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Iraqi Government Mulls New Security Measures; Drummer Comments on Music Biz
Aired July 05, 2004 - 12:58 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Forgive and forget? As Iraq struggles to stay secure, its government considers amnesty for some of the insurgents.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Has John Kerry made up his mind when it comes to his vice presidential running mate? I'm Kelly Wallace in New York. A live report coming up.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Look before you leap. What you need to know about what could be lurking in your swimming pool.
O'BRIEN: So you want to be a rock star? Semisonic drummer Jake Slichter tells all. Fame and fortune, just how do you get it? Jake says you need more than just a number one hit. You need to be on LIVE FROM.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Monday, July 5th. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Amnesty on hold. Today was day one of Iraq's one-week-old government plan to offer a deal for those it calls misled insurgents. But the announcement was abruptly postponed.
Meanwhile, the bloodshed continues and sabotage has once again hurt Iraq's oil exports, all part of a wave of violence that could be curbed by a national security plan that's in the works. We get details now from CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf. Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Kyra, they're looking at these measures to try to crack down not just on these insurgents that are causing a wave of ongoing attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere, but attacks on the infrastructure as well.
Now, what we're talking about is something that's close, but not quite, martial law. A package of emergency measures that the government could impose, including powers of detention, imposing curfews, and the ability to mobilize the army. They've been heading that way for some time, but they still seem to be putting the finishing details on it, including how they're going to reconcile that with human rights.
Now, they're also proposing an amnesty for low-level insurgents who they say are driven into this by economic necessity. The fact there are no jobs and they have to feed their families. And, Kyra, we're following reports right now trying to confirm reports of an explosion in Fallujah, the city where -- that has been the source of frequent attacks, frequent unrest, another report of an explosion that has hit a house. Residents appear to be saying possible air strikes. The U.S. has hit several suspected safe houses for the Zarqawi network in Fallujah but the Marines say they have no comment at this time as to what that might have been. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Jane Arraf, thanks so much.
Demanding death. Thousands of Kurds in the northern city of Halabja took to the streets today. They're calling for the execution of Saddam Hussein and one of his henchmen, a man known as Chemical Ali. Halabja is where 5,000 people were killed in a chemical weapons attack in 1988.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Claims and counterclaims making it an agonizing time for the family of Corporal Wassef Hassoun. The fate of the U.S. Marine missing in Iraq remains a mystery. His loved ones are in seclusion in Utah, but they are breaking their silence later today. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more on the painful wait.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shadows cast by old glory at Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun's home in West Jordan, Utah. A reminder that while it may be the holiday celebrating independence, there is little freedom from fear for this family right now.
Conflicting reports of Hassoun's fate brought neighbors and friends to their home this weekend. Kathleen Samuel doesn't know the family, but brought her own message of support.
KATHLEEN SAMUEL, NEIGHBOR: Agony, anguish, sadness, a deep loss.
DORNIN: The headlines here describe not only the emotions of a family that remains in seclusion, but of the community as well. The imam at the Hassoun family's mosque visits the family daily.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: At the moment we're just, as you would say, keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
DORNIN: Claims Saturday on two different Web sites that Hassoun was beheaded are being denied by the group claiming to hold him. No one here seems to know what to believe. The conflicting and unconfirmed reports only heighten the anxiety for some, like neighbor Melissa Funk.
MELISSA FUNK, NEIGHBOR: People are actually realizing you know, how sad it is, you know? It's not -- it's your neighbor.
DORNIN (on camera): There are people of different faiths here in Salt Lake City; many stress when it comes to the fate of this young man, they are united with one prayer in mind. Bring Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun back safely.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Exodus from Bahrain. The Pentagon isn't calling it an evacuation but rather a temporary relocation. Whatever the wording, hundreds of U.S. military families are under orders to leave the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom because of terror concerns.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now to tell us more. Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra, it is now official. 650 U.S. military dependents will be leaving the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain under a mandatory departure order from the Pentagon. Their departure is expected to begin within days.
Bahrain, of course, is the home of the Navy's 5th fleet. General John Abizaid, head of central command, issued the formal order yesterday. And it comes amid growing concerns and what sources say is credible intelligence of a continuing terrorist threat against western targets in the Persian Gulf. One official said the decision simply reflects the feeling it is not prudent to have so many Americans there at this time.
While Bahrain is a supporter of the U.S. military, there has also been some bad feelings because the government there recently released six militants the U.S. believes pose a security threat. There are about 4500 U.S. military personnel in Bahrain, about 350 families total. Officials say family members could be allowed back into the country if the situation improves, but a lot of concern, of course, Bahrain is just a short drive over a causeway from Saudi Arabia where five American civilians have been murdered this year. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: When you talk about relations between the king of Bahrain and the U.S., Barbara, maybe we should explain to our viewers it's definitely a positive relationship and main reason why the military is there.
STARR: Oh, absolutely. This is one of the largest ongoing continuing concentrations of U.S. military personnel in the Persian Gulf, of course, outside of the situation in Iraq and neighboring Kuwait where U.S. forces obviously stay. There's been a very positive ongoing relationship between the two countries, but the feeling is that with the situation in Saudi Arabia, with the continuing threats of terrorist attacks against so-called western targets or soft targets, it simply doesn't making sense, they say, to have families there, military families in Bahrain. They're going to send them home, at least for a while, see how the situation develops. If things calm down in the region, they may eventually go back. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon, thank you. Miles?
O'BRIEN: Well, it's one of the best kept secrets in Washington politics, John Kerry's vice presidential pick. Now a Democratic official says Kerry has chosen a running mate, the Kerry camp denying that. The senator campaigned this weekend with Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who is considered on the short list of V.P. possibilities. National correspondent Kelly Wallace, live from New York, with the latest on all this.
Hello, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
Well, John Kerry has tried to keep this whole process so confidential that it has been very difficult to find out exactly what is going on. Here's what we can tell you what the Kerry campaign is saying on this day. It is saying that John Kerry has not yet made up his mind about who should be his running mate. His campaign communications director Stephanie Cutter telling us a little bit earlier today she said, quote, "He has not made a decision yet, but he looks forward to announcing it when he does." But again, a Democratic official who has talked with Kerry is telling CNN that Kerry has made a decision and that the announcement will come soon.
Certainly reporters were looking for all kinds of signs when it comes to body language between those two men, John Kerry and Tom Vilsack, governor of Iowa. Kerry happened to spend the entire Fourth of July holiday with Vilsack in Iowa, and Vilsack is believed to be on that short list.
Another person, though, on that short list, according to sources, Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt. And this might be the photo-op of the day, the congressman and his wife walking their dog. Lots of reporters following them, asking all kinds of questions, has John Kerry told you anything. And Dick Gephardt, ever polite, saying he has not told him anything, and he invited reporters to come along to the family picnic later.
Another man that a lot of people talking about, John Edwards, the senator of North Carolina, who also was trailed by reporters as he tried to shake hands at a North Carolina beach and he was not saying a word.
What is interesting is there will be a picnic later today in Pittsburgh where John Kerry will be with his wife Teresa, we will be looking for clues there and also should report what our own John Mercurio has been reporting for days now, and that is the staff of the John Kerry campaign has been looking into logistics since last week, hiring a vice presidential staff, picking the site, really the only thing that the staff is waiting for according to John Mercurio's reporting is John Kerry's decision. Miles?
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's -- Kelly, one name that keeps popping up, and her name pops up whenever there's any discussion that gets near the oval office these days, and that is Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Lots of internet talk about that as a possibility. Should we put much credence in that?
WALLACE: Well, sort of depends who you ask, Miles. The "Drudge Report" posted a story last week saying that Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the short list, definitely in the running. And I can tell you I have a colleague, a friend, a Washington correspondent for an Israeli newspaper who said made it to the front pages of his newspaper in Israel and he was asking me, what's going on here? We have talked to the senator's own staff saying that they just don't think this is very likely, Senator Clinton has said herself she doesn't think she'll be offered the position, and Kerry campaign advisers kind of sort of shrugged their shoulders saying they think this is ridiculous. But, Miles, never say never, right, in politics?
O'BRIEN: That's interesting. That does not sound like an outright denial, a McCain-style denial.
WALLACE: McCain was saying how many times can he say no? It seems unlikely but, again, we're not closing off any other options.
O'BRIEN: All right, well, it's the dog days of summer. Might as well chew this one over for a little while. Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.
The gloves come off next hour on LIVE FROM as former Congressman Bob Barr and syndicated columnist Julianne Malveaux will take on the vice presidential prospects. We'll bat that one around at 2:00 eastern, right here on CNN's LIVE FROM.
PHILLIPS: Dreams of freedom propel a family through Somalia's civil war, famine, refugee camps, and finally to America. That story behind one immigrant family's amazing journey and arrival, just ahead.
And it looks like Riverdance meets Grand Theft Auto, but this could actually be the key to help video gaming kids get in shape.
Speaking of shapes, we're marking a very important anniversary. 58 years ago today, less suddenly became more. We're investigating a fashion statement later on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: From the ashes of Ground Zero comes a new beginning, the cornerstone laid yesterday for New York's "Freedom Tower" at the site of the World Trade Center towers where they once stood. Relatives of 9/11 victims and CNN's Alina Cho were there for the emotional ceremony.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What the curtain revealed was breathtaking, a 20-ton piece of New York granite, now the cornerstone of the freedom tower, the first and tallest building to be built at Ground Zero.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK: Today, as we lay this cornerstone, we remember the liberties that are the bedrock of our nation. The foundation that can never be shaken by violence or hate.
CHO: Along with the music, there was symbolism this Fourth of July. The son of a Port Authority police officer who died on 9/11 read the Declaration of Independence. The height of the freedom tower is symbolic, 1776 feet to mark the year America declared its independence. A spire that echoes the profile of the statue of liberty, all the vision of master planner Daniel Libeskind.
DANIEL LIBESKIND, WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE MASTER PLANNER: One thinks of how incredible to redirect and rebuild New York in a way that is inspiring, that is meaningful, and that is not just founded on height, but on the liberties and freedoms this country was founded on.
CHO: Family members who lost loved ones on 9/11 were on hand. John Foy lost his mother-in-law.
JOHN FOY, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: It feels good. This is like -- it's a closure and it's a new beginning.
CHO: Some touched the inscription. Others want construction to wait for a memorial to be built first at what they regard as sacred ground.
WILLIAM HEALY, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: This is a gravesite. Today would have been much more appropriate had it been the cornerstone for the memorial.
CHO: A memorial will be built here and is set to open around the same time as the tower.
GEORGE PATAKI, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: What our enemies sought to destroy, our democracy, our freedom, our way of life, stands taller than ever before.
CHO (on camera): What is clear about this ceremony is that it marks the first step in rebuilding here at Ground Zero. What the final landscape will look like or when that will happen is still an open question.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: In other news across America, Pennsylvania takes a gamble on slot machines. The state's governor signed bills to legalize slot machines today. That legislation will authorize up to 61,000 slot machines; that's more than any state other than Nevada. Revenue from the slots will go towards property tax reductions.
In New York, a spectacular display of fireworks for the Fourth of July. Thousands of New Yorkers lined the East River to watch the extravaganza. The showcase included performances from Aretha Franklin and the American idol Fantasia.
And in Rhode Island the Fourth of July celebrations continue. The city of Bristol held the longest continuously running Independence Day parade in the nation today. The first parade goes all the way back to 1785. O'BRIEN: For many immigrants the journey to America is a flight to freedom. It can also be a real culture shock as they try to adjust to ways that are very different from what they left behind. This is the case with one family from Somalia. CNN's Carol Lin paid them a visit near Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Halima Mukomwa and her family arrived in Chicago, Illinois, on a frigid November day. Strangers a world away from the murderous Somali civil war that killed a half- million people so far. Halima's husband, Muridi, remembers ten years ago when warring gangs opened fire in his village. His family scattered. His mother and seven siblings are still missing.
MURIDI MUKOMWA, SOMALI REFUGEE (through translator): The war was very terrible.
LIN: He ended up in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, another kind of hell on earth where disease claims so many lives. Seven years of paperwork, security checks and interviews later, the United Nations told Muridi Mukomwa that he, Halima, and their children could go to the United States.
MUKOMWA (through translator): God gave to me the blessing to come to America.
LIN: Photojournalist Denise McGill met the Mukomwas in Kenya and documented the journey of these primitive Bantu tribes people into 21st century America.
DENISE MCGILL, PHOTOJOURNALIST: It almost took my breath away, like how -- how are they going to survive? How are they going to make it? And how, just emotionally, how could they cope with all the changes that they were about to encounter?
LIN: Cars, lights, traffic? Virtually unheard of. They never had plumbing or used electricity. Church volunteers taught them how doorknobs work. Shopping American style was overwhelming. That was seven months ago.
Now Muridi has a driver's license.
MUKOMWA: Before, I was dreaming to drive.
LIN: Now the dream is alive. The Christian volunteers helping to settle this African Muslim family have become a big part of their lives. And the Mukomwa children are already on the move. But world relief counselor, Issam Smeir, sees a rough road ahead.
ISSAM SMEIR, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR: There will be a lot of clashes, because we're talking about dating, we're talking about the way they dress. Parents now are the ones who depend on their children to translate for them.
LIN: And Halima and other Somali Bantu women are starting to assert their rights. Halima tells me she wants a job. She also wants to drive a car.
Muridi, how do you feel about that? Your wife driving a car, working.
MUKOMWA: Yes, good.
LIN: It's good?
MUKOMWA: Yes, she's going to help me.
LIM: Halima is pregnant. If she has a girl, I ask if she will let her daughter go to American parties and date. Yes, she tells me. She says her daughter may go wherever she wants.
MUKOMWA: I will decide when I get --
LIN: When you get a daughter?
MUKOMWA: Yes.
LIN: Muridi Mukomwa still gets some government refugee assistance, but his restaurant job pays most expenses. He hopes to buy a house one day. This, he says, is the American dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Now, Carol also reports that concerns about terrorism have made it more difficult for refugees to enter the U.S. legally. Since the 9/11 attacks, the number allowed in has dropped by more than half.
PHILLIPS: It's a big day for an American art form.
Oh, yes, the song that started America rocking marks a milestone. We'll salute the king and let you know how you can be a rock star. Later on LIVE FROM.
And the running of the nudes. Find out why these protesters are baring all for their just cause.
And live to Athens, Greece. Take a look at this. Yes, on one side you see the soccer champs, on the other, live pictures of the thousands and thousands of fans waiting for them to arrive at Olympic Stadium in Greece. We'll go there live as soon as it happens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We're talking Greek heroes now. That's right. Greek soccer team getting a heck of a welcome home today. We'll go to live pictures right now after their stunning victory at the European soccer championship. It's the first Eurocup the Greeks have ever won. As you can imagine, the Greeks are holding their banners and their heads extremely high.
Another person who is very excited, Anthee Carassava. She's a journalist covering what's taking place in Athens, Greece. Anthee, just tell us about this and how all the fans have showed up and how excited they are and how, if anything, this could be a huge boost to ticket sales for the Olympics.
ANTHEE CARASSAVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kyra. Greece has yet again exploded with a frenzy of celebration for this Greek team that is about to make its way into the center of Athens. The bus carrying the team has just left the international airport, and it is having enormous difficulty making its way along the road to Athens. Thousands of cars, motorcycles, bicycles have poured onto the road trying to travel alongside the bus carrying these heroes, or modern- day Greek gods, as they're being called by fans here. Thousands of people are also lining up.
You can see their motorcade right there that is actually taking the bus into Athens. These athletes will be taken to the all-marble stadium, the Panathinaiko stadium where the first modern Olympics were held some 100 plus years ago. They will be greeted by tens and tens of thousands of Greeks who are packed there waiting to pay homage to these modern-day gods, as they're calling them. They will be greeted with jubilant tunes of "Zorba the Greek." And no doubt this triumphant reception they will receive there will match the euphoria that exploded here across the nation from major cities to little hamlets literally within seconds of the tournament's final whistle late Sunday.
Now, since then, the country has been in a state of ecstasy and a natural high. Millions of Greeks have poured onto the streets rejoicing over the country's first title in a major international soccer tournament. And no doubt this victory, which Greeks are calling a dream come true, is very important because it comes just 40 days before the start of the Olympics here, and it has lifted national morale to an unbelievable ground. Greeks feel extremely confident now. They feel emboldened. They are united like never before, and the Olympic spirit is finally there. The Olympic spirit, which seemed to be sagging, if not missing, has resurfaced. And this enormous outpouring of jubilation is the greatest preamble, the greatest prelude as many Greek officials, even the Greek prime minister was saying, is the greatest prelude to the Olympics.
You're seeing there the coach that is carrying the athletes into Athens. It is escorted by police but there are several fans driving alongside in motorcycles, with motorcycles, with flairs in their hands, many of them in closer pictures, you see they are draped literally in Greek flags. It's a spine-tingling moment, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, no doubt a tremendous moment for you, too, as a journalist. Anthee Carassava there from Athens, Greece, thank you so much.
If you're just tuning it, we're going to continue to follow this. It's like the president of the United States here in America, but in this bus with this massive entourage and security are the Euro 2004 champs, and of course that's the Greek soccer team we've been talking about. As soon as they arrive to the old, original Olympic Stadium that hosted the first modern games back in 1896, we'll go there live.
Other news around the world now, as the Tour de France rolls across Belgium, American Lance Armstrong tried to avoid spills as he and other cyclists rode the 122-mile second stage of the race. Australia's Robby McCuen sprinted to victory. Experts say that Armstrong is pacing himself, content to let other speedsters, he says, slug it out in the early stages.
Protesters in Spain shedding their clothes to protect some hides. Hundreds of animal right supporters taking part in the running of the nudes in Pamplona. The streakers say the city's annual bull run is inhumane.
O'BRIEN: All right. Leave it to the Fins to come up with good, clean couples action, so to speak. Two students from Estonia won the wife- carrying championship in Finland this weekend. They used what is called the Estonian carry, as you see here, the woman clamps her thighs to the sides of the man's face while hanging upside down. Not sure how the Estonians got involved with this. We'll have to do some further research. The students aren't married, though, even though it's called the wife-carrying contest; you don't have to be in this contest, it is the Fins, after all. Men just need to show up with a woman they can carry. And what do they win? The women's weight in beer and, of course, a sauna to soothe the aching muscles. A race to the "Finnish," I guess you could say, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So do you want to be a rock star? Maybe not. After you hear from our guest, his band hit big time with "Closing Time" and it may have closed out their careers. Coming up the scoop on the music biz from a man who knows.
And how is this for a workout? Get your game on and drop the pounds. Paging Dr. Gupta as LIVE FROM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Latest developments for you at this hour. A former army general is projected to win the presidential election in Indonesia but as we learned in Florida, projections are not final. Earlier election officials ordered a partial recount after ballot problems were reported there.
Duke University confirms its legendary basketball coach will be back again next year. Mike Krzyzewski ended talks with the LA Lakers. The school plans a news conference later this afternoon. Krzyzewski has led duke to three national titles in 24 years.
And they're rocking in Memphis celebrating the 50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll. It's pegged to the recording of the Elvis song "That's All Right" 50 years ago today.
PHILLIPS: Air guitar fantasies, adoring fans, fawning strangers. Have you ever wanted to be a rock star?
(MUSIC)
PHILLIPS: Oh, yeah, we all remember that tune, "Closing Time." The big hit from the band Semisonic, their drummer, Jacob Slichter presents rival visions of the rock world in his new book "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star." It's a humorous look at the strange world of a rock 'n' roll star from a guy who knows definitely how to keep the beat. Jake Slichter joins us now live from New York. Hi, Jake.
JAKE SLICHTER, SEMISONIC DRUMMER: How you doing, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Good. Good to see you. Do you just have night mares? Does that song just go in your head constantly or have you been able to shelf it?
SLICHTER: You know, I always like the song so I never got sick of it but I wasn't tuned into the radio all day as it was hammered into everybody else's heads over and over again.
PHILLIPS: You just had to play that same beat. Alright, I got to ask you about the book, why did you write it? Are you angry at the industry? Do you want to give young musicians a reality check? What was your thought process when you were putting this book together?
SLICHTER: I wouldn't call it an angry book. I really enjoyed the whole experience. I just wanted to tell the story of what it's like to be in a rock band from starting out when you're, you know, when you're on stage in small clubs battling stage fright to trying to get the record company guys to come out and see you and being flown off to LA and meeting with all the bigwigs and what are record contracts about and how do you get on the radio, what's it like making a rock video or going on "Letterman" and the Grammys and having a big hit song, all of that.
PHILLIPS: All the fun stuff.
SLICHTER: Yeah.
PHILLIPS: Now, you stayed away--I thought it was sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll but you stuck with rock 'n' roll and business. Why no sex? Why no drugs?
SLICHTER: Well, you know, that just wasn't my lifestyle. You know, I never really had the whole sort of long train of supermodels on the tour bus or, you know, big cocaine binges or anything like that so that's not in the book.
PHILLIPS: You were one of the normal ones.
SLICHTER: Yeah, probably.
PHILLIPS: Well, you do reveal what you say are some pretty weird priorities about the record business. Let's start off talking about how these execs truly do control your destiny. Now this is a good story. I mean, it's a tough fight, but tell us about Nancy Levin and what she did for you?
SLICHTER: Nancy Levin was the head of radio promotion at MCA in 1998 when we had finished recording our record that had "Closing Time" on it. When played--when our A&R person Hans, who really believed in the album and took it into his bosses at MCA, they said, "You know, we just don't hear a hit song on here. We think you have to go back and record some more," and Nancy stepped forward and said, "You guys are crazy. This song 'Closing Time' is a huge hit. Let me get this out on the radio and I'll show you," and thank God we had her there, because...
PHILLIPS: It went platinum.
SLICHTER: Yes, absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Now, someone who you didn't really respect and wasn't necessarily pushing for that next big hit, you talk about Dr. Evil in your book.
SLICHTER: There was a guy who I always called Dr. Evil at the label. Just because of his sort of vaguely menacing personality. He, according to everyone we talked to, always thought we were too old, and I think part of his opinions were based upon his discussions with his teenage son who everybody said played a big part in his decision- making, so I guess we never really got on Dr. Evil's good side, and he--he thought that we were a bad waste of MCA's time and money.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. And look what happened. Now, you also thought that after this big hit, they were just going to keep on coming. You had another reality check, didn't you?
SLICHTER: Oh, absolutely. I always believed that, you know, getting that first hit is the hardest, and it probably is. But I really thought once we had that--once we got over the hump that all the other hits would just keep coming and coming and coming, and that was really--I think if I had to do it all over again I would have told myself "enjoy it while you've got it," because trying to get the next one you can drive yourself crazy.
PHILLIPS: Well, your book is so revealing with regard to the business side of things. Now I want to get a little personal. As you look back, the best moment for you when you guys were just huge?
SLICHTER: I mean, you know, we played at RFK Stadium in front of 40,000 people when "Closing Time" had just hit number one and I'll never forget the experience of being on stage and just feeling a tidal wave of energy from the fans hitting the stage and it literally, you know, made my skin tingle and shiver and I almost fell off the drums. It was so--such a big feeling and another time we played in Mexico City and, you know, the 10,000 fans there would flick their lighters in time with the music, all of that stuff is even better than you would imagine it would be.
PHILLIPS: Now, I would have thought, you know, here you are. You're very humble. As you read the book, you hear all these really great stories. You're very direct yet you had what we are calling here at CNN "a Prince moment." Tell us about this and how you got a little nervous.
SLICHTER: Well, anyone would get nervous around Prince. He is-- he's so cool he had to be called The Artist Formerly Known as Prince for a while, as you know. After we got done playing a show at the Beacon Theatre in New York he was backstage visiting with Sheryl Crowe and my bandmates were so nervous they actually just scampered down the stairs to the dressing room. But I pulled myself together and went up and introduced myself and shook his hand and told him how much we loved his music and he just--he mumbled a few words that I just couldn't tell. But I was so nervous I didn't ask him to speak up and thanked him and just kind of slinked away.
PHILLIPS: You just pretend that you understand Prince and you move on.
SLICHTER: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: How about the worst moment?
SLICHTER: We played a show in Las Vegas for the Billboard Awards in front of 15,000 people at the MGM Grand, and it was a star-studded audience that had such legends as Stevie Wonder and James Taylor and Carole King and Lauryn Hill, and all the stars of today and yesterday and halfway through "Closing Time" they cut the power to the stage. The lights came on and a voice said, you know, "Thank you for coming to the Billboard Awards. Have a good night." And everybody filed out as we stood on stage with our guitars and drums looking like idiots.
PHILLIPS: Fame, what you pay for fame.
SLICHTER: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Now, why is it such a nightmare trying to get your song on the radio? It is really political and it's expensive, isn't it?
SLICHTER: It is expensive. There are--the political part of it is the very biggest stations like, for instance, K-Rock in LA is such an influential station that if their program director likes your song as in the case of "Closing Time" it really can persuade a lot of other stations to play it. Other stations, unlike K-Rock take money in order to get your song on the radio--kind of. It's a sort of sneaky way around the payola laws using people called independent radio promoters. In the case of "Closing Time" I think MCA spent something like $700,000 trying to get "Closing Time" on all these other radio stations. So it is very expensive.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's bring up your Web site. Semisonic.com. And here we go. Here comes the shameless plug. I know every day you guys are waiting for another contract. Meanwhile you're at home checking Amazon.com to see how many people are buying your book. Now, can people logon to Semisonic.com and say, "OK, Jake, hey, we'll give you a contract. Let's go, we're ready for another Semisonic album."
SLICHTER: My e-mail address is on the page right there. You just e-mail me and we'll be happy to call and discuss contractual negotiations.
PHILLIPS: Strike a deal. Can I have 5 percent if something comes of this?
SLICHTER: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Semisonic.com. Jake Slichter. The book is "So You Wanna be a Rock & Roll Star." It's a great book. It's funny, it's smart. What do you expect from a Harvard grad and an awesome drummer. And good luck on your engagement, Jake. Thanks for being with us.
SLICHTER: Thank you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Miles?
O'BRIEN: Summertime and the livin' is kind of dangerous. What to watch for when you head to the swimming pool coming up and I've got to warn you it is a little bit gross.
Ah, but there's nothing gross about swimwear in the right hands, of course. On this date in 1946 of the bikini made its sexy debut and we have a retrospective for you.
And speaking of sexy, the most alluring planet's most intriguing moon. We'll have the latest images for you, the latest info LIVE FROM... out of this world as we ring up a few commercials.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: While America is cleaning up the mess left behind from its 228th birthday celebration, we found a reason to keep the party going. On this date in 1946, the bikini bathing suit made its debut at a Paris fashion show. Its creator Louis Reard could not get a regular model to slip it on so he slipped it on himself. No, I don't know about that. Critics said no self-respecting woman would wear it. Two years later, everybody's favorite girl next door Doris Day decided it was downright decent. Que sera sera, as the say. Bombshell Marilyn Monroe proved that something's got to give when she went two- piece in 1962. Muy Caliente. Raquel Welch gave the bikini a retro look and some fur when she took it to--remember "1 Million Years BC"? So that proves the bikini was around a long time ago. And from fur to formal, the bridewear bikini, Yves Saint Laurent called this collection "Eve in Paradise." Shouldn't there be fig leaves instead of roses here? Hopefully no thorns.
PHILLIPS: Don't forget to smell the roses.
O'BRIEN: I'm not going there and where would "Sports Illustrated" be without the bikini. Babette Marsh made a splash in 1964 on the cover of the Swimsuit Issue. Was that the first one? I don't know. And finally, here she is, the first woman to model a bikini, Micheline Bernardini who had no qualms about the scant suit since her day job was as a nude dancer at the Casino de Paris and of course the name bikini was taken from the Bikini Islands Atoll where the U.S. military tested the atomic bomb, actually the hydrogen bomb just four days before the swimsuit with its name made its debut. There you have it. Bikinis in history.
PHILLIPS: Revealing all, right here.
O'BRIEN: More than two interesting points, I should point out.
PHILLIPS: Well, before putting on that bikini or your trunks to take a dip in the pool, you might want to look before you leap. The Centers for Disease Control launched a healthy swimming campaign to protect people from parasites found in pools. One nasty bacteria is called crypto.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BEACH, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: With cryptosporidium, it is chlorine-resistant so it will survive for several days even in a well-maintained pool. That smell, that strong chemical odor that stings your eyes and lungs and so on is really not chlorine at all. It's chlorine binding with all of the compounds that we dump into the pool and so what we really want to do is use the rest room more often and if it stings your eyes go to the pool operator. They're not maintaining the pool as well as they should.
Well, if we go to the pool we want to look at it and see that you can see the main drain. It is a safety concern. The sides should be clean, not slippery. There shouldn't be a strong chemical odor. You should hear the pumps running for the filtration system. But most of all, just let's remember, it's not drinking water. It's not sterile. We shouldn't be swallowing it. You want to basically think of it in terms, of it's shared water. You don't drink your bathwater. Don't drink the pool water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: You can get more information by going to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming.
O'BRIEN: All right. Toss aside your joysticks and those cumbersome mouse controllers. We know how they slow you down.
PHILLIPS: A new video game you may want to get your kids hooked on.
O'BRIEN: Well see about that.
PHILLIPS: CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Video games, lots of hours on couches, teenage obesity, they all seem to go together. But what about a video game that might also be a weight loss aid? 17-year-old John Polchowski used to spend up to three hours a day playing video games alone in his room. Then he got hooked on a game called "Dance Dance Revolution," or "DDR."
JOHN POLCHOWSKI, DDR PLAYER: As I kept on playing, I got to get better, so it was getting to become a really good workout and I tried to use that to become--to make a goal and lose a lot of weight from it.
GUPTA: After playing the game for one to two hours every day for a year he started to lose weight. Along with eating healthier, John eventually lost 70 pounds.
POLCHOWSKI: I was able to do it whenever I want. I don't need to get other people.
GUPTA: John's mother knows he probably couldn't have done it without DDR.
MARIANNE POLCHOWSKI, JOHN'S MOTHER: It's hard to lose weight without doing exercise also. So--this was something he enjoyed.
GUPTA: Dr. Richard Adler is a pediatrician who has been tracking active video games and their success in fighting obesity.
DR. RICHARD ADLER, PEDIATRICIAN: There has never been anything that I have seen that has the potential for increasing physical activity like this. It has a potential for being absolutely tremendous in terms of its impact on children.
GUPTA: There are no official numbers on how many have lost weight with these games but manufacturers are developing more interactive games involving skateboarding, fighting and more dancing. Maybe other kids will see some of John's success.
POLCHOWSKI: I feel a lot better. I always have a lot more energy. I'm more outgoing. I can go out and do stuff and enjoy it a lot more. I'm not really confined to my house like I used to be.
GUPTA: The video games that for too long have kept kids housebound might now help them get up and get out. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. The rings of Saturn and Titan, they have been beguiling scientists for generations. Kyra Phillips is dying to know what's going on on Titan.
PHILLIPS: That's why you're doing it. Just for me.
O'BRIEN: And I am doing a segment just for her today. You, because you are a home viewer can eavesdrop for free. Stay with us
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: All right. We spend a lot of time in this program, if you're a faithful viewer you know it, on the fourth rock from the sun. That would be Mars, right? We're going to move onward, deeper out into the solar system and spend some time on Saturn because we do know about the Cassini probe, right?
PHILLIPS: Yes we do.
O'BRIEN: Now, there's a couple things about the Cassini probe. First of all, it is safe and sound in the orbit of Saturn, went on a perilous ride, 60, mph, twice through the rings, came out unscathed. Now, when you're in space, you think there's any noise? You would think not, right?
PHILLIPS: I don't know. I would think there would be noise. O'BRIEN : In the vacuum of space. Silent scream kind of thing. Oh, you do?
PHILLIPS: Unless there's aliens in space.
O'BRIEN: Well, the truth is they have this boom on the Cassini. I wish I had a model. They have a boom on the Cassini which is a magnetometer. It detects magnetic waves. Let's listen to a scientist explaining what Cassini heard as it arrived lickety split at Saturn last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In space the 1 million mile per hour wind is blowing past the planet, the magnetosphere is the obstacle. The bow shock is basically a sonic boom and we can actually listen to this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: OK. Now, would you really hear that if you were on the Cassini spacecraft? No. That's compressed. It's several minutes boiled down to about ten seconds.
PHILLIPS: So what does that mean?
O'BRIEN: Nothing. It's just kind of cool. All right, so let's move on.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Let's move on to Titan. What do you know about Titan? Quickly!
PHILLIPS: I've been looking that up. The largest satellite of Saturn, the 11th in distance from the planet. It's the second largest in the solar system.
O'BRIEN: Excellent, excellent work. All of it true. Larger than Mercury, larger than Pluto. And these are some of the early images from Cassini of said moon of Saturn. Look at this. This is basically what it shows is a methane cloud. A lot of methane on Titan. That's because there's a lot of carbon-rich material, hydrocarbons, if you will, organic activity. What does that lead you to? Possibly life or at least the ingredients of life. Let's go to the still images, shall we. Take a quick look at those and give you a sense of what we've seen so far. That's when--a little while ago when Cassini was on approach got a nice shot of Titan, there. I know you're thrilled by that. This is infrared...
PHILLIPS: Ruler of heaven.
O'BRIEN: ...combined with a visual and it gives you a sense there of--see that little white dot lower right there? My Telestrator isn't working so you can sort of...
PHILLIPS: I can see it. O'BRIEN: That's actually the methane cloud. The rest of the green stuff indicates carbon-rich material. Once again, that's a big life thing. Let's go to the next image, this is kind of the smog of titan. You lived in LA, you know a little something about smog.
PHILLIPS: Oh yes, it looks like the L.A. Freeway.
O'BRIEN: The white stuff down low, that's a methane cloud again. Next image and take a look at this. Now, what's interesting about this, I wish I could draw on it but basically all those black lines you see there kind of almost sort of straight, what that tells you is it's possible there is some sort of geologic tectonic activity there, volcanoes, earthquakes. This planet is cooking. Literally, somehow, but what is absent from this picture and which has scientists rather beguiled. Where is the liquid? They expected to see liquid like a reflection, something, maybe a liquid pool of methane.
PHILLIPS: You're amazing. You amaze me.
O'BRIEN: So far, nada.
PHILLIPS: You know what else amazes me? That Greek soccer team. Let's go live to Athens, Greece.
O'BRIEN: Let's go to Greece, shall we?
PHILLIPS: Talk about a homecoming. These are live pictures. The soccer team is actually in that bus. See what looks like a fire? You've got guys on motorcycles lighting flairs trying to lead this bus in.
O'BRIEN: I believe that just last week Greek television got the split screen on their board and just trying it out today, all day long.
PHILLIPS: Hey, they're excited.
Look at the old stadium. That stadium hosted the first modern Olympics back in, what, 18 something. Oh, we have to wrap. Gosh darnit.
O'BRIEN: 1896.
PHILLIPS: Anyway, historic. There you go, 1896. Thank you. Historic stadium. Thousands of fans. Greek soccer team en route. Hey, more LIVE FROM... right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: So has he made up his mind? The talk that John Kerry is closer to picking his number two on the ticket.
O'BRIEN: An oil pipeline is set on fire in Iraq while the new government considers amnesty for some insurgents.
PHILLIPS: Returning to Iraq, some American soldiers wondering what their mission will look like when the Iraqis are in charge of that country.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 5, 2004 - 12:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Forgive and forget? As Iraq struggles to stay secure, its government considers amnesty for some of the insurgents.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Has John Kerry made up his mind when it comes to his vice presidential running mate? I'm Kelly Wallace in New York. A live report coming up.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Look before you leap. What you need to know about what could be lurking in your swimming pool.
O'BRIEN: So you want to be a rock star? Semisonic drummer Jake Slichter tells all. Fame and fortune, just how do you get it? Jake says you need more than just a number one hit. You need to be on LIVE FROM.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Monday, July 5th. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Amnesty on hold. Today was day one of Iraq's one-week-old government plan to offer a deal for those it calls misled insurgents. But the announcement was abruptly postponed.
Meanwhile, the bloodshed continues and sabotage has once again hurt Iraq's oil exports, all part of a wave of violence that could be curbed by a national security plan that's in the works. We get details now from CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf. Jane?
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Kyra, they're looking at these measures to try to crack down not just on these insurgents that are causing a wave of ongoing attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere, but attacks on the infrastructure as well.
Now, what we're talking about is something that's close, but not quite, martial law. A package of emergency measures that the government could impose, including powers of detention, imposing curfews, and the ability to mobilize the army. They've been heading that way for some time, but they still seem to be putting the finishing details on it, including how they're going to reconcile that with human rights.
Now, they're also proposing an amnesty for low-level insurgents who they say are driven into this by economic necessity. The fact there are no jobs and they have to feed their families. And, Kyra, we're following reports right now trying to confirm reports of an explosion in Fallujah, the city where -- that has been the source of frequent attacks, frequent unrest, another report of an explosion that has hit a house. Residents appear to be saying possible air strikes. The U.S. has hit several suspected safe houses for the Zarqawi network in Fallujah but the Marines say they have no comment at this time as to what that might have been. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Jane Arraf, thanks so much.
Demanding death. Thousands of Kurds in the northern city of Halabja took to the streets today. They're calling for the execution of Saddam Hussein and one of his henchmen, a man known as Chemical Ali. Halabja is where 5,000 people were killed in a chemical weapons attack in 1988.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Claims and counterclaims making it an agonizing time for the family of Corporal Wassef Hassoun. The fate of the U.S. Marine missing in Iraq remains a mystery. His loved ones are in seclusion in Utah, but they are breaking their silence later today. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more on the painful wait.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shadows cast by old glory at Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun's home in West Jordan, Utah. A reminder that while it may be the holiday celebrating independence, there is little freedom from fear for this family right now.
Conflicting reports of Hassoun's fate brought neighbors and friends to their home this weekend. Kathleen Samuel doesn't know the family, but brought her own message of support.
KATHLEEN SAMUEL, NEIGHBOR: Agony, anguish, sadness, a deep loss.
DORNIN: The headlines here describe not only the emotions of a family that remains in seclusion, but of the community as well. The imam at the Hassoun family's mosque visits the family daily.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: At the moment we're just, as you would say, keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
DORNIN: Claims Saturday on two different Web sites that Hassoun was beheaded are being denied by the group claiming to hold him. No one here seems to know what to believe. The conflicting and unconfirmed reports only heighten the anxiety for some, like neighbor Melissa Funk.
MELISSA FUNK, NEIGHBOR: People are actually realizing you know, how sad it is, you know? It's not -- it's your neighbor.
DORNIN (on camera): There are people of different faiths here in Salt Lake City; many stress when it comes to the fate of this young man, they are united with one prayer in mind. Bring Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun back safely.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Exodus from Bahrain. The Pentagon isn't calling it an evacuation but rather a temporary relocation. Whatever the wording, hundreds of U.S. military families are under orders to leave the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom because of terror concerns.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now to tell us more. Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra, it is now official. 650 U.S. military dependents will be leaving the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain under a mandatory departure order from the Pentagon. Their departure is expected to begin within days.
Bahrain, of course, is the home of the Navy's 5th fleet. General John Abizaid, head of central command, issued the formal order yesterday. And it comes amid growing concerns and what sources say is credible intelligence of a continuing terrorist threat against western targets in the Persian Gulf. One official said the decision simply reflects the feeling it is not prudent to have so many Americans there at this time.
While Bahrain is a supporter of the U.S. military, there has also been some bad feelings because the government there recently released six militants the U.S. believes pose a security threat. There are about 4500 U.S. military personnel in Bahrain, about 350 families total. Officials say family members could be allowed back into the country if the situation improves, but a lot of concern, of course, Bahrain is just a short drive over a causeway from Saudi Arabia where five American civilians have been murdered this year. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: When you talk about relations between the king of Bahrain and the U.S., Barbara, maybe we should explain to our viewers it's definitely a positive relationship and main reason why the military is there.
STARR: Oh, absolutely. This is one of the largest ongoing continuing concentrations of U.S. military personnel in the Persian Gulf, of course, outside of the situation in Iraq and neighboring Kuwait where U.S. forces obviously stay. There's been a very positive ongoing relationship between the two countries, but the feeling is that with the situation in Saudi Arabia, with the continuing threats of terrorist attacks against so-called western targets or soft targets, it simply doesn't making sense, they say, to have families there, military families in Bahrain. They're going to send them home, at least for a while, see how the situation develops. If things calm down in the region, they may eventually go back. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon, thank you. Miles?
O'BRIEN: Well, it's one of the best kept secrets in Washington politics, John Kerry's vice presidential pick. Now a Democratic official says Kerry has chosen a running mate, the Kerry camp denying that. The senator campaigned this weekend with Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who is considered on the short list of V.P. possibilities. National correspondent Kelly Wallace, live from New York, with the latest on all this.
Hello, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
Well, John Kerry has tried to keep this whole process so confidential that it has been very difficult to find out exactly what is going on. Here's what we can tell you what the Kerry campaign is saying on this day. It is saying that John Kerry has not yet made up his mind about who should be his running mate. His campaign communications director Stephanie Cutter telling us a little bit earlier today she said, quote, "He has not made a decision yet, but he looks forward to announcing it when he does." But again, a Democratic official who has talked with Kerry is telling CNN that Kerry has made a decision and that the announcement will come soon.
Certainly reporters were looking for all kinds of signs when it comes to body language between those two men, John Kerry and Tom Vilsack, governor of Iowa. Kerry happened to spend the entire Fourth of July holiday with Vilsack in Iowa, and Vilsack is believed to be on that short list.
Another person, though, on that short list, according to sources, Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt. And this might be the photo-op of the day, the congressman and his wife walking their dog. Lots of reporters following them, asking all kinds of questions, has John Kerry told you anything. And Dick Gephardt, ever polite, saying he has not told him anything, and he invited reporters to come along to the family picnic later.
Another man that a lot of people talking about, John Edwards, the senator of North Carolina, who also was trailed by reporters as he tried to shake hands at a North Carolina beach and he was not saying a word.
What is interesting is there will be a picnic later today in Pittsburgh where John Kerry will be with his wife Teresa, we will be looking for clues there and also should report what our own John Mercurio has been reporting for days now, and that is the staff of the John Kerry campaign has been looking into logistics since last week, hiring a vice presidential staff, picking the site, really the only thing that the staff is waiting for according to John Mercurio's reporting is John Kerry's decision. Miles?
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's -- Kelly, one name that keeps popping up, and her name pops up whenever there's any discussion that gets near the oval office these days, and that is Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Lots of internet talk about that as a possibility. Should we put much credence in that?
WALLACE: Well, sort of depends who you ask, Miles. The "Drudge Report" posted a story last week saying that Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the short list, definitely in the running. And I can tell you I have a colleague, a friend, a Washington correspondent for an Israeli newspaper who said made it to the front pages of his newspaper in Israel and he was asking me, what's going on here? We have talked to the senator's own staff saying that they just don't think this is very likely, Senator Clinton has said herself she doesn't think she'll be offered the position, and Kerry campaign advisers kind of sort of shrugged their shoulders saying they think this is ridiculous. But, Miles, never say never, right, in politics?
O'BRIEN: That's interesting. That does not sound like an outright denial, a McCain-style denial.
WALLACE: McCain was saying how many times can he say no? It seems unlikely but, again, we're not closing off any other options.
O'BRIEN: All right, well, it's the dog days of summer. Might as well chew this one over for a little while. Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.
The gloves come off next hour on LIVE FROM as former Congressman Bob Barr and syndicated columnist Julianne Malveaux will take on the vice presidential prospects. We'll bat that one around at 2:00 eastern, right here on CNN's LIVE FROM.
PHILLIPS: Dreams of freedom propel a family through Somalia's civil war, famine, refugee camps, and finally to America. That story behind one immigrant family's amazing journey and arrival, just ahead.
And it looks like Riverdance meets Grand Theft Auto, but this could actually be the key to help video gaming kids get in shape.
Speaking of shapes, we're marking a very important anniversary. 58 years ago today, less suddenly became more. We're investigating a fashion statement later on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: From the ashes of Ground Zero comes a new beginning, the cornerstone laid yesterday for New York's "Freedom Tower" at the site of the World Trade Center towers where they once stood. Relatives of 9/11 victims and CNN's Alina Cho were there for the emotional ceremony.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What the curtain revealed was breathtaking, a 20-ton piece of New York granite, now the cornerstone of the freedom tower, the first and tallest building to be built at Ground Zero.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK: Today, as we lay this cornerstone, we remember the liberties that are the bedrock of our nation. The foundation that can never be shaken by violence or hate.
CHO: Along with the music, there was symbolism this Fourth of July. The son of a Port Authority police officer who died on 9/11 read the Declaration of Independence. The height of the freedom tower is symbolic, 1776 feet to mark the year America declared its independence. A spire that echoes the profile of the statue of liberty, all the vision of master planner Daniel Libeskind.
DANIEL LIBESKIND, WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE MASTER PLANNER: One thinks of how incredible to redirect and rebuild New York in a way that is inspiring, that is meaningful, and that is not just founded on height, but on the liberties and freedoms this country was founded on.
CHO: Family members who lost loved ones on 9/11 were on hand. John Foy lost his mother-in-law.
JOHN FOY, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: It feels good. This is like -- it's a closure and it's a new beginning.
CHO: Some touched the inscription. Others want construction to wait for a memorial to be built first at what they regard as sacred ground.
WILLIAM HEALY, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: This is a gravesite. Today would have been much more appropriate had it been the cornerstone for the memorial.
CHO: A memorial will be built here and is set to open around the same time as the tower.
GEORGE PATAKI, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: What our enemies sought to destroy, our democracy, our freedom, our way of life, stands taller than ever before.
CHO (on camera): What is clear about this ceremony is that it marks the first step in rebuilding here at Ground Zero. What the final landscape will look like or when that will happen is still an open question.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: In other news across America, Pennsylvania takes a gamble on slot machines. The state's governor signed bills to legalize slot machines today. That legislation will authorize up to 61,000 slot machines; that's more than any state other than Nevada. Revenue from the slots will go towards property tax reductions.
In New York, a spectacular display of fireworks for the Fourth of July. Thousands of New Yorkers lined the East River to watch the extravaganza. The showcase included performances from Aretha Franklin and the American idol Fantasia.
And in Rhode Island the Fourth of July celebrations continue. The city of Bristol held the longest continuously running Independence Day parade in the nation today. The first parade goes all the way back to 1785. O'BRIEN: For many immigrants the journey to America is a flight to freedom. It can also be a real culture shock as they try to adjust to ways that are very different from what they left behind. This is the case with one family from Somalia. CNN's Carol Lin paid them a visit near Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Halima Mukomwa and her family arrived in Chicago, Illinois, on a frigid November day. Strangers a world away from the murderous Somali civil war that killed a half- million people so far. Halima's husband, Muridi, remembers ten years ago when warring gangs opened fire in his village. His family scattered. His mother and seven siblings are still missing.
MURIDI MUKOMWA, SOMALI REFUGEE (through translator): The war was very terrible.
LIN: He ended up in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, another kind of hell on earth where disease claims so many lives. Seven years of paperwork, security checks and interviews later, the United Nations told Muridi Mukomwa that he, Halima, and their children could go to the United States.
MUKOMWA (through translator): God gave to me the blessing to come to America.
LIN: Photojournalist Denise McGill met the Mukomwas in Kenya and documented the journey of these primitive Bantu tribes people into 21st century America.
DENISE MCGILL, PHOTOJOURNALIST: It almost took my breath away, like how -- how are they going to survive? How are they going to make it? And how, just emotionally, how could they cope with all the changes that they were about to encounter?
LIN: Cars, lights, traffic? Virtually unheard of. They never had plumbing or used electricity. Church volunteers taught them how doorknobs work. Shopping American style was overwhelming. That was seven months ago.
Now Muridi has a driver's license.
MUKOMWA: Before, I was dreaming to drive.
LIN: Now the dream is alive. The Christian volunteers helping to settle this African Muslim family have become a big part of their lives. And the Mukomwa children are already on the move. But world relief counselor, Issam Smeir, sees a rough road ahead.
ISSAM SMEIR, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR: There will be a lot of clashes, because we're talking about dating, we're talking about the way they dress. Parents now are the ones who depend on their children to translate for them.
LIN: And Halima and other Somali Bantu women are starting to assert their rights. Halima tells me she wants a job. She also wants to drive a car.
Muridi, how do you feel about that? Your wife driving a car, working.
MUKOMWA: Yes, good.
LIN: It's good?
MUKOMWA: Yes, she's going to help me.
LIM: Halima is pregnant. If she has a girl, I ask if she will let her daughter go to American parties and date. Yes, she tells me. She says her daughter may go wherever she wants.
MUKOMWA: I will decide when I get --
LIN: When you get a daughter?
MUKOMWA: Yes.
LIN: Muridi Mukomwa still gets some government refugee assistance, but his restaurant job pays most expenses. He hopes to buy a house one day. This, he says, is the American dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Now, Carol also reports that concerns about terrorism have made it more difficult for refugees to enter the U.S. legally. Since the 9/11 attacks, the number allowed in has dropped by more than half.
PHILLIPS: It's a big day for an American art form.
Oh, yes, the song that started America rocking marks a milestone. We'll salute the king and let you know how you can be a rock star. Later on LIVE FROM.
And the running of the nudes. Find out why these protesters are baring all for their just cause.
And live to Athens, Greece. Take a look at this. Yes, on one side you see the soccer champs, on the other, live pictures of the thousands and thousands of fans waiting for them to arrive at Olympic Stadium in Greece. We'll go there live as soon as it happens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We're talking Greek heroes now. That's right. Greek soccer team getting a heck of a welcome home today. We'll go to live pictures right now after their stunning victory at the European soccer championship. It's the first Eurocup the Greeks have ever won. As you can imagine, the Greeks are holding their banners and their heads extremely high.
Another person who is very excited, Anthee Carassava. She's a journalist covering what's taking place in Athens, Greece. Anthee, just tell us about this and how all the fans have showed up and how excited they are and how, if anything, this could be a huge boost to ticket sales for the Olympics.
ANTHEE CARASSAVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kyra. Greece has yet again exploded with a frenzy of celebration for this Greek team that is about to make its way into the center of Athens. The bus carrying the team has just left the international airport, and it is having enormous difficulty making its way along the road to Athens. Thousands of cars, motorcycles, bicycles have poured onto the road trying to travel alongside the bus carrying these heroes, or modern- day Greek gods, as they're being called by fans here. Thousands of people are also lining up.
You can see their motorcade right there that is actually taking the bus into Athens. These athletes will be taken to the all-marble stadium, the Panathinaiko stadium where the first modern Olympics were held some 100 plus years ago. They will be greeted by tens and tens of thousands of Greeks who are packed there waiting to pay homage to these modern-day gods, as they're calling them. They will be greeted with jubilant tunes of "Zorba the Greek." And no doubt this triumphant reception they will receive there will match the euphoria that exploded here across the nation from major cities to little hamlets literally within seconds of the tournament's final whistle late Sunday.
Now, since then, the country has been in a state of ecstasy and a natural high. Millions of Greeks have poured onto the streets rejoicing over the country's first title in a major international soccer tournament. And no doubt this victory, which Greeks are calling a dream come true, is very important because it comes just 40 days before the start of the Olympics here, and it has lifted national morale to an unbelievable ground. Greeks feel extremely confident now. They feel emboldened. They are united like never before, and the Olympic spirit is finally there. The Olympic spirit, which seemed to be sagging, if not missing, has resurfaced. And this enormous outpouring of jubilation is the greatest preamble, the greatest prelude as many Greek officials, even the Greek prime minister was saying, is the greatest prelude to the Olympics.
You're seeing there the coach that is carrying the athletes into Athens. It is escorted by police but there are several fans driving alongside in motorcycles, with motorcycles, with flairs in their hands, many of them in closer pictures, you see they are draped literally in Greek flags. It's a spine-tingling moment, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, no doubt a tremendous moment for you, too, as a journalist. Anthee Carassava there from Athens, Greece, thank you so much.
If you're just tuning it, we're going to continue to follow this. It's like the president of the United States here in America, but in this bus with this massive entourage and security are the Euro 2004 champs, and of course that's the Greek soccer team we've been talking about. As soon as they arrive to the old, original Olympic Stadium that hosted the first modern games back in 1896, we'll go there live.
Other news around the world now, as the Tour de France rolls across Belgium, American Lance Armstrong tried to avoid spills as he and other cyclists rode the 122-mile second stage of the race. Australia's Robby McCuen sprinted to victory. Experts say that Armstrong is pacing himself, content to let other speedsters, he says, slug it out in the early stages.
Protesters in Spain shedding their clothes to protect some hides. Hundreds of animal right supporters taking part in the running of the nudes in Pamplona. The streakers say the city's annual bull run is inhumane.
O'BRIEN: All right. Leave it to the Fins to come up with good, clean couples action, so to speak. Two students from Estonia won the wife- carrying championship in Finland this weekend. They used what is called the Estonian carry, as you see here, the woman clamps her thighs to the sides of the man's face while hanging upside down. Not sure how the Estonians got involved with this. We'll have to do some further research. The students aren't married, though, even though it's called the wife-carrying contest; you don't have to be in this contest, it is the Fins, after all. Men just need to show up with a woman they can carry. And what do they win? The women's weight in beer and, of course, a sauna to soothe the aching muscles. A race to the "Finnish," I guess you could say, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So do you want to be a rock star? Maybe not. After you hear from our guest, his band hit big time with "Closing Time" and it may have closed out their careers. Coming up the scoop on the music biz from a man who knows.
And how is this for a workout? Get your game on and drop the pounds. Paging Dr. Gupta as LIVE FROM continues.
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O'BRIEN: Latest developments for you at this hour. A former army general is projected to win the presidential election in Indonesia but as we learned in Florida, projections are not final. Earlier election officials ordered a partial recount after ballot problems were reported there.
Duke University confirms its legendary basketball coach will be back again next year. Mike Krzyzewski ended talks with the LA Lakers. The school plans a news conference later this afternoon. Krzyzewski has led duke to three national titles in 24 years.
And they're rocking in Memphis celebrating the 50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll. It's pegged to the recording of the Elvis song "That's All Right" 50 years ago today.
PHILLIPS: Air guitar fantasies, adoring fans, fawning strangers. Have you ever wanted to be a rock star?
(MUSIC)
PHILLIPS: Oh, yeah, we all remember that tune, "Closing Time." The big hit from the band Semisonic, their drummer, Jacob Slichter presents rival visions of the rock world in his new book "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star." It's a humorous look at the strange world of a rock 'n' roll star from a guy who knows definitely how to keep the beat. Jake Slichter joins us now live from New York. Hi, Jake.
JAKE SLICHTER, SEMISONIC DRUMMER: How you doing, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Good. Good to see you. Do you just have night mares? Does that song just go in your head constantly or have you been able to shelf it?
SLICHTER: You know, I always like the song so I never got sick of it but I wasn't tuned into the radio all day as it was hammered into everybody else's heads over and over again.
PHILLIPS: You just had to play that same beat. Alright, I got to ask you about the book, why did you write it? Are you angry at the industry? Do you want to give young musicians a reality check? What was your thought process when you were putting this book together?
SLICHTER: I wouldn't call it an angry book. I really enjoyed the whole experience. I just wanted to tell the story of what it's like to be in a rock band from starting out when you're, you know, when you're on stage in small clubs battling stage fright to trying to get the record company guys to come out and see you and being flown off to LA and meeting with all the bigwigs and what are record contracts about and how do you get on the radio, what's it like making a rock video or going on "Letterman" and the Grammys and having a big hit song, all of that.
PHILLIPS: All the fun stuff.
SLICHTER: Yeah.
PHILLIPS: Now, you stayed away--I thought it was sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll but you stuck with rock 'n' roll and business. Why no sex? Why no drugs?
SLICHTER: Well, you know, that just wasn't my lifestyle. You know, I never really had the whole sort of long train of supermodels on the tour bus or, you know, big cocaine binges or anything like that so that's not in the book.
PHILLIPS: You were one of the normal ones.
SLICHTER: Yeah, probably.
PHILLIPS: Well, you do reveal what you say are some pretty weird priorities about the record business. Let's start off talking about how these execs truly do control your destiny. Now this is a good story. I mean, it's a tough fight, but tell us about Nancy Levin and what she did for you?
SLICHTER: Nancy Levin was the head of radio promotion at MCA in 1998 when we had finished recording our record that had "Closing Time" on it. When played--when our A&R person Hans, who really believed in the album and took it into his bosses at MCA, they said, "You know, we just don't hear a hit song on here. We think you have to go back and record some more," and Nancy stepped forward and said, "You guys are crazy. This song 'Closing Time' is a huge hit. Let me get this out on the radio and I'll show you," and thank God we had her there, because...
PHILLIPS: It went platinum.
SLICHTER: Yes, absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Now, someone who you didn't really respect and wasn't necessarily pushing for that next big hit, you talk about Dr. Evil in your book.
SLICHTER: There was a guy who I always called Dr. Evil at the label. Just because of his sort of vaguely menacing personality. He, according to everyone we talked to, always thought we were too old, and I think part of his opinions were based upon his discussions with his teenage son who everybody said played a big part in his decision- making, so I guess we never really got on Dr. Evil's good side, and he--he thought that we were a bad waste of MCA's time and money.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. And look what happened. Now, you also thought that after this big hit, they were just going to keep on coming. You had another reality check, didn't you?
SLICHTER: Oh, absolutely. I always believed that, you know, getting that first hit is the hardest, and it probably is. But I really thought once we had that--once we got over the hump that all the other hits would just keep coming and coming and coming, and that was really--I think if I had to do it all over again I would have told myself "enjoy it while you've got it," because trying to get the next one you can drive yourself crazy.
PHILLIPS: Well, your book is so revealing with regard to the business side of things. Now I want to get a little personal. As you look back, the best moment for you when you guys were just huge?
SLICHTER: I mean, you know, we played at RFK Stadium in front of 40,000 people when "Closing Time" had just hit number one and I'll never forget the experience of being on stage and just feeling a tidal wave of energy from the fans hitting the stage and it literally, you know, made my skin tingle and shiver and I almost fell off the drums. It was so--such a big feeling and another time we played in Mexico City and, you know, the 10,000 fans there would flick their lighters in time with the music, all of that stuff is even better than you would imagine it would be.
PHILLIPS: Now, I would have thought, you know, here you are. You're very humble. As you read the book, you hear all these really great stories. You're very direct yet you had what we are calling here at CNN "a Prince moment." Tell us about this and how you got a little nervous.
SLICHTER: Well, anyone would get nervous around Prince. He is-- he's so cool he had to be called The Artist Formerly Known as Prince for a while, as you know. After we got done playing a show at the Beacon Theatre in New York he was backstage visiting with Sheryl Crowe and my bandmates were so nervous they actually just scampered down the stairs to the dressing room. But I pulled myself together and went up and introduced myself and shook his hand and told him how much we loved his music and he just--he mumbled a few words that I just couldn't tell. But I was so nervous I didn't ask him to speak up and thanked him and just kind of slinked away.
PHILLIPS: You just pretend that you understand Prince and you move on.
SLICHTER: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: How about the worst moment?
SLICHTER: We played a show in Las Vegas for the Billboard Awards in front of 15,000 people at the MGM Grand, and it was a star-studded audience that had such legends as Stevie Wonder and James Taylor and Carole King and Lauryn Hill, and all the stars of today and yesterday and halfway through "Closing Time" they cut the power to the stage. The lights came on and a voice said, you know, "Thank you for coming to the Billboard Awards. Have a good night." And everybody filed out as we stood on stage with our guitars and drums looking like idiots.
PHILLIPS: Fame, what you pay for fame.
SLICHTER: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Now, why is it such a nightmare trying to get your song on the radio? It is really political and it's expensive, isn't it?
SLICHTER: It is expensive. There are--the political part of it is the very biggest stations like, for instance, K-Rock in LA is such an influential station that if their program director likes your song as in the case of "Closing Time" it really can persuade a lot of other stations to play it. Other stations, unlike K-Rock take money in order to get your song on the radio--kind of. It's a sort of sneaky way around the payola laws using people called independent radio promoters. In the case of "Closing Time" I think MCA spent something like $700,000 trying to get "Closing Time" on all these other radio stations. So it is very expensive.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's bring up your Web site. Semisonic.com. And here we go. Here comes the shameless plug. I know every day you guys are waiting for another contract. Meanwhile you're at home checking Amazon.com to see how many people are buying your book. Now, can people logon to Semisonic.com and say, "OK, Jake, hey, we'll give you a contract. Let's go, we're ready for another Semisonic album."
SLICHTER: My e-mail address is on the page right there. You just e-mail me and we'll be happy to call and discuss contractual negotiations.
PHILLIPS: Strike a deal. Can I have 5 percent if something comes of this?
SLICHTER: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Semisonic.com. Jake Slichter. The book is "So You Wanna be a Rock & Roll Star." It's a great book. It's funny, it's smart. What do you expect from a Harvard grad and an awesome drummer. And good luck on your engagement, Jake. Thanks for being with us.
SLICHTER: Thank you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Miles?
O'BRIEN: Summertime and the livin' is kind of dangerous. What to watch for when you head to the swimming pool coming up and I've got to warn you it is a little bit gross.
Ah, but there's nothing gross about swimwear in the right hands, of course. On this date in 1946 of the bikini made its sexy debut and we have a retrospective for you.
And speaking of sexy, the most alluring planet's most intriguing moon. We'll have the latest images for you, the latest info LIVE FROM... out of this world as we ring up a few commercials.
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O'BRIEN: While America is cleaning up the mess left behind from its 228th birthday celebration, we found a reason to keep the party going. On this date in 1946, the bikini bathing suit made its debut at a Paris fashion show. Its creator Louis Reard could not get a regular model to slip it on so he slipped it on himself. No, I don't know about that. Critics said no self-respecting woman would wear it. Two years later, everybody's favorite girl next door Doris Day decided it was downright decent. Que sera sera, as the say. Bombshell Marilyn Monroe proved that something's got to give when she went two- piece in 1962. Muy Caliente. Raquel Welch gave the bikini a retro look and some fur when she took it to--remember "1 Million Years BC"? So that proves the bikini was around a long time ago. And from fur to formal, the bridewear bikini, Yves Saint Laurent called this collection "Eve in Paradise." Shouldn't there be fig leaves instead of roses here? Hopefully no thorns.
PHILLIPS: Don't forget to smell the roses.
O'BRIEN: I'm not going there and where would "Sports Illustrated" be without the bikini. Babette Marsh made a splash in 1964 on the cover of the Swimsuit Issue. Was that the first one? I don't know. And finally, here she is, the first woman to model a bikini, Micheline Bernardini who had no qualms about the scant suit since her day job was as a nude dancer at the Casino de Paris and of course the name bikini was taken from the Bikini Islands Atoll where the U.S. military tested the atomic bomb, actually the hydrogen bomb just four days before the swimsuit with its name made its debut. There you have it. Bikinis in history.
PHILLIPS: Revealing all, right here.
O'BRIEN: More than two interesting points, I should point out.
PHILLIPS: Well, before putting on that bikini or your trunks to take a dip in the pool, you might want to look before you leap. The Centers for Disease Control launched a healthy swimming campaign to protect people from parasites found in pools. One nasty bacteria is called crypto.
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MICHAEL BEACH, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: With cryptosporidium, it is chlorine-resistant so it will survive for several days even in a well-maintained pool. That smell, that strong chemical odor that stings your eyes and lungs and so on is really not chlorine at all. It's chlorine binding with all of the compounds that we dump into the pool and so what we really want to do is use the rest room more often and if it stings your eyes go to the pool operator. They're not maintaining the pool as well as they should.
Well, if we go to the pool we want to look at it and see that you can see the main drain. It is a safety concern. The sides should be clean, not slippery. There shouldn't be a strong chemical odor. You should hear the pumps running for the filtration system. But most of all, just let's remember, it's not drinking water. It's not sterile. We shouldn't be swallowing it. You want to basically think of it in terms, of it's shared water. You don't drink your bathwater. Don't drink the pool water.
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PHILLIPS: You can get more information by going to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming.
O'BRIEN: All right. Toss aside your joysticks and those cumbersome mouse controllers. We know how they slow you down.
PHILLIPS: A new video game you may want to get your kids hooked on.
O'BRIEN: Well see about that.
PHILLIPS: CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.
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SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Video games, lots of hours on couches, teenage obesity, they all seem to go together. But what about a video game that might also be a weight loss aid? 17-year-old John Polchowski used to spend up to three hours a day playing video games alone in his room. Then he got hooked on a game called "Dance Dance Revolution," or "DDR."
JOHN POLCHOWSKI, DDR PLAYER: As I kept on playing, I got to get better, so it was getting to become a really good workout and I tried to use that to become--to make a goal and lose a lot of weight from it.
GUPTA: After playing the game for one to two hours every day for a year he started to lose weight. Along with eating healthier, John eventually lost 70 pounds.
POLCHOWSKI: I was able to do it whenever I want. I don't need to get other people.
GUPTA: John's mother knows he probably couldn't have done it without DDR.
MARIANNE POLCHOWSKI, JOHN'S MOTHER: It's hard to lose weight without doing exercise also. So--this was something he enjoyed.
GUPTA: Dr. Richard Adler is a pediatrician who has been tracking active video games and their success in fighting obesity.
DR. RICHARD ADLER, PEDIATRICIAN: There has never been anything that I have seen that has the potential for increasing physical activity like this. It has a potential for being absolutely tremendous in terms of its impact on children.
GUPTA: There are no official numbers on how many have lost weight with these games but manufacturers are developing more interactive games involving skateboarding, fighting and more dancing. Maybe other kids will see some of John's success.
POLCHOWSKI: I feel a lot better. I always have a lot more energy. I'm more outgoing. I can go out and do stuff and enjoy it a lot more. I'm not really confined to my house like I used to be.
GUPTA: The video games that for too long have kept kids housebound might now help them get up and get out. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: All right. The rings of Saturn and Titan, they have been beguiling scientists for generations. Kyra Phillips is dying to know what's going on on Titan.
PHILLIPS: That's why you're doing it. Just for me.
O'BRIEN: And I am doing a segment just for her today. You, because you are a home viewer can eavesdrop for free. Stay with us
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O'BRIEN: All right. We spend a lot of time in this program, if you're a faithful viewer you know it, on the fourth rock from the sun. That would be Mars, right? We're going to move onward, deeper out into the solar system and spend some time on Saturn because we do know about the Cassini probe, right?
PHILLIPS: Yes we do.
O'BRIEN: Now, there's a couple things about the Cassini probe. First of all, it is safe and sound in the orbit of Saturn, went on a perilous ride, 60, mph, twice through the rings, came out unscathed. Now, when you're in space, you think there's any noise? You would think not, right?
PHILLIPS: I don't know. I would think there would be noise. O'BRIEN : In the vacuum of space. Silent scream kind of thing. Oh, you do?
PHILLIPS: Unless there's aliens in space.
O'BRIEN: Well, the truth is they have this boom on the Cassini. I wish I had a model. They have a boom on the Cassini which is a magnetometer. It detects magnetic waves. Let's listen to a scientist explaining what Cassini heard as it arrived lickety split at Saturn last week.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In space the 1 million mile per hour wind is blowing past the planet, the magnetosphere is the obstacle. The bow shock is basically a sonic boom and we can actually listen to this.
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O'BRIEN: OK. Now, would you really hear that if you were on the Cassini spacecraft? No. That's compressed. It's several minutes boiled down to about ten seconds.
PHILLIPS: So what does that mean?
O'BRIEN: Nothing. It's just kind of cool. All right, so let's move on.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Let's move on to Titan. What do you know about Titan? Quickly!
PHILLIPS: I've been looking that up. The largest satellite of Saturn, the 11th in distance from the planet. It's the second largest in the solar system.
O'BRIEN: Excellent, excellent work. All of it true. Larger than Mercury, larger than Pluto. And these are some of the early images from Cassini of said moon of Saturn. Look at this. This is basically what it shows is a methane cloud. A lot of methane on Titan. That's because there's a lot of carbon-rich material, hydrocarbons, if you will, organic activity. What does that lead you to? Possibly life or at least the ingredients of life. Let's go to the still images, shall we. Take a quick look at those and give you a sense of what we've seen so far. That's when--a little while ago when Cassini was on approach got a nice shot of Titan, there. I know you're thrilled by that. This is infrared...
PHILLIPS: Ruler of heaven.
O'BRIEN: ...combined with a visual and it gives you a sense there of--see that little white dot lower right there? My Telestrator isn't working so you can sort of...
PHILLIPS: I can see it. O'BRIEN: That's actually the methane cloud. The rest of the green stuff indicates carbon-rich material. Once again, that's a big life thing. Let's go to the next image, this is kind of the smog of titan. You lived in LA, you know a little something about smog.
PHILLIPS: Oh yes, it looks like the L.A. Freeway.
O'BRIEN: The white stuff down low, that's a methane cloud again. Next image and take a look at this. Now, what's interesting about this, I wish I could draw on it but basically all those black lines you see there kind of almost sort of straight, what that tells you is it's possible there is some sort of geologic tectonic activity there, volcanoes, earthquakes. This planet is cooking. Literally, somehow, but what is absent from this picture and which has scientists rather beguiled. Where is the liquid? They expected to see liquid like a reflection, something, maybe a liquid pool of methane.
PHILLIPS: You're amazing. You amaze me.
O'BRIEN: So far, nada.
PHILLIPS: You know what else amazes me? That Greek soccer team. Let's go live to Athens, Greece.
O'BRIEN: Let's go to Greece, shall we?
PHILLIPS: Talk about a homecoming. These are live pictures. The soccer team is actually in that bus. See what looks like a fire? You've got guys on motorcycles lighting flairs trying to lead this bus in.
O'BRIEN: I believe that just last week Greek television got the split screen on their board and just trying it out today, all day long.
PHILLIPS: Hey, they're excited.
Look at the old stadium. That stadium hosted the first modern Olympics back in, what, 18 something. Oh, we have to wrap. Gosh darnit.
O'BRIEN: 1896.
PHILLIPS: Anyway, historic. There you go, 1896. Thank you. Historic stadium. Thousands of fans. Greek soccer team en route. Hey, more LIVE FROM... right after this.
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PHILLIPS: So has he made up his mind? The talk that John Kerry is closer to picking his number two on the ticket.
O'BRIEN: An oil pipeline is set on fire in Iraq while the new government considers amnesty for some insurgents.
PHILLIPS: Returning to Iraq, some American soldiers wondering what their mission will look like when the Iraqis are in charge of that country.
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