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CNN Live Today

Shuttle Discovery; Austin Pardoned; Iraq Violence

Aired July 04, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'll stay right here. Right here.
KAGAN: Good boy. Good, good boy.

All right, we'll get started. Carol, we'll see you tomorrow.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'll be here.

KAGAN: Enjoy the rest of the day.

Well, you can light a candle on America's birthday. NASA counting down to an afternoon launch of the space shuttle Discovery. But are the astronauts safe on board the shuttle? We are live, as you saw, at Kennedy Space Center.

Independence Day celebrations are a little extra special at Fort Bragg. Soldiers are spending part of the day with the commander in chief. President Bush is there. I'll take you there live.

And a Grammy winner busted on drug charges was looking at four years in prison in Dubai, but Dallas Austin has been saved by a sheikh. And I don't mean a milkshake.

Fourth of July and the rockets red glare. Eyes on the skies at Florida's Kennedy Space Center this morning. NASA saying that thunderstorms that scrubbed the last two launch attempts should not be much of a threat today. But, you know, we're not only talking about the weather here. Now to set the stage. Here's CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A tiny crack in foam insulation on the shuttle Discovery's external tank turned out not be serious enough to ruin NASA's Fourth of July plans. After a lengthy mission management meeting, the space agency decided the shuttle was good to go for launch.

WILLIAM GERSTENMAIER, ASSOCIATE NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Lots of discussions from many people during the review. Very good discussion across the team members. But essentially no dissenting opinions with where we're going.

ZARRELLA: A routine inspection of the vehicle had found a five inch long, one eighth inch deep crack in insulation on a bracket on the upper end of the external tank. A tiny chunk of foam that looked like a piece of bread crust was also found at the base of the vehicle.

GERSTENMAIER: This size foam loss is within our design criteria. It's acceptable to lose this size of foam.

ZARRELLA: Engineering teams spent the day Monday working three issues. Would the crack allow additional ice to build up in the area? Would the remaining foam stay in place? And would the tiny missing piece cause additional heat buildup? Engineers used a camera to get these close-up looks at the suspect area.

GERSTENMAIER: Those views show that the foam is structurally intact. It shows that the gaps that are supposed to be there between the two pieces of remaining foam are clear of debris. There's no loose foam in there. It all looks fine and the structure is in good shape.

ZARRELLA: Foam insulation has been a major concern for the space agency since the Columbia accident. A piece of foam that broke off the tank and struck Columbia breached the heat shielding, causing Columbia to break up on reentry. Last summer another piece of foam broke off Discovery but did not damage the vehicle. Space agency officials say this latest foam issue would not have gotten as much attention prior to Columbia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So that was John Zarrella. He's down in Florida. So is our space man for the space program, Miles O'Brien, at Kennedy Space Center this morning.

Miles, a return trip for you.

MILE O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A return trip. They say the third time is a charm. There's a little cliche for you. But what the heck, let's use it. Whatever it takes to get the space shuttle into space today. We hope the crew of seven declares independence from Earth on this Fourth of July.

As it stands right now, everything seems to be marching toward that very outcome. The weather is good. Nice pictures there. The space shuttle Discovery on the launch pad, 39b here, about three and a half miles from where I'm sitting right now.

We've had a few cumulus clouds come in. A few clouds with some precipitation which have briefly put the weather outlook, at least for that moment, if they had to launch at that moment, as a no go. But, once again, that forecast remains 80 percent the weather will permit a launch.

Take a look at the crew going through their groundhog day type ritual. Yet another photo opportunity in the crew quarters, sitting at that table, but not eating a thing. They obviously don't like the cake and had breakfast already. But there they are. Commander Steve Lindsey, six other crew members.

And they will be making their way toward the International Space Station, if all goes well today, for a two week mission. They're going to drop off about 5,000 pounds of equipment, as well as a crew member, Thomas Reiter of Germany, who will spend six months up there. This is what's going on at the launch pad right now. The so called ice team -- these are the guys who go out there after the space shuttle is fueled up with 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. They look all over the exterior using binoculars, telescopes, telephoto lenses, sniffing devices, whatever it takes to find out of there's ice build up, if there's debris, if there's any sort of unusual leaks. And they've given it, so far, a clean bill of health, putting extra focus, of course, on that little crack that John Zarrella was just telling you about. In, too, clean as a whistle.

In spite of all that we see here, we have been asking the NASA administration if, in fact, there was, perhaps, a rush to launch today. Could they have perhaps taken another day to further analyze that crack. I asked Mike Griffin, NASA administrator, if they have any launch fever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE GRIFFIN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: We work through the count. If we get to the point where we're going to violate one of our launch criteria, we stand down. You saw that twice in the last three days. If we get to the end of the count and we've weaved our way through the launch commit criteria with no violation, we go. That's how we do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Mike Griffin, NASA administrator, denying there's any pressure to launch. As a matter of fact, saying that that whole issue of the cracked foam was an issue that got more attention than it probably deserved.

However, in the wake of Columbia and the fact that a big piece of foam caused its demise some three and a half years ago, any time there's a problem with foam, it will get the attention of the media and, of course, the engineers inside the NASA space shuttle program. So here we stand with a decent weather outlook and an orbiter that has no technical glitches. Knock on wood. And 2:38 p.m. Eastern Time the intended launch. A special on CNN beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Stay with us all day for an amazing fireworks show, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, we will. And let's check in back with you in about 10 minutes, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

KAGAN: Well, we also want to hear from you this morning. Are you out there on the Fourth of July? We want to know, do you think the whole thing should be scrapped? We're talking the shuttle program. E-mail us your thoughts at livetoday@cnn.com. We'll get to those in a bit.

Happy Fourth of July to all of you out there. Soldiers at Fort Bragg celebrating Independence Day with the commander in chief. Let's listen in a bit to the president.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I had a chance to visit Baghdad and visit with some of Fort Bragg's finest soldiers, the special operation forces who helped bring justice to the terrorists Zarqawi.

They were the first coalition forces to arrive on the scene after the bombing of Zarqawi's safe house. They administered compassion and medical care to a man who showed no compassion to his victims. And when this brutal terrorist took his final breath, one of the last things he saw was the face of an American soldier from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

We're on the offense. In the weeks since Zarqawi's death, coalition and Iraqi forces have launched more than 190 raids on targets across the country. We've captured more than 700 enemy operatives and killed some 60 more. In these raids we've uncovered caches of weapons and suicide vests and Iraqi army uniforms to be used as disguises in brutal terrorists attacks.

We've seized new intelligence information that is helping us keep the pressure on the terrorists and the insurgents. At this moment of vulnerability for the enemy, we will continue to strike their network. We will disrupt their operations and we will bring their leaders to justice.

Last week, Iraqi security forces announced the capture of an al Qaeda terrorist from Tunisha named Abu Kadama. He's one of the men responsible for the bombing of the golden mosque in Samarra. The golden mosque is one of Shia Islam's holiest sites and the terrorists blew it up in the hope that this vicious act would provoke sectarian reprisal and drag the nation into civil war and derail the formation of a unity government.

Hundreds of Iraqis were killed in the violence that ensued. But in the end, Iraqis stepped back from the abyss. They want to live in a free and peaceful society. Their mothers are no different from the mothers here in America who want their children to grow up and be able to realize dreams. They came together to form a new government.

Iraqi and coalition forces, by working together, have brought justice to a key player in the Samarra attack. We're going to continue to strike blows against the terrorists. We'll continue working to support Iraq's new government.

When I spoke here a year ago, Iraqis still had a transitional government that was operating under an administrative law issued before the restoration of sovereignty. Today, Iraqis have a permanent government, chosen in free elections, under a democratic constitution that they wrote and they approved. And the Iraqi people have a courageous leader in Prime Minister Maliki who has formed a cabinet and laid out a clear agenda for the people of Iraq.

I met the prime minister. I met with his team. I was impressed by him. I was impressed by his strength. I was impressed by his character. I was impressed by his determination to succeed. He's laid out an ambitious plan to improve its economy and deliver essential services and to defeat the enemies of a free Iraq. And I've told him this. That as he stands up for freedom, the United States of America will stand with him.

KAGAN: We've been listening to President Bush. He's at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, today, home of the Army's celebrated 82nd Airborne Division. After the speech, President Bush will have lunch with some of the soldiers.

Also later, President Bush and Mrs. Bush will be on "Larry King Live" on Thursday night. That's 9:00 Eastern. And you only will see that here on CNN.

To international headlines now. Pardoned by the sheikh. Music producer Dallas Austin faced four years prison term on drug charges. But Dubai's ruler has now granted his freedom. CNN's Caroline Faraj joins me on the phone from Dubai.

How did this deal come together?

CAROLINE FARAJ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, apparently it happened -- it wasn't a coincidence that it was on the Fourth of July. It was the best gift given to Dallas. Six hours after the judge read the sentence that Dallas Austin will be in prison, will be imprisoned for four years and after that he should evacuate and leave the country immediately. Six hours after that, the lawyers received a phone call from the government telling them that the sheikh of Dubai, who is at the same time the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, decided to pardon him and immediately the lawyers started the prepare all the paperwork in order to prepare the travel of him as soon as possible out of the UE back home to the U.S.

DARYN.

KAGAN: So let's talk a little bit about Dubai. It's kind of like the Vegas of the Middle East, would you say? It's a playground where people come to play and entertain themselves. But how strict are the drug laws there?

FARAJ: Well, when it comes to the drugs, it is very strict because this is a Muslim country. It's a very conservative country when it comes to drugs and something, you know, that deals with that. However, it is an open society when it comes to entertainment, nightclubs, alcohol. Everything is available. It's a cosmopolitan society as well.

But when it comes to drugs, this is something that is a taboo. That they cannot see the compromise about this and they have to be very strict. And even Dallas Austin admitted that he made a mistake on Sunday when he appeared in the court and he said, I did a mistake and I'm guilty and he pleaded guilty. So when it comes to drugs, this is something that's not negotiable.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Caroline Faraj, thanks for putting that pretty incredible story in perspective. Thank you.

KAGAN: Guild up and counting down. The space shuttle Discovery and the questions hovering over today's scheduled launch. Live pictures there from Florida.

And we're going to have live coverage all day long here on CNN. We are back to Kennedy Space Center. CNN is the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The weather, it looks like it's improving and so are the chances of an afternoon launch of space shuttle Discovery. It's a story we are following very closely all morning and afternoon here on CNN. It wasn't just thunderstorms, of course, threatening today's liftoff. Let's check in with space correspondent Miles O'Brien at Kennedy Space center.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, you know, Daryn, it's amazing, a lot of people ask me, the space shuttle, as hardy as it is, why can't it fly through a simple rain cloud? Well, take a look at this. This is a piece of the tile, some of the thermal tie. It's an actual tile. And I didn't take it off Discovery. This is actually excess. But look at how easily it chips. And you can imagine flying through a storm cloud at 700,000 miles an hour, whatever it would be. It would be like pressure-washing this very fragile tile. So they don't fly through the simplest storm cloud. It's very sensitive and yet very hardy piece of equipment.

A man who knows a little something about riding one of these rockets, as a matter of fact he wrote a book called "Riding Rockets," which is just rocketing to the top of the Amazon charts these days, is former NASA Astronaut Mike Mullane, here to give us a little insight into what's going on inside the mind of a crew member on a day like this.

MIKE MULLANE, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Good morning, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us.

MULLANE: Well, thank you.

O'BRIEN: It's a great book because its offers great insight into what's in the mind of an astronaut. Before we get to that, though -- foam. You're tired of hearing about it.

MULLANE: I'm tired of hearing about foam.

O'BRIEN: You've had enough foam. And if you were writing in your book, you'd probably write it in a very -- a more colorful way than you can share with us now.

MULLANE: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: But tell us this, though. Form has fallen off from day one. It obviously caused the demise of Columbia. You've got to pay attention to it, don't you?

MULLANE: Oh, yes. Yes. And NASA has paid attention to it. You know, I think they've done a terrific job. And I know as a crew member, you're going to have a high degrees of confidence in the heat shield and the foam. And particularly on a mission where you can inspect the heat shield, as they can, with a robot arm and some lasers and approach the International Space Station, do a flip around, have high resolution photography taken, you're going to know the state of your heat shield and know if it's been damaged. And if has been, you have the outpost of the International Space Station to wait it out. So the crew is not going to be devoting a lot of heartbeats to worry about the foam. It's going to be worried about ascent, that eight and a half minute ride.

O'BRIEN: So if you're inside the crew quarters, enduring a couple of scrubs like this, what is n your mind? If you're not thinking about Foam, what are you thinking about?

MULLANE: Well, the scrubs are emotionally exhausting, first of all, particularly if it's scrubbed after you're strapped in. I mean if it's scrubbed before that, it's no so bad. But once you get out there, you've invested all of this adrenalin in the cockpit, all the physical pain -- and it is physically painful to be laying out there for hours and hours and now to have it scrubbed. That is very emotionally draining, psychically draining.

Then you have to recycle and say the good-bye, the emotional good-by to the families. The families, of course, have been stressed out, too. So it's just a -- it's very emotionally and physically draining to go through these scrubs.

In the crew quarters, you want to have all your time occupied. And most of it is with briefings and getting suited up. I know we did have a little time on some of my missions after suit up and they play this dumb fighter pilot card game called Possum Fargo (h), which the worst hand wins. It doesn't take a lot of brain power to play this game.

O'BRIEN: Talk about a friendly . . .

MULLANE: Yes, exactly. I didn't want to say that. I'll get hate mail. But it's something, again, to occupy you. Just to fill the time. Because it is stressful. I mean you know that you're going out there, you're putting your life on the line, you're riding this rocket, there's a lot of things - - there's a great team. You have a great team behind you. You have great confidence in that team. But you know that it's a complex machine operating on the edge of the envelope and you worry about that.

O'BRIEN: Mike Mullane, former astronaut. I know for a fact today they're watching a movie, "The Fastest Indian." Don't know much more about it, but I think it has something to do with motorcycle racing. So, there you have it, they're keeping their mind on other things stying to stay loose. It is game day, after all.

MULLANE: I'll bet it's not "The Sound of Music."

O'BRIEN: No, it's not. None of that. Heidi, no.

Mike Mullane, author of "Riding Rockets" and shuttle flyer extraordinaire. Thanks for being with us once again.

MULLANE: Thank you, Miles. Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: Back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: That was an Anthony Hopkins movie that was out a few minutes ago.

O'BRIEN: Oh, is that it?

KAGAN: Yes. And he plays -- it's a true story of a speed demon. A guy who -- yeah.

O'BRIEN: Yes. You know, once again, you connect me to pop cultures in ways that I am just completely clueless. Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: You explain the technology, I explain the real world out there to you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Yes, thank you. Thank you.

KAGAN: OK. Thank you.

Well, it is Fourth of July. You knew that. You're probably sitting home getting ready for your big barbecue. First-rate danger that lurks in holiday traditions. A closer look at fireworks safety coming up.

Plus, security lines at some airports. Something you need to know about your tootsies down there before you go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These infections can penetrate through any crack on the skin, especially on the bottom of the foot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: One more thing to worry about when you go to the airport. Simple things you can do to defend your feet from a hidden threat. Stay with CNN, your most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: President Bush speaking at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And their families at difficult times. She travels the country raising funds for a group called USA Cares. And together they've provided more than $1.4 million in assistance to our military families.

I met a wonderful lady named Mary Harper (ph). Mary's got five children and a son-in-law in the United States Army. All of them in the Army and all of them have served in Iraq. Mary was concerned about our troops and not receiving mail from home. And so she started something called Operation Shoe Box. Today she has 500 volunteers working with her, shipping between 500 and 700 care packages a week to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and other fronts in the war on terror.

People like Mary and Emily represent the heart and soul of our nation. And they make this country proud.

Across our country, Americans are coming together to help our deployed forces and their families. And we can do more. So on this Fourth of July, I ask all Americans to take a moment and consider what you might do to support the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.

If you're interested in helping, go to the Department of Defense website called americasupportsyou.mil. That's where you can find a place to volunteer, an opportunity to help. I ask every citizen to consider making a contribution to the men and women who defend us because every one of us owes our freedom to these courageous Americans.

The men and women who serve here at Fort Bragg are making a difference for America. And you're part of great history. From the battle of Trenton, to the battle of Tulafa (ph), brave soldiers have stepped forward to risk their lives for liberty. Two hundred and thirty years after America declared her independence, the spirit of '76 lives on in the courage that you show each day.

You've given our citizens a priceless gift. The opportunity to live in freedom and to pursue their dreams and enjoy lives of purpose and dignity. You've kept America what our founders meant her to be. A light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of Earth. I want to thank you for all you do for our country and for the world.

May God bless you all and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

KAGAN: Listening in to President Bush for a second time as he speaks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, greeting the soldiers from the Army's celebrated 82nd Airborne Division. After this, President Bush going to have lunch on base with some members of the 82nd Battalion, the third brigade combat team, and then it's back to Washington, D.C. for fireworks and an early celebration of the president's big 60th birthday.

So there are soldiers there on the U.S. side. Let's check in in Baghdad. Our Arwa Damon is standing by there. An Iraqi government official had 19 bodyguards, 19,but they couldn't keep him safe. The minister and his men all kidnapped in broad daylight on a busy street. Our Arwa Damon is the Iraqi capital with the story.

It sounds incredible. How do you get kidnapped -- how do you even kidnap 20 people at one time, including 19 bodyguards?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. And the information is just coming in now.

What is interesting about this, and perhaps the reason why gunmen were able to kidnap 20 people, is that they were, according to the Iraqi police, dressed in Iraqi army uniforms. What we were told so far is that the deputy minister of electricity was traveling in a convoy of 4 vehicles, along with 19 bodyguards. Presumably all were armed.

Now they were attacked, surrounded by a convoy of five vehicles that had armed gunmen. An unknown number at this point but dressed in Iraqi army uniforms and perhaps that is what gave them the ability to actually be able to take 220 individuals captive.

Now what we are seeing here in Baghdad, though, and what we are hearing from senior U.S. and Iraqi officials is that these kidnapping gangs here are getting more and more aggressive. They're getting more and more courageous in how they're carrying out these kidnapping attempts. There have been a number of kidnapping attempts, attacks that happened in broad daylight.

Just Saturday a female parliamentarian was kidnapped north of Baghdad, traveling to the Iraqi capital. On Sunday, two more kidnapping or attacks against members of parliament And yesterday morning gunmen, again in broad daylight, stormed the house belonging to the deputy minister of interior. He was not at that location at the time. He actually doesn't use that residence. But they managed to kidnap four of his guards there.

So, like you said, they are getting a lot more aggressive in carrying out these acts against the Iraqi government -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And so does that explain why somebody who would be at the level of a deputy electricity minister would have this kind of security?

That's kind of standard then?

DAMON: Pretty much. And, actually, Iraqi government officials have been asking for even more security than what they already have. Now, the reason why this incident is perhaps so complicated is because those that carried out the attack were wearing Iraqi Army uniforms. This has been an ongoing problem for the Iraqi government. There have been countless operations carried out by armed gunmen who are trying to pose as Iraqi security forces.

This is coming at a time when Iraq's government is trying to establish its legitimacy. It's trying to establish the legitimacy of its own forces. It's trying to prove to the Iraqi people that it can provide them with security. And yet incidences like today cause people in Baghdad and throughout Iraq to ask themselves if the government can't protect its own, how can it protect us? And if individuals are dressing as Iraqi security forces, how are ever going to be able to differentiate between them -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And, meanwhile, kind of interesting, I mean we're talking about the deputy electricity minister here, electricity being such a difficult challenge, especially in Baghdad, I understand.

DAMON: Yes, that's right, Daryn.

In fact, what we hear from the Iraqis is that the electricity situation is actually not getting any better. I was told that last week there was an entire day where some neighborhoods had no electricity at all. And it is scorching hot here. It is over 120 degrees. And living in these conditions, with no power, some families can't afford to have generators running at all hours. At best, we are told that electricity comes perhaps four hours a day and then it is off for another six. In some neighborhoods, it's on for two hours, off for eight.

It still really is a major problem.

KAGAN: Arwa Damon live from Baghdad.

Thank you.

The clock is ticking. The anticipation is mounting at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

NASA says all systems are go for this afternoon's launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, just about four hours from now.

Let's check in with our John Zarrella with more on that -- hello, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Yes, all systems are go. We just hope the weather cooperates. I have the vehicle assembly building here behind me. You can probably see behind it there, a lot of cloud cover, some cumulus clouds there. NASA is still optimistic that they can get off the ground this afternoon, but there is a weather issue. There's a low pressure system out in the Bahamas that's kind of making its way to the west and they hope there's a dry slot between the time these morning clouds move off and that weather system starts to affect this area later this afternoon, where they can get off the ground at 2:38 Eastern time.

They're working one small issue today, as well, out here. There was a backup circuit breaker. Not a big deal at all. And NASA decided that it wasn't necessary even to go and change that circuit breaker out. So that's a non-starter, as well, this morning.

The astronauts just now in the operations and check out building, finished their suiting up. And while they were in there getting suited up, about to make their way out to the launch pad, they were all smiles, waving to the cameras. A lot of excitement, hoping that the third time is the charm.

Now, we understand that the one thing to watch out here across, of course, are the cross winds. And that could be an issue here this afternoon because on -- at the landing site, in case they had to make an emergency return to the landing site, you don't want cross winds because, of course, the shuttle is a glider and right now cross winds could become an issue here, as well, because of that low pressure system moving in from the west.

But, you know, yesterday with dealt with the foam issue all day out here. NASA spent a good portion of the day dealing with that issue.

This morning, NASA's administrator, though, you know, told us that while the foam is always a priority to keep an eye on, there's other things that they watch for, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE GRIFFIN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: We don't allow it to blind us to other problems. We remind our teams frequently that although quite honestly you guys in the media are focused on foam and we are paying, we think, the appropriate attention to foam, that there are 100 other things on this space shuttle that need close and careful attention in order to fly safely and that that's where we need to keep our eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: It is a very complicated vehicle. But right now the only complication, Daryn, could be the weather this afternoon.

What else is new in Florida in the summer, right?

KAGAN: Absolutely.

Let's get back and look at some of those new pictures that we're just getting in of the astronauts suiting up yet again.

How long does that process take?

ZARRELLA: You know, they go in there and they're in there for about an hour or so. And they, the first, of course, they have their breakfast or their lunch and they get their cake, which they don't eat until they actually come back from the mission. And the suit up doesn't take very long, about an hour by the time they get all ready.

And then they get into the Astrovan (ph) and start to head out to the launch pad. And they should be on their way out there pretty shortly now -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Wait, what's this, you get the cake but you can't eat it? You can't eat it, too?

ZARRELLA: Yes, you can't eat it, too. It's kind of a tradition that the astronauts have here. They won't eat that until they get back. Of course, after a 13-day mission...

KAGAN: Ew.

ZARRELLA: ... I'm not sure I want to eat that cake.

KAGAN: Yes, well, I've eaten worse.

OK, thanks for clarifying that superstition. Thank you, John Zarrella.

You can't eat the cake.

On the run-for five years. Now the CIA's search for Osama bin Laden changes in a big way.

We'll tell you what's going on with that.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, Happy 4th of July to all of you joining us at home.

Nothing is more inspiring than the pop and sparkle of a glitzy fireworks show. Not surprising, then, that 70 percent of fireworks injuries happen on the 4th.

Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, has a special edition of Top Five Tips.

Today, Gerri talks about fireworks safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy 4th of July.

If you're getting ready to set off some fireworks later on today, we're going to tell you what you need to know to keep you and your family safe.

For starters, you should be familiar with the laws about fireworks in your state. Now, some states, including Delaware and Massachusetts, don't allow retailers to sell any fireworks. Other states allow you to buy novelty fireworks. These are the ones you can set off in your driveway, like sparklers and snakes.

And you can brush up on the laws in your state at Americanpyro.com.

Keep in mind, there may be local restrictions, too.

Now, once you've gotten the low down and you're ready to purchase some firepower, tip number two, go to a reliable seller. You don't want to buy fireworks where the label is torn. And avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper parking garage. That's a sign the fireworks were meant for a professional show and not your Uncle Bob's barbecue.

Even after you buy your fireworks, there are still plenty of safety precautions to take.

Tip number four, keep a bucket of water or a garden hose with you when you're setting off your fireworks. That's because sparklers -- you know, those innocent looking little fireworks -- can cause serious burns. No wonder. They burn at 2,000 degrees.

If any fireworks you light don't work, douse them in water.

Of course, you'll want to gauge the kind of space you have before lighting any fireworks. Make sure you're working on a flat, smooth surface with no power lines above you and remember that wind can carry your firecracker to places you didn't even expect. So keep a very safe distance away from your neighbor's home.

And if you have small children or pets, keep them inside. They have very sensitive ears and can be stressed or frightened during a fireworks display.

And, finally, if you're taking the family to a fireworks show, sit at least 500 feet away. Now, this way you won't have to worry as much about debris and embers coming your way. Be aware of the quality of the show. The more professional it is, the safer it probably is, too. Look for colors that are hard to produce, like dazzling white and very deep blue.

And, of course, we want to hear from you. Send us your questions to fivetips@cnn.com. And, of course, if there's anything at all you missed on Five Tips, check out the Web site, cnnmoney.com/fivetips.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you, Gerri.

Well, a tradition on the 4th of July in Washington, D.C. they read the Declaration of Independence and some men dress up as our founding fathers. But starting last year, they came up with this new tradition. They invited those who had served in Iraq and had been wounded to come along and read the Declaration of Independence, as well.

That tradition continues this year and is going on.

Let's look at some tape of that happening just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: July 4, 1776. The unanimous declaration of the 13 United States of America. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the Earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: Well, here is one truth that you can't deny, it is sweltering in Washington, D.C. and across much of the country today.

Chad Myers looking at that, and also for the shuttle, as well.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

We actually have a kind of a weird looking satellite picture behind me. But we use this, actually, for tropical development and such. And when we want to see where the storm really is -- this isn't a tropical system, but there's certainly tropical moisture spinning around a small low pressure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Daryn, I actually have a live shot from Cape Canaveral.

KAGAN: Yes? Right.

MYERS: You can -- I want you to notice the flag on top.

KAGAN: It looks like it's blowing pretty briskly.

MYERS: It is blowing -- yes, it is going briskly.

KAGAN: Growing briskly.

MYERS: Growing briskly.

But it is -- the clock is now moving again, back to another hold. Obviously, you see the clock on the right, three hours and 22 minutes?

KAGAN: Yes.

MYERS: The one in the middle doesn't say that? Well, that's because they stopped that clock there at Cape Canaveral for a number of holds for launches and before those numbers actually got all the way down to nine minutes. That's when those two clocks will finally match up.

KAGAN: So our clock is right and that clock is wrong?

MYERS: That clock is not wrong for them.

KAGAN: OK.

MYERS: But it's just different.

KAGAN: Different.

OK, I'll give you that.

MYERS: You have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one on the left.

KAGAN: Oh, forget it. MYERS: Yes, they stop the clock every once in a while to make sure that everything is for a go and they work those stops in in order to get to the real launch time.

KAGAN: Do we also still have the live shot of the Washington Monument that we just showed a couple of minutes ago? There it is.

MYERS: It's probably (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Now, for those of you who weren't watching yesterday, we had Jason Alexander on.

MYERS: Yes. Yes.

KAGAN: He was talking about how hot it is and how it's so sweaty and -- and so Chad's advice? Go stand in the shade at the Washington Monument.

MYERS: Right. For about two minutes until that shade goes around.

KAGAN: Right.

MYERS: You know, it's almost like the world's biggest sundial.

KAGAN: Yes, I'll give you that.

MYERS: Right.

KAGAN: I'll give you that.

Not much for shade, though.

MYERS: No.

KAGAN: But there are a lot of nice trees along the mall, as well.

MYERS: Oh, of course.

KAGAN: So maybe that would be a good idea.

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: See you in a little bit.

Speaking of the space shuttle, we are expecting to see the astronauts walk out very shortly.

Just a few minutes ago, we saw them suiting up.

John Zarrella is standing by to tell us more about that -- John, we're, what, about oh, just under four hours from launch?

John Zarrella?

OK, John is suiting up, as well, for his live shot. A very important mission for us here at CNN. We'll find John and we'll get it all settled and worked out.

We're watching live pictures from Cape Canaveral.

You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: So they look good to go.

How about the third time being the charm?

They're waving their flags, as we just see these pictures.

This is the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery suited up. They are ready to go again, as they head on out to load up into Shuttle Discovery.

They're planning a 2:37 launch, p.m. that's Eastern time today for Shuttle Discovery.

The weather looks like it's cooperating this time. And apparently the crack they found yesterday not a concern.

With more on this, let's go to our John Zarrella, standing by in Florida -- John.

ZARRELLA: Hi, Daryn.

That's right, the astronauts are on their way now in the Astrovan, out to the launch pad, 39B, where Discovery awaits them.

If memory serves, it's about a seven mile ride from the operations and checkout building. The astronauts just left there just moments ago and headed out there, waving to the crowd as they walked out of the building, led by Commander Steve Lindsey and pilot Mark Kelly. The seven astronauts all smiles. The third time hopefully the charm.

Now you can see there on that live picture from NASA Select, the Astrovan as it makes its way down the road. It'll be passing us here in just a few minutes, again, on its way out to the launch pad. Of course, once they get there, they'll ride up in the elevators and then begin the final process of boarding the Shuttle Discovery.

Now, Daryn, one issue that continues to crop up here this morning here in the late morning hours, the weather. NASA meteorologists saying the cross wind component is just about at its limits. It's at about 15 miles an hour. At about 17 miles an hour they're out of the limit of a safe safety range. And the reason for that is if the shuttle had to make an emergency RTLS, return to the landing site, abort scenario here, because it's a glider vehicle, you know, it doesn't have a lot of control when it comes back in. North-south runway and you have this cross wind component now and they don't like that, in case there were an emergency and they had to try to get back here.

So besides the clouds and the rain showers in the area, now we've got a brisk breeze blowing. So still iffy whether the weather is going to cooperate this afternoon -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, we Earthly travelers complain about having to get to the airport early, but, shoot, they're having to get all strapped in almost four hours early.

ZARRELLA: Yes, that's the way it is. They've got a lot of checklists they've got to go through once they get on board. One, besides just the strapping into their seats, there's a whole series of checklists that the pilot and the commander have to run-through. Not much different than, you know, what the -- what a commercial airliner pilot and copilot would have to do.

So still a lot to do when they get out there. They don't just get to sit down and look through the window at the beautiful sights below, that's for sure -- Daryn.

KAGAN: John, thank you.

John Zarrella live in Florida.

So we asked you what you thought.

Do you think that the space shuttle program should be scrapped?

And, as always, our viewers come through.

This one, the first one, Simon in Baltimore writes in: "It seems to me that NASA is trying to cling onto its golden years with an outdated shuttle program. It should put its funds into building a new shuttle that can reach Mars. That would really be an achievement."

But William in Rochester, New York says: "Go ahead. Traveling into space is risky, dangerous for more reasons just than a bit of broken foam. But it's more dangerous for us to stop trying to reach that final frontier. Americans have never been quitters."

Kevin Brown, Fayetteville, Arkansas. You say: "Oh, I'm not so sure about this. NASA should focus a good portion of their time, money, energy and technologies and science on improving the world's air quality and represent America in the world's battle to defeat global warming."

And finally Rita says: "Sure, it's expensive. It has cost lives. However, there is a risk in doing anything great and our courage to do so is unmatched. The dreams that our space program puts into the hearts and minds of young girls makes it worth the candles. Go for it NASA!"

Thank you, Rita and all of our viewers.

We always love to hear from you, livetoday@cnn.com.

So, let's talk about your kind of travel. Security lines at some airports -- something you need to know before you go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These infections can penetrate through any crack on the skin, especially on the bottom of the foot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Coming up, simple things you can do to protect your feet from a hidden threat.

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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