, no word that there's been any significant development. The governor and his group, as I said, have not arrived. But when they do, they'll go into a special room that is set up and give us still another briefing, Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, we have a live picture of that site where the briefing will take it place. I have to ask you, though, about carbon monoxide inside the mine. I know when rescue crews went in to go after these two miners, there was an issue of the carbon monoxide levels. And as we've saw at the -- as we've seen at the Sago Mine tragedy, that was another issue there. What are the -- and what are you being told about the levels of carbon monoxide inside this mine?
FRANKEN: First of all, they don't compare it to the Sago Mine to -- for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this is much more massive. Second of all, they have brought it under control. It never was as high a concentration as it was. It's something that is a product, of course, if there is a fire. And it is very deadly. It is one of the deadliest concerns in what can be a very deadly business, as we all know.
The carbon monoxide, they've reduced the levels that are manageable. In fact, they say that in many of the sections where they're looking, there is none, that it is air. And, of course, that is a reason for hope, because perhaps, there's a belief, the two men have found one of those shafts and are just waiting to be rescued.
NGUYEN: Yes, that is very good news, and definitely a sign of hope. And we are waiting anxiously to hear what is to be learned in this news conference. And as soon as it happens, we are going to take it live right here on CNN. In the meantime, Bob, we thank you for your time. We'll be checking back with you.
HARRIS: Now to the latest in the war on terror.
There's another taped message reported to be from al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The tape comes on the heels of last week's deadly attack in the Pakistani mountains, where al-Zawahiri was thought to be, but no conclusions can be drawn as to when the tape was produced.
Meanwhile, in the first audio message we've heard from Osama bin Laden in more than a year, he puts it bluntly, another terrorist attack in the United States is in the works.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): I would also like to say that the war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq. Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters. A mujahadeen were able to overcome all security measures in European countries, and you saw their operation in major European capitals. As for similar operations taking place in America, it's only a matter of time. They are in the planning stages, and you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: Despite the warning, the nation's threat level remains unchanged. How real is the threat?
Joining us now from Washington is Peter Bergen, author of "The Osama bin Laden I Know."
Peter, good to talk to you, good to see you.
PETER BERGEN, AUTHOR, "THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW": Good morning.
HARRIS: Well, I have to ask you first and foremost, we're, we're -- we seem to be suggesting that this tape is authentic, it's a done deal. Is it for you? Do these tapes seem to ring true to your ear?
BERGEN: Well, CIA has confirmed their authenticity. And I, you know, I met bin Laden in '97, and it seems like his voice. So there's -- I don't think there's any doubt about their authenticity.
As to, you know, this claim that there are plans in the works to attack the United States, I don't think that's news. Al Qaeda's been planning to attack the United States almost from its inception back in the -- in 1988. You know, bin Laden really started thinking about attacking the United States or Americans in the early '90s, so I don't think that's huge news.
Are we likely to be attacked by al Qaeda in the same way that we had -- saw those similar attacks in London or Madrid? I think the short answer is, you know, it's a matter of -- you know, by the law of averages, they're going to get an attack through the -- through our defenses over time. But, I mean, I think they've been severely damaged in the post-9/11 time period. I don't think they're capable of anything on the scale of 9/11.
Certainly, they're capable of more attacks like we've seen in major European capitals, which bin Laden referred to in the tape, where you're killing, you know, 56 people in London, 191 people in Madrid. The al Qaeda ideological movement is certainly capable of that.
HARRIS: Right. Hey, Peter, then what is the real news in these tapes?
BERGEN: Well, the biggest news is, bin Laden's alive.
HARRIS: Yes.
BERGEN: There was a lot of ill-informed speculation, because we hadn't heard from him for a year, that maybe he was dead, or he had life-threatening diseases. This is all nonsense. There was no evidence he was dead. He doesn't -- he's not suffer from any life- threatening diseases. He's, you know, unfortunately, alive and well.
HARRIS: Yes. How do, how should we think of bin Laden and Zawahiri at this point? I mean, in the case of bin Laden, is he still running al Qaeda strategically, logistically, operationally?
BERGEN: I think, you know, the short answer is no. He's not obviously picking up his satphone or cell phone and calling in instructions to people. But through the medium of these videotapes and audiotapes, which are seen around the world, you know, we've had, by my count, 19 tapes from bin Laden, and you just flashed on the screen 16 tapes from Ayman al-Zawahiri.
HARRIS: Well, then...
BERGEN: So -- since 9/11. So these guys between them have released, you know, more than 35 tapes, or 35 tapes. And on these tapes there is sometimes specific instructions about attacking President Musharraf, for instance, in Pakistan, or attacking members of the coalition in Iraq. I think that was one of the reasons we had attacks in Spain and London, because, of course, the United Kingdom and Spain have been members of the coalition in Iraq.
And, of course, the message, you know, just broader strategic messages, you know, pumping up their base, attack Westerners, attack Jews, attack Americans.
So, sure, they're not in operational control, but they're in ideological control through the medium of these tapes. We've had an, on average, about one tape from al Qaeda's leaders, from the top two, every six weeks or so. And this...
HARRIS: Right. Well, Peter, let me ask a real basic question here. Why, with all the capabilities of the U.S. military, the capabilities of the coalition forces, why have we been unable to capture Zawahiri or bin Laden?
BERGEN: It's a problem of finding one person. You're in Atlanta right now, right?
HARRIS: Yes.
BERGEN: OK. Well, you remember, of course, the Atlanta centennial bombing by Eric Rudolph. Eric Rudolph, it took five years for the FBI to find him. He was the subject of the most intense manhunt in, you know, American history.
HARRIS: Yes, that's true, yes.
BERGEN: And he ended up, you know, he was found a few miles away from basically where he grew up. So take the problem of finding Eric Rudolph, and extend it to the Afghan-Pakistan border, and times it by about 100, and you've got the problem of finding bin Laden. He's got a network of people he can rely on. He is -- the people around him are not motivated by money. They think of him as a, you know, incredibly significant religious figure. And he's not making obvious mistakes.
Since he's a human being...
HARRIS: Right.
BERGEN: ... he will make a mistake eventually. And by the -- and we will find him eventually. But it's already four years into it, and we haven't found him.
HARRIS: OK, Peter Bergen. Peter, good to talk to you, as always. Great to see you.
BERGEN: Good morning.
HARRIS: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
NGUYEN: Stories across America this morning.
Former president Gerald Ford is spending a second weekend in the hospital, being treated for pneumonia. He was initially expected to be released earlier this week, but doctors decided he needed more therapy. Ford's chief of staff says the 92-year-old is responding well to treatment, and we are scheduled to get another update on the former president's condition just a little bit later this morning. We'll bring that to you.
In Alaska, there's concern the Alaskan pipeline may be targeted by terrorists. A recent Web site posting purportedly linked to al Qaeda is calling for militants to attack the 800-mile pipeline. Federal authorities won't say if they are beefing up security in light of that threat.
And check out this partially constructed tunnel.
No, that's not it either. But we'll put those -- there it is.
Mexican authorities say they discovered it under the U.S. border heading into San Diego. U.S. Customs agents say it could have been used to smuggle drugs or people from Mexico into the U.S. It was even, Tony, hooked up with electricity.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Interesting.
HARRIS: Really.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Air conditioning?
NGUYEN: I don't know about that. Electricity...
HARRIS: Just saying...
NGUYEN: ... is ...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: It's crazy.
No word yet on the fate of American journalist Jill Carroll. Her family and friends are pleading for her release coming up. You might be surprised at who else is calling for her safe return.
NGUYEN: And running for a cause. After 90 hotels, five pairs of running shoes, and resistance from local police, he is beating the odds by running across America. And we are going to tell you why next hour.
HARRIS: And it is hungry and disoriented. We're continuing to monitor the wayward whale rescue on the Thames River in London this morning.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday.
As we take a look at the map, you'll find outbreaks of the flu across much of the country. Widespread outbreaks in the Southwest, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, with only no activity reported in South Carolina.
The rest of the country is reporting sporadic or regional outbreaks of the flu so far this season, and local activity in the northern tier of the U.S.
That's a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday. Have a great weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Here's a quick check of our top stories today.
Rescue teams in West Virginia are still searching smoke-filled tunnels looking for two missing miners. They were trapped by a fire on Thursday. Now, our reporter on the scene this morning says officials think it's likely air is still available to the miners. But we're hoping to hear more at a briefing that should be under way any moment, live there in West Virginia. And we'll bring that to you when it happens.
Now, to Pakistan. It is cold, snowy winter in the area, and it's causing more concern at the U.N. Officials worry a spring thaw could trigger landslides and floods in the Kashmir earthquake region, a place that really doesn't need any more trouble. To avert flooding, relief workers are setting pumping stations in key areas.
In Iraq, election results show that Shiites won the biggest number of seats in the new legislature, but not enough to govern without coalition partners. Sunni Arabs, who were virtually shut out of the outgoing assembly, scored major gains this time around, and will have more influence.
HARRIS: There is still no word on the fate of American hostage Jill Carroll. It's been two weeks since the freelance reporter was abducted from a Baghdad neighborhood. A delegation from the Council on American-Islamic Relations arrived in Baghdad yesterday to push for her release.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi official says he expects several jailed Iraqi women to be released soon. Carroll's abductors had demanded the release of all women detained in Iraqi prisons by the U.S., or else Carroll would be killed.
CNN's Michael Holmes has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For the sake of all Iraqis, asking you to release Jill the journalist. For the sake of an old man.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Voices on the streets of Baghdad in support of Jill Carroll, a reporter who, in many ways, is not your ordinary Western journalist in Iraq.
She's been here more than two years, spent much time with the local community, speaks Arabic, dresses in Muslim clothing when out, and is known for her stories about the suffering of the Iraqi people.
And so we have seen an almost unprecedented level of local coverage of her kidnapping. Equally ubiquitous, calls for her release, calls that cross the usual sectarian divides, Shias and Sunnis saying the abduction of Carroll was, quite simply, wrong.
AZZA HUSSEIN, IRAQI CITIZEN (through translator): I feel pain that happened in my country. I feel like she is my daughter who was kidnapped, because they are all like our children. I feel like I was wounded.
HOLMES (on camera): It is redundant to say that this is a dangerous place for Western journalists. Dozens have been kidnapped, dozens have been killed.
Many media organizations have been forced to take extraordinary security measures. Some journalists rarely leave their guarded offices, but not Jill Carroll.
(voice-over): While she lived in a hotel with other Western journalists, she routinely left, dressed in the Islamic hijab. She'd travel in local unarmored cars without guards. She told colleagues she felt safer blending in. The work she's been doing, explaining the plight of ordinary Iraqis, resonates even with those who never met her. Her photograph, her plight, front-page news in the Iraqi capital.
SADEO SHAHID, TEACHER (through translator): Although I'm not one of her relatives, but when I heard about her abduction, I felt pain, because she is my sister human.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I do not think those kidnappers are Iraqis or Muslims. She's only a woman who was doing her job and showing the true image of this country, no matter if it's positive or negative. All Iraqis are denouncing this terrible act.
HOLMES: And this from the imam of a Sunni mosque.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Not only women, but all kind of abductions are wrong. Human is a human, no matter if he's a Muslim or a non-Muslim. People who are not from this country should be safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Please release the journalist Jill for the sake of humanity.
HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: U.S. troops in Iraq may soon be feeling a bit safer. The Army has signed a $70 million emergency contract to rush ceramic body armor to the front lines. Earlier, a Pentagon study found that more body armor, especially side armor, could have saved dozens of U.S. lives in Iraq. The new armor could be shipped out later this month.
HARRIS: Are you feeling down this, you know, gray flannel...
NGUYEN: It could happen.
HARRIS: ... skies making you -- you know, short days, nasty weather can make anyone have the winter blues.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: But for thousands of Americans, it's a lot more extreme. Coming up on "HOUSE CALL," Elizabeth Cohen shows us the signs of winter depression, starting at 8:30 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Want to say good morning, speaking of cold outside. Chilly Chicago, ooh...
HARRIS: That's the kind of stuff talking about...
NGUYEN: ... it just looks cold.
HARRIS: ... right there. NGUYEN: Yes, right there, winter blues. Well, don't let the cold weather get you down. We have your complete weather forecast in about three minutes.
CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
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NGUYEN: OK, if you think it's cold where you are, take a look at this. Extreme cold temperatures are keeping western Russia in a deadly deep freeze. That's right. Five more weather-related deaths are reported in Moscow overnight. Not good news. That brings the number of freezing deaths to 76 in the past week.
Moscow's emergency medical service says an additional 19 people are being treated for hypothermia. That is extreme cold, something, thankfully, that we're not dealing with right now
(WEATHER FORECAST)
NGUYEN: All right, Bonnie.
You know, we are still following the story of the whale, that wandering whale. There that a -- here are live pictures of the rescue crews trying to get it onto a barge and then off to safety out in the open waters, but it's taking a while for this to happen.
HARRIS: Well, keep the whale wet. Yes, I -- and here's the thing. They're, and they're considering a couple of things. What they're thinking about doing right now is bringing the whale close to shore, using a crane to lift the whale out of the water, put it on a truck, and then take it to the mouth of the Thames and drop the whale back in the water, and hopefully the whale will swim on out to sea.
But they've been in this position, kind of a holding pattern now, for the last, oh, 15, 20 minutes. Not sure what is going on here now. But we'll continue to follow it.
Here's our e-mail question of the morning. We're just, you know, we're -- we love this story.
NGUYEN: Everyone is...
HARRIS: We love this story.
NGUYEN: ... watching the whale, hoping for the best, yes.
HARRIS: Right.
NGUYEN: So we kind of take ownership of it...
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... at least the name of it.
HARRIS: We want to name the whale, and have your help in naming the whale. So that's the question. What would you name the wandering whale?
Catherine from Corpus Christi writes, "What about Thampest?"
Hey, I like that.
NGUYEN: With the "th."
HARRIS: Yes...
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: ... "though I doubt he'd fit in a teacup" ...
NGUYEN: No.
HARRIS: ... "he sure is causing a stir." That's pretty good, Cathy.
NGUYEN: Yes. And this one from Jack in Georgia, "It is obvious to me that the whale is 'Wandering Willie.'"
What's not obvious is if the whale's a he or she. But you know what?
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: It doesn't matter. We all are hoping for the best here.
HARRIS: "HOUSE CALL" is next. Elizabeth Cohen has a preview.
ELIZABETH COHEN, HOST, "HOUSE CALL": Thanks.
Blustery weather, long nights, and cloudy days. Welcome to winter. For millions of Americans, January and February are the worst months of the year. They suffer from winter depression. This morning, we're talking with an expert about battling the blues, from prevention to treatment. That's coming up at 8:30.
NGUYEN: Looking forward to that.
And at 9:00 Eastern, facing local police, extreme weather, and fatigue, one man overcomes the obstacles. That's the man, Jonathan Prince. He's going to join us live to tell us why he's running more than 2,000 miles, trying to make a difference one step at a time.
HARRIS: And we are continuing to monitor the situation at the West Virginia mine. We're awaiting a news briefing, and we'll bring that to you when it happens, right here on CNN.
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