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CNN Live Today
Actor Christopher Reeve Dies at 52; Sharpening Strategies; Weapons Surrender Part of Agreement With Muqtada al-Sadr
Aired October 11, 2004 - 10:59 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: We are remembering Christopher Reeve today, known for his super strength both on the big screen and in his private live. That is a live picture from Hollywood and the Walk of Fame. Some fans leaving some remembrances and some mementos to Christopher Reeve. More on his life just ahead.
And changing the exterior to help the interior. A professional makeup artist uses her talents to help cancer patients. We'll have a live demonstration as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
And here's a look at what is happening "Now in the News." Live pictures -- yes, I believe live pictures from the West Coast from Mount St. Helens. It is letting off more steam this morning. A small cloud is seen rising from the volcano. Scientists say that earthquake activity dropped to low levels over the weekend, but they're still watching for any signs of an eruption.
He was an on-screen superhero who turn a tragedy into a tireless crusade. Actor Christopher Reeve is being remembered for his work on behalf of spinal cord research after he was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident. More on his life and also his death just ahead.
And we're going to have the latest from Hobbs, New Mexico. That is where President Bush holds a rally this hour. Later, he heads to another western battleground state, Colorado. Mr. Bush spent yesterday at his Texas ranch preparing for the third and final presidential debate.
Democrat John Kerry also campaigning in New Mexico today. Very busy place, New Mexico. He was at a rally -- he will rally next hour in Santa Fe.
Kerry will spend the next two days getting ready for the next debate. He and President Bush squaring off an economic and domestic policy. They'll be in Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday.
An American-born Saudi national held for nearly three years by the U.S. is back in Saudi Arabia. Yaser Hamdi arrived in Riyadh today. Hamdi was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2001. His case led to a Supreme Court decision limiting the president's power to hold so-called enemy combatants indefinitely.
It is 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and 8:00 a.m. on the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's get started this hour with the sudden death of Christopher Reeve. He turned paralysis into advocacy and never gave up hope that he would walk again. Christopher Reeve died yesterday of heart failure. He was 52.
Our entertainment correspondent, Sibila Vargas, begins our coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christopher Reeve rose to fame as "Superman," the kind of invincible superhero who only exists in Hollywood fantasies. Over a span of nearly 10 years, he played the man of steel. But his acting credits extended well beyond "Superman."
He co-stared with Jane Seymour in the fantasy romance "Somewhere in Time" and won praise for his dramatic work in "The Remains of the Day." At the age of 42, Reeve's life changed forever when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian tournament in Virginia. Two broken vertebrae in his neck left him paralyzed.
CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: It's so tiny, the damage, but it's keeping me in a wheelchair.
VARGAS: Reeve credited his wife Dana with rallying his spirits, giving him the will to live. He worked tirelessly on rehabilitation, readying his body for the cure he was convinced would come.
REEVE: I'm going to get up out of this chair and throw it away and walk.
And cut it. Cut it. Cut it.
VARGAS: Despite his physical limitations, Reeve was determined to go back to work. He directed the HBO film "In the Gloaming."
REEVE: I'm very, very lucky I've been able to move and doing something that I truly love. And I haven't lost anything. I've gained a lot.
VARGAS: But his primary focus became a political and medical one, supporting research into spinal cord injuries. He took an active role in the debate over federal funding of stem-cell research.
REEVE: They call it the body's self-repair (ph). And here it is, and there's a big fight about using it. That is really hard to take.
VARGAS: In 1997, he got a star on Hollywood Boulevard. At that ceremony, Reeve reflected on a life that took an unexpected turn.
REEVE: I would just like people to look back and to know that I kept at it, and through good times and bad times. That they'll look back on the body of work that I did, and know that I've tried my best all the time. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Christopher Reeve lobbied for stem cell research. He hoped that the science would one day allow him to walk again. He became a powerful voice on the issue and one that resonates in this campaign season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Chris Reeve is a friend of mine. Chris Reeve exercises every single day to keep those muscles alive for the day when he believes that he can walk again. And I want him to walk again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reeve spoke with our Larry King last year about the promise of stem cells and the challenges the science faces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REEVE: Unfortunately, we have no federal public policy now. And that -- that is something that is very disappointing to all of us who are effected, certainly many of us in the category of people living with diseases and disabilities. The House of Representative has twice banned everything except adult stem cell research, and the Senate is in absolute gridlock.
There's a bill that would allow it. And there's a bill that would not only ban it, but criminalize it. And I think that neither bill is going to make it to the Senate floor this year, or even next year.
So, we have no public policy, and that has a very -- a very bad affect on our scientists, because they don't know what to do. Because a door might be slammed in their face. So, that's why research is proceeding, certainly in the stem cell area, and much more quickly area.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You have accused -- you have said they're caving into the religious right.
REEVE: Unfortunately, religion influences politics in the United States. It's a fact. There are lots of influences on politics in the United States. And that is difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reeve's wife, Dana, issued a statement thanking millions of fans for their support. She also asks that donations be made to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. That address is 500 Morris Avenue, Springfield, New Jersey, 07081. Or, you could go to the Web site, christopherreeve.org.
And another surprise death in the news today. Former National League MVP Ken Caminiti has died from a massive heart attack. He played most of his career with the Houston Astros and helped the San Diego Padres get to the World Series in 1998.
His career, though, was plagued by alcohol and cocaine. Caminiti failed four drug tests while on probation for cocaine possession. He later admitted he was using steroids when he was named MVP in 1996. Caminiti leaves behind three daughters. He was 41 years old.
Just 22 days until the presidential election. Both candidates are now getting ready for the final presidential debate that will take place Wednesday in Tempe, Arizona.
President Bush holds a rally this hour in Hobbs, New Mexico. He spent part of the weekend at his Crawford, Texas, ranch getting read for the showdown with Kerry. Democratic challenger Kerry spends time in New Mexico today after campaigning in Florida yesterday. Two swing states still up for grabs.
As the campaign heads into the home stretch, the candidates are sharpening their strategies and focusing attention on the crucial swing states. National correspondent Kelly Wallace has some tips on what to look for in the final three weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First, look at where they are going to figure out the states that could decide the race.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, New Mexico! How are you?
WALLACE: Senator John Kerry in New Mexico, spending all day today and tomorrow in a state with only five electoral votes, but a state Al Gore won by just a 366-vote margin four years ago. The president's itinerary today also includes New Mexico and Colorado, a state he comfortably won in 2000, but a state where the race is now neck and neck. Both men in Arizona for their final showdown, and then on to Nevada, another state Al Gore narrowly won.
Second, look at what they are saying.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On issue after issue, my opponent showed why he earned the ranking of the most liberal member of the United States Senate.
WALLACE: The president increasingly using the "L" word to fire up the GOP base and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of undecided voters.
KERRY: They can't come here and talk to you about the jobs that they created.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry charging that team Bush offers, "more of the same," a message aides say is resonating with women, college- educated men and Independent voters. And third, look at what they are pitching and where.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can Kerry protect us when he doesn't understand the threat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time for a new direction.
WALLACE: Dueling messages about the war on terrorism on cable, but domestic issues, like taxes...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They voted to raise our gas taxes 10 times.
WALLACE: ... and stem cell research...
KERRY: At stake are millions of lives.
WALLACE: ... dominating in the most competitive battlegrounds.
(on camera): And finally, look at what happens in the final presidential debate. The candidate believed to be the winner will have something invaluable in such a close election: momentum.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Both campaigns are waging a war of words over a statement on terrorism by Senator John Kerry. The remark was contained in a lengthy article in "The New York Times" Sunday magazine.
Kerry says, in part, "We have to get back to the place where we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives but they're a nuisance." Vice President Dick Cheney pounced on that comment in a speech in the last hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president is determined to prevail in the global war on terror, but even after 9/11, John Kerry has often seemed not to understand the threat. From 9/11 to this hour, our principal concern has had to be that the terrorists will strike again and that they will try to use even deadlier weapons.
We know they seek chemical, biological and nuclear capability, which means we cannot wait until we are attacked to deal with them, as Senator Kerry implied in his speech at the Democratic convention. Nor can we think of our goal in this war in the way Senator Kerry described it yesterday, in "The New York Times."
"We have to get back to the place," he said, "where terrorism is a nuisance, sort of like" -- and these are his comparisons -- "sort of like gambling and prostitution." This is naive and dangerous, as was Senator Kerry's reluctance earlier this year to call the war on terror an actual war.
He preferred to think of it, he said, as primarily an intelligence, a law enforcement operation. This is all part of a pre- 9/11 mindset, and it is a view that we cannot go back to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The climax of the presidential debates will come on Wednesday night in Tempe, Arizona. Our prime-time coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Potentially positive news out of Iraq, along with some more negative news. Al-Sadr's militia says it's going to turn in its guns. Once again, though, there is blood on the streets of Baghdad. That is next.
Also, Afghanistan's first election went off without violence, but not without controversy. The latest is ahead.
And can a new face in the mirror make call the difference for the women fighting breast cancer? You can decide for yourself during a live makeover right here coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We are looking at a live picture from Hobbs, New Mexico. Obviously, that's President Bush at a campaign event. Both President Bush and John Kerry making appearances in New Mexico today, fighting over those five electoral votes.
If you listen carefully, you hear President Bush and some housekeeping, welcoming notes. We're going to go and listen in when he gets into the media (ph) part of his speech.
First, though, news from Iraq. A suicide car bomber attacked a U.S. convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today. The military says it has casualties, though its spokeswoman isn't being more specific for now. Hospital officials say two Iraqi civilians were killed, 37 were wounded.
Militia members loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr began handing in some of their heavy weapons. It's part of an agreement between al-Sadr and the Iraqi government. More on the fight for Iraq in this report from CNN's Brent Sadler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Preparing to disarm, masked Shiite Muslim militants in Sadr City break down a heavy machine gun, pledging to hand over such weapons starting Monday. "We're following orders," he says, "from the office of the martyr," meaning the hard-line organization led by Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric.
Word is out to the Mehdi Army militia al-Sadr leads. "Stop fighting," implores, this loyalist, broadcasting from a mosque, "surrender your weapons." Mehdi Army militiamen have battled U.S.-backed Iraqi forces in Najaf during August and recently here in Sadr City. But the militia says it's not disbanding. Partially disarming at best, say Iraqi officials.
In return, the government accepts to end bloody clashes, release jailed al-Sadr militants, and extend an amnesty for so-called non- criminals. All of this generating enough optimism for schools here to reopen.
(on camera): Iraqi security officials hope a smooth surrender of weapons in Sadr City will shore up a flank of the insurgency, allowing U.S. and Iraqi forces to concentrate on Fallujah, the so-called epicenter of violence.
(voice-over): As hopes bloomed for an end to the deadly Shia revolt, the capital was hit Sunday by two more suicide bombs. A U.S. soldier died from wounds suffered in one blast, police recruits were among the dead and injured from a second explosion. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visiting U.S. troops in Iraq warns violence will likely get worse and claim more innocent Iraqi lives.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: In many instances, they are the targets. Because this is not a battle against large armies and navies and air forces. This is a test of wills.
SADLER: The most important of which may be the fate of Fallujah, west of the capital. Suspected terror groups have been hit by weeks of U.S. airstrikes with mounting civilian casualties, claim city doctors. The prelude to a possible all-out air and grounded assault.
Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: In Afghanistan, investigators will be looking into complaints about irregularities in the country's landmark elections. Ballot boxes have started arriving at counting centers in what is expected to be a very slow process. Officials say the investigation could delay vote counting but has not been a factor so far.
Meanwhile, some opposition candidates have backed off their threat to boycott the election results. They complain that indelible ink used to mark voters' thumbs was easily washed off, possibly allowing people to vote more than once.
Sometimes putting your best face forward can really make all the difference. Coming up, you're going to meet a woman who is going to literally put a new face on the fight against breast cancer. A patient makeover done live right here on our air. That's coming up next.
And what started as a whisper could now have an effect on the race for the White House. The draft rumor and what it could mean for the candidates is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: October is breast cancer awareness month. All week long we're going to take an up-close look at the fight against the disease. Today, beauty and bravery in the face of breast cancer.
Makeup artist Lori Ovitz has been teaching women how to camouflage the effects of cancer treatments. She gives step-by-step advice in her book, "Facing the Mirror with Cancer."
Lori, and breast cancer patient, Christine Jackson, are here this morning, just steps away from me. They're set up in our makeup room.
Good morning to both of you.
CHRISTINE JACKSON, BREAST CANCER PATIENT: Good morning.
LORI OVITZ, MAKEUP ARTIST: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?
KAGAN: I'm doing great. I'm a little jealous here of the treatment that Christine is getting.
OVITZ: Yes.
JACKSON: I'm all excited about it.
KAGAN: What are you looking for the most with help with, Christine?
JACKSON: Eyebrows and eyelashes. It would be very nice to have back.
KAGAN: And how long have you been without those? Tell us a little bit about your treatment and the challenges that you face.
JACKSON: I am in my middle of the treatment right now. I've had four treatments. And I am feeling pretty good. And just looking forward to what Lori can do for me today.
KAGAN: Very good. OK.
And Lori, give us a couple of tips, because I know there are some folks watching at home that can use some of the same tips.
OVITZ: Well, actually, all the tips and everything that I do in my makeup lesson is in the book, "Facing the Mirror With Cancer." And so, there's great tricks as far as how to make the eyebrows look like you have more eyebrows. And if there's a loss, actually look real and look like hair.
And we're going to do some false eyelashes so that Christine gets our eyelashes back and they -- she won't be able to believe how natural they're going to look. And some under-eye tricks so that way it will lift and perk up her eyes. And...
KAGAN: Can you show us like just the eyebrow, for instance.
OVITZ: Yes.
KAGAN: Let's all get some eyebrows together with Christine.
OVITZ: Well, first of all, what you want to do, especially if you have a loss of eyebrows, is to feel where the eyebrow bone is. And that way you know exactly where to put them if there's a loss.
Now, I know Christine's are a little spotty at the moment. And they're going to come back. So, I always want to reassure patients that they're going to come back.
But while they're coming out, what we're going to do is line up exactly where the eyebrow should start and stop, make a little dot. In the corner -- in the first eye, we need it to line up like this, make a little dot. From here to here is where your eyebrow should end naturally.
We're going to make a little dot over here. And then looking straight into the mirror, right where the black part of your eye is, this is where your eyebrow should start to arch up.
And the trick is not to make a line. Because if you make a line, it's going to look like a line of eyebrows. So, make a little here, like strokes.
And if you look at your eyebrows real closely, you'll see they almost start to grow in like rows. So, Christine's eyebrows have thinned quite a bit. So, I'm making bitty, bitty little strokes, hair-like. And the little pencil is the perfect color for her hair.
And as you see, though they're really spotty, they're actually looking like they're filling in. And this is a two-step process. I do a powder on top of it, and that way it locks it in.
This is a waterproof pencil. But the most important part is just to make little hair-like strokes so that you can actually -- looks like hair. And even all the way out to the back.
And as you lose your brows, and as the brows are coming back, it's going to make them look even more natural. And as you see, the difference in the two eyebrows. And I'm going to take a little eyebrow color...
KAGAN: Christine looks better already.
JACKSON: I'm loving it.
KAGAN: I can see how happy you are. You know, we're going to let you ladies do some work. We have a little work of our own to do here with the news, and we're going to have Lori kind of do the whole makeover and then bring you out at the end of the hour so we can see just how gorgeous you're getting today.
OVITZ: Thank you.
JACKSON: Great. KAGAN: OK. Ladies, you get back to work.
OVITZ: Thank you.
KAGAN: Our work takes us to New Mexico. Here's President Bush. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN LIVE NEWS EVENT -- JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BUSH: ... not tomorrow. I'm running for four more years to transform these systems, to help citizens realize their dreams.
(APPLAUSE)
And a plan -- and a plan, any plan, any strategy for a hopeful America begins with a growing economy that creates good jobs. See, I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our workers and our small business owners, and our farmers and our ranchers. And that's why we unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
(APPLAUSE)
When you're out rounding up the vote, you might remind people what we've been through, what this economy has been through. The stock market started to go down six months prior to my arrival in Washington, D.C. And that was -- that foretold the recession that came.
So, we went through a stock market correction and a recession. We had some corporate scandals which affected our economy.
By the way, we passed tough laws. We have made it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
(APPLAUSE)
And then the enemy hit us. And that cost our economy one million jobs in the three months after September the 11th.
Now, we've been through a lot. But we acted. Because we passed tax relief, this economy is growing. It's getting stronger, and we're not going to go back to the old days of tax and spend.
(APPLAUSE)
The past 13 months we've added 1.9 million new jobs. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average of the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.
(APPLAUSE)
The state unemployment rate in New Mexico is 5.4 percent. People are working. People are finding a way to make a living. Our farmers are doing well, our ranchers are doing well. The home ownership rate in America is at an all-time high.
KAGAN: Listening in a bit to President Bush. He is in New Mexico today. So is Senator John Kerry. They're both there fighting it out over the five electoral votes over that state.
You'll hear more from John Kerry. And we'll check with the campaign in just a little bit.
You can call it the home stretch, you can call it crunch time. Either way, the race for the White House is reaching the boiling point. We are going to check in with that Kerry camp coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 11, 2004 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are remembering Christopher Reeve today, known for his super strength both on the big screen and in his private live. That is a live picture from Hollywood and the Walk of Fame. Some fans leaving some remembrances and some mementos to Christopher Reeve. More on his life just ahead.
And changing the exterior to help the interior. A professional makeup artist uses her talents to help cancer patients. We'll have a live demonstration as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
And here's a look at what is happening "Now in the News." Live pictures -- yes, I believe live pictures from the West Coast from Mount St. Helens. It is letting off more steam this morning. A small cloud is seen rising from the volcano. Scientists say that earthquake activity dropped to low levels over the weekend, but they're still watching for any signs of an eruption.
He was an on-screen superhero who turn a tragedy into a tireless crusade. Actor Christopher Reeve is being remembered for his work on behalf of spinal cord research after he was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident. More on his life and also his death just ahead.
And we're going to have the latest from Hobbs, New Mexico. That is where President Bush holds a rally this hour. Later, he heads to another western battleground state, Colorado. Mr. Bush spent yesterday at his Texas ranch preparing for the third and final presidential debate.
Democrat John Kerry also campaigning in New Mexico today. Very busy place, New Mexico. He was at a rally -- he will rally next hour in Santa Fe.
Kerry will spend the next two days getting ready for the next debate. He and President Bush squaring off an economic and domestic policy. They'll be in Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday.
An American-born Saudi national held for nearly three years by the U.S. is back in Saudi Arabia. Yaser Hamdi arrived in Riyadh today. Hamdi was captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2001. His case led to a Supreme Court decision limiting the president's power to hold so-called enemy combatants indefinitely.
It is 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and 8:00 a.m. on the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's get started this hour with the sudden death of Christopher Reeve. He turned paralysis into advocacy and never gave up hope that he would walk again. Christopher Reeve died yesterday of heart failure. He was 52.
Our entertainment correspondent, Sibila Vargas, begins our coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christopher Reeve rose to fame as "Superman," the kind of invincible superhero who only exists in Hollywood fantasies. Over a span of nearly 10 years, he played the man of steel. But his acting credits extended well beyond "Superman."
He co-stared with Jane Seymour in the fantasy romance "Somewhere in Time" and won praise for his dramatic work in "The Remains of the Day." At the age of 42, Reeve's life changed forever when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian tournament in Virginia. Two broken vertebrae in his neck left him paralyzed.
CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: It's so tiny, the damage, but it's keeping me in a wheelchair.
VARGAS: Reeve credited his wife Dana with rallying his spirits, giving him the will to live. He worked tirelessly on rehabilitation, readying his body for the cure he was convinced would come.
REEVE: I'm going to get up out of this chair and throw it away and walk.
And cut it. Cut it. Cut it.
VARGAS: Despite his physical limitations, Reeve was determined to go back to work. He directed the HBO film "In the Gloaming."
REEVE: I'm very, very lucky I've been able to move and doing something that I truly love. And I haven't lost anything. I've gained a lot.
VARGAS: But his primary focus became a political and medical one, supporting research into spinal cord injuries. He took an active role in the debate over federal funding of stem-cell research.
REEVE: They call it the body's self-repair (ph). And here it is, and there's a big fight about using it. That is really hard to take.
VARGAS: In 1997, he got a star on Hollywood Boulevard. At that ceremony, Reeve reflected on a life that took an unexpected turn.
REEVE: I would just like people to look back and to know that I kept at it, and through good times and bad times. That they'll look back on the body of work that I did, and know that I've tried my best all the time. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Christopher Reeve lobbied for stem cell research. He hoped that the science would one day allow him to walk again. He became a powerful voice on the issue and one that resonates in this campaign season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Chris Reeve is a friend of mine. Chris Reeve exercises every single day to keep those muscles alive for the day when he believes that he can walk again. And I want him to walk again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reeve spoke with our Larry King last year about the promise of stem cells and the challenges the science faces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REEVE: Unfortunately, we have no federal public policy now. And that -- that is something that is very disappointing to all of us who are effected, certainly many of us in the category of people living with diseases and disabilities. The House of Representative has twice banned everything except adult stem cell research, and the Senate is in absolute gridlock.
There's a bill that would allow it. And there's a bill that would not only ban it, but criminalize it. And I think that neither bill is going to make it to the Senate floor this year, or even next year.
So, we have no public policy, and that has a very -- a very bad affect on our scientists, because they don't know what to do. Because a door might be slammed in their face. So, that's why research is proceeding, certainly in the stem cell area, and much more quickly area.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You have accused -- you have said they're caving into the religious right.
REEVE: Unfortunately, religion influences politics in the United States. It's a fact. There are lots of influences on politics in the United States. And that is difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reeve's wife, Dana, issued a statement thanking millions of fans for their support. She also asks that donations be made to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. That address is 500 Morris Avenue, Springfield, New Jersey, 07081. Or, you could go to the Web site, christopherreeve.org.
And another surprise death in the news today. Former National League MVP Ken Caminiti has died from a massive heart attack. He played most of his career with the Houston Astros and helped the San Diego Padres get to the World Series in 1998.
His career, though, was plagued by alcohol and cocaine. Caminiti failed four drug tests while on probation for cocaine possession. He later admitted he was using steroids when he was named MVP in 1996. Caminiti leaves behind three daughters. He was 41 years old.
Just 22 days until the presidential election. Both candidates are now getting ready for the final presidential debate that will take place Wednesday in Tempe, Arizona.
President Bush holds a rally this hour in Hobbs, New Mexico. He spent part of the weekend at his Crawford, Texas, ranch getting read for the showdown with Kerry. Democratic challenger Kerry spends time in New Mexico today after campaigning in Florida yesterday. Two swing states still up for grabs.
As the campaign heads into the home stretch, the candidates are sharpening their strategies and focusing attention on the crucial swing states. National correspondent Kelly Wallace has some tips on what to look for in the final three weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First, look at where they are going to figure out the states that could decide the race.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, New Mexico! How are you?
WALLACE: Senator John Kerry in New Mexico, spending all day today and tomorrow in a state with only five electoral votes, but a state Al Gore won by just a 366-vote margin four years ago. The president's itinerary today also includes New Mexico and Colorado, a state he comfortably won in 2000, but a state where the race is now neck and neck. Both men in Arizona for their final showdown, and then on to Nevada, another state Al Gore narrowly won.
Second, look at what they are saying.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On issue after issue, my opponent showed why he earned the ranking of the most liberal member of the United States Senate.
WALLACE: The president increasingly using the "L" word to fire up the GOP base and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of undecided voters.
KERRY: They can't come here and talk to you about the jobs that they created.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry charging that team Bush offers, "more of the same," a message aides say is resonating with women, college- educated men and Independent voters. And third, look at what they are pitching and where.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can Kerry protect us when he doesn't understand the threat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time for a new direction.
WALLACE: Dueling messages about the war on terrorism on cable, but domestic issues, like taxes...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They voted to raise our gas taxes 10 times.
WALLACE: ... and stem cell research...
KERRY: At stake are millions of lives.
WALLACE: ... dominating in the most competitive battlegrounds.
(on camera): And finally, look at what happens in the final presidential debate. The candidate believed to be the winner will have something invaluable in such a close election: momentum.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Both campaigns are waging a war of words over a statement on terrorism by Senator John Kerry. The remark was contained in a lengthy article in "The New York Times" Sunday magazine.
Kerry says, in part, "We have to get back to the place where we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives but they're a nuisance." Vice President Dick Cheney pounced on that comment in a speech in the last hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president is determined to prevail in the global war on terror, but even after 9/11, John Kerry has often seemed not to understand the threat. From 9/11 to this hour, our principal concern has had to be that the terrorists will strike again and that they will try to use even deadlier weapons.
We know they seek chemical, biological and nuclear capability, which means we cannot wait until we are attacked to deal with them, as Senator Kerry implied in his speech at the Democratic convention. Nor can we think of our goal in this war in the way Senator Kerry described it yesterday, in "The New York Times."
"We have to get back to the place," he said, "where terrorism is a nuisance, sort of like" -- and these are his comparisons -- "sort of like gambling and prostitution." This is naive and dangerous, as was Senator Kerry's reluctance earlier this year to call the war on terror an actual war.
He preferred to think of it, he said, as primarily an intelligence, a law enforcement operation. This is all part of a pre- 9/11 mindset, and it is a view that we cannot go back to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The climax of the presidential debates will come on Wednesday night in Tempe, Arizona. Our prime-time coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Potentially positive news out of Iraq, along with some more negative news. Al-Sadr's militia says it's going to turn in its guns. Once again, though, there is blood on the streets of Baghdad. That is next.
Also, Afghanistan's first election went off without violence, but not without controversy. The latest is ahead.
And can a new face in the mirror make call the difference for the women fighting breast cancer? You can decide for yourself during a live makeover right here coming up.
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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
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KAGAN: We are looking at a live picture from Hobbs, New Mexico. Obviously, that's President Bush at a campaign event. Both President Bush and John Kerry making appearances in New Mexico today, fighting over those five electoral votes.
If you listen carefully, you hear President Bush and some housekeeping, welcoming notes. We're going to go and listen in when he gets into the media (ph) part of his speech.
First, though, news from Iraq. A suicide car bomber attacked a U.S. convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today. The military says it has casualties, though its spokeswoman isn't being more specific for now. Hospital officials say two Iraqi civilians were killed, 37 were wounded.
Militia members loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr began handing in some of their heavy weapons. It's part of an agreement between al-Sadr and the Iraqi government. More on the fight for Iraq in this report from CNN's Brent Sadler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Preparing to disarm, masked Shiite Muslim militants in Sadr City break down a heavy machine gun, pledging to hand over such weapons starting Monday. "We're following orders," he says, "from the office of the martyr," meaning the hard-line organization led by Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric.
Word is out to the Mehdi Army militia al-Sadr leads. "Stop fighting," implores, this loyalist, broadcasting from a mosque, "surrender your weapons." Mehdi Army militiamen have battled U.S.-backed Iraqi forces in Najaf during August and recently here in Sadr City. But the militia says it's not disbanding. Partially disarming at best, say Iraqi officials.
In return, the government accepts to end bloody clashes, release jailed al-Sadr militants, and extend an amnesty for so-called non- criminals. All of this generating enough optimism for schools here to reopen.
(on camera): Iraqi security officials hope a smooth surrender of weapons in Sadr City will shore up a flank of the insurgency, allowing U.S. and Iraqi forces to concentrate on Fallujah, the so-called epicenter of violence.
(voice-over): As hopes bloomed for an end to the deadly Shia revolt, the capital was hit Sunday by two more suicide bombs. A U.S. soldier died from wounds suffered in one blast, police recruits were among the dead and injured from a second explosion. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visiting U.S. troops in Iraq warns violence will likely get worse and claim more innocent Iraqi lives.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: In many instances, they are the targets. Because this is not a battle against large armies and navies and air forces. This is a test of wills.
SADLER: The most important of which may be the fate of Fallujah, west of the capital. Suspected terror groups have been hit by weeks of U.S. airstrikes with mounting civilian casualties, claim city doctors. The prelude to a possible all-out air and grounded assault.
Brent Sadler, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: In Afghanistan, investigators will be looking into complaints about irregularities in the country's landmark elections. Ballot boxes have started arriving at counting centers in what is expected to be a very slow process. Officials say the investigation could delay vote counting but has not been a factor so far.
Meanwhile, some opposition candidates have backed off their threat to boycott the election results. They complain that indelible ink used to mark voters' thumbs was easily washed off, possibly allowing people to vote more than once.
Sometimes putting your best face forward can really make all the difference. Coming up, you're going to meet a woman who is going to literally put a new face on the fight against breast cancer. A patient makeover done live right here on our air. That's coming up next.
And what started as a whisper could now have an effect on the race for the White House. The draft rumor and what it could mean for the candidates is just ahead.
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KAGAN: October is breast cancer awareness month. All week long we're going to take an up-close look at the fight against the disease. Today, beauty and bravery in the face of breast cancer.
Makeup artist Lori Ovitz has been teaching women how to camouflage the effects of cancer treatments. She gives step-by-step advice in her book, "Facing the Mirror with Cancer."
Lori, and breast cancer patient, Christine Jackson, are here this morning, just steps away from me. They're set up in our makeup room.
Good morning to both of you.
CHRISTINE JACKSON, BREAST CANCER PATIENT: Good morning.
LORI OVITZ, MAKEUP ARTIST: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?
KAGAN: I'm doing great. I'm a little jealous here of the treatment that Christine is getting.
OVITZ: Yes.
JACKSON: I'm all excited about it.
KAGAN: What are you looking for the most with help with, Christine?
JACKSON: Eyebrows and eyelashes. It would be very nice to have back.
KAGAN: And how long have you been without those? Tell us a little bit about your treatment and the challenges that you face.
JACKSON: I am in my middle of the treatment right now. I've had four treatments. And I am feeling pretty good. And just looking forward to what Lori can do for me today.
KAGAN: Very good. OK.
And Lori, give us a couple of tips, because I know there are some folks watching at home that can use some of the same tips.
OVITZ: Well, actually, all the tips and everything that I do in my makeup lesson is in the book, "Facing the Mirror With Cancer." And so, there's great tricks as far as how to make the eyebrows look like you have more eyebrows. And if there's a loss, actually look real and look like hair.
And we're going to do some false eyelashes so that Christine gets our eyelashes back and they -- she won't be able to believe how natural they're going to look. And some under-eye tricks so that way it will lift and perk up her eyes. And...
KAGAN: Can you show us like just the eyebrow, for instance.
OVITZ: Yes.
KAGAN: Let's all get some eyebrows together with Christine.
OVITZ: Well, first of all, what you want to do, especially if you have a loss of eyebrows, is to feel where the eyebrow bone is. And that way you know exactly where to put them if there's a loss.
Now, I know Christine's are a little spotty at the moment. And they're going to come back. So, I always want to reassure patients that they're going to come back.
But while they're coming out, what we're going to do is line up exactly where the eyebrow should start and stop, make a little dot. In the corner -- in the first eye, we need it to line up like this, make a little dot. From here to here is where your eyebrow should end naturally.
We're going to make a little dot over here. And then looking straight into the mirror, right where the black part of your eye is, this is where your eyebrow should start to arch up.
And the trick is not to make a line. Because if you make a line, it's going to look like a line of eyebrows. So, make a little here, like strokes.
And if you look at your eyebrows real closely, you'll see they almost start to grow in like rows. So, Christine's eyebrows have thinned quite a bit. So, I'm making bitty, bitty little strokes, hair-like. And the little pencil is the perfect color for her hair.
And as you see, though they're really spotty, they're actually looking like they're filling in. And this is a two-step process. I do a powder on top of it, and that way it locks it in.
This is a waterproof pencil. But the most important part is just to make little hair-like strokes so that you can actually -- looks like hair. And even all the way out to the back.
And as you lose your brows, and as the brows are coming back, it's going to make them look even more natural. And as you see, the difference in the two eyebrows. And I'm going to take a little eyebrow color...
KAGAN: Christine looks better already.
JACKSON: I'm loving it.
KAGAN: I can see how happy you are. You know, we're going to let you ladies do some work. We have a little work of our own to do here with the news, and we're going to have Lori kind of do the whole makeover and then bring you out at the end of the hour so we can see just how gorgeous you're getting today.
OVITZ: Thank you.
JACKSON: Great. KAGAN: OK. Ladies, you get back to work.
OVITZ: Thank you.
KAGAN: Our work takes us to New Mexico. Here's President Bush. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN LIVE NEWS EVENT -- JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BUSH: ... not tomorrow. I'm running for four more years to transform these systems, to help citizens realize their dreams.
(APPLAUSE)
And a plan -- and a plan, any plan, any strategy for a hopeful America begins with a growing economy that creates good jobs. See, I believe in the energy and innovation and spirit of our workers and our small business owners, and our farmers and our ranchers. And that's why we unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
(APPLAUSE)
When you're out rounding up the vote, you might remind people what we've been through, what this economy has been through. The stock market started to go down six months prior to my arrival in Washington, D.C. And that was -- that foretold the recession that came.
So, we went through a stock market correction and a recession. We had some corporate scandals which affected our economy.
By the way, we passed tough laws. We have made it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
(APPLAUSE)
And then the enemy hit us. And that cost our economy one million jobs in the three months after September the 11th.
Now, we've been through a lot. But we acted. Because we passed tax relief, this economy is growing. It's getting stronger, and we're not going to go back to the old days of tax and spend.
(APPLAUSE)
The past 13 months we've added 1.9 million new jobs. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is lower than the average of the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.
(APPLAUSE)
The state unemployment rate in New Mexico is 5.4 percent. People are working. People are finding a way to make a living. Our farmers are doing well, our ranchers are doing well. The home ownership rate in America is at an all-time high.
KAGAN: Listening in a bit to President Bush. He is in New Mexico today. So is Senator John Kerry. They're both there fighting it out over the five electoral votes over that state.
You'll hear more from John Kerry. And we'll check with the campaign in just a little bit.
You can call it the home stretch, you can call it crunch time. Either way, the race for the White House is reaching the boiling point. We are going to check in with that Kerry camp coming up next.
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