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American Morning
Wrath of Frances; Russian School Tragedy; Interview With Dr. Arthur Agatston
Aired September 06, 2004 - 9:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A storm with staying power yet again today. Frances crawling across Florida, with the final leg of its journey still to come.
Waiting for news from a New York hospital. President Clinton is in surgery now for a heart bypass.
And the government changes the rules for the checks you write, making it a lot easier for you to bounce one on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. Here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. We are live yet again here in Melbourne, Florida, this, the day after Frances came through. But still, that storm has now in its sights the Panhandle of Florida, and after that it's going to head up into Georgia and Alabama.
It's going to be a heck of a rainmaker and a wind-maker, too, for folks living in the southeastern part of the U.S. One death blamed on Frances here in Florida. Two deaths blamed on Frances out in the Bahamas. Ninety thousand people still today in shelters and two million without power.
It's a lot of numbers. But it gives you an indication and an idea of the strength of this storm and the size of this storm. Starting today, going through the week here, it's going to be a headache, a major headache for folks living here on the east coast of Florida.
I want to get to Kelly Wallace again with us today in New York City.
Kelly, good morning to you back there.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you again, Bill.
Also this morning, we are going back to southern Russia and the scene of that battle with terrorists last Friday. Ryan Chilcote, who was there when it happened, now reporting on a town consumed with the business of funerals. That's coming up.
Also, Jack has the day off, but we're lucky to say that Toure will be here with us this morning.
For now, though, let's go to Betty Nguyen at the CNN Center in Atlanta with stories "Now in the News."
Good morning again, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Kelly.
Let's first go to Iraq. One of the most deadly attacks on U.S. Marines in months. The U.S. military command says seven U.S. Marines were killed in a car bombing in the Fallujah area. Three Iraqi guardsmen were also killed.
Former President Bill Clinton is now undergoing heart bypass surgery. He's expected to make a full recovery because he's 58 -- that's relatively young -- and in good health. In 15 minutes, we'll look at the former president's recent weight loss regimen with Dr. Arthur Agatston, the author of the "South Beach Diet."
Hot, dry winds are slowing the efforts of firefighters battling a big wildfire near California's wine country. The Sonoma County fire is fueled by tender, dry vegetation and strong winds. Over the weekend, it destroyed a handful of vacation homes and threatened a geothermal energy plant.
Two muppets are the big winners of a contest to determine Britain's favorite screen scientists. That's right, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his loyal assistant, Beaker, beat the competition, which included Mr. Spock and Agent Scully of "The X Files." The muppets won 33 percent of the 43,000 votes cast in an Internet poll.
Bill, you remember Beaker, don't you?
HEMMER: Yes, sure do.
NGUYEN: Well, he's a winner this morning in Britain.
HEMMER: Excellent. Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Sure.
HEMMER: And good for him back in London.
Back here in Melbourne, Florida, right now, one of the big hassles here that officials have been talking to us about is trying to keep people away and in their homes, so the power folks can get out, the police and fire folks can do what they want to do. But even if people do venture out, it's tough going, because the gas stations are so shut down and may be for several days now. Fuel is at a premium right now in eastern Florida.
In northwestern Florida now, as Frances moves toward that area, still packing winds, too. Sixty-five miles an hour, just below hurricane 1 -- Category 1 strength. That's where we find Tom Foreman on the Panhandle there.
Tom, good morning.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, in the past hour you started feeling just a little bit of that punchier bit of wind, the rain coming in a little bit more. It's not a lot.
If you know much about hurricanes, and you've been around them a lot, you know that this is the precursor to a tropical storm or for a hurricane coming in force. And a lot of people here do know a lot about it.
This is historically a fishing village. People have made their lives on the water. They know about these storms.
You're right to caution people further inland. I was talking just a short while ago by phone to some people in Alabama. They remember up in Alabama and Georgia when Hurricane Opal came here in the mid-'90s. Opal did a tremendous amount of damage inland, knocking over trees, knocking out power, causing flooding.
So, in truth, I think a lot of people further inland are watching this storm just as closely as they are here. But this is going to be the first warning spot. This is ground zero for where the storm is headed now. As the hours go by here, we'll see how much punch it has and how much the people inland need to be worried about this -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Tom. Thanks for that. Tom Foreman awaiting the arrival of Frances.
Want to get to Chad Myers with me here in Melbourne. He was riding the storm out over the weekend.
Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And good morning, Bill.
Yes, that storm now out in the Gulf of Mexico. We knew it would cross the entire peninsula of Florida, and it did. And now it's back into the very waters of the Gulf of Mexico there, to the west of Tampa and south of Apalachicola. Actually, about 100 miles south and southeast of Apalachicola.
Here's the radar. Don't really see an eye yet, but the circulation is getting more -- a little bit more organized down there, right around the eye, around the center of this storm. Still a TS, still a tropical storm at 65 miles per hour.
Now, what is not a tropical storm is that hurricane, that big white blob you see there in the Atlantic Ocean. That is Hurricane Ivan. It is now a Category 4 and forecast to get stronger.
And that's not good news, because it is still going to move through the Caribbean, maybe somewhere over Haiti, and then into the Guantanamo Bay area, into the Bahamas. We'll have to keep looking at that. That's at least a week away.
The forecast, though, for today, pleasant weather up the Northeast. A great Labor Day forecast for you.
A couple of showers through the Midwest along the cold front. And then the rest, obviously, the Southeast still being affected by the winds and the waves and the rain of this hurricane.
The highs today across the Northeast -- oh, you know what, Bill Hemmer? You are sorry you're down here and not up there in New York. But you had a good string of days last week, and we'll have a couple of good days down here as well.
Finally, some decent days for folks to clean up here in Florida. The winds still blowing about 20 here, but folks can get out there and do what they need to get done this afternoon for sure -- Bill.
HEMMER: And so many times, Chad, we see after these storms pass through what results is a pretty beautiful day. And that's what we have now.
Thank you, Chad. Chad Myers here with me in Melbourne, Florida.
Say good morning now to Bob Kemp. Bob's a business owner, owns a gas station, a Mobil, in fact, about a mile down the strip here on the Barrier Islands.
And you rode this one out?
BOB KEMP, GAS STATION OWNER: Yes, I did.
HEMMER: How did it go for you?
KEMP: It's -- they get pretty scary. I mean, when you hit 110, 120 mile-an-hour winds -- but my house was built to the new hurricane standards. And it rode really well. Very minimal damage.
HEMMER: Between your house and your business, how much damage would you say, or how much damage could you describe for us?
KEMP: I probably have -- between the two, the house only probably has $1,000 worth of damage. But the -- because it's all new hurricane shutters and all.
The business, I lost my sign, I lost a canopy. I don't know if my pumps are down until I come back up. But if I lose my pumps, I'm probably in the $100,000 range...
HEMMER: Wow. That is...
KEMP: ... if they go down, because they'll have to be replaced. But -- and until I get power, I won't know if I've got electronics and all. And that's the damage. They're all still standing, but if they don't go down, probably $15,000.
HEMMER: So between Friday, Saturday and Sunday, did you do much business?
KEMP: Had a really, really big day -- what's today, Monday? Friday was the last day we were open.
I sold a lot of gas. And I still have a little in the ground. But I sold a lot more beer and cigarettes than I did gas. People were really stocking up on the important things.
HEMMER: I bet they were. Bob, thanks. Nice to see you. Bob Kemp here in Melbourne, Florida.
KEMP: Thank you.
HEMMER: I want to get back up again to Tom Foreman's location in Carrabelle, Florida. The mayor's with me now. The mayor is Jim Brown.
And thank you for your time this morning. What's your concern as you get ready for the tropical storm now?
MAYOR JIM BROWN, CARRABELLE, FLORIDA: Well, we feel like we've done everything that we can. We have our emergency crews standing by. It's just -- it's just wait and see at the moment.
HEMMER: Yes. Were you able to get a head start because Frances was so big, and because Frances was so slow, a head start to get ready?
BROWN: Yes, we had plenty of time to get everything that we can in position.
HEMMER: Yes.
BROWN: We don't have a certified shelter in Franklin County, so it was quite a chore trying to get people to leave. Franklin County is so flat that emergency management don't feel there should be an emergency center in Franklin County. So we had to leave this area. And trying to get people to leave was -- has really been a chore.
HEMMER: Yes. Mayor, is that what you're telling people, to get out now?
BROWN: Yes, we have asked them. Yes, it started yesterday afternoon. We do have a mandatory evacuation in place. But there's a lot of people that aren't leaving.
HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. Jim Brown's the mayor there in Carrabelle, Florida. You've seen storms in the past much more severe of this one. However, we wish you the best of luck as Frances gets ready to come onshore in northwestern Florida.
After that comes Alabama and Georgia. And do not forget, folks, out in the Atlantic, you have Ivan right now a Category 3 hurricane, already starting to get some talk here in Florida.
Back in a moment in Melbourne. To New York again now and Kelly Wallace -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Turning now to a heartbreaking story. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared today and tomorrow as national days of mourning following last week's deadly siege of a school in the town of Beslan near the Chechen border. That's where CNN's Ryan Chilcote is now, with more on the search for hundreds of victims, many of them children, still missing.
Good morning, Ryan. What's the latest from there?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Kelly.
We're standing in front of the school's gym where these hostages were kept until the siege ended on Friday. It has become a memorial of sorts. Hundreds of people streaming in and out of this gym today, despite very bad weather and lots of rain, coming to pay their respects to the hundreds of children that died either inside of the school or many of them as they were trying to run away when they were shot in the back.
The official death toll now stands at just under 340, Kelly. But there are still between 200 and 300 people missing. Many of them school kids between the ages of seven and 17.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE (voice-over): The Tettov (ph) family and their neighbors gather outside their home. Their two daughters, 12-year-old Alena (ph), and 11-year-old Arena (ph), laid out for all to see. Both girls shot in the back as they tried to flee the school seized by gunmen.
The family marches to the cemetery. Tamerlan Tettov (ph) is still searching for his grandson. "Even beasts don't attack children," he tells me. "They came here, robbed our land, and poisoned it." While hundreds mourn for those lost, there's also questions about the hundreds more still missing.
(on camera): Today, the grave diggers at this cemetery were told to prepare for 600 burials. But they were warned they may need to dig more tomorrow.
(voice-over): One of those graves may be for Fatima (ph). She hasn't been seen since the fighting ended.
Her grandmother brings a photo of her and her brother to the town's makeshift missing persons center. Slavic (ph) made it out alive, but no one has been able to find his 7-year-old sister, not among the living or the dead. "We found him, but we can't find her, she tells me. They sent some of the children to hospitals in Moscow, but we still don't know if she's there."
Back at the funeral for the Tettov (ph) girls, Rema Tettov (ph) is missing her nephew. "Last night we were told that a vehicle with corpses was going to the morgue," she says. "So we raced there only to be told that it had been stopped on the way because there was no more room for bodies."
Five children from the Tettov (ph) family were inside the school when the massacre began. Two of them are now in the hospital, two of them are dead, one is still missing. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE: Kelly, the Tettov (ph) family here is not the only family missing children. I just want to show you this.
This is -- you see these posters pasted up on walls all around town. This is a young girl. She would have turned 12 in October, named Aza Gumitzola (ph). And it says, "We are looking for her."
It has her name. And it says, "Anyone who might know where she is, we ask you to call us by the following telephones." And the idea is, of course, this family's idea, is that some of the other families that have been looking for their loved ones, for their children, who have been to these morgues and to the hospitals, might just see their daughter, and then inform them of that. So it's a really, really heart breaking story here -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Those families still holding out hope. A horrific story, Ryan. Ryan Chilcote reporting from the southern Russian city of Beslan. Thanks for joining us today.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, former President Clinton undergoing heart surgery this morning. Some people wondering whether his recent diet had anything to do with it. We'll talk to the author of "The South Beach Diet."
And we're keeping an eye on Frances. Bill Hemmer is standing by live in Florida. He'll look at two of the hardest hit areas.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Right now, as we've been reporting, former President Bill Clinton is undergoing heart bypass surgery here in New York City. In recent days, Mr. Clinton has been looking fit and trim. He says the South Beach Diet has helped him get in shape. But has it ultimately done him more harm than good?
Dr. Arthur Agatston is a cardiologist and author of the "South Beach Diet." He joins us now from Miami.
Thanks for being with us.
DR. ARTHUR AGATSTON, AUTHOR, "SOUTH BEACH DIET": Good morning.
WALLACE: Well, you heard some people suggesting that President Clinton being on the South Beach Diet, that that might have contributed to his current heart disease. What's your response to that?
AGATSTON: No, the principles of the South Beach Diet, good fats, good carbs, lean sources of protein, plenty of fiber, is the consensus of all experts. That's the way we should be eating to prevent heart disease and cancer. But President Clinton had a very aggressive form of arteriosclerosis with having four vessel disease at age 58. But this is something that grew up over a lifetime.
And in cases like this, you often need medication, as well as diet and exercise. What he needed was early diagnosis with -- with a heart scan, which could have picked up the disease developing five, 10 years ago. And then he could have been on the proper medication, as well as diet and exercise.
WALLACE: But doctor, couldn't a diet, the one you put forward, of course, that stresses high in protein, low in carbohydrates, cause certain stresses to the body?
AGATSTON: No -- no, not at all. We're low in processed carbohydrates, the bad carbs. We're very -- we're very high in vegetables and whole fruits, whole grains that have been shown to diminish heart disease.
The biggest single heat prevention diet study was the Leone Heart Study (ph), where adding the good fats that we recommend decreased second heart attacks by 70 percent. This is the way to help prevent heart attacks, slow the progression of disease. But you have to -- you have to start it early.
WALLACE: Doctor, you know, though, some of your critics also say your diet does not stress exercise enough. What's your response to that? Because clearly exercise has to be a key component for any diet and long-term weight loss.
AGATSTON: Yes. And President Clinton was doing a vigorous exercise program, and we do emphasize that in the book. It was a diet book, but I emphasize -- we emphasize exercise in the book.
It's a small chapter. But absolutely we believe in exercise. That's how I -- that's how treat my patients, myself, and it's very much in the book.
WALLACE: Putting the case of the former president aside, is there anyone who should not be on the South Beach Diet, and why?
AGATSTON: No, you know, depending on individual cases, you know, younger people can have more protein, athletes should have a lot of protein. If you're older with kidney problems, you should have less protein.
But in making the food choices from good carbs, good fats, and lean sources of protein, that's -- that's really a universal in this country. And that's how man was designed to eat. And it's really -- there's really no controversy on these principles.
WALLACE: Very quickly, you're in Miami. How are you holding up after Hurricane Frances?
AGATSTON: It's pretty nice today. We just had some -- some just minor damage. No major problems in Miami Beach. WALLACE: Well, Dr. Agatston, author of the "South Beach Diet," we thank you for joining us from Miami today.
AGATSTON: Thank you.
WALLACE: Still to come, less than two months to go until the election. One candidate is pulling ahead in the polls, and one appears to be slipping. Bill Schneider sorts it all out for us as AMERICAN MORNING rolls on.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
One of my favorite moments here on AMERICAN MORNING today, checking in with Toure and the "Question of the Day."
(LAUGHTER)
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: You're so sweet.
Kobe Bryant, his criminal quagmire ended abruptly last week when his accuser dropped the charges against him. Guilty or innocent, his image has clearly taken a hit.
He used to have the top selling jersey in the league, and his commercials for McDonald's and Sprite were everywhere. Now his jersey's number seven in sales, and his endorsers have run scared. Can he return to being an endorsement king?
Sure, he wasn't convicted, but do you feel comfortable with your kids buying French fries from an admitted adulterer? What will Kobe Bryant's future as an endorser be?
Here's our emails.
Mary Anne from Idaho says, "As an admitted adulterer, Kobe has a wide variety of possible endorsements. Hotels that pride themselves on privacy and discretion, and maybe Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
WALLACE: Laura Bush, the first lady, said that actually.
(LAUGHTER)
TOURE: And what do you think she knows about Vegas?
WALLACE: She said that on one of the late night shows. OK. Sorry to interrupt.
TOURE: Dave from Rossville, Georgia, says, "In a nutshell, O.J. isn't flying through airports anymore, is he? It may be a long time before Kobe gets another contract."
Well, maybe. And Courtney from Denver says, "Kobe's target market is the 16 to 25-year-old age range. Do we really believe those guys are going to furrow their brows, wave their index fingers, while tsk-tsking Kobe for his behavior? Maybe we should also look for Shaq to be one of his character witnesses at the never to be held civil trial."
Which, of course, would never happen because Lakers' fans know that Shaq and Kobe were not friends, and butted heads quite a bit. So that's the extra bit of the joke from Courtney.
WALLACE: I bet. What does Shaq think about Kobe being a product endorsement?
TOURE: I think Shaq thinks he wants the money for himself.
WALLACE: I think he does. All right. We leave it there. Toure, with the "Question of the Day."
A record 35,000 people gathered in the Arizona desert this weekend to be part of the Burning Man Festival. This is the 19th ritual burning.
A 44-foot icon of neon wood was set ablaze. The event is a spiritual and artistic experience that is difficult to explain, clearly. We're having some difficulty explaining that. Well, there it is in the Arizona desert this weekend.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, more -- more of Hurricane Frances. We go now to Bill down in Melbourne, Florida.
Hi again, Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Kelly. Hello again to you.
In a moment here, the federal officials out now, canvassing the area, especially in eastern Florida, trying to assess the damage. Yesterday, the governor said it was far too early. We'll find out whether or not in a moment here they're able to do that today in a moment. Back here live in Melbourne after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired September 6, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A storm with staying power yet again today. Frances crawling across Florida, with the final leg of its journey still to come.
Waiting for news from a New York hospital. President Clinton is in surgery now for a heart bypass.
And the government changes the rules for the checks you write, making it a lot easier for you to bounce one on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. Here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. We are live yet again here in Melbourne, Florida, this, the day after Frances came through. But still, that storm has now in its sights the Panhandle of Florida, and after that it's going to head up into Georgia and Alabama.
It's going to be a heck of a rainmaker and a wind-maker, too, for folks living in the southeastern part of the U.S. One death blamed on Frances here in Florida. Two deaths blamed on Frances out in the Bahamas. Ninety thousand people still today in shelters and two million without power.
It's a lot of numbers. But it gives you an indication and an idea of the strength of this storm and the size of this storm. Starting today, going through the week here, it's going to be a headache, a major headache for folks living here on the east coast of Florida.
I want to get to Kelly Wallace again with us today in New York City.
Kelly, good morning to you back there.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you again, Bill.
Also this morning, we are going back to southern Russia and the scene of that battle with terrorists last Friday. Ryan Chilcote, who was there when it happened, now reporting on a town consumed with the business of funerals. That's coming up.
Also, Jack has the day off, but we're lucky to say that Toure will be here with us this morning.
For now, though, let's go to Betty Nguyen at the CNN Center in Atlanta with stories "Now in the News."
Good morning again, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Kelly.
Let's first go to Iraq. One of the most deadly attacks on U.S. Marines in months. The U.S. military command says seven U.S. Marines were killed in a car bombing in the Fallujah area. Three Iraqi guardsmen were also killed.
Former President Bill Clinton is now undergoing heart bypass surgery. He's expected to make a full recovery because he's 58 -- that's relatively young -- and in good health. In 15 minutes, we'll look at the former president's recent weight loss regimen with Dr. Arthur Agatston, the author of the "South Beach Diet."
Hot, dry winds are slowing the efforts of firefighters battling a big wildfire near California's wine country. The Sonoma County fire is fueled by tender, dry vegetation and strong winds. Over the weekend, it destroyed a handful of vacation homes and threatened a geothermal energy plant.
Two muppets are the big winners of a contest to determine Britain's favorite screen scientists. That's right, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his loyal assistant, Beaker, beat the competition, which included Mr. Spock and Agent Scully of "The X Files." The muppets won 33 percent of the 43,000 votes cast in an Internet poll.
Bill, you remember Beaker, don't you?
HEMMER: Yes, sure do.
NGUYEN: Well, he's a winner this morning in Britain.
HEMMER: Excellent. Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Sure.
HEMMER: And good for him back in London.
Back here in Melbourne, Florida, right now, one of the big hassles here that officials have been talking to us about is trying to keep people away and in their homes, so the power folks can get out, the police and fire folks can do what they want to do. But even if people do venture out, it's tough going, because the gas stations are so shut down and may be for several days now. Fuel is at a premium right now in eastern Florida.
In northwestern Florida now, as Frances moves toward that area, still packing winds, too. Sixty-five miles an hour, just below hurricane 1 -- Category 1 strength. That's where we find Tom Foreman on the Panhandle there.
Tom, good morning.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, in the past hour you started feeling just a little bit of that punchier bit of wind, the rain coming in a little bit more. It's not a lot.
If you know much about hurricanes, and you've been around them a lot, you know that this is the precursor to a tropical storm or for a hurricane coming in force. And a lot of people here do know a lot about it.
This is historically a fishing village. People have made their lives on the water. They know about these storms.
You're right to caution people further inland. I was talking just a short while ago by phone to some people in Alabama. They remember up in Alabama and Georgia when Hurricane Opal came here in the mid-'90s. Opal did a tremendous amount of damage inland, knocking over trees, knocking out power, causing flooding.
So, in truth, I think a lot of people further inland are watching this storm just as closely as they are here. But this is going to be the first warning spot. This is ground zero for where the storm is headed now. As the hours go by here, we'll see how much punch it has and how much the people inland need to be worried about this -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Tom. Thanks for that. Tom Foreman awaiting the arrival of Frances.
Want to get to Chad Myers with me here in Melbourne. He was riding the storm out over the weekend.
Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And good morning, Bill.
Yes, that storm now out in the Gulf of Mexico. We knew it would cross the entire peninsula of Florida, and it did. And now it's back into the very waters of the Gulf of Mexico there, to the west of Tampa and south of Apalachicola. Actually, about 100 miles south and southeast of Apalachicola.
Here's the radar. Don't really see an eye yet, but the circulation is getting more -- a little bit more organized down there, right around the eye, around the center of this storm. Still a TS, still a tropical storm at 65 miles per hour.
Now, what is not a tropical storm is that hurricane, that big white blob you see there in the Atlantic Ocean. That is Hurricane Ivan. It is now a Category 4 and forecast to get stronger.
And that's not good news, because it is still going to move through the Caribbean, maybe somewhere over Haiti, and then into the Guantanamo Bay area, into the Bahamas. We'll have to keep looking at that. That's at least a week away.
The forecast, though, for today, pleasant weather up the Northeast. A great Labor Day forecast for you.
A couple of showers through the Midwest along the cold front. And then the rest, obviously, the Southeast still being affected by the winds and the waves and the rain of this hurricane.
The highs today across the Northeast -- oh, you know what, Bill Hemmer? You are sorry you're down here and not up there in New York. But you had a good string of days last week, and we'll have a couple of good days down here as well.
Finally, some decent days for folks to clean up here in Florida. The winds still blowing about 20 here, but folks can get out there and do what they need to get done this afternoon for sure -- Bill.
HEMMER: And so many times, Chad, we see after these storms pass through what results is a pretty beautiful day. And that's what we have now.
Thank you, Chad. Chad Myers here with me in Melbourne, Florida.
Say good morning now to Bob Kemp. Bob's a business owner, owns a gas station, a Mobil, in fact, about a mile down the strip here on the Barrier Islands.
And you rode this one out?
BOB KEMP, GAS STATION OWNER: Yes, I did.
HEMMER: How did it go for you?
KEMP: It's -- they get pretty scary. I mean, when you hit 110, 120 mile-an-hour winds -- but my house was built to the new hurricane standards. And it rode really well. Very minimal damage.
HEMMER: Between your house and your business, how much damage would you say, or how much damage could you describe for us?
KEMP: I probably have -- between the two, the house only probably has $1,000 worth of damage. But the -- because it's all new hurricane shutters and all.
The business, I lost my sign, I lost a canopy. I don't know if my pumps are down until I come back up. But if I lose my pumps, I'm probably in the $100,000 range...
HEMMER: Wow. That is...
KEMP: ... if they go down, because they'll have to be replaced. But -- and until I get power, I won't know if I've got electronics and all. And that's the damage. They're all still standing, but if they don't go down, probably $15,000.
HEMMER: So between Friday, Saturday and Sunday, did you do much business?
KEMP: Had a really, really big day -- what's today, Monday? Friday was the last day we were open.
I sold a lot of gas. And I still have a little in the ground. But I sold a lot more beer and cigarettes than I did gas. People were really stocking up on the important things.
HEMMER: I bet they were. Bob, thanks. Nice to see you. Bob Kemp here in Melbourne, Florida.
KEMP: Thank you.
HEMMER: I want to get back up again to Tom Foreman's location in Carrabelle, Florida. The mayor's with me now. The mayor is Jim Brown.
And thank you for your time this morning. What's your concern as you get ready for the tropical storm now?
MAYOR JIM BROWN, CARRABELLE, FLORIDA: Well, we feel like we've done everything that we can. We have our emergency crews standing by. It's just -- it's just wait and see at the moment.
HEMMER: Yes. Were you able to get a head start because Frances was so big, and because Frances was so slow, a head start to get ready?
BROWN: Yes, we had plenty of time to get everything that we can in position.
HEMMER: Yes.
BROWN: We don't have a certified shelter in Franklin County, so it was quite a chore trying to get people to leave. Franklin County is so flat that emergency management don't feel there should be an emergency center in Franklin County. So we had to leave this area. And trying to get people to leave was -- has really been a chore.
HEMMER: Yes. Mayor, is that what you're telling people, to get out now?
BROWN: Yes, we have asked them. Yes, it started yesterday afternoon. We do have a mandatory evacuation in place. But there's a lot of people that aren't leaving.
HEMMER: Well, good luck to you. Jim Brown's the mayor there in Carrabelle, Florida. You've seen storms in the past much more severe of this one. However, we wish you the best of luck as Frances gets ready to come onshore in northwestern Florida.
After that comes Alabama and Georgia. And do not forget, folks, out in the Atlantic, you have Ivan right now a Category 3 hurricane, already starting to get some talk here in Florida.
Back in a moment in Melbourne. To New York again now and Kelly Wallace -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.
Turning now to a heartbreaking story. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared today and tomorrow as national days of mourning following last week's deadly siege of a school in the town of Beslan near the Chechen border. That's where CNN's Ryan Chilcote is now, with more on the search for hundreds of victims, many of them children, still missing.
Good morning, Ryan. What's the latest from there?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Kelly.
We're standing in front of the school's gym where these hostages were kept until the siege ended on Friday. It has become a memorial of sorts. Hundreds of people streaming in and out of this gym today, despite very bad weather and lots of rain, coming to pay their respects to the hundreds of children that died either inside of the school or many of them as they were trying to run away when they were shot in the back.
The official death toll now stands at just under 340, Kelly. But there are still between 200 and 300 people missing. Many of them school kids between the ages of seven and 17.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE (voice-over): The Tettov (ph) family and their neighbors gather outside their home. Their two daughters, 12-year-old Alena (ph), and 11-year-old Arena (ph), laid out for all to see. Both girls shot in the back as they tried to flee the school seized by gunmen.
The family marches to the cemetery. Tamerlan Tettov (ph) is still searching for his grandson. "Even beasts don't attack children," he tells me. "They came here, robbed our land, and poisoned it." While hundreds mourn for those lost, there's also questions about the hundreds more still missing.
(on camera): Today, the grave diggers at this cemetery were told to prepare for 600 burials. But they were warned they may need to dig more tomorrow.
(voice-over): One of those graves may be for Fatima (ph). She hasn't been seen since the fighting ended.
Her grandmother brings a photo of her and her brother to the town's makeshift missing persons center. Slavic (ph) made it out alive, but no one has been able to find his 7-year-old sister, not among the living or the dead. "We found him, but we can't find her, she tells me. They sent some of the children to hospitals in Moscow, but we still don't know if she's there."
Back at the funeral for the Tettov (ph) girls, Rema Tettov (ph) is missing her nephew. "Last night we were told that a vehicle with corpses was going to the morgue," she says. "So we raced there only to be told that it had been stopped on the way because there was no more room for bodies."
Five children from the Tettov (ph) family were inside the school when the massacre began. Two of them are now in the hospital, two of them are dead, one is still missing. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE: Kelly, the Tettov (ph) family here is not the only family missing children. I just want to show you this.
This is -- you see these posters pasted up on walls all around town. This is a young girl. She would have turned 12 in October, named Aza Gumitzola (ph). And it says, "We are looking for her."
It has her name. And it says, "Anyone who might know where she is, we ask you to call us by the following telephones." And the idea is, of course, this family's idea, is that some of the other families that have been looking for their loved ones, for their children, who have been to these morgues and to the hospitals, might just see their daughter, and then inform them of that. So it's a really, really heart breaking story here -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Those families still holding out hope. A horrific story, Ryan. Ryan Chilcote reporting from the southern Russian city of Beslan. Thanks for joining us today.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, former President Clinton undergoing heart surgery this morning. Some people wondering whether his recent diet had anything to do with it. We'll talk to the author of "The South Beach Diet."
And we're keeping an eye on Frances. Bill Hemmer is standing by live in Florida. He'll look at two of the hardest hit areas.
Stay with us.
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WALLACE: Right now, as we've been reporting, former President Bill Clinton is undergoing heart bypass surgery here in New York City. In recent days, Mr. Clinton has been looking fit and trim. He says the South Beach Diet has helped him get in shape. But has it ultimately done him more harm than good?
Dr. Arthur Agatston is a cardiologist and author of the "South Beach Diet." He joins us now from Miami.
Thanks for being with us.
DR. ARTHUR AGATSTON, AUTHOR, "SOUTH BEACH DIET": Good morning.
WALLACE: Well, you heard some people suggesting that President Clinton being on the South Beach Diet, that that might have contributed to his current heart disease. What's your response to that?
AGATSTON: No, the principles of the South Beach Diet, good fats, good carbs, lean sources of protein, plenty of fiber, is the consensus of all experts. That's the way we should be eating to prevent heart disease and cancer. But President Clinton had a very aggressive form of arteriosclerosis with having four vessel disease at age 58. But this is something that grew up over a lifetime.
And in cases like this, you often need medication, as well as diet and exercise. What he needed was early diagnosis with -- with a heart scan, which could have picked up the disease developing five, 10 years ago. And then he could have been on the proper medication, as well as diet and exercise.
WALLACE: But doctor, couldn't a diet, the one you put forward, of course, that stresses high in protein, low in carbohydrates, cause certain stresses to the body?
AGATSTON: No -- no, not at all. We're low in processed carbohydrates, the bad carbs. We're very -- we're very high in vegetables and whole fruits, whole grains that have been shown to diminish heart disease.
The biggest single heat prevention diet study was the Leone Heart Study (ph), where adding the good fats that we recommend decreased second heart attacks by 70 percent. This is the way to help prevent heart attacks, slow the progression of disease. But you have to -- you have to start it early.
WALLACE: Doctor, you know, though, some of your critics also say your diet does not stress exercise enough. What's your response to that? Because clearly exercise has to be a key component for any diet and long-term weight loss.
AGATSTON: Yes. And President Clinton was doing a vigorous exercise program, and we do emphasize that in the book. It was a diet book, but I emphasize -- we emphasize exercise in the book.
It's a small chapter. But absolutely we believe in exercise. That's how I -- that's how treat my patients, myself, and it's very much in the book.
WALLACE: Putting the case of the former president aside, is there anyone who should not be on the South Beach Diet, and why?
AGATSTON: No, you know, depending on individual cases, you know, younger people can have more protein, athletes should have a lot of protein. If you're older with kidney problems, you should have less protein.
But in making the food choices from good carbs, good fats, and lean sources of protein, that's -- that's really a universal in this country. And that's how man was designed to eat. And it's really -- there's really no controversy on these principles.
WALLACE: Very quickly, you're in Miami. How are you holding up after Hurricane Frances?
AGATSTON: It's pretty nice today. We just had some -- some just minor damage. No major problems in Miami Beach. WALLACE: Well, Dr. Agatston, author of the "South Beach Diet," we thank you for joining us from Miami today.
AGATSTON: Thank you.
WALLACE: Still to come, less than two months to go until the election. One candidate is pulling ahead in the polls, and one appears to be slipping. Bill Schneider sorts it all out for us as AMERICAN MORNING rolls on.
Stay with us.
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One of my favorite moments here on AMERICAN MORNING today, checking in with Toure and the "Question of the Day."
(LAUGHTER)
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: You're so sweet.
Kobe Bryant, his criminal quagmire ended abruptly last week when his accuser dropped the charges against him. Guilty or innocent, his image has clearly taken a hit.
He used to have the top selling jersey in the league, and his commercials for McDonald's and Sprite were everywhere. Now his jersey's number seven in sales, and his endorsers have run scared. Can he return to being an endorsement king?
Sure, he wasn't convicted, but do you feel comfortable with your kids buying French fries from an admitted adulterer? What will Kobe Bryant's future as an endorser be?
Here's our emails.
Mary Anne from Idaho says, "As an admitted adulterer, Kobe has a wide variety of possible endorsements. Hotels that pride themselves on privacy and discretion, and maybe Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
WALLACE: Laura Bush, the first lady, said that actually.
(LAUGHTER)
TOURE: And what do you think she knows about Vegas?
WALLACE: She said that on one of the late night shows. OK. Sorry to interrupt.
TOURE: Dave from Rossville, Georgia, says, "In a nutshell, O.J. isn't flying through airports anymore, is he? It may be a long time before Kobe gets another contract."
Well, maybe. And Courtney from Denver says, "Kobe's target market is the 16 to 25-year-old age range. Do we really believe those guys are going to furrow their brows, wave their index fingers, while tsk-tsking Kobe for his behavior? Maybe we should also look for Shaq to be one of his character witnesses at the never to be held civil trial."
Which, of course, would never happen because Lakers' fans know that Shaq and Kobe were not friends, and butted heads quite a bit. So that's the extra bit of the joke from Courtney.
WALLACE: I bet. What does Shaq think about Kobe being a product endorsement?
TOURE: I think Shaq thinks he wants the money for himself.
WALLACE: I think he does. All right. We leave it there. Toure, with the "Question of the Day."
A record 35,000 people gathered in the Arizona desert this weekend to be part of the Burning Man Festival. This is the 19th ritual burning.
A 44-foot icon of neon wood was set ablaze. The event is a spiritual and artistic experience that is difficult to explain, clearly. We're having some difficulty explaining that. Well, there it is in the Arizona desert this weekend.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, more -- more of Hurricane Frances. We go now to Bill down in Melbourne, Florida.
Hi again, Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Kelly. Hello again to you.
In a moment here, the federal officials out now, canvassing the area, especially in eastern Florida, trying to assess the damage. Yesterday, the governor said it was far too early. We'll find out whether or not in a moment here they're able to do that today in a moment. Back here live in Melbourne after this.
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