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CNN Live Today

In Iraq, a Deadline Looms; 'Daily Dose'

Aired September 20, 2004 - 11:35   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: I'm Daryn Kagan in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening now in the news for this Monday, the 20th of September. John Kerry launched a new campaign focused on Iraq last hour, calling the Bush approach stubborn and incompetent. In a speech at NYU, Kerry offered a four-point plan to bring stability to the volatile country.
Public reports say that CBS News may announce as early as today it was misled on President Bush's Air National Guard documents. Critics charge the papers are forgeries. CBS has said in the last week, the substance of its reporting is correct, even if the documents are fake.

A second round of confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill this morning for CIA director-nominee Porter Goss. Democrats say they remain unconvinced that Goss can be independent and objective. Goss, a Republican, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and is on the record with partisan comments.

Scott Peterson's double-murder trial is entering its 17th week. The judge indicates prosecutors could wrap up their case by the end of the month. The defense case is expected to take two to three weeks.

We turn to Iraq, where a deadline looms as kidnappers threaten to behead two Americans and one Brit. The militants are demanding the release of all women from two U.S.-controlled prisons in the country. But military officials say there are no females in those prisons.

For more on the kidnappings and the killings in Iraq, we go to our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: The deadline for the threatened killing of two Americans and a British hostage held captive has come and gone Monday morning with no word on the fate of the three men. They were seized from their home in the upscale district of Monsur, the diplomatic district in Baghdad. Their captors have threatened to kill them if all Iraqi women prisoners weren't freed.

They're just three of several dozen Iraqis and non-Iraqis being held hostage in Iraq at the moment. They include 10 Turkish nationals and a reported 15 Iraqi National Guards. Two Muslim clerics as well, Sunni Muslims, have been killed. They were part of an influential committee of Muslim scholars, a group that has helped in the past to try to free hostages. It groups together Sunni Muslim mosques in the country, and these were two of their leading figures. New U.S. airstrikes in the troubled city of Fallujah. The U.S. military has confirmed that it has launched the strikes, but won't give details. Residents, though, and witnesses say at least two Iraqis were killed. They say the airstrikes targeted earth-moving equipment on the edge of the city.

And we're checking reports as well of a car bomb in Mosul. Those reports say at least three killed when that car bomb went off.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Back here, looking at the U.S., Tropical Storm Jeanne is veering away from the United States, but it's not sparing the Caribbean isles. At least 54 people were killed when Jeanne brought flooding and mudslides to the northern coast of Haiti. The storm also left its mark on the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

River levels are dropping today in Pennsylvania after the remnants of Ivan brought significant flooding. Pennsylvania's governor is asking for a federal disaster declaration in 42 of the state's 67 counties.

Food, water, ice, gas -- the basics of every day life are hard to come by today in Florida's hard-hit western panhandle. President Bush is pledging to speed aid to Hurricane Ivan's victims. Ivan's toll still being tallied, but damage could be upwards of $10 billion.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, it used to be the pop quiz that made kids afraid to go to school. These days, the fears are far tougher to deal with. Up next in our "Daily Dose" of health news, being scared of school in this post-Columbine era.

And later, Streep, "Sopranos," and a few surprises -- find out who cleaned up at this year's Emmys.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, here's an issue no student should have to worry about: whether classmates are toting knives and guns to school along with their books and homework. In today's "Daily Dose," we look at growing concerns about violence in the classroom in this post- Columbine era.

Here's CNN's Holly Firfer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zsanae Klemm did everything she could not to have to go to school. Moving from Los Angeles to Atlanta was hard enough, she says, but starting a new high school was terrifying. ZSANAE KLEMM, STUDENT: I wasn't sure if, you know, the first day I come here is somebody going to try to fight me or -- you know, just for no reason. Or if people bring guns to school, if I have to worry about that.

So, that was really scary.

FIRFER: Zsanae is not alone. A study by the CDC shows although violence has decreased in high schools, kids are more fearful of going to school than ever before. Many point to the shootings at Columbine and other copycat incidents as part of that fear, along with bullying and fighting in schools.

DR. LAURA BARBANEL, PSYCHOLOGIST: In the old days, if you got drawn into a fight, somebody would throw a punch at you, which is not great, but not of the same caliber as if somebody draws a knife or a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to create a crime-free, drug-free environment for our school, and we're doing this through a youth-led movement.

FIRFER: One group is taking their schools back. Youth Crime Watch is a national program that trains kids how to keep an eye out for potential trouble and stop it before it happens.

BARBANEL: It's important that kids have a sense of being in control. They must, however, have the backup of the parents, the teachers, and the administration. Otherwise, it won't work.

FIRFER: Officer Wray runs a chapter of the program at an Atlanta area high school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is all the halls clear, guys?

FIRFER: The students at Stevenson patrol the hallways with walkie-talkies, making their presence know. Ray says he's seen a dramatic decrease in fights, graffiti, and violence in the schools.

OFFICER GREGORY WRAY, YOUTH CRIME WATCH: That's one thing that teenagers have to have is the consequences. Once you know the consequences, you're going to think about if you're going to do something wrong, you're going to think about the consequences.

FIRFER: Tyisha recently broke up a fight.

(on camera): Were you worried that somebody was going to come after you later or, you know, try and take revenge?

TYISHA HAGER, STUDENT: Really wasn't worried, because the people that were in the fight, I knew them. And I knew that, you know, there's a trust factor with this group's Crime Watch.

FIRFER (voice-over): Zsanae joined the group and says it's made her school experience a lot less frightening, and now she's even having fun. KLEMM: It's like a family. I mean, everybody looks out for one another, and it's just really great.

FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address is cnn.com/health.

One more health note for you, find out how to handle depression from former President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Naomi Judd, and others. That is the focus tonight on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

And the Emmy goes to -- HBO. The network whacked the competition again. Last night's highlights are coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: There are some days when I myself think I'm overrated.

(LAUGHTER)

But not today.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, it's good to see those self-esteem lessons are working out for Meryl Streep. Humility does have its place, apparently not at the podium, with a statuette in hand. Moviestar Meryl Streep finds big accolades on the small screen.

They said the best things in life are free. Apparently, that does not apply to television. Last night's Emmy Awards show showered 32 of its statuettes on HBO, the premium corporate channel, we should mention, a corporate cousin of us here at CNN.

Joining us, TV aficionado Tom O'Neil, the author and the host of goldderby.com, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," and somehow has time to talk with us this morning.

Good morning.

TOM O'NEIL, HOST GOLDDERBY.COM: Good morning, Daryn. KAGAN: It did seem for a while there it was all HBO, all cable, all the time, with "Angels in America" definitely leading the way last night.

O'NEIL: Yes, and by the way, it tied one historic record, the most Emmys in one year by one program, which had been held by a movie back in the 1970s called "Eleanor and Franklin," and it won the most ever among miniseries. "Roots" had help the record back in '77, and this is first program ever to sweep all acting categories in the movie miniseries side.

KAGAN: The other story, I think, is Fox's "Arrested Development," if you want to talk about broadcast television. A lot of people going arrested who, arrested what?

O'NEIL: I know. This is the second lowest-rated series ever to win a top program award. The lowest rated one was "Sex in the City," but that's HBO. That's a pay channel. That's cool. That doesn't count. The Emmys sometimes love to rescue low-rated shows, like "All in the Family" and "Cheers," which were also in this category years ago, when nobody knew they were on the air. They won top Emmys, too.

KAGAN: Now old standbys winning. A lot of people surprised -- nothing more than the people who actually won -- Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Allison Janney, they all were kind of perplexed how they won last night. And you know, there were other people that the Emmy Award could have moved on. David Hyde Pierce right here, he gets up there, Tom and says, well, OK, I would have gone in a different direction, but thank you.

O'NEIL: Well, this all comes down to, as you know, Daryn, because I'm always telling you this about the Emmys, it comes down to what episode they submitted to the Emmy judges, and in Pierce's case, he submitted the season finale of "Frasier," which was so historic. The Allison Janney win, that had everybody dumbfounded. Her episode was terrible this year. I don't know what that was about.

KAGAN: And what would you say was the biggest surprise of the night?

O'NEIL: "Arrested Development." I don't think we saw that coming. When a low-rated series wins, it's usually in its second year if the network has kept it on. This was a -- a show like "Frasier" or "West Wing" can win in its freshman year if it's a blockbuster hit right away.

KAGAN: Ten seconds -- who was robbed last night, Tom?

O'NEIL: Who was robbed last night? I think Jennifer Garner from "Alias" really gave the best performance by a dramatic actress. And for Allison Janney to win again -- this is her fourth Emmy by the way, I think we should start the revolution.

KAGAN: Well, you're starting on goldderby.com. People can click in and see that.

Tom O'Neil, in Los Angeles, thank you.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Get some sleep.

O'NEIL: I will. I'm tired.

KAGAN: I know. You did a great job, though.

OK, that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here, tomorrow morning.

Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington D.C.

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


Aired September 20, 2004 - 11:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening now in the news for this Monday, the 20th of September. John Kerry launched a new campaign focused on Iraq last hour, calling the Bush approach stubborn and incompetent. In a speech at NYU, Kerry offered a four-point plan to bring stability to the volatile country.
Public reports say that CBS News may announce as early as today it was misled on President Bush's Air National Guard documents. Critics charge the papers are forgeries. CBS has said in the last week, the substance of its reporting is correct, even if the documents are fake.

A second round of confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill this morning for CIA director-nominee Porter Goss. Democrats say they remain unconvinced that Goss can be independent and objective. Goss, a Republican, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and is on the record with partisan comments.

Scott Peterson's double-murder trial is entering its 17th week. The judge indicates prosecutors could wrap up their case by the end of the month. The defense case is expected to take two to three weeks.

We turn to Iraq, where a deadline looms as kidnappers threaten to behead two Americans and one Brit. The militants are demanding the release of all women from two U.S.-controlled prisons in the country. But military officials say there are no females in those prisons.

For more on the kidnappings and the killings in Iraq, we go to our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: The deadline for the threatened killing of two Americans and a British hostage held captive has come and gone Monday morning with no word on the fate of the three men. They were seized from their home in the upscale district of Monsur, the diplomatic district in Baghdad. Their captors have threatened to kill them if all Iraqi women prisoners weren't freed.

They're just three of several dozen Iraqis and non-Iraqis being held hostage in Iraq at the moment. They include 10 Turkish nationals and a reported 15 Iraqi National Guards. Two Muslim clerics as well, Sunni Muslims, have been killed. They were part of an influential committee of Muslim scholars, a group that has helped in the past to try to free hostages. It groups together Sunni Muslim mosques in the country, and these were two of their leading figures. New U.S. airstrikes in the troubled city of Fallujah. The U.S. military has confirmed that it has launched the strikes, but won't give details. Residents, though, and witnesses say at least two Iraqis were killed. They say the airstrikes targeted earth-moving equipment on the edge of the city.

And we're checking reports as well of a car bomb in Mosul. Those reports say at least three killed when that car bomb went off.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Back here, looking at the U.S., Tropical Storm Jeanne is veering away from the United States, but it's not sparing the Caribbean isles. At least 54 people were killed when Jeanne brought flooding and mudslides to the northern coast of Haiti. The storm also left its mark on the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

River levels are dropping today in Pennsylvania after the remnants of Ivan brought significant flooding. Pennsylvania's governor is asking for a federal disaster declaration in 42 of the state's 67 counties.

Food, water, ice, gas -- the basics of every day life are hard to come by today in Florida's hard-hit western panhandle. President Bush is pledging to speed aid to Hurricane Ivan's victims. Ivan's toll still being tallied, but damage could be upwards of $10 billion.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, it used to be the pop quiz that made kids afraid to go to school. These days, the fears are far tougher to deal with. Up next in our "Daily Dose" of health news, being scared of school in this post-Columbine era.

And later, Streep, "Sopranos," and a few surprises -- find out who cleaned up at this year's Emmys.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, here's an issue no student should have to worry about: whether classmates are toting knives and guns to school along with their books and homework. In today's "Daily Dose," we look at growing concerns about violence in the classroom in this post- Columbine era.

Here's CNN's Holly Firfer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zsanae Klemm did everything she could not to have to go to school. Moving from Los Angeles to Atlanta was hard enough, she says, but starting a new high school was terrifying. ZSANAE KLEMM, STUDENT: I wasn't sure if, you know, the first day I come here is somebody going to try to fight me or -- you know, just for no reason. Or if people bring guns to school, if I have to worry about that.

So, that was really scary.

FIRFER: Zsanae is not alone. A study by the CDC shows although violence has decreased in high schools, kids are more fearful of going to school than ever before. Many point to the shootings at Columbine and other copycat incidents as part of that fear, along with bullying and fighting in schools.

DR. LAURA BARBANEL, PSYCHOLOGIST: In the old days, if you got drawn into a fight, somebody would throw a punch at you, which is not great, but not of the same caliber as if somebody draws a knife or a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to create a crime-free, drug-free environment for our school, and we're doing this through a youth-led movement.

FIRFER: One group is taking their schools back. Youth Crime Watch is a national program that trains kids how to keep an eye out for potential trouble and stop it before it happens.

BARBANEL: It's important that kids have a sense of being in control. They must, however, have the backup of the parents, the teachers, and the administration. Otherwise, it won't work.

FIRFER: Officer Wray runs a chapter of the program at an Atlanta area high school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is all the halls clear, guys?

FIRFER: The students at Stevenson patrol the hallways with walkie-talkies, making their presence know. Ray says he's seen a dramatic decrease in fights, graffiti, and violence in the schools.

OFFICER GREGORY WRAY, YOUTH CRIME WATCH: That's one thing that teenagers have to have is the consequences. Once you know the consequences, you're going to think about if you're going to do something wrong, you're going to think about the consequences.

FIRFER: Tyisha recently broke up a fight.

(on camera): Were you worried that somebody was going to come after you later or, you know, try and take revenge?

TYISHA HAGER, STUDENT: Really wasn't worried, because the people that were in the fight, I knew them. And I knew that, you know, there's a trust factor with this group's Crime Watch.

FIRFER (voice-over): Zsanae joined the group and says it's made her school experience a lot less frightening, and now she's even having fun. KLEMM: It's like a family. I mean, everybody looks out for one another, and it's just really great.

FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address is cnn.com/health.

One more health note for you, find out how to handle depression from former President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Naomi Judd, and others. That is the focus tonight on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

And the Emmy goes to -- HBO. The network whacked the competition again. Last night's highlights are coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: There are some days when I myself think I'm overrated.

(LAUGHTER)

But not today.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, it's good to see those self-esteem lessons are working out for Meryl Streep. Humility does have its place, apparently not at the podium, with a statuette in hand. Moviestar Meryl Streep finds big accolades on the small screen.

They said the best things in life are free. Apparently, that does not apply to television. Last night's Emmy Awards show showered 32 of its statuettes on HBO, the premium corporate channel, we should mention, a corporate cousin of us here at CNN.

Joining us, TV aficionado Tom O'Neil, the author and the host of goldderby.com, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," and somehow has time to talk with us this morning.

Good morning.

TOM O'NEIL, HOST GOLDDERBY.COM: Good morning, Daryn. KAGAN: It did seem for a while there it was all HBO, all cable, all the time, with "Angels in America" definitely leading the way last night.

O'NEIL: Yes, and by the way, it tied one historic record, the most Emmys in one year by one program, which had been held by a movie back in the 1970s called "Eleanor and Franklin," and it won the most ever among miniseries. "Roots" had help the record back in '77, and this is first program ever to sweep all acting categories in the movie miniseries side.

KAGAN: The other story, I think, is Fox's "Arrested Development," if you want to talk about broadcast television. A lot of people going arrested who, arrested what?

O'NEIL: I know. This is the second lowest-rated series ever to win a top program award. The lowest rated one was "Sex in the City," but that's HBO. That's a pay channel. That's cool. That doesn't count. The Emmys sometimes love to rescue low-rated shows, like "All in the Family" and "Cheers," which were also in this category years ago, when nobody knew they were on the air. They won top Emmys, too.

KAGAN: Now old standbys winning. A lot of people surprised -- nothing more than the people who actually won -- Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Allison Janney, they all were kind of perplexed how they won last night. And you know, there were other people that the Emmy Award could have moved on. David Hyde Pierce right here, he gets up there, Tom and says, well, OK, I would have gone in a different direction, but thank you.

O'NEIL: Well, this all comes down to, as you know, Daryn, because I'm always telling you this about the Emmys, it comes down to what episode they submitted to the Emmy judges, and in Pierce's case, he submitted the season finale of "Frasier," which was so historic. The Allison Janney win, that had everybody dumbfounded. Her episode was terrible this year. I don't know what that was about.

KAGAN: And what would you say was the biggest surprise of the night?

O'NEIL: "Arrested Development." I don't think we saw that coming. When a low-rated series wins, it's usually in its second year if the network has kept it on. This was a -- a show like "Frasier" or "West Wing" can win in its freshman year if it's a blockbuster hit right away.

KAGAN: Ten seconds -- who was robbed last night, Tom?

O'NEIL: Who was robbed last night? I think Jennifer Garner from "Alias" really gave the best performance by a dramatic actress. And for Allison Janney to win again -- this is her fourth Emmy by the way, I think we should start the revolution.

KAGAN: Well, you're starting on goldderby.com. People can click in and see that.

Tom O'Neil, in Los Angeles, thank you.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: Get some sleep.

O'NEIL: I will. I'm tired.

KAGAN: I know. You did a great job, though.

OK, that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right back here, tomorrow morning.

Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington D.C.

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