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CNN Live Today

Violence in Iraq; Missing Boy Scout; KKK Murder Trial; Top Five Tips: Summer Tax Breaks; Pitching Democracy

Aired June 20, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: With a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
The search for a missing Boy Scout in the Utah mountains is back underway. Eleven-year-old Brennan Hawkins became separated from his friend on Friday. Three thousand volunteers joined the search on Sunday. Authorities say the weather has stayed mild but they're concern the boy isn't fully trained in survival skills.

Insurgents again target Iraqi security forces. A car bomb in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil today killed at least a dozen people. More than 100 people were wounded. The bomb exploded inside the compound of an Iraqi police building.

The Iraqi government is offering a $10 million reward for the capture of Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri. Al-Duri is the highest ranking official from Saddam Hussein's regime who has not yet been found. He was a deputy commander of Iraqi armed forces and part of Saddam's inner circle.

And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is spreading President Bush's message in Egypt today. Rice says Egypt should begin taking steps towards democracy beginning with its September elections. The secretary also called on Syria to join the democracy movement.

And now, cnn.com is offering a whole new way to get the headlines. Just log on to our Web site and clicks the "watch" to check out the most popular stores. Everything from politics to sports to entertainment. And it's free. Cnn.com.

And good morning to you on this Monday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.

And we begin in Iraq with the fight for Iraq in today's flashpoints in three cities across that country. One U.S. soldier is among the dozens dead and injured in insurgent attacks. In an insurgent car bombing in Irbil, Tal Afar and Baghdad. Let's get the latest now from the capital and CNN's Jennifer Eccleston.

Jennifer, hello.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Daryn.

Well, after a weekend punctuated by violence, today the attacks continue across this country. A suicide car bomb exploded outside of a checkpoint on the road to Baghdad's airport, killing one person and wounding several other. And early this morning, five police and security forces were killed when a car bomb exploded near their Baghdad police station.

Now it appeared to be a coordinated attack. The insurgents fired on police. And when the security forces were called in for backup, a bomb detonated. We understand that 15 security forces were also injured.

And then a bomber wearing a police uniform slammed his car into a gathering of some 200 traffic police at their headquarters in the Kurdish city of Irbil. So far, 12 people were killed and over 100 were wounded. This followed yesterday's deadly attack on a popular restaurant, which was frequented by Iraqi security forces. A suicide bomber blew himself up during the busy lunch time period, killing 23 people, including seven police.

It happened about 300 yards from the heavily fortified green zone, which is, of course, the home of the U.S. military, and also the home of the transitional government here in Iraq. We understand that in that - in two attacks that took place yesterday, more than two dozen people, Daryn, were killed.

KAGAN: What about these reports of some civilian bodies being found, Jennifer?

ECCLESTON: We get reports of bodies being found throughout Baghdad almost on a daily basis. Sometimes they follow attacks. Sometimes they follow when we hear from police reports that there's been either a shoot-out in a certain city or there's been a suicide bomber or some sort of car bomber. The latest incident they said they found these bodies after a report, this was yesterday, that there had been an attack and then thy discovered at least some of the bodies, which they think were associated with that attack, but still there were several others who were still missing.

So it is happen - it does happen quite frequently. We don't know the root - the exact who's behind this and what it means. Whether it's sectarian violence or whether it's just the general violence, Daryn, that plagues this city and other cities throughout this country.

KAGAN: Jennifer Eccleston live from Baghdad.

Thank you.

Near Iraq's border with Syria, U.S. and Iraqi forces push on with what they're calling Operation Spear. This offensive is designed to tamp down the insurgent hot bed and cut the flow of foreign fighters and supplies. It's now in its fourth day. About 1,000 troops are involved. Yesterday the U.S. military reported its first combat death in the joint mission. A U.S. Marine killed in a fire fight inside of a Karabila home.

Four days after being freed in Iraq, a former hostage apologized to coalition governments for videotaped pleas he made at gunpoint. Australian Engineer Douglas Wood says his freedom, which was secured by Iraqi troops who found him, is proof that coalition efforts are working. During his seven weeks as a hostage, Wood issued a videotape plea for U.S., British and Australian forces to pull out of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS WOOD, FORMER HOSTAGE: I love my family and I knew that they'd be doing as much as they could to get me out anyway. I'm overwhelmed, having come out understanding the support, a, of the family, and, b, of the federal people here and you all. It's very humbling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Wood has long lived in California. He's married to an American and he says he's already considering a return to Iraq.

The head of the Central Intelligence Agency hints about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden might be less of a mystery. CIA Chief Porter Goss tells "Time" magazine that "I have an excellent idea of where he is." Goss would not say where that might be but said, U.S. reset (ph) for sovereign nations is making Laden's capture more difficult.

The cost of U.S. military action will be a topic on Capitol Hill today. The House plans to vote on a bill funding an extra $45 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's on top of $350 billion that's already committed to combat and reconstruction. The money is part of a Pentagon spending measure for next year.

It was the most difficult Father's Day imaginable for Toby Hawkins. He joined about 3,000 people to look for his missing 11- year-old son. The search for the Boy Scout resumed last hour in the Utah mountains. Our Keith Oppenheim has this update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM: Eleven-year-old Brennan Hawkins was last seen Friday near his family's campsite at the Bear River Boy Scout Reservation, high in the Uintas Mountains of Utah. Hawkins was climbing this rock wall with a friend who returned to camp for dinner around 5:00 in the evening. Hawkins stayed behind. An hour later, a massive search was underway. His father tried to retrace his son's steps.

TOBY HAWKINS, FATHER OF MISSING SCOUT: Knowing his behavior, he probably got disoriented, frustrated, scared.

OPPENHEIM: Temperatures can reach extremes in the area, but over the weekend they were mild.

SHERIFF DAVE EDMUNDS, SUMMIT COUNTY, UTAH: The shorts is a concern for us, that he was wearing shorts. However, he did have a sweatshirt on. That is a good thing. The temperatures didn't get real cold last night.

OPPENHEIM: Officials say the greatest safety risk is the river that runs over a man's head in places with strong currents.

EDMUNDS: We do have our swift water teams in the area working the river.

OPPENHEIM: Another concern, wild animals. A search helicopter used thermal sensors to scan the woods overnight but no luck.

HAWKINS: My greatest plea at this time and the way that we can find my boy is for anybody and everybody to come out and help.

OPPENHEIM: Kevin Bardsley knows what Hawkins' father is going through firsthand. Last August, Bardsley's 12-year-old son went missing from a Boy Scout camp sight in much steeper terrain, about 15 miles from the Hawkins camp. His son was never found. Brennan's disappearance, a painful reminder.

KEVIN BARDSLEY: Never did (ph).

OPPENHEIM: In addition to the search operation, county officials are also conducting a criminal investigation as a matter of standard procedure. But they say there's no evidence of foul play.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Another missing persons story. It is now three weeks since Natalee Holloway was last seen in Aruba. Today, one of the four suspects in her case goes before a judge and another suspect's father was questioned for a second day. Judge Paul Van Der Sloot was being treated as a witness in the case. He was not allowed to visit his son in jail, but his wife did visit the 17-year-old boy.

Testimony resumes today in the murder case that's more than 40 years old. Still to come, we're going to look at the case against the former KKK Member Edgar Killen in a live report.

Plus, new revelations about the MasterCard security breach. Hear what the head of the credit card processing company has to say.

And later, another way to see some good stories and great video on CNN, Jeanne Moos explains how you can stay up-to-date with a new service on cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It is 41 years after the murder of three civil rights workers. The murder trial is wrapping up in a matter of mere days. Closing arguments are expected today in the trial of Edgar Ray Killen, the former Klansman accused of orchestrating the killings of the three freedom writers. Catherine Callaway is covering the trial and has the latest from Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Catherine, good morning.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

That's right. The court in a brief recess now but the defense has begun wrapping up its case in this murder trial of Edgar Ray Killen. In the first 30 minutes, the defense called two witnesses to the stand, including Harlan Major (ph), and he testified that he saw Killen at a funeral home the night in June 1964 when Klan members shot to death three civil rights workers. And this witness also testified that he believed the Ku Klux Klan was a peaceful organization but wasn't aware that Killen was a member.

Meanwhile, we're expecting the judge to rule today on a motion by the prosecutions that would actually allow the jury to consider or also consider a lesser manslaughter charge. But defense attorneys say they are against the jury having that option.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES MCINTYRE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We don't really want a manslaughter instruction. And we're going to object to it. And we have a lot of legal arguments about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you want a manslaughter?

MCINTYRE: He's no guilty of manslaughter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Now as we said, the court in a brief recess this morning as the defense tries to bring back on the stand a witness for the prosecution. They should be back in court in the next 30 minutes. This trial moving very quickly this morning, Daryn. We may, indeed, see closing arguments today.

KAGAN: All right. And you'll be monitoring it for us from Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Catherine Callaway, thank you.

A leading senator on Capitol Hill says his own days in the Ku Klux Klan remain a pivotal embarrassment more than 60 years later. West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd details more of his political than personal life in his 770-page memoir. The primary exception is his deep regret over his one-year membership in the KKK in the early 1940s. In his autobiography, Byrd lament goes on to say, "it has emerged throughout my life to haunt and embarrass me. I displayed very bad judgment due to immaturity and lack of seasoned reasoning."

Speaking of bad judgment, millions of MasterCard credit card holders may be checking their credit today. Still to come, how the CEO of that credit card processor shares some shocking news. We'll look at what you can do about those credit breaches.

And Ellen McGirt joins us with "Top Five Tips." It has to do with summer fun and tax breaks. That's a good combination.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: Let's go ahead and check the markets. The markets have been open about 50 minutes. Bad news. Oil prices are up, stocks are going down. Do the Dow is down 54 points to start the day and start the week. The Nasdaq also in negative territory. It is down 12 points.

Today there's some new information on the investigation into a massive breach of credit card information. The head of the credit card processor that was hacked said the compromised records should have never been kept in the company's database. The CEO of Card System Solutions tells "The New York Times" the Visa and MasterCard information stored by his company was only kept there for research purposes. Some 40 million credit cards may be compromised after thieves got into computers at the Card Systems Solutions.

Although your company should contact you if your card was compromised, you might want to call them. For more information call 1-800-999-0363. If you think you've been a victim, call 1-800-307- 7309.

You might not think of summer as tax time but the tax breaks you can find now could save you money next year. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is off this week but we have, batting cleanup and stepping in for us with today's "Top Five Tips" "Money" magazine's senior writer Ellen McGirt joining me from New York.

Almost gave you a promotion there from writer to editor.

ELLEN MCGIRT, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: Yes, thanks for that.

KAGAN: Yes. We'll discuss pay later. Right now let's talk tax breaks. Some of these are very creative and you're going to have to explain how we're not kind of like pushing the envelope here. First of all, you say send the kids to camp and write that off?

MCGIRT: I know. I know. Think of this as a really fun form of day care, just with arts and crafts and stuff like that. If you've got dependent kids and your kid's under 13 and you pay for day care anyway, and to make this work, both spouses, both parents have to work, or be looking for work or be going to school, then you can write off the cost of day camp. Not sleepaway camp. That's considered a luxury by the IRS.

KAGAN: Wow.

MCGIRT: And there's two ways you can take advantage of this. One if for the dependent credit, for on your taxes, which is a very popular credit. That's a dollar for dollar credit. Of course there are limits. If you make more than $43,000, then it's going to be about $600 for one child, $1,200 for two kids, but that's real money.

The second way is if you're lucky enough to have a flexible spending account, which lots of us do these days and lots of us don't fund them, you're allowed to put about $5,000 every year in pre-tax dollars. And that's going to save you in the 35 percent tax bracket $1,750 a year. You can use that for things like transportation and child care and also certain health care costs. But it's a great way to make sure that your kids are taken care of and having fun and you're saving money as well.

KAGAN: Here's a way to cut costs on the family vacation. Go on a business trip but bring the family.

MCGIRT: That's exactly right. It you're lucky enough to be sent someplace fun this summer, then tack on a few extra days. Your airfare is going to be deductible. Not so much for your family, unless you drive together, then it's 40.5 cents a mile for every mile that you travel. But your - all your other expenses, as long as you're doing some business, and you do have to document it, if you stay seven days and five of them are business-related for you, you're able to take off the hotel, part of expenses for your hotel, and anything else that you do there as well. But keep good records. That's the key.

KAGAN: And good records will come in handy if you throw a barbecue and want to write that off.

MCGIRT: This is one - this is actually my favorite. It's such a great tip if you're a small business owner or if you're not able to write off business expenses as part of your job, throw a barbecue, but you absolutely have to have a business reason. Maybe you want to thank some clients or give a couple of awards or something like that. And then you're able to write off part of the costs of flowing that party. But 50 percent of the people are there that are business associates and 50 percent of the people are there are friends, you can only write off 50 percent of the costs, even if the business associates are drinking more beer, as they typically do. But by all means, keep good records. I really like using e-vite, that way you can demonstrate who you invited and who RSVPed and if you have any trouble with the IRS, you've got a good paper trial.

KAGAN: Yes, that's a good tip.

What about putting your kids to work?

MCGIRT: Now I actually like this one a lot. Teaching life lessons and keeping an eye on your kids and also saving money three ways. One is, you're shipping money to your kid that you would ordinarily be giving them to underwrite their lifestyle and you're lowering your taxable income, which is great. If your kid is under 18, you won't be paying FICA taxes on it, which will save you even more money. And unless your child is really raking it in this summer, they probably won't be paying taxes on it. But even if they do, it's at a lower rate, so everybody saves.

KAGAN: And finally, real quickly, rent out your summer home.

MCGIRT: If you're lucky enough to have a summer home, if you rent it out for 15 days or less, that money is tax free. So take that and go on a great vacation with it.

KAGAN: Excellent. Ellen McGirt, "Money" magazine. Thank you for the tips. Good t see you. MCGIRT: Thanks for having me.

KAGAN: We're going to talk about the safety of your car coming up. Will it protect you in a serious accident? Still to come, some cars are put to the test. We'll look at which vehicles make the grade.

And it's more than three years away but some people are already thinking about lacing up their shoes for a 2008 presidential run. We'll take a look at who might be in, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

The desperate search for a missing 11-year-old boy in Utah this hour. Search crews, dogs and helicopters are going out again looking for Brennan Hawkins. The Boy Scout was last seen Friday. He disappeared while camping with other Boy Scouts in the mountainous area just south of the Utah-Wyoming border.

In Afghanistan today, officials announced the arrest of three Pakistanis in an alleged plot to assassinate the U.S. ambassador in that country. Officials say the men were targeting Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and were caught on Saturday, one day before the ambassador's visited a province in the east. The men are said to have terrorist ties.

In Iraq, a suicide car bomb detonates inside a police building, killing at least 12 people. It happened in the northern city of Irbil. Over 100 people are injured. Most of the dead and wounded were police department employees.

And in Alzheimer's research, some encouraging news. Researchers say two experimental therapies show promise in the battle against the disease. The therapies are said to prevent the buildup of a substance formed in the brain that is thought to be linked to the disease. Experts believe if they can prevent the substance from building up, they can moderate the effects of Alzheimer's.

And now there's a whole new way to get your news on the web. Free video at cnn.com. You just log on to our Web site. Click on "watch" to check out the most popular stories. It's free video under your command right now at cnn.com.

Hello there.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pushing the Bush administration theme of supporting democracy overseas. Rice delivered a major foreign policy speech in Cairo. CNN's White House Correspondent Dana Bash joins us with more on that message.

Good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And, you know, the White House thinks that Egypt could really be a test case. That president, Hosni Mubarak, did announce that there would be multiparty elections for the very first time in that country in the fall. And the administration hopes

perhaps that could be an example of democracy, democratic reforms, on a voluntary basis.

Something that actually could succeed. However, the president was outspokenly unhappy, this president, Bush, about the fact there was some violence that broke out at a boat just a few weeks ago in Egypt. And there is some serious skepticism about how open those votes, that election will be. So the secretary of state today in Cairo warned them that the world will be watching.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Throughout the Middle East, the fear of free choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty. It is time to abandon the excuses that are made to avoid the hard work of democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: The president, of course, made pushing democracy, pushing freedom around the world really, the hallmark he hopes, of his second term. That's what he talk about in this second inaugural address.

But many were looking to see how hard The White House would be on some of it's allies like Egypt. That is why the secretary of state is trying to sort of make a push for a -- quite tough on Egypt saying it's very important for them to really make these elections open, but it wasn't just Egypt she singled out.

She also talked about Saudi Arabia, saying that they have jailed people recently for having a petition to the government. She said that is not a reason. That is not a crime. That's not a reason to jail people. Of course, I can till, Daryn, it's not just in the Middle East this is an issue. Here at the White House, the Middle East, democracy and a whole host of other issues are going to be on the agenda for the president.

He, today, is hosting leaders from the European Union. And they will be discussing all of those issues here at the White House at a lunch. You see some of the leaders arriving now, and they will also be having a press conference later on this afternoon, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Dana Bash live at the White House. Dana thank you.

Two senior senators are beginning to talk about their own future. Could we soon be calling them both presidential candidates? Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware has expressed an interest in running for president. On Sunday he appeared on CBS's news program,"Face the Nation"

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN, (D) DELAWARE: I'm acting now in terms of finding that out as if I'm running. My intention now is to seek the nomination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Meanwhile, one of Biden's colleagues from the other side the aisle is also talking about the White House. Republican Senator John McCain appeared on NBC News "Meet the Press".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: The question is not whether you like to be president. The question is do you think you can win, and do you want to run? None of those are clear to me. That's why I'm going to wait a couple years before any decision or setting up any organization or going through the imaginations people go through when they are going to run for the president of United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Senate republicans meanwhile will try again later today to break the filibuster blocking John Bolton's nomination for U.N. ambassador. Democrats have been asking for information from the White House before allowing the up or down vote.

The information includes classified intelligence. On Sunday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave no indication the White House would give up the material. She also left open the possibility President Bush could install Bolton with a recess appointment over the July 4 holiday.

Let's take another look at other stories making news coast to coast this morning. Firefighters in southern California say an 1800- acre brush fire should be completely out this morning. Crews had the San Bernardino County fire surrounded last night. About 300 homes were threatened at one point. But no structured were damaged. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.

A Chicago deli worker is being credited with clearing a store before it became engulfed in fire. The employee got on the store's intercom even before the building's alarm went off. The four-alarm fire gutted the store on Sunday.

And five people were killed, and 15 others injured when a van overturned Near Colombia Missouri Sunday. Police say the van moved onto the road's shoulder. The driver apparently overcorrected. That van skidded across two lanes and hit the median. Several of the victims were from Central America. The highway patrol said no one was wearing a safety belt. New frontal crash tests show sometimes bigger can be safer. According to the institute, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, five large family passengers cars and three large luxury models earned top ratings. Here is the list -- the Buick LaCrosse, Chrysler 300, Ford 500, and Kia Amani.

You also have the Toyota Avalon, Acura R-L, Cadillac STS, and the Lexus G-S.

Earlier in the hour we told you about this massive security breech at MasterCard and Visa. You're going to want to grab a pen during the break. Coming up, we going to tell you about the best ways can protect yourself against identity theft.

And we have a new way to watch CNN. There's more than the words "free video." It might like music to your ears. Jeanne Moos and Veronica De La Cruz explain coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We have a great opportunity right now. Our Barbara Starr for the last week or so has been reporting from Afghanistan. And we have been able to track her down. She's in Eastern Afghanistan, at a U.S. army base. And she is just back from the Pakistan Afghanistan border and has some information for us. We're able get her live using a videophone.

Barbara Starr, good to see you.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nice to see you, too.

Yes, we have been traveling most of the day now with U.S. Special Forces and members of the 82nd Airborne along this very dangerous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of course, a lot of people think that it's all about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. And there's every reason to believe, of course, he is hiding somewhere on the Pakistan side of the border. But what is going on this border is perhaps -- some people may say it's the forgotten war, given Iraq that there is constant warfare along this border.

U.S. troops are in constant contact almost every day, every week with insurgents with remnants of the Taliban and the al Qaeda. They are finding, they tell us that there are foreign fighters, (INAUDIBLE) and Arabs coming across the border from Pakistan, coming into the Afghanistan side, shooting, then going back across.

They tell us today that they are seeing cells, if you will, of what they believe to be Taliban fighters. Perhaps more than 10 to 15 at a time that are engaging in intimidation tactics in the small villages across this portion of Eastern Afghanistan. And I have to tell you though, one of the indications of just how significant the combat activity is, is we were earlier today at a firebase within a mile or so of the Pakistan border. And the firebases we were at did come under rocket attack while we were there. The base too two rockets. One Afghan army soldier was injured in the rocket attack while we there. He was medevaced to the base we're at tonight. He is going to be fine.

But it's another indicator, really, the level of activity along this border for the U.S. troops here. This is not the forgotten war to them. They are constantly on the hunt for insurgents here.

KAGAN: Barbara, usually when we talk to you this time of day, your relatively up the road at the Pentagon. Here you are on the field. You're getting to see firsthand what the U.S. military is doing there. What's your general impression then, getting to see things firsthand there?

STARR: Oh, Afghanistan really is just beautiful country. I have to tell you, this is my fifth trip to Afghanistan. A lot people talk about the comparison with the war in Iraq. It's quite a different situation here. The people of Afghanistan really, truly see the American forces still as a very positive influence in their country.

But make no mistake, top U.S. commanders here in Afghanistan tell us they believe there will be more violence in this country over the summer. This country is scheduled for parliamentary elections in September and they believe these insurgents will step up their attacks and try to disrupt those elections.

So what is most significant, NATO already is planning to send in more troops. And top U.S. military commanders here looking at the possibility of a slight push-up (ph) of U.S. combat power in Afghanistan prior to the election. Not because they can't deal with the attacks and the violence.

But they want to reassure the afghan people they're on the job. And they want to keep the Afghan people from being intimidated at all about going to the polls. So there are a bout 19,000 U.S. troops are here in Afghanistan right now. We may see a slight push-up (ph) over the summer they tell us, as they approach those elections.

KAGAN: And on the civilian side, I have seen a number of your stories that you filed on the people of Afghanistan and the progress they're making. On the women, and the children, and the everyday families. You say this is your fifth visit to Afghanistan. Your impressions of the progress that those people have been making with their freedom?

STARR: You know, it's very interesting. We've had a long interview with the minister of Women's Affairs. She was a candidate for president. She's a physician. She is a mother. And she talked about the problems here for the women of Afghanistan, in particular.

The Taliban may be gone, democracy is on the move in Afghanistan. But still this is a deeply conservative, deeply religious country. And there are many, many problems for women and children in this country. Access to health care, let alone it is a very poor country, women have very limited access to health care. The infant mortality rate in this country is one of the highest in the world. And the women who are in this fledgling democracy in this new government of Afghanistan are working very hard to try and get more international resources. On the civilian side, one of the greatest concerns here, is that the world will again forget Afghanistan.

That the donor money will dry up in the next couple of years. So what senior U.S. military commanders say, is they feel the clock ticking. They really want to move ahead. They want to get Afghanistan on its feet. And they want to keep that international aid money flowing to this country, because they really believe it's going to be a major way to help the people of Afghanistan get back on their feet and to keep that democracy intact.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr live from Eastern Afghanistan. Thank you for your good reporting and you be safe in your reporting and your journey back home.

STARR: You bet.

KAGAN: Thank you, Barbara.

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: From Pupperware parties - that's Pupperware, not Tupperware, to sword swallowers, Jeanne Moos is CNN's resident expert on the odd and extraordinary. If you're a fan of her work - and who isn't, frankly - or just weird stories in general, we have a treat for you. You're going to hear about that, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: This just in to CNN. New pictures out of Aruba. For the first time, we get to see pictures of the fourth man arrested in connection with the disappearance's Natalee Holloway. He is 26 years old. He's been identified by his employer as Steve Gregory Crobs.

He was set to go before a judge in Aruba today. It's not known how this disc jockey might be connected to the case. The boat tattoo that he works on docked near the Holiday Inn where the missing girls was staying.

Today it has been over three weeks since Natalee Holloway disappeared. No physical sign of her, no idea exactly what happened to her, but four people now in custody. For the first time, we've seen the fourth man arrested.

The judge in the case will decide if the man can be detained. Under Dutch Law, which is what rules in Aruba, the police can keep somebody who has been suspected of a crime in custody for up to 116 days. The judge says that's OK. More on that just ahead.

Meanwhile, today we have an update on cnn.com. There are video clips, visitors can use. Here is the key word, for free. That includes years' worth of chuckles from our own Jeanne Moos. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (on camera): Hi. I'm Jeanne Moos. And the news I do is always slightly askew.

MOOS, (voice over): So feel free to stare at stories like the stair master contest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stare!

MOOS: If you blink -- you lose. The record, almost 18 minutes. Ocular gladiators, locked in eye-to-eye combat.

MOOS, (on camera): We do lots of unusual product stories. My office is littered with leftovers, from the Runaway Bride doll to my pet Fat.

MOOS, (voice over): An anatomically correct model of the real thing. The idea is to keep it handy to scare you into eating less. You might want to drink less of this.

What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mashed potato soda.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the stuff that I had with the colonoscopy.

MOSS: From comfort food you drink, to comfort for the lonely, a Japanese product called the Boyfriend's Arm Pillow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was I supposed to cuddle like I would with a guy?

MOOS: Some find spiritual comfort in candles billed as having the scent of Jesus, made up ingredients the bible says his robe smelled like.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my goodness, me. They are putting Jesus everywhere.

MOOS: We find stories everywhere. Sometimes they are just things we notice, like messages scrawled on dirty cars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The more they write on it, the less dirt I have.

MOOS: Or how folks like to arrange their money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Face fall one way, by denominations (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just dump them in.

MOOS, (on camera): There is always something to poke fun at in politics.

MOSS: (voice over): When dancers on a foreign trip inspired President Bush to swivel his hips, we couldn't resist compiling every shot we could find of the president dancing. From dancing Bush to drenched politicians, Bill drips on Hill, Hill gets wonked, W gets secured. The Carters cuddle, love reigns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw you face.

MOOS: We've covered wheel covers honoring the president as well as the, give Bush the boot doormat.

MOOS, (on camera): We also like to celebrate icons. Actually, we like torture icons.

MOOS, (voice over): Easter was an excuse to try peep jousting. Arm two peeps with toothpicks. Pop them in the microwave, watch them expand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holy smokes!

MOOS: A peep that skews (ph) its opponent wins. On the Twinkies 75th birthday, we showcased a brittle moldy Twinkie preserved for 32 years as a science experiment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think it's edible?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't want to try.

MOOS, (on camera): And then there's stories that don't fit in categories that are just odds and ends. Mostly odds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swallow!

MOOS, (voice over): From the sword swallowers' convention, to the get-together of people with edible names.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harry wiener.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Kyra coffee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rosilee cream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Evelyn cherry.

MOOS: Mr. Fried?

MR. FRIED: Yes?

MOOS: I'd like you to meet Mr. Rice.

From tasty names to bad taste, (INAUDIBLE) announced a quirky and fun plan to put women's lips on men's urinals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ooh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were they thinking?

MOOS: Whatever they were thinking, the outcry changed their minds.

MOOS, (on camera): Often we like to examine offbeat angles of actual news, believe it or not. Like the scarf waving summon (ph) of the media did to signal Martha Stewart's guilty verdict. And composers who took Donald Rumsfeld press briefings and turned them into song.

DONALD RUMSFELD: There are things that we now know we don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know half of the things we do not know.

MOOS, (voice over): But our favorite stories are animal stories. From goggles for dogs, doggles, to cow poetry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said, he wanted to write words on cows. I said, you got to be kidding me?

MOOS: The mingling cows then made poetry, if you consider body image and milk on poetic. We covered a mystery creature that turned out to be nothing more than a fox with mange. And there was a CD of songs composed especially for dogs. Composed with the help of an animal communicator.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a good dog.

MOOS: Are you growling at me? Why did he keep turning it off? We covered the latest wrinkle in a Westminster dog show. A new entry, the (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We make him flap his cheeks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa!

MOOS: Our award for luckiest dog goes to Snoopy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

MOOS: For surviving a romp at rush hour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, oh! Ah!

MOOS: On a major New York expressway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh! Okay. He's moving.

Moos: We've done two-legged dogs and two-headed turtles. This guy is named Lefty-Righty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One head this way, the other head will go that way.

MOOS: We invite you to head to cnn.com, a web site that's head and shoulders, make that heads and shoulders above the rest!

Jeanne Moos, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We are so lucky to have Jeanne Moos. Now the good news for you is, you can have her whenever you want her. Here's CNN's Veronica De La Cruz from our dot-com desk to explain how video works on our web site.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: It's a whole new way to get your news on the web. Read it, watch it and get the full picture with free video at cnn.com. Cnn.com is expanding your experience. Now you can read the day's top stories and watch them, too.

When you're maneuvering the site green means go. So find it, point, click, and prepare to watch what you want to see. Two pieces of video will be featured in the watch box. It might be a story on what's happening around the nation, international headlines, or what we feel is the most compelling video we've seen all day.

You can browse, sort and search by time, category, and by what everyone else is clicking on. Our most popular tab tells you what video clips are receiving the most clicks. You can now watch video in a much larger format in dimensions similar to wide-screen television. Don't forget to stay up to date with the headlines.

Now in the news, is a fast-paced rundown of the day's top stories updated every hour on the hour. It's free video under your command now at cnn.com.

From the dot-com news desk did I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Compromised credit card numbers? Could you be one of the 40 million customers whose information has been hacked? We'll have a live report with Allan Chernoff.

And a prank on actor Tom Cruise. He's not happy. It happened at the premiere of his new movie. We'll have details from London as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news. A seismologist says the state of earthquakes around the Pacific Rim is not a sign that the big one is imminent. Another quake struck off the California coast northwest of San Francisco yesterday.

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