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CNN Live Today

Florida Prepares for Hurricane Frances; Bush Speechwriter Provides Insight on the Man; Police Crackdown on NYC Protestors

Aired September 02, 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: At this hour, Hurricane Frances is a powerful Category Four storm. It is battering the Bahamas, its winds swirling upwards of 145 miles an hour on an uncertain course. Frances' fury could strike the Florida coast within two days.
Tammy Fields is with our affiliate station WJXT. She joins us from Jacksonville, Florida.

TAMMY FIELDS, WJXT CORRESPONDENT: It is really unbelievable here, as far as people getting ready.

Take a look behind me here. You see all of these people. They're in line to get plywood. It is a hot commodity today. As a matter of fact, they just unloaded an entire truck of plywood. And we've been told that this plywood is already sold. You can see some of it here. It's going for about $16 per piece.

And if you look this way, you'll see folks here that are getting -- they're lucky. They're the lucky ones, because they're getting it loaded into their vehicles.

They have sold out here several times this morning. And that's been part of the problem. People are coming down here. There's a line about 50, 60, 70 deep of people who are actually trying to purchase these supplies so that they can protect their homes. A lot of people saw the damage left behind from Hurricane Charley, and they don't want to take any chances -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So is the general feeling that people are staying put and trying to protect their homes, or trying to get up and out, Tammy?

FIELDS: They are. A lot of people have been watching our newscasts. We've been broadcasting around the clock to give them the very latest information.

A lot of people saying they don't want to take any chances. They don't want to wait. They don't want to be those people who at the very last hour when they're watching this storm as it's being tracked -- they don't want to get the news they've got to evacuate quickly, get their animals, get their children and somehow protect their homes, too.

And that's one of the reasons why you see all of these people out here today. We have been here since about 6 a.m. this morning, and I can tell you, it has looked this way all day and also yesterday. Yesterday, a lot of people were rushing down here to buy generators. You can forget about that in this area in Jacksonville. At all of the stores have sold out. We have found out a lot of stores were renting generators. Most of the people have already rented those, as well.

So supplies here very limited. Still a lot of people, though, flooding into our local hardware stores.

KAGAN: You know, Tammy, when you look around you, it looks like the picture-perfect, sunny, beautiful Florida days. Hard to believe what is on the way.

FIELDS: It is.

KAGAN: And it seems like Hurricane Charley really taught people a lesson in being ready.

FIELDS: That's absolutely correct. I'm going to have my photojournalist, Jeff Sweeney, pan around, to also let you look at not only the weather, but some of these Home Depot employees.

They have been working, Daryn, around the clock. We saw many of them yesterday. They started out here at 5 a.m. in the morning. They told me they're not going home until 10 p.m.

A lot of the folks who are pulling in here, of course, they're neighbors. They're friends, and they're working hard to take care of them.

You even see young ladies out here helping load plywood as well. Some of the guys joking with us earlier, "Why don't you do some real work, Tammy, and put your microphone down and help out."

KAGAN: Yes.

FIELDS: But it's a serious situation. People here working hard to try to protect their property.

KAGAN: Well, it's going to be a long weekend. And you guys have been doing some O.T. You and Jeff Sweeney have your rain gear ready to go?

FIELDS: Yes. We do have it packed up and ready to go. This is what we wait for all of our careers. But the most important thing, of course, is to get that information out to people and to families so they can protect themselves.

KAGAN: Absolutely. As I'm sure your mother would say, to be safe.

FIELDS: Yes.

KAGAN: All right.

FIELDS: Will do. KAGAN: Be safe and be smart out there. Tammy Fields from our affiliate, WJXT, and Jeff Sweeney, her photographer.

Let's check with Orelon Sidney. She is keeping an eye on Frances -- Orelon.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Orelon, thank you for that.

KAGAN: All right. We'll check in on President Bush. He tonight takes center stage at the Republican National Convention, delivering his acceptance speech. We're looking at a live picture of Madison Square Garden.

This is -- earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we heard from someone able to provide a rare view from inside. Don Evans not only serves as the commerce secretary in the administration; he also a long-time close friend of the president's.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON EVANS, COMMERCE SECRETARY: One of the lines in Senator Kerry's speech, that hurt me the most, having known this man for 30 years, my wife known him for 54 years, is when he said, that I am going to become a president and restore trust and credibility to the White House.

Let me tell you this. This Oval Office has total complete integrity, total complete trust, total complete truth, because George W. Bush is sitting in the Oval Office today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, long-time Bush adviser Karen Hughes says the president's speech tonight will be, quote, "optimistic, future oriented and visionary."

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, introduces us to the man behind many of Mr. Bush's words and his image crafting, his speech -- his chief speechwriter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty have always been at war. And we know that God is not neutral between them.

MICHAEL GERSON, CHIEF PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER: Well, it's interesting. I mean, you learn early on that he has a certain set of rules and approaches that you have to respect. And he wants a speech to do certain things. He likes clear outlines. He likes short sentences. He likes active language, not passive language. He likes to mix directness with a kind of element of elevation.

BUSH: We must choose between a world of fear and a world of progress. We cannot stand by and do nothing while dangers gather.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you feel personally as someone who helps this president communicate, when you see ads like, MoveOn.org saying, misleader. Critics getting up to say that this president has deliberately misled the American people to take them to war.

How has that affected you personally?

GERSON: Well, the way it affected me personally is that at a certain level, it is offensive, because I know the man in a lot of ways that, you know, that most Americans don't.

The fact of the matter is, the president puts a premium on forthrightness and honesty. He is a -- occasionally blunt. But his -- in public and in private. But, you know, these are -- that's his style and approach.

And -- and so I think that's actually a fundamental misreading of the president.

BUSH: The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade.

GERSON: I've faced some difficult communications tasks. You don't always get everything 100 percent right. But the president has been forthright about -- in approaching matters. And puts a premium on being honest.

KING: What makes him mad?

GERSON: What makes him mad? Well, I guess I would say two -- there are two answers to that question. He doesn't get mad about the big things. He actually -- there's a calmness in approaching major questions that is, you know -- that I have found encouraging.

I would say, in all honesty, that he finds a typo in a speech, if he finds that something hasn't been adequately checked and we have to change it late in the process. He'll sometimes, you know, show that he doesn't like that.

KING: Do you see him in ways a lot of people don't? What are the one or two things that you think perhaps the American people, even people who might support this president, just don't know about him?

GERSON: I would say probably the care that the president takes in the content of speeches. He puts a lot of time into speeches in a way that not every president has. You know, the fact of the matter is, we'll go through 20, 25 drafts of major speeches, and that represents a lot of presidential time.

The immediate aftermath of September 11, we spent hours together on these speeches, at a time when he was making fundamental decisions that were military decisions and other things. But he took the time basically because he knew it was important. He doesn't sleight it or think that it's unimportant. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that report was filed by our senior White House correspondent, John King.

Meanwhile, Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards are sharing their own stage tonight. The presidential candidate and his running mate will appear together in Springfield, Ohio. It is a blue-collar town in a pivotal battleground state. The rally is schedule for 11:30 p.m. so that they can respond to the Bush acceptance speech.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Senator Edwards assessed what he has seen already at the GOP gathering.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at Senator Miller's speech and the vice president's speech, you know, there was an awful lot of focus and angry rhetoric about Senator Kerry.

It would be nice for them to have a little more anger with, you know, the five million people who have lost their health care coverage while President Bush has been in office, our million people who have fallen into poverty and almost two million people who have lost their private sector jobs. Typical family's incomes down $1,500.

And I think what is the contrast between what we saw last night and between what John Kerry and I did at our convention couldn't be more dramatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Hurricane Frances is not the only threat coming from the sea. A massive school of sharks is camping out just off the coast in another part of the country. We'll tell you where swimmers are on alert.

And there's what we're working on for next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Markets have been open an hour and 16 minutes on this Thursday morning. Let's see how they're looking. Fred Katayama is at the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi, Fred,

(STOCK REPORT)

KAGAN: Fred, thank you for that.

This from Hollywood: the "Passion of the Christ" racking up big first-day DVD sales, 4.1 million copies. Fox Home Entertainment calls the biblical blockbuster the best selling R-rated film of all time. However, it does not hold a candle to the big fish. G-rated "Finding Nemo" sold almost eight million copies on its first day.

You can keep your eye on entertainment 24-7 by pointing your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment. Among today's features, highlights from last night's Latin Grammy Awards.

Back to the Republican convention, and related protest arrests have grown. So have accusations as the week has gone on of mistreatment by police.

Our Deborah Feyerick is covering the protesters in New York City. And we're having some protest on her audio.

Let's try it, Deb, and see if it works.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's everywhere. These demonstrations, you can't get rid of them. Is it still bad?

KAGAN: Yes, I think we're going to have to protest and say we cannot allow this. We're going to work on fixing that for you, Deb. We'll get back to you in New York City. And more on the protesters.

Looks like a good time to put in a break for us. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast-to- coast. And speaking of coasts, here's a concern lurking near Dolphin Island around the Florida-Alabama line. Here's a hundred sharks, about or so, trolling the waters, feeding on bait fish. Officials are urging swimmers to stay out of the water -- there's some very good advice -- at dawn and dusk. That is the prime feeding time for the sharks.

Back to the campaign. Kerry Edwards, she -- this little girl is not running for the White House. More like running for the playground. She's a third grader. She lives in Davis, California. She admits it's a thrill to see her name on signs and t-shirts and bumper stickers, but she says she won't be moving to Washington no matter how many votes Kerry/Edwards gets in November.

Well, now, let's check on the protests. I think we've fixed the audio for Deborah Feyerick. And bring her back.

Deb, let's see how you're sounding.

FEYERICK: OK. Here we go.

KAGAN: Lovely.

FEYERICK: We want to talk about some of the accusations against the police.

Really, the police are taking a zero tolerance approach to all of these demonstrators. For example, yesterday demonstrators were warned -- were warned not to get off the sidewalk. The moment several of them stepped off the curb, they were arrested.

Also, we have heard that police are using these orange plastic nets to sweep people up, to contain the crowd. And in one case, sort of an innocent bystander tourist got swept up in that net.

Now once the protesters are arrested, they're being taken to a special holding area, and there have been allegations that that holding area is far below standard.

For example, a lawyer who was there said that there were wire cages, 40 people crammed into a space that's about 10 by 12. And those cages are surrounded by barbed wire, razor wire. And in some cases, some of the protesters are being held more than 24 hours without desk appearance tickets.

Now the mayor said that the claims of any sort of over-policing are exaggerated. And as for the holding cell, he said it's not supposed to be Club Med. The police commissioner says the only people who are being held too long are the people who are refusing to give their names.

Now, the protests against President Bush are continuing again today. There was a demonstration at the Grand Central train terminal. About 20 people were arrested after protesters unfurled a big banner that said "Fight AIDS, not Iraq."

Also, a demonstrator yesterday was actually able to get onto the floor of the convention hall. She approached Vice President Dick Cheney, called his name. He actually smiled, until he saw that she was holding a sign as she said, "Be pro-life; stop the killing in Iraq."

Protests all over the city once again today, most of them, though, pretty small compared to what we've seen over the last few days. There's even a group here in the free speech zone. They're protesting against gays. One of them holding a sign that says, "God hates you."

Police do have their hands full. Nobody -- there have been no claims of any sort of police brutality. Nobody's been hurt. There will be demonstrations tonight, some of them peaceful, some of them not so peaceful -- Kagan.

KAGAN: And you'll be covering it and rounding it all up for us. Deborah Feyerick in New York City, thank you for that.

A reminder for those of you at home: you can get complete coverage of the Republican convention at CNN.com/AmericaVotes, including a schedule of events, CNN's convention blog, interactive guide to the convention areas and more.

Coming up next, we're going to visit the National Hurricane Center for an update on Frances as it roars toward the Florida coast. Our own John Zarrella will show us what Florida residents are doing to stay safe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news.

A massive menacing storm turning through the Caribbean toward Florida. And just in, hurricane warnings have now been issued for most of Florida's eastern coast.

Governor Jeb Bush visited an emergency operations center just in the last hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: We don't wish to have two storms of this magnitude hit our state in a three-week period. We're prepared, and we have the resources to provide support to all the communities and all the people of this state that will be impacted. We know FEMA is already on the ground, mobilizing for -- for Frances, just as they did for Charley. And we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Evacuations have been ordered in several Florida counties. The Hurricane Center issues a new advisory on the storm in this hour. We're going to have a live report for you from the Bahamas where the storm is centered right now. That is coming up in just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, other headlines.

We're told that hostage-takers have freed as many as 26 women and children from a school in southern Russia. But hundreds more children, parents and teachers are still being held. A live report from that scene is just ahead as well.

A protest this morning results in arrests in Grand Central terminal in New York City. About 150 protesters chatting "Fight AIDS, not Iraq" staged a demonstration there about three hours ago. They called on President Bush to do more in a fight against AIDS. An organizer says 20 people were arrested.

Turkish authorities are looking into reports that three of their citizens held hostage in Iraq have been killed. The network Al Arabiya is showing video said to be the bodies of three Turks killed by Iraqi militants in Samarra. The Turkish foreign ministry spokesman said he had no information that would confirm the reports.

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Aired September 2, 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: At this hour, Hurricane Frances is a powerful Category Four storm. It is battering the Bahamas, its winds swirling upwards of 145 miles an hour on an uncertain course. Frances' fury could strike the Florida coast within two days.
Tammy Fields is with our affiliate station WJXT. She joins us from Jacksonville, Florida.

TAMMY FIELDS, WJXT CORRESPONDENT: It is really unbelievable here, as far as people getting ready.

Take a look behind me here. You see all of these people. They're in line to get plywood. It is a hot commodity today. As a matter of fact, they just unloaded an entire truck of plywood. And we've been told that this plywood is already sold. You can see some of it here. It's going for about $16 per piece.

And if you look this way, you'll see folks here that are getting -- they're lucky. They're the lucky ones, because they're getting it loaded into their vehicles.

They have sold out here several times this morning. And that's been part of the problem. People are coming down here. There's a line about 50, 60, 70 deep of people who are actually trying to purchase these supplies so that they can protect their homes. A lot of people saw the damage left behind from Hurricane Charley, and they don't want to take any chances -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So is the general feeling that people are staying put and trying to protect their homes, or trying to get up and out, Tammy?

FIELDS: They are. A lot of people have been watching our newscasts. We've been broadcasting around the clock to give them the very latest information.

A lot of people saying they don't want to take any chances. They don't want to wait. They don't want to be those people who at the very last hour when they're watching this storm as it's being tracked -- they don't want to get the news they've got to evacuate quickly, get their animals, get their children and somehow protect their homes, too.

And that's one of the reasons why you see all of these people out here today. We have been here since about 6 a.m. this morning, and I can tell you, it has looked this way all day and also yesterday. Yesterday, a lot of people were rushing down here to buy generators. You can forget about that in this area in Jacksonville. At all of the stores have sold out. We have found out a lot of stores were renting generators. Most of the people have already rented those, as well.

So supplies here very limited. Still a lot of people, though, flooding into our local hardware stores.

KAGAN: You know, Tammy, when you look around you, it looks like the picture-perfect, sunny, beautiful Florida days. Hard to believe what is on the way.

FIELDS: It is.

KAGAN: And it seems like Hurricane Charley really taught people a lesson in being ready.

FIELDS: That's absolutely correct. I'm going to have my photojournalist, Jeff Sweeney, pan around, to also let you look at not only the weather, but some of these Home Depot employees.

They have been working, Daryn, around the clock. We saw many of them yesterday. They started out here at 5 a.m. in the morning. They told me they're not going home until 10 p.m.

A lot of the folks who are pulling in here, of course, they're neighbors. They're friends, and they're working hard to take care of them.

You even see young ladies out here helping load plywood as well. Some of the guys joking with us earlier, "Why don't you do some real work, Tammy, and put your microphone down and help out."

KAGAN: Yes.

FIELDS: But it's a serious situation. People here working hard to try to protect their property.

KAGAN: Well, it's going to be a long weekend. And you guys have been doing some O.T. You and Jeff Sweeney have your rain gear ready to go?

FIELDS: Yes. We do have it packed up and ready to go. This is what we wait for all of our careers. But the most important thing, of course, is to get that information out to people and to families so they can protect themselves.

KAGAN: Absolutely. As I'm sure your mother would say, to be safe.

FIELDS: Yes.

KAGAN: All right.

FIELDS: Will do. KAGAN: Be safe and be smart out there. Tammy Fields from our affiliate, WJXT, and Jeff Sweeney, her photographer.

Let's check with Orelon Sidney. She is keeping an eye on Frances -- Orelon.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Orelon, thank you for that.

KAGAN: All right. We'll check in on President Bush. He tonight takes center stage at the Republican National Convention, delivering his acceptance speech. We're looking at a live picture of Madison Square Garden.

This is -- earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we heard from someone able to provide a rare view from inside. Don Evans not only serves as the commerce secretary in the administration; he also a long-time close friend of the president's.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON EVANS, COMMERCE SECRETARY: One of the lines in Senator Kerry's speech, that hurt me the most, having known this man for 30 years, my wife known him for 54 years, is when he said, that I am going to become a president and restore trust and credibility to the White House.

Let me tell you this. This Oval Office has total complete integrity, total complete trust, total complete truth, because George W. Bush is sitting in the Oval Office today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, long-time Bush adviser Karen Hughes says the president's speech tonight will be, quote, "optimistic, future oriented and visionary."

Our senior White House correspondent, John King, introduces us to the man behind many of Mr. Bush's words and his image crafting, his speech -- his chief speechwriter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty have always been at war. And we know that God is not neutral between them.

MICHAEL GERSON, CHIEF PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER: Well, it's interesting. I mean, you learn early on that he has a certain set of rules and approaches that you have to respect. And he wants a speech to do certain things. He likes clear outlines. He likes short sentences. He likes active language, not passive language. He likes to mix directness with a kind of element of elevation.

BUSH: We must choose between a world of fear and a world of progress. We cannot stand by and do nothing while dangers gather.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you feel personally as someone who helps this president communicate, when you see ads like, MoveOn.org saying, misleader. Critics getting up to say that this president has deliberately misled the American people to take them to war.

How has that affected you personally?

GERSON: Well, the way it affected me personally is that at a certain level, it is offensive, because I know the man in a lot of ways that, you know, that most Americans don't.

The fact of the matter is, the president puts a premium on forthrightness and honesty. He is a -- occasionally blunt. But his -- in public and in private. But, you know, these are -- that's his style and approach.

And -- and so I think that's actually a fundamental misreading of the president.

BUSH: The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade.

GERSON: I've faced some difficult communications tasks. You don't always get everything 100 percent right. But the president has been forthright about -- in approaching matters. And puts a premium on being honest.

KING: What makes him mad?

GERSON: What makes him mad? Well, I guess I would say two -- there are two answers to that question. He doesn't get mad about the big things. He actually -- there's a calmness in approaching major questions that is, you know -- that I have found encouraging.

I would say, in all honesty, that he finds a typo in a speech, if he finds that something hasn't been adequately checked and we have to change it late in the process. He'll sometimes, you know, show that he doesn't like that.

KING: Do you see him in ways a lot of people don't? What are the one or two things that you think perhaps the American people, even people who might support this president, just don't know about him?

GERSON: I would say probably the care that the president takes in the content of speeches. He puts a lot of time into speeches in a way that not every president has. You know, the fact of the matter is, we'll go through 20, 25 drafts of major speeches, and that represents a lot of presidential time.

The immediate aftermath of September 11, we spent hours together on these speeches, at a time when he was making fundamental decisions that were military decisions and other things. But he took the time basically because he knew it was important. He doesn't sleight it or think that it's unimportant. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that report was filed by our senior White House correspondent, John King.

Meanwhile, Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards are sharing their own stage tonight. The presidential candidate and his running mate will appear together in Springfield, Ohio. It is a blue-collar town in a pivotal battleground state. The rally is schedule for 11:30 p.m. so that they can respond to the Bush acceptance speech.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," Senator Edwards assessed what he has seen already at the GOP gathering.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at Senator Miller's speech and the vice president's speech, you know, there was an awful lot of focus and angry rhetoric about Senator Kerry.

It would be nice for them to have a little more anger with, you know, the five million people who have lost their health care coverage while President Bush has been in office, our million people who have fallen into poverty and almost two million people who have lost their private sector jobs. Typical family's incomes down $1,500.

And I think what is the contrast between what we saw last night and between what John Kerry and I did at our convention couldn't be more dramatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Hurricane Frances is not the only threat coming from the sea. A massive school of sharks is camping out just off the coast in another part of the country. We'll tell you where swimmers are on alert.

And there's what we're working on for next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Markets have been open an hour and 16 minutes on this Thursday morning. Let's see how they're looking. Fred Katayama is at the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi, Fred,

(STOCK REPORT)

KAGAN: Fred, thank you for that.

This from Hollywood: the "Passion of the Christ" racking up big first-day DVD sales, 4.1 million copies. Fox Home Entertainment calls the biblical blockbuster the best selling R-rated film of all time. However, it does not hold a candle to the big fish. G-rated "Finding Nemo" sold almost eight million copies on its first day.

You can keep your eye on entertainment 24-7 by pointing your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment. Among today's features, highlights from last night's Latin Grammy Awards.

Back to the Republican convention, and related protest arrests have grown. So have accusations as the week has gone on of mistreatment by police.

Our Deborah Feyerick is covering the protesters in New York City. And we're having some protest on her audio.

Let's try it, Deb, and see if it works.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's everywhere. These demonstrations, you can't get rid of them. Is it still bad?

KAGAN: Yes, I think we're going to have to protest and say we cannot allow this. We're going to work on fixing that for you, Deb. We'll get back to you in New York City. And more on the protesters.

Looks like a good time to put in a break for us. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast-to- coast. And speaking of coasts, here's a concern lurking near Dolphin Island around the Florida-Alabama line. Here's a hundred sharks, about or so, trolling the waters, feeding on bait fish. Officials are urging swimmers to stay out of the water -- there's some very good advice -- at dawn and dusk. That is the prime feeding time for the sharks.

Back to the campaign. Kerry Edwards, she -- this little girl is not running for the White House. More like running for the playground. She's a third grader. She lives in Davis, California. She admits it's a thrill to see her name on signs and t-shirts and bumper stickers, but she says she won't be moving to Washington no matter how many votes Kerry/Edwards gets in November.

Well, now, let's check on the protests. I think we've fixed the audio for Deborah Feyerick. And bring her back.

Deb, let's see how you're sounding.

FEYERICK: OK. Here we go.

KAGAN: Lovely.

FEYERICK: We want to talk about some of the accusations against the police.

Really, the police are taking a zero tolerance approach to all of these demonstrators. For example, yesterday demonstrators were warned -- were warned not to get off the sidewalk. The moment several of them stepped off the curb, they were arrested.

Also, we have heard that police are using these orange plastic nets to sweep people up, to contain the crowd. And in one case, sort of an innocent bystander tourist got swept up in that net.

Now once the protesters are arrested, they're being taken to a special holding area, and there have been allegations that that holding area is far below standard.

For example, a lawyer who was there said that there were wire cages, 40 people crammed into a space that's about 10 by 12. And those cages are surrounded by barbed wire, razor wire. And in some cases, some of the protesters are being held more than 24 hours without desk appearance tickets.

Now the mayor said that the claims of any sort of over-policing are exaggerated. And as for the holding cell, he said it's not supposed to be Club Med. The police commissioner says the only people who are being held too long are the people who are refusing to give their names.

Now, the protests against President Bush are continuing again today. There was a demonstration at the Grand Central train terminal. About 20 people were arrested after protesters unfurled a big banner that said "Fight AIDS, not Iraq."

Also, a demonstrator yesterday was actually able to get onto the floor of the convention hall. She approached Vice President Dick Cheney, called his name. He actually smiled, until he saw that she was holding a sign as she said, "Be pro-life; stop the killing in Iraq."

Protests all over the city once again today, most of them, though, pretty small compared to what we've seen over the last few days. There's even a group here in the free speech zone. They're protesting against gays. One of them holding a sign that says, "God hates you."

Police do have their hands full. Nobody -- there have been no claims of any sort of police brutality. Nobody's been hurt. There will be demonstrations tonight, some of them peaceful, some of them not so peaceful -- Kagan.

KAGAN: And you'll be covering it and rounding it all up for us. Deborah Feyerick in New York City, thank you for that.

A reminder for those of you at home: you can get complete coverage of the Republican convention at CNN.com/AmericaVotes, including a schedule of events, CNN's convention blog, interactive guide to the convention areas and more.

Coming up next, we're going to visit the National Hurricane Center for an update on Frances as it roars toward the Florida coast. Our own John Zarrella will show us what Florida residents are doing to stay safe.

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KAGAN: Let's take a look at the headlines now in the news.

A massive menacing storm turning through the Caribbean toward Florida. And just in, hurricane warnings have now been issued for most of Florida's eastern coast.

Governor Jeb Bush visited an emergency operations center just in the last hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: We don't wish to have two storms of this magnitude hit our state in a three-week period. We're prepared, and we have the resources to provide support to all the communities and all the people of this state that will be impacted. We know FEMA is already on the ground, mobilizing for -- for Frances, just as they did for Charley. And we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Evacuations have been ordered in several Florida counties. The Hurricane Center issues a new advisory on the storm in this hour. We're going to have a live report for you from the Bahamas where the storm is centered right now. That is coming up in just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, other headlines.

We're told that hostage-takers have freed as many as 26 women and children from a school in southern Russia. But hundreds more children, parents and teachers are still being held. A live report from that scene is just ahead as well.

A protest this morning results in arrests in Grand Central terminal in New York City. About 150 protesters chatting "Fight AIDS, not Iraq" staged a demonstration there about three hours ago. They called on President Bush to do more in a fight against AIDS. An organizer says 20 people were arrested.

Turkish authorities are looking into reports that three of their citizens held hostage in Iraq have been killed. The network Al Arabiya is showing video said to be the bodies of three Turks killed by Iraqi militants in Samarra. The Turkish foreign ministry spokesman said he had no information that would confirm the reports.

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