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CNN Saturday Morning News

Mount St. Helens Erupts; Legal Briefs: Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart, John Ashcroft

Aired October 02, 2004 - 08:00   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, CO-ANCHOR: "... laid out to save our jobs from going overseas," he says.
DREW GRIFFIN, CO-ANCHOR: Peter from Providence, Rhode Island: "Absolutely. It's good to see the candidates in a situation where they 'have' to answer a question posed by the press fully, or risk having their opponent deliver a better answer."

You can get on in this. Write us at WAM@CNN.com and let us know if you're going to watch the next presidential debate Friday and why.

NGUYEN: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, and it's already October, October 2, to be exact. Eight a.m. at the White House in Washington, D.C., 5 a.m. at Mount St. Helens in Washington state, which erupted yesterday.

Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen at the CNN global headquarters here in Atlanta.

GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin. Thanks for being with us. Let's take a look at what's happening right now in the news.

Israeli forces say they shot and killed four armed Palestinians in northern Gaza. Israel defense forces say the Palestinians fired AK-47s at the Israeli border police as they approached a security fence.

Next, to northeast India where nearly simultaneous bomb blasts have killed 18 people now, wounded 50 others. One ripping through a train station at Dimapur, the other detonated at a nearby market.

In this country, a natural explosion, a hiccup is what they're calling it. Washington state's Mount St. Helens shakes alive, belching steam and ash two miles high. Scientists say the volcano erupted for about 25 minutes.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, police say dental records now confirm human remains found in a landfill are those of Lori Hacking. Finding the badly decomposed body ends a two-month search. Hacking's husband, Mark, is in jail. He is accused of murder.

NGUYEN: This half hour, back on the campaign trail. George Bush and John Kerry are shifting themes after a sharp debate on Iraq and national security. We will have a live report in just a few minutes.

Is there more to come from Mount St. Helens? Scientists say there could be. We'll go live to the grumpy volcano.

And in legal briefs, never before released details from the Kobe Bryant case. Our legal analysts weigh in.

GRIFFIN: We begin this hour -- We begin this hour with the latest developments out of Iraq. The president of Indonesia today appealing to hostage takers in Iraq to free two Indonesian women, the kidnappers demanding Indonesia release a jailed Muslim cleric. The cleric says he doesn't want to be a part of such a trade.

Iraqi hospital officials say children were among the nine people killed and 12 wounded in U.S. air strikes in Fallujah. A U.S. military statement says one of the targets was a confirmed terrorist site, and that only terrorists and no civilians would have been killed.

Wild fighting in Samarra. Pentagon sources say yesterday's offensive there, part of a campaign to take back Iraqi cities from insurgents. The goal, to establish order before Iraqi elections in January. More than 5,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops involved in this operation.

NGUYEN: Instability in Iraq is just one factor in soaring crude prices, which closed above $50 a barrel Friday for the first time ever.

The group of seven finance ministers say those high oil prices are a threat to the global economy. Those officials are in Washington for meetings today with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The G-7 is calling on oil-producing nations to boost supplies and oil consuming countries to conserve. Today's meeting is held under tight security due to planned protests and terrorism concerns.

George Bush and John Kerry are turning from the war in Iraq to domestic issues in their campaign appearances today. And CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House this morning with a preview of the president's day.

Hi, there, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Betty. Good morning to you.

President Bush will be focusing on pocketbook issues when he heads to the state of Ohio to do three campaign events there. Now, the president specifically will be talking about families and individuals having a stake in the so-called ownership society.

The president's pivot to domestic issues comes one day after he hammered away at his Democratic opponent, Senator John Kerry, on the issue of Iraq and terrorism.

At stops yesterday in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, Mr. Bush said Senator Kerry had a fundamental misunderstanding of the war on terror, and he criticized a comment Senator Kerry made during Thursday's debate regarding the U.S. taking preemptive action. You'll recall that Senator Kerry said he would never cede that right as president but said that action would have to pass a global test.

Now, yesterday, President Bush responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll continue to work with our allies. I'll work with the international community. But I will never submit America's national security to an international test.

The president's job is not to take an international poll. The president's job is to defend the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, the Kerry campaign says this is just another example of President Bush taking comments out of context. They say the test is one of credibility and whether or not preemptive action can stand up to scrutiny, both here in the United States as well as abroad.

Meantime, as we said, President Bush due to campaign in Ohio. His first stop will be in Columbus. We understand that he'll make some remarks before the National Association of Homebuilders.

Ohio is a crucial state, Betty, some 20 electoral votes up for grabs. The Bush campaign hoping they have made some inroads and hopefully will tip the balance of votes President Bush's way come November -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Elaine, let's talk a little bit about the vice president. Is he planning any practice debates before Tuesday's debate with Edwards?

QUIJANO: You know, they're not really giving a lot of detail. They usually don't, anyway, on the vice president's activities for the behind the scenes.

We don't know yet whether or not there have been any kind of mock debate sessions, as we know President Bush had. But the preparations, we understand, continue. They continue to take place.

No real public events scheduled. The vice president in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to do his debate preparations, but so far no real word on exactly what he's doing to prepare -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Keeping that tight-lipped. All right. CNN's Elaine Quijano, thank you so much.

And one more Bush campaign note. The Washington state campaign's headquarters was broken into and three laptop computers were stolen. The burglary happened early yesterday morning, and information on the computers included campaign strategy for the state.

Police say there's no evidence to suggest the break-in was politically motivated. The state GOP chairman disagrees.

GRIFFIN: In Thursday's debate John Kerry criticized President Bush for a colossal error of judgment in Iraq and this morning, the Democrat continues that wrong choices theme by telling an Orlando audience that he thinks the president's decisions are driving up health, education and fuel costs.

At another stop in Florida yesterday, Kerry toured hurricane damage and praised residents for their courage. He promised some help for vote counting in Florida next month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to make sure this time that it's done right and I'll tell you why. You know little Emma Claire and Jack, John Edwards' kids? They're 4 and 6 years old. They count so well, we're sending them to Palm Beach County to do the vote counting down here and make sure that we get it right this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Kerry referring to the 2000 election recount controversy.

NGUYEN: Our e-mail question of the morning is this: "Will you watch the next presidential debate and why?" You can send us in your responses to our address. It's on the screen, WAM@CNN.com. And we will read those replies throughout the program. So send them in.

GRIFFIN: Just a hiccup say volcanologists, but Mount St. Helens shot a plume of steam and ash 10,000 feet into the western mountain air. Donna Tetreault in southwest Washington state with the latest on the unpredictable mountain.

Good early morning to you, Donna.

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Drew.

Well, it's been an exciting week here at Mount St. Helens and all started off with a series of small earthquakes earlier in the week and then yesterday that eruption took place.

One scientist, as you said, called it a hiccup. Another called it a throat clearing. And that hiccup or eruption took place at about noon Pacific Time. And ash and steam spewed out, all harmless, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The great column vented for 24 minutes and headed about 10,000 feet into the air. The explosion continued on the south side of the volcano's lava dome. That's where cracks had been detected.

Now, that was really a spectacular -- this has really been a spectacular event. Scientists don't believe at this point that there is any present danger. Hundreds of tourists have made their way to the mountain to see this activity.

Scientists say there is no presence of magma. Now that would mean that lava would be present, leading to a huge explosion. But again, scientists do not believe magma is near the surface of the mountain.

Now, testing is ongoing for that. Infrared testing is ongoing, and they're also testing for gases. Scientists do believe there will be more explosions in the coming days or weeks, but they believe they will be small.

Now, this event is very different from the 1980 explosion, which -- in which 57 people were killed and there was $3 billion in damage.

Today, this week, tourists have been coming here to see the spectacular event. They don't want to miss any of it.

Now, we're about five and a half miles away, and we can't feel any rumbling here and we don't smell any sulfur. But we are being told that people continue to come. They want to be here. They want to see what's going on. And more explosions again are on the way. Scientists do expect them to be coming.

Drew, back to you.

GRIFFIN: Donna, thank you so much for that live report from Mount St. Helens this morning.

NGUYEN: Early morning. And speaking of fallout, more fallout from the memorable hurricane season of 2004. The latest victim, the space shuttle. We'll explain.

GRIFFIN: Plus, why sending Martha Stewart to West Virginia may help the government look good.

NGUYEN: Then on HOUSE CALL, presidential health and how much is kept secret from the public. You'll want to stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Vioxx no longer for sale. Could other prescription drugs be far behind? That's ahead in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: And good morning, Dallas. It is state fair time in Texas and the 116th year for the fair, and the 52nd year for a cowboy mascot, Big Tex, who greet fairgoers with his signature, "Howdy, folks."

The weather forecast for Dallas and the rest of the country, that is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Rob, have you ever heard about this guy, Big Tex at the Texas State Fair?

NGUYEN: You've got to know about Big Tex, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm guessing he's a big cartoon-like figure with a big long hat.

NGUYEN: A big cowboy.

NGUYEN: Miss Big D (ph) here is telling me all about him. Fifty feet tall, 70-gallon hat.

NGUYEN: Got the boots, everything.

MARCIANO: I'm sure Betty could sit us down all afternoon and give us lessons on Dallas and the surrounding area.

NGUYEN: You'll be quizzed about it at the end of the show.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: That's for you, Betty. Seventy degrees in Dallas for you.

NGUYEN: That's a good thing, because we're still talking about Big Tex. Fifty-two feet tall. His boot size is 70, and he's got a 75-gallon hat. How about that? Now, that's a Big Tex.

GRIFFIN: We don't have a picture of him, I guess?

NGUYEN: It's on the web site.

GRIFFIN: Maybe we'll get it up later in the show.

MARCIANO: Thanks for that info, Betty.

NGUYEN: I knew you wanted to know.

MARCIANO: That's for sure.

NGUYEN: Of course. It's now 8:15 and here's a look at our top stories.

School officials in Stoneham, Massachusetts, plan to hold grief counseling sessions all weekend. That after a dozen people, most of them children, were injured when a car jumped the curb in front of an elementary school yesterday. Police say the elderly driver lost control.

The first space shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy has been disrupted in part because of disruptions from hurricanes in Florida. Discovery was due to lift off in March or April. Now NASA says May or July seems more feasible. A decision is expected later this month.

And on the market watch, stocks rose sharply Friday in heavy trading. The first day of the quarter saw the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 closing at their highest levels in three months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN CORRESPONDENT: Cut the cost of moving. If you're moving across state lines, costs are based on the weight of the goods and the distance traveled. Most long distance movers use a set of national guidelines to come up with their rates.

But to stay competitive, many offer big discounts. So get at least three estimates for leverage.

Be flexible. You're more likely to get a better deal if you're amenable to shifting your moving date.

Doing your only packing will also reduce costs. And instead of buying packing materials from the movers, you may be able to get them cheaper from the do it yourself movers like U-Haul or Ryder.

I'm Gerri Willis, and that's your tip of the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: "Legal Briefs" this morning: new developments in the Kobe Bryant case; six days of freedom remaining for Martha Stewart; and a lawsuit puts U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in the spotlight with "The New York Times."

First, Eagle County, Colorado, releasing new transcripts from police interviews the morning after the alleged rape by the Los Angeles Lakers player.

In the Stewart case, the judge is sending Martha Stewart packing far from her home in Connecticut.

And "The New York Times" sues John Ashcroft to keep him from getting phone record of its reporters.

That's our docket for "Legal Briefs" this Saturday.

Former Texas prosecutor Nelda Blair is in Houston. Civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Taseff in our Chicago bureau.

Let's begin, ladies, with the Kobe Bryant case. This is what she, the alleged accuser told police: "Every time I said 'no,' he tightened his hold -- he tightened his hold around me." She's talking about her neck.

Nelda, did this guy get away with rape?

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER TEXAS PROSECUTOR: I've always thought he got away with rape. I think there's always been a good case against Kobe Bryant, and these transcripts prove it.

Not only did she say that, but she also reported it immediately that evening to her friend, the bellman. His transcripts also support the case. And she called her ex-boyfriend that night. His transcripts support the case.

But the problem is, the prosecution had a case. They couldn't prove the case without their star witness. And she didn't want to get on the stand.

GRIFFIN: Lida, could they not use these statements by her instead of her on the stand?

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: No, absolutely not. The accused, in this case, Kobe Bryant -- who by the way why are we talking about this? The charges were dismissed. This is sour grapes by the prosecutor.

The sheriff's office released these tapes. They didn't have to release this stuff. They could have kept it private. They chose to release it.

And you know what? Kobe Bryant let them. Why? Because he has nothing to hide. This case is over.

Could these have been used to prosecute Kobe? No. Every defendant, every accused person has the right to cross-examine the accuser.

So what is the government getting away with here? It's having it both ways. It dismissed the charges in the case it couldn't prove, and at the same time it's trying that very same case in the media, in front of everybody in America, trying to get people like us to sit there and talk about it on Saturday morning. I'm not going to.

GRIFFIN: Aren't these sour grapes, though, Lida, going to be part of the civil trial?

BLAIR: That's right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Then let them be part of the civil trial where she's going to have to take the stand and testify and where he can cross-examine her. But don't try it in the media and no more releasing.

BLAIR: We're still -- we're still going to hear about it, Lida. There's a big old civil case out there, whether it's settled or whether it goes to trial. We're going to be hearing about it.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Yes, but that's where it belongs. It belongs in court.

GRIFFIN: Lida, hold on. Nelda, why? Why release these? The prosecutor actually wanted these things released to prove to the public that he did have a case?

BLAIR: I think it's probably a matter of saying, "Look, you know, we didn't take this case this far without knowing that we had something behind it." Because, you know, there are a lot of people that are questioning whether or not they actually made good judgment in taking the case as far as they did. And I think the prosecutor is trying to say, "Look, we did have a case."

There is no question in my mind they had a case, but proving it is a different matter. I'm not sure I would have released them, but you know, that was his choice.

GRIFFIN: Lida, I hate to bring this one up, because Martha Stewart is also convicted, but she has been sent to prison in West Virginia. She had first choice Connecticut, second choice somewhere else. Third choice I think was New York. She's getting the fourth choice.

What's the judge saying to her?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Well, you know, this is one of those where the Bureau of Prisons is making the decision to sending her to a bucolic campus setting in the middle of West Virginia.

No fences, folks, no overcrowding. Just a beautiful prison that is remote and far away. It's going to take you media folks weeks and weeks to get out there, and it's going to make the government look really good. This is how they incarcerate their federal detainees. Absolutely beautiful setting.

GRIFFIN: Nelda, she should arrive just in time for the leaves changing.

BLAIR: Not only that, but the place is known locally as Camp Cupcake. Can you believe that? Martha Stewart going to Camp Cupcake.

What bothers me about this situation, though, from a legal standpoint is how flippant Martha is about a federal offense that she's been convicted of. You know, this is serious. This is not something she needs to go serve so she can be back for her spring garden, as she said. Said she's going to miss her cats and her canaries.

She really wanted to be closer to home. I'm sure every federal prisoner would like to be close to their Mom.

GRIFFIN: Well, the other federal prisoners may make that somebody who can cook cupcakes is finally getting to Camp Cupcake.

Let's talk about "The New York Time" and John Ashcroft. Ashcroft wants phone records of reporters to determine whether or not they tipped off anybody after 9/11. Should Ashcroft get these? Lida?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely not. This is absolutely ridiculous. Whatever happened to freedom of the press? These are confidential sources that these reporters from "The New York Times" had.

And what is happening here is that John Ashcroft told "The New York Times," "Give me the names and give me the phone numbers."

And the government -- "The New York Times" said, "We're not going to give you -- these are our confidential sources."

So what did he do? He threatened them. He said, "You know what? I'm just going to get them from third parties."

And that's exactly what he's doing. He's invading the freedom of the press in an effort to have his little witch hunt, which if he really has a case against these government leaks, let him go find the information out on his own. But to invade the journalistic right to have confidential sources is basically to attack freedom of the press in America.

BLAIR: Lida, freedom of the press is not absolute above all, above every other constitutional right that everyone else in the United States has.

This is a case about government leaks right after the 9/11 attacks. This is serious business about secured, protected government information. And John Ashcroft asked "The New York Times" to give him specifically the telephone conversations that he needs in order to stop these leaks.

"The New York Times" refused. Now they've filed a lawsuit whining that he wants these telephone records that exceeded the scope of just those interviews. If they had given them to him in the first place when he asked, like they should have -- because, as I said, freedom of the press does not conquer all, then they wouldn't have this lawsuit in the first -- in the last place. They shouldn't be whining. They should give him the interviews.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: But why should -- but no. Why should they give them to him? Think about it.

BLAIR: Because it's in the interest of national security.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: He can -- he can investigate.

GRIFFIN: Ladies, we're going to have to deal with this off camera or next week when we revisit the Kobe Bryant case for Lida.

BLAIR: All right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Nelda Blair, Lida Rodriguez, thank you for joining us.

BLAIR: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Following that debate, it gets us to our e-mail question of the day: "Will you watch the next presidential debate?"

And we've got an interesting response from Anne in Houston, Texas. She writes, "Yes, I will watch all of them, although my mind was made up long ago. I can always learn something new about the policies each propose, and it's free comedy! Excuse me now while I fly up a batch of mixed messages for breakfast!"

GRIFFIN: And as promised, we're going to show you Big Tex. Here he is right here on the web site.

NGUYEN: All 52 fetal of him. Where is he? There he is, Big Tex, who stands proudly over the state fair of Texas. Fifty-two feet tall, size 70 boot, which is seven feet, seven inches, in fact. And a 75-gallon hat, which stands at five feet tall.

GRIFFIN: We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 2, 2004 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-ANCHOR: "... laid out to save our jobs from going overseas," he says.
DREW GRIFFIN, CO-ANCHOR: Peter from Providence, Rhode Island: "Absolutely. It's good to see the candidates in a situation where they 'have' to answer a question posed by the press fully, or risk having their opponent deliver a better answer."

You can get on in this. Write us at WAM@CNN.com and let us know if you're going to watch the next presidential debate Friday and why.

NGUYEN: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, and it's already October, October 2, to be exact. Eight a.m. at the White House in Washington, D.C., 5 a.m. at Mount St. Helens in Washington state, which erupted yesterday.

Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen at the CNN global headquarters here in Atlanta.

GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin. Thanks for being with us. Let's take a look at what's happening right now in the news.

Israeli forces say they shot and killed four armed Palestinians in northern Gaza. Israel defense forces say the Palestinians fired AK-47s at the Israeli border police as they approached a security fence.

Next, to northeast India where nearly simultaneous bomb blasts have killed 18 people now, wounded 50 others. One ripping through a train station at Dimapur, the other detonated at a nearby market.

In this country, a natural explosion, a hiccup is what they're calling it. Washington state's Mount St. Helens shakes alive, belching steam and ash two miles high. Scientists say the volcano erupted for about 25 minutes.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, police say dental records now confirm human remains found in a landfill are those of Lori Hacking. Finding the badly decomposed body ends a two-month search. Hacking's husband, Mark, is in jail. He is accused of murder.

NGUYEN: This half hour, back on the campaign trail. George Bush and John Kerry are shifting themes after a sharp debate on Iraq and national security. We will have a live report in just a few minutes.

Is there more to come from Mount St. Helens? Scientists say there could be. We'll go live to the grumpy volcano.

And in legal briefs, never before released details from the Kobe Bryant case. Our legal analysts weigh in.

GRIFFIN: We begin this hour -- We begin this hour with the latest developments out of Iraq. The president of Indonesia today appealing to hostage takers in Iraq to free two Indonesian women, the kidnappers demanding Indonesia release a jailed Muslim cleric. The cleric says he doesn't want to be a part of such a trade.

Iraqi hospital officials say children were among the nine people killed and 12 wounded in U.S. air strikes in Fallujah. A U.S. military statement says one of the targets was a confirmed terrorist site, and that only terrorists and no civilians would have been killed.

Wild fighting in Samarra. Pentagon sources say yesterday's offensive there, part of a campaign to take back Iraqi cities from insurgents. The goal, to establish order before Iraqi elections in January. More than 5,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops involved in this operation.

NGUYEN: Instability in Iraq is just one factor in soaring crude prices, which closed above $50 a barrel Friday for the first time ever.

The group of seven finance ministers say those high oil prices are a threat to the global economy. Those officials are in Washington for meetings today with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The G-7 is calling on oil-producing nations to boost supplies and oil consuming countries to conserve. Today's meeting is held under tight security due to planned protests and terrorism concerns.

George Bush and John Kerry are turning from the war in Iraq to domestic issues in their campaign appearances today. And CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House this morning with a preview of the president's day.

Hi, there, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Betty. Good morning to you.

President Bush will be focusing on pocketbook issues when he heads to the state of Ohio to do three campaign events there. Now, the president specifically will be talking about families and individuals having a stake in the so-called ownership society.

The president's pivot to domestic issues comes one day after he hammered away at his Democratic opponent, Senator John Kerry, on the issue of Iraq and terrorism.

At stops yesterday in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, Mr. Bush said Senator Kerry had a fundamental misunderstanding of the war on terror, and he criticized a comment Senator Kerry made during Thursday's debate regarding the U.S. taking preemptive action. You'll recall that Senator Kerry said he would never cede that right as president but said that action would have to pass a global test.

Now, yesterday, President Bush responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll continue to work with our allies. I'll work with the international community. But I will never submit America's national security to an international test.

The president's job is not to take an international poll. The president's job is to defend the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, the Kerry campaign says this is just another example of President Bush taking comments out of context. They say the test is one of credibility and whether or not preemptive action can stand up to scrutiny, both here in the United States as well as abroad.

Meantime, as we said, President Bush due to campaign in Ohio. His first stop will be in Columbus. We understand that he'll make some remarks before the National Association of Homebuilders.

Ohio is a crucial state, Betty, some 20 electoral votes up for grabs. The Bush campaign hoping they have made some inroads and hopefully will tip the balance of votes President Bush's way come November -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Elaine, let's talk a little bit about the vice president. Is he planning any practice debates before Tuesday's debate with Edwards?

QUIJANO: You know, they're not really giving a lot of detail. They usually don't, anyway, on the vice president's activities for the behind the scenes.

We don't know yet whether or not there have been any kind of mock debate sessions, as we know President Bush had. But the preparations, we understand, continue. They continue to take place.

No real public events scheduled. The vice president in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to do his debate preparations, but so far no real word on exactly what he's doing to prepare -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Keeping that tight-lipped. All right. CNN's Elaine Quijano, thank you so much.

And one more Bush campaign note. The Washington state campaign's headquarters was broken into and three laptop computers were stolen. The burglary happened early yesterday morning, and information on the computers included campaign strategy for the state.

Police say there's no evidence to suggest the break-in was politically motivated. The state GOP chairman disagrees.

GRIFFIN: In Thursday's debate John Kerry criticized President Bush for a colossal error of judgment in Iraq and this morning, the Democrat continues that wrong choices theme by telling an Orlando audience that he thinks the president's decisions are driving up health, education and fuel costs.

At another stop in Florida yesterday, Kerry toured hurricane damage and praised residents for their courage. He promised some help for vote counting in Florida next month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to make sure this time that it's done right and I'll tell you why. You know little Emma Claire and Jack, John Edwards' kids? They're 4 and 6 years old. They count so well, we're sending them to Palm Beach County to do the vote counting down here and make sure that we get it right this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Kerry referring to the 2000 election recount controversy.

NGUYEN: Our e-mail question of the morning is this: "Will you watch the next presidential debate and why?" You can send us in your responses to our address. It's on the screen, WAM@CNN.com. And we will read those replies throughout the program. So send them in.

GRIFFIN: Just a hiccup say volcanologists, but Mount St. Helens shot a plume of steam and ash 10,000 feet into the western mountain air. Donna Tetreault in southwest Washington state with the latest on the unpredictable mountain.

Good early morning to you, Donna.

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Drew.

Well, it's been an exciting week here at Mount St. Helens and all started off with a series of small earthquakes earlier in the week and then yesterday that eruption took place.

One scientist, as you said, called it a hiccup. Another called it a throat clearing. And that hiccup or eruption took place at about noon Pacific Time. And ash and steam spewed out, all harmless, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The great column vented for 24 minutes and headed about 10,000 feet into the air. The explosion continued on the south side of the volcano's lava dome. That's where cracks had been detected.

Now, that was really a spectacular -- this has really been a spectacular event. Scientists don't believe at this point that there is any present danger. Hundreds of tourists have made their way to the mountain to see this activity.

Scientists say there is no presence of magma. Now that would mean that lava would be present, leading to a huge explosion. But again, scientists do not believe magma is near the surface of the mountain.

Now, testing is ongoing for that. Infrared testing is ongoing, and they're also testing for gases. Scientists do believe there will be more explosions in the coming days or weeks, but they believe they will be small.

Now, this event is very different from the 1980 explosion, which -- in which 57 people were killed and there was $3 billion in damage.

Today, this week, tourists have been coming here to see the spectacular event. They don't want to miss any of it.

Now, we're about five and a half miles away, and we can't feel any rumbling here and we don't smell any sulfur. But we are being told that people continue to come. They want to be here. They want to see what's going on. And more explosions again are on the way. Scientists do expect them to be coming.

Drew, back to you.

GRIFFIN: Donna, thank you so much for that live report from Mount St. Helens this morning.

NGUYEN: Early morning. And speaking of fallout, more fallout from the memorable hurricane season of 2004. The latest victim, the space shuttle. We'll explain.

GRIFFIN: Plus, why sending Martha Stewart to West Virginia may help the government look good.

NGUYEN: Then on HOUSE CALL, presidential health and how much is kept secret from the public. You'll want to stay with us.

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GRIFFIN: Vioxx no longer for sale. Could other prescription drugs be far behind? That's ahead in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: And good morning, Dallas. It is state fair time in Texas and the 116th year for the fair, and the 52nd year for a cowboy mascot, Big Tex, who greet fairgoers with his signature, "Howdy, folks."

The weather forecast for Dallas and the rest of the country, that is next.

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GRIFFIN: Rob, have you ever heard about this guy, Big Tex at the Texas State Fair?

NGUYEN: You've got to know about Big Tex, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm guessing he's a big cartoon-like figure with a big long hat.

NGUYEN: A big cowboy.

NGUYEN: Miss Big D (ph) here is telling me all about him. Fifty feet tall, 70-gallon hat.

NGUYEN: Got the boots, everything.

MARCIANO: I'm sure Betty could sit us down all afternoon and give us lessons on Dallas and the surrounding area.

NGUYEN: You'll be quizzed about it at the end of the show.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: That's for you, Betty. Seventy degrees in Dallas for you.

NGUYEN: That's a good thing, because we're still talking about Big Tex. Fifty-two feet tall. His boot size is 70, and he's got a 75-gallon hat. How about that? Now, that's a Big Tex.

GRIFFIN: We don't have a picture of him, I guess?

NGUYEN: It's on the web site.

GRIFFIN: Maybe we'll get it up later in the show.

MARCIANO: Thanks for that info, Betty.

NGUYEN: I knew you wanted to know.

MARCIANO: That's for sure.

NGUYEN: Of course. It's now 8:15 and here's a look at our top stories.

School officials in Stoneham, Massachusetts, plan to hold grief counseling sessions all weekend. That after a dozen people, most of them children, were injured when a car jumped the curb in front of an elementary school yesterday. Police say the elderly driver lost control.

The first space shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy has been disrupted in part because of disruptions from hurricanes in Florida. Discovery was due to lift off in March or April. Now NASA says May or July seems more feasible. A decision is expected later this month.

And on the market watch, stocks rose sharply Friday in heavy trading. The first day of the quarter saw the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 closing at their highest levels in three months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERRI WILLIS, CNNFN CORRESPONDENT: Cut the cost of moving. If you're moving across state lines, costs are based on the weight of the goods and the distance traveled. Most long distance movers use a set of national guidelines to come up with their rates.

But to stay competitive, many offer big discounts. So get at least three estimates for leverage.

Be flexible. You're more likely to get a better deal if you're amenable to shifting your moving date.

Doing your only packing will also reduce costs. And instead of buying packing materials from the movers, you may be able to get them cheaper from the do it yourself movers like U-Haul or Ryder.

I'm Gerri Willis, and that's your tip of the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: "Legal Briefs" this morning: new developments in the Kobe Bryant case; six days of freedom remaining for Martha Stewart; and a lawsuit puts U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in the spotlight with "The New York Times."

First, Eagle County, Colorado, releasing new transcripts from police interviews the morning after the alleged rape by the Los Angeles Lakers player.

In the Stewart case, the judge is sending Martha Stewart packing far from her home in Connecticut.

And "The New York Times" sues John Ashcroft to keep him from getting phone record of its reporters.

That's our docket for "Legal Briefs" this Saturday.

Former Texas prosecutor Nelda Blair is in Houston. Civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Taseff in our Chicago bureau.

Let's begin, ladies, with the Kobe Bryant case. This is what she, the alleged accuser told police: "Every time I said 'no,' he tightened his hold -- he tightened his hold around me." She's talking about her neck.

Nelda, did this guy get away with rape?

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER TEXAS PROSECUTOR: I've always thought he got away with rape. I think there's always been a good case against Kobe Bryant, and these transcripts prove it.

Not only did she say that, but she also reported it immediately that evening to her friend, the bellman. His transcripts also support the case. And she called her ex-boyfriend that night. His transcripts support the case.

But the problem is, the prosecution had a case. They couldn't prove the case without their star witness. And she didn't want to get on the stand.

GRIFFIN: Lida, could they not use these statements by her instead of her on the stand?

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: No, absolutely not. The accused, in this case, Kobe Bryant -- who by the way why are we talking about this? The charges were dismissed. This is sour grapes by the prosecutor.

The sheriff's office released these tapes. They didn't have to release this stuff. They could have kept it private. They chose to release it.

And you know what? Kobe Bryant let them. Why? Because he has nothing to hide. This case is over.

Could these have been used to prosecute Kobe? No. Every defendant, every accused person has the right to cross-examine the accuser.

So what is the government getting away with here? It's having it both ways. It dismissed the charges in the case it couldn't prove, and at the same time it's trying that very same case in the media, in front of everybody in America, trying to get people like us to sit there and talk about it on Saturday morning. I'm not going to.

GRIFFIN: Aren't these sour grapes, though, Lida, going to be part of the civil trial?

BLAIR: That's right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Then let them be part of the civil trial where she's going to have to take the stand and testify and where he can cross-examine her. But don't try it in the media and no more releasing.

BLAIR: We're still -- we're still going to hear about it, Lida. There's a big old civil case out there, whether it's settled or whether it goes to trial. We're going to be hearing about it.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Yes, but that's where it belongs. It belongs in court.

GRIFFIN: Lida, hold on. Nelda, why? Why release these? The prosecutor actually wanted these things released to prove to the public that he did have a case?

BLAIR: I think it's probably a matter of saying, "Look, you know, we didn't take this case this far without knowing that we had something behind it." Because, you know, there are a lot of people that are questioning whether or not they actually made good judgment in taking the case as far as they did. And I think the prosecutor is trying to say, "Look, we did have a case."

There is no question in my mind they had a case, but proving it is a different matter. I'm not sure I would have released them, but you know, that was his choice.

GRIFFIN: Lida, I hate to bring this one up, because Martha Stewart is also convicted, but she has been sent to prison in West Virginia. She had first choice Connecticut, second choice somewhere else. Third choice I think was New York. She's getting the fourth choice.

What's the judge saying to her?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Well, you know, this is one of those where the Bureau of Prisons is making the decision to sending her to a bucolic campus setting in the middle of West Virginia.

No fences, folks, no overcrowding. Just a beautiful prison that is remote and far away. It's going to take you media folks weeks and weeks to get out there, and it's going to make the government look really good. This is how they incarcerate their federal detainees. Absolutely beautiful setting.

GRIFFIN: Nelda, she should arrive just in time for the leaves changing.

BLAIR: Not only that, but the place is known locally as Camp Cupcake. Can you believe that? Martha Stewart going to Camp Cupcake.

What bothers me about this situation, though, from a legal standpoint is how flippant Martha is about a federal offense that she's been convicted of. You know, this is serious. This is not something she needs to go serve so she can be back for her spring garden, as she said. Said she's going to miss her cats and her canaries.

She really wanted to be closer to home. I'm sure every federal prisoner would like to be close to their Mom.

GRIFFIN: Well, the other federal prisoners may make that somebody who can cook cupcakes is finally getting to Camp Cupcake.

Let's talk about "The New York Time" and John Ashcroft. Ashcroft wants phone records of reporters to determine whether or not they tipped off anybody after 9/11. Should Ashcroft get these? Lida?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely not. This is absolutely ridiculous. Whatever happened to freedom of the press? These are confidential sources that these reporters from "The New York Times" had.

And what is happening here is that John Ashcroft told "The New York Times," "Give me the names and give me the phone numbers."

And the government -- "The New York Times" said, "We're not going to give you -- these are our confidential sources."

So what did he do? He threatened them. He said, "You know what? I'm just going to get them from third parties."

And that's exactly what he's doing. He's invading the freedom of the press in an effort to have his little witch hunt, which if he really has a case against these government leaks, let him go find the information out on his own. But to invade the journalistic right to have confidential sources is basically to attack freedom of the press in America.

BLAIR: Lida, freedom of the press is not absolute above all, above every other constitutional right that everyone else in the United States has.

This is a case about government leaks right after the 9/11 attacks. This is serious business about secured, protected government information. And John Ashcroft asked "The New York Times" to give him specifically the telephone conversations that he needs in order to stop these leaks.

"The New York Times" refused. Now they've filed a lawsuit whining that he wants these telephone records that exceeded the scope of just those interviews. If they had given them to him in the first place when he asked, like they should have -- because, as I said, freedom of the press does not conquer all, then they wouldn't have this lawsuit in the first -- in the last place. They shouldn't be whining. They should give him the interviews.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: But why should -- but no. Why should they give them to him? Think about it.

BLAIR: Because it's in the interest of national security.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: He can -- he can investigate.

GRIFFIN: Ladies, we're going to have to deal with this off camera or next week when we revisit the Kobe Bryant case for Lida.

BLAIR: All right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Nelda Blair, Lida Rodriguez, thank you for joining us.

BLAIR: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Following that debate, it gets us to our e-mail question of the day: "Will you watch the next presidential debate?"

And we've got an interesting response from Anne in Houston, Texas. She writes, "Yes, I will watch all of them, although my mind was made up long ago. I can always learn something new about the policies each propose, and it's free comedy! Excuse me now while I fly up a batch of mixed messages for breakfast!"

GRIFFIN: And as promised, we're going to show you Big Tex. Here he is right here on the web site.

NGUYEN: All 52 fetal of him. Where is he? There he is, Big Tex, who stands proudly over the state fair of Texas. Fifty-two feet tall, size 70 boot, which is seven feet, seven inches, in fact. And a 75-gallon hat, which stands at five feet tall.

GRIFFIN: We'll be back right after this.

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