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CNN Live Today
Florida Prepares for Hurricane Charley; "American Quest"
Aired August 13, 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for a look at stories now in the news. Hurricane Charley brushing Key West just a short time ago, now heading toward Florida's west coast. Charley is bordering on a category-three storm, and is expected to get even stronger. If Charley does strike Tampa, it would be the first direct hurricane to hit that city in more than 80 years. We'll have a live report on the hurricane about one minute from right now.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bonnie, what happened to that one? It spawned a tornado in Jacksonville, Florida in that area after coming ashore yesterday. A few cars were turned over, but no one was hurt. The storm brought rain, though little damage to the northern Florida area and the panhandle.
Demonstrations were held in five Iraqi cities today, opposing the attack on Muqtada al-Sadr's fighters in Najaf. Iraqi officials and the U.S. military say they cannot confirm reports that the radical cleric was wounded during fighting today. The injuries were described by the cleric's spokesman as being shrapnel wounds to his arm and his chest.
In California, audio tapes where Amber Frey confronted Scott Peterson about his wife, Laci, were played in Peterson's murder trial yesterday. During the January 6th, 2003 conversation, Peterson admits his wife was missing, but tells Frey, I'm not an evil person. Court is not in session today, and it resumes Monday with more recorded phone calls.
Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.
KAGAN: And we're taking a look at where Hurricane Charley is right now, courtesy of the National Hurricane Center. We can't say exactly where Charley will make landfall this evening, but it could stick around for a long journey after that. More on Charley in just a moment.
Right now, we want to go back to Reporter Neki Mohan and our affiliate WPLG, one of the first to see and feel the effects of Hurricane Charley. She is in Key West.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEKI MOHAN, WPLG REPORTER: It's like the last blast before Charley heads north. We've had sustained winds of up to 50 miles per hour. But now it seems like we're getting rain with it, too, and the meteorologists at our station promised me it's the last bit. Take a loot at world-famous Duval Street, where they've boarded up for the hurricane. Right now, people getting confident. Things are slowing down, they're coming back out. Officials still want people to stay inside. Because as you see, there's no telling when the wind is going to pick up. There are about 70 people in shelters there just as a precaution, but no major outages to report. I think the sail of a mast went into a transformer, and that's causing some problems. But they're working on that right now. Lots of people have come out and said, they really thought it was going to be bad. But of course, it's always better to be prepared for the worst, and then have something that's not that bad.
We're on top of the largest -- the highest hotel, tallest hotel in Key West, and that's why we're feeling the brunt of the winds. Down on the ground, it's not that bad. You can see a few trees still blowing around, but it looks like Charley has just given us a taste of what he's going to do when he's headed north. He's more than 50 miles off of Key West, headed to Tampa. So we're just getting actually just a little bit of what Charley's really packing, up to 150-mile-per-hour winds.
So not that bad for us here. We still got blown around a little bit, but for now, we'll head down Key West. I'm Neki Mohan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Because of the storm's uncertain path, some two million people are at risk and they are being urged to evacuate. Some 6.5 million people are in the storm's path. Dozens of shelters are open, and largely empty.
Our Ed Lavandera is at one such facility just north of Clearwater, Florida.
Good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This is one of the shelters that is in the high ground in Pinellas County. We're only about a mile away from the ocean, but this is a high point, and this is why we're getting several hundred people showing up at this shelter.
You know, getting people here has been a process that has taken the last 24 hours as emergency crews have gone around the state, kind of giving people a heads-up they need to evacuate certain areas, and in many cases those emergency officials have been doing it neighborhood by neighborhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Clearwater Police Department. Hurricane Charley is approaching the Tampa Bay area. A mandatory evacuation order has been issued all mobile home parks, low-lying coastal areas in Clearwater Island, including this neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And of course, depending on where you live, depends on what kind of evacuation orders you might have received. People living on the coastal areas and low-lying areas and in the mobile home parks generally received the mandatory evacuation orders.
Now, these shelters are filled with, the last count about 2,500 people, which just meant the number has gone up in the last few hours, but we also understand that there is also a lot of space left at the shelters. State officials telling us a little while ago that only about 10 percent of the space is being used at this point. So there's still plenty more room to hold people, but they do anticipate in the hours ahead, and has gone on all morning, that plenty of people have been showing up to take advantage of these shelters, as a lot of people also just continue to move inland, so this is one of those places that will be safe and secure, once Hurricane Charley makes landfall here in the hours ahead -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, live in, I think it's Dunedin, did I get that right?
LAVANDERA: That's right, Dunedin, kind of like you're done eating.
KAGAN: Dunedin. All right, we're done with you. But we'll be back to you.
Ed, thank you.
Well, before it took aim on Florida, Hurricane Charley blasted across Cuba overnight. The storms ripped apart roofs, knocked down power lines and uprooted huge palm trees. Gusts of around 125 miles an hour reported in some areas. But so far, there have been no reports of casualties.
Comparing war records on the campaign trail, how John Kerry is reminding voters that no one on the Republican ticket has experienced combat first hand, and why President Bush says, you know what, that really doesn't matter.
Plus, a Pacific Northwest quest, in search of what matters most to the voters in that part of the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Can you believe it, we're less than three months before the presidential election. Both the campaign trail and the partisan attacks are heating up. Democrat John Kerry has been under intensifying ridicule from the bush/Cheney campaign. He appeared to take aim now at his Republican rivals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I defended our country as a young man, when others chose not to, and I will defend it as president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
President Bush, who served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard, says he understands why Kerry is focusing on his own war record, but questions its relevance more than 30 years later. He and first lady Barbara Bush appeared in an exclusive joint interview on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Senator Kerry is justifiably proud of his record in Vietnam, and should be. It's noble service.
The question is, who can best lead the country in a time of war? That's really what the debate ought to be about. And I think it's me. Because I understand the stakes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Much more on the campaign with our "America Votes" segment straight ahead.
Also coming up, a check of Wall Street.
Plus, a Wisconsin golf course hosting the world's best has a surprise. And more from some of the players. Highlights from the PGA Championship still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: Preparations for the Olympic Summer Games are now on their final leg, literally. The opening ceremony is about to get under way in Athens Greece just three hours from now. The event showcases both the old and the new. Athens is, of course, the ancient home of the competition. But the modern-day threat of terrorism has also made these the most closely guarded Games in history.
Let's focus on sports news right here in the states. Majestic, pastoral and sprawling, these are words sometimes used to describe a PGA tournament, especially a championship. But now the word benign is being used to describe today's opening -- yesterday's opening round at the normally fearsome Whistling Straits.
Our Patrick Snell is covering this, the fourth and final major of the season. Patrick, I've been trying to figure out if that's a golf course or the moon behind you, because that's kind of what it looks like.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Hi.
Yes, thank you. Welcome back to Whistling Straits. Yes, this area is incredible. So many people saying it's like a Scottish Links course, so many players trying to adapt to conditions, and day two is going to be a very important for a number of players, especially the world's best player, Tiger Woods. He shot a 3 over par 75 for the first day, and that tied his worst ever round in a PGA Championship. It's a tournament he's won twice before. So he really does have to improve to get better.
Yesterday we did see players who did prove that there are low scores to be had here, at least on the opening day. K.J. Choi came out with five straight birdies, and that's something that brought out the best in his playing partners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARREN CLARKE, EARLY LEADER: It's always fun to have a group like that, where everybody's playing well. And for me, to get kind of sucked into it there on the back nine, was a lot of fun as well.
ERNIE ELS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: The wind died down a little bit, and it changed. And I didn't want to think about a number today; I just wanted to try to play as good as I could.
PHIL MICKELSON, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I let a lot of shots slide away today, but fortunately, I finished with 3 under par. I'm not displeased with that, but if I'm going to get up on top of the lead and have a chance on Sunday, I've got to play a lot better.
TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I didn't hit the ball all that poorly, but I sure putted bad. I missed everything today. You know, two, three putts, a couple of other short putts missed from inside six feet. I mean, I just putted atrociously today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Surprising stuff from Woods. He's normally so prolific on the greens. According to the stats, he's currently the second best putter on the tour.
Also, I'll tell you this, as a pro, in the 31 majors he's played, he's never once missed the cut. That's certainly, possibly at least, in jeopardy -- Daryn.
KAGAN: I'm not counting Tiger out yet.
Patrick, thank you. We'll hear more from you in the next hour, Patrick Snell, from Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
OK, so here's a question for you, what happens when you take our Richard Quest, our one-of-a-kind Richard Quest, and let him loose in the Northwest. Well, see for yourself.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. I'm in Portland, Oregon. President Bush is in Portland, Oregon. John Kerry is in Portland, Oregon. And "CNN LIVE TODAY" will be in Portland, Oregon, talking about the environment in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Some encouraging news coming in to CNN about the hostage taken in Iraq. The British journalist, James Brandon, we had received word that he had been taken hostage in Basra.
Well, now we're getting word that Brandon, the British journalist, has been released. I'm not exactly sure who took him, who his captors were, but he's a journalist for the "Sunday Telagraph." Once again, the British journalist James Brandon has been released from being a hostage in Iraq. More on that ahead.
Meanwhile, we head to the Pacific northwest. Both presidential campaigns are making stops today in Portland, Oregon. And that, too, is the latest stop of our "American Quest." Its namesake, reporter Richard Quest, the London based correspondent, offers his take on American politics.
So, Richard, so Portland has President Bush, Senator Kerry, and you all in one day.
QUEST: All in one day. Can the city survive?
KAGAN: I don't know.
QUEST: It is unusual for political lightning to strike twice in the same place. But last week, they were all in Davenport, Iowa. Now, Portland has the president about a mile-and-a-half over there -- or will be later in the day. And John Kerry with Jon Bon Jovi and Leonardo DiCaprio -- now let me tell you, if that isn't a political heady mix -- they'll be on that grassy knoll over there.
And look at that, it doesn't get much more American than the little ferry going behind me. But the point is, they're all here in Portland, Oregon, to talk about the environment. And let me let you into a little secret, Daryn: They've got a lot of trees in Portland, and there are people who want to cut them down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (voice-over): A great Douglas fir in a forest in Washington State. Another tree falls, as the loggers keep up with growing demand. But cutting down trees is not something that makes those involved very popular.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to have really thick skin to be a logger anymore because of all the people that don't like us out here doing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a big leaf maple.
QUEST (on camera): Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is birch. This is also a birch. This is alder. It doesn't cause me any pain to cut down a tree, because I know when I cut down that tree, I'm going to plant a number of trees to take its place.
QUEST (voice-over): Here they believe they know which political party will protect their industry and their jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaning towards the Republican party, basically because of the general platform that they stand on.
QUEST (on camera): But you would say that, wouldn't you? Because let's face it, you're a logger, and you make your business cutting down trees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. And I agree with that a hundred percent. I'm bound to say that. But with what I know, and what I see, and what I read, I couldn't change my mind.
QUEST (voice-over): In the Pacific northwest, logging is just one environmental issue that pits Republicans against Democrats. Clean air, fresh water, overfishing -- there's a long list of concerns vital to this part of America.
KATY DAILY, ENVIRONMENTALIST: Everybody calls themselves an environmentalist. The environment is an issue in this election. Most times when you talk about the Bush administration's record, his failure to protect the environment is one of the top things that is mentioned.
QUEST: But does the environmental question actually change the votes of anyone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The economy is number one, and then Iraq. And environment needs a balance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think everything depends on the environment. If you don't have a clean and healthy environment, everything else becomes secondary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (on camera): And one of the interesting things, Daryn, they're saying here is although Portland and Oregon is now trending towards the Kerry campaign, they also are suggesting that the president and the Republicans want to keep the Democrats very busy trying to secure Oregon and Washington State so that they waste resources here that they can't spend in other even more marginal states.
How is that political shenanigans for you?
KAGAN: Well, they're keeping you busy, Richard, if nothing else.
QUEST: Indeed they are. We are here today. And guess what, it's Gallup, New Mexico, and Las Vegas next week. KAGAN: OK, when you head to New Mexico, you have to know if you want red or green when you order your burrito. You going to ask -- ask what kind of sauce you want.
QUEST: All right.
KAGAN: So, that's my American tip for my British friend. Good luck in Gallup, New Mexico. We'll see you on the road. Richard, thank you for that.
All right. Now, another important aspect of American politics: the photo opportunity. Today, Secretary of State Colin Powell shares the -- not only his spotlight, but his name. Colin Powell meet Colin Powell. The feline version also bears a title, Cat of the Year, as bestowed by the Cat Fanciers' Association. The snapshot of the two meeting later today will grace the cover of this group's yearbook. Colin meet Colin.
All right. We are going to take a break.
Actually, we're going to get started with headlines. OK, let's do that right now. Let's take a look at what's happening right now in the news.
About six million people in Florida are looking at the imminent arrival of Hurricane Charley. The storm is now close to a Category Three, making it a major threat to areas in its path. Live report from Florida's west coast beginning about two minutes from now.
In Najaf, Iraq, take a look at the scene as U.S. Marines stormed into the home of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. He was not there, however, when this took place yesterday. An aide to al-Sadr says the cleric was wounded by shrapnel in the latest fighting around the Imam Ali Mosque compound.
According to al-Sadr's spokesman, the injuries are minor. The U.S. and Iraqi forces have not confirmed that claim. We'll have the latest plus analysis on this news in about 20 minutes.
And about 30 minutes from now, the New Jersey Republican party will hold a news conference in response to the sudden resignation of that state's Democratic governor over a gay affair. We'll have -- we will carry that news event when it happens.
And in Athens, Greece, the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games gets underway in just a couple of hours. Although this is the official start of the Games, some events have already begun, most notably the soccer competition.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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Aired August 13, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for a look at stories now in the news. Hurricane Charley brushing Key West just a short time ago, now heading toward Florida's west coast. Charley is bordering on a category-three storm, and is expected to get even stronger. If Charley does strike Tampa, it would be the first direct hurricane to hit that city in more than 80 years. We'll have a live report on the hurricane about one minute from right now.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bonnie, what happened to that one? It spawned a tornado in Jacksonville, Florida in that area after coming ashore yesterday. A few cars were turned over, but no one was hurt. The storm brought rain, though little damage to the northern Florida area and the panhandle.
Demonstrations were held in five Iraqi cities today, opposing the attack on Muqtada al-Sadr's fighters in Najaf. Iraqi officials and the U.S. military say they cannot confirm reports that the radical cleric was wounded during fighting today. The injuries were described by the cleric's spokesman as being shrapnel wounds to his arm and his chest.
In California, audio tapes where Amber Frey confronted Scott Peterson about his wife, Laci, were played in Peterson's murder trial yesterday. During the January 6th, 2003 conversation, Peterson admits his wife was missing, but tells Frey, I'm not an evil person. Court is not in session today, and it resumes Monday with more recorded phone calls.
Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.
KAGAN: And we're taking a look at where Hurricane Charley is right now, courtesy of the National Hurricane Center. We can't say exactly where Charley will make landfall this evening, but it could stick around for a long journey after that. More on Charley in just a moment.
Right now, we want to go back to Reporter Neki Mohan and our affiliate WPLG, one of the first to see and feel the effects of Hurricane Charley. She is in Key West.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEKI MOHAN, WPLG REPORTER: It's like the last blast before Charley heads north. We've had sustained winds of up to 50 miles per hour. But now it seems like we're getting rain with it, too, and the meteorologists at our station promised me it's the last bit. Take a loot at world-famous Duval Street, where they've boarded up for the hurricane. Right now, people getting confident. Things are slowing down, they're coming back out. Officials still want people to stay inside. Because as you see, there's no telling when the wind is going to pick up. There are about 70 people in shelters there just as a precaution, but no major outages to report. I think the sail of a mast went into a transformer, and that's causing some problems. But they're working on that right now. Lots of people have come out and said, they really thought it was going to be bad. But of course, it's always better to be prepared for the worst, and then have something that's not that bad.
We're on top of the largest -- the highest hotel, tallest hotel in Key West, and that's why we're feeling the brunt of the winds. Down on the ground, it's not that bad. You can see a few trees still blowing around, but it looks like Charley has just given us a taste of what he's going to do when he's headed north. He's more than 50 miles off of Key West, headed to Tampa. So we're just getting actually just a little bit of what Charley's really packing, up to 150-mile-per-hour winds.
So not that bad for us here. We still got blown around a little bit, but for now, we'll head down Key West. I'm Neki Mohan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Because of the storm's uncertain path, some two million people are at risk and they are being urged to evacuate. Some 6.5 million people are in the storm's path. Dozens of shelters are open, and largely empty.
Our Ed Lavandera is at one such facility just north of Clearwater, Florida.
Good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This is one of the shelters that is in the high ground in Pinellas County. We're only about a mile away from the ocean, but this is a high point, and this is why we're getting several hundred people showing up at this shelter.
You know, getting people here has been a process that has taken the last 24 hours as emergency crews have gone around the state, kind of giving people a heads-up they need to evacuate certain areas, and in many cases those emergency officials have been doing it neighborhood by neighborhood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Clearwater Police Department. Hurricane Charley is approaching the Tampa Bay area. A mandatory evacuation order has been issued all mobile home parks, low-lying coastal areas in Clearwater Island, including this neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And of course, depending on where you live, depends on what kind of evacuation orders you might have received. People living on the coastal areas and low-lying areas and in the mobile home parks generally received the mandatory evacuation orders.
Now, these shelters are filled with, the last count about 2,500 people, which just meant the number has gone up in the last few hours, but we also understand that there is also a lot of space left at the shelters. State officials telling us a little while ago that only about 10 percent of the space is being used at this point. So there's still plenty more room to hold people, but they do anticipate in the hours ahead, and has gone on all morning, that plenty of people have been showing up to take advantage of these shelters, as a lot of people also just continue to move inland, so this is one of those places that will be safe and secure, once Hurricane Charley makes landfall here in the hours ahead -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, live in, I think it's Dunedin, did I get that right?
LAVANDERA: That's right, Dunedin, kind of like you're done eating.
KAGAN: Dunedin. All right, we're done with you. But we'll be back to you.
Ed, thank you.
Well, before it took aim on Florida, Hurricane Charley blasted across Cuba overnight. The storms ripped apart roofs, knocked down power lines and uprooted huge palm trees. Gusts of around 125 miles an hour reported in some areas. But so far, there have been no reports of casualties.
Comparing war records on the campaign trail, how John Kerry is reminding voters that no one on the Republican ticket has experienced combat first hand, and why President Bush says, you know what, that really doesn't matter.
Plus, a Pacific Northwest quest, in search of what matters most to the voters in that part of the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Can you believe it, we're less than three months before the presidential election. Both the campaign trail and the partisan attacks are heating up. Democrat John Kerry has been under intensifying ridicule from the bush/Cheney campaign. He appeared to take aim now at his Republican rivals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I defended our country as a young man, when others chose not to, and I will defend it as president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
President Bush, who served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard, says he understands why Kerry is focusing on his own war record, but questions its relevance more than 30 years later. He and first lady Barbara Bush appeared in an exclusive joint interview on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Senator Kerry is justifiably proud of his record in Vietnam, and should be. It's noble service.
The question is, who can best lead the country in a time of war? That's really what the debate ought to be about. And I think it's me. Because I understand the stakes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Much more on the campaign with our "America Votes" segment straight ahead.
Also coming up, a check of Wall Street.
Plus, a Wisconsin golf course hosting the world's best has a surprise. And more from some of the players. Highlights from the PGA Championship still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: Preparations for the Olympic Summer Games are now on their final leg, literally. The opening ceremony is about to get under way in Athens Greece just three hours from now. The event showcases both the old and the new. Athens is, of course, the ancient home of the competition. But the modern-day threat of terrorism has also made these the most closely guarded Games in history.
Let's focus on sports news right here in the states. Majestic, pastoral and sprawling, these are words sometimes used to describe a PGA tournament, especially a championship. But now the word benign is being used to describe today's opening -- yesterday's opening round at the normally fearsome Whistling Straits.
Our Patrick Snell is covering this, the fourth and final major of the season. Patrick, I've been trying to figure out if that's a golf course or the moon behind you, because that's kind of what it looks like.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Hi.
Yes, thank you. Welcome back to Whistling Straits. Yes, this area is incredible. So many people saying it's like a Scottish Links course, so many players trying to adapt to conditions, and day two is going to be a very important for a number of players, especially the world's best player, Tiger Woods. He shot a 3 over par 75 for the first day, and that tied his worst ever round in a PGA Championship. It's a tournament he's won twice before. So he really does have to improve to get better.
Yesterday we did see players who did prove that there are low scores to be had here, at least on the opening day. K.J. Choi came out with five straight birdies, and that's something that brought out the best in his playing partners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARREN CLARKE, EARLY LEADER: It's always fun to have a group like that, where everybody's playing well. And for me, to get kind of sucked into it there on the back nine, was a lot of fun as well.
ERNIE ELS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: The wind died down a little bit, and it changed. And I didn't want to think about a number today; I just wanted to try to play as good as I could.
PHIL MICKELSON, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I let a lot of shots slide away today, but fortunately, I finished with 3 under par. I'm not displeased with that, but if I'm going to get up on top of the lead and have a chance on Sunday, I've got to play a lot better.
TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I didn't hit the ball all that poorly, but I sure putted bad. I missed everything today. You know, two, three putts, a couple of other short putts missed from inside six feet. I mean, I just putted atrociously today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Surprising stuff from Woods. He's normally so prolific on the greens. According to the stats, he's currently the second best putter on the tour.
Also, I'll tell you this, as a pro, in the 31 majors he's played, he's never once missed the cut. That's certainly, possibly at least, in jeopardy -- Daryn.
KAGAN: I'm not counting Tiger out yet.
Patrick, thank you. We'll hear more from you in the next hour, Patrick Snell, from Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
OK, so here's a question for you, what happens when you take our Richard Quest, our one-of-a-kind Richard Quest, and let him loose in the Northwest. Well, see for yourself.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. I'm in Portland, Oregon. President Bush is in Portland, Oregon. John Kerry is in Portland, Oregon. And "CNN LIVE TODAY" will be in Portland, Oregon, talking about the environment in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Some encouraging news coming in to CNN about the hostage taken in Iraq. The British journalist, James Brandon, we had received word that he had been taken hostage in Basra.
Well, now we're getting word that Brandon, the British journalist, has been released. I'm not exactly sure who took him, who his captors were, but he's a journalist for the "Sunday Telagraph." Once again, the British journalist James Brandon has been released from being a hostage in Iraq. More on that ahead.
Meanwhile, we head to the Pacific northwest. Both presidential campaigns are making stops today in Portland, Oregon. And that, too, is the latest stop of our "American Quest." Its namesake, reporter Richard Quest, the London based correspondent, offers his take on American politics.
So, Richard, so Portland has President Bush, Senator Kerry, and you all in one day.
QUEST: All in one day. Can the city survive?
KAGAN: I don't know.
QUEST: It is unusual for political lightning to strike twice in the same place. But last week, they were all in Davenport, Iowa. Now, Portland has the president about a mile-and-a-half over there -- or will be later in the day. And John Kerry with Jon Bon Jovi and Leonardo DiCaprio -- now let me tell you, if that isn't a political heady mix -- they'll be on that grassy knoll over there.
And look at that, it doesn't get much more American than the little ferry going behind me. But the point is, they're all here in Portland, Oregon, to talk about the environment. And let me let you into a little secret, Daryn: They've got a lot of trees in Portland, and there are people who want to cut them down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (voice-over): A great Douglas fir in a forest in Washington State. Another tree falls, as the loggers keep up with growing demand. But cutting down trees is not something that makes those involved very popular.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to have really thick skin to be a logger anymore because of all the people that don't like us out here doing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a big leaf maple.
QUEST (on camera): Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is birch. This is also a birch. This is alder. It doesn't cause me any pain to cut down a tree, because I know when I cut down that tree, I'm going to plant a number of trees to take its place.
QUEST (voice-over): Here they believe they know which political party will protect their industry and their jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaning towards the Republican party, basically because of the general platform that they stand on.
QUEST (on camera): But you would say that, wouldn't you? Because let's face it, you're a logger, and you make your business cutting down trees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. And I agree with that a hundred percent. I'm bound to say that. But with what I know, and what I see, and what I read, I couldn't change my mind.
QUEST (voice-over): In the Pacific northwest, logging is just one environmental issue that pits Republicans against Democrats. Clean air, fresh water, overfishing -- there's a long list of concerns vital to this part of America.
KATY DAILY, ENVIRONMENTALIST: Everybody calls themselves an environmentalist. The environment is an issue in this election. Most times when you talk about the Bush administration's record, his failure to protect the environment is one of the top things that is mentioned.
QUEST: But does the environmental question actually change the votes of anyone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The economy is number one, and then Iraq. And environment needs a balance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think everything depends on the environment. If you don't have a clean and healthy environment, everything else becomes secondary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST (on camera): And one of the interesting things, Daryn, they're saying here is although Portland and Oregon is now trending towards the Kerry campaign, they also are suggesting that the president and the Republicans want to keep the Democrats very busy trying to secure Oregon and Washington State so that they waste resources here that they can't spend in other even more marginal states.
How is that political shenanigans for you?
KAGAN: Well, they're keeping you busy, Richard, if nothing else.
QUEST: Indeed they are. We are here today. And guess what, it's Gallup, New Mexico, and Las Vegas next week. KAGAN: OK, when you head to New Mexico, you have to know if you want red or green when you order your burrito. You going to ask -- ask what kind of sauce you want.
QUEST: All right.
KAGAN: So, that's my American tip for my British friend. Good luck in Gallup, New Mexico. We'll see you on the road. Richard, thank you for that.
All right. Now, another important aspect of American politics: the photo opportunity. Today, Secretary of State Colin Powell shares the -- not only his spotlight, but his name. Colin Powell meet Colin Powell. The feline version also bears a title, Cat of the Year, as bestowed by the Cat Fanciers' Association. The snapshot of the two meeting later today will grace the cover of this group's yearbook. Colin meet Colin.
All right. We are going to take a break.
Actually, we're going to get started with headlines. OK, let's do that right now. Let's take a look at what's happening right now in the news.
About six million people in Florida are looking at the imminent arrival of Hurricane Charley. The storm is now close to a Category Three, making it a major threat to areas in its path. Live report from Florida's west coast beginning about two minutes from now.
In Najaf, Iraq, take a look at the scene as U.S. Marines stormed into the home of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. He was not there, however, when this took place yesterday. An aide to al-Sadr says the cleric was wounded by shrapnel in the latest fighting around the Imam Ali Mosque compound.
According to al-Sadr's spokesman, the injuries are minor. The U.S. and Iraqi forces have not confirmed that claim. We'll have the latest plus analysis on this news in about 20 minutes.
And about 30 minutes from now, the New Jersey Republican party will hold a news conference in response to the sudden resignation of that state's Democratic governor over a gay affair. We'll have -- we will carry that news event when it happens.
And in Athens, Greece, the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games gets underway in just a couple of hours. Although this is the official start of the Games, some events have already begun, most notably the soccer competition.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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