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CNN Live Today

Fighting Continues In Najaf; President Bush Begins Campaign Tour; Independent Political Ads; School Etiquette Tips

Aired August 09, 2004 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin checking the headlines at the bottom of the hour. An Xbox game system and some clothes: Police say those items were the motive for the killings of six people. Four suspects under arrest in a brutal attack in Deltona, Florida. Police say three of the suspects have confessed. The alleged ringleader, though, has not.
Five illegal immigrants have died after crossing the border from Mexico, and search crews are looking for a sixth who is still missing. The victims were from a group of 10 who became stranded in rugged terrain. Authorities don't know how long the group had been in the desert where temperatures topped 110 degrees yesterday.

Four workers killed, seven injured in a nuclear power plant accident in Japan today. The accident occurred when 518-degree steam leaked in a turbine. Officials say there was no radiation leak and no need to evacuate the surrounding area.

And Republican Alan Keyes has formally announced his candidacy for the U.S Senate race in Illinois. Republicans have been courting Keyes, a two-time presidential candidate and out-of-state resident, to enter the race in Illinois with just three months before the elections. Keyes will face Democrat Barack Obama in the nation's first Senate race between two black candidates representing the two major parties.

Keeping you informed, from CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Now, the fight for Iraq. A former exile leader there, once considered a strong Pentagon ally, is now a fugitive. Iraqi authorities have filed counterfeiting charges against Ahmed Chalabi and murder charges against his nephew. Both tell CNN they'll return to Iraq to fight the charges. Chalabi is a former exile leader and is the head of the Iraqi National Congress.

Meanwhile, fighting intensifies in Najaf. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Baghdad and filed this report a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, fighting raging still in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, where U.S. forces facing off against the Mehdi army, loyal of course to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Now, we've had latest casualty figures from those several days of fighting. The U.S. military saying at least 360 of those Mehdi army fighters killed in combat operations. They say at least four U.S. soldiers have also been killed in the battles that have been raging around that holy city.

There has been calls for the violence to come to an end, but at the moment, Muqtada al-Sadr is resisting any compromises, saying that, if necessary, he'll fight to the death in the holy city of Najaf.

MUQTADA AL-SADR, SHIITE CLERIC (through translator): In this situation, you can't have democracy and occupation. You can't have freedom and occupation. Let's remove the occupation first, then there'll be freedom and democracy. But not democracy or freedom with an occupation.

I'll keep on resisting. I'm staying in Najaf, and I won't leave until the last day of my life. My stay is to defend Najaf, the holiest place. Whoever wants to stay is welcome.

CHANCE: Well, the U.S. military says that it won't abandon Najaf either. In fact, it says its forces have taken up positions around the sacred Imam Ali mosque, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. It's also the place, according to U.S. officials, where Mehdi army fighters are holed up and using as a staging ground to launch attacks against U.S. forces.

They say they've got permission from the governor of Najaf to operate in and around the shrine of Imam Ali if necessary. Although, they say they're not planning to do that at this stage -- mindful, perhaps, of the explosive backlash any attempt to perhaps storm that mosque may have amongst Iraq's Shiite majority population.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Now, America votes, and voters question. This hour, President Bush is appearing right here, live at a Virginia community college. It may be a lesson in politics 101. He's facing questions in a GOP-friendly state that hasn't supported in a Democrat for the White House since Lyndon Johnson.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us with more on this -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Drew, President Bush is back on the campaign trail with a vengeance. This is where he is starting a nine-state tour this week. He's starting in Annandale, Virginia, at this community college. You see those pictures there.

The idea is to highlight the administration's programs, what they call an error of ownership -- programs to help Americans own their homes, small businesses, healthcare plans, a piece of their own retirement.

The president also, however, this morning focusing on Iraq policy, the Iraq war. The president quite defensive, saying that this administration made the right decision in going to war. And the president insisting that he has no regrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We didn't find the stockpiles that we thought we would find. Everybody thought they would be there. We haven't found them yet, but he had the capability of making weapons. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, Drew, expect to hear that mantra over and over this week. The president hitting the campaign trail tomorrow. That is where he's going to have three stops in Florida. Wednesday, he goes on to New Mexico and Arizona. Thursday, Nevada and California. Friday, Oregon and Washington. Saturday it is Sioux City, Iowa.

Also, you are going to see a familiar face on the campaign trail -- that is Senator John McCain, the Republican maverick who they believe will attract those moderate swing voters -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Suzanne, thank you.

The Republicans and Democrats seem to have the same travel agent. About 10,000 people flocked to a late-night rally for John Kerry. He's in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Democrat also received the endorsement of the Navajo Nation. Today, Kerry travels to the Grand Canyon and on to Kingman, Arizona, in a nationwide tour that is winding through 21 states.

Well, 'tis the season for political ads, crafted to highlight one candidate and, in some cases, demonize another. But there are more in those ads that meets the eye. CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at political ad-gendas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Who made this campaign ad? Watch closely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After almost four years, when is George Bush going to start taking care of America? Shouldn't America be a top priority? The Media Fund is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

SCHNEIDER: That's an independent political group, not the John Kerry campaign. Groups like that can raise and spend as much money as they like, as long as they remain wholly uncoordinated with the campaigns.

This month the Kerry campaign is relying on spending by these independent groups and by the Democratic party.

EVAN TRACEY, CNN ADVERTISING CONSULTANT: All told, these groups have spent about $4.5 million since the convention on behalf of Kerry. SCHNEIDER: When Kerry was officially nominated at the convention last month, he received $75 million in federal subsidies. But that's the only money his campaign can spend until Election Day.

President Bush will not be officially renominated until September 1st. Meanwhile, his campaign can spend as much of its own money as it wants.

TRACEY: Their spending, really since the end of the Democratic convention, is approaching over $1 million a day.

SCHNEIDER: But independent anti-Kerry ads are out there. This one, released last week, has created a furor.

SHELTON WHITE, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: John Kerry betrayed the men and women he served with in Vietnam.

JOE PONDER, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: He dishonored his country. He most certainly did

LT. BOB HILDRETH, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: I served with John Kerry. John Kerry cannot be trusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

SCHNEIDER: Questions are being raised about the motives of the men testifying in the ad, and exactly how much of Kerry's service they witnessed.

Senator John McCain, a Bush supporter, called the ad "dishonest and dishonorable." Ads like that can backfire. That's the problem with independent ads. They're not controlled by the campaigns; they're independent.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We have some amazing video just ahead: An experimental rocket explodes just after takeoff. We're going to show you what happened.

And as your kids get ready to go back to school, hear what you need to know as a parent about school etiquette. We'll have an expert here to answer your questions. You can send them now to livetoday@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast this morning. Most of the 110 students sickened at a conference in Maryland have been released from hospitals. The teenagers became nauseous early yesterday. Lab tests are being conducted to determine whether food poisoning was to blame there.

It is back to the drawing board for the creators of the Rubicon 1 rocket. You can see there, the rocket malfunctioned. It crashed during a test near Olympic National Park in Washington. Nobody hurt. The rocket's designers are among the teams competing for a $10 million prize for private manned space flight.

And people seeing double in an Ohio town over the weekend. The Annual Twins Day Fest in Twinsburg attracted about 3,000 sets of twins. Most wore matching outfits. One couple traveled all the way from India after seeing a TV report on this event.

They may already be back in class, but it's never too late to teach your kids etiquette. We will talk to an expert about what parents can do to make sure their kids behave at school. We'll take your questions.

E-mail us at livetoday@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: "Collateral," this movie cruises to the top this weekend, grossing $24.4 million at the box office. Megastar Tom Cruise goes to the dark side -- and the gray side -- in the role of a psychotic hitman on a one-night killing spree. "Collateral" easily bumped "The Village" into second place, followed by "Bourne Supremacy," "The Manchurian Candidate," and the "Little Black Book." Overall, though, a weak showing, leading one box office-tracker to observe, "that's why they call this the dog days of August."

Well, the poor box office numbers might have something to do with families getting kids ready to go back to school. But before children return to the class, parents might profit from a lesson or two in school etiquette. To help you along the way, We have with us today "Good Housekeeping" magazine's etiquette columnist Peggy Post. She joins us live from Fort Myers, Florida.

Hi.

PEGGY POST, ETIQUETTE COLUMNIST: Hello. How are you?

GRIFFIN: Peggy, let's talk about, a lot of parents really don't know the rules, or maybe didn't learn them when they were going to school. We have a couple of yes-or-no questions for you. Etiquette, though, is very important to teach your kids through yourself, isn't that right?

POST: Definitely. It's so important for parents to set a good example. They're really role models for children.

GRIFFIN: Let's talk about there's a couple of interesting ones that came up. You're driving kids to the school, when you pass the neighbor's child waiting for the bus, should you pick up that kid? POST: No. And that's simply because if you haven't made prior arrangements with that child's parents, they could panic or be confused if their child doesn't arrive on the bus. And so unless you've already made arrangements, don't do it. It's just not a good idea. I've heard of a little boy who was picked up and the mother was really frantic looking for him, because she didn't know that, and it's important to make arrangements.

GRIFFIN: Also, I want to talk to you about teacher gifts. A lot of parents think they can schmooze their way into a teacher's heart with some elaborate gifts. When are they appropriate? Should you bring them on the first day of school?

POST: Don't bring them on the first day of school. They're appropriate at holiday time, teacher appreciation week, or day, and at the end of the school year, but not on a teacher's birthday, not before report cards are about to come out, not before the first day of school, because at those times, it looks like, especially first day of school, or report cards, looks like the child's trying to be a grade- grabber, if you will.

GRIFFIN: A lot of parents wonder what to do when their child is having a bad time in a class. Perhaps they're being harassed by some of the other students in the class. Can you actually go in and ask for your child to be removed from that class?

POST: Well, you may definitely have a conversation with the principal or with the principal and the teacher. And have specifics, though. Let's say there's a child who's real disruptive in your child's class, then have real clear-cut examples to share with the school administration, and if the -- if they just don't switch to your child, be a good sport about that, but work with them in trying to lessen the interruptions, lessen the problems.

GRIFFIN: I want to ask you one more question, Peggy, about dress codes. A lot of schools have dress codes, but what other people complain about is the dress codes don't normally work with the parents. Should parents be dressed in a certain way when they are in and out of the classroom or taking their children to school?

POST: It's a good idea. Again, you're setting a good example for children. Use common sense. Cover up the midriff. Have a little bit of cover on the top. Definitely, definitely, it's setting an example. And it's just making -- it's a sign of respect to dress appropriately, at least being neat and covered up.

GRIFFIN: Peggy Post, etiquette expert from "Good Housekeeping." Thanks for joining us this morning, Peggy.

POST: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Happy back to school.

Well, proof that an education can pay off, Koko the gorilla uses her communication skills to get help for her health problem. Hear what happened after this. You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Two brothers, who sometimes act like twins, will compete for Olympic gold in synchronized diving in Athens, Greece.

CNN's Jason Bellini caught up with Troy and Jason Dumais as they prepared for the coming challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet the Dumais brothers. Justin, 25, is often outshined by his younger brother, Troy, who's 24. In the air, they try to act like identical twins. On the ground, they have two very different personalities.

TROY DUMAIS, SYNCHRONIZED DIVER: I'm more outgoing.

JUSTIN DUMAIS, SYNCHRONIZED DIVER: Got the academic side.

KENNY ARMSTRONG, COACH: And they know one another very well.

BELLINI: An advantage when they're feeling the brotherly love, which isn't always.

(on camera): Have you ever seen them when they're not talking to one another?

ARMSTRONG: Yes, that's yes, that's a definite. That's why they don't live together

BELLINI: Troy admits he's tired of teammates scrutinizing their relationship.

T. DUMAIS: And then we ask them the same question, so what if your sister was standing here? I wouldn't like it. So, I mean, (INAUDIBLE) then why are you giving us crap about it? I mean, we deal with it, and we don't cause that much problem.

BELLINI: Athens will be Troy's second Olympics. In 2000, his best individual effort was sixth in the three-meter springboard. Justin didn't make the team.

T. DUMAIS: I think it was a difficult thing for my brother to handle, because that was his dream too, to go to the Olympics and win a medal.

BELLINI: At this year's trial, the same thing happened, Troy qualified in his individual event, Justin did not. But Justin made the team with the help of his brother in synchronized diving.

T. DUMAIS: That's all she wrote, basically. I mean, that was his last chance, was synchro.

BELLINI: Synchronized diving became an Olympic event in 2000.

(on camera): Judges review the execution of the individual diver, but more importantly the synchronization of the duo, from takeoff, to the height of the dive, to the angle they hit the water.

J. DUMAIS: Synchro is kind of -- put two competitors together, and, I mean, it's always say, Oh, it was his fault, or it was his fault. And during synchro, you can't have that. It's a team event. It's our fault, it's not his or mine.

BELLINI: After Athens, Justin wants to join the Air National Guard. Troy plans to continue diving. Both say the time for sibling rivalry is over. In Athens, they have to be in sync like never before.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: You know when a 300-pound person complains about an aching tooth, you know it's got to hurt. Well, this time it was no person, it was Koko the gorilla, using sign language to tell her handlers how painful it was.

Koko, given anesthesia, and three dentists went to work. Nine other specialists joining in the team to give the gorilla an overall medical exam, her first in two decades. Koko, 33 years old, has gotten a clean bill of health, and hopefully, Jacqui Jeras, a nice, pleasant smile.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Here's a look at what's happening in the news. New details about possible al Qaeda plots against U.S. targets. According to today's "New York Times," officials say al Qaeda considered using tourist helicopters, boats and divers to attack targets in New York City. And a "Time" magazine report describes a plot using a limo packed with explosives.

First Lady Laura Bush is on the campaign trail. In about 15 minutes, she's scheduled to speak at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. She'll pick up an endorsement for President Bush from the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and she is expected to defend Mr. Bush's limits on stem cell research.

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


Aired August 9, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin checking the headlines at the bottom of the hour. An Xbox game system and some clothes: Police say those items were the motive for the killings of six people. Four suspects under arrest in a brutal attack in Deltona, Florida. Police say three of the suspects have confessed. The alleged ringleader, though, has not.
Five illegal immigrants have died after crossing the border from Mexico, and search crews are looking for a sixth who is still missing. The victims were from a group of 10 who became stranded in rugged terrain. Authorities don't know how long the group had been in the desert where temperatures topped 110 degrees yesterday.

Four workers killed, seven injured in a nuclear power plant accident in Japan today. The accident occurred when 518-degree steam leaked in a turbine. Officials say there was no radiation leak and no need to evacuate the surrounding area.

And Republican Alan Keyes has formally announced his candidacy for the U.S Senate race in Illinois. Republicans have been courting Keyes, a two-time presidential candidate and out-of-state resident, to enter the race in Illinois with just three months before the elections. Keyes will face Democrat Barack Obama in the nation's first Senate race between two black candidates representing the two major parties.

Keeping you informed, from CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Now, the fight for Iraq. A former exile leader there, once considered a strong Pentagon ally, is now a fugitive. Iraqi authorities have filed counterfeiting charges against Ahmed Chalabi and murder charges against his nephew. Both tell CNN they'll return to Iraq to fight the charges. Chalabi is a former exile leader and is the head of the Iraqi National Congress.

Meanwhile, fighting intensifies in Najaf. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Baghdad and filed this report a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, fighting raging still in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, where U.S. forces facing off against the Mehdi army, loyal of course to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Now, we've had latest casualty figures from those several days of fighting. The U.S. military saying at least 360 of those Mehdi army fighters killed in combat operations. They say at least four U.S. soldiers have also been killed in the battles that have been raging around that holy city.

There has been calls for the violence to come to an end, but at the moment, Muqtada al-Sadr is resisting any compromises, saying that, if necessary, he'll fight to the death in the holy city of Najaf.

MUQTADA AL-SADR, SHIITE CLERIC (through translator): In this situation, you can't have democracy and occupation. You can't have freedom and occupation. Let's remove the occupation first, then there'll be freedom and democracy. But not democracy or freedom with an occupation.

I'll keep on resisting. I'm staying in Najaf, and I won't leave until the last day of my life. My stay is to defend Najaf, the holiest place. Whoever wants to stay is welcome.

CHANCE: Well, the U.S. military says that it won't abandon Najaf either. In fact, it says its forces have taken up positions around the sacred Imam Ali mosque, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. It's also the place, according to U.S. officials, where Mehdi army fighters are holed up and using as a staging ground to launch attacks against U.S. forces.

They say they've got permission from the governor of Najaf to operate in and around the shrine of Imam Ali if necessary. Although, they say they're not planning to do that at this stage -- mindful, perhaps, of the explosive backlash any attempt to perhaps storm that mosque may have amongst Iraq's Shiite majority population.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Now, America votes, and voters question. This hour, President Bush is appearing right here, live at a Virginia community college. It may be a lesson in politics 101. He's facing questions in a GOP-friendly state that hasn't supported in a Democrat for the White House since Lyndon Johnson.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us with more on this -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Drew, President Bush is back on the campaign trail with a vengeance. This is where he is starting a nine-state tour this week. He's starting in Annandale, Virginia, at this community college. You see those pictures there.

The idea is to highlight the administration's programs, what they call an error of ownership -- programs to help Americans own their homes, small businesses, healthcare plans, a piece of their own retirement.

The president also, however, this morning focusing on Iraq policy, the Iraq war. The president quite defensive, saying that this administration made the right decision in going to war. And the president insisting that he has no regrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We didn't find the stockpiles that we thought we would find. Everybody thought they would be there. We haven't found them yet, but he had the capability of making weapons. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, Drew, expect to hear that mantra over and over this week. The president hitting the campaign trail tomorrow. That is where he's going to have three stops in Florida. Wednesday, he goes on to New Mexico and Arizona. Thursday, Nevada and California. Friday, Oregon and Washington. Saturday it is Sioux City, Iowa.

Also, you are going to see a familiar face on the campaign trail -- that is Senator John McCain, the Republican maverick who they believe will attract those moderate swing voters -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Suzanne, thank you.

The Republicans and Democrats seem to have the same travel agent. About 10,000 people flocked to a late-night rally for John Kerry. He's in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Democrat also received the endorsement of the Navajo Nation. Today, Kerry travels to the Grand Canyon and on to Kingman, Arizona, in a nationwide tour that is winding through 21 states.

Well, 'tis the season for political ads, crafted to highlight one candidate and, in some cases, demonize another. But there are more in those ads that meets the eye. CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at political ad-gendas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Who made this campaign ad? Watch closely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After almost four years, when is George Bush going to start taking care of America? Shouldn't America be a top priority? The Media Fund is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

SCHNEIDER: That's an independent political group, not the John Kerry campaign. Groups like that can raise and spend as much money as they like, as long as they remain wholly uncoordinated with the campaigns.

This month the Kerry campaign is relying on spending by these independent groups and by the Democratic party.

EVAN TRACEY, CNN ADVERTISING CONSULTANT: All told, these groups have spent about $4.5 million since the convention on behalf of Kerry. SCHNEIDER: When Kerry was officially nominated at the convention last month, he received $75 million in federal subsidies. But that's the only money his campaign can spend until Election Day.

President Bush will not be officially renominated until September 1st. Meanwhile, his campaign can spend as much of its own money as it wants.

TRACEY: Their spending, really since the end of the Democratic convention, is approaching over $1 million a day.

SCHNEIDER: But independent anti-Kerry ads are out there. This one, released last week, has created a furor.

SHELTON WHITE, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: John Kerry betrayed the men and women he served with in Vietnam.

JOE PONDER, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: He dishonored his country. He most certainly did

LT. BOB HILDRETH, SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH: I served with John Kerry. John Kerry cannot be trusted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

SCHNEIDER: Questions are being raised about the motives of the men testifying in the ad, and exactly how much of Kerry's service they witnessed.

Senator John McCain, a Bush supporter, called the ad "dishonest and dishonorable." Ads like that can backfire. That's the problem with independent ads. They're not controlled by the campaigns; they're independent.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: We have some amazing video just ahead: An experimental rocket explodes just after takeoff. We're going to show you what happened.

And as your kids get ready to go back to school, hear what you need to know as a parent about school etiquette. We'll have an expert here to answer your questions. You can send them now to livetoday@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast this morning. Most of the 110 students sickened at a conference in Maryland have been released from hospitals. The teenagers became nauseous early yesterday. Lab tests are being conducted to determine whether food poisoning was to blame there.

It is back to the drawing board for the creators of the Rubicon 1 rocket. You can see there, the rocket malfunctioned. It crashed during a test near Olympic National Park in Washington. Nobody hurt. The rocket's designers are among the teams competing for a $10 million prize for private manned space flight.

And people seeing double in an Ohio town over the weekend. The Annual Twins Day Fest in Twinsburg attracted about 3,000 sets of twins. Most wore matching outfits. One couple traveled all the way from India after seeing a TV report on this event.

They may already be back in class, but it's never too late to teach your kids etiquette. We will talk to an expert about what parents can do to make sure their kids behave at school. We'll take your questions.

E-mail us at livetoday@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: "Collateral," this movie cruises to the top this weekend, grossing $24.4 million at the box office. Megastar Tom Cruise goes to the dark side -- and the gray side -- in the role of a psychotic hitman on a one-night killing spree. "Collateral" easily bumped "The Village" into second place, followed by "Bourne Supremacy," "The Manchurian Candidate," and the "Little Black Book." Overall, though, a weak showing, leading one box office-tracker to observe, "that's why they call this the dog days of August."

Well, the poor box office numbers might have something to do with families getting kids ready to go back to school. But before children return to the class, parents might profit from a lesson or two in school etiquette. To help you along the way, We have with us today "Good Housekeeping" magazine's etiquette columnist Peggy Post. She joins us live from Fort Myers, Florida.

Hi.

PEGGY POST, ETIQUETTE COLUMNIST: Hello. How are you?

GRIFFIN: Peggy, let's talk about, a lot of parents really don't know the rules, or maybe didn't learn them when they were going to school. We have a couple of yes-or-no questions for you. Etiquette, though, is very important to teach your kids through yourself, isn't that right?

POST: Definitely. It's so important for parents to set a good example. They're really role models for children.

GRIFFIN: Let's talk about there's a couple of interesting ones that came up. You're driving kids to the school, when you pass the neighbor's child waiting for the bus, should you pick up that kid? POST: No. And that's simply because if you haven't made prior arrangements with that child's parents, they could panic or be confused if their child doesn't arrive on the bus. And so unless you've already made arrangements, don't do it. It's just not a good idea. I've heard of a little boy who was picked up and the mother was really frantic looking for him, because she didn't know that, and it's important to make arrangements.

GRIFFIN: Also, I want to talk to you about teacher gifts. A lot of parents think they can schmooze their way into a teacher's heart with some elaborate gifts. When are they appropriate? Should you bring them on the first day of school?

POST: Don't bring them on the first day of school. They're appropriate at holiday time, teacher appreciation week, or day, and at the end of the school year, but not on a teacher's birthday, not before report cards are about to come out, not before the first day of school, because at those times, it looks like, especially first day of school, or report cards, looks like the child's trying to be a grade- grabber, if you will.

GRIFFIN: A lot of parents wonder what to do when their child is having a bad time in a class. Perhaps they're being harassed by some of the other students in the class. Can you actually go in and ask for your child to be removed from that class?

POST: Well, you may definitely have a conversation with the principal or with the principal and the teacher. And have specifics, though. Let's say there's a child who's real disruptive in your child's class, then have real clear-cut examples to share with the school administration, and if the -- if they just don't switch to your child, be a good sport about that, but work with them in trying to lessen the interruptions, lessen the problems.

GRIFFIN: I want to ask you one more question, Peggy, about dress codes. A lot of schools have dress codes, but what other people complain about is the dress codes don't normally work with the parents. Should parents be dressed in a certain way when they are in and out of the classroom or taking their children to school?

POST: It's a good idea. Again, you're setting a good example for children. Use common sense. Cover up the midriff. Have a little bit of cover on the top. Definitely, definitely, it's setting an example. And it's just making -- it's a sign of respect to dress appropriately, at least being neat and covered up.

GRIFFIN: Peggy Post, etiquette expert from "Good Housekeeping." Thanks for joining us this morning, Peggy.

POST: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Happy back to school.

Well, proof that an education can pay off, Koko the gorilla uses her communication skills to get help for her health problem. Hear what happened after this. You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Two brothers, who sometimes act like twins, will compete for Olympic gold in synchronized diving in Athens, Greece.

CNN's Jason Bellini caught up with Troy and Jason Dumais as they prepared for the coming challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet the Dumais brothers. Justin, 25, is often outshined by his younger brother, Troy, who's 24. In the air, they try to act like identical twins. On the ground, they have two very different personalities.

TROY DUMAIS, SYNCHRONIZED DIVER: I'm more outgoing.

JUSTIN DUMAIS, SYNCHRONIZED DIVER: Got the academic side.

KENNY ARMSTRONG, COACH: And they know one another very well.

BELLINI: An advantage when they're feeling the brotherly love, which isn't always.

(on camera): Have you ever seen them when they're not talking to one another?

ARMSTRONG: Yes, that's yes, that's a definite. That's why they don't live together

BELLINI: Troy admits he's tired of teammates scrutinizing their relationship.

T. DUMAIS: And then we ask them the same question, so what if your sister was standing here? I wouldn't like it. So, I mean, (INAUDIBLE) then why are you giving us crap about it? I mean, we deal with it, and we don't cause that much problem.

BELLINI: Athens will be Troy's second Olympics. In 2000, his best individual effort was sixth in the three-meter springboard. Justin didn't make the team.

T. DUMAIS: I think it was a difficult thing for my brother to handle, because that was his dream too, to go to the Olympics and win a medal.

BELLINI: At this year's trial, the same thing happened, Troy qualified in his individual event, Justin did not. But Justin made the team with the help of his brother in synchronized diving.

T. DUMAIS: That's all she wrote, basically. I mean, that was his last chance, was synchro.

BELLINI: Synchronized diving became an Olympic event in 2000.

(on camera): Judges review the execution of the individual diver, but more importantly the synchronization of the duo, from takeoff, to the height of the dive, to the angle they hit the water.

J. DUMAIS: Synchro is kind of -- put two competitors together, and, I mean, it's always say, Oh, it was his fault, or it was his fault. And during synchro, you can't have that. It's a team event. It's our fault, it's not his or mine.

BELLINI: After Athens, Justin wants to join the Air National Guard. Troy plans to continue diving. Both say the time for sibling rivalry is over. In Athens, they have to be in sync like never before.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Houston.

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GRIFFIN: You know when a 300-pound person complains about an aching tooth, you know it's got to hurt. Well, this time it was no person, it was Koko the gorilla, using sign language to tell her handlers how painful it was.

Koko, given anesthesia, and three dentists went to work. Nine other specialists joining in the team to give the gorilla an overall medical exam, her first in two decades. Koko, 33 years old, has gotten a clean bill of health, and hopefully, Jacqui Jeras, a nice, pleasant smile.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Here's a look at what's happening in the news. New details about possible al Qaeda plots against U.S. targets. According to today's "New York Times," officials say al Qaeda considered using tourist helicopters, boats and divers to attack targets in New York City. And a "Time" magazine report describes a plot using a limo packed with explosives.

First Lady Laura Bush is on the campaign trail. In about 15 minutes, she's scheduled to speak at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. She'll pick up an endorsement for President Bush from the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and she is expected to defend Mr. Bush's limits on stem cell research.

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