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CNN Live At Daybreak

Enough Already?; Security Breach; Fast Food Cruelty; Israel's Wall; Voice From the Past; Celebrity Weight Loss

Aired July 21, 2004 - 05:30   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: She was last seen on Monday.
Chad, how is the weather looking?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Looks pretty good, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, back to you.

LIN: All right, thanks -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

LIN: I want to complement you on the DAYBREAK coffee.

MYERS: Did you get some?

LIN: I got some in my fancy DAYBREAK paper cup.

MYERS: Yes, he does the DAYBREAK mug right there. You could keep that one, actually.

LIN: We're going to be giving one out, a real mug, later today.

MYERS: All right.

LIN: Thanks -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

LIN: Well Sandy Berger calls it an honest mistake that he deeply regrets. Those are the first public comments from the former Clinton national security adviser since news broke that he is the subject of a federal criminal investigation. The investigation swirls around the removal of top secret documents from the National Archives while Berger was reviewing material for an appearance before the 9/11 Commission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDY BERGER, FMR. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Last year when I was in the Archives reviewing documents, I made an honest mistake. It is one that I deeply regret. I dealt with this issue in October 2003, fully and completely. Everything that I have done all along in this process has been for the purpose of aiding and supporting the work of the 9/11 Commission. And any suggestion to the contrary is simply absolutely wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The 9/11 Commission's report on the terrorist attacks is being released publicly tomorrow. The panel's report is expected to be highly critical of the FBI and the CIA. And the agencies have been criticized for not sharing information on potential terrorists and the analysis of information surrounding terrorism. Still, the 9/11 report is not expected to say the attacks could actually have been prevented.

The trash cans have been removed, so have the newspaper boxes and did someone mention candid camera? Residents of Boston are seeing some dramatic security measures as the city gets ready to host the Democratic National Convention next week.

But CNN's Dan Lothian found security tactics already have some people saying enough already.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It's a massive security blanket covering Boston during the Democratic National Convention. In the harbor, armed Coast Guard units and new Boston Police speedboats.

KATHLEEN O'TOOLE, BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Capable of heading off threatening vessels at speeds up to 70 miles an hour.

LOTHIAN: Across town for the first time at least 75 high-tech cameras wired into a temporary surveillance network. Manhole covers have been sealed. Garbage cans and newspaper stands, potential hiding places for bombs, have been removed.

THOMAS MENINO (D), MAYOR OF BOSTON: The people of Boston can feel assured knowing that our city is more secure than ever.

LOTHIAN: But that tight security grip troubles some residents, who worry too much of a good thing may cross the line.

PROTESTERS (singing): We are no more safe than in the streets of Boston.

LOTHIAN: These protesters recently took to the streets calling the city's plans to conduct random person bag checks on the train system during the DNC week unconstitutional.

CAROL ROSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACLU: It is going to violate the fundamental right to privacy while potentially bringing the entire system to a standstill.

LOTHIAN: Civil rights advocates are poised to file lawsuits to challenge searches and halt them once they begin.

URSZULA MASNY-LATOS, NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD: If we allow these searches to happen, what will be our next step? Are we going to allow searches of all cars? Are we going to allow searches of everyone who enters a mall? Where are we going to stop with this?

LOTHIAN (on camera): The ACLU is also concerned about all the surveillance cameras which will be keeping a close eye on activity across the city, raising questions about oversight and safeguards, fearful that they could be used for the wrong reasons.

(voice-over): But law enforcement officials say they're just targeting criminals, not snooping on the general public, and that all the security measures, while inconvenient, are necessary.

O'TOOLE: This is a different world today. It's is post-9/11 world. We have to err on the side of caution.

LOTHIAN: Some residents are understanding.

RICHARD GROSSACK, BOSTON COMMUTER: You have to be somewhat sympathetic, no matter how much of a civil liberties person you are.

LOTHIAN: The law enforcement challenge, working to keep Boston safe and free.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The CNN Election Express Bus is heading to Boston as well, so be sure and join the crew from "INSIDE POLITICS" and "CROSSFIRE" starting at 3:30 Eastern. They are going to be live at the home of the USS Constitution.

Criminal or careless, that is the question surrounding an investigation into the latest security breach at the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory.

CNN's Kitty Pilgrim takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Alamos National Laboratory is where the nation's nuclear secrets are kept and now, it appears, lost.

REP. DIANA DEGETTE (D), ENERGY COMMITTEE: We had four disks disappear earlier this spring. Two of them are still missing. Those disks contain classified information about our nation's nuclear weapons program. So, obviously, we're quite concerned.

PILGRIM: The main work at Los Alamos, one of the country's main nuclear labs, was shut down last Friday until the security breach can be cleared up. No schedule on when it will open again.

Project Government Oversight, a watchdog group, is outraged about lost disks and e-mails sent out that contain classified information. They chalk it up to an organizational culture among the rank-and-file employees who disregard what they see as pedestrian security rules.

The lab director, Pete Nanos said, "Cowboys simply refuse to follow procedure."

DANIELLE BRIAN, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT: The scientists think their work is so important that it must go on at all costs. In reality, what's happening is that they're creating a Homeland Security vulnerability by making these secrets potentially available to people who are hostile to our country.

PILGRIM: Los Alamos, a historic facility where the atomic bomb was created in 1945, has thousands of employees. One of the most high-profile security lapses was when scientist Wen Ho Lee was charged with taking files home. But members of Congress say Los Alamos has a chronic problem.

REP. JOE BARTON (R), ENERGY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I think it's very serious. This is the third or fourth time they've had a loss of classified material at Los Alamos, and, in my opinion, that's three or four times too many. So I'd say it's a serious issue.

Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now here are some other stories making news 'Across America' this Wednesday.

The FBI's ongoing investigation into the anthrax attacks is once again focusing on Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. Fort Detrick houses the U.S. Army's biological warfare defense program. Five people died from exposure to anthrax in 2001. So far, no one has been arrested.

And just as firefighters were getting the upper hand on the Santa Clarita Fire, a new blaze broke out in the northern Los Angeles County area. The new fire quickly spread across 5,000 acres. Officials ordered the evacuation of nearly 200 homes in the wildfire's path.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs wants to get more young voters excited about politics. The media mogul unveiled more details about his voter registration program. Combs says he has enlisted TV shows and Web sites and celebrities to help get his message out to young people and minorities. One of his slogans is vote or die.

And a supplier for fast food giant KFC may have stepped way over the line in its treatment of animals, but the company says it's working hard to prevent further abuses.

CNN's Jen Rogers has the story. But we have to warn you that some of the video you are about to see may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a company that sells food, this unappetizing video can't be good for business. Shot secretly by PETA at a poultry supplier for KFC, it's the latest salvo in a long-running battle between the animal rights group and the nation's number one fast-food chicken chain, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.

DAN SHANNON, PETA: On their suppliers' farms, animals are being stomped on while they're still fully conscious. They're being thrown into walls as if there's nothing more than a nerf ball. You know, these animals are being abused, and KFC isn't doing enough to stop it.

ROGERS: KFC, which does not own or operate any poultry farms, buys hundreds of millions of chickens from suppliers every year. In a statement, the company says it "finds the actions in the videotape appalling, wherever they have occurred. We do not tolerate animal abuse by any of our suppliers under any circumstance."

KFC says it has placed an inspector at the facility in question to monitor the activity.

For its part, the supplier, Pilgrim's Pride, said, quote, "The practices portrayed in this video are not in any way condoned by management and are not routine, normal ongoing incidents."

PETA, while applauding the company's responses Tuesday, called it a Band-Aid approach and repeated the need for a comprehensive animal welfare plan that includes unannounced visits from inspectors.

(on camera): KFC and its suppliers aren't the first to face off against animal rights activists. Other major fast-food chains, including McDonald's and Burger King, have tangled with PETA before. The result, PETA claims improvements have been made.

Jen Rogers, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Up next, it gives a whole new meaning to the term shock and awe. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we're going to tell you about the Air Force plan to build a huge 30,000-pound bomb.

It's Wednesday, July 21. Be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: United Nations passed a resolution that calls for Israel to dismantle its West Bank barrier wall. But the U.N.'s action is not legally binding.

For more we're joined by CNN's Alessio Vinci in Jerusalem.

Alessio, if it's not legally binding, then where does it stand, because Israel is not likely to start tearing down the wall voluntarily?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is correct, Carol. As a matter of fact, Israeli officials this morning here in Jerusalem already making it very clear that this non-binding U.N. resolution will have no effect whatsoever and that they will go ahead and continue the construction of this barrier that separates Palestinians from Israeli citizens. They are saying that this measure is absolutely necessary to protect themselves from terrorism and terrorist acts.

They are saying in those areas where the barrier has already been built, they have managed to force hundreds of would-be suicide bombers from reaching Israeli targets. However, even as early as last week, already one bomb did indeed went off in Tel Aviv, at a bus station in Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli woman. So this barrier wall has been built. It is not complete yet. And Israeli officials are pointing out that in those areas where the barrier has been built, then there are -- have been no suicide bombings as of late.

One senior official, a close aide to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, told me earlier that Israel has no way they can abide by this U.N. resolution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORE GOLD, SR. ADVISER TO P.M. SHARON: We have to understand the effect of this resolution. What it essentially does is it removes the defensive shield of Israel to protect its citizens while doing nothing tangible to stop the sword of terrorism that's been drawn against us. And that can only destabilize the situation here in the Middle East if that defensive shield is removed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: Meanwhile, Palestinian officials in the West Bank town of Ramallah are calling the U.N. vote a historic day for the Palestinian people. They do know that the resolution is non-binding, but they do hope that perhaps this vote will increase Israel -- pressure on Israel to begin abiding by U.N. resolutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB ERAKAT, PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER: This is a strict resolution. And we urge the international community to have the Israeli government comply with the international community (ph) and international resolutions. The wall cannot stand. And we hope that the international community will exert every possible effort to have the Israeli government comply with this resolution. Because, at the end of the day, you are either with international law or you're against it. There is nothing in between.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: Palestinian officials insist that this barrier has nothing to do with security, that it is just another plot by the Israelis to grab more land, especially in those areas where the barrier has been built on disputed land in the West Bank.

Back to you -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much. Alessio Vinci live in Jerusalem.

It's now quarter till, your news, money, weather and sports. It is now coming up, and here's what's happening new this morning. A U.S. soldier in Iraq is dead. Early this morning, a roadside bomb destroyed the Bradley fighting vehicle he was in. Six other troops were wounded. The 1st Infantry Division soldiers were patrolling Baghdad when they were attacked.

Alan Greenspan says the economy is going through a soft patch. And he says inflation is not a problem for now. The Fed chairman told Congress if inflation stays in check, interest rates can rise slowly.

And in money, incoming freshmen at Duke University are getting free Apple iPods. The portable audio players are for listening to lectures and improving foreign language skills.

In culture, Mary Kate Olsen may be coming home. "People" magazine reports that the 18-year-old twin will be released from a treatment facility this weekend. "People" says Olsen was being treated for an eating disorder.

In sports, it was Diesel Day in South Beach. Thousands of Miami Heat fans gathered at a rally to welcome Shaquille O'Neal to town. O'Neal responded by promising to bring a championship to Miami.

And Chad laughs.

MYERS: Look how short that guy is compared to...

LIN: Promises are meant to be broken.

MYERS: Actually, he's probably as tall as I am, but Shaq is just so much taller than him. Anyway, a funny shot there. Yes, he seems to be very happy that he headed down south.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: An ugly air day.

MYERS: Kind of -- kind of hazy.

LIN: Yes, kind of hazy.

MYERS: A little smoggy.

LIN: OK.

MYERS: OK.

LIN: Well, granted there are similarities, John Kerry and John Kennedy have the same initials, JFK. And they are both Democrats with ties to Boston. But when you look back at some of the issues Kennedy faced, the comparison stops.

CNN's Bruce Morton brings this point home with a voice from the past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A voice from the past. April 1963, Kennedy muses about a speech by Richard Nixon, the man he defeated in 1960.

VOICE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ...pure Nixon...he just runs so true to form that he really ought to be preserved.

MORTON: "Is he a menace?" someone asks, thinking of the 1964 campaign.

KENNEDY: No, he's no menace...but the lies. Cuba is obviously the issue.

MORTON: This was after Kennedy had resolved the Cuban missile crisis and avoided a world war. Another subject, should he visit the Wall of (ph) Berlin. Would he do as well there as French president, Charles de Gaulle?

KENNEDY: We'll see. We'll see. We'll see. It's hard of course. He spoke German and he had that Franco German business but I think we can do it as long as we don't get into a business where we seem to be comparing -- if we keep the press off it. I don't know how we can.

MORTON: The visit, the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech was one of the triumphs of his presidency.

Another issue, Vietnam.

KENNEDY: I'm not sure that bombing even Hanoi would do much compared to the risk that it would entail.

MORTON: His U.N. ambassador Adlai Stevenson asks if he has a plan for getting out.

KENNEDY: We've done it to a degree...when we came in we were at the point of having to go in and fight...at least we're not going to do that.

MORTON: Though his successor, Lyndon Johnson did, of course. Finally Kennedy on women doctors. One Janet Travell was his White House physician.

KENNEDY: I am a great believer in women doctors. I've known two of them. Travell...of course to be a...like a Negro...you have to be so damn good to get there. It's like a woman doctor, she has to be terrific to get where she is.

MORTON: From 40 years ago, a voice that's hard to forget. Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, the relationship between certain foods and Alzheimer's disease. Our dietitian Lisa Drayer will serve up the details.

But first, you'll be amazed, amazed at the lengths some celebrities will go to maintain that size two. But our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will look at whether those weight loss plans do more harm than good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Fuzzy labeling on foods may soon be a thing of the past. Congress has approved new legislation that will require food labels to say in simple, clear language whether the product contains any allergens. It could help protect some 11 million people who are allergic to certain foods. The measure has been sent to President Bush for approval.

Some promising news for kids who inherit high cholesterol. A study has found that cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins work well in children. The drugs make the walls of the arteries thinner and sharply reduces levels of the bad cholesterol that clogs vessels. Plus, statins work without any apparent adverse effects on the kid's growth and hormone levels or liver or muscle tissue. Just in case you were wondering.

And another use for Botox, the wrinkle smoothing wonder can now be injected in the armpits to help stop excessive sweating. It's gotten the Food and Drug Administration's approval. Botox apparently temporarily paralyzes a nerve that stimulates sweat glands. The drug is a weakened form of the toxin that causes botulism.

And we all know what doctors say is the best way to lose weight, eat less, exercise more, but that doesn't stop us from checking out how celebrities are fighting the battle of the bulge.

Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the latest trends.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So who cares how Hollywood keeps in shape? A lot of us, apparently.

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, NUTRITIONIST: If someone says, oh, I drink milk every day, then all of a sudden it could become the milk diet. If it's someone who is really, you know, hot in the media.

GUPTA: A milk diet may be a stretch, but celebrities are usually the first to jump on the hottest weight loss craze. The latest on the bandwagon, colonics, which flush several liters of water into the intestines, then draw it out, along with waste. The We Care spa in California says it treats droves of celebrity clients who indulge in detoxification regimen, including daily colonics.

Colonic critics say you may lose too much water in the process and set your body chemistry off balance. How about a quick fix for fat, called mesotherapy? Dr. Marion Shapiro says mesotherapy can melt away fat cells, and that her practice sees its own fair share of celebrities. A cocktail of herbs, vitamins and medications is injected into the middle layer of the skin, where fat resides.

DR. MARION SHAPIRO, MESOTHERAPIST: It's a noninvasive way of reducing their bodies, without any obvious tell-tale signs.

GUPTA: But many doctors are skeptical. There are no long-term studies suggesting mesotherapy is safe or effective.

Another hot trend, according to chef Sarmamelan Gallas (ph), raw food, with no meat, no dairy, no cooking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's something very sexy about it. So I think that that's part of the appeal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very fashionable crowd and a very fashionable movement.

GUPTA: Model Carol Alt is writing a book advocating the raw food diet. Raw food has proclaimed benefits, such as reducing allergies and extending life. They say cooking leaches vital nutrients. But...

TAUB-DIX: There could be a lack of vitamin B-12, vitamin D, because they don't encourage dairy products.

GUPTA: But with so little research to support them, why do these weight loss plans have such celebrity appeal?

TAUB-DIX: Celebrities are no different than the rest of us, and everybody basically wants a quick fix.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: For more on this or any other health story, all you have to do is head to our Web site, the address, CNN.com/health.

In the hot seat, in the next hour of DAYBREAK, more on the nation's former national security adviser now the focus of an investigation involving the removal of classified documents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Just a mistake or a criminal act? Sandy Berger speaks out in his own defense.

It's Wednesday, July 21, and this is DAYBREAK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired July 21, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: She was last seen on Monday.
Chad, how is the weather looking?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Looks pretty good, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, back to you.

LIN: All right, thanks -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

LIN: I want to complement you on the DAYBREAK coffee.

MYERS: Did you get some?

LIN: I got some in my fancy DAYBREAK paper cup.

MYERS: Yes, he does the DAYBREAK mug right there. You could keep that one, actually.

LIN: We're going to be giving one out, a real mug, later today.

MYERS: All right.

LIN: Thanks -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

LIN: Well Sandy Berger calls it an honest mistake that he deeply regrets. Those are the first public comments from the former Clinton national security adviser since news broke that he is the subject of a federal criminal investigation. The investigation swirls around the removal of top secret documents from the National Archives while Berger was reviewing material for an appearance before the 9/11 Commission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDY BERGER, FMR. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Last year when I was in the Archives reviewing documents, I made an honest mistake. It is one that I deeply regret. I dealt with this issue in October 2003, fully and completely. Everything that I have done all along in this process has been for the purpose of aiding and supporting the work of the 9/11 Commission. And any suggestion to the contrary is simply absolutely wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The 9/11 Commission's report on the terrorist attacks is being released publicly tomorrow. The panel's report is expected to be highly critical of the FBI and the CIA. And the agencies have been criticized for not sharing information on potential terrorists and the analysis of information surrounding terrorism. Still, the 9/11 report is not expected to say the attacks could actually have been prevented.

The trash cans have been removed, so have the newspaper boxes and did someone mention candid camera? Residents of Boston are seeing some dramatic security measures as the city gets ready to host the Democratic National Convention next week.

But CNN's Dan Lothian found security tactics already have some people saying enough already.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It's a massive security blanket covering Boston during the Democratic National Convention. In the harbor, armed Coast Guard units and new Boston Police speedboats.

KATHLEEN O'TOOLE, BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Capable of heading off threatening vessels at speeds up to 70 miles an hour.

LOTHIAN: Across town for the first time at least 75 high-tech cameras wired into a temporary surveillance network. Manhole covers have been sealed. Garbage cans and newspaper stands, potential hiding places for bombs, have been removed.

THOMAS MENINO (D), MAYOR OF BOSTON: The people of Boston can feel assured knowing that our city is more secure than ever.

LOTHIAN: But that tight security grip troubles some residents, who worry too much of a good thing may cross the line.

PROTESTERS (singing): We are no more safe than in the streets of Boston.

LOTHIAN: These protesters recently took to the streets calling the city's plans to conduct random person bag checks on the train system during the DNC week unconstitutional.

CAROL ROSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACLU: It is going to violate the fundamental right to privacy while potentially bringing the entire system to a standstill.

LOTHIAN: Civil rights advocates are poised to file lawsuits to challenge searches and halt them once they begin.

URSZULA MASNY-LATOS, NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD: If we allow these searches to happen, what will be our next step? Are we going to allow searches of all cars? Are we going to allow searches of everyone who enters a mall? Where are we going to stop with this?

LOTHIAN (on camera): The ACLU is also concerned about all the surveillance cameras which will be keeping a close eye on activity across the city, raising questions about oversight and safeguards, fearful that they could be used for the wrong reasons.

(voice-over): But law enforcement officials say they're just targeting criminals, not snooping on the general public, and that all the security measures, while inconvenient, are necessary.

O'TOOLE: This is a different world today. It's is post-9/11 world. We have to err on the side of caution.

LOTHIAN: Some residents are understanding.

RICHARD GROSSACK, BOSTON COMMUTER: You have to be somewhat sympathetic, no matter how much of a civil liberties person you are.

LOTHIAN: The law enforcement challenge, working to keep Boston safe and free.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The CNN Election Express Bus is heading to Boston as well, so be sure and join the crew from "INSIDE POLITICS" and "CROSSFIRE" starting at 3:30 Eastern. They are going to be live at the home of the USS Constitution.

Criminal or careless, that is the question surrounding an investigation into the latest security breach at the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory.

CNN's Kitty Pilgrim takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Alamos National Laboratory is where the nation's nuclear secrets are kept and now, it appears, lost.

REP. DIANA DEGETTE (D), ENERGY COMMITTEE: We had four disks disappear earlier this spring. Two of them are still missing. Those disks contain classified information about our nation's nuclear weapons program. So, obviously, we're quite concerned.

PILGRIM: The main work at Los Alamos, one of the country's main nuclear labs, was shut down last Friday until the security breach can be cleared up. No schedule on when it will open again.

Project Government Oversight, a watchdog group, is outraged about lost disks and e-mails sent out that contain classified information. They chalk it up to an organizational culture among the rank-and-file employees who disregard what they see as pedestrian security rules.

The lab director, Pete Nanos said, "Cowboys simply refuse to follow procedure."

DANIELLE BRIAN, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT: The scientists think their work is so important that it must go on at all costs. In reality, what's happening is that they're creating a Homeland Security vulnerability by making these secrets potentially available to people who are hostile to our country.

PILGRIM: Los Alamos, a historic facility where the atomic bomb was created in 1945, has thousands of employees. One of the most high-profile security lapses was when scientist Wen Ho Lee was charged with taking files home. But members of Congress say Los Alamos has a chronic problem.

REP. JOE BARTON (R), ENERGY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I think it's very serious. This is the third or fourth time they've had a loss of classified material at Los Alamos, and, in my opinion, that's three or four times too many. So I'd say it's a serious issue.

Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now here are some other stories making news 'Across America' this Wednesday.

The FBI's ongoing investigation into the anthrax attacks is once again focusing on Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. Fort Detrick houses the U.S. Army's biological warfare defense program. Five people died from exposure to anthrax in 2001. So far, no one has been arrested.

And just as firefighters were getting the upper hand on the Santa Clarita Fire, a new blaze broke out in the northern Los Angeles County area. The new fire quickly spread across 5,000 acres. Officials ordered the evacuation of nearly 200 homes in the wildfire's path.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs wants to get more young voters excited about politics. The media mogul unveiled more details about his voter registration program. Combs says he has enlisted TV shows and Web sites and celebrities to help get his message out to young people and minorities. One of his slogans is vote or die.

And a supplier for fast food giant KFC may have stepped way over the line in its treatment of animals, but the company says it's working hard to prevent further abuses.

CNN's Jen Rogers has the story. But we have to warn you that some of the video you are about to see may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a company that sells food, this unappetizing video can't be good for business. Shot secretly by PETA at a poultry supplier for KFC, it's the latest salvo in a long-running battle between the animal rights group and the nation's number one fast-food chicken chain, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.

DAN SHANNON, PETA: On their suppliers' farms, animals are being stomped on while they're still fully conscious. They're being thrown into walls as if there's nothing more than a nerf ball. You know, these animals are being abused, and KFC isn't doing enough to stop it.

ROGERS: KFC, which does not own or operate any poultry farms, buys hundreds of millions of chickens from suppliers every year. In a statement, the company says it "finds the actions in the videotape appalling, wherever they have occurred. We do not tolerate animal abuse by any of our suppliers under any circumstance."

KFC says it has placed an inspector at the facility in question to monitor the activity.

For its part, the supplier, Pilgrim's Pride, said, quote, "The practices portrayed in this video are not in any way condoned by management and are not routine, normal ongoing incidents."

PETA, while applauding the company's responses Tuesday, called it a Band-Aid approach and repeated the need for a comprehensive animal welfare plan that includes unannounced visits from inspectors.

(on camera): KFC and its suppliers aren't the first to face off against animal rights activists. Other major fast-food chains, including McDonald's and Burger King, have tangled with PETA before. The result, PETA claims improvements have been made.

Jen Rogers, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Up next, it gives a whole new meaning to the term shock and awe. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we're going to tell you about the Air Force plan to build a huge 30,000-pound bomb.

It's Wednesday, July 21. Be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: United Nations passed a resolution that calls for Israel to dismantle its West Bank barrier wall. But the U.N.'s action is not legally binding.

For more we're joined by CNN's Alessio Vinci in Jerusalem.

Alessio, if it's not legally binding, then where does it stand, because Israel is not likely to start tearing down the wall voluntarily?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is correct, Carol. As a matter of fact, Israeli officials this morning here in Jerusalem already making it very clear that this non-binding U.N. resolution will have no effect whatsoever and that they will go ahead and continue the construction of this barrier that separates Palestinians from Israeli citizens. They are saying that this measure is absolutely necessary to protect themselves from terrorism and terrorist acts.

They are saying in those areas where the barrier has already been built, they have managed to force hundreds of would-be suicide bombers from reaching Israeli targets. However, even as early as last week, already one bomb did indeed went off in Tel Aviv, at a bus station in Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli woman. So this barrier wall has been built. It is not complete yet. And Israeli officials are pointing out that in those areas where the barrier has been built, then there are -- have been no suicide bombings as of late.

One senior official, a close aide to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, told me earlier that Israel has no way they can abide by this U.N. resolution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORE GOLD, SR. ADVISER TO P.M. SHARON: We have to understand the effect of this resolution. What it essentially does is it removes the defensive shield of Israel to protect its citizens while doing nothing tangible to stop the sword of terrorism that's been drawn against us. And that can only destabilize the situation here in the Middle East if that defensive shield is removed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: Meanwhile, Palestinian officials in the West Bank town of Ramallah are calling the U.N. vote a historic day for the Palestinian people. They do know that the resolution is non-binding, but they do hope that perhaps this vote will increase Israel -- pressure on Israel to begin abiding by U.N. resolutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB ERAKAT, PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER: This is a strict resolution. And we urge the international community to have the Israeli government comply with the international community (ph) and international resolutions. The wall cannot stand. And we hope that the international community will exert every possible effort to have the Israeli government comply with this resolution. Because, at the end of the day, you are either with international law or you're against it. There is nothing in between.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: Palestinian officials insist that this barrier has nothing to do with security, that it is just another plot by the Israelis to grab more land, especially in those areas where the barrier has been built on disputed land in the West Bank.

Back to you -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much. Alessio Vinci live in Jerusalem.

It's now quarter till, your news, money, weather and sports. It is now coming up, and here's what's happening new this morning. A U.S. soldier in Iraq is dead. Early this morning, a roadside bomb destroyed the Bradley fighting vehicle he was in. Six other troops were wounded. The 1st Infantry Division soldiers were patrolling Baghdad when they were attacked.

Alan Greenspan says the economy is going through a soft patch. And he says inflation is not a problem for now. The Fed chairman told Congress if inflation stays in check, interest rates can rise slowly.

And in money, incoming freshmen at Duke University are getting free Apple iPods. The portable audio players are for listening to lectures and improving foreign language skills.

In culture, Mary Kate Olsen may be coming home. "People" magazine reports that the 18-year-old twin will be released from a treatment facility this weekend. "People" says Olsen was being treated for an eating disorder.

In sports, it was Diesel Day in South Beach. Thousands of Miami Heat fans gathered at a rally to welcome Shaquille O'Neal to town. O'Neal responded by promising to bring a championship to Miami.

And Chad laughs.

MYERS: Look how short that guy is compared to...

LIN: Promises are meant to be broken.

MYERS: Actually, he's probably as tall as I am, but Shaq is just so much taller than him. Anyway, a funny shot there. Yes, he seems to be very happy that he headed down south.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: An ugly air day.

MYERS: Kind of -- kind of hazy.

LIN: Yes, kind of hazy.

MYERS: A little smoggy.

LIN: OK.

MYERS: OK.

LIN: Well, granted there are similarities, John Kerry and John Kennedy have the same initials, JFK. And they are both Democrats with ties to Boston. But when you look back at some of the issues Kennedy faced, the comparison stops.

CNN's Bruce Morton brings this point home with a voice from the past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A voice from the past. April 1963, Kennedy muses about a speech by Richard Nixon, the man he defeated in 1960.

VOICE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ...pure Nixon...he just runs so true to form that he really ought to be preserved.

MORTON: "Is he a menace?" someone asks, thinking of the 1964 campaign.

KENNEDY: No, he's no menace...but the lies. Cuba is obviously the issue.

MORTON: This was after Kennedy had resolved the Cuban missile crisis and avoided a world war. Another subject, should he visit the Wall of (ph) Berlin. Would he do as well there as French president, Charles de Gaulle?

KENNEDY: We'll see. We'll see. We'll see. It's hard of course. He spoke German and he had that Franco German business but I think we can do it as long as we don't get into a business where we seem to be comparing -- if we keep the press off it. I don't know how we can.

MORTON: The visit, the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech was one of the triumphs of his presidency.

Another issue, Vietnam.

KENNEDY: I'm not sure that bombing even Hanoi would do much compared to the risk that it would entail.

MORTON: His U.N. ambassador Adlai Stevenson asks if he has a plan for getting out.

KENNEDY: We've done it to a degree...when we came in we were at the point of having to go in and fight...at least we're not going to do that.

MORTON: Though his successor, Lyndon Johnson did, of course. Finally Kennedy on women doctors. One Janet Travell was his White House physician.

KENNEDY: I am a great believer in women doctors. I've known two of them. Travell...of course to be a...like a Negro...you have to be so damn good to get there. It's like a woman doctor, she has to be terrific to get where she is.

MORTON: From 40 years ago, a voice that's hard to forget. Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, the relationship between certain foods and Alzheimer's disease. Our dietitian Lisa Drayer will serve up the details.

But first, you'll be amazed, amazed at the lengths some celebrities will go to maintain that size two. But our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will look at whether those weight loss plans do more harm than good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Fuzzy labeling on foods may soon be a thing of the past. Congress has approved new legislation that will require food labels to say in simple, clear language whether the product contains any allergens. It could help protect some 11 million people who are allergic to certain foods. The measure has been sent to President Bush for approval.

Some promising news for kids who inherit high cholesterol. A study has found that cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins work well in children. The drugs make the walls of the arteries thinner and sharply reduces levels of the bad cholesterol that clogs vessels. Plus, statins work without any apparent adverse effects on the kid's growth and hormone levels or liver or muscle tissue. Just in case you were wondering.

And another use for Botox, the wrinkle smoothing wonder can now be injected in the armpits to help stop excessive sweating. It's gotten the Food and Drug Administration's approval. Botox apparently temporarily paralyzes a nerve that stimulates sweat glands. The drug is a weakened form of the toxin that causes botulism.

And we all know what doctors say is the best way to lose weight, eat less, exercise more, but that doesn't stop us from checking out how celebrities are fighting the battle of the bulge.

Our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the latest trends.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So who cares how Hollywood keeps in shape? A lot of us, apparently.

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, NUTRITIONIST: If someone says, oh, I drink milk every day, then all of a sudden it could become the milk diet. If it's someone who is really, you know, hot in the media.

GUPTA: A milk diet may be a stretch, but celebrities are usually the first to jump on the hottest weight loss craze. The latest on the bandwagon, colonics, which flush several liters of water into the intestines, then draw it out, along with waste. The We Care spa in California says it treats droves of celebrity clients who indulge in detoxification regimen, including daily colonics.

Colonic critics say you may lose too much water in the process and set your body chemistry off balance. How about a quick fix for fat, called mesotherapy? Dr. Marion Shapiro says mesotherapy can melt away fat cells, and that her practice sees its own fair share of celebrities. A cocktail of herbs, vitamins and medications is injected into the middle layer of the skin, where fat resides.

DR. MARION SHAPIRO, MESOTHERAPIST: It's a noninvasive way of reducing their bodies, without any obvious tell-tale signs.

GUPTA: But many doctors are skeptical. There are no long-term studies suggesting mesotherapy is safe or effective.

Another hot trend, according to chef Sarmamelan Gallas (ph), raw food, with no meat, no dairy, no cooking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's something very sexy about it. So I think that that's part of the appeal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very fashionable crowd and a very fashionable movement.

GUPTA: Model Carol Alt is writing a book advocating the raw food diet. Raw food has proclaimed benefits, such as reducing allergies and extending life. They say cooking leaches vital nutrients. But...

TAUB-DIX: There could be a lack of vitamin B-12, vitamin D, because they don't encourage dairy products.

GUPTA: But with so little research to support them, why do these weight loss plans have such celebrity appeal?

TAUB-DIX: Celebrities are no different than the rest of us, and everybody basically wants a quick fix.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: For more on this or any other health story, all you have to do is head to our Web site, the address, CNN.com/health.

In the hot seat, in the next hour of DAYBREAK, more on the nation's former national security adviser now the focus of an investigation involving the removal of classified documents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Just a mistake or a criminal act? Sandy Berger speaks out in his own defense.

It's Wednesday, July 21, and this is DAYBREAK.

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