Marisa’s Musings: Samoa Earthquake/Indonesia Earthquake/Afghanistan Strategy/Iran/Saturn

Clean-up efforts have started and the death toll continues to rise from the earthquakes in Samoa and Indonesia, President Obama and his national security team discuss Afghanistan and Saturn is no longer…I'm Marisa Bramwell and here's the latest from the ABC News desk:

EARTHQUAKES:  The death toll from yesterday’s earthquake and tsunami in the South Pacific is over a hundred, according to officials in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. The number of known injured is around 200 and there are untold numbers of people unaccounted for.  Neal Karlinsky was in one of the mud-strewn villages today and described what was once a picturesque resort as looking “more like a garbage dump.”  Neal tells us survivors of the magnitude 8.0 quake and subsequent tsunami say it all happened pretty fast. “People here say the waves hit so fast they had little time to reach higher ground.  In all, four waves as high as 15-20 feet slammed coastal villages and resorts.”  As for the other Samoa, Neal says: “On neighboring American Samoa, dozens of park workers were reported missing. Power outages and poor communications have made it difficult to assess the hardest hit areas.  We witnessed people digging out under piles of rubble, looking for belongings with nothing but their bare hands.” Power is expected to be out in some areas of American Samoa for up to a month.  President Obama has declared American Samoa a major disaster and a U.S. C-130 transport plane has arrived there as part of an air bridge to bring in relief workers and supplies.   A Navy frigate is on its way to American Samoa with supplies, and two huge Air Force cargo planes will also depart for the island, bringing communications equipment and search and rescue personnel from the Hawaii National Guard and Air National Guard.  Disaster officials from across the pacific have flown in food and medicine while relief workers continue to comb through the mud and rubble in search of survivors.
Just a day after the earthquake off the Samoan islands, a major quake has struck Indonesia.  It was a magnitude 7.6 and was centered just off the coast of Padang, on the island of Sumatra.  The earthquake started fires, severed roads and cut off power and communications to Padang, a coastal city of 900,000.  At least 200 bodies have been found in that area and the death toll is expected to far higher. Thousands of people were thought to be trapped under collapsed buildings, including two hospitals. At least 500 buildings were said to be badly damaged.  There was a tsunami warning but it was lifted after an hour and there were no giant waves reported. (thanks to Ed Bailey for this entry)

AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY:  President Obama met today with key members of his national security team to go over strategy for the war in Afghanistan.  Jake Tapper tells us: “It was a very crowded White House situation room this afternoon as President Obama debated what to do next in Afghanistan and Pakistan with his war council. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen and others from the Pentagon… are backing recommendations by the commander in Afghanistan General McChrystal.  He's pushing for up to 40,000 more troops for a counterinsurgency strategy to secure the country from al Qaeda and the Taliban.”  After the meeting wrapped up, Jake summed it up this way: “A senior White House official tells ABC News that today's three-hour meeting was largely a briefing from military, diplomatic and intelligence sources of how the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan has changed since March, when President Obama authorized 21,000 more troops sent to Afghanistan. "It was a candid assessment of where we are in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the relationship between the two countries," the official says. "Some things are better than expected," says the official, citing the degradation of al Qaeda troops through successful drone attacks in Pakistan, and the cooperation with and participation of the Pakistani government ever since the Taliban violated the cease fire deal the government attempted with the militant group. "They realize the threat." On the other hand, the official says, "some things are more challenging." Such as the flawed, some say corrupt election in Afghanistan and the precarious security situation there, as Gen. Stanley McChrystal has detailed. Most of the meeting was spent getting updated, the official says, "looking at core goals, and assessing where we are in those goals." The next NSC meeting will be next Wednesday.” All U.S. Senators were to be briefed this evening on today’s NSC meeting. (thanks to Ed Bailey for this entry)

IRAN:  The U.S. and five other world powers sit down with Iran in Geneva tomorrow to demand a freeze of its nuclear activities.  A senior U.S. official says Washington may seek rare face-to-face talks with Iranian diplomats. Jim Sciutto advises Jim advises there will be “a series of plenary meetings, interspersed with informal breaks allowing opportunities both for consultations amongst the 5+1 group, but also 'pull aside' bilaterals between US and Iranian officials.”   U.S. officials are quoted as saying Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, head of the U.S. delegation, is not actively seeking a one-on-one meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in Geneva. But the officials say Burns would not reject one if the opportunity arose.  Coinciding with the Geneva meeting, Iran’s foreign minister is expected hold a news conference late tomorrow morning at the United Nations.  (thanks to Ed Bailey for this entry)

END TO SATURN:  Penske Automative Group’s announced today it would not acquire Saturn, resulting in General Motors’ decision to cease production of Saturn vehicles.  “Automotive tycoon Roger Penske – a potential savior — hoped to sell Saturns, not make them,” Chris Bury told us on WORLD NEWS.  “Today the deal collapsed when he couldn’t find a manufacturer who would.  So the car that once seemed the future of GM…now joins the scrap heap of its past.”  In a statement released today, GM called the news “very disappointing” and said “as a result of PAG’s decision, we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM…”  In June, Penske said the deal with Saturn would have saved more than 350 dealerships and 13,000 jobs in the United States. 

COPENHAGEN/ OLYMPICS 2016:  First Lady Michelle Obama is in Copenhagen, where she and her husband will campaign for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Chicago. “This contest is going down to the wire,” Yunji de Nies reported on WORLD NEWS, “Many of the IOC members are power players themselves…even the prospect of meeting President Obama on Friday leaves them unfazed…this is a crowd accustomed to being smooched by European royalty.”  President Obama arrives in Copenhagen late Thursday.  Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid are all bidding to host the games.  The IOC will announce its decision Friday afternoon.

CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH CARE:  Dr. Tim Johnson took a trip to DC for WORLD NEWS to ask whether members of Congress really get the same health care benefits as other Americans. “Hundreds of members of Congress are receiving some of the best health care in the country without ever even using their federal health insurance…and all right in the U.S. Capitol…at a little known and rarely discussed clinic called the Office of the Attending Physician.”    That clinic, Dr. Tim tells us, provides Congress with “access to almost all of the primary care they could ever need…from exams and X-rays to minor surgeries,” all for a flat $503 annual fee.  And if you need a specialist, one will be brought to the Capitol at no extra fee.  When asked about the special office, US Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) said that he does not use it, and Dr. Tim reports Rep. Terry plans to introduce a “bill to offer the same federal health insurance options provided to Congress to all Americans.” 

SWINE FLU:  On WORLD NEWS this evening, Dr. Richard Besser addressed two issues on the topic of swine flu vaccines – mandatory vaccines for health care workers and the safety of the vaccines.  Some health care workers have balked at mandatory H1N1 vaccinations, but Dr. Besser reports it may be a necessity: “The last thing that people expect when they go to the hospital is to get the flu…yesterday, the head of the CDC at a congressional hearing said the evidence is clear that many patients get the flu form health care workers.  And so, the responsibility is there on health care workers to protect their patients.”  On side effects that could happen to people who get the H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Besser says “it’s a critical question.  Next week the campaigns are going to start, and people are going to want to attribute every bad outcome to the vaccine.  Unfortunately, everyday 2,400 women have a miscarriage.  It’s going to be very difficult to tease out when a woman ahs a miscarriage following a vaccine, would this have occurred anyway or possibly related to the vaccine?  Government officials will try to address those questions.”  At noon pm ET Thursday the CDC will hold its weekly briefing updating the latest on the H1N1 flu and vaccine distribution.

SCOTUS/GUN LAWS:  The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, which challenges whether the city’s ban on handguns is unconstitutional.  Ariane DeVogue reports: “You’ll recall it was only in 2008 –in the Heller decision– the court overturned DC’s strict hand gun ban. That ruling only applied to the federal government and DC.  In McDonald guns rights advocates want the court to find that Heller applies to states and communities across the country. While there are only a handful of similar strict hand gun bans, gun rights advocates hope the court will broaden its ruling in Heller.  The Brady campaign has been watching this case and assumed that the Court would grant cert as a next step to the Heller decision. It’s worth noting the Brady folks are less focused on such strict hand gun bans then they are on issues like licensing, registration background checks, assault weapons etc…..But Gun Rights advocates are hoping the case will serve to continue to chip away at gun restrictions.”

2ND QUARTER GDP:  Dan Arnall reports:  “The government says the economy did better than economists expected between March and June of this year.  The Bureau of Economic Analysis released the third of three reports on the U.S. gross domestic product during the second quarter, noting an overall decline of just 0.7%. Previous readings saw the economy dropping by 1%. The government’s survey indicated today’s better than expected headline number is the result of more investment by businesses restocking their depleted inventories, buying software and equipment.  This final reading comes on the last day of the third quarter period. We’ll get our first look at the official government figures on Q3 on October 29th.   Economists expect to see a POSITIVE number for the July to September period – thanks in large part to the massive government stimulus. Current consensus estimate has growth at about +3%.”

KEN LEWIS RETIREMENT:  Bank of America CEO and President Ken Lewis announced today that he plans on retiring at the end of the year.  "The Merrill Lynch and Countrywide integrations are on track and returning value already," Lewis said in a statement released by Bank of America. "Our board of directors and our senior management include more talent, and more diversity of talent, than at any time in this company's history. We are in position to begin to repay the federal government's TARP investments. For these reasons, I decided now is the time to begin to transition to the next generation of leadership at Bank of America." In a statement this evening, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Lewis’ “decision to step down will have no impact on our continuing investigation” of the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch merger.  BofA said its board was evaluating potential successors.

FORBES LIST:  Forbes magazine released its annual list of “400 Richest Americans” today.  At the top are Bill Gates and Warren Buffet  – number 1 and 2 respectively – both of whom Bill Weir tells us “lost close to $2 million an hour” in the last year, thanks to the faltering economy.  “Last year you needed $1.3 billion to make [the list], this year only $950 million…so big decline in the price of admission,” Forbes Sr. Editor Matthew Miller told ABC News.  Other names that made the list this year?  Weir reports: “With his Oracle stock flat, yachting mogul Larry Ellison broke even at $27 billion.  But everyone else in the top ten sank, from Wal-Mart’s Waltons to New York’s mayor.“  As for the billionaires who actually made money this past year, Weir tells us they include “Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, worth $2 billion at age 25.  And Texas banker, Andrew Beal, who tripled his worth by bottom-feeding on cheap loans from desperate banks after cash.”

CLIMATE BILL UNVEILED:  George Sanchez reports: “At a rally on Capitol Hill this morning, Sen. Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Environment & Public Works Committee, & Sen. John Kerry stood in front of a giant US flag to unveil their Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Bill.  Their bill calls for a 20 percent cut in greenhouse gases by the year 2020 – steeper than the version the House passed (17 percent) earlier this year.  How will the bill force companies to clean up their act? Companies would have to purchase vouchers (or the right-to-pollute vouchers) while they transition to cleaner energy.  ‘Major polluters will be required to turn in one carbon credit, essentially a voucher for the right to pollute one ton of carbon,’ according to the committee’s press release.  ‘If a company needs more time to clean up its carbon pollution, it can pay for the right to keep polluting.’  The 800-page bill also calls for investments in Clean Energy technology, energy infrastructure, nuclear power research & development & green energy development.  Most of the members from the EPW Committee were on hand at the rally.  It wasn’t just about clean energy & carbon emissions.  Just about every Senator stressed that this bill will create millions of jobs for Americans.”