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CNN Live Today

Guantanamo Trials to Begin This Week; Security Precautions Taken for GOP Convention; Book Explores Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Surfing

Aired August 23, 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.


BETTY NGUYEN, ANCHOR: Hundreds of rebel militia members remain holed up inside a Najaf mosque and say U.S. air strikes have damaged the shrine, which is held sacred in the Shia religion.
A spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr says several people were wounded or killed in the renewed fighting. Now Al-Sadr's loyalists say they'll transfer custody of the mosque when a delegation of Shia representatives arrives.

New overtime rules are taking effect today, but there's little agreement on the bottom line. The estimated number of workers who could lose their overtime benefits runs the gamut from just over 100,000 to some six million employees.

Regardless, though, it's the largest such overhaul in half a century. Labor experts say with all the variables, only your employer can say whether you'll be affected.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards resumes campaigning next hour in Wisconsin, where he is challenging the Bush administration to denounce an attack on running mate John Kerry.

The TV ad, which runs in Wisconsin and two other states, accuses Kerry of lying to win combat declarations in Vietnam. The Bush campaign has refused to specifically criticize the ad, but says it has no direct connection to the sponsoring group, which is the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

The image also captures the emotion in Oslo, Norway. Armed robbers made a daring daylight snatch of two priceless paintings by Edward Munch, including a version of masterpiece, "The Scream." Witnesses say later they were shocked by the audacity of the thieves and the lack of security at the museum named after the Norwegian artist.

Legal proceedings are just getting underway this week for terror suspects held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among the first to appear, an accused al Qaeda accountant, a poet, and an alleged driver for Osama bin Laden.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti takes a closer look at these proceedings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Citing security reasons, the U.S. Defense Department will not allow any recordings inside the courtroom once the historic proceedings begin.

Here, a five-member military commission, a process not used since World War II, will decide the fate of the only four of nearly 600 Guantanamo Bay prisoners so far charged with what the government calls war crimes.

LT. SUSAN MCGARVEY, MILITARY COMMISSION SPOKESWOMAN: I'm hoping that people will see the process as a full and fair opportunity for each individual to have their case heard.

CANDIOTTI: Yet already human rights organizations are skeptical.

Three of the four defendants captured in Afghanistan in 2001 are charged with conspiracy to attack civilians. And three are also alleged former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden. One of them is also accused of making an al Qaeda recruitment tape, praising the attack on the USS Cole.

Australian David Hicks is charged with attempted murder of coalition forces and aiding the enemy.

Critics question whether the proceedings, with no independent judge, no outside civilian appeals, will be fair. They also question the credibility of some witnesses, whose allegations came after intense interrogation.

Even appointed military attorneys for the accused are critical of the process.

LT. COMMANDER PHILLIP SUNDELL, ATTORNEY FOR ALI HAMZA: The trials are fundamentally flawed, and they cannot guarantee a fair process. You don't need to be stacked any more than that.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): The Defense Department has imposed a number of restrictions in visualizing the story.

For security reasons, we're told no pictures of people coming and going from the building. The courtroom sketch artist is not allowed to draw recognizable faces of members of the commission, of prosecutors, even the defendants' faces. It would violate rules of the Geneva Convention.

Yet, defense attorneys insist their clients have no objection.

(voice-over) Prosecutors worry about retribution.

COL. DAVID MCWILLIAMS, MILITARY COMMISSION SPOKESMAN: They have a concern about protection for themselves and their families if they are publicly known to have been participating in a process against someone who's alleged to have committed war crimes.

CANDIOTTI: If found guilty, the maximum penalty is life. However, acquittal does not mean automatic freedom. Every prisoner is considered an enemy combatant and could be held indefinitely until the war on terror is over, whenever that may be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: No testimony is scheduled when the commission gets underway tomorrow, as the first of four defendants is scheduled to appear.

However, charges will be read, and each of the four defendants as the week goes on will have an opportunity to enter a plea. They're not required to do so at this stage.

And also, motions will be heard, several of them. Defense attorneys already complaining that they have barely had enough time to meet with their clients, to work with translators, to find and interview potential witnesses. And they are asking for a delay in the start of the trial, which is tentatively scheduled for November -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And there are reports that one attorney even left his client for another job, leaving that detainee without representation. So we'll see how this all shakes out.

Susan Candiotti on the base there in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, thank you.

In Mannheim, Germany, a pretrial hearing is underway this hour for four of seven U.S. soldiers charged in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

Morning testimony focused on Specialized Charles Graner, identified as the ringleader. He faces the most serious charges, including assault, maltreatment of prisoners and adultery.

Graner's attorneys failed to have photographs taken from his computers suppressed. All those charged are reservists with the Army's 372nd Company.

The hearings will continue today and tomorrow.

In Afghanistan, a judge has delayed the proceedings against three Americans accused of imprisoning and mistreating Afghan prisoners. The men are charged with torturing a dozen prisoners during an alleged vigilante hunt for terrorists.

One of the suspects claims he was working with the approval of the Pentagon and Afghan leaders, a charge that Washington vehemently denies. Earlier today, the defense showed a videotape of a former Afghan official congratulating the suspects for their work.

The war on terror now and the battle for the White House converge one week from today in New York City. The city hosts the Republican National Convention and faces what may well be its greatest security concern since the 9/11 attacks. CNN financial news reporter Allan Chernoff looks at the extraordinary precautions being put in place.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If someone gets arrested, call us. We know what to do. And I need people that are going to staff this.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Opponents of President Bush have been planning for months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the police tell us we need to move in a different direction...

CHERNOFF: This group sarcastically calls itself Billionaires for Bush. The Billionaires next Sunday plan to join tens of thousands of protesters in a march past Madison Square Garden, where George Bush is to be nominated for his second term.

ANDREW BOYD, BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH: We want to show the world that there's a huge uprising of resistance against George Bush and the war in Iraq.

CHERNOFF: The police say they are ready for the protesters, illustrating here how they would break up demonstrators who chain themselves to objects.

Add the recent warnings that landmark buildings are terror targets, New York's post-9/11 high alert status, and the city is confronting one of its great security challenges.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: The first and most important thing is make the city secure, and then we'll figure out how to pay for it.

CHERNOFF: The price tag will top $70 million, $50 million of which is coming from Washington.

RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: We'll be using in essence the entire department. We'll be working extended tours. And I don't believe any area is going to be diminished at all in terms of, you know, our effective enforcement of the law.

CHERNOFF: City, state and federal authorities will be patrolling New York, on the ground, in the air, underground, and in the water.

Madison Square Garden will be on virtual lockdown, streets north and south of the Garden closed, all but two entrances to the train station sitting beneath the arena also closed, deliveries in the immediate neighborhood, restricted.

Demand is high for private security, as well. Twenty-first Century security has hired an extra 40 agents, expanding its staff by 50 percent.

ANTHONY POVEROMO, CEO, 21ST CENTURY SECURITY: We're providing bodyguard services. We're providing, basically, peace of mind, letting them know that they can call on us to either be their driver, someone to walk with.

CHERNOFF (on camera): The modern political convention is a tightly scripted event with no surprises. It is largely up to law enforcement to ensure that everything does go as planned, that the city is safe for delegates, protesters and all New Yorkers.

Allen Chernoff, CNN financial news, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Meanwhile, it's not all good news for Google. A new report raises questions about the way the company is run. We'll go live to the New York Stock Exchange for those details.

And going for gold. The latest on the U.S. women's softball team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let's take a look at other stories making news at this hour, coast to coast.

In southern California, three people are confirmed dead in the mid-air collision of two small airplanes. Investigators are searching for the cause of the crash near El Matador State Beach in Malibu.

Now on to Chicago and a decision that's due in a little more than two hours from now. City officials will announce whether tonight's baseball game will be canceled at Wrigley Field. Deteriorating concrete at the 90-year-old field has raised concerns over public safety.

Now a contest that pits an athlete against the very limits of human endurance. Meet the world's newest ultra marathon champ, not just your marathon champ, but an ultra champ. Thirty-five-year-old Bob Brown logged a staggering 3,100 miles in a coast-to-coast journey across the U.S. The British schoolteacher beat five other finishers with a time just short of, yes, 511 hours. That's a marathon.

Now, the summer games in Athens and the quest for gold.

The U.S. women's softball team has just won the gold medal, beating Australia minutes ago by the score of 5-1. The Aussies win the silver. And one footnote now: the U.S. team didn't surrender a single run in its first eight games of the tournament.

Meanwhile, American Justin Gatlin is brandishing the gold, as well, after winning the 100-meter race and beating the fastest field in Olympic history. It is the first time in Olympic history that five men finished the race in less than 10 seconds. If having the wind in your face and a board under your feet brings peace and fulfillment, you are not alone. Zen and the acts of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding is up next.

And this is what we're working on for our next hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Ahead on CNN, intelligence reform.

PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), CHAIRMAN, SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: What are the national threats that face our country today?

ANNOUNCER: AT 11, why the CIA may not be a part of equation.

Then, new overtime rules.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be a mess.

ANNOUNCER: How these new rules could impact your paycheck.

And mistress in the cross hairs. At noon, what's next in the Scott Peterson trial, and for Amber Frey?

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: From sandy beaches to snowy slopes and in city parks all across the U.S., you might have noticed boards are everywhere. Surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding are not just hobbies anymore.

A new book, "Have Board Will Travel," suggests the sports are steeped in heritage. Author Jamie Brisick joins us now from New York.

Glad to see you here with us. You know, I'm a little surprised, Jamie, that you're in New York. I figured you'd be hanging ten somewhere in California.

JAMIE BRISICK, AUTHOR, "HAVE BOARD WILL TRAVEL": Well, you know, I really like the city. And somehow I get the same sort of stimulation from the city that I do from surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about your book of yours. You say all three sports are intertwined. Now, besides the fact that they use a board, how are they connected?

BRISICK: Well, what it is essentially is a side stance, as opposed to a parallel stance going straightforward. It's more of a kind of boxer's stance like this. And that -- that motion is inherent to all three. So they're very much related, even though they're on -- you know, one's on water, one's on snow, one's on cement.

NGUYEN: They all kind of have their own language, don't they? Kind of a subculture, if you would say. BRISICK: Yes. No, I think that's fair to say. I think it's primarily because they're individual sports; they're not team sports. They kind of -- they're -- you know, they're -- they allow a lot of self-discovery, you might say.

NGUYEN: Tell us a little bit about these languages and the different words that are used. Some of the weirdest words that you've heard that are inherent to these different sports.

BRISICK: That's -- that's a great question. "Stick it" is a fantastic one, which normally, you know...

NGUYEN: Yes. Shove it or whatever.

BRISICK: ... from one cab driver to another may mean something different. To stick it means to kind of go up high in the air and to actually land and make the maneuver that you're doing, whether it's on either sport.

NGUYEN: Wow. And I've heard that even my name is a part of the vocabulary. What's a Betty?

BRISICK: A Betty is slang for a girl.

NGUYEN: That's it?

BRISICK: Yes. It's as simple as that.

NGUYEN: I thought it would be more than that.

BRISICK: Surf Betties is the term, and it refers to the girls that are out in the surf.

NGUYEN: OK. I'm Betty minus the surf.

All right. Let's talk about the culture of these. You studied a lot about the history of each of these sports. Tell us a little bit about the tradition and the history.

BRISICK: Well, it all traces back to surfing. And it goes back, we're not sure exactly when, but you know, hundreds and hundreds of year to Polynesia, more than likely.

And it really started with fishermen, you know, taking their canoes in from a day's fishing and catching waves and suddenly realizing, "Wow, this glide is very nice." The glide is an essential word.

And then it continued on to Hawaii. Waikiki Beach was a popular place at the beginning of the 1900s or so. Jack London, the author, started writing about it and kind of enlightening the country about it.

Duka Hanto Moku (ph) was a great athlete who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, which is very timely. And then it sort of spread on. In the '50s there was the sort of "Gidget" era, where it became, you know, huge, mass...

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

BRISICK: ... packaged for the masses. And then skateboarding splintered out of that as kind of a thing that surfers would do when they couldn't surf. It was, you know -- The waves were not up, so they would go do something similar. So it was kind of by proxy.

NGUYEN: Do it on land.

All right. Jamie, quickly, we're almost out of time. But if you can tell me a little bit about the sport and what you expect to see out of all three of these in the future. Because some of them are even involved in extreme sports.

BRISICK: Yes. I mean, they call them extreme sports. I think they're getting bigger and bigger, and I think primarily because you can -- they're individual so you can do them by yourself. You don't need to huddle up a group.

And they're fantastically fun. I mean, there's a buzz that you get from surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding that is incredible.

NGUYEN: A buzz, you say. All right. We'll leave it right there. Jamie Brisick, thank you very much. The author of "Have Board Will Travel."

BRISICK: Thank you, Betty.

NGUYEN: And you can keep your eye on entertainment 24-7 by pointing your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment. While there, find out why one reviewer calls "The Exorcist" prequel a sin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Schools in southern Florida counties are reopening today after being battered by Hurricane Charley. The storm knocked out electricity, destroyed portable classrooms and damaged school buses and buildings.

At one high school, a giant tent has been erected to serve as a temporary cafeteria. Students at the school will be asked to write about their experiences with the storm, and the responses will be compiled into a book. Schools in two of the hardest hit counties aren't expected to reopen for another week.

Jacqui Jeras joins us now, for those kiddos headed back to school, boy, wouldn't it be nice if they had a bit of a cool front, because some of them are having lunch in a tent?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Thanks, Jacqui. Well, do you have burning question for President Bush? We'll tell you how you can actually get an answer, when we talk one-on-one with the White House Internet director.

Plus, hear how the author of "The Princess Diaries" is attempting to write a happy ending for children of war.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Here's a look at what's happening now in the news.

President Bush meets with his top advisors to discuss defense strategy and the war in Iraq. Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld are among those who were expected to meet with Mr. Bush this morning. The president is at his Texas ranch, preparing for next week's Republican convention.

Explosions and gunfire erupted today near the Imam Ali shrine in Iraq today or the Iraqi city of Najaf. U.S. forces and Shiite militants or -- yes, militants are engaged in fierce battles around the holy site. Several hundred men have been holed up inside that mosque, and they are awaiting the arrival of a Shiite religious delegation expected to take custody of the site.

What's purported to be a new hostage video airs on Arab language television. Al Jazeera says the video is of 12 Nepalese nationals taken hostage in Iraq last week. It shows a masked man aiming a gun at the men. Now on Friday a group claimed it had taken a dozen men hostage for cooperating with the United States.

The U.S. softball team takes the gold in Athens. They beat Australia, 5-1 in the gold medal game. The one run by the Aussies was the only score against the U.S. team during the entire competition. The silver medal went to Australia, and Japan took the bronze.

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

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 23, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, ANCHOR: Hundreds of rebel militia members remain holed up inside a Najaf mosque and say U.S. air strikes have damaged the shrine, which is held sacred in the Shia religion.
A spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr says several people were wounded or killed in the renewed fighting. Now Al-Sadr's loyalists say they'll transfer custody of the mosque when a delegation of Shia representatives arrives.

New overtime rules are taking effect today, but there's little agreement on the bottom line. The estimated number of workers who could lose their overtime benefits runs the gamut from just over 100,000 to some six million employees.

Regardless, though, it's the largest such overhaul in half a century. Labor experts say with all the variables, only your employer can say whether you'll be affected.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards resumes campaigning next hour in Wisconsin, where he is challenging the Bush administration to denounce an attack on running mate John Kerry.

The TV ad, which runs in Wisconsin and two other states, accuses Kerry of lying to win combat declarations in Vietnam. The Bush campaign has refused to specifically criticize the ad, but says it has no direct connection to the sponsoring group, which is the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

The image also captures the emotion in Oslo, Norway. Armed robbers made a daring daylight snatch of two priceless paintings by Edward Munch, including a version of masterpiece, "The Scream." Witnesses say later they were shocked by the audacity of the thieves and the lack of security at the museum named after the Norwegian artist.

Legal proceedings are just getting underway this week for terror suspects held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among the first to appear, an accused al Qaeda accountant, a poet, and an alleged driver for Osama bin Laden.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti takes a closer look at these proceedings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Citing security reasons, the U.S. Defense Department will not allow any recordings inside the courtroom once the historic proceedings begin.

Here, a five-member military commission, a process not used since World War II, will decide the fate of the only four of nearly 600 Guantanamo Bay prisoners so far charged with what the government calls war crimes.

LT. SUSAN MCGARVEY, MILITARY COMMISSION SPOKESWOMAN: I'm hoping that people will see the process as a full and fair opportunity for each individual to have their case heard.

CANDIOTTI: Yet already human rights organizations are skeptical.

Three of the four defendants captured in Afghanistan in 2001 are charged with conspiracy to attack civilians. And three are also alleged former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden. One of them is also accused of making an al Qaeda recruitment tape, praising the attack on the USS Cole.

Australian David Hicks is charged with attempted murder of coalition forces and aiding the enemy.

Critics question whether the proceedings, with no independent judge, no outside civilian appeals, will be fair. They also question the credibility of some witnesses, whose allegations came after intense interrogation.

Even appointed military attorneys for the accused are critical of the process.

LT. COMMANDER PHILLIP SUNDELL, ATTORNEY FOR ALI HAMZA: The trials are fundamentally flawed, and they cannot guarantee a fair process. You don't need to be stacked any more than that.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): The Defense Department has imposed a number of restrictions in visualizing the story.

For security reasons, we're told no pictures of people coming and going from the building. The courtroom sketch artist is not allowed to draw recognizable faces of members of the commission, of prosecutors, even the defendants' faces. It would violate rules of the Geneva Convention.

Yet, defense attorneys insist their clients have no objection.

(voice-over) Prosecutors worry about retribution.

COL. DAVID MCWILLIAMS, MILITARY COMMISSION SPOKESMAN: They have a concern about protection for themselves and their families if they are publicly known to have been participating in a process against someone who's alleged to have committed war crimes.

CANDIOTTI: If found guilty, the maximum penalty is life. However, acquittal does not mean automatic freedom. Every prisoner is considered an enemy combatant and could be held indefinitely until the war on terror is over, whenever that may be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: No testimony is scheduled when the commission gets underway tomorrow, as the first of four defendants is scheduled to appear.

However, charges will be read, and each of the four defendants as the week goes on will have an opportunity to enter a plea. They're not required to do so at this stage.

And also, motions will be heard, several of them. Defense attorneys already complaining that they have barely had enough time to meet with their clients, to work with translators, to find and interview potential witnesses. And they are asking for a delay in the start of the trial, which is tentatively scheduled for November -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And there are reports that one attorney even left his client for another job, leaving that detainee without representation. So we'll see how this all shakes out.

Susan Candiotti on the base there in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, thank you.

In Mannheim, Germany, a pretrial hearing is underway this hour for four of seven U.S. soldiers charged in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

Morning testimony focused on Specialized Charles Graner, identified as the ringleader. He faces the most serious charges, including assault, maltreatment of prisoners and adultery.

Graner's attorneys failed to have photographs taken from his computers suppressed. All those charged are reservists with the Army's 372nd Company.

The hearings will continue today and tomorrow.

In Afghanistan, a judge has delayed the proceedings against three Americans accused of imprisoning and mistreating Afghan prisoners. The men are charged with torturing a dozen prisoners during an alleged vigilante hunt for terrorists.

One of the suspects claims he was working with the approval of the Pentagon and Afghan leaders, a charge that Washington vehemently denies. Earlier today, the defense showed a videotape of a former Afghan official congratulating the suspects for their work.

The war on terror now and the battle for the White House converge one week from today in New York City. The city hosts the Republican National Convention and faces what may well be its greatest security concern since the 9/11 attacks. CNN financial news reporter Allan Chernoff looks at the extraordinary precautions being put in place.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If someone gets arrested, call us. We know what to do. And I need people that are going to staff this.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Opponents of President Bush have been planning for months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the police tell us we need to move in a different direction...

CHERNOFF: This group sarcastically calls itself Billionaires for Bush. The Billionaires next Sunday plan to join tens of thousands of protesters in a march past Madison Square Garden, where George Bush is to be nominated for his second term.

ANDREW BOYD, BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH: We want to show the world that there's a huge uprising of resistance against George Bush and the war in Iraq.

CHERNOFF: The police say they are ready for the protesters, illustrating here how they would break up demonstrators who chain themselves to objects.

Add the recent warnings that landmark buildings are terror targets, New York's post-9/11 high alert status, and the city is confronting one of its great security challenges.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: The first and most important thing is make the city secure, and then we'll figure out how to pay for it.

CHERNOFF: The price tag will top $70 million, $50 million of which is coming from Washington.

RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: We'll be using in essence the entire department. We'll be working extended tours. And I don't believe any area is going to be diminished at all in terms of, you know, our effective enforcement of the law.

CHERNOFF: City, state and federal authorities will be patrolling New York, on the ground, in the air, underground, and in the water.

Madison Square Garden will be on virtual lockdown, streets north and south of the Garden closed, all but two entrances to the train station sitting beneath the arena also closed, deliveries in the immediate neighborhood, restricted.

Demand is high for private security, as well. Twenty-first Century security has hired an extra 40 agents, expanding its staff by 50 percent.

ANTHONY POVEROMO, CEO, 21ST CENTURY SECURITY: We're providing bodyguard services. We're providing, basically, peace of mind, letting them know that they can call on us to either be their driver, someone to walk with.

CHERNOFF (on camera): The modern political convention is a tightly scripted event with no surprises. It is largely up to law enforcement to ensure that everything does go as planned, that the city is safe for delegates, protesters and all New Yorkers.

Allen Chernoff, CNN financial news, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Meanwhile, it's not all good news for Google. A new report raises questions about the way the company is run. We'll go live to the New York Stock Exchange for those details.

And going for gold. The latest on the U.S. women's softball team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let's take a look at other stories making news at this hour, coast to coast.

In southern California, three people are confirmed dead in the mid-air collision of two small airplanes. Investigators are searching for the cause of the crash near El Matador State Beach in Malibu.

Now on to Chicago and a decision that's due in a little more than two hours from now. City officials will announce whether tonight's baseball game will be canceled at Wrigley Field. Deteriorating concrete at the 90-year-old field has raised concerns over public safety.

Now a contest that pits an athlete against the very limits of human endurance. Meet the world's newest ultra marathon champ, not just your marathon champ, but an ultra champ. Thirty-five-year-old Bob Brown logged a staggering 3,100 miles in a coast-to-coast journey across the U.S. The British schoolteacher beat five other finishers with a time just short of, yes, 511 hours. That's a marathon.

Now, the summer games in Athens and the quest for gold.

The U.S. women's softball team has just won the gold medal, beating Australia minutes ago by the score of 5-1. The Aussies win the silver. And one footnote now: the U.S. team didn't surrender a single run in its first eight games of the tournament.

Meanwhile, American Justin Gatlin is brandishing the gold, as well, after winning the 100-meter race and beating the fastest field in Olympic history. It is the first time in Olympic history that five men finished the race in less than 10 seconds. If having the wind in your face and a board under your feet brings peace and fulfillment, you are not alone. Zen and the acts of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding is up next.

And this is what we're working on for our next hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Ahead on CNN, intelligence reform.

PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), CHAIRMAN, SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: What are the national threats that face our country today?

ANNOUNCER: AT 11, why the CIA may not be a part of equation.

Then, new overtime rules.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be a mess.

ANNOUNCER: How these new rules could impact your paycheck.

And mistress in the cross hairs. At noon, what's next in the Scott Peterson trial, and for Amber Frey?

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: From sandy beaches to snowy slopes and in city parks all across the U.S., you might have noticed boards are everywhere. Surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding are not just hobbies anymore.

A new book, "Have Board Will Travel," suggests the sports are steeped in heritage. Author Jamie Brisick joins us now from New York.

Glad to see you here with us. You know, I'm a little surprised, Jamie, that you're in New York. I figured you'd be hanging ten somewhere in California.

JAMIE BRISICK, AUTHOR, "HAVE BOARD WILL TRAVEL": Well, you know, I really like the city. And somehow I get the same sort of stimulation from the city that I do from surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about your book of yours. You say all three sports are intertwined. Now, besides the fact that they use a board, how are they connected?

BRISICK: Well, what it is essentially is a side stance, as opposed to a parallel stance going straightforward. It's more of a kind of boxer's stance like this. And that -- that motion is inherent to all three. So they're very much related, even though they're on -- you know, one's on water, one's on snow, one's on cement.

NGUYEN: They all kind of have their own language, don't they? Kind of a subculture, if you would say. BRISICK: Yes. No, I think that's fair to say. I think it's primarily because they're individual sports; they're not team sports. They kind of -- they're -- you know, they're -- they allow a lot of self-discovery, you might say.

NGUYEN: Tell us a little bit about these languages and the different words that are used. Some of the weirdest words that you've heard that are inherent to these different sports.

BRISICK: That's -- that's a great question. "Stick it" is a fantastic one, which normally, you know...

NGUYEN: Yes. Shove it or whatever.

BRISICK: ... from one cab driver to another may mean something different. To stick it means to kind of go up high in the air and to actually land and make the maneuver that you're doing, whether it's on either sport.

NGUYEN: Wow. And I've heard that even my name is a part of the vocabulary. What's a Betty?

BRISICK: A Betty is slang for a girl.

NGUYEN: That's it?

BRISICK: Yes. It's as simple as that.

NGUYEN: I thought it would be more than that.

BRISICK: Surf Betties is the term, and it refers to the girls that are out in the surf.

NGUYEN: OK. I'm Betty minus the surf.

All right. Let's talk about the culture of these. You studied a lot about the history of each of these sports. Tell us a little bit about the tradition and the history.

BRISICK: Well, it all traces back to surfing. And it goes back, we're not sure exactly when, but you know, hundreds and hundreds of year to Polynesia, more than likely.

And it really started with fishermen, you know, taking their canoes in from a day's fishing and catching waves and suddenly realizing, "Wow, this glide is very nice." The glide is an essential word.

And then it continued on to Hawaii. Waikiki Beach was a popular place at the beginning of the 1900s or so. Jack London, the author, started writing about it and kind of enlightening the country about it.

Duka Hanto Moku (ph) was a great athlete who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, which is very timely. And then it sort of spread on. In the '50s there was the sort of "Gidget" era, where it became, you know, huge, mass...

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

BRISICK: ... packaged for the masses. And then skateboarding splintered out of that as kind of a thing that surfers would do when they couldn't surf. It was, you know -- The waves were not up, so they would go do something similar. So it was kind of by proxy.

NGUYEN: Do it on land.

All right. Jamie, quickly, we're almost out of time. But if you can tell me a little bit about the sport and what you expect to see out of all three of these in the future. Because some of them are even involved in extreme sports.

BRISICK: Yes. I mean, they call them extreme sports. I think they're getting bigger and bigger, and I think primarily because you can -- they're individual so you can do them by yourself. You don't need to huddle up a group.

And they're fantastically fun. I mean, there's a buzz that you get from surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding that is incredible.

NGUYEN: A buzz, you say. All right. We'll leave it right there. Jamie Brisick, thank you very much. The author of "Have Board Will Travel."

BRISICK: Thank you, Betty.

NGUYEN: And you can keep your eye on entertainment 24-7 by pointing your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment. While there, find out why one reviewer calls "The Exorcist" prequel a sin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Schools in southern Florida counties are reopening today after being battered by Hurricane Charley. The storm knocked out electricity, destroyed portable classrooms and damaged school buses and buildings.

At one high school, a giant tent has been erected to serve as a temporary cafeteria. Students at the school will be asked to write about their experiences with the storm, and the responses will be compiled into a book. Schools in two of the hardest hit counties aren't expected to reopen for another week.

Jacqui Jeras joins us now, for those kiddos headed back to school, boy, wouldn't it be nice if they had a bit of a cool front, because some of them are having lunch in a tent?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Thanks, Jacqui. Well, do you have burning question for President Bush? We'll tell you how you can actually get an answer, when we talk one-on-one with the White House Internet director.

Plus, hear how the author of "The Princess Diaries" is attempting to write a happy ending for children of war.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Here's a look at what's happening now in the news.

President Bush meets with his top advisors to discuss defense strategy and the war in Iraq. Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld are among those who were expected to meet with Mr. Bush this morning. The president is at his Texas ranch, preparing for next week's Republican convention.

Explosions and gunfire erupted today near the Imam Ali shrine in Iraq today or the Iraqi city of Najaf. U.S. forces and Shiite militants or -- yes, militants are engaged in fierce battles around the holy site. Several hundred men have been holed up inside that mosque, and they are awaiting the arrival of a Shiite religious delegation expected to take custody of the site.

What's purported to be a new hostage video airs on Arab language television. Al Jazeera says the video is of 12 Nepalese nationals taken hostage in Iraq last week. It shows a masked man aiming a gun at the men. Now on Friday a group claimed it had taken a dozen men hostage for cooperating with the United States.

The U.S. softball team takes the gold in Athens. They beat Australia, 5-1 in the gold medal game. The one run by the Aussies was the only score against the U.S. team during the entire competition. The silver medal went to Australia, and Japan took the bronze.

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

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