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Suspected Terrorist Attack in Western China; Dramatic Rescue Attempt on K2 Mountain; Airfare Going Up This Summer as Much as 200 Percent; Two Dozen Protesters Clashed with Police in Beijing; Children Pushed to the Limit to Win Olympic Gold

Aired August 04, 2008 - 08:00   ET

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

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Kiran, just past the top of the hour. Breaking news this morning, just days before the start of the Beijing Olympics, a suspected terrorist attack in Western China. At least 16 officers killed at a border police station. Chinese state-run media said two attackers crashed a truck into the station and detonated two grenades. Both suspects were arrested.
And a dramatic rescue attempt on the world's second largest mountain. These are pictures of K2 in Pakistan shot back in 2003. Two Dutch climbers were just rescued by helicopters there this morning. At least 11 others are missing and feared dead after an ice avalanche near the summit.

And from Colorado to Texas, it's another day of blistering heat. People in Dallas are expected to suffer through an 11th straight day of triple-digit temperatures. It was a record 107 in Dallas, Sunday. The heat wave is being blamed for at least three deaths in that city.

And people along the coast of Texas and Louisiana are bracing for Tropical Storm Edouard. It could be a hurricane by the time it comes ashore tomorrow morning.

CNN's Reynolds Wolf is tracking this storm from the CNN weather center in Atlanta.

Hello again, Reynolds. What's the latest?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Rob, the latest we have on the storm is it is still chugging along moving to the west at this point. Let's go right to the weather computer and show you the latest details that we have.

Moving to the west. It's drop a little bit in terms of its forward speed. Now, it's gone from nine to eight miles per hour. But the winds still at 50 miles per hour, gusting to 65. It's 288 miles away from Galveston, Texas.

Now, as it stands, we still have those -- we have those tropical storm warnings that are in effect from Cameron back over to mouth of Mississippi. Also with the hurricane watch that is in effect from Cameron, Louisiana, back over to Port O'Conner.

Now, what we anticipate as the storm gets a little bit closer, we've got heavy surf action all along the Louisiana and Texas coastline. Right now, the latest forecast, Rob, brings it to the west and the northwest at 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday with winds of 70 miles per hour. It's forecasted to be a tropical storm.

However, you'll remember back in 2005, Hurricane Wilma went from just a minimal hurricane to a category 5 storm. One of the strongest ever recorded in less than 24 hours. I'm not saying this storm is going to be a Cat 5, but there's the possibility certainly of it strengthening to hurricane force before it makes landfall sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Rob, that's the latest we got for you. Let's send it back to you in New York.

MARCIANO: And as you know, Reynolds, you with Hurricane Dolly, that was suppose to come ashore as a minimal hurricane. It flared up to a Cat 2. Umberto last year flared up to a hurricane. It was supposed to be a tropical storm. So, the Texas coastline certainly bears watching. Thanks for (INAUDIBLE).

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF: It just gets crazy.

MARCIANO: You bet, man. All right, Reynolds. Thank you -- Kiran.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: We have some new information this morning about the man suspected in the post-9/11 anthrax attacks. We're now learning a social worker who counselled Bruce Ivins had a restraining order taken out against him shortly before he committed suicide.

Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, we heard from Ivins' former colleague Jeffrey Adamovicz, who said that he does not think Ivins could be responsible for the anthrax attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY ADAMOVICZ, BRUCE IVINS FORMER COLLEAGUE: Those of us who have known Bruce have never seen that side of him. You know, it's very difficult for us to really get wrap our heads around that concept that he had this in his personality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Meantime, our Brianna Keilar explains just how the FBI investigation led them to Ivins.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran and Rob. CNN has learned from sources familiar with the investigation that there is DNA evidence linking the anthrax used in the 2001 mailings to a flask used in Bruce Ivins' Army laboratory. We've also learned more about Ivins' troubling behavior.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR (voice-over): As federal prosecutors grew closer to charging Bruce Ivins in connection with the anthrax attacks, his therapist Jean Duley told a Maryland judge in late July that she was "scared to death" of Ivins and sought a temporary retraining order against him.

In court tapes obtained by "The New York Times," Duley described a murder plot the troubled scientist laid out during a group therapy session.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JEAN DULEY, IVINS' THERAPIST: That he had bought a bullet proof vest, had obtained a gun, a very detailed plan to kill his coworkers. That he was going to take everybody out with him.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KEILAR: After that therapy session, Duley started the process to have Ivins involuntarily committed to a high security mental health facility.

But many people are skeptical the FBI has got it right this time, especially after repeated mistakes throughout the seven-year investigation.

Jeffrey Adamovicz, a former bacteriology chief who worked with Ivins for 12 years at Fort Detrick's biodefense lab says it would have been nearly impossible for Ivins to pull off the attacks.

JEFF ADAMOVICZ, FORMER COLLEAGUE OF IVINS: The labs were not equipped, for instance, with a lot of the equipment that would have been required to supposedly dry this material down and create the highly refined state that it was in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Sources familiar with the investigation say authorities may publicly released their evidence against Ivins as soon as this week, and then go ahead and close the case. According to those sources that would happen after a federal judge unseals grand jury evidence and officials brief the families of those who were killed and injured in the 2001 attacks -- Kiran, Rob.

CHETRY: Brianna, thanks.

Coming up in about 20 minutes, we'll be joined by former Senator Tom Daschle. He's one of those -- the one who received an anthrax- laced letter. It was sent to his office back in 2001. We're going to ask him about some of the hot-button topics also in the upcoming presidential election. He's the national co-chairman of the Obama campaign. So, we'll have a lot to talk about.

MARCIANO: Airfare is going up sky high this summer as 200 percent. How about that number? It's shocking to me. 200 percent from a year ago. Find out which routes and where are the biggest increases. That's coming up, ahead.

CHETRY: The incredible pressure to be the best.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Young people (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Children as young as 6 years old pushed to the limit to win Olympic gold. What's behind this disturbing drive for perfection? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: There he is. Brett Favre and there's major league cheering going on amongst the Cheeseheads, because Brett is back in Green Bay. Being reinstated by the NFL yesterday after retiring after last year's last season. The team had said that, well, they're not sure if he can vie for the starting position, but the current official starter, Aaron Rodgers, says if that competition happens during camp, he is ready for a fight.

CHETRY: It's hard to concentrate with LL Cool J blasting in the background as you try to read, right?

MARCIANO: I didn't know that Brett Favre was an LL Cool J fan.

CHETRY: Maybe he is.

MARCIANO: But it certainly gets everybody fired up.

CHETRY: Exactly. All right. We'll see what happens with that.

Meanwhile, Allan Chernoff is in for Ali Velshi. He joins us now.

What do you got for us? First it was 99 cent gas, and now?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, you've got to earn the salary like that the quarterback if you want to fly in the air these days. I mean, the airfares -- they are soaring right now compared to last year. On average, up about 15 percent.

But "USA Today" did a little survey. They asked some of those dot-coms that track the airfares. They found some airfares up by more than 200 percent.

Have a look at some of these fares. If you live in Chicago, you may stay away from O'Hare. Have a look at that. Chicago to Minneapolis, an increase of 276 percent. It will cost you $406 right now. It's essentially a buck a mile you're paying over there.

For Chicago and wants to go to Charlotte, you're paying $432 right now. Look at those increases. We're talking triple what they were only a year ago. Now, why is this happening? Because the airlines are on the verge of losing billions and billions of dollars. A very tough year for the airlines.

So, you know that they are going to try to stick it to everyone as much as they can to minimize those losses.

MARCIANO: Well, let's say hypothetically the price of oil continues to come down. We get the puppy below 100 bucks a barrel; you think those prices of the airline tickets are going to come down?

CHERNOFF: I -- they're going to keep them as high as they possibly can. If they can raise a fare and it sticks, they are keeping it because they are in deep, deep trouble. It's not like a gas station that just has to respond to the climbing price of oil. These airlines are struggling to stay in the air.

CHETRY: It will be interesting, though, if this turns out to backfire in terms of flying being cost prohibitive. People saying, you know what, it's not worth it -- not to fly.

CHERNOFF: Part of what's happening, though, is that the airlines are cutting their capacity. There are fewer routes right now. So, even if more people pull back and say, I'm not flying, for the airlines, well, they can deal with it because there's less to fly out there.

MARCIANO: She's just looking for an excuse not to go and visit the in-laws.

CHETRY: Yes, or to drive to Disneyworld. No.

MARCIANO: That's a long trip, you know, for sure.

CHETRY: Thanks, Allan.

Well, the McCain campaign accusing Barack Obama of playing the race card. We're going to hear what Barack Obama says about that in his own words.

MARCIANO: And just four days before Beijing hosts the Summer Olympics, a protest near Tiananmen Square. Police called in to maintain order. A look at what's behind the demonstration. You are watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. A look now at the stories making news around the world. Two dozen protesters clashed with police just south of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The protesters are saying that they were kicked out of their homes to make way for the new stores like Nike and Starbucks that are scheduled to open later this week ahead of the Olympics. Many centuries-old neighborhoods have been razed to make room for Olympic tourists.

Meanwhile, Beijing is putting the finishing touches on its preparation. A countdown clock in Tiananmen Square is ticking off the second until Friday's opening ceremonies. The Olympic torch arrived at the stadium yesterday in the earthquake-ravaged town of Mianyang.

And China is hoping to clean up in gold medals. Winning has become so important that children are being trained as young as 6 years old. Their bodies put through physical rigors all in the quest for glory. And some are asking, "Is China going too far in its quest for victory?" CNN's John Vause takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN BEIJING CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rural recruits in China's Olympic army. Children as young as 6, handpicked by the state for a remote chance to be national heroes.

Here, they're pushed to their limits and sometimes beyond. Little girls barely old enough to walk to school, walking on their hands for three minutes. Then 60 sit-ups. Balancing on bars.

Zhang Liang, Yanyan's father, says he pushes his little girl because sporting success can mean a life of ease and privilege, the likes he has never seen.

She's not very happy about the training, he says. She doesn't want to go. Her mother and I encourage her and she listens to us.

VAUSE: And from there, the pressure only increases.

JOSEPH CAPOUSEK, FMR. COACH, CHINA CANOEING/KAYAKING: Everybody talk here about second or third place or silver or bronze medal. You are a loser.

VAUSE: Joseph Capousek was hired to coach China's canoeing and kayaking team. Over the years, he guided Germany to 18 Olympic gold medals, but less than six weeks before the Games, officials say he quit. He says he was fired for refusing to push his squad relentlessly seven days a week.

(on camera): More than 20 foreign coaches were hired by China to train their Olympic hopefuls. Recently, at least four have either quit or been fired. Another reportedly stripped of all authority, while others speak privately of being berated for not running their programs like military camps. That's an allegation Chinese officials have repeatedly denied in the past. But when asked for a comment by CNN, there was no response.

(voice-over): An indication of the pressure to do well, recently China's President made an unprecedented visit to many athletes, saying the nation was looking forward to good news.

While a recent study by a Beijing hospital found 14 percent of China's national divers had damaged retinas because of heavy training, a percentage doctors describe as staggeringly high.

Basketball star Yao Ming will play despite suffering a stress fracture in his foot several months ago.

For the coach of Liu Xiang, the hurdler who became a national hero after winning gold in Athens, told a state media last year that government officials have warned, "If Liu cannot win another gold medal in Beijing, all his previous achievements will be meaningless."

These Olympics with their flashy stadiums and minute attention to every detail are all about telling the world, we're here. And for China, it seems, nothing says that more than a record-breaking haul of Olympic gold. No matter the price.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, his office was a target of the anthrax attacks that rattled America right after 9/11. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle joins us live with reaction to the chief suspect's suicide. Plus, his take on the investigation.

And you need a lot more than just brief edited snippets of the candidates, don't you? So, every day we're playing extended clips of the candidates so you can hear them on the issues in their own words. Barack Obama next on race on the campaign trail. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Welcome back to the "Most Politics in the Morning" In an effort to make you a more informed voter on this presidential election, we're playing longer excerpts of each candidate so you can hear what they're saying on the campaign trail on the issues in their own words. Here's Democrat Barack Obama talking about race in the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I don't come out of central casting when it comes to presidential races, for a whole range of reasons. I'm young. I'm new to the national scene. My name is Barack Obama. I am African- American. I was born in Hawaii. I spent time in Indonesia. I do not have the typical biography of a presidential candidate.

What that means is that I'm sort of unfamiliar, and people are still trying to get a fix on who I am, where I come from, and what my values are and so forth, in a way that might not be true if I seemed more familiar.

And so, what I think, you know, has been an approach to the McCain campaign is to say, he's risky, to try to divert focus from the fact that they don't have any new ideas when it comes to fixing the economy or dealing with health care or dealing with education. And all of those elements that make me unfamiliar, you know, feed into this notion that he may be a, quote, unquote, "risky choice."

At that point I don't think is disputable. I don't think that's a point that has not been made by every single one of your publications. That you guys haven't pulled on repeatedly. It's a fact. And that -- so let me be clear. In no way do I think that John McCain's campaign was being racist. I think they're cynical. And I think they want to distract people from talking about the real issues.

And so, it's of a piece with Britney-Paris ad or the most recent Web site or the allegation that somehow I wouldn't go visit the troops unless I had reporters with me which every reporter on the trip knows is absolutely not true.

And you know, so it goes to the point I was making earlier, their team is good at creating distractions and engaging in negative attacks and planting doubts about people. And what we've got to do is make sure that we are very clear to the American people about how my policies will make a difference in their lives.

They can have confidence that I'm going to be fighting for them and I am absolutely confident that the people in Union, Missouri, or Jacksonville, Florida, or any other city or town across the country, at the end of the day, is going to be making their decisions based on what they think is going to be best for their lives and their children's lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: And in about half an hour, we'll hear from John McCain talking about attack ads.

CHETRY: Well, as new evidence is revealed in the anthrax letter case, one victim is voicing his anger about it. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, he was one of the people targeted by the deadly letters. We're going to ask him why he is still not satisfied with the investigation when he joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Barack Obama getting set to unveil details of his energy plan to the American public this morning. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle is a national co-chairman of the Obama campaign. He joins us now from our Washington Bureau to talk about that as well as the latest developments in the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning, Senator.

FMR. SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D), FMR. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: My pleasure.

CHETRY: Now, for people that don't remember, your office was one of the targets. You got sent an anthrax letter. It was addressed to you back in 2001. Now, have federal authorities briefed you about the investigation after this apparent suicide of Bruce Ivins, the man that they now say is their key suspect?

DASCHLE: We haven't had any contact with the FBI or any other legal authorities. I haven't packed and briefed for now over five years. So, I've been completely left out with regard to any understanding of the progress of the investigation or what these latest developments may mean.

CHETRY: So, now they say that it looks like they may be wrapping up their investigation within days. Are you satisfied?

DASCHLE: Well, I'm not. I'm not satisfied. In part because I think they haven't been as forthcoming, not only with me, but with the American people about the status of this investigation.

I also haven't seen the evidence. And I think that given their chequered past and the difficulty that they had in getting to this point, the bungling of the Hatfield part of the investigation leads me to be very skeptical.

CHETRY: All right. Well, of course, there are still questions that need to be answered. Maybe we'll get more details as they begin to reveal more about the investigation.

Meantime, I want to ask you about some of the goings-on on the campaign trail. One of them is the -- is Barack Obama this weekend seeming to change his position a little, saying that he would support an expansion of offshore drilling if it was under the confines of a bipartisanship energy bill.

Critics are saying this is an example of him flip-flopping or changing his position. What do you say to that?

DASCHLE: Well, just to the contrary. Actually, Barack Obama has been supportive of offshore drilling for some time. What he has always said is that we've got 68 million acres that we could begin to use first. And we ought to use what we've already set aside for this purpose.

But he's also said that any solution to energy or health or the economy is going to take real bipartisanship. You've got ten senators, all of whom work together to try to come to this, this compromise. It isn't what he would propose, but it's certainly something he could support given the fact that we've got to move forward.

This isn't his first choice. There are a lot of other alternatives, but he is willing to support it in the effort to try to find the bipartisan solutions this country so badly needs.

CHETRY: Now, you say that this is something he was always in support of. Recently, though, he said that he was not for offshore oil drilling. There were other solutions, that offshore oil drilling would not yield a drop of oil, you know, in this side of a decade.

DASCHLE: Well, what he has said is that from the beginning there is a lot of other -- a set of other options that are far more immediate, far more successful, but he has noted that we have the 68 million acres that we haven't begun to use yet. We've got to look at that. We've got to explore. We've got to examine all the possibilities. This is not his first choice. But it is one that he's prepared to accept.

CHETRY: All right. He's also going to detail some of the other elements of his energy plan in a speech a little bit later today. One of them is talking about this windfall profits tax on big oil companies. And to use some of that money to give immediate relief in the form of some sort of rebate check to families and to individuals. Now, earlier he criticized Senator McCain's notion of a gas tax holiday, saying that it is was gimmicky, that it could be a short-term solution, but it really wasn't a long-term answer. How would these rebate checks be different?

DASCHLE: Well, these rebate checks are exactly what the Congress passed a few months ago, along with the president, we've actually put money back in the pockets of Americans and virtually everybody, including Ben Bernanke has said it has an impact. What Barack is saying now we need to go to round two. We need to do that again, because the recession, the problems we're facing economically are very, very serious. Not only that, but gas prices continue to go up. So, some relief with regard to gas prices, some way by which to generate more economic activity and - and the incentives that this could mean is exactly the approach that many economists have suggested we use.

CHETRY: Well, Barack Obama and also Dick Durbin have said to pay for these stimulus checks, that the Senate - that they would need to take a, "reasonable share of oil company profits." Not really explaining what a reasonable share would be. But when you talk about paying more, for example, between 2003 and 2007, Exxon Mobil paid nearly $65 billion in U.S. taxes. Wouldn't adding a windfall tax to these companies empty the free market and make it harder for them to compete on a global level?

DASCHLE: Well, Exxon just in the last quarter made $12 billion. We've never seen record profits like that in all of American history. So, what Barack is simply saying is that where we've seen these windfall profits, where we've seen this extraordinary income generated in such a short period of time, some ability to use our revenues to allow us the opportunity to - to help those who are victimized by those very profits. Victimized by the sense of inequity and pressure economically that they're feeling have to be addressed. This is his plan. This is what the bipartisan effort has been in the past with the Congress and the White House. He believes the time has come for us to do it again. If it worked the first time, it could even work better the second.

CHETRY: Tom Daschle, always great to see you. Thanks for being with us this morning.

DASCHLE: My pleasure.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some of the other stories we're following this morning. Verizon expects business as usual today. The company is in talks with labor unions representing 65,000 workers. Contracts were due to expire yesterday. But both sides agreed to stop the clock, so everyone could keep working while negotiations continue.

The average price for a gallon of glass falling again this morning. It's now $3.88, according to AAA. That's the 18th day in a row where the price of gas fell. And oil is holding steady at $125 a barrel this morning in early trading. And for the second time in less than a month, the Gulf of Mexico is bracing for another possible hurricane. Tropical storm Edouard gaining strength and could be a hurricane when it makes landfall tomorrow. Emergency teams in Texas have been activated.

CNN is your hurricane headquarters. And Reynolds Wolf is live for us at the CNN Weather Center with the latest on tropical storm Edouard. Hi, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Rob. You know, we've only seen one big change. It's not even a tremendous change in the forecast or with the storm. When the biggest thing we've seen happen over the last hour or so, just before the progress of the storm still moving to the west, but it's dropped a little bit of its forward speed, going from nine to about eight miles per hour. Now, you could argue that this is something you don't want to see happen, because the slower the storm moves, the more time it has over the open water and the minimal shear environment with plenty of warm water. This is the possibility for it strengthening really does enhance so to speak. So we really have to watch it for you very carefully.

What we do have at this point? Well, we've got tropical storm watches there in effect for much of the Louisiana coastline and at this time we have a hurricane watch in effect from right near, I'd say, Galveston southward to about Corpus Christi. So there is that possibility that people are going to be dealing with increasing - I can say deterioration conditions. The waves are going to start picking up. The skies will become overcast and with that the heavy rainfall and, of course, the wind really intensifying as we make our way through the overnight hours and to tomorrow. That is the latest, Rob. We'll send it back to you.

MARCIANO: And do you have your bags packed, Reynolds? I assume your -

WOLF: I'm ready to rock 'n' roll.

MARCIANO: We'll see you out there tomorrow morning, for sure. Thanks.

CHETRY: You didn't want to say better you than me?

MARCIANO: I'm more than happy to go. For sure.

CHETRY: You just made your trip up here to New York instead.

Well just in to AMERICAN MORNING, former president Bill Clinton speaking out about allegations that he made racist comments during his wife's, Hillary's, presidential run. Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Clinton said he won't reveal more about his thoughts until January. He denied making any racist remarks about Barack Obama. Clinton was asked if he had any regrets about his wife's campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yes, but nothing I want to say, and it would be counterproductive for me to talk about. There are things that I wish I urged her to do, things I wish I had said, things I wish I hadn't said. But I am not a racist. I never made a racist comment and I didn't attack him personally. I wish I -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Clinton said that he received bad press because he told the truth, namely his comments that a different standard was being applied to his wife.

MARCIANO: Going negative to score political points. Hear how John McCain is responding to those charges from the Obama campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY (voice-over): The rebirth of a classic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.

CHETRY: "Hair" back on stage in the Big Apple.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning star shine.

CHETRY: See why the legendary play is connecting with a whole new audience. You're watching the most news in the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our economy began to heal.

MOSES: Behold his mighty hand!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: The most politics in the morning now. And as we've been telling you, we're playing longer excerpts of each candidate so that you can hear what they're saying in their own words on the issues as the election approaches. It's part of our commitment to help you make an informed choice in the presidential election now just three months away. So, here's John McCain addressing questions about attack ads in the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At least tell us the thinking behind about this new web ad that mocks Obama as a messiah-like figure.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ah, we were having some fun. We were having some fun with our supporters that we sent it out to. And we're going to display a sense of humor in this campaign. I noticed a couple of days ago that Senator Obama challenged me to a duel. Well, light sabers is my weapon of choice.

But, seriously, if we have differences, we should have appeared at the Urban League Convention today. I've asked him time after time to appear with me on the same stage so we can discuss the issues that are important to the American people. So, I look forward to people across this country saying appear together, appear in town hall meetings and discuss the issues that are important to the United States of America. Kelly.

KELLY: First of all, Senator, the political video today does use religious imagery, some people might have questions about that. And where does mocking, as it has been described by some of your critics, no longer include a respectful campaign? Where is the line for you?

MCCAIN: This is - this is a very respectful campaign. I repeated my admiration and respect for Senator Obama. That clip is Charlton Heston. It's a movie, a film. A movie. So, I really appreciated the movie, and I appreciated Charlton Heston's magnificent acting skills as I saw it. But yes -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator, are you going to steal our governor for vice president?

MCCAIN: I think that your governor has earned a place in the republican party, not just in the state of Florida, but nationally. He's a great leader. And I think that obviously he has a major role to play in the republican party, and this nation in the future. We aren't talking about the process. But everybody knows the respect and appreciation I have for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, you're receiving a lot of criticism of late for making this campaign go negative. Have you - are you at fault for bringing - for making this campaign negative, and why not keep it focused on the issues as opposed to Obama's character?

MCCAIN: Well, I don't think it's negative. I think we're drawing the differences between us. I think that - that the videos that we had was about taxes and about energy. That's what we want this campaign to be about is the -- is the differences in our positions. And why don't we - why don't we stand together at a town hall meeting? That's what we offered and asked for. His answer was that we would have one additional debate, and that would be on the fourth of July. So, I don't think campaign is negative in the slightest. I haven't - we think it's got a lot of humor in it, and we're having fun and enjoying it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: A Broadway classic revive.

UNIDENTIFIED VOICES: Let the sunshine -

CHETRY: The legendary musical that spawned some of the '60s biggest hits.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning star shine - CHETRY: "Hair" is back, and it may be as relevant now as it was 40 years ago. You're watching the most news in the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: "Hair" is back, and it's free. 40 years after the Vietnam-era musical made its debut to much controversy, it's now back. The show's original producer, the Public Theater, is showing it free in Central Park here in New York. Our Lola Ogunnaike reports that it may not be the age of Aquarius, but hallelujah, we adore it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You've heard the song.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius - good morning star shine - let the sunshine.

OGUNNAIKE: But do you know that they all came from the same groundbreaking show?

UNIDENTIFIED VOICES: Aquarius -

OGUNNAIKE: Classics like "Aquarius," "Good morning Star Shine" and "Let the sun shine in." All from the hit 1968 musical "Hair." But beneath the catchy songs and melodies - a story that captured the turbulence of the 1960s. Opposition to the Vietnam war, the fight for civil rights, and hippies hoping for peace and free love.

JAMES RADO, CO-AUTHOR/LYRICIST, "HAIR": It was very much about the moment, what was happening in the subculture we wanted to bring to the straight people, the Broadway audience.

OGUNNAIKE: 40 years later "Hair" manages to remain relevant and there are some undeniable parallels to today's world. Polls show that a majority of Americans are opposed to the war in Iraq and one of the words we've heard the most during this election is "change."

DIANE PAULUS, DIRECTOR "HAIR": I've found that audiences are responding to the show because we are at a moment in our culture, in our society, where we're feeling the need to speak up again.

OGUNNAIKE: And "Hair's" actors bare a lot more than their souls. The musical's most famous nude scene was unheard of in 1968, and still manages to shock even today. Are some audiences more shocked than others?

JONATHAN GROFF, ACTOR "CLAUDE," "HAIR": People are more comfortable with violence and guns than they are seeing someone in their just naked, natural body and what does that mean and what does that mean to us in the audience?

OGUNNAIKE: But it's the music, and the lyrics, that have brought audiences back for more than four decades. GROFF: "Let the sun shine in", for example, seems such like a happy, lovely song, which it is, but it's also a cry for hope and a cry for change. The sun shine in -

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: Wow, and you talk about timing. And it's very interesting how a play, a musical from 40 years ago has so much relevance today.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes, it's still extremely relevant which is essentially why we decided to do the piece now. You've got a war that some people are not happy about. You've got a lot of unrest. You've got to talk about the environment. All the themes that they tackled so many years ago are still resonating.

CHETRY: And potentially the first black president of the United States.

OGUNNAIKE: Exactly and it's still also resonant which in a way is a little sad, because you would thing that we would have moved on, passed on all of this but in fact, we're still grappling with the same issues four decades later.

CHETRY: Very interesting. It's gotten some good reviews so far.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes. It was a huge hit when it first came out in the 60s and it was really revolutionary. It opens officially on Thursday but "Time" magazine already had this to say, Kiran, "today "Hair" seems anything more daring than ever."

CHETRY: Back then it was considered pretty daring. Wow.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

CHETRY: Lola Ogunnaike, great to see you. Thanks.

OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.

MARCIANO: CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes away. Heidi Collins is in the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead. Good morning, Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Rob. Tropical troubles, boy, that's for sure on the NEWSROOM rundown. Edouard on track to becoming a hurricane before it takes aim at the Houston area.

Plus, triple-digit heat today from Texas to Illinois.

Do you recognize either of these men? Well, more names come up in the VIP or VP, VIP search, that is.

And little bodies pushed to the point of pain and exhaustion. How China builds gold medal athletes. Just four days till the opening ceremonies in Beijing Profiles of key athletes all week in the NEWSROOM. Coming up at the top of the hour on CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm all right --

COLLINS: What's that I hear? Is that "Caddyshack," Rob?

MARCIANO: Oh, no you're not.

COLLINS: Let me just put my medal on just real quick.

MARCIANO: Does it have anything to do with the CNN golf tournament that was Saturday?

COLLINS: Well, it was kind of like our own Olympics here at CNN. The Dan Young Classic and, you know, the last year Rob was on my team and we got third place or something. This year rob wasn't on my team and we got second. I just want to make sure you saw that.

MARCIANO: I do see that. But we must also point out that this year the tournament lost its liquor license so my team was a lot more sober and therefore I didn't have to carry them all the way around the course.

COLLINS: Well I could elaborate on that but I didn't want to waste valuable news time and letting you know, they went out and got the beer and wine anyway. So, there you guys, but I wanted to share the best news of all, we raised $3,000 for Dan Young's family. So that is the good news there. Wonderful photographer who we lost a few years ago.

MARCIANO: I am more than willing to eat the humble pie on his account.

COLLINS: Well, good. I think it's good for you. It builds character. Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: Yes. Thanks, Heidi.

On to more pressing matters, "Gossip Girls" is at it again. The controversial show turning a negative into a positive. Using critics' words in a new ad convincing teens to watch the show.

CHETRY: Also, it's a global epidemic. It turns out it's more of an issue here in the U.S. than we thought. Elizabeth Cohen with the newest report on HIV in America. Hi, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. Kiran, more Americans are getting HIV than previously thought. I'll have more on that when AMERICAN MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. More Americans are infected each year with HIV than previously thought. That's according to a brand new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Joining us with the hard numbers, our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, live in Atlanta. Elizabeth, what happened? Why the change in the numbers? COHEN: Well, the experts say they've come up with a more reliable test, a better way, to estimate how many people are getting infected with HIV. And Rob, these numbers haven't gone up a little, they've gone up by quite a lot. Let's look. By the old estimate there were 40,000 people getting HIV infections every year. By the new estimate, it's 56,300. That is a 40 percent increase. Now, how are people getting HIV? These numbers are interesting. We have a chart here that shows the most, the biggest group, 53 percent of people who are getting infected with HIV are gay and bisexual men. 31 percent are getting it through heterosexual sex and 12 percent are getting it through injection drugs, through injecting drugs.

And there is a concern, a lot of these people, they are under the age of 30 and there is a worry that all the public health messages, use a condom, don't share needles somehow just aren't reaching enough people. Rob.

MARCIANO: Is this a disease that is underdiagnosed? I mean, there are a lot of people that are floating out there that may have and don't know it. Do these numbers include that?

COHEN: Those numbers are actually truly shocking. Let's take a look at this. One out of four people who is HIV positive does not know that they're infected. That is a lot. And it's a big problem for two reasons. One, those people are then going around potentially spreading to it others and, two, the HIV drugs that really work so well, if you don't know you're HIV positive, you're not taking them and for those drugs to work at their best, you need to take them as soon as after you're infected as possible.

MARCIANO: That disease certainly has been out of the spotlight as of late.

COHEN: That's right.

MARCIANO: And now bringing it back. All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

CHETRY: Well, the show's ads are shocking to parents, but now the controversial show "Gossip girls" is using the uproar over their racy ads to get even more teens to watch. The latest controversy next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Some parents say that the racy teen drama "Gossip Girls" goes way too far.

MARCIANO: Yes and with parents against it that makes it even more appealing to kids. I guess that how it goes. The fact that the show is now taking advantage of in a new ad campaign.

CNN's Brooke Anderson explains. BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kiran and Rob, a new round of steamy ads for the TV show "Gossip Girl" is igniting a firestorm of criticism.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Very bad for you. Mind-blowingly inappropriate. Denouncements of the racy television series "Gossip Girls."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lifeguard is like a Kleenex, use once and throw away.

ANDERSON: The show itself which airs on the CW Network is risque. With teenage talk of drinking, drugs and sex.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You sleep with her, huh?

ANDERSON: But it's marketing which uses the words of critics that now has people talking.

TIM WINTER, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL PRESIDENT: This is shocking. It's a slap in the face to parents.

ANDERSON: The Parents Television Council, a TV watchdog group, is outraged by the images and feels that CW is hungry to boost ratings for "Gossip Girl" which had only 2.3 million viewers last season.

WINTER: This type of campaign shows the desperation that executives are feeling. It's wholly unconscionable in terms of corporate responsibility we believe.

ANDERSON: The network which is partly owned by CNN's parent company Time Warner launched the campaign just three months after taking heat for these provocative promotions. Defending its actions, the CW says, "we wanted to create a provocative, unconventional campaign that resonates with "Gossip Girl's" sophisticated media savvy young adult fans.

PAUL KURNIT, FOUNDER, PS INSIGHTS: The new "Gossip Girl" campaign is really smart.

ANDERSON: Advertising and youth marketing expert Paul Kurnit praises the strategy.

KURNIT: It's the forbidden fruit. It's basically the kind of thing that suggests that your parents aren't going to like it, your parents don't want you to be involved with this, don't go there, and it becomes something that teens feel, hey, I got to check this out.

ANDERSON: But Winter asserts success can come with a price.

WINTER: Do we say that Joe Camel was successful in terms of getting children to smoke cigarettes?

ANDERSON: "Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively features prominently in the steamy ads is unconcerned, claiming she hasn't seen them.

BLAKE LIVERLY, 'SERENA VAN DER WOODSEN': If I don't see them and I don't have to talk about them.

ANDERSON: But millions of kids will see them, displayed on TV, online, in print, and on bill boards. In plain view of unsuspecting parents and their children. Some say potentially creating, as stated in the ads themselves, every parents' nightmare.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The PCC has sent a letter to every corporate sponsor of "Gossip Girl" asking them to rethink their association with the show, which is popular with young girls ages 12 to 17. The CW will premiere the second season of "Gossip girl" next month -- Kiran, Rob.

MARCIANO: We are out of time. That's the latest here on AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you tomorrow.

CHETRY: That's right. We'll be back, again, and meanwhile CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins starts right now.