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CNN Live Today

Google's Nasdaq Debut; Battleground State Ohio; Crisis in Sudan Worsens

Aired August 19, 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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check the headlines now. In the news, time may be running out for the al-Sadr militia in Najaf. U.S. tanks surround a mosque where cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his armed followers have taken refuge. There are also a handful of women and children inside the mosque. Earlier today, Iraqi officials issued a terse ultimatum to al-Sadr. They gave the cleric a few hours to order his followers to stand down or face direct military action.
Near Houston, authorities have decided to allow a spectacular jet of flames just burn itself out. No injuries were reported at the Moss Bluff Natural Gas Storage Facility, but residents within one mile were evacuated. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.

Will fewer flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport means fewer delays nationwide? The FAA believes that answer is yes. Beginning in November, airport's two largest carriers, United and American, will cut 37 daily peak-hour flight arrivals. Other airlines also agreed to reduce or change schedules. So far this year, only two of every three flights at O'Hare has been on time.

And Oscar winning composer Elmer Bernstein is dead. He scored the themes for such film classics as "The Magnificent Seven," "The Man With a Golden Arm," and "To Kill a Mockingbird," among numerous other Hollywood productions. His work on "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in 1967 earned him an Academy Award. Elmer Bernstein was 82.

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

Oil prices are breaking Wall Street records this hour, coming in at just under $48 a barrel, as China and India remain unphased by higher costs. We're going to take a close look at that later this hour.

Right now, though, the story on the Street is Google. The Internet search engine, the anticipated high-end IPO cut its initial offering to $85 as it is debuting on the Nasdaq.

We have with us in person financial correspondent Mary Snow watching this one. Good morning.

MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And so much anticipation about this stock. I have to tell you, it hasn't started trading just yet

KAGAN: Now, why is that? SNOW: A lot of times with IPOs like this, it takes about two hours or so to get everything in place and then get the stock trading. So, we're waiting for that eagerly. But as you mentioned, you know, the stock came out last night. It was -- the price was $85.

KAGAN: Which is not too shabby. I mean, come on, $85 for an IPO. But it was the expectation that's making people go, oh, this is kind of a bust.

SNOW: Right, well, the expectation was even cut yesterday. And this was at the low end of that reduced forecast. So, that really signaled that the demand was not there.

Now, the Google clan was on hand this morning at the Nasdaq to ring the bell. One of the co-founders there, Larry Page -- Sergey Brin, we're told by the Nasdaq, was not on hand this morning. And because the so-called quiet period, they did not comment on the company. But they are, by the way, instant billionaires, on paper at least.

KAGAN: Doing fine, even with the so-called reduced stock price. Ultimately, though, what does this mean for the company being able to do with the money that it's raising?

SNOW: Well, it's still raising $23 billion. Not so shabby. And that puts it on the scale of companies like Ford. It's now bigger market capsize than Amazon. And so, this is the biggest Internet IPO ever, despite all the setbacks.

And it's just being closely watched because of this unusual way that it did this IPO. Breaking with tradition, really trying to cut out the investment banks on Wall Street, open it up, level the playing field to the ordinary customer.

KAGAN: Do you think they were trying to teach them a lesson? Do you think this was Wall Street saying, "Oh, no, no, young men from California, you don't tell us how you go public; we're going to show you?"

SNOW: There was certainly that feeling, because, you know, Wall Street did not like this deal whatsoever. The underwriters' role was cut.

However, having said that, I talked to a seasoned pro yesterday who said it takes so much detailed information to really price these kinds of things. He put a bid in $120. So, that was very high. And many made the argument that there was some role for Wall Street underwriters.

Now, what they're saying in the end is this a success or failure will really be determined by how well this stock will do. It will be closely watched today. And the big question is: Now that the price is down, will the individual investors jump in?

KAGAN: All right, we'll be watching, and as will you. Mary Snow in person in New York City. Thank you so much. Good to see you. SNOW: Sure.

KAGAN: Coming up in the next hour, the latest on a new survey on teenage sex. If your teens are having sex, is that the door to more dangerous behavior? Some fascinating new stats.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: CNN invited backers of President Bush, John Kerry, and undecided voters to a town hall meeting in Canton, Ohio last night. The audience was able to ask questions of Bush and Kerry representatives.

One of the biggest issues on voters' minds: the situation in iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER ESKEW, FMR. WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL: We won't sacrifice a decision about America's security at the U.N. to one or two nations. No president -- this president, I can assure you, will not do that. And if that means -- if that means not sounding quite as warm and fuzzy toward governments that oppose some of our national security interests, so be it. So be it.

But let me tell you something, the president does have a plan. It's not just Democratic elections. It's not just restoring security. It is to have a coalition on the ground and involved. It is to transition a way.

And you've just -- you know, Tad, you made some insulting comments about Mr. Allawi, who is a very strong man, who is helping to lead this nation right now as an Iraqi, the nation of Iraq. And I think John Kerry does not have a plan that responds to the reality on the ground.

We've gotten rid of Saddam Hussein and made America safer as a result.

TAD DEVINE, SR. ADVISOR, KERRY CAMPAIGN: This is the reality on the ground. Today, American troops and American taxpayers are bearing the burden in Iraq almost alone. $200 billion in your taxes are paying for Iraq.

ESKEW: And do you think...

DEVINE: And almost 1,000 of our fellow citizens have died because this president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And that's a fact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, why Ohio? Because the road to the White House may run through Ohio. No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio. President Bush won the state by 4 percentage points in 2000, but take a look at the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, showing the president 10 percentage points behind John Kerry among registered Ohio voters.

Our political analyst Carlos Watson is here to talk about the battleground state.

Good morning.

CAROL WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Good morning. Actually, my home state. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

KAGAN: So you're owning it? You're claiming it?

WATSON: I'm owning it, why not.

KAGAN: All right, well, let's channel your inner Ohioan. Ohioan OK?

WATSON: That works. That works.

KAGAN: What's happening in Ohio? Why is it shifting toward Kerry?

WATSON: Job losses is the short answer. But also a lot of energy on both sides. Remember, it was decided by about 3.5 percentage points, so relatively close. And this time around, you're seeing about $30 million being spent there combined by the time November 2nd comes around.

If you add up all four of the major candidates, 50 visits from the president, Vice President Cheney, John Edwards, John Kerry. So a lot of attention, lot of energy, and people are seeing lots of ads, very few undecideds at this point.

KAGAN: All that for 20 electoral votes?

WATSON: Twenty electoral votes, but not the only place, Daryn, interestingly enough, that people are paying attention to and hoping to make a big breakthrough. If you're a Democrat, you're seeing some particularly good signs not only in Florida, not only in Ohio, but guess where, North Carolina. In the South...

KAGAN: John Edwards' country.

WATSON: John Edwards. And remember, right after John Edwards got selected, a number of people were saying, nah, North Carolina is not in play.

KAGAN: Right, and pointing out they didn't think he would win his Senate seat if he was planning on running for re-election for that.

WATSON: Nobody's saying that anymore. Right now, it's within three points if you follow there one poll. But no matter what, it seems close. And this would be transformed for Democrats if they were able to win in a, quote unquote, true Southern place, and not kind of those border Southern states, but Jesse Helms' territory; this would be big.

KAGAN: OK, so that's Democrats. What are Republicans trying to do here to counter this?

WATSON: There are three places that if the president wins, this will have an important impact not only in 2004, but going forward: Pennsylvania, a state that has been good to Democrats, they've got a Democratic governor, Gore won by five points last time. That's one place. Two states in the Midwest: Wisconsin and Minnesota. The president is very close in both places, could pull off an upset, which would give Republicans a lot more strength in the Midwest going forward.

KAGAN: So the battleground shifts as we go on.

WATSON: It's constantly shifting.

KAGAN: Giving you plenty to talk about and look at.

Carlos Watson, what, 75 days?

WATSON: And counting.

KAGAN: And counting.

WATSON: And Republican Convention almost 10 days away.

KAGAN: Next week, and you'll be there.

WATSON: You bet.

KAGAN: Thank you, Carlos. Appreciate that.

WATSON: Good to see you.

KAGAN: Coming up in the next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY: a closer look at teen sex survey, with an expert on drug addiction. What do you do if you notice the telltale signs of potentially dangerous behavior in your teen. That is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what is on our legal docket for the day in our "Legal Briefs." Oprah Winfrey calls her jury duty one of the saddest experiences of her life. Winfrey and 11 other jurors found a Chicago man guilty in the February 2002 shooting death of a 23-year-old man. The talk show host plans to do a show about the trial next week with the other jurors.

In Eagle, Colorado, the judge eases a gag order in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. Under the new ruling, lawyers will be permitted to talk to reporters. They still, however, will not be allowed to comment on the credibility or character of Bryant, his accuser or any witnesses. Jury selection is set to begin next week in that one. And what's called a potential development in the Scott Peterson double-murder case brought that trial to a sudden halt yesterday. The delay put off the anticipation -- the anticipated cross-examination of Peterson's former lover, Amber Frey. Frey's appearance on the stand is now scheduled for Monday.

Face to face with tragedy: a firsthand account of the thousands of Sudanese living on the brink and their desperate need.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A solemn ceremony at the United Nations in New York. It marks the first anniversary of the terrorist attack in Baghdad that ripped apart the U.N. headquarters there. Twenty-two people died in that attack, including the top U.N. envoy. U.N. personnel were pulled out of Iraq after that attack, and many U.N. employees called that their September 11th.

Also today at the U.N., the Security Council gets a report on last week's massacre at a U.N.-run refugee camp in Burundi. A Hutu rebel group in Burundi has claimed responsibility for the slaughter last Friday of nearly 200 Tutsi refugees from the Congo.

The situation in Burundi is dwarfed by the crisis in Sudan. Rainy season has arrived, which is about the worst possible news for the hundreds of thousands of destitute people in Darfur desperately needing aid, especially food, that must now be air-dropped.

Our bureau chief from that region, Jeff Koinange, is visiting our headquarters in Atlanta. We asked him to join me this morning, to help us understand what is going on there and how is the best way to bring the message home to Americans?

Jeff, thanks for being here with us.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks for having me, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, the U.N. came in about a month ago and gave a one-month deadline to the militias in that area, to lay down their arms and stop attacking the people that were there. But really, there's very little teeth to that ultimatum, and we're coming up on the one-month deadline.

KOINANGE: That's right, very little teeth, and it doesn't look like anything is going to happen. It looks the Sudanese government is buying time. That's what they want. They know they are in the wrong here. They know the world is watching them. But they want to buy time. Some U.S. Congressmen went as far as to say there's a genocide going on in Sudan. The United Nations will not declare a genocide, because under the Geneva Convention of 1948, if a genocide is declared, that means the world has to respond. The Sudanese government wants to buy as much time as they can, Daryn, to make sure that they can push this as far as they can.

KAGAN: And this takes place almost to the day of the 10-year anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. It just makes you shake your head and wonder, did the world not learn anything from what took place there?

KOINANGE: And here's the biggest irony to that, Daryn. Rwanda, which faced the genocide you talked about in 1994, they're the only country in the world right now with troops on the ground in Sudan. They know about the extent of genocide. They know what happened to themselves. They said, forget it, we are sending our own troops, no matter what, because we don't want what happened in Rwanda to happen in Sudan -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And what about with the refugees and the rainy season. Just how difficult with the infrastructure, as it is in Sudan, does it make to get the aid to the people who need it?

KOINANGE: I'll tell you, Daryn, the pictures do not give it justice on the ground. The situation is so terrible right now, they say when it rains in Darfur, it pours. And it's coming down in buckets. That rain tears through those plastic sheetings that the U.N. is providing for the people, and diseases -- malaria, dysentery, cholera -- setting in. The U.N. has called this the critical stage. They said, at best, maybe 200,000, 300,000 people will die. At worst, close to a million, if not more.

KAGAN: And then my next question to you is really more of a personal one as a journalist to a journalist. How when you go and cover these stories, how do you present them and really make them matter to the West? How do you keep Westerners from just tuning out from the terrible destruction and devastation that is taking place on the continent?

KOINANGE: Daryn, I think the best way is to keep a personal account. Let the people tell the story. You can't just parachute in and try and give a perspective, because Sudan, the Darfur area itself is as big as Texas. How do you describe that? How do you talk about it to an American audience?

You go in, you pick a family, you pick an individual, let them tell the story, let them tell what happened, the Janjawi (ph) came in, they massacred their father, mother, brother, everyone. They had to flee thousands of kilometers. That's what happened. Let them tell the story. That's the best way we can tell it, Daryn.

The most important thing is, when those cameras are switched off and the correspondents leave, the worst part is, the story will continue, and nothing will be done, so we must stay on this story. It's critical to stay on this story, because it's not going to get any better anytime soon -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And in the world that gets increasingly smaller, what do you say to a family, or to people here in the U.S., who can watch your reports, who can watch these stories, and feel for those people, but say, that's so far away that doesn't affect me? How does what is happening in Sudan affect what is happening here in the U.S.?

KOINANGE: Look, Daryn, a typical example. What happened on 9/11, it happened here in the States, and Africa was so far away. We felt what the Americans felt. They are feeling -- I know for the most part, Americans do feel what's happening in Africa, what's happening in those situations, that's why we're there, and that's why we're going to continue telling this story, because it's important. The world is a global village, you know that. The stories we're telling could happen anywhere in the world, but we're bringing it to the world live and in realtime. That's most important, and people should keep tuning in and help any way they can.

KAGAN: Well, absolutely. And you and our crews in Africa face some special challenges in bringing those news and those stories to our viewers, and we really appreciate it. I'm glad that you took the time to visit with us on your annual stop here in Atlanta.

KOINANGE: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeff Koinange, thank you so much.

And we're going to take a break. We are back with more, from New York City, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Move over, Jessica and Nick. Britney Spears wants exposure on MTV's "The Newlyweds." That's according to "The Daily Star." The pop diva wants the MTV crowd to witness her own wedded bliss, after tying the knot with Kevin Federline in November. Spears apparently hopes a dose of reality will help her image. Good luck to them.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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Aired August 19, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check the headlines now. In the news, time may be running out for the al-Sadr militia in Najaf. U.S. tanks surround a mosque where cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his armed followers have taken refuge. There are also a handful of women and children inside the mosque. Earlier today, Iraqi officials issued a terse ultimatum to al-Sadr. They gave the cleric a few hours to order his followers to stand down or face direct military action.
Near Houston, authorities have decided to allow a spectacular jet of flames just burn itself out. No injuries were reported at the Moss Bluff Natural Gas Storage Facility, but residents within one mile were evacuated. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.

Will fewer flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport means fewer delays nationwide? The FAA believes that answer is yes. Beginning in November, airport's two largest carriers, United and American, will cut 37 daily peak-hour flight arrivals. Other airlines also agreed to reduce or change schedules. So far this year, only two of every three flights at O'Hare has been on time.

And Oscar winning composer Elmer Bernstein is dead. He scored the themes for such film classics as "The Magnificent Seven," "The Man With a Golden Arm," and "To Kill a Mockingbird," among numerous other Hollywood productions. His work on "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in 1967 earned him an Academy Award. Elmer Bernstein was 82.

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

Oil prices are breaking Wall Street records this hour, coming in at just under $48 a barrel, as China and India remain unphased by higher costs. We're going to take a close look at that later this hour.

Right now, though, the story on the Street is Google. The Internet search engine, the anticipated high-end IPO cut its initial offering to $85 as it is debuting on the Nasdaq.

We have with us in person financial correspondent Mary Snow watching this one. Good morning.

MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And so much anticipation about this stock. I have to tell you, it hasn't started trading just yet

KAGAN: Now, why is that? SNOW: A lot of times with IPOs like this, it takes about two hours or so to get everything in place and then get the stock trading. So, we're waiting for that eagerly. But as you mentioned, you know, the stock came out last night. It was -- the price was $85.

KAGAN: Which is not too shabby. I mean, come on, $85 for an IPO. But it was the expectation that's making people go, oh, this is kind of a bust.

SNOW: Right, well, the expectation was even cut yesterday. And this was at the low end of that reduced forecast. So, that really signaled that the demand was not there.

Now, the Google clan was on hand this morning at the Nasdaq to ring the bell. One of the co-founders there, Larry Page -- Sergey Brin, we're told by the Nasdaq, was not on hand this morning. And because the so-called quiet period, they did not comment on the company. But they are, by the way, instant billionaires, on paper at least.

KAGAN: Doing fine, even with the so-called reduced stock price. Ultimately, though, what does this mean for the company being able to do with the money that it's raising?

SNOW: Well, it's still raising $23 billion. Not so shabby. And that puts it on the scale of companies like Ford. It's now bigger market capsize than Amazon. And so, this is the biggest Internet IPO ever, despite all the setbacks.

And it's just being closely watched because of this unusual way that it did this IPO. Breaking with tradition, really trying to cut out the investment banks on Wall Street, open it up, level the playing field to the ordinary customer.

KAGAN: Do you think they were trying to teach them a lesson? Do you think this was Wall Street saying, "Oh, no, no, young men from California, you don't tell us how you go public; we're going to show you?"

SNOW: There was certainly that feeling, because, you know, Wall Street did not like this deal whatsoever. The underwriters' role was cut.

However, having said that, I talked to a seasoned pro yesterday who said it takes so much detailed information to really price these kinds of things. He put a bid in $120. So, that was very high. And many made the argument that there was some role for Wall Street underwriters.

Now, what they're saying in the end is this a success or failure will really be determined by how well this stock will do. It will be closely watched today. And the big question is: Now that the price is down, will the individual investors jump in?

KAGAN: All right, we'll be watching, and as will you. Mary Snow in person in New York City. Thank you so much. Good to see you. SNOW: Sure.

KAGAN: Coming up in the next hour, the latest on a new survey on teenage sex. If your teens are having sex, is that the door to more dangerous behavior? Some fascinating new stats.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: CNN invited backers of President Bush, John Kerry, and undecided voters to a town hall meeting in Canton, Ohio last night. The audience was able to ask questions of Bush and Kerry representatives.

One of the biggest issues on voters' minds: the situation in iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER ESKEW, FMR. WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL: We won't sacrifice a decision about America's security at the U.N. to one or two nations. No president -- this president, I can assure you, will not do that. And if that means -- if that means not sounding quite as warm and fuzzy toward governments that oppose some of our national security interests, so be it. So be it.

But let me tell you something, the president does have a plan. It's not just Democratic elections. It's not just restoring security. It is to have a coalition on the ground and involved. It is to transition a way.

And you've just -- you know, Tad, you made some insulting comments about Mr. Allawi, who is a very strong man, who is helping to lead this nation right now as an Iraqi, the nation of Iraq. And I think John Kerry does not have a plan that responds to the reality on the ground.

We've gotten rid of Saddam Hussein and made America safer as a result.

TAD DEVINE, SR. ADVISOR, KERRY CAMPAIGN: This is the reality on the ground. Today, American troops and American taxpayers are bearing the burden in Iraq almost alone. $200 billion in your taxes are paying for Iraq.

ESKEW: And do you think...

DEVINE: And almost 1,000 of our fellow citizens have died because this president rushed to war without a plan to win the peace. And that's a fact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, why Ohio? Because the road to the White House may run through Ohio. No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio. President Bush won the state by 4 percentage points in 2000, but take a look at the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, showing the president 10 percentage points behind John Kerry among registered Ohio voters.

Our political analyst Carlos Watson is here to talk about the battleground state.

Good morning.

CAROL WATSON, CNN POL. ANALYST: Good morning. Actually, my home state. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

KAGAN: So you're owning it? You're claiming it?

WATSON: I'm owning it, why not.

KAGAN: All right, well, let's channel your inner Ohioan. Ohioan OK?

WATSON: That works. That works.

KAGAN: What's happening in Ohio? Why is it shifting toward Kerry?

WATSON: Job losses is the short answer. But also a lot of energy on both sides. Remember, it was decided by about 3.5 percentage points, so relatively close. And this time around, you're seeing about $30 million being spent there combined by the time November 2nd comes around.

If you add up all four of the major candidates, 50 visits from the president, Vice President Cheney, John Edwards, John Kerry. So a lot of attention, lot of energy, and people are seeing lots of ads, very few undecideds at this point.

KAGAN: All that for 20 electoral votes?

WATSON: Twenty electoral votes, but not the only place, Daryn, interestingly enough, that people are paying attention to and hoping to make a big breakthrough. If you're a Democrat, you're seeing some particularly good signs not only in Florida, not only in Ohio, but guess where, North Carolina. In the South...

KAGAN: John Edwards' country.

WATSON: John Edwards. And remember, right after John Edwards got selected, a number of people were saying, nah, North Carolina is not in play.

KAGAN: Right, and pointing out they didn't think he would win his Senate seat if he was planning on running for re-election for that.

WATSON: Nobody's saying that anymore. Right now, it's within three points if you follow there one poll. But no matter what, it seems close. And this would be transformed for Democrats if they were able to win in a, quote unquote, true Southern place, and not kind of those border Southern states, but Jesse Helms' territory; this would be big.

KAGAN: OK, so that's Democrats. What are Republicans trying to do here to counter this?

WATSON: There are three places that if the president wins, this will have an important impact not only in 2004, but going forward: Pennsylvania, a state that has been good to Democrats, they've got a Democratic governor, Gore won by five points last time. That's one place. Two states in the Midwest: Wisconsin and Minnesota. The president is very close in both places, could pull off an upset, which would give Republicans a lot more strength in the Midwest going forward.

KAGAN: So the battleground shifts as we go on.

WATSON: It's constantly shifting.

KAGAN: Giving you plenty to talk about and look at.

Carlos Watson, what, 75 days?

WATSON: And counting.

KAGAN: And counting.

WATSON: And Republican Convention almost 10 days away.

KAGAN: Next week, and you'll be there.

WATSON: You bet.

KAGAN: Thank you, Carlos. Appreciate that.

WATSON: Good to see you.

KAGAN: Coming up in the next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY: a closer look at teen sex survey, with an expert on drug addiction. What do you do if you notice the telltale signs of potentially dangerous behavior in your teen. That is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what is on our legal docket for the day in our "Legal Briefs." Oprah Winfrey calls her jury duty one of the saddest experiences of her life. Winfrey and 11 other jurors found a Chicago man guilty in the February 2002 shooting death of a 23-year-old man. The talk show host plans to do a show about the trial next week with the other jurors.

In Eagle, Colorado, the judge eases a gag order in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. Under the new ruling, lawyers will be permitted to talk to reporters. They still, however, will not be allowed to comment on the credibility or character of Bryant, his accuser or any witnesses. Jury selection is set to begin next week in that one. And what's called a potential development in the Scott Peterson double-murder case brought that trial to a sudden halt yesterday. The delay put off the anticipation -- the anticipated cross-examination of Peterson's former lover, Amber Frey. Frey's appearance on the stand is now scheduled for Monday.

Face to face with tragedy: a firsthand account of the thousands of Sudanese living on the brink and their desperate need.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A solemn ceremony at the United Nations in New York. It marks the first anniversary of the terrorist attack in Baghdad that ripped apart the U.N. headquarters there. Twenty-two people died in that attack, including the top U.N. envoy. U.N. personnel were pulled out of Iraq after that attack, and many U.N. employees called that their September 11th.

Also today at the U.N., the Security Council gets a report on last week's massacre at a U.N.-run refugee camp in Burundi. A Hutu rebel group in Burundi has claimed responsibility for the slaughter last Friday of nearly 200 Tutsi refugees from the Congo.

The situation in Burundi is dwarfed by the crisis in Sudan. Rainy season has arrived, which is about the worst possible news for the hundreds of thousands of destitute people in Darfur desperately needing aid, especially food, that must now be air-dropped.

Our bureau chief from that region, Jeff Koinange, is visiting our headquarters in Atlanta. We asked him to join me this morning, to help us understand what is going on there and how is the best way to bring the message home to Americans?

Jeff, thanks for being here with us.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks for having me, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, the U.N. came in about a month ago and gave a one-month deadline to the militias in that area, to lay down their arms and stop attacking the people that were there. But really, there's very little teeth to that ultimatum, and we're coming up on the one-month deadline.

KOINANGE: That's right, very little teeth, and it doesn't look like anything is going to happen. It looks the Sudanese government is buying time. That's what they want. They know they are in the wrong here. They know the world is watching them. But they want to buy time. Some U.S. Congressmen went as far as to say there's a genocide going on in Sudan. The United Nations will not declare a genocide, because under the Geneva Convention of 1948, if a genocide is declared, that means the world has to respond. The Sudanese government wants to buy as much time as they can, Daryn, to make sure that they can push this as far as they can.

KAGAN: And this takes place almost to the day of the 10-year anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. It just makes you shake your head and wonder, did the world not learn anything from what took place there?

KOINANGE: And here's the biggest irony to that, Daryn. Rwanda, which faced the genocide you talked about in 1994, they're the only country in the world right now with troops on the ground in Sudan. They know about the extent of genocide. They know what happened to themselves. They said, forget it, we are sending our own troops, no matter what, because we don't want what happened in Rwanda to happen in Sudan -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And what about with the refugees and the rainy season. Just how difficult with the infrastructure, as it is in Sudan, does it make to get the aid to the people who need it?

KOINANGE: I'll tell you, Daryn, the pictures do not give it justice on the ground. The situation is so terrible right now, they say when it rains in Darfur, it pours. And it's coming down in buckets. That rain tears through those plastic sheetings that the U.N. is providing for the people, and diseases -- malaria, dysentery, cholera -- setting in. The U.N. has called this the critical stage. They said, at best, maybe 200,000, 300,000 people will die. At worst, close to a million, if not more.

KAGAN: And then my next question to you is really more of a personal one as a journalist to a journalist. How when you go and cover these stories, how do you present them and really make them matter to the West? How do you keep Westerners from just tuning out from the terrible destruction and devastation that is taking place on the continent?

KOINANGE: Daryn, I think the best way is to keep a personal account. Let the people tell the story. You can't just parachute in and try and give a perspective, because Sudan, the Darfur area itself is as big as Texas. How do you describe that? How do you talk about it to an American audience?

You go in, you pick a family, you pick an individual, let them tell the story, let them tell what happened, the Janjawi (ph) came in, they massacred their father, mother, brother, everyone. They had to flee thousands of kilometers. That's what happened. Let them tell the story. That's the best way we can tell it, Daryn.

The most important thing is, when those cameras are switched off and the correspondents leave, the worst part is, the story will continue, and nothing will be done, so we must stay on this story. It's critical to stay on this story, because it's not going to get any better anytime soon -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And in the world that gets increasingly smaller, what do you say to a family, or to people here in the U.S., who can watch your reports, who can watch these stories, and feel for those people, but say, that's so far away that doesn't affect me? How does what is happening in Sudan affect what is happening here in the U.S.?

KOINANGE: Look, Daryn, a typical example. What happened on 9/11, it happened here in the States, and Africa was so far away. We felt what the Americans felt. They are feeling -- I know for the most part, Americans do feel what's happening in Africa, what's happening in those situations, that's why we're there, and that's why we're going to continue telling this story, because it's important. The world is a global village, you know that. The stories we're telling could happen anywhere in the world, but we're bringing it to the world live and in realtime. That's most important, and people should keep tuning in and help any way they can.

KAGAN: Well, absolutely. And you and our crews in Africa face some special challenges in bringing those news and those stories to our viewers, and we really appreciate it. I'm glad that you took the time to visit with us on your annual stop here in Atlanta.

KOINANGE: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeff Koinange, thank you so much.

And we're going to take a break. We are back with more, from New York City, after this.

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Move over, Jessica and Nick. Britney Spears wants exposure on MTV's "The Newlyweds." That's according to "The Daily Star." The pop diva wants the MTV crowd to witness her own wedded bliss, after tying the knot with Kevin Federline in November. Spears apparently hopes a dose of reality will help her image. Good luck to them.

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