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NASA Overhaul, Space Agency Poised for Sweeping Reorganization

Aired June 24, 2004 - 11:31   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN center in Atlanta. Let's check the headlines at this hour.
A group linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has taken responsibility for a rash of deadly attacks today across Iraq. More than 90 deaths have been reported, including at least three U.S. troops. Several simultaneous car bombs in Mosul caused the highest number of casualties with more than 50 reported killed.

The trial of bombing suspect Eric Rudolph has been postponed. It was to have started in August. Instead, the judge today issued an order to begin jury selection in March. The new trial date is set for May 24. Rudolph is charged with the 1998 bombing of a women's clinic in Birmingham, which killed a police officer.

Records of Vice President Cheney's energy task force of 2001 can remain confidential. The Supreme Court today ruled 7-2 that those internal documents do not have to be made public, but the ruling did not end the legal fight over the documents. The high court sent the case back to a lower court.

There's a lot of makeover shows out there. This time it is NASA's turn. It is poised for a major overhaul. The agency is under pressure to return to improve safety and fulfill President Bush's vision for exploring the moon and Mars.

How do you do all of that? Space correspondent Miles O'Brien is here.

You had a chance to talk to the big man.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I guess you'd call it entrepreneurial eye for the space guy or something like that.

KAGAN: Something like that.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: That's what's going on right now. You know, just this past week, we watched SpaceShip One out in Mojave, Burt Rutan. That was cool stuff.

KAGAN: You were there.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it was awesome. KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: It was awesome. And, you know, let's take a look at those pictures. Burt Rutan and his team for about $20 million, about the cost of a NASA study, at least touched the boundary of space. Now, NASA is not suggesting it is going to get into this business, but it would like to, No. 1, help people like Burt Rutan do just that, because they do applaud what he does. And, as they think about ways to get to the moon and Mars, they'd like to sort of think a little more like a Burt Rutan.

Here is some of the animation they put together. You know, the president, middle of January, told NASA, go back to the moon, set up a colony, learn a little bit about that's all about, and then press on to Mars. That's a big goal.

The question is: How does NASA, bound by its bureaucracy of some 45 years, how does it go about that? Well, there's a lot of flowchart changes, and I will not make your eyes glaze over. But I'll tell you the basic things.

KAGAN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Let's look at the basics.

KAGAN: The best of.

O'BRIEN: The basics are that dividing this myriad of enterprises -- they have 10 field centers, 17,000 civil servants -- into very simple things: science, exploration, space operations, meaning running the shuttle, and then aeronautics, which they do a lot of research in that area.

Move to the next screen, you'll see that basically they've divvied up all of their 10 centers. This is the space operation centers.

Next screen, because I really am going to bore people with this. Goddard, Ames and jet propulsion lab, focus on science.

And finally, the next screen for aeronautics research, Langley, Glenn and Dryden research centers.

In other words, focusing the effort. The whole idea is to just get there to the moon and Mars while paying as you go.

I asked the Administrator Sean O'Keefe yesterday as to whether that is something that is realistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: What the president's articulated here is a strategy, a direction, a focus, that you build on one step at a time. And the goal is not a destination. The goal is to build capability in order to explore, informed by the science, you know, looking at a wide range of opportunities that can be developed as you discover them along the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Sean O'Keefe yesterday with us. Sean O'Keefe live right now giving the news to employees. It's going to mean some consolidation of posts. There will probably be some bureaucrats with maybe a little bit of bruised egos, because whenever you reorganize...

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... as we all know in any large organization...

KAGAN: Oh, do we ever.

O'BRIEN: ... there are people who are left out in the cold, so to speak. Nevertheless, the idea to focus on this goal.

KAGAN: Let's focus on something that NASA is looking at today, the International Space Station. Let's not forget about the two guys that are still up there.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: They're taking a little walk in space today.

O'BRIEN: They are. Mike Finke and Gennady Padalka.

KAGAN: Very good. A Russian?

O'BRIEN: Yes. A Russian and an American. They will get into Russian orlan (ph) suits. This is some material which has been fed down this morning for us. There you see. That's Mike Finke, who is a proud new daddy. We can talk about that in just a moment.

But in any case, it's a bit of a risky spacewalk. First of all, they had to get into the Russian suits because the U.S. suits aren't working, which means they had to get out of the Russian airlock. Complicated reasons. Basically, if you go in the Russian suits, you go out the Russian door. It's because of all of the communications equipment linking the suit back to the station.

In any case, it means about an 80 to 100-foot traverse across the station to the spot where they're going to replace this power unit which runs the gyroscopes, which keep the station from hurdling out of control. That's an important thing, right?.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: So, you do want to change that out there. There are only two gyroscopes running now, the bare minimum. And so this spacewalk is on the risky side, because two guys up there, nobody inside. Hopefully they won't lock the door when they leave.

KAGAN: Don't lock themselves out.

O'BRIEN: Because that would be a real problem. It's like that remember on the "Flintstones" at the end, you know, him pounding on the door, "Wilma, let me in."

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: When there's no Wilma.

KAGAN: The (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Let's talk about the personal side here. Mike Finke, the American astronaut who is up there, the real hard work taking place here on Earth, his wife giving birth to their second child while he is up there, you know, walking in space.

O'BRIEN: You know, I bet right now she'd like to send him to the moon, so to speak.

KAGAN: To the moon.

O'BRIEN: You know, why were you up there while I was down here? She had a baby last week, and, she...

KAGAN: NASA hooked it up so that he could hear on her cell phone.

O'BRIEN: NASA hooked it up. We believe this is the first time, and there you see some of what happened out of mission control, is they sent up the cell phone call during the actual labor and delivery room activities, so to speak.

KAGAN: We can only imagine what that sounded like.

O'BRIEN: As far was we know, this is the first time somebody in space has had a baby as far as we know, although we haven't really culled the Russian files. They've had some guys up there for many, many long periods of time.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And there could be one, but certainly the first American to become a father, again...

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... in space. So, I can just imagine that phone call and what he heard on his end.

KAGAN: Is this thing working? Yes, it is.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Miles, thank you for the update on NASA.

O'BRIEN: My pleasure. All right.

KAGAN: Appreciate it. Congratulations to the Finke family, as well.

O'BRIEN: Yes. KAGAN: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry rubbing elbows today with some of the biggest names in show business and a legendary figure in the auto industry.

Judy Woodruff has the campaign headlines from Washington.

Judy -- good morning.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Daryn. That's exactly right. John Kerry keeping very busy today in California. After a fund-raiser last night, the White House hopeful goes to San Jose State University today to call for a greater commitment to technology innovation in America. The senator will be introduced by former Chrysler Corporation Chairman Lee Iacocca. He says he has decided to support Kerry after backing George W. Bush in 2000.

Kerry heads to Los Angeles this evening for a star-studded concert and fund-raiser, featuring an array of celebrities such as Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Robert DeNiro and Willie Nelson.

President Bush is off the campaign trail. He met this morning with congressional leaders at the White House.

Meanwhile, a new poll in the showdown state of Pennsylvania gives John Kerry 49 percent to 43 percent for Bush. Ralph Nader makes a difference when he's included in the Quinnipiac University survey. In a three-way race, Kerry has 44 percent, Bush 43 percent, and Nader 7 percent.

Nader has until August the 2nd to turn in the more than 25,000 signatures that are needed to get his name on the Pennsylvania state ballot.

Well, some of Nader's former colleagues are calling on him to drop his independent run for the White House and to back Kerry. The nine so-called "Nader raiders" sent an open letter to their old boss and his supporters. Part of it says -- quote -- "We urge all current and former Nader supporters, and especially Ralph Nader himself, to join together in a single and united Democratic and progressive front."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly is angling for a prominent role at the Republican National Convention. Today's "New York Times" quotes Schwarzenegger as saying, if they're smart, they'll have me, obviously in primetime. The article goes on to say Schwarzenegger intends to keep some distance from the president, who is not as popular in California as the governor is. We shall see.

This afternoon, we're going to have the latest on a group that has hired convicted felons to go door to door to conduct voter registration drives. Plus, I will talk with the son of former President Ronald Reagan, Ron Reagan, about his father's legacy as well as his views about President Bush and the war in Iraq. You'll be interested to hear.

All that and more when I go "INSIDE POLITICS" at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. But for now, right back to Daryn in Atlanta.

KAGAN: Judy, thank you for that. I appreciate it.

Well, perhaps a taste of what we'll hear from Ron Reagan with Judy later today, he was speaking out in support of embryonic stem cell research. He is accusing opponents of playing politics with the issue. He appeared on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," where he backed Nancy Reagan's call for easing restrictions on stem cell research.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON REAGAN, PRESIDENT REAGAN'S SON: I stand shoulder to shoulder with my mother on that. It's astonishing to me we are even having the conversation about this. We're not talking about fetuses, human beings being killed. We are talking about collections of cells in a Petri dish that are never ever going to be a human being. This could be the biggest revolution in medicine -- well, ever, really. Bigger than antibiotics, bigger than anything.

And, you know, what strikes me, too, is that you cannot be against embryonic stem cell research and be intellectually and therefore morally consistent if you're not also against in vitro fertilization, because the same thing results in vitro fertilization is thousands of blastocyst (ph) collections...

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Are discarded.

REAGAN: ... are discarded. Now, you'll notice that most of the politicians are against embryonic stem cell research don't say anything about in vitro fertilization. You might wonder why. Well, it's because what are they going to do? Come out against people who want to get pregnant? Now, that's a political nonstarter. So, they're not going to -- they're just going to shut up about that and go after embryonic stem cell research instead. They're playing politics with it, and it's shameful. It is shameful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Reagan says he expects his mother to continue speaking out in support of the research.

We want to remind you that tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," former President Bill Clinton in his first live primetime interview since the release of his book. He will be taking your calls live.

It is nothing that you are or most doctors have seen, a child with nearly the strength of a man, all thanks to a condition that literally has turned him into a super boy. We'll explain what is behind that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In health news, scientists are studying a 5-year-old German boy with twice the muscle mass of his peers. They're trying to learn more about a protein that affects muscle development. The boy lacks the protein called myostatin. He appears to be healthy for now, but doctors are concerned that he could develop heart abnormalities. Researchers are studying myostatin, hoping to find a treatment for medical problems like muscular dystrophy.

Your daily dose of health news is always just a click away. Log on to CNN.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.

Michael Moore is turning up the heat on the White House. "Fahrenheit 9/11" finally makes it ways to U.S. theaters. We will show you the premier coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Michael Moore's controversial new film premiered last night. "Fahrenheit 9-11" is an unflattering portrait of the Bush administration prior to the attacks of September 11.

Moore spoke about his movie at last night's Washington premier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR, "FAHRENHEIT 9/11": The film makes the case that the Republicans have done something pretty dishonest by leading the country to war based on a lie. But the Democrats are culpable, too, because a majority of them voted along for this war and for the Patriot Act. But I'm a big believer in redemption, and I think a lot of the Democrats have come around to see that that was a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: "Fahrenheit 9/11" already set some opening records at individual theaters in New York City. It opens nationwide tomorrow. Michael Moore will be my guest tomorrow at 10:00 a. Eastern to discuss the project in greater depth.

(BUSINESS NEWS UPDATE)

KAGAN: Well, normally, they want you to listen to the word of God. So, why does one well-known religious group now also want you to hear the words of a infamous serial killer? The unusual story is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A message of redemption in exchange for a -- let's start that one over since the microphone wasn't working. All right. David Berkowitz, the convicted killer known as "Son of Sam," is featured in an interview on a Christian Web site. Focus on the Family is offering a recording that it calls a message of redemption in exchange for a suggested $7 donation. Berkowitz claims he's a born-again Christian. He killed six people and he wounded seven in a series of shootings in the 1970s.

(WEATHER BREAK) KAGAN: And that wraps up our two hours together. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

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 June 24, 2004 - 11:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN center in Atlanta. Let's check the headlines at this hour.
A group linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has taken responsibility for a rash of deadly attacks today across Iraq. More than 90 deaths have been reported, including at least three U.S. troops. Several simultaneous car bombs in Mosul caused the highest number of casualties with more than 50 reported killed.

The trial of bombing suspect Eric Rudolph has been postponed. It was to have started in August. Instead, the judge today issued an order to begin jury selection in March. The new trial date is set for May 24. Rudolph is charged with the 1998 bombing of a women's clinic in Birmingham, which killed a police officer.

Records of Vice President Cheney's energy task force of 2001 can remain confidential. The Supreme Court today ruled 7-2 that those internal documents do not have to be made public, but the ruling did not end the legal fight over the documents. The high court sent the case back to a lower court.

There's a lot of makeover shows out there. This time it is NASA's turn. It is poised for a major overhaul. The agency is under pressure to return to improve safety and fulfill President Bush's vision for exploring the moon and Mars.

How do you do all of that? Space correspondent Miles O'Brien is here.

You had a chance to talk to the big man.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I guess you'd call it entrepreneurial eye for the space guy or something like that.

KAGAN: Something like that.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: That's what's going on right now. You know, just this past week, we watched SpaceShip One out in Mojave, Burt Rutan. That was cool stuff.

KAGAN: You were there.

O'BRIEN: Oh, it was awesome. KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: It was awesome. And, you know, let's take a look at those pictures. Burt Rutan and his team for about $20 million, about the cost of a NASA study, at least touched the boundary of space. Now, NASA is not suggesting it is going to get into this business, but it would like to, No. 1, help people like Burt Rutan do just that, because they do applaud what he does. And, as they think about ways to get to the moon and Mars, they'd like to sort of think a little more like a Burt Rutan.

Here is some of the animation they put together. You know, the president, middle of January, told NASA, go back to the moon, set up a colony, learn a little bit about that's all about, and then press on to Mars. That's a big goal.

The question is: How does NASA, bound by its bureaucracy of some 45 years, how does it go about that? Well, there's a lot of flowchart changes, and I will not make your eyes glaze over. But I'll tell you the basic things.

KAGAN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Let's look at the basics.

KAGAN: The best of.

O'BRIEN: The basics are that dividing this myriad of enterprises -- they have 10 field centers, 17,000 civil servants -- into very simple things: science, exploration, space operations, meaning running the shuttle, and then aeronautics, which they do a lot of research in that area.

Move to the next screen, you'll see that basically they've divvied up all of their 10 centers. This is the space operation centers.

Next screen, because I really am going to bore people with this. Goddard, Ames and jet propulsion lab, focus on science.

And finally, the next screen for aeronautics research, Langley, Glenn and Dryden research centers.

In other words, focusing the effort. The whole idea is to just get there to the moon and Mars while paying as you go.

I asked the Administrator Sean O'Keefe yesterday as to whether that is something that is realistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: What the president's articulated here is a strategy, a direction, a focus, that you build on one step at a time. And the goal is not a destination. The goal is to build capability in order to explore, informed by the science, you know, looking at a wide range of opportunities that can be developed as you discover them along the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Sean O'Keefe yesterday with us. Sean O'Keefe live right now giving the news to employees. It's going to mean some consolidation of posts. There will probably be some bureaucrats with maybe a little bit of bruised egos, because whenever you reorganize...

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... as we all know in any large organization...

KAGAN: Oh, do we ever.

O'BRIEN: ... there are people who are left out in the cold, so to speak. Nevertheless, the idea to focus on this goal.

KAGAN: Let's focus on something that NASA is looking at today, the International Space Station. Let's not forget about the two guys that are still up there.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: They're taking a little walk in space today.

O'BRIEN: They are. Mike Finke and Gennady Padalka.

KAGAN: Very good. A Russian?

O'BRIEN: Yes. A Russian and an American. They will get into Russian orlan (ph) suits. This is some material which has been fed down this morning for us. There you see. That's Mike Finke, who is a proud new daddy. We can talk about that in just a moment.

But in any case, it's a bit of a risky spacewalk. First of all, they had to get into the Russian suits because the U.S. suits aren't working, which means they had to get out of the Russian airlock. Complicated reasons. Basically, if you go in the Russian suits, you go out the Russian door. It's because of all of the communications equipment linking the suit back to the station.

In any case, it means about an 80 to 100-foot traverse across the station to the spot where they're going to replace this power unit which runs the gyroscopes, which keep the station from hurdling out of control. That's an important thing, right?.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: So, you do want to change that out there. There are only two gyroscopes running now, the bare minimum. And so this spacewalk is on the risky side, because two guys up there, nobody inside. Hopefully they won't lock the door when they leave.

KAGAN: Don't lock themselves out.

O'BRIEN: Because that would be a real problem. It's like that remember on the "Flintstones" at the end, you know, him pounding on the door, "Wilma, let me in."

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: When there's no Wilma.

KAGAN: The (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Let's talk about the personal side here. Mike Finke, the American astronaut who is up there, the real hard work taking place here on Earth, his wife giving birth to their second child while he is up there, you know, walking in space.

O'BRIEN: You know, I bet right now she'd like to send him to the moon, so to speak.

KAGAN: To the moon.

O'BRIEN: You know, why were you up there while I was down here? She had a baby last week, and, she...

KAGAN: NASA hooked it up so that he could hear on her cell phone.

O'BRIEN: NASA hooked it up. We believe this is the first time, and there you see some of what happened out of mission control, is they sent up the cell phone call during the actual labor and delivery room activities, so to speak.

KAGAN: We can only imagine what that sounded like.

O'BRIEN: As far was we know, this is the first time somebody in space has had a baby as far as we know, although we haven't really culled the Russian files. They've had some guys up there for many, many long periods of time.

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And there could be one, but certainly the first American to become a father, again...

KAGAN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... in space. So, I can just imagine that phone call and what he heard on his end.

KAGAN: Is this thing working? Yes, it is.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

KAGAN: Miles, thank you for the update on NASA.

O'BRIEN: My pleasure. All right.

KAGAN: Appreciate it. Congratulations to the Finke family, as well.

O'BRIEN: Yes. KAGAN: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry rubbing elbows today with some of the biggest names in show business and a legendary figure in the auto industry.

Judy Woodruff has the campaign headlines from Washington.

Judy -- good morning.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Daryn. That's exactly right. John Kerry keeping very busy today in California. After a fund-raiser last night, the White House hopeful goes to San Jose State University today to call for a greater commitment to technology innovation in America. The senator will be introduced by former Chrysler Corporation Chairman Lee Iacocca. He says he has decided to support Kerry after backing George W. Bush in 2000.

Kerry heads to Los Angeles this evening for a star-studded concert and fund-raiser, featuring an array of celebrities such as Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Robert DeNiro and Willie Nelson.

President Bush is off the campaign trail. He met this morning with congressional leaders at the White House.

Meanwhile, a new poll in the showdown state of Pennsylvania gives John Kerry 49 percent to 43 percent for Bush. Ralph Nader makes a difference when he's included in the Quinnipiac University survey. In a three-way race, Kerry has 44 percent, Bush 43 percent, and Nader 7 percent.

Nader has until August the 2nd to turn in the more than 25,000 signatures that are needed to get his name on the Pennsylvania state ballot.

Well, some of Nader's former colleagues are calling on him to drop his independent run for the White House and to back Kerry. The nine so-called "Nader raiders" sent an open letter to their old boss and his supporters. Part of it says -- quote -- "We urge all current and former Nader supporters, and especially Ralph Nader himself, to join together in a single and united Democratic and progressive front."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly is angling for a prominent role at the Republican National Convention. Today's "New York Times" quotes Schwarzenegger as saying, if they're smart, they'll have me, obviously in primetime. The article goes on to say Schwarzenegger intends to keep some distance from the president, who is not as popular in California as the governor is. We shall see.

This afternoon, we're going to have the latest on a group that has hired convicted felons to go door to door to conduct voter registration drives. Plus, I will talk with the son of former President Ronald Reagan, Ron Reagan, about his father's legacy as well as his views about President Bush and the war in Iraq. You'll be interested to hear.

All that and more when I go "INSIDE POLITICS" at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. But for now, right back to Daryn in Atlanta.

KAGAN: Judy, thank you for that. I appreciate it.

Well, perhaps a taste of what we'll hear from Ron Reagan with Judy later today, he was speaking out in support of embryonic stem cell research. He is accusing opponents of playing politics with the issue. He appeared on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," where he backed Nancy Reagan's call for easing restrictions on stem cell research.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON REAGAN, PRESIDENT REAGAN'S SON: I stand shoulder to shoulder with my mother on that. It's astonishing to me we are even having the conversation about this. We're not talking about fetuses, human beings being killed. We are talking about collections of cells in a Petri dish that are never ever going to be a human being. This could be the biggest revolution in medicine -- well, ever, really. Bigger than antibiotics, bigger than anything.

And, you know, what strikes me, too, is that you cannot be against embryonic stem cell research and be intellectually and therefore morally consistent if you're not also against in vitro fertilization, because the same thing results in vitro fertilization is thousands of blastocyst (ph) collections...

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Are discarded.

REAGAN: ... are discarded. Now, you'll notice that most of the politicians are against embryonic stem cell research don't say anything about in vitro fertilization. You might wonder why. Well, it's because what are they going to do? Come out against people who want to get pregnant? Now, that's a political nonstarter. So, they're not going to -- they're just going to shut up about that and go after embryonic stem cell research instead. They're playing politics with it, and it's shameful. It is shameful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Reagan says he expects his mother to continue speaking out in support of the research.

We want to remind you that tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," former President Bill Clinton in his first live primetime interview since the release of his book. He will be taking your calls live.

It is nothing that you are or most doctors have seen, a child with nearly the strength of a man, all thanks to a condition that literally has turned him into a super boy. We'll explain what is behind that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In health news, scientists are studying a 5-year-old German boy with twice the muscle mass of his peers. They're trying to learn more about a protein that affects muscle development. The boy lacks the protein called myostatin. He appears to be healthy for now, but doctors are concerned that he could develop heart abnormalities. Researchers are studying myostatin, hoping to find a treatment for medical problems like muscular dystrophy.

Your daily dose of health news is always just a click away. Log on to CNN.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.

Michael Moore is turning up the heat on the White House. "Fahrenheit 9/11" finally makes it ways to U.S. theaters. We will show you the premier coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Michael Moore's controversial new film premiered last night. "Fahrenheit 9-11" is an unflattering portrait of the Bush administration prior to the attacks of September 11.

Moore spoke about his movie at last night's Washington premier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR, "FAHRENHEIT 9/11": The film makes the case that the Republicans have done something pretty dishonest by leading the country to war based on a lie. But the Democrats are culpable, too, because a majority of them voted along for this war and for the Patriot Act. But I'm a big believer in redemption, and I think a lot of the Democrats have come around to see that that was a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: "Fahrenheit 9/11" already set some opening records at individual theaters in New York City. It opens nationwide tomorrow. Michael Moore will be my guest tomorrow at 10:00 a. Eastern to discuss the project in greater depth.

(BUSINESS NEWS UPDATE)

KAGAN: Well, normally, they want you to listen to the word of God. So, why does one well-known religious group now also want you to hear the words of a infamous serial killer? The unusual story is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A message of redemption in exchange for a -- let's start that one over since the microphone wasn't working. All right. David Berkowitz, the convicted killer known as "Son of Sam," is featured in an interview on a Christian Web site. Focus on the Family is offering a recording that it calls a message of redemption in exchange for a suggested $7 donation. Berkowitz claims he's a born-again Christian. He killed six people and he wounded seven in a series of shootings in the 1970s.

(WEATHER BREAK) KAGAN: And that wraps up our two hours together. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.