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Summertime Sizzle; Nerves Raw in Great Britain; Treating Invisible Injuries
Aired July 05, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: A summertime sizzle the day after the Fourth of July. Many Americans are waking up to extreme and dangerous weather.
It's a real scorcher in the West. Temperatures are well into the triple digits. Excessive heat warnings are in effect.
And elsewhere, people are cleaning up from flooding and facing new storms in the southern plains.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Las Vegas, where this could go down as the hottest day ever recorded.
But first, meteorologist Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center. Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST, CNN WEATHER CENTER: Good morning, Melissa. They've just been baking out there for several days now. It's been hot and it has been dry, and things aren't really getting any better.
Usually, blue H's mean good things. But in this case, it means clear skies, sinking air, and things are really heating up in this part of the country.
So, it is the hottest time of the year. It is, in most cases, in the desert. But this is extreme, and in some cases, record-breaking.
Yesterday, record highs - Needles 120, Reno 106, Winslow, Arizona, 106. And Flagstaff, which is at elevation, 96 degrees.
High temperatures forecast today, even warmer. It'll be 115 in Phoenix, 116 in Las Vegas. That would at least tie a record. It could even break an all-time record.
Updates throughout the morning - Melissa.
LONG: All right. Thanks, Rob.
TONY HARRIS, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Well, this is hot even for a desert.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Las Vegas where the thermometer could actually break a record today. I'm wondering what the record is.
Chris, what's the advice to people out there today? CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Yes, Tony, the record for today is 116 degrees, the all-time record, 117. The forecast for today is 116.
And you know you've got problems when our thermometer is reading a shade over 91 degrees and it's 6 o'clock in the morning. The sun just started coming up. So, you know, this temperature is really going to start soaring over the next few hours.
A lot of folks out here are very worried about the heat. These are very dangerous temperatures, even for a place like Las Vegas, where people are used to it.
Some of the doctors are saying that this is a case where you could see a lot of cases of heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke, which is even more serious.
We spent some time just talking to people, seeing how they're coping with it. Some of the folks who live here in Las Vegas and are sort of acclimated to the heat were still outside yesterday exercising, playing tennis, things like that. But they did cut back a lot, and they did drink a lot more water.
We also spent some time at the Palms Resort Casino, where a lot of tourists were not letting the heat keep them out of the sun. Doctors are urging people to wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothing and hats. But that's just not the case.
People come to Las Vegas, it's hard to stay inside. They want to be out at the pool. And we saw a lot of people slathering on the sunscreen, drinking a lot of water, trying to stay cool while hanging out and being in that water - Tony.
HARRIS: You do the best you can. Maybe the simple advice is stay inside where it is cool.
CNN's Chris Lawrence for us. Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.
LONG: It's all about the extremes, it seems.
HARRIS: Yes.
LONG: We have too much heat, the temperatures soaring. And then you have too much water, too much rain, as well - a lot of flooding.
HARRIS: But this is extreme, isn't it - 116 today, possibly, in Vegas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Holiday fireworks gone awry, one woman dead in Michigan, people injured in numerous other states. An explosion at this fireworks tent north of Tampa, Florida, lit up the night sky. No word of any injuries there, but there is a report of an arrest on arson charges. In Washington, three workers were hurt after fireworks left over from the spectacular National Mall display - and what a show that was - those fireworks exploded.
And in Omaha, Nebraska, this 5-year-old girl was critically burn when the fireworks hit her during a Fourth of July block party.
LONG: Nerves are raw in Great Britain. London police say an accident, not terrorism, caused today's subway derailment. That's welcome news after the failed car bomb attacks.
CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, is outside Scotland Yard this morning.
And Matthew, one religious leader believes that he received a hint about the recent terror plot? What can you tell us about this latest development?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, LONDON: Well, this is something you referred to, which is a cleric - an Anglican cleric - who is based in Iraq and has good contacts with members of the insurgency.
It's emerged here in a conversation with an al Qaeda member, that Canon Andrew White had a comment given to him that those who cure you will also kill you.
I think he didn't think much of it at the time. But then, given the events of the past week, where it's emerged that as many as seven doctors have now been connected with the plots to carry out terror attacks and the actual bombing at Glasgow airport last week, have then obviously brought this into sharp focus.
Here's what Canon Andrew White had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW WHITE, ANGLICAN PRIEST: During the meeting with him, I experienced an ongoing litany of how he was going to kill British and American people. It was really quite terrible.
In fact, I said that day in my update, "I have seen the devil today." And it was during that meeting that he said to me, "Those who cure you will kill you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: And it is really shocking for people in Britain, as well, the idea that people in such trusted positions, these doctors, could in any way have been involved in a conspiracy to commit mass murder - Melissa.
LONG: Matthew, let's talk about the other big story today. That's a scare on the London subway system, the Underground, this morning.
What is the latest with that?
CHANCE: Well, the latest is that at least 11 passengers on the London Underground have been taken to hospital and treated for injuries after the subway train they were traveling on in the east of the city derailed.
London Underground, the company that operates the subway system, says that they don't believe it's a terrorist attack. But they're investigating the possibility that there was some kind of obstacle on the line.
These people, hundreds of them, were trapped underground for several hours, a lot of them very concerned and very panicked, particularly because it's almost two years to the day since the devastating explosions on the London Underground that killed and injured dozens.
LONG: The anniversary, of course, to which you are referring, July 7th. Matthew Chance, live from outside of Scotland Yard this morning. Matthew, thank you.
HARRIS: And then there's this. A major, major fire finally under control this morning. This was the scene on the French Riviera.
The blaze ripped through 2,500 acres of brush and trees near a resort town. One home was destroyed and campsites evacuated.
About 700 firefighters worked through the night to get an upper hand on the fire. Officials say the blaze spread from a car on Wednesday. No word on why the car was on fire.
LONG: Surviving an attack in Iraq and now battling back from injury.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. BRANDON WAMPLER, U.S. ARMY: Just want to be able to do my thing and be completely and wholly independent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Diagnosing and treating the invisible injuries plaguing U.S. troops.
HARRIS: Al Gore's only son busted, booked and out on bail. He is facing felony drug charges.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, NEW ORLEANS: And I'm Sean Callebs in New Orleans. Why the latest mandate from the State Department to a couple hundred of its employees is a passport to frustration for them.
We'll have story, coming up in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Lost and found, a wallet discovered, and it only took a few decades. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Passport delays disrupting summer travel plans, boy, big time. Now, some State Department workers have a new assignment: help ease the backlog.
CNN's Sean Callebs is in New Orleans, where some of the diplomats will be getting to work soon. So, Sean, good morning to you.
Why so much pressure to act now? We'll have a couple of clues here.
CALLEBS: Yes, indeed. And how about that for those State Department employees. It's kind of like an offer they can't turn down.
Basically, 200 new employees - employees that have been hired in the last three years - have been told they must come to New Orleans or to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and work in one of the passport processing offices.
Now, the reason - a law that was approved back in 2004, but first went into effect in January, mandated that all U.S. citizens going to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, have a valid U.S. passport. So, there was a tremendous spike in the number of applications.
How many? Well, the U.S. gave out about 12 million passports last year. This year, already, Tony, they've given out 10.3 million.
The State Department estimates that they will grant as many 18 million. So, there is a huge, huge backlog that they are really daily trying to cut into.
HARRIS: Sean, but this is - I'm a State Department employee. I've just signed on. Thank you for the job. But this is not what I signed on to do.
So, what's the reaction to those who have this new assignment?
CALLEBS: I think that the State Department has been under- whelmed by what they have heard so far. From we gather from the State Department, there's only been one meeting so far, talking to those 190 or 200 employees that are coming here or to New Hampshire. And some were baffled, saying, how can you do this to us?
And let's put this in perspective, as well. OK, you know what it's like down here in Louisiana, the heat of the summer. Average temperature during the day - we did some checking - 91 degrees, the cool (ph), 74 degrees.
And also, it's going to be the heart of hurricane season. So, do you apply to be here, or do you go up in the northeast, where it's going to be about 80 degrees, and you're going to see all kinds of presidential candidates come through as they gear up for that first primary?
So, it's going to be very difficult to try and convince people to come down here.
Quickly, I want to tell you that the processing office here in New Orleans, at one time handled 20 percent of all the passport applications in the U.S. But Katrina did that in, so they're trying to ramp up again.
HARRIS: Well, and one other thing, State Department employees. Stop complaining or we'll send you out to Las Vegas, where at 6 o'clock it is 91 degrees already.
All right, Sean Callebs for us this morning. Sean, appreciate it. Thank you.
LONG: The son of former Vice President Al Gore is out on bond this morning, Al Gore III accused of driving his Prius 100 miles an hour on the San Diego freeway.
Sheriff's deputies say they found marijuana and prescription drugs in the car. Gore has been charged with felony drug possession, and it's not his first run-in with the law. Back in '03, he was arrested for marijuana possession, later sentenced to a drug abuse program.
In 2002, he was ticketed for drunk driving, but not taken into custody. And then go back to 2000. He was fined for speeding and lost his driving privileges in the state of North Carolina.
HARRIS: Russia has got good reason to rejoice. Something to do, Melissa, with Olympic fever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: They are invisible injuries. And more and more U.S. troops are coming home with them from Iraq.
CNN's senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Specialist Brandon Wampler is back from Iraq. At first glance, he looks to be in great shape.
VALERIE GARDNER, PATHOLOGIST, MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM: What happens when you write?
SPEC. BRANDON WAMPLER, U.S. ARMY: It's just sloppy. And I don't remember how to write in cursive any more.
GUPTA: He says his mind isn't the same.
WAMPLER: Four of diamonds.
GUPTA: He can't even remember faces of playing cards.
WAMPLER: Three of clubs? GARDNER: Woops, not quite.
GUPTA: Wampler sustained significant memory loss after he was rocked by three roadside bombs in Iraq.
WAMPLER: It's like a brick wall going through you, is how I would explain it.
GUPTA: Doctors at Fort Carson, where Wampler is based, say they see an astonishing 18 percent of soldiers return from Iraq with some form of traumatic brain injury, known as TBI.
It happens when powerful shock waves from nearby explosions jar the soldier's brains, causing headaches, irritability, sleep difficulties and balance problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you ever been hospitalized?
GUPTA: The problem is compounded, because after a blast, soldiers without visible injuries don't always see the need for medical attention. They often don't realize they need help until much later.
HEIDI TERRIO, EVANS ARMY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL: I'm hoping that we can educate all soldiers, so that they know to watch out for themselves, because often, these soldiers won't seek help in theater. And that's - it's important that they get care, you know, at the time of the injury.
GUPTA: One national veterans rights group says the Army is doing a better job of diagnosing brain injuries, but says more improvement is needed.
ANDREW POGANY, INVESTIGATOR, VETERANS FOR AMERICA: There are enormous gaps in care, in the delivery of patient care and rehabilitative efforts. And also when it comes to the environment, the healing environment that the soldiers should be in and are not in.
GUPTA: The Army says its treatment is aggressive, but says there is still debate over what treatments work best.
LT. COL. REED SMITH, EVANS ARMY HOSPITAL: If they're criticizing the Army, they also need to criticize the civilian world. There is not, clearly, one pathway to treat traumatic brain injury.
GUPTA: And where there is agreement on therapy, the base hospital can't handle all the patients. And nearby private hospitals say they're overloaded, making it harder for soldiers to get the care they need.
GARDNER: We just can't possibly do it right now. So we're sending everybody home with home programs.
WAMPLER: Three.
GUPTA: Brandon Wampler says it took months to diagnose his symptoms. He's now in weekly therapy, hoping to regain his memory.
WAMPLER: I just want to be able to do my thing and be completely and wholly independent. Now, you know, that's my goal.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEO)
HARRIS: Russia rejoicing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Olympic Winter games in 2014 are awarded to the City of Sochi.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Sochi? With that announcement, Russia begins preparing to host the 2014 Winter Olympic games. Sochi is a resort in the Black Sea. It defeated two other applicant cities in a bidding process that lasted about two years.
LONG: Contaminated pet food, lead paint on toys, a ban on some fish imports, concerns about products from China.
Is it just the tip of the iceberg? CNN's John Vause reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, BEIJING (voice-over): So, could you eat pork from pigs force-fed waste water, drink milk from cows given so many antibiotics that it's impossible to make yogurt from their milk? How about a serving of lard made from sewage?
Because all of that, and much more, has been on China's menu in recent months.
Zhou Qin is a dissident writer, who has researched this country's appalling food standards.
"The threat is so much more serious than people could ever imagine," he told me.
He says many farmers and producers are continually finding new and dangerous ways to cut costs.
ZHOU QIN, CHINESE DISSIDENT (through translator): China has low labor costs, but you can work out how low the price should be. Businessmen should know something is wrong, if the product is cheaper than it should be.
Last week, the U.S. banned four types of fish and shrimp from China, because inspectors found traces of cancer-causing chemicals and antibiotics, including malachite green, which helps fish survive in polluted, over-crowded fisheries. It's still being used, despite being banned here five years ago, while in the U.S., it was banned 24 years ago.
SALLY GREENBERG, CONSUMER'S UNION: We have no real sense of the regulatory infrastructure in China, which probably is about 100 years behind where we are in the United States.
VAUSE: And the World Health Organization says time has run out for China to act.
DR. ROGER SKINNER, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: China is at a crossroads. And I feel, you know, they have to make a decision as to what they're going to do. And it's a decision which cannot be put off.
VAUSE: It's not just food. Consumer alerts have been issued for products from toxic toothpaste to lead-painted toys.
So far this year, 60 percent of all recalled consumer products in the U.S. have come from China.
The government here blames media hype.
QIN GANG, SPOKESMAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY (through translator): Consumers shouldn't be scared of Chinese products. They should have a reputation of being good quality, cheap and safe.
VAUSE (on camera): Well, one out of three isn't bad. No one ever said Chinese goods weren't cheap.
John Vause, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEO)
HARRIS: The Prius is the most popular hybrid out there. But why? What does it have that other hybrids don't?
Stephanie Elam is in, "Minding Your Business" this morning.
OK, Stephanie, one thought. It has the name. It was probably the earliest entrant into this area, which means it's the most recognized.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's part of it. It's a matter of, like, what does your car say about you, Tony. And for some, it seems keeping up with the Joneses is a little bit more important than being environmentally conscious, even though that's what the Prius is all about.
At least, that's what we think. Right?
Well, Prius drivers care about the environment, and they want everyone to know it. Owners say they want to send a clear message and have an impact on others.
Prius has only come in the hybrid version, unlike the Honda Civic or the Ford Escape, which had standard versions, and then they tried to all come up with a hybrid version.
HARRIS: Yes.
ELAM: The Honda Civic has gone the way of the dodo. It's not even going to stick around, because it wasn't even that much better, as far ...
HARRIS: The dodo.
ELAM: I'm sorry. I stole that one, I know.
But it's actually, it just - it wasn't such a difference as far as its miles to the gallon.
So, Prius drivers like that it is very clear that they are riding around in a hybrid. And that's why, overall, the Prius has done better than other hybrids.
HARRIS: Gotcha.
All right. But let's be very clear about this.
What are the top reasons that people say they buy the Prius?
ELAM: Well, according to the "New York Times" and CNW Marketing Research, 57 percent of Prius customers surveyed in the second quarter of 2007, said they bought one because it makes a statement about who they are. That's 57 percent. That's a lot of people. And that's up from 34 percent in the first quarter of 2004.
The other issue, higher fuel economy, well, the reason - that's the reason that 36 percent in the second quarter of this year said, versus just 27 percent in the first three months of 2004.
What was interesting to me, though, is that lower emissions was the reason for only 25 percent in the second quarter of this year, but it was 36 percent in the first quarter of 2004. So, less people care about emissions, when you would think that's part of the main reason why Prius people are Prius people.
HARRIS: There you go.
ELAM: Yes, so ...
HARRIS: There you go.
ELAM: It's an interesting thing there. But, of course, people who don't drive Priuses say that Prius drivers are just "green snobs."
HARRIS: We don't need to resort to name-calling. That's just ...
ELAM: Yes. But I guess you're right.
HARRIS: That's just beneath all of us.
ELAM: I was just trying to keep it balanced.
HARRIS: There you go. All right. There she is, "Minding Your Business," Stephanie Elam this morning. Stephanie, great to see you.
ELAM: Good to see you.
LONG: Clouds gathering at the National Hurricane Center, the new director in some hot water this morning. He's questioning the center's ability to make accurate forecasts.
HARRIS: Facing danger covering the war. Some Iraqi journalists fear for their lives. That story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center, where we're talking extreme heat today across the southwest, and potentially extreme flooding again across Texas. The full forecast coming up in a few minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Coming up on 9:30 in the morning here on the East Coast. And it is going to be a scorcher today, isn't it?
HARRIS: You want to talk about the West? Ooh!
LONG: Well, you think about the heat out in Death Valley, but not in all these locations that we're focusing on now.
HARRIS: Did you see that shot of that thermometer, 113 degrees? Wow!
Well, the latest bet in Las Vegas - record heat. Now, here's the thing. The record for this date is 117 degrees in Las Vegas. It could get that hot again today throughout Nevada and parts of California.
The elderly and others, particularly young people, who may be vulnerable to the heat are urged to, really, just stay inside where it's cool. Everyone else advised to limit their time outdoors, wear light clothing and drink lots and lots and lots - can't say it enough - lots of water.
Let's get you now to Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center. Good advice, Rob?
MARCIANO: What are you, everybody's mother? I mean, can't they ...
(LAUGHTER)
Yes, drink water, stay inside. Or you can head for the casinos. You want everybody to be inside gambling. You know, it's one of the two.
LONG: They're probably doing great business now.
HARRIS: Ah, either way, I'm out there on that limb all alone, I see.
LONG: No, I think Tony would be in a little bungalow.
HARRIS: Yes.
MARCIANO: Oh, big time.
LONG: Adult beverage, maybe.
HARRIS: With an umbrella drink, right, by the pool. There you go.
MARCIANO: Melissa, a voice of reasoning from you. Excessive heat warnings are out. That pretty much what Tony summarized. And it goes back into parts of the L.A. basin.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Melissa and Tony, back to you.
HARRIS: Busy elsewhere. Thank goodness the Tropics are quiet.
LONG: It is about extremes, really, domestically.
HARRIS: It is. It is.
LONG: Let's continue to talk about Texas and Oklahoma right now, talking about cleaning up and keeping an eye on the sky with more rain, as Rob is telling, you could be moving into Texas and Oklahoma.
Along the border, fears water spills over the dam at Denison today. People urged to move belongings to higher ground and be ready to get out if they have to.
The water is going down in hard-hit northeastern Oklahoma but the lakes and reservoirs are already filled to capacity.
Even a little rain could cause some really big problems, Tony.
HARRIS: Accuracy at the National Hurricane Center, it is critical. The new director raises serious questions and gets a surprise visit from Washington.
CNN's Susan Candiotti has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: How did you feel when they showed up without prior warning?
BILL PROENZA, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Surprised. And I'm sure the whole staff felt surprised.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The new outspoken National Hurricane Center director started his week with a pop-in inspection by Washington brass and this memo from the boss, quote, "I have become aware of concerns about TPC's ability to meets its mission."
PROENZA: I feel very, very certain and comfortable with the fact we have done everything we can to deliver our mission to the American people and to be very up front and honest. With them, as well. They're the people we work for.
CANDIOTTI: The unscheduled visit comes on heels of the frank comments about a key hurricane satellite called Quick Scat. The Quick Scat satellite's five years' beyond the life expectancy operating on a backup transmitter. If it fails, he says, forecast tracks could be off by up to 16 percent.
After he spoke up last month, he got a reprimand from Washington. Here's what he told CNN's John Zarrella back then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROENZA: He wanted me to be quiet about it.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Muzzle you?
PROENZA: Essentially.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Now one of the Hurricane Center's veteran forecaster is calling Proenza's comments misguided.
LIXION AVILA, HURRICANE FORECASTER: Quick Scat is another tool that we use to forecast. And the forecast will not be degraded, if we don't have the Quick Scat.
CANDIOTTI: Senator Mary Landrieu will testify next month about the need to remove the satellite. She issues a statement defending Proenza, quote, "If has become clear that this administration ism ore focused on spinning the punishment of whistleblowers than on correcting the errors of management they bring to light."
(on camera): Do you think you're going to keep your job?
CANDIOTTI: I really don't know. All I know is that I feel very sincere about what I have done.
CANDIOTTI: A mission, he says, to protect the American people. But for now, no one's forecasting the forecaster's future.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: A standoff drags into a third day at Pakistan's Red Mosque. Hundreds of radical students believed to be holed up there. Police fired teargas overnight. Gun fire was heard from both sides. Some two dozen people have been killed in fighting that began Tuesday.
Yesterday, the Hamas leader was caught trying to escape, disguised in a burka. He is now calling on those inside to surrender.
Officials say the trouble started when police tried to stop the students from occupying a government building.
HARRIS: On the front lines in Iraq, Troops battling it out with insurgents. Iraqi journalists sometimes caught in the cross fire.
Here's CNN's Frederick Pleitgen.
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A city under siege, Bakubah, north of Baghdad. American troops are conducting what they say is one of the largest military operations since the beginning of the war. Their targets, al Qaeda insurgents.
While these images show the broader picture of the operation, these show the human faces of the conflict. Alleged al Qaeda insurgents captured by Iraqi police and Sunni tribesmen awaiting their wait, flies eating away at the wounds while the strong men in town patrol the streets.
These pictures, so important to help us understand the conflict in Iraq, are captured by a breed of video journalists who risk their lives to go where Western reporters can't.
Journalists, like Ahkmed, an Iraqi freelance reporter working for CNN, who won't let us show his face or use the real name for good reason.
When I film attacks against the Americans consider me to be a terrorist. The same is true for the Iraqi army. And when I film al Qaeda members being arrested, they believe I'm working for the Americans, Ahkmed tells me.
Images like these of suspected al Qaeda members captured and blindfolded are bond to enrage leadership, Akhmed says. That can spell death for a photographer often unpopular with all sides and with no protection in the battle zone.
If al Qaeda gets me, I'll be beheaded, that's for sure. They might even totally shred me to pieces, he says.
Yet, all sides -- Sunni, Shia, al Qaeda and American forces -- realize they need media coverage. As U.S. tanks roll into Bakubah, a commander gets out of the vehicle just to talk to Ahkmed.
UNIDENTIFIED U.S. COMMANDER: See, the Provincial Joint Coordination Center actually has been getting ambulances in here. We have evacuated several people using local, national ambulances.
PLEITGEN: But Akhmed's video paints a different picture, ambulances stuck behind armored vehicles unable to reach those in need of help.
The families are in a semi-tragic situation because there's no water and no electricity, and there hasn't been for ten years. There is the organization of the Red Crescent, which delivered some aid, but it is not enough, Akhmed recalls.
Different angles of a complicated conflict. It's thanks to journalists like Ahkmed we can begin to understand the bigger picture of the war in Iraq.
Frederick Pleitgen, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Conservative Republicans seem to like him but do they know where he stands on the issues?
BRUCE BARTLETT, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Up until now, people have really just sort of assumed that he's a Reaganite conservative. But that's particularly because he hasn't experienced.
LONG: We'll find out in the "NEWSROOM"."
HARRIS: A wallet lost for 40 years now found. You know, sometimes a walk down memory lane can get you in a bit of trouble.
STEVEN VRABLIK, RETIRED MARINE: The blond, I should have married, and I didn't. The brunette, I did marry, and I shouldn't have.
HARRIS: No -- you can't say that.
LONG: He did.
HARRIS: He did. See what else is in the back pocket time capsule.
Ok. Let's quickly get to the New York Stock Exchange. Wall Street, the markets, OK after a day off, we are back in business here. We'll get the business day started. The Dow closed -- well, here we go. The opening bell sounds and we're down 44 points. The NASDAQ, I understand, is pretty flat right now.
We're checking the business news this morning with Stephanie Elam right here in the "CNN NEWSROOM."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey, Melissa. Are you podcasting with me later?
LONG: I am, a little later.
HARRIS: A little bit later? Yes, we're starting to work on it now because it takes -- the podcast is huge. It takes time to cook it up.
LONG: We're working on it at lunch, too.
HARRIS: And it's my treat. You already know to catch us weekday mornings. We appreciate that. Nice numbers, nice numbers -- 9:00 a.m. to noon eastern right here in the "CNN NEWSROOM." But you can also take us with you anywhere on your iPod. We're talking about the "CNN NEWSROOM" podcast available to you 24/7 right on your iPod.
And Melissa, talk to everyone about the revamped cnn.com which looks, by the way, fantastic.
LONG: The team at cnn.com has been working tirelessly to improve the site. It was already fantastic.
HARRIS: Number one for news.
LONG: Number one for news online. Absolutely. Check it out. It's one-stop shopping for news whether you're interested in getting just a quick update or an in-depth look at the big stories of the day or any story in general -- cnn.com the place to go. Make it your home page.
LONG: This has to be one of my favorite stories of the morning. Lost and found 40 years later, a wallet filled with treasured memories, unique memories.
Judd Kribs, of our CNN affiliate KGMB, has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDD KRIBS, REPORTER, KGMB (voice-over): When workers were remodeling a building here at Camp Smith, they discovered a wallet that slipped down behind ping in a washroom. It turns out it was lost in 1967 by a young Marine named Steve who was changing into civilian clothes.
STEVEN VRABLIK JR., RETIRED MARINE: You know, I remember losing it and we were going down to the beach. And I couldn't find it.
KRIBS: The Marines tracked down Steve, who now lives in Sarasota, and mailed it to the Orlando office. Then on the Fourth of July, Sergeant Vara and Captain Sheller hand delivered Steve his wallet he hadn't seen in 40 years.
VRABLIK: Wow. This is amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's like a time capsule there.
VRABLIK: It is. There's my Marine Corps I.D. Here's my mom and dad. Wow. They're still alive. And Social Security card. Wow, way back then they told you to keep it in your wallet. Here's my sister's wedding. That's my sister -- Dad, Sis, Mom and myself.
These are four guys. We all joined the Marine Corps at the same time. I had two girlfriends, one blond and one brunette. The blond, I should have married, and I didn't. The brunette, I did marry, and I shouldn't have.
KRIBS: As Steve continued to look through the wallet, the past became the present all over again. VRABLIK: I'm very pleased, very happy and grateful for the Marines for helping me out.
KRIBS: I'm Judd Kribs for KGMB 9 News.
HARRIS: It's funny as can be but you can't say that.
LONG: Maybe they can reconnect after all these years.
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. Hey, Melissa, take a look at this.
LONG: Minneapolis?
HARRIS: Yes, Minneapolis. Fourth of July fireworks, extravaganzas all over the country, why don't we take a look?
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LONG: With so many dry spots around the country, leave it to the pros this year.
HARRIS: How about that?
LONG: Beautiful.
HARRIS: Pros can do it, can't they? Happy birthday, America.
Still to come in the "NEWSROOM," rumbles of fear beneath London, words of reassurance from the top. The latest developments in a week of terror.
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LONG: A child is in critical condition this morning. A mother and two children dead. It happened during a Fourth of July barbecue. A van plunged into a pond. Police in Bridgeport, Connecticut, say Michelle McIntosh had gotten out of the minivan. She noticed it was rolling away, managed to jump back in the van just before it sank. Again, the woman was killed along with two children. She was the mother of at least one of those youngsters. Authorities are trying to determine what caused the vehicle to start rolling.
HARRIS: Fred Thompson is used to juggling roles as an actor and, some say, he's doing just that while testing the presidential waters.
CNN's Joe Johns looks at Thompson inside and out.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is the latest, hottest new come tore the Republican race for president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is honor to shake your hand.
JOHNS: He hasn't formally announced. And some supporters really are jumping the gun. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is President Thompson.
JOHNS: But Fred Thompson certainly is acting as though it is only a matter of time before he makes his decision.
FRED THOMPSON, (R), POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I plan on seeing a whole lot more of you. How about that?
JOHNS: Some Republicans want Thompson in just to give GOP primary voters more choice. But for others, the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, who later starred in "Law and Order," may be the closest thing in the field to a Ronald Reagan conservative.
RICH GALEN, MULLINGS.COM: What Republicans are generally looking for are two things, one, somebody they believe will be a protective of Republican ideals as they see them, and two, somebody who can win.
JOHNS: So is Thompson really Mr. Conservative?
BRUCE BARTLETT, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Up until now, people have really just sort of assumed that he's a Reaganite conservative, but that's partly because he hasn't expressed himself on a lot of issues. And so people can assume the best.
JOHNS: In the Senate, Thompson usually did vote with conservatives. But not on every issue. He voted against one of two impeachment articles against President Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED SENATE MEMBER: Not guilty.
JOHNS: And there's this. He was a key supporter of the McCain- Feingold Campaign Reform Act.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fred Thompson is not pro-life.
JOHNS: And his views on abortion are a red flag for some social conservatives. Running on YouTube is this clip from a Senate debate in 1994.
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THOMPSON: I do not believe that the federal government ought to be involved in that process.
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JOHNS: Two years latter, he wrote the same thing in a Christian Coalition survey. But anti-abortion groups are quick to point out that, once in the Senate, Thompson usually voted their way.
TONY PERKINS, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: I think valued voters have a lot of comfort on where he stands on that particular issue.
JOHNS: As for McCain-Feingold, Thompson changed the tune.
THOMPSON: So Congress ought to go back and amend the campaign finance reform bill.
JOHNS: Will all of this satisfy conservatives?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've kind of learned from my wife. When it comes to politics, I do it the way she does the shopping. I just kind of look and don't buy until I find exactly what I want.
JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Water logged and worried while parts of the U.S. sizzle, others are hoping to dry out.
HARRIS: Subway derailments in nervous London. Dozens of passengers are trapped for a time.
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LONG: A mayor's personal life now very public. Scandal -- will it end his political career?
HARRIS: Everything in moderation, especially alcohol. Too much drinking can cause health problems that get worse over time.
Elizabeth Cohen explains what you need to know on your 30s, 40s and 50s.
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LIZA MINNELLI, ACTOR: What's so funny now?
DUDLEY MOORE, ACTOR: I sometimes think funny things.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We sometimes laugh at Hollywood portrayals of excessive drinking. But this isn't very funny.
DR. THERESA ROHR-KIRCHGRABER, EMORY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Over a Long period of time, alcohol can affect every single organ system in your body.
COHEN: Dr. Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber says alcohol affects everything from the heart to the brain. So what happens if you drink too much in your 30s?
ROHR-KIRCHGRABER: We've had a number of men in their early 30s who, going out for drinks on the weekend, will end up with an abnormal heart rhythm and have to come to the emergency room. If you are in your 30s and a woman and thinking about becoming pregnant, alcohol in large doses we know can damage the baby.
COHEN: If you drink too much your 40s, things can get even worse. ROHR-KIRCHGRABER: In the early 40s, is a lot of times when we'll start to see patients with high blood pressure. And alcohol directly affects high blood pressure, as well. It also starts to affect the kidneys a bit more, too.
COHEN: By the time you're in your 50s...
ROHR-KIRCHGRABER: Now that you are in your 50s, those organs with that toxic affect from the alcohol for so many years are really starting to have a hard time. They're already getting stressed by the aging process.
COHEN: That includes deterioration of the heart muscles, short and Long term memory loss, cirrhosis of the liver, osteoporosis and depression.
Researchers say there are benefits from drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. For example, a glass or two of wine a day can reduce a risk of heart attacks and strokes.
ROHR-KIRCHGRABER: A small amount of alcohol in an adult can be healthful, if they remember everything is in moderation.
COHEN: If you're drinking is out of control, doctors say get help. There's counseling and medications can also help reduce alcohol cravings.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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HARRIS: Singer Bill Pinkney, the last surviving member of the original Drifters, has died. His body found in a hotel room at Daytona Beach, Florida. Police say the death is not considered suspicious. Pinkney was scheduled to perform during Fourth of July festivities. He was 81 years old.
LONG: Good morning. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Staying informed all day in the "CNN NEWSROOM." Here's what's on the run down. A record breaker may be in the cards for the Las Vegas today, the Western U.S. trapped in a triple-digit summer sizzle.
LONG: Security soft spots at U.S. military installations in Europe. Are service men and women and their family sitting ducks?
HARRIS: Affairs of state. L.A.'s mayor admits an extra-marital relationship with a television anchor.
It is Thursday, July 5th and you are in the "CNN NEWSROOM."
And at the top this hour, a dispute over noisy fireworks leaves several people dead and wounded in Cleveland, Ohio. A firefighter in custody this morning.
Joy Benedict, of CNN affiliate WEWS, joins us live.
And, Joy, good to see you this morning. What happened last night?
JOY BENEDICT, REPORTER, WEWS: well, you know, this Cleveland community is just waking up to the unthinkable. Three young people shot and killed, two more injured. And accused is the neighbor, who also is a Cleveland firefighter.
Now, you can see it appears the scene happened right here in front of this lawn at this greenhouse. And you can see signs have already been placed up in remembrance of these young people who lost their lives.
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