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CNN Live Saturday

Ivan Causes Flooding in North Carolina, Major Damage in Florida, Alabama; Bush to Make Case Before U.N. That Iraq Succeeding; Bush, Kerry Differ on Health Care, Army; U.N. Threatens Sanctions on Sudan

Aired September 18, 2004 - 16:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They almost had probably 10 seconds. You know, really didn't know what was going on. Just seemed to went swirling like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. It's kind of devastating.

COLLINS SPENCER, ANCHOR: Southerners start rebuilding after Ivan moves through.

All that jazz in Montenegro. A live report coming up.

And their show may win an Emmy, so why is almost no one watching?

Hello, and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Collins Spencer.

The Arabic language TV network Al Jazeera today aired video of two Americans and one Briton abducted two days ago in Baghdad. The network says the kidnappers threatened to behead the hostages unless female Iraqi prisoners are released. The abductors claim links to insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog group today demanded that Iran halt activities related to uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency set a November 25 deadline for Tehran to answer questions about its nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program is for energy production only.

Barry Bonds scores the latest entry into baseball's history books. Bonds hit his 700th home run Friday night. That puts him in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Bonds called the milestone unbelievable. By the way, for all of you who are interested, the San Francisco Giants won the game 4-1, over San Diego.

We begin in the picturesque town of Franklin, North Carolina. It's known for the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. But today, its splendor is overshadowed by Ivan. Remnants of the hurricane truly were terrible as they passed over the area.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Franklin and joins us now with a closer look, and Brian, widespread flooding is a big problem there.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Collins. It is a big problem here. And we have just come from a community that was totally devastated by those remnants of Hurricane Ivan. And it's just outside Franklin, North Carolina.

It is a community called Peeks Creek, a tiny little place tucked into a narrow valley in the Appalachians. A massive mudslide Thursday night wiped out at least 20 homes, possibly more than 30. There are four confirmed dead right now, including a 3-year-old boy.

We have pressed authorities all day on the number of missing, and they cannot account for the number of missing. They cannot even approximate right now.

We spoke to a woman who lost her home in this storm. We asked her what it was -- what it was like to be inside the home when it started moving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARILYN JONES, FRANKLIN RESIDENT: Terrible. Absolutely terrible. It was like -- the debris was just coming through the air and then it sounded like a freight train coming through. And we were able to run through the house and jump out the back door before our house started sliding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Residents of Peeks Creek had no warning that anything was coming, no warning of mudslides or anything. We asked another survivor if they blame the authorities for the lack of a warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE HAIRE, FRANKLIN RESIDENT: No. They had no warning. They had no way of knowing it was going to get that mudslide up there and all that was coming down. There's no way they could have known.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Right now, there are about 300 rescue crewmembers and EMTs at that site. They will be working throughout the day, throughout the night and just several days to come.

It is a devastating scene up in a tiny community called Peeks Creek -- Collins.

SPENCER: Brian, I have been reading their reports of about 200,000 or so residents lost their power. Are they gradually getting their power back now?

TODD: Some people are gradually getting it back. Around this area in Franklin, and certainly around Peeks Creek, they don't expect it back for days. And a lead emergency official here told us the recovery is literally going it take months.

SPENCER: But Brian, what about high winds? Is that a problem they're looking at down the road also? More high winds coming in? TODD: They don't expect anything right now. It's beautiful weather out here now. It's supposed to be moderate for the next few days. They don't expect this place to be hit by Hurricane Jeanne or any of the other storms approaching, but then again they didn't expect Ivan to do this kind of damage either.

SPENCER: Right. Thank you, Brian. Brian Todd in Franklin, North Carolina.

Well, Haywood County is also in the western part of North Carolina. It, too, was hard hit by flooding from rains produced by Ivan. More than eight inches fell, causing a soggy mess.

It's a similar scene in Amesville, Ohio. Heavy rains from remnants of the hurricane closed roads and knocked out power. In all, 16 Ohio counties have reported flooding. Farther south, the damage is catastrophic.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Pensacola, Florida with more.

Hi, Chris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hurricane Ivan didn't just destroy this Pensacola family's home. It erased it.

VIRGINIA TYSON, HOME DESTROYED BY IVAN: You can't even find, like, one piece of furniture. There isn't a couch. There isn't a chair. Nothing that's intact at all.

LAWRENCE: Virginia Tyson and her boyfriend believe their home was washed away by a wall of water.

STEVEN CHANCY, HOME DESTROYED BY IVAN: By the time it got our house, I don't know what size it was bit big enough to take it out.

LAWRENCE: The house had been in Virginia's family for 25 years. It survived every hurricane until now.

TYSON: I called my mother, and I told her the worst picture you could possibly imagine and it's nothing compared to how bad it is when you're actually looking at it.

LAWRENCE: The destruction is widespread across the Florida Panhandle. As of Saturday, some 400,000 Florida homes and businesses still had no power.

And across the Gulf Coast, insurance companies estimate Ivan caused $2 to $10 billion in damage. To put that in perspective, hurricanes Charley and Frances caused about $11 billion in damage combined.

And on Saturday, many families are now realizing they have no home to go back to.

TYSON: You just have to think hopefully although when it's almost impossible to do. Just it's all there is you can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Yes, but unfortunately for Virginia, she also works on Pensacola Beach, meaning more than likely she's out of a home and a job.

We spoke with the Florida attorney general about 30 minutes ago. And he told us, the homes and the businesses that made up Pensacola Beach have been all but wiped out -- Collins.

SPENCER: Chris, what can residents expect in regards to getting their power back on?

LAWRENCE: Well, we spoke with the -- we heard from the emergency operations center. And from what we heard, as of about early this afternoon, about 340,000 people in Florida are still without power. That sounds like a lot, but that is down about 80,000 to 100,000 people from where it was a day and a half ago.

So they are making progress, although some of the hardest hit areas, it could be the end of the month before their power gets back on.

SPENCER: Now, were the outlying areas or the areas around you, were they prepared in regards to equipment?

LAWRENCE: They were. I mean, in terms of getting things cleaned up, we've seen a lot of work today. More than any other -- any of the days leading up till now.

We're starting to see some of the highways open up. Exits that we couldn't get off of the highway just a day or so ago are now opened. So gradually it does seem to be making some progress.

SPENCER: All right. Chris Lawrence in Pensacola, Florida. Thank you, Chris.

Well, let's check the weather situation right now. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is at the CNN weather center.

And Jacqui, how's it looking across the country?

(WEATHER REPORT)

SPENCER: All right, Jeanne, stay out there. Thanks, Jacqui.

Hurricane Ivan battered Mobile, Alabama, with ferocious winds and rain, but the eye didn't make landfall in the city as expected that. That prompted Mayor Mike Dow to proclaim, quote, "I think we caught a bullet with our teeth."

Still, the city was hit hard. Mayor Dow joins us now by phone from Mobile.

Hello, Mayor. MIKE DOW, MAYOR OF MOBILE, ALABAMA: Good evening.

SPENCER: Mayor, were you able to get out and assess the damage, thus far?

DOW: Yes, we did that the very next morning. I and a crew were out on the road before daybreak, as a matter of fact, before the winds died down.

And you know, extensive power outages all across town. I would say 170,000 of our 250,000 people had power outages. And we're bringing that back at a pretty good clip.

Debris every place. I had a young lady stick her head out of a door and say, "Two-thirds of all the trees are down," but it wasn't the case. But the debris was so extensive from branches and leaves and junk, that it looked like a war zone.

We're doing double shifts and having to go buy fuel, two, three states away. We have curfews trying to protect the property. And our traffic lights are all down. Double-triple work, but we are so blessed that we did not take that direct hit.

SPENCER: Right, we're looking at video now. What would you say would be the percentage of structural damage there in Mobile?

DOW: The structural damage is minimal. In fact, I was just amazed at, you know, the light amount of property damage along those lines. That's not to minimize anybody's home or business that got hit.

But if you look next door, a neighbor in Baldwin County, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and Pensacola on down, my heart is just aching for those people. I mean, they took -- the storm surges that we were going to get, you know, once that storm moved a little eastward, those guys got the full blunt of it. And they've got condominiums down and houses sitting in the road. And roads that aren't even there anymore.

SPENCER: How would you compare this to other hurricanes in the past?

DOW: Well, Camille killed a lot of people. There were several hundred deaths. That was a catastrophic event, over in the Biloxi Gulf Port of Mobile.

Frederick was a very damaging storm that took about 25 percent of our trees. I would say this one from a property damage standpoint, it appears to be me to be greater than those.

I think this is going to be a huge hit in the billions of dollars from the standpoint of property damage is done all the way from Panama City up until right up to our backdoor.

SPENCER: And in regards to fatalities and injuries, we looking at low numbers? What are we looking at?

DOW: Certainly minimal here in Mobile. We had no deaths associated with the storm.

And I think there's some missing people. I heard there were 30 people in some little place that rode the storm out they haven't found yet. I don't know if they're counted is death. Hopefully they jumped in their cars and went to another state and we'll find them later.

But I think there are some unknown numbers. But apparently, 12 to 20 deaths up and down the coast. I think that number, quite frankly, is going to rise substantially once an inventory is taken.

SPENCER: OK. We only have a few seconds left. How long do you think, Mayor, it's going to take you to get back on your feet?

DOW: Depending on FEMA and the Corps of Engineers and our contractors, we're hoping with the exception of picking up all of the debris, to be out of the woods here in about two week, maybe 30 days is what I'm hoping.

SPENCER: OK. Good luck, Mayor. Mayor Mike Dow, the mayor of Mobile, Alabama.

DOW: Well, ours is an easy job. It's our neighbors I'm concerned about.

SPENCER: OK. Well, good luck and thank you for joining us.

DOW: Thank you.

SPENCER: The political season brings a lot pictures and even more words, and sometimes the candidate's positions get buried. Straight ahead, a political primer on health care, prescription drugs, and homeland security. All you ever wanted to know and more about the candidates' political positions.

Winners and losers in Hollywood. Some of these stars will not be so happy tomorrow night. A preview of the Emmys ahead.

And the other sports story of the day. The Ryder Cup, day two. Is it still painful for the Americans?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: President Bush is spending the weekend off the campaign trail in Maine. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is in Kennebunkport, Maine, with the details.

Hi, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Collins.

President Bush, of course, taking a brief respite from the campaign trail at the Kennebunkport compound. He has been working hard on the campaign, facing tough questions about Iraq as well as his own military record.

President Bush looking forward, saying that he will make the case before world leaders, the United Nations in New York, that the U.S. is on the right course, that they are in the right course for democracy throughout the Middle East.

Today President Bush earlier today giving a preview in his weekly radio address.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorist enemies are trying to stop the progress of both those countries. And their violent and merciless attacks may increase as elections draw near, but all the world can be certain America and our allies will keep our commitments to the Afghan and Iraqi people.

Our long-term security, the safety of our children and grandchildren will be served when the broader Middle East is home to stable Democratic governments that fight terror.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Collins, President Bush also talking about the controversial military records before -- with the union leader out of Manchester, New Hampshire.

And the president asked whether or not he'd actually seen those CBS documents that questioned whether or not he completed his duty or he got preferential treatment. The president saying that the truth will come out.

He also reiterated he thought those documents should be closely looked at, that are there many questions about them, of course, the big controversy over their authenticity.

And finally, the president also reiterating that he says, and I'm quoting here that he met his Guard requirement, he was honorably discharged and that he was proud of his service -- Collins.

SPENCER: Thanks for that, Suzanne. Suzanne Malveaux with the president in Kennebunkport, Maine. Thank you, Suzanne.

Well, now to the flap over Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's medals.

Kerry is campaigning in New England this weekend. The inspector general of the U.S. Navy has completed a review of Kerry's Vietnam War service record. He concludes that Kerry's medals were properly awarded.

The group Judicial Watch had argued that wasn't the case and called upon the secretary of the Navy to revoke the medals. Inspector General Ronald Route says he sees no need for a full-scale probe.

The Kerry campaign says the review results are not news to them, but they hope it ends the controversy. Kerry is attending a fund- raiser in Boston today. Well, with the candidates running neck-and-neck, the deciding factor in the 2004 campaign is anybody's guess. We're going to do a side by side comparison of Bush and Kerry and their stands on the issue. It's a high stake's game.

Our own political analyst Ron Brownstein is in Los Vegas.

Hi, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, good afternoon.

SPENCER: Ron, it seems -- there seems to be one of the biggest differences over health care between Kerry and Bush. Where are the differences there?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, until recently, health care had probably been the biggest issue in which there was the biggest concern gap between the amount in the public and the amount of attention on the campaign trail.

We have 45 million Americans without health insurance now. The last four years, we've seen double-digit increase in premiums for those with health insurance. And it shows up consistently in polls as one of the top concerns of voters.

Very different approaches by these two men. John Kerry would repeal the top two brackets of President Bush's tax cuts and use most of that money to both expand coverage for the uninsured by expanding existing government programs, but also by putting a lot of money into trying to stabilize the existing system under which most people get their coverage through their employers.

He would do that by shifting some of the costs for the highest, most expensive cases from private insurers to government.

President Bush is a very different vision. It's one that looks for the of future, in which more Americans would obtain their insurance on their own, rather than through these large groups, either government or employers. It depends primarily upon tax credits to do that.

Kerry would cover a lot more of the uninsured, about 27 million, President Bush only about five to seven, depending on the estimate. But the Kerry plan is more expensive and would require in some ways a greater expansion of government's role in the health care system.

SPENCER: Yes, a lot of discussion this week over health care between both camps.

Let's move on to defense and talk about where both stand in regards to the size of the Army.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, Senator Kerry has talked about a permanent increase of 40,000 in the size of the active duty military.

Now, the president has -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has pursued a temporary increase in the military. Senator Kerry wants to make that a statutory increase. He said that it's not to go to Iraq, but rather to reduce some of the strain that is caused by the extensive deployment in Iraq.

In fact, I think they are pointing in the same direction, although Senator Kerry wants to make this permanent and statutory.

SPENCER: Right. And you alluded a little bit to military spending. Where does Bush and Kerry stand in regards to that?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, it's been rather pointed that Senator Kerry has not dissented from President Bush's trajectory on defense spending. As you know, the president has laid in a course that would significantly expand defense spending over the next decade by about a trillion dollars or more over the sort of path that President Clinton set out in his last budget.

Senator Kerry with my conversations with the campaign, as part of their overall effort, really, to not allow President Bush to sort of portray as them as weak on defense. They have not challenged that. So again, they are somewhat similar on that front.

SPENCER: OK, let's move onto homeland security. In regards to the labeling enemy combatants, where do the two differ there?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, as you know, not surprisingly on a number of these issues where security and civil liberties come into conflict, the Democrats tilt more than President Bush does toward the civil liberties side.

Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards have talked about revising the process by which these enemy combatants are held, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for instance, requiring a trial that would be more like a military court martial than the commissions that the president has set up.

And in general I think when you look at this, the Patriot Act, other similar issues, tilting more toward the civil liberties side, which of course the president would argue would in some ways endanger our abilities to defend ourselves.

SPENCER: All right. I was going to mention the Patriot Act.

Let's talk about the new CBS/"New York Times" poll that is out that has Bush 50 percent and Kerry at 41. What do you think about that?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know what? We've had a wide range of polls in the last couple of weeks. We've gone -- last couple of days, excuse me. We've gone from your CNN/Gallup poll today, a 13-point lead for the president among likely voters to a Pew Research Center that was even among likely voters, taken in roughly the same time.

I do think if you look at the totality of the polls, including all the polling that's going on in the states, it tells you that President Bush does have a small but real lead at this point. Nine may be large. It may be five. It may be six. It may be seven. But he is ahead.

The key number to watch, his approval rating is over 50.

SPENCER: All right.

BROWNSTEIN: And that's in the right direction.

SPENCER: Unfortunately, Ron, we're out of time. Good to see you.

BROWNSTEIN: Good to see you.

SPENCER: Ron Brownstein, our CNN political analyst.

We're going to continue our look at the campaign issues tomorrow. Join us at 4 p.m. Eastern for a look at how the candidates stand on tax cuts, the job market and Social Security.

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan. The U.N. wants the African nation to crackdown on militias blamed for killing thousands.

CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has the details.

Hi, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Collins.

By a vote of 11 in favor, four abstentions, the Security Council has passed an additional resolution on the Sudanese government, telling the government it must cooperate with outside agencies, with African Union monitors who are trying to get in there to decide just what is the condition in Darfur, a place where 50,000 people are believed to have been killed, two million homeless or affected.

It's a disaster, says President Bush, in a phone call to U.S. Ambassador Danforth, the ambassador relating that to the rest of the Security Council.

The U.S. ambassador also saying, Darfur and what's happening there is manmade. It's not a hurricane. It's not a typhoon or anything like that. This was something that the government used as a fabrication to dominant the rebels there, something that the Janjaweed militia are behind.

You're currently looking live at British ambassador Emmett Jones Perry (ph), the United Kingdom siding with the U.S.

Just a few weeks ago, Secretary of State Powell said it's a genocide there. Well, this Security Council is not ready it agree to that, but under this new resolution, Collins, there will be a commission of inquiry that will be sent in, that might begin to start to determine whether it is indeed a genocide.

Back to you.

SPENCER: All right, thanks, Richard Roth in New York at the U.N.

We're going to be right back with more news. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Cancel your plans tomorrow night and start stocking up on the munchies. It's television's biggest night of the year, the 56 annual Prime time Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

CNN entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas is already occupying her spot at the Shrine Auditorium. She joins us now with all of the Hollywood chatter, and we're all ears.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know what? Hi, Collins.

Things are certainly heating up here at the Shrine Auditorium as we prepare for the 56th annual Emmy Awards. As you can see, there's some construction going on behind me, but the red carpet has definitely been rolled out, and in 24 hours, this place is going to be bustling with celebrities.

A lot of them are going to be in the comedy category. And if you're looking for a dark horse in that race, search no further than what critics call the best show that nobody's watching.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (voice-over): First there were the bunkers.

CARROLL O'CONNOR, ACTOR: What's the matter, you sorehead?

VARGAS: Then there were the Bundys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know CPR.

ED O'NEILL, ACTOR: I'm fine.

VARGAS: Now, meet the Bluths.

JASON BATEMAN, ACTOR: I wonder how I can talk you out of ever making that face again.

VARGAS: Fox's freshman sitcom "Arrested Development" puts the "D" in dysfunctional family.

You've got a jailbird father.

JEFFREY TAMBOR, ACTOR: I'm having the time of my life!

VARGAS: The self-absorbed sister, an overbearing mother.

JESSICA WALTER, ACTRESS: It's his glasses. They make him look like a lizard.

VARGAS: And Jason Bateman, who plays the family's only beacon of sanity.

BATEMAN: They are going to keep dad in prison at least until this gets all sorted out. Also the attorney said that they're going to have to put a halt in the company's expense account.

Interesting, I would have expected that after the keeping the dad in jail.

VARGAS: The problem is nobody's watching. In its first season, the sitcom ranked 116th among prime time network shows.

CYNTHIA LITTLETON, "HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": It's not the kind of a show where you have a punch line and there's a laugh track to reinforcement and you move onto the next scene.

It's very much inspired by a lot of the techniques and the storytelling style of reality television. Is it off-putting to the -- to the average viewer? Maybe.

VARGAS: But its innovative style and humor have made it a gem with critics, and now it's up for seven Emmys, including one for comedy series.

BATEMAN: The fact that we get a nomination, perhaps means we'll be around a little bit longer. And we continue living the dream.

VARGAS: Fox is expressing confidence in the show going into its second season. It'll follow the "Simpsons" on Sundays, with hope that all the buzz attracts new arrivals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And Jeffrey Tambor is up for a supporting actor nod. He plays the family patriarch. And a lot of people may notice him. He played Hank in Gary Shandling -- in "The Gary Shandling Show," which is really interesting, because Gary Shandling is going to be here tomorrow. And he's hosting the event. So it will be funny to see how they react to each other.

I got a chance to speak to Jeffrey Tambor last night at the Emmy nominee party at Spago. It's the premiere event, right before the Emmys. It's where everybody gets together and they have a couple of drinks, and king of like let some of the steam out. But Kim Cattrall was there, Amber Tamblyn was there, Stockard Channing was there, Ben Shankman from "Angels in America" was there.

It was a star-studded cast, and they were just all so happy to be there. I spoke to Amber Tamblyn, the youngest nominee. She's nominated for best actress in a drama series, and she is just so happy to be in the company with Edie Falco and Allison Janey, but especially Edie Falco, who she says is really a hero of hers. And just to be in that category is such an honor. And you know, they're all honored -- they're all honored to be there.

COLLINS SPENCER, CNN SPENCER: What a group there. With Gary Shandling being the host, can we expect anything crazy, or is that an understatement?

VARGAS: Of course. When it comes to Gary Shandling, you know there is going to be a couple of crazy things. And I also got to speak to the president of the academy yesterday, who told me, you know, because it's a political year, expect some political humor as well.

SPENCER: Right. Good to see you, Sibila... Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.

VARGAS: Thank you...

SPENCER: Well, here is what's happening now in the news. The search for Ivan's victims goes on in North Carolina. In Macon County, a suspected flash flooding killed at least four people, and an unknown number of victims are still missing. Ivan's death toll in the Southeast now stands at 25. Early insurance industry estimates place damage costs between $2 billion and $10 billion.

The UN Security Council votes to threaten sanctions against Sudan. The U.S.-drafted resolution calls for Sudan to act quickly against militias in Darfur, and a foreign investigation into possible genocide. An estimated 50,000 people have been killed, and more than a million forced from their homes.

An Iraqi airline is back in business. Iraq Airways resumed international service today with a flight from Amman to Baghdad. The carrier has only one plane, a newly purchased Boeing 737. War and economic sanctions had grounded the airline for 14 years.

Two Americans and one Briton remain hostages today in Iraq. We'll have the very latest on that story, and the ultimatum issued by the kidnappers. Plus, more on the aftermath of Ivan. Western North Carolina gets hit hard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAYCE WALTON, FLOOD VICTIM: It just took my breath away. It broke my heart. We have friends up here. We're afraid they're dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: It's been a violent week in Iraq as car bombs targeted Iraqis working with U.S. forces. Today, a bombing at the Iraqi National Guard headquarters in Kirkuk killed 19 people. And video surfaced of three western hostages. CNN senior international correspondent Walt Rodgers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INT. CORRESPONDENT: The kidnappers threatened to kill these two Americans and one British engineer by Monday unless the Americans release all female Iraqi prisoners now in custody here. All three men were blindfolded. A gun was pointed at one's head.

(AL JAZEERA VIDEO CLIP)

The Arab television network Al Jazeera was the first to broadcast the demands of Tawad (ph) and Jihad, a shadowy group believed affiliated with the alleged terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi. This is the house from which the two Americans and one British subject were kidnapped Thursday. Their Iraqi guard did not show up that night, clearing the way for the kidnapping.

Also this weekend, a string of car and roadside bombs. In the northern city of Kirkuk, the Iraq National Guard headquarters was the target of a suicide car bomber. The car, at high speed, bore down on the guards, shooting on the driver, but not before he detonated a powerful explosion, killing 19 Iraqis there and sending more than 60 others to hospital.

Security institutions like the Iraqi police and national guard have been the principal targets of the insurgents this past week. A roadside bomb was detonated in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood, killing one person. The apparent target there, cars thought to belong to westerners still in Iraq.

A convoy of U.S. soldiers on the road to Baghdad's airport was also the target of a car bomb. Three soldiers were reported injured in that. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Now, to the other big story we're following today, the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Parts of Pensacola, Florida look like a war zone three days after the storm hit. Dazed residents are facing the reality of living without air conditioning and standing in line for necessities.

Farther north, flooding is the problem. Rains from the remnants of the hurricane turned parts of Tennessee into a soggy mess. Western North Carolina was also hit hard. We get the story from Russ Bowen from affiliate WLOS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSS BOWEN, CNN AFFILIATE WLOS (voice-over): At least 30 houses slide down thousands of feet, crashing with a wall of water down Pike's Creek.

GAYCE WALTON, FLOOD VICTIM: It just took my breath away. It broke my heart. We have friends up here. We're afraid they're dead.

BOWEN: No one knows what the death toll might be, so nearby residents just wait for news.

WALTON: Children, mothers... children, fathers... some of them nurses.

BOWEN: The search will take days or weeks to complete. LT. KEVIN STEPHENS, NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE: And this is very humbling to me...

BOWEN: As crews work in a state of awe.

STEPHENS: And I talked to some of the local residents that actually survived this last night, and they said it sounded like 100 freight trains coming down that canyon.

BOWEN: As if this isn't enough for this small county to handle, many other parts lie underwater.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I've been here six years, and it's never been this high.

BOWEN: Flooded bridges, roads, highways cut people off without warning. Livestock is moved, and the county fair is a literal washout.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: About 5 o'clock, they had to move the hogs out. We had about 116 hogs in there, and they had to move the steers out too, because the water was rising and going.

BOWEN: Two ends of a county faced with disaster, with many days of uncertainty left.

(on-camera): As this disaster was occurring, this local community asked for help from neighboring counties, but they couldn't spare many people. They were dealing with their own flooding problems. In Macon County, North Carolina, Russ Bowen for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: And as always, our Web site is the best source of information about Ivan's aftermath and the weather in your area. Visit CNN.com for a hurricane season special report and your local forecast. Up next, we're off to Monterey, California for the annual Jazz Festival. We'll take a listen. And welcome to the 700 club -- the latest milestone for Barry Bonds. But can he top 755? Hear what Hank Aaron has to say about that, coming up a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: California is getting all jazzed up this weekend. The 47th annual Monterey Jazz Festival kicked off yesterday. The massive three-day extravaganza has attracted world class performers and world class listeners. Organizers are expecting about 100,000 people to attend this year. CNN's Maria Hinojosa has been in the swing of it all. She joins me live from the festival. Hello, Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Collins. Well, yes, 47 years without interruption makes this the longest running jazz festival in the world. It started in 1958. And yes, thousands upon thousands of people make their way here every year. It's become quite a tradition in this part of the country. They come for all kinds of music, to listen to jazz, and blues, and some kind of rock even. It's just really extraordinary.

Now, what's happening now on the Lion's Stage, which is the center stage for this incredible festival, is a performance by the Jackie Green Band. They will be performing for a little bit more. And then, this evening, highlight performances to come. Lots of great music, Collins.

SPENCER: Now, Maria, you're at the Jazz Festival, but it's not all jazz all the time, is it?

HINOJOSA: You know, it's not. Last night, there was an extraordinary performance by the tap dancer Savion Glover, who was performing with his own jazz band. Later this afternoon, I'll be talking to Buddy Guy, who will be performing, who is the great blues artist. And earlier today, we had a conversation with Betty Lavette, who is... her album was just voted "Blues Comeback Album of the Year." She gave us quite a performance and told us what it's like to be invited to the Monterey Jazz Festival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETTYE LAVETTE, SINGER: This is just so wonderful for me. For me, I'm being acknowledged, as my peers have been for... you know, I lived in Detroit, across the street from people who are all millionaires now.

HINOJOSA: You have been working at this so long, and you haven't been able to get that big hit. But two years ago, you were invited to perform at a party in San Francisco. Who was there?

LAVETTE: John Goddard (ph). It was his birthday party. He had been fan for years... called and asked me, "Would I come out?" He said, "All I can do is introduce you to people. There's nothing else I can do." But he had Huey Lewis, Maria Muldaur, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, the agent that I was after, "Rosebud," who eventually signed me. So we attribute my entire resurgence and coming out of the crypt to John Goddard (ph).

HINOJOSA: And also because of the fact that you were telling me that it's because of the computer and the cyber world...

LAVETTE: Yes, because I had fans. I had like, say, 5,000 fans in each space. And then, when they all connected, that was a great help for me. And with the Internet, they can talk to each other and say, "Oh, well, I know her too." And then, my manager, Robert Hodge, put me online, which I was afraid, when I touched it, I would blow up the Pentagon or something.

But when I did go on, I started reading things about myself, and then I would respond to those people, and then they started responding to me. It was just phenomenal.

HINOJOSA: So you're feeling like all of these years of work... and it's paying off.

LAVETTE: Oh, yes, there's no way in the world I would have garnered this kind of talent either, because if the records had hit, I would have followed the records. But with them not being successful, I had to learn how to do a lot of things on the stage, you know, do a lot of different kinds of shows. So it's made me an unusual artist.

HINOJOSA: Your album, "A Woman Like Me," was voted "Blues Comeback Album of the Year." You're going to sing that song.

LAVETTE: Well, I'd like to sing it.

HINOJOSA: Sing the song for us, then, "A Woman Like Me..."

(LAVETTE SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: All right, the pitch, the crack of the bat, and Barry Bonds joins an exclusive group of sports icons. Bonds hit his 700th homerun last night, becoming the first new member of the 700 club in 31 years. Michelle Bonner has more on this sports milestone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE BONNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and now Barry Bonds. Those are the only three players in major league history to hit 700 career homeruns. And now, Bonds has positioned himself to pass the Babe's 714 homeruns, with an eye on Aaron's all-time record of 755.

BARRY BONDS, 700 CAREER HOMERUNS: You really can't put it in words to be in a class with, you know, those two great players, with Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. And you just, I mean, it's like, you know, you're dreaming and you're not dreaming, and you know, it's unbelievable.

HANK AARON, 755 CAREER HOMERUNS: Records are made to be broken, you know. I mean, that's a known fact. I mean, if you have a record, eventually, somebody's going to come along and break it.

TOM GLAVINE, NEW YORK METS PITCHER: Assuming all things stay the way they are and he stays healthy, then I think the only reason he wouldn't do it would be that he didn't want to when he retires.

BONNER: Who's the best to ever play the game is a question that is always answered with names like Mays, Ruth, and Aaron. In the future, Bonds will be included.

JOHN DONOVAN, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: He's been a batting champion. He hit 73 homeruns one year. He's getting on base at an unprecedented clip this year. His slugging percentage is otherworldly. You could make a real good argument -- and I'm not sure if I would -- but somebody could make a real good argument that Barry Bonds is the best player ever.

BONNER: The six-time NL MVP's numbers are even more astounding when taking into account that many teams do not pitch to him. Consider that during his entire career, Hank Aaron was intentionally walked 293 times, while Bonds has been walked more than 100 times this year alone.

Although exasperating at times, Bonds refuses to let the walks get to him.

BONDS: You have to have respect for the game of baseball regardless of what's going on out there. I mean, everybody's out there trying to do the best they can and to win for their team regardless. And you get into a situation that you need to walk someone, you walk him to help your team win. So you don't lose any respect for anybody that does that. You know, that's part of baseball. It's always been part of the game, and it will continue being part of the game.

BONNER: Earlier this year, his trainer and nutritionist were indicted in connection with a steroid investigation. But Bonds has repeatedly denied using steroids. And even with that dark cloud hovering around the 40-year-old, Bonds continues to produce in the twilight of his career, which begs the question: can he hit 800 homeruns? For CNN sports, I'm Michelle Bonner.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: The U.S. team is trying, trying to mount a comeback at the Ryder Cup. They are playing today with passion and pride in the prestigious golf tournament. Our Larry Smith is keeping up with the action at Bloomfield Hills in Michigan. And Larry, how's the U.S. doing now?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S., right now, could be doing a little better. Keep in mind, American Captain Hal Sutton said that really, you know, to get five points today would put the Americans in good shape to contend for the cup when Sunday's 12 singles matches come around. At one point today, they threatened to sweep the four morning, four ball matches, but that didn't happen.

So right now, that five points could be hard to come by. The U.S. this morning winning two matches, having a third to get a total of two and a half points. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, was solid today. He played pretty well on Friday as well, although he didn't have any wins to show for it, getting his first win in this Ryder Cup, and his sixth overall Ryder Cup victory in 18 career matches.

He teamed up with Chris Riley, a fellow southern Californian, whom he first played junior golf with back when he was 15-years-old. They won four and three in the morning match to get things going, help get things going, as again, the U.S. winning two matches this morning.

Now, it's a much different U.S. team than we saw yesterday. They were flat, they left so many putts short, they just did not seem focused. But after last night, talking about this, coming out on fire and getting the crowd into it... well, Chris Dimarco talked about the change in this morning's attitude.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS DIMARCO, U.S. TEAM: You saw 12 pretty pissed off guys, to tell you the truth... a lot of guys with a lot of, you know... lot of distinguished guys in there, and they didn't want to get punished like that. They were embarrassed. We were embarrassed last night, there's no doubt about it. And we've got a lot of pride in this team, and I think you're seeing that today.

SERGIO GARCIA, EUROPEAN TEAM: It's definitely going to be louder. You know, of course, the Americans came out today a bit better than yesterday, definitely making a lot more putts than they did yesterday. And you know, that's what it's all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Well, that was this morning's four-ball competition. Let's get now to the foursome competition, the alternate shot. And right now, Europe is having its way as well. Already in the books is a victory for Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood. They beat Jay Haas and Chris Dimarco five and four. That match wasn't even close for that duo.

Nine points now for Europe, four points for the U.S., and Europe still leading in two other matches. Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald two up through 13 holes, and Jim Furyk and Fred Funk. Tiger Woods and Davis Love the Third came out strong in their match. But Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley have won three of the last four holes, and now they lead that match as well, 2 through 11 holes.

Phil Mickelson and David Toms both sat out this morning. They did not play. And the rest certainly has done them well. They are faring the best of any American duo this afternoon, 3 up through 13 holes, on Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Levet of France. Let's go back to you, Collins.

SPENCER: Well, Larry, the U.S. has a lot of ground to make up. Can they do it?

SMITH: Well, that's the thing. These afternoon matches are crucial. If these scores stand up, that would mean an 11-5 deficit for the U.S. going into Sunday. Keep in mind, back in 1999, in Brookline, the Europeans led 10 to 6, seemingly and insurmountable lead, but the Americans came back and won the eight and a half points they needed on Sunday to get the improbable victory.

To get nine and a half points out of 12 matches, that would seem impossible. But then again, it is golf, it is match play, and in match play, anything can happen. You're not playing against the course so much as playing against your opponent. Let's go back to you.

SPENCER: All right, we'll see what happens. Larry Smith at the Ryder Cup in Bloomfield Hills in Michigan. Thanks, Larry. Well, that's it for us. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" is next with a look at the little known personal side of LL Cool J. Plus, Venus Williams and Serena on and off the court. At 6 Eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues with Carol Lin. She'll talk with the director of FEMA about rebuilding and moving on after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan.

And at 7 Eastern, "THE CAPITAL GANG" has the latest on the national intelligence estimate and the current situation in Iraq. Thanks for joining us. I'll be back with the headlines after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 18, 2004 - 16:00   ET
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They almost had probably 10 seconds. You know, really didn't know what was going on. Just seemed to went swirling like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. It's kind of devastating.

COLLINS SPENCER, ANCHOR: Southerners start rebuilding after Ivan moves through.

All that jazz in Montenegro. A live report coming up.

And their show may win an Emmy, so why is almost no one watching?

Hello, and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Collins Spencer.

The Arabic language TV network Al Jazeera today aired video of two Americans and one Briton abducted two days ago in Baghdad. The network says the kidnappers threatened to behead the hostages unless female Iraqi prisoners are released. The abductors claim links to insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog group today demanded that Iran halt activities related to uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency set a November 25 deadline for Tehran to answer questions about its nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program is for energy production only.

Barry Bonds scores the latest entry into baseball's history books. Bonds hit his 700th home run Friday night. That puts him in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Bonds called the milestone unbelievable. By the way, for all of you who are interested, the San Francisco Giants won the game 4-1, over San Diego.

We begin in the picturesque town of Franklin, North Carolina. It's known for the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. But today, its splendor is overshadowed by Ivan. Remnants of the hurricane truly were terrible as they passed over the area.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Franklin and joins us now with a closer look, and Brian, widespread flooding is a big problem there.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Collins. It is a big problem here. And we have just come from a community that was totally devastated by those remnants of Hurricane Ivan. And it's just outside Franklin, North Carolina.

It is a community called Peeks Creek, a tiny little place tucked into a narrow valley in the Appalachians. A massive mudslide Thursday night wiped out at least 20 homes, possibly more than 30. There are four confirmed dead right now, including a 3-year-old boy.

We have pressed authorities all day on the number of missing, and they cannot account for the number of missing. They cannot even approximate right now.

We spoke to a woman who lost her home in this storm. We asked her what it was -- what it was like to be inside the home when it started moving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARILYN JONES, FRANKLIN RESIDENT: Terrible. Absolutely terrible. It was like -- the debris was just coming through the air and then it sounded like a freight train coming through. And we were able to run through the house and jump out the back door before our house started sliding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Residents of Peeks Creek had no warning that anything was coming, no warning of mudslides or anything. We asked another survivor if they blame the authorities for the lack of a warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE HAIRE, FRANKLIN RESIDENT: No. They had no warning. They had no way of knowing it was going to get that mudslide up there and all that was coming down. There's no way they could have known.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Right now, there are about 300 rescue crewmembers and EMTs at that site. They will be working throughout the day, throughout the night and just several days to come.

It is a devastating scene up in a tiny community called Peeks Creek -- Collins.

SPENCER: Brian, I have been reading their reports of about 200,000 or so residents lost their power. Are they gradually getting their power back now?

TODD: Some people are gradually getting it back. Around this area in Franklin, and certainly around Peeks Creek, they don't expect it back for days. And a lead emergency official here told us the recovery is literally going it take months.

SPENCER: But Brian, what about high winds? Is that a problem they're looking at down the road also? More high winds coming in? TODD: They don't expect anything right now. It's beautiful weather out here now. It's supposed to be moderate for the next few days. They don't expect this place to be hit by Hurricane Jeanne or any of the other storms approaching, but then again they didn't expect Ivan to do this kind of damage either.

SPENCER: Right. Thank you, Brian. Brian Todd in Franklin, North Carolina.

Well, Haywood County is also in the western part of North Carolina. It, too, was hard hit by flooding from rains produced by Ivan. More than eight inches fell, causing a soggy mess.

It's a similar scene in Amesville, Ohio. Heavy rains from remnants of the hurricane closed roads and knocked out power. In all, 16 Ohio counties have reported flooding. Farther south, the damage is catastrophic.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Pensacola, Florida with more.

Hi, Chris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hurricane Ivan didn't just destroy this Pensacola family's home. It erased it.

VIRGINIA TYSON, HOME DESTROYED BY IVAN: You can't even find, like, one piece of furniture. There isn't a couch. There isn't a chair. Nothing that's intact at all.

LAWRENCE: Virginia Tyson and her boyfriend believe their home was washed away by a wall of water.

STEVEN CHANCY, HOME DESTROYED BY IVAN: By the time it got our house, I don't know what size it was bit big enough to take it out.

LAWRENCE: The house had been in Virginia's family for 25 years. It survived every hurricane until now.

TYSON: I called my mother, and I told her the worst picture you could possibly imagine and it's nothing compared to how bad it is when you're actually looking at it.

LAWRENCE: The destruction is widespread across the Florida Panhandle. As of Saturday, some 400,000 Florida homes and businesses still had no power.

And across the Gulf Coast, insurance companies estimate Ivan caused $2 to $10 billion in damage. To put that in perspective, hurricanes Charley and Frances caused about $11 billion in damage combined.

And on Saturday, many families are now realizing they have no home to go back to.

TYSON: You just have to think hopefully although when it's almost impossible to do. Just it's all there is you can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Yes, but unfortunately for Virginia, she also works on Pensacola Beach, meaning more than likely she's out of a home and a job.

We spoke with the Florida attorney general about 30 minutes ago. And he told us, the homes and the businesses that made up Pensacola Beach have been all but wiped out -- Collins.

SPENCER: Chris, what can residents expect in regards to getting their power back on?

LAWRENCE: Well, we spoke with the -- we heard from the emergency operations center. And from what we heard, as of about early this afternoon, about 340,000 people in Florida are still without power. That sounds like a lot, but that is down about 80,000 to 100,000 people from where it was a day and a half ago.

So they are making progress, although some of the hardest hit areas, it could be the end of the month before their power gets back on.

SPENCER: Now, were the outlying areas or the areas around you, were they prepared in regards to equipment?

LAWRENCE: They were. I mean, in terms of getting things cleaned up, we've seen a lot of work today. More than any other -- any of the days leading up till now.

We're starting to see some of the highways open up. Exits that we couldn't get off of the highway just a day or so ago are now opened. So gradually it does seem to be making some progress.

SPENCER: All right. Chris Lawrence in Pensacola, Florida. Thank you, Chris.

Well, let's check the weather situation right now. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is at the CNN weather center.

And Jacqui, how's it looking across the country?

(WEATHER REPORT)

SPENCER: All right, Jeanne, stay out there. Thanks, Jacqui.

Hurricane Ivan battered Mobile, Alabama, with ferocious winds and rain, but the eye didn't make landfall in the city as expected that. That prompted Mayor Mike Dow to proclaim, quote, "I think we caught a bullet with our teeth."

Still, the city was hit hard. Mayor Dow joins us now by phone from Mobile.

Hello, Mayor. MIKE DOW, MAYOR OF MOBILE, ALABAMA: Good evening.

SPENCER: Mayor, were you able to get out and assess the damage, thus far?

DOW: Yes, we did that the very next morning. I and a crew were out on the road before daybreak, as a matter of fact, before the winds died down.

And you know, extensive power outages all across town. I would say 170,000 of our 250,000 people had power outages. And we're bringing that back at a pretty good clip.

Debris every place. I had a young lady stick her head out of a door and say, "Two-thirds of all the trees are down," but it wasn't the case. But the debris was so extensive from branches and leaves and junk, that it looked like a war zone.

We're doing double shifts and having to go buy fuel, two, three states away. We have curfews trying to protect the property. And our traffic lights are all down. Double-triple work, but we are so blessed that we did not take that direct hit.

SPENCER: Right, we're looking at video now. What would you say would be the percentage of structural damage there in Mobile?

DOW: The structural damage is minimal. In fact, I was just amazed at, you know, the light amount of property damage along those lines. That's not to minimize anybody's home or business that got hit.

But if you look next door, a neighbor in Baldwin County, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and Pensacola on down, my heart is just aching for those people. I mean, they took -- the storm surges that we were going to get, you know, once that storm moved a little eastward, those guys got the full blunt of it. And they've got condominiums down and houses sitting in the road. And roads that aren't even there anymore.

SPENCER: How would you compare this to other hurricanes in the past?

DOW: Well, Camille killed a lot of people. There were several hundred deaths. That was a catastrophic event, over in the Biloxi Gulf Port of Mobile.

Frederick was a very damaging storm that took about 25 percent of our trees. I would say this one from a property damage standpoint, it appears to be me to be greater than those.

I think this is going to be a huge hit in the billions of dollars from the standpoint of property damage is done all the way from Panama City up until right up to our backdoor.

SPENCER: And in regards to fatalities and injuries, we looking at low numbers? What are we looking at?

DOW: Certainly minimal here in Mobile. We had no deaths associated with the storm.

And I think there's some missing people. I heard there were 30 people in some little place that rode the storm out they haven't found yet. I don't know if they're counted is death. Hopefully they jumped in their cars and went to another state and we'll find them later.

But I think there are some unknown numbers. But apparently, 12 to 20 deaths up and down the coast. I think that number, quite frankly, is going to rise substantially once an inventory is taken.

SPENCER: OK. We only have a few seconds left. How long do you think, Mayor, it's going to take you to get back on your feet?

DOW: Depending on FEMA and the Corps of Engineers and our contractors, we're hoping with the exception of picking up all of the debris, to be out of the woods here in about two week, maybe 30 days is what I'm hoping.

SPENCER: OK. Good luck, Mayor. Mayor Mike Dow, the mayor of Mobile, Alabama.

DOW: Well, ours is an easy job. It's our neighbors I'm concerned about.

SPENCER: OK. Well, good luck and thank you for joining us.

DOW: Thank you.

SPENCER: The political season brings a lot pictures and even more words, and sometimes the candidate's positions get buried. Straight ahead, a political primer on health care, prescription drugs, and homeland security. All you ever wanted to know and more about the candidates' political positions.

Winners and losers in Hollywood. Some of these stars will not be so happy tomorrow night. A preview of the Emmys ahead.

And the other sports story of the day. The Ryder Cup, day two. Is it still painful for the Americans?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: President Bush is spending the weekend off the campaign trail in Maine. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is in Kennebunkport, Maine, with the details.

Hi, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Collins.

President Bush, of course, taking a brief respite from the campaign trail at the Kennebunkport compound. He has been working hard on the campaign, facing tough questions about Iraq as well as his own military record.

President Bush looking forward, saying that he will make the case before world leaders, the United Nations in New York, that the U.S. is on the right course, that they are in the right course for democracy throughout the Middle East.

Today President Bush earlier today giving a preview in his weekly radio address.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorist enemies are trying to stop the progress of both those countries. And their violent and merciless attacks may increase as elections draw near, but all the world can be certain America and our allies will keep our commitments to the Afghan and Iraqi people.

Our long-term security, the safety of our children and grandchildren will be served when the broader Middle East is home to stable Democratic governments that fight terror.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Collins, President Bush also talking about the controversial military records before -- with the union leader out of Manchester, New Hampshire.

And the president asked whether or not he'd actually seen those CBS documents that questioned whether or not he completed his duty or he got preferential treatment. The president saying that the truth will come out.

He also reiterated he thought those documents should be closely looked at, that are there many questions about them, of course, the big controversy over their authenticity.

And finally, the president also reiterating that he says, and I'm quoting here that he met his Guard requirement, he was honorably discharged and that he was proud of his service -- Collins.

SPENCER: Thanks for that, Suzanne. Suzanne Malveaux with the president in Kennebunkport, Maine. Thank you, Suzanne.

Well, now to the flap over Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's medals.

Kerry is campaigning in New England this weekend. The inspector general of the U.S. Navy has completed a review of Kerry's Vietnam War service record. He concludes that Kerry's medals were properly awarded.

The group Judicial Watch had argued that wasn't the case and called upon the secretary of the Navy to revoke the medals. Inspector General Ronald Route says he sees no need for a full-scale probe.

The Kerry campaign says the review results are not news to them, but they hope it ends the controversy. Kerry is attending a fund- raiser in Boston today. Well, with the candidates running neck-and-neck, the deciding factor in the 2004 campaign is anybody's guess. We're going to do a side by side comparison of Bush and Kerry and their stands on the issue. It's a high stake's game.

Our own political analyst Ron Brownstein is in Los Vegas.

Hi, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, good afternoon.

SPENCER: Ron, it seems -- there seems to be one of the biggest differences over health care between Kerry and Bush. Where are the differences there?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, until recently, health care had probably been the biggest issue in which there was the biggest concern gap between the amount in the public and the amount of attention on the campaign trail.

We have 45 million Americans without health insurance now. The last four years, we've seen double-digit increase in premiums for those with health insurance. And it shows up consistently in polls as one of the top concerns of voters.

Very different approaches by these two men. John Kerry would repeal the top two brackets of President Bush's tax cuts and use most of that money to both expand coverage for the uninsured by expanding existing government programs, but also by putting a lot of money into trying to stabilize the existing system under which most people get their coverage through their employers.

He would do that by shifting some of the costs for the highest, most expensive cases from private insurers to government.

President Bush is a very different vision. It's one that looks for the of future, in which more Americans would obtain their insurance on their own, rather than through these large groups, either government or employers. It depends primarily upon tax credits to do that.

Kerry would cover a lot more of the uninsured, about 27 million, President Bush only about five to seven, depending on the estimate. But the Kerry plan is more expensive and would require in some ways a greater expansion of government's role in the health care system.

SPENCER: Yes, a lot of discussion this week over health care between both camps.

Let's move on to defense and talk about where both stand in regards to the size of the Army.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, Senator Kerry has talked about a permanent increase of 40,000 in the size of the active duty military.

Now, the president has -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has pursued a temporary increase in the military. Senator Kerry wants to make that a statutory increase. He said that it's not to go to Iraq, but rather to reduce some of the strain that is caused by the extensive deployment in Iraq.

In fact, I think they are pointing in the same direction, although Senator Kerry wants to make this permanent and statutory.

SPENCER: Right. And you alluded a little bit to military spending. Where does Bush and Kerry stand in regards to that?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, it's been rather pointed that Senator Kerry has not dissented from President Bush's trajectory on defense spending. As you know, the president has laid in a course that would significantly expand defense spending over the next decade by about a trillion dollars or more over the sort of path that President Clinton set out in his last budget.

Senator Kerry with my conversations with the campaign, as part of their overall effort, really, to not allow President Bush to sort of portray as them as weak on defense. They have not challenged that. So again, they are somewhat similar on that front.

SPENCER: OK, let's move onto homeland security. In regards to the labeling enemy combatants, where do the two differ there?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, as you know, not surprisingly on a number of these issues where security and civil liberties come into conflict, the Democrats tilt more than President Bush does toward the civil liberties side.

Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards have talked about revising the process by which these enemy combatants are held, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for instance, requiring a trial that would be more like a military court martial than the commissions that the president has set up.

And in general I think when you look at this, the Patriot Act, other similar issues, tilting more toward the civil liberties side, which of course the president would argue would in some ways endanger our abilities to defend ourselves.

SPENCER: All right. I was going to mention the Patriot Act.

Let's talk about the new CBS/"New York Times" poll that is out that has Bush 50 percent and Kerry at 41. What do you think about that?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know what? We've had a wide range of polls in the last couple of weeks. We've gone -- last couple of days, excuse me. We've gone from your CNN/Gallup poll today, a 13-point lead for the president among likely voters to a Pew Research Center that was even among likely voters, taken in roughly the same time.

I do think if you look at the totality of the polls, including all the polling that's going on in the states, it tells you that President Bush does have a small but real lead at this point. Nine may be large. It may be five. It may be six. It may be seven. But he is ahead.

The key number to watch, his approval rating is over 50.

SPENCER: All right.

BROWNSTEIN: And that's in the right direction.

SPENCER: Unfortunately, Ron, we're out of time. Good to see you.

BROWNSTEIN: Good to see you.

SPENCER: Ron Brownstein, our CNN political analyst.

We're going to continue our look at the campaign issues tomorrow. Join us at 4 p.m. Eastern for a look at how the candidates stand on tax cuts, the job market and Social Security.

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan. The U.N. wants the African nation to crackdown on militias blamed for killing thousands.

CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has the details.

Hi, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Collins.

By a vote of 11 in favor, four abstentions, the Security Council has passed an additional resolution on the Sudanese government, telling the government it must cooperate with outside agencies, with African Union monitors who are trying to get in there to decide just what is the condition in Darfur, a place where 50,000 people are believed to have been killed, two million homeless or affected.

It's a disaster, says President Bush, in a phone call to U.S. Ambassador Danforth, the ambassador relating that to the rest of the Security Council.

The U.S. ambassador also saying, Darfur and what's happening there is manmade. It's not a hurricane. It's not a typhoon or anything like that. This was something that the government used as a fabrication to dominant the rebels there, something that the Janjaweed militia are behind.

You're currently looking live at British ambassador Emmett Jones Perry (ph), the United Kingdom siding with the U.S.

Just a few weeks ago, Secretary of State Powell said it's a genocide there. Well, this Security Council is not ready it agree to that, but under this new resolution, Collins, there will be a commission of inquiry that will be sent in, that might begin to start to determine whether it is indeed a genocide.

Back to you.

SPENCER: All right, thanks, Richard Roth in New York at the U.N.

We're going to be right back with more news. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: Cancel your plans tomorrow night and start stocking up on the munchies. It's television's biggest night of the year, the 56 annual Prime time Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

CNN entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas is already occupying her spot at the Shrine Auditorium. She joins us now with all of the Hollywood chatter, and we're all ears.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know what? Hi, Collins.

Things are certainly heating up here at the Shrine Auditorium as we prepare for the 56th annual Emmy Awards. As you can see, there's some construction going on behind me, but the red carpet has definitely been rolled out, and in 24 hours, this place is going to be bustling with celebrities.

A lot of them are going to be in the comedy category. And if you're looking for a dark horse in that race, search no further than what critics call the best show that nobody's watching.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (voice-over): First there were the bunkers.

CARROLL O'CONNOR, ACTOR: What's the matter, you sorehead?

VARGAS: Then there were the Bundys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know CPR.

ED O'NEILL, ACTOR: I'm fine.

VARGAS: Now, meet the Bluths.

JASON BATEMAN, ACTOR: I wonder how I can talk you out of ever making that face again.

VARGAS: Fox's freshman sitcom "Arrested Development" puts the "D" in dysfunctional family.

You've got a jailbird father.

JEFFREY TAMBOR, ACTOR: I'm having the time of my life!

VARGAS: The self-absorbed sister, an overbearing mother.

JESSICA WALTER, ACTRESS: It's his glasses. They make him look like a lizard.

VARGAS: And Jason Bateman, who plays the family's only beacon of sanity.

BATEMAN: They are going to keep dad in prison at least until this gets all sorted out. Also the attorney said that they're going to have to put a halt in the company's expense account.

Interesting, I would have expected that after the keeping the dad in jail.

VARGAS: The problem is nobody's watching. In its first season, the sitcom ranked 116th among prime time network shows.

CYNTHIA LITTLETON, "HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": It's not the kind of a show where you have a punch line and there's a laugh track to reinforcement and you move onto the next scene.

It's very much inspired by a lot of the techniques and the storytelling style of reality television. Is it off-putting to the -- to the average viewer? Maybe.

VARGAS: But its innovative style and humor have made it a gem with critics, and now it's up for seven Emmys, including one for comedy series.

BATEMAN: The fact that we get a nomination, perhaps means we'll be around a little bit longer. And we continue living the dream.

VARGAS: Fox is expressing confidence in the show going into its second season. It'll follow the "Simpsons" on Sundays, with hope that all the buzz attracts new arrivals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And Jeffrey Tambor is up for a supporting actor nod. He plays the family patriarch. And a lot of people may notice him. He played Hank in Gary Shandling -- in "The Gary Shandling Show," which is really interesting, because Gary Shandling is going to be here tomorrow. And he's hosting the event. So it will be funny to see how they react to each other.

I got a chance to speak to Jeffrey Tambor last night at the Emmy nominee party at Spago. It's the premiere event, right before the Emmys. It's where everybody gets together and they have a couple of drinks, and king of like let some of the steam out. But Kim Cattrall was there, Amber Tamblyn was there, Stockard Channing was there, Ben Shankman from "Angels in America" was there.

It was a star-studded cast, and they were just all so happy to be there. I spoke to Amber Tamblyn, the youngest nominee. She's nominated for best actress in a drama series, and she is just so happy to be in the company with Edie Falco and Allison Janey, but especially Edie Falco, who she says is really a hero of hers. And just to be in that category is such an honor. And you know, they're all honored -- they're all honored to be there.

COLLINS SPENCER, CNN SPENCER: What a group there. With Gary Shandling being the host, can we expect anything crazy, or is that an understatement?

VARGAS: Of course. When it comes to Gary Shandling, you know there is going to be a couple of crazy things. And I also got to speak to the president of the academy yesterday, who told me, you know, because it's a political year, expect some political humor as well.

SPENCER: Right. Good to see you, Sibila... Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.

VARGAS: Thank you...

SPENCER: Well, here is what's happening now in the news. The search for Ivan's victims goes on in North Carolina. In Macon County, a suspected flash flooding killed at least four people, and an unknown number of victims are still missing. Ivan's death toll in the Southeast now stands at 25. Early insurance industry estimates place damage costs between $2 billion and $10 billion.

The UN Security Council votes to threaten sanctions against Sudan. The U.S.-drafted resolution calls for Sudan to act quickly against militias in Darfur, and a foreign investigation into possible genocide. An estimated 50,000 people have been killed, and more than a million forced from their homes.

An Iraqi airline is back in business. Iraq Airways resumed international service today with a flight from Amman to Baghdad. The carrier has only one plane, a newly purchased Boeing 737. War and economic sanctions had grounded the airline for 14 years.

Two Americans and one Briton remain hostages today in Iraq. We'll have the very latest on that story, and the ultimatum issued by the kidnappers. Plus, more on the aftermath of Ivan. Western North Carolina gets hit hard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAYCE WALTON, FLOOD VICTIM: It just took my breath away. It broke my heart. We have friends up here. We're afraid they're dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: It's been a violent week in Iraq as car bombs targeted Iraqis working with U.S. forces. Today, a bombing at the Iraqi National Guard headquarters in Kirkuk killed 19 people. And video surfaced of three western hostages. CNN senior international correspondent Walt Rodgers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INT. CORRESPONDENT: The kidnappers threatened to kill these two Americans and one British engineer by Monday unless the Americans release all female Iraqi prisoners now in custody here. All three men were blindfolded. A gun was pointed at one's head.

(AL JAZEERA VIDEO CLIP)

The Arab television network Al Jazeera was the first to broadcast the demands of Tawad (ph) and Jihad, a shadowy group believed affiliated with the alleged terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi. This is the house from which the two Americans and one British subject were kidnapped Thursday. Their Iraqi guard did not show up that night, clearing the way for the kidnapping.

Also this weekend, a string of car and roadside bombs. In the northern city of Kirkuk, the Iraq National Guard headquarters was the target of a suicide car bomber. The car, at high speed, bore down on the guards, shooting on the driver, but not before he detonated a powerful explosion, killing 19 Iraqis there and sending more than 60 others to hospital.

Security institutions like the Iraqi police and national guard have been the principal targets of the insurgents this past week. A roadside bomb was detonated in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood, killing one person. The apparent target there, cars thought to belong to westerners still in Iraq.

A convoy of U.S. soldiers on the road to Baghdad's airport was also the target of a car bomb. Three soldiers were reported injured in that. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: Now, to the other big story we're following today, the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Parts of Pensacola, Florida look like a war zone three days after the storm hit. Dazed residents are facing the reality of living without air conditioning and standing in line for necessities.

Farther north, flooding is the problem. Rains from the remnants of the hurricane turned parts of Tennessee into a soggy mess. Western North Carolina was also hit hard. We get the story from Russ Bowen from affiliate WLOS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSS BOWEN, CNN AFFILIATE WLOS (voice-over): At least 30 houses slide down thousands of feet, crashing with a wall of water down Pike's Creek.

GAYCE WALTON, FLOOD VICTIM: It just took my breath away. It broke my heart. We have friends up here. We're afraid they're dead.

BOWEN: No one knows what the death toll might be, so nearby residents just wait for news.

WALTON: Children, mothers... children, fathers... some of them nurses.

BOWEN: The search will take days or weeks to complete. LT. KEVIN STEPHENS, NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE: And this is very humbling to me...

BOWEN: As crews work in a state of awe.

STEPHENS: And I talked to some of the local residents that actually survived this last night, and they said it sounded like 100 freight trains coming down that canyon.

BOWEN: As if this isn't enough for this small county to handle, many other parts lie underwater.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I've been here six years, and it's never been this high.

BOWEN: Flooded bridges, roads, highways cut people off without warning. Livestock is moved, and the county fair is a literal washout.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: About 5 o'clock, they had to move the hogs out. We had about 116 hogs in there, and they had to move the steers out too, because the water was rising and going.

BOWEN: Two ends of a county faced with disaster, with many days of uncertainty left.

(on-camera): As this disaster was occurring, this local community asked for help from neighboring counties, but they couldn't spare many people. They were dealing with their own flooding problems. In Macon County, North Carolina, Russ Bowen for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: And as always, our Web site is the best source of information about Ivan's aftermath and the weather in your area. Visit CNN.com for a hurricane season special report and your local forecast. Up next, we're off to Monterey, California for the annual Jazz Festival. We'll take a listen. And welcome to the 700 club -- the latest milestone for Barry Bonds. But can he top 755? Hear what Hank Aaron has to say about that, coming up a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: California is getting all jazzed up this weekend. The 47th annual Monterey Jazz Festival kicked off yesterday. The massive three-day extravaganza has attracted world class performers and world class listeners. Organizers are expecting about 100,000 people to attend this year. CNN's Maria Hinojosa has been in the swing of it all. She joins me live from the festival. Hello, Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Collins. Well, yes, 47 years without interruption makes this the longest running jazz festival in the world. It started in 1958. And yes, thousands upon thousands of people make their way here every year. It's become quite a tradition in this part of the country. They come for all kinds of music, to listen to jazz, and blues, and some kind of rock even. It's just really extraordinary.

Now, what's happening now on the Lion's Stage, which is the center stage for this incredible festival, is a performance by the Jackie Green Band. They will be performing for a little bit more. And then, this evening, highlight performances to come. Lots of great music, Collins.

SPENCER: Now, Maria, you're at the Jazz Festival, but it's not all jazz all the time, is it?

HINOJOSA: You know, it's not. Last night, there was an extraordinary performance by the tap dancer Savion Glover, who was performing with his own jazz band. Later this afternoon, I'll be talking to Buddy Guy, who will be performing, who is the great blues artist. And earlier today, we had a conversation with Betty Lavette, who is... her album was just voted "Blues Comeback Album of the Year." She gave us quite a performance and told us what it's like to be invited to the Monterey Jazz Festival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETTYE LAVETTE, SINGER: This is just so wonderful for me. For me, I'm being acknowledged, as my peers have been for... you know, I lived in Detroit, across the street from people who are all millionaires now.

HINOJOSA: You have been working at this so long, and you haven't been able to get that big hit. But two years ago, you were invited to perform at a party in San Francisco. Who was there?

LAVETTE: John Goddard (ph). It was his birthday party. He had been fan for years... called and asked me, "Would I come out?" He said, "All I can do is introduce you to people. There's nothing else I can do." But he had Huey Lewis, Maria Muldaur, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, the agent that I was after, "Rosebud," who eventually signed me. So we attribute my entire resurgence and coming out of the crypt to John Goddard (ph).

HINOJOSA: And also because of the fact that you were telling me that it's because of the computer and the cyber world...

LAVETTE: Yes, because I had fans. I had like, say, 5,000 fans in each space. And then, when they all connected, that was a great help for me. And with the Internet, they can talk to each other and say, "Oh, well, I know her too." And then, my manager, Robert Hodge, put me online, which I was afraid, when I touched it, I would blow up the Pentagon or something.

But when I did go on, I started reading things about myself, and then I would respond to those people, and then they started responding to me. It was just phenomenal.

HINOJOSA: So you're feeling like all of these years of work... and it's paying off.

LAVETTE: Oh, yes, there's no way in the world I would have garnered this kind of talent either, because if the records had hit, I would have followed the records. But with them not being successful, I had to learn how to do a lot of things on the stage, you know, do a lot of different kinds of shows. So it's made me an unusual artist.

HINOJOSA: Your album, "A Woman Like Me," was voted "Blues Comeback Album of the Year." You're going to sing that song.

LAVETTE: Well, I'd like to sing it.

HINOJOSA: Sing the song for us, then, "A Woman Like Me..."

(LAVETTE SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPENCER: All right, the pitch, the crack of the bat, and Barry Bonds joins an exclusive group of sports icons. Bonds hit his 700th homerun last night, becoming the first new member of the 700 club in 31 years. Michelle Bonner has more on this sports milestone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE BONNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and now Barry Bonds. Those are the only three players in major league history to hit 700 career homeruns. And now, Bonds has positioned himself to pass the Babe's 714 homeruns, with an eye on Aaron's all-time record of 755.

BARRY BONDS, 700 CAREER HOMERUNS: You really can't put it in words to be in a class with, you know, those two great players, with Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. And you just, I mean, it's like, you know, you're dreaming and you're not dreaming, and you know, it's unbelievable.

HANK AARON, 755 CAREER HOMERUNS: Records are made to be broken, you know. I mean, that's a known fact. I mean, if you have a record, eventually, somebody's going to come along and break it.

TOM GLAVINE, NEW YORK METS PITCHER: Assuming all things stay the way they are and he stays healthy, then I think the only reason he wouldn't do it would be that he didn't want to when he retires.

BONNER: Who's the best to ever play the game is a question that is always answered with names like Mays, Ruth, and Aaron. In the future, Bonds will be included.

JOHN DONOVAN, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: He's been a batting champion. He hit 73 homeruns one year. He's getting on base at an unprecedented clip this year. His slugging percentage is otherworldly. You could make a real good argument -- and I'm not sure if I would -- but somebody could make a real good argument that Barry Bonds is the best player ever.

BONNER: The six-time NL MVP's numbers are even more astounding when taking into account that many teams do not pitch to him. Consider that during his entire career, Hank Aaron was intentionally walked 293 times, while Bonds has been walked more than 100 times this year alone.

Although exasperating at times, Bonds refuses to let the walks get to him.

BONDS: You have to have respect for the game of baseball regardless of what's going on out there. I mean, everybody's out there trying to do the best they can and to win for their team regardless. And you get into a situation that you need to walk someone, you walk him to help your team win. So you don't lose any respect for anybody that does that. You know, that's part of baseball. It's always been part of the game, and it will continue being part of the game.

BONNER: Earlier this year, his trainer and nutritionist were indicted in connection with a steroid investigation. But Bonds has repeatedly denied using steroids. And even with that dark cloud hovering around the 40-year-old, Bonds continues to produce in the twilight of his career, which begs the question: can he hit 800 homeruns? For CNN sports, I'm Michelle Bonner.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SPENCER: The U.S. team is trying, trying to mount a comeback at the Ryder Cup. They are playing today with passion and pride in the prestigious golf tournament. Our Larry Smith is keeping up with the action at Bloomfield Hills in Michigan. And Larry, how's the U.S. doing now?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S., right now, could be doing a little better. Keep in mind, American Captain Hal Sutton said that really, you know, to get five points today would put the Americans in good shape to contend for the cup when Sunday's 12 singles matches come around. At one point today, they threatened to sweep the four morning, four ball matches, but that didn't happen.

So right now, that five points could be hard to come by. The U.S. this morning winning two matches, having a third to get a total of two and a half points. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, was solid today. He played pretty well on Friday as well, although he didn't have any wins to show for it, getting his first win in this Ryder Cup, and his sixth overall Ryder Cup victory in 18 career matches.

He teamed up with Chris Riley, a fellow southern Californian, whom he first played junior golf with back when he was 15-years-old. They won four and three in the morning match to get things going, help get things going, as again, the U.S. winning two matches this morning.

Now, it's a much different U.S. team than we saw yesterday. They were flat, they left so many putts short, they just did not seem focused. But after last night, talking about this, coming out on fire and getting the crowd into it... well, Chris Dimarco talked about the change in this morning's attitude.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS DIMARCO, U.S. TEAM: You saw 12 pretty pissed off guys, to tell you the truth... a lot of guys with a lot of, you know... lot of distinguished guys in there, and they didn't want to get punished like that. They were embarrassed. We were embarrassed last night, there's no doubt about it. And we've got a lot of pride in this team, and I think you're seeing that today.

SERGIO GARCIA, EUROPEAN TEAM: It's definitely going to be louder. You know, of course, the Americans came out today a bit better than yesterday, definitely making a lot more putts than they did yesterday. And you know, that's what it's all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Well, that was this morning's four-ball competition. Let's get now to the foursome competition, the alternate shot. And right now, Europe is having its way as well. Already in the books is a victory for Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood. They beat Jay Haas and Chris Dimarco five and four. That match wasn't even close for that duo.

Nine points now for Europe, four points for the U.S., and Europe still leading in two other matches. Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald two up through 13 holes, and Jim Furyk and Fred Funk. Tiger Woods and Davis Love the Third came out strong in their match. But Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley have won three of the last four holes, and now they lead that match as well, 2 through 11 holes.

Phil Mickelson and David Toms both sat out this morning. They did not play. And the rest certainly has done them well. They are faring the best of any American duo this afternoon, 3 up through 13 holes, on Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Levet of France. Let's go back to you, Collins.

SPENCER: Well, Larry, the U.S. has a lot of ground to make up. Can they do it?

SMITH: Well, that's the thing. These afternoon matches are crucial. If these scores stand up, that would mean an 11-5 deficit for the U.S. going into Sunday. Keep in mind, back in 1999, in Brookline, the Europeans led 10 to 6, seemingly and insurmountable lead, but the Americans came back and won the eight and a half points they needed on Sunday to get the improbable victory.

To get nine and a half points out of 12 matches, that would seem impossible. But then again, it is golf, it is match play, and in match play, anything can happen. You're not playing against the course so much as playing against your opponent. Let's go back to you.

SPENCER: All right, we'll see what happens. Larry Smith at the Ryder Cup in Bloomfield Hills in Michigan. Thanks, Larry. Well, that's it for us. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" is next with a look at the little known personal side of LL Cool J. Plus, Venus Williams and Serena on and off the court. At 6 Eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues with Carol Lin. She'll talk with the director of FEMA about rebuilding and moving on after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan.

And at 7 Eastern, "THE CAPITAL GANG" has the latest on the national intelligence estimate and the current situation in Iraq. Thanks for joining us. I'll be back with the headlines after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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