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Pentagon Reports Coalition Narrowly Misses Zarqawi; Alzheimer's Drug Debate
Aired June 25, 2004 - 15:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to LIVE FROM.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Miles O'Brien today. Here's what's happening at this hour.
The Pentagon indicates that coalition forces may have just missed killing terrorism mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi today in Fallujah. A senior official tells CNN Zarqawi may have been at a suspected safe house attached by U.S. warplanes. Some 20 to 25 people reportedly were killed in that attack, which was the third on a suspected terrorist safe house this week.
President Bush has left for a U.S./European Union summit in Ireland. He'll meet with the Irish prime minister and talk to European Commission officials in southwestern Ireland near Shannon tomorrow. Mr. Bush then travels to Turkey for a NATO summit beginning on Monday.
U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan is out of the race. Ryan had been campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. That announcement came amid allegations that Ryan visited sex clubs with his former wife, actress Jeri Ryan. The GOP congressional leadership had been pushing for Ryan to step aside.
PHILLIPS: We begin this hour with a high-powered shot a potentially high-value target.
We go to our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with more on the hunt for terror ringleader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a senior Pentagon, senior defense official tells CNN that they believe it is possible that, when they struck a house, a safe house in Fallujah earlier today, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been outside and narrowly escape the U.S. air attack.
Now, of course, this man is virtually No. 1 on the list of people the coalition and U.S. military want to get in Iraq. He has claimed responsibility for so many attacks against U.S. coalition and Iraqi security forces.
What happened was, U.S. warplanes were circling what was believed to be a Zarqawi safe house overhead in Fallujah. As they began to drop their 500-pound bombs, a convoy of cars rolled up. A man got out, we're told. That man was accompanied by a significant amount of personal security. The bombs dropped. The man fell to the ground from the blast, but he was then, we are told, alive, hustled into a car and driven away.
One of the indicators that leads them to believe it's possible it was al-Zarqawi was, the official says they don't know of anyone else in the Zarqawi network that travels with that level of security. But, still, as the official said, he wasn't wearing a name tag. We're not positive, but we think he -- it might have been him and he may have gotten away -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Barbara, obviously, to drop 500 pound bomb, there's got to be pretty good intel that's coming to coalition forces. What does this tell you, what does this tell the military about how much closer they are getting to Zarqawi? Obviously, they are hitting large chunks of his network.
STARR: Absolutely right, Kyra. That is really the question at the moment.
There is, we are told, fresh intelligence indeed that Zarqawi is operating out of the Fallujah area, in that direct area, operating from there. Although there have been statements from his supporters he is not there, U.S. intelligence has every reason to believe, we're told, he is there. So that is point No. 1.
Now, the facts there was such close monitoring of what happened during this attack, although no one is saying it, that leads to indicators that it is very likely there was a U.S. Predator, an unmanned drone overhead, loitering, circling around, that saw all of this activity. That may be the most likely explanation for how much the U.S. knows about what happened outside that safe house, the cars, the man, all of it. And if there are Predators circling overhead, they will be able to keep an eye on that area, continuous surveillance and see where that convoy may have gone.
So if it was Zarqawi, indeed, they may be getting closer, no final word, of course, but indicators are they could may be getting closer to the man they want to get very badly -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon, thank you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Five short days before sovereignty returns to Iraq, the U.S. Senate Armed Forces Services Committee wants to know what U.S. forces can expect. Now, a hearing today on security threats and coalition commitments produced this candid three-tiered observation from the No. 2 official at the State Department.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: We underestimated the enemy and we didn't destroy him in our initial attack and he melted away. And we're seeing him again. That's No. 1. No. 2, we didn't reckon correctly the extent to which Iraq had become a criminal society under the -- in attempts to evade sanctions and everything else that had happened, particularly in the last 12 years.
And, No. 3, I think we underestimated the degree to which this enemy had a central nervous system. And I think the attacks the other day showed that it does have a central nervous system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And CNN has learned that if the violence worsens, the Pentagon may send an additional 15,000 troops. Almost 140,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq at the moment.
PHILLIPS: For the first time since the war in Iraq broke out, a majority of Americans say the whole thing was a mistake. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows 54 percent of Americans have second thoughts about resorting to force, while 44 percent say it was not a mistake to send troops. That's essentially a reversal of popular opinion inside three weeks.
Another flip-flop is apparent of the broader war against terror. This week, 37 percent of Americans say the Iraq war made the U.S. safer from terror attacks; 55 percent say it didn't. In December, we heard just the opposite. But asked who should win the presidential race, Americans are split down the middle. Likely voters give a statistically insignificant edge to President Bush, 49-48 percent.
NGUYEN: A look now at news across America.
In the Michael Jackson case, a judge denied a media request to unseal grand jury transcripts. A hearing was held today San Maria, California, in the child molestation case. The judge also agreed to keep search warrants sealed and for seized items to be returned.
A tow truck in need of a tow. This accident happened this afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. The two truck drivers apparently lost control and crashed into an abandoned building. The number of injuries is unknown.
Also in Texas, severe summer storms. The roof of this Home Depot store collapsed today in Galveston -- check it out -- possibly due to heavy rain. No one was hurt. However, police divers in Houston did find the body of a teenager who drowned in floodwaters.
PHILLIPS: In medical news, there are new findings out in Great Britain to fuel the debate about a popular drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, a condition affecting more than 4.5 million Americans.
CNN's Holly Firfer joins us now with the details.
What do you know?
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the British medical journal "Lancet" had published a study that suggests one of the current drugs to treat Alzheimer's known as Aricept might not be worth the expense.
Now, these drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors may lead to a small improvement in cognitive function, as well as reduce symptoms, but they do not slow down the progression of the disease. So, the British researchers said, Alzheimer's patients taking the drug deteriorate at the same rate and end up in nursing homes at about the same time as those not taking the drugs, suggesting that those medications may not improve one's health enough to merit the treatment.
Critics of the study say, you know, you're right, these drugs are not a cure for the disease, but they can keep Alzheimer's patients a bit more functional during that decline. So, if you have a loved one who suffers from this debilitating disease, some ask, wouldn't you want to do everything to help?
So, as you see, Kyra, there's a lot of controversy around this. They say, maybe not going to help you stay out of nursing homes any sooner, so it's very expensive, maybe not take that drug.
PHILLIPS: So, if you know you have it or someone else has it, what do you do?
FIRFER: First off, do not stop taking the drug if you're taking this drug or if you have someone that you know who is taking it. Always talk to a doctor before you change any kind of therapy.
It's such a difficult situation because there are no cures or vaccines for this disease. And doctors say this is the one of the treatments they have so far. Several doctors that we talked to really criticized the study, saying the results from the trial should not devalue all we've learned from the many trials in the past. Everyone is in agreement that there needs to be more done in developing new treatments and there needs to be more options.
But it doesn't mean that some medications are not beneficial. We can't stress that enough. And on a hopeful note, in a couple weeks, the Alzheimer's Association is having their annual meeting, where they're going to talk about some promising results of new treatments and give us a preview of what's on the horizon and we're going to cover that and hopefully have some promising information to give everybody.
PHILLIPS: What about the drug companies?
FIRFER: Well, of course, they responded right away. And Pfizer gave us a statement that I can read to you.
They said that: "There is published evidence that shows that persistent treatment with donepezil," which is the generic name for Aricept, "may delay the mean time to the first dementia-related nursing home placement by approximately 21 months."
But critics are countering, saying more research needs to be done to determine really how long those drugs may actually keep people out of nursing homes.
PHILLIPS: Now, a study was done in England, so is it relevant in the U.S.?
FIRFER: Right. Very good point. Those British researchers, they have a completely different system than we have. They have a nationalized health care system, so they look at the cost-benefit in terms of the government paying for this treatment. Here in the U.S., much different system. So they do say we need to be studied in terms of the costs associated with private doctors and HMOs to make it equivalent in the U.S. A lot of controversy, still going to look at it.
PHILLIPS: OK, Holly Firfer, thanks.
FIRFER: Sure.
NGUYEN: And now we want to go to Frank Buckley live in Ireland, where President Bush has just arrived for a summit meeting there -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.
The president coming here to Ireland on his way to the NATO summit, later this weekend in Istanbul in Turkey. He is here in Ireland for the E.U.-U.S. summit. Then he'll be going on to Turkey for the NATO summit. As you can see, Air Force One has arrived in Shannon, Ireland, Bush administration officials saying that they hope to build during this weekend on what they consider to be a growing international consensus on Iraq.
They point to the unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution supporting the new interim government that's taking over on June 30 in Iraq. They point to the G-8 Summit that took place in Sea Island, Georgia, recently, where they received warmer relations, particularly with some of the countries that were firmly opposed to the war in Iraq, Germany and France.
What remains to be seen, of course, is whether those warm relations translate to more troops from NATO. Here in Ireland, the president can expect some protests. There are strong anti-war feelings here, strong anti-Bush feelings here, organizers of protests saying they expect as many as 10,000 protesters. In preparation for that, a massive security force is being put in place here, some 2,000 Irish troops, 4,000 police officers, no specific threats as far as we know, but local authorities and, of course, the president's security detail taking no chances.
The president, as you see, has landed here. He is going on to Dromoland Castle, where he'll overnight. And finally, just a few moments, as we continue to watch from Air Force One, there was information from a senior administration official on the CIA leaks investigation. We are told that among those people who have been interviewed to date, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
You can see President Bush and Laura Bush now emerging and waving to the people here who have come to greet them at Shannon Airport.
But just continuing on with what we were saying, Condoleezza Rice has been interviewed by the investigators looking into the CIA leak investigation. We're told it was not before a grand jury and that the testimony was not under oath. And that's all the information we have on that.
As you can see, President Bush arriving here in Ireland.
NGUYEN: Frank, quickly, we have very little time left, but you mentioned the protesters there. What is their main point of contention?
BUCKLEY: Well, the main point of contention is that there's a great deal of anti-war sentiment here. And specifically, while Ireland is not providing troops on the ground in Iraq, Ireland is providing a spot for troop planes to refuel, specifically that airport where President Bush is right now.
Troop ships, there are troop planes that are going to the Iraqi war theater and into Afghanistan as well and coming back and bound for the U.S., are stopping in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel. And people here, many people here, are very upset about that.
NGUYEN: Some 4,000 police officers on hand for those expected protests.
Frank Buckley in Ireland, thank you so much -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: What was President Clinton's biggest mistake in office? Well, he opens up to Larry King. Find out what he had to say just ahead.
Reality on the silver screen, why Michael Moore's new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," may be a sign of things to come at a theater near you.
And these three young hot singers are destined to be together. Find out who is reuniting in entertainment headlines, when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Former President Bill Clinton's new memoir, "My Life," is flying off bookstore shelves. Last night, he sat down with our Larry King for a look back at his darkest days in the Oval Office.
And here is some of what President Clinton said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: What was your biggest mistake in the office?
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's pretty hard. I think my biggest mistake as president as opposed to as a person -- we know what my biggest personal mistake was. But certainly one of the biggest mistakes I made was continuing to push in the first two years of my presidency to pass health care reform when it was obvious that the Republicans had made a decision that no health care reform would pass, or at least the leadership had. If instead I had done what my instincts should have told me to do and pass welfare reform first and then said after the election we'll try to get a bipartisan health care reform bill through, we might not have lost the Congress. And that might have been a good thing. You know, I think that was a significant mistake.
One of my great regrets in foreign policy is not sending troops to try to stop the Rwandan genocide when I realized how severe it was. It happened very fast, 90 days, 10 percent of the country, 700,000 people killed with machetes. I feel terrible that we didn't do it. We were still kind of reeling from Somalia and we were trying to get into both Bosnia and Haiti. So that the whole thing was never seriously considered. And when I finally came to grips with the magnitude of it -- I will always regret it.
KING: On the personal level, when you say you do it -- of course you did do it, you did it because it was there. A lot of people -- I think we need elaboration because people are taking that.
CLINTON: Wrongly.
KING: What did you mean?
CLINTON: Everybody who reads it in the book will see that I was rebuking myself, not being flippant. What I meant by that -- let me get into what I said. First, I said when you make a mistake past the age of accountability, there's no excuse for it. So I never offer any excuses in my book. On the other hand, only a fool doesn't try to understand and explain to himself why he made mistakes he made.
So it's the government shutdown, the first or second one. I have been through a period of a couple of years where I've lost the Congress and I think I've done terrible damage to it where the Republicans had taken over the Congress and they're trying to change my country, I believe, for the worse. We're in the middle of the first government shutdown ever or right at the beginning of the second one. And I don't know who is going to win. We're in this titanic struggle for the future of the country.
And meanwhile, I got this guy Starr who is trying to put me and Hillary in jail and all these guys in Congress now in the majority holding hearings acting like it's serious and tormenting people who work for me, people who have been friends of mine. It was like crazy half the time. I thought man, I'm lost in the funhouse.
And people who live parallel lives, as I describe that, grow up in alcoholic homes, for example, very often when they're angry, exhausted or under great stress or vulnerable, to go down the wrong track of their parallel lives. And that's what I meant by that. I knew better than to do it. I didn't really want to do it at some level, but I could do it. It was there. And I did it.
So when I say I did it because I could, if you take it out of context it sounds jolting and snippy and arrogant and unfeeling toward Monica Lewinsky or my family or anything else. That is not what I meant. I meant if you -- well, you know you've lived long enough to make a few mistakes. Anybody who's lived a certain time has made some mistakes, if you look back on your life and you think about the things that you did wrong that you knew at the time you shouldn't do, about the best explanation is you did it because you could. Not just in this context, in many contexts.
And I said that hoping that a lot of young people who still look up to me and believe in my politics and believe in what I tried to do would guard against making decisions just because they could. I said that in the hope of showing people why that's not a good reason to do things.
KING: And do you think it's also due to immediate gratification?
CLINTON: Yes. I think when you think that everything you've lived for and worked for may crumble, that may be part of it, too. But it doesn't matter, I still knew better than to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And tonight, Larry King welcomes "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart to the show. You can check that out at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: A rapper gets a rap sheet. Actor and rapper DMX under arrest. Details on the charges in our entertainment headlines just ahead.
And "Fahrenheit 9/11" is generating heat over President Bush's decisions about September 11. Will it do the same in theaters?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And this just in to CNN.
We're being told that Martha Stewart, her sentencing has been delayed until July 16. You'll remember the domestic diva and her stockbroker were both indicted, accused of lying to investigators who were probing her profitable sale of ImClone Systems stock. Now we are being told her sentencing delayed until July 16.
NGUYEN: Checking entertainment headline this Friday, a rap sheet for rapper DMX after a suspected car jack caper gone awry at New York's Kennedy Airport. The cuffs came out when cops interrupted DMX and another man allegedly trying to steal a third man's car.
In addition to attempted robbery, DMX was booked on criminal impersonation. He allegedly tried to pass himself off as an FBI agent at some point in the proceedings.
Well, a reunion in the cards for Destiny's Child. Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyonce haven't performed together in almost two years, but they will appear in September to sing a song on a new game show called "Play For a Billion."
And, finally, the stork is planning another visit to the home of William Baldwin and Chynna Phillips. Word is that they are expecting their third child in December -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Well, anybody out there not heard about the film "Fahrenheit 9/11"? Beyond the politically hot subject matter, the buzz surrounding Michael Moore's latest goes to illustrate a larger point. The documentary film, once the poor country cousin to the big Hollywood blockbuster, is now claiming a larger and larger piece of the Tinseltown pie.
CNN's Jen Rogers on the trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most documentaries don't get a star-studded premiere like Fahrenheit 9/11. But that could be changing, as Hollywood turns its attention to the often- ignored films.
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, EXHIBITOR RELATIONS: I think we're going to see documentary film become the new hot genre. I don't think we're going to see them open with 20, $30 million, but who knows? With Fahrenheit 9/11, it could potentially open with over $10 million in box office.
ROGERS: And that, in turn, could open the door for more documentaries to gain studio support. The key for Hollywood: the films are cheaper to make with new advance in technology, and moviegoers seem more willing to embrace non-fiction fare, as documentaries shed their image as boring, educational movies targeted to a narrow audience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love documentary because it's real-life event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Usually, I hope to learn something.
ROGERS: Hollywood has learned recently that documentaries can be commercial as well as critical successes. Of the top five highest- grossing documentaries of all time, three have been released in the last 14 months: "Winged Migration," "Super Size Me," and "Tupac: Resurrection."
More than just informative, this new wave of films is sometimes funny, often controversial, but at its heart entertaining - the key to box-office success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty clear that documentaries are growing in popularity.
ROGERS: Gregory Lamaly (ph) runs a 30-theater chain in Southern California.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact is, is that independent films in general are really booming right. So a lot of it does have to do with the accessibility of the screens.
ROGERS: Accessibility made possible by the multiplexing of America. With more theaters willing to give up a few screens to smaller films, profits have soared. In 1998, documentaries grossed $7. 6 million at the U.S. box office. Last year, that number hit nearly $50 million.
(on camera): And that figure doesn't even take into account the home-video market, where many documentaries make up the bulk of their sales.
Jen Rogers, CNN Financial News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS" is up next.
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Aired June 25, 2004 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to LIVE FROM.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Miles O'Brien today. Here's what's happening at this hour.
The Pentagon indicates that coalition forces may have just missed killing terrorism mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi today in Fallujah. A senior official tells CNN Zarqawi may have been at a suspected safe house attached by U.S. warplanes. Some 20 to 25 people reportedly were killed in that attack, which was the third on a suspected terrorist safe house this week.
President Bush has left for a U.S./European Union summit in Ireland. He'll meet with the Irish prime minister and talk to European Commission officials in southwestern Ireland near Shannon tomorrow. Mr. Bush then travels to Turkey for a NATO summit beginning on Monday.
U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan is out of the race. Ryan had been campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. That announcement came amid allegations that Ryan visited sex clubs with his former wife, actress Jeri Ryan. The GOP congressional leadership had been pushing for Ryan to step aside.
PHILLIPS: We begin this hour with a high-powered shot a potentially high-value target.
We go to our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with more on the hunt for terror ringleader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a senior Pentagon, senior defense official tells CNN that they believe it is possible that, when they struck a house, a safe house in Fallujah earlier today, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been outside and narrowly escape the U.S. air attack.
Now, of course, this man is virtually No. 1 on the list of people the coalition and U.S. military want to get in Iraq. He has claimed responsibility for so many attacks against U.S. coalition and Iraqi security forces.
What happened was, U.S. warplanes were circling what was believed to be a Zarqawi safe house overhead in Fallujah. As they began to drop their 500-pound bombs, a convoy of cars rolled up. A man got out, we're told. That man was accompanied by a significant amount of personal security. The bombs dropped. The man fell to the ground from the blast, but he was then, we are told, alive, hustled into a car and driven away.
One of the indicators that leads them to believe it's possible it was al-Zarqawi was, the official says they don't know of anyone else in the Zarqawi network that travels with that level of security. But, still, as the official said, he wasn't wearing a name tag. We're not positive, but we think he -- it might have been him and he may have gotten away -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Barbara, obviously, to drop 500 pound bomb, there's got to be pretty good intel that's coming to coalition forces. What does this tell you, what does this tell the military about how much closer they are getting to Zarqawi? Obviously, they are hitting large chunks of his network.
STARR: Absolutely right, Kyra. That is really the question at the moment.
There is, we are told, fresh intelligence indeed that Zarqawi is operating out of the Fallujah area, in that direct area, operating from there. Although there have been statements from his supporters he is not there, U.S. intelligence has every reason to believe, we're told, he is there. So that is point No. 1.
Now, the facts there was such close monitoring of what happened during this attack, although no one is saying it, that leads to indicators that it is very likely there was a U.S. Predator, an unmanned drone overhead, loitering, circling around, that saw all of this activity. That may be the most likely explanation for how much the U.S. knows about what happened outside that safe house, the cars, the man, all of it. And if there are Predators circling overhead, they will be able to keep an eye on that area, continuous surveillance and see where that convoy may have gone.
So if it was Zarqawi, indeed, they may be getting closer, no final word, of course, but indicators are they could may be getting closer to the man they want to get very badly -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon, thank you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Five short days before sovereignty returns to Iraq, the U.S. Senate Armed Forces Services Committee wants to know what U.S. forces can expect. Now, a hearing today on security threats and coalition commitments produced this candid three-tiered observation from the No. 2 official at the State Department.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: We underestimated the enemy and we didn't destroy him in our initial attack and he melted away. And we're seeing him again. That's No. 1. No. 2, we didn't reckon correctly the extent to which Iraq had become a criminal society under the -- in attempts to evade sanctions and everything else that had happened, particularly in the last 12 years.
And, No. 3, I think we underestimated the degree to which this enemy had a central nervous system. And I think the attacks the other day showed that it does have a central nervous system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And CNN has learned that if the violence worsens, the Pentagon may send an additional 15,000 troops. Almost 140,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq at the moment.
PHILLIPS: For the first time since the war in Iraq broke out, a majority of Americans say the whole thing was a mistake. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows 54 percent of Americans have second thoughts about resorting to force, while 44 percent say it was not a mistake to send troops. That's essentially a reversal of popular opinion inside three weeks.
Another flip-flop is apparent of the broader war against terror. This week, 37 percent of Americans say the Iraq war made the U.S. safer from terror attacks; 55 percent say it didn't. In December, we heard just the opposite. But asked who should win the presidential race, Americans are split down the middle. Likely voters give a statistically insignificant edge to President Bush, 49-48 percent.
NGUYEN: A look now at news across America.
In the Michael Jackson case, a judge denied a media request to unseal grand jury transcripts. A hearing was held today San Maria, California, in the child molestation case. The judge also agreed to keep search warrants sealed and for seized items to be returned.
A tow truck in need of a tow. This accident happened this afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. The two truck drivers apparently lost control and crashed into an abandoned building. The number of injuries is unknown.
Also in Texas, severe summer storms. The roof of this Home Depot store collapsed today in Galveston -- check it out -- possibly due to heavy rain. No one was hurt. However, police divers in Houston did find the body of a teenager who drowned in floodwaters.
PHILLIPS: In medical news, there are new findings out in Great Britain to fuel the debate about a popular drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, a condition affecting more than 4.5 million Americans.
CNN's Holly Firfer joins us now with the details.
What do you know?
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the British medical journal "Lancet" had published a study that suggests one of the current drugs to treat Alzheimer's known as Aricept might not be worth the expense.
Now, these drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors may lead to a small improvement in cognitive function, as well as reduce symptoms, but they do not slow down the progression of the disease. So, the British researchers said, Alzheimer's patients taking the drug deteriorate at the same rate and end up in nursing homes at about the same time as those not taking the drugs, suggesting that those medications may not improve one's health enough to merit the treatment.
Critics of the study say, you know, you're right, these drugs are not a cure for the disease, but they can keep Alzheimer's patients a bit more functional during that decline. So, if you have a loved one who suffers from this debilitating disease, some ask, wouldn't you want to do everything to help?
So, as you see, Kyra, there's a lot of controversy around this. They say, maybe not going to help you stay out of nursing homes any sooner, so it's very expensive, maybe not take that drug.
PHILLIPS: So, if you know you have it or someone else has it, what do you do?
FIRFER: First off, do not stop taking the drug if you're taking this drug or if you have someone that you know who is taking it. Always talk to a doctor before you change any kind of therapy.
It's such a difficult situation because there are no cures or vaccines for this disease. And doctors say this is the one of the treatments they have so far. Several doctors that we talked to really criticized the study, saying the results from the trial should not devalue all we've learned from the many trials in the past. Everyone is in agreement that there needs to be more done in developing new treatments and there needs to be more options.
But it doesn't mean that some medications are not beneficial. We can't stress that enough. And on a hopeful note, in a couple weeks, the Alzheimer's Association is having their annual meeting, where they're going to talk about some promising results of new treatments and give us a preview of what's on the horizon and we're going to cover that and hopefully have some promising information to give everybody.
PHILLIPS: What about the drug companies?
FIRFER: Well, of course, they responded right away. And Pfizer gave us a statement that I can read to you.
They said that: "There is published evidence that shows that persistent treatment with donepezil," which is the generic name for Aricept, "may delay the mean time to the first dementia-related nursing home placement by approximately 21 months."
But critics are countering, saying more research needs to be done to determine really how long those drugs may actually keep people out of nursing homes.
PHILLIPS: Now, a study was done in England, so is it relevant in the U.S.?
FIRFER: Right. Very good point. Those British researchers, they have a completely different system than we have. They have a nationalized health care system, so they look at the cost-benefit in terms of the government paying for this treatment. Here in the U.S., much different system. So they do say we need to be studied in terms of the costs associated with private doctors and HMOs to make it equivalent in the U.S. A lot of controversy, still going to look at it.
PHILLIPS: OK, Holly Firfer, thanks.
FIRFER: Sure.
NGUYEN: And now we want to go to Frank Buckley live in Ireland, where President Bush has just arrived for a summit meeting there -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.
The president coming here to Ireland on his way to the NATO summit, later this weekend in Istanbul in Turkey. He is here in Ireland for the E.U.-U.S. summit. Then he'll be going on to Turkey for the NATO summit. As you can see, Air Force One has arrived in Shannon, Ireland, Bush administration officials saying that they hope to build during this weekend on what they consider to be a growing international consensus on Iraq.
They point to the unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution supporting the new interim government that's taking over on June 30 in Iraq. They point to the G-8 Summit that took place in Sea Island, Georgia, recently, where they received warmer relations, particularly with some of the countries that were firmly opposed to the war in Iraq, Germany and France.
What remains to be seen, of course, is whether those warm relations translate to more troops from NATO. Here in Ireland, the president can expect some protests. There are strong anti-war feelings here, strong anti-Bush feelings here, organizers of protests saying they expect as many as 10,000 protesters. In preparation for that, a massive security force is being put in place here, some 2,000 Irish troops, 4,000 police officers, no specific threats as far as we know, but local authorities and, of course, the president's security detail taking no chances.
The president, as you see, has landed here. He is going on to Dromoland Castle, where he'll overnight. And finally, just a few moments, as we continue to watch from Air Force One, there was information from a senior administration official on the CIA leaks investigation. We are told that among those people who have been interviewed to date, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
You can see President Bush and Laura Bush now emerging and waving to the people here who have come to greet them at Shannon Airport.
But just continuing on with what we were saying, Condoleezza Rice has been interviewed by the investigators looking into the CIA leak investigation. We're told it was not before a grand jury and that the testimony was not under oath. And that's all the information we have on that.
As you can see, President Bush arriving here in Ireland.
NGUYEN: Frank, quickly, we have very little time left, but you mentioned the protesters there. What is their main point of contention?
BUCKLEY: Well, the main point of contention is that there's a great deal of anti-war sentiment here. And specifically, while Ireland is not providing troops on the ground in Iraq, Ireland is providing a spot for troop planes to refuel, specifically that airport where President Bush is right now.
Troop ships, there are troop planes that are going to the Iraqi war theater and into Afghanistan as well and coming back and bound for the U.S., are stopping in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel. And people here, many people here, are very upset about that.
NGUYEN: Some 4,000 police officers on hand for those expected protests.
Frank Buckley in Ireland, thank you so much -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: What was President Clinton's biggest mistake in office? Well, he opens up to Larry King. Find out what he had to say just ahead.
Reality on the silver screen, why Michael Moore's new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," may be a sign of things to come at a theater near you.
And these three young hot singers are destined to be together. Find out who is reuniting in entertainment headlines, when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Former President Bill Clinton's new memoir, "My Life," is flying off bookstore shelves. Last night, he sat down with our Larry King for a look back at his darkest days in the Oval Office.
And here is some of what President Clinton said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: What was your biggest mistake in the office?
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's pretty hard. I think my biggest mistake as president as opposed to as a person -- we know what my biggest personal mistake was. But certainly one of the biggest mistakes I made was continuing to push in the first two years of my presidency to pass health care reform when it was obvious that the Republicans had made a decision that no health care reform would pass, or at least the leadership had. If instead I had done what my instincts should have told me to do and pass welfare reform first and then said after the election we'll try to get a bipartisan health care reform bill through, we might not have lost the Congress. And that might have been a good thing. You know, I think that was a significant mistake.
One of my great regrets in foreign policy is not sending troops to try to stop the Rwandan genocide when I realized how severe it was. It happened very fast, 90 days, 10 percent of the country, 700,000 people killed with machetes. I feel terrible that we didn't do it. We were still kind of reeling from Somalia and we were trying to get into both Bosnia and Haiti. So that the whole thing was never seriously considered. And when I finally came to grips with the magnitude of it -- I will always regret it.
KING: On the personal level, when you say you do it -- of course you did do it, you did it because it was there. A lot of people -- I think we need elaboration because people are taking that.
CLINTON: Wrongly.
KING: What did you mean?
CLINTON: Everybody who reads it in the book will see that I was rebuking myself, not being flippant. What I meant by that -- let me get into what I said. First, I said when you make a mistake past the age of accountability, there's no excuse for it. So I never offer any excuses in my book. On the other hand, only a fool doesn't try to understand and explain to himself why he made mistakes he made.
So it's the government shutdown, the first or second one. I have been through a period of a couple of years where I've lost the Congress and I think I've done terrible damage to it where the Republicans had taken over the Congress and they're trying to change my country, I believe, for the worse. We're in the middle of the first government shutdown ever or right at the beginning of the second one. And I don't know who is going to win. We're in this titanic struggle for the future of the country.
And meanwhile, I got this guy Starr who is trying to put me and Hillary in jail and all these guys in Congress now in the majority holding hearings acting like it's serious and tormenting people who work for me, people who have been friends of mine. It was like crazy half the time. I thought man, I'm lost in the funhouse.
And people who live parallel lives, as I describe that, grow up in alcoholic homes, for example, very often when they're angry, exhausted or under great stress or vulnerable, to go down the wrong track of their parallel lives. And that's what I meant by that. I knew better than to do it. I didn't really want to do it at some level, but I could do it. It was there. And I did it.
So when I say I did it because I could, if you take it out of context it sounds jolting and snippy and arrogant and unfeeling toward Monica Lewinsky or my family or anything else. That is not what I meant. I meant if you -- well, you know you've lived long enough to make a few mistakes. Anybody who's lived a certain time has made some mistakes, if you look back on your life and you think about the things that you did wrong that you knew at the time you shouldn't do, about the best explanation is you did it because you could. Not just in this context, in many contexts.
And I said that hoping that a lot of young people who still look up to me and believe in my politics and believe in what I tried to do would guard against making decisions just because they could. I said that in the hope of showing people why that's not a good reason to do things.
KING: And do you think it's also due to immediate gratification?
CLINTON: Yes. I think when you think that everything you've lived for and worked for may crumble, that may be part of it, too. But it doesn't matter, I still knew better than to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And tonight, Larry King welcomes "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart to the show. You can check that out at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: A rapper gets a rap sheet. Actor and rapper DMX under arrest. Details on the charges in our entertainment headlines just ahead.
And "Fahrenheit 9/11" is generating heat over President Bush's decisions about September 11. Will it do the same in theaters?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And this just in to CNN.
We're being told that Martha Stewart, her sentencing has been delayed until July 16. You'll remember the domestic diva and her stockbroker were both indicted, accused of lying to investigators who were probing her profitable sale of ImClone Systems stock. Now we are being told her sentencing delayed until July 16.
NGUYEN: Checking entertainment headline this Friday, a rap sheet for rapper DMX after a suspected car jack caper gone awry at New York's Kennedy Airport. The cuffs came out when cops interrupted DMX and another man allegedly trying to steal a third man's car.
In addition to attempted robbery, DMX was booked on criminal impersonation. He allegedly tried to pass himself off as an FBI agent at some point in the proceedings.
Well, a reunion in the cards for Destiny's Child. Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyonce haven't performed together in almost two years, but they will appear in September to sing a song on a new game show called "Play For a Billion."
And, finally, the stork is planning another visit to the home of William Baldwin and Chynna Phillips. Word is that they are expecting their third child in December -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Well, anybody out there not heard about the film "Fahrenheit 9/11"? Beyond the politically hot subject matter, the buzz surrounding Michael Moore's latest goes to illustrate a larger point. The documentary film, once the poor country cousin to the big Hollywood blockbuster, is now claiming a larger and larger piece of the Tinseltown pie.
CNN's Jen Rogers on the trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most documentaries don't get a star-studded premiere like Fahrenheit 9/11. But that could be changing, as Hollywood turns its attention to the often- ignored films.
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, EXHIBITOR RELATIONS: I think we're going to see documentary film become the new hot genre. I don't think we're going to see them open with 20, $30 million, but who knows? With Fahrenheit 9/11, it could potentially open with over $10 million in box office.
ROGERS: And that, in turn, could open the door for more documentaries to gain studio support. The key for Hollywood: the films are cheaper to make with new advance in technology, and moviegoers seem more willing to embrace non-fiction fare, as documentaries shed their image as boring, educational movies targeted to a narrow audience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love documentary because it's real-life event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Usually, I hope to learn something.
ROGERS: Hollywood has learned recently that documentaries can be commercial as well as critical successes. Of the top five highest- grossing documentaries of all time, three have been released in the last 14 months: "Winged Migration," "Super Size Me," and "Tupac: Resurrection."
More than just informative, this new wave of films is sometimes funny, often controversial, but at its heart entertaining - the key to box-office success.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty clear that documentaries are growing in popularity.
ROGERS: Gregory Lamaly (ph) runs a 30-theater chain in Southern California.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact is, is that independent films in general are really booming right. So a lot of it does have to do with the accessibility of the screens.
ROGERS: Accessibility made possible by the multiplexing of America. With more theaters willing to give up a few screens to smaller films, profits have soared. In 1998, documentaries grossed $7. 6 million at the U.S. box office. Last year, that number hit nearly $50 million.
(on camera): And that figure doesn't even take into account the home-video market, where many documentaries make up the bulk of their sales.
Jen Rogers, CNN Financial News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS" is up next.
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