Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Look at Politics and Practical Aspects of Crowd Control; Luke Jensen on Tennis
Aired August 27, 2004 - 13:30 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: Democrat John Kerry trying to win over undecided voters in California today. Kerry's calling for a crackdown on some credit card-lending practices that he says have contributed to Americans' debt. He's pitching his idea at a town hall meeting in Daly City, California today. Running mate John Edwards also talking pocketbook issues at his own town hall meeting in Missouri.
George Bush, meanwhile, goes from the southwest to southeast in his whirlwind campaign swing that leads up to the Republican convention in New York. He holds a rally in Miami today, and plans to ask Congress for more money for victims of Hurricane Charley.
Drama, spectacle, maybe even conflict, are coming to Manhattan next week. Not in the RNC, but outside, in some cases, way outside, the meeting site where protesters are planning to protest. And police are planning to step in, if need be.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve looks at the politics and practical aspects of crowd control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was another war, Vietnam, that brought protesters to the streets outside the Chicago Democratic convention in 1968. The violence there and elsewhere has led police to adopt a different approach to demonstrators.
JEFFREY KERN, VANCE INTERNATIONAL DECISION STRATEGIES: It's based upon not on force, but a practical level on advance work, preparation and intelligence, finding out how many -- exactly how many people are expected, what are their goals, what do they want to accomplish?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isolate, isolate, isolate, isolate, isolate...
MESERVE: In New York, the preparation has included drills with mock protesters and information-gathering using the Internet and undercover operations.
COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE: Maybe as many as 1,000 or 1,500 people will come here bent on causing a problem.
MESERVE: The most violence protesters bring their own tactics and tools, including these dangerous wrist rockets. Police say they will move quickly to isolate and arrest troublemakers.
ASST. CHIEF JACK MCMANUS, NEW YORK POLICE: How tough we will be? When you have a large group of people that disrupt either pedestrian or vehicular traffic or destroy property, there's not a lot of time for diplomacy there. So we're prepared to move in very quickly and effect arrests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important not to block traffic on a sidewalk or street as well.
MESERVE: Mainstream protest groups are training legal observers to monitor a police force that in the past has been accused of trying to limit protests and free speech, for instance, with the use of pens.
DONNA LIEBERMAN, N.Y. CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: The police have the right to regulate to protect the law and order. But they don't have a right to turn you into a prisoner simply because you're exercising your right to protest.
MESERVE: Estimates of the number of protesters in New York range into the hundreds of thousands. The vast majority are expected to be peaceful. But the NYPD says it is ready for whatever the next week may bring.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Well, cancel all your plans on Sunday, or at least set your TiVo, as our grand old coverage begins with "CNN PRESENTS: THE MISSION OF GEORGE W. BUSH," 8:00 p.m. Eastern, followed by a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 Eastern, and then "AMERICA VOTES 2004," with Wolf Blitzer, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 pacific. All that right here on CNN.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: News across America now. New York City has one less lawbreaker on its hands. The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it's dropping a disorderly conduct charge against Mike Wallace. TLC says the inspector who put the newsman in handcuffs during an altercation this month wasn't even authorized to write out a summons.
Cleaning out California, the state's holding the mother of all garage sales this weekend. It was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's idea to get rid of that stuff. It was just collecting dust. Workers went through state warehouses, sorting through thousands of items. Bargain hunters can find everything from cars and computers to airplane engines and espresso machines.
And this dog, Sugar, is alive after an alligator attack, thanks to the bravery of its owner. When Matthew Goff of Gainesville, Florida saw the fix-foot gator grab Sugar, well, he knew he had to act. Goff jumped up on the gator's back, stabbed it with a pen knife in the throat and in the eye. Goff and Sugar were both scratched up, but weren't hurt seriously. Giving back the gold? Paul Hamm is being asked to give up his winning medal. We're going to tell you how the U.S. Olympic Committee is reacting to this request.
Plus, picking favorites in the U.S. Open. Can Andy Roddick defend his title? We're going to talk with tennis star Luke Jensen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The International Gymnastics Federation is asking American Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal. At issue, a clerical error by the judges. South Korea's Yang Tae-young was wrongly docked a 10th of a point in the men's all-around competition. Now, if the degree of difficulty of his routine had been correctly factored, he would have won gold instead of Hamm. Instead he got a bronze.
Well, now the FIG, as it's known, as it is known, is asking the U.S. Olympic team, to deliver Hamm a letter, asking him to hand over the medal to Yang. The fig says it would be the ultimate show of sportsmanship. The U.S. Olympic Committee says it won't deliver that message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER UEBERROTH, USOC CHAIRMAN: We've reviewed the action of the International Gymnastics Federation, and we think it's deplorable. They're deflecting their own incompetence and their problem to a young athlete who simply came here to compete in the Olympic Games. He competed very, very well, he was awarded a gold medal, and they continue to cause him grief, and we're here to back him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Now, Hamm said he won't give up his medal unless he's ordered to do so by the FIG.
The other controversy at the games, that doping scandal. A record 20 athletes have been expelled from the Games. The latest is Russian 400-meter runner Anton Galkin. The International Olympic Committee says Galkin tested positive for steroids after his run in the 400 semifinals.
PHILLIPS: All right, some big name tennis stars didn't fare so well at the Olympics. To talk about that, and of course to preview next week's U.S. Open, Luke Jensen, ESPN analyst, and former pro tennis player. He joins us from New York.
Good to see you, Luke.
LUKE JENSEN, ESPN ANALYST: Nice to see you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I see you've upgraded from the orange wooden racket to a graphite.
JENSEN: Yes, but I need strings. Look at this! I've got nothing. PHILLIPS: Oh, it's like, "I see Luke. I see Kyra." We're going back to "Romper Room" days.
JENSEN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Hey, I want to talk tennis, but just real quickly, would you ever give up your gold?
JENSEN: Absolutely not. In tennis, especially my sport, umpires and linespeople -- especially according to John McEnroe -- they make mistakes. They're human. Same thing happened in the gymnastics situation. He went -- Hamm competed fairly and squarely against the other competitors, and he came out on top.
When you have humans judging, bad things are going to happen.
PHILLIPS: Yes, he shouldn't be roped into this.
All right, now let's talk tennis. Big names that didn't do so well -- I mean, unbelievable: Andy Roddick, Roger Federer -- they just got spanked. What happened?
JENSEN: In my opinion, burnout. Andy Roddick has had a very long season, running up to the Olympics. And that added pressure -- we have four majors a year, but only one Olympiad every four years. And there's so much pressure on Roger Federer from Switzerland. So much is expected of the top players, like the Dream Team in basketball, that they get tight, they choke.
PHILLIPS: Wow. What about Venus Williams? Taking a look at the female side of things -- that was kind of a surprise, too.
JENSEN: Yes, number 11 seed now. In my opinion, the way Venus has been playing, she's not really hitting that forehand well. She's moving OK and she's working hard, but the second serve, that's always been a problem. It is causing her to hit a lot of double faults. It's going to be interesting how she makes it through the U.S. Open.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, let me ask you about -- this sort of surprised me: Chile -- and tell me if I'm saying his name right, Nicolas Massu?
JENSEN: Massu, that's right.
PHILLIPS: Massu -- he's got the Massu look. Two gold medals -- did this surprise you, or was this someone that you were sort of watching?
JENSEN: It was a huge surprise, especially on this fast, hard court surface. He's a clay courter. He's got the big hair -- have you seen that big hair? He gets a big 'fro when he goes out at night.
PHILLIPS: You had big hair, too, pal...
JENSEN: No, no, not anymore.
PHILLIPS: ... until you cut it.
JENSEN: It's all short now. That's right.
But the thing is, he's got a beautiful game: a nice forehand; can come to the net every once in a while. Singles and doubles gold medalist, out of nowhere -- now he's a national hero in Chile.
PHILLIPS: Chile. And they've got great wine, too.
All right, moving over to the U.S. Open, is this someone we're going to be watching there?
JENSEN: I think he's a dark horse. When you look at the U.S. Open, defending champion Andy Roddick is, in my opinion, the favorite. He's got a huge 153 mile an hour serve. On the other side, the number one seed, Roger Federer, has a beautiful, classic game.
If you want to learn the game of tennis, you've got to watch Roger Federer. Beautiful backhand, hits different spins, he thinks out there. He's a classic. So, it's fun to watch him.
PHILLIPS: Do you think the stress levels are different: Olympics versus U.S. Open? Do you think these type of players perform differently in the different venues?
JENSEN: There's no doubt about it. In tennis, you get used to the guys around you. You get used to the surroundings. Remember, we play four majors, so you're always in kind of a big event.
The Olympics, you get in there, and you've got other athletes from basketball to rowing to synchronized diving representing their country. It's overwhelming. And even for tennis players that play for millions of dollars, it's a huge stress thing. Roger Federer said he was mentally burned out when he reached the Olympics and didn't perform well.
PHILLIPS: Wow. Justine Henin-Hardenne. Am I saying that name right -- this Belgian tennis player? Say it.
JENSEN: Yes, Justine Henin-Hardenne.
PHILLIPS: Hardenne. OK, very good. I've got to work on the Chile and, you know, the Belgian. Let's talk about her.
JENSEN: Massu!
PHILLIPS: Massu! Luke Jensen -- that's much easier.
Tell me about her.
JENSEN: In my opinion, Justine Henin-Hardenne is a classic like Roger Federer. A small girl -- about 5'6", 5'7", with a beautiful one-hand backhand, can slice the ball, can come to the net. She's been fighting a viral infection throughout the year. She's the defending U.S. Open champion. She just won the gold medal in Athens. What a beautiful player that works very hard in the gym and on the practice court.
PHILLIPS: All right. Venus, you think she's going to do better in the U.S. Open?
JENSEN: It's going to be interesting. I think other stories like Lindsay Davenport -- 28 years old, she's done very well since Wimbledon, winning four tournaments. She's very hot right now.
How's Serena going to be? She has a bad left wheel. But all those stars are going to be at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day tomorrow -- free for kids, 9:00 to 11:00. So, it's going to be a lot of fun to get autographs. You're going to see all these stars practicing and getting ready for the big tournament. I'll be at the Navigate Your Court Shot, so you can learn forehands and backhands with me -- with strings.
PHILLIPS: Oh, nice. Why don't you come to Atlanta? We all need some help out here.
Any unknowns? Any -- real quickly, anybody, maybe, that you're -- kind of like the Massu surprise? Any sort of surprises in the U.S. Open, maybe?
JENSEN: Well, anyone Russian on the women's side. Sharapova came out of nowhere to win Wimbledon -- 17-years-old, a Kournikova, supermodel looks, but with a lot of game. Myskina, another Russian, who won the French Open.
On the men's side, look for 34-year-old Andre Agassi. It's hard to believe that he's an outsider, but he is so skilled and is starting to come back from injury, playing very strong.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be -- I wish we had a picture of the 17-year-old. My director's saying she's quite a hottie. Maybe we'll have to -- we'll bring that back in the break.
JENSEN: We'll get an autograph for him.
PHILLIPS: Hey, perfect. Make it out to Scott.
Thank you, Luke.
JENSEN: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, we'll catch up with you later -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: We've been telling you this morning that the president of the United States is poised to sign into law some changes for the way the Central Intelligence Agency operates. All this in the wake of those 9/11 Commission findings on strengthening the hand of U.S. intelligence.
Our national security correspondent David Ensor has been looking into the details on all of this. Lots of blanks to fill in, and David's pretty good at doing just that. David, go ahead. DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Miles, knowledgeable sources are telling me that the executive order from the president strengthens the hand of the director of Central Intelligence while falling well short of the changes proposed by the 9/11 Commission.
U.S. officials are saying the changes are an interim step prior to legislation, which the Bush administration will propose next month, creating a National Intelligence Director with greater powers.
Among the changes, sources are saying: one, there's an executive order saying that the DCI, the director of Central Intelligence, can, quote, "determine the budgets of intelligence agencies," like the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Organization, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. These are agencies whose budgets currently come under Pentagon purview.
The order also gives the DCI, for the first time, a role in setting budget priorities from some other parts of the intelligence budget -- joint military intelligence programs, that are known by the bureaucrats as JMIP and TIARA. So, he has a seat at that table now.
There's also an order creating a new National Counterterrorism Center, which would absorb the CIA's new TTIC, Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and add to it personnel to be drawn from the CIA's Counterterrorism Center.
Now, some officials are complaining that these measures that are being taken by executive orders do not go far enough. One complained to me that they're designed to create the appearance of doing something to respond to 9/11 Commissions without, quote, "really doing anything meaningful." But another source is saying that the steps, while limited, do, indeed, strengthen the nation's top intelligence officer, though more will be needed.
Behind the scenes, of course, is a powerful turf battle, which is going on between the intelligence chiefs on the one hand and the Pentagon on the other. And that battle is mirrored on Capitol Hill by a battle between Oversight Committee chairmen. The real test, though, of how serious President Bush is about intelligence reform -- all agree on this -- will be what he puts into the proposed legislation, as he's expected to make public next month -- Miles?
O'BRIEN: And the thing to watch in that, like anything in Washington, is hiring and firing authority and control over budgets, correct?
ENSOR: That's exactly right. Where's the money? Follow the money. Who has control of the budgets? Who can move money around from one program to another? Do they have to get someone's say so, or can they just do it? That's the question here.
O'BRIEN: All right. David Ensor, watching it for us. Thank you very much.
Back with more LIVE FROM in just a moment. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, at the Republican convention in New York, there will be people on the inside and outside fighting to get their messages heard. There's one group of kids, though, who want the whole nation to hear what they have to say.
Jason Carroll has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As final preparations get under way for the Republican National Convention, not far away from that site another convention has just wrapped up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the first ever National Homeless Children's convention.
CARROLL: Much smaller than the one at Madison Square Garden, it lasted for just a day.
J.R. BENNETT, HOMELESS: To rebuild shelters is just -- you're just adding to the problem.
CARROLL: This convention, sponsored by an organization called Coalition for the Homeless, is designed to help homeless children. J.R. Bennett is one of the driving forces behind the idea.
BENNETT: There's a war right here called homelessness.
CARROLL: J.R. is just a teenager, although it might not be obvious from the maturity of his poetry.
BENNETT: But on the dark side of the flag, what you do not see is this country is not yet free. Around the time I wrote it, like around last summer, like I was -- I was -- I had just moved into another shelter.
CARROLL: J.R. is 16 years old, and looks like many teenagers you might see on the street. But unlike most, he has been homeless for as long as he can remember.
BENNETT Everybody like is -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) myself, and it forced me to push my -- I pushed myself in kind of like an isolation.
CARROLL: While J.R. was a baby, his father lost his job after staying home to care for JR's ailing mother. She later died from her illness.
JR and his father spent years living in and out of shelters. He grew tired of the system and turned from being inward to helping others like him. And J.R. says his age works for him.
BENNETT: I haven't necessarily, say, picked a side. Like, to everything there's a side. Like say when we have the Democrats, Republicans. I haven't necessarily said that I'm on a side. It's just I'm speaking out, saying, you know, enough is enough.
CARROLL: During a typical year, 1.4 million children like JR are homeless. He hopes the convention will help raise awareness. He says he'll keep putting his face out there to speak to Republicans, Democrats, anyone who will listen.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: All right, Rhonda, thanks so much. Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, the price tag for hosting one of the biggest political parties of the year. We're going to break down the multimillion dollar bill just for you. LIVE FROM's hour of power begins right after this.
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 August 27, 2004 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Democrat John Kerry trying to win over undecided voters in California today. Kerry's calling for a crackdown on some credit card-lending practices that he says have contributed to Americans' debt. He's pitching his idea at a town hall meeting in Daly City, California today. Running mate John Edwards also talking pocketbook issues at his own town hall meeting in Missouri.
George Bush, meanwhile, goes from the southwest to southeast in his whirlwind campaign swing that leads up to the Republican convention in New York. He holds a rally in Miami today, and plans to ask Congress for more money for victims of Hurricane Charley.
Drama, spectacle, maybe even conflict, are coming to Manhattan next week. Not in the RNC, but outside, in some cases, way outside, the meeting site where protesters are planning to protest. And police are planning to step in, if need be.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve looks at the politics and practical aspects of crowd control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was another war, Vietnam, that brought protesters to the streets outside the Chicago Democratic convention in 1968. The violence there and elsewhere has led police to adopt a different approach to demonstrators.
JEFFREY KERN, VANCE INTERNATIONAL DECISION STRATEGIES: It's based upon not on force, but a practical level on advance work, preparation and intelligence, finding out how many -- exactly how many people are expected, what are their goals, what do they want to accomplish?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isolate, isolate, isolate, isolate, isolate...
MESERVE: In New York, the preparation has included drills with mock protesters and information-gathering using the Internet and undercover operations.
COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE: Maybe as many as 1,000 or 1,500 people will come here bent on causing a problem.
MESERVE: The most violence protesters bring their own tactics and tools, including these dangerous wrist rockets. Police say they will move quickly to isolate and arrest troublemakers.
ASST. CHIEF JACK MCMANUS, NEW YORK POLICE: How tough we will be? When you have a large group of people that disrupt either pedestrian or vehicular traffic or destroy property, there's not a lot of time for diplomacy there. So we're prepared to move in very quickly and effect arrests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important not to block traffic on a sidewalk or street as well.
MESERVE: Mainstream protest groups are training legal observers to monitor a police force that in the past has been accused of trying to limit protests and free speech, for instance, with the use of pens.
DONNA LIEBERMAN, N.Y. CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: The police have the right to regulate to protect the law and order. But they don't have a right to turn you into a prisoner simply because you're exercising your right to protest.
MESERVE: Estimates of the number of protesters in New York range into the hundreds of thousands. The vast majority are expected to be peaceful. But the NYPD says it is ready for whatever the next week may bring.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Well, cancel all your plans on Sunday, or at least set your TiVo, as our grand old coverage begins with "CNN PRESENTS: THE MISSION OF GEORGE W. BUSH," 8:00 p.m. Eastern, followed by a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 Eastern, and then "AMERICA VOTES 2004," with Wolf Blitzer, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 pacific. All that right here on CNN.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: News across America now. New York City has one less lawbreaker on its hands. The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it's dropping a disorderly conduct charge against Mike Wallace. TLC says the inspector who put the newsman in handcuffs during an altercation this month wasn't even authorized to write out a summons.
Cleaning out California, the state's holding the mother of all garage sales this weekend. It was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's idea to get rid of that stuff. It was just collecting dust. Workers went through state warehouses, sorting through thousands of items. Bargain hunters can find everything from cars and computers to airplane engines and espresso machines.
And this dog, Sugar, is alive after an alligator attack, thanks to the bravery of its owner. When Matthew Goff of Gainesville, Florida saw the fix-foot gator grab Sugar, well, he knew he had to act. Goff jumped up on the gator's back, stabbed it with a pen knife in the throat and in the eye. Goff and Sugar were both scratched up, but weren't hurt seriously. Giving back the gold? Paul Hamm is being asked to give up his winning medal. We're going to tell you how the U.S. Olympic Committee is reacting to this request.
Plus, picking favorites in the U.S. Open. Can Andy Roddick defend his title? We're going to talk with tennis star Luke Jensen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The International Gymnastics Federation is asking American Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal. At issue, a clerical error by the judges. South Korea's Yang Tae-young was wrongly docked a 10th of a point in the men's all-around competition. Now, if the degree of difficulty of his routine had been correctly factored, he would have won gold instead of Hamm. Instead he got a bronze.
Well, now the FIG, as it's known, as it is known, is asking the U.S. Olympic team, to deliver Hamm a letter, asking him to hand over the medal to Yang. The fig says it would be the ultimate show of sportsmanship. The U.S. Olympic Committee says it won't deliver that message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER UEBERROTH, USOC CHAIRMAN: We've reviewed the action of the International Gymnastics Federation, and we think it's deplorable. They're deflecting their own incompetence and their problem to a young athlete who simply came here to compete in the Olympic Games. He competed very, very well, he was awarded a gold medal, and they continue to cause him grief, and we're here to back him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Now, Hamm said he won't give up his medal unless he's ordered to do so by the FIG.
The other controversy at the games, that doping scandal. A record 20 athletes have been expelled from the Games. The latest is Russian 400-meter runner Anton Galkin. The International Olympic Committee says Galkin tested positive for steroids after his run in the 400 semifinals.
PHILLIPS: All right, some big name tennis stars didn't fare so well at the Olympics. To talk about that, and of course to preview next week's U.S. Open, Luke Jensen, ESPN analyst, and former pro tennis player. He joins us from New York.
Good to see you, Luke.
LUKE JENSEN, ESPN ANALYST: Nice to see you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I see you've upgraded from the orange wooden racket to a graphite.
JENSEN: Yes, but I need strings. Look at this! I've got nothing. PHILLIPS: Oh, it's like, "I see Luke. I see Kyra." We're going back to "Romper Room" days.
JENSEN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Hey, I want to talk tennis, but just real quickly, would you ever give up your gold?
JENSEN: Absolutely not. In tennis, especially my sport, umpires and linespeople -- especially according to John McEnroe -- they make mistakes. They're human. Same thing happened in the gymnastics situation. He went -- Hamm competed fairly and squarely against the other competitors, and he came out on top.
When you have humans judging, bad things are going to happen.
PHILLIPS: Yes, he shouldn't be roped into this.
All right, now let's talk tennis. Big names that didn't do so well -- I mean, unbelievable: Andy Roddick, Roger Federer -- they just got spanked. What happened?
JENSEN: In my opinion, burnout. Andy Roddick has had a very long season, running up to the Olympics. And that added pressure -- we have four majors a year, but only one Olympiad every four years. And there's so much pressure on Roger Federer from Switzerland. So much is expected of the top players, like the Dream Team in basketball, that they get tight, they choke.
PHILLIPS: Wow. What about Venus Williams? Taking a look at the female side of things -- that was kind of a surprise, too.
JENSEN: Yes, number 11 seed now. In my opinion, the way Venus has been playing, she's not really hitting that forehand well. She's moving OK and she's working hard, but the second serve, that's always been a problem. It is causing her to hit a lot of double faults. It's going to be interesting how she makes it through the U.S. Open.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, let me ask you about -- this sort of surprised me: Chile -- and tell me if I'm saying his name right, Nicolas Massu?
JENSEN: Massu, that's right.
PHILLIPS: Massu -- he's got the Massu look. Two gold medals -- did this surprise you, or was this someone that you were sort of watching?
JENSEN: It was a huge surprise, especially on this fast, hard court surface. He's a clay courter. He's got the big hair -- have you seen that big hair? He gets a big 'fro when he goes out at night.
PHILLIPS: You had big hair, too, pal...
JENSEN: No, no, not anymore.
PHILLIPS: ... until you cut it.
JENSEN: It's all short now. That's right.
But the thing is, he's got a beautiful game: a nice forehand; can come to the net every once in a while. Singles and doubles gold medalist, out of nowhere -- now he's a national hero in Chile.
PHILLIPS: Chile. And they've got great wine, too.
All right, moving over to the U.S. Open, is this someone we're going to be watching there?
JENSEN: I think he's a dark horse. When you look at the U.S. Open, defending champion Andy Roddick is, in my opinion, the favorite. He's got a huge 153 mile an hour serve. On the other side, the number one seed, Roger Federer, has a beautiful, classic game.
If you want to learn the game of tennis, you've got to watch Roger Federer. Beautiful backhand, hits different spins, he thinks out there. He's a classic. So, it's fun to watch him.
PHILLIPS: Do you think the stress levels are different: Olympics versus U.S. Open? Do you think these type of players perform differently in the different venues?
JENSEN: There's no doubt about it. In tennis, you get used to the guys around you. You get used to the surroundings. Remember, we play four majors, so you're always in kind of a big event.
The Olympics, you get in there, and you've got other athletes from basketball to rowing to synchronized diving representing their country. It's overwhelming. And even for tennis players that play for millions of dollars, it's a huge stress thing. Roger Federer said he was mentally burned out when he reached the Olympics and didn't perform well.
PHILLIPS: Wow. Justine Henin-Hardenne. Am I saying that name right -- this Belgian tennis player? Say it.
JENSEN: Yes, Justine Henin-Hardenne.
PHILLIPS: Hardenne. OK, very good. I've got to work on the Chile and, you know, the Belgian. Let's talk about her.
JENSEN: Massu!
PHILLIPS: Massu! Luke Jensen -- that's much easier.
Tell me about her.
JENSEN: In my opinion, Justine Henin-Hardenne is a classic like Roger Federer. A small girl -- about 5'6", 5'7", with a beautiful one-hand backhand, can slice the ball, can come to the net. She's been fighting a viral infection throughout the year. She's the defending U.S. Open champion. She just won the gold medal in Athens. What a beautiful player that works very hard in the gym and on the practice court.
PHILLIPS: All right. Venus, you think she's going to do better in the U.S. Open?
JENSEN: It's going to be interesting. I think other stories like Lindsay Davenport -- 28 years old, she's done very well since Wimbledon, winning four tournaments. She's very hot right now.
How's Serena going to be? She has a bad left wheel. But all those stars are going to be at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day tomorrow -- free for kids, 9:00 to 11:00. So, it's going to be a lot of fun to get autographs. You're going to see all these stars practicing and getting ready for the big tournament. I'll be at the Navigate Your Court Shot, so you can learn forehands and backhands with me -- with strings.
PHILLIPS: Oh, nice. Why don't you come to Atlanta? We all need some help out here.
Any unknowns? Any -- real quickly, anybody, maybe, that you're -- kind of like the Massu surprise? Any sort of surprises in the U.S. Open, maybe?
JENSEN: Well, anyone Russian on the women's side. Sharapova came out of nowhere to win Wimbledon -- 17-years-old, a Kournikova, supermodel looks, but with a lot of game. Myskina, another Russian, who won the French Open.
On the men's side, look for 34-year-old Andre Agassi. It's hard to believe that he's an outsider, but he is so skilled and is starting to come back from injury, playing very strong.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be -- I wish we had a picture of the 17-year-old. My director's saying she's quite a hottie. Maybe we'll have to -- we'll bring that back in the break.
JENSEN: We'll get an autograph for him.
PHILLIPS: Hey, perfect. Make it out to Scott.
Thank you, Luke.
JENSEN: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, we'll catch up with you later -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: We've been telling you this morning that the president of the United States is poised to sign into law some changes for the way the Central Intelligence Agency operates. All this in the wake of those 9/11 Commission findings on strengthening the hand of U.S. intelligence.
Our national security correspondent David Ensor has been looking into the details on all of this. Lots of blanks to fill in, and David's pretty good at doing just that. David, go ahead. DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Miles, knowledgeable sources are telling me that the executive order from the president strengthens the hand of the director of Central Intelligence while falling well short of the changes proposed by the 9/11 Commission.
U.S. officials are saying the changes are an interim step prior to legislation, which the Bush administration will propose next month, creating a National Intelligence Director with greater powers.
Among the changes, sources are saying: one, there's an executive order saying that the DCI, the director of Central Intelligence, can, quote, "determine the budgets of intelligence agencies," like the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Organization, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. These are agencies whose budgets currently come under Pentagon purview.
The order also gives the DCI, for the first time, a role in setting budget priorities from some other parts of the intelligence budget -- joint military intelligence programs, that are known by the bureaucrats as JMIP and TIARA. So, he has a seat at that table now.
There's also an order creating a new National Counterterrorism Center, which would absorb the CIA's new TTIC, Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and add to it personnel to be drawn from the CIA's Counterterrorism Center.
Now, some officials are complaining that these measures that are being taken by executive orders do not go far enough. One complained to me that they're designed to create the appearance of doing something to respond to 9/11 Commissions without, quote, "really doing anything meaningful." But another source is saying that the steps, while limited, do, indeed, strengthen the nation's top intelligence officer, though more will be needed.
Behind the scenes, of course, is a powerful turf battle, which is going on between the intelligence chiefs on the one hand and the Pentagon on the other. And that battle is mirrored on Capitol Hill by a battle between Oversight Committee chairmen. The real test, though, of how serious President Bush is about intelligence reform -- all agree on this -- will be what he puts into the proposed legislation, as he's expected to make public next month -- Miles?
O'BRIEN: And the thing to watch in that, like anything in Washington, is hiring and firing authority and control over budgets, correct?
ENSOR: That's exactly right. Where's the money? Follow the money. Who has control of the budgets? Who can move money around from one program to another? Do they have to get someone's say so, or can they just do it? That's the question here.
O'BRIEN: All right. David Ensor, watching it for us. Thank you very much.
Back with more LIVE FROM in just a moment. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, at the Republican convention in New York, there will be people on the inside and outside fighting to get their messages heard. There's one group of kids, though, who want the whole nation to hear what they have to say.
Jason Carroll has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As final preparations get under way for the Republican National Convention, not far away from that site another convention has just wrapped up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the first ever National Homeless Children's convention.
CARROLL: Much smaller than the one at Madison Square Garden, it lasted for just a day.
J.R. BENNETT, HOMELESS: To rebuild shelters is just -- you're just adding to the problem.
CARROLL: This convention, sponsored by an organization called Coalition for the Homeless, is designed to help homeless children. J.R. Bennett is one of the driving forces behind the idea.
BENNETT: There's a war right here called homelessness.
CARROLL: J.R. is just a teenager, although it might not be obvious from the maturity of his poetry.
BENNETT: But on the dark side of the flag, what you do not see is this country is not yet free. Around the time I wrote it, like around last summer, like I was -- I was -- I had just moved into another shelter.
CARROLL: J.R. is 16 years old, and looks like many teenagers you might see on the street. But unlike most, he has been homeless for as long as he can remember.
BENNETT Everybody like is -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) myself, and it forced me to push my -- I pushed myself in kind of like an isolation.
CARROLL: While J.R. was a baby, his father lost his job after staying home to care for JR's ailing mother. She later died from her illness.
JR and his father spent years living in and out of shelters. He grew tired of the system and turned from being inward to helping others like him. And J.R. says his age works for him.
BENNETT: I haven't necessarily, say, picked a side. Like, to everything there's a side. Like say when we have the Democrats, Republicans. I haven't necessarily said that I'm on a side. It's just I'm speaking out, saying, you know, enough is enough.
CARROLL: During a typical year, 1.4 million children like JR are homeless. He hopes the convention will help raise awareness. He says he'll keep putting his face out there to speak to Republicans, Democrats, anyone who will listen.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: All right, Rhonda, thanks so much. Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, the price tag for hosting one of the biggest political parties of the year. We're going to break down the multimillion dollar bill just for you. LIVE FROM's hour of power begins right after this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
