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CNN Saturday Morning News
New Details in Rove Controversy; Investigations Continue into London Terror Bombings
Aired July 16, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there is magic in the air this weekend. The two year wait for the next adventure from the world's favorite wizard is officially over.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is July 16.
And good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris. BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Already got the call -- dad, go get the book?
HARRIS: Yes, I got the call. I've got to get it.
NGUYEN: You'd better be in line after the show is over.
HARRIS: You're right.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
Thanks for being with us today.
Let's begin with a look at the morning headlines.
Enron agrees to pay more than $1.5 billion to settle claims of price gouging. California and other Western states had accused Enron of driving up energy prices in 2000 and 2001. Now, the company went bankrupt after a massive accounting scandal, so its final payment could end up being much less.
The U.S. is taking diplomatic action to try to keep next month's planned Israeli pullout from Gaza on track. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will go to the Mideast next week. Her trip follows a week of deadly Palestinian militant attacks and Israeli air strikes. And just this morning, Israeli forces arrested 26 suspected militants in the West Bank.
Vice President Cheney has a date with the doctor. He goes to a Washington hospital this morning for his annual physical. Cheney is scheduled for a colonoscopy and a screening for vascular disease, which affects the blood cells.
Well, there is nervous anticipation for people in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands -- look at this -- has hurricane Emily comes closer. The category four storm, category four now, is heading their way, with tropical winds of 140 miles an hour. Forecasters say Emily could threaten northern Mexico and maybe the Texas Gulf Coast some time early Wednesday morning.
HARRIS: Oh, it was a magical night for thousands of young wizards in Edinburgh, Scotland. Ferried in horse-drawn carriages, they got to spend the evening with author J.K. Rawling. Her sixth Harry Potter book went on sale at midnight in some spots across the globe, actually. Copies of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" -- what is a half blood prince?
NGUYEN: I'm still trying to figure that out. I figured you would know since your children...
HARRIS: I'm going to find out...
NGUYEN: ... have read these books.
HARRIS: Yes, that's why I mentioned that. Well, they're flying off the shelves, as you can imagine. These books are flying off the shelves like turbo powered broomsticks and into the hands of fans of all ages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I read him to my newborn when we -- when I brought her home from the hospital. We had Potter time every day. So, I feel like it's something I can pass on to her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: It's who, isn't it? Who is the half blood prince? I don't...
NGUYEN: I don't know.
HARRIS: I just don't -- jeez.
NGUYEN: I'm so confused by it all.
HARRIS: All right, coming up this hour, we'll go across the pond to Harry's hometown and we'll get an early book review from youngsters who are burning the midnight oil.
NGUYEN: Hey, they may have already read the whole book by now.
HARRIS: Well, we're going to find out.
NGUYEN: They can tell us the answer.
All right, now to our top story this morning.
We do have some more details, they are emerging. But old questions still remain. CNN has learned more about the alleged role of Bush adviser Karl Rove in the leak of a CIA agent's identity. But, what did he say and who did he say it to?
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's not talking now, but Karl Rove told a federal grand jury he indirectly confirmed to columnist Robert Novak the identity of a covert CIA agent. The lawyer familiar with the testimony told CNN. The source says Rove did not initiate the conversation and did not use the name of the agent, Valerie Plame.
Rove has repeatedly refused to discuss his testimony; though, the White House, until this past week, has said Rove has had no role in the leak.
The source account now, first reported by "The New York Times," comes amid growing Democratic calls for Rove to be fired. It also comes days after "Time" magazine's Matt Cooper testified he, too, talk generally to Rove about the story.
Bush allies hope putting out more details about Rove's role, will quiet the controversy. But there are still conflicting accounts.
Novak declined to comment, but the source familiar with Rove's testimony says on July 9, 2003, Novak volunteered he had been told Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and had a role in Wilson being sent to Africa to explore possible uranium sales to Iraq. Rove's recollection and testimony, the source tells CNN, is that he responded casually, "I heard that, too."
But in an October 2003 column explaining his earlier decision to reveal Plame's identity, Novak recalled his second administration source, who we now know as Rove, saying, "Oh, you know about it," suggesting a more affirmative confirmation.
Rove's attorney says he is confident his client broke no laws and that he has been told Rove is not a target of the investigation. That he talked to reporters at all about such a sensitive issue surprises some secrecy experts.
JEFFREY SMITH, FORMER CIA GENERAL COUNSEL: Any senior government official who talks with a member of the press, and the identity of a CIA officer emerges in the course of that conversation, a red flag ought to go up. And this government official ought to pause and think before he or she says anything to confirm the identity.
BASH: Even with Rove's account, there remains a huge unanswered question -- who was the initial source of the leak?
(on camera): Remember, we do have a hint. Bob Novak reported it was an offhand revelation by a senior administration official, someone he described as not a "partisan gunslinger." Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: "Time" magazine reporter Matt Cooper talks to CNN in a special one hour edition of "Reliable Sources." That is Sunday morning, tomorrow, at 11:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
And we want to know what you think about all of this. Are you following the story? Are you outraged by it? Or are you just confused?
Our morning E-Mail Question is this -- Karl Rove: a real controversy or partisan politics? Let us know what you think. Send us an e-mail to weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: The FBI is now following leads and possible links to last week's bombings in London here in the States. A key source tells CNN one of the four bombing suspects, Mohammed Sidique Khan, called someone in New York City just before the explosions. Agents are also trying to locate the mother of another suspect, who once lived in Cleveland, Ohio.
CNN's Robyn Curnow joins us live now from London with the latest on the investigation -- and, Robyn, what more do we know about these suspects?
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that's the big question. It's the million dollar question many people in England are asking is just how these homegrown bombers -- that's what they're calling them here -- just why and how these homegrown bombers turned on their own. And the pictures and the video of these four men is just splashed across all the newspapers and news organizations here in England.
This video of Sidique Khan, that man who you said might have made that phone call to New York, video of him getting out of a car. Then there are pictures of Shazad Tanweer, a 22-year-old, a young man who was responsible, apparently, for the Aldgate bombings. He loved playing cricket and his parents owned a fish and chip shop. It's so English. People are asking just how he could have done such terrible things to his own people.
Then there's also Jermaine Morris Lindsay, a man of Jamaican descent, who is supposedly responsible for the Kings Cross bombings, where I'm standing. His wife is pregnant with their second child. And then there's the teenager, Hasib Hussein, that very chilling picture of him carrying a large backpack. In that backpack, police, of course, think 10 pounds of high explosives were stored.
So all in all, questions. We have photographs. All in all, people are asking just why and how these young men turned on their own in such a terrible, terrible manner -- back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Robyn Curnow in London for us.
Robyn, we appreciate it.
Thank you.
NGUYEN: Now to "Security Watch," where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.
First time visitors to the U.S. will soon have to submit 10 fingerprints instead of just two for the government's passenger database. It is just one of several aspects of the Department of Homeland Security makeover announced this week. Most of the changes are administrative in nature.
The Senate has voted to send more federal money to small states to help them defend themselves against major terrorist attacks. That's despite a White House request that the money go to high risk states like New York. Backers of the bill say bigger states shouldn't get more money because there's no real way to tell where terrorists will strike.
Meantime, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says cities and states will mostly have to fend for themselves in finding ways to protect trains and buses from terrorist attacks. He says the federal government must focus on the big picture, preventing attacks that could lead to mass casualties.
And federal law enforcement officials told Congress this week that unrestricted cell phone use on commercial flights would pose serious problems for national security and public safety. The testimony follows a proposed FCC rule change that would loosen restrictions on passengers who use cell phones during flights.
You want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
HARRIS: Right now, "Stories Across America."
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is giving up his job as executive editor of "Muscle & Fitness" and "Flex" magazines. At issue, whether his work there amounts to a conflict of interest. Both magazines advertise nutritional supplements that some believe should be regulated by the state. Schwarzenegger once vetoed a bill that would have regulated nutritional supplements in California.
In Philadelphia, officials are trying to figure out just how this accident happened. Take a look at these pictures. Yesterday, a fire truck races off to respond to a call, but gets into an accident on the way. Officials say the fire truck landed on top of a car, then both vehicles plowed into a corner grocery store, as you see here. The car's driver was killed instantly and at least eight others were hurt.
And in California, an 11-year-old girl faces a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon after she threw a rock to defend herself -- to defend herself against young boys who attacked her with water balloons. The girl hit one of the boys in the head with the rock. Already, she has spent five days in jail and 30 days under house arrest with an ankle bracelet to monitor her movement. She's due back in court next month.
NGUYEN: OK, we want you to check out these pictures. We're going to put them up for you now. A suicide attempt and dramatic rescue caught on tape. How did it happen and why is this familiar territory for one of the officers involved?
HARRIS: Also, no doubt you've heard of author J.K. Rawling. Well, there is another woman behind Harry Potter's success. Her story, when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Hurricane Emily is now a powerful category four storm in the western Caribbean. It's not affecting the U.S. mainland, but another type of weather actually is.
Check out these pictures from last night in Punta Gorda, Florida. A powerful twister ripped through the area. Flashes of lightning -- this was a major, major tornado that shut down traffic.
I'll have more on this horrifying tornado -- it really looked scary -- coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NINA ZAGAT: The three most popular restaurants in New York City in our 2005 "America's Top Restaurants" guide are Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe and Danielle.
Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe are both run by Danny Meyer, a gifted restaurateur. Both serve new American cuisine.
In the front of Gramercy Tavern, there's a smaller area where you're able to have a menu that's far less expensive than at the main restaurant.
Union Square Cafe is a bustling restaurant that has wonderful seasonal menus and you're likely to bump into lots of interesting people there.
Danielle is a new French restaurant owned by Danielle Boudot (ph), one of the top chefs in New York. It's a very elegant setting.
The common thread that ties all three of these restaurants is the fact that people really love going to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: It could work for you. It could put money in your pocket while you stay in your home. But is it right for you, though? We're talking about reverse mortgages. Find out on Open House today at 9:30 Eastern only on CNN.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning.
I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider in the CNN Weather Center with a look at your "Allergy Forecast."
For those of you suffering from allergies, good news in the Southeast. Due to scattered showers and some heavier downpours, we're likely to see things pretty comfortable in much of the Southeast. Expecting a lot of rain there.
Moderate suffering only in the New England area. But then we're looking at a lot of allergens in the air, especially out on the West Coast on into the Rocky Mountain States and even further into central Nevada. The air is hot, dry and stagnant, so it's not going to be the most comfortable conditions in that part of the country.
That's a look at your "Allergy Forecast."
I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
Stay tuned. More of CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And if you are just checking in with CNN as you get your day started, here are the top stories this morning.
New details have emerged concerning a CIA leak investigation involving top Bush adviser Karl Rove. Now, stay with me on this one. A lawyer familiar with the grand jury testimony says journalist Robert Novak telephoned Rove just days before Novak wrote a column identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA agent. There's been much speculation that it was Rove who divulged the agent's name to journalists.
Now, Rove's attorney insists the adviser has done nothing wrong.
NASA engineers are working through the weekend to fix a fuel sensor problem on the Space Shuttle Discovery. It malfunctioned on Wednesday, delaying the launch. NASA officials say it might be late next week until another launch is scheduled.
And it's been a long night for Harry Potter fans. What chapter are you on now? The long awaited sixth book went on sale at midnight across the country. And later this hour, we will talk to a couple of experts who peaked inside the book. Hopefully, Betty, they will reveal some secrets.
NGUYEN: Now, are these pre-teen experts? What are we talking about here?
HARRIS: I don't know the specifics. I know that they were anxious to get their hands on the book and they stayed up throughout the night to start reading it, so...
NGUYEN: Oh, yes. I'm sure they're done with it by now.
HARRIS: And hopefully we'll get the answer to that one question. What was that, what is, who, why, what is... NGUYEN: What is the half blood prince?
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: I don't even know what a half blood prince is...
HARRIS: Maybe Bonnie knows.
NGUYEN: Yes, Bonnie, do you read these books?
SCHNEIDER: You know, I actually saw the last movie, but, I'll tell you, it was complicated.
HARRIS: It is.
NGUYEN: Yes, wait for the movie.
SCHNEIDER: I know. I know.
HARRIS: Good morning, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Well, good morning.
We've got another active weekend in the tropics. But this time it's not for the U.S. mainland. Hurricane Emily is continuing to churn in the western Caribbean and this storm is really still proving to be a major concern for islands like Jamaica and the Caymans, where hurricane warnings are in effect. Luckily this weekend, Florida is getting a break from hurricane activity, which is good news. Remember, last year Punta Gorda, the site for hurricane Charlie back in August of last year? Well, last night more severe weather in Punta Gorda.
Check out this tornado, very impressive pictures there, just a perfect, perfect funnel cloud. You can see when it touches the ground it becomes a tornado. This storm actually shut down traffic on the Peace River Bridge both ways. I'm sure people were quite alarmed to see this out there. Luckily we don't have many injuries reported.
But a powerful, powerful tornado that happened certainly this time of year in Florida, even just without a hurricane around, we can see that.
But speaking of Emily, I just want to show you, this storm is now a category four. And as you watch the satellite loop, that's pretty tight on it. You'll see a burst of convection in the northwest corner of the storm. This is important because even though the track will bring the storm south of Jamaica, we're likely to see some major devastation, with five to eight inches of rain expected for that island. And you can see the storm as we put this map into motion.
It'll make landfall not once, but twice -- the first time at the Yucatan Peninsula into the early hours of Monday morning, where we're expecting it to come in as a category four storm. And then eventually U.S. landfall is expected, possibly to the south right along the Mexican border. We have our cone of uncertainty that stretches all the way from central Texas down through northern Mexico.
Right now, the track has brought this storm south of Brownsville. An earlier advisory had it north of Brownsville. But keep in mind, anywhere in this vicinity needs to keep watch, because landfall is expected early on Wednesday morning.
I'll have more on the national forecast in just a bit -- Betty, Tony.
HARRIS: Boy, we've got to work on cooling off those waters in the Atlantic. This is awfully early for all this activity.
SCHNEIDER: It sure is.
NGUYEN: Last weekend, this coming week.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: My goodness, Bonnie.
Can you work on that?
Can you talk to your people?
SCHNEIDER: I don't think so. It's not going to change anything. But we are going to be seeing a really active season this year.
HARRIS: That's for sure.
OK, Bonnie.
NGUYEN: Yes, unfortunately.
All right, thanks, Bonnie.
HARRIS: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Well, it happens to about two million people every year -- patients becoming sick after checking into a hospital. Ninety thousand of those patients die.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know that she got it there. I don't know how and at what point, but it was fairly early on, and unfortunately they didn't catch it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Hospital infections -- a CNN investigation. That is tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: We all know the woman who brought Harry Potter to life. But there's another woman who gave him a face. We'll meet the artist behind Harry Potter, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: If your week was full of more deadlines than headlines, we are here to help.
Let's "Rewind" through some of the big stories of the last few days.
Former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday. Now, as you recall, back in March, he was convicted of overseeing an $11 billion accounting fraud at WorldCom that led to the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history.
NASA scrubbed Wednesday's scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery because of a problem with a fuel sensor. Now, it was supposed to be the first shuttle launch since the Columbia disaster in 2003. NASA says the shuttle won't likely launch until late next week, at the earliest.
Thursday, the U.S. military said coalition forces have captured two high ranking al Qaeda leaders in Iraq. Both are said to have ties to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. One is suspected in the murder of the Egyptian envoy to Iraq, who was killed earlier this month.
HARRIS: The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series is officially on sale. The books have made author J.K. Rawling a billionaire and a household name. But there's another woman behind the series you may want to meet.
CNN's Alina Cho reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With 10 million copies printed in the U.S. alone, the release of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" is the publishing event of the year. There's the coveted signed first edition, the midnight magic parties, and then there's Mary Grandpre. Her name may not be familiar, but she's the other woman responsible for bringing Harry Potter to life. Title: illustrator for all six Potter books.
In the beginning, Grandpre thought it would be a one book project.
MARY GRANDPRE, ILLUSTRATOR: Pretty soon book two was in my hands and then book three. And then it really was taking off and we knew this was going to be something more than just a book.
CHO: Known for her use of light and color that she says adds to the magic of the stories, Grandpre says she's inspired by author J.K. Rawling's rich and descriptive writing.
GRANDPRE: There's not a lot of work I have to do to come up with the images.
CHO: Her biggest challenge, she says, is making Harry believable, as he and his readers get older. For those who are still young...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I think the illustrations there, they look like the characters and they have a lot of detail in them.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: You can actually see them in your mind, like if they were alive.
CHO: Potter mania is a worldwide phenomenon that has made Rawling one of the richest women in the U.K. and Grandpre something of a celebrity.
(on camera): Is it sort of strange for you as an illustrator, because generally illustrators are behind the scenes and yet you're out front doing this publicity blitz.
Do you feel like a celebrity?
GRANDPRE: A little bit, you know, especially with the kids. But it's really fun because they're so excited to meet me and I'm excited to meet them.
CHO: What do they say to you, these kids?
GRANDPRE: They just want my autograph and they ask me about drawing and who's my favorite character.
CHO (voice-over): For the record, it's a tie -- Hagrid, and, of course, Harry.
So what's next?
(on camera): Book seven?
GRANDPRE: Book seven, yes, exactly. I've got to gear up for that.
CHO (voice-over): Wannabe Wizards, as always, will be waiting.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: Oh, it is just crazy over this book. And it's been a busy 12 hours for Harry Potter fans overseas as they read it.
HARRIS: Let me tell you something, we've got a couple of kids. I'm looking at the monitor right now. I can see these kids who are going to be on the show a little bit later this hour...
NGUYEN: Still reading.
HARRIS: Inhaling this book, OK?
NGUYEN: There they are.
HARRIS: Live to the -- oh, there they are. Inhaling the book.
Good morning.
To London and New York as we cover this Harry Potter phenomenon, later on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
And later, when seconds count, a dramatic rescue caught on tape. Wait until you see this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Foreign tourists are reportedly among the casualties after a deadly attack on a resort town in Turkey.
We want to welcome you back on this Saturday morning.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
That story in a minute.
First, headlines now in the news.
In Brian, investigators are combing an Islamic community center in Leeds, England. At least two of the suspected London bombers lived there. A local shop owner tells CNN that all three bombing suspects met repeatedly at the center in recent months.
In Scotland, Eldrick is at it again. Tiger Woods tears up the old course at St. Andrew's to take a four shot lead at the British Open golf tournament. Woods is 11 under par going into today's third round. That's pretty good, 11 under. He's followed by Colin Montgomerie, at seven under. As Kenny Rogers says, you've got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them.
The world series of poker is down to the final round. Nine players are still in the game in Las Vegas. The top prize is $7.5 million.
NGUYEN: Wow!
HARRIS: And time to check in with CNN's International Desk to see what else is making news around the world.
NGUYEN: And we do want to start with a deadly bomb attack in a Turkish resort town.
For those details, let's turn now to CNN's Anand Naidoo -- good morning, Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning and thanks, Betty.
That's right, there's been a suicide bombing in a Turkish Aegean Sea resort. What we do know right now is that at least four people have been killed and 14 injured. This attack taking place in the town of Kusadasi in the west. Officials say the bomber detonated the explosives aboard a minibus. Local television reports say the bomber is a woman who died in the attack. The reports also say three of those who died were foreign tourists and five foreigners among those who were injured, and they were injured critically.
There have been no claims of responsibility, although Kurdish rebels have recently carried out bombings in Aegean resort towns.
Now to Iraq. Three British soldiers have been killed in the war there. Not many details released on the incident, except that they died in what British officials say was hostile action. The incident took place in Amara, in southeastern Iraq. Two other soldiers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a nearby base.
Britain has about 8,500 troops in Iraq. But they patrol the mainly Shiite south of the country near Basra. These latest deaths bring to 92 the number of British soldiers who have been killed in Iraq.
Now, changing gears a bit, it's -- if you didn't know already -- Potter mania out there. And if you're not already on the waiting list, you might have a hard time getting a copy of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." That's the title of the latest book.
The sixth Harry Potter book is out today. And it's causing quite a stir both here and in Harry's homeland.
Malika Kapur is following and monitoring events for us in London.
She joins us from there now with the latest.
What have you got there -- Malika?
MALIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anand.
Well, it's been a really busy time here in London. The last 12 hours have been particularly busy for bookstores across Britain, bookstores like this one. I'm at Border's in central London. This bookstore was open at midnight last night because it was exactly at one minute past midnight that the new Harry Potter book went on sale. And it's been busy. Books have been flying off the shelves over here.
In fact, just this one branch of Border's sold 600 books just in the first two hours of trade late last night. And the book is expected to do very brisk business today. It's expected to sell two million copies just in Britain alone, just in the first 24 hours. And booksellers are expecting it to sell between 10 to 15 million copies around the world, again, just in the first day after its release -- Anand.
NAIDOO: Malika Kapur talking to us from London there.
And that is all for me -- back to Tony and Betty.
HARRIS: Oh, my. OK. Harry Potter casting a spell all over the world. We'll get a review from a couple of experts --
NGUYEN: Experts.
HARRIS: ... who have spent the last seven hours, we understand, trying to uncover the secrets of the book.
NGUYEN: One is still reading. Like she won't even -- nudge her, nudge her, yes.
HARRIS: I know.
NGUYEN: You're live on television.
HARRIS: Here's...
NGUYEN: Break away from the book.
HARRIS: Here's what I understand, though. At some point during the night, mom had to shut them down. Close the book and get some sleep because you're going to be on CNN SATURDAY MORNING with Betty and Tony.
And, look, good morning, ladies.
ISABEL SEN, HARRY POTTER FAN: Good morning.
EMILY SEN, HARRY POTTER FAN: Good morning.
HARRIS: We'll talk to you in just a moment.
NGUYEN: But you can keep reading until then.
And CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is standing by. She is tracking the path of hurricane Emily. We just got done with Dennis, it seems, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Well, on the positive note, Betty, at least there's no hurricane affecting the U.S. mainland this weekend. The Texas coast, though, bracing themselves for Emily later on in the week.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SCHNEIDER: I'll have your complete forecast as CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I have the "The Half Blood Prince!"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I just decided to do something fun and come here and see what's happening.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I'm dressed up as Draco Malfoy and I dressed up as him because I look the most like him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son likes to read it. Unfortunately, I'm the one that reads it to him, but it's kind of nice to allow my son to (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the same age as Harry and everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we're the same age. And in the movies, it's really fun to just watch and be like oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the B.S.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're just so cleverly written and you just fall in love with the characters. So, I think it's something that will definitely, you know, stand the test of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN cameras were there when the book grab started at midnight for true Harry Potter fans. That's when the book went on sale across the globe in many stores.
Sisters Emily and Isabel Sen are self-proclaimed huge Harry Potter fans and stayed awake last night to get their hands on a copy of book six as soon as possible.
They join us live from New York.
Ladies, good morning.
E. SEN: Hi.
I. SEN: Good morning.
E. SEN: Good morning.
HARRIS: Have you been up most of the night trying to read as much of this book as you can?
I. SEN: Well, we tried, but we had it forcibly taken from us so we could get some sleep.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, tell us that story.
Mom shut you down, didn't she?
I. SEN: Well, mom, and then mostly our dad, actually. HARRIS: Oh.
I. SEN: We took it out for him.
E. SEN: I'm like no.
I. SEN: So, yes, we've been trying to catch up on lost time.
HARRIS: Well, all right, let's -- catch me up here.
Have you read all of the books?
I. SEN: Yes.
E. SEN: Yes.
HARRIS: All of the books?
I. SEN: Yes. Too many times to count.
HARRIS: What is it about this Harry? What is it that does it for you? Because I understand there are two camps. There are folks who get it and then there are folks who don't really get it.
I. SEN: I don't know what it is exactly that I love so much about Harry Potter but...
E. SEN: It's just, you just -- it's very enjoyable and it makes some sort of fantasy and like humor. And it's just really fun to read.
I. SEN: Yes, and then also I spend a lot of time reading. I've read a lot of fantasy books. And I'm not quite sure what it is exactly about the way J.K. Rawling writes, but it's -- I haven't found a lot of people who can compare in writing style.
E. SEN: She just makes it different.
HARRIS: So, Emily, how far along in the book have you gotten so far?
E. SEN: I'm only on the third chapter. So I'm...
HARRIS: Oh, the third chapter?
E. SEN: I'm moving quite slowly.
I. SEN: Yes, and I'm just about to start chapter five, so.
HARRIS: Chapter five?
I. SEN: Yes.
E. SEN: Yes, she's much faster than me.
I. SEN: Although I haven't gotten very far this morning. HARRIS: OK, Isabel, you're a little farther along.
So what do you think? Any surprises so far?
I. SEN: Yes. I'm not even -- I've only read four chapters and already I'm a little shocked.
HARRIS: Really?
I. SEN: But I won't say anything.
HARRIS: What do you mean you're not going to say anything? That's why we've got you here.
I. SEN: Yes, but I...
HARRIS: What do you mean you're not going to say...
I. SEN: I won't spoil anything.
HARRIS: You won't spoil anything?
I. SEN: No.
HARRIS: All right, well, then let me ask a couple of questions.
I. SEN: I don't want authorities coming after me or something.
HARRIS: I've got a couple of questions for you here then.
I. SEN: OK.
HARRIS: The evil Lord Volderama (ph). Is that his name?
(OFF CAMERA REMARKS)
I. SEN: No, Voldemort.
E. SEN: Lord Voldemort.
HARRIS: It's Volderama, isn't it?
(OFF CAMERA REMARKS)
HARRIS: All right, the evil lord.
Is he still after our hero, Harry?
I. SEN: Yes.
E. SEN: Yes.
HARRIS: He is?
I. SEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Trying to squash him?
I. SEN: Yes.
E. SEN: Yes, and he's...
HARRIS: Really trying to squash him, huh?
All right, how about Harry's friends? Give us an update on Randy and Helga.
I. SEN: No, Ron and Hermione.
HARRIS: Those names are wrong, too?
I. SEN: Yes.
E. SEN: Yes.
I. SEN: I actually haven't quite gotten to seeing them yet. They haven't showed up yet.
E. SEN: You're (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Harry.
HARRIS: They haven't shown up in the book yet?
E. SEN: No.
I. SEN: No. I mean they've obviously been mentioned, but he hasn't seen them yet.
HARRIS: Well, OK. All right.
I. SEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: So what are you expecting? I mean give me a sense of did you have some questions that you wanted answered after reading the last book?
I. SEN: I guess basically, well, the -- the end of the fifth book ended with a chapter, you know, the second war begins. So I was pretty anxious to see exactly how the war would begin, exactly what would be happening. And we've already seen some stuff happening.
HARRIS: And, Emily, what are you excited about? What do you want answered in this book?
E. SEN: What I really want to know is a sort of big update of what the evil Lord Voldemort has been doing and how Harry is in, you know, how more serious the case is and how the war is getting like worse. And, you know, it's becoming much more --
I. SEN: Which it definitely is.
E. SEN: ... much more dramatic and thrilling so.
I. SEN: Yes. HARRIS: OK.
Isabel...
E. SEN: I just want to see what happens next.
I. SEN: Yes?
HARRIS: Isabel?
I. SEN: Yes?
HARRIS: Who is this half blood prince?
I. SEN: I don't know.
HARRIS: What do you mean you don't know?
I. SEN: I don't know yet.
E. SEN: It doesn't...
I. SEN: It's four chapters.
E. SEN: I think...
I. SEN: But I am trying to read as fast as I can to find that out because...
E. SEN: Like we have guesses.
I. SEN: ... I am very anxious to know.
HARRIS: OK. When do you think you -- how many pages? How many pages in all? Six hundred? Seven hundred pages?
I. SEN: Six hundred something.
HARRIS: Six hundred something?
I. SEN: I don't know.
HARRIS: So tell me something, how long do you think it'll take you to finish it up? Today? What, another hour or so?
I. SEN: Oh, not that fast. But I will predict I will be done by midnight tonight. Hopefully.
HARRIS: You think you'll be done by midnight tonight?
I. SEN: Hopefully.
Yes.
E. SEN: Yes.
I. SEN: Hopefully, if all, you know, if all goes well and things don't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: All right, you hang in there a minute. I'm going to give you my e-mail address and you tell me what happens and who gets hacked by the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), all right?
I. SEN: No, sir, I can't do that.
HARRIS: Yes you can. I'm giving you permission.
Good to see you both.
I. SEN: Yes, good to see you, too.
E. SEN: OK.
HARRIS: And thanks for playing along this morning.
E. SEN: OK.
I. SEN: All right, thank you.
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: How cute, going to be done by midnight.
We need to hire those girls. We need some good researchers around here, boy, if they can read that fast.
Thanks, Tony.
We want to get to our top stories now.
Hurricane Emily has blown itself into a dangerous category four storm. Sustained winds are 135 miles an hour and it's bearing down on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Also in the news, the FBI is following possible U.S. links to last week's bombings in London. Agents are trying to find people who knew an Egyptian biochemist when he studied at North Carolina State University.
In Washington, top Bush adviser Karl Rove told a federal grand jury that he indirectly confirmed to columnist Robert Novak the identity of a covert CIA agent. A lawyer familiar with the testimony says Rove did not initiate the conversation and did not use the agent's name. There has been much speculation that Rove released the agent's name to journalists.
And all of this leads up to our E-Mail Question this morning.
Here it is: Karl Rove -- is the case, is it a case of real controversy or partisan politics?
E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com and we'll read those replies throughout the morning.
HARRIS: But first, a "CNN Extra."
This is a new mosquito repellant on the block for people who want to steer clear of products that contain the chemical known as DEET, the new Cutter Advance using lemon eucalyptus oil instead. And the CDC says it's actually more effective.
However, if you are worried about ticks, only DEET products provide protection. "Consumer Reports" lists Ultrathon as the number one pick.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, so he's already pushed his pedals to the pavement, but can he make history once again? You know who we're talking about.
Here to talk about Lance Armstrong is Veronica De La Cruz -- hi, Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
How are you doing today?
NGUYEN: I'm doing well.
How is Lance doing? That's the question.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, as you know, Lance Armstrong is going for his seventh straight victory in the Tour de France. And you can get the inside track at sportsillustrated.com/tour.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Armstrong is going for his seventh consecutive win in cycling's showcase race before retiring. His time of 20:53 in the opening time trial effectively crushed his main rivals. Armstrong joked around saying, "I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire." This gallery shows images of the six-time champ on his quest for win number seven.
The race, running more than 2,240 miles, started July 2 and will finish July 24 in Paris.
You can click on this tour tracker for a preview of the route, the latest results, as well as profiles on teams, cyclists and past winners. Other cyclists in this year's race are intent on putting Armstrong to the best. From Jan Ullrich to Ivan Basso, this chart highlights five other top contenders.
Finally, does Lance Armstrong have a dark side? You can read more in this si.com extra. Daniel Coyle talks about his new book on the cyclist.
(END VIDEO TAPE) DE LA CRUZ: Find out more about that dark side. Armstrong and his main rivals finished together in the flat and fast stage 13 Friday. The race heads into the Pyrenees today.
And, again, you can find that all online at sportsillustrated.com/tour.
And if you're feeling lazy, it's si.com/tour.
We don't want to you go all out.
NGUYEN: Are you talking to us?
Are you talking to us? Are we lazy?
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Maybe. Hey...
HARRIS: Give us an excuse.
DE LA CRUZ: Me, I type outsi.com/tour because it's easier.
NGUYEN: Yes, yes.
Thanks for clarifying that.
DE LA CRUZ: Right?
NGUYEN: OK, Veronica, thank you.
Well, back here in the U.S., Tony, have you got some news for us?
NGUYEN: Quick action by police literally saves a man's life. You'll see just how much seconds can count.
Jeremy Crider of CNN affiliate WSLS has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JEREMY CRIDER, WSLS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Roanoke City police officer J.A. Kratz (ph) is used to buckling in and staying busy. But during his drive Friday night...
J.A. KRATZ, ROANOKE POLICE: We received a call of a man who was getting ready to jump off the bridge.
CRIDER: So Kratz and city police took off for the Elm Avenue bridge. They showed up to this. The man on the left of your screen sitting on the side of the bridge, threatening to throw himself off.
(on camera): The drop more than 20 feet here on the Interstate, 581.
(voice-over): A busy road full of weekend traffic.
SGT. MAC BABB, ROANOKE POLICE: His intent was to hurt himself, but it certainly could have hurt other people at the same time.
CRIDER: The officers tried to talk him down. It didn't work.
BABB: He said, "Good-bye, fellows."
CRIDER: Now watch the other officers distract the man as Kratz comes running in behind him. He wraps his arms around his waist just as the man leans forward to fall.
KRATZ: He had just reached the breaking point and he had had enough.
CRIDER: Enough to throw himself into traffic. Watch it again in slow motion. Officer Kratz grabs the man just in the nick of time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's off the bridge. 265, we have subject in custody.
CRIDER: Other officers helped pull the man onto the bridge. He's handcuffed and on his way to the hospital.
BABB: He was a little angry with me that we did save him, but, you know, I said you're, you know, I just told him, yes, it's not going to happen if I can intervene.
CRIDER: The third time Officer Kratz has helped prevent an attempted suicide on a Roanoke bridge.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Wow!
NGUYEN: Just in the nick of time, too.
HARRIS: Yes.
Oh, and once again, that was Jeremy Crider of CNN affiliate WSLS with that story.
Man.
NGUYEN: Well, many people go to great lengths to pursue their dreams, but for police in Pennsylvania -- look at this -- this stunt was just too much.
We will tell you what happened when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Time now for a "Wow of the Week."
Take a look at this. Nutty, nutty, nutty.
NGUYEN: What was he thinking?
HARRIS: Yes. Thrill seekers, beware. Do not try this at home. NGUYEN: Yes, please.
HARRIS: This Pennsylvania man was cited reckless endangerment...
NGUYEN: My goodness.
HARRIS: ... after doing some dangerous stunts from his car. Twenty-year-old Brian Crawford -- we have a name -- rode on the roof, hung out of the window of a fast moving car. Crawford says he was trying to make a video to apply to stuntman school. But police call it just a mindless stunt.
Hello? Look out for the bridge abutment.
NGUYEN: My god -- well, what is it? I mean come on.
HARRIS: Well...
NGUYEN: Is that how you get in? Because if that's how you get in, I don't want any part of it.
HARRIS: Exactly.
SCHNEIDER: Whenever you see people driving...
HARRIS: That's right. Exactly. Just trying to launch a career.
SCHNEIDER: ... you know, with like an arm out the window...
HARRIS: Yes.
SCHNEIDER: I just get nervous things could happen.
HARRIS: Yes, and you want to yank those arms.
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
HARRIS: Put it back in.
NGUYEN: Hey, this is something that you don't want to try at home -- forecasting, right?
Leave it to the experts.
HARRIS: Yes.
SCHNEIDER: Definitely. Especially for the people on the Gulf Coast, because every weekend you're watching is it going to happen again?
And it looks like we have another storm that's headed for Texas. This one is hurricane Emily. Hurricane Emily, as of late last night, was upgraded to a category four hurricane. That means it's pretty powerful. So we're seeing strong winds with this storm, a well defined eye. And as the storm works its say to the westward area, we're seeing a burst of convection, especially as it gets close to Jamaica, which is happening right now. So naturally there are hurricane warnings in effect for Jamaica and for the Caymans, even though the storm won't make a direct hit.
This, you can see the square up right here. This is really going to impact Jamaica. Five to eight inches of rain possible, more in areas low lying and also mud slides. That could be a major concern for Jamaica, as we saw with the last storm coming through.
So unfortunately for this situation, it's not improving.
In the meantime, if we check out our track, we're expecting conditions to improve a little bit as the storm interacts with the peninsula. As it interacts, we're likely to see -- new captions. We're likely to see it decrease in intensity a bit. A category three hurricane when it makes landfall somewhere along the Texas coast.
In the meantime, let's take a look at a category three storm. Large trees and utility poles are down. Small homes could be damaged and low lying escape routes will be cut off hours before landfall. And this storm is likely to make landfall as a category three on early Wednesday morning, along the Texas coast or southward toward Mexico.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Thanks, Bonnie.
HARRIS: All right, thank you.
Now, all morning long we've been asking for your thoughts on our E-Mail Question of the Day. And we're actually focusing on Karl Rove, the president's most trusted adviser, what he knew about an undercover CIA agent, when he knew it and who he talked to about it, our question for you this morning.
Let's get to it.
Is this a real controversy or partisan politics?
Rebecca from New Jersey writes: "This is a real story and it's vital that you follow it. It may be just an offshoot of the tangle of lies that led us into Iraq, but it could be the beginning of the truth."
NGUYEN: But David disagrees. He says: "It's politics as usual and good summer fun in Washington."
Of course, we want to know what you think. So keep those e-mails coming. We've got a lot of them. But keep them coming so we can read them on the air.
Here's the question one more time -- Karl Rove, real controversy or partisan politics?
Send us your thoughts, weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: And the direct quote is "the inbox is on fire."
NGUYEN: Fire!
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
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