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American Morning

Magnitude 6 Earthquake Struck China's Sichuan Province; Tropical Storm Edouard Expected to Hit Texas Today; Fed Rate Change Unlikely; Barack Obama Blasts John McCain on Energy Plan; United Nations Turns Up the Heat to Promote Fight Against Global Warming; Will Barack Obama's Faith Win Over Evangelicals?

Aired August 05, 2008 - 06:00   ET

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


KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Bracing for landfall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to make sure I have everything boarded up, make sure that I'm prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Edouard gets stronger as it gets ready to run into the gulf coast.

Plus, breaking news. Word of a top terror arrest. A female al- Qaeda suspect wanted for trying to kill FBI agents on this AMERICAN MORNING.

And welcome. Glad you're with us this morning. It is Tuesday, August 5th. And we are tracking extreme weather.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We are. John Roberts has the week off. I'm Rob Marciano. We've got all of our weather correspondents and meteorologists hard at work as Tropical Storm Edouard ramps up and heads towards the upper Texas coast.

CHETRY: Yes. Let's give you a look right now. We begin with the storm watch along the gulf coast, and it's Tropical Storm still Edouard inching towards Texas. Maximum sustained winds right now, 65 miles an hour, and the bands of rain are now lashing the Louisiana coast. Edouard expected to make landfall by midday today, just a few hours from now actually, and could reach hurricane strength when it comes ashore.

There are now disaster declarations that have been issued for 17 counties in Texas. We're keeping an eye on this all morning for you.

Also, a Pakistani scientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaeda is scheduled to appear in a New York court today. Aafia Siddiqui (ph) was extradited to the United States to face charges of shooting American soldiers and FBI agents at a detention facility in Afghanistan last month. She faces a maximum 20 years in prison on each charge. The Feds say Siddiqui spent years in the U.S. as a sleeper agent. Actor Morgan Freeman recovering this morning after breaking his arm and elbow in a car crash. Freeman's car went off a road then flipped over. This happened near his home in Mississippi late Sunday. He and a female companion had to be air lifted to a hospital 90 miles away in Memphis. Early reports described his condition as serious, but his publicist says that the actor is in "good spirits." There's no word on his passenger's condition -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Back to our top story. Tropical Storm Edouard getting stronger as it approaches the Texas coastline already raking the Louisiana coastline. Landfall expected later on this morning through about the lunch hour possibly as strong as a hurricane.

There you see the satellite imagery as it gains organization over night. Now we have winds of 60 miles an hour, 65 to 70. We get up to 75. That would make it a hurricane. It has picked up steam as well moving west northwesterly at about 12 miles an hour.

It's 80 miles right now east of Galveston heading in that way. That's in the cone, but so is the southwest coastline of Louisiana as well.

Our Reynolds Wolf is live in Galveston this morning tracking the storm as it approaches that coastline spot that is certainly no stranger to killer storms.

Good morning, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Rob. Right now, here, I'll tell you, we're getting very little other than just an occasional breeze here and there. We haven't had a drop of rain so far this morning, but we do anticipate conditions to really deteriorate over the next couple of hours.

Now, occasionally, right over my shoulder, we've seen a flash of lightning back over the Gulf of Mexico, things illuminating here and there as the storm gets -- there we go. There's a great one right over there. Joel De La Rosa (ph) is our photographer this morning. He's riding shotgun with us and giving you some of the great pictures you've been seeing.

We know the storm is coming. People have been taking steps here on South Padre Island. One of the buildings up and down this boulevard have been getting boarded up. Back in Houston, Houston's mayor, Bill White, has also been giving advice on what people can do to prepare for the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL WHITE, HOUSTON: We learned during the experience of Allison (ph) that it's those debris that can be pushed by big wind gusts, things like barbecue pits and those garbage cans. Secure those things which can be secured which may be in your yard.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WOLF: You know you can actually argue, though, Rob, that in Galveston they've been ready here for well over 100 years. Because back in 1900 -- 1900, they had one of the worst disasters, in fact, the worst natural disaster in American history. Anywhere from 8,000 people to 10,000 people lost their lives due to a hurricane that made landfall here.

And then in 1902, they built a structure that I'm standing on. This is part of the seawall. The structure is some 10 miles off to the distance. It's about 17 feet high and at its base it actually goes out to about 16 feet. And since that has been here, although this storm -- this island has dealt with many storms there's been no major damage on this island on Galveston.

So for the time being, we're going to sit back, watch and wait for the storm to get ever closer. It should still be very close to hurricane strength, but it does make landfall later this afternoon. Let's go back to you, Rob.

MARCIANO: 1900, certainly the benchmark for hurricane disasters here in the United States. And this one doesn't look to be that bad but certainly will get worse as the morning progresses. And we'll come back to you as it does though.

All right, Reynolds Wolf live for us. Thanks very much, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

MARCIANO: Also on the weather front, a wild night of weather in Chicago. Lightning and high winds triggering tornado warnings. More than 200,000 homes and businesses in northern Illinois lost power. And the storms so intense the fans at the Cubs games were evacuated from the stands at Wrigley. More than 350 flights were canceled out of O'Hare International Airport, but luckily no injuries reported. Winds occurred gusting as high as 90 miles an hour in spots by the storm.

CHETRY: And the fans still sitting in the stands there with broken umbrellas. You know, anything for their team. Go Cubs.

Well, new this morning, the U.S. military is sending some foreign fighters captured in Iraq back to their home country. A report in "USA Today" says it's part of an effort to reduce the overall number of detainees in American custody. The first foreign detainees were freed in June and July, 15 sent back to Saudi Arabia, five to Egypt. A U.S. military spokesman says more repatriations are in the works.

Well, more than 1,200 marines scheduled to come home from Afghanistan are now being told to stay for an extra month. A senior U.S. military official says the marines are needed to continue training Afghan security forces, calling it a top priority mission. Up to 200 other troops could be shifted from Iraq to help out in Afghanistan.

And a Federal Reserve meeting today on the agenda, whether or not to change a key interest rate. So why does it matter to you?

Well, Allan Chernoff joins us now with a closer look at this. Hi, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

CHETRY: Nice to see you this morning.

CHERNOFF: Good morning to you. And it really matters because this affects all sorts of interest rates that we all pay. Now, what's the Federal Reserve going to do?

There is a debate going on right now because the Fed has been battling two demons. First of all, on the one hand, the weak economy. Let's have a look at some of the problems that we're confronting. We all know them very, very well.

First of all, of course -- rising unemployment, mortgage crisis, the credit crunch. Rates are low right now, but a lot of people can't even borrow. They don't have the capacity and a lot of banks are very hesitant to borrow because of this mortgage crisis, all the losses that they've had.

On the other hand, the other demon that the Fed is fighting -- rising inflation. And this is really what makes it so tough for the Fed right now because it's been lowering rates, but the lower rates go, the more risk of inflation there is. Have a look at this.

This is annual inflation. Gas prices up 33 percent. Eggs, flour, so many things are soaring right now. So the problem for the Federal Reserve here is they would like to be able to stimulate the economy some more, but they kind of can't because if they lower rates more beyond that two percent rate on the overnight bank lending rate, they risk igniting inflation even more.

So, Kiran, we're probably going to see the Fed do nothing today.

CHETRY: Except talk.

CHERNOFF: They're going to talk. Talk about these problems. Later in the year, it's expected the Fed will raise rates because of this rising inflation.

CHETRY: All right. Allan, good to see you. We'll see you throughout the morning. Thanks.

MARCIANO: Barack Obama blasting John McCain on energy. The presumptive Democratic nominee takes aim at his rival's plan to relieve prices at the pump. It's the candidates in their own words.

CHETRY: Full of hot air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's a little stuffy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Richard Roth looks at why they're literally turning up the heat on the United Nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would be a little bit worried if it were the British mission going to talk to people in t-shirts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: We're following breaking news right now. Word from the National Hurricane Center is that Tropical Storm Edouard could reach hurricane strength potentially before it comes on shore later on this morning or later on today along the upper Texas coastline. Galveston to Beaumont you are in the bulls eye. Reynolds Wolf on the beach. Jacqui Jeras will be along shortly to give you details on the storm as it strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico -- Kiran.

CHETRY: All right, Rob, thanks so much. Also, the "Most Politics in the Morning" now.

AMERICAN MORNING committed to helping you make an informed choice as you decide who to vote for this November. Well, we're showing you more of the candidates' messages to voters not just in sound bites but in longer chunks. Here's what Senator Barack Obama is saying about his rival Senator John McCain when it comes to energy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You won't hear me say this too often, but I could not agree more with the explanation that Senator McCain offered a few weeks ago. He said, and I quote, "Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been 30 years in the making and was caused by the failures of politicians in Washington to think long term about the future of the country."

Now, what Senator McCain neglected to mention was during those 30 years, he was in Washington for 26 of them.

(APPLAUSE)

And in all that time, he did little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He voted against increased fuel efficiency standards and opposed legislation that included tax credits for more efficient cars. He voted against renewable sources of energy, against clean biofuels, against solar power, against wind power, against an energy bill that while far from perfect represented the largest investment in renewable sources of energy in the history of this country.

So when Senator McCain talks about the failure of politicians in Washington to do anything about our energy crisis, it's important to remember that he's been part of that failure. And now -- and now after years of inaction in the face of public frustration over rising gas prices, the only energy proposal he's really promoting is more offshore drilling. A position he recently adopted that's become the center piece of his plan, and one that will not make a real dent in current gas prices or meet the long-term challenge of energy independence.

Understand, George Bush's own energy department has said that if we opened up new areas to offshore drilling today, we wouldn't see a single drop of oil for seven years. Seven years. Senator McCain knows that, which is why he admitted that his plan would only provide "psychological relief to consumers." I know that's what you've been looking for is psychological relief when you're pumping that gas into your car.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: Well, coming up in just about 30 minutes, we're going to hear from John McCain on the energy issue as well.

MARCIANO: Barack Obama has been working hard to win over evangelicals who traditionally vote Republican. We'll ask the author of a new book on Obama's faith if the evangelical left could make a difference come November.

Stocking up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My concern is the surge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Tracking Edouard. The second big storm of the season closing in on Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to make sure I have everything boarded up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. 6:15 now. Time to fast forward to some stories that we're going to be covering for you later today.

President Bush is in South Korea for the start of his week-long Asian tour. He's going to be making a stop in Thailand before heading to the Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing. The president said it's important to talk openly with China's leaders about human rights and religious freedom. NASA holding a press conference that's set for 2:00 p.m. Eastern time today, after a toxic chemical widely used in rocket fuel was discovered in the soil of Mars. It's put a dent in the hope of finding evidence of life. NASA is checking to see whether it may have been brought up accidentally from Earth.

And Delta Airlines announces a new Wi-Fi access service aboard flights today. The service is called "Gogo" and it allows Internet access above 10,000 feet. Delta says it will not interfere with the plane's electronics. The fee for the service runs between $10 and $15 for longer flights.

There you go, Rob. All your flights now you'll be able to "Gogo."

MARCIANO: Yes. Who needs a movie?

Jacqui Jeras is tracking Tropical Storm Edouard. Plus, there's breaking news at this hour out of China. An earthquake, Jacqui, what do you know about that?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. All we know is that an earthquake just occurred in the Sichuan region again. It was 6.0 in magnitude. We haven't heard anything in terms of any injuries or damage. As we get more information, of course, we'll bring that along to you. But that's a pretty strong earthquake, 6.0.

Here's what's going on now with Edouard. Speaking of getting stronger, this thing's really been ramping up through the overnight hours. Winds up to 65 miles per hour and there's still probably enough time that we could get up to hurricane strength. But there's not a lot of difference between a strong tropical storm and a weak Category One hurricane.

It's also pulled a little bit farther on up to the north, so our cone now has shaved off the Galveston area. Take a look at where this is going to be coming in now. We're looking at much closer to the Beaumont Port Arthur area for landfall, and that's probably going to happen even before lunch now as it's moving west northwesterly around 12 miles per hour. And then it should be weakening and bringing in some of those heavy rains throughout much of the area.

Look at all the rain that's coming down now. You can see those spiraling bands making their way on shore. The strongest of showers and thunderstorms right there along I-10 near the high island area. Check out your winds. These are sustained winds. Beaumont 31 miles per hour, 25 here in Lake Charles, Intracoastal City at 21 miles per hour. And you're doing OK over there in Houston at only seven miles per hour, but you can see those storms getting really close to the bay area.

Flood watches have been posted. We're talking rainfall between three and six inches, locally heavier amounts around 10. And the Houston area really doesn't handle flooding very well unfortunately. So this could be a big issue as we go throughout the day -- Rob and Kiran. MARCIANO: All right, Jacqui. Critical time right now. You know, a ten-mile jog either way certainly makes a difference and we'll be back with you checking up on that track. Thanks, Jacqui.

CHETRY: Meanwhile, $4 a gallon. That's nothing according to a new headache at the pump. Well, that really doesn't have anything to do with the price of gas. We're going to tell you what to watch for.

Full of hot air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's a little stuffy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Richard Roth looks at why they're literally turning up the heat on the United Nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would be a little bit worried if it were the British mission going to talk to people in t-shirts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, temperatures are rising inside the United Nations and it's not an international debate that has people sweating. It's literally the heat in the building. It's been turned up but for a good cause, but that doesn't mean that everybody's happy about it.

CNN's Richard Roth has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I stay cool. How do I look?

RICHARD ROTH, SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It can be hot at the top. But that's the way the United Nations secretary general wants it. Ban Ki-moon is raising the thermostat at U.N. headquarters to promote the fight against global warming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a bit hot. Slightly more than hot.

ROTH (on camera): Can you work?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all a mental state.

ROTH (voice-over): Temperatures have been raised from 72 to 77 degrees.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's a little stuffy, but it's for a good cause.

ROTH: Bringing the heat in an aging structure already riddled with ventilation and asbestos problems.

JIM MCKIERNAN, FOREMAN MANAGER: The building was built in 1950, '51, and we're doing the best job we can.

ROTH: The air-conditioning runs on steam power. Reductions in steam use will cut carbon emissions. Critics have said for years the U.N. building is full of hot air. But diplomats were, what do you expect, comfortable.

NICOLAS RIVIERE, FRENCH COUNSELOR: A little air-conditioning is fine, but too much is unhealthy.

ROTH: Parts of the U.N. already feel a little stickier.

(on camera): Well, the secretary general says it's now time for casual attire. Down here in the steam engine room it feels like it's 100 degrees. But this is the way it's going to be. I'm telling CNN right now, this is the last time you're going to see me in a suit at the United Nations.

Mr. Secretary, they say clothes make the man. Do you feel diplomacy is less effective when you shed the tie and the suit, or the jacket?

BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: You can, first of all, feel very much comfortable. Even in conducting diplomacy, I think this is good.

ROTH (voice-over): And journalists are changing attire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to give you one of these desks.

ROTH (on camera): No, thank you.

For the man with a suit, this is very difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think just take off your jacket.

ROTH: Well, thank you. I never thought you'd ask.

(voice-over): Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Easy, now. All right. So what's the ideal temperature for your house? Here's a look at an "AM EXTRA."

According to the government's Energy Star program, you shouldn't set your thermostat lower than 78 degrees during the summer. And when you're not at home, you should push it up to 85 degrees at least. When you're sleeping, you should set it at 82 degrees. Following these guidelines would save you about 10 percent a year on your electric bill or nearly $200. So significant savings, but you maybe sweating a little bit at night. Kiran, back to you.

CHETRY: Yes, we tried that for, like, two hours. It didn't work in our household. We had to take too many showers because we were sweating, so it didn't help anyway.

MARCIANO: The water bill.

CHETRY: The water bill.

Well, has Barack Obama put the Reverend Jeremiah Wright controversy behind him, or could it still hurt him in the general election? We're going to talk about the faith of Barack Obama with the author of a new book.

Also, a major al-Qaeda operative in U.S. custody this morning, arrested after shooting at FBI agents in Afghanistan. What the Feds say she was planning to do inside the U.S. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Red states for Republicans, Blue states for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: You know, that was Barack Obama speaking at the 2004 Democratic Convention. It was a speech that thrust him on to the national stage. And this year Obama has been making a real run at evangelical voters -- a traditionally large and loyal Republican voting bloc. So can the so-called evangelical left make the difference for Obama in November?

Stephen Mansfield is a Christian conservative and he wrote the best seller "The Faith of George W. Bush." Well, his new book is entitled "The Faith of Barack Obama" and Stephen Mansfield joins me now.

Thanks so much for being with us.

STEPHEN MANSFIELD, AUTHOR, "THE FAITH OF BARACK OBAMA": Great to be with you.

CHETRY: First I'd like to get your take on how Barack Obama's changing these traditional roles as it relates to politics and religion.

MANSFIELD: Well, usually you had either the secular left or you had a Democratic candidate who talked a lot about the separation of church and state. I'm personally Baptist but not going to bring that into the Oval Office. Barack Obama is different. He says absolutely we should bring our religious values to the public debate, and he also says he's going to uphold some of George Bush's policies like faith-based initiatives. So he's a very unusual man coming from the left.

CHETRY: How does that play out this election year when you have another candidate, the presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, is not embraced by many of the Christian conservative leaders that we saw George W. Bush enjoying the support of?

MANSFIELD: Yes, it's true. I think we're dealing with a generational issue. John McCain is of that older, World War II, Korean War era generation that didn't talk very much about faith, has a hard time talking about matters of the heart, matters of their emotions.

Obama is of a different generation. You know, he wrote a whole chapter on his religion in one of his books. And so I think you're seeing two different men with two different styles religiously. I'm not sure Obama is anymore religious than McCain. I just think he's more fluent in the language of religion and in sort of the presentation of religion to the electorate.

CHETRY: And at the end of the day, does that make the evangelical voting bloc more up for grabs?

MANSFIELD: I think that there's a larger percentage of the evangelical voting bloc up for grabs in this election than it has been in a long time. Part of that is the disaffection with the Bush administration. Part of it is that Obama speaks the language of faith, understands evangelicalism, you know, uses language like the Joshua Generation that's reached the youth, which comes right out of evangelical youth ministries.

And so, I think -- I think he may pull as much as 20 percent of the evangelicals who voted for George W. Bush. Now there's a limit to that because bedrock issues like gay rights and abortion are going to keep many evangelicals with John McCain.

CHETRY: Right.

MANSFIELD: But I think we're already seeing a bit of a defection.

CHETRY: It's very interesting. Also in your book, you talk about how Barack Obama struggled with being biracial...

MANSFIELD: Yes.

CHETRY: ... and not really having an identity in terms of groups until he made his way to Chicago and until he found Trinity United, the Church of Christ there. How did that end up -- how did he end up embracing that church and vice versa?

MANSFIELD: Well, I think this is really the heart of my book and it's what I care most about. This tender story of a young black man whom he describes as a shadow moving between worlds. That's how he describes it later in life.

And then he comes to Trinity, and despite all the reputation that Trinity has for being sort of a Marxist recruitment center, the fact is the gospel was preached there and his heart was captured by it. And that's how he defended himself not long ago when he had to explain his relationship with Reverend Wright and that seems to be what really caught him up.

And so, while we're dealing with all these controversies regarding Reverend Wright, I think at heart, Barack Obama was captured by the simple gospel of Jesus Christ that was preached in Trinity United Church of Christ.

CHETRY: The interesting though is when it became too politically damaging and when portions of Reverend Wright's speeches, some of the inflammatory comments made it to YouTube...

MANSFIELD: Yes.

CHETRY: ...Barack Obama dropped out of that church and sort of cut his affiliation.

MANSFIELD: I think there came a point where he just had to. But what impressed me, and again, I'm not necessarily an Obama supporter, but I was just impressed by the fact that he hung in there as long as he could. You know, he didn't want to throw his former pastor under the bus.

CHETRY: And this is going to come back in November?

MANSFIELD: I think it will. I think Republicans will come for him on this issue. And I think a lot of Americans have questions about this and rightly so.

CHETRY: Very interesting book. Stephen Mansfield, author of "The Faith of Barack Obama." Thanks for joining us this morning.

MANSFIELD: Great to be with you.

MARCIANO: It's about half past the hour. Here are some of our top stories. Tropical Storm Edouard ready to take its best shot at the Gulf Coast. The storm already pounding coastal areas in Louisiana and Texas with rain and wind this morning. Those winds could reach hurricane strength when Edouard comes to shore midday or sooner.

And breaking news right now. A magnitude 6 earthquake has struck in China's Sichuan Province this morning. The same region devastated by a powerful quake back in May. This morning's quake hit about 4:50 Eastern Time, about 780 miles southwest of Beijing. So far, there are no reports of injuries or damage. May's earthquake measured 7.9 and left almost 70,000 dead.

There is a new study says adolescents and young adults may be less attentive when they skip breakfast. And the effect of missing this meal is different in boys and girls. Seems boys end up in a worse mood -- OK, yes, sure -- when they missed breakfast. Researchers found that eating breakfast didn't help students sustain attention better, but it did have them more alert and help raise their scores on cognitive test.

Also, breaking this morning. A female al-Qaeda operative wanted by the FBI for several years now faces a judge in Manhattan this morning. Aafia Saddiqui was the subject of this FBI's first-ever worldwide alert for a woman in connection with al-Qaeda. Mary Snow has been watching developments this morning and she joins us live.

Good morning, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rob. A very mysterious figure -- Aafia Saddiqui. She is 36 years old, she is from Pakistan and has been missing since 2003. She was educated here in the United States. Getting a degree at M.I.T. And she's also the mother of three.

U.S. officials had wanted to question her because they say she was an operative, and had associations with al-Qaeda operatives being held in Guantanamo Bay. Her whereabouts have been a big mystery. And the FBI released two pictures, one, when she went missing in 2003, and when she was arrested in Afghanistan.

She's been brought here to New York City. FBI agents and Army agents officers have gone into an Afghanistan police holding station not knowing that she was in custody. And authorities say they have left a gun unattended and they say that Saddiqui picked up a gun and fired shots.

She did not hit anyone. But officers did hit her once. They say she was unconscious and then treated. Now, why she was taken into custody? Authorities say that she had been found with bomb making instructions. Also, authorities say she had been found with bottles with some liquids and gels. And details about landmarks here in the United States, particularly in New York City. Although those landmarks were not identified.

She faces charges of shooting those two FBI agents and prosecutors say if she's convicted, she could be held 20 years in jail on each charge. And we just spoke with her attorney, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, who says that she has trouble accepting the government's story. Saying these allegations are impossible. Also, saying Saddiqui has a PhD in her words, do you think she'd really be that stupid.

Rob, she is scheduled to be arraigned here in lower Manhattan later this morning

Rob?

MARCIANO: Mary Snow reporting on the first ever worldwide alert for a woman related to al-Qaeda. Thank you, Mary.

CHETRY: Alina Cho joins us now with some other stories new this morning.

Good to see you. ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, good morning.

CHETRY: Welcome back. She was at beach, by the way.

(CROSSTALK)

MARCIANO: She looks good. Looks refreshed and welcome home.

CHO: That extra day means so much.

MARCIANO: Now, you have a shorter workweek, too.

CHO: I do. And a Friday off, too. Sorry, guys. Good morning, again, and good morning, everybody.

New this morning, new document showed the United States did warn other governments it would videotape their interviews with detainees at Guantanamo Bay. "The Washington Post" has obtained the documents. The policy suggests that the U.S. could possess hundreds, if not thousands of hours of secretly taped conversations between detainees and representatives from nearly three dozen countries.

One of the most popular stories right now on CNN.com, an Ohio death row inmate has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he's too fat to be executed. Richard Cooey is his name. He is 5'7" and weighs 267 pounds. The suite says prison officials would have trouble finding his veins, and that his weight could make the lethal injection drugs ineffective. Cooey's execution is scheduled for October 14th. He was convicted of raping and murdering two women back in 1986.

Well, another way thieves are getting around the pain at the pump. Police say they're actually installing a hard to detect scanners at gas pumps to steal credit and debit card numbers. And it's apparently happening across the country.

As much as $3.5 million stolen from hundreds of customers. So, far the devices have been found in California, Washington State, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Authorities are recommending that gas stations put sealed stickers on the pumps that workers can check every day to make sure that those pumps have not been tampered with.

And Starbucks struggling to recover after announcing its shutting down 600 stores has a new offer for customers. This is something that Kiran is really interested in. The company is now offering any ice Grande drink for $2 after 2:00 p.m.

Wait a minute, I'm interested, too. We both go in the morning. There's a catch, though. You have to be a returning customer and present a receipt from a morning visit on the very same day. The normal price, by the way, for an iced Grande drink, 4 bucks. So, you get a discount, 50 percent off.

MARCIANO: Any word of them opening at 2 a.m. potentially.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: No, we have a 24-hour Starbucks right around the corner. That's where Alina and I go. They're so nice.

CHO: But you figured a way around it.

CHETRY: Well, I was just saying that if your buddy got Starbucks in the morning (INAUDIBLE), you could just hand your receipt over to your other buddy who wants to -- I'm sure that's not what they're recommending.

MARCIANO: Yes. And I'm sure they're really excited to hear you express that loophole.

CHETRY: It's a way to be frugal in this tough economic times. Hey, you know what, share the receipt.

CHO: Hey, listen, any way to do it.

CHETRY: Alina, thank you.

MARCIANO: Thanks, Alina.

CHO: Thanks for the tip.

CHETRY: We're bringing you the candidates in their own words. Senator John McCain taking aim at Barack Obama's energy plan. Why McCain says Obama's solution will end up costing you more.

MARCIANO: And Tropical Storm Edouard gaining strength from the Gulf of Mexico moving closer to the Texas and Louisiana coastline. CNN is your hurricane headquarters, and you're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Tracking Tropical Storm Edouard. It's getting stronger as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico heading towards Texas and Louisiana. It's already been lashing the coastline of south Louisiana. The latest report from Edouard is 65 mile-an-hour winds. It continues its organization. About 80 miles east of Galveston heading west-northwest at 12 miles an hour. Land fall expected midday or sooner.

Kiran?

CHETRY: Well, it was about half an hour ago that we brought you that extended clip from Senator Barack Obama. He was speaking about energy and his plan to solve the energy crisis. Well, now, it's Senator John McCain's turn. It's part of AMERICAN MORNING's effort to help you make an informed decision, hearing more about what the candidates are saying out there on the trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're going to solve the energy crisis that's affecting businesses like National Label Company, and we need an "all of the above" approach. We need to aggressively develop alternative energies like wind, solar, tide, bio-fuels and geothermal. We also need to expand our use of existing energy resources here at home. That means we need more nuclear power. It means we need clean coal technology. And that means we need to offshore drill for oil and natural gas. We need to drill here and we need to drill now.

And anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk.

Unfortunately, Senator Obama continues to oppose offshore drilling. He continues to oppose the use of nuclear power. These misguided policies would result in higher energy costs to American families and businesses and increased dependence on foreign oil. We're not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires.

I am going to lead our nation to energy independence and I'm going to do it with a realistic and comprehensive "all of the above" approach that uses every resource available to finally solve this crisis.

As a lot of Americans know, the Congress is doing nothing, decided to go on a five week recess without addressing the energy challenge that's affecting Americans every single day in their ability to go to work, in their ability to do their jobs, in their ability to keep inflation down as they're trying to do here at the National Label Company. And they need a Congress that will act.

Congress should come back into session. Congress should come back into session, and I'm willing to come off the campaign trail. I call on Senator Obama to call on Congress to come back into town, and come back to work. Come off their recess, come off their vacation and address this energy challenge to America and don't leave until we do. Republican and Democrat joining together.

And a very vital part of that is nuclear power and another vital part of that is offshore drilling. We have to drill here and drill now. Not wait and see whether there's areas to explore. Not wait and see whether there's a package that needs to be put together. But drill here and drill now. And let's do start working for the American people and not for ourselves.

So, I hope that Senator Obama will call on Congress and the leaders Harry Reid and Speaker Pelosi to call Congress back into session. Let's get this energy crisis solved. As Americans have been able to solve every challenge that's faced us and move forward and work for America and put America first.

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: And we're going to have more from John McCain and Barack Obama coming up in our next hour.

MARCIANO: Stocking up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My concern is the surge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Tracking Edouard. The second big storm of the season closing in on Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to make sure I have everything boarded up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." We're following breaking news. Tropical Storm Edouard churning in the Gulf of Mexico and heading towards Texas and southwest Louisiana. NOOA satellites are trained on it. The radars are pointed up at it and a team of meteorologists from CNN on the ground and in the studio tracking its every move. This thing is improving in intensity and strengthening as it heads towards southeast Texas.

Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Severe Weather Center with the play by play.

Where are we at now, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, Rob, we're really probably about 50 miles or less away from landfall. So, this is just hours away now. And if you haven't paid attention to this thing since you went to bed last night, you really need to heed this warning because this has changed a little bit.

We see more of a pull up to the north and it looks much less likely that Galveston is going to see much of an impact from the storm as they'll be what we call on the good side of the storm with the winds coming in off the shore.

This looks worse though, however, for the Beaumont-Port Arthur area which could be dealing with a direct hit. There you see that coat of uncertainty. Just a sliver of it here near the Louisiana Texas state line. And we do think that that's going to happen well before the lunch hour for today.

Look at all the showers and thunderstorms. The worst of it along I-10 and southward now. We're seeing some incredible downpours down near High Island. Doppler radar estimated here we're getting between about an inch to an inch-and-a-half per hour.

And that's certainly going to cause some localized flooding. We're going to watch those strong storms begin to push westward. Here, you can see Galveston and Houston. So, you guys are just hours away also from starting to see that rain those and stronger winds.

And by the way, Rob, we just got a report out of Port Arthur at the airport there. Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour now. So, we're seeing those tropical storms-force winds really hitting the area now.

MARCIANO: And it certainly looks like it's flaring up there on the satellite picture. What are the odds, you think, of this thing becoming a hurricane before it makes landfall?

JERAS: I think it's going to be close. You know, we're just under 10 miles an hour away in terms of intensity for it to make a hurricane. It could possibly do it. You know, water temperatures are in the mid-80s, like 85, 86 degrees here. And we've got a little bit of dry air trying to make it in there. So, they're kind of fighting each other. We'll see who wins out.

MARCIANO: We got a 65, 70 miles an hour wind, will certainly do some damage.

JERAS: Yes, it will.

MARCIANO: All right, Jacqui. Thank you very much.

Meanwhile, actor Morgan Freeman recovering today after a car accident. His injuries said to be serious. We'll update his condition when we come back.

CHETRY: Digging up dirt on Obama's do?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I notice that I've been -- I've been getting gray since this campaign started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Jeanne Moos investigates the graying of Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Others wonder if he stopped dyeing his hair to look older.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Barack Obama just celebrating his 47th birthday yesterday.

MARCIANO: He has gotten a little bit more gray, I think, in the last six months.

CHETRY: Yes.

MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE).

CHETRY: I think that just every president we've had, you've seen them age in front of our eyes. Even the process of running for president is enough.

MARCIANO: The process of running may be more difficult than actually being president. They certainly don't get a whole lot of sleep, and it shown up.

CHETRY: That's right. And it's actually giving them gray hairs. In fact, our own Jeanne Moos takes a look at the graying of Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOOS (voice-over): Barack Obama's MySpace page was a blaze with birthday greetings from supporters. But there's nothing like a birthday that make you count your gray hairs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.

AUDIENCE: Happy birthday to you!

MOOS: At one appearance Senator Obama was serenaded as if he were already president.

AUDIENCE: Happy birthday, Mr. President.

MOOS: But a Cedar Rapids rally is no Marilyn Monroe.

MARILYN MONROE, FROM FOX MOVIETONE: Happy birthday, Mr. President.

MOOS: Marilyn Monroe sang to JFK for his 45th birthday. Obama just turned 47.

OBAMA: I noticed that I've been getting gray since this campaign started.

MOOS: He's not the only one noticing. The graying of Obama has bloggers pouring over photos looking for gray. The amount of gray in the photos seems greatly influenced by the lighting. But you don't need a magnifying glass to see the impact of eight years in the White House on President Bush's hair. Senator Obama pays his Chicago barber, Zariff, 21 bucks for a haircut. Zariff rates the candidate's gray at...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Between four and five.

MOOS: On a scale of one to ten. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten would be McCain gray.

MOOS: Speaking of McCain, one of the birthday greetings to Obama on the left leaning daily coast Web site featured a knife wielding Senator McCain with the caption, "Don't let McCain cut your cake."

(on camera): Now, if you want to see what the candidates might look like after four long years in the White House, check out popphoto.com.

(voice-over): Just drag your mouse across the candidate and watch gray and wrinkles magically appear. Since McCain is already 71, his photo aging seems less of a shocker.

OBAMA: When I started this campaign everybody called me a young man. They're not calling me that anymore.

MOOS: Oh, some folks still are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A gifted, eloquent young man.

MCCAIN: For a young man with very little experience, he's done very well.

MOOS: Senator Obama, by the way...

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Happy birthday, Obama.

MOOS: ...Is a Leo. His horoscope, he won't make nearly so many silly mistakes over the next 12 months as you did over the previous 12 months.

You're not catching any gray, are you?

Some wonder if Obama has dyed his hair to look younger. Others wonder if he stopped dyeing his hair to look older and wiser.

His hairdresser says...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 100 percent natural.

MOOS: When it comes to slight graying around the temples, that's change you can believe in. Jeanne moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: Crash course.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to make sure I have everything boarded up. Make sure that I'm prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Edouard picks up speed eying the Gulf Coast. Residents scrambling for supplies and time.

Plus, life on Mars. A toxic substance that may make it impossible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Let's check the "Political Ticker" now. The presidential race gets even dirtier. The Democrats are trying to strike first against John McCain's vice presidential choice before he's even picked the running mate.

This morning, the DNC launched a new Web site called thenextcheney.com. It profiles seven potential running mates and tries to brand them as the next Dick Cheney.

And speaking of Dick Cheney, he probably won't be at the Republican convention next month. A Republican official says Cheney is unlikely to attend. People on both sides are saying no decision has yet to be made, but some think McCain would like to separate himself from Cheney.

CHETRY: Speaking of John McCain, he hit the road for the 68th Annual Sturgis Rally. America's largest biker convention, and arguably it's the most colorful. Thousands of bikers cheered as McCain was honored. It was a salute to veterans. South Dakota Senator John Thune also joined him. Thune has been mentioned as a possible running mate.

And for more up to the minute political news, just head to CNN.com/ticker.

MARCIANO: And in an effort to help you make an informed choice for president, we're showing extended clips of the candidates' speeches. Here's John McCain on the energy crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: We need an "all of the above" approach. We need to aggressively develop alternative energies like wind, solar, tide, bio- fuels and geothermal. We also need to expand our use of existing energy resources here at home. That means we need more nuclear power. It means we need clean coal technology. And that means we need to offshore drill for oil and natural gas. We need to drill here and we need to drill now.

And anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk.

Unfortunately, Senator Obama continues to oppose offshore drilling. He continues to oppose the use of nuclear power. These misguided policies would result in higher energy costs to American families and businesses and increased dependence on foreign oil. We're not going to achieve energy independence by inflating our tires. I am going to lead our nation to energy independence and I'm going to do it with a realistic and comprehensive "all of the above" approach that uses every resource available to finally solve this crisis.

As a lot of Americans know, the Congress is doing nothing, decided to go on a five week recess without addressing the energy challenge that's affecting Americans every single day in their ability to go to work, in their ability to do their jobs, in their ability to keep inflation down as they're trying to do here at the National Label Company. And they need a Congress that will act.

Congress should come back into session. Congress should come back into session, and I'm willing to come off the campaign trail. I call on Senator Obama to call on Congress to come back into town, and come back to work. Come off their recess, come off their vacation and address this energy challenge to America and don't leave until we do. Republican and Democrat joining together.

And a very vital part of that is nuclear power and another vital part of that is offshore drilling. We have to drill here and drill now. Not wait and see whether there's an area to explore. Not wait and see whether there's a package that needs to be put together. But drill here and drill now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: And coming up in our next half hour, we'll hear what Barack Obama has to say on that issue.