Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Bush Picks Porter Goss To Head CIA; Florida Fires A Probation Officer/Four Supervisors For Killing Spree; Summer Concert Tours Slow

Aired August 10, 2004 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have not heard much public reaction from Democrats so far. But I can tell you, in private, Democrats are raising questions about whether Porter Goss is the right man for the job. Now, about a month ago, when Porter Goss's name first surfaced as a potential pick to lead the CIA, Senator Jay Rockefeller, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised some questions, some concerns about any politician of either party leading the CIA.
And I can tell you, I spoke this morning to Senator Rockefeller's staff. They're pointing out that the senator still generally believes that, quote, "We should not be nominating any politicians to this job" -- end quote. But I want to make very clear that Senator Rockefeller has not made a decision yet on whether he will oppose the nomination or support it.

Other Democrats are pointing out that they think there will be vigorous hearings. They're going to ask very tough questions of Porter Goss. But no decision has been made about whether they will block it. It's a very sensitive issue. Democrats admitting privately -- some staffers admitting outside of the intelligence committee, but elsewhere in the Senate, that they feel they have to be careful, obviously, not -- at a time when these 9/11 recommendations are being considered, not to look like they are standing in the way of reform.

But I can tell you, there was a flash point last week at the House Intelligence Committee chaired by Porter Goss, when Mr. Goss was suggesting a go-slow approach to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, some Democrats raised concerns. They feel that Goss is moving too slow. You can also see today Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission, are meeting this hour with the House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol behind me.

And Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attacking the White House, attacking Congressional Republicans, saying they're not moving fast enough on reform. And they may pick up that line of attack. We're not sure yet. Nancy Pelosi will be having a press conference sometime after 1:00 p.m. today where she will officially react to the Goss nomination.

One last thing is that, this afternoon, Mr. Kean, Mr. Hamilton will be testifying before the House Armed Services Committee about their recommendations. And tomorrow, Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton will be back to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, chaired, of course, by Porter Goss -- Daryn? DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well -- and that's where my Ed Henry question comes of the day, Ed, and that is that he is the chairman. Porter Goss is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. There's been all this criticism, not just of Congress, but of the intelligence community.

So, by taking from somebody so embedded in the process and in the system, how are you going to bring about reform?

HENRY: You're absolutely right, that that's one question that Democrats are privately raising right now. They're saying: How can someone who is a former CIA official actually reform that agency? Is he too close to the agency?

Obviously, the president disagrees. The president believes that only somebody who, as the president put it, knows the CIA inside and out can actually clean it up. I will also point out that Democrats are privately raising questions about the fact that Mr. Goss is having this hearing tomorrow. He is actually going to be helping to decide whether or not Congress creates a new National Director of Intelligence. That's separate from the CIA.

In fact, that new position, which the president has endorsed, would actually be above the CIA director. And some Democrats are privately saying: Why would it be in Porter Goss's interest to create this new job, because that new person would actually be Porter Goss's boss?

It would obviously be more advantageous for Porter Goss to be the top dog, Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Ed, thank you for that.

HENRY: Thank you.

KAGAN: Senator John Kerry is gambling on votes from Nevada today. Kerry will be in Las Vegas. That's where he'll meet with parents, nurses, and community leaders concerned about a proposed nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain. He wraps up his Vegas trip with a rally at the University of Las Vegas.

Former President Bill Clinton is coming to the defense of his party's nominee. Mr. Clinton appeared on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" promoting his best-selling memoir. The former president poked fun at the daunting heft of his tome, but turned serious in discussing the presidential election and its increasingly negative tone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They'll do this stuff as long as they think it works. They run this ad against Kerry's military record because they think it's not good for them. I mean, Kerry went to Vietnam and President Bush and Vice President Cheney were big hawks like me. We didn't go.

All three of us could have gone. And we didn't, and Kerry did. So, it's not good for them. And so, they're trying to put a chink in his armor. But it's wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: By the way, President Bush will be appearing in Pensacola, Florida, later today. And you'll see some of that live here on CNN.

Now, viewing the presidential race through the eyes of a visitor. Our London correspondent Richard Quest has hopped the pond and is wading into the waters of American politics. Today his American quest is gauging the political timber of the Pacific northwest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the rugged Pacific northwest, chainsaw sculpting is considered a local art. But here, like the rest of America, they're now paying close attention to politics.

DON ETUE, CHAINSAW ARTIST: I'm completely undecided until the final minute. Bush is doing a good job on a lot of aspects, but on a lot of aspects I don't agree with. And Kerry's got a lot of good ideas. But some of his aspects I don't believe in. So, it's going to be a hard one.

QUEST: Washington State, with its vast natural resources, has that frontier mentality, which is often thought of as leaning liberal. But there are also strong conservative traits here, which means although Washington State voted for Al Gore four years ago, this time the polls show the state is up for grabs.

At the summer fair, Jim Brommett is proudly showing off his 1999 Corvette, decorated in patriotic paraphernalia.

JIM BROMMETT, BUSH SUPPORTER: The most important thing to me is to have a strong military right now. And continue -- because the threats are there. We're going to get hit again no matter who's president, but I would rather have my commander be George Bush. I'd feel a lot more safer.

QUEST: Another beautiful car, and a totally different opinion. John Larson took me for a spin in his vintage Ford Galaxy.

Do you think there's a shift to Kerry in this part of the world?

JOHN LARSON, KERRY SUPPORTER: Yes, I believe so. A lot of the people that I figured were staunch Republicans are now saying that Bush has kind of misled them. He's been less than truthful with the country.

QUEST: Thirty miles from Snoqualmie is metropolitan Seattle and the Pike Place Market, where a fresh catch takes on a whole new meaning. Here, Mark Russell is a registered Republican, who, this time, is not voting for President Bush.

MARK RUSSELL, MGR., MARKET GRILL: There's never been somebody in a four-year term that has turned the whole world off like he has.

QUEST: These are strong words in a part of America that Democrats and Republicans believe is winable. Both candidates will find catching the undecided Pacific northwest vote a slippery task.

Richard Quest, CNN, Seattle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You knew there was no way Richard Quest was going to Seattle without catching a fish. So, good to see that journey has been accomplished.

We have some amazing video from overseas to show you. That's coming up next. Trees, rocks, tons of earth -- they all come tumbling down, and it's all caught on tape.

Plus, did you know your kids shell out big bucks for concert tickets this summer? We're going to hit the mosh pit a little bit later on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Big questions on Wall Street and Main Street today. Will the Federal Reserve raise interest rates this afternoon? And our Rhonda Schaffler joins me now, live from the New York Stock Exchange, with a preview of that. Rhonda, good morning.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Daryn. All eyes, of course, on the Federal Reserve here on Wall Street.

Despite recent signs the economy is cooling, Fed Chief Alan Greenspan and fed officials widely expected to raise interest rates by a quarter point to one-and-a-half percent. It would be the second rate increase in two months, and that's after more than three years of no hikes whatsoever.

The fed cut rates aggressively back in 2001 to guard against deflation. Now, that's no longer seen as a threat. The fed is more worried about the possibility of inflation.

If the fed does raise interest rates as expected, the impact on consumers and businesses will be felt right away. Rates on credit cards, mortgages, consumer and business loans would all increase. That decision coming out about 2:15 Eastern time -- Daryn?

KAGAN: Which is why there's so much interest in it. Let's look even past this afternoon. If the fed does raise interest rates, are we going to see these incremental raises as time goes on?

SCHAFFLER: Well, that is, of course, the real question that Wall Street is coming to terms with. Greenspan has signaled a series of gradual rate hikes in the coming several months. But we know the economy cooled in June and July, what Greenspan actually called a soft patch. And it said may take a wait-and-see approach. We know oil prices, for instance, still soaring, and now there's a lot of concerns about how strongly the economy can grow. So, unless jobs, spending, and some of the other data improve before the fed's next meeting, the Central Bank could skip another increase when it meets again in September. And some fed watchers say the fed might also want to avoid the controversy of raising rates just weeks before a presidential election.

Now, on Wall Street right now, stocks are modestly higher ahead of this fed announcement: Dow, as you can see, up 58 points; Nasdaq is adding three-quarters of one percent. And we continue to follow oil prices quite closely, hovering near $45 a barrel. And that is an all-time high.

That's the very latest from here on Wall Street. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Rhonda, thank you so much for that.

We're going to have more live coverage of the feds' announcement on "Interest Rates" later on CNN.

Also, a shark, a Navy Seal, and a whale of a tale. The amazing survival story is coming up when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. In Kerry, North Carolina, what started as a hit-and-run accident soon escalated into a startling discovery. Police found a half a dozen pipe bombs in the 17-year-old's car, and then when they went to his home, they found a dozen more. The teen faces charges for explosives.

Lions, and tigers and ballots? Oh, my. Today voters in Denver will decide whether the circus is still welcome in town. The initiative is proposed by a teenage animal rights activists. It would ban animal acts from performing in Denver.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, a Navy SEAL is recovering from a shark attack. The shark tore a square-foot piece of flesh out of the man's back as he floated face-up in the water. The victim says he has only himself to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TIFFEE, SHARK ATTACK TIME: It was feeding time, about 8:30, dusk. I was laying on my back, and just deliberately slapping my foot and making the little eight-foot plume of water go up, just ker-shlop, you know, ker-shlop, so I couldn't have put out flashing lights saying, you know, free bird seed, eat here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That doesn't explain why he was doing that. But a surgeon says if that man had been floating face down, that bite may have been fatal.

Also in Florida, the state has fired a probation officer and four of his supervisors for a killing spree that may have been preventable. Turns out the suspected mastermind should have been in jail at the time that six people were killed.

Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are entitled to have bond set.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One by one, each of the four accused murderers stood before a judge...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you Mr. Victorino?

CANDIOTTI: Including alleged ringleader Troy Victorino, at 27, almost a decade older than his 18-year-old suspected partners in crime. Authorities now question whether Victorino should have been out of jail in the first place, after violating probation for a savage beating in 1996.

Four probation supervisors have now been fired for failing to flag Victorino's violent history when he was arrested on a battery charge a week before the murders.

Florida's top corrections official says if Victorino had been arrested for a probation violation, six lives might have been saved.

JAMES CROSBY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: If they would have went ahead with a warrantless arrest and put him in jail and kept him there, yes.

CANDIOTTI: The next day, police say Victorino and three other suspects used aluminum bats and knives to batter and slash six sleeping victims and kill a dog.

KAY SHUKWIT, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I'm a Christian and we were talking with the pastor yesterday and he was talking about forgiveness. No. No forgiveness.

CANDIOTTI: Investigators say Victorino targeted Eran Belanger, in part, because he suspected her of stealing a $150 video game system. A friend discovered the bodies Friday and called 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I come in and the door's kicked in and I see blood. That's all I see. And there's four or five people in there and they're just all laying on the floor. And I yelled and yelled and yelled and no one answered.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): The case bears striking similarities to the kidnapping and murder of Carly Bruscia earlier this year. But so far, Florida law makers have not passed new laws to keep violent probation volunteers in jail.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Slip sliding away, a mountainside just disappears before your very eyes. Stick around to see more of this incredible video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, there she is, grinding it up just before her summer tour ground to a halt. She started, then scrapped her tour earlier this summer. Britney Spears is only one of several artists who canceled tour plans for the summer.

Currently, it seems that the buying habits of music lovers are not in concert with the artists' hopes. Other acts are also pulling their musical plans and putting them on pause.

Why the concert summer slump? Here to discuss that, our music correspondent, Shanon Cook. Good morning.

SHANON COOK, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I feel like we should have been Bananarama in the background singing "Cruel Summer."

I do want to preface this by saying that every year someone comes out, whether it's a concert promoter or a band manager, and says, "This has been the worst summer we've ever had as far as..."

KAGAN: ... goes hand in hand. And yet, this really has truly been a bad summer.

COOK: It does. There was definitely a dip in ticket sales, in sort of April and June of this year, as compared to last year. And with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera having to scrap their arena tours, there's no denying the summer concert tour season got off to a really shaky start, especially for alternative rock.

The festival Lollapalooza there, enjoyed its heyday in the early '90s, didn't even get off the ground, despite boasting an impressive lineup. Low ticket sales were blamed, and that's a problem that's extended to other festivals. Early numbers for heavy metal blowout Ozzfest indicated a struggle to fill seats.

Even though it touts big reunions for groups like Judas Priest, it seems this year concertgoers just aren't as willing to part with their cash. Some cite high gas prices as a contributing factor, others say there are simply too many choices to see them all, while some people are even afraid of terrorist acts.

But most music fans will likely tell you that tickets are just way too expensive. Not everyone wants to pay, say, $70 to sit on the grass and watch artists through a pair of binoculars, right? So, to boost head counts, many tours are dramatically dropping ticket prices at the last minute.

The Warped Tour seemed to have the right idea from the get-go. You can see more than 50 punk and rock bands for about 27 bucks. It's really thriving, and it's attracting scores of sweaty teens. So, if you go, make sure you take a peg for your nose.

The Curiosa tour features British goth veterans The Cure, and it's apparently doing really well. Official ticket sales for this alternative rock festival haven't been released yet, but The Cure's management insist venues have been selling close to capacity.

And perhaps most importantly, everyone on the tour says they're having a blast. That's what touring's all about, right, as Robert Smith told me that in a recent interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT SMITH, LEAD SINGER, THE CURE: The atmosphere around the festival site -- just backstage, onstage -- is fantastic. And the crowd response has been unbelievable. And it's just really, really great. It's like the most fun I've had in a live environment for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOK: Robert Smith is obviously putting a happy spin on things. SO, it's not all doom and gloom.

KAGAN: No.

COOK: And the arena tours, Daryn, are doing very well. They're really hot. Madonna selling out like crazy. And Prince, he is on fire with his music.

KAGAN: He's here in Atlanta.

COOK: Yes, I know, and I'm going to miss it. Are you going to go see him?

KAGAN: No, past my bedtime. And I've got to say, definitely a problem when the male musician that you're interviewing had on more makeup.

COOK: Right. Yes, Robert Smith was definitely competing with me there. I should have, you know, put the eyeliner on a lot thicker.

KAGAN: Quickly, you mentioned Prince. He is having a fantastic summer. Is Prince going to be the king of this summer?

COOK: I think he pretty much could be, although Usher -- R&B artist Usher has kicked off his tour last weekend. He's -- you know, he's got a lot of power behind him. I think he'll do pretty well. But Prince, he's just trumping at this time, I think.

KAGAN: Prince is the king. All right, Shanon Cook, thank you so much.

COOK: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Appreciate that.

Well, at least one concert is stirring up some buzz. You can log on to cnn.com/entertainment to find out why artists like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, and the Dixie Chick -- those are three people I've actually heard of, Shanon. They are banding together for a common political cause. Again, that's cnn.com/entertainment.

We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Take a look at this video. It's a massive landslide caught on tape in central Japan. A crew from Japan's Ministry of Land was surveying the mountainous area for instability for torrential rains. Looks like they picked the right place. They quickly found out just how unstable it really was. No one was hurt. The landslide did take out a major roadway, however.

Focusing on weather here in the U.S., I peeked at Jacqui Jeras' weather map. There's a big blob over Colorado...

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

KAGAN: ... and that's not you.

JERAS: No.

KAGAN: No, I'm talking about your map.

JERAS: Yes, a little red confusion, perhaps, Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Jacqui, thank you.

How you earn your living before retirement could have an impact on how you enjoy your golden years. We'll tell you about an intriguing new Alzheimer's study ahead.

President Bush wants him to be the next man to lead the CIA. We'll go live to Capitol Hill for reaction to Congressman Porter Goss' nomination.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's start with a look at what's happening now in the news. President Bush announces his choice for CIA director. He's nominating Florida Representative Porter Goss to head the spy agency. Goss is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a former army intelligence operative. We'll have a live report on the nomination in just a minute.

Turkish police say two people were killed in explosions at two hotels in Istanbul today. At least seven others were wounded in the attacks. Around the same time, attackers struck a fuel storage depot, but failed to rupture the fuel tanks. An Islamic Web site says that a group linked to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility and warned of more attacks in Europe.

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


Aired August 10, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have not heard much public reaction from Democrats so far. But I can tell you, in private, Democrats are raising questions about whether Porter Goss is the right man for the job. Now, about a month ago, when Porter Goss's name first surfaced as a potential pick to lead the CIA, Senator Jay Rockefeller, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised some questions, some concerns about any politician of either party leading the CIA.
And I can tell you, I spoke this morning to Senator Rockefeller's staff. They're pointing out that the senator still generally believes that, quote, "We should not be nominating any politicians to this job" -- end quote. But I want to make very clear that Senator Rockefeller has not made a decision yet on whether he will oppose the nomination or support it.

Other Democrats are pointing out that they think there will be vigorous hearings. They're going to ask very tough questions of Porter Goss. But no decision has been made about whether they will block it. It's a very sensitive issue. Democrats admitting privately -- some staffers admitting outside of the intelligence committee, but elsewhere in the Senate, that they feel they have to be careful, obviously, not -- at a time when these 9/11 recommendations are being considered, not to look like they are standing in the way of reform.

But I can tell you, there was a flash point last week at the House Intelligence Committee chaired by Porter Goss, when Mr. Goss was suggesting a go-slow approach to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, some Democrats raised concerns. They feel that Goss is moving too slow. You can also see today Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission, are meeting this hour with the House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol behind me.

And Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attacking the White House, attacking Congressional Republicans, saying they're not moving fast enough on reform. And they may pick up that line of attack. We're not sure yet. Nancy Pelosi will be having a press conference sometime after 1:00 p.m. today where she will officially react to the Goss nomination.

One last thing is that, this afternoon, Mr. Kean, Mr. Hamilton will be testifying before the House Armed Services Committee about their recommendations. And tomorrow, Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton will be back to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, chaired, of course, by Porter Goss -- Daryn? DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well -- and that's where my Ed Henry question comes of the day, Ed, and that is that he is the chairman. Porter Goss is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. There's been all this criticism, not just of Congress, but of the intelligence community.

So, by taking from somebody so embedded in the process and in the system, how are you going to bring about reform?

HENRY: You're absolutely right, that that's one question that Democrats are privately raising right now. They're saying: How can someone who is a former CIA official actually reform that agency? Is he too close to the agency?

Obviously, the president disagrees. The president believes that only somebody who, as the president put it, knows the CIA inside and out can actually clean it up. I will also point out that Democrats are privately raising questions about the fact that Mr. Goss is having this hearing tomorrow. He is actually going to be helping to decide whether or not Congress creates a new National Director of Intelligence. That's separate from the CIA.

In fact, that new position, which the president has endorsed, would actually be above the CIA director. And some Democrats are privately saying: Why would it be in Porter Goss's interest to create this new job, because that new person would actually be Porter Goss's boss?

It would obviously be more advantageous for Porter Goss to be the top dog, Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Ed, thank you for that.

HENRY: Thank you.

KAGAN: Senator John Kerry is gambling on votes from Nevada today. Kerry will be in Las Vegas. That's where he'll meet with parents, nurses, and community leaders concerned about a proposed nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain. He wraps up his Vegas trip with a rally at the University of Las Vegas.

Former President Bill Clinton is coming to the defense of his party's nominee. Mr. Clinton appeared on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" promoting his best-selling memoir. The former president poked fun at the daunting heft of his tome, but turned serious in discussing the presidential election and its increasingly negative tone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They'll do this stuff as long as they think it works. They run this ad against Kerry's military record because they think it's not good for them. I mean, Kerry went to Vietnam and President Bush and Vice President Cheney were big hawks like me. We didn't go.

All three of us could have gone. And we didn't, and Kerry did. So, it's not good for them. And so, they're trying to put a chink in his armor. But it's wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: By the way, President Bush will be appearing in Pensacola, Florida, later today. And you'll see some of that live here on CNN.

Now, viewing the presidential race through the eyes of a visitor. Our London correspondent Richard Quest has hopped the pond and is wading into the waters of American politics. Today his American quest is gauging the political timber of the Pacific northwest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the rugged Pacific northwest, chainsaw sculpting is considered a local art. But here, like the rest of America, they're now paying close attention to politics.

DON ETUE, CHAINSAW ARTIST: I'm completely undecided until the final minute. Bush is doing a good job on a lot of aspects, but on a lot of aspects I don't agree with. And Kerry's got a lot of good ideas. But some of his aspects I don't believe in. So, it's going to be a hard one.

QUEST: Washington State, with its vast natural resources, has that frontier mentality, which is often thought of as leaning liberal. But there are also strong conservative traits here, which means although Washington State voted for Al Gore four years ago, this time the polls show the state is up for grabs.

At the summer fair, Jim Brommett is proudly showing off his 1999 Corvette, decorated in patriotic paraphernalia.

JIM BROMMETT, BUSH SUPPORTER: The most important thing to me is to have a strong military right now. And continue -- because the threats are there. We're going to get hit again no matter who's president, but I would rather have my commander be George Bush. I'd feel a lot more safer.

QUEST: Another beautiful car, and a totally different opinion. John Larson took me for a spin in his vintage Ford Galaxy.

Do you think there's a shift to Kerry in this part of the world?

JOHN LARSON, KERRY SUPPORTER: Yes, I believe so. A lot of the people that I figured were staunch Republicans are now saying that Bush has kind of misled them. He's been less than truthful with the country.

QUEST: Thirty miles from Snoqualmie is metropolitan Seattle and the Pike Place Market, where a fresh catch takes on a whole new meaning. Here, Mark Russell is a registered Republican, who, this time, is not voting for President Bush.

MARK RUSSELL, MGR., MARKET GRILL: There's never been somebody in a four-year term that has turned the whole world off like he has.

QUEST: These are strong words in a part of America that Democrats and Republicans believe is winable. Both candidates will find catching the undecided Pacific northwest vote a slippery task.

Richard Quest, CNN, Seattle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You knew there was no way Richard Quest was going to Seattle without catching a fish. So, good to see that journey has been accomplished.

We have some amazing video from overseas to show you. That's coming up next. Trees, rocks, tons of earth -- they all come tumbling down, and it's all caught on tape.

Plus, did you know your kids shell out big bucks for concert tickets this summer? We're going to hit the mosh pit a little bit later on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Big questions on Wall Street and Main Street today. Will the Federal Reserve raise interest rates this afternoon? And our Rhonda Schaffler joins me now, live from the New York Stock Exchange, with a preview of that. Rhonda, good morning.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Daryn. All eyes, of course, on the Federal Reserve here on Wall Street.

Despite recent signs the economy is cooling, Fed Chief Alan Greenspan and fed officials widely expected to raise interest rates by a quarter point to one-and-a-half percent. It would be the second rate increase in two months, and that's after more than three years of no hikes whatsoever.

The fed cut rates aggressively back in 2001 to guard against deflation. Now, that's no longer seen as a threat. The fed is more worried about the possibility of inflation.

If the fed does raise interest rates as expected, the impact on consumers and businesses will be felt right away. Rates on credit cards, mortgages, consumer and business loans would all increase. That decision coming out about 2:15 Eastern time -- Daryn?

KAGAN: Which is why there's so much interest in it. Let's look even past this afternoon. If the fed does raise interest rates, are we going to see these incremental raises as time goes on?

SCHAFFLER: Well, that is, of course, the real question that Wall Street is coming to terms with. Greenspan has signaled a series of gradual rate hikes in the coming several months. But we know the economy cooled in June and July, what Greenspan actually called a soft patch. And it said may take a wait-and-see approach. We know oil prices, for instance, still soaring, and now there's a lot of concerns about how strongly the economy can grow. So, unless jobs, spending, and some of the other data improve before the fed's next meeting, the Central Bank could skip another increase when it meets again in September. And some fed watchers say the fed might also want to avoid the controversy of raising rates just weeks before a presidential election.

Now, on Wall Street right now, stocks are modestly higher ahead of this fed announcement: Dow, as you can see, up 58 points; Nasdaq is adding three-quarters of one percent. And we continue to follow oil prices quite closely, hovering near $45 a barrel. And that is an all-time high.

That's the very latest from here on Wall Street. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Rhonda, thank you so much for that.

We're going to have more live coverage of the feds' announcement on "Interest Rates" later on CNN.

Also, a shark, a Navy Seal, and a whale of a tale. The amazing survival story is coming up when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. In Kerry, North Carolina, what started as a hit-and-run accident soon escalated into a startling discovery. Police found a half a dozen pipe bombs in the 17-year-old's car, and then when they went to his home, they found a dozen more. The teen faces charges for explosives.

Lions, and tigers and ballots? Oh, my. Today voters in Denver will decide whether the circus is still welcome in town. The initiative is proposed by a teenage animal rights activists. It would ban animal acts from performing in Denver.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, a Navy SEAL is recovering from a shark attack. The shark tore a square-foot piece of flesh out of the man's back as he floated face-up in the water. The victim says he has only himself to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TIFFEE, SHARK ATTACK TIME: It was feeding time, about 8:30, dusk. I was laying on my back, and just deliberately slapping my foot and making the little eight-foot plume of water go up, just ker-shlop, you know, ker-shlop, so I couldn't have put out flashing lights saying, you know, free bird seed, eat here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: That doesn't explain why he was doing that. But a surgeon says if that man had been floating face down, that bite may have been fatal.

Also in Florida, the state has fired a probation officer and four of his supervisors for a killing spree that may have been preventable. Turns out the suspected mastermind should have been in jail at the time that six people were killed.

Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are entitled to have bond set.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One by one, each of the four accused murderers stood before a judge...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you Mr. Victorino?

CANDIOTTI: Including alleged ringleader Troy Victorino, at 27, almost a decade older than his 18-year-old suspected partners in crime. Authorities now question whether Victorino should have been out of jail in the first place, after violating probation for a savage beating in 1996.

Four probation supervisors have now been fired for failing to flag Victorino's violent history when he was arrested on a battery charge a week before the murders.

Florida's top corrections official says if Victorino had been arrested for a probation violation, six lives might have been saved.

JAMES CROSBY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: If they would have went ahead with a warrantless arrest and put him in jail and kept him there, yes.

CANDIOTTI: The next day, police say Victorino and three other suspects used aluminum bats and knives to batter and slash six sleeping victims and kill a dog.

KAY SHUKWIT, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I'm a Christian and we were talking with the pastor yesterday and he was talking about forgiveness. No. No forgiveness.

CANDIOTTI: Investigators say Victorino targeted Eran Belanger, in part, because he suspected her of stealing a $150 video game system. A friend discovered the bodies Friday and called 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I come in and the door's kicked in and I see blood. That's all I see. And there's four or five people in there and they're just all laying on the floor. And I yelled and yelled and yelled and no one answered.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): The case bears striking similarities to the kidnapping and murder of Carly Bruscia earlier this year. But so far, Florida law makers have not passed new laws to keep violent probation volunteers in jail.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Slip sliding away, a mountainside just disappears before your very eyes. Stick around to see more of this incredible video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, there she is, grinding it up just before her summer tour ground to a halt. She started, then scrapped her tour earlier this summer. Britney Spears is only one of several artists who canceled tour plans for the summer.

Currently, it seems that the buying habits of music lovers are not in concert with the artists' hopes. Other acts are also pulling their musical plans and putting them on pause.

Why the concert summer slump? Here to discuss that, our music correspondent, Shanon Cook. Good morning.

SHANON COOK, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I feel like we should have been Bananarama in the background singing "Cruel Summer."

I do want to preface this by saying that every year someone comes out, whether it's a concert promoter or a band manager, and says, "This has been the worst summer we've ever had as far as..."

KAGAN: ... goes hand in hand. And yet, this really has truly been a bad summer.

COOK: It does. There was definitely a dip in ticket sales, in sort of April and June of this year, as compared to last year. And with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera having to scrap their arena tours, there's no denying the summer concert tour season got off to a really shaky start, especially for alternative rock.

The festival Lollapalooza there, enjoyed its heyday in the early '90s, didn't even get off the ground, despite boasting an impressive lineup. Low ticket sales were blamed, and that's a problem that's extended to other festivals. Early numbers for heavy metal blowout Ozzfest indicated a struggle to fill seats.

Even though it touts big reunions for groups like Judas Priest, it seems this year concertgoers just aren't as willing to part with their cash. Some cite high gas prices as a contributing factor, others say there are simply too many choices to see them all, while some people are even afraid of terrorist acts.

But most music fans will likely tell you that tickets are just way too expensive. Not everyone wants to pay, say, $70 to sit on the grass and watch artists through a pair of binoculars, right? So, to boost head counts, many tours are dramatically dropping ticket prices at the last minute.

The Warped Tour seemed to have the right idea from the get-go. You can see more than 50 punk and rock bands for about 27 bucks. It's really thriving, and it's attracting scores of sweaty teens. So, if you go, make sure you take a peg for your nose.

The Curiosa tour features British goth veterans The Cure, and it's apparently doing really well. Official ticket sales for this alternative rock festival haven't been released yet, but The Cure's management insist venues have been selling close to capacity.

And perhaps most importantly, everyone on the tour says they're having a blast. That's what touring's all about, right, as Robert Smith told me that in a recent interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT SMITH, LEAD SINGER, THE CURE: The atmosphere around the festival site -- just backstage, onstage -- is fantastic. And the crowd response has been unbelievable. And it's just really, really great. It's like the most fun I've had in a live environment for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOK: Robert Smith is obviously putting a happy spin on things. SO, it's not all doom and gloom.

KAGAN: No.

COOK: And the arena tours, Daryn, are doing very well. They're really hot. Madonna selling out like crazy. And Prince, he is on fire with his music.

KAGAN: He's here in Atlanta.

COOK: Yes, I know, and I'm going to miss it. Are you going to go see him?

KAGAN: No, past my bedtime. And I've got to say, definitely a problem when the male musician that you're interviewing had on more makeup.

COOK: Right. Yes, Robert Smith was definitely competing with me there. I should have, you know, put the eyeliner on a lot thicker.

KAGAN: Quickly, you mentioned Prince. He is having a fantastic summer. Is Prince going to be the king of this summer?

COOK: I think he pretty much could be, although Usher -- R&B artist Usher has kicked off his tour last weekend. He's -- you know, he's got a lot of power behind him. I think he'll do pretty well. But Prince, he's just trumping at this time, I think.

KAGAN: Prince is the king. All right, Shanon Cook, thank you so much.

COOK: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Appreciate that.

Well, at least one concert is stirring up some buzz. You can log on to cnn.com/entertainment to find out why artists like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, and the Dixie Chick -- those are three people I've actually heard of, Shanon. They are banding together for a common political cause. Again, that's cnn.com/entertainment.

We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Take a look at this video. It's a massive landslide caught on tape in central Japan. A crew from Japan's Ministry of Land was surveying the mountainous area for instability for torrential rains. Looks like they picked the right place. They quickly found out just how unstable it really was. No one was hurt. The landslide did take out a major roadway, however.

Focusing on weather here in the U.S., I peeked at Jacqui Jeras' weather map. There's a big blob over Colorado...

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

KAGAN: ... and that's not you.

JERAS: No.

KAGAN: No, I'm talking about your map.

JERAS: Yes, a little red confusion, perhaps, Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Jacqui, thank you.

How you earn your living before retirement could have an impact on how you enjoy your golden years. We'll tell you about an intriguing new Alzheimer's study ahead.

President Bush wants him to be the next man to lead the CIA. We'll go live to Capitol Hill for reaction to Congressman Porter Goss' nomination.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's start with a look at what's happening now in the news. President Bush announces his choice for CIA director. He's nominating Florida Representative Porter Goss to head the spy agency. Goss is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a former army intelligence operative. We'll have a live report on the nomination in just a minute.

Turkish police say two people were killed in explosions at two hotels in Istanbul today. At least seven others were wounded in the attacks. Around the same time, attackers struck a fuel storage depot, but failed to rupture the fuel tanks. An Islamic Web site says that a group linked to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility and warned of more attacks in Europe.

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