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CNN Live Today

Insurgents Launch Simultaneous Attacks on U.S. Military Bases in Iraq

Aired July 28, 2004 - 11:00   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning from CNN Center here in Atlanta. I am Daryn Kagan.
Live pictures for you from Boston's FleetCenter as the Democrats get ready for nomination night. Tonight they will officially nominate John Kerry as their presidential candidate. We'll have live coverage of Senator Kerry's arrival. He is expected in Boston within the hour.

Meanwhile, Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry wowed the crowd last night. She declared that it's time for women's voices to be heard. And she extolled her husband's service in Vietnam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA HEINZ KERRY, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN KERRY: And John is a fighter. He earned his medals the old-fashioned way.

(APPLAUSE)

HEINZ KERRY: By putting his life on the line for his country. And no one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will. And he will always, be first in the line of fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: We begin our convention coverage this hour with CNN national correspondent Bob Franken. He is live in Boston, indoors, in the FleetCenter. Bob, good morning.

FRANKEN: It's raining outside.

KAGAN: We cut you a break. We got you indoors today.

FRANKEN: You did?

KAGAN: Yes.

FRANKEN: You did. Usually it works the other way around.

KAGAN: Yes.

FRANKEN: But in any case among those who have been indoors in the FleetCenter, John Edwards.

I don't want to agree or disagree with the fact that these conventions are pretty much prepackaged, but I think we can predict that John Edwards is going to be speaking tonight with the other members of his family based on, if nothing else, the fact that around midnight he stopped by here in the FleetCenter, did his mic check, did his walk through, in fact, did it ahead of time.

Now John Edwards is going to be doing his imitation of Hubert Humphrey's "Politics of Joy," we're told. It's going to be upbeat to an extreme. John Edwards has sort of based his candidacy on that type of approach to politics.

Now the man who is the center of all this is now about to finally land in Boston, his hometown. John Kerry has taken off from Philadelphia. His plane is in the air. He's going to be making a grand entrance, taking a water taxi over to Boston.

So this is going to be a day of media events, photo ops, speeches, and then -- this is the big prediction -- there is going to be a nomination this evening. And Daryn, were going to go out on a limb and say that the nomination will choose John Kerry and John Edwards.

I hope we are right.

KAGAN: Is that where we get the drop presumptive in front of when we refer to John Kerry?

FRANKEN: That's probably something we should have dropped long ago.

KAGAN: Yes, possibly.

You know, coming up we're going to be doing a story on the little microphones that the CNN people are wearing.

Those cute little headsets.

FRANKEN: You want me to comment on them?

KAGAN: You know, well we haven't done the story yet, but maybe we'll bring you back and you can do a little live interaction with us and show how they work.

FRANKEN: Just one thing, they sort of feel like orthodontic retainers.

KAGAN: Well, the teeth are looking fabulous, Bob, so thank you so much for that.

Bob Franken in Boston.

Reverend Al Sharpton gets his turn at the podium tonight at the convention. Earlier he was on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" talking about Republicans and the African-American vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that we do vote for whose earned it. And you really have to be very careful about who has done what to earn it.

I don't think anyone can make an argument that George Bush has earned the African-American vote or, for that matter, the larger vote. But I'll elaborate on that tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So here is a look at who is joining the Reverend Sharpton on the podium tonight. Other speakers include New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. And Kerry's running mate, John Edwards, will give his prime time address tonight, as well.

Edwards gives his speech at 10 p.m. Eastern. We'll bring you live coverage.

At 11, "AARON BROWN" wraps up tonight's happenings. And "LARRY KING" follows at midnight with a live show from the floor of the FleetCenter.

And now to the politics of the 9/11 report. A political battle is emerging in the race to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. Our Ed Henry has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On his way to Boston, John Kerry is hammering President Bush over the 9/11 commissions final report.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You can't treat the commissions report as something that you hope will go away, because this threat won't go away. And the recommendations of the commission make sense and they should be implemented now.

HENRY: Republicans stressed the president is on top of the situation discussing the 9/11 report with National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice in Texas.

And in a visit with Marines at Camp Pendleton, Vice President Cheney said the administration's approach to the war on terror is the right one.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, they are invited by the perception of weakness.

HENRY: The Kerry camp released a memo charging, "In an act of political gymnastics remarkable even for this White House, the Bush campaign is using the report it has yet to embrace, written by a commission that it originally opposed, to justify its reelection effort."

And Kerry wants the commission, whose mandate expires in August, to get an 18-month extension to oversee, monitor and track implementation of the reform proposals, a move the White House refused to endorse.

The jockeying over who will embrace the commissions proposals first has gotten intense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE. I think there's just tremendous political pressure for both parties to get ahead on the issue. National security is a big campaign issue for John Kerry, and it's a big strength for George Bush. And the party that get there first is going to be the party that gets some votes.

HENRY (on camera): Congress is also now moving quickly to address the 9/11 report. The Senate, which planned to kick off its hearings next week, will now hold its first hearing this Friday.

And House Speaker Dennis Hastert had initially urged a "go slow" approach, but amid pressure, House Republicans are now planning a hearing of their own next week.

Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: There are plenty of Republicans in Boston this week eager to make a case against John Kerry. One of them is Bernard Kerik who was New York police city -- police commissioner -- when the terror struck 9/11.

He spoke earlier today on CNN on "AMERICAN MORNING" with Bill Hemmer about why he would not like to see a President Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: I was asked what I feared most, and I said that I fear another attack and I fear that attack with a John Kerry, Senator Kerry, being in office, responding to it. That was my quote.

And I said that based on his record, based on his history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Kerik spent considerable time in Iraq where he was in charge of rebuilding the country's police force.

A Republican senator is criticizing the Bush administration for what he calls a host of mistakes in post-war Iraq. Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island (AUDIO GAP).

Chafee, by the way, was the only Republican to vote against the White House war resolution in October of 2002, leading up to the invasion of Iraq. He warned that the U.S. effort will fail if the White House does not work more closely with other countries in the region.

Let's check in on Iraq today. Dozens of people were killed by a suicide car bomber at a marketplace near a police station in the town of Baquba. It is the deadliest attack in that country since the interim government assumed control one month ago.

Our Matthew Chance is in Baghdad, and he joins us with the latest.

Matthew, hello.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thanks.

And a another bloody day here in Iraq, suffered by Iraq as a car bomb driving in to a crowded area of the city of Baquba just to the north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, driven by a suicide bomber, detonating those explosives in a crowded market area, just outside a police recruitment center.

Eye witnesses at the scene saying the car bomb drove through that market area and detonated just near a line of young recruits who were queuing up in order to -- lining up -- in order to try and sign on to the new Iraqi police services, so quite a devastating scene there.

The latest casualty figures coming to us from the health ministry of Iraq saying that at least 68 people have been killed as a result of that, another 56 injured. And among the killed, 21 passengers on a bus that was simply passing by the area when that bomb exploded.

There have been a number of other incidents as well. The one I really want to talk about at the moment is an attack, multiple attacks, in fact, on U.S. bases near Ramadi, which is a flashpoint town to the west of Baghdad.

We understand that the number of U.S. bases there have come under simultaneous attack from insurgent forces. At least 10 U.S. personnel are said to have been injured at this stage. We trying to gather more information and will bring it to you, of course, as soon as we have it -- Daryn?

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, live in Baghdad. Matthew, thank you for the latest from there.

Back here in the U.S. it was another long night for police in Salt Lake City. The family of a missing woman says that its search is turning up very little. The police search might be a different story. We are live from Salt Lake coming up.

Also a delay in the Jackson trial. We're learning, though, that some of the startling details behind the prosecution's case.

And later, Michael Moore is about to turn up the heat in Texas and bring his movie right to President Bush's backyard.

CNN LIVE TODAY is coming back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow at the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are slumping on worries about high oil prices and a disappointing economic report.

Oil prices right now are soaring to an all-time high, up nearly $1 a barrel at $42.80. Part of the problem today, concerns about supply shortages in Russia.

And in the latest reading on the economy, demand for new military aircraft push orders for durable goods up 7/10 of 1 percent. Economists, though, had expected a stronger increase. Those concerns are pushing the market lower today.

Right now the Dow is down 70 points. The Nasdaq is falling more than 1.5 percent. Losing stocks are beating out gainers by a 2-1 margin here at the big board.

And that is the very latest from Wall Street.

LIVE TODAY continues right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Police and search dogs combed a Utah landfill in the pre- dawn darkness today searching for Lori Hacking. Her husband reported her missing on July 19th. Since then, authorities say his bizarre behavior has made him a focal point of the police probe.

Lori Hacking's family is suspending a search by an army of volunteers out of concern for their safety. Our correspondent Ted Rowlands has more on the case. He is live in Salt Lake City.

Ted, good morning.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Lori Hacking's husband Mark remains here in this Salt Lake City hospital, and he is still the only person of interest that Salt Lake City police have named in this case. Clearly he is the focus of this case. Investigators say they are still awaiting forensic evidence returns before they move any further.

As you mentioned, overnight, for the second night in a row, police teams, evidence search teams were out using cadaver dogs at a local landfill, combing through the landfill area looking for evidence.

Police say the first night that they did this two nights ago, they did not find anything of significance. They have not said, one way or another, if anything was found in the overnight hours last night.

Meanwhile, family members here in Salt Lake City, as you mentioned, as well, have closed down the volunteer search center saying that they did no longer need hundreds of folks on a daily basis to come and help search for Lori, which was the case up until yesterday.

They did thank the literally thousands of people in this community that donated their time and resources to help find 27-year- old Lori Hacking. They also acknowledged that in the end they do not expect that this story will have a happy ending.

They say they continue to support Mark Hacking, and they continue to love him, but they, too, have questions for him given the inconsistencies in his story thus far -- Daryn?

KAGAN: What exactly do they mean by they're concerned for the volunteers safety, that, that's why they were calling off that part of the search?

ROWLANDS: Well, what they said publicly was that they were concerned that people were going into remote areas and they didn't want anybody to get injured unduly.

There's no doubt that they have lost a bit of hope here. And given eight days, they said, you know, we're well aware of the statistics. It's now nine days. They don't believe that the volunteer search was worth the risk of anybody getting hurt at this point in the investigation.

KAGAN: Understandable. Very, very sad for the Hacking family. Thank you so much.

Ted Rowlands in Salt Lake City, appreciate that.

The judge overseeing the Michael Jackson child molestation case is pushing that trial back from September to late January of next year. At a hearing on Tuesday prosecutors gave a first glimpse at their case against the singer.

They allege the episode grew out of Jackson's mismanaged attempt at damage control after the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson." In the film, Jackson, with the alleged victim sitting next to him described the habit of allowing boys to sleep in his bed.

Prosecutors say he panicked after the film aired trying to get the boy to state publicly that nothing sexual had happened. They say he went as far as holding the boy and his mother against their wishes at Neverland Ranch.

Jackson has pleaded not guilty to molestation and false imprisonment charges. He did not attend Tuesday's hearing.

She is fiery and she is opinionated, but is that a good thing, a bad thing? That's next.

Bill Schneider takes a look at what kind of mold Teresa Heinz Kerry might fall into as a possible first lady, and what mold she might break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Jacqui Jeras keeping an eye on Baltimore this morning, I think, as well as our friends on the West Coast.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we're going to try and catch everybody here this go round.

(WEATHER BREAK)

JERAS: Daryn?

KAGAN: All right. Jackie, boy deep breath.

JERAS: Got it all.

KAGAN: You worked hard on that one, my friend. Thank you.

Teresa Heinz Kerry has a keen mind, deep pockets and a sharp tongue, but does she have a political agenda if she makes it to the White House?

Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: First ladies are expected to care about issues, but Hillary Clinton went one step further. She was political.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: You should not have a healthcare system in which costs drive who gets healthcare.

SCHNEIDER: Ultimately, Mrs. Clinton decided to do the right thing. She became a politician.

RODHAM CLINTON: Wow, this is amazing. Thank you all.

SCHNEIDER: Laura Bush has followed a more traditional first lady model, involved but not really political.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Watching TV isn't really very good for your brain, but reading is exercise for your brain.

SCHNEIDER: She suddenly defends her husband's policies. A first lady is expected to do that.

BUSH: For small business owners, tax relief means expanding their operations and adding jobs.

SCHNEIDER: But Mrs. Bush does not have her own political agenda. That difference shows up in the way the public sees the two most recent first ladies.

Opinion of Hillary Clinton is strongly political. Democrats love her, Republicans do not.

Opinion of Laura Bush is much less political. Republicans love her, but most Democrats like her as well.

Which model would Teresa Heinz Kerry follow? She is a wealthy activist.

HEINZ KERRY: The fact that I half access to money, to power, that kind of power is a joy because I can do the things I used to do on the other side proactively.

SCHNEIDER: But she says she would not take on a policymaking role, at least not as first lady.

HEINZ KERRY: I would not, however, want to be appointed to a position that was without going through a hearing as any other appointment of a president.

SCHNEIDER: She intends to define her own role, more activist than Laura Bush but not as political as Hillary Clinton.

HEINZ KERRY: Let Laura Bush be Laura Bush. Let Hillary be Hillary. And all I ask for is, give me a chance.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): It's fine for a first lady to speak her mind, that expected these days. But if she assumes political responsibility, she'll have to face a difficult question, who elected her?

Bill Schneider, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, we'll be heading back to Iraq. While the battle rages there, the battle over Iraq continues right here at home. Up next, how John Kerry is hoping his military past will help convince America that he is right for the future.

And later, a tragic link between a mother who lost her son and the man whose life was saved by her son's organs. They will meet for the first time, right here coming up.

Also, let's take a live picture from Boston's Logan airport. John Jerry's plane arriving there just moments ago. He's going to go from there to water taxi to make his arrival at the Democratic national convention.

You'll see it live right here, coming up on CNN.

Right now a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening now in the news.

A live picture on this Wednesday, July 28th This is John Kerry's plane. Just moments ago it landed at Boston's Logan airport. We expect to see the senator any time soon. Of course he is on his way to the Democratic national convention.

He will be nominated tonight. Of course that's not the senator. And we expect to hear his acceptance speech tomorrow.

Other news today, delegates at Boston's FleetCenter hear from Democratic running mate John Edwards tonight. John Kerry will be officially nominated tonight, as well in the traditional roll call of state delegates.

The judge in the Kobe Bryant case may release details from a hearing on the accuser's sex life. And that could come very shortly. Transcripts from the closed-door hearing were mistakenly sent to several news organizations.

The media groups are challenging the judges earlier order. In it, he threatened contempt of court charges against any news organization who released information.

And a U.N. worker in Afghanistan was one of two people killed in an explosion at a mosque today. The attack occurred where a group of people were lined up to register to vote in the Afghan election this fall.

Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.

Opposition to the Iraq war is a persistent theme among many rank and file Democrats. That is not the sentiment reflected in the party's official platform in Boston, however.

Our Dana Bash explains.


Aired July 28, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning from CNN Center here in Atlanta. I am Daryn Kagan.
Live pictures for you from Boston's FleetCenter as the Democrats get ready for nomination night. Tonight they will officially nominate John Kerry as their presidential candidate. We'll have live coverage of Senator Kerry's arrival. He is expected in Boston within the hour.

Meanwhile, Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry wowed the crowd last night. She declared that it's time for women's voices to be heard. And she extolled her husband's service in Vietnam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA HEINZ KERRY, WIFE OF SEN. JOHN KERRY: And John is a fighter. He earned his medals the old-fashioned way.

(APPLAUSE)

HEINZ KERRY: By putting his life on the line for his country. And no one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will. And he will always, be first in the line of fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: We begin our convention coverage this hour with CNN national correspondent Bob Franken. He is live in Boston, indoors, in the FleetCenter. Bob, good morning.

FRANKEN: It's raining outside.

KAGAN: We cut you a break. We got you indoors today.

FRANKEN: You did?

KAGAN: Yes.

FRANKEN: You did. Usually it works the other way around.

KAGAN: Yes.

FRANKEN: But in any case among those who have been indoors in the FleetCenter, John Edwards.

I don't want to agree or disagree with the fact that these conventions are pretty much prepackaged, but I think we can predict that John Edwards is going to be speaking tonight with the other members of his family based on, if nothing else, the fact that around midnight he stopped by here in the FleetCenter, did his mic check, did his walk through, in fact, did it ahead of time.

Now John Edwards is going to be doing his imitation of Hubert Humphrey's "Politics of Joy," we're told. It's going to be upbeat to an extreme. John Edwards has sort of based his candidacy on that type of approach to politics.

Now the man who is the center of all this is now about to finally land in Boston, his hometown. John Kerry has taken off from Philadelphia. His plane is in the air. He's going to be making a grand entrance, taking a water taxi over to Boston.

So this is going to be a day of media events, photo ops, speeches, and then -- this is the big prediction -- there is going to be a nomination this evening. And Daryn, were going to go out on a limb and say that the nomination will choose John Kerry and John Edwards.

I hope we are right.

KAGAN: Is that where we get the drop presumptive in front of when we refer to John Kerry?

FRANKEN: That's probably something we should have dropped long ago.

KAGAN: Yes, possibly.

You know, coming up we're going to be doing a story on the little microphones that the CNN people are wearing.

Those cute little headsets.

FRANKEN: You want me to comment on them?

KAGAN: You know, well we haven't done the story yet, but maybe we'll bring you back and you can do a little live interaction with us and show how they work.

FRANKEN: Just one thing, they sort of feel like orthodontic retainers.

KAGAN: Well, the teeth are looking fabulous, Bob, so thank you so much for that.

Bob Franken in Boston.

Reverend Al Sharpton gets his turn at the podium tonight at the convention. Earlier he was on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" talking about Republicans and the African-American vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that we do vote for whose earned it. And you really have to be very careful about who has done what to earn it.

I don't think anyone can make an argument that George Bush has earned the African-American vote or, for that matter, the larger vote. But I'll elaborate on that tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So here is a look at who is joining the Reverend Sharpton on the podium tonight. Other speakers include New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. And Kerry's running mate, John Edwards, will give his prime time address tonight, as well.

Edwards gives his speech at 10 p.m. Eastern. We'll bring you live coverage.

At 11, "AARON BROWN" wraps up tonight's happenings. And "LARRY KING" follows at midnight with a live show from the floor of the FleetCenter.

And now to the politics of the 9/11 report. A political battle is emerging in the race to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. Our Ed Henry has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On his way to Boston, John Kerry is hammering President Bush over the 9/11 commissions final report.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You can't treat the commissions report as something that you hope will go away, because this threat won't go away. And the recommendations of the commission make sense and they should be implemented now.

HENRY: Republicans stressed the president is on top of the situation discussing the 9/11 report with National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice in Texas.

And in a visit with Marines at Camp Pendleton, Vice President Cheney said the administration's approach to the war on terror is the right one.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, they are invited by the perception of weakness.

HENRY: The Kerry camp released a memo charging, "In an act of political gymnastics remarkable even for this White House, the Bush campaign is using the report it has yet to embrace, written by a commission that it originally opposed, to justify its reelection effort."

And Kerry wants the commission, whose mandate expires in August, to get an 18-month extension to oversee, monitor and track implementation of the reform proposals, a move the White House refused to endorse.

The jockeying over who will embrace the commissions proposals first has gotten intense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE. I think there's just tremendous political pressure for both parties to get ahead on the issue. National security is a big campaign issue for John Kerry, and it's a big strength for George Bush. And the party that get there first is going to be the party that gets some votes.

HENRY (on camera): Congress is also now moving quickly to address the 9/11 report. The Senate, which planned to kick off its hearings next week, will now hold its first hearing this Friday.

And House Speaker Dennis Hastert had initially urged a "go slow" approach, but amid pressure, House Republicans are now planning a hearing of their own next week.

Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: There are plenty of Republicans in Boston this week eager to make a case against John Kerry. One of them is Bernard Kerik who was New York police city -- police commissioner -- when the terror struck 9/11.

He spoke earlier today on CNN on "AMERICAN MORNING" with Bill Hemmer about why he would not like to see a President Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: I was asked what I feared most, and I said that I fear another attack and I fear that attack with a John Kerry, Senator Kerry, being in office, responding to it. That was my quote.

And I said that based on his record, based on his history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Kerik spent considerable time in Iraq where he was in charge of rebuilding the country's police force.

A Republican senator is criticizing the Bush administration for what he calls a host of mistakes in post-war Iraq. Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island (AUDIO GAP).

Chafee, by the way, was the only Republican to vote against the White House war resolution in October of 2002, leading up to the invasion of Iraq. He warned that the U.S. effort will fail if the White House does not work more closely with other countries in the region.

Let's check in on Iraq today. Dozens of people were killed by a suicide car bomber at a marketplace near a police station in the town of Baquba. It is the deadliest attack in that country since the interim government assumed control one month ago.

Our Matthew Chance is in Baghdad, and he joins us with the latest.

Matthew, hello.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thanks.

And a another bloody day here in Iraq, suffered by Iraq as a car bomb driving in to a crowded area of the city of Baquba just to the north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, driven by a suicide bomber, detonating those explosives in a crowded market area, just outside a police recruitment center.

Eye witnesses at the scene saying the car bomb drove through that market area and detonated just near a line of young recruits who were queuing up in order to -- lining up -- in order to try and sign on to the new Iraqi police services, so quite a devastating scene there.

The latest casualty figures coming to us from the health ministry of Iraq saying that at least 68 people have been killed as a result of that, another 56 injured. And among the killed, 21 passengers on a bus that was simply passing by the area when that bomb exploded.

There have been a number of other incidents as well. The one I really want to talk about at the moment is an attack, multiple attacks, in fact, on U.S. bases near Ramadi, which is a flashpoint town to the west of Baghdad.

We understand that the number of U.S. bases there have come under simultaneous attack from insurgent forces. At least 10 U.S. personnel are said to have been injured at this stage. We trying to gather more information and will bring it to you, of course, as soon as we have it -- Daryn?

KAGAN: Matthew Chance, live in Baghdad. Matthew, thank you for the latest from there.

Back here in the U.S. it was another long night for police in Salt Lake City. The family of a missing woman says that its search is turning up very little. The police search might be a different story. We are live from Salt Lake coming up.

Also a delay in the Jackson trial. We're learning, though, that some of the startling details behind the prosecution's case.

And later, Michael Moore is about to turn up the heat in Texas and bring his movie right to President Bush's backyard.

CNN LIVE TODAY is coming back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow at the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are slumping on worries about high oil prices and a disappointing economic report.

Oil prices right now are soaring to an all-time high, up nearly $1 a barrel at $42.80. Part of the problem today, concerns about supply shortages in Russia.

And in the latest reading on the economy, demand for new military aircraft push orders for durable goods up 7/10 of 1 percent. Economists, though, had expected a stronger increase. Those concerns are pushing the market lower today.

Right now the Dow is down 70 points. The Nasdaq is falling more than 1.5 percent. Losing stocks are beating out gainers by a 2-1 margin here at the big board.

And that is the very latest from Wall Street.

LIVE TODAY continues right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Police and search dogs combed a Utah landfill in the pre- dawn darkness today searching for Lori Hacking. Her husband reported her missing on July 19th. Since then, authorities say his bizarre behavior has made him a focal point of the police probe.

Lori Hacking's family is suspending a search by an army of volunteers out of concern for their safety. Our correspondent Ted Rowlands has more on the case. He is live in Salt Lake City.

Ted, good morning.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Lori Hacking's husband Mark remains here in this Salt Lake City hospital, and he is still the only person of interest that Salt Lake City police have named in this case. Clearly he is the focus of this case. Investigators say they are still awaiting forensic evidence returns before they move any further.

As you mentioned, overnight, for the second night in a row, police teams, evidence search teams were out using cadaver dogs at a local landfill, combing through the landfill area looking for evidence.

Police say the first night that they did this two nights ago, they did not find anything of significance. They have not said, one way or another, if anything was found in the overnight hours last night.

Meanwhile, family members here in Salt Lake City, as you mentioned, as well, have closed down the volunteer search center saying that they did no longer need hundreds of folks on a daily basis to come and help search for Lori, which was the case up until yesterday.

They did thank the literally thousands of people in this community that donated their time and resources to help find 27-year- old Lori Hacking. They also acknowledged that in the end they do not expect that this story will have a happy ending.

They say they continue to support Mark Hacking, and they continue to love him, but they, too, have questions for him given the inconsistencies in his story thus far -- Daryn?

KAGAN: What exactly do they mean by they're concerned for the volunteers safety, that, that's why they were calling off that part of the search?

ROWLANDS: Well, what they said publicly was that they were concerned that people were going into remote areas and they didn't want anybody to get injured unduly.

There's no doubt that they have lost a bit of hope here. And given eight days, they said, you know, we're well aware of the statistics. It's now nine days. They don't believe that the volunteer search was worth the risk of anybody getting hurt at this point in the investigation.

KAGAN: Understandable. Very, very sad for the Hacking family. Thank you so much.

Ted Rowlands in Salt Lake City, appreciate that.

The judge overseeing the Michael Jackson child molestation case is pushing that trial back from September to late January of next year. At a hearing on Tuesday prosecutors gave a first glimpse at their case against the singer.

They allege the episode grew out of Jackson's mismanaged attempt at damage control after the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson." In the film, Jackson, with the alleged victim sitting next to him described the habit of allowing boys to sleep in his bed.

Prosecutors say he panicked after the film aired trying to get the boy to state publicly that nothing sexual had happened. They say he went as far as holding the boy and his mother against their wishes at Neverland Ranch.

Jackson has pleaded not guilty to molestation and false imprisonment charges. He did not attend Tuesday's hearing.

She is fiery and she is opinionated, but is that a good thing, a bad thing? That's next.

Bill Schneider takes a look at what kind of mold Teresa Heinz Kerry might fall into as a possible first lady, and what mold she might break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Jacqui Jeras keeping an eye on Baltimore this morning, I think, as well as our friends on the West Coast.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we're going to try and catch everybody here this go round.

(WEATHER BREAK)

JERAS: Daryn?

KAGAN: All right. Jackie, boy deep breath.

JERAS: Got it all.

KAGAN: You worked hard on that one, my friend. Thank you.

Teresa Heinz Kerry has a keen mind, deep pockets and a sharp tongue, but does she have a political agenda if she makes it to the White House?

Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: First ladies are expected to care about issues, but Hillary Clinton went one step further. She was political.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: You should not have a healthcare system in which costs drive who gets healthcare.

SCHNEIDER: Ultimately, Mrs. Clinton decided to do the right thing. She became a politician.

RODHAM CLINTON: Wow, this is amazing. Thank you all.

SCHNEIDER: Laura Bush has followed a more traditional first lady model, involved but not really political.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Watching TV isn't really very good for your brain, but reading is exercise for your brain.

SCHNEIDER: She suddenly defends her husband's policies. A first lady is expected to do that.

BUSH: For small business owners, tax relief means expanding their operations and adding jobs.

SCHNEIDER: But Mrs. Bush does not have her own political agenda. That difference shows up in the way the public sees the two most recent first ladies.

Opinion of Hillary Clinton is strongly political. Democrats love her, Republicans do not.

Opinion of Laura Bush is much less political. Republicans love her, but most Democrats like her as well.

Which model would Teresa Heinz Kerry follow? She is a wealthy activist.

HEINZ KERRY: The fact that I half access to money, to power, that kind of power is a joy because I can do the things I used to do on the other side proactively.

SCHNEIDER: But she says she would not take on a policymaking role, at least not as first lady.

HEINZ KERRY: I would not, however, want to be appointed to a position that was without going through a hearing as any other appointment of a president.

SCHNEIDER: She intends to define her own role, more activist than Laura Bush but not as political as Hillary Clinton.

HEINZ KERRY: Let Laura Bush be Laura Bush. Let Hillary be Hillary. And all I ask for is, give me a chance.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): It's fine for a first lady to speak her mind, that expected these days. But if she assumes political responsibility, she'll have to face a difficult question, who elected her?

Bill Schneider, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, we'll be heading back to Iraq. While the battle rages there, the battle over Iraq continues right here at home. Up next, how John Kerry is hoping his military past will help convince America that he is right for the future.

And later, a tragic link between a mother who lost her son and the man whose life was saved by her son's organs. They will meet for the first time, right here coming up.

Also, let's take a live picture from Boston's Logan airport. John Jerry's plane arriving there just moments ago. He's going to go from there to water taxi to make his arrival at the Democratic national convention.

You'll see it live right here, coming up on CNN.

Right now a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening now in the news.

A live picture on this Wednesday, July 28th This is John Kerry's plane. Just moments ago it landed at Boston's Logan airport. We expect to see the senator any time soon. Of course he is on his way to the Democratic national convention.

He will be nominated tonight. Of course that's not the senator. And we expect to hear his acceptance speech tomorrow.

Other news today, delegates at Boston's FleetCenter hear from Democratic running mate John Edwards tonight. John Kerry will be officially nominated tonight, as well in the traditional roll call of state delegates.

The judge in the Kobe Bryant case may release details from a hearing on the accuser's sex life. And that could come very shortly. Transcripts from the closed-door hearing were mistakenly sent to several news organizations.

The media groups are challenging the judges earlier order. In it, he threatened contempt of court charges against any news organization who released information.

And a U.N. worker in Afghanistan was one of two people killed in an explosion at a mosque today. The attack occurred where a group of people were lined up to register to vote in the Afghan election this fall.

Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.

Opposition to the Iraq war is a persistent theme among many rank and file Democrats. That is not the sentiment reflected in the party's official platform in Boston, however.

Our Dana Bash explains.