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CNN Live Today

Return of the Shuttle; Scout Leader Deaths; London Terror

Aired July 26, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In the launch control center there's an old tradition after a successful launch. They eat beans. Why?
JIM REILLY, ASTRONAUT: That's true. It goes way back. I'm not sure exactly what the tradition is, but after every successful launch they all adjourn to the lobby, and they're all eating beans right now.

O'BRIEN: There was a launch director, I think, way back who had a bean fetish, and apparently there was some good luck associated with that. I assume these beans will be savored as much as any plate of beans ever eat eaten by this team.

REILLY: Probably so. There's been a long time between this plate of beans and the last ones those guys have had.

O'BRIEN: Your thoughts two-and-a-half years later after all we've witnessed, the tragedy of Columbia to the triumph of the few -- the last few moments we saw here.

REILLY: We're better off than we were, fortunately. And today's demonstration of what looks to be a flawless launch is just one more indication that we're back in space and we're going to stay.

O'BRIEN: They're back and space. And, of course, they'll be spending a lot of time making sure they have a nice, safe vehicle. And we'll be tracking that every step of the way.

We've got a 12-day -- 12-day mission ahead. And of course CNN remains the place to stay up to date on it.

For now, that's it for us on our special expanded edition of AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Miles O'Brien, live at the Kennedy Space Center.

Let's send it over to Betty Nguyen in Atlanta -- Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: What an exciting day, Miles. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.

Let's see that shuttle one more time "Now in the News."

The Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off from Florida amid blue skies and balmy weather. You just watched Discovery lift off from the Kennedy Space Center just about 20 minutes ago. Here's another shot of that. Look at it.

It is the first shuttle mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster. And we will have much more on the historic return to space straight ahead.

Meanwhile, White House officials say they'll release some but not all of Judge John Roberts' papers from two GOP administrations. Roberts is President Bush's pick for the Supreme Court vacancy. Officials are refusing to release documents from Roberts' work in the solicitor general's office. Now, that was during the first President Bush's term. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee haven't said which documents they'll ask for.

Boy Scout officials say an unseen power line is to blame for yesterday's deaths of four leaders at the national jamboree gathering. Apparently, they were helping to pitch a tent when a large pole touched the electric line. Three other adults were injured but no Boy Scouts. Grief counselors are on hand today.

The family of Natalee Holloway has posted a $1 million reward for her safe return. Holloway's mother says a group of friends came forward with more money to raise the previous reward amount.

Now, a $100,000 reward is also being offered for information leading to Holloway's remains. Natalee Holloway has now been missing for nearly two months.

Good morning and welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY. It is 10:00 a.m. in Houston, Texas; 11:00 a.m. at the Kennedy Space Center; and 11:00 p.m. in Beijing.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour, the return to space for Shuttle Discovery. Discovery blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida about 20 minutes ago on the first mission since the Columbia tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minus 10 seconds. Go from eight engine start. Seven, six, five. Three engines up and burning.

Three, two, one, and liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery, beginning America's new journey to the moon, Mars and beyond. And the vehicle has cleared the tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

"AMERICAN MORNING" anchor and CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien has been covering the shuttle's return all morning long, and he joins us now from the Kennedy Space Center.

What a spectacular sight! You know, Miles, I could watch that over and over again.

O'BRIEN: It's a lot of fun. It's all the more thrilling to be here. Sometime you ought to come down and join us for a launch, Betty. It really is something. The 114th mission of the space shuttle program is under way, the 31st mission for the Space Shuttle Discovery, which has had some storied missions in its past: the previous return to flight after Challenger, the deployment of the Hubbell space telescope, the ride to space for John Glenn on the space shuttle back in 1998, and now another return to flight. Commander Eileen Collins, her crew of six, are up there now, already streaking across Europe, if you can believe it, now about 25 minutes into this mission.

Turning what was a rocket ship into now a spacecraft, which it will be for the next 12 days as they begin the process of playing catch-up with the International Space Station. That docking coming soon, and in the process of getting to it, they will spend an awful lot of time doing some things that have never been done on space shuttle missions before.

They will spend a lot of time looking at the outer shelf of the Space Shuttle Discovery, looking beneath in the belly, the leading edge of the wings, the nose cone, to ensure that no damage occurred. As you can see, as they went up, there were additional cameras on board that external fuel tank. They took additional pictures of the tank itself before it fell toward the Indian Ocean.

All of this with a mind toward Columbia, which, as you remember, about 80 seconds after launch, January of 2003, a piece of foam struck the leading edge of the wing. It was a fatal breach that ultimately led to the breakup of the vehicle and the loss of the crew 16 days later.

The primary mission here is to get back into flight, to learn ways to look for damage on an orbiter, to test out some ideas for fixing damage, should it be found, but also to get to the International Space Station, give it some much need supplies. Among the top priority items, an important thing called the control moment gyro, which is what keeps the space station in its proper orientation, flying straight and level, if you will, as it orbits around the Earth.

They've had some failures on those gyroscope, and so that gyroscope will be added on as part of this mission. In addition, all kinds of supplies will be brought on board.

The space station without the shuttle for the past two-and-a-half years has been wanting for supplies. And this mission comes really none too soon.

On board the orbiter, they're getting used to being in space. Sometimes that requires a little of adaptation. If astronauts are honest with you, sometimes that can cause a little mal de space. And that's why they spend not too much time doing too much work on this first day.

They'll get a few things ready, begin that survey of the exterior, and then pretty much head to sleep, which I'm told by astronauts sleeping in space is some of the best sleep you'll ever get, Betty. But nevertheless, they have a full mission ahead of them, and NASA, here and on the ground, obviously it's a big day. Take a look at what some employees who were on the compound here today, what they did as they witnessed this launch. This is what they live for here.

They've had two-and-a-half years of hard work getting Discovery ready, and this moment is what really keeps them going. These are passionate professionals who do everything they can to make this moment safe for the crew on board, always aware of the risks involved. And this is the moment they've been waiting for, and for that matter, the moment NASA has been waiting for.

This really marks, Betty, the beginning of the end of the space shuttle program. Probably 15 more flights, retirement by 2010, and then on to other destinations, the moon and Mars, another kind of vehicle, as you look at those remarkable pictures of Discovery and the external fuel tank parting. And so there's a bit of nostalgia here as well because they know it is the beginning of an end of an era -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And, you know, we saw those smiles from those NASA employees. But I think, Miles, for that first couple of minutes when it took off, everyone was on the edge of their seats holding their breath.

Did you feel that collective sigh of relief once you knew that everything was in the clear?

O'BRIEN: I didn't breathe for the first two minutes, that's for sure. And I certainly -- I always get a pit in my stomach at that moment. And in particular, those first two minutes when those solid rocket boosters are attached and there is no escape for the crew.

You know, if you go back to the Apollo era, to the Mercury era, the Gemini flights, the crew always had a way of getting out at any point along the way. But there is no crew escape system for the shuttle.

This has, you know, historically been one of the biggest flaws in this system. It is very risky because there is no crew escape, and particularly that first two minutes when those solid rocket boosters are blaring. They have very -- they have no options for an abort scenario.

After you get rid of those solid rocket boosters, suddenly the options begin to open up. You can glide to a landing at various places either back here or across the Atlantic, or wherever the case may be.

And so I always hold my breast. And I think anybody who understands the risks involved in all this does as well -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Just remarkable to watch. Thank you, Miles.

And you can log onto our Web site for more on Discovery. You can follow a play-by-play account of the launch through Miles O'Brien's shuttle blog at CNN.com. Now to Bowling Green, Virginia, where a horrifying freak accident kills four Boy Scout leaders. The tragedy came amid the fun and excitement of the Boy Scout Jamboree, the annual gathering of tens of thousands of youngsters from all around the country.

CNN's Kathleen Koch is at that gathering and joins us now with the latest.

Kathleen, how did this happen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I will tell you right now, Betty, that a press conference is under way as we speak with Boy Scout officials giving the details of just what happened yesterday afternoon. They say that it was between 4:30 and 5:00 when the adult leaders of an Anchorage, Alaska, troop, Troop 711, they were setting up a very large surface-style tent, a surface-style dining tent, when at some point the central pole leaned and apparently touched a live electrical wire, a live power line.

It electrocuted and killed four leaders. It injured three other men, one of them a leader, two of them contract workers here at Fort A.P. Hill.

Now, as the U.S. Senate went into session this morning, the chaplain, in his prayers, expressed sympathy to the families of the men. Moments later, Ted Stevens of Alaska, who had met personally with the scouts the week earlier, described the blow this has been to his state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED STEVENS (R), ALASKA: It's been a shock to the Alaska community, certainly a shock to the jamboree. We are working with the Army.

This occurred on an Army base, and there is a CID investigation going on, as well as a Virginia state investigation going on, to determine the cause of this tragedy. But clearly, there are 71 young men down there who are very shocked and very disturbed over this tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The four men killed and one of the men injured are pictured in this photograph. It was taken last week on the steps of the U.S. Senate with Senator Stevens. The names of the men killed are Ron Bitzer, Michael Lacroix (ph), Michael Shibe (ph), all of Anchorage, Alaska, and then Scott Powell (ph). He's a leader who had recently moved from Alaska to Ohio.

Now, it is also being reported by the "Anchorage News" that some 30 Boy Scouts were right in the area when this accident occurred. They witnessed it. And Boy Scout officials in the press conference that's occurring right now say that, indeed, three of those scouts were sons of two of the men killed, Michael Shibe (ph) and Michael Lacroix (ph). So of course they're right now all getting counseling from grief counselors and chaplains. And those type of officials are available to all of the scouts and all the leaders here to deal with what they've been through -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Talk to us a little bit about this Alaska hotline. We understand they've been getting a lot of phone calls.

KOCH: Quite so. There is a hotline. Betty, I don't have that number. I believe you have it.

NGUYEN: We have it on the screen for you right now, Kathleen. It's 202...

KOCH: It's 228-3029.

NGUYEN: Right.

KAGAN: 3029, and that's for any family members who might have scouts, family members from Alaska that they might want to be inquiring about. They can call that number.

NGUYEN: All right. Kathleen Koch, thank you for that update.

British police are intensifying their search for the would-be bombers who tried to attack the London transit system last week. Authorities today searched an apartment building linked to two of the suspects.

CNN's Jim Boulden is tracking developments for us this morning and he joins us from London with the latest.

Hi, Jim.

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Yes, the police have been searching through that building for more than actually 24 hours now. It's a high-rise. It's a project where one of the -- one of the young men lived since February of 1999.

The police were going through that, and they're also going through some garages. And they seem to have found something that concerns them in this building or in the garages.

They said that there are -- there is some material in there. The forensic team are now investigating that material. We do not know yet whether or not it was explosives, but it could be something linked to bomb-making, indeed.

And the police have also given us some more information on the two named suspects in last Thursday's failed attempt. One of them is Hassan -- Yasin Hassan Omar. They have confirmed that he is Somali and that he did have the right to live in this country. He came here as a child and his family seeked asylum. And he was able to live in this country for the rest of his life. The other one, Muktar Said Ibrahim. Now, he's 27 years old, and the home office, the office that deals with passports, says that he became a British citizen last year. And he's from the small north African country called Eritrea. And he also came here as an asylum- seeker when he was young.

And we have to say that his family has just released a statement. They don't -- they say they don't know where he is, but the statement was released just about an hour ago, and they say that he was not a close member of the family. They were shocked to see his picture, to see his name tied to potential terrorism, and they say that they in no way condone any acts of terrorism.

And of course it is a very tense time here for many Muslim families in the U.K. A lot of people are worried there may be reprisals against them now that we've had a second attempted bombing attack and that we do see that the young men who are being accused of this are Somali, are Eritrean, are from north African Muslim countries.

But Betty, I have to say, at this time, though we have the name of two of the suspected failed bombers from last week, we have pictures of four of them, but we still have no arrests of any of the suspected bombers -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Jim, what about the plan to pay the family of that Brazilian man who was shot and killed by police last week?

BOULDEN: Well, the Brazilian family can actually sue the police, of course, here. There is an independent inquiry going on. And in this country, if there is -- if there is a death by accident, if it's in the hands of the police, there is compensation for that kind of thing.

So there is no doubt that there will be a payout. And whether or not there will be even more money if the family sues successfully for wrongful death, then of course the courts can decide if there will be more money. But the family said, of course, this money is not about -- is not going to help them in the loss of their son, other than the fact that he was making money here and sending is back to Brazil.

And they've lost that bread winner. So no doubt there will be some compensation.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Jim Boulden in London for us. Thank you for that.

Well, with four would-be bombers still on the loose, London transit officials say they are doing everything they can to keep riders safe. In an exclusive interview with our Soledad O'Brien, the London transport managing director said ridership is down but it is hard to tell how much of that is due to the attacks. He says police are doing their part and commuters must do theirs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIM O'TOOLE, LONDON TRANSPORT MANAGING DIRECTOR: We have a record number of police out on the network. We have sniffer dogs at the major stations. So -- and detecting explosives in bags.

We have a lot of undercover police throughout the network. But then it's also about collective behavior of all the riders, people just being a little bit more aware of their surroundings, asking questions if they see something suspicious, bringing things to the attention of station staff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And just a side note here. O'Toole is the former chief executive of the U.S. railroad company Conrail.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair today urged the international community not to give an inch to the terrorists. In a news conference, Mr. Blair rejected suggestions that the war in Iraq might be fueling terrorist attacks all around the world. He says there is no justification for suicide bombings anywhere, anytime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Whatever excuse or justification these people use, I do not believe we should give one inch to them, not in this country and the way we live our lives here, not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan, not in our support for two states, Israel and Palestine, not in our support for the alliances we choose, including with America. Not one inch should we give to these people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: The British prime minister says the September 11 attacks were a wakeup call, but much of the world turned over and went to sleep again.

Well, a United flight from the U.S. to London was diverted earlier today after a complaint that three passengers were acting suspiciously. The plane was headed from Los Angeles to London when it was diverted to Boston's Logan Airport. The three passengers were questioned by local authorities and released. Now, the plane, Flight 934, is due to resume its flight to London this hour.

They are talking again, but will anythinging worked out? We have a live update on the North Korea talks from Beijing. That is ahead.

Plus, changing times. Some in Congress want to extend Daylight Saving Time from energy use to safety. It could have a big impact on your daily life. We'll weigh the pros and the cons just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: North Korea has announced its desire to work toward a nuclear weapons-free Korean peninsula. Now, the pledge from North Korea's vice foreign minister came before today's start of six-party talks in Beijing. American envoy Christopher Hill says the U.S. has no intent to invade North Korea, a reference to previous concerns from Pyongyang.

No end date has been set for this week's resumed negotiation, but there was no progress in the three previous rounds of nuclear talks. A major breakthrough is not expected this time either, but observers say the atmosphere is upbeat.

And here are some other stories making news overseas this morning.

In Japan, it's half car, half fashion statement. Kind of, sort of.

The i-Unit, Toyota's latest concept car, is designed to fit drivers like an environmentally friendly glove. The vehicle's frame is made from plant materials, of all things.

Its slick designed is inspired by tree leaves which naturally convert sunlight to energy. Oh, that's smart. But the battery- powered car isn't for speeders. The i-Unit tops off at just more than 30 miles per hour.

Well, a royal birthday in El Salvador. Manyula the elephant turned 55 on Saturday. She's known to some as the queen of the zoo. Party-goers started lining up early for that bash, and they had Manyula dig into a nearly eight-foot long cake -- look at that -- chock full of her favorite foods, nougat, fruit and vegetables.

Not my idea of birthday cake, but, hey, if she likes it -- and it was definitely a birthday Manyula won't soon forget.

So you think you can step up to this challenge? The 12th world toe wrestling championship kicked off in England over the weekend. And it was no game of footsie.

Competitors locked digits in the toe rack and then tussled toes while keeping their non-wrestling foot off the ground and keeping part of their backside off the mat. Still trying to figure out how that works. But all the proceeds from the tournament went to charity. That's a good thing.

All right. Every spring we all do it. We set our clocks an hour ahead before we go to bed. Well, how would you like to delay the Daylight Saving Time process?

The proposed energy bill in Congress includes this new rule and it could pass as early as last week. So what's Congress doing to our time? I'll speak with the bill's sponsor, as well as an opponent to this idea, right after the break.

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