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Heat Wave out West, Floods in Texas; Essence Festival Returns to Big Easy; Fred Thompson Doesn't Deny It, But Voters Don't Know He's Been A Life-Long Washington Insider
Aired July 06, 2007 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Just weird weather extremes in much of the country this hour. Under water in Texas, a dreaded deja vu situation there. Heavy rains, drenching a state already soaked by deadly flooding. And record-breaking temperatures out West. A triple-digit health threat that could last for days. More on that in a moment.
But first, meteorologist Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center with the latest on the flooding.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Tony.
This flooding threat has been moved a little farther to the east now. This band of moisture was in Tyler last night. In a 12-hour period, almost 5 inches of rain fell there. So now the bull's-eye shifts a little bit farther to the east.
We're getting reports this morning of flooding in and around the city of Shreveport, Louisiana. You can see that moisture plume heading that way. Also, as a secondary moisture plume takes water from the Gulf of Mexico and dumps it into Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Texas, Lake Charles, and through Lafayette, this is going to be a wet day here.
But the ongoing threat will be northern, I think, Louisiana. This computer model kind of points that out. From northern -- northeast Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas in through western parts of Mississippi. And most importantly, we get most of the heavier rain out of water-logged and soil-saturated Texas.
Still though, very hot out West. That is the flip side to this weather scenario with record-breaking temperatures in California, from 115 at Edwards Air Force Base to Sacramento, 108. And temperatures as far north as Idaho and Oregon.
Also seeing -- we just saw this. Why is that doing that? Anyway, you get the idea, temperatures up and over 100: 113 in Vegas, 111 in Phoenix today. But note how far north the temperatures get into the 100s: 100 in Salt Lake City, 102 in Billings, it was over 100 in Missoula, Montana, yesterday, and it was over 100 in Boise, Idaho.
So temperatures getting close to record-breaking, if not record- breaking as we get towards Canada. Some of this heat tries to sneak off to the east but the bulk of it will stay out West. They will continue to sizzle. They cool down, Tony and Fredricka, to 113 tomorrow in Vegas. That's still dangerously hot.
HARRIS: Relief, not hardly. OK, Rob, thank you.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Sweltering stuff, triple digit temperatures in Utah, not only breaking records but also presenting some pretty unexpected challenges. Here's Keith McCord (ph) from affiliate KSL.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH MCCORD, KSL REPORTER (voice-over): This is not a good time to be on a highway construction crew or being a roofer working with hot tar. Even playing tennis or jogging will certainly wear you out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blazing heat across the Beehive State.
MCCORD: In fact, it's blazing throughout the entire Western U.S. And that's putting a strain on power systems. It makes fighting large wildfires much more difficult. Farmers struggle to keep crops watered. To stay cool being in the water is a popular activity right now.
(on camera): There's a bit of irony here because this week, the Sun and the Earth are about as far apart as they're going to get this year.
(voice-over): Patrick Wiggins (ph), NASA's solar system ambassador for Utah, says our distance from the Sun fluctuates during the year. In January we're the closest at 91 million miles, and right now we're at 94 million. But he says distance from the Sun doesn't dictate the temperature here on Earth. The Earth's tilt does.
PATRICK WIGGINS, NASA: And it just so happens that this time of year, we here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are tilted towards the Sun, that 23.5 degrees or thereabouts, which puts the Sun higher in our sky.
MCCORD: Which means it's up there longer and, as Wiggins puts it, we cook a little longer. And we are certainly cooking in Utah right now. But consider this. Our hot temperatures aren't even close to some of the all-time world records. Libya holds the record at 136 degrees. Death Valley, California has the second-highest reading of 134. And a city in Israel checked in at 129. So it could be worse.
By the way, only 169 days to go before the first day of winter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right. This is another day of triple-digit temperatures for Utah and red flag warnings for wildfires are posted in parts of the state. Let's get on the phone right now with Jeff Akin. Jeff is with -- as we turn our attention back to the flooding that is going on right now in Tyler, Texas. And Jeff is the public information officer for the fire department there in Tyler, Texas. Jeff, thanks for your time this morning.
CAPT. JEFF AKIN, TYLER, TEXAS, FIRE DEPT.: Thank you.
HARRIS: Hey, give me an assessment of the situation on the ground there in your city.
AKIN: Well, we're just getting a lot of rain that we are not accustomed to getting in this area. We have about 18 roadways closed at this time, due to high water and trees that have fallen across the roadways.
HARRIS: Are we talking about flooded-out roads and flooded-out bridges?
AKIN: Yes. Most of the lower-lying areas where the creeks cross the roadways, the water is coming up over the roadways at this point.
HARRIS: How much rain in the overnight hours?
AKIN: I believe we got about more than five inches last night and we had about three the day before. So -- and it's still continuing to rain at this time.
HARRIS: So it's raining now?
AKIN: Yes.
HARRIS: What are the forecasters telling you? How much more rain can you expect?
AKIN: Well, the last forecast I saw, they're calling for rain for the next seven days in this area. And our ground is already saturated to the point that it just can't absorb anymore.
HARRIS: So what does this mean for evacuations of people in Tyler?
AKIN: Well, we're just, you know, recommending that people not try to cross roads that water is standing and not to be around areas where the floodwaters are flowing. You know, asking children to stay back away from those areas. Because people here in Tyler are just not used to these type of situations.
HARRIS: Evacuations necessary? Rescues yet?
AKIN: We have done one rescue where a lady and her child was caught in a car in some high water. We haven't evacuated any areas at this point.
HARRIS: Oh, boy. Jeff Akin, public information officer for the fire department in Tyler, Texas, this morning.
Jeff, appreciate it. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And now to disturbing new allegations. U.S. Marines accused of killing civilians in Iraq. It allegedly took place during the U.S. siege on Falluja in November of 2004. According to several Pentagon officials, a former Marine says his comrades gunned down their eight civilian prisoners. The allegations surfaced when the former Marine applied for a job with the U.S. Secret Service and received a routine polygraph test given to job applicants.
HARRIS: The investigation into the British terror plot expands yet again. Australian police questioning five more doctors about last week's failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, Scotland. All were released. Police say the doctor had apparently communicated with another doctor.
That person is being held in the investigation. That doctor, Muhammad Haneef, was arrested at the airport in Brisbane, Australia, earlier this week. Reportedly he held a one-way ticket to India. His wife says he was simply coming home to see his newborn baby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIRDOUF ASHRIYA, TERROR SUSPECT'S WIFE: We all were going back together. That's why he had made a one-way ticket, so that because if we had already had our ticket, then we will get a separate ticket, me and my baby will get a separate ticket. We had to travel separately. So he didn't want that to happen. That's why he took a one-way ticket and come. And then we plan to go back together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: All eight people now held in the case have links to the medical profession.
WHITFIELD: A federal investigation is launched into threats against a well-known investment firm. The FBI tells CNN that at least nine newspapers have received vague threats against Goldman Sachs. CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is outside the company's building in New York.
And how are things going?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Things are just fine here, Fredricka. Lots of security outside. But that's always the case here, only two blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange. This is, in its entirety, a tight security area.
One of the newspapers, The Newark Star-Ledger, that letter sent. And the letter was written in red ink on loose-leaf paper. It said: "Goldman Sachs. Hundreds will die. We are inside. You cannot stop us." Signed A.Q.U.S.A. It was postmarked on June 27th and mailed from Queens, New York.
Now the FBI has a hold of these letters. They have been analyzing them. And they have determined this threat does not have much credibility. They've told CNN that they have no information about any specific threat against Goldman Sachs other than those letters that were mailed to the newspapers. Goldman Sachs says it has been in touch with the FBI since late last month and it is reassured that this threat is not very credible. Nonetheless, the company is saying in a statement: "We take any threat to the safety of our people very seriously. We are working closely with the law enforcement authorities who tell us they don't believe the threat to be very credible."
Now this is the Goldman Sachs headquarters here on Wall Street, Downtown Manhattan. They do have, though, 28,000 employees all around the globe, in 46 different offices, 46 different cities around the globe.
So, Fredricka, Goldman, a premiere investment banking company. But as I said, they're taking it seriously but not overly concerned here.
WHITFIELD: So we understand Goldman Sachs is sizable, you know, just on the scale of investment companies. But then why would Goldman Sachs be a target?
CHERNOFF: Well, you know, you cannot necessarily -- we don't know, first of all, who actually sent this. Is this just some whacko who just wrote a letter? I mean, we just have no idea at the moment who sent this, a disgruntled employee, disgruntled investor? Absolutely no idea.
I can tell you about Goldman Sachs, that it certainly is a very politically-connected firm. The treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, is a former chief executive. Also the head of the World Bank, Bob Zoellick, is a former executive over here. The governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine, also a former co-chief executive of Goldman Sachs.
They have lots of connections, but, again, we don't know yet who actually mailed these letters. The investigation is continuing. And that's all we can say right now.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Allan Chernoff in New York.
HARRIS: The Iraq War through the eyes of those fighting it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris Tucker (ph) is 24 years old. And despite his mangled feet, failing hearing, nightmares and depression...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man.
KING: ... he's off to Iraq for the third time in four years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN's John King takes a closer look at the toll the war is taking on one soldier and his family. JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. While debate swirls in Washington about changing course in Iraq, an impassioned plea from a commander in Iraq to keep the surge going. I'll have that story just ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: The young and the reckless. Police say an 11-year-old girl leads them on a wild car chase. Stick around. There's another draw-dropping detail you need to know.
WHITFIELD: And Katrina can't keep a good party down. The Essence Music Festival returns to New Orleans. New Orleanians say it all, that the city needs this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A U.S. commander in Iraq deliveries an impassioned plea, don't abandon the mission in Iraq. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre here with the highlights.
And, Jamie, what did we hear out of that Iraq briefing this morning?
MCINTYRE: Well, Tony, just a day after veteran New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici became the latest Republican in Congress to call for a change of direction in Iraq, another ground commander has issued a passionate appeal to maintain the so-called surge.
The plea came at a Pentagon news conference with Major General Rick Lynch who's in command of the southern belt just below Baghdad. And it came in response to my question about how a pullback would affect his ability to carry out his mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: It would be a mess, Jamie. It would be a mess. Those surge forces are giving us the capability we have now to take the fight to the enemy. And the enemy only responds to force and we now have that force. You know, we can conduct detailed kinetic strikes. We can do cordon and searches. And we can deny the enemy the sanctuaries.
If those surge forces go away, that capability goes away. And the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that. So now what you're going to find, if you did that, is you'd find the enemy regaining ground, re-establishing a sanctuary, building more IEDs, carrying those IEDs in Baghdad, and the violence would escalate. It would be a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Lynch's comment comes just one day after a similar assessment provided by his counterpart to the north, Major General Benjamin Mixon, who, in an interview with CNN yesterday said it would be, in his words, a very, very bad idea to do a significant withdrawal. So what's shaping up here, Tony, is a real disconnect between what has been dubbed the Washington clock, the growing pressure to come up with a strategy to bring troops home, and the Baghdad clock, in which U.S. commanders believe it will take much longer to ensure success -- Tony.
HARRIS: Well, speaking of those clocks, General Lynch has to, it seems to me, answer the question of how long do the surge -- so-called surge troops, stay in place and what is going on with the training of the Iraqi security forces?
MCINTYRE: Well, the short answer to that is, they're not coming home any time soon and the Iraqi forces aren't ready. But General Lynch said his -- Lynch's rule of war is that everything takes time and everything takes longer than you think. And what you're hearing from all of the commanders in Iraq is this consensus that it's just going to take much longer than just a few months for them to not just make these gains but to hold on to them.
And that's the essential part. What they've seen in the past is every time they've cleared al Qaeda or insurgents out of an area, they've left and they've just come back. In order to prevent that from happening, what you're hearing from these generals is that they need these extra troops to stay. And that is in direct opposition to the mood back here in Washington, in which people want to see some plan to start drawing down U.S. troops and bringing them home.
HARRIS: Wow. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre for us this morning. Jamie, thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, to say at the very least this war has been divisive, well, now another Republican lawmaker parting ways with President Bush over the Iraq strategy.
CNN congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And then there were three.
SEN. PETE DOMENICI (R), NEW MEXICO: We need a new strategy for Iraq that forces the Iraqi government to do more or else.
KOPPEL: New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici, a veteran Republican lawmaker, and now the third senior Republican senator in recent weeks to publicly break with President Bush over Iraq, joining Indiana's Richard Lugar and Ohio's George Voinovich.
DOMENICI: I'm unwilling to continue our current strategy when the Iraqi government fails to advance the interest of the Iraqi people or even make modest progress towards self-sufficiency.
KOPPEL: Still Domenici said he did not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or a cut in funding for U.S. troops. Instead the New Mexico lawmaker threw his support behind the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which calls for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq by March 2008.
Why now? Domenici told reporters a recent phone call with a father who lost a child in Iraq convinced him that time had come for him to speak out.
DOMENICI: One father said, yes, you were right, Senator, my son wanted to be in that war. He wanted to fight. But now I'm speaking for me, his father, said he, I'm asking you if you couldn't do a little extra, a little more, to see if you can't get the troops back.
KOPPEL: But the six-term Republican who was last elected with 65 percent of the vote is also up for reelection in 2008 in what is considered a battleground state.
(on camera): And he's not alone. Over 20 Republican senators are also up in 2008. A soft spot Democrats plan to use to their advantage next week when they resume their focus on Iraq, with votes scheduled on a number of amendments that will force Republicans to choose sides, to join Democrats in opposing the war or to stand alongside an increasingly unpopular president.
Andrea Koppel, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Still to come, why some travelers get sick when they fly. It may be more than just jet lag.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, coming up here in New Orleans, I'm T.J. Holmes. We're going to explain to you how I only got about an hour worth of sleep last night while a lot of other folks didn't sleep at all. Yes, the Essence Festival has come home to New Orleans. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, perhaps you fly a lot and perhaps you've noticed that sometimes you feel rather lousy after getting off the plane. Well, I spoke earlier with CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen about altitude sickness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You just feel kind of woozy, perhaps, or kind of lethargic, maybe a little achy, generally "yicky (ph)." I know that's not an actual medical term, but I think that kind of explains it. It kind of works.
So, if you feel that way and you're on a plane, you're not alone and you're not crazy. And it's not just the airline food.
WHITFIELD: So, what do you do?
COHEN: Well, there are a couple of things you can do. You can't, obviously, reverse the altitude. You're way up high and there's nothing you can do about that. So -- but there are a few things you can do just to make yourself feel better. First of all, avoid caffeine and alcohol. Their effects are going to be exaggerated. I know. Someone ...
WHITFIELD: I was just thinking of all the coffee drinkers and the alcohol imbibers on the plane.
COHEN: Right. A friend of mine said, just get drunk through the whole flight. Won't that help?
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: Well, not really. You're going to get a much worse hangover than if you were on the ground. Also -- but, of course, drink plenty of water. That's extremely important. Also, use moisturizer and eye drops, because planes are so dehydrating, and you'll just feel better.
Move and stretch. Again, you can't do anything about that altitude, but you'll feel better if you walk around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: You will indeed. Elizabeth says getting a good night's sleep before flying also helps. To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is cnn.com/health.
HARRIS: The "Essence" of music in New Orleans today. The music festival back in the Big Easy after Katrina. Wow. CNN's T.J. Holmes is there, where the music is -- I did get a little distracted. T.J., good morning to you.
WHITFIELD: You know why, T.J.
HOLMES: I was there last night. I was there for that. All right?
WHITFIELD: You two are distracted now.
HOLMES: Well, a lot of people now -- yes, not too bad. I was working, trust me, I was working. I only got about an hour's sleep last night. But I was working, trust me. A lot of people didn't sleep at all because of the partying going on here. Of course, a lot of people always looking for an excuse to party, for some reason.
A birthday, New Year's, whatever it may be. Well, you can't find a better excuse to party than right here in New Orleans right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): They call it a party with a purpose. And this year, the party has come back home, to New Orleans.
HILL HARPER, ACTOR: What's amazing is that folks are just happy to be getting together. You know, and that's what the Essence Festival really reflects. Because it's partying with a purpose. It's music and fun with a purpose, and so that's why I'm here.
HOLMES: Every year since 1995, New Orleans has rolled out the red carpet for this event, except for last year, when Katrina sent the party to Houston. Festival faithful followed it to Houston but are happy to have it back.
CANDACE MATTHEWS, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: We went to Houston and Houston was gracious. They were wonderful, but it wasn't New Orleans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is New Orleans, man. The festival belongs here. This is why we're back.
HOLMES: An estimated 200,000 people will come here for the three-day festival, making an economic impact to the tune of $150 million. The "Essence" of the festival is a series of self-help seminars during the day. That's the purpose. At night, the party. With thousands filing into the Superdome, once a refuge, now a symbol of resurgence in this city.
The crowd is treated to some of the biggest names in music. Gospel, hip-hop, and R&B opened the show. Politics was the final act, starring Senator Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If all of you are ready to not just rebuild New Orleans, but rebuild the New Orleans all across America: on the South Side of Chicago and in New York City and in Los Angeles, and in Houston, all across America.
I'm am absolutely convinced that we will not just win an election this time out, but, more importantly, we are going to transform a country. Thank you very much, everybody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And I'm here now with Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications.
Congratulations on being back. What does it mean to you? Of course, you were happy Houston took you in last year, but what does it mean to be back in New Orleans?
MICHELLE EBANKS, PRES., ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS: To be back in New Orleans is to be back home. You know, what's better than coming back home? So we're thrilled to be here and we're thrilled that with this national event that tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands are coming from around the country and they will spend north of $100 million, which is much needed in the New Orleans economy. And that is very exciting.
HOLMES: Exciting there. It's also exciting, what does it mean for you to be able to pull in a Barack Obama and a Hillary Clinton, want to come here? These two big viable candidates to want to come here? What does that tell you about where your festival is going and what it means culturally?
EBANKS: Well, this festival is a national cultural event. It's one of the most important events on the annual calendar, and especially because it's Fourth of July weekend, Independence Day. So to attract these presidential candidates means a great deal to us and it helps cast the national spotlight on the city of New Orleans and the ongoing recovery. So we're very proud of Essence Music Festival and what it has accomplished.
HOLMES: Finally here, is this the -- a natural marriage? Is this going to be home? Is there any way any city could ever outbid New Orleans to have the Essence Festival? Is this it?
EBANKS: You can never say "it," T.J.
(LAUGHTER)
EBANKS: Come on, you can never do that. But what I can tell you is that New Orleans and Essence, it is the perfect marriage. It is a city that's just built for large events. You can walk from the Convention Center to the Superdome to the French Quarter and you can party all night long. So it's a great place for the Essence Music Festival.
HOLMES: All right. Party all night long. She's not kidding. Michelle Ebanks here, president of Essence Communications. Thank you so much.
EBANKS: Thank you.
HOLMES: Congratulations on being back and so far, so good. A good event that's getting going here.
EBANKS: So far, so good.
HOLMES: All right. Guys, back to you, she's not kidding. You can party all night long. But I swore I was working last night.
WHITFIELD: Yes, you keep emphasizing that. So now I'm starting to wonder.
HARRIS: Right.
WHITFIELD: Sorry, Tony.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: I'm feeling so old, I'm getting tired of the thought of him partying -- of T.J. partying all night long. That is...
WHITFIELD: But he was working...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: How sad is that? All right, T.J., take care, man.
WHITFIELD: Nice job.
HOLMES: All right, guys. HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone. Bottom of the hour. You're back at the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Deadly heat in Idaho. Police say a boy, about 15 months old, was found dead inside a locked car during a blazing heat wave. A woman who was arrested at the scene is now charged with involuntary manslaughter, and felony injury to a child. Our affiliate KXLY reports the woman is the boy's step grandmother.
The mercury in Boise, Idaho, it soared to 104 degrees on Thursday. Breaking the city's previous record. It's expected to be even hotter today. And the next few days, well, apparently won't be too much better. Triple-digit temperatures are expected to stick around for up to a week.
HARRIS: So, the weather in extremes today. That's the story Rob Marciano is following -- that complicated story, for us, there in the CNN Severe Weather Center -- Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Disaster in the sky. Your airplane, imagine this --
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
HARRIS: Your airplane window suddenly shatters. Forces of physics try to pull you to your doom. It happened to that man -- well, not to John. Right there. He tells his story to CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Iraq war, $500 billion, more than 3,500 dead, and more than 25,000 wounded. Bu is that a fair reflection of the true cost? This weekend, CNN's Senior National Correspondent John King takes a look at the toll on the troops. Here now is a preview of his CNN Special Investigations Unit report: "Battlefield Breakdown".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Like the Army, he proudly serves, Sergeant Chris Tucker is hurting. He can't walk in his military issued combat boots. Both feet need surgery. He is near deaf in his right ear. And if the nightmares don't wake him up, his wife, Nicky, often nervously chases him down sleepwalking.
STAFF SGT. CHRIS TUCKER, U.S. ARMY: The next morning when I wake up, finding out that Nicky made me go back to bed because she found me wondering across the house, yelling and screaming, get down, and playing Army with people, it's kind of frustrating.
NICKY TUCKER, SOLDIER'S WIFE: He's in this dream of being in battle. So it is scary because I'm not going to be over there with him in Iraq to stop him from waking up in the middle of the night.
TUCKER: My uniform is here somewhere.
KING: Chris Tucker is 24 years old. Despite his mangled feet, failing hearing, nightmares and depression --
TUCKER: Man!
KING: He's off to Iraq, for the third time in four years. The Army promises help. But says Sergeant Tucker is needed first on the battlefield.
Chris Tucker's first exposure came during the march on Baghdad back in 2003.
TUCKER: There was a big firefight out here, right outside Baghdad.
KING: When then Private Tucker mounted a camera on his tank.
CNN has kept in touch since the beginning. The flashbacks and nightmares started between the first and second deployments.
TUCKER: I wake up places, I don't even know where I'm at. It freaks you out. Wow, that just can't be safe. And, you know, I've had a big problem with my anger and depression.
KING: Counseling and medications have helped some, Tucker told us, when we visited just before he shipped out the third time.
TUCKER: There's not many other places I'd rather be on the battlefield than this place.
KING: First the Army told Tucker he must stay in Iraq five additional months after his commitment runs out next March.
TUCKER: Yeah, I'm kind of banged up, but I think there are many other people in the same position as me.
KING: Banged up and now feeling a bit betrayed. Just as he deployed this bombshell, his tank unit was retasked, assigned to Humvee patrols with Iraqi troops. Not the mission they spent months training for.
Two men in his company died in the first two weeks back.
This is it. No more Army for Chris Tucker.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Sobering stuff. CNN Special Investigations Unit: "Battlefield Breakdown". That airs tomorrow, and Sunday, 8:00 p.m. You don't want to miss it.
HARRIS: You know, for many, he is the answer to their political prayers, but is Fred Thompson as much of a political outsider as some think? CNN's Joe Johns reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): If Fred Thompson decides to run for president, he's likely to hear a lot more of this --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you run as an outsider, if you've had all that experience?
FRED THOMPSON, FMR. U.S. SENATOR: I have never used the word "outsider".
JOHNS: Thompson's career as a Senate lawyer, U.S. senator, and a lobbyist for big corporations --
THOMPSON: You have a cap on that old bald head.
JOHNS: Doesn't jive with his folksy, anti-Washington image. That image emerged during his 1994 Senate race in Tennessee. Thompson rode around in a rented red pickup truck and attacked Washington in relentless campaign ads.
(BEGIN POLITICAL AD CLIP)
THOMPSON: They have no idea, do they, the career politician. We need somebody on the inside of that place fighting for us.
(END POLITICAL AD CLIP)
CRAIG HOLMAN, PUBIC CITIZEN: Fred Thompson is no political outsider. That label is just a mistake. Fred Thompson is known on Capitol Hill as the "Access Man".
JOHNS: Thompson spent two decades as a big-time lobbyists.
THOMPSON: I've had half a dozen lobbying clients who wanted a seat at the table.
JOHNS: But questions are likely, on the campaign trail, about some of his clients. Former Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, was accused of endorsing the use of burning, soaked in gasoline, as a way of killing opponents; the Tennessee Savings & Loan League, which had Thompson push for S&L deregulation. That legislation hastened an industry collapse and a $150 billion taxpayer payout.
Thompson also raised money for Scooter Libby whose sentence was just commuted by the president. But will any of this matter to voters?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While most Republican primary voters, the issue we're talking about are very popular. Defending Scooter Libby is a hugely popular cause amongst Republican conservatives.
JOHNS: If he gets the nomination, he'll draw fire from Democrats who just charged that Thompson is -- you guessed it -- a Washington insider. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Microsoft gets beaten by its own game. I'm Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange. I'll give you the latest on Xbox, coming up in the NEWSROOM. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: More news coming up, but it's important for you to look around the world, be global.
HARRIS: OK.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, so "Your World Today" at the top of the hour. Ralitsa Vassileva is in the control room and getting for the big show.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN INT'L. ANCHOR, YOUR WORLD TODAY: Absolutely, Fredricka and Tony.
Unfortunately, we will have to start with a parent's worst nightmare. A three-year-old British girl kidnapped in restive Niger Delta. Her parents are now hearing what the kidnappers want in return for her release. We're following that story, we'll bring you the latest.
Also, fears are growing for the wellness of women and children in the mosque under siege in Pakistan's capital. The top cleric there says he and his militant followers are prepared to die inside, rather than surrender. The tense standoff now in its fourth day. We'll tell you about it.
And then a different kind of story. We'll tell you why Al Gore has invited all of us to a global worldwide party. We'll tell you why he signed up more than 100 performers for a 24-hour concert on all seven continents.
Maybe you'll be watching this, this weekend.
HARRIS: Wow.
WHITFIELD: Yes, we will. It's a huge undertaking.
VASSILEVA: It has to do with "An Inconvenient Truth."
WHITFIELD: Of course. All right, Ralitsa, thank you so much.
VASSILEVA: Thank you, guys. Have a good weekend.
HARRIS: You, too.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, you too.
HARRIS: A red flashing light is usually not a good sign when it comes to electronics and it is a problem that is going to cost the maker of the Xbox 360 big bucks. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange to explain.
Good morning, Stephanie.
ELAM: Hi, Tony. We're talking about more than $1 billion to be specific. The maker happens to be Microsoft. And they say they're taking a huge charge to fix what it calls, quote, "an unacceptable number of repairs." And that has to do with the Xbox 360 video game consoles.
The hardware issue is indicated by three flashing lights on the system. The company also says it missed shipment targets for the end of June by about 400,000. But Microsoft is still leading in the latest console war. So far 5.6 million Xbox 360 units have been sold to customers in the U.S., that compares with less than 3 million Nintendo Wii units and just 1.4 million Sony PlayStation3s.
Many expected a price cut on the PS3 to help spur sales, but Sony reportedly says that is not in the cards right.
Also keep in mind, Microsoft began selling the Xbox 360 a year before the other two, so it has a little leg up right now, Tony.
HARRIS: Yeah, well, I'm an Xbox owner. I'm not happy. What is that giant mega-corporation, Microsoft, going to do to make me whole?
ELAM: Are you not happy because your kids are playing it all the time?
HARRIS: I'm not happy because I bought the darn thing.
ELAM: Right. That's what I thought. It has nothing to do with the product, right?
HARRIS: No.
ELAM: All right, well, to appease customers, Microsoft is extending its warranty coverage to three years, but only for people who see those red lights. The company will also reimburse anyone who previously paid for repaired to that problem.
It also made improvements so new buyers won't have the same issue. Well, that's a good thing.
Despite that news, shares of Microsoft are virtually flat. As for the overall markets, stocks have picked up the pace over the last hour. Investors are sorting through the latest report on the nation's job market. It showed better-than-expected job growth last month. Take a look at the markets right now. The Dow up 48 points, up about a third of a percent at 13,613. The Nasdaq is better by 0.25 of a percent. Same thing going for the S&P 500.
But keep in mind, volume is light as many traders have extended their Fourth of July vacations. Lucky little devils -- unlike us. Right, Tony?
HARRIS: Uh-huh.
ELAM: I'm happy to be here, though, with you. HARRIS: Thank you, thank you.
There you go. Wasn't sweet.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, I love it.
HARRIS: That was so sweet I'm getting a cavity here.
Stephanie, have a great weekend.
ELAM: You too, guys, take care.
WHITFIELD: Thanks.
Well, an amazing story of survival in the sky. An air ambulance nurse is almost sucked out of the window of a plane at 20,000 feet. Chris Fogg shared the frightening details with CNN's AMERICAN MORNING's John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS FOGG, AIR AMBULANCE NURSE: It was so fast, it really pulled me right out. I didn't even -- you know, anything until I was outside. But it did -- it shook me up quite a bit.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: I would expect it would. Did you have a sense of where you were?
FOGG: Well, when I -- when my head was forced down to my chest. I did see the tail of the plane pretty clearly. And then my headset, that I was wearing, was hitting the side of the plane.
ROBERTS: What was the plane going, about 240, 250 miles an hour?
FOGG: About 200 miles an hour. We were still in the climb. We were climbing from 20,000 to 22,000. So they say it was about 200 miles an hour.
ROBERTS: So not only was it the explosive decompression that had pulled you out of the plane, but then the forward motion, as well, was jamming you against the side of the window. How did you manage to get back in?
FOGG: You know -- I -- it was like the struggle of my life, you know. I was working as hard as I possibly could. And I was lucky that my left hand, as a reflex, went up to the ceiling to hold the wall and my knees went against the wall. I was pulling for all my might. I guess it just wasn't my day to die.
ROBERTS: How did you manage to work your way back inside the plane?
FOGG: Well, I was just pulling and pulling, and finally, my chest came away from the wall of the plane enough that more wind went by me, and broke the suction that was pulling me out. And I just -- with all the energy, I just fell right back into the plane.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Whew! That's one lucky man. Fogg was on a critical care flight from Twin Falls, Idaho to Seattle. He suffered head lacerations and a cut to his arm but miraculously that was it.
HARRIS: Can you believe that? >
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
HARRIS: And still to come this morning, East Texas can't seem to turn the spigot off. Flash-flood warnings posted this morning for several counties. Meteorologist Rob Marciano keeps us up to date.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Here's a story we're following here in the NEWSROOM for you this morning.
Federal agents, you see here in the pictures provided by our CNN affiliate WAVY in Virginia, federal agents have searched the Surrey County property. Another search, this is the property owned by NFL Quarterback Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons.
Sources are telling our affiliate, WAVY, that the agents are looking for more animal remains buried on the property. You may recall that in April, agents seized nearly 70 live dogs, mostly pit bulls, on the property as well as dog carcasses, in a more recent search. There have been up to four searches now of the property.
Investigators also found equipment commonly used in dog fighting. That's what's at the heart of this investigation. Vick has maintained he doesn't live at the home, that a relative lives there.
The United States Department of Agriculture is the agency investigating this case. And no charges have been filed. But this is an ongoing investigation, Fred. We will continue to follow developments in this story, as they pertain to Michael Vick, quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons.
WHITFIELD: And now, the young and the reckless. Police say an 11-year-old girl leads them on a wild car chase. Stick around, there's another jaw-dropping detail that you need to know about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Bet you didn't know, now you do; two big birthdays today. President Bush, 61. Celebrating, he took in a baseball game last night between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs. There he is, enjoying himself with company, plus.
There was a big party at the White House on the Fourth of July, featuring many of the pro golfers who are in the Washington area, for the Tiger Woods tournament.
HARRIS: That's right. WHITFIELD: He was the guest of honor, so were they.
Then, this woman right here, the former first lady, Nancy Reagan; she is also celebrating a birthday today. She turns 86.
Free birthday cake being handed out to visitors at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in the Simi Valley, California area.
HARRIS: Have you heard about the Alabama surprise? Orange Beach police say the driver of this red car led them on a crazy chase, speeds topping 100 miles an hour, it ended with a car crashing and rolling. The driver, and 11-year-old girl! And there's more! Police say she was driving under the influence, Fred.
The girl faces a long list of charges, including, DUI.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
Well, the CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.
HARRIS: Your World Today is next, with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Have a great day.
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