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Wildlife Warrior Steve Irwin Dies Off Coast of Australia; Storm Deluges North Carolina; New York Police Search for Cop Killer; Bush Makes Labor Day Speech; Dems Call for Strategy Change in Iraq; Number Two of Al Qaeda in Iraq is Captured; Agassi Retires

Aired September 04, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: I'm Kyra Phillips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. An ironic end to a colorful life. Aussie icon Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, dies in the Great Barrier Reef.
A folk hero of another kind. Where is Ralph "Bucky" Phillips? The New York manhunt intensifies as cops mourn one of their own.

And it will be Florence. A tropical depression picks up speed. Could this brewing hurricane hit the states?

CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

He was larger than life. Steve Irwin, the Australian known the world over as the Crocodile Hunter, amazed and amused with his daring and exuberance. Well, today his fans are mourning after an animal encounter gone horribly wrong.

CNN's John Vause reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For many Australians, it just doesn't seem real. The man who built a global reputation wrestling crocodiles and playing with deadly snakes, who courted death with a broad smile, seemed invincible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That can't be right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course he said he was invisible. But yes, it's an absolute tragedy what happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He died doing what he loved, didn't he?

VAUSE (voice-over): Even harder for many, the way he died: swimming in shallow waters on the Great Barrier Reef not far from the resort of Port Douglas in Queensland. He was filming a segment for a children's TV show he was making with his 8-year-old daughter Bindi. She wasn't with him at the time, but those who were say Irwin was killed by a stingray, normally a defensive animal which rarely attacks.

JOHN STAINTON, STEVE IRWIN'S PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: He came over the top of a stingray, and a barb hit the -- the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart. It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him.

VAUSE (on camera): Irwin's support crew made a 30-minute dash to a nearby island and awaiting a medical helicopter, but no one could save his life, making this the third fatality in Australian waters from a stingray attack.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: I am quite shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death. It's a huge loss to Australia. He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people.

VAUSE (voice-over): Those who know him best, the man who turned "crikey" into a catchphrase and spent a lifetime trying to make crocodiles, snakes and sharks loveable, died doing what he loved most of all.

John Vause, CNN, Brisbane, Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The accent, the energy, the khakis. Steve Irwin was hard to miss and harder to ignore as he wrestled crocs and other dangerous creatures. Alex Smith of Australia's Channel 9 has more on Irwin's life on and off the screen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX SMITH, CHANNEL 9 CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Steve Irwin was more than extraordinary. He was an international phenomenon.

STEVE IRWIN, CROCODILE HUNTER: I can't stop, mate. I'm on fire. I wake up in the morning and I'm on fire. I just can't do enough.

SMITH: And the world couldn't get enough. Long before he was a household name at home, he was star of the week on U.S. television.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Irwins are the real Crocodile Dundees of Queensland in Australia.

SMITH: It all started on his parents' Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast. That grounding and his boots and all approach...

IRWIN: Go, boys! Go, boys! Go, go, go!

SMITH: ... and that trademark style...

IRWIN: Crikey, that's the biggest crocodile, I believe, in Australia Zoo's history.

SMITH: ... made Steve Irwin one of Australia's most successful exports.

IRWIN: I want you in there with me, Charlie (ph). You're coming in with me.

SMITH: Even Hollywood beckoned.

IRWIN: There you go, mate.

SMITH: But along with wife Terri and their two children, Steve's heart was never far from the Aussie Bush and his beloved Australia Zoo.

There were controversies along the way.

IRWIN: Watch him, watch him.

SMITH: But no controversy could shake his self-belief.

IRWIN: Life is all about peace and trust and try and keep a nice level, happy playing field and surround yourself with your family.

SMITH: He leaves behind a massive nature conservation project funded by his multimillion-dollar empire. But perhaps his greatest legacy will be to encourage others to follow their dreams.

IRWIN: I am the proudest Australian bloke on the face of the earth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That was Alex Smith from Australia's Channel 9 reporting.

Fatal stingray attacks are extremely rare. Stingray stings, however, are not.

CNN's David Mattingly is at the Georgia Aquarium right here in Atlanta.

Actually, some possibly behind you, David?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, there are hundreds of stingrays on exhibit here, and hundreds and thousands of people that come through here today are giving them a second look because of the news.

But we're learning that stingrays are extremely graceful in the water, and they spend most of their time near the ocean floor, covering themselves with sand, dining on shellfish like shrimp and crab and other shell fish.

They very rarely ever become a problem to human beings unless human beings threaten them. There are about 1,500 people a year in U.S. waters are stung by one of these stingrays. Every single one of them will tell you that it was an accident and that it was extremely painful when it happened.

That's because there is a barb at the base of the tail of the stingray that it uses as a defense mechanism. It's about as long as an adult index finger. It can go very deep into the human body. And it's shaped sort of like a spear. It goes in. It's very sharp. It can go into the body very easily. But when that stingray pulls it out, it can do an awful lot of damage to the tissue and causing a lot of bleeding and tearing as it's pulled out.

Typically, a lot of people who are stung by these say that they can treat it by just putting the affected area into some hot water until the pain goes away.

There is some venom involved because of tissue around that barb. In some cases, people report having nausea, headaches, along with the pain, as well as possibly some arrhythmia. These cases very rarely ever become fatal, because that would require this barb to go in to a vital organ, which is what happened to Steve Irwin.

There is a tank here where there's a lot of very small rays on display here at the Georgia Aquarium. People are encouraged actually to try and pet them, but all of those, Kyra, have had those barbs removed.

PHILLIPS: So that's how they make the petting part of the stingray -- stingray program safe. They clip all the barbs off?

MATTINGLY: That's right. So that these -- so that the rays would not be threatened and would not use those barbs on anyone trying to pet them. It is a very interactive exhibit where young children are encouraged to lean over and pet the backs of these as they swim by.

David Mattingly, appreciate it.

More on the death of Croc Hunter Steve Irwin just ahead on this program. And tune in tonight. CNN re-airs Larry King's one-on-one interview with Steve Irwin. That encore presentation is tonight at 9 Eastern, 6 Pacific.

Briefly a hurricane but more of a rain maker. Ernesto is gone but certainly not forgotten in North Carolina.

Here's reporter Dan Bowens of our Raleigh affiliate, WRAL.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It started coming in in that corner.

DAN BOWENS, WRAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With flood water creeping up to his doorstep...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a little higher.

BOWENS: ... Hendrick County (ph) resident Harry Pfoth (ph) is going to be a shut-in for the rest of the Labor Day holiday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on a flood plain. I mean, you're got to expect it. BOWENS: The area, soaked in eight to 10 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Ernesto late in the week, and now the Northeast Cape Fear River is five feet above flood stage, overflowing into streets, topping out at more than 15 feet.

(on camera) Emergency managers here in Hendrick County (ph) say several hundred homes are threatened by the rising flood water. So they've called in 12 National Guardsmen and a special operation team from Wayne County. They've already made two rescues this weekend and are prepared to make even more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Our thanks to Dan Bowens from affiliate WRAL in North Carolina, where voluntary evacuations are still taking place along the flooded rivers.

And the southwest is soggy, but Baja is battered. Today what's left of Hurricane John could dump as much as three inches of rain on the desert from Southern California to West Texas.

John was a Category 2 when it slammed into the southern tip of Baja Peninsula Friday. It ripped off roofs, downed trees and power lines and flooded streets. About 1,100 people are still in shelters.

Ernesto's gone. Could Florence be on the way? Jacqui Jeras here to tell us all about it from the CNN Weather Center -- Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui, thanks.

Straight ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, killed off the coast of Australia. We'll hear from one of Irwin's producers, who witnessed efforts to save him.

Plus, the manhunt for a suspected cop killer intensifies. An update on the search for "Bucky" Phillips, next. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now it's personal. Police in New York are more determined than ever to capture a prison escapee who's believed to have ambushed two state troopers last week. Yesterday, one of those victims died.

Casey Borden is with our news -- our affiliate in Rochester.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUPT. WAYNE BENNETT, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: This person, who we seek and suspect in connection with the shooting of two troopers and the murder of a third, has to be stopped.

CASEY BORDEN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Flags are raised at half staff at the state police barracks in Fredonia. At 3:35 p.m., trooper Joseph Longobardo passed away at a Buffalo hospital.

Longobardo was on routine surveillance Thursday night behind the property of the elusive fugitive's former girlfriend. That's when police say he and his partner, Donald Baker, were fired at 11 times with a high-powered rifle from a nearby wooded area.

One of the bullets pierced an artery in his leg. He remained in critical condition until Saturday, but doctors amputated his leg in an attempt to save his life. It was an attempt that was unsuccessful.

BENNETT: But again, clearly the most important thing tonight is to remember the life and the contributions of a public servant, 32 years old, that died trying to do the job that he was sworn to uphold in behalf of everybody.

BORDEN: Trooper Longobardo was based in the Albany region and was an eight-year veteran of the force. He was a member of an elite mobile response team that, after 9/11, became an anti-terrorist force.

Longobardo also spent time serving in the military, fighting in Afghanistan. But it was as a member of the state police he was sent to Chautauqua County to the town of Stockton to track Ralph "Bucky" Phillips, the No. 1 suspect in the shooting that claimed his life.

BENNETT: I want him to be fully well aware of just the fact that the ante just went up again as a result of something he did. Yes, I want him to be aware of it. And I want him to keep looking over his shoulder more than ever now to see if we're right there behind him, because that's our intent.

You can run, but you can't hide. Sooner or later, I don't care how good you are; we'll find you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Longobardo's partner, Trooper Donald Baker Jr., is hospitalized in serious condition. He was wounded by a shot that pierced his bullet-resistant vest.

Phillips is also suspected of wounding another state trooper in June.

Taxes, energy, the economy. President Bush worked them all during a Labor Day business trip to Piney Point, Maryland. Kathleen Koch is at the White House with more on the president's labors.

Hey, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Yes, with good reason, because, you know, though, on Labor Day, though it may mark the last weekend of summer for most, for those in politics, it marks the beginning of the fall campaign season.

So President Bush in Piney Point, Maryland, in his speech this morning, had an important sales pitch to make to convince Americans that his economic policies are working for them. And Mr. Bush cited recent numbers showing unemployment -- unemployment in August dropping slightly to 4.7 percent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It means -- it means there's jobs opportunities. That's what we want. We want people working. We want people to realize their dreams.

So the best thing to do is to keep pro-growth economic policies in place as the first step to making sure we're the most powerful economy in the world. And I think that means keeping those taxes low, letting you keep more of your own money.

See, when you have more money in your pocket, you get to spend the money. You get to make the decisions. And the fundamental question facing government is who best to spend your money, you or the government? I believe you got to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Democrats for their part believe that President Bush is out of touch with the average Americans and many Americans living paycheck to paycheck. They point to figures showing that between 2001 and 2005, median household income in the United States dropped by half a percent. And during that time period, the poverty rate nationwide went up from 11.7 to 12.6 percent.

So Kyra, over the coming months, we're certainly going to see both parties doing the best to put their political spin on the economy.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Kathleen Koch, thanks so much.

Well, regime change at the Pentagon, it's taken three changes, but Democrats in Congress may have finally found common ground on Iraq.

Congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel has been looking into this -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra.

Even though Congress doesn't return from its summer recess until tomorrow, Democrats are clearly trying to fire what is the opening salvo in probably what we're going to see is a very partisan, very deeply divided Congress for the remaining five weeks they have before they head out and hit the campaign trail ahead of November midterms.

Now, in this letter, it's a two-page letter, addressed to President Bush, it's signed by the 12 House and Senate Democratic leaders and the ranking members from key committees. It lays out a laundry list of reasons why the president's strategy in Iraq is not working. Now in particular it says that over 60 U.S. soldiers and Marines have been killed in the last month alone. It says that includes hundreds more U.S. troops who have been wounded. It also notes that nearly 1,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed.

And it also mentions the price tag, the cost of the last month to the American taxpayer, claiming that it's grown by another $8 billion.

The letter says that, with daily attacks against Americans and Iraqis, Democrats believe it is increasingly clear that this is a low grade civil war.

Now, Democrats urge President Bush to take a number of steps to try to get his Iraq policy back on track. They propose four different steps, one of which is transitioning the U.S. mission to counter- terrorism, training logistics and force protection, beginning phase redeployment of U.S. troops before the end of the year, working with Iraqi leaders to disarm militias and amend the constitution and convening an international conference to try to get some kind of political settlement going.

Now, for months, we've been hearing these ideas discussed in one form or another by Democrats. But what sets this letter apart, first of all, is that it's all laid out in one place, and the fact that the letter calls for President Bush to replace the civilian leadership at the Pentagon.

It doesn't mention Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by name, but Democrats have made no secret in the last number of days that they intend to offer up, once Congress gets back into session, a no confidence vote on Secretary Rumsfeld. They plan to do so both in the House and the Senate, Kyra.

And clearly, the message Democrats are trying to send now in this election season is that, one, they want to rebut critics who say that they are not united on Iraq; and, two, they want to push back much harder than what they felt they did in election seasons in '02 and '04 when Republicans were able to claim the upper hand on national security.

Democrats want to say no way, guys. This time around, Democrats are -- also have a clear message and are tough on national security -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel, thanks so much.

Straight ahead, a big catch. Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader in Iraq in custody. A report from Baghdad coming up.

Plus, more on our top story. The world knew him as the Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin calls himself a wildlife warrior. His mission, his legacy straight ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Wildfires out west, priority one. The vast Derby Mountain blaze in central -- south central Montana, and as it spreads, more residents pack up and leave, and the National Guard is setting up roadblocks to keep folks out.

The fire has already scorched 100,000 acres, burned more than two dozen homes and cabins, plus two bridges.

A go for launch, at least now. After being held up a week, NASA says the weather appears to be cooperating for a Wednesday launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle will carry a new section of the International Space Station.

NASA says if any technical glitches come up Wednesday, the shuttle also could launch on Thursday or Friday.

We tax cigarettes, liquor and gasoline. Why not soda? Americans are gulping down more sodas, fruit juices and other sugary drinks than ever. One expert concludes we're drinking ourselves into obesity.

University of North Carolina researcher Barry Hopkins says, to slow the trend, the government should consider taxing sugary beverages. He says the added expense might get people to drink more milk or water.

Roadside bombs on the way to work. Explosions in the market. It's part of daily life for people in Iraq. How do they live? How do they play? How do they date? We're going to talk with an Iraqi woman about what life is like, next on CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus, it's churning in the Atlantic, a storm we may soon know as Flo. Our Jacqui Jeras updates us right here on CNN, your hurricane headquarters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: Well, I am quite shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely, and freakish death. It's a huge loss to Australia, and he was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He snatched (ph) thrills from the jaws of some of the most dangerous creatures on earth. And he turned his passion into worldwide fame and fortune.

Today, the world is stunned by the death of Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter." In what had seemed a relatively low risk adventure, a stingray is said to have plunged a bar into Erwin's chest while he was driving near the Great Barrier Reef. It's believed he died in moments of cardiac arrest.

Irwin's producer and director witnessed the desperate effort to save him. John Stainton spoke with our Miles O'Brien on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN STAINTON, IRWIN'S PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: It's been a very bad day Miles as you can imagine. It's something that has just come out of the blue and shocked probably not just ourselves but the whole of Australia, and from what I gather, the world is probably reeling from the events that happened today.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, the world over, literally. Tell us about the circumstances. What was going on at the time that he was hurt by that Stingray?

STAINTON: Miles, we were currently -- we're in the Great Barrier Reef area off a town called Port Douglas. We've been here for a week, filming a new television program for "Animal Planet" with Phillip Cousteau, who's the grandson of Jacques Cousteau, who'd teamed up with Steve to do a program called "The Ocean's Deadliest", ironically. And it was looking at all the things in a positive way, living in the ocean, that have potential dangers and harm attached to them but for what reason, we had researchers on board.

And, this morning, because the weather had been quite bad for us the last couple of days and we hadn't been able to film, Steve decided that he would like to shoot a couple of soft stories for a new TV show we're doing with his daughter Bindy. So he and the underwater cameraman went out to do some pieces on the reef on -- on fish on the reef and coral and stuff that would be good for the kids' show and unfortunately, he came on of the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand and the barb went up and hit him in the chest.

M. O'BRIEN: So this wasn't even the primary focus of the documentary on the most dangerous?

STAINTON: It wasn't, no. It wasn't the primary focus of the documentary at all. It was something that was sideline to the whole thing, which is why we're in shock about it because it just had nothing to do with the program we were making.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us what happened after that. How quickly was he out of the water? How quickly did he get some medical care?

STAINTON: He was out of the water within a couple of minutes. We had him back on Croc One. We had to rendezvous with an emergency helicopter on an island, it was the only place they could land and that was 30 minutes away. So obviously, you can imagine it was a desperate effort to save him that ensued for the next 30 minutes to get him to the island for the Medivac, but unfortunately, when we got him to the island, it was too late.

M. O'BRIEN: Was he conscious at all through this?

STAINTON: No.

M. O'BRIEN: And was it -- did he succumb to the sting itself or the piercing and stabbing? Do you know? STAINTON: You know, I don't know. I don't know. Those things will probably come out in the next 24 hours. I don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: We'll have more on the death of Steve Irwin straight ahead on the program and tomorrow with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien, "AMERICAN MORNING. That's at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

Al Qaeda in Iraq in search of a new second in command. A man described as the terror group's second ranking leader was captured in a raid on Friday. We get more now from CNN's Michael Holmes in Baghdad.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a very proud national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, who told a news conference on Sunday about the capture of Hamad Jumaa Faris Juri al-Saeidi, the number two man, he said, of al Qaeda in Iraq. He was the deputy to Abu Ayyub al Masri, who himself took over al Qaeda in Iraq after U.S. troops killed Abu Musab al Zarqawi. That happened in June.

Now why is he significant? Well Mr. Al Rubaie says that he was primarily responsible for the bombing of a Samarra Shrine back in February, a holy place to Shia Muslims and an act that sparked much of the major sectarian violence we've seen in Iraq and mainly in Baghdad since that attack. Now, we've been told that he was known as the prince or emir of Salahuddin Province, where he worked out of. We're told that under questioning, he has admitted receiving money from other groups who had been kidnapping Iraqis and getting ransoms for their release.

He was caught with three other members of al Qaeda, we're told. Now, to put this in context, the insurgency in Iraq is not based around al Qaeda, although that organization is responsible for many of the spectacular attacks and most of the suicide bombings we see, but it is just one slice of the picture. The insurgency in general is very much home grown, domestic, and operated by non-foreigners. Now, when Abu Musab al Zarqawi was killed, let's also remember that it didn't reduce violence in Iraq by much. And when it was reduced, it wasn't for long. Al Qaeda has suffered the loss of leaders in the past and it hasn't stopped their activities.

However, the Iraqi government says that this has dealt a major blow to the operation here in Iraq. Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

PHILLIPS: Will the capture of another top al Qaeda figure stop any of the violence in Iraq? Dozens of civilians are killed or maimed in bombings in and around Baghdad every week. Needless to say, it's affecting how Iraqis live, work and socialize. Our next guest, in fact, was afraid to make the trip from her home to our Baghdad bureau after dark. So she joins me now on the phone. Bushra Jamil is the founder of the Iraqi station Radio al-Mahabba. Usher it's so glad to have you with us and I hope I said al-Mahabba right and tell me what it means and how you came up with the name.

BUSHRA JAMIL, RADIO AL-MAHABBA: Hi, Kyra. Yes, thank you for having me on this program. Al-Mahabba means love. We came up with the name because we thought this is what is needed now in Iraq. Love is need to combat and to stand up in the face of all the hatred that is going on and that is killing people.

PHILLIPS: What is the main mission with your program? Is it to get Iraqis to talk freely, to give their opinions, to talk more about democracy? Tell me about your mission behind your show.

JAMIL: The main mission of the radio when it started and we, a group of us established it, was to give Iraqi women a platform, a place where they can talk freely, and they listen and they learn. It was more a tool to educate Iraqi women. But eventually, and because of the situation in Iraq, it became a place where Iraqis can call and talk about their fears, their concerns, their hopes, and also, to learn from our programs and to educate themselves, especially in the field of human rights.

PHILLIPS: I want to talk more about the fears and the hopes. Let's start with the fears. What is daily life like? Can you go out on dates? Can you go shopping? Can you go out to dinner? Can you go to school without worrying about any problems? Can you enjoy your summer vacation?

JAMIL: I tell you most of the families, they kept kids inside doors all summertime. Kids cannot go out, cannot play, cannot do anything normal out of fear that they might get shot by mistake or a car bomb or militia might just get in the area and start shooting. Anything could kill them. People leave their houses every day and they don't know if they're going to come back. But the amazing thing with Iraqis, they still live their lives. They go to school. Kids go to school.

Young men and women, they go to universities, despite all the atrocities, despite all the oppression they live under. And people go to work. (INAUDIBLE) the minimum sense of normal life. Even though there is no electricity most of the time. Water supply is very bad. Garbage is everywhere. No medication. No hospital. No nothing. But still they have this hope that it's going to be OK. We have to wait and see. Something good will happen.

PHILLIPS: So Bushra, my final question then, considering the threats and how life has totally changed since the fall of Saddam Hussein, do the majority of Iraqis still believe in democracy and that things will get better at some point?

JAMIL: It's sad to say, Iraqis, it's not about the matter of belief in democracy, but so far they haven't seen a clear and bright example for democracy. This is what they lack. To them, now you talk to Iraqis, they all tell you, even those who were against the American troops at the beginning, they know what keeps this country, what holds the country together is the presence of the American troops. And people know for sure if American troops pull out, they're going to be slaughtered.

They're going to become an easy prey for the neighboring countries and the militias and the insurgents and the terrorists. But to Iraqis, they are waiting. They still have hope. It's amazing. I talk to university students. Women call us and talk to us, we have four talk shows on the radio, and all day long people keep talking to us through their phone lines and tell us there is hope. And we know and we're waiting, and we are sure at one point something will happen because this cannot keep going on like this.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's been fascinating to follow your talk shows. Bushra Jamil, radio al-Mahabba out of Iraq, sure appreciate your time today.

Well they're not aggressive and they rarely kill. So how did a Stingray come to be the downfall of wildlife warrior Steve Irwin? We're going to take you to the Georgia Aquarium for some answers.

Plus, moving on out, the remnants of Ernesto are being felt north of the border, while folks from North Carolina, well, to New Hampshire start mopping up. CNN NEWSROOM returns in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Ernesto is gone. Could Florence be on the way? Jacqui Jeras will tell us all about it from the CNN weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Wow, all right, Jacqui, thanks.

Well a feisty Utah woman gives a lesson in courage and compassion. The 75-year-old chases down a thief who steals her purse and then she does something even more unexpected. Keith McCord from affiliate KSL introduces us to Betty Horton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH MCCORD, KSL TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whatever you do, do not make Betty Horton mad ever.

BETTY HORTON, FOILED ROBBERY: Ask my boss. I got a hot temper, but you know what? I get over it fast.

MCCORD: And by all means, don't steal her purse. On Wednesday afternoon, she was putting groceries into her car, when a guy about 5'10" in his late 30s grabbed her purse and started running.

HORTON: I shut this like this, grabbed my keys, had my keys in my hands and I come around here and he was heading down that way. That guy, he's got my purse! Hey, somebody help me, help me! This guy, he's going over there now, call the police!

MCCORD: We asked Betty to explain step by step as to what happened that day. We told her she didn't have to actually run, but that didn't stop her.

You're full out, right?

HORTON: You bet you. I was huffing and puffing by the time I got around the corner, but I didn't care.

MCCORD: She opened the front door to this small store and asked if anybody had seen the man. Nobody had, so Betty kept running. Then she saw an open gate down this alley.

HORTON: I was hoping maybe he came back this way to hide.

MCCORD: A couple of kids over the fence motioned that the man was hiding around the corner of the building.

HORTON: He was right back there and I said I said why did you do it, why did you do it, why did you do it? The man didn't answer until Betty demanded that he put the purse down. If you don't and I get hold of it and there's a gun in there, darn, I'm going to take your ear off or I'm going to take your toe, because you're not taking my purse away from me.

MCCORD: The man handed over her purse and the $3 that was in it. The man apologized and said he was having a tough time right now. Betty gave him the three bucks along with one last piece of advice.

HORTON: I said, OK, get the hell out of here because cops are going to be here any minute.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, that was Keith McCord, with our affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah. Way to go Betty. Straight ahead, one last match. Andre Agassi gives up the racket he loves, but says he's looking forward to new things. More on some net gains from the CNN NEWSROOM.

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JON BIRGER, SENIOR WRITER, "FORTUNE": The reason the Chicago Mercantile Exchange is on list this year is because this is the first year it's been eligible. The CME went public in January, 2003. So, finally they have three years of financial data on which it can be judged. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is actually the world's largest financial market. They trade things like grains and pork bellies, but what's been a big grower in recent years for the CME has been stock index futures. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange has a very exciting partnership with Reuters and they think that there could be a growing market for a centralized exchange for foreign currency.

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PHILLIPS: Lawsuits in Lexington. Although burial still awaits most of the victims from Comair flight 5191, some families aren't waiting to take legal action. One of the suits accuses Comair of negligence, claiming passengers experienced conscious pain and suffering. And a week after celebrating their wedding, friends of John and Scarlett Parsley Hooker gathered again for their funeral. The newlyweds were headed for a California honeymoon when they died aboard flight 5191. The sole survivor, co-pilot James Polinki (ph) has been upgraded from critical to serious condition.

San Diego Charger Steve Foley is said to be out of surgery and out of danger, medical danger. He was shot in the leg, arm and chest early yesterday by an off duty police officer near a San Diego home. Investigators say the cop followed Foley's car after it weaved through freeway traffic. The NFL linebacker eventually stopped, police say, and got out of his car, but he advanced on an officer. That's when he was shot. Foley's been in trouble before. He was arrested in April for battery, drunkenness and resisting arrest.

Cheers and tears in equal measure as Andre Agassi ends his pro career. Given all Agassi's accomplishments, on and off the tennis court, it's no wonder there's such a racquet over his emotional exit. CNN's Larry Smith recaps a remarkable career.

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LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gimpy Andre Agassi tearfully succumbed to Father Time on Sunday losing his third round match at the U.S. Open to a 25-year-old opponent who idolized him as a child and then joined the legion of Agassi fans to say goodbye.

ANDRE AGASSI, RETIRED FROM TENNIS: It was overwhelming how they embraced me at the end and you know they saw me through my career and they've seen me through this as well.

L. SMITH: Agassi walks away a legend, not just an eight-time major winner and one of only five men to complete the career Grand Slam, but someone who morphed into a sports icon along the way. He was once a precocious phenom who blazed a trail through the game to the tune of image is everything.

ANDY RODDICK, U.S. TENNIS PLAYER: But I think what makes him so different is just his crossover appeal. He was able to take tennis to a totally different demographic, create interest in tennis at all times.

JAMES BLAKE, U.S. TENNIS PLAYER: We all owe a little debt of gratitude for what he's done for the sport because he's transcended the sport to become an international superstar more so than any other tennis player of the last 20 years probably.

L. SMITH: Later, Agassi discovered that substance is better. He rebounded from dropping out of the top 100 and from his divorce from his first wife, actress Brooke Shields, to reclaim the number one ranking in 1999, later becoming the only man to hold the top ranking in three different decades.

Off the court, the eighth grade dropout received his high school diploma through correspondence courses. His foundation has started a charter school in his hometown of Las Vegas.

CHRIS EVERT, FORMER TENNIS GREAT: He got older and he started using his head out there on the tennis court and started really training harder, married Steffi Graf. You know he has two kids now and he has a great foundation. He really gives back a lot to society.

RODDICK: I don't think we've seen his greatest accomplishment yet and that's a big statement considering what he has accomplished already.

L. SMITH: And that may have little to do with tennis. A goodbye to his playing days, Agassi says hello to tomorrow and whatever lies ahead.

AGASSI: I'm going to wake up tomorrow and start with not caring how I feel. That's going to feel great. And then I'm imaging for a long time any time somebody asks me to do something, I'm going to go, sure, why not.

L. SMITH: Larry Smith, CNN, Atlanta.

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PHILLIPS: Well, the world knew him as the Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin called himself a wildlife warrior. His mission and his legacy straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.

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