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CNN Live Saturday

Live Coverage Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery; Bomb Explodes in Crowded Sadr City Marketplace; Fallen Soldier Laid to Rest in Oregon; State of New Jersey Shuts Down Government

Aired July 01, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, now in the news, the Shuttle Discovery crew is getting ready for blastoff. Launch time is less than two hours away. It all depends on weather, however. A live report from the Kennedy Space Center straight ahead.
A new warning reportedly from Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden's latest Web message warns Iraq's Shiites that their areas will not be safe from retaliation if they raid Sunni cities. This comes one day after the terrorist leader's Web address eulogizing slain al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

A bloody day in Baghdad. A car bomb kills at least 62 people and wounds 114. The blast happened this morning near a popular outdoor market. It's believed to have targeted a police patrol.

President Bush says the key to ending the latest Middle East crisis is to free an Israeli soldier seized by Palestinian militants this week. Israel has responded to the kidnapping with a barrage of air and ground assaults on Gaza. The militants want 1,000 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails. Israel says no deal.

Apparently a good checkup day for Vice President Dick Cheney. Doctors say the vice president's high-tech pacemaker is working properly, and his overall heart condition is stable. Cheney has a long history of heart problems.

We update the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Your next update is coming up at 2:15 eastern.

And you're looking at the astronauts of the shuttle Discovery as they were getting ready for liftoff into space, walking through the space center there, and making their way to the launch pad. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. They are all on board the shuttle Discovery right now, however. The countdown clock is ticking.

Our Miles O'Brien is there, and meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is in the weather center. Miles O'Brien there with commander Eileen Collins of NASA there at the Kennedy Space Center. And boy, it's been a pretty busy morning for everyone involved, whether it be to be there as a spectator to watch it -- to watch the countdown or to be a NASA administrator trying to make a decision, especially with weather being a factor. Miles?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Let's turn this camera around here and take a look at the storm clouds over there. Can you get a shot? Let's see if we can get a good shot here. We'll take the shot in just a moment. Fredricka we've been watching it on the radar, and as I'm buried in my computer screen, I realized I could just look out and see what's going on here the old-fashioned way.

We've got some dark clouds that are building up over the central part of Florida, surprise, surprise. It's summer. And it's about 2:00. And these things happen on a hot summer day in Florida. As a matter of fact, it's almost the norm. I recall last year when we were coming to cover your launch. It turns out you probably wouldn't have flown that first time because of weather anyway, but you had some technical problems with some engine cutoff sensors.

What that did was, though, is it moved you to later in your launch window, and every day we delay the perfect opportunity to launch and meet up with the space station grows 20 minutes earlier. So as this launch window goes on, we get into the morning hours as time goes on. They want to limit it, however, to daylight launches.

So eventually they'll run out of daylight and lose this window. But the point I'm trying to say is, in a sense that gave you a bit of a reprieve from having to go through a bunch of weather scrubs because you had a technical delay, which put you in the morning hours. It seemed like it was in the 10:00 hour eastern time when you finally launched.

EILEEN COLLINS, FORMER SHUTTLE COMMANDER: I think we launched around 10:38. Of course the weather, it was July 26th, and the weather was actually pretty nice that day. Had we not had a problem with the echo sensors, I think it was a July 13th launch date, the weather would have been no go that day. At least that's what I was told afterwards.

Now, the other thing that happens is the astronauts have to sleep shift forward. Now every day that you delay, your launch time moves forward about 24 minutes. So the astronauts have to wake up 24 minutes earlier every day which puts them in an interesting sleep shift situation.

O'BRIEN: Let's bring people up to date too on what's going on. First of all the hatch is now closed, you're looking at some tape there. That shows them getting things ready. The actual hatch -- that might be a live picture. I just can't see the hatch right now. I believe they are doing the final closeout there and that hatch could be closed. They'll do a series of leak checks. That's an important thing, make sure that thing is as tight as it can be.

Meanwhile, now, those are live pictures. Meanwhile, there is one issue which is on the verge of being resolved, but not -- they haven't dotted the "I" and crossed the "T" on this one yet. All these little black dots on here on the back, in particular, represent thrusters. There are six of them that are kind of for the fine tuning of flying, for the most subtle of flying. Four in the back, two in the front. They're called vernier thrusters.

They have 24 pounds of thrust, just a little poof as opposed to 800 pounds of thrust for the bigger thrusters. One of them has either a bad thermostat or a heater. Basically, the decision has been made, or they're at the point of making the decision, of flying without this particular vernier thruster. You say you'd go along with that. No problem. Even though it's something you would use in those very complicated final moments as you approach the space station at some point.

COLLINS: The crews train to fly without these small vernier thrusters. It is better to fly with them because it's easier to fly. You have fine control, but also it saves fuel to fly with the vernier thrusters. You could fly with the large primary thrusters which may end up being the case on this mission.

Steve Lindsey and the crew are trained to do that. I think they can fly a very safe docking. They can also do the things they need to do like the inspection, hold altitude for the shuttle and station stacked together. It just won't be as efficient, it won't be quite as clean or as fuel efficient.

O'BRIEN: It won't be the smooth ride, necessarily or as smooth?

COLLINS: But it's safe.

O'BRIEN: It is nothing unsafe about this.

COLLINS: Correct.

O'BRIEN: And we should be as clear as we can be about this. As it's stacked up and ready for launch, these vernier thrusters do not come into play at all. They're not used. There is a part of these bumpy things called ohms pod that is used in the latter part of the ascent, depending on where it is and so forth. They give it a kick with those thrusters. But these little ones they're not used. So this has nothing to do with launch and getting them safely into orbit.

This is the really precise flying and maneuvering that occurs as the space shuttle moves ever so gracefully toward that space station. You know, when you look at it and watch somebody like you do what you do, you've got to sort of check yourself to remember that both of these objects are hurtling around the globe every 90 minutes at 17,500 miles an hour. Their relative speed is nothing. And relative is very gradual to say the least.

COLLINS: It's about .1 foot per second when you dock so it's very small.

O'BRIEN: Point one foot per second, I knew you would know that. That is exactly what she was aiming for there, .1 foot per second, she nailed it. All right so we're watching the weather and we're watching that vernier thruster. Right now, Fredricka, I'm not liking what I see in the sky here. But we will continue the countdown. 3:49 p.m. eastern time remains the time. There's still time for those clouds to go away, Fred.

WHITFIELD: That's right. That's the way it happens sometimes in Florida. They move in quickly, and sometimes they move out quickly. But Bonnie Schneider is in our weather center keeping a close watch on it as well. And do you like what you see, Bonnie?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right Bonnie. Fingers are crossed. Thanks so much. And be sure to stay with CNN for live coverage of today's scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Our Miles O'Brien takes it away the next hour with "the final countdown." I'll be joining him along with Commander Eileen Collins as well.

A group calling itself the supporters of the Sunni people is claiming responsibility for a bomb attack in Baghdad today. Although the claim can't be verified, the blast occurred in a densely populated Shiite enclave known as Sadr City.

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carnage in what until minutes earlier was a crowded marketplace. According to police, a car bomb targeting one of their patrols detonated as it passed through the densely packed outdoor shopping area in Sadr City. More than 62 killed and at least 114 wounded, in the massive blast that tore apart cars, leaving burning, twisted hulks of metal.

The streets were turned to rivers of blood, he says. And referring to a government plan for national reconciliation, he said we don't want reconciliation with the terrorists. If the government is incapable of handling security, then let the Mehdi Army, a Shia militia, do it.

This explosion has all the hallmarks of a sectarian attack. Sadr City is a sprawling Shia suburb of Baghdad, and the police patrol almost undoubtedly Shia, too. The targets very clearly, Shia Muslims. Within an hour and barely a couple of miles away, helicopters were searching for a Sunni parliamentarian, kidnapped while driving to a meeting. Tayseer Mashhadani a young woman from the moderate Iraqi Islamic party was with eight guards when, according to colleagues, just after passing through a police checkpoint, was surrounded by gunmen and abducted.

(on camera): The bombing in Sadr City appears to be the most barbaric rebuff for the prime minister's week-old reconciliation proposal so far. But it's not the only buffeting the 24-point plan has been getting. The hard-line Sunni Muslim Scholars Association says it objects to terms of the proposals that reject amnesty for insurgents who have attacked U.S. troops, something they consider a legitimate act of resistance.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Later today on CNN, can Iraq come together in peace? We'll get analysis from Baghdad, Washington and around the world. Join John Roberts for "A Week at War" at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 p.m. pacific.

A public funeral today for private first class Thomas Tucker. He was one of two soldiers abducted and killed in Iraq in mid-June. CNN's Kareen Wynter is in Redmond, Oregon-- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredericka, just quite a somber mood all around me here in Redmond, Oregon as the community comes out to pay tribute to one of their own, fallen soldier private first class Thomas Tucker who will be remembered, Fredricka, as someone who was extremely hard-working, outgoing, really wanted to make his family proud. And behind me you can see some of the final preparations under way here.

We're on the county fair grounds in Redmond. This is where the memorial service will be taking place just about 30 miles away from Madras, Oregon, and that's where Tucker grew up. The 25-year-old, he was just deployed to Iraq in February, was kidnapped after an attack at a security checkpoint south of Baghdad. That was on June 16th. Also kidnapped was 23-year-old private first class Kristian Menchaca of Texas. Now, he was laid to rest last week.

Both bodies had been found mutilated just days after the soldiers were reported missing. Now, the service will begin at 4:00 p.m. eastern time today. There are a number of people here expected. There's actually seating behind me for about 8,000 people.

They're expecting that there should be well over that number in attendance here. Also, there will be high-ranking officials speaking here, including the brigadier general Greg Martin representing the 101st airborne division. That's what Tucker had been assigned to.

The governor of Oregon will be speaking here. Also Tucker's older sister, Tava who will be paying tribute to her brother. After the service there will be a ceremony procession to the cemetery, rather, he'll be buried, Tucker will be buried with full military honors. Some of those honors will include a bronze star, purple heart as well as a rifle tribute. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right Kareen Wynter, thanks so much.

And now to a developing story. New Jersey is closed, at least the state government is. Governor Jon Corzine signed the shutdown order this morning because of a budget dispute. Governor Corzine is on the phone with us now from Trenton.

Governor, thanks for being with us.

GOV. JON CORZINE (D), NEW JERSEY: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: This is some dispute. What is at issue to close down your government?

CORZINE: First of all, we have a constitutional law that says you can't spend money without an appropriations bill. That did not come through in the budget last night at midnight, and therefore except for essential services like police and emergency management, hospital, corrections, issues, we are limited by the constitutional responsibility not to spend money we don't have.

WHITFIELD: So you are proposing, is it correct, you're proposing to increase the sales tax, and you were met with opposition on that?

CORZINE: It's a $31 billion. We have about $2.5 billion of cuts and about $1.5 billion in tax raises -- or revenue raises in our budget. And my colleagues in the assembly led actually by democrats are resisting that.

WHITFIELD: And so when we say the state government is closed, break it down for us what that means this holiday weekend including state parks, I mean, as folks enjoy the holiday weekend, they go to state parks, beaches, et cetera.

CORZINE: About 50 percent of the government is closed. Over this weekend, since we're going to have an orderly shutdown, our parks and beaches will be open. We will have all probability, our casinos will be open. There will be some things that start phasing out, lottery purchases, lottery ticket purchases, horse racing.

We'll have on Monday a lot fewer services, motor vehicle licensing, things like that, that will begin, too. And we'll try as quickly as possible to get these services back up. Those are nonessential and constitutionally we don't have the ability to have them provided.

WHITFIELD: So once again, what makes up part of the 50 percent of services that would be closed or affected by this closing?

CORZINE: Over a period of time, you'll see casinos and beaches close. It will be after the Fourth of July weekend.

WHITFIELD: And when you say "a period of time," what do you mean?

CORZINE: You know, four or five days, you will not be able to justify to any court that those kinds of activities are essential and therefore unable to continue to be provided as services by the state.

WHITFIELD: So governor, were there no other options? You felt like this was the last resort, the only resort?

CORZINE: Well, there are always other resorts, but sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. And that's -- we've had an argument among people of goodwill that fixing this problem doesn't fit within that pattern. As a matter of fact, in Washington, all we do is just go into deficit financing. And other places, we walk away from those responsibilities. The way our constitution's written, we don't have that choice.

WHITFIELD: Has this ever happened to your state before?

CORZINE: It's gone a day or two and done pretty much as we're doing with casinos and beaches for this weekend. But it has never gone into four, five, six days.

WHITFIELD: And how disappointing or disheartening is this for you as governor?

CORZINE: Well, it's regrettable. It's regrettable that I haven't even had a chance to veto or sign a bill. Quite frankly at this point in time, our assembly and senate haven't agreed on a budget. So it is not just disagreements with the governor. There are broad inability to come to a consensus in the legislative branch to be even able to present a budget, and the constitution's pretty clear on what we're doing, and we're following the law.

WHITFIELD: New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, thanks for your time. So over the next four or five days, as the governor was explaining people in New Jersey are going to start to notice a number of state services that includes casinos, parks, beaches, many of them will be closed over the next couple of days.

His words shocking, but a jury will never hear them. A judge throws out an admitted child killer's confession. What's next in this troubled case. I'll ask our legal experts.

And launch time approaches for Discovery. We'll keep you posted on any late developments with the space shuttle when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening right now in the news. The Discovery shuttle crew is getting ready to take off in a little over 90 minutes from now. Forecasters are still watching the weather over the Kennedy Space Center. And mission managers have been investigating possible problems with a thermostat. The launch is set for 3:49 eastern. And CNN will have live coverage.

A new purported Bin Laden message, the second in as many days. The 19-minute audio recording surfaced just a short time ago on an Islamic Web site. A voice identified as that of the al Qaeda leader addresses Islamic militants in Iraq and Somalia.

A group calling itself the supporters of the Sunni people is claiming responsibility for today's car bomb attack in Baghdad. The claim which appeared on an Islamic Web site cannot be verified. The blast killed 62 people in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City.

New Jersey state workers may get a longer Fourth of July weekend than expected. Governor Jon Corzine shut down nonessential state services today because of a budget impasse in the legislature. We update the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Your next update is coming up at 2:30 eastern.

Our coverage of the launch of the space shuttle Discovery continues. Ahead, will weather be indeed a problem? So far, it's a no go because of weather. We'll check in with meteorologist Bonnie Schneider straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTON MARSALIS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER: All of us have a creativity. We have a thing that we like to do. And it's incumbent upon us to find that thing.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis has been playing since childhood, and his dedication paid off. He's won nine Grammys, and he's the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize in music. In an effort to preserve the art of jazz, Marsalis serves as artistic director of the non-profit organization Jazz at Lincoln Center.

MARSALIS: Success is that you're happy with what you're doing in your life, don't entertain the thought of failing because if you start entertaining it, you will.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Blast off of the shuttle "Discovery," well it's up in the air right now. We're just over an hour away from the scheduled launch time. And the clock is still counting down, but the big worry is weather. Storm clouds could force NASA to scratch today's launch.

So far, it's a no go, but still an hour, 22 minutes to go. The seven-member crew is on board the orbiter right now. They're set to embark on a 12-day mission to the international space station. Bonnie Schneider is in the weather center. Bonnie, clouds rolling in. Not a good thing. But they could potentially roll out.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right Bonnie, thanks so much.

You're looking at a live picture right now of the shuttle on the launch pad. Right after this break, we're going to get an even closer look at the ongoings there at NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. Our Miles O'Brien has a front and center row seat. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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