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CNN Live Today

North Korea Threat; London Bomber Message; Coke And Dagger; Stressed And Your Heart; Lawn Care

Aired July 06, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning, everyone. We'll get started here.
Another bombshell from North Korea. It is not done with the missile tests. That a day after its rocket launches sparked world outrage.

After a two-day chase, Discovery nips at the heels of the International Space Station. Live coverage of that rendezvou ahead this hour.

And oil prices surged to a new record high. That is likely to mean a new pinch in the pocket the next time you stop at the pumps.

And good morning, everyone, on this Thursday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's get started.

North Korea at the top of our list. Here we're getting word that President Bush just getting of the phone. A 14-minute conversation with the president of China. More on that in just a moment as we look at North Korea, which, of course, has wanted international attention and, well, now it has it.

One day after its flurry of missiles ignited worldwide outcry, the communist nation says more launches are planned. No time frame has been mentioned, but reports in neighboring South Korea say that three or four missiles are on launchpads right now ready to go. U.S. officials say none is long range. North Korea also threatens stronger, physical action -- that's what they call it -- if any country dares to interfere.

The U.N. Security Council is meeting for a second day considering possible sanctions. Council members Russia and China, though, are opposing sanctions. They are calling for more diplomacy.

As governments around the world are focused on North Korea this morning, nowhere is that scrutiny more keen than at the Pentagon. With that view, our senior pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

And, Jamie, let's first start with this report that there have been more missile launch or that they plan more missile launches.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, what is clear is that North Korea has a missile program and that part of that program involves a lot of short-range, medium-range missiles and the attempt to develop a long-range, intercontinental, ballistic missile, the taepodong, which was test fired on Tuesday but failed just 42 seconds into flight. What U.S. officials with access to intelligence tell us is that they see no preparations for any immediate attempt to relaunch a long-rang missile. In fact, they suggest that North Korea will likely want to find out what went wrong before trying to launch another taepodong in the future.

But they have confidence that North Korea, especially after issuing defiant statements saying they have the right to test these missiles, will probably eventually test another one. They just don't see one on the launchpad or anyone that is being prepared for any sort of eminent action.

What they do see is a number of short-range missiles that could be fired on short notice. Those are similar to the other six missiles that were test fired on Tuesday. The scud missiles or the nodong missiles. Those are short and medium range missiles. And while they don't pose a threat to the United States they still are a provocative statement.

Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, speaking earlier today. As I mentioned, the security council meeting for its second day talking about a resolution that goes against North Korea. Let's listen to a little bit of what John Bolton had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMB. JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Launching missiles is a way to engage in conversation. And so in that sense if that was the motivation of the North Koreans, it has failed badly. We are sending Assistant Secretary Hill to Beijing. He will be arriving late this evening New York time there to talk to parties in the region who are in the six-party talks about possibly reviving them and that's certainly one of our objectives. Our objective here is to make it clear to North Korea that they're understanding of how to conduct negotiation shouldn't include missile launches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And that was John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Let's see what President Bush is up to today. It's his 60th birthday, by the way, and he'll be meeting and having a news conference with Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada. We'll have that for you in the next hour.

President Bush also taking time to talk about important issues with our own Larry King. Sitting down with President and Mrs. Bush later this afternoon. Of course they'll talk North Korea, Iraq and the big 6-0.

Do you have a question for the president? Larry wants to hear from you. E-mail Larry right now. You can log on to cnn.com/larryking. Send along your question and then watch the interview tonight on "Larry King Live" on 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.

Other international news now.

A car bombing targeting Iranian worshipers in Iraq today. They had come to pray at a mosque in the southern town of Kufa. The bomber drove in between two buses and then blew himself up as the pilgrims were getting off. At least 11 people were killed. Mostly Iranians. Dozens were wounded. Tehran is condemning the attack and criticizing the U.S. for failing to provide security.

The crisis in Gaza is deepening. Eleven Palestinians reported killed in clashes in air strikes today. Israeli tanks, troops and helicopters moved into northern Gaza overnight, widening the offensive they began last week.

In southern Gaza, Palestinians say two people were killed and several wounded in an air strike. Israel is trying to stop rocket attacks and find a captured soldier.

You go 220 miles straight up and the shuttle Discovery right now is closing in on the International Space Station. Docking takes place this hour at 10:52 a.m. Eastern Time. You're going to see that live right here on CNN. But before that, Discovery will flip over for a second inspection of its underside. Our Miles O'Brien and former shuttle commander Bill Ready will join us for live coverage later this hour on that.

Let's go back now live to the United Nations. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, is at the microphone.

BOLTON: Which I generally try not to do anyway.

QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the latest statements by prime minister of Iraq Maliki saying the immunity that the American soldiers have in Iraq in saying that Iraq is a sovereign state according to the recommendation (ph) was an issue and they would like to enact that by trying people committing murders in their (INAUDIBLE).

BOLTON: Yes, I think I'll leave it to Washington to comment on that.

KAGAN: Well, that was just a short little snippet there. We will be monitoring the U.N. all day long as the U.N. Security Council gathers to try to craft a resolution condemning the missile launches by North Korea. More on that as it becomes available.

Now to New York state where no same-sex marriage will be taking place in that state. The state's highest court handed down that ruling this morning. Gays and lesbians had argued that a marriage ban violated their constitutional rights, but the court says the law limits marriage to opposite sex couples. The judges threw the ball into the lawmakers court. They say any change in the law would have to come from the legislature. Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriage.

Tomorrow's marking the first anniversary of the London subway bombings that killed 52 people. A videotape has now surfaced featuring one of the suicide attackers. Our Matthew Chance joins me live now from Washington with more on that tape.

Matthew, hello.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you as well.

It's the latest reminder, of course, that has come from the suicide attack as to what they did almost a year ago to the day on July 7, 2005. This status (ph) video first aired on the Arabic language television network. Al-Jazeera has so many of these last will and testament type videos are (ph).

This one is from Shehzad Tanweer, a 22-year-old British Muslim who was one of the four suicide bombers that carried out their attacks on July 7, 2005. He's the bomber that bombed the train that was running between Old Gate and Liverpool Street stations in the center of the British capital. Killed six people, plus himself, and injured nearly a hundred other people.

He had a statement in English on that satellite network, but it was dubbed into Arabic by al-Jazeera. The translation we have so far is with Shehzad Tanweer saying, "what you have witnessed is now only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq and until you stop supporting the United States and Israel."

Very similar that video to an earlier video that we've heard from his co-suicide bomber, Sidique Khan, who was another one of those London suicide bombers. The British intelligence services believe both the videos were filmed in Pakistan when the two went there in September 2003, some time, of course, before the attacks took place.

KAGAN: So is the thinking, Matthew, that they just held on to this until the anniversary?

CHANCE: Yes. There's been reaction from Scotland Yard, the British police. They say they're aware of this video. They also say the timing of its release can only have been taken to cause the maximum hurt and distress to the bereaved families of the London bombers coming as it does on the eve of the anniversary of those attacks and so certainly it seems that al Qaeda has, as it often does, released these videos to cause maximum attention, to provoke maximum attention and to cause maximum effect for its cause.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second in command of al Qaeda, appears in the video as well. He doesn't appear in the same shots as the Shehzad Tanweer. But he does speak in very praising terms of the young British suicide bomber, saying that he studied, speaking in the past tense, a physical education, and there was -- had a passion for boxing and despite that passion, he said, he hid the fact that he came from a very well off family. These were the remarks of Ayman al-Zawahiri. So al Qaeda clearly trying to link itself as closely as possible with those devastating attacks that took place in London nearly a year ago.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance live from London. Matthew, thank you for that.

The crisis in Gaza is deepening. Eleven Palestinians reported killed in clashes and air strikes today. Israeli tanks, troops and helicopters moved into northern Gaza overnight widening the offensive they began last week.

In southern Gaza, Palestinians say that two people were killed and several wounded in an air strike. Israel is trying to stop rocket attacks and find a captured soldiers.

Words from the grave. The writings of the Columbine killers released this hour. New insight, perhaps, into that horrific school attack. We're live from Littleton, Colorado.

An alleged trader exposed in the Coca-Cola headquarters. Wait until you hear who busted her. Just ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, the extraordinary story of how she got popped, so to speak.

And forget about it. So far New Jersey's budget is a crapshoot and the legislature is about the only thing that's buzzing in that state. A compromise is on the table. We're going live to Trenton this hour. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: News out of Colorado now and it has to do with Columbine and the killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. They went on their shooting rampage at Columbine High School back in April of 1999. Today diaries that they kept. Also about a thousand different pages of other documents that were seized from their homes and their cars are being released.

Understandably we're hearing in Colorado that the families of many of the victims are very upset about what's being released. It's happening because "The Denver Post" had sued to force the release of those documents and a judge left it up to the sheriff. So today is release day.

Our Ed Lavandera is on the scene in Littleton, Colorado, getting reaction from family members, also getting a look at the documents and the yearbooks and the diaries themselves and he'll be with us in a little bit.

Right now, though, news out of here in Atlanta. Coca-Cola is toasting Pepsi today. Now that's interesting. It dodges what could have been a major blow thanks to its arch rival. Art Franklin of our affiliate WAGA here in Atlanta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ART FRANKLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Atlanta-based Coca-Cola is the number one manufacturer of non-alcoholic beverages in the world. Secrets about its products are worth a lot of money. U.S. Attorney David Nahmias says three people, including a Coca-Cola employee, stole confidential information about drink products and tried to sell that information to Coke's main competitor, PepsiCo.

DAVID NAHMIAS, U.S. ATTORNEY: To PepsiCo's great credit, as soon as they were solicited to buy these secrets, they advised their competitor, Coca-Cola Company, that there was a crime apparently in the works.

FRANKLIN: That was on May 19th. Coca-Cola alerted the FBI and agents launched an undercover investigation that led to Wednesday's arrest of Coca-Cola executive administrative assistant Joya Williams of Norcross, Edmund Duhaney of Decatur and alleged point man Ibrahim Dimson of Bronx, New York.

NAHMIAS: It's our hope and our belief that we have managed to protect the trade secrets from being disclosed. Coca-Cola Company may take some further civil action to try to protect that further.

FRANKLIN: Coca-Cola's chief executive issued a memo to employees that said, "I would like to thank our security and legal teams for the meaner in which they assisted law enforcement in this unfortunate situation. I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to PepsiCo for alerting us to this attack."

NAHMIAS: To everybody in the business community.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: The suspects are due in federal court today on charges of wire fraud, theft and unlawful selling of trade secrets.

The feds won but will they collect? It's a delicate question following the death of Ken Lay. Today's "New York Times" reports the timing of Lay's death could make it more difficult to seize his assets. Lay was convicted in the Enron scandal last month, but his sentencing and probable appeal were pending. That leaves the government case in legal limbo. Lay's death may also negatively impact his convicted colleague. "The Times" report says Jeffrey Skilling could get 20 years in prison with Skilling standing solo in the judge's harsh light.

Well no doubt Ken Lay was under tremendous stress. His conviction a few weeks ago probably notched up that pressure. But did it kill the former Enron boss? Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen looked at that for Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Convicted Enron founder Ken Lay has a fatal heart attack awaiting a possible life sentence. Former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic has a heart attack and dies while on trial for war crimes. Vice President Dick Cheney suffers a heart attack during the Florida recount in 2000. Coincidence? No. Doctors say stress most definitely can bring on heart problems. Studies show it time and time again. DR. THOMAS PICKERING, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDIAL CENTER: Major life events such as being convicted of a crime contributed about the same degree of risk as having high blood pressure or being obese to the risk of having a heart attack.

COHEN: Once a celebrated businessman and part of the president's inner circle, just years later Lay was facing 25 to 40 years in prison and that must have been stressful and depressing.

PICKERING: I don't know whether he was depressed or not, but I think he would have good cause to be depressed and the two of those acting together could certainly increase his risk of developing a heart attack.

COHEN: Why would something centered in the brain make the heart more likely to give out?

PICKERING: The heart rate goes up, the blood pressure goes up.

COHEN: Also, stress and depression adversary affect hormones which can help lead to plaque deposits that can block arteries and lead to heart attacks. It can happen with chronic stress, such as Lay was under for years, but also with sudden stress, such as the phone call that a loved one has died.

PICKERING: It can be very quick. It can happen in minutes or a couple of hours.

COHEN: Studies have shown that people under work deadlines are six times more likely to suffer a heart attack during the next 24 hours. And that men who experience a conflict in the workplace have an 80 percent increased risk of heart attack in the next year.

This was not Lay's first heart attack. At 64, he had a long history of heart disease. But doctors say watch out for stress and depression even if you don't have a history of heart disease.

PICKERING: About half of the people who have a first heart attack have no previous history of any heart disease. So it can come completely unannounced.

COHEN: His death is a lesson for the rest of us. Emotions can be deadly.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Elizabeth's story first aired on "Paula Zahn Now." Tune in weeknights at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

And the nominees are. TV's top talents grabbing the spotlight. We have your Emmy picks coming up on CNN.

We also have your picks for best "Top Five Tips" and that goes to Gerri Willis. GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn, good to see you.

Hey, you want to make the neighbor green with envy? Well, keep your lawn in great condition. When we come back, I'll be back with tips on keeping that grass green. CNN is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Oh, one of those philosophical question. Is the grass always greener in your neighbor's yard. Not only is the lawn a symbol of suburban bliss, but it's also a key ingredient of curb appeal. Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis joins me. She has her "Top Five Tips" to make your lawn your pride and joy.

Good morning.

WILLIS: Here there, Daryn. Good to see you.

This is important for many people, getting the very best lawn. But I've got to tell you, the forecast for lawn season is not so great. From the planes states, down toward Texas and the southwest, there will be drier than expected weather. In fact, in some parts of the southwest, conditions are also already bordering on a drought. But if you live in the Great Lakes state like Wisconsin or Michigan, you're going to be seeing more rain than usual. So not a great season for lawn growers.

KAGAN: OK. So it brings up a question, how often are you supposed to water?

WILLIS: Well, one of the biggest mistakes people make is they over water. You need to water your lawn three time a week and all you need is about an inch of water. That's about 20 minutes for most of us. And if you want to make sure you've watered your lawn the right amount, put a few empty tuna fish cans around your lawn. And when your sprinkler is on, make sure that those aren't overflowing. You also want to water early in the morning rather than late at night because if you water at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m., the water sits and you can get fungus or mold growing.

KAGAN: That's a good tip.

What about mowing the lawn?

WILLIS: Well, don't cut your grass too short. You shouldn't take off more than one-third of the blade's height at once. If you take off too much, the roots are more vulnerable to the sun. You want your grass to be two and a half to three and a half inches high. But when it's really hot outside, leave the grass at least a half-inch high so the root will have a little more shade.

KAGAN: And when it comes to fertilizer I guess poop is poop, huh?

WILLIS: Pretty much. Well put. When you're deciding what fertilizer to pick, go for the generic brand. There's really little difference between them. Now some fertilizers come with crabgrass, weed or bug killers already in them and you're best staying away from those. Buy those special formulations in a can or a spray and you'll save about $15. Plus, if you buy fertilizer with crabgrass and weedkiller, you won't be able to plant any grass seed down during the season since the chemicals will attack any new grass growth.

KAGAN: Yes, what about the other stuff you can put on your lawn? Besides fertilizer.

WILLIS: This is my favorite thing. If you remember only one thing from today's tips, beer is a great nutrient for grass.

KAGAN: Really?

WILLIS: Yes. So it's a great excuse if you're going to the grocery store and you're going to buy some beer you can tell the wife, hey, it's for the lawn, honey.

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIS: Epson salts makes fertilizer last longer. And if you're looking for a natural bug deterrent, tobacco mixed with water does the trick.

KAGAN: OK.

WILLIS: Of course we want to hear from your viewers. Send us your questions to 5tips@cnn.com.

And I just want to remind everybody "Open House," Saturday morning, CNN, 9:30 Eastern. And then on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 5:30 on "Headline News" if you can't get up that early.

KAGAN: You own weekends on CNN and "Headline News."

WILLIS: I don't know about this.

KAGAN: GNN, the Gerri news network. Yes, good stuff.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you, Gerri.

The nominees are . . .

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDRA OH, "GRAY'S ANATOMY": He's picturing my face. He's totally picturing that dart puncturing my skull.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "GRAY'S ANATOMY": But the thing you don't hear much about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Actress Sandra Oh and her TV series "Gray's Anatomy" getting some Emmy love today. The ABC show received 11 nomination. "24" leading the way of all series with 12. There will be no repeat for two winners last season. "Desperate Housewives" wasn't nominated in the comedy series category and "Lost" missed out in the drama series section. New voting rules this year were aimed at opening up the nomination process. The Emmy Awards show will air early this year. It is on August 27th.

So forget about it. So far New Jersey's budget is a crapshoot and the legislature is about the only thing that's buzzing in that state. A compromise is on the table. Live from Trenton, New Jersey, in just a few minutes.

Also figuring out the true threat, North Korea's missile. That volley means hard work ahead for U.S. experts.

And we're looking at live pictures from the International Space Station. They're expecting a few visitors. In a few minutes we're going to look at the docking with the space shuttle Discovery. Miles O'Brien will be along to talk us through that.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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