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New Overtime Laws Take Hold; Art Heist in Broad Daylight

Aired August 23, 2004 - 12:59   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: Well, if you're working overtime, will you get paid for it? New laws create confusion about your paycheck.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA: I'm Susan Candiotti at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the military commission, a controversial proceeding, is about to begin. The Pentagon is inching ever closer. The first of hundreds of detainees being held here will start a proceeding tomorrow. The accused include some former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, an accountant, and a former Australian cowboy. I'll have a live report coming up.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Stolen "Scream," brazen thieves pull off an art heist in broad daylight, and now the search is on for a missing masterpiece.

O'BRIEN: And will the Cubbies play at home tonight? Safety concerns force a call at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, where we always have the home field advantage, I'm Miles O'Brien.

LIN: You bet. And I'm Carol Lin, in for Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

O'BRIEN: And we're clocking in today with Q&A on OT. Insurance adjuster: time and a half, or overtime or not? Pastry chef: OT, or straight salary? Police lieutenant: blue collar or white? Those and other big money questions are supposed to be answered in brand new labor laws that replace rules dating back to 1949. Now, as of today, anybody earning less than $23,660 a year will get extra pay for working more than 40 hours a week.

The Bush administration says that will mean bigger paychecks for more than 1.3 million people. But critics point out employers can KO the OT by simply giving those workers raises. On the other end, so- called white-collar workers making six figures are, from this day forward, exempt. Most were already, but anywhere from tens of thousands to 6 million will take home less under the new regulations, depending on whom you ask.

Where it gets really confusing is in the middle. Old distinctions based on hiring power and professional degrees are giving way to broader classifications that are supposed to be simpler, fairer, and less conducive to costly litigation. Luckily, it's all in a day's work for our Louise Schiavone. She's at our D.C. bureau trying to sort this thing out for us.

Louise, we're confused.

LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. You know what's interesting about all of this is that the Labor Department set out to clarify outdated and complex federal overtime rules. The previous rules are more than half a century old. But as we are seeing in the protests outside the Labor Department this afternoon, not everyone is pleased.

As of today, as you said, among those guaranteed overtime wage protection, all hourly workers, and anyone earning no more than $455 a week, or $23,660 annually. But as you said, there are big, big questions about lots of other workers who make more than that, due in large part to the new management descriptions. That's as good as any reason for Democrats to hit the Bush administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, (D-NC), VICE PRES. CANDIDATE: It's not like people aren't struggling enough to be able to pay their bills. The last thing they need is a pay cut, right? And along comes the president and changes the rules and laws that have been protecting our overtime for, potentially, millions of Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVONE: Middle income workers fear they may be reclassified as learned professionals or team leaders and lose their option to demand overtime. Among them -- high tech workers, restaurant workers, financial insurance industry workers, and funeral industry workers. The Labor Department believes there will be no wholesale job reclassification of wage laws, and they say they are on the side of the workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA LIPNIC, LABOR DEPARTMENT: This administration is completely an advocate for workers, and look at our record. If you look at the record in the Bush administration for enforcement of the wage and hour laws, we have set record levels of enforcement. Last year, the enforcement in terms of back wages, which are all violations of wage and hour laws, was $212 million restored to workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVONE: Miles, as a footnote, there are some Republicans who've joined Democrats in protesting these new rules, and efforts have been under way in Congress to block any new regulation that might take overtime pay away from workers who've already got it. But as you know, this is an election year -- tough to get Congress to move on anything. This issue is no exception. Miles...

O'BRIEN: Thank you, oh, learned professional Louise Schiavone, appreciate it. Sound confusing? You're not alone. If you want more information on the new overtime rules and how they affect you, checkout our Web site. That's at the very simple address of CNN.com. LIN: All right, thanks, Miles. And many on Capitol Hill are working overtime trying to overhaul the U.S. intelligence system. Today, one very powerful Republican senator is floating one controversial idea, and CNN's David Ensor is going to tell us all about it -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SEC. CORRESPONDENT: Carol, Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has a proposal for radically reorganizing the way intelligence is collected and analyzed in this country. His proposals produced sharply negative responses from CIA officials past and present, as well as from the senior Democrat on his committee.

But the senators aids say they expected that, given that the proposal would totally change the way intelligence is organized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PAT ROBERTS, (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE CHMN.: Well, we think it's real reform, and we think it's good for national security. And what we did is we stood back from the trees and said, "All right, what are the national threats that face our country today, either asymmetrical or what will happen down the road?" And we didn't pay attention to turf, we didn't pay any attention to boxes, we didn't pay any attention to, say, the agencies.

And what we have proposed is a national intelligence service with a national intelligence director that has real line item budget authority and personnel authority. So we think it's a good plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: But U.S. intelligence officials are calling the plan reckless, one say, quote, "It would be akin to taking apart a ship in the middle of the ocean." Former Intelligence Chief George Tenet issued a statement saying, "the Roberts proposal would damage U.S. national security." Tenet says, quote, "Senator Roberts' proposal is yet another episode in the mad rush to rearrange wiring diagrams in an attempt to be seen to be doing something."

He says, "It's time for someone to say stop. Someone needs to stand up for all the good that's done by the men and women of CIA. It's time for someone to slam the breaks on before the politics of the moment drives the security of the American people off the cliff." Strong words, indeed -- CIA officials saying they believe the proposal would gut their agency and create the kind of, what they call, bureaucratic chaos that they believe the Homeland Security Department has become.

The proposal would also remove several big intelligence agencies from the control of the Pentagon, and it's not popular there either. But Kerry campaign officials have said Senator Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, does like the look of Senator Roberts plan, and it is similar, though even more sweeping, than the proposals of the 9/11 Commission.

Much may depend on the views of President Bush, and we may hear more from him before the day is out. Carol...

LIN: Interesting. Thanks very much, David. Well, speaking of security and the definition of a terrorist, take for example a poet, an accountant, a chauffeur, and an Aussie warrior. They're all about to make history in Cuba. They are all detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and they're first in line for the first U.S. military commissions since World War II. CNN's Susan Candiotti is there right now -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. When the military commission gets under way tomorrow, it will be historic, the first time it will be meeting in more than 60 years -- a proceeding that took President Bush to resurrect for the first time in that long period of time, ordered by him after the first of now about 600 detainees were flown here from Afghanistan, starting in 2002.

Back then, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calling them among, quote, "the most vicious killers on the face of the earth." The first four detainees the U.S. has chosen to try include some former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, a driver for him, a former accountant, and a former Australian cowboy. According to Pentagon charges, the four conspired to kill civilians by helping al-Qaeda.

Now, Defense attorneys appointed by the military openly questioned this process the government insists will be fair. The defense attorneys say the process is stacked against their clients. The proceeding will take place in a courtroom created especially for this trial here at the base. The accused face a five-member panel who will hear evidence and vote on it, led by a presiding officer who will also vote at the end of the trial.

Now, among the observers, the father and the stepmother of Australian David Hicks. They are flying here from Australia. They have been loudly protesting their son's trial, his arrest. They insist that he is innocent. He is charged with the attempted murder of U.S. coalition forces, and if found guilty, will face life behind bars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HICKS, DAVID HICKS' FATHER: Nervous and probably a bit of apprehension. You know, we haven't seen David for five years. We don't know what his condition's like, what his mental state's like. So I think it's going to be a pretty emotional meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Among other observers, a representative from the American Bar Association, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. Now tomorrow, we do not expect any witness testimony. However, the first of the four defendants will be able to enter a plea. And then, we expect to hear a lot of motions, primarily...

LIN: All right, we just lost the signal from Susan Candiotti. But, of course, her reporting continues throughout the day. O'BRIEN: It's 9 p.m. in Najaf. Do you know where Muqtada al- Sadr is? Some say the controversial cleric is long gone, leaving hundreds of his diehard supporters in Najaf's sacred, now battle scarred, Imam Ali mosque. But we can't be sure. At last report, the city and the mosque were relatively calm after yet another fierce night of fighting. Take a look at some live pictures right now. Turkish television bring this right now.

Within the past 10 minutes -- been evidence of explosions in the general vicinity of that mosque. Beyond that, we have not much detail to give you. We're watching it. In Germany today, a U.S. Army judge refused to suppress those scandalous photos of inmate abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. The request was made by the Army specialist who prosecutors say made a specialty of cruelty.

Charles Graner is his name. He's the first of four MPs facing pretrial hearings over the next couple of days. And U.S. journalist Micah Garen says he wasn't mistreated while held captive by the so- called Martyrs Brigade in Nasiriyah. Garen and his Iraqi translator were freed yesterday after nine days in captivity and a special appeal from aides to Muqtada al-Sadr.

LIN: Well, it's cross-examination day for Amber Frey. How will Scott Peterson's attorney confront the star witness in the murder case? We're live from the courthouse. And the art of the steal -- gun-toting thieves make off with a masterpiece while shocked museum- goers watched. That's ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Bible study at Hooters? You've got to be kidding me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Ordering up wings and opening up the word -- a singles group gets holy at Hooters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, in times of slavery, the Underground Railroad enabled thousands of people to escape a life of servitude and have a chance at freedom. Today, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is being officially dedicated in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reporter Denae D'Arcy from CNN affiliate WKRC has more details -- Denae.

DENAE D'ARCY, CNN AFFILIATE WKRC: It's a historic day in the Queen City as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center officially is dedicated. The public gets to have the chance to be involved in all kinds of events that mark this historic event. For visitors that want to go through the center, you have two choices. You can take the family experience, which includes a tour and interaction with some lighter educational materials, or also the mature experience, which includes a tour through an authentic slave pen. It's from a farm in Mason County, Kentucky. Some visitors say the center is powerful and a moving experience. But critics say it fails to capture the misery of slavery and the battle for freedom. Creators say they hope visitors form their own opinion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAOMI NELSON, DIR. OF EDUCATION OF FREEDOM CTR.: We anticipate that most of our experiences are self-driven. We are a non- traditional museum in terms of the approach to learning about the heroic stories of the Underground Railroad and learning about contemporary freedom struggles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

D'ARCY: There's also a discussion area on the third floor of the visitors' center that will be facilitated by psychologists, so when visitors walk through the center, they can then reflect upon their opinions and some of the things they've learned, and even write down some of their comments for future visitors.

In Cincinnati, I'm Denae D'Arcy for CNN.

O'BRIEN: And now, to Norway -- the thieves who easily got away with two Edvard Munch paintings are teaching authorities a little about the art of stealing. The cheeky thieves stole "The Scream" and "Madonna" in broad daylight at Oslo's Munch Museum yesterday. CNN's Colleen McEdwards has the latest on the stunning seizure that has left the art world aghast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It happened in broad daylight. Two well-known paintings from Oslo's Munch Museum were simply marched out the door, taking guards and patrons by surprise.

JORUNN CHRISTOPHERSEN, MUNCH MUSEUM SPOKESWOMAN: Persons with hoods on their heads -- they were disguised, and with weapons -- rushed into the museum. And they knew exactly where these paintings were, so they went directly up to them, took them down from the wall, and run out as the alarm came on. And they threatened the guards with guns.

MCEDWARDS: The paintings were worth millions of dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... a man coming forward with a black guard over his mouth and nose, and black pants, but a gray sweatshirt. So we weren't sure what to think of him. And he kind of paused at the back, and then he came rushing forward. And he went towards the "Madonna" painting and he grabbed that off the wall. And he started banging it against the wall and against the ground, I guess because the gray strings were breaking off for him.

And then, he kind of look confused at what to do next. He then say "The Scream" and ran towards that and grabbed that off the wall. And then, he started rushing out the front, and we started rushing out the back.

MCEDWARDS: The picture frames were later found in another part of the city, the canvasses cut out. Investigators are still looking for more clues. Edvard Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, painted four versions of "The Scream." A founder of modern expressionism, he painted both "The Scream" and "Madonna" as part of a series about love, fear, and death.

The best known version of "The Scream" was stolen in 1994 and later recovered. It now hangs in the Oslo National Gallery.

Colleen McEdwards, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Next on LIVE FROM, is tonight's game safe or out at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field? Crumbling concrete forces the call. And later on LIVE FROM, tarnished gold -- controversy over American gymnast Paul Hamm's medal. Should he give back the gold? And tomorrow on LIVE FROM...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: So far, I think they achieved a miracle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Iraq's dream team -- the soccer team's amazing journey from fear to fame in Athens.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Will they play ball at Wrigley Field in Chicago today? It's decision time after concerns about possible structural problems at the 90-year-old ballpark. We get the latest on this story from CNN's Chris Lawrence in Chicago. Not just problems but, frankly, Chris, chunks of concrete falling on people.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, the city made the announcement less than 5 minutes ago. Inspectors found no evidence of shoddy construction work there, so the Cubs will be able to play ball. That sound we're hearing all over the city are the windows closing as those nervous Cubs fans come on back in off the ledges.

The local city alderman had said the inspectors shouldn't find any new problems. Since June, pieces of concrete have fallen from the upper deck at Wrigley at least three separate times, forcing the Cubs to install some protective netting. The Cubs made some repairs to Wrigley's ramps and bleachers back in 2001, but the Cubs admit they were done without the required city permit.

So the city then hired an independent firm to inspect those repairs, and that report came back today. The city has said that protective netting will not be able to be used next year, so the Cubs have to find a permanent solution before the Cubs take the field next spring. But ironically, this is a much smaller battle in a bigger war between Mayor Richard M. Daly and the Tribune Company, which owns both the Chicago Tribune and the Cubs. A while back, a Tribune reporter was questioning Daly about some alleged corruption in terms of city permits. Daly then fired back, saying that the Tribune's taking it easy on the Cubs investigation.

Then the Cubs came back and asked to review safety records at city hall, saying they got a tip on that, the Tribune did. And then, the city shutdown construction at one of the Tribune Company's TV stations, saying it too got a tip -- back and forth, back and forth. So there's been this ongoing war of words between the Tribune Company, the parent of the Chicago Cubs, and the mayor.

What the Cub fans care about, though, is that the Cubs will be able to play ball tonight. Carol...

LIN: Nothing's easy in Chicago, is it, Chris?

LAWRENCE: It's old style politics, old style politics.

LIN: All right, thanks for covering it for us. Miles...

O'BRIEN: Well, as we've been telling you, millions of Americans could feel the effects of the nation's new overtime rules. Rhonda Schaffler, she always works overtime for us. But I'm afraid, as a learned professional, Rhonda, no time and a half for you.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And I'm certainly not alone, Miles, because a lot of people now will no longer be able to collect overtime under these new rules. Keep in mind that employers have been trying to get overtime overhauled for decades. They've been complaining the old rules were out of date, as well as ambiguous. Labor groups, though, are saying the real reason big business is backing the changes is because they'll lower the employers' costs. And as healthcare costs skyrocket, companies, of course, eager to try to pinch pennies where they can.

According to the Labor Department, compensation costs jumped almost 4 percent in the last year; benefits expenses were up 7 percent. Another positive for businesses -- the new rules could limit lawsuits from employees who claim they were cheated out of overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week. And that is because jobs in places like retail, restaurants, and banks are mostly exempt from these overtime rules, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Rhonda, it's amazing to me how little they know about the number of people who might be affected on this. Why is there so much confusion as to -- at one point, you go from maybe 100,000 to maybe 6 million people affected.

SCHAFFLER: That's right. I mean, they have some sense of knowing that over 100,000 people who make more than $100,000 a year are not going to be impacted. But there's a real dispute over how many people are going to fall under what category. So there's still a gray area for people in the middle of the wage earners, if you will. If you make under a little less than $25,000, you know that overtime is OK.

But there's a number of tests that have to be met by employers and employees. So it's still one of these issues that's just now getting put in place. But it seems that there are going to be a lot of questions as this is being implemented, and a lot of challenges potentially too.

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Aired August 23, 2004 - 12:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you're working overtime, will you get paid for it? New laws create confusion about your paycheck.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA: I'm Susan Candiotti at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the military commission, a controversial proceeding, is about to begin. The Pentagon is inching ever closer. The first of hundreds of detainees being held here will start a proceeding tomorrow. The accused include some former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, an accountant, and a former Australian cowboy. I'll have a live report coming up.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Stolen "Scream," brazen thieves pull off an art heist in broad daylight, and now the search is on for a missing masterpiece.

O'BRIEN: And will the Cubbies play at home tonight? Safety concerns force a call at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, where we always have the home field advantage, I'm Miles O'Brien.

LIN: You bet. And I'm Carol Lin, in for Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

O'BRIEN: And we're clocking in today with Q&A on OT. Insurance adjuster: time and a half, or overtime or not? Pastry chef: OT, or straight salary? Police lieutenant: blue collar or white? Those and other big money questions are supposed to be answered in brand new labor laws that replace rules dating back to 1949. Now, as of today, anybody earning less than $23,660 a year will get extra pay for working more than 40 hours a week.

The Bush administration says that will mean bigger paychecks for more than 1.3 million people. But critics point out employers can KO the OT by simply giving those workers raises. On the other end, so- called white-collar workers making six figures are, from this day forward, exempt. Most were already, but anywhere from tens of thousands to 6 million will take home less under the new regulations, depending on whom you ask.

Where it gets really confusing is in the middle. Old distinctions based on hiring power and professional degrees are giving way to broader classifications that are supposed to be simpler, fairer, and less conducive to costly litigation. Luckily, it's all in a day's work for our Louise Schiavone. She's at our D.C. bureau trying to sort this thing out for us.

Louise, we're confused.

LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. You know what's interesting about all of this is that the Labor Department set out to clarify outdated and complex federal overtime rules. The previous rules are more than half a century old. But as we are seeing in the protests outside the Labor Department this afternoon, not everyone is pleased.

As of today, as you said, among those guaranteed overtime wage protection, all hourly workers, and anyone earning no more than $455 a week, or $23,660 annually. But as you said, there are big, big questions about lots of other workers who make more than that, due in large part to the new management descriptions. That's as good as any reason for Democrats to hit the Bush administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, (D-NC), VICE PRES. CANDIDATE: It's not like people aren't struggling enough to be able to pay their bills. The last thing they need is a pay cut, right? And along comes the president and changes the rules and laws that have been protecting our overtime for, potentially, millions of Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVONE: Middle income workers fear they may be reclassified as learned professionals or team leaders and lose their option to demand overtime. Among them -- high tech workers, restaurant workers, financial insurance industry workers, and funeral industry workers. The Labor Department believes there will be no wholesale job reclassification of wage laws, and they say they are on the side of the workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA LIPNIC, LABOR DEPARTMENT: This administration is completely an advocate for workers, and look at our record. If you look at the record in the Bush administration for enforcement of the wage and hour laws, we have set record levels of enforcement. Last year, the enforcement in terms of back wages, which are all violations of wage and hour laws, was $212 million restored to workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVONE: Miles, as a footnote, there are some Republicans who've joined Democrats in protesting these new rules, and efforts have been under way in Congress to block any new regulation that might take overtime pay away from workers who've already got it. But as you know, this is an election year -- tough to get Congress to move on anything. This issue is no exception. Miles...

O'BRIEN: Thank you, oh, learned professional Louise Schiavone, appreciate it. Sound confusing? You're not alone. If you want more information on the new overtime rules and how they affect you, checkout our Web site. That's at the very simple address of CNN.com. LIN: All right, thanks, Miles. And many on Capitol Hill are working overtime trying to overhaul the U.S. intelligence system. Today, one very powerful Republican senator is floating one controversial idea, and CNN's David Ensor is going to tell us all about it -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATL. SEC. CORRESPONDENT: Carol, Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has a proposal for radically reorganizing the way intelligence is collected and analyzed in this country. His proposals produced sharply negative responses from CIA officials past and present, as well as from the senior Democrat on his committee.

But the senators aids say they expected that, given that the proposal would totally change the way intelligence is organized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PAT ROBERTS, (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE CHMN.: Well, we think it's real reform, and we think it's good for national security. And what we did is we stood back from the trees and said, "All right, what are the national threats that face our country today, either asymmetrical or what will happen down the road?" And we didn't pay attention to turf, we didn't pay any attention to boxes, we didn't pay any attention to, say, the agencies.

And what we have proposed is a national intelligence service with a national intelligence director that has real line item budget authority and personnel authority. So we think it's a good plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: But U.S. intelligence officials are calling the plan reckless, one say, quote, "It would be akin to taking apart a ship in the middle of the ocean." Former Intelligence Chief George Tenet issued a statement saying, "the Roberts proposal would damage U.S. national security." Tenet says, quote, "Senator Roberts' proposal is yet another episode in the mad rush to rearrange wiring diagrams in an attempt to be seen to be doing something."

He says, "It's time for someone to say stop. Someone needs to stand up for all the good that's done by the men and women of CIA. It's time for someone to slam the breaks on before the politics of the moment drives the security of the American people off the cliff." Strong words, indeed -- CIA officials saying they believe the proposal would gut their agency and create the kind of, what they call, bureaucratic chaos that they believe the Homeland Security Department has become.

The proposal would also remove several big intelligence agencies from the control of the Pentagon, and it's not popular there either. But Kerry campaign officials have said Senator Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, does like the look of Senator Roberts plan, and it is similar, though even more sweeping, than the proposals of the 9/11 Commission.

Much may depend on the views of President Bush, and we may hear more from him before the day is out. Carol...

LIN: Interesting. Thanks very much, David. Well, speaking of security and the definition of a terrorist, take for example a poet, an accountant, a chauffeur, and an Aussie warrior. They're all about to make history in Cuba. They are all detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and they're first in line for the first U.S. military commissions since World War II. CNN's Susan Candiotti is there right now -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. When the military commission gets under way tomorrow, it will be historic, the first time it will be meeting in more than 60 years -- a proceeding that took President Bush to resurrect for the first time in that long period of time, ordered by him after the first of now about 600 detainees were flown here from Afghanistan, starting in 2002.

Back then, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calling them among, quote, "the most vicious killers on the face of the earth." The first four detainees the U.S. has chosen to try include some former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, a driver for him, a former accountant, and a former Australian cowboy. According to Pentagon charges, the four conspired to kill civilians by helping al-Qaeda.

Now, Defense attorneys appointed by the military openly questioned this process the government insists will be fair. The defense attorneys say the process is stacked against their clients. The proceeding will take place in a courtroom created especially for this trial here at the base. The accused face a five-member panel who will hear evidence and vote on it, led by a presiding officer who will also vote at the end of the trial.

Now, among the observers, the father and the stepmother of Australian David Hicks. They are flying here from Australia. They have been loudly protesting their son's trial, his arrest. They insist that he is innocent. He is charged with the attempted murder of U.S. coalition forces, and if found guilty, will face life behind bars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HICKS, DAVID HICKS' FATHER: Nervous and probably a bit of apprehension. You know, we haven't seen David for five years. We don't know what his condition's like, what his mental state's like. So I think it's going to be a pretty emotional meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Among other observers, a representative from the American Bar Association, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. Now tomorrow, we do not expect any witness testimony. However, the first of the four defendants will be able to enter a plea. And then, we expect to hear a lot of motions, primarily...

LIN: All right, we just lost the signal from Susan Candiotti. But, of course, her reporting continues throughout the day. O'BRIEN: It's 9 p.m. in Najaf. Do you know where Muqtada al- Sadr is? Some say the controversial cleric is long gone, leaving hundreds of his diehard supporters in Najaf's sacred, now battle scarred, Imam Ali mosque. But we can't be sure. At last report, the city and the mosque were relatively calm after yet another fierce night of fighting. Take a look at some live pictures right now. Turkish television bring this right now.

Within the past 10 minutes -- been evidence of explosions in the general vicinity of that mosque. Beyond that, we have not much detail to give you. We're watching it. In Germany today, a U.S. Army judge refused to suppress those scandalous photos of inmate abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. The request was made by the Army specialist who prosecutors say made a specialty of cruelty.

Charles Graner is his name. He's the first of four MPs facing pretrial hearings over the next couple of days. And U.S. journalist Micah Garen says he wasn't mistreated while held captive by the so- called Martyrs Brigade in Nasiriyah. Garen and his Iraqi translator were freed yesterday after nine days in captivity and a special appeal from aides to Muqtada al-Sadr.

LIN: Well, it's cross-examination day for Amber Frey. How will Scott Peterson's attorney confront the star witness in the murder case? We're live from the courthouse. And the art of the steal -- gun-toting thieves make off with a masterpiece while shocked museum- goers watched. That's ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Bible study at Hooters? You've got to be kidding me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Ordering up wings and opening up the word -- a singles group gets holy at Hooters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, in times of slavery, the Underground Railroad enabled thousands of people to escape a life of servitude and have a chance at freedom. Today, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is being officially dedicated in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reporter Denae D'Arcy from CNN affiliate WKRC has more details -- Denae.

DENAE D'ARCY, CNN AFFILIATE WKRC: It's a historic day in the Queen City as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center officially is dedicated. The public gets to have the chance to be involved in all kinds of events that mark this historic event. For visitors that want to go through the center, you have two choices. You can take the family experience, which includes a tour and interaction with some lighter educational materials, or also the mature experience, which includes a tour through an authentic slave pen. It's from a farm in Mason County, Kentucky. Some visitors say the center is powerful and a moving experience. But critics say it fails to capture the misery of slavery and the battle for freedom. Creators say they hope visitors form their own opinion.

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NAOMI NELSON, DIR. OF EDUCATION OF FREEDOM CTR.: We anticipate that most of our experiences are self-driven. We are a non- traditional museum in terms of the approach to learning about the heroic stories of the Underground Railroad and learning about contemporary freedom struggles.

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D'ARCY: There's also a discussion area on the third floor of the visitors' center that will be facilitated by psychologists, so when visitors walk through the center, they can then reflect upon their opinions and some of the things they've learned, and even write down some of their comments for future visitors.

In Cincinnati, I'm Denae D'Arcy for CNN.

O'BRIEN: And now, to Norway -- the thieves who easily got away with two Edvard Munch paintings are teaching authorities a little about the art of stealing. The cheeky thieves stole "The Scream" and "Madonna" in broad daylight at Oslo's Munch Museum yesterday. CNN's Colleen McEdwards has the latest on the stunning seizure that has left the art world aghast.

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COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It happened in broad daylight. Two well-known paintings from Oslo's Munch Museum were simply marched out the door, taking guards and patrons by surprise.

JORUNN CHRISTOPHERSEN, MUNCH MUSEUM SPOKESWOMAN: Persons with hoods on their heads -- they were disguised, and with weapons -- rushed into the museum. And they knew exactly where these paintings were, so they went directly up to them, took them down from the wall, and run out as the alarm came on. And they threatened the guards with guns.

MCEDWARDS: The paintings were worth millions of dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... a man coming forward with a black guard over his mouth and nose, and black pants, but a gray sweatshirt. So we weren't sure what to think of him. And he kind of paused at the back, and then he came rushing forward. And he went towards the "Madonna" painting and he grabbed that off the wall. And he started banging it against the wall and against the ground, I guess because the gray strings were breaking off for him.

And then, he kind of look confused at what to do next. He then say "The Scream" and ran towards that and grabbed that off the wall. And then, he started rushing out the front, and we started rushing out the back.

MCEDWARDS: The picture frames were later found in another part of the city, the canvasses cut out. Investigators are still looking for more clues. Edvard Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, painted four versions of "The Scream." A founder of modern expressionism, he painted both "The Scream" and "Madonna" as part of a series about love, fear, and death.

The best known version of "The Scream" was stolen in 1994 and later recovered. It now hangs in the Oslo National Gallery.

Colleen McEdwards, CNN, Atlanta.

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O'BRIEN: Next on LIVE FROM, is tonight's game safe or out at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field? Crumbling concrete forces the call. And later on LIVE FROM, tarnished gold -- controversy over American gymnast Paul Hamm's medal. Should he give back the gold? And tomorrow on LIVE FROM...

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UNIDENTIFIED MAN: So far, I think they achieved a miracle.

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O'BRIEN: Iraq's dream team -- the soccer team's amazing journey from fear to fame in Athens.

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LIN: Will they play ball at Wrigley Field in Chicago today? It's decision time after concerns about possible structural problems at the 90-year-old ballpark. We get the latest on this story from CNN's Chris Lawrence in Chicago. Not just problems but, frankly, Chris, chunks of concrete falling on people.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, the city made the announcement less than 5 minutes ago. Inspectors found no evidence of shoddy construction work there, so the Cubs will be able to play ball. That sound we're hearing all over the city are the windows closing as those nervous Cubs fans come on back in off the ledges.

The local city alderman had said the inspectors shouldn't find any new problems. Since June, pieces of concrete have fallen from the upper deck at Wrigley at least three separate times, forcing the Cubs to install some protective netting. The Cubs made some repairs to Wrigley's ramps and bleachers back in 2001, but the Cubs admit they were done without the required city permit.

So the city then hired an independent firm to inspect those repairs, and that report came back today. The city has said that protective netting will not be able to be used next year, so the Cubs have to find a permanent solution before the Cubs take the field next spring. But ironically, this is a much smaller battle in a bigger war between Mayor Richard M. Daly and the Tribune Company, which owns both the Chicago Tribune and the Cubs. A while back, a Tribune reporter was questioning Daly about some alleged corruption in terms of city permits. Daly then fired back, saying that the Tribune's taking it easy on the Cubs investigation.

Then the Cubs came back and asked to review safety records at city hall, saying they got a tip on that, the Tribune did. And then, the city shutdown construction at one of the Tribune Company's TV stations, saying it too got a tip -- back and forth, back and forth. So there's been this ongoing war of words between the Tribune Company, the parent of the Chicago Cubs, and the mayor.

What the Cub fans care about, though, is that the Cubs will be able to play ball tonight. Carol...

LIN: Nothing's easy in Chicago, is it, Chris?

LAWRENCE: It's old style politics, old style politics.

LIN: All right, thanks for covering it for us. Miles...

O'BRIEN: Well, as we've been telling you, millions of Americans could feel the effects of the nation's new overtime rules. Rhonda Schaffler, she always works overtime for us. But I'm afraid, as a learned professional, Rhonda, no time and a half for you.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And I'm certainly not alone, Miles, because a lot of people now will no longer be able to collect overtime under these new rules. Keep in mind that employers have been trying to get overtime overhauled for decades. They've been complaining the old rules were out of date, as well as ambiguous. Labor groups, though, are saying the real reason big business is backing the changes is because they'll lower the employers' costs. And as healthcare costs skyrocket, companies, of course, eager to try to pinch pennies where they can.

According to the Labor Department, compensation costs jumped almost 4 percent in the last year; benefits expenses were up 7 percent. Another positive for businesses -- the new rules could limit lawsuits from employees who claim they were cheated out of overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week. And that is because jobs in places like retail, restaurants, and banks are mostly exempt from these overtime rules, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Rhonda, it's amazing to me how little they know about the number of people who might be affected on this. Why is there so much confusion as to -- at one point, you go from maybe 100,000 to maybe 6 million people affected.

SCHAFFLER: That's right. I mean, they have some sense of knowing that over 100,000 people who make more than $100,000 a year are not going to be impacted. But there's a real dispute over how many people are going to fall under what category. So there's still a gray area for people in the middle of the wage earners, if you will. If you make under a little less than $25,000, you know that overtime is OK.

But there's a number of tests that have to be met by employers and employees. So it's still one of these issues that's just now getting put in place. But it seems that there are going to be a lot of questions as this is being implemented, and a lot of challenges potentially too.

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