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Florida Prepares for Hurricane Ivan; Science Rescued from Crashed NASA Capsule; Assault Weapons Ban to Expire; Dresses Big for Spring

Aired September 10, 2004 - 14:30   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM, and I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's what's all new this half our.

The clock is ticking on the assault weapons ban. We'll explain why certain types of outlawed guns will be legal again next week.

WHITFIELD: Will one parachute malfunction destroy a multi- million dollar NASA mission? We'll find out if crucial solar material can be covered from the damaged space capsule.

PHILLIPS: And you may have just started packing away those summer clothes, but the Big Apple is thinking spring. We're going to take a turn down the catwalk for a preview of what you might be wearing in 2005.

But here's what's happening now in the news.

WHITFIELD: Jamaica braces for Ivan: The powerful Category 4 hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight or early Saturday. Forecasters say Ivan could follow various paths but will likely move over the Florida Keys and into the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

PHILLIPS: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterates the U.S. will continue to take to the fight against terrorists. He has just finished addressing the National Press Club in Washington on the eve of the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

He described Iraq and Afghanistan as free and liberated countries. He said he's confident Iraqi elections will go ahead as scheduled for January.

WHITFIELD: And in Iraq, policemen taken hostage. Al-Jazeera Television reports four police officers were taken by militants in Najaf. The kidnappers have threatened to kill the men in 72 hours.

In Baghdad, four people dressed as Iraqi National Guard members attacked a Baghdad police station and took a police officer there hostage. Officials believe the kidnappers may be the same people who abducted two Italian aide workers.

PHILLIPS: Well, with millions of Floridians still reeling from the one-two punch of Charley and Frances, the question they're now asking is, "Where will Ivan go?"

Some computer models have the storm sweeping over the west coast of the peninsula, hitting cities like Tampa and St. Petersburg. Rick Baker is the mayor of St. Pete. He joins us now by telephone.

Mayor, how's it -- how are you doing so far?

RICK BAKER, MAYOR OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA: We're doing fine, Kyra. In fact, I'm at the emergency operations center right now. We've been discussing what we're going to do as we prepare in case this one's coming our way.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's go back a little bit to the other hurricanes and kind of set the scene for us on what St. Pete is dealing with right now.

BAKER: Well, the first hurricane, Charley, of course, was heading right our way much in the similar track as Ivan is going right now. And right up until a few hours before landfall it was supposed to -- it was scheduled to be going right into St. Petersburg.

And if course, as you know, it took an eastern turn and went into Port Charlotte.

We really didn't get much damage as a result of it, but we had been pretty geared up. And we sent a lot of our emergency folks to help with the cleanup afterwards and police and fire down in Fort Charlotte.

As far as Frances is concerned, that one came up from the Atlantic, came across and that was also bee lining towards St. Pete and kind of took a northern turn right before it came here and then went out in the Gulf of Mexico just to the north of St. Petersburg.

We got quite a bit of flooding as a result of that and some wind damage, a lot of power outage, but -- but it could have been a lot worse.

PHILLIPS: Well, from what you experienced in the past couple of weeks, has it caused you to do anything differently now as this third storm is coming through?

BAKER: Well, one thing I think we're seeing is in the past, I think, as hurricanes would come about, I think the public was probably more complacent than they were right now. I don't think they weren't quite as focused.

I know when we tell folks to evacuate, they actually evacuate. I think they've seen what's happened with Frances. They've seen what's happened with Charley. And I think the public is very responsive.

We've seen people starting to make their preparations, you know, boarding up their homes and getting ready to evacuate if that evacuation order goes.

And of course, we, as a city, are absolutely prepared. We've had a lot of conversations, I had, with Governor Bush, who's done a great job in all these storms. And as a city we are absolutely prepared for whatever comes our way.

PHILLIPS: Well, I know you've been also offering free debris removal, which is a pretty nice move.

Rick Baker, mayor of St. Pete. We'll check in with you again, thanks, Mayor.

BAKER: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, it may be a mangled mess, but all is not lost. NASA has found some materials in tact inside the Genesis space capsule. Genesis crashed to earth on Wednesday, you'll remember. But scientists now believe that they'll be able to meet many, if not all, of the mission's science goals.

Now, our space correspondent, and of course, my fellow LIVE FROM best friend and anchor, Miles O'Brien, with the details.

What were we saying? It kind of swallowed solar wind. You might have gotten ahead of yourself, Miles. You thought everything was destroyed.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: In my zeal to stay ahead of the story, I might have gotten a little too far ahead of the facts, Kyra.

Because what we all saw, well, you just saw it a few minutes ago: 193 miles an hour straight into the salt flats of Utah on a device, a capsule that was deemed so fragile that it couldn't even land at 8 miles an hour assisted by parachute, had to be scooped up by a hook, dangling from a helicopter. Instead, it did what you see right here.

But the good news is, that even though this was not intended, the desert floor there, those salt flats, offered a nice cushion for the well-engineered capsule, which contained these very fragile wafers which, for about 800 days captured pieces of the solar wind, which contained the very fundamental building blocks of our solar system. For scientists, this is a very exciting thing, can answer some fundamental riddles.

Turns out after going through the wreckage, as they have, very painstakingly, two out of the three clusters of those wafers are in tact and, apparently, have not been contaminated by Earth's atmosphere.

Last hour I spoke with the NASA administrator, Sean O'Keefe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: It's just a testimonial fact. This is a pretty rugged piece of machinery to withstand this 200 mile- an-hour impact out there in Utah.

So, it's -- it was an inelegant landing. Fortunately, we weren't looking for any Olympic style points on the way it looked on the way in. But at least the results may -- and the whole objective of what the science mission was about, which is the whole purpose of the whole program in the first place, may actually have some returns we're proud of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The location was chosen because it's an Air Force test range, the largest hunk of restricted air space in the continental U.S. It's about, well, 1.5 times the size of Rhode Island.

As it turns out, the fact that the ground there was rather forgiving might have made it an ideal choice -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Miles. See you on Monday?

O'BRIEN: We'll see you then.

PHILLIPS: All right -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, in other news across America now, a powerful explosion turns this Ukrainian church into splinters. Authorities in Colchester, Connecticut, say the blast sent debris flying hundreds of feet. A small statue of the Virgin Mary was found standing in the rubble. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. No one was hurt.

Letters from prison with dangerous intentions. Booby-trapped letters from a Nevada state prison have been sent to governors in Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. And just today Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney received such a letter. They were rigged with matches set to ignite when opened. There are no reports of injuries.

And on Capitol Hill, it's being called a rare victory for middle class Americans. The House blocks a controversial amendment that would change rules for overtime pay. Several Republicans joined Democrats in striking down the amendment, voting 223 to 193. The Senate has yet to take up the bill -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ten years after it became law, the federal ban on assault weapons is about to become history. It's set to expire Monday, despite a call to action by gun control activists, some politicians and even a contingent of law enforcement leaders.

CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the assault weapons ban set to expire, gun control supporters say a decade of progress is coming to an end.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've seen the supply of these guns on the street dry up.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: We know that there is traffic between terrorists and assault weapons.

JOHNS: Underscoring that point, that terrorists could get easier access to more weapons, explosive newspaper ads by the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence are set to run in New York and Washington, accusing the president of blocking a renewal of the ban.

But President Bush says he'll sign one. Democrats question why he hasn't pressured House Republicans to produce one.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: He only need pick up the phone and call Tom DeLay, and the bill would be on the floor.

JOHNS: One recent poll suggests an overwhelming majority of the public supports the ban, but congressional leaders say they have no plan to bring it up for renewal.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It's a feel-good piece of legislation, and all it does is punish those -- those people that are -- that live by the law and does nothing to keep assault weapons -- assault weapons out of the hands of criminals.

JOHNS (on camera): If the president asked you to bring it up, would you put it on the floor?

DELAY: No I would not. There are not the votes to pass the bill. If the president asked me, I would tell him the same thing.

JOHNS: So, why aren't the votes there if the ban has so much support? For one thing, members of Congress from areas where gun ownership is high, tend to be opposed to it, regardless of party affiliation.

And then, there's the power of the National Rifle Association, which wants the ban lifted.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, EXECUTIVE V.P., NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION: A majority of congressmen have learned that these guns aren't machine guns. They don't fire faster. They don't spray bullets. They don't make bigger holes. They're not convertible to machine guns.

JOHNS: The NRA has a lot of members, money and clout, especially in states with large numbers of gun owners. John Kerry is for renewing the assault weapons ban but also counts himself as a supporter of Second Amendment rights.

Kerry is expected to call for extending the ban, although few think it's now possible.

Will all this have any impact on the campaign? When CNN last polled on what issues mattered to Americans, guns ranked second to last.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, we'll read some of your 9/11 e-mails. We've been asking you: does 9/11 still have an impact on your daily life? Our e-mail address is livefrom@cnn.com.

Also ahead, it's not your average fixer upper. The giant of home improvement stores makes its way into the Big Apple, of all places.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the eve of the third anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, we wanted to know what you think.

PHILLIPS: We asked if 9/11 still has an impact on your daily life. Now it's time to read some of the e-mails that you sent us.

We want to start off with Lena in Miami, writes: "It made such an indelible impression that to this day I get images, rather haunting, of how that day came to be. It seems like no matter how many times one can think of that day, it's hard for the brain and heart to grasp such a tragedy. I'd rather deal with the pain of losing fellow beings than let go, for then it would heal, as if they'd died in vain. For the rest of my days, it will remain an open wound."

WHITFIELD: And from Courtney in Bloomington, Indiana: "9/11 doesn't affect my daily life. Sure, I think about it sometimes when it's on the TV or radio, but you have to go on living your life from day to day. It was a huge tragedy, but there isn't much I can do to change what happened, so I go on feeling sorry for people who lost loved ones, but still living my normal day-to-day life."

PHILLIPS: And Dan -- Dan from Los Angeles says: "I refuse to change my life because of 9/11. Instead, 9/11 has imposed more hassles on our already busy lives. I'm tired of the United States celebrating anniversaries of disasters, too, and I hope this will pass. Does anybody still remember the Maine?"

WHITFIELD: And from Cheryl in Ivins, Utah, perhaps: "My life will never be the same. Since 9/11, I have thought about it every day. When the clock says 9:11, I always remember a woman named Lauren who survived the attacks the towers. America needs to pause every day at 9:11 a.m. and p.m. and remember that day; remember Lauren and how she made it back to her husband, Greg, and to her son, Tyler."

PHILLIPS: Dan in Santa Fe: "I was born and raised in New York City, and hardly a day goes by that I don't think about what happened on that day. Every morning when I turn on the television I expect to see that we've been attacked on American soil again, as I recall watching the first tower burn and the second plane hit the other tower. It was a dreadful event and a day -- that's a day I will never forget."

WHITFIELD: And thanks so much for all of you for sending us your e-mails and sharing your thoughts on this eve of this third year mark of 9/11 tragedy.

PHILLIPS: We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Home Depot. A lot of people will describe it as being like a religious experience. You ask my husband.

PHILLIPS: It is for me. I know I'm always in there. I like it the do-it-yourself 1-2-3 book.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's taking on Manhattan now.

WHITFIELD: I know. Isn't that something? And folks are going wild, I'm sure.

PHILLIPS: Rhonda Schaffler will be there all the time now.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, styles for spring. The music kind of got us jazzed up a little bit.

The hottest designers are showing off their spring 2005 collections during Fashion Week in New York. "TIME" magazine style and design issue features the most popular styles from the runway.

Kate Betts is the editor and joins us live from New York.

And what are we seeing out there?

KATE BETTS, EDITOR, "TIME" MAGAZINE STYLE AND DESIGN ISSUE: We are seeing dresses, dresses, dresses.

Today, Vera Wang was the big show. And as you know, she's a great dressmaker. She's one of the best bridal dressmakers and also red carpet dressmakers. And she had a gorgeous collection: very, very ethereal feeling, with lots of missed patterns and beautiful fabrics and just very spring-like.

So, it's been a very beautiful day here in New York.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And you know, a beautiful moment you all had in New York, as well. And in the form of a wedding proposal. Why not at a fashion show?

BETTS: That's -- it's a fun thing when life intersects with fashion. And at the Alice Roi show, at the end, her fiance arranged for the models to come out with a "Will you marry me?" sign. And it was very sweet. So, that was kind of a touching moment.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and so people took it seriously. They weren't sure if it was just part of the, you know, shtick? You know, often at the end of the show you've got the big wedding dress, you know, kind of the -- the masterpiece of a designer.

BETTS: Well, I think it was actually very authentic. Yes. But it's a good idea for an end of show trick.

WHITFIELD: Not bad at all.

Now any hot new designers? Sometimes during fashion week, you know, someone is revealed who is the next up and coming? Was anybody of that caliber?

BETTS: Well, there are a few, actually.

There was a show last night, Proenza Schouler. It's two guys who design together, and it was one of their best shows. I think it is their third or fourth season here in New York on the runways. And they really stole the spotlight of the week.

And so, people are looking at the young talent because they're really the ones to watch this week. The big names don't come until next week, people like Derek Lam. Jeffrey Chow showed a beautiful collection yesterday.

But it's really a lot of interesting talent out there.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, I know it's a lot of fun, always lots of great highlights coming out from there at Bryant Park during Fashion Week. Kate Betts of "TIME" magazine, thanks so much.

BETTS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, I wonder, people in southern Florida, I guess, could start feeling Hurricane Ivan as early as Sunday. The latest hurricane track at the top of the hour.

WHITFIELD: We'll read more of your 9/11 e-mails, as well. Our address is livefrom@cnn.com.

And how would you like to be on your own postage stamp?

Say cheese!

PHILLIPS: Say cheese!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 September 10, 2004 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM, and I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's what's all new this half our.

The clock is ticking on the assault weapons ban. We'll explain why certain types of outlawed guns will be legal again next week.

WHITFIELD: Will one parachute malfunction destroy a multi- million dollar NASA mission? We'll find out if crucial solar material can be covered from the damaged space capsule.

PHILLIPS: And you may have just started packing away those summer clothes, but the Big Apple is thinking spring. We're going to take a turn down the catwalk for a preview of what you might be wearing in 2005.

But here's what's happening now in the news.

WHITFIELD: Jamaica braces for Ivan: The powerful Category 4 hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight or early Saturday. Forecasters say Ivan could follow various paths but will likely move over the Florida Keys and into the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

PHILLIPS: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterates the U.S. will continue to take to the fight against terrorists. He has just finished addressing the National Press Club in Washington on the eve of the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

He described Iraq and Afghanistan as free and liberated countries. He said he's confident Iraqi elections will go ahead as scheduled for January.

WHITFIELD: And in Iraq, policemen taken hostage. Al-Jazeera Television reports four police officers were taken by militants in Najaf. The kidnappers have threatened to kill the men in 72 hours.

In Baghdad, four people dressed as Iraqi National Guard members attacked a Baghdad police station and took a police officer there hostage. Officials believe the kidnappers may be the same people who abducted two Italian aide workers.

PHILLIPS: Well, with millions of Floridians still reeling from the one-two punch of Charley and Frances, the question they're now asking is, "Where will Ivan go?"

Some computer models have the storm sweeping over the west coast of the peninsula, hitting cities like Tampa and St. Petersburg. Rick Baker is the mayor of St. Pete. He joins us now by telephone.

Mayor, how's it -- how are you doing so far?

RICK BAKER, MAYOR OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA: We're doing fine, Kyra. In fact, I'm at the emergency operations center right now. We've been discussing what we're going to do as we prepare in case this one's coming our way.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's go back a little bit to the other hurricanes and kind of set the scene for us on what St. Pete is dealing with right now.

BAKER: Well, the first hurricane, Charley, of course, was heading right our way much in the similar track as Ivan is going right now. And right up until a few hours before landfall it was supposed to -- it was scheduled to be going right into St. Petersburg.

And if course, as you know, it took an eastern turn and went into Port Charlotte.

We really didn't get much damage as a result of it, but we had been pretty geared up. And we sent a lot of our emergency folks to help with the cleanup afterwards and police and fire down in Fort Charlotte.

As far as Frances is concerned, that one came up from the Atlantic, came across and that was also bee lining towards St. Pete and kind of took a northern turn right before it came here and then went out in the Gulf of Mexico just to the north of St. Petersburg.

We got quite a bit of flooding as a result of that and some wind damage, a lot of power outage, but -- but it could have been a lot worse.

PHILLIPS: Well, from what you experienced in the past couple of weeks, has it caused you to do anything differently now as this third storm is coming through?

BAKER: Well, one thing I think we're seeing is in the past, I think, as hurricanes would come about, I think the public was probably more complacent than they were right now. I don't think they weren't quite as focused.

I know when we tell folks to evacuate, they actually evacuate. I think they've seen what's happened with Frances. They've seen what's happened with Charley. And I think the public is very responsive.

We've seen people starting to make their preparations, you know, boarding up their homes and getting ready to evacuate if that evacuation order goes.

And of course, we, as a city, are absolutely prepared. We've had a lot of conversations, I had, with Governor Bush, who's done a great job in all these storms. And as a city we are absolutely prepared for whatever comes our way.

PHILLIPS: Well, I know you've been also offering free debris removal, which is a pretty nice move.

Rick Baker, mayor of St. Pete. We'll check in with you again, thanks, Mayor.

BAKER: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, it may be a mangled mess, but all is not lost. NASA has found some materials in tact inside the Genesis space capsule. Genesis crashed to earth on Wednesday, you'll remember. But scientists now believe that they'll be able to meet many, if not all, of the mission's science goals.

Now, our space correspondent, and of course, my fellow LIVE FROM best friend and anchor, Miles O'Brien, with the details.

What were we saying? It kind of swallowed solar wind. You might have gotten ahead of yourself, Miles. You thought everything was destroyed.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: In my zeal to stay ahead of the story, I might have gotten a little too far ahead of the facts, Kyra.

Because what we all saw, well, you just saw it a few minutes ago: 193 miles an hour straight into the salt flats of Utah on a device, a capsule that was deemed so fragile that it couldn't even land at 8 miles an hour assisted by parachute, had to be scooped up by a hook, dangling from a helicopter. Instead, it did what you see right here.

But the good news is, that even though this was not intended, the desert floor there, those salt flats, offered a nice cushion for the well-engineered capsule, which contained these very fragile wafers which, for about 800 days captured pieces of the solar wind, which contained the very fundamental building blocks of our solar system. For scientists, this is a very exciting thing, can answer some fundamental riddles.

Turns out after going through the wreckage, as they have, very painstakingly, two out of the three clusters of those wafers are in tact and, apparently, have not been contaminated by Earth's atmosphere.

Last hour I spoke with the NASA administrator, Sean O'Keefe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: It's just a testimonial fact. This is a pretty rugged piece of machinery to withstand this 200 mile- an-hour impact out there in Utah.

So, it's -- it was an inelegant landing. Fortunately, we weren't looking for any Olympic style points on the way it looked on the way in. But at least the results may -- and the whole objective of what the science mission was about, which is the whole purpose of the whole program in the first place, may actually have some returns we're proud of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The location was chosen because it's an Air Force test range, the largest hunk of restricted air space in the continental U.S. It's about, well, 1.5 times the size of Rhode Island.

As it turns out, the fact that the ground there was rather forgiving might have made it an ideal choice -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Miles. See you on Monday?

O'BRIEN: We'll see you then.

PHILLIPS: All right -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, in other news across America now, a powerful explosion turns this Ukrainian church into splinters. Authorities in Colchester, Connecticut, say the blast sent debris flying hundreds of feet. A small statue of the Virgin Mary was found standing in the rubble. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. No one was hurt.

Letters from prison with dangerous intentions. Booby-trapped letters from a Nevada state prison have been sent to governors in Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. And just today Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney received such a letter. They were rigged with matches set to ignite when opened. There are no reports of injuries.

And on Capitol Hill, it's being called a rare victory for middle class Americans. The House blocks a controversial amendment that would change rules for overtime pay. Several Republicans joined Democrats in striking down the amendment, voting 223 to 193. The Senate has yet to take up the bill -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ten years after it became law, the federal ban on assault weapons is about to become history. It's set to expire Monday, despite a call to action by gun control activists, some politicians and even a contingent of law enforcement leaders.

CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the assault weapons ban set to expire, gun control supporters say a decade of progress is coming to an end.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've seen the supply of these guns on the street dry up.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: We know that there is traffic between terrorists and assault weapons.

JOHNS: Underscoring that point, that terrorists could get easier access to more weapons, explosive newspaper ads by the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence are set to run in New York and Washington, accusing the president of blocking a renewal of the ban.

But President Bush says he'll sign one. Democrats question why he hasn't pressured House Republicans to produce one.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: He only need pick up the phone and call Tom DeLay, and the bill would be on the floor.

JOHNS: One recent poll suggests an overwhelming majority of the public supports the ban, but congressional leaders say they have no plan to bring it up for renewal.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It's a feel-good piece of legislation, and all it does is punish those -- those people that are -- that live by the law and does nothing to keep assault weapons -- assault weapons out of the hands of criminals.

JOHNS (on camera): If the president asked you to bring it up, would you put it on the floor?

DELAY: No I would not. There are not the votes to pass the bill. If the president asked me, I would tell him the same thing.

JOHNS: So, why aren't the votes there if the ban has so much support? For one thing, members of Congress from areas where gun ownership is high, tend to be opposed to it, regardless of party affiliation.

And then, there's the power of the National Rifle Association, which wants the ban lifted.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, EXECUTIVE V.P., NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION: A majority of congressmen have learned that these guns aren't machine guns. They don't fire faster. They don't spray bullets. They don't make bigger holes. They're not convertible to machine guns.

JOHNS: The NRA has a lot of members, money and clout, especially in states with large numbers of gun owners. John Kerry is for renewing the assault weapons ban but also counts himself as a supporter of Second Amendment rights.

Kerry is expected to call for extending the ban, although few think it's now possible.

Will all this have any impact on the campaign? When CNN last polled on what issues mattered to Americans, guns ranked second to last.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, we'll read some of your 9/11 e-mails. We've been asking you: does 9/11 still have an impact on your daily life? Our e-mail address is livefrom@cnn.com.

Also ahead, it's not your average fixer upper. The giant of home improvement stores makes its way into the Big Apple, of all places.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the eve of the third anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, we wanted to know what you think.

PHILLIPS: We asked if 9/11 still has an impact on your daily life. Now it's time to read some of the e-mails that you sent us.

We want to start off with Lena in Miami, writes: "It made such an indelible impression that to this day I get images, rather haunting, of how that day came to be. It seems like no matter how many times one can think of that day, it's hard for the brain and heart to grasp such a tragedy. I'd rather deal with the pain of losing fellow beings than let go, for then it would heal, as if they'd died in vain. For the rest of my days, it will remain an open wound."

WHITFIELD: And from Courtney in Bloomington, Indiana: "9/11 doesn't affect my daily life. Sure, I think about it sometimes when it's on the TV or radio, but you have to go on living your life from day to day. It was a huge tragedy, but there isn't much I can do to change what happened, so I go on feeling sorry for people who lost loved ones, but still living my normal day-to-day life."

PHILLIPS: And Dan -- Dan from Los Angeles says: "I refuse to change my life because of 9/11. Instead, 9/11 has imposed more hassles on our already busy lives. I'm tired of the United States celebrating anniversaries of disasters, too, and I hope this will pass. Does anybody still remember the Maine?"

WHITFIELD: And from Cheryl in Ivins, Utah, perhaps: "My life will never be the same. Since 9/11, I have thought about it every day. When the clock says 9:11, I always remember a woman named Lauren who survived the attacks the towers. America needs to pause every day at 9:11 a.m. and p.m. and remember that day; remember Lauren and how she made it back to her husband, Greg, and to her son, Tyler."

PHILLIPS: Dan in Santa Fe: "I was born and raised in New York City, and hardly a day goes by that I don't think about what happened on that day. Every morning when I turn on the television I expect to see that we've been attacked on American soil again, as I recall watching the first tower burn and the second plane hit the other tower. It was a dreadful event and a day -- that's a day I will never forget."

WHITFIELD: And thanks so much for all of you for sending us your e-mails and sharing your thoughts on this eve of this third year mark of 9/11 tragedy.

PHILLIPS: We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Home Depot. A lot of people will describe it as being like a religious experience. You ask my husband.

PHILLIPS: It is for me. I know I'm always in there. I like it the do-it-yourself 1-2-3 book.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's taking on Manhattan now.

WHITFIELD: I know. Isn't that something? And folks are going wild, I'm sure.

PHILLIPS: Rhonda Schaffler will be there all the time now.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, styles for spring. The music kind of got us jazzed up a little bit.

The hottest designers are showing off their spring 2005 collections during Fashion Week in New York. "TIME" magazine style and design issue features the most popular styles from the runway.

Kate Betts is the editor and joins us live from New York.

And what are we seeing out there?

KATE BETTS, EDITOR, "TIME" MAGAZINE STYLE AND DESIGN ISSUE: We are seeing dresses, dresses, dresses.

Today, Vera Wang was the big show. And as you know, she's a great dressmaker. She's one of the best bridal dressmakers and also red carpet dressmakers. And she had a gorgeous collection: very, very ethereal feeling, with lots of missed patterns and beautiful fabrics and just very spring-like.

So, it's been a very beautiful day here in New York.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And you know, a beautiful moment you all had in New York, as well. And in the form of a wedding proposal. Why not at a fashion show?

BETTS: That's -- it's a fun thing when life intersects with fashion. And at the Alice Roi show, at the end, her fiance arranged for the models to come out with a "Will you marry me?" sign. And it was very sweet. So, that was kind of a touching moment.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and so people took it seriously. They weren't sure if it was just part of the, you know, shtick? You know, often at the end of the show you've got the big wedding dress, you know, kind of the -- the masterpiece of a designer.

BETTS: Well, I think it was actually very authentic. Yes. But it's a good idea for an end of show trick.

WHITFIELD: Not bad at all.

Now any hot new designers? Sometimes during fashion week, you know, someone is revealed who is the next up and coming? Was anybody of that caliber?

BETTS: Well, there are a few, actually.

There was a show last night, Proenza Schouler. It's two guys who design together, and it was one of their best shows. I think it is their third or fourth season here in New York on the runways. And they really stole the spotlight of the week.

And so, people are looking at the young talent because they're really the ones to watch this week. The big names don't come until next week, people like Derek Lam. Jeffrey Chow showed a beautiful collection yesterday.

But it's really a lot of interesting talent out there.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, I know it's a lot of fun, always lots of great highlights coming out from there at Bryant Park during Fashion Week. Kate Betts of "TIME" magazine, thanks so much.

BETTS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, I wonder, people in southern Florida, I guess, could start feeling Hurricane Ivan as early as Sunday. The latest hurricane track at the top of the hour.

WHITFIELD: We'll read more of your 9/11 e-mails, as well. Our address is livefrom@cnn.com.

And how would you like to be on your own postage stamp?

Say cheese!

PHILLIPS: Say cheese!

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