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CNN Live At Daybreak

King Fahd Dead; Space Watch; John Bolton, Troubled Nominee; Caged Heat

Aired August 01, 2005 - 06:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to our top story this morning, the death of King Fahd. As king of Saudi Arabia, he was also the custodian of the Muslim world's two most sacred sites. King Fahd backed the mujahedeen in their fight against the Soviet invading force in Afghanistan. But he was widely criticized in the Arab world for allowing the United States to set up military bases in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War.
For more on the U.S. reaction to King Fahd's death, we go to our national correspondent, Bob Franken. He's at the White House this morning.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And thus far there has not been an official reaction. But the relationship between the two countries is not expected to change, at least immediately. King Fahd had really been incapacitated since 1995 and the affairs of state conducted by the man who is now king, Crown Prince Abdullah, who is now King Abdullah, also in his 80s.

The most recent visit between the crown prince, now king, and President Bush came only in April. The famous pictures of them at the ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The policies are expected to stay the same. Abdullah is an advocate of maintaining stability in the petroleum world, which, of course, is where so much of the interest in Saudi Arabia is formed. Right now prices are very high, higher than King Abdullah would like them to be, based on his past statements.

Now, the man who will become the crown prince is the man who has headed the defense forces in that country. And the relationship, the military relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has been so controversial in Saudi Arabia. It's a country of very bitter, sometimes violent, contradictions on the one hand; the policy of the royal family to make closer relations with the western world on the other hand. It's a very fundamentalist Islamist state, which resents those kinds of relationships. That has been one of the reasons there has been so much violence. One can never forget that Osama bin Laden was somebody who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Certainly so. Bob Franken reporting live from Washington this morning. Let's head into space now. The Discovery astronauts are walking around in space again today. It is their second walk in the past three days, and it may not be their last.

CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien joins me now from New York to talk about this mission.

What are they doing out there today, Miles?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's gyroscope day for the space shuttle astronauts. And you know what a gyroscope does, right?

COSTELLO: It steers the space shuttle.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, no. But nice try. In this case, it's actually -- you know, think of a spinning top for a moment. And a spinning top, when you make it spin -- I wish I had one to show you -- you know, it tends to keep its position in space. And that's what these gyroscopes do on the space station. There are four of them. The problem is, they have systematically going kaput.

And so, what they are doing right now is taking one that is bad off and putting a new one on. In a previous spacewalk, they did a little hotwire job to fix one that had a problem with some circuitry and fuses.

Look at the live picture. Isn't that spectacular? Two-hundred and twenty miles above the planet Earth. Not a bad job site if you're into the space construction business. Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson are on their second spacewalk. They're about an hour into the removal of that gyroscope that is causing the problems. And very shortly they'll store that in the payload bay of the shuttle, and then get the new one and latch it on to the exterior of the space station.

Now, what's been going on, of course, on the ground has been of great interest, because the spacewalkers undoubtedly -- well, practically undoubtedly at this point, are facing the task of having to do a little bit of repair work to the shuttle, probably on their third spacewalk, the day after tomorrow, during which time they will either tap down or pull out a couple of so-called gap fillers, problems on the shuttle's tiles. They go between the tiles, which engineers are concerned might create sort of a blowtorch effect increase the heating on the base of the shuttle. And they don't want that to happen, of course, on re-entry when Discovery comes home.

So, they not only have their tasks cut out for them today, but they are facing something that they didn't plan for probably the day after tomorrow -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Well, of course, you'll keep following that for us. Miles O'Brien reporting live for us this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you.

COSTELLO: Here's a look at stories that will be making news in the week ahead.

A Pennsylvania coroner plans to turn over control of the United Flight 93 crash site to its owners today after one final sweep of the field. It's where 40 passengers and crew were killed on 9/11.

Tomorrow marks 15 years since Iraq invaded Kuwait. That, of course, led to the Persian Gulf War, the first one.

On Wednesday, convicted drug trafficker Shabelle Corby (ph) will appeal her 20-year jail sentence in Indonesia. The Australian woman has a new witness in the case.

And on Thursday, President and Mrs. Bush will host Columbia's president and first lady at their ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Friday, the shuttle Discovery undocks from the International Space Station to begin its voyage back to Earth, at least we hope so.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the company that started the whole low-carb craze is trimming the fat, so to speak, but not from food but its finances.

And later, what do you get when you combine a big cage with boxing and martial arts? Excitement for some, disgust for others.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The international markets are beginning the week in positive territory. Tokyo's Nikkei is up more than 47 points, the London FTSE up 14, the German DAX is up nearly 20 points.

It's time now for a little "Business Buzz."

The low-carb diet craze may be turning out to be passing fad and bad, bad news for some.

Carrie, I cannot believe this, Carrie!

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It all comes full circle, right? Remember a couple of years ago, Atkins everything, so many companies coming out with low-carb products.

Well, the company that focuses on this more than any others, Atkins Nutritional, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Now, the privately-held company named after Dr. Robert Atkins, he died in 2003 at the peak of the low-car diet craze. Since then, the diet has seen declining popularity and criticism from some experts for its focus on fatty foods over fruits and vegetables.

Because it's a private company, we don't have numbers on sales and earnings. But the company reportedly owes its creditors about $300 million. However, the company's chief says it has adjusted to being a smaller business, and the company will promote its brands more broadly for consumers who are concerned about health and wellness.

COSTELLO: This is a little late...

(CROSSTALK)

LEE: I know. We'll see if they can change their direction, but...

COSTELLO: You think they would have seen it coming.

LEE: You'd think. You'd think.

COSTELLO: I mean, could you possibly think that it could have gone on forever?

LEE: No. But we'll see if they can maybe shift into a healthier eating pattern. Who knows what their plan is going forward?

COSTELLO: Yes. Who knows?

LEE: But that's the story for today.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures.

LEE: Things are looking up. Things are looking solidly higher for today's market open. I'll tell you, July was a great month for stocks. The Dow up over 3 percent, the Nasdaq up over 6 percent. And it looks like the gains will continue this morning.

P&G, Proctor & Gamble, out with profits this morning, too.

COSTELLO: OK. We'll keep an eye on that. Carrie Lee, thank you.

LEE: OK.

COSTELLO: We're moving on now. We're going to talk about Niger. The West African nation is ground zero in the fight against famine. You know that. The United Nations is now doubling the number of people it says it needs to feed before they starve to death.

Officials are trying to get food aid to 2.5 million people in crisis. Most of them are children. Niger's famine had been predicted, but the world was slow to respond to the crisis. It was caused by a drought and a locust invasion.

And by the way, CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Niger. He'll bring you special report on the famine tonight on "360." That comes your way at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 6:40 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning. Saudi Arabia has a new ruler this morning. King Fahd has died. His funeral will be tomorrow. The former Crown Prince Abdullah, Fahd's half-brother, now leads the desert kingdom.

In money news, Hewlett-Packard tells iPod we're out of here. It will no longer resell the popular portable music players made by Apple. Hewlett-Packard isn't saying why it's leaving that relationship.

In culture, "The Wedding Crashers" finally crashes the party at the box office. The movie led the way over the weekend in its third week of release. It made more than $20 million. That drops "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to second place.

In sports, two of the most storied franchises in baseball history sent a couple of new names to the Hall of Fame. The Cubs sent second baseman Ryan Sandberg to the hall, while third baseman Wade Boggs went in as a Red Sox.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: You ever hear of cage fighting, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, absolutely.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: UFC? Sure.

COSTELLO: I think all guys have heard of it. I've heard of it, but I've never actually seen it. But we're going to talk about that this morning, because as you know, some call it the human version of cock fighting. I'm trying to figure out why they lock you in a cage to fight, Chad.

MYERS: It's not really that necessary, although some guys and fighters will use the cage as a little bit of leverage to keep the other boxer there.

COSTELLO: Well, what if one guy is hurt, and then he can't escape? Is that another reason perhaps?

MYERS: Oh, no, no. There's a referee right in there. As soon as the one guy gives, it's all over.

COSTELLO: Well, all right. Well, we're going to talk to an organizer who wants to bring this sport some legitimacy. But first, let's say happy birthday first.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: On the subject of politics this morning, as we've been reporting, Senate Democrats oppose the nomination of John Bolton as U.N. ambassador. Now, with the U.N. General Assembly preparing to meet in September, the White House is looking at making an end-run around Congress. Elaine Quijano has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, when will you appoint John Bolton to the U.N.?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush isn't talking publicly, but two senior administration officials say as early as this week, he could bypass the Senate and use a recess appointment to make John Bolton ambassador to the United Nations.

The White House, which had been seeking an up-or-down vote in the Senate, has now signaled time is running out.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The United Nations will be having their General Assembly meeting in September, and it's important that we get our permanent representative in place.

QUIJANO: Democrats initially stalled Bolton's nomination over access to documents from his time at the State Department.

Last week, Democrats seized on another issue. The State Department acknowledged Bolton incorrectly filled out a questionnaire for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, failing to tell members he had been interviewed by the department's inspector general as part of an investigation into alleged attempts by Iraq to get uranium from Niger. A department spokesman says when Bolton completed the form, he didn't recall the interview.

That prompted 35 Democratic senators and one Independent to send this letter to President Bush Friday, urging him not to appoint Bolton.

Longtime Bolton critic Christopher Dodd called Bolton -- quote -- "damaged goods."

SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: That's not what you want to send up, a person who doesn't have the confidence of the Congress.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: There will be a cloud over his head. On the other hand, he will be our representative at the United Nations for the next year-and-a-half. I hope members of Congress of both parties will then unite and try to give him support.

QUIJANO: Still, Republicans maintain Bolton's blunt style is what the U.N. needs.

SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: He's a tough guy, but I think they appreciate the fact that the president felt at this time in the U.N.'s history, when it could use a little tough love, that John Bolton is the kind of guy to do the job that the president wants done there.

QUIJANO (on camera): If President Bush moves ahead with a recess appointment, John Bolton would hold his post as ambassador to the U.N. until January of 2007, when the current Congress' term ends. Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: It is 6:50 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Shuttle Discovery astronauts will walk in space for a few more hours. They're doing that right now, as a matter of fact. They're replacing a gyroscope on the International Space Station. In the meantime, NASA is deciding if a couple of flaws on the shuttle's belly need to be fixed.

Why weren't these boys found sooner? That's the question surrounding the Camden, New Jersey, youngsters who suffocated locked in a car trunk in June. Police and prosecutors are releasing a report today about the two-day search.

And finally, the National Rifle Association is rallying behind a dozen former factory workers in Oklahoma. They were fired for keeping hunting rifles in their cars in the company parking lot. The NRA is planning a rally in their town tonight.

You know those gazillions of mortgage offers you get in the mail every day? Well, buyer beware.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

Yes, tons of fraud out there. You know, one of the little schemes people use, and especially now when the market is so hot, they'll sell you a property at a great price. But guess what? They don't actually own it. They make money. You are great until you realize that you've bought something that actually now doesn't belong to you.

We're going to have a look at that this morning when we're talking about fraud cases when it comes to the housing market; 17,000 were listed last year alone.

Also this morning, we're learning more about those suspects in the attempted London bombings. What are police saying that the suspects are telling them? We'll have the very latest from London and from Rome as well. That's where one of the suspects was caught.

Also, the new normal in London. How is life different since those attacks? The survival kit business is very big. But also there is some other changes as well, some a little bit more subtle. We're going to tell you about those at the top of the hour as well in about nine minutes. Carol, we'll see you then when "AMERICAN MORNING" starts.

COSTELLO: So, do you ever watch cage fighting?

S. O'BRIEN: Cage fighting?

COSTELLO: See, it's only guys know what this is.

S. O'BRIEN: Is that people put in cages and fighting?

COSTELLO: Exactly.

S. O'BRIEN: Really?

COSTELLO: Exactly. Well, you stick around and you watch this next segment, because you will learn -- I don't know what you'll learn from it, but hopefully something interesting.

S. O'BRIEN: But I'll watch it anyway.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Blood sport, barbaric, entertaining -- those are all words that have been used to describe cage fighting. It's also known on a larger level as ultimate fighting. But not all ultimate fights are held in big arenas and shown on pay-per-view. Some are held on a smaller stage in a smaller cage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a rush. It's a rush. It's nervous up until then, but once you get in it, it's all -- it all goes away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's relaxing. Go in there and get it done and come out of there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Relax?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, right. I'm relaxed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So basically, it's an adrenaline rush, and it keeps me safe. You know, I'd rather do this than, like, go out and get drunk every night or do drugs or something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Words from cage fighters. What's this all really about?

Joining me from Minneapolis to talk about cage fighting is one of the sport's promoters, Chris Christenson.

Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS CHRISTIANSON, CAGE FIGHT PROMOTER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: So, what is this sport all about?

CHRISTIANSON: This sport is an amazing mix of all of the other martial arts rolled in together.

COSTELLO: So, you perform boxing. You can also perform martial arts. Anything goes. These two men are, in essence, locked inside of this cage. Are there rules?

CHRISTIANSON: Yes, there are rules. And you're not...

COSTELLO: What kind of rules?

CHRISTIANSON: The kinds of rules are no strikes that are back to the head, no strikes to the spine, no small joint manipulations, no eye gouging. It's a clean match.

COSTELLO: It's a clean match. Of course, a lot of people disagree with you. Why the cage?

CHRISTIANSON: The cage gives it -- they're modern-day gladiators. They're put in a cage on their own informed consent. They want to do it. They love it. That's where they want to be.

COSTELLO: I know you say there are rules, but some people say that this is the human equivalent of cock fighting.

CHRISTIANSON: That's not at all the case. Those people need to become more educated with the sport, because it is a sport. Judo, wrestling, boxing, those are all Olympic events. And then when you put it in a cage, there's all the different events rolled into one.

COSTELLO: Well, then why have cities like New York, they banned cage fighting in 1997? Athletic commissions in Pennsylvania, Ohio and several other states have refused to sanction these fights. And partly it's because there are few rules, and many of the fighters that go to fight in these cages are not trained in any way.

CHRISTIANSON: Some fighters like the other cage fighter mentioned earlier is that, you know, they'd rather be in the cage than doing it legally in a controlled environment rather than working out aggressions in the street, where they can get themselves into trouble.

MYERS: Hey, Chris, it's Chad Myers up in the weather office. I've got a question for you. How much are these guys making?

CHRISTIANSON: They can start out anywhere from $100-$200 to $5,000 an event...

COSTELLO: Well...

CHRISTIANSON: ... and up.

COSTELLO: And the thing is, that some of these fights are held in the parking lots of bars, where the spectators, you know, some of them are pretty drunk. They're watching this very rough sport inside of a cage, and that incites violence on the outside.

CHRISTIANSON: That's not the case, not with our event. Some events -- I guess you'd have to be there. You'd have to see it. But a lot of these people love the sport so much. They don't want to cause any problems in the audience.

COSTELLO: So, how are you going to give this sport more legitimacy? Because going back to the rules -- and this is from a Sioux Falls city council person. He is saying this: He says where is the rule book? They keep giving me a sheet printed off the Internet that says no eye gouging, no fishhooks, no fingers in bodily orifices. And that's about it.

CHRISTIANSON: No, there are a lot more rules than that.

COSTELLO: What?

CHRISTIANSON: I've given him a copy of the rules, actually, the rules that I have.

COSTELLO: Well, he says you gave them this thing off of the Internet.

CHRISTIANSON: No. There were a copy of our rules, and they mirror the UFC's rules, the ICC's rules, XKK's (ph) rules. There are a lot of other promoters in the Midwest.

COSTELLO: Why is...

CHRISTIANSON: This sport is huge.

COSTELLO: I understand, because a lot of people here watch it on DVD. They watch it on pay-per-view. Why are you holding your fights only in small venues in small cities, out of the way places so to speak?

CHRISTIANSON: Because there's a lot of money involved in it. And to get into those larger venues, it takes a lot of time and a lot of planning.

COSTELLO: Chris Christianson, I wish we could go on, because this is such a fascinating topic. Hopefully, we can have you back and maybe talk to some of your fighters, since this has gotten so very controversial. Thank you for joining us.

CHRISTIANSON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Chad.

MYERS: There are -- I know you talked about the small ones. There are many bigger places, too. I mean, Mandalay Bay has one of the biggest ones out there, just a different promoter.

Here are the questions and the winners from last week's DAYBREAK coffee mug quiz. What is the word for an Islamic religious ruling? And that is a fatwa. And what percentage of Niger is desert land? And that number was 80 percent. It may be growing a little bit with this big drought they've got going on here.

And the winner from Virginia, from Richmond, Virginia, Pat Lovell is our winner this morning. Congratulations. Here are your questions for today. This week's "TIME" magazine is dedicated to what age? What age group? What age person? And what is the NASA jargon for a spacewalk?

CNN.com/daybreak.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad. We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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