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CNN Live Today
Violence Rocks Iraq Day After Saddam's Court Appearance
Aired July 02, 2004 - 10:00 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Daryn Kagan.
A cluster of explosions in central Baghdad today. One rocket hit the Sheraton Hotel, home to journalists and foreign contractors. Others veered into a parking lot. The attack was launched from an armed minibus that blew up after a malfunction. No one was hurt.
An employment health study in June at 5.6 percent. The Labor Department is reporting employers added another 112,000 new positions to the work force. It was the 10th straight month of gains. The numbers were well below what analysts had forecast.
There is no specific threat, but the FBI is warning police to step up patrols and watch for terrorist activity over the 4th of July holiday. Federal officials say there's a steady stream of intelligence that al Qaeda wants to strike sometime this summer or fall.
It is the 40-anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson back in 1964. President Bush called it a great anniversary of justice and equality. Johnson's daughter, Lucy, attended a White House ceremony on Thursday, along with Thurgood Marshall, Jr. son, of the first black Supreme Court justice.
Live this hour, President Bush reacts to new numbers on the economy just out this morning. We'll have his remarks from the East Room of the White House coming up.
It's the day after Saddam Hussein's defiant performance in an Iraqi courtroom. But like many days in Iraq, there's been some violence.
Our senior international correspondent Brent Sadler has the latest from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This was an early-morning strike against, we believe the Sheraton Hotel. The 10th floor of that hotel, just opposite our location here, was hit by one of the projectiles.
But U.S. military here in Baghdad say the insurgents could have been aiming for the Green Zone, which would have been in the same trajectory as the rockets was fired at the Sheraton Hotel. The Green Zone, of course, is where the new U.S. Embassy is located, a former home of the old Coalition Provisional Authority.
Now, one rocket hit the Sheraton, as I say. It was fired from the back of a minibus, where a homemade, it seems, rocket launcher consisting of nine tubes had been set up. It was on a timer to give the insurgents time to leave the area. It was set off to detonate in the Firdos Square, well known here throughout Iraq, because the square is the location where a statue of Saddam Hussein was symbolically toppled, when the capital fell to U.S.-led forces last April.
Now, there were seven other rockets that did not go off. They exploded harmlessly in the concrete. But one other rocket did veer off course and landed in the parking lot of the Baghdad Hotel, as setting one car on fire and injuring two Iraqis. Now, both locations, the Sheraton and the Baghdad Hotel, both used by news organizations, particularly the Sheraton, and both used by Western businesses in this area.
Now, this attack came the day after Iraqis saw, and are still coming to grips with the appearance of the deposed President Saddam Hussein at yesterday's court hearing for an arraignment session. Many Iraqis are astonished to see that compared to pictures of Saddam Hussein last December when he was captured from that spider hole, they saw him in court, perhaps a little nervous at first. But then very soon, gaining in confidence, challenging the jurisdiction of the judge at times, refusing to sign minutes of the hearing, and dismissing the very serious charges against him.
Saddam Hussein was dressed casually in that court appearance. Many Iraqis thought that he should have been wearing a prison uniform. They were surprised they did not see any images of him in any manacles, any handcuffs at all. Even though he was brought to the courthouse in chains, they were removed before he got inside for that hearing. So many Iraqis are very surprised about what they saw on TV yesterday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And members of Saddam Hussein's legal team are criticizing the Iraqi interim government for keeping them from their client. Saddam appeared without counsel at his court hearing in Baghdad yesterday. One attorney, retained by Saddam's family, says a top Iraqi official threatened him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIAD NGJDAWI, SADDAM'S LEGAL TEAM: They frightened us, the ministry of justice in Iraq, tell us that anyone come to Iraq to defend the President Saddam Hussein, from the lawyers from Jordan, we kill him and we throw his body all over Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Another member of Saddam's legal team says Saddam is still president, because he was overthrown in an illegal invasion and therefore has presidential immunity from prosecution. Well, Jordan's King Abdullah is offering to send troops to Iraq if the interim government asks for help. The king told the BBC, quote, "If we don't stand with them, if we fail, then we all pay the price." The king said the main problem in the Middle East was not Iraq, but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nearly 140,000 U.S. troops are still in Iraq, but their role is changing.
CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with the latest on this.
Good morning to you, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
Well, as Iraqi security forces begin to take over, what about those U.S. troops? Is their work really done?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Another air strike in Fallujah against a suspected safe house, used by Abu Musab Zarqawi network, the latest U.S. offensive against the insurgents.
But in Samarra, gun battles broke out when U.S. troops left the area. The new cooperation between Iraqi and U.S. forces is finding its way. The Pentagon still trying to explain when either side can veto a military operation.
LAWRENCE DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: There's a general understanding that nobody likes surprises. But on the other hand, there's an understanding that the U.S. -- that the coalition forces may have sometimes -- may sometimes have to operate in a way that requires speed and may require surprise.
STARR: Many Iraqi security forces are stepping forward to fight the insurgents, U.S. military officers say. If that continues to be successful, the U.S. will cut back its presence on the streets of Iraq, trying to be less disruptive. U.S. forces will have fewer bases and fewer helicopter flights over neighborhoods.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID RODRIGUEZ, U.S. ARMY: Over time, as the joint patrols get going, we build the capacity, then they would become Iraqi patrols in certain areas.
STARR: The hope now is Iraqis will be able to accomplish goals the U.S. military occupation could not.
DI RITA: When an American force goes into a city like Fallujah, and surrounds a house, and moves into the house to find out who's in there, that has one connotation. When Iraqi police are doing it, it has an entirely different connotation.
(END VIDEOTAPE) STARR: But Betty, of course, all of this transition talk comes at a significance price for U.S. troops. Now over 5,000 U.S. military personnel wounded in Iraq, over 850 have been killed -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Barbara, speaking of troops, we understand some U.S. soldiers are facing charges for the death of an Iraqi general?
STARR: Actually, Betty, there is a case that has been announced out of Fort Carson, Colorado this morning involving the 4th Infantry Division. Four soldiers actually have been charged in a var -- with a variety of charges, including manslaughter and assault, related to the alleged drowning of an Iraqi man, that it is alleged they forced to jump off a bridge over the Tigris River. This is indeed the second case involving Fort Carson troops.
Also under investigation is the death of an Iraqi general while he was in U.S. custody. But in the latest case, charges indeed have been filed today -- Betty.
NGUYEN: A lot to be sorted out.
CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you.
Well, you can check your Coke can at the door. U.S. military officials are concerned promotional cans of Coke can be a security threat. The specially marked cans contain cell phones and global positioning chips. Military officials say the can could be used to eavesdrop, so they're banning them from classified meetings. A Coca- Cola spokesman says the phone and GPS cans can only contact Coke's prize center and can't be used to eavesdrop.
He was 7 years old when a stray bullet changed his life. Now the 17-year-old wants to buy the gun company that he says turned him into a paraplegic.
Also, Iraqi-Americans put a personal thank you into an American print newspaper. And we'll talk to one of them a little bit later.
A nation of self-service, how you can get nearly everything done in your daily life, without the service of another human being. Don't believe us? Well, we're going to show you how.
This is CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A Colorado mountain resort is doing its best to shake its association with the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. The lodge and spa at Cordillera has undergone a $6 million renovation. Room 35, the site of the alleged attack, has been redone and renumbered.
This San Francisco teenager has his heart set on buying a gun manufacturing plant.
And as CNN's Miguel Marquez reports, the boy's ambition is built on tragedy and determination. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRANDON MAXFIELD, GUNSHOT SURVIVOR: I used to play baseball all the time. I wanted to be a baseball player when I grew up.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A little more than 10 years ago, a bullet accidentally fired, turned then 7-year-old Brandon Maxfield from an aspiring ballplayer into a quadriplegic.
MAXFIELD: What happened to me is in the past. There's nothing I can do about that. What matters is the future.
MARQUEZ: The future says Maxfield is to buy the now defunct Bryco Arms and turn it Brandon Arms. Maxfield would become the owner of the company that made the very pistol, a .380 semiautomatic, that discharged a bullet into his chin.
Last year in a lawsuit against Bryco and its owner Bruce Jennings, a jury found the design of the gun's safety device was defective and partially responsible for his injuries.
MAXFIELD: By the time I'm done, I want that whole company to be leveled.
MARQUEZ: Maxfield says he wants to take the remaining 75,600 gun frames and parts in Bryco's Southern California warehouse and destroy them all.
MAXFIELD: Buy the company and melt down the guns. Get them off the streets.
RICHARD RUGGIERI, MAXFIELD'S LAWYER: It's empty. It stopped working.
MARQUEZ: The problem, says Maxfield's lawyers, is that everything is tied up in court. Bryco went bankrupt the day after it lost the $24 million lawsuit, less than $9 million of the lawsuit has been paid. And Maxfield's lawyer estimates his client's lifetime medical bills will be around $11 million.
So Brandon Maxfield is now raising money to buy Bryco in bankruptcy court, hoping to outbid Bryco's former plant manager's offer of $150,000.
RUGGIERI: Our intention is to bid for the assets, to have the machinery and other assets that can be put into useful production sold off.
MARQUEZ (on camera): The court is only deciding who will buy the company, not whether it will manufacture guns. Ruggieri says if Bryco's former plant manager wins the bid, the company will be back in the gun-making business. The plant manager didn't return our calls.
And the company's former owner says he's contesting the award to the 17-year-old high school senior.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Getting what you want, when you want it all by yourself. Are we becoming a self-serve nation? We'll take a look.
Also, thinking about adding a deck to your home? Our Gerri Willis has some tips.
GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Oops. And hello there. We're going to be talking all about decks when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time for today's "Top Five Tips." With the holiday weekend underway, you might be thinking about that summer entertainment center. Of course, we're talking about the deck.
Whether you want to build a new one or fix up the old one, Gerri Willis has some advice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): Ah, the deck. A place to escape right outside your door. The material of choice is typically wood. But that's changing. Plastic, vinyl, even something called composite are the new high-tech materials.
JIM NANNI, MGR. OF TESTING, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Well, certainly, you know, consumers, if they're looking for low maintenance, there are great choices out there.
WILLIS: Jim Nanni is the manager of testing for "Consumer Reports." In July's issue, "Consumer Reports" takes a look at the many synthetic materials available for decking, as well as the best deck treatments.
NANNI: More than two years ago, we looked at the up and coming trend in replacements for wood on your deck, particularly the desire for a low maintenance product. We actually went out and purchased a lot of the most popular, alternative decking products out there. And we constructed a frame to mount these on. And we actually installed them out here, so that they could be exposed to the weather.
WILLIS: Among the other tests, one for mildew and strength.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're doing here is looking to see how much this board will bend with the weight of 400 pounds applied to it.
WILLIS: They're findings: Of the 16 synthetic products they tested, 12 were judged excellent. Let's run down some of the options.
NANNI: I'm holding a solid composite. You can see the cross- section looks like a typical piece of wood decking. WILLIS: And though a bit heavy, composites are also versatile and nearly maintenance-free. They cost $300 to $720 per 100 square feet.
NANNI: And then maybe a much lighter version would be an all- plastic product, the vinyl-based product.
WILLIS: These are lightweight and take little care. And what's more, you're less likely to slip on it.
NANNI: The next alternative might be aluminum.
WILLIS: Aluminum gives a high-tech look and cleans easily. It will run you about $700 per 100 square feet. There is a downside. These alternatives could cost you a bit more than old-fashioned wood. So what do the professionals think of these alternatives?
ERIC STALEMARK, FOUNDER, DECKS.COM: I think the low maintenance materials are terrific. They are easy to work with. There's a lot of flexibility, so you can do curved decks, and some interesting designs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: OK. So you want that new deck. What do you do? So many Americans build their own. Job No. 1, think about safety, it's all important. If you have plans for a deck, make sure they're approved by an engineer. He can look at and make sure it's load adjusted, make that it can carry the weight you need it to carry. And that of course, it has proper drainage.
No. 2, pick the materials. The new materials are so fabulous out there. We just ran through aluminum, plastic, vinyl and composite. They are low maintenance and they attract less mildew. So they're very good.
But you know, if wood is your thing, if that's what you really want out there, well, then, understand that you're going to have to clean it regularly. That it takes a whole lot more maintenance. And every couple of years or so, you're going to have to paint it with a water repellent coating or sealant. Make sure you do that.
And finally, tip No. 4, beware of the carcinogens out there. Pressure-treated wood, at least some of it in the past, it's had something called CCA in it. It's a carcinogen. It's supposed to be removed at this point, but you'll absolutely want to check before you buy any wood. And of course, if you already have a deck made with this material, the EPA says don't worry, as long as you wash your hands after you're out on the deck you should be fine.
And finally guys, think outside of the box. Get fancy. Go to Web sites, like decks.com. Maybe take a look at something called punch software. You can find designs for decks that are absolutely beautiful, and have extras like arbors and outdoor kitchens. So you know, have a great summer and a fabulous 4th of July.
NGUYEN: Not your grandma's deck anymore, is it, Gerri. WILLIS: No, it's not.
NGUYEN: All right. Gerri Willis, thank you very much.
WILLIS: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Let's be frank.
To mark National Hot Dog Month, a Chicago company has served up what it says is the world's largest hot dog. Thirty-seven feet 2 inches long to be exact. And what do you want on that dog? Well, a gallon of mustard and gallon of relish will cover it.
Thousands say they suffered under the iron fist of Saddam. Now some Iraqis here in the U.S. want Americans to know how grateful they are for life without Saddam. We'll show you their big thank you.
And he's at it again. More tough talk from Bill Cosby for black Americans. Hear what he has to say now. That's later on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(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 July 2, 2004 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Daryn Kagan.
A cluster of explosions in central Baghdad today. One rocket hit the Sheraton Hotel, home to journalists and foreign contractors. Others veered into a parking lot. The attack was launched from an armed minibus that blew up after a malfunction. No one was hurt.
An employment health study in June at 5.6 percent. The Labor Department is reporting employers added another 112,000 new positions to the work force. It was the 10th straight month of gains. The numbers were well below what analysts had forecast.
There is no specific threat, but the FBI is warning police to step up patrols and watch for terrorist activity over the 4th of July holiday. Federal officials say there's a steady stream of intelligence that al Qaeda wants to strike sometime this summer or fall.
It is the 40-anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson back in 1964. President Bush called it a great anniversary of justice and equality. Johnson's daughter, Lucy, attended a White House ceremony on Thursday, along with Thurgood Marshall, Jr. son, of the first black Supreme Court justice.
Live this hour, President Bush reacts to new numbers on the economy just out this morning. We'll have his remarks from the East Room of the White House coming up.
It's the day after Saddam Hussein's defiant performance in an Iraqi courtroom. But like many days in Iraq, there's been some violence.
Our senior international correspondent Brent Sadler has the latest from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This was an early-morning strike against, we believe the Sheraton Hotel. The 10th floor of that hotel, just opposite our location here, was hit by one of the projectiles.
But U.S. military here in Baghdad say the insurgents could have been aiming for the Green Zone, which would have been in the same trajectory as the rockets was fired at the Sheraton Hotel. The Green Zone, of course, is where the new U.S. Embassy is located, a former home of the old Coalition Provisional Authority.
Now, one rocket hit the Sheraton, as I say. It was fired from the back of a minibus, where a homemade, it seems, rocket launcher consisting of nine tubes had been set up. It was on a timer to give the insurgents time to leave the area. It was set off to detonate in the Firdos Square, well known here throughout Iraq, because the square is the location where a statue of Saddam Hussein was symbolically toppled, when the capital fell to U.S.-led forces last April.
Now, there were seven other rockets that did not go off. They exploded harmlessly in the concrete. But one other rocket did veer off course and landed in the parking lot of the Baghdad Hotel, as setting one car on fire and injuring two Iraqis. Now, both locations, the Sheraton and the Baghdad Hotel, both used by news organizations, particularly the Sheraton, and both used by Western businesses in this area.
Now, this attack came the day after Iraqis saw, and are still coming to grips with the appearance of the deposed President Saddam Hussein at yesterday's court hearing for an arraignment session. Many Iraqis are astonished to see that compared to pictures of Saddam Hussein last December when he was captured from that spider hole, they saw him in court, perhaps a little nervous at first. But then very soon, gaining in confidence, challenging the jurisdiction of the judge at times, refusing to sign minutes of the hearing, and dismissing the very serious charges against him.
Saddam Hussein was dressed casually in that court appearance. Many Iraqis thought that he should have been wearing a prison uniform. They were surprised they did not see any images of him in any manacles, any handcuffs at all. Even though he was brought to the courthouse in chains, they were removed before he got inside for that hearing. So many Iraqis are very surprised about what they saw on TV yesterday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And members of Saddam Hussein's legal team are criticizing the Iraqi interim government for keeping them from their client. Saddam appeared without counsel at his court hearing in Baghdad yesterday. One attorney, retained by Saddam's family, says a top Iraqi official threatened him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIAD NGJDAWI, SADDAM'S LEGAL TEAM: They frightened us, the ministry of justice in Iraq, tell us that anyone come to Iraq to defend the President Saddam Hussein, from the lawyers from Jordan, we kill him and we throw his body all over Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Another member of Saddam's legal team says Saddam is still president, because he was overthrown in an illegal invasion and therefore has presidential immunity from prosecution. Well, Jordan's King Abdullah is offering to send troops to Iraq if the interim government asks for help. The king told the BBC, quote, "If we don't stand with them, if we fail, then we all pay the price." The king said the main problem in the Middle East was not Iraq, but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nearly 140,000 U.S. troops are still in Iraq, but their role is changing.
CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with the latest on this.
Good morning to you, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
Well, as Iraqi security forces begin to take over, what about those U.S. troops? Is their work really done?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Another air strike in Fallujah against a suspected safe house, used by Abu Musab Zarqawi network, the latest U.S. offensive against the insurgents.
But in Samarra, gun battles broke out when U.S. troops left the area. The new cooperation between Iraqi and U.S. forces is finding its way. The Pentagon still trying to explain when either side can veto a military operation.
LAWRENCE DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: There's a general understanding that nobody likes surprises. But on the other hand, there's an understanding that the U.S. -- that the coalition forces may have sometimes -- may sometimes have to operate in a way that requires speed and may require surprise.
STARR: Many Iraqi security forces are stepping forward to fight the insurgents, U.S. military officers say. If that continues to be successful, the U.S. will cut back its presence on the streets of Iraq, trying to be less disruptive. U.S. forces will have fewer bases and fewer helicopter flights over neighborhoods.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID RODRIGUEZ, U.S. ARMY: Over time, as the joint patrols get going, we build the capacity, then they would become Iraqi patrols in certain areas.
STARR: The hope now is Iraqis will be able to accomplish goals the U.S. military occupation could not.
DI RITA: When an American force goes into a city like Fallujah, and surrounds a house, and moves into the house to find out who's in there, that has one connotation. When Iraqi police are doing it, it has an entirely different connotation.
(END VIDEOTAPE) STARR: But Betty, of course, all of this transition talk comes at a significance price for U.S. troops. Now over 5,000 U.S. military personnel wounded in Iraq, over 850 have been killed -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Barbara, speaking of troops, we understand some U.S. soldiers are facing charges for the death of an Iraqi general?
STARR: Actually, Betty, there is a case that has been announced out of Fort Carson, Colorado this morning involving the 4th Infantry Division. Four soldiers actually have been charged in a var -- with a variety of charges, including manslaughter and assault, related to the alleged drowning of an Iraqi man, that it is alleged they forced to jump off a bridge over the Tigris River. This is indeed the second case involving Fort Carson troops.
Also under investigation is the death of an Iraqi general while he was in U.S. custody. But in the latest case, charges indeed have been filed today -- Betty.
NGUYEN: A lot to be sorted out.
CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you.
Well, you can check your Coke can at the door. U.S. military officials are concerned promotional cans of Coke can be a security threat. The specially marked cans contain cell phones and global positioning chips. Military officials say the can could be used to eavesdrop, so they're banning them from classified meetings. A Coca- Cola spokesman says the phone and GPS cans can only contact Coke's prize center and can't be used to eavesdrop.
He was 7 years old when a stray bullet changed his life. Now the 17-year-old wants to buy the gun company that he says turned him into a paraplegic.
Also, Iraqi-Americans put a personal thank you into an American print newspaper. And we'll talk to one of them a little bit later.
A nation of self-service, how you can get nearly everything done in your daily life, without the service of another human being. Don't believe us? Well, we're going to show you how.
This is CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A Colorado mountain resort is doing its best to shake its association with the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. The lodge and spa at Cordillera has undergone a $6 million renovation. Room 35, the site of the alleged attack, has been redone and renumbered.
This San Francisco teenager has his heart set on buying a gun manufacturing plant.
And as CNN's Miguel Marquez reports, the boy's ambition is built on tragedy and determination. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRANDON MAXFIELD, GUNSHOT SURVIVOR: I used to play baseball all the time. I wanted to be a baseball player when I grew up.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A little more than 10 years ago, a bullet accidentally fired, turned then 7-year-old Brandon Maxfield from an aspiring ballplayer into a quadriplegic.
MAXFIELD: What happened to me is in the past. There's nothing I can do about that. What matters is the future.
MARQUEZ: The future says Maxfield is to buy the now defunct Bryco Arms and turn it Brandon Arms. Maxfield would become the owner of the company that made the very pistol, a .380 semiautomatic, that discharged a bullet into his chin.
Last year in a lawsuit against Bryco and its owner Bruce Jennings, a jury found the design of the gun's safety device was defective and partially responsible for his injuries.
MAXFIELD: By the time I'm done, I want that whole company to be leveled.
MARQUEZ: Maxfield says he wants to take the remaining 75,600 gun frames and parts in Bryco's Southern California warehouse and destroy them all.
MAXFIELD: Buy the company and melt down the guns. Get them off the streets.
RICHARD RUGGIERI, MAXFIELD'S LAWYER: It's empty. It stopped working.
MARQUEZ: The problem, says Maxfield's lawyers, is that everything is tied up in court. Bryco went bankrupt the day after it lost the $24 million lawsuit, less than $9 million of the lawsuit has been paid. And Maxfield's lawyer estimates his client's lifetime medical bills will be around $11 million.
So Brandon Maxfield is now raising money to buy Bryco in bankruptcy court, hoping to outbid Bryco's former plant manager's offer of $150,000.
RUGGIERI: Our intention is to bid for the assets, to have the machinery and other assets that can be put into useful production sold off.
MARQUEZ (on camera): The court is only deciding who will buy the company, not whether it will manufacture guns. Ruggieri says if Bryco's former plant manager wins the bid, the company will be back in the gun-making business. The plant manager didn't return our calls.
And the company's former owner says he's contesting the award to the 17-year-old high school senior.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Getting what you want, when you want it all by yourself. Are we becoming a self-serve nation? We'll take a look.
Also, thinking about adding a deck to your home? Our Gerri Willis has some tips.
GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Oops. And hello there. We're going to be talking all about decks when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time for today's "Top Five Tips." With the holiday weekend underway, you might be thinking about that summer entertainment center. Of course, we're talking about the deck.
Whether you want to build a new one or fix up the old one, Gerri Willis has some advice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): Ah, the deck. A place to escape right outside your door. The material of choice is typically wood. But that's changing. Plastic, vinyl, even something called composite are the new high-tech materials.
JIM NANNI, MGR. OF TESTING, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Well, certainly, you know, consumers, if they're looking for low maintenance, there are great choices out there.
WILLIS: Jim Nanni is the manager of testing for "Consumer Reports." In July's issue, "Consumer Reports" takes a look at the many synthetic materials available for decking, as well as the best deck treatments.
NANNI: More than two years ago, we looked at the up and coming trend in replacements for wood on your deck, particularly the desire for a low maintenance product. We actually went out and purchased a lot of the most popular, alternative decking products out there. And we constructed a frame to mount these on. And we actually installed them out here, so that they could be exposed to the weather.
WILLIS: Among the other tests, one for mildew and strength.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're doing here is looking to see how much this board will bend with the weight of 400 pounds applied to it.
WILLIS: They're findings: Of the 16 synthetic products they tested, 12 were judged excellent. Let's run down some of the options.
NANNI: I'm holding a solid composite. You can see the cross- section looks like a typical piece of wood decking. WILLIS: And though a bit heavy, composites are also versatile and nearly maintenance-free. They cost $300 to $720 per 100 square feet.
NANNI: And then maybe a much lighter version would be an all- plastic product, the vinyl-based product.
WILLIS: These are lightweight and take little care. And what's more, you're less likely to slip on it.
NANNI: The next alternative might be aluminum.
WILLIS: Aluminum gives a high-tech look and cleans easily. It will run you about $700 per 100 square feet. There is a downside. These alternatives could cost you a bit more than old-fashioned wood. So what do the professionals think of these alternatives?
ERIC STALEMARK, FOUNDER, DECKS.COM: I think the low maintenance materials are terrific. They are easy to work with. There's a lot of flexibility, so you can do curved decks, and some interesting designs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: OK. So you want that new deck. What do you do? So many Americans build their own. Job No. 1, think about safety, it's all important. If you have plans for a deck, make sure they're approved by an engineer. He can look at and make sure it's load adjusted, make that it can carry the weight you need it to carry. And that of course, it has proper drainage.
No. 2, pick the materials. The new materials are so fabulous out there. We just ran through aluminum, plastic, vinyl and composite. They are low maintenance and they attract less mildew. So they're very good.
But you know, if wood is your thing, if that's what you really want out there, well, then, understand that you're going to have to clean it regularly. That it takes a whole lot more maintenance. And every couple of years or so, you're going to have to paint it with a water repellent coating or sealant. Make sure you do that.
And finally, tip No. 4, beware of the carcinogens out there. Pressure-treated wood, at least some of it in the past, it's had something called CCA in it. It's a carcinogen. It's supposed to be removed at this point, but you'll absolutely want to check before you buy any wood. And of course, if you already have a deck made with this material, the EPA says don't worry, as long as you wash your hands after you're out on the deck you should be fine.
And finally guys, think outside of the box. Get fancy. Go to Web sites, like decks.com. Maybe take a look at something called punch software. You can find designs for decks that are absolutely beautiful, and have extras like arbors and outdoor kitchens. So you know, have a great summer and a fabulous 4th of July.
NGUYEN: Not your grandma's deck anymore, is it, Gerri. WILLIS: No, it's not.
NGUYEN: All right. Gerri Willis, thank you very much.
WILLIS: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Let's be frank.
To mark National Hot Dog Month, a Chicago company has served up what it says is the world's largest hot dog. Thirty-seven feet 2 inches long to be exact. And what do you want on that dog? Well, a gallon of mustard and gallon of relish will cover it.
Thousands say they suffered under the iron fist of Saddam. Now some Iraqis here in the U.S. want Americans to know how grateful they are for life without Saddam. We'll show you their big thank you.
And he's at it again. More tough talk from Bill Cosby for black Americans. Hear what he has to say now. That's later on CNN LIVE TODAY.
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