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CNN Live Today

U.S. Celebrates 229th Birthday; Afghanistan Rescue; Egypt's Top Diplomat in Iraq Abducted; Mother Grieves for Daughter Killed in Iraq; Medication Could Cause Sun Sensitivity; U.S. Travel Destinations

Aired July 04, 2005 -   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Celebrating the nation's birthday. Iraq war veterans read portions of the Declaration of Independence. That as Fourth of July celebrations get under way in the nation's capital. A live preview of the day's events coming up in just a minute.

President Bush returns to West Virginia to deliver his Independence Day message. It's the third time in four years he's made the Mountain State his July 4th destination. He called on the country to support U.S. troops overseas and their families.

In Iraq, a pair of roadside bombs killed three people and wounded four others in Baghdad. Also today, five Iraqi soldiers died when a joint patrol came under attack south of the Iraqi capital. Meanwhile, the military says combined U.S. and Iraqi forces rounded up at least 100 suspected terrorists during an operation targeting terrorist safe houses.

There were fireworks in space and cheers on Earth. NASA -- fasten your seatbelts -- is celebrating the successful collision between its Deep Impact probe and the Temple One Comet. Scientists hope the mission will reveal clues about how the solar system was formed.

Good morning. Happy birthday, America, and welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Let's check the time around the country. It is 10:00 a.m. in Kansas; 11:00 a.m. in the nation's capital; and around the world, 7:30 p.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour on the Fourth of July, fanfare and fireworks as Americans celebrate the holiday. From a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence to parades, picnics, 10Ks, they're all part of the national scene today.

CNN's Tom Foreman has some snapshots from the Mall in Washington.

Good morning.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. I'm telling you, it's getting hot out here already. And I want you to look over here.

This is the big stage where it's all going to happen tonight, where Gloria Estefan, the O'Jays, the Beach Boys are going to perform. And look at this: People are actually gathering, already putting their blankets down.

We're eight hours away from the music. And they're out here. They're just going to be slowly basting all day as they get ready for the celebration. But there's a lot going on here.

There's a folk life festival, a big parade going on. As you mentioned, they had a reading of the Declaration of the Independence on the steps of the Archive building a short while ago, read by a couple of gentlemen who were wounded veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

So it was a nice moment for a lot of people here. A lot of remembrance is going on throughout the day here as people celebrate. And, of course, it all leads up to the giant fireworks later on today.

Security, as always, whenever you have anything in Washington these days, is quite high. There are all sorts of checkpoints all around the Mall here. And they're going to have their work cut out for them today, searching backpacks, bags, everything people bring in here for what is estimated to be a half-million people here, a half- million.

That's a gigantic growth from what it was 10 or 15 years ago. But people are hoping they're going to have a nice time here as they gather in the sun to celebrate the nation's birthday.

KAGAN: Good to see folks are feeling safe enough and confident enough and patriotic enough to come on out there, Tom. Now, this would be a huge opportunity to check out, as you were saying, security situations and perhaps make use of all those people in one place.

FOREMAN: Yes, they're going to do something really unique. When this is all done tonight, when the last firework goes pop, they're going to try to get everybody out of here in one hour. Now, that's a big trick. And it's not going to be easy.

What they've done is they've designated certain routes out of town. And they're going to funnel all the traffic toward those routes.

The lights have been adjusted there to give a lot of passage time so the traffic can flow quickly. The reason they're doing this is they would like to know whether or not they could evacuate the entire capital in the event that they need to. That's a big question.

You look at any metropolitan area in this country, what they learn here tonight might be applicable in other places, whether or not it even can be done. And if so, can it be done in an orderly fashion? So it will be dark, it will be late, people will be tired. And they're going to see it if they can do it in one hour. Big test. We'll see if they can work it out.

But right now, it's all about fun. So in a minute, I'll peel off my jacket and put on my Gwen Stefani T-shirt and go visit with the crowd.

KAGAN: Now, that is a picture we would like to see.

FOREMAN: Well, you don't get to.

KAGAN: Yes, OK. But lose the jacket. It's the holiday. Thanks for staying late and working with us.

FOREMAN: Nice visiting with you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Tom Foreman, thank you.

FOREMAN: And have a good 4th.

KAGAN: Thank you. You have a good holiday yourself.

Well, the nation is welcoming 15,000 new American citizens this Fourth of July week. Among them is a woman who left her home and family in China to embrace newfound freedom here in America. And you're going to meet her later this hour, and we'll find out what it means to her to be an American.

Right now, President Bush is departing Morgantown, West Virginia, on Air Force One. If you were with us in the last hour, you saw him delivering an Independence Day speech at West Virginia University. The third time in four years President Bush has made the Mountain State his Fourth of July destination.

Our National Correspondent Bob Franken joins us from the White House with an explanation as to why that is.

Good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the only explanation we got comes from the White House, saying repeatedly, well, it's a nice place to go. Yes, it is. And that's where the president has gone, as you said, the last three out of four times to celebrate Independence Day.

Of course he has a very busy week. He's also going to Europe this week for the G8 conference. And he's also got a real cram session to decide which of the people are going to replace Sandra Day O'Connor as an associate Supreme Court justice.

But today, the message had to do with Independence Day, patriotism and the war in Iraq, at least by implication. And message aimed, again, at those who might see the violence in Iraq and see their support wavering.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans have always held firm because we have always believed in certain truths. We know that the freedom we defend is meant for all men and women and for all times.

(APPLAUSE)

And we know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not retreat. It is courage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Again, there were demonstrators, as there frequently are outside a presidential event. About 50 people outside the West Virginia University facility where the president made his speech.

He's on his way back shortly to Washington. He's going to watch fireworks tonight and then head for Europe and whatever fireworks he encounters over there -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Bob Franken at the White House. Bob, thank you.

Well, we've been telling you that U.S. troops have rescued a Special Ops team member from a dangerous corner of Afghanistan. CNN's Kathleen Koch reports from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The search through rugged mountains near the border with Pakistan yielded some results Saturday. A U.S. official says one member of the missing ground unit evaded the enemy and was rescued by U.S. forces. The Special Operations reconnaissance team went missing in Afghanistan Tuesday after it was caught in a fierce firefight with suspected al Qaeda militants and called for help.

Chinook helicopters were dispatched, but one crashed after being hit by what the military believes was a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 on board. The official would give no details about the other members of the ground team still missing, nor would he describe the circumstances of the serviceman's rescue other than to say he was in good shape. So the search continues with both U.S. and Afghan forces participating.

Meanwhile, the bodies of some of the 16 killed in the helicopter crash were due to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The Pentagon released the names of the dead Saturday night. Eight were assigned to the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Five based in Virginia Beach at the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. The base released four of their photos last night. And three were part of a SEAL team based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (on camera): So while one family has learned their loved one has been found, for others this was a weekend of mourning and of waiting to find out if other missing service members will come home alive.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: U.S. troops are marking the Fourth of July in Iraq. Some soldiers, like these members of the 3rd Infantry Division, got a break to celebrate. They normally patrol the dangerous Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. Today, though, barbecues, basketball and pool parties topped their mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. ARTHUR BRANTLEY, U.S. ARMY: Yes, it is hard to be away from family and friends, but I'm here to help the Iraqi people and serve for my country.

SPEC. RICK BLAIR, U.S. ARMY: Oh, it's totally different. I mean, the pictures don't really say all the words that are out here.

If you're actually living here, it's a totally different story. It's kind of laid back. I mean, not a lot has been happening around Sadr City lately. But before it was a lot worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: It was business as usual today for insurgents in Iraq. A pair of roadside bombs killed three people in Baghdad. And the search is on for the latest high-profile kidnapping victim.

CNN's Aneesh Raman has reports now from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the most high profile kidnapping Iraq has seen in months, Egypt's top envoy, Ihab al-Sherif, taken from his car on Saturday. The Egyptian embassy itself sealed off by security forces.

On the cusp of becoming ambassador, al-Sherif arrived in Iraq at the start of June. His presence one of enormous regional importance. In Brussels last month, Iraq's foreign minister charged Arab States to do more in the fight for stability.

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: So we feel really some of our neighbors have not been helpful enough to help us in the security field. And they were all here today in the conference, and they heard our message loud and clear.

RAMAN: A message heard in Egypt, where the country's president in late June became the first Arab leader pushing the process, sending an ambassador to postwar Iraq. Al-Sherif's kidnapping now a response it seems from insurgents, raising the stakes for other Arab countries. Amid word of the kidnapping, a high-profile visit Sunday from an American cabinet secretary. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales making an unannounced stop in Iraq, meeting with government leaders, Justice Department employees and U.S. troops.

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: And I'm here to tell you that you're not alone, that the American people are very much with you. As the president talked about this week, what you're doing here in Iraq is so very important to the security of our country and the promotion of freedom around the world. There is so much at stake here.

RAMAN: The visit, Gonzales' first to Iraq, comes amid feverish judicial speculation in Washington over a Supreme Court vacancy. The attorney general often mentioned as a possible nominee.

(on camera): Alberto Gonzales came to Iraq just days after President Bush addressed the American people, clearly showing continued support for the ongoing struggle. But the very nature of the trip itself, surprised and heavily guarded for security reasons, shows how much work left there is to be done.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: It was a smashing success for NASA. Scientists take aim to unravel some of the secrets to the origins of the universe. Details on Deep Impact are coming up.

Plus, it's watery, it's debris-filled, it's a mess. Across Kansas this morning, the latest on the Kansas high winds and storms in a live weather report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Raise your right hand and repeat after me, that I will support...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And millions of you today will be firing up the grill and watching parades and fireworks. But for hundreds of immigrants, the Fourth of July weekend takes on a whole new meaning. They are becoming U.S. citizens. We'll talk to one of them about what this day means to her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's talk about real meaning on this Fourth of July. The U.S. is welcoming 15,000 new citizens this Fourth of July week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Raise your right hand and repeat after me, that I will support and defend... UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: That I will support and defend...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the Constitution...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: ... the Constitution...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and laws...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: ... and laws...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... of the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: ... of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Look at all those faces. One group took the citizenship oath this morning at Freedom Park in Arlington, Virginia. They hailed -- get this -- from more than 25 countries, including China.

Our guest was among those pledging allegiance to the USA, Hao Jie Liu, one of America's newest citizens.

Congratulations. And good morning.

HAO JIE LIU, NEW U.S. CITIZEN: Good morning. Thank you.

KAGAN: Why did you want to become a U.S. citizen?

LIU: I believe I'm looking for a better way of life in this country.

KAGAN: And how does it feel to actually raise your hand and take that oath?

LIU: I feel this great land is going to provide me freedom.

KAGAN: Let's talk a little bit about your story, Hao Jie. You came, as we mentioned, from China. You came to study.

LIU: Yes.

KAGAN: And how did you end up staying?

LIU: I came for the studying and I realized how the great school system is in this country. And, of course, later on, I met my husband, James. And he encouraged me to stay here and study English. That's how the story started.

KAGAN: And that's how it starts. And so you stayed for love, and you're making a new life. A little bittersweet, because when you make a new home here, you have to give up your home and be so far away from your family back in China.

LIU: Yes. I wasn't able to go back to China for four years. And we went to China. The first time after I left was the year 2000 for our wedding in Shanghai.

KAGAN: And what does your family think about your choice to become an American citizen?

LIU: My father and my mother, especially my father, he was very proud for me to be a citizen. Just to mention, my father just passed away on the 26th of June in China. And before I left him on the 1st day of June, he said, "Don't come back just for me. Just be sure you become a citizen of the United States."

KAGAN: Our condolences on the loss of your father. Did you feel his pride shining down on you as you took the oath this morning?

LIU: Yes. I felt he was just standing behind me with other family members.

KAGAN: And one last question for you, Hao Jie. As one of America's newest citizens, you know many people who were born here and grew up here. What do you think those of us that are born here, what do we take for granted? What don't we appreciate?

LIU: I think we should realize what the meaning of the real life, besides the leisure and the pleasure. We should contribute more to the society. We should understand the individual freedom and our own freedom.

KAGAN: Well, it sounds like you definitely get the gist of being an American citizen. Congratulations.

LIU: Thank you very much

KAGAN: Good to have you, fellow American citizen.

LIU: Thank you for this great opportunity.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Hao Jie Liu, one of America's newest citizens. Thank you. Have a great holiday.

LIU: Thank you.

KAGAN: Talking NASA just ahead. While you were sleeping, there was actually a major collision more than 80 million miles above the Earth. NASA's Deep Impact comet slasher slammed into a comet, sending us some new out of this world pictures. It is one for the history books. Details and more photos just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It looks like it was a smashing success for NASA. A washing machine-size space probe slammed into a comet early today. The collision set off a shower of debris and punched a hole in the comet about the size of a football stadium. The probe sent back pictures, up until three seconds before impact. The mother ship, a safe distance from the comet, continues to snap the photos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DON YEOMANS, NASA SENIOR RESEARCHER: And the whole objective of the mission is to analyze the development of that crater we saw and the ejected curtain that we saw coming off, and then -- and then ask the question, what kind of an interior cometary model would produce that type of an explosive event? And there are several models that could explain almost the entire range of cometary phenomena.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Scientists are hoping the mission will tell them more about the origins of the solar system and perhaps about life itself.

From a smashing success to a safe landing, today many are celebrating the successful recreation of the first transatlantic flight. American adventurer Steve Fossett and his co-pilot flew across the Atlantic. They landed in Ireland yesterday, like the plane flown by British pilots in 1910.

Fossett's old-style biplane has no modern-day power steering, which means the pilots had to keep their hands on the controls at all times.

To Kansas now. Here in the U.S., storms making a mess of the holiday weekend. The severe weather running headlong into a marina, damaging boats and piers. At least four people were injured. High winds were reported in several counties, knocking down trees and power lines.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Other nature pictures to talk about. A lot of smoke, but what is it? It looks like a fire growing out of the water. We're going to tell you about the amazing natural phenomenon that happened in the Pacific Ocean coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: First, to the nation's capital. Preparations are under way for tonight's July 4th fireworks and festivities. Hundreds of thousands will gather on the Mall. In addition to the dazzling displays, there will be a parade and an evening concert. Many streets around downtown are closed.

In Scotland, there's unrest and protest as demonstrators gather ahead of the G-8 summit. Police have clashed with protesters in Edinburgh, host of the summit, and near a nuclear submarine base in western Scotland. Security will be extremely tight when the G-8 summit begins on Wednesday.

To Afghanistan, the U.S. military says an unknown number of civilians and what they're calling enemy terrorists are dead after a U.S. air strike in the Kunar province. The strike happened Friday. It targeted a suspected terrorist compound.

And back here in the U.S., the United Church of Christ could endorse gay marriage today. One of the church's committees passed a same-sex marriage resolution on -- they did that yesterday. The group's general group will vote today. The United Church of Christ does not create policy for its over 5,700 congregations, and church leaders acknowledge some congregations could leave the church if that resolution is approved.

A convicted sex offender accused of kidnapping 8-year-old Shasta Groene is set to appear in court tomorrow. The little girl was found over the weekend after a six-week ordeal. She and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan, disappeared May 16 after a triple homicide at their mother's home. Authorities fear the little boy is probably dead. The woman who spotted Shasta with suspected Joseph Duncan described Duncan as a nervous man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER DEAHN, SPOTTED SHASTA GROENE: As far as Mr. Duncan goes, he was normal as far as, you know, 2:00 in the morning but high strung for somebody who wasn't drinking coffee and very -- he kept his answers to any questions I had for him very short and to the point. And he was non-conversational.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: We could learn more about this case later this afternoon. A news conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. CNN will bring that to you live.

We could be close to a turning point in investigation of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba. Three suspects held in the disappearance of the 18-year-old are currently in court. The suspects were taken to a beach on Sunday near where Holloway was staying before she disappeared on May 30th. Police wanted the three to go over their accounts the night the teen was last seen. The court appearance is to determine if the suspects can be held 60 more days or if they should be released.

A recent attack in Iraq is highlighting the danger for women in a combat zone. A suicide bombing killed two female Marines and a woman sailor. That was the deadliest single attack on military women in Iraq. CNN's Jason Carroll spoke to the family of one of the women.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDET (voice-over): Ramona Valdez grew up in the Bronx, watching her mother, a single parent, work 12 hours a day every day as a home health care worker. She joined the Marines to help her family out.

ELIDA NUNEZ, CPL. VALDEZ'S MOTHER (through translator): Since I was alone with three children, she decided she wanted to do something. I told her, you can do it without joining the Marines. You can do other things. She said, no, I want more. I want to do my best.

CARROLL: Elida Nunez says the decision to allow her 17-year-old daughter to enlist wasn't easy, but her daughter assured her it would be safe. NUNEZ (through translator): She told me, mommy, they don't send women to war. I won't be at the battle front. I'll be in an office. I'll be doing different things. I won't be with a rifle in hand.

CARROLL: Ramona's sister Fiorela says one of her greatest wishes had been to get her family away from the city.

FIORELA VALDEZ, CPL. VALDEZ'S SISTER: She wanted my mother to move out of New York so my mother could be in a more quiet place.

CARROLL: Shortly after Ramona left for Iraq in February, her family, with the extra income from her military pay, was finally able to move to Reading, Pennsylvania, a new home that she was never able to see but where she will return to be buried.

Corporal Ramona Valdez was killed June 23rd when a suicide car bomber attacked her convoy, returning from her assignment manning a checkpoint outside Fallujah. Elida Nunez says she opposed U.S. military action in Iraq from the beginning. Now her doubts are absolute.

NUNEZ (through translator): I don't think this war has any meaning. What I see is that every day there are mothers like me in pain, who have lost their children and that today, tomorrow, and every day we're suffering.

CARROLL: Ramona Valdez died just a few days short of her 21st birthday.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Our "World Wrap" starts in the Pacific. Fascinating pictures to show you, an undersea volcano is erupting, it's about 100 miles south of Tokyo. The heat that's caused a column of steam and made the sea water boil and bubble with ash and lava. Scientists are watching to see if the volcano creates a new island. It did just that in the early 1900s, the ocean though eventually washed that land away.

Curators in London have discovered and Leonardo da Vinci drawing hidden beneath one of his most celebrated works. Da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks" depicts Mary kneeling in a cave with baby Jesus. Infrared scanning shows a drawing of the same scene underneath the painting. But Mary's arm are in different positions. The hidden drawing is presumably da Vinci's first and rejected draft.

To France now, many eyes are on Lance Armstrong. On Sunday, the champion cyclist on his farewell tour did not fall or falter, finishing the second leg in 63rd place. Armstrong is going for his seventh straight Tour de France title.

And in tennis news, the man from Sweden beats a top-ranked American in a grand British tournament. Roger Federer claimed his third straight Wimbledon title yesterday. He beat number four ranked Andy Roddick. On the women's side, it was an all-American battle with Venus Williams the victor, she claimed her third Wimbledon title by beating Lindsay Davenport on Saturday. Epic battle between those two American women.

Before you head into summer and the sun for today's Fourth of July festivities, some warnings you need to know about. If you're on certain medications, even the strongest sunscreens cannot protect you. We'll tell you which drugs to look out for next in our "Daily Dose" segment.

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM : If those rising gas prices are making you go empty on cash, we have got 50 smart ways to rev up your net worth at CNNmoney.com/smartest, starting with the dos and don'ts of saving dough.

Do open a home equity line of credit and use it for the right reasons: to tap as a rainy day fund or finance college for your kids. But don't raid your home's equity to fund vacations, plasma TVs, or that beamer you can't afford. Experts say don't buy life insurance for your kids. If they don't support the family, they don't need insurance. Instead, put that money toward disability insurance. You have a 30 percent chance of becoming disabled for three or more months at some point in your working life. Disability insurance keeps that cash flowing. Get a policy that pays 60 to 70 percent of your earnings until age 65.

Back to those high gas prices, Money magazine's auto guru says that if your car's engine isn't super charged or turbo charged, run it on regular gasoline. Premium gas won't extend the life of your engine or do much for your fuel efficiency. So fill her up on money-saving tips on cnnmoney.com.

I'm Christina Park reporting from the dot-com news desk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: There is still a lot more to come this hour, but first here's a preview of what's coming up in the noon hour Eastern on "YOUR WORLD TODAY"

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Zain Verjee.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jim Clancy. Coming up at the top of the hour, protesters keep up the pressure ahead of the G-8 summit using colorful tactics to draw attention to their cause.

VERJEE: Last-minute lobbying, the British prime minister courts Olympic committee members in Singapore, pushing London's bid for the 2012 games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Team, we have got a confirmation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY And a U.S. space probe chases down a speeding comet, scoring a direct hit. Why the mission is a smashing success for NASA. All that and more, just ahead on CNN INTERNATIONAL.

VERJEE: Join us on "YOUR WORLD TODAY."

KAGAN: And your "Daily Dose" of health news, a lot of folks are headed outdoors for the holidays. But before you reach for the sunscreen, read the labels on your medicine bottle. Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins us from Piedmont Park here in Atlanta with some advice.

Elizabeth, good morning.

ELIZABETH, COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Daryn, if you're going to be out in the sun, make sure you know what medicines you're taking, because some medicines taken when you're in the sun can produce a toxic reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (voice-over): It's beach time, and of course we all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. For most people, sunscreen usually does the trick, but not for Anna Marie DeCarlo. An avid boater, Anna Marie always used skin protection. She usually never burned. But a few weeks ago she woke up with a serious burn and couldn't understand why.

ANNA MARIE DECARLO, SUNBURNED: I had sunburn all on my neck, and on tops of my shoulders and my cheeks. And just really didn't believe that it happened because I had, had so much sunscreen on.

COHEN: Doctors told Anna Marie it was her medication. She'd been taking an antibiotic from her bronchitis, and that caused her to have a photo-toxic reaction.

DR. LYNN MCKINLEY-GRANT, DERMATOLOGIST: Call it photo-dermatitis or photo-reaction to the sun. It's a combination of having the medicine and then being exposed to the sun. And it can be after minimal amount of sun. And suddenly you're just very, very red.

COHEN: And even the strongest sunscreens can't protect you.

MCKINLEY-GRANT: If people really need the medicine, which some do, we don't have an alternative, we would use protective clothing and keep them out of the sun, you know, between 10:00 and 4:00 and be very, very cautious.

COHEN: Medications that increase sunlight sensitivity include antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, over-the-counter anti- inflammatory drugs, anti-wrinkle creams like Retin-A, acne medicine, and even birth control pills and certain vitamins.

Doctors recommend that patients on medication read the labels carefully before venturing outside for long periods of time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now it's pretty cloudy out here today in Atlanta, but dermatologists say that everyone should wear sunscreen whether it's rainy, cloudy or sunny -- Daryn.

KAGAN: It's not just wearing it. There's a certain way you're supposed to apply it.

COHEN: I'm sorry, Daryn, say that again.

KAGAN: There's a certain way you're supposed to apply it as well?

COHEN: That's right. You're supposed to apply it any time, even if it's cloudy outside, even if it's raining, you should be using sunscreen and it should cover UVA rays and UVB rays, and it should be at least an SPF of 15.

KAGAN: All right. And need I ask, you have yours on today, Elizabeth, in your sleeveless shirt?

COHEN: That's right.

KAGAN: OK. Good girl. Thank you. Elizabeth Cohen.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find our latest medical news and a health library at CNN.com.

So you still haven't planned your summer vacation, it's not too late. We have a list of America's must-see destinations just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Happy birthday, America. America is celebrating its 229th birthday today. We're planning a see America vacation getaway. U.S. News & World Report lays out the secrets of getting the most from what it calls "the country's top 20 must-see destinations." Joining us in Washington to talk about them, the magazine's executive editor, Brian Kelly.

Good morning. Happy Fourth of July.

BRIAN KELLY, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT: Good morning, Daryn, you, too.

KAGAN: We can dream about getting away even if we're working on this holiday.

KELLY: Right.

KAGAN: First, Grand Canyon, love the Grand Canyon. But if you just go to the South Rim it is going to be very crowded.

KELLY: Right. Well, we have got a lot of insider guides here. And one of these is how to come around the back way. Got to go early in the morning, pack your beef jerky and your water. If you can get in between the gates are even open, and you have to pay. And the real spectacular -- you beat the crowds and you get to see the sunrise, which our correspondent, Tom Hayden, says is just one of the remarkable experiences he's ever had.

KAGAN: Been there, done that, I will agree with him. Let's move on to New Orleans, head a little bit east, catch some music.

KELLY: Yes. Once again, you know, the Bourbon Street tourist area is lots of fun but there's a better way to do it. We pick out a bunch of off-the-beaten-path places, Snug Harbor is one of them. A couple of the clubs where you find some really great jazz musicians, a lot of -- Winton Marsalis, people are familiar with -- his family has -- a lot of relatives play music in these clubs. Very friendly, accessible places. People talk music, very un-tourist experience for people who like both music and food.

KAGAN: We're going to check the other side of the country, Alaska. Beautiful country.

KELLY: Yes. There's a great national park there. Denali is the one that's most popular, but just north of Anchorage is another park. And the great experience there -- one of the greatest experiences, hiking on a glacier. This is not for everybody. It's a bit rugged. You've got -- not easy to get in there, but a one-of-a-kind experience.

KAGAN: Yellowstone. I've also done this in the summer, but if you're trying to see Old Faithful, there's so many people around it, you can barely see.

KELLY: Once again, we've got our own geyser here. We've got -- we take you through how to get to a secret geyser that's off the track. You've got to hike about two miles in there, but can you have it pretty much all to yourself if you time it right.

KAGAN: San Francisco, one of the best cities in the country, but a lot of tourists.

KELLY: Yes. A lot of tourists. People think cable cars, I think, sometimes as a tourist cliche. But it's really an incredible experience. For a $9 day-pass you can take the cable cars anywhere in the city that you want. And one that our writer in particular loves, the California line, which doesn't go -- it goes through Chinatown and some of the -- more destinations off the beaten path. But the great thing is, of course, you can go anywhere in that city and you get spectacular views, food, culture, everything you want

KAGAN: Very appropriate on this Fourth of July holiday, and we're thinking about the troops, Arlington Cemetery and paying honor to those who have lost their lives.

KELLY: Right. A place people might not normally think of as a vacation spot. But it is both physically beautiful and very emotional. I mean, this is a place where American history plays out. The -- it's really a giant cathedral almost, the sense of the sacrifice that's been made there. The setting is extremely dignified. It's really something I think worth considering as an important spot to go when you come to Washington.

KAGAN: And finally, a little off the beaten path, Little Big Horn in Montana.

KELLY: Yes, again, another place I think where we thought the history was really fascinating. The whole battle, Custer's last stand, it's almost as if it was frozen in time. They have head stones for each of the individual soldiers and some of the Native Americans who were killed there. There's now a Native American museum sort of reflecting their part of what went on, a very controversial battle. They still don't quite know what went on there. And incongruously in this very beautiful setting, it's a stop that's both intellectual, I think, and beautiful.

KAGAN: Brian Kelly, thanks for coming in on the holiday.

KELLY: Thank you.

KAGAN: Now lose the jacket, get out and go have some fun.

KELLY: OK.

KAGAN: Good to see you. Thank you.

Now we're going to have a little bit fun with Fourth of July and the holiday. A group that surveys our eating habits has come up with some statistics for the holiday. It says we are 540 percent more likely to eat potato salad today than on an average day, 210 percent more likely to eat hot dogs, 167 percent more likely to eat pickles, 117 percent more likely to eat a hamburger or perhaps two, and lest we forget, there is beer to wash all that down.

The nation's Brewer's Association reports Americans will guzzle 40 percent more beer in July than during other months. The association says beer prices are averaging $1.09 for 16 ounces, that's up a little more than 4 percent from last July.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: That's going to do it for me on this Fourth of July holiday. Please have a nice and a safe one up there. I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY." Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee coming your way after a quick break. And I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a great holiday.

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SGT. DAVID OSBOURNE, U.S. ARMY: Hi. I'm Sergeant First Class David Osbourne.

SGT. TANYA OSBOURNE, U.S. ARMY: And I'm Sergeant Tanya Osbourne. My husband and I are stationed in Camp Stryker, Iraq, and we would like to say hello to all our friends and family in Macon, Georgia.

D. OSBOURNE: I'd also like to say hey to my daughters Chelsea (ph) and Chassie (ph) (INAUDIBLE) in Macon, wish them a happy Fourth of July and I love you.

T. OSBOURNE: We'd also like to say thank you for your prayers and support here at 48th Brigade, and have a happy Fourth of July.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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