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CNN Live Sunday

Wet Weekend in Northeast; Bracing for Hurricane Season; Medical Care for Illegal Aliens

Aired May 14, 2006 - 17:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's all about immigration reform for President Bush tomorrow night as he addresses the nation. A preview from the White House ahead. And a wet weekend for those in the Northeast. We've got the latest on those rising flood waters coming up. And would you shop for a puppy online? Lots of people do, but is it a good idea? We investigate.
Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY, I'm Brianna Keilar in for Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.

A wave of violent attacks leaves 32 dead in Iraq. One of the largest, a suicide blast near a checkpoint on the road leading to Baghdad's international airport. Fourteen Iraqis were killed and six others wounded. Other blasts leveled six Shiite shrines. East of Baghdad, two U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb today. That brings the official death toll of American soldiers killed in Iraq to 2439 since the war began.

Vice President Dick Cheney's handwritten notes are the focus of the CIA leak investigation. A prosecutor released the notes written across a copy of newspaper op ed article, across a copy of a newspaper op ed article raising questions about why former ambassador Bill Wilson (ph) was sent to Africa. The documents are part of the perjury case filed against Cheney's former chief of staff Scooter Libby.

Just hours away from losing big bucks. Millions of seniors who miss the midnight Monday deadline for signing up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit program stand to lose money. Anyone who signs up after the deadline faces a 1 percent penalty per month.

And on high alert and getting out of harm's way. Thousands of Indonesian residents are fleeing Mount Merapi. The volcano could erupt at any time and lava is already pouring from fissures. Merapi is one of Indonesia's most dangerous and active volcanoes.

Treacherous weather conditions across New England today. Torrential rains have put several states under water. Conditions in Massachusetts are so bad the governor has declared a state of emergency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MITT ROMNEY, MASSACHUSETTS: The state of emergency is a statewide activation and the reason for that is that we want to be able to call on National Guard resources wherever they're needed. The state of emergency of course brings attention to our homeowners to watch the roadways, watch their basements and watch the news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Senator Ted Kennedy got a taste of that stormy weather. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democrat says a plane that was carrying Kennedy to Cape Cod was hit by lightening yesterday. The Cessna aircraft lost all electrical power including communications and the pilot had to fly the plane manually. The flight was diverted to Connecticut where it landed safely.

And New Hampshire's governor has also declared a state of emergency. Water is flowing over some dams there. A dam in the town of Milton could give way, releasing a 10-foot wall of water. Residents downstream are evacuating and 20,000 sandbags are being sent to flooded communities though more rain is in the forecast.

For the latest on the storm, let's get to meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey Brianna. Well we could be looking at another one to three inches of rain before all is said and done. It's really felt like the spring without any sunshine in New England, hasn't it? Unfortunately, the showers continue to push on down and the worst of the weather is really focused just north of the Boston area, extending through southern parts of New Hampshire and into southern parts of Maine, really kind of confined to this I-95 corridor area where the worst of the weather has been.

You can see a new round of showers that are going to be pushing into the Boston area, mostly just on up to the north here within the next half an hour and that band is going to be pretty consistent. It could be dumping a good half an inch of rain plus per hour. Flood watches and warnings remain in effect. In fact, most of Massachusetts under a flood warning. There are dozens of rivers that are flooding and expects to be cresting over the next couple of days, very very saturated ground in place here as we've had an area of low pressure offshore that just didn't want to budge throughout much of the week. We've got high pressure in place across the Canadian maritime and those two factors are working together to bring in all that moisture from the Atlantic and bring in the copious amounts of rainfall.

Now we've got another system that's kind of a good news, bad news scenario because this system is going to help knock out that low and finally move it out of here. But unfortunately that low moving in is also going to bringing in some more wet weather with it by tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime today, that system is bringing in some severe thunderstorms across parts of the Carolinas and into the Appalachians. We've got two warnings in place right now in North Carolina, Washington and Bertie (ph) counties, both under tornado warnings at this time. There you can see the watch which remains in effect as well as a severe thunderstorm watch to the north and to the south of there. One other watch to talk about, brand new one. There you can see across southern and central parts of Texas until about 11:00 tonight. Big time problems at the airports around Houston and other parts of the east as a result of the system. We'll tell you more about that before the end of the hour. Brianna.

KEILAR: Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center, thanks for that Jacqui.

The nation awaits President Bush's oval office address tomorrow night. It's expected he'll order National Guard troops to patrol the expansive U.S.-Mexican border, the front line for illegal immigration. CNN's White House correspondent Elaine Quijano has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By laying out his views Monday night, President Bush hopes to nudge the House and Senate closer together towards an agreement on comprehensive immigration legislation. That means possibly offering conservative Republicans in the House something they have long called for, tougher border security measures. Senior Bush aides say the president is considering an enhanced role for the National Guard in securing the U.S.-border with Mexico.

STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: It is not about militarization of the border. It is about assisting the civilian border patrol in doing their job providing intelligence, providing support, logistics support and training and these sorts of things.

QUIJANO: But already, the idea is sparking debate.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R) NEBRASKA: I am concerned that we have so overstretched our military, overstretched especially our National Guard, that I'm not sure what capacity they would have. That's not the role of the National Guard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: National Guard reserve. And we're stretching them pretty thin now. We're going to make a border patrol out of them?

QUIJANO: A senior Bush aide says any decision made will not affect military operations overseas or hurricane preparations. At the same time, President Bush is showing no signs of backing away from his support for a temporary guest worker program. The Senate is poised to move ahead on a bill that includes such a provision, but conservatives remain adamantly opposed to the idea, calling it amnesty. The Bush administration rejects that label, saying the program would mean illegal immigrants who want U.S. citizenship would have to earn it.

HADLEY: There are things they will need to do, requirements that they will have to meet, and they will have to go to the back of the line, not at the front of the line to reflect those who have proceed in the lawful way.

QUIJANO: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist who supports bringing in the National Guard as a short-term solution, believes Congress can reach a compromise. SEN. BILL FRIST (R) TENN: Yes, I'm absolutely convinced. Right now this discussion has matured over the last four to five months. Now people realize unless you in some way manage the magnet which attracts people to this country, no matter how tall that wall is, people going to continue to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now the White House calls this crunch time and a senior administration official acknowledges that for the president to help bring about a compromise is going to be a quote heavy lift and now a reminder that this debate over illegal immigration is being watched very closely outside the U.S. Just a short time ago, the office of Mexico's president, Vicente Fox, confirmed to CNN that the president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, did in fact call President Bush today to express concern about the possible militarization in the office of the president's words, of the border with Mexico. Of course we heard Stephen Hadley say just a moment ago this is not militarization. This would mostly be a support role. Important to note, at this point, officials are not saying whether in fact President Bush has even decided on this. Brianna.

KEILAR: Elaine, let's also talk for a second about the NSA domestic wiretapping and data mining controversy. What are people in Washington saying about that today?

QUIJANO: Well this morning, we heard the president's national security adviser Stephen Hadley make the rounds on the Sunday talk shows. He again defended the U.S. government's intelligence activities as lawful. Now his comments of course are coming just days after that article in "USA Today" that said that the National Security Agency is collecting the phone records of tens of millions of Americans. Now critics say that is an invasion of privacy. They question the legality of such a program. But without confirming or denying details in that story, Mr. Hayden -- Mr. Hadley, rather said that non-identifying information about Americans' phone calls can in fact be legally shared with the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HADLEY: The Supreme Court has held that calling records, information, phone numbers called, date, duration of call, is not protected by privacy. And there are lawful ways under a variety of statutes and procedures by which this information can be shared with the Federal government. So this is not a privacy issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: That renewed debate about the NSA comes just days before the confirmation hearings for General Michael Hayden, the president's pick to be the next CIA director are set to get under way. General Hayden of course used to head up the NSA and senators are promising some difficult questions for General Hayden about the U.S. intelligence activities. Brianna.

KEILAR: Elaine Quijano at the White House. Thanks for that report.

CNN will be covering the immigration story gearing up for the president's speech tomorrow night. Carol Lin has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After nationwide rallies, Monday's focus moves back to Washington. CNN will have extensive coverage of the story beginning with "AMERICAN MORNING." Ed Lavandera will be on the border in El Paso, Texas. Bob Franken reports from Ohio where one county is taking a hard line stance against illegals. Live reports throughout the day from Capitol Hill, as lawmakers resume debate on immigration reform. And we'll be pushing towards the president's oval office address. Evening coverage gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Then find out what Lou Dobbs has to say on the subject followed by "LARRY KING LIVE." At 10:00 p.m. Eastern, join Anderson Cooper live from Chicago. Stay with CNN all day Monday for immigration nation coverage. On TV, CNN.com and CNN.com's Pipeline.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The island nation of Indonesia is on high alert right now for the expected eruption of Mount Merapi. Thousands live in the path of this very active volcano which you can see is already blowing off steam and embers. But experts say that's only the tip of the proverbial volcano. CNN's Stan Grant reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Merapi, the fiery mountain is rumbling. Thick, hot smoke billowing from its crater a warning to the tens of thousands living in its deadly shadow. Authorities have raised the alert to code red. It could erupt at any time. 4,500 people on the island of Java have been evacuated. That number could rise to as many as 22,000. The old, the young, carrying whatever they can, worried about their future.

TRANSLATOR: I am bored here but I cannot go back to my home because the authorities told us that the volcano is becoming dangerous.

GRANT: Some are refusing to move, clinging to the hope the volcano will not erupt, others already hoping to return home.

TRANSLATOR: Our animals are abandoned back in our village. My husband is head of the milk cooperative so he has to return home.

GRANT: The local Javanese are no stranger to Mount Merapi's fury. The 3,000 meter, nearly 10,000-feet high volcano has erupted before. The last time in 1994, 60 people dead; 1,300 killed in 1930. It is known as the most menacing of volcanoes in the Pacific's so-called ring of fire, a series of fault lines stretching from the western hemisphere through Japan and on to southeast Asia. The fear is that a dome of lava on the mountain's surface could collapse. Part clouds of ash, rock and volcanic gas would then be propelled down the mountain at hundreds of miles an hour. Even from where I'm standing here at night you can see fire coming from the core of this volcano. Now for the locals, once a year they actually make offerings to the mountain. They take jewelry, even live animals, to the crater. Now that's to try to appease the volcano. Now all they can do is look on and hope that it stays calm. Stan Grant, CNN, Jakarta, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Much more ahead this hour, including a closer look at Grand Isle, Louisiana. See how this barrier island is preparing for hurricane season 2006.

Plus, thousands of people buy puppies online every year. But beware, what you see on the web may not be what you get.

And later, what's the best way to go on vacation with your luggage? Our Richard Quest investigates. All that and much more ahead on CNN SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Beaten, but not broken. A barrier island in Louisiana that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina is slowly, but surely, getting back on its feet. Now residents are bracing for a new hurricane season just weeks away. Reporting from Grand Isle, Louisiana, here's CNN's Sean Callebs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Louisiana, it's the end of the road, a nugget of a barrier island called Grand Isle, the Cajun Riviera, a great getaway for the Malbroughs.

BARBARA MALBROUGH, GRAND ISLE RESIDENT: It has fishing, every kind of seafood that you can eat. The people are great. We love it.

CALLEBS: It is also the only developed barrier island in Louisiana. From the air you can still see the blue roofs, a reminder of hurricane Katrina. But locals know it could have been a lot worse as the cleanup continues. Arguably the highest point in the region is a grim testament to the amount of damage Katrina inflicted on Grand Isle, a mountain of splintered plywood, aluminum siding and other debris from homes. Local residents here know they could get hit hard again this year. But for many it is a chance they're willing to take.

MALBROUGH: Yeah. We had a little bit of damage over here.

CALLEBS: Living with sun and sand also means preparing for the worst. Look at this satellite image of Katrina bearing down. Here is Grand Isle. It's hard to believe it survived at all. And remember, Katrina simply flattened its neighbor to the east, Waveland, Mississippi.

AJ MALBROUGH, GRAND ISLE RESIDENT: We were very fortunate. If we'd have been 40 miles further this way we wouldn't be sitting here talking because there wouldn't be nothing left. DR. SHEA PENLAND, COASTAL SCIENTIST: I don't think people really appreciate how extreme the conditions were on the eastern isle wall on the east side of that storm.

CALLEBS: Shea Penland studies the coastal region for the state of Louisiana. Millions have been spent to pump sand and extend beaches, as well as adding rocks and dunes, an expensive form of supposed protection.

PENLAND: You know, those are the kinds of questions people keep asking, is it worth it.

CALLEBS: Some 1,500 people live on the island year round. The population swells to around 15,000 in the summer.

PENLAND: The whole idea of this project is to protect these homes from the direct over wash from the hurricane surge coming across the island, into the bay.

CALLEBS: A direct hit from a hurricane nearly wiped out this region in 1893. This nearby cemetery damaged by Katrina, a lasting memorial to the 1,150 or so who died in that storm.

BARBARA MALBROUGH: It's a way of life. You know. We know the chance you take when you buy something here. We know that it might not be here next season.

CALLEBS: So even on a day like this, families like the Malbroughs can never let the "what if" scenario drift completely away. Sean Callebs, CNN, Grand Isle, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: We're used to buying clothes or music online. But puppies?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER PURA, BOUGHT DOG ONLINE: We really thought that that there was a chance just because we loved him enough and cared for him enough and it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. He was so sick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Buyer beware. Watch our report before you point and click on that cute little doggie in the Internet window. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Remember the song "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" well, now the Internet is that window. More and more people are buying dogs online. But there is a danger that could break your heart and your budget. CNN's Greg Hunter investigated for "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do the Osbournes, known for their hit MTV show, have in common with actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and singer Jon Secada? They all bought dogs from the same place, a company called the Wizard of Claws, also known as Celebrity Kennels. It is run by this couple, Jim and Gilda Anderson. They offer what they describe as "top of the line tea cup and toy size dogs" on the Internet and claim annual sales of up to $5 million. They also claim to be the nation's premier supplier of puppies to the stars. Look at all the celebrities featured on their Web site who bought their dogs.

You would think with a celebrity clientele like that, the dogs would come from a really posh, exotic location. In actuality, they come from this store, located in a strip mall just outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Now don't get me wrong, the dogs they sell are really cute. But, some have real problems.

JENNIFER PURA, BOUGHT DOG ONLINE: Parasites, (INAUDIBLE) vomiting, diarrhea.

HUNTER: Jennifer Pura of California wasn't prepared for the sick dog she got from the company, a Shitzu named Tucker. He cost $3,500 and an extra $5,000 in vet bills in just a year.

PURA: They overwhelmed us. I mean we are still in debt from those bills.

HUNTER: To make up for some of the costs, the Wizard of Claws offered her this Yorkie, pictured on its Web site free of charge. Pura trusted them, because after all, they have an impressive celebrity clientele.

PURA: If it's OK for them, then it is certainly OK for me. It's not the case. Not the case at all.

HUNTER: The new dog named Romeo, arrived at the airport extremely sick. Vet care immediately topped another $5,000 of which the company paid $1,200. Pura tried to nurse the puppy back to health.

PURA: You know, we really thought that there was a chance just because we loved him enough and cared for him enough and it -- and it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. He was so sick.

HUNTER: Romeo died within a month.

DEBORAH HOWARD, COMPANION ANIMAL PROTECTION SOC: When you go do a reputable breeder you're not going to find a lot of dogs that have kennel cough. They have (INAUDIBLE).

HUNTER: Deborah Howard heads the Companion Animal Protection Society. Her non-profit group goes undercover to expose inhumane treatment at puppy mills where dogs are bred in mass quantities.

HOWARD: We've seen dead frogs in water, dead rats. HUNTER: She claims many dogs, sold on the Internet, come from places like this, where conditions are often unsanitary and crowded. How much oversight is there when you buy a puppy on the Internet?

HOWARD: There is very little oversight because Internet breeders are not regulated as it stands right now by USDA or any kind of government agency.

HUNTER: At all.

HOWARD: At all.

HUNTER: Yet buying a dog on the web is a growing trend. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says, 150,000 dogs are bought online annually. But, online you have no idea who you're buying from. Take, for example, the Wizard of Claws, which, remember, also goes by the name Celebrity Kennels. They're not a breeder, but they sell dogs online. CNN has learned Jim Anderson is a convicted drug felon. In 2003, his facility was slapped with six Federal violations under the animal welfare act for things like providing poor vet care and selling animals too young. Now, the Florida attorney general has opened an investigation into the company and several dissatisfied customers have filed lawsuits. And, there is even this -- a Web site called stopwizardofclaws.com. Former Miss Florida, Shannon Ford, started the site after her pug, that was supposed to be a miniature, no more than 8 pounds, grew to 25 pounds. She claims Jim Anderson, not only sells sick and defective dogs, but has also lied about their origin, age, registration, and size. He's now suing her for $4.4 million to shut her site down. Do you think stopwizardofclaws is a little rough on some guy trying to make a living?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you saw the complaints that I had I don't think you would think that.

HUNTER: And what about some of those celebrity customers? Are they happy? You paid top price.

JON SECADA, SINGER: Yes.

HUNTER: Did you get a top dog?

JON SECADA: I don't think we did. I don't think we did.

MARI SECADA, JON SECADA'S WIFE: We still love him.

JON SECADA: Absolutely. He's a great dog.

HUNTER: Singer Jon Secada and his wife Mari (ph) bought their first family dog, Sunshine, from Celebrity Kennels last August. He was supposed to be perfectly healthy. But instead, had kennel cough for more than a month and a tooth problem that cost about a thousand bucks to fix.

MARI SECADA: It was causing a lot of bruising at the bottom. Bruising and bleeding. HUNTER: The Secadas say they were also told their dog came from a specialized breeder. But CNN has discovered, Celebrity Kennels actually bought their dog Sunshine from an online auction.

JON SECADA: That's the problem. We didn't know exactly where our dog came from.

HUNTER: Would you buy another dog there?

MARI SECADA: Definitely not.

JON SECADA: No, I don't think so. Not this celebrity.

HUNTER: As for the other stars? A spokesperson for Jennifer Love Hewitt told CNN her dog had several health problems that needed vet care. However, the Osbournes told us the dogs they received were perfectly fine. To see first hand, we decided to order a dog from Celebrity Kennels. About three weeks later, he arrives by plane to Atlanta. We have our dog. He appears friendly and alert. How you doing? His shipment was delayed because the company told us they wanted our dog to get over kennel cough and an upper respiratory infection. We go directly from the airport to a vet. Here is Champ!

Dr. West Hemrick (ph) of Sugar Hill Animal Hospital in Georgia agreed to check out Champ. The good news? Our dog has no parasites, worms or other abnormalities. But there is this. Our puppy still has a cough and has watery eyes, which the vet says are signs of sickness. In your estimation as a vet, could I have just taken this dog home and given it to my kid?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not without being perfectly healthy.

HUNTER: We wanted to interview Jim Anderson about our dog and others. Hey, Jim? Greg Hunter, CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No comment!

HUNTER: What do you have to say to all your unsatisfied customers around the country? He didn't talk on camera but on the phone, he told us he doesn't sell sick dogs. He says shipping causes a lot of stress and out of 9,000 sales in five years, he estimates only about 8 percent generated complaints. Among those who complained? Jennifer Pura, her dog Tucker still has health problems.

PURA: I'm constantly worried that there is something wrong with him. Which is not how it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be fun and it's supposed to lighten up your life and it's made it sad and hard.

HUNTER: And as for our dog, Champ? Good news. He was adopted by a vet at Dr. Hamricka's (ph) clinic.

(on camera): You going to love him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course.

HUNTER (voice-over): Region Greg Hunter, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: You can see more stories like Greg's on "PAULA ZAHN NOW," that's weeknight's at 8:00 Eastern, Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

A roadside bomb kills two U.S. soldiers in eastern Baghdad today. Two-thousand four-hundred thirty-nine American troops have died in the Iraq conflict so far.

Roads like rivers, heavy rains force hundreds of Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents to evacuate. States of emergency have been declared in both states. A full weather report just ahead.

And tomorrow at midnight is the deadline for an estimated 5 million Americans still eligible to sign up for Medicare's new prescription drug plan. Critics say the various plans are too confusing for many senior citizens.

And residents near the Mt. Merapi volcano in Indonesia are on high alert. Experts say it could blow at any moment. Thousands have been evacuated.

Mexican President Vicente Fox is concerned at the prospects of U.S. National Guard troops on the border with Mexico. Mr. Fox telephoned President Bush about the proposed plan. Mr. Bush is expected to announce his border plan tomorrow night.

And the president and first lady are back at the White House. Mr. Bush will finalize preparations for his prime time address on illegal immigration tomorrow night. And CNN will bring you the most complete coverage, start to finish, beginning bright and early at 6:00 a.m. Eastern with AMERICAN MORNING and continues throughout the day and evening.

You're at the airport, and the bagged are checked. Will you and your luggage be on the same flight? Ahead, our Richard Quest investigates the mystery surrounding lost luggage.

And later, Prince Harry on parade. We'll tell you why the young royal was marching through the streets of London. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Headlines from around the world. An American teen wounded last month in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv has died. Sixteen-year-old Daniel Wultz died from organ failure today. His body is expected to be flown home to Westin, Florida, tomorrow. Including Wultz, 11 people were killed in the attack.

At least 52 people are dead after a wave of uprisings and attacks at police stations and prisons in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Authorities believe a powerful criminal gang is behind the violence. According to Brazilian media, some 73 separate attacks have occurred since Friday evening. And Britain's Prince Harry traded his military uniform for a dapper suit today as he marched with thousands of other soldiers in an army parade. The 21-year-old newly commissioned army officer joins the ranks of the regiment who placed a wreath in London's Hyde Park in tribute to Britain's war dead.

You're leaving on a jet plane. But is your luggage coming with you? The odds improve at one of the world's busiest airports. CNN's Richard Quest explains in this "Best of CNN."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hong Kong International Airport. Gateway to Asia. And home to a technological revolution. For the 40 million passengers a year who check in, at HKIA, which was voted the world's best airport in 2005, lost and misrouted bags are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Because on each baggage tag is a microchip. It has all the details the airport needs to know to get your luggage safely from A to B. It's called radio frequency identification tagging. RFID to those in the business. Phase one of the tagging system at HKIA cost $6.5 million and has set a precedent for testing and implementation in other airports worldwide.

YIU FAI WONG, TECHNICAL SERVICES, HKIA: This is a typical RFID label. What we call. And actually the chip is in the middle. And this is where the intelligence is.

QUEST: But what's so different between RFID and bar coding?

ANTHONY CONCIL, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: If you have a misplaced piece of baggage today, someone has to go out and physically stand next to it or the bag has to pass physically in front of a reader before we know where the bag is. What RFID will do is it means that the bag proactively says "I'm here," and then we can go out and find it much more quickly.

QUEST: RFID offers some beguiling benefits for carriers. Such as bulk scanning, a much higher reading accuracy. Ninety nine percent could become the norm. And the companies behind the new technology stress how easily it can be integrated within the existing baggage structure.

ELIE SIMON, CEO, TAGSYS: The beauty of RFID is that nothing has to be changed in order to introduce this processes in the airport. It's just we simply add a little bit of electronics on the luggage tag and we put reading system station all the way through.

QUEST: Little tags. Lots of electronics. They don't come cheap. And that's slowing down the implementation. The tag costs around 10 cents. Then there is the capital investment. Scanners on each carousel. Check-in desks and those transit points. They're all big capital items at a time when efficiency and cost cutting are the buzz words. Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: Who pays when illegal immigrants need medical care? You do. But a new law wants to change that. Our Sanjay Gupta takes a look next.

And it's been a wet weekend in the Northeast. Will the rain be gone by your morning commute? That story is coming up, but first, a brief hurricane lesson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. We're just 18 days away from the start of hurricane season. Here's your hurricane 101 factoid for today. As hurricanes come on shore, unfortunately, big trees are often affected. The high winds from the storm can knock down and topple over trees and tree branches. But also, the drenching, saturating rains can just drench the soil and, unfortunately, that can also cause the trees to topple over and do damage not only to homes but to power lines. If you'd like more information on hurricane 101, just go to cnn.com/weather. CNN is your hurricane headquarters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Each year, millions of people come to live in the United States legally. But there are also up to 11 million people who are here illegally. How do they get basic services like medical care? CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been finding out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Araceli has been coming to this clinic since she first arrived to the United States seven years ago. It is here that she was first diagnosed as anemic, not having enough red blood cells. That was probably causing her dizzy spells. The doctors took good care of her. And today she brought her daughters, Rachel (ph) and Ashley (ph). Here, Araceli is a typical patient. Like 95 percent of the people who come here, she has no insurance, and no citizenship. She crosses the Rio Grande River and found her way to Atlanta, illegally.

ARACELI, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: Translator: I am undocumented. Life here is difficult. But it is thanks to these clinics that we can come to visit a doctor, because otherwise it is very costly for us to visit certain doctors.

GUPTA: As illegal immigrants, Araceli and her two young daughters don't qualify for Medicaid. They rely almost entirely on the generosity of the St. Joseph's Clinic. They do pay what they can, but it isn't much.

DR. WILLIAM REEVES, ST. JOSEPH'S MERCY CARE SERVICES: A lot of our patients are uninsured. So a combination of whatever resources they have and whatever we can offer.

GUPTA: Last year it cost around $1 million to run this clinic. Less than a third came back in patient billing. It's a business model for bankruptcy, and this is just one example. At least 9 million people are uninsured and undocumented. Many of them don't pay taxes into system that provides their health care. Still, in the United States, emergency treatment is available to all people, regardless of immigration status, regardless of insurance status, regardless of whether they can pay.

DIANE ROWLAND, KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION: An immigrant coming in from passing out in a classroom or in a work situation may be stabilized in the E.R. However, if that individual needs chemotherapy or ongoing treatment, they are unlikely to be able to get that.

GUPTA: Things are about to get harder for people like Araceli. As things stand now, an illegal immigrant doesn't have to provide any documentation to qualify for Medicaid. But as of July 1st, all immigrants have to provide proof citizenship, something Araceli may never be able to do. Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood of Georgia, a former dentist, co-sponsored the new provision. In a statement given to CNN he says, "Far too many of the current flood of illegal immigrants are swamping America's social safety net. These law breakers demand cradle to grave free comprehensive health care gained through fraud and paid for by American taxpayers."

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the law will save the government $220 million over five years and $735 million over 10 years. Tom Andrews, the president of St. Joseph's Clinic, thinks it is immoral for hospitals to turn their back on illegal immigrants.

TOM ANDREWS, ST. JOSEPH'S MERCY CARE SERVICES: These are people in our community. They are our community. We need to take care of them.

GUPTA: Other experts say the bill may simply be short-sighted and end up costing taxpayers even more.

ROWLAND: When people delay or postpone care, they often end up sicker and as a result, end up in hospitals where they may be more costly to care for than had we cared for their condition early on.

GUPTA: As for Araceli and her daughters, without this clinic, it is not likely they could find the simple health care they really need. And that is one of those nagging issues at the center of the immigration debate. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Stay with CNN for complete coverage of the battle over immigration. Tomorrow we'll have an entire day of coverage devoted to this important issue beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

There is wide spread flooding in New England right now. Let's go right to the CNN Weather Center and meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui, what do you have for us?

JERAS: Well, very unstable conditions all across New England at this hour, Brianna, and the rain continues to pour in to the region, especially north of the Boston area across northeastern Massachusetts, into southeastern parts of New Hampshire and Southern Maine. And this rain is going to be quite consistent throughout the rest of the evening hours, and then we'll likely taper off a little bit tomorrow in the morning. But pick it back up again tomorrow night once another system moves on through.

We told you about all the rivers which are flooding at the top of the hour as well as the Milton Pond area. Very concerned about a potential dam break there. And very good reason why. Look at these numbers. These are rainfall totals in the last 30 hours. Cape Neddick, Maine, the heaviest amount at more than 10 inches or rainfall. Totals likely by tomorrow afternoon could range in the 12 to 15-inch range. And you can see over the next 24 hours we are expecting right in that tri-state area an additional one to three inches of rain on top of what you already have.

There is a little bit of hope in the future. We're looking for much dryer conditions by the middle to latter part of the week. But showers do remain in the forecast, including the Boston area, for tomorrow and into Tuesday. We're also concerned about severe thunderstorms at this hour. We've got watches in place across the mid Atlantic states, down through the Carolinas and Georgia. And also we just had a report, a public report of a tornado, actually a spotted report of a tornado near Hillsborough, that's in Orange County, North Carolina. Back to you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Jacqui, thanks for that update.

And we've got a lot more ahead on CNN at 6:00. America's funniest dad isn't so funny tonight. Strong words as he talks about the state of black America.

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BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: We are many, many things. We are the weakest. We are the strongest. Within ourselves. There are tons and tons of examples of those who were down as low as anybody can be in terms of having a foot on your throat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Bill Cosby also talked about empowering women now. And we'll have more on this exclusive interview next at 6:00.

And at 7:00 Eastern, making sense of the Medicare maze for seniors facing tomorrow's plan D deadline.

And still ahead this hour, a big problem for the L.A. Zoo. How to make the elephants, the taxpayers and the animal lovers happy. That story is next.

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KEILAR: The problem with pachyderms has mired many of the nation's zoos in controversy. Jen Rogers has more from Los Angeles in this "Best of CNN" report.

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JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If some animal rights groups have their way, seeing an elephant at the Los Angeles Zoo will be a thing of the past.

CHRIS DEROSE, LAST CHANCE FOR ANIMALS: Kids come here, they don't see elephants. They see a shell that looks like an elephant. They don't see elephant behavior, they don't see the environment of an elephant. It is all artificial and it is wrong.

ROGERS: Chris DeRose is one of several activists leading a campaign against a controversial new elephant enclosure for the L.A. Zoo. The city council approved a plan for a new $39 million, 3 1/2 acre facility, although it could still be blocked by a bill in the state legislature that requires even more space for the animals. Supporters of the plan say it is an educational opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

TOM LABONG, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMAN: We can't get on an airplane and fly to some spot. There is really only a few places you could see an elephant in person and all these children here in Los Angeles and Southern California will be able to experience it first hand here. They would miss it if it was not here.

ROGERS: But critics of the plan charge the zoo's elephants, who can roam up to 50 miles a day in the wild, still won't have enough space. They fear that could lead to health problems and even death. And the hefty price tag has created an unlikely alliance between animal rights groups and fiscal conservatives.

KATHERINE DOYLE, ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I want to let you know that the taxpayers of Los Angeles do not want to spend $40 million on this elephant exhibit.

ROGERS: A zoo bond and private fund raising will help pay for the facility which will include a variety of environments, including a swimming hole and a mud area.

JOHN LEWIS, DIR. LOS ANGELES ZOO: When we break it down to a square foot, it is about $204 a square foot. In the L.A. market, that's a bargain. But that is a big part of what drives it here. L.A. construction right now is very expensive.

ROGERS: Still, the Nashville Zoo built a comparable enclosure for around $5 million last year. And the Oakland Zoo, also faced with the high cost of doing business in California, built its enclosure for just $10 million back in 1998.

(on camera): Regardless of the final figure, some argue any cost is too high for a city already strapped for cash. While others contend a visit to the zoo and seeing your first elephant is priceless. Jen Rogers, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Thanks for watching. And stay with us. There is much more ahead on CNN, including today's edition of pioneers. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): MIT scientists Hermano Eagle Krebbs (ph) and Neville Hogan are using robots to help stroke victims with brain injuries regain movement. Their arm robots have already helped patients move shoulders and wrists, enabling them to do things they couldn't do for themselves, like shower or put on clothes.

NEVILLE HOGAN, MIT: It is not just a matter of moving. We are seeing something that looks like we're influencing a change in the brain. I think that's probably the most important thing we've seen so far.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now they're focusing on the lower extremities with ankle bots, which they hope will not only help patients walk again but also help avoid dangerous falls after strokes. The robots work by providing a video game on a screen which prompts users to perform an exercise.

HOGAN: If they don't make that movement within a certain period of time, then the robot will initiate it. If they do make the movement within that period of time, the robot goes along and helps them. So what is happening is the visual display invokes the intent to move. A short time later movement actually happens. And that sensory information comes back up to the brain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A future goal is to one day have an entire robotic gym for all parts of the body.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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