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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Deadly Blast in Baghdad; Philippine Government Reduces Number of Troops in Iraq
Aired July 14, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A deadly blast in Baghdad in one of the city's most heavily guarded areas.
It's Wednesday, July 14, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Carol Costello this morning.
Now in the news, less than five hours ago, a suicide car bomber strikes in central Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis. At least 40 people are wounded. Three of the deaths are Iraqi National Guard members. The blast occurred near the heavily fortified area housing Iraq's interim government.
Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, formally listed as captured in Iraq, is expected to leave Germany for the United States just about three hours from now. He's been treated at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl since surfacing in Lebanon last week.
Just about 90 minutes from now, the British public gets a look at the latest investigation into the British intelligence gathering failures that occurred before the Iraq war.
A proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in this country could die later today when a procedural vote is taken in the U.S. Senate. Most Democrats and a number of moderate Republicans oppose the amendment.
All right, Chad Myers in the weather center, what's going on?
There's a lot of rain in some places, tornadic activity in others.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, certainly, especially this afternoon, all the way up the East Coast, probably not getting to New York City today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: A huge explosion shook central Baghdad this morning. There are fatalities and a number of wounded, from a suicide car bomber.
For details, we take you live now back to Baghdad, where our Michael Holmes is -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi to you, Fredricka.
Yes, it was a huge explosion, a massive explosion. It happened at one of the main entrances into the heavily fortified green zone. This particular entrance very close to a couple of landmarked buildings -- the Al-Rasheed Hotel, the convention center. The U.S. Embassy is not far away. Of course, the interim government is based there, as well.
Now, we spoke to the interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi. He told us that seven Iraqi civilians were killed, three members of the Iraqi National Guard were killed and there were at least 40 injuries, many of those serious.
Now, in addition, we spoke to a colonel with the 1st Calvary on the scene and he told us that one U.S. soldier had been slightly injured and would probably return to duty later today.
What we know is that at about 9:20 a.m. local time, a largish vehicle, a four wheel drive or SUV, if you like, drove up to the first layer of security there, a checkpoint, got quite close to that and then before the vehicle could be checked, it was detonated. A suicide bomber, of course, among the dead.
Now, this is July 14. It is a national holiday here in Iraq. It is commemorating the bloody overthrow of the Iraqi royal family. And that happened back in 1958. And there had been fears that something like this could happen, that this could be used as an opportunity by insurgents to show that they are, indeed, still very active and capable of carrying out attacks on such a scale -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Michael Holmes in Baghdad.
Thank you very much.
Well, the Philippine government announced today it has reduced the number of troops in Iraq. The move is an attempt to satisfy the kidnappers of a Filipino man.
Our Maria Ressa is following the developments from Manila and she joins us live now -- Maria, a little conflict over whether this really is, indeed, a response to the -- these hostage takers or not.
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka.
But it's something that's really been going on for a short while now. It's been nearly a full week since the kidnappers demanded that the Philippine government pull out its troops out of Iraq in exchange for the life of 46-year-old Angelo de la Cruz. A lot of conflicting statements during that time period.
At this point, over the last 24 hours, it's still unclear over whether or not the Philippine government will actually pull out its troops to try to save Angelo de la Cruz's life. Will it pull it out, as the kidnappers demand, by July 20? A short statement from the Philippine government today, just two sentences. It said: "The foreign affairs ministry is coordinating the pullout of the humanitarian contingent with the ministry of national defense." And here is an important sentence: "As of today, our head count is down from 51 to 43."
The Philippine government clearly saying it had lowered the head count of its troops in Iraq. But aside from that short statement, it refused to answer any other questions that would clarify its actions -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, Maria, does the Philippine government think that the terrorists will be satisfied with this reduction in number as a response to their demands?
RESSA: Well, certainly, that's what it's hoping. We've seen this play out over the weekend, for example. The terrorists first demanding the Philippines pull out its troops. The Philippines coming back to them and saying yes, we'll pull out the troops, but not in reaction to your demands. We're pulling them out because they were scheduled to be pulled out on August 20.
The kidnappers coming back again and saying well, we want you to pull them out a month earlier than you want to. The Philippine government shutting them down, saying no, we will not do that.
But then shortly before a deadline expired, the Philippine government apparently changing its mind, saying on there that it would pull out the troops "as soon as possible." We're in a similar situation now. The Philippine government still waiting for word on the fate of Angelo de la Cruz and maintaining that ambiguity it started over the past few days -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Maria Ressa in Manila, the Philippines, thanks very much.
Well, in the war on terror, a long time friend of Osama bin Laden's turns himself in to Saudi officials. Kahled al-Harbi gave himself up as part of Saudi Arabia's one month offer of leniency to terror suspects. He's paralyzed below the waist and Saudi officials say he's in urgent need of medical treatment. Experts call al-Harbi a standby cleric for bin Laden and say he could provide critical intelligence about the elusive leader and al Qaeda's operations.
For more information on the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, visit our Web site, cnn.com.
Here in the States, the same-sex marriage amendment is set for a procedural vote today. That could keep it from an up or down vote, and that's just fine with one Republican leader, who calls the amendment unnecessary and un-Republican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Mr. President, I know passions run very high on this issue. Americans who support the federal marriage amendment do so very forcefully. They want this vote. But they should also know, and we should make sure they do know, that it will never be adopted until many more Americans feel as strongly as they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Any amendment passed by Congress would then have to be ratified in a national vote. Some Republicans are hoping to introduce a second, separate version of that amendment. One Senate committee held hearings on another subject -- steroids. They were confronted with a masked athlete who talked about the widespread use and abuse of performance enhancing drugs.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He didn't want to be identified, didn't want the major college where he played football four years to be identified. But he did want the problem of performance enhancing drugs identified.
"JOHN DOE," FORMER COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER: It became evident that many players on my football team were using steroids at some point during their career.
FRANKEN: Senators were addressing the ominous cloud over the world of U.S. athletics, a cloud turning into a storm because of efforts to weed out users.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going after 'em. We're going after the drug cheats -- and that's what they are.
FRANKEN: Various investigations have touched major league baseball All Stars, including slugger Barry Bonds, who denies using any performance enhancer; as do several track and field superstars, some of whom are now failing to qualify for the Olympics.
But it's a problem that has spread downward. The latest studies estimate that nearly 3 percent of high school students are users and that doping is even showing up in grade school.
Many experts blame win at all cost coaches.
"DOE": The coaches encouraged me to make more strength and weight gains as rapidly as I could.
FRANKEN (on camera): The senators are trying to design legislation that will keep everyone ahead of the game, ahead of the performance drugs that distort the game.
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Here are some of the stories making news across America this Wednesday.
Police in New Haven, Connecticut now believe they are looking for two suspects who worked together in five related shootings. Three people remain in the hospital following shootings on Sunday and Monday. Witnesses say the victims were shot out of the passenger side of a moving car. Police presence has been increased in the areas where the shootings took place.
Taxpayers may be liable if any damages are awarded in a civil lawsuit against former South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow. A judge ruled the Janklow was on official business when he sped through a stop sign, killing a motorcyclist. The decision means the federal government can be listed as a co-defendant in the wrongful death suit.
Officers say it was a matter of self-defense when they shot and killed this 600-pound tiger that had gotten loose in south Florida. An investigation is under way now after the animal's owner accused the officers of murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SIPEK, OWNER OF TIGER BOBO: Bobo was sleeping under the brushes, sleeping, all day long, because it was a hot day. A girl that owned the place found him and went and told the officers that that's where Bobo is. They came upon him immediately and shot him five times. Bobo never left the place where he was laying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Several other officers in the search area were equipped with tranquilizer guns. The 6-year-old tiger had been declawed, but not defanged.
There is much more on CNN DAYBREAK.
On tap for you, the Philippine government makes a tough decision when faced with a life and death demand. We'll look at some reaction in the Arab world.
President Bush gets some family help on the campaign trail, while some other friends of the president take a certain condiment into their own hands.
And carrots aren't the only eye-opening vegetable. We'll tell you what other foods can help sharpen your sight.
This is DAYBREAK for July 14.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News, money and weather and sports.
Right now it's 14 minutes after the hour.
Here's what's all new this morning. The deadline is closing in for a second Bulgarian hostage in Iraq. Militants have already killed his fellow hostage and gave Bulgaria 24 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge travels to Boston today. He'll review security plans for the Democratic convention. This comes one week after he warned of credible threats to disrupt the U.S. election process.
In money, JetBlue is slashing fares for the fall. It joins Southwest and AirTran as the latest airlines to announce specially discounted fares.
In culture, that "Jeopardy" guy, well, he finally did it. Ken Jennings topped the $1 million mark in prize money on the game show. He has appeared on 30 straight shows, which were taped in the spring.
And in sports, a rough night for the Rocket at the All Star Game. Roger Clemens gave up six runs, including two homers in the first inning. The American League won 9-4.
Well, you know what? He still has six Cy Young Awards and I don't think this is going to matter a whole lot to his credibility -- Chad.
MYERS: Probably not. He gets -- he really got shelled, though.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MYERS: And the game was over in the first inning, which was probably not good for ratings.
Good morning, everybody.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well, the Philippine government says it has started pulling its troops out of Iraq in an effort to save a Filipino hostage's life. But the U.S. response remains firm -- giving in to kidnappers' demands sends the wrong signal.
We want to find out how all of this is playing out in the Arab world and in the Arab media.
For that, we turn to Octavia Nasr, our senior editor for Arab affairs.
Well, you know, one message is being sent, clearly, from the U.S. -- it's the wrong thing to be taking -- to be giving in to the hostage takers. But at the same time, if you're a family member of any one of these hostages, you want your government to do something.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.
Philippines, the people, the government, everybody is moving pretty fast to try and save the life of de la Cruz. And the thing is that the president already announced that he was freed, remember, earlier in the week.
WHITFIELD: Yes, a lot of conflicting reports.
NASR: And -- right. She got the reports that he was released, then she announced it to the family, to the wife in particular, and then, you know, he wasn't released. And I think the Philippines president is in a very tough position right now. You know, she has the U.S. to answer to and at the same time she has her people. So while she might not be scoring high with the U.S. and the Bush administration, she definitely is scoring high with her people.
You can see this on local networks. You can see that on Arab networks, as well, which I monitor all the time, that getting the action from the people, demonstrators, family members of de la Cruz, everybody saying bring this man home.
Plus, the Philippines has only a few...
WHITFIELD: A tiny handful.
NASR: Really. I mean we're talking about less than 60 people in Iraq. So the people of the Philippines see it as not a big deal, just get them out in order to save this man's life. And, of course, the Philippines is highlighting the fact that this man has eight kids, that he's only a truck driver, that he's working there to support his family. So that's the message that's going out. It's not about the troops. It's not about Iraq and the Philippines' position on Iraq and so forth.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, the Bulgarians have just over 400 troops that are there. But the hostage takers of the two Bulgarians -- one has since been killed -- are not demanding that the Bulgarian troops be pulled out. Instead, they're asking that Iraqi detainees be released from the prisons.
So, you know, how is this playing out in the Arab community through the media?
NASR: That's the trick here. You know, the Arab media are reporting these stories. We're talking about so many different groups, so many different names. It's very confusing. These are unknown groups. They're sprouting up right and left. We have no background on these groups. And the Arab media are reporting on them in this way, you know, as they come, basically.
The Bulgarians is a different story. As you said, their request doesn't go to the Bulgarian government, it's going to the sort of U.S. administration/Iraqi government. And they want the detainees released. Now, yesterday they beheaded, you know, if you take Al Jazeera's word for it, they beheaded one of the Bulgarian hostages and they threatened to behead the second unless female detainees are released. That's interesting. That's a twist. Earlier they were saying all the Iraqi prisoners should be released. Now they're saying female prisoners should be released.
The biggest question, of course, is do you cave in, do you answer these demands? And if you do, what are the consequences?
And Arab media definitely understand how important this decision is, so they don't take it lightly. They're covering it very seriously. But at the same time, as we were talking last week. It's starting to become a business now. So people are starting to get tired of it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, Octavia Nasr.
And this business has now involved an Egyptian, who's being held hostage, too.
All right, thanks very much.
NASR: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Well, time for a little business buzz now.
You may want to postpone your summer vacation after hearing about this fall sale.
Carrie Lee reports.
She's at the Nasdaq market site in Times Square.
Lots of fare slashing going on, huh, Carrie?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There certainly is, Fredricka. You were referencing this earlier. We're talking about JetBlue Airways cutting fares by as much as half on one million seats this fall. JetBlue now offering one way fares of $29 to $99 if tickets are bought by July 29.
Now, this comes a week after Southwest slashed its prices by as much as 65 percent, offering $39 to $99 fares on late summer and early fall flights. And, by the way, Delta, Continental, American have already matched Southwest's lower fares. Also, AirTran last week announced a 30 percent price cut on all fares.
Now, it's not unusual to see cuts for fall travel. Typically a slow time for travel. But to see these price cuts so early and so broad-based, well, it's good news for consumers, but it's going to make it even harder for the big carriers to try to get back to profitability. Overall, airlines are expected to lose $3 billion this year.
But still, these fare hikes are -- the fare discounts, rather, are in effect as we speak. So a good thing for consumers.
Turning to stocks, we're focusing on Intel today. The company last night reported an 18 percent rise in quarterly sales, a nearly doubling of profit. But the stock fell about 5 percent in the after hours session after the company cut its profit margin forecast and reported that inventories grew 15 percent in the last three months.
So, Fredricka, Intel is really weighing on futures right now. Technology issues looking very weak and it looks like we're going to see some selling, at least it does right now at the 9:30 opening bell across the board -- back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Carrie Lee.
It looks like my husband and I are taking your advice. We're now, instead of doing a summer vacation, we're planning a fall one.
LEE: There you go.
WHITFIELD: Take advantage of those deals.
LEE: Perfect timing, right?
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot.
Well, you can't get away from politics, even when buying groceries -- and especially during the campaign season.
Our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? What is that right there? Take a guess, I dare you. We'll share the answer, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MYERS: Can't tell.
WHITFIELD: No, you cannot.
MYERS: It's just, that's just too small of a little piece of that picture. It looks like some rocks.
WHITFIELD: It is odd.
MYERS: But it's not rocks.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MYERS: Well, hmm. What could it be?
WHITFIELD: Or little pieces of rice even.
MYERS: Yes, no.
WHITFIELD: Nope. That's not it either.
MYERS: Got to zoom out.
WHITFIELD: There you go.
MYERS: And there he is, you little froggy.
WHITFIELD: And it is a great picture, once you see the whole thing in context.
MYERS: At the Powell Gardens in Missouri -- East Summit, Missouri, actually.
WHITFIELD: The little frog...
MYERS: Or Missouri, if you're from there.
WHITFIELD: The little frog cooling off there in the algae. Whatever works.
MYERS: Right. Exactly.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, remember that image because we're going to be asking it again in some context.
MYERS: Ooh. Hmmm.
WHITFIELD: A little politics now. Senator John Kerry is in his hometown of Boston today. He's preparing for the Democratic National Convention that will be held there later in the month. Kerry launched a $3 million ad blitz this week targeting minority voters. He'll speak tomorrow at the NAACP convention in Philadelphia.
While Kerry is in the big city, his running mate is focusing on small towns across the Midwest and throughout the South. Senator John Edwards is making his first solo campaign stops since joining the Democratic ticket. He's making a seven state swing through rural America, which is shaping up to be a key battleground.
President Bush is also hanging out in the heartland. He's spending the day in Wisconsin, as part of his push across three Midwestern states he lost in 2000. One of his twin daughters, Barbara, made the trip with him. The Bush sisters say they're surprised -- they, rather, surprised their father by asking to join him on the campaign trail. The previously reclusive Bush twins also posed for a fashion layout in the August issue of "Vogue" magazine.
Coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING," Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer will be talking to "Vogue" magazine's Julia Reed about the girls' first joint interview. And actually, it'll be Heidi Collins in for Soledad this morning.
Well, you can tell we're getting closer to the election when even ketchup becomes a political hot tomato. A group of hungry Republicans realized that they just couldn't stomach using a Democratically linked ketchup, so they decided to do something about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSIE OLIVER, "W" KETCHUP: The idea came about when we were in upstate New York having a barbecue a couple of months ago. And we just realized when we were, you know, dressing our burgers that every time we used Heinz, we were giving money to the Kerry campaign. And so we decided people needed an alternative.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, a spokesman for Heinz says Kerry's wife Teresa holds less than 4 percent of the company's stock. He adds the Heinz political action committee makes equal donations to both candidates.
And here's what's all new in the next half hour.
Britain releases its report on pre-Iraq war intelligence. We'll go live to London to find out where the fingers are being pointed.
And comedy or commentary -- Bill Cosby speaks out again. We'll tell you what he had to say.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired July 14, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A deadly blast in Baghdad in one of the city's most heavily guarded areas.
It's Wednesday, July 14, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Carol Costello this morning.
Now in the news, less than five hours ago, a suicide car bomber strikes in central Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis. At least 40 people are wounded. Three of the deaths are Iraqi National Guard members. The blast occurred near the heavily fortified area housing Iraq's interim government.
Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, formally listed as captured in Iraq, is expected to leave Germany for the United States just about three hours from now. He's been treated at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl since surfacing in Lebanon last week.
Just about 90 minutes from now, the British public gets a look at the latest investigation into the British intelligence gathering failures that occurred before the Iraq war.
A proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in this country could die later today when a procedural vote is taken in the U.S. Senate. Most Democrats and a number of moderate Republicans oppose the amendment.
All right, Chad Myers in the weather center, what's going on?
There's a lot of rain in some places, tornadic activity in others.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, certainly, especially this afternoon, all the way up the East Coast, probably not getting to New York City today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: A huge explosion shook central Baghdad this morning. There are fatalities and a number of wounded, from a suicide car bomber.
For details, we take you live now back to Baghdad, where our Michael Holmes is -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi to you, Fredricka.
Yes, it was a huge explosion, a massive explosion. It happened at one of the main entrances into the heavily fortified green zone. This particular entrance very close to a couple of landmarked buildings -- the Al-Rasheed Hotel, the convention center. The U.S. Embassy is not far away. Of course, the interim government is based there, as well.
Now, we spoke to the interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi. He told us that seven Iraqi civilians were killed, three members of the Iraqi National Guard were killed and there were at least 40 injuries, many of those serious.
Now, in addition, we spoke to a colonel with the 1st Calvary on the scene and he told us that one U.S. soldier had been slightly injured and would probably return to duty later today.
What we know is that at about 9:20 a.m. local time, a largish vehicle, a four wheel drive or SUV, if you like, drove up to the first layer of security there, a checkpoint, got quite close to that and then before the vehicle could be checked, it was detonated. A suicide bomber, of course, among the dead.
Now, this is July 14. It is a national holiday here in Iraq. It is commemorating the bloody overthrow of the Iraqi royal family. And that happened back in 1958. And there had been fears that something like this could happen, that this could be used as an opportunity by insurgents to show that they are, indeed, still very active and capable of carrying out attacks on such a scale -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Michael Holmes in Baghdad.
Thank you very much.
Well, the Philippine government announced today it has reduced the number of troops in Iraq. The move is an attempt to satisfy the kidnappers of a Filipino man.
Our Maria Ressa is following the developments from Manila and she joins us live now -- Maria, a little conflict over whether this really is, indeed, a response to the -- these hostage takers or not.
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka.
But it's something that's really been going on for a short while now. It's been nearly a full week since the kidnappers demanded that the Philippine government pull out its troops out of Iraq in exchange for the life of 46-year-old Angelo de la Cruz. A lot of conflicting statements during that time period.
At this point, over the last 24 hours, it's still unclear over whether or not the Philippine government will actually pull out its troops to try to save Angelo de la Cruz's life. Will it pull it out, as the kidnappers demand, by July 20? A short statement from the Philippine government today, just two sentences. It said: "The foreign affairs ministry is coordinating the pullout of the humanitarian contingent with the ministry of national defense." And here is an important sentence: "As of today, our head count is down from 51 to 43."
The Philippine government clearly saying it had lowered the head count of its troops in Iraq. But aside from that short statement, it refused to answer any other questions that would clarify its actions -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, Maria, does the Philippine government think that the terrorists will be satisfied with this reduction in number as a response to their demands?
RESSA: Well, certainly, that's what it's hoping. We've seen this play out over the weekend, for example. The terrorists first demanding the Philippines pull out its troops. The Philippines coming back to them and saying yes, we'll pull out the troops, but not in reaction to your demands. We're pulling them out because they were scheduled to be pulled out on August 20.
The kidnappers coming back again and saying well, we want you to pull them out a month earlier than you want to. The Philippine government shutting them down, saying no, we will not do that.
But then shortly before a deadline expired, the Philippine government apparently changing its mind, saying on there that it would pull out the troops "as soon as possible." We're in a similar situation now. The Philippine government still waiting for word on the fate of Angelo de la Cruz and maintaining that ambiguity it started over the past few days -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Maria Ressa in Manila, the Philippines, thanks very much.
Well, in the war on terror, a long time friend of Osama bin Laden's turns himself in to Saudi officials. Kahled al-Harbi gave himself up as part of Saudi Arabia's one month offer of leniency to terror suspects. He's paralyzed below the waist and Saudi officials say he's in urgent need of medical treatment. Experts call al-Harbi a standby cleric for bin Laden and say he could provide critical intelligence about the elusive leader and al Qaeda's operations.
For more information on the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, visit our Web site, cnn.com.
Here in the States, the same-sex marriage amendment is set for a procedural vote today. That could keep it from an up or down vote, and that's just fine with one Republican leader, who calls the amendment unnecessary and un-Republican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Mr. President, I know passions run very high on this issue. Americans who support the federal marriage amendment do so very forcefully. They want this vote. But they should also know, and we should make sure they do know, that it will never be adopted until many more Americans feel as strongly as they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Any amendment passed by Congress would then have to be ratified in a national vote. Some Republicans are hoping to introduce a second, separate version of that amendment. One Senate committee held hearings on another subject -- steroids. They were confronted with a masked athlete who talked about the widespread use and abuse of performance enhancing drugs.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He didn't want to be identified, didn't want the major college where he played football four years to be identified. But he did want the problem of performance enhancing drugs identified.
"JOHN DOE," FORMER COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER: It became evident that many players on my football team were using steroids at some point during their career.
FRANKEN: Senators were addressing the ominous cloud over the world of U.S. athletics, a cloud turning into a storm because of efforts to weed out users.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going after 'em. We're going after the drug cheats -- and that's what they are.
FRANKEN: Various investigations have touched major league baseball All Stars, including slugger Barry Bonds, who denies using any performance enhancer; as do several track and field superstars, some of whom are now failing to qualify for the Olympics.
But it's a problem that has spread downward. The latest studies estimate that nearly 3 percent of high school students are users and that doping is even showing up in grade school.
Many experts blame win at all cost coaches.
"DOE": The coaches encouraged me to make more strength and weight gains as rapidly as I could.
FRANKEN (on camera): The senators are trying to design legislation that will keep everyone ahead of the game, ahead of the performance drugs that distort the game.
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Here are some of the stories making news across America this Wednesday.
Police in New Haven, Connecticut now believe they are looking for two suspects who worked together in five related shootings. Three people remain in the hospital following shootings on Sunday and Monday. Witnesses say the victims were shot out of the passenger side of a moving car. Police presence has been increased in the areas where the shootings took place.
Taxpayers may be liable if any damages are awarded in a civil lawsuit against former South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow. A judge ruled the Janklow was on official business when he sped through a stop sign, killing a motorcyclist. The decision means the federal government can be listed as a co-defendant in the wrongful death suit.
Officers say it was a matter of self-defense when they shot and killed this 600-pound tiger that had gotten loose in south Florida. An investigation is under way now after the animal's owner accused the officers of murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SIPEK, OWNER OF TIGER BOBO: Bobo was sleeping under the brushes, sleeping, all day long, because it was a hot day. A girl that owned the place found him and went and told the officers that that's where Bobo is. They came upon him immediately and shot him five times. Bobo never left the place where he was laying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Several other officers in the search area were equipped with tranquilizer guns. The 6-year-old tiger had been declawed, but not defanged.
There is much more on CNN DAYBREAK.
On tap for you, the Philippine government makes a tough decision when faced with a life and death demand. We'll look at some reaction in the Arab world.
President Bush gets some family help on the campaign trail, while some other friends of the president take a certain condiment into their own hands.
And carrots aren't the only eye-opening vegetable. We'll tell you what other foods can help sharpen your sight.
This is DAYBREAK for July 14.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News, money and weather and sports.
Right now it's 14 minutes after the hour.
Here's what's all new this morning. The deadline is closing in for a second Bulgarian hostage in Iraq. Militants have already killed his fellow hostage and gave Bulgaria 24 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge travels to Boston today. He'll review security plans for the Democratic convention. This comes one week after he warned of credible threats to disrupt the U.S. election process.
In money, JetBlue is slashing fares for the fall. It joins Southwest and AirTran as the latest airlines to announce specially discounted fares.
In culture, that "Jeopardy" guy, well, he finally did it. Ken Jennings topped the $1 million mark in prize money on the game show. He has appeared on 30 straight shows, which were taped in the spring.
And in sports, a rough night for the Rocket at the All Star Game. Roger Clemens gave up six runs, including two homers in the first inning. The American League won 9-4.
Well, you know what? He still has six Cy Young Awards and I don't think this is going to matter a whole lot to his credibility -- Chad.
MYERS: Probably not. He gets -- he really got shelled, though.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MYERS: And the game was over in the first inning, which was probably not good for ratings.
Good morning, everybody.
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WHITFIELD: Well, the Philippine government says it has started pulling its troops out of Iraq in an effort to save a Filipino hostage's life. But the U.S. response remains firm -- giving in to kidnappers' demands sends the wrong signal.
We want to find out how all of this is playing out in the Arab world and in the Arab media.
For that, we turn to Octavia Nasr, our senior editor for Arab affairs.
Well, you know, one message is being sent, clearly, from the U.S. -- it's the wrong thing to be taking -- to be giving in to the hostage takers. But at the same time, if you're a family member of any one of these hostages, you want your government to do something.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.
Philippines, the people, the government, everybody is moving pretty fast to try and save the life of de la Cruz. And the thing is that the president already announced that he was freed, remember, earlier in the week.
WHITFIELD: Yes, a lot of conflicting reports.
NASR: And -- right. She got the reports that he was released, then she announced it to the family, to the wife in particular, and then, you know, he wasn't released. And I think the Philippines president is in a very tough position right now. You know, she has the U.S. to answer to and at the same time she has her people. So while she might not be scoring high with the U.S. and the Bush administration, she definitely is scoring high with her people.
You can see this on local networks. You can see that on Arab networks, as well, which I monitor all the time, that getting the action from the people, demonstrators, family members of de la Cruz, everybody saying bring this man home.
Plus, the Philippines has only a few...
WHITFIELD: A tiny handful.
NASR: Really. I mean we're talking about less than 60 people in Iraq. So the people of the Philippines see it as not a big deal, just get them out in order to save this man's life. And, of course, the Philippines is highlighting the fact that this man has eight kids, that he's only a truck driver, that he's working there to support his family. So that's the message that's going out. It's not about the troops. It's not about Iraq and the Philippines' position on Iraq and so forth.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, the Bulgarians have just over 400 troops that are there. But the hostage takers of the two Bulgarians -- one has since been killed -- are not demanding that the Bulgarian troops be pulled out. Instead, they're asking that Iraqi detainees be released from the prisons.
So, you know, how is this playing out in the Arab community through the media?
NASR: That's the trick here. You know, the Arab media are reporting these stories. We're talking about so many different groups, so many different names. It's very confusing. These are unknown groups. They're sprouting up right and left. We have no background on these groups. And the Arab media are reporting on them in this way, you know, as they come, basically.
The Bulgarians is a different story. As you said, their request doesn't go to the Bulgarian government, it's going to the sort of U.S. administration/Iraqi government. And they want the detainees released. Now, yesterday they beheaded, you know, if you take Al Jazeera's word for it, they beheaded one of the Bulgarian hostages and they threatened to behead the second unless female detainees are released. That's interesting. That's a twist. Earlier they were saying all the Iraqi prisoners should be released. Now they're saying female prisoners should be released.
The biggest question, of course, is do you cave in, do you answer these demands? And if you do, what are the consequences?
And Arab media definitely understand how important this decision is, so they don't take it lightly. They're covering it very seriously. But at the same time, as we were talking last week. It's starting to become a business now. So people are starting to get tired of it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, Octavia Nasr.
And this business has now involved an Egyptian, who's being held hostage, too.
All right, thanks very much.
NASR: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Well, time for a little business buzz now.
You may want to postpone your summer vacation after hearing about this fall sale.
Carrie Lee reports.
She's at the Nasdaq market site in Times Square.
Lots of fare slashing going on, huh, Carrie?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There certainly is, Fredricka. You were referencing this earlier. We're talking about JetBlue Airways cutting fares by as much as half on one million seats this fall. JetBlue now offering one way fares of $29 to $99 if tickets are bought by July 29.
Now, this comes a week after Southwest slashed its prices by as much as 65 percent, offering $39 to $99 fares on late summer and early fall flights. And, by the way, Delta, Continental, American have already matched Southwest's lower fares. Also, AirTran last week announced a 30 percent price cut on all fares.
Now, it's not unusual to see cuts for fall travel. Typically a slow time for travel. But to see these price cuts so early and so broad-based, well, it's good news for consumers, but it's going to make it even harder for the big carriers to try to get back to profitability. Overall, airlines are expected to lose $3 billion this year.
But still, these fare hikes are -- the fare discounts, rather, are in effect as we speak. So a good thing for consumers.
Turning to stocks, we're focusing on Intel today. The company last night reported an 18 percent rise in quarterly sales, a nearly doubling of profit. But the stock fell about 5 percent in the after hours session after the company cut its profit margin forecast and reported that inventories grew 15 percent in the last three months.
So, Fredricka, Intel is really weighing on futures right now. Technology issues looking very weak and it looks like we're going to see some selling, at least it does right now at the 9:30 opening bell across the board -- back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Carrie Lee.
It looks like my husband and I are taking your advice. We're now, instead of doing a summer vacation, we're planning a fall one.
LEE: There you go.
WHITFIELD: Take advantage of those deals.
LEE: Perfect timing, right?
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot.
Well, you can't get away from politics, even when buying groceries -- and especially during the campaign season.
Our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? What is that right there? Take a guess, I dare you. We'll share the answer, right after the break.
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MYERS: Can't tell.
WHITFIELD: No, you cannot.
MYERS: It's just, that's just too small of a little piece of that picture. It looks like some rocks.
WHITFIELD: It is odd.
MYERS: But it's not rocks.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
MYERS: Well, hmm. What could it be?
WHITFIELD: Or little pieces of rice even.
MYERS: Yes, no.
WHITFIELD: Nope. That's not it either.
MYERS: Got to zoom out.
WHITFIELD: There you go.
MYERS: And there he is, you little froggy.
WHITFIELD: And it is a great picture, once you see the whole thing in context.
MYERS: At the Powell Gardens in Missouri -- East Summit, Missouri, actually.
WHITFIELD: The little frog...
MYERS: Or Missouri, if you're from there.
WHITFIELD: The little frog cooling off there in the algae. Whatever works.
MYERS: Right. Exactly.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, remember that image because we're going to be asking it again in some context.
MYERS: Ooh. Hmmm.
WHITFIELD: A little politics now. Senator John Kerry is in his hometown of Boston today. He's preparing for the Democratic National Convention that will be held there later in the month. Kerry launched a $3 million ad blitz this week targeting minority voters. He'll speak tomorrow at the NAACP convention in Philadelphia.
While Kerry is in the big city, his running mate is focusing on small towns across the Midwest and throughout the South. Senator John Edwards is making his first solo campaign stops since joining the Democratic ticket. He's making a seven state swing through rural America, which is shaping up to be a key battleground.
President Bush is also hanging out in the heartland. He's spending the day in Wisconsin, as part of his push across three Midwestern states he lost in 2000. One of his twin daughters, Barbara, made the trip with him. The Bush sisters say they're surprised -- they, rather, surprised their father by asking to join him on the campaign trail. The previously reclusive Bush twins also posed for a fashion layout in the August issue of "Vogue" magazine.
Coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING," Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer will be talking to "Vogue" magazine's Julia Reed about the girls' first joint interview. And actually, it'll be Heidi Collins in for Soledad this morning.
Well, you can tell we're getting closer to the election when even ketchup becomes a political hot tomato. A group of hungry Republicans realized that they just couldn't stomach using a Democratically linked ketchup, so they decided to do something about it.
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SUSIE OLIVER, "W" KETCHUP: The idea came about when we were in upstate New York having a barbecue a couple of months ago. And we just realized when we were, you know, dressing our burgers that every time we used Heinz, we were giving money to the Kerry campaign. And so we decided people needed an alternative.
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WHITFIELD: Well, a spokesman for Heinz says Kerry's wife Teresa holds less than 4 percent of the company's stock. He adds the Heinz political action committee makes equal donations to both candidates.
And here's what's all new in the next half hour.
Britain releases its report on pre-Iraq war intelligence. We'll go live to London to find out where the fingers are being pointed.
And comedy or commentary -- Bill Cosby speaks out again. We'll tell you what he had to say.
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