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CNN Sunday Morning

Tropical Storm Gaston to Make Landfall Within Three Hours; Two French Journalists Kidnapped in Iraq

Aired August 29, 2004 - 07:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is August 29th, almost September. It's 7:00 a.m. in Charleston, South Carolina; 5:00 a.m. in Denver. Good morning, everyone. I'm Betty Nguyen.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin. Thanks for being with us. Stormy in some places, here's what's happening now in the news.

It could be a hurricane within the hour. Rain from tropical storm Gaston already soaking the South Carolina coast. The eye forecast to reach land in three hours. Hurricane warnings are up for the coast from Savannah River to Little River Inlet. Gaston could bring a three to five foot storm surge and up to 10 inches of rain. We're going to have a live report from the South Carolina coast 15 minutes away. And Rob Marciano is tracking the storm. He'll have updates throughout this Sunday morning.

It has been a violent few days in Iraq; 35 Iraqis have been killed, 158 wounded in recent clashes there. Ten Iraqis were killed in Baghdad and six in Baquba in just the last 24 hours. And also 19 bodies have been found in the rubble in Najaf. Sources say those Iraqis were likely killed before Saturday.

Al Jazeera has shown videotape of two French journalists missing for eight days, apparently now kidnapped in Iraq. They are being held by the so-called Islamic Army, the same group that claims it killed an Italian hostage last week. The group says they are holding the men to protest a French law banning headscarves in schools.

And pop singer Laura Branigan has died of a brain aneurysm. She was 47. Her platinum hit "Gloria" was released in 1982. Since then, she released seven albums and portrayed Janis Joplin in the off- Broadway play, "Love Janice." Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: Here are some other stories coming off this hour. New York, ready or not, the protesters are coming in big time. An estimated quarter million people are expected to pack the streets of Manhattan today ahead of the Republican Convention. We'll have a live report.

Plus, it looks like the South Carolina coast is about to be walloped. A hurricane warning is up, as tropical storm Gaston gets stronger with its sights set on Charleston. And later, a modern day "Green Acres?" We're going to meet a couple who gave up good paying jobs and life in the city for life on the farm.

GRIFFIN: Our top story this morning, the New York is gearing up for a day of pre-Republican Convention demonstrations. The biggest march by a group called United for Peace and Justice begins and ends in lower Manhattan.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is there. Deborah?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, this march formally begins at about noon today. Already there's a very heavy police presence. We're seeing a lot of these small three wheel scooters, but there are also a lot of tow trucks, as well as barricades that line all of 7th Avenue.

This is expected to be a huge parade. Police obviously making sure that everybody stays in line. Some 12,000 police who are going to be on patrol throughout the course of the entire day.

Now behind me, just here is a small group wearing the yellow T- shirts. They are marshals for this event. Basically, they are a part of the parade. They are here to make sure that everybody gets where they're going and does it peacefully and without incident.

There are police here taking this extremely seriously as far as any incident that might happen. The organizers, who expect about a quarter of a million people, believe and hope that this will go on without a hitch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): The most predictable thing about the protests is they will largely be unpredictable. As many as 800 diverse groups focused on sending a message to Republicans.

For some, it's about fighting AIDS. For others, it's about protecting the environment or perhaps overwhelmingly opposing the war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And here we go.

FEYERICK: Ordinary people with strong opinions about President Bush, people who started demonstrating a full week before he even gets to New York City.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am here to join in the gathering of hundreds of thousands of my countrymen to express our displeasure and our non-support of the Bush regime.

FEYERICK: Some protesters have already been arrested, like the lawyer, the minister, the architect and the businessman who unfurled a giant banner from the Plaza Hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people that did this today are ordinary people, who are doing something extraordinary to get that message across. FEYERICK: Exactly how many will come is anyone's guess. Organizers expect the largest crowd Sunday, saying as many as a quarter of a million people will show. Police won't confirm figures, but they're taking a zero tolerance approach to anyone who gets out of line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once they break the law, they're going to be arrested. And we're prepared to process large numbers of arrestees, if that's necessary.

FEYERICK: The city denied a permit for protesters to gather in Central Park after a march passed the convention site. No one knows for sure where they'll end up once it's over or if they'll disburse peacefully.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is president?

CROWD: Our president.

FEYERICK: While the Billionaires for Bush promised they'll play croquet and sip three-martini lunches, it's the anarchists who police are really worried about. A large scale drill covered by the media, just a snapshot of what could happen if anyone gets out of hand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Since Thursday, there have been 300 arrests. Chelsea Pier, which is off of the river, has been set up into a temporary holding pen. And that's where anybody who does get out of line will be brought -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Deborah, thank you for that. And stay with CNN for all your convention coverage. It kicks off tonight with an in-depth look at the president. "CNN PRESENTS" the mission of George W. Bush. That's 8:00, followed by a special live edition of "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Then at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, join Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff. They're going to have "AMERICA VOTES 2004 SPECIAL," a preview of the Republican National Convention.

NGUYEN: On the eve of the convention, President Bush stumps the Rust Belt. The president has a rally this afternoon in Wheeling, West Virginia. He is expected to remind workers that he imposed tariffs on imported steel for 20 months. Now yesterday in Ohio, Bush said his tax cutting agenda is providing the necessary fuel for job growth.

Meanwhile, John Kerry has wrapped up a swing through the West and gone home to Nantucket, Massachusetts. Kerry told an audience in Tacoma, Washington yesterday that he is in a fighting mood. Kerry will break with tradition by campaigning during the Republican Convention. He addresses the American Legion on Wednesday.

GRIFFIN: John Kerry may be taking a break this weekend, but a certain Democratic power couple just can't -- they've got to get in the mix here. Senator of New York City -- in a few hours from now, Bill and Hillary Clinton will attend services at Manhattan's Riverside Church. The appearance of former President Bill Clinton and New York's junior senator part public, part political. President Clinton is expected to take the pulpit to deliver a speech before Riverside's 2,400 member congregation.

NGUYEN: All right, let's talk numbers this morning. A new poll from "TIME" magazine shows Senator Kerry losing some ground on one vital issue with voters, and that's the economy. When asked who do you trust more to handle the economy, 46 percent chose Kerry, while 43 percent preferred President Bush. Now that puts Kerry's numbers down five points from a similar poll earlier this month.

On the other hand, when asked about President Bush's ability to bring people together, 39 percent say he is a uniter, 50 percent say Bush is a divider, and 7 percent were undecided.

GRIFFIN: Well, whether uniting or dividing, how much do we really know about the candidate's positions on major issues that you may care about? Every Sunday between now and November, we're going to bring you a series of reports on getting to know the candidates. And our first report today, we look at President Bush and Senator John Kerry's position on homeland security.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): In the 2000 presidential election, homeland security wasn't in our vocabulary. In 2004, it's become a hot button issue. The office of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Tom Ridge, was created in October of 2001. It became a cabinet department in 2002. Its mission is to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect and respond to threats aimed at the United States.

Let's break down some key parts of the homeland security issue and where the candidates stand. The Patriot Act, passed in October of 2001, it allows the U.S. to better track terrorists, disrupt their cells, and seize their assets by expanding the government's access to private information without proper checks on that access. Critics say the act infringes on American civil liberties.

President Bush created the act in response to the September 11th attacks and supports it as is. Senator Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, but now wants to rework it, claiming civil liberties need to be better preserved.

On enemy combatants -- as opposed to traditional rights for U.S. prisoners, by labeling someone an enemy combatant, the rules of detainment are relaxed. Unlawful enemy combatants, such as al Qaeda members, have the least rights. Critics say the name strips prisoners, some Americans, of many legal rights. President Bush supports labeling U.S. citizens as enemy combatants, while Senator Kerry is against it.

Intelligence agencies, the CIA, FBI, and NSA are among the agencies that collect and monitor intelligence information. Key criticism after September 11 was the agencies failed to share information with each other. President Bush created the Homeland Security Department as a central filter for threat information. Senator Kerry has called for a reform to domestic intelligence, and wants to create a targeted alert system. He has also called for a director of national intelligence.

Here's a side by side look at how the candidates stand on Homeland Security. And for more on the election and the issues, log on to CNN.com/americavotes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And next week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we're going to look at the candidates' stands on gay rights. And coming up after the hour, we'll talk more about the candidates, the issues, and the Republican Convention with NPR's congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook.

NGUYEN: Time now to fast forward and take a look at some stories likely to make news next week. Monday marks the deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for the government of Sudan to stop militias in the Darfur region.

Now according some estimates, up to 30,000 civilians have been killed since the violence started back in February of 2003. More than a million people are homeless and hungry. We will have a live report from Africa a little bit later this hour.

Also, Ray Charles left us something to remember him by. The late singer's final album comes out on Tuesday. It's called "Genius Loves Company." It includes Charles' hits with Norah Jones, Elton John and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.

And Wednesday in Baghdad, the 100 member Iraqi interim parliament is scheduled to hold its first session.

GRIFFIN: South Carolina is bracing for Gaston. There it is on the radar. We are tracking this storm. How bad will it be? We're going to take you to South Carolina, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say it's a different -- completely different way of life, but much better (UNINTELLIGIBLE) middle of a farm. What's not to like?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Yeah, what's not to like indeed, but would you give up a six-figure job in the city for a life on the farm?

GRIFFIN: And later, the Dream Team ends up on the podium, all right, but a few notches down where they thought they'd be.

NGUYEN: Lots of famous birthdays this weekend. Take a look, Shania Twain turns 39. Skating legend Scott Hamilton is 46, and so is Michael Jackson, believe it or not. Finally, a face you'll be seeing a lot of in the next few months, Senator John McCain is 68 today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Stories making headlines across America now. In northern Arizona, federal investigators are picking through the rubble of a plane collision that killed two experienced pilots. Each is said to have thousands of hours of training under their belts.

Investigators say the pilots were practicing a stunt for an upcoming air show, when one plane clipped the wing of the other near Prescott Valley.

Who killed two Christian camp counselors in California? That is what police are still trying to determine, as they sort through some 350 tips and clues. Yesterday, friends and family held a memorial service for 22-year old Lindsay Kutschall and 26-year old Jason Allen.

Around August 18th, the two were shot in the head while in sleeping bags on a secluded beach along California's northern coast.

GRIFFIN: Forecasters say Tropical Storm Gaston bearing down on the South Carolina coast. It could come ashore today. The National Hurricane Center has posted a hurricane warning from the Savannah River to Little River Inlet. The tropical storm has had winds near 70 miles per hour. It could become a hurricane in just the next hour or so. We're going to have live reports from Georgetown, South Carolina, which is in the path. We're also going to hear from Rob Marciano on its path coming up.

NGUYEN: But in the meantime, singing, dancing, and probably some pats on the back for today's Olympic closing ceremony. Athens organizers say they want a feel that's different from the opening festivities two weeks ago.

CNN's Larry Smith has been in Athens for the duration and he has a recap of the golden and not so golden moments. But it's been a fun time, hasn't it, Larry?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a great couple of weeks here. It really has. The 28th Olympiad, as you mentioned, comes to a close this evening. Still some activities ongoing today. The big event on the athletic side of things, outside of the pomp and circumstance we'll see tonight, is the men's marathon, which will finish less than a mile from our location here at the old Penathal (ph) Stadium, which is the host of the 1986 original modern Olympic games.

Now speaking of the U.S., more than 100 medals they have won, including, well, a bronze medal last night for the men's basketball team. This is not what Dream Team expected. They're supposed to win gold, a team of all NBA players, the first team of all the NBA players to fail to win gold, but they beat Lithuania 104-96 last night, despite Lithuanians hitting 21 three-pointers. The U.S. taking bronze. And they'll come home, though, to many questions on why they failed to reach gold.

That was no problem for the U.S. women's basketball team, as they took a gold, the first women's hoop team to win three consecutive gold medals. USA women beating Australia 74 to 63. Dawn Stalley (ph) in perhaps her final Olympics competition scored 14 points as the U.S. has now won 25 games in a row in Olympic competition.

Last night in track and field at Olympic stadium, oh, what a moment it was. In the men's 4 by 100 meter relay for the first time since the year the Titanic sunk, Great Britain scoring a Titanic victory, nipping the U.S. for the gold by 1/100th of a second. Maurice Greene, it appeared, maybe got his toe to the line just ahead of the Great Britain runner. But U.S. takes silver instead. By the way, U.S. did get gold at both the men's and women's 4 by 4 100 meter relay. Again, they've reached the 100 mark in total medals.

And this latest story this afternoon here in Athens in the Paul Hamm controversy. The South Koreans now have filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, trying to get their gymnast Yang Tae Young a duplicate gold medal.

Now the CAS has said before, earlier this week, they would not touch this case because this is a field of play decision. If you haven't heard, Paul Hamm, the gold medal he won in these games in the men's all-around competition, tainted a bit several days later when it was admitted that a judge's mistake actually should have given Yang the gold and not Hamm.

Hamm has said, though, he would not give up his gold, even though the international figures -- International Federation of Gymnastics, I should say, did ask him in a letter to give up his gold medal in a voluntary, you know, spirit of fair play. But he's not going to do that.

Let's go back to you.

NGUYEN: I'm sure we will hear much more about that saga. All right, Larry Smith, thank you very much.

GRIFFIN: When you say born to be wild, picture this granny. She had to wait 100 years for one wish to come true. We're going to tell you about her next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Plus, we are keeping an eye on Gaston, as it churns out in the Atlantic. Rob, how is it looking right about now?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, it's very close to landfall, Betty and Drew. It's got winds of 70 miles an hour. It's almost a hurricane, and now it's affecting the entire shoreline, especially the northern coastline of South Carolina. Where it is, how strong it is and where it's going, in your forecast, coming up in just about five minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All eyes are on the Big Apple this weekend. About a quarter million protesters are expected to march from Union Square, past Madison Square Garden. Want to say good morning to you in New York.

Rob Marciano will have your weather forecast in just a minute.

If our next story were a personal ad, it might go something like this: 100 something woman seeking adventure to remember.

As Rhonda Grayson reports, one woman's wish to be a motorcycle grandma came true, as she got the ultimate view to a thrill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RHONDA GRAYSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look out, Harley. Look out, Honda. There's another easy rider on the road.

Grandma Flossie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know ladies don't usually tell their age, but how hold are you?

GRANDMA FLOSSIE: I guess about 100.

GRAYSON: Flossie's dream was to ride a motorcycle. And with the help of Secondwind Dreams, an organization that grants wishes to seniors, she took the mean streets of Cumming, Georgia, looking for adventure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So I enjoy watching her do that.

GRAYSON: If granny cam is any indication, Flossie was a bit apprehensive at first, but seemed to enjoy the roar of the engine from her vantage point in the Honda side car. Some of her friends at the nursing home even nicknamed her "Evil Knievel."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I was kidding her this morning. I say well there's two things you're shy of, and that's a red bandanna and tattoos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're one cool mama, I'll tell you that. You can ride with me anytime you want.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we weren't real sure if she'd go through with us, but we're pleased that she did. And I think she enjoyed it tremendously.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ready?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The look on her face was just priceless. And the surprise and I guess probably too it's always fun to see how the family responds because they get to see a side of their mother again that they haven't seen probably in many years.

GRAYSON (on camera): It may have taken her 100 years to ride a motorcycle, and now Flossie has her motor running.

Rhonda Grayson, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, it is a good thing Flossie isn't going through South Carolina right about now. GRIFFIN: I'll say, especially in that convertible top she's driving in. Major roads closed in Charleston, and in areas around South Carolina. We also understand from the mayor there, he's urging everybody to stay inside as this hurricane -- actually, tropical storm, going to be a hurricane -- moves ashore. We're going to talk with Rob Marciano in the weather center to see what exactly -- this is just on the border.

MARCIANO: It is. I mean, just a couple more miles an hour as far as sustained winds, Drew, so you're right, it's right on the cusp, and it looks like it's really making landfall pretty much right now, through about 10:00 or 11:00 this afternoon.

The west -- it's hitting the same area that Hurricane Charley hit about two weeks ago, just north of Charleston. It will eventually slide into Georgetown, and up towards Myrtle Beach as well.

The difference is that actually the western flank of this system is a little bit better organized. So we're seeing rainfall all the way into Columbia. The I95 corridor is seeing some heavy rainfall, and Charleston right now is not only seeing heavy rain, but wind out of the north, gusting to almost 50 miles an hour. So they're seeing tropical storm conditions across Charleston, and some of the pictures out of there are definitely a little bit dreary.

Anyway, this thing rolling to the north, about 67 miles an hour, and here is the eye. You see, it's just offshore of Charleston, by about 30 miles and drifting to the north. So a pretty-well defined eye. If it is upgraded here in a couple of hours, it will be a category one storm.

So we have hurricane warnings that are out from the Savannah River, basically the Georgia-South Carolina border up through the Carolinas border here, and then tropical storm warnings up to Surf City.

And it's coming in, guys, right around high tide, so there will be a pretty decent storm surge on the northern coastline of South Carolina.

These are the latest numbers. Gusts to 85 miles an hour, but winds right now at 70. So we get them up to 75, and that will be Hurricane Gaston, and we'll keep you posted throughout the morning. It's definitely going to be a stormy one for the folks who just, just two weeks ago almost today.

NGUYEN: They've already been down this road, Rob.

MARCIANO: Yeah. And they don't need the rain anymore. They're about seven or eight inches above normal for the month, that's for sure.

NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Rob.

GRIFFIN: That's good news. It's about to hit just north of Charleston in Georgetown. That's where Erin Kienzle from our affiliate WSOC is standing by. And we've been watching the weather kind of deteriorate, as you are in our monitor this morning, Erin.

ERIN KIENZLE, WSOC: Well, good morning. Yeah, things dry right now. Winds are picking up. But just about three minutes ago, we had one of those outer bands move through. And for two minutes, we had heavy, heavy rain and wind. That since has subsided, but we are going to get more of those outer bands.

Out here, you can see we are in the Georgetown boardwalk. So you're looking at the boats out there. High tide is coming up about 7:49 this morning. So tide is coming in as we speak. And a lot of people out here -- rather no one out here. And earlier, I saw some people kind of tying things down on their boat.

And we can swing around this way just a little bit. I think she's left, but you see the sandbags. There was a woman just there putting all the sandbags. So if the water rises that high as she expects, that's well above the level that it's at right now.

And as you mentioned, the ground is very, very saturated because of Charley, which we had a couple weeks ago. So people in Georgetown are just preparing for the storm and waiting for some of that rain and potential flooding and wind damage to come in.

I'm Erin Kienzle live in Georgetown. I'll send it back to you in Atlanta.

GRIFFIN: Erin, thanks. We'll be watching through the day and getting your reports. Thank you for that.

NGUYEN: Well, homeless, hungry and searching for peace, but hopes to resolve Sudan's crisis are on hold. We'll go live to Africa when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

GRIFFIN: And searching for happiness in this country, would you give up a six figure salary and a luxurious lifestyle to be happy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...always worried about your job and stability, you know. Might even get laid off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Peace talks in the Sudan are on hold. Welcome back. I'm Drew Griffin.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen at CNN Global Headquarters here in Atlanta. That story in just a moment. But first, what's happening now in the news.

Tropical storm Gaston is lumbering toward the South Carolina coast. We want to give you a live picture shortly of WSOC. We'll get to that in just a moment, but here's a look at the radar right now. And forecasters think Gaston could become a hurricane soon. The storm is expected to make landfall near Charleston by mid-day. Hurricane warnings are up already. And the mayor of Charleston has already reported that major highways are closed. And he is advising residents to stay indoors. We'll have much more on this throughout the show.

Meantime, violence has marred today's presidential election in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Details are still sketchy, but officials say a man tried to bring a suspicious package to a polling station, then blew himself up as he ran away. Chechen voters are replacing their president, who was killed in a May bomb blast.

Turning now to politics, more big protests in the Big Apple today. Demonstrators will take to the streets of New York for another day of rallies before the GOP convention, which starts tomorrow.

A group called United For Peace and Justice will hold the biggest march today. Protesters claim 250,000 people will participate.

And it'll be a party atmosphere in Athens later today, as the 28th Olympiad comes to a close. The opening ceremony was widely praised. Organizers say they hope to top that today. They say the closing ceremonies will feature a lot of singing and dancing.

GRIFFIN: Refugees are still moving into camps in Sudan's embattled Darfur region, but there's no movement at peace talks in Nigeria aimed at ending this crisis. They are on hold for now. And rebel forces are boycotting the talks.

On the phone, freelance journalist David Clark to bring us up to speed on what's happening -- David?

DAVID CLARK, JOURNALIST: Sorry, I can't hear anything.

GRIFFIN: Apparently we're having trouble with David's phone. David Clark, are you on the phone now, sir?

CLARK: Yes, I can hear you now.

GRIFFIN: Yes, can you bring us up to speed on the apparent boycott of these negotiations with the rebel forces?

CLARK: Yes, the rebel forces have pulled out of negotiations for a 24 hour boycott, which is due to end...

(AUDIO GAP)

GRIFFIN: OK, we will get back to David Clark when our signal becomes more clear. He's probably using satellite phone there -- Betty?

NGUYEN: It's a long way from Iraq, but a small town in Oregon is now a lot closer to the conflict there. CNN's Casey Wian reports on how the community is coping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Adams, Oregon, is the kind of place time seems to have missed. It's a peaceful farming community of 297 people and no traffic lights. The only business on main street is a restaurant and general store that opened in 1885. But lately, something has changed here. Townsfolk say they're closer than ever.=

MAYOR PAT BRYSON, ADAMS, OREGON: We're not dramatically affected by, you know, world events, but now we are. There's four servicemen that come from this town that are headed over to Iraq. They deserve a huge amount of respect and support. You know, there ain't much you can do to support them. You know, they're going to go. You know, what are you going to do? So the best thing we can do is show them.

WIAN: American flags and yellow ribbons seem to be everywhere, including these on the town square bearing the names Brian Phillips, Ryan Lehnert and the Chase brothers, Travis and Jack.

(on camera): Four young men called up to active duty may not sound like that many, but it is when you consider the fact that the entire town of Adams only has about four dozen men between the ages of 18 and 44.

(voice-over): The Chases leave behind their wives and seven kids between them, plus siblings and parents.

WENDY CHASE, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: I'm worried about it every day, constantly wondering whether he's going to come home or not.

WIAN: Wendy says her community support goes beyond yellow ribbons.

CHASE: Everybody's come together. They've offered services in any way they can.

WIAN: Jeannie Chase expects her husband to be gone for at least a year.

JEANNIE CHASE, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: We didn't realize it was going to be so long.

BRYSON: It's hard on the families. You know, that's a lot of stress, to have your children over in a foreign country where they're definitely going to get probably shot at, you know, and possibly killed, and that's -- that's so far removed from where we live and what we do in this town. It's pretty traumatic.

WIAN: Especially since the call-up came right before harvest time in Adams. 1st Sergeant Ryan Lehnert didn't have time to finish the yard of his new house. His wife, Janie, can't do it. She's expecting a child. So locals called a town meeting to pitch in and finish the job.

JANIE LEHNERT, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: You hear people talk about Mayberry. Well, you know, everybody knows your name, and they know what you're doing, and they care. They genuinely care.

WIAN: Adams even came up with a name, Operation Homeland Compassion. They hope the name and their actions spread throughout the country.

Casey Wian, CNN, Adams, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we bring you stories like this every week right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Half of Americans say they'd actually made choices in their own lives to take less money, to have downshifting in order to get more time in their life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Did you know that? Yes, money cannot always buy happiness. The story of one couple who gave up a fortune for a chance to live on a farm, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: But first, bestsellers and fiction on "The New York Times" list this week. "The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown, Sandra Brown's "White Hot," and a couple books look at the afterlife. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Album is at number three, followed by "Skinny Dip" and "The Rule of Four with Mystery, Murder and Intrigue," well that is at number five.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: File this one under money matters. An unscientific survey on Forbes.com asked the question how much money do you think a person needs to be considered truly wealthy? So far, here's the results.

Seventeen percent say between $1 and $5 million will make you wealthy. 16 percent want more than that, between $10 and $15 million. But suggesting that money might not matter that much, 21 percent of the people say true wealth is not measured by dollar signs.

For some, mounds of money may make life like a bowl of cherries. For others, the fruits of hard labor can truly make one spoiled. What am I talking about?

CNN's Brian Todd explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sue and Dan Gragan had the life so many of us are after. They like this one better.

SUE GRAGAN, FARMER: Taste this. The dark or the red one.

TODD: Their main worries now, picking the raspberries, peaches, nectarines, getting them to market on time.

S. GRAGAN: We've got to get the stuff done in the season. You can't take a day off.

TODD: But to them, it's nothing like the stress they used to feel.

DAN GRAGAN, FARMER: Always worrying about your job, stability, you know. I even got laid off.

TODD: The poster children from modern success, into their late '40s and early '50s. Sue, a lobbyist, Dan an engineer. Dual incomes, well into the six figures, living in the stratospheric real estate market of suburban Washington.

D. GRAGAN: The commute to the city was just outrageous.

TODD: When the Gragans finally moved to rural southern Maryland, then full-time into farming, they acted on an impulse that a growing number of Americans seem to feel.

GREGG EASTERBROOK, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: In our society, where 150 to 200 million people are now materially secure, I think every year, more and more people ask themselves the question, is that all there is?

TODD: Several recent studies say our pursuit of wealth, bringing more success and comfort to so many, has also brought an overwhelming sense of stress and unhappiness.

A new poll by the Center for a New American Dream says more than half of those surveyed would be willing to give up one day's pay per week for one day off, and to spend more time with family and friends and...

BETSY TAYLOR, CENTER FOR NEW AMERICAN DREAM: Half of Americans say they've actually made choices in their own lives to take less money to have downshifting in order to get more time in their life.

TODD: Experts admit scaling back isn't easy. They say taking small steps and listing priorities is a good start. Sue and Dan Gragan say the tough transition is worth it.

D. GRAGAN: Like I say, it's different -- completely different way of life, but much better than sitting in an office, living in the middle of a farm that's -- what's not to like?

TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Less stressful and you don't have to deal with traffic. I kind of like that idea, not dealing with traffic.

GRIFFIN: I didn't see one bug in that story, though.

NGUYEN: Oh, I'm sure they're out there, though. No doubt.

All right, we want to get to our top stories now. A hurricane warning is up for the South Carolina coast. Forecasters say Tropical Storm Gaston is packing 70 mile an hour winds and getting stronger. They predict it will become a full blown hurricane. And the eye will make landfall near Charleston in a matter of hours. And already, the mayor of Charleston has urged residents there to stay inside. Major roadways in the area have been closed. And as you remember, Charley hit this area not too long ago. So many folks in the area do not need any more rain, but it looks like they're going to get some of it today. And we'll have more on this.

Also, police say a man tried to bring a suspicious package to a polling place in the Russian republic of Chechnya today. It blew up and he died. Voters are electing a new president, after the previous leader was killed by a bomb earlier this year.

Delegates are beginning to descend on the Big Apple for their GOP convention, which begins tomorrow. The protesters are already there. A rally is due to begin in just a few hours.

Well, do you have any plans for Labor Day Weekend? There are some sweet deals available. And we'll tell you where to find them in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

GRIFFIN: With the presidential election nine weeks and two days away, most polls say it's too close to call. So a lot is at stake for George W. Bush at this week's Republican National Convention. Will he take advantage of the spotlight? A question we'll put to congressional reporter Seabrook with NPR.

Good morning, Andrea. She joins us live from New York. She's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: We're following lots of big stories this Sunday morning. None bigger for the folks in South Carolina than this one. That is Tropical Storm Gaston, which could become a hurricane within the hour. We have reporters on the coast who will be following this live throughout the morning.

NGUYEN: New York City will be a vortex of competing political interests this week. The Republicans will rally around President Bush at the GOP National Convention inside Madison Square Garden. And numerous protests and demonstrations are planned outside, including some that are expected to be very large.

NPR congressional reporter Andrea Seabrook is with us once again with her perspective on the coming week.

Good morning to you.

ANDREA SEABROOK, NPR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, as we head into this convention, let's take a look at some of these poll numbers that are out. We're going to try to put those up on the screen. A lot of voters have been polled about who they think should be the choice for president. Kerry now has 48 percent. He used to have 47 percent. And Bush has 47 percent, where he used to have 48 percent.

So what does Bush need to do in this convention to put him over the top?

SEABROOK: President Bush needs to do something that he says a lot in his stump speeches everywhere he goes all over the country. He says that he wants to make America safer, stronger, and better. Three simple words that he needs to convince swing voters, these tiny margin of people who haven't decided yet who they're going to vote for, that he's going to be able to do with a second term.

Or at least that he's a better bet than John Kerry for doing in his second term. And that's probably what a lot of this is going to be centered around, safer, stronger, and better. And the image, at the very least, the image that he is a safer bet than John Kerry for another four years.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about image a little bit, because we have seen so much lately, a lot dealing with these swift boat ads. Is that going to be a theme at all throughout this or is everyone done with it?

SEABROOK: You know, I tend to think that it's probably going away. I think when both sides realize that it wasn't helping either side anymore, that it wasn't hurting either side anymore, I think they're -- pretty much, I think they're letting go of this whole thing.

And again, I probably shouldn't talk too soon because who knows? You know, I mean...

NGUYEN: You don't know.

SEABROOK: ...another person could come up, you know. But I think a lot of people are tired of this. A lot of -- both the candidates are registering that most Americans are sick of it. And I think we may see an end to it.

NGUYEN: Talking about what we want to hear or what voters want to hear at the convention, who is speaking at the convention? And are there any folks being left off of that podium?

SEABROOK: Well, it's a fascinating roster of speakers coming up in the next four days. We're going to see a lot of what you would think of as moderate Republicans. We're even going to see the keynote speaker of this convention, a Democrat, Zell Miller, Senator Zell Miller of Georgia.

You know, it's a very interesting face that the Republicans are putting forward here. It is one that seems wholly geared towards those swing voters, that tiny slim margin that I was talking about earlier. People who could sort of go either way, but are trying to decide where to put their money for the next four years. These are people who are going to benefit from speeches like from former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is famous for his reaction that -- his work after 9/11. As I said, Zell Miller, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as sort of a softer face of the Republican Party you'll see in Laura Bush, you'll see in Lynne Cheney. And of course, we'll see none other than Senator John McCain. We'll see him tomorrow. He is one that is loved by many Americans for having an unadulterated sharp tongue and one that is now leaning towards -- campaigning very strongly for President Bush. And a lot of people trust him.

And so again, it's this whole sort of roster of voters that are centered toward getting that swing vote.

NGUYEN: We'll see how it plays out starting Monday. Andrea Seabrook, NPR congressional reporter, thank you so much.

SEABROOK: You're welcome, Betty.

NGUYEN: And we are taking your e-mail questions today. THE CAPITAL GANG duo, Mark Shields and Al Hunt, join us at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, to talk politics from New York. Send us your question to wam@cnn.com -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: But first, Betty, from political storms to Tropical Storm Gaston. He is real and about to become a hurricane. Details from Rob Marciano, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning and welcome back. If you are just waking up, and especially if you live in South Carolina, brace yourself, because tropical storm, hurricane -- or I should say Gaston, which is expected to become a hurricane sometime later today is headed for South Carolina right now. We are looking at WSOC -- or we were -- at the gauges there on the wind speeds.

Winds are getting close to 70 miles per hour, and the mayor of Charleston has already put out some warnings. Major highways are closed, people are urged to stay indoors, and we'll be talking with Rob Marciano in just a little bit later about what Gaston has in store for South Carolina.

GRIFFIN: Looks like plenty of blue skies in Miami this morning, and tonight there will be stars out, whether the clouds come in or not. It's going to be the MTV Music Awards in Miami tonight. The event held there for the first time. Usually, they happen in New York or L.A. Good morning, Miami. We'll have your full forecast in about a minute from now.

Reality TV shows are so en vogue. Now, one icon of style will make sure he's up on that fashion trend. Designer Tommy Hilfiger is walking the reality TV runway with his own show. It's called "The Cut." Described as a cross between "The Apprentice" and "America's Next Top Model," in it, 16 wannabe designers live in New York and compete for the chance to design for his company. Producers are accepting applications on the CBS Web site.

NGUYEN: All right, now we want to get back to Tropical Storm Gaston. When is it expected to become a hurricane today, Rob?

MARCIANO: Well, between now and when it makes landfall. It's right on the cusp, so we're looking at -- for landfall here, between, figure 9:00 and noon. It's just offshore by about 30 miles.

Here's Charleston. It's pretty much due east of Charleston, it's drifting north. So likely to make landfall somewhere around Georgetown, South Carolina, which is where Charley made landfall about two weeks ago.

But the western flank of this thing, as you can see, it's filled in quite a bit. A lot of rain, and these squalls have some gusty winds.

Good winds is that the winds are coming out of the north in Charleston. Still, minor flooding expected there, but as this thing heads inland, a storm surge could be fairly significant, because we're looking at it coming in right at high tide, and it's full moon out there, so that doesn't help things either.

Winds at 70 miles an hour. Drifting to the north. And again, 35 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and expected to make landfall here in the next couple of hours. Already beginning to see the outer fringes of the eye make landfall, pretty much.

Here's the expected track over the next 48 hours. It will weaken, obviously, when it moves inland later on today, and then move offshore tomorrow.

But one of the reasons that we don't think it's going to move drastically to the west is because this cool front will help kick it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired August 29, 2004 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is August 29th, almost September. It's 7:00 a.m. in Charleston, South Carolina; 5:00 a.m. in Denver. Good morning, everyone. I'm Betty Nguyen.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin. Thanks for being with us. Stormy in some places, here's what's happening now in the news.

It could be a hurricane within the hour. Rain from tropical storm Gaston already soaking the South Carolina coast. The eye forecast to reach land in three hours. Hurricane warnings are up for the coast from Savannah River to Little River Inlet. Gaston could bring a three to five foot storm surge and up to 10 inches of rain. We're going to have a live report from the South Carolina coast 15 minutes away. And Rob Marciano is tracking the storm. He'll have updates throughout this Sunday morning.

It has been a violent few days in Iraq; 35 Iraqis have been killed, 158 wounded in recent clashes there. Ten Iraqis were killed in Baghdad and six in Baquba in just the last 24 hours. And also 19 bodies have been found in the rubble in Najaf. Sources say those Iraqis were likely killed before Saturday.

Al Jazeera has shown videotape of two French journalists missing for eight days, apparently now kidnapped in Iraq. They are being held by the so-called Islamic Army, the same group that claims it killed an Italian hostage last week. The group says they are holding the men to protest a French law banning headscarves in schools.

And pop singer Laura Branigan has died of a brain aneurysm. She was 47. Her platinum hit "Gloria" was released in 1982. Since then, she released seven albums and portrayed Janis Joplin in the off- Broadway play, "Love Janice." Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: Here are some other stories coming off this hour. New York, ready or not, the protesters are coming in big time. An estimated quarter million people are expected to pack the streets of Manhattan today ahead of the Republican Convention. We'll have a live report.

Plus, it looks like the South Carolina coast is about to be walloped. A hurricane warning is up, as tropical storm Gaston gets stronger with its sights set on Charleston. And later, a modern day "Green Acres?" We're going to meet a couple who gave up good paying jobs and life in the city for life on the farm.

GRIFFIN: Our top story this morning, the New York is gearing up for a day of pre-Republican Convention demonstrations. The biggest march by a group called United for Peace and Justice begins and ends in lower Manhattan.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is there. Deborah?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, this march formally begins at about noon today. Already there's a very heavy police presence. We're seeing a lot of these small three wheel scooters, but there are also a lot of tow trucks, as well as barricades that line all of 7th Avenue.

This is expected to be a huge parade. Police obviously making sure that everybody stays in line. Some 12,000 police who are going to be on patrol throughout the course of the entire day.

Now behind me, just here is a small group wearing the yellow T- shirts. They are marshals for this event. Basically, they are a part of the parade. They are here to make sure that everybody gets where they're going and does it peacefully and without incident.

There are police here taking this extremely seriously as far as any incident that might happen. The organizers, who expect about a quarter of a million people, believe and hope that this will go on without a hitch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): The most predictable thing about the protests is they will largely be unpredictable. As many as 800 diverse groups focused on sending a message to Republicans.

For some, it's about fighting AIDS. For others, it's about protecting the environment or perhaps overwhelmingly opposing the war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And here we go.

FEYERICK: Ordinary people with strong opinions about President Bush, people who started demonstrating a full week before he even gets to New York City.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am here to join in the gathering of hundreds of thousands of my countrymen to express our displeasure and our non-support of the Bush regime.

FEYERICK: Some protesters have already been arrested, like the lawyer, the minister, the architect and the businessman who unfurled a giant banner from the Plaza Hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people that did this today are ordinary people, who are doing something extraordinary to get that message across. FEYERICK: Exactly how many will come is anyone's guess. Organizers expect the largest crowd Sunday, saying as many as a quarter of a million people will show. Police won't confirm figures, but they're taking a zero tolerance approach to anyone who gets out of line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once they break the law, they're going to be arrested. And we're prepared to process large numbers of arrestees, if that's necessary.

FEYERICK: The city denied a permit for protesters to gather in Central Park after a march passed the convention site. No one knows for sure where they'll end up once it's over or if they'll disburse peacefully.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is president?

CROWD: Our president.

FEYERICK: While the Billionaires for Bush promised they'll play croquet and sip three-martini lunches, it's the anarchists who police are really worried about. A large scale drill covered by the media, just a snapshot of what could happen if anyone gets out of hand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Since Thursday, there have been 300 arrests. Chelsea Pier, which is off of the river, has been set up into a temporary holding pen. And that's where anybody who does get out of line will be brought -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Deborah, thank you for that. And stay with CNN for all your convention coverage. It kicks off tonight with an in-depth look at the president. "CNN PRESENTS" the mission of George W. Bush. That's 8:00, followed by a special live edition of "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Then at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, join Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff. They're going to have "AMERICA VOTES 2004 SPECIAL," a preview of the Republican National Convention.

NGUYEN: On the eve of the convention, President Bush stumps the Rust Belt. The president has a rally this afternoon in Wheeling, West Virginia. He is expected to remind workers that he imposed tariffs on imported steel for 20 months. Now yesterday in Ohio, Bush said his tax cutting agenda is providing the necessary fuel for job growth.

Meanwhile, John Kerry has wrapped up a swing through the West and gone home to Nantucket, Massachusetts. Kerry told an audience in Tacoma, Washington yesterday that he is in a fighting mood. Kerry will break with tradition by campaigning during the Republican Convention. He addresses the American Legion on Wednesday.

GRIFFIN: John Kerry may be taking a break this weekend, but a certain Democratic power couple just can't -- they've got to get in the mix here. Senator of New York City -- in a few hours from now, Bill and Hillary Clinton will attend services at Manhattan's Riverside Church. The appearance of former President Bill Clinton and New York's junior senator part public, part political. President Clinton is expected to take the pulpit to deliver a speech before Riverside's 2,400 member congregation.

NGUYEN: All right, let's talk numbers this morning. A new poll from "TIME" magazine shows Senator Kerry losing some ground on one vital issue with voters, and that's the economy. When asked who do you trust more to handle the economy, 46 percent chose Kerry, while 43 percent preferred President Bush. Now that puts Kerry's numbers down five points from a similar poll earlier this month.

On the other hand, when asked about President Bush's ability to bring people together, 39 percent say he is a uniter, 50 percent say Bush is a divider, and 7 percent were undecided.

GRIFFIN: Well, whether uniting or dividing, how much do we really know about the candidate's positions on major issues that you may care about? Every Sunday between now and November, we're going to bring you a series of reports on getting to know the candidates. And our first report today, we look at President Bush and Senator John Kerry's position on homeland security.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): In the 2000 presidential election, homeland security wasn't in our vocabulary. In 2004, it's become a hot button issue. The office of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Tom Ridge, was created in October of 2001. It became a cabinet department in 2002. Its mission is to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect and respond to threats aimed at the United States.

Let's break down some key parts of the homeland security issue and where the candidates stand. The Patriot Act, passed in October of 2001, it allows the U.S. to better track terrorists, disrupt their cells, and seize their assets by expanding the government's access to private information without proper checks on that access. Critics say the act infringes on American civil liberties.

President Bush created the act in response to the September 11th attacks and supports it as is. Senator Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, but now wants to rework it, claiming civil liberties need to be better preserved.

On enemy combatants -- as opposed to traditional rights for U.S. prisoners, by labeling someone an enemy combatant, the rules of detainment are relaxed. Unlawful enemy combatants, such as al Qaeda members, have the least rights. Critics say the name strips prisoners, some Americans, of many legal rights. President Bush supports labeling U.S. citizens as enemy combatants, while Senator Kerry is against it.

Intelligence agencies, the CIA, FBI, and NSA are among the agencies that collect and monitor intelligence information. Key criticism after September 11 was the agencies failed to share information with each other. President Bush created the Homeland Security Department as a central filter for threat information. Senator Kerry has called for a reform to domestic intelligence, and wants to create a targeted alert system. He has also called for a director of national intelligence.

Here's a side by side look at how the candidates stand on Homeland Security. And for more on the election and the issues, log on to CNN.com/americavotes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And next week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we're going to look at the candidates' stands on gay rights. And coming up after the hour, we'll talk more about the candidates, the issues, and the Republican Convention with NPR's congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook.

NGUYEN: Time now to fast forward and take a look at some stories likely to make news next week. Monday marks the deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for the government of Sudan to stop militias in the Darfur region.

Now according some estimates, up to 30,000 civilians have been killed since the violence started back in February of 2003. More than a million people are homeless and hungry. We will have a live report from Africa a little bit later this hour.

Also, Ray Charles left us something to remember him by. The late singer's final album comes out on Tuesday. It's called "Genius Loves Company." It includes Charles' hits with Norah Jones, Elton John and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.

And Wednesday in Baghdad, the 100 member Iraqi interim parliament is scheduled to hold its first session.

GRIFFIN: South Carolina is bracing for Gaston. There it is on the radar. We are tracking this storm. How bad will it be? We're going to take you to South Carolina, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say it's a different -- completely different way of life, but much better (UNINTELLIGIBLE) middle of a farm. What's not to like?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Yeah, what's not to like indeed, but would you give up a six-figure job in the city for a life on the farm?

GRIFFIN: And later, the Dream Team ends up on the podium, all right, but a few notches down where they thought they'd be.

NGUYEN: Lots of famous birthdays this weekend. Take a look, Shania Twain turns 39. Skating legend Scott Hamilton is 46, and so is Michael Jackson, believe it or not. Finally, a face you'll be seeing a lot of in the next few months, Senator John McCain is 68 today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Stories making headlines across America now. In northern Arizona, federal investigators are picking through the rubble of a plane collision that killed two experienced pilots. Each is said to have thousands of hours of training under their belts.

Investigators say the pilots were practicing a stunt for an upcoming air show, when one plane clipped the wing of the other near Prescott Valley.

Who killed two Christian camp counselors in California? That is what police are still trying to determine, as they sort through some 350 tips and clues. Yesterday, friends and family held a memorial service for 22-year old Lindsay Kutschall and 26-year old Jason Allen.

Around August 18th, the two were shot in the head while in sleeping bags on a secluded beach along California's northern coast.

GRIFFIN: Forecasters say Tropical Storm Gaston bearing down on the South Carolina coast. It could come ashore today. The National Hurricane Center has posted a hurricane warning from the Savannah River to Little River Inlet. The tropical storm has had winds near 70 miles per hour. It could become a hurricane in just the next hour or so. We're going to have live reports from Georgetown, South Carolina, which is in the path. We're also going to hear from Rob Marciano on its path coming up.

NGUYEN: But in the meantime, singing, dancing, and probably some pats on the back for today's Olympic closing ceremony. Athens organizers say they want a feel that's different from the opening festivities two weeks ago.

CNN's Larry Smith has been in Athens for the duration and he has a recap of the golden and not so golden moments. But it's been a fun time, hasn't it, Larry?

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a great couple of weeks here. It really has. The 28th Olympiad, as you mentioned, comes to a close this evening. Still some activities ongoing today. The big event on the athletic side of things, outside of the pomp and circumstance we'll see tonight, is the men's marathon, which will finish less than a mile from our location here at the old Penathal (ph) Stadium, which is the host of the 1986 original modern Olympic games.

Now speaking of the U.S., more than 100 medals they have won, including, well, a bronze medal last night for the men's basketball team. This is not what Dream Team expected. They're supposed to win gold, a team of all NBA players, the first team of all the NBA players to fail to win gold, but they beat Lithuania 104-96 last night, despite Lithuanians hitting 21 three-pointers. The U.S. taking bronze. And they'll come home, though, to many questions on why they failed to reach gold.

That was no problem for the U.S. women's basketball team, as they took a gold, the first women's hoop team to win three consecutive gold medals. USA women beating Australia 74 to 63. Dawn Stalley (ph) in perhaps her final Olympics competition scored 14 points as the U.S. has now won 25 games in a row in Olympic competition.

Last night in track and field at Olympic stadium, oh, what a moment it was. In the men's 4 by 100 meter relay for the first time since the year the Titanic sunk, Great Britain scoring a Titanic victory, nipping the U.S. for the gold by 1/100th of a second. Maurice Greene, it appeared, maybe got his toe to the line just ahead of the Great Britain runner. But U.S. takes silver instead. By the way, U.S. did get gold at both the men's and women's 4 by 4 100 meter relay. Again, they've reached the 100 mark in total medals.

And this latest story this afternoon here in Athens in the Paul Hamm controversy. The South Koreans now have filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, trying to get their gymnast Yang Tae Young a duplicate gold medal.

Now the CAS has said before, earlier this week, they would not touch this case because this is a field of play decision. If you haven't heard, Paul Hamm, the gold medal he won in these games in the men's all-around competition, tainted a bit several days later when it was admitted that a judge's mistake actually should have given Yang the gold and not Hamm.

Hamm has said, though, he would not give up his gold, even though the international figures -- International Federation of Gymnastics, I should say, did ask him in a letter to give up his gold medal in a voluntary, you know, spirit of fair play. But he's not going to do that.

Let's go back to you.

NGUYEN: I'm sure we will hear much more about that saga. All right, Larry Smith, thank you very much.

GRIFFIN: When you say born to be wild, picture this granny. She had to wait 100 years for one wish to come true. We're going to tell you about her next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Plus, we are keeping an eye on Gaston, as it churns out in the Atlantic. Rob, how is it looking right about now?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, it's very close to landfall, Betty and Drew. It's got winds of 70 miles an hour. It's almost a hurricane, and now it's affecting the entire shoreline, especially the northern coastline of South Carolina. Where it is, how strong it is and where it's going, in your forecast, coming up in just about five minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All eyes are on the Big Apple this weekend. About a quarter million protesters are expected to march from Union Square, past Madison Square Garden. Want to say good morning to you in New York.

Rob Marciano will have your weather forecast in just a minute.

If our next story were a personal ad, it might go something like this: 100 something woman seeking adventure to remember.

As Rhonda Grayson reports, one woman's wish to be a motorcycle grandma came true, as she got the ultimate view to a thrill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RHONDA GRAYSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look out, Harley. Look out, Honda. There's another easy rider on the road.

Grandma Flossie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know ladies don't usually tell their age, but how hold are you?

GRANDMA FLOSSIE: I guess about 100.

GRAYSON: Flossie's dream was to ride a motorcycle. And with the help of Secondwind Dreams, an organization that grants wishes to seniors, she took the mean streets of Cumming, Georgia, looking for adventure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So I enjoy watching her do that.

GRAYSON: If granny cam is any indication, Flossie was a bit apprehensive at first, but seemed to enjoy the roar of the engine from her vantage point in the Honda side car. Some of her friends at the nursing home even nicknamed her "Evil Knievel."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I was kidding her this morning. I say well there's two things you're shy of, and that's a red bandanna and tattoos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're one cool mama, I'll tell you that. You can ride with me anytime you want.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we weren't real sure if she'd go through with us, but we're pleased that she did. And I think she enjoyed it tremendously.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ready?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The look on her face was just priceless. And the surprise and I guess probably too it's always fun to see how the family responds because they get to see a side of their mother again that they haven't seen probably in many years.

GRAYSON (on camera): It may have taken her 100 years to ride a motorcycle, and now Flossie has her motor running.

Rhonda Grayson, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, it is a good thing Flossie isn't going through South Carolina right about now. GRIFFIN: I'll say, especially in that convertible top she's driving in. Major roads closed in Charleston, and in areas around South Carolina. We also understand from the mayor there, he's urging everybody to stay inside as this hurricane -- actually, tropical storm, going to be a hurricane -- moves ashore. We're going to talk with Rob Marciano in the weather center to see what exactly -- this is just on the border.

MARCIANO: It is. I mean, just a couple more miles an hour as far as sustained winds, Drew, so you're right, it's right on the cusp, and it looks like it's really making landfall pretty much right now, through about 10:00 or 11:00 this afternoon.

The west -- it's hitting the same area that Hurricane Charley hit about two weeks ago, just north of Charleston. It will eventually slide into Georgetown, and up towards Myrtle Beach as well.

The difference is that actually the western flank of this system is a little bit better organized. So we're seeing rainfall all the way into Columbia. The I95 corridor is seeing some heavy rainfall, and Charleston right now is not only seeing heavy rain, but wind out of the north, gusting to almost 50 miles an hour. So they're seeing tropical storm conditions across Charleston, and some of the pictures out of there are definitely a little bit dreary.

Anyway, this thing rolling to the north, about 67 miles an hour, and here is the eye. You see, it's just offshore of Charleston, by about 30 miles and drifting to the north. So a pretty-well defined eye. If it is upgraded here in a couple of hours, it will be a category one storm.

So we have hurricane warnings that are out from the Savannah River, basically the Georgia-South Carolina border up through the Carolinas border here, and then tropical storm warnings up to Surf City.

And it's coming in, guys, right around high tide, so there will be a pretty decent storm surge on the northern coastline of South Carolina.

These are the latest numbers. Gusts to 85 miles an hour, but winds right now at 70. So we get them up to 75, and that will be Hurricane Gaston, and we'll keep you posted throughout the morning. It's definitely going to be a stormy one for the folks who just, just two weeks ago almost today.

NGUYEN: They've already been down this road, Rob.

MARCIANO: Yeah. And they don't need the rain anymore. They're about seven or eight inches above normal for the month, that's for sure.

NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Rob.

GRIFFIN: That's good news. It's about to hit just north of Charleston in Georgetown. That's where Erin Kienzle from our affiliate WSOC is standing by. And we've been watching the weather kind of deteriorate, as you are in our monitor this morning, Erin.

ERIN KIENZLE, WSOC: Well, good morning. Yeah, things dry right now. Winds are picking up. But just about three minutes ago, we had one of those outer bands move through. And for two minutes, we had heavy, heavy rain and wind. That since has subsided, but we are going to get more of those outer bands.

Out here, you can see we are in the Georgetown boardwalk. So you're looking at the boats out there. High tide is coming up about 7:49 this morning. So tide is coming in as we speak. And a lot of people out here -- rather no one out here. And earlier, I saw some people kind of tying things down on their boat.

And we can swing around this way just a little bit. I think she's left, but you see the sandbags. There was a woman just there putting all the sandbags. So if the water rises that high as she expects, that's well above the level that it's at right now.

And as you mentioned, the ground is very, very saturated because of Charley, which we had a couple weeks ago. So people in Georgetown are just preparing for the storm and waiting for some of that rain and potential flooding and wind damage to come in.

I'm Erin Kienzle live in Georgetown. I'll send it back to you in Atlanta.

GRIFFIN: Erin, thanks. We'll be watching through the day and getting your reports. Thank you for that.

NGUYEN: Well, homeless, hungry and searching for peace, but hopes to resolve Sudan's crisis are on hold. We'll go live to Africa when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

GRIFFIN: And searching for happiness in this country, would you give up a six figure salary and a luxurious lifestyle to be happy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...always worried about your job and stability, you know. Might even get laid off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Peace talks in the Sudan are on hold. Welcome back. I'm Drew Griffin.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen at CNN Global Headquarters here in Atlanta. That story in just a moment. But first, what's happening now in the news.

Tropical storm Gaston is lumbering toward the South Carolina coast. We want to give you a live picture shortly of WSOC. We'll get to that in just a moment, but here's a look at the radar right now. And forecasters think Gaston could become a hurricane soon. The storm is expected to make landfall near Charleston by mid-day. Hurricane warnings are up already. And the mayor of Charleston has already reported that major highways are closed. And he is advising residents to stay indoors. We'll have much more on this throughout the show.

Meantime, violence has marred today's presidential election in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Details are still sketchy, but officials say a man tried to bring a suspicious package to a polling station, then blew himself up as he ran away. Chechen voters are replacing their president, who was killed in a May bomb blast.

Turning now to politics, more big protests in the Big Apple today. Demonstrators will take to the streets of New York for another day of rallies before the GOP convention, which starts tomorrow.

A group called United For Peace and Justice will hold the biggest march today. Protesters claim 250,000 people will participate.

And it'll be a party atmosphere in Athens later today, as the 28th Olympiad comes to a close. The opening ceremony was widely praised. Organizers say they hope to top that today. They say the closing ceremonies will feature a lot of singing and dancing.

GRIFFIN: Refugees are still moving into camps in Sudan's embattled Darfur region, but there's no movement at peace talks in Nigeria aimed at ending this crisis. They are on hold for now. And rebel forces are boycotting the talks.

On the phone, freelance journalist David Clark to bring us up to speed on what's happening -- David?

DAVID CLARK, JOURNALIST: Sorry, I can't hear anything.

GRIFFIN: Apparently we're having trouble with David's phone. David Clark, are you on the phone now, sir?

CLARK: Yes, I can hear you now.

GRIFFIN: Yes, can you bring us up to speed on the apparent boycott of these negotiations with the rebel forces?

CLARK: Yes, the rebel forces have pulled out of negotiations for a 24 hour boycott, which is due to end...

(AUDIO GAP)

GRIFFIN: OK, we will get back to David Clark when our signal becomes more clear. He's probably using satellite phone there -- Betty?

NGUYEN: It's a long way from Iraq, but a small town in Oregon is now a lot closer to the conflict there. CNN's Casey Wian reports on how the community is coping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Adams, Oregon, is the kind of place time seems to have missed. It's a peaceful farming community of 297 people and no traffic lights. The only business on main street is a restaurant and general store that opened in 1885. But lately, something has changed here. Townsfolk say they're closer than ever.=

MAYOR PAT BRYSON, ADAMS, OREGON: We're not dramatically affected by, you know, world events, but now we are. There's four servicemen that come from this town that are headed over to Iraq. They deserve a huge amount of respect and support. You know, there ain't much you can do to support them. You know, they're going to go. You know, what are you going to do? So the best thing we can do is show them.

WIAN: American flags and yellow ribbons seem to be everywhere, including these on the town square bearing the names Brian Phillips, Ryan Lehnert and the Chase brothers, Travis and Jack.

(on camera): Four young men called up to active duty may not sound like that many, but it is when you consider the fact that the entire town of Adams only has about four dozen men between the ages of 18 and 44.

(voice-over): The Chases leave behind their wives and seven kids between them, plus siblings and parents.

WENDY CHASE, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: I'm worried about it every day, constantly wondering whether he's going to come home or not.

WIAN: Wendy says her community support goes beyond yellow ribbons.

CHASE: Everybody's come together. They've offered services in any way they can.

WIAN: Jeannie Chase expects her husband to be gone for at least a year.

JEANNIE CHASE, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: We didn't realize it was going to be so long.

BRYSON: It's hard on the families. You know, that's a lot of stress, to have your children over in a foreign country where they're definitely going to get probably shot at, you know, and possibly killed, and that's -- that's so far removed from where we live and what we do in this town. It's pretty traumatic.

WIAN: Especially since the call-up came right before harvest time in Adams. 1st Sergeant Ryan Lehnert didn't have time to finish the yard of his new house. His wife, Janie, can't do it. She's expecting a child. So locals called a town meeting to pitch in and finish the job.

JANIE LEHNERT, WIFE OF NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: You hear people talk about Mayberry. Well, you know, everybody knows your name, and they know what you're doing, and they care. They genuinely care.

WIAN: Adams even came up with a name, Operation Homeland Compassion. They hope the name and their actions spread throughout the country.

Casey Wian, CNN, Adams, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we bring you stories like this every week right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Half of Americans say they'd actually made choices in their own lives to take less money, to have downshifting in order to get more time in their life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Did you know that? Yes, money cannot always buy happiness. The story of one couple who gave up a fortune for a chance to live on a farm, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: But first, bestsellers and fiction on "The New York Times" list this week. "The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown, Sandra Brown's "White Hot," and a couple books look at the afterlife. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Album is at number three, followed by "Skinny Dip" and "The Rule of Four with Mystery, Murder and Intrigue," well that is at number five.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: File this one under money matters. An unscientific survey on Forbes.com asked the question how much money do you think a person needs to be considered truly wealthy? So far, here's the results.

Seventeen percent say between $1 and $5 million will make you wealthy. 16 percent want more than that, between $10 and $15 million. But suggesting that money might not matter that much, 21 percent of the people say true wealth is not measured by dollar signs.

For some, mounds of money may make life like a bowl of cherries. For others, the fruits of hard labor can truly make one spoiled. What am I talking about?

CNN's Brian Todd explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sue and Dan Gragan had the life so many of us are after. They like this one better.

SUE GRAGAN, FARMER: Taste this. The dark or the red one.

TODD: Their main worries now, picking the raspberries, peaches, nectarines, getting them to market on time.

S. GRAGAN: We've got to get the stuff done in the season. You can't take a day off.

TODD: But to them, it's nothing like the stress they used to feel.

DAN GRAGAN, FARMER: Always worrying about your job, stability, you know. I even got laid off.

TODD: The poster children from modern success, into their late '40s and early '50s. Sue, a lobbyist, Dan an engineer. Dual incomes, well into the six figures, living in the stratospheric real estate market of suburban Washington.

D. GRAGAN: The commute to the city was just outrageous.

TODD: When the Gragans finally moved to rural southern Maryland, then full-time into farming, they acted on an impulse that a growing number of Americans seem to feel.

GREGG EASTERBROOK, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: In our society, where 150 to 200 million people are now materially secure, I think every year, more and more people ask themselves the question, is that all there is?

TODD: Several recent studies say our pursuit of wealth, bringing more success and comfort to so many, has also brought an overwhelming sense of stress and unhappiness.

A new poll by the Center for a New American Dream says more than half of those surveyed would be willing to give up one day's pay per week for one day off, and to spend more time with family and friends and...

BETSY TAYLOR, CENTER FOR NEW AMERICAN DREAM: Half of Americans say they've actually made choices in their own lives to take less money to have downshifting in order to get more time in their life.

TODD: Experts admit scaling back isn't easy. They say taking small steps and listing priorities is a good start. Sue and Dan Gragan say the tough transition is worth it.

D. GRAGAN: Like I say, it's different -- completely different way of life, but much better than sitting in an office, living in the middle of a farm that's -- what's not to like?

TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Less stressful and you don't have to deal with traffic. I kind of like that idea, not dealing with traffic.

GRIFFIN: I didn't see one bug in that story, though.

NGUYEN: Oh, I'm sure they're out there, though. No doubt.

All right, we want to get to our top stories now. A hurricane warning is up for the South Carolina coast. Forecasters say Tropical Storm Gaston is packing 70 mile an hour winds and getting stronger. They predict it will become a full blown hurricane. And the eye will make landfall near Charleston in a matter of hours. And already, the mayor of Charleston has urged residents there to stay inside. Major roadways in the area have been closed. And as you remember, Charley hit this area not too long ago. So many folks in the area do not need any more rain, but it looks like they're going to get some of it today. And we'll have more on this.

Also, police say a man tried to bring a suspicious package to a polling place in the Russian republic of Chechnya today. It blew up and he died. Voters are electing a new president, after the previous leader was killed by a bomb earlier this year.

Delegates are beginning to descend on the Big Apple for their GOP convention, which begins tomorrow. The protesters are already there. A rally is due to begin in just a few hours.

Well, do you have any plans for Labor Day Weekend? There are some sweet deals available. And we'll tell you where to find them in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

GRIFFIN: With the presidential election nine weeks and two days away, most polls say it's too close to call. So a lot is at stake for George W. Bush at this week's Republican National Convention. Will he take advantage of the spotlight? A question we'll put to congressional reporter Seabrook with NPR.

Good morning, Andrea. She joins us live from New York. She's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: We're following lots of big stories this Sunday morning. None bigger for the folks in South Carolina than this one. That is Tropical Storm Gaston, which could become a hurricane within the hour. We have reporters on the coast who will be following this live throughout the morning.

NGUYEN: New York City will be a vortex of competing political interests this week. The Republicans will rally around President Bush at the GOP National Convention inside Madison Square Garden. And numerous protests and demonstrations are planned outside, including some that are expected to be very large.

NPR congressional reporter Andrea Seabrook is with us once again with her perspective on the coming week.

Good morning to you.

ANDREA SEABROOK, NPR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, as we head into this convention, let's take a look at some of these poll numbers that are out. We're going to try to put those up on the screen. A lot of voters have been polled about who they think should be the choice for president. Kerry now has 48 percent. He used to have 47 percent. And Bush has 47 percent, where he used to have 48 percent.

So what does Bush need to do in this convention to put him over the top?

SEABROOK: President Bush needs to do something that he says a lot in his stump speeches everywhere he goes all over the country. He says that he wants to make America safer, stronger, and better. Three simple words that he needs to convince swing voters, these tiny margin of people who haven't decided yet who they're going to vote for, that he's going to be able to do with a second term.

Or at least that he's a better bet than John Kerry for doing in his second term. And that's probably what a lot of this is going to be centered around, safer, stronger, and better. And the image, at the very least, the image that he is a safer bet than John Kerry for another four years.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about image a little bit, because we have seen so much lately, a lot dealing with these swift boat ads. Is that going to be a theme at all throughout this or is everyone done with it?

SEABROOK: You know, I tend to think that it's probably going away. I think when both sides realize that it wasn't helping either side anymore, that it wasn't hurting either side anymore, I think they're -- pretty much, I think they're letting go of this whole thing.

And again, I probably shouldn't talk too soon because who knows? You know, I mean...

NGUYEN: You don't know.

SEABROOK: ...another person could come up, you know. But I think a lot of people are tired of this. A lot of -- both the candidates are registering that most Americans are sick of it. And I think we may see an end to it.

NGUYEN: Talking about what we want to hear or what voters want to hear at the convention, who is speaking at the convention? And are there any folks being left off of that podium?

SEABROOK: Well, it's a fascinating roster of speakers coming up in the next four days. We're going to see a lot of what you would think of as moderate Republicans. We're even going to see the keynote speaker of this convention, a Democrat, Zell Miller, Senator Zell Miller of Georgia.

You know, it's a very interesting face that the Republicans are putting forward here. It is one that seems wholly geared towards those swing voters, that tiny slim margin that I was talking about earlier. People who could sort of go either way, but are trying to decide where to put their money for the next four years. These are people who are going to benefit from speeches like from former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is famous for his reaction that -- his work after 9/11. As I said, Zell Miller, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as sort of a softer face of the Republican Party you'll see in Laura Bush, you'll see in Lynne Cheney. And of course, we'll see none other than Senator John McCain. We'll see him tomorrow. He is one that is loved by many Americans for having an unadulterated sharp tongue and one that is now leaning towards -- campaigning very strongly for President Bush. And a lot of people trust him.

And so again, it's this whole sort of roster of voters that are centered toward getting that swing vote.

NGUYEN: We'll see how it plays out starting Monday. Andrea Seabrook, NPR congressional reporter, thank you so much.

SEABROOK: You're welcome, Betty.

NGUYEN: And we are taking your e-mail questions today. THE CAPITAL GANG duo, Mark Shields and Al Hunt, join us at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, to talk politics from New York. Send us your question to wam@cnn.com -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: But first, Betty, from political storms to Tropical Storm Gaston. He is real and about to become a hurricane. Details from Rob Marciano, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning and welcome back. If you are just waking up, and especially if you live in South Carolina, brace yourself, because tropical storm, hurricane -- or I should say Gaston, which is expected to become a hurricane sometime later today is headed for South Carolina right now. We are looking at WSOC -- or we were -- at the gauges there on the wind speeds.

Winds are getting close to 70 miles per hour, and the mayor of Charleston has already put out some warnings. Major highways are closed, people are urged to stay indoors, and we'll be talking with Rob Marciano in just a little bit later about what Gaston has in store for South Carolina.

GRIFFIN: Looks like plenty of blue skies in Miami this morning, and tonight there will be stars out, whether the clouds come in or not. It's going to be the MTV Music Awards in Miami tonight. The event held there for the first time. Usually, they happen in New York or L.A. Good morning, Miami. We'll have your full forecast in about a minute from now.

Reality TV shows are so en vogue. Now, one icon of style will make sure he's up on that fashion trend. Designer Tommy Hilfiger is walking the reality TV runway with his own show. It's called "The Cut." Described as a cross between "The Apprentice" and "America's Next Top Model," in it, 16 wannabe designers live in New York and compete for the chance to design for his company. Producers are accepting applications on the CBS Web site.

NGUYEN: All right, now we want to get back to Tropical Storm Gaston. When is it expected to become a hurricane today, Rob?

MARCIANO: Well, between now and when it makes landfall. It's right on the cusp, so we're looking at -- for landfall here, between, figure 9:00 and noon. It's just offshore by about 30 miles.

Here's Charleston. It's pretty much due east of Charleston, it's drifting north. So likely to make landfall somewhere around Georgetown, South Carolina, which is where Charley made landfall about two weeks ago.

But the western flank of this thing, as you can see, it's filled in quite a bit. A lot of rain, and these squalls have some gusty winds.

Good winds is that the winds are coming out of the north in Charleston. Still, minor flooding expected there, but as this thing heads inland, a storm surge could be fairly significant, because we're looking at it coming in right at high tide, and it's full moon out there, so that doesn't help things either.

Winds at 70 miles an hour. Drifting to the north. And again, 35 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and expected to make landfall here in the next couple of hours. Already beginning to see the outer fringes of the eye make landfall, pretty much.

Here's the expected track over the next 48 hours. It will weaken, obviously, when it moves inland later on today, and then move offshore tomorrow.

But one of the reasons that we don't think it's going to move drastically to the west is because this cool front will help kick it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: All right.

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