Hurricane Wilma's Affects On Florida
WHITFIELD: Turning now to south Florida where the effects of Hurricane Wilma are still causing a whole lot of headaches five days after the storm slammed ashore. Still, long lines at gas stations, hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. CNN's J.J. Ramberg is keeping track of the situation in Miami. You're there at a gas station, but what's happening there right now?</s>J.J. RAMBERG, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi there, Fredricka. You can see some cars parked behind me here at the gas station. But they're not here to get gas. This gas station ran out of gas at 9:30 this morning. It stopped getting in customers for gas, what they started to do, because the owner is smart here, is let people park here because there's a big football game going on two blocks away here, but across Miami, you see scenes like this, either cars parked at gas stations or gas stations with big signs that say "no gas," or gas stations with lines that are hours long. Things have gotten a little bit better but not that much better yet. And I've talked to a lot of people this morning who were here getting gas who've really had to rearrange their entire lives because they have no gas. This is a kind of city where you're dependent on driving around. I spoke to one woman who's an ICU nurse who says she pretty much hasn't gone anywhere but to work.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't gone anywhere. I've just been home and, you know, if I have to go somewhere, it's work. I have not gone anywhere other than just work.</s>RAMBERG: I spoke to another man earlier who says he usually goes to his daughter's house, every single day, she has five kids and needs help with errands and a lot of help taking care of her kids. He's been able to go twice since the storm.</s>ARTHUR ABLES, MIAMI RESIDENT: I just go up, don't have to go no place. I use the telephone to talk to my daughter, where I used to have to go there.</s>RAMBERG: Now, the problem here is still power. It's not that there is no gas. There are a lot of gas stations around here that still have gas. There's no power to pump it out. According to Florida Power and Light, they've got power up to about 50 percent of its customers, that's where it was at least last night. Hopefully it'll be more once the power comes on, gas will no longer be an issue -- Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, J.J., so I know a lot of folks there are hoping for the power to go on for various reasons, including the whole gas issue, but for the gas stations like the one where you are right now that have run out of gas what's the hope that they'll be getting new deliveries of gas?</s>RAMBERG: We spoke to the owner earlier today. He said that he has no idea when gas is going to come. Usually he checks on an online site to see when it's expected to be delivered. He's not listed on there right now so he's just waiting. He's generally been getting it at the end of every day or the morning after he runs out of gas.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, what a mess. J.J. Ramberg, thank you so much, from Miami. In hurricane-battered Louisiana, President Bush and other federal leaders are catching some criticism as work to rebuild the area moves forward. This morning in Baton Rouge, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney helped kick off the so-called "People's Rally to Rebuild Louisiana Right." Also at the event, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson. Some labor leaders, democrats and activists accuse the Bush administration of unofficial treating workers who are helping to rebuild the region. Among other things they're calling on the administration to reinstate affirmative action requirements for contractors, and they're pushing for better health care solutions for storm survivors. Two months after Hurricane Katrina flooded much of New Orleans, the city's police department has fired 45 police officers and six civilian employees. They're accused of leaving their posts either before or after the hurricane struck.</s>SUPT. WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: It was obvious that during the crisis, during the time when we needed police officers the most, when our citizens counted on us and when we counted on our fellow officers to be there, during the most challenging time in the history of New Orleans, in modern time anyway, those officers were not there and not only were they no not there, they have not returned since that time. So, it will be very difficult for them to function in our current operation. We need to be able to count on them and they weren't there, so they were terminated.</s>WHITFIELD: And more than a dozen other officers who were under investigation for abandonment have resigned, and other cases are still being reviewed. Civil Rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who died five days ago is being honored this weekend in Alabama and Washington. Public viewing is taking place today in Parks former church in Montgomery. Fifty years ago Parks helped spark the Civil Rights movement when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus in the Alabama capitol. Tomorrow and Monday morning, Park's body will lie in honor in the U.S. capitol rotunda in the nation's capitol. She's the first woman to receive the honor that's usually reserved for presidents, members of Congress, and military leaders. Well now, some other stories making news across America now. In California, charges have been dropped against Esther Fielding, she's the mother of a teenager accused of killing a prominent attorney's wife. Fielding was charged with accessory before she agreed to testify against the teenager, her son, 16-year-old Scott Dyleski faced murder charges. Investigators say Dyleski got into a fight with his neighbor, Pamela Vitale, before her death. Connecticut state officials are up in arms about what maybe a bad marketing approach. A British imported beer called "Seriously Bad Elf," depicts a grouch looking elf and other Christmas symbols. State law band alcohol advertising with images that may appeal to children. And this clock repairman in Sacramento, California is affectionately called "Dr. Time." During the time changes that occur twice a year, he has to reset 4,000 clocks. He'll be quite busy this weekend. Clocks roll back an hour, Sunday at 2:00 a.m. Eastern. Try to remember to set the clock back before you go to bed tonight. Well, battle over billions. Are government contractors spending money the right way on Katrina recovery or are undocumented workers getting paid instead? Plus, overcoming obstacles: Can President Bush put this tough week behind him? CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.