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CNN Live At Daybreak
Hurricane Frances Update; RNC Day Two Recap; Russian Stand-Off Between Insurgents and Government
Aired September 01, 2004 - 05:00 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: At this hour, running scared in southern Russia. Some 200 children taken hostage.
It is Wednesday, the first day of September.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news: A major hostage stand-off is unfolding this minute in southern Russia. Russian troops are surrounding a school after a group of gunmen seized it. News reports say up to 400 people were taken hostage, half of them children. But they also say nearly 50 children have managed to escape. We will have a live report for you out of Moscow in just a few minutes.
New attacks this morning in Iraq, including one targeting a politician. An aide to Ahmed Chalabi says two carloads of gunmen fired and his convoy south of Baghdad. Chalabi wasn't hurt, but two of his bodyguards were.
And in Baghdad, mortars have exploded near the site where lawmakers have been meeting.
Two bus bomb attacks in Israel that killed 16 people are not going without retaliation. Overnight, Israeli troops demolished the West Bank home of one of the two suicide bombers who carried out the attacks. He was a member of Hamas. That group claimed responsibility in the attacks that left nearly 100 other people wounded.
And back here at home, people are getting ready to board up their windows in parts of Florida. Hurricane Frances could hit land in central Florida on Saturday.
Let's go to the forecast center to see how strong the winds are so far -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
It could even hit Friday night there if it's south Florida. And south Florida not out of the realm yet, still all the way from south Florida -- we were just discussing this -- all the way up even to maybe the South Carolina-North Carolina border, not out of the woods yet for this storm. Here it is right here. It's been getting a smaller eye wall overnight. Notice it's a very concentric eye wall. The smaller the eye wall -- think about an ice skater in the Winter Olympics, as he or she brings their arms in, it's faster. It's spinning around and gets faster and faster and faster. You know how they do that kick and then they bring their arms in? The more you bring your arms in in a hurricane, the faster the spin is in the middle. The bigger the eye wall is, actually, the slower the storm is.
Winds at 140 miles per hour. These are the very latest numbers -- 21.2, 68.5. Those are the 5:00 a.m. numbers from the Hurricane Center, moving to the west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. Still right through the Turks & Caicos and right into the Bahamas, right through Freeport and then right onshore here somewhere in Florida. That's the original cone.
Now, look at this yellow area, Carol. This storm could go to the right or it could go to the left. And the Florida Straits, not even out of the forecast cone yet. We know how that forecast cone was so important with Charley. You just can't let your guard down.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A land of opportunity -- that's today's theme at the Republican National Convention. Vice President Dick Cheney will be the featured speaker. His message, the Bush administration has created more opportunity at home and spread freedom overseas.
Also tonight, he's known for breaking ranks with his party, and this time Senator Zell Miller is doing it in a big way. The Democrat from Georgia gives the keynote address. All of that is tonight.
But let's look back at last night's primetime lineup. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got the delegates all pumped up. The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna, were there, along with their mother, the first lady, Laura Bush, who also addressed the convention.
Let's get more on all of that from our Kareen Wynter.
She's live at Madison Square Garden -- good morning, Kareen.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And you can really sum it up as saying Tuesday night here at the Republican National Convention had a lot of family flair. For those who watched, they saw the first lady and her twin daughters light up the stage. There was also a special guest appearance.
But first, the spotlight was on Arnold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): The second night of the RNC looked more like a rock concert than a convention inside Madison Square Garden. California governor and former Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger played to the audience, touting President Bush as a leader who doesn't flinch.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Our president, George W. Bush, has worked hard to protect and preserve the American Dream for all of us and that's why I say send him back to Washington for four more years.
WYNTER: Schwarzenegger spoke about his life as an immigrant, why he became a Republican and the importance of democracy.
President Bush, who formally secured his party's nomination for another term Tuesday night, introduced wife Laura live via satellite from Pennsylvania. Mrs. Bush kept in line with the Republican theme of the night -- compassion of the American people. She touched on health care, education and Iraq.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We are living in the most historic struggle my generation has ever known. The stakes are so high.
WYNTER: Earlier in the evening, the first lady shared the stage with twin daughters Jenna and Barbara, who talked about their dad's last campaign and giggled with the crowd.
BARBARA BUSH, PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER: I know it's hard to believe, but our parents' favorite term of endearment for each other is actually Bushy.
WYNTER: Outside the Garden, protests continued. On the streets of New York, more than 900 demonstrators were arrested on various charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEAVER: And convention delegates walking along the streets of New York, be it to theaters, hotels or to restaurants, have also been the target of demonstrators. Carol, if you can believe this, since last Thursday, more than 1,400 people have been arrested on protest related activities. And you can bet that number will only grow -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter reporting live from Madison Square Garden this morning.
Thank you.
Our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Morning": What did you think of last night's convention speakers -- the Bush twins, Laura Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger? Did you watch? Did you like what they had to say? What do you think? Let us know. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. And of course, we'll be glad to read your responses on the show. Always very interesting.
All this during the convention, if you're away from your TV, tune us in on the radio or on the Web, actually. "CNN LIVE FROM" anchor Kyra Phillips, and I will be broadcasting live every night starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. We'll have complete coverage of everything going on at the convention. That's CNN Radio all this week from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. And of course, CNN Radio has 1,800 affiliates across the nation. And you can also click it on the Web, cnn.com.
Let's see where the candidates are today.
Senator John Kerry is in Nashville, Tennessee for a morning speech. Tonight, he heads back to Nantucket, Massachusetts. Kerry will be speaking at the American Legion convention in Nashville.
President Bush spoke to the veterans group on Tuesday.
Kerry's speech is at 11:40 and, of course, CNN will bring that to you live.
President Bush leaves the White House later today for rallies in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio, as you know, is one of about 17 states considered battlegrounds. President Bush arrived back at the White House last night after speaking to those veterans in Nashville. He'll be in New York tomorrow for the convention.
For complete coverage of America Votes, you know the place to go, our Web site. When you're there, check out our blog board. It's got all the latest political buzz from coast to coast. The address, cnn.com/blog.
Just about three hours ago, several people rushed into a school in southern Russia, taking as many as 400 people hostage, including 200 schoolchildren. The situation is tense. There has been gunfire.
So, let's see what's happening now.
Live in Moscow, Ryan Chilcote -- Ryan, bring us up to date.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is what we know. We know that a group of armed men and women rushed into a Russian elementary school in southern Russia. This was in the Russian region of northern Ossetia. It is near the very troubled Russian region of Chechnya.
This group of armed men and women coming to the school almost immediately following a ceremony there that was held by parents, teachers and students to mark the beginning of the school year. This is the first day of school in Russia.
These assailants opened fire, apparently almost immediately, forcing everyone into this school. They apparently, Russian officials saying that they think there are more than 15 of them, some of them apparently suicide bombers. They say, Russian officials, that they are wearing suicide belts.
Now, inside the school, very sketchy details on the number of people. But estimates go from between 200 and 400 people. And remember, because it was the first day of school, not only do you have the students and the teachers, but many of those students were accompanied by their parents for that opening day ceremony. The hostage takers apparently have passed on a videotape to Russian authorities outside the school. No word yet what's on that videotape. They have also passed on, with one woman who they released they have passed on a list of demands, which include, among other things, we understand, a demand to release some prisoners that were -- that Russian authorities detained several weeks ago in the Republic of Ingushetia after some attacks there.
Apparently these demands also outlined and also name three officials, Russian officials with whom these hostage takers are prepared to conduct talks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Moscow this morning. Thank you.
Newly minted political leaders face mortar attacks at their first gathering. At 15 minutes past the hour, we go straight to Baghdad for a live update on the newest violence challenging democracy in Iraq.
And chances are good you're not racking up enough time in the sack. But how much sleep are your children getting? At 48 minutes past, we're going to take a look at how a sleep problem might be affecting your child.
And later, as we head into day three of the Republican convention in New York, we'll see which groups still have enough fight in them to protest.
But first, here's what else is making news this Wednesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The markets will open on a positive note this morning.
The Dow is up 51 points. The Nasdaq up 1 1/2 points. The S&P 500 up 5 points.
The international markets are also in positive territory. Japan's Nikkei closed up nearly 60 points just a short time ago. And right now the London FTSE is up about 33 points and so is the Paris CAC.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Just a few hours ago, a dozen armed attackers stormed a school in southern Russia. They're holding as many as 400 people hostage, including half of them children. Reports from the area say some of the attackers have explosives strapped on their bodies.
Voters in Florida have chosen their candidates to replace outgoing Democratic Senator Bob Graham. Come November, they'll pick between Democrat Betty Castor and former Bush administration Housing Secretary Mel Martinez.
In money news, the U.S. could face as much as $150 million in sanctions from the European Union and other nations. The World Trade Organization ruled that foreign exporters were unfairly punished for allegedly dumping goods like steel and seafood into American markets.
In culture, the Latin Grammys will be held in Los Angeles tonight. But mainstream Latin artists such as Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin will not be front and center this year. Instead, acts like Rita and Bebo Valdes top the list of nominees.
In sports, an historic butt kicker for the New York Yankees. Can you believe it -- the Cleveland Indians handed the Yanks their worst loss ever, by the score of -- are you ready -- 22-0. Twenty-two! Coupled with the Red Sox's win, the Yankees now lead the division by only three and a half games.
22-0 in a ball game -- Chad.
MYERS: There's going to be a lot of razzing going on today.
COSTELLO: Crazy.
MYERS: Every Red Sox fan in America is going to be razzing the Yankees about that one. Oh my gosh.
Hey, take a look at this. You're going to be seeing these numbers a lot. I want to get them to you, probably every either 15 or every 30 minutes. But just in case you're writing them down, 21.2 north, 68.5 west. Those were the latest numbers, and I'll show them to you all day. The current forecast does get it very close to about Fort Pierce, Florida by Saturday, late Saturday night, maybe even Friday night, depending on the speed of this system. So, keep watching it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: There have been some explosions outside the Iraqi National Council meeting today.
Diana Muriel live in Baghdad.
She joins us with exactly what's happened -- hello, Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, early this morning, around 7:30 this morning, Ahmed Chalabi, who is a member of Iraqis -- Iraq's Governing Council and Iraq's interim parliament, he was traveling back to Baghdad from Najaf and on the road, his convoy was attacked by two carloads of gunmen. They shot at his convoy. His bodyguards returned fire. Two of his bodyguards were wounded. But Chalabi himself escaped unharmed.
He managed to get to Baghdad, where he was attending the first meeting of Iraq's interim parliament. Now, as the delegates, the hundred delegates were gathering at the green zone, which also is the area in Baghdad which houses the American embassy, as well as other official buildings, four mortar rounds landed at Checkpoint Three. That's the checkpoint where journalists go through, government workers go through and Iraqi contractors go through, travel through, get checked as they go through the green zone.
One Iraqi was injured, but there were no deaths in that incident, which took place, as I say, as the delegates were gathering for the opening of the parliament session there. Then just as the swearing in ceremony was taking place, just over an hour ago, there were more mortars fired in Baghdad, one landing in the green zone, one falling short -- in fact, we believe it landed not far behind the mosque that you can see behind me, so falling in the west of Baghdad.
A very dramatic start to this new interim parliament's meeting. They're going to be electing a speaker today and they're going to be setting up parliamentary committees -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Diana Muriel reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
The French government is holding its breath, awaiting word on two French journalists who are being held hostage in Iraq. France has been given until later today to repeal a ban on Muslim school girls wearing head scarves.
Our Jim Bittermann has reaction from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the weekend, French government ministers have been called to one crisis meeting after another, have canceled their news conferences and their plans, and in the case of Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, rushed off to the Middle East to mobilize every friend and diplomatic resource Paris has.
The result? Scores of individuals and groups, from Yasser Arafat and the Hamas, to international organizations and religious councils, have stepped forward to try to win freedom for the two French journalists whose lives were at stake.
Their captors want France to rescind what has been a controversial law here, a law which this fall will stop young Muslim girls from wearing head scarves in public high schools.
But if the intent of the kidnappers was to divide religious Muslims from French society or aggravate the situation, it appears it may be having just the opposite effect.
(on camera): One surprising consequence of the hostage taking is that French Muslims, even the most extremist groups, have been forced to take a position, have supported the government and supported the ban on head scarves in high schools.
(voice-over): At the central mosque of Paris, spiritual leaders representing most every strand of the country's five million Muslims gathered to pray for the two journalists' freedom.
"Those sons of France," said the president of the Islamic Council, "are our brothers, because the children of France are our children."
The French interior minister praised the image of France assembled in unity around its values.
Afterward, even one of the toughest critics of the headscarf law told CNN now that the law is passed, it's the law of the land and must be obeyed and that his group will not defend young girls who try to defy the head scarf ban. "We are citizens," he added, "and that's the way we act."
And so, as supporters of the two journalist hostages gathered in several cities across France, there were clear signs their abductors had unified the country more than dividing it. Said one headline Muslim here, "They have taken us all hostage."
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The case of the missing wedding gowns -- how thieves got away with thousands of dollars in precious merchandise.
And did you see the featured speakers at the Republican convention last night? If so, what did you think? That's our DAYBREAK "Question of the Morning." E-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com.
You are watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday, September 1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time to check our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what stories are getting your attention on cnn.com. Sometimes they're quite different from what we put on the air but...
MYERS: Many times.
COSTELLO: Many times.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Actually, they're kind of different this morning.
MYERS: Well, this Russian thing, boy, that's just -- it's scary. I mean everybody trying to get the very latest, right? I mean cnn.com doing really well on that.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. Apparently a group of gunmen stormed a school in Russia. They're now holding people hostage inside. Look at this video we have.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Isn't that frightening?
MYERS: Yes. They're trying to get them out one at a time. They have some demands.
COSTELLO: Yes, these people were let go, actually, some of them were let go with videotapes with the kidnapped -- or the hostage takers' demands.
MYERS: Correct.
COSTELLO: Of course, we'll have much more live from Russia later on in our program.
MYERS: A tough story.
COSTELLO: The second most clicked on story has to do with actress Charlize Theron. She was hurt while shooting a movie.
MYERS: Yes. No cuts, no bruises, actually, and she's -- and no broken bones, but something, they call it more nagging than that. It sounds like, you know, some kind of a joint thing where you fall on your knee and twist an ankle or something like that.
COSTELLO: Well, actually, she was doing her own stunts in a wire hanging action sequence.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: Yikes! It sounds painful just doing that.
MYERS: Yes. Your body is worth more than that. Find someone else to do that for you.
COSTELLO: The third most clicked on story, there may be a change within the Kerry campaign. Let me just read you the first paragraph. "Democratic leaders increasingly concerned that John Kerry's presidential campaign is adrift, are urging the presidential nominee to make changes in his staff before Labor Day." That's according to some party sources. And I'm sure we'll be exploring this issue throughout the day right here on CNN.
MYERS: Some folks in the party thinking they didn't do a good enough job defending the Swift Boat ads.
COSTELLO: They didn't come out fast enough or strong enough.
MYERS: Correct.
COSTELLO: Yes.
So, those are the three top stories on our Web site.
Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers" right now.
Talk about the wedding bell blues, Chad. In Vancouver, thieves broke into a bridal boutique and ran down the aisle with hundreds of wedding dresses. The gowns are worth more than $200,000. Also taken were 300 bridesmaid's dresses, because, gosh, you need those, too, along with...
MYERS: Well, of course.
COSTELLO: Yes. The owner of the shop says the thefts shouldn't affect any upcoming wedding ceremonies, however.
MYERS: Oh, my.
COSTELLO: Take a look at this video. Historic downtown Richmond in shambles after floodwaters flow through the city.
MYERS: So sad. Look at this.
COSTELLO: That's just incredible, Chad.
MYERS: Yes. Brian, our producer, is actually from there, as well. I obviously worked there a couple of years.
Brian, what do you see? Is that the pizza place right down, is that Shockoe Bottom or is that the Slip? Yes, I think that's a pizza place. Every time I go to Richmond for the auto races, we go to that pizza shop right there. And this is in the Bottoms. And the Bottom actually is what they call the Bottom. It runs right into the James River from there. And wow, that is just a mess.
COSTELLO: It's crazy.
MYERS: What's that, six, eight feet worth of water?
COSTELLO: So, the waters have now receded from Richmond and now the mess that's left behind is being cleaned up.
MYERS: And the guy who actually took these pictures, the amateur video from these pictures is going to be on "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning to talk about the mess.
COSTELLO: Unbelievable.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, here's what's new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
More on that developing story out of Russia. Armed men and women, some possibly wearing explosive belts strapped to their bodies. They take 200 schoolchildren hostage. We're going to have an update for you.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNA BUSH, PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER: You know, all those times when you're growing up and your parents embarrass you? Well, this is payback time on live TV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Primetime for the president's daughters. A little more of what they had to say next.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, September 1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Armed and on watch this hour in Russia. A tense hostage situation with some 200 schoolchildren in danger.
It is Wednesday, the first day of September.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news, up to 400 people are being held hostage by armed rebels in Russia. An elementary school full of children besieged by masked gunmen, some reportedly wearing explosive suicide belts. The school near the troubled Republic of Chechnya.
Explosions in Baghdad as Iraq's brand new national assembly prepares to meet for the first time. Four mortar rounds landed near the convention center, but the blasts haven't stopped the Council from meeting.
President Bush has earned the unquestioned support of his party for a second term. And tonight Dick Cheney is expected to get the same. The vice president is one of the hard-liners for day three at the Republican National Convention in New York.
And people are getting ready to board up their windows in parts of Florida. Hurricane Frances could hit land in central Florida by Friday, packing winds of, what -- Chad, up to 140 miles per hour?
(WEATHER REPORT)
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Aired September 1, 2004 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: At this hour, running scared in southern Russia. Some 200 children taken hostage.
It is Wednesday, the first day of September.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news: A major hostage stand-off is unfolding this minute in southern Russia. Russian troops are surrounding a school after a group of gunmen seized it. News reports say up to 400 people were taken hostage, half of them children. But they also say nearly 50 children have managed to escape. We will have a live report for you out of Moscow in just a few minutes.
New attacks this morning in Iraq, including one targeting a politician. An aide to Ahmed Chalabi says two carloads of gunmen fired and his convoy south of Baghdad. Chalabi wasn't hurt, but two of his bodyguards were.
And in Baghdad, mortars have exploded near the site where lawmakers have been meeting.
Two bus bomb attacks in Israel that killed 16 people are not going without retaliation. Overnight, Israeli troops demolished the West Bank home of one of the two suicide bombers who carried out the attacks. He was a member of Hamas. That group claimed responsibility in the attacks that left nearly 100 other people wounded.
And back here at home, people are getting ready to board up their windows in parts of Florida. Hurricane Frances could hit land in central Florida on Saturday.
Let's go to the forecast center to see how strong the winds are so far -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
It could even hit Friday night there if it's south Florida. And south Florida not out of the realm yet, still all the way from south Florida -- we were just discussing this -- all the way up even to maybe the South Carolina-North Carolina border, not out of the woods yet for this storm. Here it is right here. It's been getting a smaller eye wall overnight. Notice it's a very concentric eye wall. The smaller the eye wall -- think about an ice skater in the Winter Olympics, as he or she brings their arms in, it's faster. It's spinning around and gets faster and faster and faster. You know how they do that kick and then they bring their arms in? The more you bring your arms in in a hurricane, the faster the spin is in the middle. The bigger the eye wall is, actually, the slower the storm is.
Winds at 140 miles per hour. These are the very latest numbers -- 21.2, 68.5. Those are the 5:00 a.m. numbers from the Hurricane Center, moving to the west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. Still right through the Turks & Caicos and right into the Bahamas, right through Freeport and then right onshore here somewhere in Florida. That's the original cone.
Now, look at this yellow area, Carol. This storm could go to the right or it could go to the left. And the Florida Straits, not even out of the forecast cone yet. We know how that forecast cone was so important with Charley. You just can't let your guard down.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A land of opportunity -- that's today's theme at the Republican National Convention. Vice President Dick Cheney will be the featured speaker. His message, the Bush administration has created more opportunity at home and spread freedom overseas.
Also tonight, he's known for breaking ranks with his party, and this time Senator Zell Miller is doing it in a big way. The Democrat from Georgia gives the keynote address. All of that is tonight.
But let's look back at last night's primetime lineup. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got the delegates all pumped up. The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna, were there, along with their mother, the first lady, Laura Bush, who also addressed the convention.
Let's get more on all of that from our Kareen Wynter.
She's live at Madison Square Garden -- good morning, Kareen.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And you can really sum it up as saying Tuesday night here at the Republican National Convention had a lot of family flair. For those who watched, they saw the first lady and her twin daughters light up the stage. There was also a special guest appearance.
But first, the spotlight was on Arnold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): The second night of the RNC looked more like a rock concert than a convention inside Madison Square Garden. California governor and former Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger played to the audience, touting President Bush as a leader who doesn't flinch.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Our president, George W. Bush, has worked hard to protect and preserve the American Dream for all of us and that's why I say send him back to Washington for four more years.
WYNTER: Schwarzenegger spoke about his life as an immigrant, why he became a Republican and the importance of democracy.
President Bush, who formally secured his party's nomination for another term Tuesday night, introduced wife Laura live via satellite from Pennsylvania. Mrs. Bush kept in line with the Republican theme of the night -- compassion of the American people. She touched on health care, education and Iraq.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We are living in the most historic struggle my generation has ever known. The stakes are so high.
WYNTER: Earlier in the evening, the first lady shared the stage with twin daughters Jenna and Barbara, who talked about their dad's last campaign and giggled with the crowd.
BARBARA BUSH, PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER: I know it's hard to believe, but our parents' favorite term of endearment for each other is actually Bushy.
WYNTER: Outside the Garden, protests continued. On the streets of New York, more than 900 demonstrators were arrested on various charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEAVER: And convention delegates walking along the streets of New York, be it to theaters, hotels or to restaurants, have also been the target of demonstrators. Carol, if you can believe this, since last Thursday, more than 1,400 people have been arrested on protest related activities. And you can bet that number will only grow -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter reporting live from Madison Square Garden this morning.
Thank you.
Our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Morning": What did you think of last night's convention speakers -- the Bush twins, Laura Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger? Did you watch? Did you like what they had to say? What do you think? Let us know. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. And of course, we'll be glad to read your responses on the show. Always very interesting.
All this during the convention, if you're away from your TV, tune us in on the radio or on the Web, actually. "CNN LIVE FROM" anchor Kyra Phillips, and I will be broadcasting live every night starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. We'll have complete coverage of everything going on at the convention. That's CNN Radio all this week from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. And of course, CNN Radio has 1,800 affiliates across the nation. And you can also click it on the Web, cnn.com.
Let's see where the candidates are today.
Senator John Kerry is in Nashville, Tennessee for a morning speech. Tonight, he heads back to Nantucket, Massachusetts. Kerry will be speaking at the American Legion convention in Nashville.
President Bush spoke to the veterans group on Tuesday.
Kerry's speech is at 11:40 and, of course, CNN will bring that to you live.
President Bush leaves the White House later today for rallies in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio, as you know, is one of about 17 states considered battlegrounds. President Bush arrived back at the White House last night after speaking to those veterans in Nashville. He'll be in New York tomorrow for the convention.
For complete coverage of America Votes, you know the place to go, our Web site. When you're there, check out our blog board. It's got all the latest political buzz from coast to coast. The address, cnn.com/blog.
Just about three hours ago, several people rushed into a school in southern Russia, taking as many as 400 people hostage, including 200 schoolchildren. The situation is tense. There has been gunfire.
So, let's see what's happening now.
Live in Moscow, Ryan Chilcote -- Ryan, bring us up to date.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is what we know. We know that a group of armed men and women rushed into a Russian elementary school in southern Russia. This was in the Russian region of northern Ossetia. It is near the very troubled Russian region of Chechnya.
This group of armed men and women coming to the school almost immediately following a ceremony there that was held by parents, teachers and students to mark the beginning of the school year. This is the first day of school in Russia.
These assailants opened fire, apparently almost immediately, forcing everyone into this school. They apparently, Russian officials saying that they think there are more than 15 of them, some of them apparently suicide bombers. They say, Russian officials, that they are wearing suicide belts.
Now, inside the school, very sketchy details on the number of people. But estimates go from between 200 and 400 people. And remember, because it was the first day of school, not only do you have the students and the teachers, but many of those students were accompanied by their parents for that opening day ceremony. The hostage takers apparently have passed on a videotape to Russian authorities outside the school. No word yet what's on that videotape. They have also passed on, with one woman who they released they have passed on a list of demands, which include, among other things, we understand, a demand to release some prisoners that were -- that Russian authorities detained several weeks ago in the Republic of Ingushetia after some attacks there.
Apparently these demands also outlined and also name three officials, Russian officials with whom these hostage takers are prepared to conduct talks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Moscow this morning. Thank you.
Newly minted political leaders face mortar attacks at their first gathering. At 15 minutes past the hour, we go straight to Baghdad for a live update on the newest violence challenging democracy in Iraq.
And chances are good you're not racking up enough time in the sack. But how much sleep are your children getting? At 48 minutes past, we're going to take a look at how a sleep problem might be affecting your child.
And later, as we head into day three of the Republican convention in New York, we'll see which groups still have enough fight in them to protest.
But first, here's what else is making news this Wednesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The markets will open on a positive note this morning.
The Dow is up 51 points. The Nasdaq up 1 1/2 points. The S&P 500 up 5 points.
The international markets are also in positive territory. Japan's Nikkei closed up nearly 60 points just a short time ago. And right now the London FTSE is up about 33 points and so is the Paris CAC.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Just a few hours ago, a dozen armed attackers stormed a school in southern Russia. They're holding as many as 400 people hostage, including half of them children. Reports from the area say some of the attackers have explosives strapped on their bodies.
Voters in Florida have chosen their candidates to replace outgoing Democratic Senator Bob Graham. Come November, they'll pick between Democrat Betty Castor and former Bush administration Housing Secretary Mel Martinez.
In money news, the U.S. could face as much as $150 million in sanctions from the European Union and other nations. The World Trade Organization ruled that foreign exporters were unfairly punished for allegedly dumping goods like steel and seafood into American markets.
In culture, the Latin Grammys will be held in Los Angeles tonight. But mainstream Latin artists such as Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin will not be front and center this year. Instead, acts like Rita and Bebo Valdes top the list of nominees.
In sports, an historic butt kicker for the New York Yankees. Can you believe it -- the Cleveland Indians handed the Yanks their worst loss ever, by the score of -- are you ready -- 22-0. Twenty-two! Coupled with the Red Sox's win, the Yankees now lead the division by only three and a half games.
22-0 in a ball game -- Chad.
MYERS: There's going to be a lot of razzing going on today.
COSTELLO: Crazy.
MYERS: Every Red Sox fan in America is going to be razzing the Yankees about that one. Oh my gosh.
Hey, take a look at this. You're going to be seeing these numbers a lot. I want to get them to you, probably every either 15 or every 30 minutes. But just in case you're writing them down, 21.2 north, 68.5 west. Those were the latest numbers, and I'll show them to you all day. The current forecast does get it very close to about Fort Pierce, Florida by Saturday, late Saturday night, maybe even Friday night, depending on the speed of this system. So, keep watching it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: There have been some explosions outside the Iraqi National Council meeting today.
Diana Muriel live in Baghdad.
She joins us with exactly what's happened -- hello, Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, early this morning, around 7:30 this morning, Ahmed Chalabi, who is a member of Iraqis -- Iraq's Governing Council and Iraq's interim parliament, he was traveling back to Baghdad from Najaf and on the road, his convoy was attacked by two carloads of gunmen. They shot at his convoy. His bodyguards returned fire. Two of his bodyguards were wounded. But Chalabi himself escaped unharmed.
He managed to get to Baghdad, where he was attending the first meeting of Iraq's interim parliament. Now, as the delegates, the hundred delegates were gathering at the green zone, which also is the area in Baghdad which houses the American embassy, as well as other official buildings, four mortar rounds landed at Checkpoint Three. That's the checkpoint where journalists go through, government workers go through and Iraqi contractors go through, travel through, get checked as they go through the green zone.
One Iraqi was injured, but there were no deaths in that incident, which took place, as I say, as the delegates were gathering for the opening of the parliament session there. Then just as the swearing in ceremony was taking place, just over an hour ago, there were more mortars fired in Baghdad, one landing in the green zone, one falling short -- in fact, we believe it landed not far behind the mosque that you can see behind me, so falling in the west of Baghdad.
A very dramatic start to this new interim parliament's meeting. They're going to be electing a speaker today and they're going to be setting up parliamentary committees -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Diana Muriel reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
The French government is holding its breath, awaiting word on two French journalists who are being held hostage in Iraq. France has been given until later today to repeal a ban on Muslim school girls wearing head scarves.
Our Jim Bittermann has reaction from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the weekend, French government ministers have been called to one crisis meeting after another, have canceled their news conferences and their plans, and in the case of Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, rushed off to the Middle East to mobilize every friend and diplomatic resource Paris has.
The result? Scores of individuals and groups, from Yasser Arafat and the Hamas, to international organizations and religious councils, have stepped forward to try to win freedom for the two French journalists whose lives were at stake.
Their captors want France to rescind what has been a controversial law here, a law which this fall will stop young Muslim girls from wearing head scarves in public high schools.
But if the intent of the kidnappers was to divide religious Muslims from French society or aggravate the situation, it appears it may be having just the opposite effect.
(on camera): One surprising consequence of the hostage taking is that French Muslims, even the most extremist groups, have been forced to take a position, have supported the government and supported the ban on head scarves in high schools.
(voice-over): At the central mosque of Paris, spiritual leaders representing most every strand of the country's five million Muslims gathered to pray for the two journalists' freedom.
"Those sons of France," said the president of the Islamic Council, "are our brothers, because the children of France are our children."
The French interior minister praised the image of France assembled in unity around its values.
Afterward, even one of the toughest critics of the headscarf law told CNN now that the law is passed, it's the law of the land and must be obeyed and that his group will not defend young girls who try to defy the head scarf ban. "We are citizens," he added, "and that's the way we act."
And so, as supporters of the two journalist hostages gathered in several cities across France, there were clear signs their abductors had unified the country more than dividing it. Said one headline Muslim here, "They have taken us all hostage."
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The case of the missing wedding gowns -- how thieves got away with thousands of dollars in precious merchandise.
And did you see the featured speakers at the Republican convention last night? If so, what did you think? That's our DAYBREAK "Question of the Morning." E-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com.
You are watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday, September 1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time to check our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what stories are getting your attention on cnn.com. Sometimes they're quite different from what we put on the air but...
MYERS: Many times.
COSTELLO: Many times.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Actually, they're kind of different this morning.
MYERS: Well, this Russian thing, boy, that's just -- it's scary. I mean everybody trying to get the very latest, right? I mean cnn.com doing really well on that.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. Apparently a group of gunmen stormed a school in Russia. They're now holding people hostage inside. Look at this video we have.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Isn't that frightening?
MYERS: Yes. They're trying to get them out one at a time. They have some demands.
COSTELLO: Yes, these people were let go, actually, some of them were let go with videotapes with the kidnapped -- or the hostage takers' demands.
MYERS: Correct.
COSTELLO: Of course, we'll have much more live from Russia later on in our program.
MYERS: A tough story.
COSTELLO: The second most clicked on story has to do with actress Charlize Theron. She was hurt while shooting a movie.
MYERS: Yes. No cuts, no bruises, actually, and she's -- and no broken bones, but something, they call it more nagging than that. It sounds like, you know, some kind of a joint thing where you fall on your knee and twist an ankle or something like that.
COSTELLO: Well, actually, she was doing her own stunts in a wire hanging action sequence.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: Yikes! It sounds painful just doing that.
MYERS: Yes. Your body is worth more than that. Find someone else to do that for you.
COSTELLO: The third most clicked on story, there may be a change within the Kerry campaign. Let me just read you the first paragraph. "Democratic leaders increasingly concerned that John Kerry's presidential campaign is adrift, are urging the presidential nominee to make changes in his staff before Labor Day." That's according to some party sources. And I'm sure we'll be exploring this issue throughout the day right here on CNN.
MYERS: Some folks in the party thinking they didn't do a good enough job defending the Swift Boat ads.
COSTELLO: They didn't come out fast enough or strong enough.
MYERS: Correct.
COSTELLO: Yes.
So, those are the three top stories on our Web site.
Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers" right now.
Talk about the wedding bell blues, Chad. In Vancouver, thieves broke into a bridal boutique and ran down the aisle with hundreds of wedding dresses. The gowns are worth more than $200,000. Also taken were 300 bridesmaid's dresses, because, gosh, you need those, too, along with...
MYERS: Well, of course.
COSTELLO: Yes. The owner of the shop says the thefts shouldn't affect any upcoming wedding ceremonies, however.
MYERS: Oh, my.
COSTELLO: Take a look at this video. Historic downtown Richmond in shambles after floodwaters flow through the city.
MYERS: So sad. Look at this.
COSTELLO: That's just incredible, Chad.
MYERS: Yes. Brian, our producer, is actually from there, as well. I obviously worked there a couple of years.
Brian, what do you see? Is that the pizza place right down, is that Shockoe Bottom or is that the Slip? Yes, I think that's a pizza place. Every time I go to Richmond for the auto races, we go to that pizza shop right there. And this is in the Bottoms. And the Bottom actually is what they call the Bottom. It runs right into the James River from there. And wow, that is just a mess.
COSTELLO: It's crazy.
MYERS: What's that, six, eight feet worth of water?
COSTELLO: So, the waters have now receded from Richmond and now the mess that's left behind is being cleaned up.
MYERS: And the guy who actually took these pictures, the amateur video from these pictures is going to be on "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning to talk about the mess.
COSTELLO: Unbelievable.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, here's what's new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
More on that developing story out of Russia. Armed men and women, some possibly wearing explosive belts strapped to their bodies. They take 200 schoolchildren hostage. We're going to have an update for you.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNA BUSH, PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER: You know, all those times when you're growing up and your parents embarrass you? Well, this is payback time on live TV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Primetime for the president's daughters. A little more of what they had to say next.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, September 1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Armed and on watch this hour in Russia. A tense hostage situation with some 200 schoolchildren in danger.
It is Wednesday, the first day of September.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news, up to 400 people are being held hostage by armed rebels in Russia. An elementary school full of children besieged by masked gunmen, some reportedly wearing explosive suicide belts. The school near the troubled Republic of Chechnya.
Explosions in Baghdad as Iraq's brand new national assembly prepares to meet for the first time. Four mortar rounds landed near the convention center, but the blasts haven't stopped the Council from meeting.
President Bush has earned the unquestioned support of his party for a second term. And tonight Dick Cheney is expected to get the same. The vice president is one of the hard-liners for day three at the Republican National Convention in New York.
And people are getting ready to board up their windows in parts of Florida. Hurricane Frances could hit land in central Florida by Friday, packing winds of, what -- Chad, up to 140 miles per hour?
(WEATHER REPORT)
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