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CNN Live At Daybreak

Frances not Finished with Florida; Fallujah Blast Includes American Casualties

Aired September 06, 2004 - 05:00   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Frances is not finished with Florida yet. The bell for round two sounds today.
And it's Monday, September 6, and this is DAYBREAK.

Good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Catherine Callaway.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

In the news this hour, a car bomb targets a U.S. convoy on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Fallujah. U.S. military officials say there are several American casualties but it is not clear if the casualties include any deaths.

And tropical storm Frances gaining strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Frances could become a hurricane again before making its second landfall this evening on Florida's Panhandle. The storm now has top sustained winds of 65 miles an hour.

Bill Clinton, former president and best-selling author, is expected to undergo heart surgery this morning. Surgeons will bypass clogged coronary arteries, as many as four of them. The surgery could be delayed to allow medicines to take effect.

And a two-day national mourning period has begun in Russia. Funeral services are being held now for some of the hundreds killed in a shootout between terrorist hostage-takers and Russian troops. Many of the victims were children.

The 39th Annual Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association is under way this holiday weekend. Nearly a million volunteers and a host of performers and other celebrities are involved. Ed McMahon anchors that telethon.

Let's take a look now at the very latest on Frances, and we have Rob Marciano keeping track up in the weather center. Chad Myers is continuing his watch his Melbourne, Florida.

Let's begin with you, Rob.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Now to Chad, where I know Chad was wishing that storm had moved a little bit faster. It just was relentless, wasn't it? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it sure was. And there was one birth at the hospital here in town, and they're guaranteeing me that they're not going to name it Frances. So, yes, folks here, they were tired of this thing big time two hours into it. And it lasted 14 hours.

Our hurricane-force winds were relentless here. And I would say there is probably not one structure out there without something damaged on it, whether it's just a couple of shingles, whether it's -- in this case, we're kind of standing here on the beachfront in front of a hotel, there is actually part of a brick facade that's seven stories up that has fallen off and actually fallen down by the pool. So good thing no one was standing down there.

And that's why people get out of places like this. Wind speeds here on the beach were at 100 miles per hour or better at times. Some of the gusts maybe a little bit higher than that.

But Melbourne really fared pretty well. Down south of here, literally 20 miles south of here, things went downhill rather quickly, because they were closer to the northern eye wall, and that's where most of the damage is. And, in fact, from there, southward all the way down to Fort Pierce and then inland as that storm moved on by.

And as you were talking about earlier, there's Hurricane Ivan out there in the Atlantic, like we need this like another hole in our head, category 4, possibly going to a category 5 even today. And we'll see where that thing goes. It's going to end up in the Caribbean somewhere. We'll have to watch it.

Chad...

MYERS: Yes.

CALLAWAY: ... you know, I was talking with Rob about this earlier. Hurricane 5, you know, possibly up to that level, you know, it doesn't look good that it's going to get any smaller, right?

MYERS: Well, it doesn't look good that it's going to hit anything. I mean, even if it doesn't hit the U.S., it's going to hit something down there in the Caribbean.

CALLAWAY: Right.

MYERS: The official forecast that I was looking at just a little bit ago, it was the 2:00 a.m. forecast call actually, it took us somewhere very close to Haiti and then somewhere very close to the eastern tip of Cuba there in Guantanamo Bay or just to the east of there and then into the Bahamas.

Now, that tells me that the potential is through the Bahamas and then maybe a big hard right turn into the ocean, missing the continental U.S. altogether. But you know what? That's still days and days away. Remember, we do this disclaimer: It can turn left; it can turn right. And, really, somewhere right there turning left just a few miles is, again, the U.S. -- Catherine. CALLAWAY: All right, Chad, thank you very much.

And joining us now on the phone with more on the relief effort is Michael Spencer, a spokesman with the American Red Cross stationed in Melbourne.

Thanks for being with us this morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SPENCER, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Good morning, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: It's just a bad time for the Red Cross. You're just about spent down there, aren't you? You've been down there for weeks.

SPENCER: We have been. Our volunteers have been on Charley for two weeks already, and now this storm has been pounding us for the last 14 to 20 hours here. So, our volunteers are tired, but people are counting on us, and that's when we really pull through.

CALLAWAY: What is your situation now at the Red Cross? There are so many people now who were not prepared to be without electricity, without food, without grocery stores for this amount of time. And some of these people have been, you know, away from their homes since Wednesday night.

SPENCER: We're still in the emergency response phase of the relief effort. Our main priority is making sure people still have a safe place to stay. Last night we had over (AUDIO GAP) the state of Florida and even into Georgia and the Carolinas. So that's our concern.

And as (AUDIO GAP) today. You know, the sun comes out today, and people (AUDIO GAP).

CALLAWAY: You know what, Michael? We are losing you. We're having a bad phone connection here. We're going to try to reconnect with you and get back with you in just a moment.

That was Michael Spencer with the Red Cross.

Well, the Red Cross has set up some hotlines for people out there who need some information or want to donate to the hurricane relief effort. Just give them a call at 800-give-now. And to contact the American Red Cross response center, call 1-866-get-info.

FEMA is hanging out the "help wanted" sign. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's dealing with some 20 disasters, including Frances. And on top of that now, Hurricane Ivan is barreling through the central Atlantic. FEMA is now recruiting more employees to work with disaster relief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HALL, FEMA HUMAN RESOURCES: We see Ivan is a week away. If we start to process now, then we can ensure that we have the right people at the right location with the right skill sets when we need them. And that could be Florida, it could be Mississippi, it could be Tennessee. We have people deployed to Micronesia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- wherever they're needed.

And that's why the people, after they're hired and brought on board here, they're sent to Atlanta, Georgia, for what we call in- processing and training for special skills that they would need to do their job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Beginning today, people in the Richmond, Virginia, area who suffered flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Gaston have a place to go for help. A disaster recovery center will be opened in the area. Representatives from federal, state and other agencies will be available to answer questions about disaster relief.

And for more on Hurricane Frances, including personal stories of how some people rode out the storm, just log on to our Web site at CNN.com.

Bill Clinton may be headed for quadruple bypass surgery this morning. But the operation could be delayed if blood thinners haven't worked their way out of the former president's system. While awaiting surgery, President Clinton has received thousands of well wishes. He even took time to call our Larry King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of this is genetic, and I may have done some damage in those years when I was too careless about what I ate. So, for whatever reasons, I've got a problem and I've got a chance to deal with it. And I feel that I've really got to -- let me just say this: That Republicans aren't the only people who want four more years here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Once the surgery begins, it should take doctors between four to five hours to complete the procedure.

Well, Democratic Senator Bob Graham is accusing the Bush administration of a cover-up. Graham, who is a former intelligence committee chairman, says the Saudi government had ties to the 9/11 hijackers. And he says the administration took action to hide it. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. Graham makes his case in a new book that's due out tomorrow.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied ties to 9/11, and President Bush's re-election campaign calls the allegations baseless.

Oh, what a weekend. All of you college football fans finally got a bucket full of games Friday, Saturday, even Sunday. One early season thriller? Clemson and Wake Forest played two overtime periods. Sports analyst Chris Cotter is going to join us to talk football.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CALLAWAY: It's Labor Day. That means Wall Street is quiet today. But on Friday, the Dow dropped 30 points. The Nasdaq was down 29 points, and the S&P 500 was down just over four and a half points.

Your news, money, weather and sports this morning. At 42 minutes after the hour, here's what's happening.

Frances is now over the Gulf of Mexico, but the storm isn't finished with Florida yet. It appears headed for the state's Panhandle now. Then, Hurricane Ivan could follow the same path as Frances. Ivan has now been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane, churning in the Atlantic.

It's not a hurricane in China, but the weather is deadly. Days of torrential rains have killed 76 people there. Flash flooding and landslides have swamped entire villages, ruined farmland and caved in some roads.

In money, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Investors will be listening for clues on future interest rate hikes. The fed is widely expected to raise rates by another quarter point later this month.

And in culture this morning, the Burning Man Festival attracted a record crowd of this year. Well over 35,000 people headed to the Nevada desert for the 19th annual counterculture festival of art and flames.

And in sports, the Packers decided to move the couch. Green Bay made quarterback Tim Couch one of their final cuts before the regular season begins this week. Couch was the first overall pick in 1999 by the Cleveland Browns.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Coming up on DAYBREAK, some last-minute heroes and goats. College football kicks off, but it was a lack of kicks that saved one of the defending national champions. Stay tuned for all of the excitement when DAYBREAK rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: We've been following a breaking story out of Fallujah this morning, a car bomb explosion just outside that city.

David Clinch is here with some new information.

What do you know?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Catherine. Well, good morning.

We're still waiting for the U.S. military to confirm the details on these casualties. We do know that there was a car bomb that hit at least one, maybe two, U.S. military vehicles on the outskirts of Fallujah today. Reports of casualties. Witnesses on the ground are telling Reuters that maybe as many as eight U.S. military service people were killed in this attack. That's not yet been confirmed.

The U.S. military in Baghdad is always determined to try to get as many details as they possibly can, but they are confirming that there are multiple casualties, and that those that have survived are being treated immediately in the area and then being brought back out to Baghdad.

And we have to remember, we're talking about a relative calm in Fallujah. But, of course, that calm is maintained by the fact that the U.S. military is not really in Fallujah itself.

CALLAWAY: Right.

CLINCH: They patrol the environs, the outside, the roads, the entrances to Fallujah. But the city itself of Fallujah is in the control of local Iraqi forces, some of whom, of course, are insurgents as well, at least...

CALLAWAY: And this was a convoy of U.S. forces, right? Just...

CLINCH: As we understand it, it was a patrol on the outskirts of the city of something they do regularly. But today hit by at least one vehicle loaded with explosives, maybe more, a huge explosion. So, we're watching that very closely.

And, of course, Fallujah is one of those examples of a part of Iraq that the U.S. does not control right now.

I was reading an interview in the "Los Angeles Times" today with General Ment (ph), a U.S. military commander, as saying there's a possibility even as they head towards Iraqi elections that whole cities like Fallujah may not even be able to partake in these elections, because they can't go in there. They cannot go in safely. The U.S. cannot go in safely.

And another illustration today is that even on the outskirts of the city it is not safe.

CALLAWAY: All right, David. David Clinch with the latest on that car bomb explosion in Fallujah. Thank you, David.

CLINCH: All right.

CALLAWAY: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Well, football kicks off its regular season this week, but the college kids got a head start with some really wild games.

Joining me here in the living room, CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter. And Rob Marciano came down from the weather center to make sure I get it all right, didn't you, Rob? ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'd like to partake.

CALLAWAY: Well, we like having you here.

Chris, let me start with the LSU-Oregon State game. I'm feeling badly for the kicker.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, I'm not. And I'm sure that none of his teammates really are.

CALLAWAY: Oh, Oregon State...

COTTER: You're a field goal kicker. You've got to make extra points. It's one thing if it's a 45-yard field goal. But to miss one extra point in a football game is rare. To miss three, it's uncalled for.

MARCIANO: And it's Division I football.

COTTER: Yes, exactly.

CALLAWAY: Oh, yes.

MARCIANO: I used to live on Oregon, and I've got friends who are Beavers. But, yes, that's tough.

CALLAWAY: These guys are kids. Give them a break.

COTTER: Alexis Serna is the kicker's name, and LSU is the defending co-national champion. It should have lost this game. I mean, they were down late. They got a late touchdown to send it into overtime. Here, you see JaMarcus Russell hitting Dwayne Bowe, and that sends it to overtime.

LSU would score a touchdown first. Oregon State would come back and score the tying touchdown, or so we think in the overtime period. All that has to happen is for Oregon State's kicker, Alexis Serna, to his this extra point, and he misses it. He pushes it wide right.

CALLAWAY: Oh, wow!

MARCIANO: That's a flat-out shank!

CALLAWAY: Oh!

COTTER: It would have been the first time a defending national champion -- LSU was co-national champion last year -- the first time that a defending national champion had lost its season opener since 1997. But it wasn't to be. They escaped.

CALLAWAY: All right. Let's go to Clemson-Wake Forest. Clemson fans got a lot of football overtime, a long game.

COTTER: Double overtime. And they made up for last year when Wake Forest crushed Clemson. They beat them 45-17 last year. But Clemson had revenge on their minds. And they get it done in overtime. Here, you'll see Charlie Whitehurst, the Clemson quarterback, hitting Kyle Browning for a touchdown to send it into overtime. And then eventually Clemson wins it.

And the interesting thing about what's happening in Death Valley is they have collapsible goal posts; the only school in Division I right now using collapsible goal posts. And what that means is when the fans all run onto the field those goal posts will collapse and go down to the ground in 15 seconds, so that the fans can't get hurt when they're trying to rip down the goal posts.

They're the only school right now using them, and I think a lot of other schools are going to try to use them.

MARCIANO: It might catch on like that new artificial turf.

COTTER: Oh, yes. Yes, because people are getting hurt when the goal posts are coming down.

CALLAWAY: Right. That's become a pastime in southern campuses out there.

COTTER: Oh, yes.

CALLAWAY: All right, Mississippi State and Tulane.

COTTER: Yes, this is a huge win right here. Sylvester Croom, you know, a lot has been made of him and his debut in the SCC as the first African-American head coach. He has downplayed it since the beginning, but this was a big win for Mississippi State. They won eight games in the last three years, but they get the win over Tulane 27-7 on Saturday.

And there you see the Gatorade shower. So good for him. And now he can also move on. You know, the first African-American coach, OK, first win. Let's stop talking about it. Let me just be a head coach, and hopefully this will get that going.

CALLAWAY: Colorado. Colorado State.

COTTER: Well, we've talked on all, you know, winter long about the problems at Colorado.

CALLAWAY: Right.

COTTER: And they haven't had anything to do with football. Well, Gary Barnett and his team finally gets to play some football, and the rival Colorado State comes into town. Look at this play, the last play of the game, a game-saving tackle, and Colorado wins in that rivalry game. So good for them. Tristan Walker (ph) is stopped there by J.J. Billingsley of Colorado, and they get the "W.".

CALLAWAY: Well, I don't know about Rob, but I was -- well, I know Rob was -- following Frances a little bit more than football this weekend, but...

MARCIANO: I had totally forgotten that college football had even started.

COTTER: Well, Frances has an impact on college football. The biggest game of the weekend was supposed to be tonight, Florida State and Miami in Coral Gables, and they had to postpone it to Friday because of Frances.

CALLAWAY: All right...

MARCIANO: And hopefully Ivan won't affect the pro games this coming week.

COTTER: And that starts on Thursday, too. That's right when Ivan is going to be getting close.

MARCIANO: Getting closer. Getting closer.

CALLAWAY: Yes. All right...

MARCIANO: Good to see you, Chris.

COTTER: Good seeing you.

CALLAWAY: Chris, yes, thanks for coming.

COTTER: You're welcome.

CALLAWAY: Lots to talk about, and it's just beginning, right?

COTTER: Oh, I'm so glad.

CALLAWAY: Well, it's time now to check our "Web Clicks" this morning, what stories that are getting your attention when you head to CNN.com.

And first up -- no big surprise -- is the tragic story in Russia that we've been following as the funerals begin for all of the victims. There were some 338 hostages in that takeoff; 156 children that were killed when the terrorists seized the school building there. Now the funerals have begun. And, you know, there are just not enough words to express the grief that's going on there in Russia.

But the other story that you're following this morning is one that is certainly a much lighter note. And that is, who are the two top scientists? Fictional, of course.

MARCIANO: Right.

CALLAWAY: And that would be the two Muppets. You know, these guys?

MARCIANO: No.

CALLAWAY: Dr. Brunsen Honeydew and his -- what was his assistant's name? Beak?

COTTER: Beaker. CALLAWAY: Beaker, that's right.

MARCIANO: Hey, Chris.

CALLAWAY: Chris Cotter has been watching the Muppets. There you go. Who do you think was No. 2? Chris, what do you think?

COTTER: There is no No. 2.

CALLAWAY: Yes.

COTTER: Those two are No. 1 with a bullet.

CALLAWAY: It was Mr. Spock.

And, of course, the other story that everybody is following is Frances, which is, believe it or not, heading now to the other half of Florida -- Florida's Panhandle. What do you think, Rob?

MARCIANO: Well, it will make a second landfall later on this afternoon in through tonight possibly as a category 1 hurricane. So a double whammy. And then, of course, we're working on Ivan. We're ramping up here.

CALLAWAY: Yes.

MARCIANO: We're going to peak out at hurricane season in about two weeks.

CALLAWAY: You know what? We've got a special area there on CNN.com all about hurricanes and everything you want to know. So...

MARCIANO: Chris Cotter always comes in and tries to steal one of these coffee mugs. Here's your chance to win one.

COTTER: I never get one.

MARCIANO: Today's coffee mug quiz of the day, to whom is this year's MDA telethon dedicated to? And how many people attended this year's Burning Man Festival in Nevada? We'll name the winner tomorrow morning. And if it's you, you'll win one of these beautiful DAYBREAK coffee mugs.

CALLAWAY: All right, Rob, quickly, tell us about Ivan and Frances again.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Chris Cotter, thanks for coming in.

COTTER: I'm taking that mug.

CALLAWAY: He's reaching for the coffee mug. That's it for us, everyone. From the CNN headquarters here in Atlanta, I'm Catherine Callaway. "AMERICAN MORNING" begins right now.

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Aired September 6, 2004 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Frances is not finished with Florida yet. The bell for round two sounds today.
And it's Monday, September 6, and this is DAYBREAK.

Good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Catherine Callaway.

Thanks for being with us this morning.

In the news this hour, a car bomb targets a U.S. convoy on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Fallujah. U.S. military officials say there are several American casualties but it is not clear if the casualties include any deaths.

And tropical storm Frances gaining strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Frances could become a hurricane again before making its second landfall this evening on Florida's Panhandle. The storm now has top sustained winds of 65 miles an hour.

Bill Clinton, former president and best-selling author, is expected to undergo heart surgery this morning. Surgeons will bypass clogged coronary arteries, as many as four of them. The surgery could be delayed to allow medicines to take effect.

And a two-day national mourning period has begun in Russia. Funeral services are being held now for some of the hundreds killed in a shootout between terrorist hostage-takers and Russian troops. Many of the victims were children.

The 39th Annual Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association is under way this holiday weekend. Nearly a million volunteers and a host of performers and other celebrities are involved. Ed McMahon anchors that telethon.

Let's take a look now at the very latest on Frances, and we have Rob Marciano keeping track up in the weather center. Chad Myers is continuing his watch his Melbourne, Florida.

Let's begin with you, Rob.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Now to Chad, where I know Chad was wishing that storm had moved a little bit faster. It just was relentless, wasn't it? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it sure was. And there was one birth at the hospital here in town, and they're guaranteeing me that they're not going to name it Frances. So, yes, folks here, they were tired of this thing big time two hours into it. And it lasted 14 hours.

Our hurricane-force winds were relentless here. And I would say there is probably not one structure out there without something damaged on it, whether it's just a couple of shingles, whether it's -- in this case, we're kind of standing here on the beachfront in front of a hotel, there is actually part of a brick facade that's seven stories up that has fallen off and actually fallen down by the pool. So good thing no one was standing down there.

And that's why people get out of places like this. Wind speeds here on the beach were at 100 miles per hour or better at times. Some of the gusts maybe a little bit higher than that.

But Melbourne really fared pretty well. Down south of here, literally 20 miles south of here, things went downhill rather quickly, because they were closer to the northern eye wall, and that's where most of the damage is. And, in fact, from there, southward all the way down to Fort Pierce and then inland as that storm moved on by.

And as you were talking about earlier, there's Hurricane Ivan out there in the Atlantic, like we need this like another hole in our head, category 4, possibly going to a category 5 even today. And we'll see where that thing goes. It's going to end up in the Caribbean somewhere. We'll have to watch it.

Chad...

MYERS: Yes.

CALLAWAY: ... you know, I was talking with Rob about this earlier. Hurricane 5, you know, possibly up to that level, you know, it doesn't look good that it's going to get any smaller, right?

MYERS: Well, it doesn't look good that it's going to hit anything. I mean, even if it doesn't hit the U.S., it's going to hit something down there in the Caribbean.

CALLAWAY: Right.

MYERS: The official forecast that I was looking at just a little bit ago, it was the 2:00 a.m. forecast call actually, it took us somewhere very close to Haiti and then somewhere very close to the eastern tip of Cuba there in Guantanamo Bay or just to the east of there and then into the Bahamas.

Now, that tells me that the potential is through the Bahamas and then maybe a big hard right turn into the ocean, missing the continental U.S. altogether. But you know what? That's still days and days away. Remember, we do this disclaimer: It can turn left; it can turn right. And, really, somewhere right there turning left just a few miles is, again, the U.S. -- Catherine. CALLAWAY: All right, Chad, thank you very much.

And joining us now on the phone with more on the relief effort is Michael Spencer, a spokesman with the American Red Cross stationed in Melbourne.

Thanks for being with us this morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SPENCER, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Good morning, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: It's just a bad time for the Red Cross. You're just about spent down there, aren't you? You've been down there for weeks.

SPENCER: We have been. Our volunteers have been on Charley for two weeks already, and now this storm has been pounding us for the last 14 to 20 hours here. So, our volunteers are tired, but people are counting on us, and that's when we really pull through.

CALLAWAY: What is your situation now at the Red Cross? There are so many people now who were not prepared to be without electricity, without food, without grocery stores for this amount of time. And some of these people have been, you know, away from their homes since Wednesday night.

SPENCER: We're still in the emergency response phase of the relief effort. Our main priority is making sure people still have a safe place to stay. Last night we had over (AUDIO GAP) the state of Florida and even into Georgia and the Carolinas. So that's our concern.

And as (AUDIO GAP) today. You know, the sun comes out today, and people (AUDIO GAP).

CALLAWAY: You know what, Michael? We are losing you. We're having a bad phone connection here. We're going to try to reconnect with you and get back with you in just a moment.

That was Michael Spencer with the Red Cross.

Well, the Red Cross has set up some hotlines for people out there who need some information or want to donate to the hurricane relief effort. Just give them a call at 800-give-now. And to contact the American Red Cross response center, call 1-866-get-info.

FEMA is hanging out the "help wanted" sign. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's dealing with some 20 disasters, including Frances. And on top of that now, Hurricane Ivan is barreling through the central Atlantic. FEMA is now recruiting more employees to work with disaster relief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HALL, FEMA HUMAN RESOURCES: We see Ivan is a week away. If we start to process now, then we can ensure that we have the right people at the right location with the right skill sets when we need them. And that could be Florida, it could be Mississippi, it could be Tennessee. We have people deployed to Micronesia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- wherever they're needed.

And that's why the people, after they're hired and brought on board here, they're sent to Atlanta, Georgia, for what we call in- processing and training for special skills that they would need to do their job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Beginning today, people in the Richmond, Virginia, area who suffered flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Gaston have a place to go for help. A disaster recovery center will be opened in the area. Representatives from federal, state and other agencies will be available to answer questions about disaster relief.

And for more on Hurricane Frances, including personal stories of how some people rode out the storm, just log on to our Web site at CNN.com.

Bill Clinton may be headed for quadruple bypass surgery this morning. But the operation could be delayed if blood thinners haven't worked their way out of the former president's system. While awaiting surgery, President Clinton has received thousands of well wishes. He even took time to call our Larry King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of this is genetic, and I may have done some damage in those years when I was too careless about what I ate. So, for whatever reasons, I've got a problem and I've got a chance to deal with it. And I feel that I've really got to -- let me just say this: That Republicans aren't the only people who want four more years here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Once the surgery begins, it should take doctors between four to five hours to complete the procedure.

Well, Democratic Senator Bob Graham is accusing the Bush administration of a cover-up. Graham, who is a former intelligence committee chairman, says the Saudi government had ties to the 9/11 hijackers. And he says the administration took action to hide it. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. Graham makes his case in a new book that's due out tomorrow.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied ties to 9/11, and President Bush's re-election campaign calls the allegations baseless.

Oh, what a weekend. All of you college football fans finally got a bucket full of games Friday, Saturday, even Sunday. One early season thriller? Clemson and Wake Forest played two overtime periods. Sports analyst Chris Cotter is going to join us to talk football.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CALLAWAY: It's Labor Day. That means Wall Street is quiet today. But on Friday, the Dow dropped 30 points. The Nasdaq was down 29 points, and the S&P 500 was down just over four and a half points.

Your news, money, weather and sports this morning. At 42 minutes after the hour, here's what's happening.

Frances is now over the Gulf of Mexico, but the storm isn't finished with Florida yet. It appears headed for the state's Panhandle now. Then, Hurricane Ivan could follow the same path as Frances. Ivan has now been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane, churning in the Atlantic.

It's not a hurricane in China, but the weather is deadly. Days of torrential rains have killed 76 people there. Flash flooding and landslides have swamped entire villages, ruined farmland and caved in some roads.

In money, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Investors will be listening for clues on future interest rate hikes. The fed is widely expected to raise rates by another quarter point later this month.

And in culture this morning, the Burning Man Festival attracted a record crowd of this year. Well over 35,000 people headed to the Nevada desert for the 19th annual counterculture festival of art and flames.

And in sports, the Packers decided to move the couch. Green Bay made quarterback Tim Couch one of their final cuts before the regular season begins this week. Couch was the first overall pick in 1999 by the Cleveland Browns.

(WEATHER BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Coming up on DAYBREAK, some last-minute heroes and goats. College football kicks off, but it was a lack of kicks that saved one of the defending national champions. Stay tuned for all of the excitement when DAYBREAK rolls on.

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CALLAWAY: We've been following a breaking story out of Fallujah this morning, a car bomb explosion just outside that city.

David Clinch is here with some new information.

What do you know?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Catherine. Well, good morning.

We're still waiting for the U.S. military to confirm the details on these casualties. We do know that there was a car bomb that hit at least one, maybe two, U.S. military vehicles on the outskirts of Fallujah today. Reports of casualties. Witnesses on the ground are telling Reuters that maybe as many as eight U.S. military service people were killed in this attack. That's not yet been confirmed.

The U.S. military in Baghdad is always determined to try to get as many details as they possibly can, but they are confirming that there are multiple casualties, and that those that have survived are being treated immediately in the area and then being brought back out to Baghdad.

And we have to remember, we're talking about a relative calm in Fallujah. But, of course, that calm is maintained by the fact that the U.S. military is not really in Fallujah itself.

CALLAWAY: Right.

CLINCH: They patrol the environs, the outside, the roads, the entrances to Fallujah. But the city itself of Fallujah is in the control of local Iraqi forces, some of whom, of course, are insurgents as well, at least...

CALLAWAY: And this was a convoy of U.S. forces, right? Just...

CLINCH: As we understand it, it was a patrol on the outskirts of the city of something they do regularly. But today hit by at least one vehicle loaded with explosives, maybe more, a huge explosion. So, we're watching that very closely.

And, of course, Fallujah is one of those examples of a part of Iraq that the U.S. does not control right now.

I was reading an interview in the "Los Angeles Times" today with General Ment (ph), a U.S. military commander, as saying there's a possibility even as they head towards Iraqi elections that whole cities like Fallujah may not even be able to partake in these elections, because they can't go in there. They cannot go in safely. The U.S. cannot go in safely.

And another illustration today is that even on the outskirts of the city it is not safe.

CALLAWAY: All right, David. David Clinch with the latest on that car bomb explosion in Fallujah. Thank you, David.

CLINCH: All right.

CALLAWAY: We'll be right back.

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CALLAWAY: Well, football kicks off its regular season this week, but the college kids got a head start with some really wild games.

Joining me here in the living room, CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter. And Rob Marciano came down from the weather center to make sure I get it all right, didn't you, Rob? ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'd like to partake.

CALLAWAY: Well, we like having you here.

Chris, let me start with the LSU-Oregon State game. I'm feeling badly for the kicker.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, I'm not. And I'm sure that none of his teammates really are.

CALLAWAY: Oh, Oregon State...

COTTER: You're a field goal kicker. You've got to make extra points. It's one thing if it's a 45-yard field goal. But to miss one extra point in a football game is rare. To miss three, it's uncalled for.

MARCIANO: And it's Division I football.

COTTER: Yes, exactly.

CALLAWAY: Oh, yes.

MARCIANO: I used to live on Oregon, and I've got friends who are Beavers. But, yes, that's tough.

CALLAWAY: These guys are kids. Give them a break.

COTTER: Alexis Serna is the kicker's name, and LSU is the defending co-national champion. It should have lost this game. I mean, they were down late. They got a late touchdown to send it into overtime. Here, you see JaMarcus Russell hitting Dwayne Bowe, and that sends it to overtime.

LSU would score a touchdown first. Oregon State would come back and score the tying touchdown, or so we think in the overtime period. All that has to happen is for Oregon State's kicker, Alexis Serna, to his this extra point, and he misses it. He pushes it wide right.

CALLAWAY: Oh, wow!

MARCIANO: That's a flat-out shank!

CALLAWAY: Oh!

COTTER: It would have been the first time a defending national champion -- LSU was co-national champion last year -- the first time that a defending national champion had lost its season opener since 1997. But it wasn't to be. They escaped.

CALLAWAY: All right. Let's go to Clemson-Wake Forest. Clemson fans got a lot of football overtime, a long game.

COTTER: Double overtime. And they made up for last year when Wake Forest crushed Clemson. They beat them 45-17 last year. But Clemson had revenge on their minds. And they get it done in overtime. Here, you'll see Charlie Whitehurst, the Clemson quarterback, hitting Kyle Browning for a touchdown to send it into overtime. And then eventually Clemson wins it.

And the interesting thing about what's happening in Death Valley is they have collapsible goal posts; the only school in Division I right now using collapsible goal posts. And what that means is when the fans all run onto the field those goal posts will collapse and go down to the ground in 15 seconds, so that the fans can't get hurt when they're trying to rip down the goal posts.

They're the only school right now using them, and I think a lot of other schools are going to try to use them.

MARCIANO: It might catch on like that new artificial turf.

COTTER: Oh, yes. Yes, because people are getting hurt when the goal posts are coming down.

CALLAWAY: Right. That's become a pastime in southern campuses out there.

COTTER: Oh, yes.

CALLAWAY: All right, Mississippi State and Tulane.

COTTER: Yes, this is a huge win right here. Sylvester Croom, you know, a lot has been made of him and his debut in the SCC as the first African-American head coach. He has downplayed it since the beginning, but this was a big win for Mississippi State. They won eight games in the last three years, but they get the win over Tulane 27-7 on Saturday.

And there you see the Gatorade shower. So good for him. And now he can also move on. You know, the first African-American coach, OK, first win. Let's stop talking about it. Let me just be a head coach, and hopefully this will get that going.

CALLAWAY: Colorado. Colorado State.

COTTER: Well, we've talked on all, you know, winter long about the problems at Colorado.

CALLAWAY: Right.

COTTER: And they haven't had anything to do with football. Well, Gary Barnett and his team finally gets to play some football, and the rival Colorado State comes into town. Look at this play, the last play of the game, a game-saving tackle, and Colorado wins in that rivalry game. So good for them. Tristan Walker (ph) is stopped there by J.J. Billingsley of Colorado, and they get the "W.".

CALLAWAY: Well, I don't know about Rob, but I was -- well, I know Rob was -- following Frances a little bit more than football this weekend, but...

MARCIANO: I had totally forgotten that college football had even started.

COTTER: Well, Frances has an impact on college football. The biggest game of the weekend was supposed to be tonight, Florida State and Miami in Coral Gables, and they had to postpone it to Friday because of Frances.

CALLAWAY: All right...

MARCIANO: And hopefully Ivan won't affect the pro games this coming week.

COTTER: And that starts on Thursday, too. That's right when Ivan is going to be getting close.

MARCIANO: Getting closer. Getting closer.

CALLAWAY: Yes. All right...

MARCIANO: Good to see you, Chris.

COTTER: Good seeing you.

CALLAWAY: Chris, yes, thanks for coming.

COTTER: You're welcome.

CALLAWAY: Lots to talk about, and it's just beginning, right?

COTTER: Oh, I'm so glad.

CALLAWAY: Well, it's time now to check our "Web Clicks" this morning, what stories that are getting your attention when you head to CNN.com.

And first up -- no big surprise -- is the tragic story in Russia that we've been following as the funerals begin for all of the victims. There were some 338 hostages in that takeoff; 156 children that were killed when the terrorists seized the school building there. Now the funerals have begun. And, you know, there are just not enough words to express the grief that's going on there in Russia.

But the other story that you're following this morning is one that is certainly a much lighter note. And that is, who are the two top scientists? Fictional, of course.

MARCIANO: Right.

CALLAWAY: And that would be the two Muppets. You know, these guys?

MARCIANO: No.

CALLAWAY: Dr. Brunsen Honeydew and his -- what was his assistant's name? Beak?

COTTER: Beaker. CALLAWAY: Beaker, that's right.

MARCIANO: Hey, Chris.

CALLAWAY: Chris Cotter has been watching the Muppets. There you go. Who do you think was No. 2? Chris, what do you think?

COTTER: There is no No. 2.

CALLAWAY: Yes.

COTTER: Those two are No. 1 with a bullet.

CALLAWAY: It was Mr. Spock.

And, of course, the other story that everybody is following is Frances, which is, believe it or not, heading now to the other half of Florida -- Florida's Panhandle. What do you think, Rob?

MARCIANO: Well, it will make a second landfall later on this afternoon in through tonight possibly as a category 1 hurricane. So a double whammy. And then, of course, we're working on Ivan. We're ramping up here.

CALLAWAY: Yes.

MARCIANO: We're going to peak out at hurricane season in about two weeks.

CALLAWAY: You know what? We've got a special area there on CNN.com all about hurricanes and everything you want to know. So...

MARCIANO: Chris Cotter always comes in and tries to steal one of these coffee mugs. Here's your chance to win one.

COTTER: I never get one.

MARCIANO: Today's coffee mug quiz of the day, to whom is this year's MDA telethon dedicated to? And how many people attended this year's Burning Man Festival in Nevada? We'll name the winner tomorrow morning. And if it's you, you'll win one of these beautiful DAYBREAK coffee mugs.

CALLAWAY: All right, Rob, quickly, tell us about Ivan and Frances again.

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CALLAWAY: Chris Cotter, thanks for coming in.

COTTER: I'm taking that mug.

CALLAWAY: He's reaching for the coffee mug. That's it for us, everyone. From the CNN headquarters here in Atlanta, I'm Catherine Callaway. "AMERICAN MORNING" begins right now.

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