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American Morning

Berger Investigation; Preparing for Terrorism; Missing Jogger

Aired July 21, 2004 - 8:59   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Former National Security Adviser Samuel Berger calls it an honest mistake. Will accusations he stole classified documents hurt the Democratic campaign?
Saudi police battle with suspected terrorists in Riyadh and make a gruesome discovery during that same operation.

And this massive search resuming in Utah at this hour. A pregnant woman who went jogging did not come home. Her family's message this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Nine o'clock here in New York. Soledad's resting this morning. The clock is ticking down ever so slowly for the babies on the way.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Which I'm sure she's very happy about, yes.

HEMMER: That's right. Good morning to you, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning.

HEMMER: A lot to talk about this hour in the headlines and the story of Samuel Berger, classified documents. Berger speaking publicly last night, made a short statement in Washington. Also talking, Bill Clinton. He made a statement. We'll hear what he had to say, and talk to a person who has worked very closely with Samuel Berger in Washington.

COLLINS: Also, remember the government's advice about having plastic sheeting and Duct tape in the event of a terrorist takeout? Well, got a lot of criticism this morning with terror threats in the public eye. Is the advice worth looking at again? We're going to talk to an expert on that.

HEMMER: Also, the man who wants to call a truce in the diet wars. Dr. Dean Ornish on how all these competing ideas about losing weight could be, he says, brought under one tent.

COLLINS: You know, I called a truce on that a long time ago.

Jack Cafferty joining us now.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I bet he wants to call it the Ornish diet, right?

HEMMER: That could be. There's the book out.

CAFFERTY: "The New York Times" says up to 500 armed bodyguards and U.S. Special Forces will accompany America's Olympic team to Athens. Good idea or not? Am@cnn.com. Write to me. I'm a lonely man.

COLLINS: All right, Jack. Thanks so much for that.

Sandy Berger says he made an honest mistake when he removed top secret documents while reviewing materials for the 9/11 Commission. The former national security adviser has stepped down as an unpaid foreign policy adviser to presidential candidate John Kerry. Bob Franken live now from Washington with more.

Hi, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

An honest mistake or not, he is under investigation by the FBI of mishandling classified documents. It's a very, very serious offense. People who get security clearances bear a lot responsibility. And this, of course, has to do with his doing research for presentations to the 9/11 Commission.

We're being told that there was a so-called after-action report that he took away in ways that are described as inappropriate. After- action of the millennium anti-terror efforts, and something that was highly classified. Now, his lawyer, Lanny Breuer, has been making the rounds of the television talk shows, defending his client and explaining just how easily this could have happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANNY BREUER, SAMUEL BERGER'S ATTORNEY: There's no question we believe that in his leather portfolio, which he had on his desk, and the Archives people and everyone knew he had, that copies of the memorandum somehow got enmeshed and got mixed up with this regular papers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, given the fact that the 9/11 Commission is just about to come out with its report, and given the fact that this is an election season, it will not surprise you that the Republicans have been sharply critical.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. GORDON SMITH (R), OREGON: He said that was sloppy. I will admit to you, when you stuff classified legal documents in your briefs, it looks sloppy.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: Well this, of course, is a very serious matter. But let us not forget, Heidi, that this is also the political year's battle of the sound bites -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Bob Franken, thanks for that.

Berger's defenders are speaking out, including his former boss, President Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe his explanation. He did a fabulous job against terrorism. All those records were documented, and the ones in question involve what we did in the lead-up to the millennium, where we had no terrorist incidents and we prevented a lot of them.

So I think that, you know, he's -- just cooperate. He said he's going to do it. But that man worked his heart out for eight years, and he was there for, you know, all day, 10, 12 hours, four days in a row, and he said what happened. And I have no reason not to believe him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Others are also defending the former national security adviser. Dan Benjamin, who worked with Berger for more than five years, he is now a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is joining us live this morning from Washington.

Mr. Benjamin, thanks for being with us.

DAN BENJAMIN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Good morning.

COLLINS: As we've just said, you've known Sandy Berger for a while. I'm going to allow the House speaker, Dennis Hastert, to present the first question to you. Let's -- let's take a look at something that he said.

"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets? Did these documents detail simple negligence, or did they contain something more sinister?

Question, then, what's your reaction to suggestions that Mr. Berger may have tried to cover up some security lapses in the Clinton administration?

BENJAMIN: Well, the implication of that question is that this was an intention act. And there's no evidence, really, to suggest that -- suggest that. And, in fact, there's no plausible motive for Sandy to have taken these documents, you know, in any surreptitious manner. The fact is, the information in that document was widely available. I wrote about it in my book which came out in 2002, "The Age of Sacred Terror." It's been discussed in several other books, and the commission itself had the documents. So there's really no reason for him to want to take it, aside from the fact this is a very scrupulous man, an honorable man who would never break the rules like that. This was an honest mistake.

COLLINS: Well, Mr. Berger is stepping down from his unpaid position with the Kerry campaign. If this was an accident, if he did nothing wrong, why's he stepping down?

BENJAMIN: Well, you know, there was a quote in the newspaper, in "The Post," I think, that said, "If you have to explain it, forget it." And that is, for the moment, true.

This is filling up a lot of news print, and Sandy doesn't want to do anything that will hurt the campaign. I think it's actually quite a selfless act and he's to be applauded for it. The campaign doesn't need to be spending its time on this. And, in fact, I would add that the country really shouldn't be spending so much time on this.

We took our eye off the ball. That is, the public in the United States took its eye off the ball in the '90s when it was focused on scandals and not on growing terrorist threat. And we shouldn't do that again, especially this week, when the 9/11 Commission report is coming out.

COLLINS: Well, let me read you something else. Terry Holt, obviously a Bush campaign spokesman, says it is appropriate for him to step -- step down, but he also said this: "There are still a lot of questions about whether or not the Kerry campaign benefited from the information Berger took." Is it possible that he was just trying to help his guy beat Bush?

BENJAMIN: I'm sure that Sandy is giving or has given the best advice he can to Senator Kerry, but there's nothing in that document that would in any way help Senator Kerry in the presidential race. As I said, this information has all been out there. The commission had it, it was widely circulated in the government, and it's been described at great length in books, in the press, and so on and so forth.

There's nothing in there that would help a political candidate. It is a -- a -- really a...

COLLINS: But do we really know that, Mr. Benjamin? There are two documents that are -- are still missing.

BENJAMIN: Well, according to Dick Clarke, who -- who wrote these documents, who wrote the original document, there were only minor variations between the drafts, and there was nothing terribly startling, you know, at variance there. These are essentially the same piece of paper.

I don't know. I haven't seen them, so I can't say that with certainty. But I'd be very surprised if there was anything that would be of any use to anyone in the political campaign in this regard.

Look, this was a -- this was an unsentimental look at the -- the federal government's ability to deal with the terrorist threat as of 1999, early 2000. Does anyone really think that would be of great utility right now? I'd be surprised.

COLLINS: How do you think the whole situation should be handled then from this point forward?

BENJAMIN: Well, you know, I think that Sandy Berger is someone who served his country selflessly for eight years in the White House, and for many more in other -- in other capacities, is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. There should be an investigation. It's been going on for 10 months, and apparently very little has happened in the last six months. It's kind of strange that it comes out now.

You know, I think the FBI ought to -- ought to wind up its work and decide whether or not it wants to go forward with this. I would hope, again, that this is not going to overshadow the 9/11 Commission report, because they have done extraordinarily good work, and that's where the focus should be this week.

COLLINS: Dan Benjamin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies this morning. Thank you.

BENJAMIN: My pleasure.

HEMMER: That 9/11 report due out tomorrow, on Thursday, to go public for the first time. Condoleezza Rice gets a look at it later today, we are told, in Washington. Regardless of whether or not the government agencies, though, are ready for the events of 9/11, it's safe to say that few individuals are ready for a terror attack. Some groups now working to change that, or try, anyway.

Lynn Davis of the Rand Corporation back in D.C. with us.

Good morning to you, Lynn.

LYNN DAVIS, RAND CORPORATION: Good morning.

HEMMER: There was a symposium held yesterday, put on by the Red Cross, the Homeland Security Department. Why was it necessary to go public with new information yesterday about how individuals can get ready?

DAVIS: Well, I think there's a worry that not enough attention is being paid to how you and I as individuals prepare for various types of terrorist attacks. And I think, you know, the attention given to that is -- is really important as we -- as we look ahead.

HEMMER: Ms. Davis, is there a danger in scaring people?

DAVIS: Well, one of the reasons that it's important to -- to talk about preparedness is that, in thinking through the various areas types of attacks that might happen, and what you and I might be able to do, what we've learned is that there are a few simple steps that you and I can take that will make a difference to our ability to survive such attacks. And so rather than scaring people, I would hope that would be reassuring to people, that if you're prepared, that could make a difference.

HEMMER: Some of the reminders from yesterday, a personal emergency kit, on the screen for viewers. Three items listed, a dust mask, battery-powered radio, Duct tape and plastic sheeting.

DAVIS: Well, when you look at those, there are just a few things that would help facilitate your being able to respond to various types of terrorist attacks. And what's important to understand, that each of the types of attacks, a chemical attack, a nuclear attack, a radiological attack, a biological attack, all require different types of responses. And so as you think about how you prepare, you need to think about each of those particular situations.

HEMMER: Let's talk about a couple. A chemical attack, what are you telling people with regards to this?

DAVIS: Well, the most important thing is that you won't see it or you won't know that it's happening, but rather you'll experience that people around you are starting to become sick and nauseous. And when you see that happening, the danger is immediate.

And so you'll need at that point and time to see where you are in relation to what's happening. And if you're outside, go inside the nearest building. If you're inside, find ways to get clean air. Open the windows, or perhaps even get yourself out -- out through the stairs of the building.

HEMMER: How does that then compare with a radiological attack?

DAVIS: Well, in a radiological attack, what you'll experience is an explosion. And you won't know whether it's a radiological attack, but you'll know that the dust in that attack could be harmful to you. And immediately harmful.

So what you'll need to do is to avoid inhaling that dust that's coming out of the explosion. And you can do that by covering your nose and mouth, or putting on a dust mask. And then if you're outside, go inside, or if you're inside, go outside.

HEMMER: Lynn Davis, thanks for your time this morning. We should also point out "The Washington Post" reporting that fewer individuals across the country have actually gotten prepared in many ways that you recommend today. Thank you, Ms. Davis, there in D.C.

Reference cards and more detailed information on what to do and how to get ready available on the Rand Corporation Web site, rand.org online -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Twelve minutes past 9:00 now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Fredricka Whitfield.

Good morning to you once again, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Heidi.

We begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Saudi officials say the head of a slain U.S. hostage has been found. Forty-nine-year-old Paul Johnson was abducted by al Qaeda militants in mid June. He was a Lockheed Martin engineer who had been living in Saudi Arabia for over a decade. Johnson's head was discovered during a major operation conducted by Saudi security forces last night. They killed at least two militants.

In Iraq, another American soldier has been killed in a deadly roadside bombing. Six other troops were wounded today when the blast destroyed a U.S. vehicle near Baghdad. Some 903 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the war began.

In about a half an hour, President Bush will sign a bill aimed at countering a possible biological or chemical attack. The legislation would provide the drug industry with billions of dollars over the next decade to develop vaccines and antidotes It's hoped the program will yield some 25 million doses of a new anthrax vaccine.

Wildlife Agency officials in Florida are being advised not to wear their uniform. That's because of a series of death threats officers have been receiving after the shooting of Bobo the tiger. The animal had escaped last week from the home of "Tarzan" actor Steve Sipek. The chairman of the Wildlife Agency says the tiger posed a real threat and was shot dead.

And finally, Lance Armstrong goes into today's stage of the Tour de France in familiar position. First, Armstrong out-sprinted his closest rivals in the Alps yesterday. His win was enough for him to claim the overall lead in the race. There are five stages still remaining, including today's individual time trial, which organizers say could attract a crowd of one million spectators.

And that's expected, Bill, to be far larger than at the Champs Elysees.

HEMMER: Oh, wow. Go, Lance, go, huh?

WHITFIELD: Yes, no kidding.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: We'll see. Thank you, Fredricka.

From Salt Lake City, Utah, now, more than 1,000 volunteers have joined police in the search for a missing woman in that town. Lori Kay Hacking, five weeks pregnant, last seen Monday while jogging. I talked with her family today, her mother, father and father-in-law, along with the detective in that case, Dwayne Baird.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Detective, what's the latest in your investigation?

DET. DWAYNE BAIRD, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: The latest in this investigation is that overnight we've been able to maintain security here at the scene, where she was last reported being seen here at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City. But right now, we're still in a search mode, and we have no idea where she may be.

HEMMER: No idea. So, you're saying no leads at all?

BAIRD: Well, we have leads, and we're following up on those, but nothing concrete. And we haven't been notified as to where she may be.

HEMMER: I understand it's a very rugged area, this area known as Memory Park. How is that affecting your search?

BAIRD: Well, we had more than 1,000 volunteers here yesterday, and we patterned out this search in grids on maps. We sent out teams of six people at a time with a team leader, and we were able to go through this area more than six times yesterday in the search. So, we're very confident that we've covered this area quite thoroughly. However, the search will be expanding out in other areas this morning.

HEMMER: To Ms. Soares, tell us about your daughter. What kind of a girl is she -- a woman?

THELMA SOARES, LORI HACKING'S MOTHER: She's a wonderful young woman. She's bright. As can you see by this picture, she's beautiful. She was five months -- excuse me -- five weeks' pregnant. And she had graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in business. So happy to be finally moving with Mark so that he could go to medical school in North Carolina. She's -- everyone loves Lori. She just sparkles. We want her back.

HEMMER: If I could talk to Mr. Hacking for a second here. Your son and the husband of Lori, what has he spoken to about with detectives and police about, about the last contact he had?

DOUGLAS HACKING, LORI'S FATHER-IN-LAW: Well, the first day when he reported her missing, the whole family was interviewed by the police. Mark was interviewed extensively and which is appropriate. We thought very appropriate that a thorough investigation be done so that any suspicion of wrongdoing can be cleared up right away.

HEMMER: Tell us a little about the relationship. How close were they as husband and wife?

HACKING: Well, we've been asked that many times. And I want to emphasize that as far as I'm concerned, I wasn't aware of any problems in their relationship. They -- they've had a wonderful relationship. They don't -- I wasn't aware of any arguments in our presence.

There has been no, you know, leaving or stomping off or conflicts that I'm even aware of. They tend to do everything together. They don't go their separate ways, and they just do everything together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: We are told several thousand people joining that search for Lori, including the family of Elizabeth Smart, in the Salt Lake City area. We wish them the absolute best today with that sun coming up in Salt Lake.

COLLINS: It's so horribly sad.

All right. We're going to check in with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: The "Question of the Day," there's a story in "The Times," Heidi, that the United States has -- has reached an agreement with Greece to send 400 armed Special Forces soldiers and 100 armed bodyguards to protect the American Olympic team. Troops would go there under the auspices of NATO. There'll be no form formal announcement, though, according to "The Times," because it's again Greek law for foreigners to carry guns on Greek soil.

And the Greek officials responded to that "Times" report, saying that they're not going to let foreign guards on their soil carrying weapons. Nevertheless, that's the question, should the U.S. send armed troops to the Olympics in Greece?

Jim in Boca Raton, Florida, "The battle against terrorist cannot be won by American troops everywhere in the world. Have the guy in this administration who's playing the role of Maxwell Smart come out from under the dome of silence long enough to learn that. Instead, we should stay the course of the original Olympic ideal: nudity. No need for metal detectors."

OK. Karlon -- took a while to get there, Jim.

Karlon in Redford, Texas, "If Greece is going to allow us to send troops to act as security guards, why shouldn't we go and help make the games as safe as can be?"

Eileen in Walen (ph), New York, "No, we should not send troops to Greece for the Olympics. Enough young men and women" -- excuse me -- "are being taken from their families as it is in a place I don't think they should have been sent to at all. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Greece, do as the Greeks do."

And Tom in Alma, West Virginia, "Of course we should send 500 troops to Greece. And then when the Olympics comes to the United States, we can welcome 500 troops from Greece, 500 from Turkey, 500 from China. I think not."

"Jack, get a power nap. And try not to think about socks."

I lost some sleep last night because I got up in the middle of the night and tried for a couple of hours to inadvertently put things in my socks. But every time I put something in my sock, I knew it was in my sock right away. And it troubled me.

HEMMER: Do you feel it, or...

CAFFERTY: I'm very tired this morning because I was up wrestling with that. It was a -- it was a -- it was a conundrum. HEMMER: I understand. Go easy.

CAFFERTY: So I have to get -- I have to get a nap this afternoon.

COLLINS: OK, Jack. We wish you luck with that.

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

COLLINS: All right. We want to check on the weather now. Chad Myers standing by with a little bit on the Windy City.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Thank you, Chad.

COLLINS: Thanks, Chad.

HEMMER: In a moment here, one diet expert says that it's time to call a truce in at diet wars. He says all those diets have more in common than you might actually think. We'll talk to him in a moment.

COLLINS: Again, I want to hear about the gummy bear diet. I haven't heard that yet.

And in Iraq, it is not a very funny place these days. But for a few moments, at least, some troops were able to forget their worries. It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: One hundred five days to go in the countdown to the November 2 election. President Bush signs a bill this morning providing for stockpiles of vaccines and antidotes to bioterror attacks. We expect to see that event in about 20 minutes or so, coming from the Rose Garden.

Yesterday, in Iowa, he promised to make America safer and did an about-face, saying he wants to be known as the peace president, not the war president.

The Kerry camp has strongly objected to GOP suggestions that adviser Sandy Berger passed classified information to the campaign. Senator Kerry voiced support for Berger yesterday while accepting his resignation from the campaign.

Senator Kerry's running mate, Senator John Edwards, and his wife, Elizabeth, will be on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

And AMERICAN MORNING will bring you complete coverage from Boston next week during the Democratic convention. Bill will be there -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 25 minutes past the hour. Heidi, thanks for that.

For those serving right now in Iraq, there is not much humor to be found in that country these days, but that is not stopping a dedicated band of comedians. Frank Buckley has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not everybody should be defending our country.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Military material part of the act of P.J. Walsh, the headliner at comedy night at a small club in Corona, California.

P.J. WALSH, COMIC: Just joined the Navy!

BUCKLEY: A recent gig far from here, providing plenty of new material. Iraq was hilarious, at least for a few minutes every time war-weary soldiers got to see these guys onstage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good time! Big guy's got a cold!

BUCKLEY: They were part of a touring group of stand-ups called Comics on Duty. Forget Bob Hope. These guys aren't stars. They're the comedic equivalent of grunts, who traveled like the troops across Iraq and the Middle East, doing 33 shows. At times, they brought new meaning to the term "bombing on stage."

STEVE MAZAN, COMIC: So you hear like -- they're playing Dixie music, and then, boom, a big explosion. Boom, another big explosion. Five seconds later, they just go right back into the music.

BUCKLEY: They played big groups and small, 12 people in 120- degree heat their smallest gig. Their difficult mission? To make warriors laugh.

WALSH: Your heart just goes out for them.

BUCKLEY (on camera): It spills.

WALSH: That's why you're going to give everything that you can, everything that you can, no matter how hot it is, no matter, you know, if there's two people there. We're there to get you away for a minute, and we're going to do it.

BUCKLEY (voice-over): After each show, they talk to the soldiers about home.

BOB PERKELL, COMIC: The guy actually came up to us, he had tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you guys so much for what you do." You know, he said, "You're saving lives out here by keeping us out of hour heads for a couple hours." And, I mean, there's no better feeling.

BUCKLEY: And Jeffrey Steel (ph) says all of them came back with more than new material.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been nothing short of a life-changing experience for me. BUCKLEY: As it was for thousands of soldiers, even if it was just for a few minutes of laughs.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Job well done, yes.

COLLINS: Yes.

Still to come this morning, we've got your Wednesday edition of "90-Second Pop." You can steal someone's wife on reality TV, but don't try to steal someone's idea for a reality TV show.

Plus, little sisters always want to borrow everything. But your career? "90-Second Pop" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Almost 9:30 on the dot here in New York City. Heidi Collins here with us. Soledad's resting, waiting.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: We'll keep you posted.

Opening bell from Wall Street right now. The Dow starting today, 10,149, up 55 points in trading from yesterday. Nasdaq market site, Times Square, 1,917 is your opening mark. Decent day for the tech- heavy Nasdaq yesterday, up 33 points at the close.

Welcome back, everyone, and good morning on this AMERICAN MORNING.

The final report of the 9/11 Commission set for release tomorrow. What will it say? Where will most of the criticism be focused? We'll get a report on that in a moment.

COLLINS: Also, is it time for all the diets out there to stop fighting and just get along? Dr. Dean Ornish is our guest this morning. He has some ideas about what you should eat. But that's not his only focus these days, for sure.

HEMMER: Also -- yes, that's right. "90-Second Pop" in a moment here. Looking into the biggest stars of pop music and their little sisters, too.

COLLINS: Hmm, some competition. Yes.

HEMMER: You think so?

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: I don't know. We'll see. Meanwhile, the 9/11 Commission report, due out tomorrow, will reel off a laundry list of missed opportunities. But it stops short of saying the terrorist attacks actually could have been prevented. Joe Johns live for us at the Capitol this morning with more.

Good morning to you, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

The two top members of the 9/11 Commission back on Capitol Hill today, briefing members of Congress in advance of the release of their report, as you've said. A number of missed opportunities this report is expected to allude to, a series of steps in which the United States could have intervened before the 9/11 attacks.

Also, this report is expected to call for an overhaul of U.S. intelligence, suggest a cabinet-level official to deal with intelligence. The commission is also expected to launch a lobbying campaign of sorts to effect reforms. But the major piece this morning, the thing a lot of people are talking about, is the missed opportunities.

These are things a lot of people have heard about for a very long time. The speaker of the House and the majority leader of the House talking a little bit about those ideas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS HASTERT, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think the interesting thing in our discussion is that, you know, we knew that there were Khobar Towers, and we know that there was a World Trade Tower, and we knew about Osama bin Laden, and we know about all these happenings around the world. I guess it really comes down to nobody thought that anybody would be as audacious as those people who bombed this -- who used our airplanes as weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM DELAY, HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: They stressed that the report is not a blame game, that there was failures on all -- all fronts, and -- but what I heard was what most of us already knew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now, reforms of the intelligence community are already an issue here on Capitol Hill. Member of Congress are asking right now about the creation of a director of national intelligence. That is an idea that has been around for a while.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Joe, quickly, if they're calling them "missed opportunities," but then saying that the attacks couldn't have been prevented, does that add up? JOHNS: Well, no, not really. I mean, quite frankly, there were a lot of people on the commission who thought they ought to go right ahead and say, yes, we could have -- we could have done something about this.

On the other hand, it's very politically sensitive. And as you know, there's been a whole lot of talk about this report coming out one week before the Democratic national convention. If they had come out with some type of, shall we say, explosive recommendations, explosive conclusions, of course it would have been used as a political football. So they apparently decided not to go that route -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Joe Johns, live in the Capitol this morning. Joe, thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Heidi, it is Atkins, it is South Beach, it is The Zone. No shortage of advice to feed America's obsession for weight loss. And now one veteran of the diet wars is calling for a truce and providing some food for thought, too. Dr. Dean Ornish, author of "Eat More, Weight Less," with us now here in our studios in New York.

Good morning to you.

DR. DEAN ORNISH, "EAT MORE, WEIGH LESS": Good morning to you, Bill.

HEMMER: "TIME" magazine called it the Atkins-Ornish-South Beach diet zone. Have we gone that far? You say that you can take all these diet plans and put them together in one streamlined plan. There are a number of advice (ph) you give today.

First of all, avoid the bad fats and eat the good fats. How do you know?

ORNISH: Yes. I think people are tired of all the arguing. And there's actually a lot more that we agree on than what we disagree on.

One of them is to avoid the bad fats. And these are things like trans-fats, partially hydrogenated fats. Manufacturers put them in the foods to extend the shelf life of the products, but they decrease the shelf life of the people who eat them.

HEMMER: What about carbs? Avoid the bad ones, eat the good ones?

ORNISH: Yes, people think...

HEMMER: I didn't know there were good carbs. Are there?

ORNISH: Well, actually, there are. All carbs are not the same. You want to avoid the bad carbs, the sugar, white flour, white rice.

You get a double whammy, because you remove the fibers, so you can eat lots of them without getting full, and they get absorbed quickly so your insulin spikes and that makes you gain weight. But you don't want to go to pork rinds and bacon and sausage. You want to go to the good carbs.

And these are things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, like whole wheat flour, brown rice. These are rich in fiber. So the fiber fills you up before you get too many calories, and you'll absorb the food more slowly so you don't get those insulin surges.

HEMMER: You mentioned calories. Calories count. So does exercise.

ORNISH: Yes. It's all about eating more -- eating fewer calories and burning more calories.

Now, you can eat fewer calories by eating less food, but you're going to get hungry. If you change the type of food, if you eat less fat, you're going to eat fewer calories even if you eat the same amount of food. And so if you eat less fat, and fewer simple carbs, you can eat more food and gain less weight.

HEMMER: Next item, you write that we should include foods in our diet that protect us from diseases.

ORNISH: Yes, what you...

HEMMER: How do you know?

ORNISH: Because what you include in your diet is as important as what you exclude. It's not jut excluding the bad stuff. There are at least 1,000 substances that are present that have anti-cancer, anti- heart disease, even anti-aging properties.

And where do you find these good things? You find them in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and soy products. So by eating those foods, you get a double benefit. You're reducing the bad stuff, but you're also getting lot's of things that are protective.

HEMMER: Now, you disagree with the late Dr. Atkins, right, when it came to red meat?

ORNISH: Well, we debated many times. And I think, you know, he's a big proponent of red meat. But I think most other experts would say red meat increases the risk of colon, breast, prostate cancer, heart disease. If you could eat less of it -- but, again, it's a spectrum of choices.

It's not all or nothing. If you say don't eat this and eat this, people just want to do the opposite. If you say, you know, you have a spectrum of choices, to the degree you move in a healthy direction, you're going to feel better, you're going to look better, and you're going to lose weight.

HEMMER: Define this, encourage suppliers? What do you mean by that?

ORNISH: Encourage suppliers to make healthier foods, ones that really are tasty, as well as good for you and convenient. I've been working with PepsiCo and McDonald's, ConAgra because they know how to make foods taste good, they know how to make it hip and sexy and fun to healthfully. And I think they're beginning to do that now.

HEMMER: What would you say to people who are saying that you're just coming forward with your own diet plan? You have books out...

ORNISH: What I'm trying to do...

HEMMER: ... in all fairness.

ORNISH: Well, of course I do. But what I'm trying to say is that there's a lot we all agree on. And rather than saying mine is right and yours is wrong, saying, while there's still things that we disagree on, there's a lot that we do agree on. And I think the American people are ready for that now.

HEMMER: What do you -- eating less, moderation, lifestyle choices, exercise, that's all part of this, I'm assuming, right?

ORNISH: It is. But, again, by thinking of this as a spectrum of choices, it's not a diet that you get on or that you get off, it's not somebody telling you what to do. It's saying move in this direction. And to the degree you do, you're going to lose weight and feel better.

HEMMER: Dr. Dean Ornish, thanks for stopping by. "Eat More, Weigh Less" in paperback.

ORNISH: Thanks, Bill.

HEMMER: You got it, for sure. Nice to see you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Nothing in there about gummy bears, huh? Still waiting to hear about that.

HEMMER: Hang on. Let me check the appendix here, Heidi.

COLLINS: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Under "G." It's not here.

COLLINS: Oh, I'll have to work on that. All right. Thanks, Bill.

Still to come this morning, a big surprise for Microsoft. We're "Minding Your Business" on that.

Plus, it's "90-Second Pop." Ashlee Simpson follows in big sis, Jessica's, footsteps with her new album "Autobiography." But you have to wonder, does talent really run in the family?

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Isn't that nice? Time for Wednesday's edition of "90- Second Pop." Joining us this morning, B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly," Shanon Cook, music correspondent for CNN Headline News.

Welcome to you, Shanon.

SHANON COOK, MUSIC CORRESPONDENT, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: Thank you.

COLLINS: And comedian Greg Fitzsimmons.

GREG FITZSIMMONS, COMEDIAN: Hi, mom!

COLLINS: Second timer. First timer, right? OK.

Let's talk first, B.J., about Michael Jackson. What's going on here?

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Let's talk about it.

COLLINS: We're hearing something about the possibility of him being the father of quadruplets.

SIGESMUND: That's right.

COLLINS: His people are strongly denying that.

SIGESMUND: That's right. Well, "US Weekly" broke this story. It's in our next issue out Friday. What I'm here to tell you is that Michael Jackson is indeed going to be the father -- going to be a father again, and not just of one kid, but of quadruplets. He has a woman in Florida who he's been visiting who is pregnant with four of his kids. So, he's going to have seven.

COLLINS: Who is this woman?

SIGESMUND: Well, we can't talk too much about the woman, but what I'm here to tell is that you we are sticking by the story and our sourcing. And that Michael Jackson's PR team has a long history of denying things that later prove to be true.

Think about two years ago when they refused to confirm that he had a third child. Well, then everyone, of course, saw that third child when he dangled him from a roof in Berlin. And that kid was born, too, from a surrogate, I might add.

And then just last year, Michael Jackson was on TV saying that he had only had two surgeries his entire life.

COLLINS: Well, that wasn't true?

SIGESMUND: Anyone can see that that's not true!

COLLINS: What?

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COOK: I think one of the main issues here is that -- or one of the big challenges for Michael, if this is indeed true, is how do you dangle four babies over a balcony all at once? You're going to need two bionic arms for that.

FITZSIMMONS: Well, that's why he has assistants. I think there is a -- you've got to forget about the ethical and moral implications of this. I'm fascinated by the fact that his DNA still matches human DNA for reproduction.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Wow! OK, that being said, interesting. We'll keep up on this one definitely, B.J.

"Trading Spouses," Greg, this thing's getting ready to debut -- or it did debut, I'm sorry, on FOX last night.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COLLINS: I didn't catch it myself. Did you catch it? FITZSIMMONS: I didn't catch it either. No, no. I don't know if I have FOX.

COLLINS: OK.

FITZSIMMONS: I've got to upgrade my cable system.

COLLINS: But there are others, other networks, ABC in particular, who are not so happy about this.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COLLINS: They say they're copying them. They're copying something, you know, an idea that they already have.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes. I think -- yes. There's a big cry of foul among the networks that FOX has stolen that idea. Like, I guess it's OK to steal somebody else's TV show. It's not OK to steal a TV show, but it's OK to steal a mother and give her to another group of kids.

COOK: Right.

FITZSIMMONS: Because that's what they're doing. And I basically think -- you know, the show is, you take a mom, you take a woman, make her the mom, and raise a bunch of kids, clean the house. And I mean, I've got that. Her name is Consuella (ph). It's $11 an hour.

SIGESMUND: The whole notion of networks stealing from each other is so ridiculous. That is the way television works.

COOK: Right.

SIGESMUND: And the best example is NBC scoring a huge hit with "The Apprentice" and Donald Trump. Well, as soon as those numbers came in, ABC decided to announce that they were going to do "The Benefactor" with Mark Cuban, and FOX is doing "The Billionaire" with Richard Branson. This is the way television works, and reality TV in its short history has been the best example of that. Everything gets stolen from other networks. COLLINS: My question would be, though: Is this something that you want to copy? Let's see, the show is called "Trading Spouses" and then "Wife Swap" was the name on ABC, right?

COOK: Don't you think reality TV is just maxed out? Like, where does reality TV go now?

SIGESMUND: Well, I've been saying that for years though.

COOK: But what do they do next? Create a reality TV show about the making of a reality TV show?

FITZSIMMONS: I just pitched that. Don't take that from me.

COOK: Oh, did you? Sorry. It's a great idea. I like it a lot.

COLLINS: Maybe there's some reality TV to be done here about this whole sister-of-the-star thing.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Talk to us about that a little bit, Shanon.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Right now, in particular, we're talking about Jessica Simpson's little sister, Ashley.

COOK: Right.

COLLINS: She's got an album out.

COOK: Right.

COLLINS: What do you think of it? Is this...

COOK: You've got other sisters, like Britney Spears' sister wanting to do the same.

COLLINS: Right.

COOK: Haley Duff, Hilary Duff's sister, wanting to do the same thing. I don't think these sisters have a chance at success. How can they be bigger than their big star sisters?

COLLINS: Well, what if they're really talented?

COOK: Well, I don't think it really matters, because this is just nepotism totally at work, but nepotism isn't cool.

SIGESMUND: No, but nepotism -- without nepotism, we wouldn't have Julia Roberts. Everyone forgets about Eric Roberts...

COLLINS: Eric, right.

SIGESMUND: ... her older brother, who starred in "Star 80." COOK: Yes, that's true.

SIGESMUND: That helped Julia get her start. Without nepotism, we wouldn't have Michael Douglas, son of Kirk Douglas.

COOK: That's true. I think...

SIGESMUND: I mean, everyone does deserve a start.

COOK: But I think the female pop world is a little bit more fickle than that. And I think if these girls really want to be noticed, there are other options available to them aside from, say, posing for "Playboy." They should all just band together and create their own girly band, the "Just Sisters" or something like that.

COLLINS: There you go.

COOK: Or call themselves "Chopped Liver."

FITZSIMMONS: Or show their breast out there in the Super Bowl.

COOK: And...

COLLINS: Worked for some people.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: All right, guys, thanks again for that, B.J., Shannon, and Greg, this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi. Thanks.

Live to the White House right now, the Rose Garden. The president talking about a bill to sign to help develop and stockpile vaccines. Here's the president.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all.

Good morning and welcome to the Rose Garden.

On September 11th, 2001, America saw the destruction and grief terrorists could inflict with commercial airlines turned into weapons of mass murder. Those attacks revealed the depth of our enemies' determination, but not the extent of their ambitions.

We know that the terrorists seek an even deadlier technology, and if they acquire chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, we have no doubt they will use them to cause even greater harm.

The bill I'm about to sign is an important element in our response to that threat.

By authorizing unprecedented funding and providing new capabilities, Project BioShield will help America purchase, develop and deploy cutting-edge defenses against a catastrophic attack. The legislation represents the collective foresight and considered judgment of United States senators and members of the House of Representatives from both political parties, many of whom experienced bioterror firsthand when anthrax and ricin were found on Capitol Hill.

It reflects 18 months of hard work and cooperation by many dedicated public servants in Congress and in the White House. It sends a message about our direction in the war on terror.

We refuse to remain idle, while modern technology might be turned against us. We will rally the great promise of American science and innovation to confront the greatest danger of our time.

I want to thank the vice president for his hard work. He was the point man in the White House on this piece of legislation and did an excellent job.

I appreciate Secretaries Tommy Thompson and Tom Ridge for their leadership on this important piece of legislation as well.

I appreciate the speaker and Leader Frist for making this bill a priority.

I want to thank Senator Gregg and Senator Kennedy, Senator Cochran, for working on this bill. I appreciate the efforts.

I appreciate Congressman Barton, Billy Tauzin, Chris Cox and Henry Waxman as well for their hard work.

Appreciate the members of my administration who are here. Thanks for coming.

These will be the implementers of this important piece of legislation.

Project BioShield will transform our ability to defend the nation in three essential ways.

First, Project BioShield authorizes $5.6 billion over 10 years for the government to purchase and stockpile vaccines and drugs to fight anthrax, smallpox and other potential agents of bioterror.

BUSH: The Department of Health and Human Services has already taken steps to purchase 75 million doses of an improved anthrax vaccine for the strategic national stockpile.

Under Project BioShield, HHS is moving forward with plans to acquire a safer second-generation smallpox vaccine, an antidote to botulinum toxin, and better treatments for exposure to chemical and radiological weapons.

Private industry plays a vital role in our biodefense efforts by taking risks to bring new treatments to the market and we appreciate those efforts.

By acting as a willing buyer for the best new medical technologies, the government ensures that our drug stockpile remains safe, effective and advanced. The federal government and our medical professionals are working together to meet the threat of bioterrorism. We're making the American people more secure in doing so.

Second, Project BioShield gives the government new authority to expedite research and development on the most promising and time- sensitive medicines to defend against bioterror.

We will waste no time putting those new powers to use.

Today, Secretary Thompson will direct the NIH to launch two initiatives: one to speed the development of new treatments for victims of a biological attack and another to expedite development of treatments for victims of a radiological or nuclear attack.

Under the old rules, grants of this kind of research often took 18 to 24 months to process. Under Project BioShield, HHS expects the process to be completed in about six months.

Our goal is to translate today's promising medical research into drugs and vaccines to combat a biological attack in the future, and now we will not let bureaucratic obstacles stand in the way.

Third, Project BioShield will change the way the government authorizes and deploys medical defenses in a crisis.

When I sign this bill, the Food and Drug Administration will be able to permit rapid distribution of promising new drugs and antidotes in the most urgent circumstances. This will allow patients to quickly receive the best treatments in an emergency.

Secretary Thompson has directed the FDA to prepare guidelines and procedures for implementing this new authority.

BUSH: By acting today, we are making sure we have the best medicine possible to help the victims of a biological attack.

Project BioShield is part of a broader strategy to defend America against the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

Since September 11th we've increased funding for the strategic national stockpile by a factor of five; increased funding for biodefense research at NIH by a factor of 30; secured enough smallpox vaccine for every American; worked with cities and plants to deliver antibiotics and chemical antidotes in an emergency; improved the safety of our food supply; and deployed advanced environmental detectors under the BioWatch Program to provide the earliest possible warning of a biological attack.

The threat of bioterrorism has brought new challenges to our government, to our first responders and to our medical personnel. We are grateful for their service. Not long ago, few of these men and women could have imagined duties like monitoring the air for anthrax or delivering antibiotics on a massive scale, yet this is the world as we find it.

This nation refuses to let our guard down.

Tomorrow, the 9/11 Commission will issue its findings and recommendations to help prevent future terrorist attacks. I look forward to receiving the report. I will continue to work with the Congress and state and local governments to build on the homeland security improvements we have already made.

Every American can be certain that their government will continue doing everything in our power to prevent a terrorist attack and if the terrorists do strike, we will be better prepared to defend our people because of the good law I signed today.

It is my honor to invite the members of the Congress to join me as I sign the Project BioShield Act of 2004.

Thanks for coming.

(APPLAUSE)

HEMMER: As we mentioned several times, there in the Rose Garden Project Bioshield about to be signed into law. This passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of Congress. The House passed it 414- 2 back on the 15th of July, just about five days. Back in May, the Senate passed it 99-0.

Bipartisan measure that the president gets ready to sign into law providing the drug industry with incentives to research and develop bioterrorism countermeasures, speed up the approval process of antidotes, and also in an emergency -- and the president referred to this -- allowing the government to distribute certain treatments before the Food and Drug Administration has approved them. He calls them cutting-edge defenses in the Rose Garden today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, Microsoft gives everyone a huge reminder that it's still a force to be reckoned with on Wall Street. We're "Minding Your Business" ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, the market is open. We're going to check on all the action with Christine Romans, in for Andy Serwer today. And she is "Minding Your Business."

How does it look?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It looks good. Stocks are up.

You know, yesterday was the first day in five that the Dow rose. And it's continuing today, up today 64 points, 10213. And that's largely because of Microsoft.

Microsoft shares are up 5 percent. We told you the company is paying out a whole lot of cash, $3 a share for all 4.6 million shareholders out there. It's going to be $75 billion overall. A billion dollars overall that it's giving back. COLLINS: And you have quite a statistic on this.

ROMANS: One share of Microsoft purchased back in 1986, when this company went public, has rallied 40,000 percent. One share invested in 1986 is worth $8,400. The stock has done nothing for five years, but if you bought it way back in '86...

COLLINS: For $21.

ROMANS: ... you're rich.

COLLINS: Whatever.

ROMANS: Too bad I didn't know that.

COLLINS: Yes. Dang, I hate when I miss...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: You weren't old enough to buy stock in 1986.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: What's happening, Jack?

CAFFERTY: Does Lou Dobbs know you're here?

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: I'm going to send him a note. Christine is -- the question, should the United States send armed troops to protect the Olympic team in Greece? A story in "The Times."

Albert in Oneonta, New York, "Sending armed guards to Greece as bodyguards for our Olympic athletes is a lot like Israel building a security wall around their country. Quite honestly, if these measures are necessary today in allowing us to be part of the world, we should probably stay at home, pull our athletes out of direct competition in Greece."

Ken in East Port, Kentucky, "Of course we should. Anyone remember Munich in 1972? I'm not a party line Republican or Democrat. But when it comes to protecting fellow Americans, we should, or else boycott altogether, which would be more of a victory for those desiring our downfall."

And Kay in Franklin Park, New Jersey, says, "There should be U.S. troops at the Olympics if Jack is going to compete. He's too important to lose. Otherwise, no."

HEMMER: Very nice.

CAFFERTY: Yes, Olympic whining team. I could be on that.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: Is it cold enough in here for you guys, by the way?

ROMANS: I was just going to ask -- chilly.

COLLINS: We could all scoot a little closer.

HEMMER: The polar bears will be anchoring here tomorrow on the couch.

Next hour with Daryn Kagan, maybe a little ditty out already popped up in your in box. Daryn will talk about the guys as Jib Jab Productions (ph). They're behind this Web cartoon next hour with Daryn.

We're back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Another reminder. Monday morning on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, we will be live in Boston when the DNC kicks it off. Be there all week for you.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: More on that in a moment. Before we get out of here, here's Aaron Brown, looking later tonight, 12 hours away on the clock for "NEWSNIGHT." Here's Aaron now -- Aaron.

AARON BROWN, HOST, "NEWSNIGHT": Thank you, Bill.

Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," the most famous glaciers in the United States are on the fast track to extinction, at least in geological time. Scientists say unless there's a new ice age they'll disappear by 2030. Glacier National Park in Montana melting away in plain view. We'll have that story, plus all the day's news, of course, morning papers, and everything else that makes "NEWSNIGHT" "NEWSNIGHT," CNN tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Aaron. Thanks for that.

COLLINS: Oh, Glacier. I worked there for a couple of years.

HEMMER: Yes?

COLLINS: Yes. It's beautiful.

HEMMER: Yes, I'm sure, northern Montana?

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Hey, bring your parka tomorrow.

COLLINS: OK, yes, from Glacier National Park. Yes, I still have it.

HEMMER: It's like an icebox here. COLLINS: Yes, I know.

HEMMER: We've got to run. Here's Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center.

Good morning, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Good morning to all of you. Have a great day.

HEMMER: You do the same.

WHITFIELD: From the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Daryn Kagan this morning. Here's what is happening "Now in the News."


Aired July 21, 2004 - 8:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Former National Security Adviser Samuel Berger calls it an honest mistake. Will accusations he stole classified documents hurt the Democratic campaign?
Saudi police battle with suspected terrorists in Riyadh and make a gruesome discovery during that same operation.

And this massive search resuming in Utah at this hour. A pregnant woman who went jogging did not come home. Her family's message this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Nine o'clock here in New York. Soledad's resting this morning. The clock is ticking down ever so slowly for the babies on the way.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Which I'm sure she's very happy about, yes.

HEMMER: That's right. Good morning to you, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning.

HEMMER: A lot to talk about this hour in the headlines and the story of Samuel Berger, classified documents. Berger speaking publicly last night, made a short statement in Washington. Also talking, Bill Clinton. He made a statement. We'll hear what he had to say, and talk to a person who has worked very closely with Samuel Berger in Washington.

COLLINS: Also, remember the government's advice about having plastic sheeting and Duct tape in the event of a terrorist takeout? Well, got a lot of criticism this morning with terror threats in the public eye. Is the advice worth looking at again? We're going to talk to an expert on that.

HEMMER: Also, the man who wants to call a truce in the diet wars. Dr. Dean Ornish on how all these competing ideas about losing weight could be, he says, brought under one tent.

COLLINS: You know, I called a truce on that a long time ago.

Jack Cafferty joining us now.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I bet he wants to call it the Ornish diet, right?

HEMMER: That could be. There's the book out.

CAFFERTY: "The New York Times" says up to 500 armed bodyguards and U.S. Special Forces will accompany America's Olympic team to Athens. Good idea or not? Am@cnn.com. Write to me. I'm a lonely man.

COLLINS: All right, Jack. Thanks so much for that.

Sandy Berger says he made an honest mistake when he removed top secret documents while reviewing materials for the 9/11 Commission. The former national security adviser has stepped down as an unpaid foreign policy adviser to presidential candidate John Kerry. Bob Franken live now from Washington with more.

Hi, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

An honest mistake or not, he is under investigation by the FBI of mishandling classified documents. It's a very, very serious offense. People who get security clearances bear a lot responsibility. And this, of course, has to do with his doing research for presentations to the 9/11 Commission.

We're being told that there was a so-called after-action report that he took away in ways that are described as inappropriate. After- action of the millennium anti-terror efforts, and something that was highly classified. Now, his lawyer, Lanny Breuer, has been making the rounds of the television talk shows, defending his client and explaining just how easily this could have happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANNY BREUER, SAMUEL BERGER'S ATTORNEY: There's no question we believe that in his leather portfolio, which he had on his desk, and the Archives people and everyone knew he had, that copies of the memorandum somehow got enmeshed and got mixed up with this regular papers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, given the fact that the 9/11 Commission is just about to come out with its report, and given the fact that this is an election season, it will not surprise you that the Republicans have been sharply critical.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. GORDON SMITH (R), OREGON: He said that was sloppy. I will admit to you, when you stuff classified legal documents in your briefs, it looks sloppy.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: Well this, of course, is a very serious matter. But let us not forget, Heidi, that this is also the political year's battle of the sound bites -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Bob Franken, thanks for that.

Berger's defenders are speaking out, including his former boss, President Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe his explanation. He did a fabulous job against terrorism. All those records were documented, and the ones in question involve what we did in the lead-up to the millennium, where we had no terrorist incidents and we prevented a lot of them.

So I think that, you know, he's -- just cooperate. He said he's going to do it. But that man worked his heart out for eight years, and he was there for, you know, all day, 10, 12 hours, four days in a row, and he said what happened. And I have no reason not to believe him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Others are also defending the former national security adviser. Dan Benjamin, who worked with Berger for more than five years, he is now a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is joining us live this morning from Washington.

Mr. Benjamin, thanks for being with us.

DAN BENJAMIN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Good morning.

COLLINS: As we've just said, you've known Sandy Berger for a while. I'm going to allow the House speaker, Dennis Hastert, to present the first question to you. Let's -- let's take a look at something that he said.

"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets? Did these documents detail simple negligence, or did they contain something more sinister?

Question, then, what's your reaction to suggestions that Mr. Berger may have tried to cover up some security lapses in the Clinton administration?

BENJAMIN: Well, the implication of that question is that this was an intention act. And there's no evidence, really, to suggest that -- suggest that. And, in fact, there's no plausible motive for Sandy to have taken these documents, you know, in any surreptitious manner. The fact is, the information in that document was widely available. I wrote about it in my book which came out in 2002, "The Age of Sacred Terror." It's been discussed in several other books, and the commission itself had the documents. So there's really no reason for him to want to take it, aside from the fact this is a very scrupulous man, an honorable man who would never break the rules like that. This was an honest mistake.

COLLINS: Well, Mr. Berger is stepping down from his unpaid position with the Kerry campaign. If this was an accident, if he did nothing wrong, why's he stepping down?

BENJAMIN: Well, you know, there was a quote in the newspaper, in "The Post," I think, that said, "If you have to explain it, forget it." And that is, for the moment, true.

This is filling up a lot of news print, and Sandy doesn't want to do anything that will hurt the campaign. I think it's actually quite a selfless act and he's to be applauded for it. The campaign doesn't need to be spending its time on this. And, in fact, I would add that the country really shouldn't be spending so much time on this.

We took our eye off the ball. That is, the public in the United States took its eye off the ball in the '90s when it was focused on scandals and not on growing terrorist threat. And we shouldn't do that again, especially this week, when the 9/11 Commission report is coming out.

COLLINS: Well, let me read you something else. Terry Holt, obviously a Bush campaign spokesman, says it is appropriate for him to step -- step down, but he also said this: "There are still a lot of questions about whether or not the Kerry campaign benefited from the information Berger took." Is it possible that he was just trying to help his guy beat Bush?

BENJAMIN: I'm sure that Sandy is giving or has given the best advice he can to Senator Kerry, but there's nothing in that document that would in any way help Senator Kerry in the presidential race. As I said, this information has all been out there. The commission had it, it was widely circulated in the government, and it's been described at great length in books, in the press, and so on and so forth.

There's nothing in there that would help a political candidate. It is a -- a -- really a...

COLLINS: But do we really know that, Mr. Benjamin? There are two documents that are -- are still missing.

BENJAMIN: Well, according to Dick Clarke, who -- who wrote these documents, who wrote the original document, there were only minor variations between the drafts, and there was nothing terribly startling, you know, at variance there. These are essentially the same piece of paper.

I don't know. I haven't seen them, so I can't say that with certainty. But I'd be very surprised if there was anything that would be of any use to anyone in the political campaign in this regard.

Look, this was a -- this was an unsentimental look at the -- the federal government's ability to deal with the terrorist threat as of 1999, early 2000. Does anyone really think that would be of great utility right now? I'd be surprised.

COLLINS: How do you think the whole situation should be handled then from this point forward?

BENJAMIN: Well, you know, I think that Sandy Berger is someone who served his country selflessly for eight years in the White House, and for many more in other -- in other capacities, is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. There should be an investigation. It's been going on for 10 months, and apparently very little has happened in the last six months. It's kind of strange that it comes out now.

You know, I think the FBI ought to -- ought to wind up its work and decide whether or not it wants to go forward with this. I would hope, again, that this is not going to overshadow the 9/11 Commission report, because they have done extraordinarily good work, and that's where the focus should be this week.

COLLINS: Dan Benjamin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies this morning. Thank you.

BENJAMIN: My pleasure.

HEMMER: That 9/11 report due out tomorrow, on Thursday, to go public for the first time. Condoleezza Rice gets a look at it later today, we are told, in Washington. Regardless of whether or not the government agencies, though, are ready for the events of 9/11, it's safe to say that few individuals are ready for a terror attack. Some groups now working to change that, or try, anyway.

Lynn Davis of the Rand Corporation back in D.C. with us.

Good morning to you, Lynn.

LYNN DAVIS, RAND CORPORATION: Good morning.

HEMMER: There was a symposium held yesterday, put on by the Red Cross, the Homeland Security Department. Why was it necessary to go public with new information yesterday about how individuals can get ready?

DAVIS: Well, I think there's a worry that not enough attention is being paid to how you and I as individuals prepare for various types of terrorist attacks. And I think, you know, the attention given to that is -- is really important as we -- as we look ahead.

HEMMER: Ms. Davis, is there a danger in scaring people?

DAVIS: Well, one of the reasons that it's important to -- to talk about preparedness is that, in thinking through the various areas types of attacks that might happen, and what you and I might be able to do, what we've learned is that there are a few simple steps that you and I can take that will make a difference to our ability to survive such attacks. And so rather than scaring people, I would hope that would be reassuring to people, that if you're prepared, that could make a difference.

HEMMER: Some of the reminders from yesterday, a personal emergency kit, on the screen for viewers. Three items listed, a dust mask, battery-powered radio, Duct tape and plastic sheeting.

DAVIS: Well, when you look at those, there are just a few things that would help facilitate your being able to respond to various types of terrorist attacks. And what's important to understand, that each of the types of attacks, a chemical attack, a nuclear attack, a radiological attack, a biological attack, all require different types of responses. And so as you think about how you prepare, you need to think about each of those particular situations.

HEMMER: Let's talk about a couple. A chemical attack, what are you telling people with regards to this?

DAVIS: Well, the most important thing is that you won't see it or you won't know that it's happening, but rather you'll experience that people around you are starting to become sick and nauseous. And when you see that happening, the danger is immediate.

And so you'll need at that point and time to see where you are in relation to what's happening. And if you're outside, go inside the nearest building. If you're inside, find ways to get clean air. Open the windows, or perhaps even get yourself out -- out through the stairs of the building.

HEMMER: How does that then compare with a radiological attack?

DAVIS: Well, in a radiological attack, what you'll experience is an explosion. And you won't know whether it's a radiological attack, but you'll know that the dust in that attack could be harmful to you. And immediately harmful.

So what you'll need to do is to avoid inhaling that dust that's coming out of the explosion. And you can do that by covering your nose and mouth, or putting on a dust mask. And then if you're outside, go inside, or if you're inside, go outside.

HEMMER: Lynn Davis, thanks for your time this morning. We should also point out "The Washington Post" reporting that fewer individuals across the country have actually gotten prepared in many ways that you recommend today. Thank you, Ms. Davis, there in D.C.

Reference cards and more detailed information on what to do and how to get ready available on the Rand Corporation Web site, rand.org online -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Twelve minutes past 9:00 now. Time for a look at some of today's other news with Fredricka Whitfield.

Good morning to you once again, Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Heidi.

We begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Saudi officials say the head of a slain U.S. hostage has been found. Forty-nine-year-old Paul Johnson was abducted by al Qaeda militants in mid June. He was a Lockheed Martin engineer who had been living in Saudi Arabia for over a decade. Johnson's head was discovered during a major operation conducted by Saudi security forces last night. They killed at least two militants.

In Iraq, another American soldier has been killed in a deadly roadside bombing. Six other troops were wounded today when the blast destroyed a U.S. vehicle near Baghdad. Some 903 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the war began.

In about a half an hour, President Bush will sign a bill aimed at countering a possible biological or chemical attack. The legislation would provide the drug industry with billions of dollars over the next decade to develop vaccines and antidotes It's hoped the program will yield some 25 million doses of a new anthrax vaccine.

Wildlife Agency officials in Florida are being advised not to wear their uniform. That's because of a series of death threats officers have been receiving after the shooting of Bobo the tiger. The animal had escaped last week from the home of "Tarzan" actor Steve Sipek. The chairman of the Wildlife Agency says the tiger posed a real threat and was shot dead.

And finally, Lance Armstrong goes into today's stage of the Tour de France in familiar position. First, Armstrong out-sprinted his closest rivals in the Alps yesterday. His win was enough for him to claim the overall lead in the race. There are five stages still remaining, including today's individual time trial, which organizers say could attract a crowd of one million spectators.

And that's expected, Bill, to be far larger than at the Champs Elysees.

HEMMER: Oh, wow. Go, Lance, go, huh?

WHITFIELD: Yes, no kidding.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: We'll see. Thank you, Fredricka.

From Salt Lake City, Utah, now, more than 1,000 volunteers have joined police in the search for a missing woman in that town. Lori Kay Hacking, five weeks pregnant, last seen Monday while jogging. I talked with her family today, her mother, father and father-in-law, along with the detective in that case, Dwayne Baird.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Detective, what's the latest in your investigation?

DET. DWAYNE BAIRD, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: The latest in this investigation is that overnight we've been able to maintain security here at the scene, where she was last reported being seen here at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City. But right now, we're still in a search mode, and we have no idea where she may be.

HEMMER: No idea. So, you're saying no leads at all?

BAIRD: Well, we have leads, and we're following up on those, but nothing concrete. And we haven't been notified as to where she may be.

HEMMER: I understand it's a very rugged area, this area known as Memory Park. How is that affecting your search?

BAIRD: Well, we had more than 1,000 volunteers here yesterday, and we patterned out this search in grids on maps. We sent out teams of six people at a time with a team leader, and we were able to go through this area more than six times yesterday in the search. So, we're very confident that we've covered this area quite thoroughly. However, the search will be expanding out in other areas this morning.

HEMMER: To Ms. Soares, tell us about your daughter. What kind of a girl is she -- a woman?

THELMA SOARES, LORI HACKING'S MOTHER: She's a wonderful young woman. She's bright. As can you see by this picture, she's beautiful. She was five months -- excuse me -- five weeks' pregnant. And she had graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in business. So happy to be finally moving with Mark so that he could go to medical school in North Carolina. She's -- everyone loves Lori. She just sparkles. We want her back.

HEMMER: If I could talk to Mr. Hacking for a second here. Your son and the husband of Lori, what has he spoken to about with detectives and police about, about the last contact he had?

DOUGLAS HACKING, LORI'S FATHER-IN-LAW: Well, the first day when he reported her missing, the whole family was interviewed by the police. Mark was interviewed extensively and which is appropriate. We thought very appropriate that a thorough investigation be done so that any suspicion of wrongdoing can be cleared up right away.

HEMMER: Tell us a little about the relationship. How close were they as husband and wife?

HACKING: Well, we've been asked that many times. And I want to emphasize that as far as I'm concerned, I wasn't aware of any problems in their relationship. They -- they've had a wonderful relationship. They don't -- I wasn't aware of any arguments in our presence.

There has been no, you know, leaving or stomping off or conflicts that I'm even aware of. They tend to do everything together. They don't go their separate ways, and they just do everything together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: We are told several thousand people joining that search for Lori, including the family of Elizabeth Smart, in the Salt Lake City area. We wish them the absolute best today with that sun coming up in Salt Lake.

COLLINS: It's so horribly sad.

All right. We're going to check in with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: The "Question of the Day," there's a story in "The Times," Heidi, that the United States has -- has reached an agreement with Greece to send 400 armed Special Forces soldiers and 100 armed bodyguards to protect the American Olympic team. Troops would go there under the auspices of NATO. There'll be no form formal announcement, though, according to "The Times," because it's again Greek law for foreigners to carry guns on Greek soil.

And the Greek officials responded to that "Times" report, saying that they're not going to let foreign guards on their soil carrying weapons. Nevertheless, that's the question, should the U.S. send armed troops to the Olympics in Greece?

Jim in Boca Raton, Florida, "The battle against terrorist cannot be won by American troops everywhere in the world. Have the guy in this administration who's playing the role of Maxwell Smart come out from under the dome of silence long enough to learn that. Instead, we should stay the course of the original Olympic ideal: nudity. No need for metal detectors."

OK. Karlon -- took a while to get there, Jim.

Karlon in Redford, Texas, "If Greece is going to allow us to send troops to act as security guards, why shouldn't we go and help make the games as safe as can be?"

Eileen in Walen (ph), New York, "No, we should not send troops to Greece for the Olympics. Enough young men and women" -- excuse me -- "are being taken from their families as it is in a place I don't think they should have been sent to at all. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Greece, do as the Greeks do."

And Tom in Alma, West Virginia, "Of course we should send 500 troops to Greece. And then when the Olympics comes to the United States, we can welcome 500 troops from Greece, 500 from Turkey, 500 from China. I think not."

"Jack, get a power nap. And try not to think about socks."

I lost some sleep last night because I got up in the middle of the night and tried for a couple of hours to inadvertently put things in my socks. But every time I put something in my sock, I knew it was in my sock right away. And it troubled me.

HEMMER: Do you feel it, or...

CAFFERTY: I'm very tired this morning because I was up wrestling with that. It was a -- it was a -- it was a conundrum. HEMMER: I understand. Go easy.

CAFFERTY: So I have to get -- I have to get a nap this afternoon.

COLLINS: OK, Jack. We wish you luck with that.

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

COLLINS: All right. We want to check on the weather now. Chad Myers standing by with a little bit on the Windy City.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Thank you, Chad.

COLLINS: Thanks, Chad.

HEMMER: In a moment here, one diet expert says that it's time to call a truce in at diet wars. He says all those diets have more in common than you might actually think. We'll talk to him in a moment.

COLLINS: Again, I want to hear about the gummy bear diet. I haven't heard that yet.

And in Iraq, it is not a very funny place these days. But for a few moments, at least, some troops were able to forget their worries. It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: One hundred five days to go in the countdown to the November 2 election. President Bush signs a bill this morning providing for stockpiles of vaccines and antidotes to bioterror attacks. We expect to see that event in about 20 minutes or so, coming from the Rose Garden.

Yesterday, in Iowa, he promised to make America safer and did an about-face, saying he wants to be known as the peace president, not the war president.

The Kerry camp has strongly objected to GOP suggestions that adviser Sandy Berger passed classified information to the campaign. Senator Kerry voiced support for Berger yesterday while accepting his resignation from the campaign.

Senator Kerry's running mate, Senator John Edwards, and his wife, Elizabeth, will be on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

And AMERICAN MORNING will bring you complete coverage from Boston next week during the Democratic convention. Bill will be there -- Bill.

HEMMER: About 25 minutes past the hour. Heidi, thanks for that.

For those serving right now in Iraq, there is not much humor to be found in that country these days, but that is not stopping a dedicated band of comedians. Frank Buckley has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not everybody should be defending our country.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Military material part of the act of P.J. Walsh, the headliner at comedy night at a small club in Corona, California.

P.J. WALSH, COMIC: Just joined the Navy!

BUCKLEY: A recent gig far from here, providing plenty of new material. Iraq was hilarious, at least for a few minutes every time war-weary soldiers got to see these guys onstage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good time! Big guy's got a cold!

BUCKLEY: They were part of a touring group of stand-ups called Comics on Duty. Forget Bob Hope. These guys aren't stars. They're the comedic equivalent of grunts, who traveled like the troops across Iraq and the Middle East, doing 33 shows. At times, they brought new meaning to the term "bombing on stage."

STEVE MAZAN, COMIC: So you hear like -- they're playing Dixie music, and then, boom, a big explosion. Boom, another big explosion. Five seconds later, they just go right back into the music.

BUCKLEY: They played big groups and small, 12 people in 120- degree heat their smallest gig. Their difficult mission? To make warriors laugh.

WALSH: Your heart just goes out for them.

BUCKLEY (on camera): It spills.

WALSH: That's why you're going to give everything that you can, everything that you can, no matter how hot it is, no matter, you know, if there's two people there. We're there to get you away for a minute, and we're going to do it.

BUCKLEY (voice-over): After each show, they talk to the soldiers about home.

BOB PERKELL, COMIC: The guy actually came up to us, he had tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you guys so much for what you do." You know, he said, "You're saving lives out here by keeping us out of hour heads for a couple hours." And, I mean, there's no better feeling.

BUCKLEY: And Jeffrey Steel (ph) says all of them came back with more than new material.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been nothing short of a life-changing experience for me. BUCKLEY: As it was for thousands of soldiers, even if it was just for a few minutes of laughs.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Job well done, yes.

COLLINS: Yes.

Still to come this morning, we've got your Wednesday edition of "90-Second Pop." You can steal someone's wife on reality TV, but don't try to steal someone's idea for a reality TV show.

Plus, little sisters always want to borrow everything. But your career? "90-Second Pop" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Almost 9:30 on the dot here in New York City. Heidi Collins here with us. Soledad's resting, waiting.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: We'll keep you posted.

Opening bell from Wall Street right now. The Dow starting today, 10,149, up 55 points in trading from yesterday. Nasdaq market site, Times Square, 1,917 is your opening mark. Decent day for the tech- heavy Nasdaq yesterday, up 33 points at the close.

Welcome back, everyone, and good morning on this AMERICAN MORNING.

The final report of the 9/11 Commission set for release tomorrow. What will it say? Where will most of the criticism be focused? We'll get a report on that in a moment.

COLLINS: Also, is it time for all the diets out there to stop fighting and just get along? Dr. Dean Ornish is our guest this morning. He has some ideas about what you should eat. But that's not his only focus these days, for sure.

HEMMER: Also -- yes, that's right. "90-Second Pop" in a moment here. Looking into the biggest stars of pop music and their little sisters, too.

COLLINS: Hmm, some competition. Yes.

HEMMER: You think so?

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: I don't know. We'll see. Meanwhile, the 9/11 Commission report, due out tomorrow, will reel off a laundry list of missed opportunities. But it stops short of saying the terrorist attacks actually could have been prevented. Joe Johns live for us at the Capitol this morning with more.

Good morning to you, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

The two top members of the 9/11 Commission back on Capitol Hill today, briefing members of Congress in advance of the release of their report, as you've said. A number of missed opportunities this report is expected to allude to, a series of steps in which the United States could have intervened before the 9/11 attacks.

Also, this report is expected to call for an overhaul of U.S. intelligence, suggest a cabinet-level official to deal with intelligence. The commission is also expected to launch a lobbying campaign of sorts to effect reforms. But the major piece this morning, the thing a lot of people are talking about, is the missed opportunities.

These are things a lot of people have heard about for a very long time. The speaker of the House and the majority leader of the House talking a little bit about those ideas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS HASTERT, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think the interesting thing in our discussion is that, you know, we knew that there were Khobar Towers, and we know that there was a World Trade Tower, and we knew about Osama bin Laden, and we know about all these happenings around the world. I guess it really comes down to nobody thought that anybody would be as audacious as those people who bombed this -- who used our airplanes as weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM DELAY, HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: They stressed that the report is not a blame game, that there was failures on all -- all fronts, and -- but what I heard was what most of us already knew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now, reforms of the intelligence community are already an issue here on Capitol Hill. Member of Congress are asking right now about the creation of a director of national intelligence. That is an idea that has been around for a while.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Joe, quickly, if they're calling them "missed opportunities," but then saying that the attacks couldn't have been prevented, does that add up? JOHNS: Well, no, not really. I mean, quite frankly, there were a lot of people on the commission who thought they ought to go right ahead and say, yes, we could have -- we could have done something about this.

On the other hand, it's very politically sensitive. And as you know, there's been a whole lot of talk about this report coming out one week before the Democratic national convention. If they had come out with some type of, shall we say, explosive recommendations, explosive conclusions, of course it would have been used as a political football. So they apparently decided not to go that route -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Joe Johns, live in the Capitol this morning. Joe, thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: Heidi, it is Atkins, it is South Beach, it is The Zone. No shortage of advice to feed America's obsession for weight loss. And now one veteran of the diet wars is calling for a truce and providing some food for thought, too. Dr. Dean Ornish, author of "Eat More, Weight Less," with us now here in our studios in New York.

Good morning to you.

DR. DEAN ORNISH, "EAT MORE, WEIGH LESS": Good morning to you, Bill.

HEMMER: "TIME" magazine called it the Atkins-Ornish-South Beach diet zone. Have we gone that far? You say that you can take all these diet plans and put them together in one streamlined plan. There are a number of advice (ph) you give today.

First of all, avoid the bad fats and eat the good fats. How do you know?

ORNISH: Yes. I think people are tired of all the arguing. And there's actually a lot more that we agree on than what we disagree on.

One of them is to avoid the bad fats. And these are things like trans-fats, partially hydrogenated fats. Manufacturers put them in the foods to extend the shelf life of the products, but they decrease the shelf life of the people who eat them.

HEMMER: What about carbs? Avoid the bad ones, eat the good ones?

ORNISH: Yes, people think...

HEMMER: I didn't know there were good carbs. Are there?

ORNISH: Well, actually, there are. All carbs are not the same. You want to avoid the bad carbs, the sugar, white flour, white rice.

You get a double whammy, because you remove the fibers, so you can eat lots of them without getting full, and they get absorbed quickly so your insulin spikes and that makes you gain weight. But you don't want to go to pork rinds and bacon and sausage. You want to go to the good carbs.

And these are things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, like whole wheat flour, brown rice. These are rich in fiber. So the fiber fills you up before you get too many calories, and you'll absorb the food more slowly so you don't get those insulin surges.

HEMMER: You mentioned calories. Calories count. So does exercise.

ORNISH: Yes. It's all about eating more -- eating fewer calories and burning more calories.

Now, you can eat fewer calories by eating less food, but you're going to get hungry. If you change the type of food, if you eat less fat, you're going to eat fewer calories even if you eat the same amount of food. And so if you eat less fat, and fewer simple carbs, you can eat more food and gain less weight.

HEMMER: Next item, you write that we should include foods in our diet that protect us from diseases.

ORNISH: Yes, what you...

HEMMER: How do you know?

ORNISH: Because what you include in your diet is as important as what you exclude. It's not jut excluding the bad stuff. There are at least 1,000 substances that are present that have anti-cancer, anti- heart disease, even anti-aging properties.

And where do you find these good things? You find them in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and soy products. So by eating those foods, you get a double benefit. You're reducing the bad stuff, but you're also getting lot's of things that are protective.

HEMMER: Now, you disagree with the late Dr. Atkins, right, when it came to red meat?

ORNISH: Well, we debated many times. And I think, you know, he's a big proponent of red meat. But I think most other experts would say red meat increases the risk of colon, breast, prostate cancer, heart disease. If you could eat less of it -- but, again, it's a spectrum of choices.

It's not all or nothing. If you say don't eat this and eat this, people just want to do the opposite. If you say, you know, you have a spectrum of choices, to the degree you move in a healthy direction, you're going to feel better, you're going to look better, and you're going to lose weight.

HEMMER: Define this, encourage suppliers? What do you mean by that?

ORNISH: Encourage suppliers to make healthier foods, ones that really are tasty, as well as good for you and convenient. I've been working with PepsiCo and McDonald's, ConAgra because they know how to make foods taste good, they know how to make it hip and sexy and fun to healthfully. And I think they're beginning to do that now.

HEMMER: What would you say to people who are saying that you're just coming forward with your own diet plan? You have books out...

ORNISH: What I'm trying to do...

HEMMER: ... in all fairness.

ORNISH: Well, of course I do. But what I'm trying to say is that there's a lot we all agree on. And rather than saying mine is right and yours is wrong, saying, while there's still things that we disagree on, there's a lot that we do agree on. And I think the American people are ready for that now.

HEMMER: What do you -- eating less, moderation, lifestyle choices, exercise, that's all part of this, I'm assuming, right?

ORNISH: It is. But, again, by thinking of this as a spectrum of choices, it's not a diet that you get on or that you get off, it's not somebody telling you what to do. It's saying move in this direction. And to the degree you do, you're going to lose weight and feel better.

HEMMER: Dr. Dean Ornish, thanks for stopping by. "Eat More, Weigh Less" in paperback.

ORNISH: Thanks, Bill.

HEMMER: You got it, for sure. Nice to see you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Nothing in there about gummy bears, huh? Still waiting to hear about that.

HEMMER: Hang on. Let me check the appendix here, Heidi.

COLLINS: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Under "G." It's not here.

COLLINS: Oh, I'll have to work on that. All right. Thanks, Bill.

Still to come this morning, a big surprise for Microsoft. We're "Minding Your Business" on that.

Plus, it's "90-Second Pop." Ashlee Simpson follows in big sis, Jessica's, footsteps with her new album "Autobiography." But you have to wonder, does talent really run in the family?

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Isn't that nice? Time for Wednesday's edition of "90- Second Pop." Joining us this morning, B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly," Shanon Cook, music correspondent for CNN Headline News.

Welcome to you, Shanon.

SHANON COOK, MUSIC CORRESPONDENT, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: Thank you.

COLLINS: And comedian Greg Fitzsimmons.

GREG FITZSIMMONS, COMEDIAN: Hi, mom!

COLLINS: Second timer. First timer, right? OK.

Let's talk first, B.J., about Michael Jackson. What's going on here?

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Let's talk about it.

COLLINS: We're hearing something about the possibility of him being the father of quadruplets.

SIGESMUND: That's right.

COLLINS: His people are strongly denying that.

SIGESMUND: That's right. Well, "US Weekly" broke this story. It's in our next issue out Friday. What I'm here to tell you is that Michael Jackson is indeed going to be the father -- going to be a father again, and not just of one kid, but of quadruplets. He has a woman in Florida who he's been visiting who is pregnant with four of his kids. So, he's going to have seven.

COLLINS: Who is this woman?

SIGESMUND: Well, we can't talk too much about the woman, but what I'm here to tell is that you we are sticking by the story and our sourcing. And that Michael Jackson's PR team has a long history of denying things that later prove to be true.

Think about two years ago when they refused to confirm that he had a third child. Well, then everyone, of course, saw that third child when he dangled him from a roof in Berlin. And that kid was born, too, from a surrogate, I might add.

And then just last year, Michael Jackson was on TV saying that he had only had two surgeries his entire life.

COLLINS: Well, that wasn't true?

SIGESMUND: Anyone can see that that's not true!

COLLINS: What?

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COOK: I think one of the main issues here is that -- or one of the big challenges for Michael, if this is indeed true, is how do you dangle four babies over a balcony all at once? You're going to need two bionic arms for that.

FITZSIMMONS: Well, that's why he has assistants. I think there is a -- you've got to forget about the ethical and moral implications of this. I'm fascinated by the fact that his DNA still matches human DNA for reproduction.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Wow! OK, that being said, interesting. We'll keep up on this one definitely, B.J.

"Trading Spouses," Greg, this thing's getting ready to debut -- or it did debut, I'm sorry, on FOX last night.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COLLINS: I didn't catch it myself. Did you catch it? FITZSIMMONS: I didn't catch it either. No, no. I don't know if I have FOX.

COLLINS: OK.

FITZSIMMONS: I've got to upgrade my cable system.

COLLINS: But there are others, other networks, ABC in particular, who are not so happy about this.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes.

COLLINS: They say they're copying them. They're copying something, you know, an idea that they already have.

FITZSIMMONS: Yes. I think -- yes. There's a big cry of foul among the networks that FOX has stolen that idea. Like, I guess it's OK to steal somebody else's TV show. It's not OK to steal a TV show, but it's OK to steal a mother and give her to another group of kids.

COOK: Right.

FITZSIMMONS: Because that's what they're doing. And I basically think -- you know, the show is, you take a mom, you take a woman, make her the mom, and raise a bunch of kids, clean the house. And I mean, I've got that. Her name is Consuella (ph). It's $11 an hour.

SIGESMUND: The whole notion of networks stealing from each other is so ridiculous. That is the way television works.

COOK: Right.

SIGESMUND: And the best example is NBC scoring a huge hit with "The Apprentice" and Donald Trump. Well, as soon as those numbers came in, ABC decided to announce that they were going to do "The Benefactor" with Mark Cuban, and FOX is doing "The Billionaire" with Richard Branson. This is the way television works, and reality TV in its short history has been the best example of that. Everything gets stolen from other networks. COLLINS: My question would be, though: Is this something that you want to copy? Let's see, the show is called "Trading Spouses" and then "Wife Swap" was the name on ABC, right?

COOK: Don't you think reality TV is just maxed out? Like, where does reality TV go now?

SIGESMUND: Well, I've been saying that for years though.

COOK: But what do they do next? Create a reality TV show about the making of a reality TV show?

FITZSIMMONS: I just pitched that. Don't take that from me.

COOK: Oh, did you? Sorry. It's a great idea. I like it a lot.

COLLINS: Maybe there's some reality TV to be done here about this whole sister-of-the-star thing.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Talk to us about that a little bit, Shanon.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: Right now, in particular, we're talking about Jessica Simpson's little sister, Ashley.

COOK: Right.

COLLINS: She's got an album out.

COOK: Right.

COLLINS: What do you think of it? Is this...

COOK: You've got other sisters, like Britney Spears' sister wanting to do the same.

COLLINS: Right.

COOK: Haley Duff, Hilary Duff's sister, wanting to do the same thing. I don't think these sisters have a chance at success. How can they be bigger than their big star sisters?

COLLINS: Well, what if they're really talented?

COOK: Well, I don't think it really matters, because this is just nepotism totally at work, but nepotism isn't cool.

SIGESMUND: No, but nepotism -- without nepotism, we wouldn't have Julia Roberts. Everyone forgets about Eric Roberts...

COLLINS: Eric, right.

SIGESMUND: ... her older brother, who starred in "Star 80." COOK: Yes, that's true.

SIGESMUND: That helped Julia get her start. Without nepotism, we wouldn't have Michael Douglas, son of Kirk Douglas.

COOK: That's true. I think...

SIGESMUND: I mean, everyone does deserve a start.

COOK: But I think the female pop world is a little bit more fickle than that. And I think if these girls really want to be noticed, there are other options available to them aside from, say, posing for "Playboy." They should all just band together and create their own girly band, the "Just Sisters" or something like that.

COLLINS: There you go.

COOK: Or call themselves "Chopped Liver."

FITZSIMMONS: Or show their breast out there in the Super Bowl.

COOK: And...

COLLINS: Worked for some people.

COOK: Yes.

COLLINS: All right, guys, thanks again for that, B.J., Shannon, and Greg, this morning -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi. Thanks.

Live to the White House right now, the Rose Garden. The president talking about a bill to sign to help develop and stockpile vaccines. Here's the president.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all.

Good morning and welcome to the Rose Garden.

On September 11th, 2001, America saw the destruction and grief terrorists could inflict with commercial airlines turned into weapons of mass murder. Those attacks revealed the depth of our enemies' determination, but not the extent of their ambitions.

We know that the terrorists seek an even deadlier technology, and if they acquire chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, we have no doubt they will use them to cause even greater harm.

The bill I'm about to sign is an important element in our response to that threat.

By authorizing unprecedented funding and providing new capabilities, Project BioShield will help America purchase, develop and deploy cutting-edge defenses against a catastrophic attack. The legislation represents the collective foresight and considered judgment of United States senators and members of the House of Representatives from both political parties, many of whom experienced bioterror firsthand when anthrax and ricin were found on Capitol Hill.

It reflects 18 months of hard work and cooperation by many dedicated public servants in Congress and in the White House. It sends a message about our direction in the war on terror.

We refuse to remain idle, while modern technology might be turned against us. We will rally the great promise of American science and innovation to confront the greatest danger of our time.

I want to thank the vice president for his hard work. He was the point man in the White House on this piece of legislation and did an excellent job.

I appreciate Secretaries Tommy Thompson and Tom Ridge for their leadership on this important piece of legislation as well.

I appreciate the speaker and Leader Frist for making this bill a priority.

I want to thank Senator Gregg and Senator Kennedy, Senator Cochran, for working on this bill. I appreciate the efforts.

I appreciate Congressman Barton, Billy Tauzin, Chris Cox and Henry Waxman as well for their hard work.

Appreciate the members of my administration who are here. Thanks for coming.

These will be the implementers of this important piece of legislation.

Project BioShield will transform our ability to defend the nation in three essential ways.

First, Project BioShield authorizes $5.6 billion over 10 years for the government to purchase and stockpile vaccines and drugs to fight anthrax, smallpox and other potential agents of bioterror.

BUSH: The Department of Health and Human Services has already taken steps to purchase 75 million doses of an improved anthrax vaccine for the strategic national stockpile.

Under Project BioShield, HHS is moving forward with plans to acquire a safer second-generation smallpox vaccine, an antidote to botulinum toxin, and better treatments for exposure to chemical and radiological weapons.

Private industry plays a vital role in our biodefense efforts by taking risks to bring new treatments to the market and we appreciate those efforts.

By acting as a willing buyer for the best new medical technologies, the government ensures that our drug stockpile remains safe, effective and advanced. The federal government and our medical professionals are working together to meet the threat of bioterrorism. We're making the American people more secure in doing so.

Second, Project BioShield gives the government new authority to expedite research and development on the most promising and time- sensitive medicines to defend against bioterror.

We will waste no time putting those new powers to use.

Today, Secretary Thompson will direct the NIH to launch two initiatives: one to speed the development of new treatments for victims of a biological attack and another to expedite development of treatments for victims of a radiological or nuclear attack.

Under the old rules, grants of this kind of research often took 18 to 24 months to process. Under Project BioShield, HHS expects the process to be completed in about six months.

Our goal is to translate today's promising medical research into drugs and vaccines to combat a biological attack in the future, and now we will not let bureaucratic obstacles stand in the way.

Third, Project BioShield will change the way the government authorizes and deploys medical defenses in a crisis.

When I sign this bill, the Food and Drug Administration will be able to permit rapid distribution of promising new drugs and antidotes in the most urgent circumstances. This will allow patients to quickly receive the best treatments in an emergency.

Secretary Thompson has directed the FDA to prepare guidelines and procedures for implementing this new authority.

BUSH: By acting today, we are making sure we have the best medicine possible to help the victims of a biological attack.

Project BioShield is part of a broader strategy to defend America against the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

Since September 11th we've increased funding for the strategic national stockpile by a factor of five; increased funding for biodefense research at NIH by a factor of 30; secured enough smallpox vaccine for every American; worked with cities and plants to deliver antibiotics and chemical antidotes in an emergency; improved the safety of our food supply; and deployed advanced environmental detectors under the BioWatch Program to provide the earliest possible warning of a biological attack.

The threat of bioterrorism has brought new challenges to our government, to our first responders and to our medical personnel. We are grateful for their service. Not long ago, few of these men and women could have imagined duties like monitoring the air for anthrax or delivering antibiotics on a massive scale, yet this is the world as we find it.

This nation refuses to let our guard down.

Tomorrow, the 9/11 Commission will issue its findings and recommendations to help prevent future terrorist attacks. I look forward to receiving the report. I will continue to work with the Congress and state and local governments to build on the homeland security improvements we have already made.

Every American can be certain that their government will continue doing everything in our power to prevent a terrorist attack and if the terrorists do strike, we will be better prepared to defend our people because of the good law I signed today.

It is my honor to invite the members of the Congress to join me as I sign the Project BioShield Act of 2004.

Thanks for coming.

(APPLAUSE)

HEMMER: As we mentioned several times, there in the Rose Garden Project Bioshield about to be signed into law. This passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of Congress. The House passed it 414- 2 back on the 15th of July, just about five days. Back in May, the Senate passed it 99-0.

Bipartisan measure that the president gets ready to sign into law providing the drug industry with incentives to research and develop bioterrorism countermeasures, speed up the approval process of antidotes, and also in an emergency -- and the president referred to this -- allowing the government to distribute certain treatments before the Food and Drug Administration has approved them. He calls them cutting-edge defenses in the Rose Garden today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, Microsoft gives everyone a huge reminder that it's still a force to be reckoned with on Wall Street. We're "Minding Your Business" ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, the market is open. We're going to check on all the action with Christine Romans, in for Andy Serwer today. And she is "Minding Your Business."

How does it look?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It looks good. Stocks are up.

You know, yesterday was the first day in five that the Dow rose. And it's continuing today, up today 64 points, 10213. And that's largely because of Microsoft.

Microsoft shares are up 5 percent. We told you the company is paying out a whole lot of cash, $3 a share for all 4.6 million shareholders out there. It's going to be $75 billion overall. A billion dollars overall that it's giving back. COLLINS: And you have quite a statistic on this.

ROMANS: One share of Microsoft purchased back in 1986, when this company went public, has rallied 40,000 percent. One share invested in 1986 is worth $8,400. The stock has done nothing for five years, but if you bought it way back in '86...

COLLINS: For $21.

ROMANS: ... you're rich.

COLLINS: Whatever.

ROMANS: Too bad I didn't know that.

COLLINS: Yes. Dang, I hate when I miss...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: You weren't old enough to buy stock in 1986.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: What's happening, Jack?

CAFFERTY: Does Lou Dobbs know you're here?

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: I'm going to send him a note. Christine is -- the question, should the United States send armed troops to protect the Olympic team in Greece? A story in "The Times."

Albert in Oneonta, New York, "Sending armed guards to Greece as bodyguards for our Olympic athletes is a lot like Israel building a security wall around their country. Quite honestly, if these measures are necessary today in allowing us to be part of the world, we should probably stay at home, pull our athletes out of direct competition in Greece."

Ken in East Port, Kentucky, "Of course we should. Anyone remember Munich in 1972? I'm not a party line Republican or Democrat. But when it comes to protecting fellow Americans, we should, or else boycott altogether, which would be more of a victory for those desiring our downfall."

And Kay in Franklin Park, New Jersey, says, "There should be U.S. troops at the Olympics if Jack is going to compete. He's too important to lose. Otherwise, no."

HEMMER: Very nice.

CAFFERTY: Yes, Olympic whining team. I could be on that.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: Is it cold enough in here for you guys, by the way?

ROMANS: I was just going to ask -- chilly.

COLLINS: We could all scoot a little closer.

HEMMER: The polar bears will be anchoring here tomorrow on the couch.

Next hour with Daryn Kagan, maybe a little ditty out already popped up in your in box. Daryn will talk about the guys as Jib Jab Productions (ph). They're behind this Web cartoon next hour with Daryn.

We're back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Another reminder. Monday morning on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, we will be live in Boston when the DNC kicks it off. Be there all week for you.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: More on that in a moment. Before we get out of here, here's Aaron Brown, looking later tonight, 12 hours away on the clock for "NEWSNIGHT." Here's Aaron now -- Aaron.

AARON BROWN, HOST, "NEWSNIGHT": Thank you, Bill.

Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," the most famous glaciers in the United States are on the fast track to extinction, at least in geological time. Scientists say unless there's a new ice age they'll disappear by 2030. Glacier National Park in Montana melting away in plain view. We'll have that story, plus all the day's news, of course, morning papers, and everything else that makes "NEWSNIGHT" "NEWSNIGHT," CNN tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Aaron. Thanks for that.

COLLINS: Oh, Glacier. I worked there for a couple of years.

HEMMER: Yes?

COLLINS: Yes. It's beautiful.

HEMMER: Yes, I'm sure, northern Montana?

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: Hey, bring your parka tomorrow.

COLLINS: OK, yes, from Glacier National Park. Yes, I still have it.

HEMMER: It's like an icebox here. COLLINS: Yes, I know.

HEMMER: We've got to run. Here's Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center.

Good morning, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Good morning to all of you. Have a great day.

HEMMER: You do the same.

WHITFIELD: From the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Daryn Kagan this morning. Here's what is happening "Now in the News."