World News Tonight (ABC) - 2005-12-31
Channel: malgent
Transcript
Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)
[0:00] Visit midnight. Partly cloudy skies.
[0:01] Happy New Year.
[0:02] >> Perfect.
[0:04] See you tonight maybe. Have fun. Be
[0:06] safe.
[0:07] >> [laughter]
[0:09] [music]
[0:11] >> From ABC News headquarters in New York,
[0:14] >> [music]
[0:14] >> this is World News Tonight.
[0:18] Good evening. I'm Don Dahler. It is a
[0:20] miserable New Year's Eve for millions in
[0:22] the West as record rain triggers
[0:24] flooding and mudslides. And another even
[0:27] more powerful storm is on the way.
[0:29] That's our top story. First, the rest of
[0:31] the headlines.
[0:33] Tinder dry. Texas and Oklahoma face the
[0:36] threat of more wildfires. Why officials
[0:38] there are calling the latest weather
[0:40] conditions catastrophic.
[0:42] On the sidelines, the big-time college
[0:44] coach accused of discriminating against
[0:47] her players, gay or not. The wounds are
[0:50] deep.
[0:51] And saving baby Noor, US troops arrive
[0:53] back in the states with the little girl
[0:55] who won their hearts.
[1:00] All that in a moment, but we end 2005
[1:03] with a very familiar theme, and that is
[1:05] wild and dangerous weather. Tonight in
[1:07] northern California, record rains have
[1:10] rivers running over their banks, major
[1:12] roads are closed, and mudslides are a
[1:14] constant threat. All that from a storm
[1:16] that struck last night. And now a second
[1:19] more powerful one is bearing down on the
[1:21] West Coast. ABC's Brian Rooney is near
[1:24] the town of Guerneville, California
[1:25] tonight.
[1:29] >> The rivers are flooded, roads cut off,
[1:31] mud is sliding, and there have been some
[1:34] dramatic rescues.
[1:36] In Santa Rosa, one home was destroyed
[1:38] and one damaged by a mudslide. This
[1:41] woman counts herself very lucky. It took
[1:44] some effort to get one of the homeowners
[1:46] out.
[1:46] >> It took a little time just because of
[1:48] the extent of mud that came in through
[1:49] the house.
[1:50] >> The big storm front moved through last
[1:52] night, dropping as much as 6 in of water
[1:55] in some places. Rivers continue to rise
[1:58] as runoff comes down from the hills.
[2:02] In the badly flooded town of San
[2:04] Anselmo, a swiftwater rescue team had to
[2:06] save a woman trapped in her car by
[2:09] rising water.
[2:11] Outside Guerneville on the Russian
[2:13] River, residents whose homes were cut
[2:15] off were ferried to shore.
[2:17] >> We knew the water was coming. That
[2:18] wasn't a surprise. It was just We didn't
[2:20] expect it to be this high this quickly.
[2:22] >> And near Sacramento, a helicopter was
[2:24] used to rescue a woman from the bed of
[2:26] her truck.
[2:27] >> Ma'am, did you get notified about the
[2:28] flood warning? Yes, you did.
[2:30] >> In Healdsburg, also on the Russian
[2:32] River, the fire department went
[2:33] door-to-door warning people to be ready
[2:36] to go.
[2:37] The city of Reno, Nevada, always in
[2:39] danger, has been hit by the worst
[2:41] flooding it's had since the big floods
[2:43] of 1997.
[2:45] Back here in Guerneville, California,
[2:47] the water is still rising, expected to
[2:49] crest tomorrow. And people along the
[2:52] low-lying streets are getting their
[2:53] possessions out.
[2:56] >> Now, this road leads to a bridge across
[2:58] the Russian River just over there. I
[3:00] walked across it last night. On both
[3:02] sides are vineyards that are now covered
[3:04] with water. For the last few hours, the
[3:06] sun has been shining on this disaster,
[3:08] but another storm is due in tomorrow
[3:10] night, Bob.
[3:12] >> Brian Rooney in Northern California,
[3:14] thanks. Now to the Southwest where an
[3:16] exceptional drought has left portions of
[3:18] the Texas-Oklahoma border parched and
[3:21] ripe for more severe wildfires. 2005 was
[3:24] the fifth driest year on record in North
[3:26] Texas, and Oklahoma's rainfall was about
[3:29] a foot below normal. Add in hot, dry
[3:32] winds this weekend, and fire officials
[3:33] in those two states say they are facing
[3:35] catastrophic conditions. And the
[3:37] forecast isn't offering much hope. ABC's
[3:40] Steve Osunsami is in Pink, Oklahoma
[3:42] tonight.
[3:44] >> Do I need to try to get additional units
[3:45] in there where you're at?
[3:46] >> Firefighters in rural Pink, Oklahoma are
[3:49] worn out.
[3:50] >> Can't see nothing. Can't Can't breathe.
[3:53] Just kind of fighting fire in the dark.
[3:55] >> They've worked all day, they've had to
[3:56] hike to the flames, and they'll work all
[3:58] night. The forecast is not what
[4:00] firefighters or residents are wanting to
[4:03] hear. It calls for high afternoon winds,
[4:05] which help to spread the flames, and not
[4:07] a single drop of rain.
[4:09] >> We're in a terrible drought, and I don't
[4:12] anticipate that our
[4:14] fire season is going to be going away
[4:16] anytime soon. We've got a long long road
[4:18] ahead of us.
[4:19] >> Tonight, authorities are begging
[4:21] residents to keep their fireworks unlit,
[4:23] in their wrappers, and indoors. Linda
[4:26] Gray, who has sold fireworks for the
[4:27] past 20 years, is doing her part. She
[4:29] closed the store.
[4:31] >> It will cost me some money, but it's I
[4:33] would far rather have that happen than
[4:35] have the cost of something going up in
[4:37] smoke.
[4:38] >> The dry conditions have put hundreds of
[4:40] communities in two states on edge.
[4:45] Outside Dallas, the members of a local
[4:47] flying club have taken to the skies.
[4:49] >> Some drop toward uh
[4:51] Blue Mound.
[4:52] >> To help firefighters spot the flames.
[4:55] >> If I see something, I'll call in,
[4:57] and let them know what we see and where
[5:00] about where it is.
[5:01] >> Quicker the the reported, the quicker
[5:03] fire personnel can respond.
[5:05] >> In Wise County, Texas, police say
[5:07] they're setting an example. They've
[5:08] arrested a man who set off fireworks to
[5:11] entertain his kids, and then
[5:12] accidentally burned down his neighbor's
[5:14] home.
[5:14] >> Y'all don't be playing with
[5:15] firecrackers, don't be throwing your
[5:17] cigarette butts on the ground, don't be
[5:18] doing
[5:19] don't even leave your car parked in in
[5:21] the grass.
[5:22] >> All good advice for the next few days
[5:24] from a resident who learned the hard
[5:26] way.
[5:27] Stevelos and Tommy, ABC News, Pink,
[5:29] Oklahoma.
[5:31] >> And across Europe, people are dealing
[5:33] with some of the heaviest snow and
[5:34] coldest temperatures there in years. Two
[5:37] snowstorms in a row have made travel a
[5:39] mess. In Poland, at least 23 people have
[5:42] frozen to death in temperatures that
[5:44] plunged near zero. In Switzerland, roads
[5:47] are so icy that many cars have flipped
[5:50] over.
[5:52] In Iraq, the year is ending on a series
[5:54] of deadly bombings and shootings. At
[5:56] least 20 people have been killed in
[5:58] attacks across the country today,
[5:59] including five at this political party
[6:01] office in Baqubah, north of Baghdad. The
[6:04] US military announced three deaths of
[6:06] three three deaths of American troops,
[6:09] bringing the total number killed this
[6:10] year to 842, just four below the total
[6:13] for 2004.
[6:15] Despite the violence, some US servicemen
[6:18] and women were able to celebrate the New
[6:20] Year with a traditional USO show. A few
[6:22] hundred soldiers at Camp Victory in
[6:24] Baghdad had shivered in the cold during
[6:26] a performance of an American Idol
[6:28] singer. Some even got a chance to get on
[6:30] the stage [music] with the entertainers.
[6:33] And still ahead on World News Tonight,
[6:35] why smoking rates for American children
[6:37] are dropping, and the US soldiers who
[6:39] saved baby Noor. But first, a peek
[6:42] tonight at the New Year in Australia.
[6:44] [music]
[6:48] >> [music]
[6:55] >> This [music] is World News Tonight.
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[9:19] >> Sunday on This Week, the chairman of the
[9:21] Joint [music] Chiefs of Staff on Iraq,
[9:23] our troops and the future. Plus, a
[9:26] special This Week year-end look at the
[9:27] Bush presidency. After one very [music]
[9:29] tough year, what will 2006 hold in store
[9:32] for the White House? Don't miss This
[9:34] Week Sunday.
[9:39] >> [music]
[9:40] >> Tonight we take a closer look at
[9:42] childhood smoking. Every day in this
[9:44] country thousands of young people pick
[9:46] up the habit, but a new report says
[9:48] smoking rates among eighth, 10th, and
[9:50] 12th graders are at their lowest levels
[9:53] since 1975.
[9:54] ABC's Lisa Stark has the story of one
[9:57] successful anti-smoking program that's
[9:59] targeting not only those who want to
[10:00] start but those who want to quit.
[10:07] >> [music]
[10:08] >> Extreme sports can be dangerous, but
[10:11] this show which just toward high schools
[10:13] like this one in California is teaching
[10:15] kids about a much greater danger,
[10:18] smoking.
[10:18] >> With tobacco companies their slide
[10:20] >> Sponsored by the Campaign for
[10:22] Tobacco-Free Kids, the program attracts
[10:24] teens with athletics then forces them to
[10:27] face the facts about smoking.
[10:29] >> It takes three three cigarettes to get
[10:31] addicted like information like that is
[10:32] crucial to kids.
[10:33] >> But for the message to stick, experts
[10:35] say it's critical to have a
[10:37] comprehensive approach including smoking
[10:40] bans, making the habit less socially
[10:42] acceptable, higher cigarette taxes. For
[10:45] every 10% increase in the price, youth
[10:47] smoking rates drop 5%. And lastly,
[10:51] hard-hitting counter marketing.
[10:53] >> I'm waiting for a lung transplant.
[10:55] >> Like these Truth ads. And that
[10:57] comprehensive approach is what they've
[10:58] tried here in Maine with amazing
[11:00] results. In the past 8 years, smoking
[11:03] among high school students has dropped
[11:05] nearly 60%.
[11:07] >> In 1997 about 40% of Maine high school
[11:10] students smoked. That rate is down to
[11:13] 16%.
[11:14] >> These Lewiston High School students hope
[11:16] to be part of that trend.
[11:18] >> Haven't had one today, so that's really
[11:20] good.
[11:20] >> Teens in this American Lung Association
[11:22] program are encouraged to quit by
[11:25] examining behaviors that cause them to
[11:27] smoke such as peer pressure and stress.
[11:30] >> Today is just one of those days where I
[11:32] just really need one.
[11:33] >> Three out of four kids have tried to
[11:35] quit smoking and have failed.
[11:37] And we also know that two out of three
[11:40] say that they wish they never started
[11:41] smoking.
[11:42] >> 22% of all high school students smoke,
[11:45] and it's estimated 1/3 of youth smokers
[11:48] will eventually die from a
[11:49] smoking-related illness. But helping
[11:51] kids quit is often a matter of funding.
[11:54] In states such as Florida, Minnesota,
[11:56] and Massachusetts, severe budget cuts to
[11:59] anti-tobacco efforts have halted
[12:01] previous declines in youth smoking.
[12:04] Natick High School outside Boston had to
[12:06] cut its anti-smoking counseling. The
[12:09] school relies on $100 fines for those
[12:11] caught smoking. Violations are down, but
[12:15] not necessarily the habit.
[12:17] >> Have we stopped students from smoking? I
[12:19] can't say that we have because we don't
[12:22] have those support programs that we had
[12:24] before.
[12:25] >> Does anybody know someone who smokes?
[12:27] >> Back in Maine, they're also trying to
[12:28] reach kids as young as elementary school
[12:31] to get to them before they're tempted by
[12:33] their first cigarette.
[12:35] >> I learned that you shouldn't smoke, you
[12:37] know, if you see other people doing it.
[12:39] >> Something this teenager wishes she had
[12:41] learned long ago.
[12:43] >> I want to quit so bad, but I it's hard.
[12:46] And I'm trying so hard to quit, but it's
[12:49] always there. It's something that's
[12:50] going to haunt me for the rest of my
[12:51] life.
[12:52] >> She began smoking at age 11 and hopes
[12:55] other teens heed the warnings about
[12:57] smoking so they never start. Lisa Stark,
[13:01] ABC News, Lewiston, Maine.
[13:05] >> And for those of you who have made
[13:06] kicking the habit a New Year's
[13:08] resolution, there is more information on
[13:10] our website at wmt.abcnews.com,
[13:14] including a report on why quitting cold
[13:16] turkey may not in fact be a good idea.
[13:19] It's all part of our broadcast plus
[13:22] segment.
[13:23] And an ABC News Washington Post poll out
[13:26] tonight suggests most Americans are
[13:28] optimistic about the new year.
[13:30] Two-thirds of those surveyed said they
[13:32] are more hopeful than fearful about
[13:34] 2006. The poll also suggests optimism
[13:38] is divided along party lines with
[13:40] Democrats and independents saying they
[13:42] are less optimistic about the new year
[13:44] than are Republicans.
[13:46] Coming up next, the big-time coach
[13:49] accused of discriminating against her
[13:51] players. [music]
[13:52] But first, the New Year's celebration in
[13:54] South Eastern China.
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[16:36] >> Tonight, ABC is the place to be on New
[16:39] Year's Eve with Chris Brown, the
[16:40] Pussycat Dolls, Sugarland, Sean Paul,
[16:43] and live in Times Square, Mariah Carey.
[16:45] >> Ryan Seacrest, Hilary Duff,
[16:47] >> and the man himself host Dick Clark's
[16:48] New Year's Rockin' Eve.
[16:49] >> Tonight, 10/9 Central only on ABC.
[16:53] >> Sunday, how's this for a happy New
[16:54] [music] Year? Winning a new
[16:55] three-bedroom house. Meet the family who
[16:57] won it and the pastor who gave it away
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[17:00] Plus, sports betting addiction. This man
[17:02] was thousands of dollars in debt and
[17:03] couldn't stop. Could it happen to you?
[17:05] Watch Good Morning America Sunday.
[17:10] >> In our on the sidelines series tonight,
[17:12] the coaching controversy causing
[17:13] protests at Penn State. For 26 years,
[17:16] Rene Portland has run a successful
[17:18] women's basketball program at the
[17:20] university. But during the past quarter
[17:22] century, she has also allegedly
[17:24] discriminated against players in an
[17:27] attempt to run a quote straight program,
[17:30] no gay athletes allowed. As ESPN's Steve
[17:33] Delson reports for us, it was an open
[17:35] secret in the game until a former Lady
[17:38] Lion filed a federal lawsuit.
[17:44] >> Snap.
[17:46] >> It's been more than two decades since
[17:48] Cindy Davies played basketball at Penn
[17:50] State.
[17:52] But she says the emotional wounds are
[17:54] still fresh.
[17:55] >> It hurts.
[17:57] It It still hurts. 25 years later.
[18:00] Um to even
[18:02] if I had to even mention the name Rene
[18:05] Portland
[18:06] or read the name
[18:08] or see the team playing on TV
[18:10] I get very emotional.
[18:12] When I hear about kids over the years
[18:15] who have been let go from the team or
[18:18] left for academic reasons
[18:21] I know what it means.
[18:22] I've been there.
[18:24] >> Jennifer Harris also played at Penn
[18:26] State. When was the first time coach
[18:29] Portland asked you about your sexual
[18:31] orientation?
[18:33] >> Um I would say that it was halfway
[18:35] through my freshman year. She called me
[18:36] and another player in and asked if we
[18:38] were dating each other.
[18:40] >> What was your reaction to that question?
[18:42] >> Um I was stunned. I didn't really know
[18:44] what to say.
[18:46] >> Harris says she is not gay, but that
[18:49] Portland persisted over the next two
[18:51] seasons, asking her roughly 10 times if
[18:54] she was a lesbian.
[18:56] What did she say
[18:57] to your teammates about you?
[19:00] >> That she knew that I was a lesbian and
[19:03] that she was going to kick me off the
[19:05] team at the end of the year.
[19:07] >> Three on one.
[19:07] >> In March, Penn State's season ended with
[19:10] a stunning first round loss in the NCAA
[19:12] tournament.
[19:13] >> Three, THEY NEED A SHOT.
[19:15] UNBELIEVABLE.
[19:16] >> Later that evening, Portland dismissed
[19:19] Harris from the team. Harris says she
[19:21] received no explanation.
[19:23] >> I told her that I thought it was because
[19:26] she thought I was gay.
[19:28] And she told me um
[19:29] "You know my views on that, and I'm not
[19:31] changing, and I'm still going to be the
[19:34] coach of Penn State, and you'll still be
[19:35] going."
[19:36] >> I swore I'd never play basketball again,
[19:38] nor would I ever go back to school
[19:40] again.
[19:41] >> In the fall of 1980, Cindy Davies
[19:44] arrived at Penn State, having scored
[19:47] more points than any female player in
[19:49] Pennsylvania high school history.
[19:51] Her freshman year at Penn State was also
[19:54] Portland's first year there. She'd been
[19:56] hired by Joe Paterno during his two-year
[19:59] stint as the school's athletic director.
[20:02] Davies was averaging 12 points a game as
[20:04] a sophomore when she was summoned to
[20:06] Portland's office. Davies, who is gay,
[20:09] was dating the manager of the basketball
[20:11] team, and she says that someone told
[20:14] Portland.
[20:15] >> She
[20:16] basically came out and said, um
[20:19] you know, I don't know if it is true or
[20:21] was true, but if I find out that it is
[20:23] true or was true, there's nothing to
[20:25] stop me from going
[20:27] uh to the university, to your parents,
[20:29] and to the media.
[20:31] >> Did you feel like she was threatening
[20:32] you?
[20:33] >> Oh, absolutely.
[20:35] Absolutely, yes.
[20:37] I was petrified.
[20:38] I uh it's the the moment is almost
[20:41] freeze-frame for me.
[20:43] >> Rather than take the chance that
[20:44] Portland would out her, Davies says she
[20:47] panicked and told Portland that she
[20:49] would quit and concentrate on academics.
[20:52] And that was the story that went out to
[20:54] the press.
[20:55] >> What was the low point for you
[20:57] emotionally? I mean, how down did you
[20:58] get?
[21:03] >> Low enough that I
[21:05] contemplated suicide.
[21:09] I wanted to end it
[21:11] cuz I thought I had no future.
[21:17] That's as low as it can go.
[21:19] >> We need to MAKE OUR MESSAGE CLEAR. THIS
[21:21] IS THE DECLARATION OF OUR HUMANITY. WE
[21:23] WILL NOT ALLOW these things to happen
[21:24] anymore.
[21:25] >> Since Jennifer Harris went public with
[21:27] her accusations in October,
[21:31] there has been a series of anti-Portland
[21:33] protest at Penn State. Portland, who
[21:36] declined to be interviewed for this
[21:38] story, did issue a statement in response
[21:41] to Harris's allegations.
[21:44] Portland said Harris was dismissed for
[21:46] her performance and attitude and not
[21:49] because Portland perceived her to be
[21:51] gay.
[21:52] Meanwhile, Harris and her attorneys are
[21:55] moving forward with her lawsuit against
[21:57] Portland and Penn State.
[21:59] >> The main reason for all of this is that
[22:01] I don't want it to happen to anyone ever
[22:03] again.
[22:04] >> Come over here. It's okay.
[22:05] >> It leaves a scar there forever.
[22:08] In my eyes, she shouldn't be coaching,
[22:10] not if she is going to
[22:12] discriminate against anybody, whether
[22:15] it's their lifestyle,
[22:17] whether it's their color,
[22:19] whether it's the way they wear their
[22:21] shoes tied, it doesn't matter. It's all
[22:23] the same.
[22:25] You You know,
[22:26] you don't have a right
[22:28] to do that.
[22:30] >> Penn State officials have refused to
[22:32] address the discrimination charges,
[22:35] but a school spokesman did say the
[22:38] university takes such allegations very
[22:40] seriously.
[22:42] For ABC News,
[22:44] Steve Delson, ESPN.
[22:47] >> And one other sports note, a Canadian
[22:50] ice dancer could end up being an
[22:51] American of Olympic proportions in the
[22:54] new year. 21-year-old Tanith Belbin left
[22:56] a Detroit immigration center today after
[22:58] she was sworn in as a US citizen.
[23:01] President Bush himself expedited her
[23:03] citizenship so she and her partner, Ben
[23:06] Agosto, could compete for the US in the
[23:09] 2006 [music]
[23:10] Olympics.
[23:11] When we come back, an extraordinary act
[23:13] of kindness for someone too young to
[23:15] help herself. First,
[23:17] >> [music]
[23:17] >> the revelers tonight in Ukraine.
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[26:02] >> Elizabeth Vargas, Bob Woodruff, ABC's
[26:05] World News [music] Tonight, connecting
[26:07] more Americans with the stories of our
[26:09] time.
[26:09] >> Our mission at World News Tonight
[26:11] [music]
[26:11] >> to deliver the world's news straight
[26:13] into your world.
[26:14] >> Stay connected with ABC's World News
[26:17] Tonight.
[26:19] >> Finally tonight, new hope for the new
[26:21] year. The tiny Iraqi girl known as Baby
[26:24] Noor has now arrived at an Atlanta
[26:26] hospital. She was flown out of Baghdad
[26:29] where doctors told her family she had
[26:31] just weeks to live. ABC's Bob Jamieson
[26:35] has her story.
[26:38] >> The long journey from Baghdad ended this
[26:40] afternoon at Atlanta's Hartsfield
[26:42] Airport amid the hope that American
[26:44] medical care will save the 3-month-old
[26:46] girl's life.
[26:48] Baby Noor was accompanied by her
[26:49] grandmother who looked a bit bewildered
[26:51] by all of the attention, but Nour had a
[26:54] smile for the cameras.
[26:56] After the photo opportunity, she was
[26:57] taken to Children's Healthcare of
[26:59] Atlanta, which is providing the medical
[27:00] care for free. Nour's condition, spina
[27:03] bifida, is a birth defect in which the
[27:05] spine never properly closes. The
[27:08] condition is treated successfully here
[27:10] with surgery, treatment not routinely
[27:12] available in Iraq.
[27:13] >> Obviously, good works happen every day
[27:16] in Iraq. And good works happen with the
[27:19] soldiers, and we hear all of the
[27:21] negative. It's about time, I think, that
[27:23] we had the opportunity to hear some of
[27:25] the good.
[27:26] >> Air Force pilots who flew the baby to
[27:28] Atlanta called this their most rewarding
[27:30] mission.
[27:31] The child was discovered during a house
[27:33] raid in Baghdad and adopted by members
[27:35] of the Georgia National Guard. Working
[27:38] through official and unofficial
[27:39] channels, they organized the child's
[27:41] trip and her medical care.
[27:43] It was a sharp contrast to their usual
[27:46] duties.
[27:46] >> It's really gratifying to know that the
[27:49] actions of my platoon could help this
[27:51] little girl to potentially give her a
[27:54] new start in life.
[27:56] >> Doctors say they are prepared to operate
[27:58] immediately, but would not offer any
[27:59] prognosis.
[28:01] But on this last day of the year, Nour
[28:03] Alzahra, whose name in Arabic means
[28:05] light, faces a much brighter New Year
[28:08] than she would have just days ago.
[28:11] Bob Jamieson, ABC News, New York.
[28:14] >> And we wish her luck. That is World News
[28:16] Tonight. Tomorrow on the broadcast,
[28:17] trading the pen for the sword. The
[28:20] veteran reporter who quit to join the
[28:22] Marines. Tonight, we leave you with
[28:24] scenes in New York's Times Square. I'm
[28:27] Don Dahler. For all of us at ABC News,
[28:29] we wish you a happy New Year
[28:31] and a good night.
[28:38] >> [music]
[28:47] [music]
[28:50] >> The Bowl Championship Series on ABC.
[28:53] Ohio State, Notre [music] Dame, and
[28:55] Georgia, West Virginia on Monday. Penn
[28:57] State, Florida State on Tuesday. [music]
[28:59] And the National Championship, USC
[29:01] versus Texas on Wednesday. The BCS on
[29:04] ABC.
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[30:07] >> News [music] 2 at wkrn.com.
[30:11] >> Let me ask you this.
[30:12] Why is everybody using these tiny little
[30:14] lights nowadays? I remember when people
[30:16] used to have them in their