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CNN Live Today

Gulf Shores, Alabama Bears Scars of Ivan's Arrival; Suicide Car Bombing in Iraq

Aired September 17, 2004 - 10:00   ET

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

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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at what is happening now in the news.
People in the southeast begin the long recovery following Hurricane Ivan. The storm has been blamed for more than a dozen deaths in the U.S.; many houses have been flooded or destroyed. More than 1.7 million homes and businesses in five states are without power. Even the Red Cross has taken a hit from Ivan, appealing for money and blood donations.

A car bomb exploded today near an Iraqi police checkpoint in central Baghdad. Iraqi officials say at least eight people were killed and 41 others wounded. Earlier today, another car bomb detonated in Baghdad killing the two occupants inside. U.S. forces opened fire on the vehicle after it tried to break through a security perimeter.

A Chechen rebel leader says that he was behind recent terrorist operations in Russia. In an e-mail posted on a Chechen rebel web site, Samil Basayev called the Beslan school massacre a terrible tragedy. He blames though, the killings on President Vladimir Putin saying, quote, "The Kremlin's vampire ordered troops to storm the school," end quote. Basayev also claimed responsibility for the two airliner crashes and a Moscow bombing.

And get ready for a possible pat down at the airport. The government is implementing new security checks. Those start next week. All passengers must take off their jackets before passing through metal detectors. And more people will be subjected to hand searches. The 9/11 Panel recommended screeners do a more thorough job of detecting explosives.

Ivan has seen its might fade and its legacy build in recent hours. That swirling ferocity first unleashed on the Gulf Coast has left billions of dollars in damage, and the highest death toll in the U.S. since Hurricane Floyd five years ago. After leaving a trail of damage stretching across several states, a downgraded Ivan slapped western North Carolina with up to eight inches of rain. Rescuers spent the night whisking people out of their homes and onto higher ground.

The danger could again be measured in inches, when howling winds plowed into some of Atlanta's tree-lined streets. Several drivers narrowly escaped being crushed to death when towering oaks toppled onto to their cars. One Franklin County motorist died this way. Two other people in northern Georgia were also killed.

Damage estimates range from two to $10 billion in insured losses. But it is worth noting that such figures do not include the massive damages from flooding. That's because private insurers don't cover flooding. So how relentless has how Ivan's rains been? Well, consider this. Flash flood watches and warnings are now in effect from Tennessee to New Jersey, as remnants of the storm slog northward.

Well, Ivan first made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama. Its winds measured 130 miles an hour. Then at that point it did. Then its ferocity is being more fully measured now.

Our Bill Hemmer reports from the community, which bears the scars of Ivan's arrival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It is hard to miss the mark of Ivan. The cleanup's just beginning and so are the stories.

MARTHA HOWARD, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: It is as noisy as it can. The house is shaking, the doors are shaking, the windows are shaking. You know, the noise is just tremendous.

(BUZZ SAW)

HEMMER: People here will get used to this sound. Doctor Lyle Cooper is already trying to get his practice up and running. But he admits it may take weeks.

(on camera): How long will it take now for you to get this place up and running again?

DR. LYLE COOPER, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: I hopefully will be back in a week or two. Hopefully we'll get some electricity, some power back. I don't know about the water. I haven't checked anything to see if that's working yet.

HEMMER (voice-over): For miles along state Route 59, giant trees that stood the test of time could not pass the test of nature. Twisted metal clings to gasoline pumps. Businesses and stores have been cut in half.

(on camera): This storm is so strong, even businesses that took precautions completely wrecked. This is a tax store, and a phone store. Also there's a supermarket here. The brick wall here is down, and if you look down this aisle, you can see the roof is gone, too.

(voice-over): And in some areas there is a new landscape. Here in Gulf Shores this overflowing lagoon has sliced a river's path across a highway. Just beyond, a stretch of beachfront property is cut off. But the mayor is not panicking.

DAVID BODENHAMER, MAYOR, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA: Well, you know, this is not our first rodeo. But unfortunately, you know, it's the biggest one we've ever had. And we certainly are sympathetic with everybody north of us that experienced this. I mean it was bad for us. We know it was bad for a lot of other people.

HEMMER: Late Thursday, the Alabama National Guard rolled out to help with security and with cleanup. That's welcome news to those who live here and who lived through it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a little scary. A little scary. I mean we were doing some work and it was so calm you could light a cigarette.

HEMMER: Yes, the stories are just beginning, now that Ivan has gone away.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Florida Governor Jeb Bush will see both the damage and its victims firsthand. Right now, he's visiting the Pensacola Civic Center, which was turned, into a shelter for storm refugees. Many will have little reason to rush back to their homes. Many roads and major bridges are damaged or blocked by debris. And it could take weeks to restore electricity, water and sewer services in Pensacola and surrounding Escambia County.

For all the latest weather if you're trying to track where Ivan, where Jeanne is just go on to cnn.com. The address is cnn.com/weather.

We're going to move on to Iraq and yet another deadly attack on that nation's police force. A suicide car bombing has killed and injured dozens, after detonating near an Iraqi police checkpoint.

Let's go to the capital, CNN's Diana Muriel has the latest on this developing story.

Diana, hello.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn hello. Yes. The relative peace of the Iraqi holy day of rest this Friday shattered by yet another car bomb in the center of Baghdad. This was a huge explosive that detonated by a temporary police checkpoint that had been set up in al Rasheed Street, not far from Haifa Street, that now notorious scene of many violent incidents in this past week and indeed before.

According to eyewitnesses, a car approached this temporary police checkpoint; it was turned away by the police officers. It came around again, and when it approached the barrier for a second time it detonated, killing, as far as the latest information says, eight people and 41 people injured. There were three police officers who were killed in the attack, 21 other police officers injured and seven cars in the immediate vicinity were damaged.

The U.S. military arrived on the scene earlier to assist the Iraqi police. The U.S. military themselves had suffered an attempted car bombing at a checkpoint that they were maintaining on Haifa Street itself. A car had tried to ram the checkpoint. U.S. soldiers opened fire on the two men inside. They detonated the bomb but they killed only themselves. No one else was injured. But now Iraqi police have completely closed off Haifa Street. So another very violent day here in Baghdad -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Diana Muriel, thank you for the latest from the Iraqi capital.

Back here in the U.S., two new polls are telling vastly different tales about the presidential race. Let's look at the numbers. A Gallup poll released today shows President Bush with a 13-percentage point lead over John Kerry among likely voters. Among registered voters, the Bush lead was eight percentage points. Support for the president is at its highest in the Gallup poll since the capture of Saddam Hussein.

But then let's look at these set of numbers. This, by the Pew Research Center showing a dead heat. Among likely voters, the president has a 1-percentage point edge. Among registered voters, the candidates are tied.

The conflicting assessments of the presidential race only heighten the importance of campaign stops. Let's check where they're going today. Next hour, Senator Kerry hosts a town hall meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The topic will be national defense. Then he's going to switch topics and states, focusing on health care at an afternoon rally in Aurora, Colorado.

Next hour, President Bush leaves the White House for a campaign reception in the nation's capital. He'll then travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a pair of events. He finishes the day in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he'll spend most of the weekend at his family's vacation home.

In Hamilton, New Jersey a woman interrupted a speech by Laura Bush with a protest over the death of her son, a soldier serving in Iraq. Wearing a T-shirt with the message, "President Bush you killed my son," she heckled the first lady and then refused to leave. The woman was handcuffed, arrested, and taken away.

A decision to leave that saved her life. You're going to hear from a woman who thought she could ride out Ivan in her mobile home. And we'll tell you what convinced her to leave.

Also appearing together in the same courtroom for the first time, Michael Jackson and the mother of his accuser. We'll tell you why and what his attorneys might have to say to the woman. A live report is just ahead.

Can "Sky Captain" kill the competition at the box office this weekend? We are going to ask Mr. Moviephone what he thinks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Michael Jackson is expected to face his accuser's mother for the first time in court. That's expected to happen in the next hour. Our Miguel Marquez covering the child molestation case in Santa Maria.

Miguel, good morning.

MIGUEL MARQEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. It's also expected to be the last day of a very lengthy suppression of evidence case. This thing has dragged on for about two weeks. And as typical, when Michael Jackson does show up, so do the fans. We have a live look at some of the fans already lining the area here, getting ready for the King of Pop to show up here to the Santa Maria courthouse. Many fans will be in the courthouse, as well. All of them to sit there and listen to Michael Jackson's accuser take the stand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQEZ (voice-over): Michael Jackson's lawyers back in court, taking the offensive in an effort to suppress evidence seized from Neverland ranch and the office of a Beverly Hills private investigator. It is now a case that has grown into a mountain.

STEVE CORBETT, "SANTA MARIA TIMES": The mountain of evidence, the mountain of paperwork continues to build. The more search warrants that the judge signs means that it may, in fact, delay this. The judge even said, how long can you continue to file new search warrants? Two, three years?

MARQUEZ: With search warrants numbering near 100, new search warrants still being sought and DNA evidence still not turned over to the defense, the judge issued a stern warning. He wants his case to go to trial on time.

CORBETT: He's asking for help. His words. He's asking for help. And he's threatening sanctions if he doesn't get help.

MARQUEZ: Another growing issue for Jackson, information in the case leaking to the press. The TV show "The Insider," obtained a sheriff's interview with the victim's mother conducted in summer 2003. In it, she gives insight into the claim that Jackson and his people conspired to get her and her kids out of the country, after the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" aired on ABC. In the taped interviews, she says Jackson associates showed up to her East Los Angeles apartment and told her why she had to leave the country.

The accuser's mother said, quote, "OK. One of the reasons was because there was people that were going to kill the children and me, mostly my children."

The interviewer then asks, "Who's telling you this?"

And the mother says, "Uh, Michael's people."

And it is the alleged victim's mother who will testify. All the while, Michael Jackson and his family will be only a few feet away watching and listening to every word.

ARTHUR BARENS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY.: The trial is not going to be won or lost, in my opinion, by Michael Jackson, but by the credibility of his accuser, and the witnesses they're going to bring to bear that support the accuser.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, Michael Jackson is not expected to be here for the full hearing, just to listen to the mother of his accuser do her testimony. Then he's expected to leave. This thing will probably wrap up today according to lawyers in the case. And Tom Mesereau Jr., Michael Jackson's attorney, has been cleared to make a statement at the end of the day.

Back to you.

KAGAN: But meanwhile, Miguel, a much smaller and more subdued crowd than the first time we saw Michael Jackson show up last January.

MARQUEZ: Oh, certainly. But typically what happens before he shows up, some large buses will pull up and dump a lot of people out here, too. A lot of fans who come up from all parts of California to see him. So I expect this probably will grow in size. But certainly nothing like we saw that first time.

Back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Miguel Marquez in Santa Maria, thank you.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush tours another section of his state. A live report from northwest Florida, as residents assess the mounting damage from their third natural disaster in a matter of weeks.

And from September through January, it's typically layoff season.

Gerri you're telling me that this is -- if you're going to get laid off, it's going to happen between now and the end of the year?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes. Unfortunately so, Daryn. We'll tell you the best steps to take if the worst-case scenario happens to you, when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, fall, if you might not have known this, is actually firing season. You are more likely to be laid off from now until the end of the year than any other time of the year. You need to protect yourself. Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here with five tips on how to do that.

Good morning, Gerri.

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Step No. 1, make yourself irreplaceable. Smart employees make sure that their employers absolutely feel like they have to have them on the payroll before they even contemplate layoffs. So make sure you understand your boss' needs and you fill them. Make sure if there's a demand for money in the budget that you're finding ways to cut costs. Anticipate your company's needs. Get in front of the problem, not behind it -- Daryn.

KAGAN: But be prepared and have yourself ready to go.

WILLIS: You know, there's always rumors swirling any time there are layoffs. And people often have a good idea that something might happen. If that's the case in your office right now, you would do well to heed the following advice. Start gathering materials that you would need to look for a new job, like letters of recommendation, awards, promotion letters. Anything you have that speaks to how good an employee you are. Because, once the layoffs start, it's really difficult to get stuff out of the office. They often don't let you cart out extensive files.

Next, start looking for the new job right away. It's always easier to find a new job when you have a job already.

KAGAN: Well, that is true. You mean you get points for being nice, looks like it leads into our next tip.

WILLIS: Yes. You know, this isn't "The Apprentice." You're not going to hear you're fired. Right? Somebody's going to say something like well, we're making some changes in our staffing. Or we're reducing our head count overall. In any case, don't be argumentative. It doesn't pay to argue with your boss, because at the end of the day you're going to be reliant on still maintaining that good level of communication, as you negotiate your exit.

KAGAN: And let's talk about that negotiation. You should be ready to do that?

WILLIS: Absolutely. Don't take the first offer you get. Look, your employer wants this to happen peaceably, quickly. You want to make sure you get what you need to find your next job. So, tell him you want a negotiating session, and whatever they're offering make sure you ask for a little bit more. Whether it's money or simply assistance with getting the resume together, getting some job searches done -- Daryn.

KAGAN: No. 5 isn't easy. But basically, you can't take it personally.

WILLIS: Yes. You can't take it personally. You've got to reassess your current situation. Keep going out and seeing friends because that's one of the ways you'll hear about job leads. It's not your fault. Make sure that you're keeping up with your network, talking to people who can help you find that next job and don't be embarrassed. Because at the end of the day, more or less, most people are laid off at one time or the other. And it's not their fault.

KAGAN: It's happened to the best of us. I know it's happened to me.

WILLIS: Me, too.

KAGAN: There you go. And we're here to tell the story. Gerri, thank you. WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Straight ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, new information about what Colorado authorities knew before the Columbine High school massacre.

And she almost stayed behind to ride out Ivan in her mobile home. Her neighbors did stay. They paid the ultimate price.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the stories now in the news.

Pensacola, Florida is almost a virtual island this morning, isolated by damaged bridges and flooded roads. Pained residents face the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan without electricity and short supplies of food and water. About 2,000 National Guard Troops have been dispatched to the Panhandle. We'll have a live report coming up in one minute.

Eight Iraqis are dead and at least 41 wounded in a car bomb attack in central Baghdad. The explosions happened along a busy street near a police checkpoint. Earlier, U.S. troops fired on another vehicle, as it tried to break through security in another area of the city. The car was packed with explosives, it blew up. The two people inside were killed.

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Aired September 17, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at what is happening now in the news.
People in the southeast begin the long recovery following Hurricane Ivan. The storm has been blamed for more than a dozen deaths in the U.S.; many houses have been flooded or destroyed. More than 1.7 million homes and businesses in five states are without power. Even the Red Cross has taken a hit from Ivan, appealing for money and blood donations.

A car bomb exploded today near an Iraqi police checkpoint in central Baghdad. Iraqi officials say at least eight people were killed and 41 others wounded. Earlier today, another car bomb detonated in Baghdad killing the two occupants inside. U.S. forces opened fire on the vehicle after it tried to break through a security perimeter.

A Chechen rebel leader says that he was behind recent terrorist operations in Russia. In an e-mail posted on a Chechen rebel web site, Samil Basayev called the Beslan school massacre a terrible tragedy. He blames though, the killings on President Vladimir Putin saying, quote, "The Kremlin's vampire ordered troops to storm the school," end quote. Basayev also claimed responsibility for the two airliner crashes and a Moscow bombing.

And get ready for a possible pat down at the airport. The government is implementing new security checks. Those start next week. All passengers must take off their jackets before passing through metal detectors. And more people will be subjected to hand searches. The 9/11 Panel recommended screeners do a more thorough job of detecting explosives.

Ivan has seen its might fade and its legacy build in recent hours. That swirling ferocity first unleashed on the Gulf Coast has left billions of dollars in damage, and the highest death toll in the U.S. since Hurricane Floyd five years ago. After leaving a trail of damage stretching across several states, a downgraded Ivan slapped western North Carolina with up to eight inches of rain. Rescuers spent the night whisking people out of their homes and onto higher ground.

The danger could again be measured in inches, when howling winds plowed into some of Atlanta's tree-lined streets. Several drivers narrowly escaped being crushed to death when towering oaks toppled onto to their cars. One Franklin County motorist died this way. Two other people in northern Georgia were also killed.

Damage estimates range from two to $10 billion in insured losses. But it is worth noting that such figures do not include the massive damages from flooding. That's because private insurers don't cover flooding. So how relentless has how Ivan's rains been? Well, consider this. Flash flood watches and warnings are now in effect from Tennessee to New Jersey, as remnants of the storm slog northward.

Well, Ivan first made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama. Its winds measured 130 miles an hour. Then at that point it did. Then its ferocity is being more fully measured now.

Our Bill Hemmer reports from the community, which bears the scars of Ivan's arrival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It is hard to miss the mark of Ivan. The cleanup's just beginning and so are the stories.

MARTHA HOWARD, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: It is as noisy as it can. The house is shaking, the doors are shaking, the windows are shaking. You know, the noise is just tremendous.

(BUZZ SAW)

HEMMER: People here will get used to this sound. Doctor Lyle Cooper is already trying to get his practice up and running. But he admits it may take weeks.

(on camera): How long will it take now for you to get this place up and running again?

DR. LYLE COOPER, GULF SHORES RESIDENT: I hopefully will be back in a week or two. Hopefully we'll get some electricity, some power back. I don't know about the water. I haven't checked anything to see if that's working yet.

HEMMER (voice-over): For miles along state Route 59, giant trees that stood the test of time could not pass the test of nature. Twisted metal clings to gasoline pumps. Businesses and stores have been cut in half.

(on camera): This storm is so strong, even businesses that took precautions completely wrecked. This is a tax store, and a phone store. Also there's a supermarket here. The brick wall here is down, and if you look down this aisle, you can see the roof is gone, too.

(voice-over): And in some areas there is a new landscape. Here in Gulf Shores this overflowing lagoon has sliced a river's path across a highway. Just beyond, a stretch of beachfront property is cut off. But the mayor is not panicking.

DAVID BODENHAMER, MAYOR, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA: Well, you know, this is not our first rodeo. But unfortunately, you know, it's the biggest one we've ever had. And we certainly are sympathetic with everybody north of us that experienced this. I mean it was bad for us. We know it was bad for a lot of other people.

HEMMER: Late Thursday, the Alabama National Guard rolled out to help with security and with cleanup. That's welcome news to those who live here and who lived through it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a little scary. A little scary. I mean we were doing some work and it was so calm you could light a cigarette.

HEMMER: Yes, the stories are just beginning, now that Ivan has gone away.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Florida Governor Jeb Bush will see both the damage and its victims firsthand. Right now, he's visiting the Pensacola Civic Center, which was turned, into a shelter for storm refugees. Many will have little reason to rush back to their homes. Many roads and major bridges are damaged or blocked by debris. And it could take weeks to restore electricity, water and sewer services in Pensacola and surrounding Escambia County.

For all the latest weather if you're trying to track where Ivan, where Jeanne is just go on to cnn.com. The address is cnn.com/weather.

We're going to move on to Iraq and yet another deadly attack on that nation's police force. A suicide car bombing has killed and injured dozens, after detonating near an Iraqi police checkpoint.

Let's go to the capital, CNN's Diana Muriel has the latest on this developing story.

Diana, hello.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn hello. Yes. The relative peace of the Iraqi holy day of rest this Friday shattered by yet another car bomb in the center of Baghdad. This was a huge explosive that detonated by a temporary police checkpoint that had been set up in al Rasheed Street, not far from Haifa Street, that now notorious scene of many violent incidents in this past week and indeed before.

According to eyewitnesses, a car approached this temporary police checkpoint; it was turned away by the police officers. It came around again, and when it approached the barrier for a second time it detonated, killing, as far as the latest information says, eight people and 41 people injured. There were three police officers who were killed in the attack, 21 other police officers injured and seven cars in the immediate vicinity were damaged.

The U.S. military arrived on the scene earlier to assist the Iraqi police. The U.S. military themselves had suffered an attempted car bombing at a checkpoint that they were maintaining on Haifa Street itself. A car had tried to ram the checkpoint. U.S. soldiers opened fire on the two men inside. They detonated the bomb but they killed only themselves. No one else was injured. But now Iraqi police have completely closed off Haifa Street. So another very violent day here in Baghdad -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Diana Muriel, thank you for the latest from the Iraqi capital.

Back here in the U.S., two new polls are telling vastly different tales about the presidential race. Let's look at the numbers. A Gallup poll released today shows President Bush with a 13-percentage point lead over John Kerry among likely voters. Among registered voters, the Bush lead was eight percentage points. Support for the president is at its highest in the Gallup poll since the capture of Saddam Hussein.

But then let's look at these set of numbers. This, by the Pew Research Center showing a dead heat. Among likely voters, the president has a 1-percentage point edge. Among registered voters, the candidates are tied.

The conflicting assessments of the presidential race only heighten the importance of campaign stops. Let's check where they're going today. Next hour, Senator Kerry hosts a town hall meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The topic will be national defense. Then he's going to switch topics and states, focusing on health care at an afternoon rally in Aurora, Colorado.

Next hour, President Bush leaves the White House for a campaign reception in the nation's capital. He'll then travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a pair of events. He finishes the day in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he'll spend most of the weekend at his family's vacation home.

In Hamilton, New Jersey a woman interrupted a speech by Laura Bush with a protest over the death of her son, a soldier serving in Iraq. Wearing a T-shirt with the message, "President Bush you killed my son," she heckled the first lady and then refused to leave. The woman was handcuffed, arrested, and taken away.

A decision to leave that saved her life. You're going to hear from a woman who thought she could ride out Ivan in her mobile home. And we'll tell you what convinced her to leave.

Also appearing together in the same courtroom for the first time, Michael Jackson and the mother of his accuser. We'll tell you why and what his attorneys might have to say to the woman. A live report is just ahead.

Can "Sky Captain" kill the competition at the box office this weekend? We are going to ask Mr. Moviephone what he thinks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Michael Jackson is expected to face his accuser's mother for the first time in court. That's expected to happen in the next hour. Our Miguel Marquez covering the child molestation case in Santa Maria.

Miguel, good morning.

MIGUEL MARQEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. It's also expected to be the last day of a very lengthy suppression of evidence case. This thing has dragged on for about two weeks. And as typical, when Michael Jackson does show up, so do the fans. We have a live look at some of the fans already lining the area here, getting ready for the King of Pop to show up here to the Santa Maria courthouse. Many fans will be in the courthouse, as well. All of them to sit there and listen to Michael Jackson's accuser take the stand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQEZ (voice-over): Michael Jackson's lawyers back in court, taking the offensive in an effort to suppress evidence seized from Neverland ranch and the office of a Beverly Hills private investigator. It is now a case that has grown into a mountain.

STEVE CORBETT, "SANTA MARIA TIMES": The mountain of evidence, the mountain of paperwork continues to build. The more search warrants that the judge signs means that it may, in fact, delay this. The judge even said, how long can you continue to file new search warrants? Two, three years?

MARQUEZ: With search warrants numbering near 100, new search warrants still being sought and DNA evidence still not turned over to the defense, the judge issued a stern warning. He wants his case to go to trial on time.

CORBETT: He's asking for help. His words. He's asking for help. And he's threatening sanctions if he doesn't get help.

MARQUEZ: Another growing issue for Jackson, information in the case leaking to the press. The TV show "The Insider," obtained a sheriff's interview with the victim's mother conducted in summer 2003. In it, she gives insight into the claim that Jackson and his people conspired to get her and her kids out of the country, after the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" aired on ABC. In the taped interviews, she says Jackson associates showed up to her East Los Angeles apartment and told her why she had to leave the country.

The accuser's mother said, quote, "OK. One of the reasons was because there was people that were going to kill the children and me, mostly my children."

The interviewer then asks, "Who's telling you this?"

And the mother says, "Uh, Michael's people."

And it is the alleged victim's mother who will testify. All the while, Michael Jackson and his family will be only a few feet away watching and listening to every word.

ARTHUR BARENS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY.: The trial is not going to be won or lost, in my opinion, by Michael Jackson, but by the credibility of his accuser, and the witnesses they're going to bring to bear that support the accuser.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now, Michael Jackson is not expected to be here for the full hearing, just to listen to the mother of his accuser do her testimony. Then he's expected to leave. This thing will probably wrap up today according to lawyers in the case. And Tom Mesereau Jr., Michael Jackson's attorney, has been cleared to make a statement at the end of the day.

Back to you.

KAGAN: But meanwhile, Miguel, a much smaller and more subdued crowd than the first time we saw Michael Jackson show up last January.

MARQUEZ: Oh, certainly. But typically what happens before he shows up, some large buses will pull up and dump a lot of people out here, too. A lot of fans who come up from all parts of California to see him. So I expect this probably will grow in size. But certainly nothing like we saw that first time.

Back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Miguel Marquez in Santa Maria, thank you.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush tours another section of his state. A live report from northwest Florida, as residents assess the mounting damage from their third natural disaster in a matter of weeks.

And from September through January, it's typically layoff season.

Gerri you're telling me that this is -- if you're going to get laid off, it's going to happen between now and the end of the year?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Yes. Unfortunately so, Daryn. We'll tell you the best steps to take if the worst-case scenario happens to you, when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, fall, if you might not have known this, is actually firing season. You are more likely to be laid off from now until the end of the year than any other time of the year. You need to protect yourself. Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here with five tips on how to do that.

Good morning, Gerri.

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Step No. 1, make yourself irreplaceable. Smart employees make sure that their employers absolutely feel like they have to have them on the payroll before they even contemplate layoffs. So make sure you understand your boss' needs and you fill them. Make sure if there's a demand for money in the budget that you're finding ways to cut costs. Anticipate your company's needs. Get in front of the problem, not behind it -- Daryn.

KAGAN: But be prepared and have yourself ready to go.

WILLIS: You know, there's always rumors swirling any time there are layoffs. And people often have a good idea that something might happen. If that's the case in your office right now, you would do well to heed the following advice. Start gathering materials that you would need to look for a new job, like letters of recommendation, awards, promotion letters. Anything you have that speaks to how good an employee you are. Because, once the layoffs start, it's really difficult to get stuff out of the office. They often don't let you cart out extensive files.

Next, start looking for the new job right away. It's always easier to find a new job when you have a job already.

KAGAN: Well, that is true. You mean you get points for being nice, looks like it leads into our next tip.

WILLIS: Yes. You know, this isn't "The Apprentice." You're not going to hear you're fired. Right? Somebody's going to say something like well, we're making some changes in our staffing. Or we're reducing our head count overall. In any case, don't be argumentative. It doesn't pay to argue with your boss, because at the end of the day you're going to be reliant on still maintaining that good level of communication, as you negotiate your exit.

KAGAN: And let's talk about that negotiation. You should be ready to do that?

WILLIS: Absolutely. Don't take the first offer you get. Look, your employer wants this to happen peaceably, quickly. You want to make sure you get what you need to find your next job. So, tell him you want a negotiating session, and whatever they're offering make sure you ask for a little bit more. Whether it's money or simply assistance with getting the resume together, getting some job searches done -- Daryn.

KAGAN: No. 5 isn't easy. But basically, you can't take it personally.

WILLIS: Yes. You can't take it personally. You've got to reassess your current situation. Keep going out and seeing friends because that's one of the ways you'll hear about job leads. It's not your fault. Make sure that you're keeping up with your network, talking to people who can help you find that next job and don't be embarrassed. Because at the end of the day, more or less, most people are laid off at one time or the other. And it's not their fault.

KAGAN: It's happened to the best of us. I know it's happened to me.

WILLIS: Me, too.

KAGAN: There you go. And we're here to tell the story. Gerri, thank you. WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Straight ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, new information about what Colorado authorities knew before the Columbine High school massacre.

And she almost stayed behind to ride out Ivan in her mobile home. Her neighbors did stay. They paid the ultimate price.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the stories now in the news.

Pensacola, Florida is almost a virtual island this morning, isolated by damaged bridges and flooded roads. Pained residents face the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan without electricity and short supplies of food and water. About 2,000 National Guard Troops have been dispatched to the Panhandle. We'll have a live report coming up in one minute.

Eight Iraqis are dead and at least 41 wounded in a car bomb attack in central Baghdad. The explosions happened along a busy street near a police checkpoint. Earlier, U.S. troops fired on another vehicle, as it tried to break through security in another area of the city. The car was packed with explosives, it blew up. The two people inside were killed.

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