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American Morning

Detroit Police Search for Day Care Shooter; Discussing the Upcoming Debates; SpaceShipOne Will Take Flight Again Today; Flu Shots

Aired September 29, 2004 - 08:29   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: 8:30 here in New York City. Good morning. Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
If the craft known as SpaceShipOne can climb about 60 miles today, it will be halfway home to 10 million bucks. That's the prize out in the Mojave desert.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Not too shabby.

HEMMER: Yeah. Miles O'Brien is out there in the desert. He'll tell us about the rules of this space race and how ordinary people could be the big winners. We'll get to Miles this hour.

COLLINS: Nice. Also, it's almost that time of year to get a flu shot, or is it? Sanjay Gupta joins us a little bit later to tell us about this year's vaccine and whether it covers all of the worst strains of the illness. And after you get a shot, I would hope it does. I'm kind of wimpy.

HEMMER: I agree.

I want to get to Rick Sanchez. There could be good news out of Iraq. To Rick on that now. Good morning.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: There's some breaking news involved in this story, Bill. We're trying to clear it up as we go along here. Here we go.

The life of British hostage Ken Bigley may be spared -- may, key word. Bigley's brother has told us here at CNN that he has received an e-mail message suggesting Islamic militants will release his brother. He is confident it's going to happen.

However, the British Foreign Office is not as confident, suggesting the message he's referring to may have been posted on a Middle Eastern Web site. British government officials are right now trying to establish the credibility of that site. And we will continue to report on this throughout the morning.

John Walker Lindh is asking President Bush to reduce his prison sentence. Lindh was sentenced to 20 years for fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. But his lawyer now says Lindh never fought against U.S. troops. In the next half hour, we're going to talk about the appeal with Johnny Spann, the father of a CIA agent killed by Taliban forces. In Texas, authorities are investigating claims that border patrol agents caused three illegal immigrants to drown in the Rio Grande. Mexican officials recovered the bodies of two women and a teenage girl Saturday. According to the officials and some others also trying to cross the border, U.S. agents threw rocks at the group, forcing them to try to swim back to the Mexican side.

A bill that would mean criminal charges for file swappers will now go to the Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives passed the measure yesterday, which could mean jail time for those found guilty of knowingly sharing files over the Web. Critics of the bill say it still wouldn't mean more profits for artists.

Bill, Heidi, back over to you. We'll continue to follow that story on Bigley, of course.

HEMMER: Yeah, fingers crossed for him and his fate there. Thank you, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Sure.

HEMMER: Want to get to Detroit right now. Police there are still searching for a man who opened fire at an in-home day care center yesterday. A three-year-old girl is dead this morning, two women remain in critical condition, and police do not think this is a random act.

Jonathan Freed live in Detroit there with more. Good morning.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

The people who live around here say they know that it sounds like a cliche, but they insist that this really was a quiet neighborhood -- until yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Detroit has a reputation for violence, but this middle class neighborhood in the northwest part of town is known for its low crime rate. Now, it's marked by the death of a child.

The usual quiet was shattered by gunshots Tuesday morning. Around 10 a.m., according to police, a man in his 20s approached this house, which is used as a day care center. Investigators say he asked someone out front in a particular person was inside. Then he entered and started shooting, hitting three people, including a three-year-old girl.

CMDR. CRAIG SCHWARTZ, DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT: We don't believe it was a random act. We believe there was a specific intent to attack this particular home. But why it was selected, we're not sure at this point.

FREED: The child died later at a hospital. A 41-year-old woman who runs the day care center was critically wounded, along with a 22- year-old woman there to help with the children. A four-month-old boy was dropped when one of the women was shot. He was in critical condition because of the fall.

CLARENCE GRIGGS, VICTIM'S HUSBAND: My wife, she don't deserve nothing like this. And I never thought this would happen. I don't like to take life for granted, but I just put it in God's hands right now.

FREED: Nancy Kelly lives across the street. She called 911, then went to see if she could help.

NANCY KELLY, NEIGHBOR: I just seen that blood all over that lady with her face all bloody.

FREED: In all, four children were in the house. The other two were not injured, but taken to the hospital as a precaution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): Now, Bill, just before we went to air, I received a phone call from the deputy chief of Detroit's police force, and he told me that as of now they are continuing to interview what witnesses they have and that, as of this hour, they are still searching for the suspect -- Bill?

HEMMER: Jonathan Freed in Detroit this morning -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Politics now. The presidential ad campaign is getting down and dirty. And Osama bin Laden is getting face time, as we say, from both sides. Our resident debaters, as usual, are of two minds. In Washington, Democratic consultant Victor Kamber with The Kamber Group. Hi, Vic.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: And Cliff May, former RNC communications director, now with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Cliff, good morning to you, as well.

CLIFF MAY, FMR. RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Good morning, Heidi. Good morning, Vic.

COLLINS: Let's begin with you, Cliff. Over the last week, we have seen both the Democrats and the Republicans with these new ads, that we just mentioned, using Osama bin Laden in them. But both ads are painting the other guy to be weak on terror.

What do you make of it?

MAY: Look, I think it's too bad that anything to do with the war against and the war against the ideologies that drive terrorism is politicized. But it's happened. I think it's bad for Kerry as much as it is for Bush and may be worse. If Kerry and Bush agreed on what to do about terrorism, there would be no debate. And if there were no debate on terrorism, they would be talking about social security, education, healthcare -- areas where Kerry has a stronger position.

So, I think it's bad for both, but that's the dynamics of a campaign. It's happened, and we just have to put up with it.

COLLINS: Vic, is it just politics, or are they looking at the history now of America?

KAMBER: Well, I think it's -- they are looking at the history of how negative advertising works. They are not looking at history in the way you're asking the question.

I think -- hopefully, I think the American public is smarter than both campaigns. I think there has become too much ad clutter. I think a lot of decisions are going to start being made basically on the debate. Those ads that you are running, for example, here in the District of Columbia, we don't get to see it except on news shows like your own. They are primarily being run in those battleground states.

And then, as I say, there are so many ads being run in those battleground states on so many subjects that I think most of the American public is smart and has tuned out to some of that stuff right now. And the debates will be a big thing tomorrow...

COLLINS: All right...

KAMBER: ... and terror will be a part of those debates.

COLLINS: Yeah, you can count on that. But Vic, you know, talking about the debates, when you look at the polls, many of the national polls are showing Bush to be ahead from anywhere from six percentage points all the way up to 11 percentage points.

Do you think the president is peaking too early here?

KAMBER: I hope so. There's no doubt that I -- I mean, I have to be candid, he is ahead. I don't think he's ahead by the numbers you are saying in terms of the battleground states. I think when you look at states like Texas and Utah, he's way ahead. And when you look at states like New York and California, the gap between Kerry and Bush has shortened, although Kerry is still ahead.

And so, when you put those kinds of numbers together, the national polls look much bigger. But when you look at the individual state polls in terms of battleground, it's much closer. But clearly the advantage today is to Bush.

COLLINS: Well, Cliff, that's why they call them battleground states, right?

MAY: Correct. That's right. And they are obviously important. This is a system where you don't win just by having the majority of votes, you've got to win a majority of states. That's the electoral system we're in.

Look, Vic obviously hopes that this is, as you say, a peak for Bush, rather than what it could be, we don't know, which is a structural lead. Remember when Clinton ran against Dole? Basically Clinton had his peak early on, stayed there. There was at no point that I recall when Dole was ahead of Clinton, when anybody though Dole was going to beat Clinton. In the end, the race was closer than people expected, but Clinton maintained his lead all the way to the end.

Could it be the same in this case from now on in? Of course it could be. That's not a guarantee, obviously.

KAMBER: Heidi, one thing, the old Lloyd Bentsen: I know Bob Dole, and John Kerry is no Bob Dole. This will be a much closer race. This will be a much more tightened up race, and I would not rule John Kerry out by any means.

MAY: And I'm not ruling John Kerry out by any means. Of course, Lloyd Bentsen won that debate and then lost the election.

COLLINS: It happens. All right, to the two of you guys, thanks so much, as always. Victor Kamber and Cliff May this morning.

And as we mentioned, the debate between President Bush and Senator John Kerry is set tomorrow night in Miami, starting at 9:00 Eastern. But CNN's live coverage will begin at 7:00 Eastern. And of course, watch AMERICAN MORNING as we prepare for the first presidential debate. We'll be live in Miami tomorrow morning. We'll bring you voter reaction from Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.

HEMMER: In the meantime, 22 minutes before the hour, and SpaceShipOne getting ready for take off in about an hour from now. It is leading a space race that is supposed to open the way for commercial space travel.

Miles O'Brien up early in a very dark Mojave, California, in the desert there. Miles, good morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Back in June, you'll recall SpaceShipOne first flew to space, and space is defined as an altitude of 100 kilometers, or 62 miles. At the controls at the time, 63-year-old Mike Melvill becoming the first person ever to be considered a civilian astronaut.

Well, he will be flying once again today in about an hour's time when SpaceShipOne begins its journey back to space. The hope here is just the first step toward winning a $10 million prize.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The stakes are high, and yet it was quiet and seemingly calm inside Burt Rutan's hangar. His team assured as they prepped for a higher-than-the-sky bonanza: $10 million Ansari X Prize.

BURT RUTAN, SPACESHIPONE DESIGNER: We're confident.

O'BRIEN: The vehicle he designed and built, SpaceShipOne, will try to repeat a feat it first accomplished on June 21st: a trip beyond 62 miles in altitude -- the gateway to space, where the sky is dark, the horizon curved, and the M&M's float. PETER DIAMANDIS, X PRIZE FOUNDER: People have to realize that this is a risk we're taking. We're opening up a frontier for humanity.

O'BRIEN: The flight is just the first step on the high road to the high-stakes prize. The winner must reach space in a vehicle capable of carrying three twice in as many weeks. If all goes well, Rutan's team plans to fly again next Monday. Sooner the better, in case he needs a mulligan.

RUTAN: I want to be able to fly three shots at it in two weeks.

O'BRIEN: At least on paper, there are two dozen X Prize teams, but SpaceShipOne is clearly the one to beat. X Prize founder Peter Diamandis is hoping for someone to win the prize this year.

DIAMANDIS: One of the large multibillion-dollar insurance companies took a bet. We paid a multimillion-dollar premium to them and said if someone wins by the end of 2004, you pay the 10 million. If no one does, you keep the premiums.

O'BRIEN: Rutan's team has spent $25 million of Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen's money to get this far.

RUTAN: We expect to return his -- 40 percent of his investment in the next couple of weeks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (on camera): Now the rules on this contest say that a spacecraft has to be capable of carrying three people. In this case, there won't be three people aboard, Bill. Mike Melvill will be alone, and he will carry the equivalent weight of two additional passengers.

And instead of putting some lead-shotted bags or whatever, the team in Burt Rutan's hangar has put together a whole host of trinkets and tools and photographs, all kinds of personal effects that are special to them which they will get at the return of the flight and know that they were somehow a part of this piece of history -- assuming all goes well -- in about an hour's time -- Bill?

HEMMER: In about an hour's time, we'll be watching. Thank you, Miles. Get back to us, all right? Miles O'Brien in the Mojave Desert this morning -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Want to check on the weather now. Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest forecast. Good morning to you, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: OK, thanks so much, Chad. Check with you a little later.

HEMMER: Looking for the perfect gift for the person who has everything? Every year we check this out.

COLLINS: Who are those people who have everything?

HEMMER: This year's Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog is now out. Andy loves this story. We'll get to him "Minding Your Business" in a moment.

COLLINS: Crazy things in there. Plus, flu season is almost upon us. I was just waiting for that shot shot. "Paging Dr. Gupta" on this.

Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Ready or not, here comes the flu season. And that means shots across the board. Sanjay's back here to tell us what we need to know again this year and a tough season last year. Sanjay, good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

This is one of our favorite topics, you and I, talking about the flu shot. And flu season is coming right around the corner, as you mentioned. The CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, say the best time to get your flu shot is October and early November. October obviously starts on Friday.

Listen, there were a couple of problems last year. One is that the flu vaccine that was made didn't protect fully against one particular strain of the flu that proved to be particularly problematic. Also, there was an apparent shortage of the flu vaccine last year.

This year, they say they have corrected both those problems. There will be enough, and the flu shot will be protective against both those things.

A couple things to point out. The flu shot, that involves a needle, actually has an inactive virus in the needle. It will protect you, but it will not give you the flu. Bill, you and I talk about this all the time. There's also a nasal spray, Bill, because I know you're afraid of needles. The nasal spray is actually not recommended for young children or very elderly people. It does contain a more live form of the virus, but it can also provide protection, Bill.

HEMMER: Who's afraid of needles?

GUPTA: You are.

HEMMER: But listen, we get into this debate every year. I'm not a fan of flu shots, because I did one five years ago and I was sick as a dog 24 hours later. That's an aside. Who should get vaccinated now, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Yeah, I mean, I think that's an important point. There are some people who are going to be higher on the list of people who should get vaccinated versus others. People who are elderly. People who have chronic disease. Also, the CDC is recommending that children six months to 23 months also get the vaccine if they have a chronic disease, including things like asthma or diabetes.

Not enough people get the flu shot, Bill. And we joke about it a little bit, but it's true. The CDC reported that among children, who are sometimes the hardest hit, the six to 23-month-old category, only about five percent got the flu vaccine last year, Bill.

HEMMER: I'm a 22-year-old young man, give or take a few years, people my age, should we be getting shot or not?

GUPTA: Yeah, well, here's the thing, I think someone like you, you are young and healthy. So, for the most part, I think that you're going to fall much lower down on the list of people who absolutely need to get the flu shot. You probably should get the flu shot.

You actually have another reason to get the flu shot, and that has to do with your co-anchor Soledad. When you're going to be around people who have young children, if you are going to be around Soledad quite a bit, which you will be, it's best not to -- best to get the flu shot so that you don't get the flu, give it to her, and she gives it to her young babies, Bill.

HEMMER: I think that's the best advice you've given all day. Thank you. So, we get her back in mid-October, by the way.

GUPTA: All right. We'll wait on that.

HEMMER: So, we will be prepared. Thank you, Sanjay.

GUPTA: See you, Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the holidays still a few months away. But at least one retailer thinks it is never too soon to start shopping, especially if you have really, really deep pockets. The wish list in a moment with Andy and Jack.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get a check on the state of the economy this morning and more of those over-the-top gift idea from Neiman Marcus. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

Some good economic news?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yeah, Jack. Second quarter economy grew at 3.3 percent, that just crossing the tape. That's revised up from 2.8 percent. And better than expected -- not a barnburner, but pretty good.

Let's talk about the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogs, come out every year since 1926. Frankly I thought the last couple of years hadn't been so great. This year, though, they've got some outrageous stuff. You know, this stuff is all, you know, very, very high end, very, very expensive, kind of really over the top. They actually sell some of this stuff.

Let's start it up. First of all, we got a Vegas Trike -- look at that. A hunka-hunka burning love. How about that thing? It's street legal. Is that cool -- $65,000.

CAFFERTY: I would like to have that.

SERWER: Sixty-five thousand.

Let's move on to the Underwater Aviator, they call it. We call this a submarine. You can go down to 1,500 feet -- 1.7 million. You can stay down for a whole day.

HEMMER: I'll take two.

SERWER: "Das Boot!"

OK. Then let's move on to the bowling alley. His and Her Bowling Alley -- $1.4 million. Not so much, except you also need 5,000 square feet. Four lanes. You can create "The Big Lebowski" in your home.

Let's move on to the Suit of Armor. This is the bargain here, Jack -- only 20k. When you're feeling positively medieval.

And then let's move on to the last one here. This is my favorite. This is the big one. This is the biggie -- your own personal zeppelin. Ten millions dollars -- get the lead out. And they actually usually sell a couple of those, you know, these kind of the real expensive ones.

CAFFERTY: I like that motorcycle.

SERWER: You want that for Christmas?

CAFFERTY: I wouldn't mind having one of those.

SERWER: Well, start saving up, right? Get that.

COLLINS: Yeah, right.

CAFFERTY: All right. Thanks, Andy.

It's Wednesday, time to look at the "File." Things that people have said over the last week that got our attention. Beginning with this: "I'm glad that there is one super popular girl in America who is not drunk, sleeping with tons of people, and wearing inappropriate outfits." That's Gwyneth Paltrow talking about Jessica Simpson. And because of all those things, she is boring.

And this one: "It's fun. It's like a NASCAR pit stop. Get in there quick. Zoom, zoom. The trick is not getting any on you." That's Matt LeBlanc on changing diapers.

SERWER: Rocket scientist.

CAFFERTY: How close is he to be being right there, Heidi?

COLLINS: Pretty close, especially if you have a boy.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

Or there's this one: "I have never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm going to be blunt and plain. If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and then tell God he died." This is that genius Jimmy Swaggart, the televangelist preacher discussing gay marriage on his television show. He later apologized, saying the remarks were in jest.

He's a funny guy...

SERWER: He's apologized for stuff before.

CAFFERTY: Yeah, he has, including all them strange ladies he was -- was it in "Penthouse" magazine? That's a long time ago.

Or this: "It was a bit of a tight schedule. I done know if I could change before I got to the floor." What a great picture -- this is Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell on why he wore a northern Cheyenne chief's full regalia to the Senate floor to manage an appropriations bill. What a great looking outfit. Somewhere there's a face-on shot of that, and it's magnificent.

"I just want it to go well -- not the marriage, just the wedding." That's Jean Weinberg, who is one of our producers here on AMERICAN MORNING. She's getting married October the 9th here in New York City. And...

SERWER: What was the quote again?

CAFFERTY: "I just want it to go well -- not the marriage, just the wedding."

SERWER: Well, you know, she's got something there, you know?

HEMMER: Best of luck to her and Kyle, too.

COLLINS: Coming up. All right, Jack, thanks so much for those.

Still to come this morning, a preview of tomorrow night's debate from a couple of campaign insiders -- probably hoping it goes well, too. Kerry advisor Mike McCurry and Bush advisor Mary Matalin, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Still to come, American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh has a request for the president, and at least one man is outraged. He said Lindh could have saved his son's life but did not. We'll talk to the father of slain CIA agent Johnny Spann ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Good morning. The candidates now head for Florida. The first presidential debate, two strategies -- what do Bush and Kerry need to get done Thursday night?

Also in Florida: Have four hurricanes blown politics off the map? How the storms could change the vote.

A race for freedom: 44 North Koreans leap into a foreign embassy hoping for a better life.

And a critical moment coming up in space exploration: SpaceShipOne taking off this hour -- on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Live in Manhattan, 9:00 here in New York City. Bill Hemmer, along with Heidi Collins, in for Soledad. Good morning.

COLLINS: Good morning.

HEMMER: Some of the other headlines coming up this hour.

From Italy, still celebrating the release of the two Italian women kidnapped in Iraq. The two Simonas, as they are called, back home now, but there are some questions, too, about how they came to be released. We'll get a report live in Rome in a moment on that story.

COLLINS: Also, can you live into your 90s and barely age at all? We know a guy who did just that. Look at him there on the right. Jack La Lanne, the fitness pioneer, just turned 90, and you will not believe the shape he's in. I witnessed it personally.

We're going to hear from Jack -- and his wife, as well. Lovely woman. How does he do it, though? He's going to tell us how he can do it, too.

HEMMER: He's got some spunk, huh?

COLLINS: Yeah.

HEMMER: With a small S or a capital S?

COLLINS: Capital.

HEMMER: Capital, that's right.

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Aired September 29, 2004 - 08:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: 8:30 here in New York City. Good morning. Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
If the craft known as SpaceShipOne can climb about 60 miles today, it will be halfway home to 10 million bucks. That's the prize out in the Mojave desert.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Not too shabby.

HEMMER: Yeah. Miles O'Brien is out there in the desert. He'll tell us about the rules of this space race and how ordinary people could be the big winners. We'll get to Miles this hour.

COLLINS: Nice. Also, it's almost that time of year to get a flu shot, or is it? Sanjay Gupta joins us a little bit later to tell us about this year's vaccine and whether it covers all of the worst strains of the illness. And after you get a shot, I would hope it does. I'm kind of wimpy.

HEMMER: I agree.

I want to get to Rick Sanchez. There could be good news out of Iraq. To Rick on that now. Good morning.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: There's some breaking news involved in this story, Bill. We're trying to clear it up as we go along here. Here we go.

The life of British hostage Ken Bigley may be spared -- may, key word. Bigley's brother has told us here at CNN that he has received an e-mail message suggesting Islamic militants will release his brother. He is confident it's going to happen.

However, the British Foreign Office is not as confident, suggesting the message he's referring to may have been posted on a Middle Eastern Web site. British government officials are right now trying to establish the credibility of that site. And we will continue to report on this throughout the morning.

John Walker Lindh is asking President Bush to reduce his prison sentence. Lindh was sentenced to 20 years for fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. But his lawyer now says Lindh never fought against U.S. troops. In the next half hour, we're going to talk about the appeal with Johnny Spann, the father of a CIA agent killed by Taliban forces. In Texas, authorities are investigating claims that border patrol agents caused three illegal immigrants to drown in the Rio Grande. Mexican officials recovered the bodies of two women and a teenage girl Saturday. According to the officials and some others also trying to cross the border, U.S. agents threw rocks at the group, forcing them to try to swim back to the Mexican side.

A bill that would mean criminal charges for file swappers will now go to the Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives passed the measure yesterday, which could mean jail time for those found guilty of knowingly sharing files over the Web. Critics of the bill say it still wouldn't mean more profits for artists.

Bill, Heidi, back over to you. We'll continue to follow that story on Bigley, of course.

HEMMER: Yeah, fingers crossed for him and his fate there. Thank you, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Sure.

HEMMER: Want to get to Detroit right now. Police there are still searching for a man who opened fire at an in-home day care center yesterday. A three-year-old girl is dead this morning, two women remain in critical condition, and police do not think this is a random act.

Jonathan Freed live in Detroit there with more. Good morning.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

The people who live around here say they know that it sounds like a cliche, but they insist that this really was a quiet neighborhood -- until yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Detroit has a reputation for violence, but this middle class neighborhood in the northwest part of town is known for its low crime rate. Now, it's marked by the death of a child.

The usual quiet was shattered by gunshots Tuesday morning. Around 10 a.m., according to police, a man in his 20s approached this house, which is used as a day care center. Investigators say he asked someone out front in a particular person was inside. Then he entered and started shooting, hitting three people, including a three-year-old girl.

CMDR. CRAIG SCHWARTZ, DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT: We don't believe it was a random act. We believe there was a specific intent to attack this particular home. But why it was selected, we're not sure at this point.

FREED: The child died later at a hospital. A 41-year-old woman who runs the day care center was critically wounded, along with a 22- year-old woman there to help with the children. A four-month-old boy was dropped when one of the women was shot. He was in critical condition because of the fall.

CLARENCE GRIGGS, VICTIM'S HUSBAND: My wife, she don't deserve nothing like this. And I never thought this would happen. I don't like to take life for granted, but I just put it in God's hands right now.

FREED: Nancy Kelly lives across the street. She called 911, then went to see if she could help.

NANCY KELLY, NEIGHBOR: I just seen that blood all over that lady with her face all bloody.

FREED: In all, four children were in the house. The other two were not injured, but taken to the hospital as a precaution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): Now, Bill, just before we went to air, I received a phone call from the deputy chief of Detroit's police force, and he told me that as of now they are continuing to interview what witnesses they have and that, as of this hour, they are still searching for the suspect -- Bill?

HEMMER: Jonathan Freed in Detroit this morning -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Politics now. The presidential ad campaign is getting down and dirty. And Osama bin Laden is getting face time, as we say, from both sides. Our resident debaters, as usual, are of two minds. In Washington, Democratic consultant Victor Kamber with The Kamber Group. Hi, Vic.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: And Cliff May, former RNC communications director, now with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Cliff, good morning to you, as well.

CLIFF MAY, FMR. RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Good morning, Heidi. Good morning, Vic.

COLLINS: Let's begin with you, Cliff. Over the last week, we have seen both the Democrats and the Republicans with these new ads, that we just mentioned, using Osama bin Laden in them. But both ads are painting the other guy to be weak on terror.

What do you make of it?

MAY: Look, I think it's too bad that anything to do with the war against and the war against the ideologies that drive terrorism is politicized. But it's happened. I think it's bad for Kerry as much as it is for Bush and may be worse. If Kerry and Bush agreed on what to do about terrorism, there would be no debate. And if there were no debate on terrorism, they would be talking about social security, education, healthcare -- areas where Kerry has a stronger position.

So, I think it's bad for both, but that's the dynamics of a campaign. It's happened, and we just have to put up with it.

COLLINS: Vic, is it just politics, or are they looking at the history now of America?

KAMBER: Well, I think it's -- they are looking at the history of how negative advertising works. They are not looking at history in the way you're asking the question.

I think -- hopefully, I think the American public is smarter than both campaigns. I think there has become too much ad clutter. I think a lot of decisions are going to start being made basically on the debate. Those ads that you are running, for example, here in the District of Columbia, we don't get to see it except on news shows like your own. They are primarily being run in those battleground states.

And then, as I say, there are so many ads being run in those battleground states on so many subjects that I think most of the American public is smart and has tuned out to some of that stuff right now. And the debates will be a big thing tomorrow...

COLLINS: All right...

KAMBER: ... and terror will be a part of those debates.

COLLINS: Yeah, you can count on that. But Vic, you know, talking about the debates, when you look at the polls, many of the national polls are showing Bush to be ahead from anywhere from six percentage points all the way up to 11 percentage points.

Do you think the president is peaking too early here?

KAMBER: I hope so. There's no doubt that I -- I mean, I have to be candid, he is ahead. I don't think he's ahead by the numbers you are saying in terms of the battleground states. I think when you look at states like Texas and Utah, he's way ahead. And when you look at states like New York and California, the gap between Kerry and Bush has shortened, although Kerry is still ahead.

And so, when you put those kinds of numbers together, the national polls look much bigger. But when you look at the individual state polls in terms of battleground, it's much closer. But clearly the advantage today is to Bush.

COLLINS: Well, Cliff, that's why they call them battleground states, right?

MAY: Correct. That's right. And they are obviously important. This is a system where you don't win just by having the majority of votes, you've got to win a majority of states. That's the electoral system we're in.

Look, Vic obviously hopes that this is, as you say, a peak for Bush, rather than what it could be, we don't know, which is a structural lead. Remember when Clinton ran against Dole? Basically Clinton had his peak early on, stayed there. There was at no point that I recall when Dole was ahead of Clinton, when anybody though Dole was going to beat Clinton. In the end, the race was closer than people expected, but Clinton maintained his lead all the way to the end.

Could it be the same in this case from now on in? Of course it could be. That's not a guarantee, obviously.

KAMBER: Heidi, one thing, the old Lloyd Bentsen: I know Bob Dole, and John Kerry is no Bob Dole. This will be a much closer race. This will be a much more tightened up race, and I would not rule John Kerry out by any means.

MAY: And I'm not ruling John Kerry out by any means. Of course, Lloyd Bentsen won that debate and then lost the election.

COLLINS: It happens. All right, to the two of you guys, thanks so much, as always. Victor Kamber and Cliff May this morning.

And as we mentioned, the debate between President Bush and Senator John Kerry is set tomorrow night in Miami, starting at 9:00 Eastern. But CNN's live coverage will begin at 7:00 Eastern. And of course, watch AMERICAN MORNING as we prepare for the first presidential debate. We'll be live in Miami tomorrow morning. We'll bring you voter reaction from Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.

HEMMER: In the meantime, 22 minutes before the hour, and SpaceShipOne getting ready for take off in about an hour from now. It is leading a space race that is supposed to open the way for commercial space travel.

Miles O'Brien up early in a very dark Mojave, California, in the desert there. Miles, good morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Back in June, you'll recall SpaceShipOne first flew to space, and space is defined as an altitude of 100 kilometers, or 62 miles. At the controls at the time, 63-year-old Mike Melvill becoming the first person ever to be considered a civilian astronaut.

Well, he will be flying once again today in about an hour's time when SpaceShipOne begins its journey back to space. The hope here is just the first step toward winning a $10 million prize.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The stakes are high, and yet it was quiet and seemingly calm inside Burt Rutan's hangar. His team assured as they prepped for a higher-than-the-sky bonanza: $10 million Ansari X Prize.

BURT RUTAN, SPACESHIPONE DESIGNER: We're confident.

O'BRIEN: The vehicle he designed and built, SpaceShipOne, will try to repeat a feat it first accomplished on June 21st: a trip beyond 62 miles in altitude -- the gateway to space, where the sky is dark, the horizon curved, and the M&M's float. PETER DIAMANDIS, X PRIZE FOUNDER: People have to realize that this is a risk we're taking. We're opening up a frontier for humanity.

O'BRIEN: The flight is just the first step on the high road to the high-stakes prize. The winner must reach space in a vehicle capable of carrying three twice in as many weeks. If all goes well, Rutan's team plans to fly again next Monday. Sooner the better, in case he needs a mulligan.

RUTAN: I want to be able to fly three shots at it in two weeks.

O'BRIEN: At least on paper, there are two dozen X Prize teams, but SpaceShipOne is clearly the one to beat. X Prize founder Peter Diamandis is hoping for someone to win the prize this year.

DIAMANDIS: One of the large multibillion-dollar insurance companies took a bet. We paid a multimillion-dollar premium to them and said if someone wins by the end of 2004, you pay the 10 million. If no one does, you keep the premiums.

O'BRIEN: Rutan's team has spent $25 million of Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen's money to get this far.

RUTAN: We expect to return his -- 40 percent of his investment in the next couple of weeks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (on camera): Now the rules on this contest say that a spacecraft has to be capable of carrying three people. In this case, there won't be three people aboard, Bill. Mike Melvill will be alone, and he will carry the equivalent weight of two additional passengers.

And instead of putting some lead-shotted bags or whatever, the team in Burt Rutan's hangar has put together a whole host of trinkets and tools and photographs, all kinds of personal effects that are special to them which they will get at the return of the flight and know that they were somehow a part of this piece of history -- assuming all goes well -- in about an hour's time -- Bill?

HEMMER: In about an hour's time, we'll be watching. Thank you, Miles. Get back to us, all right? Miles O'Brien in the Mojave Desert this morning -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Want to check on the weather now. Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest forecast. Good morning to you, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: OK, thanks so much, Chad. Check with you a little later.

HEMMER: Looking for the perfect gift for the person who has everything? Every year we check this out.

COLLINS: Who are those people who have everything?

HEMMER: This year's Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog is now out. Andy loves this story. We'll get to him "Minding Your Business" in a moment.

COLLINS: Crazy things in there. Plus, flu season is almost upon us. I was just waiting for that shot shot. "Paging Dr. Gupta" on this.

Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Ready or not, here comes the flu season. And that means shots across the board. Sanjay's back here to tell us what we need to know again this year and a tough season last year. Sanjay, good morning.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

This is one of our favorite topics, you and I, talking about the flu shot. And flu season is coming right around the corner, as you mentioned. The CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, say the best time to get your flu shot is October and early November. October obviously starts on Friday.

Listen, there were a couple of problems last year. One is that the flu vaccine that was made didn't protect fully against one particular strain of the flu that proved to be particularly problematic. Also, there was an apparent shortage of the flu vaccine last year.

This year, they say they have corrected both those problems. There will be enough, and the flu shot will be protective against both those things.

A couple things to point out. The flu shot, that involves a needle, actually has an inactive virus in the needle. It will protect you, but it will not give you the flu. Bill, you and I talk about this all the time. There's also a nasal spray, Bill, because I know you're afraid of needles. The nasal spray is actually not recommended for young children or very elderly people. It does contain a more live form of the virus, but it can also provide protection, Bill.

HEMMER: Who's afraid of needles?

GUPTA: You are.

HEMMER: But listen, we get into this debate every year. I'm not a fan of flu shots, because I did one five years ago and I was sick as a dog 24 hours later. That's an aside. Who should get vaccinated now, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Yeah, I mean, I think that's an important point. There are some people who are going to be higher on the list of people who should get vaccinated versus others. People who are elderly. People who have chronic disease. Also, the CDC is recommending that children six months to 23 months also get the vaccine if they have a chronic disease, including things like asthma or diabetes.

Not enough people get the flu shot, Bill. And we joke about it a little bit, but it's true. The CDC reported that among children, who are sometimes the hardest hit, the six to 23-month-old category, only about five percent got the flu vaccine last year, Bill.

HEMMER: I'm a 22-year-old young man, give or take a few years, people my age, should we be getting shot or not?

GUPTA: Yeah, well, here's the thing, I think someone like you, you are young and healthy. So, for the most part, I think that you're going to fall much lower down on the list of people who absolutely need to get the flu shot. You probably should get the flu shot.

You actually have another reason to get the flu shot, and that has to do with your co-anchor Soledad. When you're going to be around people who have young children, if you are going to be around Soledad quite a bit, which you will be, it's best not to -- best to get the flu shot so that you don't get the flu, give it to her, and she gives it to her young babies, Bill.

HEMMER: I think that's the best advice you've given all day. Thank you. So, we get her back in mid-October, by the way.

GUPTA: All right. We'll wait on that.

HEMMER: So, we will be prepared. Thank you, Sanjay.

GUPTA: See you, Bill.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the holidays still a few months away. But at least one retailer thinks it is never too soon to start shopping, especially if you have really, really deep pockets. The wish list in a moment with Andy and Jack.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get a check on the state of the economy this morning and more of those over-the-top gift idea from Neiman Marcus. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."

Some good economic news?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yeah, Jack. Second quarter economy grew at 3.3 percent, that just crossing the tape. That's revised up from 2.8 percent. And better than expected -- not a barnburner, but pretty good.

Let's talk about the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogs, come out every year since 1926. Frankly I thought the last couple of years hadn't been so great. This year, though, they've got some outrageous stuff. You know, this stuff is all, you know, very, very high end, very, very expensive, kind of really over the top. They actually sell some of this stuff.

Let's start it up. First of all, we got a Vegas Trike -- look at that. A hunka-hunka burning love. How about that thing? It's street legal. Is that cool -- $65,000.

CAFFERTY: I would like to have that.

SERWER: Sixty-five thousand.

Let's move on to the Underwater Aviator, they call it. We call this a submarine. You can go down to 1,500 feet -- 1.7 million. You can stay down for a whole day.

HEMMER: I'll take two.

SERWER: "Das Boot!"

OK. Then let's move on to the bowling alley. His and Her Bowling Alley -- $1.4 million. Not so much, except you also need 5,000 square feet. Four lanes. You can create "The Big Lebowski" in your home.

Let's move on to the Suit of Armor. This is the bargain here, Jack -- only 20k. When you're feeling positively medieval.

And then let's move on to the last one here. This is my favorite. This is the big one. This is the biggie -- your own personal zeppelin. Ten millions dollars -- get the lead out. And they actually usually sell a couple of those, you know, these kind of the real expensive ones.

CAFFERTY: I like that motorcycle.

SERWER: You want that for Christmas?

CAFFERTY: I wouldn't mind having one of those.

SERWER: Well, start saving up, right? Get that.

COLLINS: Yeah, right.

CAFFERTY: All right. Thanks, Andy.

It's Wednesday, time to look at the "File." Things that people have said over the last week that got our attention. Beginning with this: "I'm glad that there is one super popular girl in America who is not drunk, sleeping with tons of people, and wearing inappropriate outfits." That's Gwyneth Paltrow talking about Jessica Simpson. And because of all those things, she is boring.

And this one: "It's fun. It's like a NASCAR pit stop. Get in there quick. Zoom, zoom. The trick is not getting any on you." That's Matt LeBlanc on changing diapers.

SERWER: Rocket scientist.

CAFFERTY: How close is he to be being right there, Heidi?

COLLINS: Pretty close, especially if you have a boy.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

Or there's this one: "I have never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm going to be blunt and plain. If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and then tell God he died." This is that genius Jimmy Swaggart, the televangelist preacher discussing gay marriage on his television show. He later apologized, saying the remarks were in jest.

He's a funny guy...

SERWER: He's apologized for stuff before.

CAFFERTY: Yeah, he has, including all them strange ladies he was -- was it in "Penthouse" magazine? That's a long time ago.

Or this: "It was a bit of a tight schedule. I done know if I could change before I got to the floor." What a great picture -- this is Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell on why he wore a northern Cheyenne chief's full regalia to the Senate floor to manage an appropriations bill. What a great looking outfit. Somewhere there's a face-on shot of that, and it's magnificent.

"I just want it to go well -- not the marriage, just the wedding." That's Jean Weinberg, who is one of our producers here on AMERICAN MORNING. She's getting married October the 9th here in New York City. And...

SERWER: What was the quote again?

CAFFERTY: "I just want it to go well -- not the marriage, just the wedding."

SERWER: Well, you know, she's got something there, you know?

HEMMER: Best of luck to her and Kyle, too.

COLLINS: Coming up. All right, Jack, thanks so much for those.

Still to come this morning, a preview of tomorrow night's debate from a couple of campaign insiders -- probably hoping it goes well, too. Kerry advisor Mike McCurry and Bush advisor Mary Matalin, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Still to come, American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh has a request for the president, and at least one man is outraged. He said Lindh could have saved his son's life but did not. We'll talk to the father of slain CIA agent Johnny Spann ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Good morning. The candidates now head for Florida. The first presidential debate, two strategies -- what do Bush and Kerry need to get done Thursday night?

Also in Florida: Have four hurricanes blown politics off the map? How the storms could change the vote.

A race for freedom: 44 North Koreans leap into a foreign embassy hoping for a better life.

And a critical moment coming up in space exploration: SpaceShipOne taking off this hour -- on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Live in Manhattan, 9:00 here in New York City. Bill Hemmer, along with Heidi Collins, in for Soledad. Good morning.

COLLINS: Good morning.

HEMMER: Some of the other headlines coming up this hour.

From Italy, still celebrating the release of the two Italian women kidnapped in Iraq. The two Simonas, as they are called, back home now, but there are some questions, too, about how they came to be released. We'll get a report live in Rome in a moment on that story.

COLLINS: Also, can you live into your 90s and barely age at all? We know a guy who did just that. Look at him there on the right. Jack La Lanne, the fitness pioneer, just turned 90, and you will not believe the shape he's in. I witnessed it personally.

We're going to hear from Jack -- and his wife, as well. Lovely woman. How does he do it, though? He's going to tell us how he can do it, too.

HEMMER: He's got some spunk, huh?

COLLINS: Yeah.

HEMMER: With a small S or a capital S?

COLLINS: Capital.

HEMMER: Capital, that's right.

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