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CNN Live At Daybreak
London Terror; Egypt Terror; Discovery: Take Two; Scorcher; iPod Nation
Aired July 26, 2005 - 05:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
Coming up in the next 30 minutes, how London plans to fight its own war on terror.
And later, the letters Jennifer Aniston may regret writing and why.
But first, "Now in the News."
Space shuttle Discovery astronauts are all set for this morning's liftoff. The fuel sensor that caused the scrub of an earlier launch performed well enough during a test overnight. Discovery is set to blastoff at 10:39 Eastern. You can see it live right here on CNN.
A tent pole touching a power line appears to be what caused the electrocution of four adult Boy Scout leaders. The deaths came on the first day of a National Jamboree in Virginia.
An earthquake measuring 5.6 hit southwestern Montana late last night. Residents up to 250 miles away in Idaho and Washington State say they felt it. The quake caused minor damage but no injuries.
To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: We'll do. Thank you -- Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: In the London terrorist attacks, odd how some things can pop up. Plastic containers, like Tupperware, and a whitewater rafting trip are part of the investigation into those London bombings.
Here are moving pictures of two alleged terrorist bombers taking part in a whitewater rafting trip. This is in north Wales. A month later, they were onboard those trains, police say, supposedly planting bombs and killing people. Also, these Tupperware containers, that was part of the bomb-making equipment.
Let's head live to London now and check in with Robin Oakley to see what else is new in this investigation.
Good morning.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.
Well it's not so much the investigation we're hearing about this morning as the politicians' responses to what they need to do to give the police and the security forces more powers to deal with potential terrorist threats. And of course that's given a particular urgency with four bombers identified by face but not yet caught by the police.
And what we've seen this morning was the Conservative leader, Michael Howard, and Charles Kennedy, the leader of the liberal Democrats, coming in to Downing Street to discuss with Tony Blair and other ministers what exactly they're going to push forward in terms of new legislation.
Basically they're agreed that there will be a new offense of acts proprietary to terrorism to allow the security forces to get in earlier and thwart terrorist plots without losing the chance of bringing successful cases in court.
They're going to make indirect incitement to terrorism an offense to catch the preachers of hate who glorify suicide bombers elsewhere and so encourage terrorism.
Thirdly, they're going to make the giving or receiving of any terrorist training an offense more widely defined so as to curb those kind of activities.
That's all agreed between the three major parties.
What they're still talking about is a measure being requested by the police here in Britain. They want to be able to hold suspects for up to three months without charge. Currently, they're only allowed to do so for two weeks. And both the Conservative leader and the liberal Democrats say they have some reservations about that. They are prepared to see some kind of extension, but they clearly think, at this stage, that three months would be too long -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting live from London.
And before we leave the London terror story, here's a CNN-"USA Today"- Gallup Poll taken here in the United States. Nearly 60 percent of respondents believe there will be an act of terrorism here within the next few weeks. In June, 35 percent held that belief. Asked if the government is doing enough to prevent terrorism on mass transit systems, more than half say not enough, but nearly 6 in 10 say the government is doing what it should do to protect the nation's airlines from terrorism.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, how much privacy would you be willing to give up for a chance at better health? That's what New York City is asking hundreds of thousands of people.
And it seems Mel Gibson has a thing for those ancient languages. We'll tell you what he's working on next.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're following new developments this morning out of Egypt. Top officials are now backing off from reports on who was behind Saturday's deadly bombings.
CNN's Chris Burns joins us from the resort town of Sharm el- Sheikh with the latest.
Tell us -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, according to investigators in the last couple of days that Egyptian authorities had been looking for at least five Pakistanis who disappeared from their hotel after checking in July 7. Those photos were plastered all over newspapers here and also even in Pakistan.
Now that's turned into a diplomatic incident. The Egyptians now informed the Pakistanis officially in Islamabad that no, there is no Pakistani link to the bombings here in Sharm el-Sheikh last Saturday that killed at least 84 people, including 1 American. But there is an independent newspaper also here that still published photos of the five and is saying that authorities were expecting some kind of an attack in the coming days. So that's where that stands.
There's also a third claim of responsibility. Yet another Islamic extremist group, previously unknown but pledging loyalty to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, and also claiming the Tabah bombings at the resort there last October that killed some three dozen people near the Israeli border. So the investigation and the plot thickens.
COSTELLO: Chris Burns reporting live from Egypt this morning.
Well it's almost time to try again. The preparations are already well under way for this morning's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Discovery.
CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien is at the Kennedy Space Center. He joins us live with the latest.
All systems go so far -- Miles?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: So far so good, Carol. About five hours away now until the launch of the space shuttle Discovery, if everything goes well.
As it stands right now, the three-hour process of fueling couldn't have gone any better. Five hundred thousands plus gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen now inside the space shuttle Discovery's orange external fuel tank. You can see the steam rising above it. That's liquid oxygen as it becomes gas, just at the top there.
And during this whole process, this is making NASA very happy this morning, the fuel gauge sensors that had been causing so much difficulty, that led to that scrub two weeks ago, have caused nary a glitch. They are working just fine so far.
The crew is up and running this morning, wearing some rather wild Hawaiian shirts as they took an opportunity to have their crew photo opportunity. And they are making their way now for a weather briefing. Then they'll suit up. Then they'll make their way out to the launch pad.
Right now the situation on the weather, it actually looks pretty good as well. Eighty percent chance of favorable weather conditions here at the Kennedy Space Center for launch today. So all things seem to be stacking up, but there's always, when a machine with two million parts, the possibility that something else can go wrong.
Let me just show you what's going on out at the launch pad right now, about three-and-a-half miles over my shoulder, Launch Pad 39-B. You're looking at a close-up shot right now. This is right at the base. You can see this is the leading edge of Discovery's wing there. That's an important part. You remember, of course, two-and-a-half years ago, a piece of foam fell into one of these tiles there that is on the leading edge of the wing, reinforced carbon-carbon, causing a fatal breach, which also meant the loss of the vehicle and crew 16 days later.
But I want to call your attention down here to what's going on here. You see these people in orange suits there. That is the ice team. And they are very busy right now going through up and down the full length of the launch gantry there with binoculars and other sensing equipment making sure that there aren't any spots on this external fuel tank where ice has built up. That's a big problem. And clearly given what we saw with Columbia two-and-a-half years ago, you understand the problems that debris can pose for an orbiter as it is launching towards space.
Let's take a look at the firing room right now. Obviously a very busy place right now. People looking at these screens very closely to look for indications as to the possibility those sensors might not be working. As we said, so far so good. They tightened up the grounds on those sensors, and perhaps it was as simple as that. Nevertheless, there will be a series of additional tests throughout the morning to make sure they're working fine.
The final stop for the astronauts before they get onboard the space shuttle Discovery, this is the white room right here. That's the hatch, which leads them in to the space shuttle. They should be there in a few hours time. We'll be watching them every step of the way as they make their way toward Discovery. And with any luck, Carol, we'll see the first launch since Columbia more than two-and-a- half years ago -- Carol.
COSTELLO: How are the astronauts feeling this morning -- Miles?
O'BRIEN: Well I haven't spoken with them, but I suspect nervousness is the word. You know I've talked to astronauts many times. And what they tell you is the closer you get to launch the shorter your timeframe becomes. In other words, you're thinking about what are you going to do in the next five minutes and then that's down to the next minute. And then it's just down to what am I going to do the next 30 seconds and just make sure I'm going through my checklist. They're very, you know, task oriented. It's a bit of a ritual. And they're in the midst of that ritual hoping they do their job.
COSTELLO: And I'm sure they will.
Miles O'Brien, we'll get back to you. Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:42 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Getting down to the business of nukes. U.S. diplomats resume talks with North Korea and delegates from four other nations. They're trying to get North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons program.
In money news, two of the largest unions in the AFL-CIO have bolted and two other major players could follow suit. The moves will likely have a long-term impact on both organized labor and the Democratic Party.
In culture, a photographer now faces six years in prison for his handling of topless photos of actress Cameron Diaz. He was convicted for a scheme to sell the photos back to Diaz for more than $3 million. Diaz posed for the pictures when she was a 19-year-old aspiring model.
In sports, quarterback Alex Smith is now a wealthy man. The first overall pick agreed to a six-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers that's worth $57 million. That's several million more than Eli Manning got last year as the first pick.
Fifty-seven million dollars -- Chad.
MYERS: Yes. And I bought 40 lotto tickets last week and didn't even -- I won like two bucks.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, the one gadget that has Hollywood raving. You might have one too. That story is still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking "Health Headlines" for you this morning.
Got diabetes, had a stroke, vascular disease, dementia, take two of these. Yes, M&Ms and call me in the morning. Well, maybe not the candy. But Mars candy says it is developing medications using compounds in cocoa to help treat several ailments. New research shows compounds in cocoa can improve blood flow. A birth control patch is getting a critical look. Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ortho-McNeil has been hit with a lawsuit alleging the Ortho Evra Patch is defective. Ten women are plaintiffs. They claim the patch caused them to suffer strokes and blood clots.
The issue of medical privacy is being raised in New York City. The Board of Health is proposing to track people with diabetes. The plan would require medical labs to report how patients are controlling their diabetes. The board estimates it costs $5 billion annually to treat the disease.
You can get information on all kinds of health-related stories on our Web site. Just click on to CNN.com/health.
You know how hot it is, the Midwest, parts of the East Coast, it is brutal.
CNN's Kimberly Osias has a look at what many of you are going through.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA CORTEZ, TOURIST: I think we're going to be calling it a day early just because we've had enough with the heat.
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jessica and Gonzalo (ph) Cortez came to the nation's capital to see the sights. It's the first trip for 4-year-old Katie (ph) and new brother Max (ph). But those plans got a bit derailed when the mercury soared toward the triple digits.
CORTEZ: Oh my goodness, we're boiling today.
OSIAS: So they dipped their feet, fanned their faces, sought shade, along with many suffering on the East Coast, anything to get relief.
STEVE O'BRIEN, AMERICAN RED CROSS: You have to think ahead. You have to plan ahead your day and what the weather is going to -- how that's going to affect what you do.
OSIAS: The National Weather Service has a heat advisory in place in Washington. In the South, it's a scorcher, too. In Tennessee, record power demands for four straight days. In Louisville, the highest temperature on record, 105 degrees. St. Louis has endured the sizzling temperatures for one straight week. For the past two days, triple digits.
The main concern in the heat is cooling and hydration. So in many areas, they passed out water and help the homeless find shelter. Children and elderly are especially vulnerable. They may not know or recognize the signs of heat exhaustion. So parents, like the Cortezes, need to be extra careful.
CORTEZ: That's a nice breeze.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I was just looking at the "Washington Post."
That was Kimberly Osias, by the way.
MYERS: Right. Right.
COSTELLO: They have an interesting article on the heat index.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: I'll do it the -- I could never be a weatherman.
MYERS: Everything in the screen is backwards, I know.
COSTELLO: How they figure out the heat index.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And you see my inelegant highlighting there.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: But there is actually a mathematical formula that is quite long -- Chad.
MYERS: Yes, it is. And we had a wind chill formula that we used to have. That's the old formula. They found out that that really didn't work. And then they made a new formal for it, too.
But the old heat index is still the new heat index. And there's a big chart. And it shows you what the temperature is on the one side and what the relative humidity is on the top and you draw a line. Just like finding how far it is from Atlanta to D.C., you know, on the atlases. You draw a line, you find that one box and it tells you what the temperature is.
COSTELLO: But wouldn't -- OK, let me try to get this straight, wouldn't every person feel the heat differently?
MYERS: Sure, absolutely.
COSTELLO: How can there be one formula?
MYERS: Absolutely. That's just what it feels like. It doesn't say how your body reacts to it.
COSTELLO: Can you write out the formula for us later, because it's really long? I just want people to see it.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: OK. Start working on that.
MYERS: I'll get my lambda and my gamma and the mew and all that other stuff in there. We'll figure it out. You'll love it. COSTELLO: We would love that so early in the morning.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Stay tuned, the next hour of DAYBREAK we'll be joined by NASA astronaut Katie Colva (ph) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She will tell us what the Discovery team must be feeling this morning before they head into space.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Can you tell it's going to be a little humid in New York City this morning?
"Entertainment Headlines" for you now.
Mel Gibson has another historic epic in the works. It's called "Apocolipto (ph)." It's set 500 years ago in Mexico. Like "The Passion of the Christ," the movie will be shot in an archaic tongue and will be bankrolled and directed by Gibson. A spokesman says shooting starts in October. The movie is due out next summer.
Jennifer Aniston's love letters, pictures and other memorabilia are to be auctioned off by an ex. A California lawyer, who claims he had a teenaged romance with the "Friends" star, is putting the material on eBay Friday for financial reasons. He won't sell for under 100 grand.
Remember Jordache jeans? I never could fit into them. Anyway, they're making a comeback. And actress Brittany Murphy is the first celebrity Jordache jeans girl. Her pose there with the horse is a twist on the horse head logo. You'll start seeing the ads in September.
What is your must-have gadget? For millions of Americans there's no question, it is the iPod.
CNN's Karyn Bryant reports it's music to the ears of an entire generation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARYN BRYANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former "Friends" star Courtney Cox tells "ShowBiz Tonight" she can't live without it.
COURTNEY COX, ACTRESS: I think it's the greatest thing in the world.
BRYANT: The stars of the upcoming "Dukes of Hazzard" movie tell us they never roll without one.
JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, ACTOR: It doesn't really get out of my sight.
SEANN W. SCOTT, ACTOR: It's amazing that you can put all this music on there.
BRYANT: What about Jessica Simpson?
JESSICA SIMPSON, ACTRESS: Obsessed.
BRYANT: And if you look closely at President Bush when he suits up for a bike ride, you can see the telltale white headphones.
They, like the rest of the nation, are obsessed with the iPod. Apple's line of portable digital music players that, depending on the model, can hold thousands and thousands of songs, can sort thousands of pictures, even double as a hard drive. For millions of people, the iPod is not only something they must have but something that has become indispensable and addictive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get to put so much music on one platform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easy to use. It's not complicated.
BRYANT: Yet there are plenty of people who, shall we say, are iPod challenged. Like singer Carly Simon who told "ShowBiz Tonight" she's still trying to figure out hers.
CARLY SIMON, SINGER: How do you find the songs?
BRYANT: Not a bad question, Carly. So we asked an expert to break it down for us.
SCOTT MCKENZIE, BILLBOARD RADIO MONITOR: They're simple. You know the iPod still is one of the simplest devices out there. They have software that comes along with your iPod called iTunes. You choose the music from that. If you're buying it and it dumps it right on to your device. Or if you've got your CD collection of the last 15 years, then go ahead and grab that and load that in as well.
BRYANT: Just last week, iTunes sold its 500th million song. That's half a billion. And a remarkable 20 million iPods have been sold since the original came out in 2001. All of this has revolutionized, not only the music industry, but how people buy and listen to music.
MCKENZIE: They buy singles. They are not buying albums. They're buying one song at a time. They essentially become mini record label representatives all on their own where they decide really what they like and really what they hate and they're paying for what they like. So a single at a time, no more albums.
BRYANT: And with another 15 to 17 million more iPods expected to be sold by the end of this year, you can bet that this will continue to be an iPod nation for a long time to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Yes, that report from CNN's Karyn Bryant.
The iPods aren't cheap. They cost from $100 to $300. You can get more entertainment news every night on "ShowBiz Tonight." That's at 7:00 Eastern on Headline News.
And the next hour of DAYBREAK starts in just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is Tuesday, July 26, a scouting event for thousands turns tragic. Young boys see their mentors killed. What caused the deadly accident at this yearly outing?
And the countdown is on. A little more than four hours until Discovery tries again. Miles O'Brien talks with the people behind the mission live from the Kennedy Space Center.
And what do plastic containers, like Tupperware, have to do with terror? Another bizarre connection for British police.
Good morning to you.
We'll have more on the scouting tragedy in just a minute.
Also ahead, are you looking for love in all the wrong places? We'll tell you where the right ones are.
And it looks like up-and-coming bands will have to get on the radio with their talent, not with their bribes. We'll explain.
But first, "Now in the News."
The mood is upbeat. Six nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program officially resumed in China this morning. U.S. and North Korean officials held a rare one-on-one meeting yesterday and they plan to do it again today.
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