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CNN Saturday Morning News
Hurrican Katrina; Sports Endorcements
Aired August 27, 2005 - 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: Hurricane Katrina strengthened into a category three storm just a couple of hours ago. It is now churning across the Gulf of Mexico after killing at least seven people in Florida. Katrina could become a category four storm before hitting land again Monday along the Mississippi/Louisiana coast.
We will bring you complete hurricane coverage in just a minute. In other news, coalition forces say it is the biggest prisoner release to date from Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison. They freed nearly 1,000 detainees this week. The Iraqi government asked for the release, saying none of the inmates committed violent crimes and that they're all -- that they have all pledged to be good citizens.
Now to Aruba. Two brothers are back in jail in the Natalee Holloway case. Police have arrested Satish and Deepak Kalpoe again. Both now suspect -- police, I should say, now suspect the two of acting with other people in raping and killing the Alabama teenager. She's been missing for nearly three months now.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, the 27th day of August.
Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Betty's back.
NGUYEN: Yes, I'm finally back.
HARRIS: Back in the house.
NGUYEN: A little vacation time doesn't hurt anyone.
HARRIS: Yes, for sure. It helps.
NGUYEN: You need a little, don't you?
HARRIS: It helps. Yes.
And good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris.
Still to come this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The roof is gone. No deck. Goodness. Well, we'll just have to rebuild.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, it's the barrier island blues and people are rebuilding over and over again. So who's paying for these multi- million dollar homes? Find out later.
Also, another deadline has come and gone. But is Iraq any closer to getting a constitution? We'll have the latest.
And show me the money. George Foreman is really cooking when it comes to the endorsements, and he is not the only one, Betty. Rick Horrow takes us beyond the grill and "Beyond The Game."
ANNOUNCER: CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: As you heard, CNN is your hurricane headquarters.
Katrina is gearing up for a second landfall and it could be even worse than the first one. Katrina is now blamed for at least seven deaths in Florida. It came ashore in Miami-Dade County Thursday as a category one hurricane. Katrina has grown into a category three storm this morning in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters warn it could become a category four before hitting land again on Monday along the Louisiana/Mississippi coast.
Now, tourist evacuations along the coast could start this afternoon. Coastal residents may be ordered to evacuate tomorrow.
HARRIS: Storms, storms, storms this hurricane season in the tropics.
NGUYEN: It's a busy season, isn't it?
HARRIS: And meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is in for Rob Marciano this morning. And she has been tracking the powerful storm -- and, Bonnie, what is the latest?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Tony, right now it's interesting because Katrina has not only been upgraded to a category three with maximum sustained winds right now at 115 miles per hour, the storm has actually grown larger, which is important to note because once we start talking about a landfall, once the storm gets closer to wherever it is it does make landfall, those hurricane force winds extending right now outward of 40 miles will really make a difference. Tropical storm force winds right now extend outward of 150 miles. And the storm right now is about 435 miles to the southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
So the big question is where is Katrina headed next and when?
Well, it's very interesting, as well, that the track has shifted a little bit further to the west and now it looks like Louisiana is under the gun. Because we're watching here on our cone of uncertainty anywhere from the Panhandle of Florida back toward Louisiana needs to be concerned about Katrina.
A landfall is expected some time on Monday and possibly even up to a category four strength. So Katrina now a category three, but it could grow stronger over the next 24 to 48 hours. We will be keeping you updated on the latest on hurricane Katrina -- Betty, Tony.
NGUYEN: A powerful storm.
All right, thank you.
HARRIS: Bonnie, thank you.
The cleanup from hurricane Katrina is underway in southern Florida, where the storm made landfall on Thursday. During the last 48 hours, Katrina dumped more than a foot of rain as it moved slowly across the state. And more rain is in the forecast for today.
CNN correspondent David Mattingly visited one water-soaked family.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, how bad is it?
(voice-over): Eric Garcia's house used to sit at the end of a cul-de-sac that now looks more like a neighborhood lake. His family was inside as waters a foot deep poured through their new southwest Miami-Dade County home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The kids were all on top of the bed. We weren't sure -- the electricity was still on, so we didn't want anyone to get electrocuted. So they were just sitting on their beds, crying.
MATTINGLY: They first tried to stop the flood with towels and comforters, but no luck. Hurricane Katrina dumped 15 inches of rain -- too much water too quickly to keep the house dry. By morning, they were among thousands either stranded by flooded streets or struggling with the sudden damage to cars and property.
Being insured gives them some confidence they can recover, but there's a lot of heart-breaking work ahead.
(on camera): Like so many South Floridians, the family here hunkered down when Katrina came ashore, confident that their house could easily weather a category one storm. What they hadn't counted on were the flood waters. And as far as they're concerned, the waters can't go away quickly enough.
(voice-over): Water still bubbles up from under the newly laid hardwood floors. They had just moved in a week ago and belongings were still in bundles on the floor. New appliances were still in boxes in the kitchen. Everything now is either soaked or ruined.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we didn't lose any lives. The children were safe. We were safe. So the things can be purchased again. They're just material.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, all of it's material. You can't replace a human life, so.
MATTINGLY: Garcia and his family waited patiently for renovations to be completed before they moved in. Now, they will look for other accommodations while they wait for repairs that could take months.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: CNN's David Mattingly.
And there's much more hurricane coverage ahead. Later this hour, we'll bring you images from our citizen journalists, the people who were in the eye of the storm.
In our next hour, Katrina is growing before our eyes as it gets ready to take another swipe at land. And we'll have the latest forecast.
Also, at 8:00 Eastern, oil rigs -- they're massive and mighty, but they're no match for a hurricane. As oil workers evacuate, we'll look at the dangers they face.
Keep it tuned to CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: Some "Stories Across America" now.
South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base has been saved by the base closings commission. The panel also came up with its own plan to rearrange Air National Guard units all across the country. But siding with the Pentagon, the commission voted to shut down historic Walter Reed Army Hospital and relocate 20,000 workers. The commission has completed its work and its recommendations now go to President Bush.
The FDA is delaying a decision on allowing the over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive pill known as Plan B. The pills can be taken within three days to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Plan B does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
A week long search for a Grammy winning producer, record producer, is over. Christian Julian Irwin wasn't far from his southern California home. He was actually spotted sitting in a creek naked washing his jeans. Irwin disappeared last Sunday after claiming that people with dogs were chasing him. He's in the hospital for observation.
A Kingman, Arizona, minister has taken his battle against drug addiction to -- look at this -- Taco Bell. And there Pastor Kelly Follis (ph) is taking his faith to a higher level, shall we say? Follis is perched atop of that restaurant and there he will stay, he says, until he raises a million dollars to fight methamphetamine abuse.
Well, what could be the wave of the future for school kids? That's being tested right now in Rochester, New York. Take a look at this high tech school bus. You'll see it in just a minute. It has GPS plus live video and audio feeds to keep track of the kids and what they're saying on the school bus, apparently. School officials can track the exact location of the school bus and its direction along with the speed.
HARRIS: Time now for a quick look at some of the week's big stories that you may have missed.
At least 31 people were killed Tuesday when a Peruvian airliner went down two miles short of a jungle runway. Fifty-seven people on board survived. Aviation officials in Washington, D.C. say heavy cross winds are to blame for the crash. They are examining the plane's flight recorders for additional clues.
A controversial study published Wednesday says fetuses probably can't feel pain until the 28th week of pregnancy. Critics say the research is an attack on a proposed federal bill that would require doctors to give fetal pain information to women who want an abortion when the fetus is at least 20 weeks old.
And Thursday, world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong denied allegations that he's ever used performance enhancing drugs. His comments followed a story in the French newspaper that said retesting of some of Armstrong's urine samples show he used a banned substance back in 1999. That's when he won his first of seven Tour de France titles.
And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.
NGUYEN: Well, as we told you just a little bit earlier, Katrina is gaining more strength. She's now a category three storm and growing. So, where is she headed? Well, meteorologist Bonnie Schneider joins us right after the break with that.
HARRIS: Plus, new developments in the struggle to complete a constitution for Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: No letup in the president's hometown by anti-war demonstrators. In fact, activists from both sides converge on Crawford today. The story next hour on CNN SATURDAY, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning.
I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider in the CNN Weather Center with a look at your Allergy Forecast.
Well, for those of you who suffer from upper respiratory problems and have trouble breathing when the air quality is not so good, unfortunately through parts of Nevada into Utah it's not going to be so comfortable for today. But thanks to the moisture from hurricane Katrina, it kind of cleared out the air a bit down in Florida, so actually the air quality there will be comfortable.
Elsewhere across the country, we have moderate to high conditions as far as ozone goes and poor air quality. So not the worst Saturday that we're looking at.
Well, stay tuned.
Coming up, we'll have a complete check of hurricane Katrina.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories, the U.S. military this week released almost 1,000 detainees held at Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib Prison. The release was made at the request of Iraq's government and it comes amid disagreements with Sunni Arabs over Iraq's new constitution.
Did you hear this story? Music producer Christian Irwin has been found safe after being reported missing last weekend. Authorities say Irwin was spotted naked from near his southern California home washing his jeans in a creek. He's been hospitalized for observation.
The FDA has postponed for at least 60 days a decision on whether the morning after pill can be sold without prescription. The FDA is allowing time for the public to weigh in.
ANNOUNCER: CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: We want to give you an update on Katrina in just a moment.
But we want to show you some live pictures right now out of Miami, where work crews are on the scene. Here is a look at some of the trucks. They are getting ready to go out and prepare for this cleanup that they're doing there in Miami, not to mention the fact that one million people in Florida are without power this morning. We're talking about Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties that are without power after Katrina snapped utility wires and ripped down trees. So obviously that's going to be a main concern today, as the cleanup begins.
So, where is Katrina? That's what a lot of folks want to Katrina this morning, especially those in Louisiana and Mississippi.
So, let's turn it now to Bonnie Schneider, who's got the low down on hurricane Katrina, who's very powerful right now.
SCHNEIDER: Absolutely, Betty.
This storm has gained strength in the overnight hours and gained size, as well. Good news for those of you in Florida. At least the storm right now is moving away from Florida, 165 miles to the west of Key West. So we're not seeing that rain right now. It's offshore. The only place that's getting pounded right now by Katrina is Cuba, and that's where the rain is coming down heavy and hard. When we look at our satellite perspective, you can actually see the movement of Katrina. Originally, it was moving to the southwest. Now we're seeing a gradual movement to the west at about seven miles per hour. So still a fairly flow moving hurricane.
Right now the winds right now are at maximum at 115 miles per hour. That classifies Katrina as a category three, meaning it's a very powerful hurricane.
And as you can see on our satellite perspective when you look at the Gulf of Mexico, it's about to move over some very warm water over the Gulf. And that's just going to help Katrina intensify. But the big question is, for Gulf Coast residents, is where will Katrina go?
Originally the National Hurricane Center had the track a little bit further to the east and our main concern was the Panhandle of Florida. But as you can see from our latest advisory, our computer projects into the future. And once the storm comes over some of this really warm -- and not only warm, but very deep water, where you have water that's so warm, 80 degrees, the temperature that warm is -- goes as far down as 600 feet. So you've got warm, deep water to really energize the hurricane.
So we're likely to see the storm come up to a category four in strength as early as Sunday. And then it will likely stay as a category four as it gets closer and closer to land.
Notice the track has shifted much further to the west, toward Louisiana. Not quite toward Texas and that cone of uncertainty, but Louisiana definitely under the gun. So is Alabama. And still not quite out of the woods yet for the Florida Panhandle.
Remember, this cone of uncertainty is pretty wide. And as we get closer to landfall, we'll have a better idea of exactly where this storm will go.
But one thing is for sure, Katrina is a power category three hurricane, likely to gain strength -- Betty, Tony.
NGUYEN: Yes, there's nothing uncertain ABOUT that.
SCHNEIDER: Right.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
ANNOUNCER: CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
HARRIS: And you will want to stay with CNN for all your hurricane coverage. We're expecting another update from the National Weather Service at the top of the hour.
NGUYEN: Plus, for this entire athletic career, Michael Jordan was a key player in the multi-billion dollar high stakes game of sports endorsements. Not much has changed since he hung up his Air Jordans.
Next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, sports business analyst Rick Horrow -- there he is -- shows you the money. Hey, yes, show us the money, Rick, as we take you "Beyond The Game."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: President Bush vows to complete the job in Iraq while facing the lowest approval numbers in his presidency.
We invite you to talk to CNN this morning. Tell us what's on your mind, the war in Iraq or maybe the protests in Crawford, Texas. Send us your questions at WEEKENDS@CNN.COM. And CNN's Bob Franken has been covering the White House this week and he joins us this morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern to answer those questions. So send them to us, WEEKENDS@CNN.COM.
Well, last month's terror attacks in London have many of you asking if it could happen here. Because some of the suspects in those attacks are Muslim extremists, we put that question to Muslim Americans. Is it likely that extremists would duplicate the British bombings on U.S. soil?
Their answers may surprise you. A CNN investigation, "Can It Happen Here?" That's tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 7:00 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): If you've ever wondered why corporations pay superstars for endorsements, the numbers tell the story. The George Foreman grill represents 38 percent of the sales for Salton Incorporated. On the very first day of the 2003 debut of the Lebron James Nike shoe, a third of the stock was sold. Michael Jordan hasn't played basketball in two years, yet he is second on a poll of the best athletes to endorse a product. And forget about Kobe Bryant's off court problems. The NBA superstar recently became only the fourth athlete ever to get his own Nike logo.
The dollars behind the endorsements, the topic this morning, as we take you "Beyond The Game."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Corporate America is expected to spend more than $27 billion on advertising this year alone.
Now for a look behind the dollars, let's bring in CNN sports business analyst and the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," Rick Horrow -- Rick, good morning.
Good to see you.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Good morning, man.
HARRIS: OK. HORROW: I'm wearing my Disney tie. I'm waiting by the phone. I figured I'd get one of those endorsement deals. My phone hasn't been ringing man. What's the problem here?
HARRIS: What is going on with you?
All right, you know, basketball, the pro game, there's a new collective beginning agreement, right, in place?
HORROW: Right.
HARRIS: High schoolers need not apply.
How does that change the endorsement landscape?
HORROW: Well, here's the deal. You know, when Alonzo Mourning was drafted in the NBA and he was asked what team he'd rather work for, he said I'm working for Nike. And, of course, that was before the Reebok-Adidas merger of the $4 billion that ratcheted the stakes even higher.
So athletes are having an opportunity to make a lot more money. That's the good news.
The bad news for the high school phenom is the collective bargaining agreement in the NBA said you can't be eligible to play in the NBA until a year after your high school class graduates.
So there's a lot more opportunity for those dollars, but these camps, if you go to a Nike camp you can't be a Reebok guy, and vice versa.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: There's about $3 billion at the end of the NBA endorsement rainbow. Unfortunately, the kids are getting squeezed until they get there.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
Well, take a look at this, Rick, the next topic for us this morning. A TSN survey of corporate executives has Tiger Woods -- we understand that -- and Michael Jordan, retired Michael Jordan as the number one and number two best athletes to endorse a product. And Jordan hasn't played, what, in two years.
So what's the story here?
HORROW: Yes, but we all know that some of our credibility goes on way beyond when we give up our craft.
HARRIS: True.
HORROW: And image is everything, obviously, as you know. And these endorsers really do move product. We've got those guys. We've got Shaquille O'Neal signing a big deal with the Miami Heat. We've got Maria Sharapova on the heels of the U.S. Open now starting on Monday in New York. We've got Phil Mickelson, by the way. He had a commercial by Ford Motor Company called Phil's On The Phone. Four hundred thousand people asked to play in his golf tournament just to play golf with him, even before he won the PGA championship.
Then there's the dark side, the other side of this image case, you know, Barry Bonds dropped by Kentucky Fried Chicken and Charles Schwab. You've got Kobe Bryant, the tests say that 52 percent of the people don't like him, almost as bad as another guy, Latrell Sprewell, in terms of unlikability. Then you've got O.J. Remember Hertz sponsored his chase through airports.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: Most recently, it's Bronco's sponsoring his chase through Brentwood. And the bottom line is O.J. for example, has become the king and father of the squandered endorsement. So you've got to take a risk.
HARRIS: Hey, where do you want to go with your foul ball this week?
HORROW: Well, hey, the foul ball, first, is a Portuguese company called Bet and Win, Vienna, Austria based, but a Portuguese league. It's an endorsement tie-in kind of. For example, BetAndWin.com, they're sponsoring a league. It's the biggest betting company in the European soccer industry. And they decided to spend some money so the entire league is called LeagueBetandWin.com (ph), Portuguese soccer.
What will they think of next?
HARRIS: And quickly, before we run out of time, what's your fair ball?
HORROW: Well, that's a big deal. We've got to spend a minute on it. Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, he could have sold his training facility for a lot of money. What he decided to do was to sell it as a Dana Farber Cancer Institute facility, because one of the guys, the benefactor, decided to pay less money in honor of the uncle, who was cured of cancer.
HARRIS: Oh, very good.
HORROW: Passing up big dollars for what he thought was the right endorsement. We need more of that in sports, by the way.
HARRIS: OK.
Rick Horrow, "Beyond The Game," CNN sports analyst.
HORROW: Yes, man.
HARRIS: Good to see you, my friend.
HORROW: Hey, we'll do it next week, OK?
HARRIS: OK.
All right -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Hey, Tony, did you tell Rick why his phone isn't ringing? I mean...
HARRIS: Well, I think we know the answer to that.
NGUYEN: You have to have game to get endorsements, right?
Oh.
HARRIS: There you go.
NGUYEN: He's going to be mad at me, isn't he? I'm just trying to help you out, Tony. That's it.
OK, so is it the people or a product that is causing a delay in the approval of the Iraqi constitution? We have that story just ahead.
Plus, here is a live picture. Look at this. Katrina is picking up steam. Look what she's left behind already. We'll track its movement, coming up.
And take a look at this. It's an area hit by six hurricanes in 10 years. Six major hurricanes in 10 years. And your taxes keep rebuilding some million dollar homes. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning out there.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Let's get you caught up with headlines now in the news.
In Aruba, two brothers who had been previously held in the case of a missing Alabama girl have been re-arrested. The prosecution's office says they've got new facts. They say the two are being held on suspicion they acted together with other people in raping and killing Natalee Holloway.
The morning after pill is going to stay off drugstore shelves for a while longer. Federal regulators put off their decision on whether the emergency contraceptive pill should be sold without a prescription. The FDA says the pill is safe, but regulators are deciding whether sales should be prohibited to young women under the age of 17.
And in Iraq, it looks like negotiators failed to break a deadlock over Iraq's draft constitution. The head of parliament says a plan backed by the majority Shiites and Kurds will be submitted to parliament tomorrow despite objections from the Sunni minority.
ANNOUNCER: CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: We can't say it enough, CNN is your hurricane headquarters.
Katrina is gearing up for a second landfall and it could be even worse than the first. The storm is now blamed for at least seven deaths in Florida. It came ashore in Miami-Dade County Thursday as a category one hurricane. Now, about two-and-a-half hours ago, Katrina was boosted to a category three storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters warn it could become a category four before hitting land again Monday along the Louisiana/Mississippi coast. That is a powerful storm, folks.
Tourist evacuations along the coast could start this afternoon. Coastal residents may be ordered to evacuate as early as tomorrow.
HARRIS: And, you know, it's gaining this level of strength because it is out there over the Gulf.
NGUYEN: The warm water.
HARRIS: In the warm water, feeding it like fuel injectors into the system there.
Bonnie Schneider can explain it a little bit better.
NGUYEN: You're a real meteorologist there.
HARRIS: Well, we had a little bit of a conversation about this. SCHNEIDER: I briefed him.
NGUYEN: But we have a real meteorologist.
HARRIS: I was briefed.
SCHNEIDER: That's right, we did talk about that.
So, some really warm, deep water actually will provide the fuel to the fire when it comes to Katrina. And that's happening now. The storm overnight went from a category two to a category three. That means that maximum winds are now up to 115 miles per hour. So a very powerful hurricane.
Luckily, it's moving away from land right now, but unfortunately a second landfall looks like it's imminent as the storm works its way over those warm, deep waters over the Gulf of Mexico.
So we're talking about landfall eventually occurring toward Monday. But we're watching, also, for the hurricane to gain strength. Likely to become a category four, that's a very powerful hurricane, as early as tomorrow. And then eventually making landfall as a category four somewhere in this vicinity. Look at these projections -- 140 miles per hour for strongest winds. So very strong some time on Monday. But remember, anywhere in this vicinity really just needs to watch out.
As we get closer to landfall on Monday, we'll have a better idea of where this storm is headed. But let's say residents in the central Gulf Coast keep a close watch here on your hurricane headquarters here on CNN because we will give you the updates on Katrina as soon as we get them -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Bonnie.
HARRIS: Thank you.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
NGUYEN: And there is much more hurricane coverage just ahead.
Later this hour, we will bring you images from our citizen journalists, the people who are in the eye of the storm.
And in our 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour, Katrina is growing before our eyes, as it gets ready to take a second swipe at land. We'll have the latest forecast.
Also at 8:00, oil rigs -- they're massive, they're mighty, but no match for a hurricane. Oil workers are evacuating their Gulf Shore offices, and we'll take a closer look at the dangers that they face.
You want to keep it tuned to CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
HARRIS: Still no deal in Iraq. Shiites and Kurds have apparently failed to reach an agreement with the Sunnis over disputed points to Iraq's draft constitution. However, the head of parliament says the majority of Shiites and Kurds did agree to some proposals by Sunni Arab holdouts. And he says the plan will be submitted to parliament tomorrow.
But the Sunnis say the changes don't meet their demands over federalism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALEH AL-MOLTA, SUNNI NEGOTIATOR (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The situation is not balanced. We came here on the basis that there is a compromise, but it does not exist. They bypassed the constitution on the national assembly without any compromising. The national assembly, according to law, is dissolved and it's not possible to continue with this assembly because it does not fulfill its commitments. They should dissolve it, but they are still going on with this national assembly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The constitution could go to voters over Sunni objections. That set the stage, it would, at least, for a bitter political battle ahead of the October referendum.
Remember the Pat Robertson comments about assassinating the president of Venezuela? Hugo Chavez says if something happens to him, he knows who to blame, and it's not Pat Robertson. That story next.
NGUYEN: And we do want to say good morning, New Orleans, the city, although it looks nice and beautiful right now, it is bracing for hurricane Katrina, category three, as we speak. The forecast right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The president's hometown is still a hot spot for demonstrators. Pro- and anti-war activists are set to converge on Crawford today. We'll have that story next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. That's 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And time now to check out some of the other stories making news around the world.
NGUYEN: The U.S. suffers more casualties in Afghanistan and the assassination comment involving Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, remember that?
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: We all remember that. Well, it just won't go away.
For those details, let's go to Anand Naidoo at the CNN International Desk -- good morning, Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, and thanks.
Yes, there's been yet another development on the Hugo Chavez saga. We'll have more on that in a moment.
But first to Afghanistan. A U.S. soldier has been killed and four others wounded when their vehicle was bombed. Officials say the attack took place near the Kalkot District (ph). That is south of the capital, Kabul. The wounded soldiers were taken to nearby bases for treatment. One has been listed as being in critical condition. The other is in stable condition. Two of the others have since returned to duty.
The soldiers were part of a combat patrol aimed at denying insurgents the opportunity to influence others in upcoming elections. Those elections coming up in just a short while.
Now to the row that won't go away. Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, says President Bush will be responsible if something happens to him. That's after the Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson called for Mr. Chavez's assassination earlier this week and then apologized for doing so -- Tony.
HARRIS: And, Anand, have authorities made any arrests or any progress in getting the folks behind the launch of that computer virus, when was it, about a week ago now?
NAIDOO: Yes, it was about a week ago. We have been following the story. And, yes, Tony. You remember that virus? It brought outages to more than 100 companies, including us here at CNN.
Well, officials say two men -- I don't even know whether I should be calling them men because one is 18. Two men have been arrested in connection with developing and spreading the virus. They are, as I mentioned, the 18-year-old. He's Moroccan. And a 21-year-old from Turkey. Police say the younger guy, the teenaged Moroccan, he wrote the malicious code and provided it to the Turkish man for a fee. He actually sold it to the Turkish guy and then somebody let it into the system.
And now, get this, the two guys accused in this have never met in person. They only know each other through the Internet.
NGUYEN: But of course.
NAIDOO: And that's where they appear to have struck up a relationship.
HARRIS: Get out of here.
NAIDOO: Yes.
HARRIS: So they don't even know each other...
NAIDOO: They don't know each other.
HARRIS: They get on the Internet and they make these contacts. They...
NGUYEN: And then he actually buys it.
NAIDOO: Buys it...
HARRIS: Hey, look, I've got something for you, a virus.
NAIDOO: Puts it in the system and on the other side of the world...
HARRIS: Yes.
NAIDOO: ... our computers keep going off and on.
HARRIS: That's right. That's right.
NAIDOO: Yes.
NGUYEN: All right, Anand, thank you.
HARRIS: Anand, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with the latest information on Katrina. That's next right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The roof is gone. No deck. Goodness. Well, we'll just have to rebuild.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, they live in an area hit by a major hurricane six times in the last 10 years. And every time, your tax dollars come to the rescue. Each and every time. So how much is too much? That's the question.
The story next, on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And let's check our top stories right now.
The FDA is delaying at least two months a decision on allowing over the counter sales of the morning after pill. The pills can be taken within three days to reduce the chance of pregnancy.
Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish leaders have decided to send an amended draft constitution to parliament this weekend. Sunnis are opposed to wording about federalism because they say it will give Shiites and Kurdish leaders government control on oil resources.
In Aruba, two brothers are back in jail in the Natalee Holloway case. Police say they have suspicions that Satish and Deepak Kalpoe acted with others in the teenager's rape and murder. Holloway has been missing nearly three months now.
ANNOUNCER: CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: We're going to get you up to speed on Katrina.
But we want to give you a live look just briefly.
Actually, I'm not sure if we have that just yet.
I'm told we don't have it, but we're going to try to get it to you a little bit later if we can.
Miami Airport, Bonnie Schneider, we understand so far there are just a few cancellations at this point.
SCHNEIDER: Right.
NGUYEN: Not too bad considering what Katrina did to that city. It left all that flooding in its wake.
SCHNEIDER: You know, it really is. Considering when the storm made landfall in Broward County, it took that jog to the southwest, it made a huge difference for Miami-Dade County, because that's where we saw the heaviest rain with Katrina over the past day or so. In fact, in Cutler Ridge, which is just to the south of the center of the city, we saw up to 20 inches. That's Doppler radar estimates. And I have some reports from people that called in and said that the water pounded pretty high on their front lawns.
So, unfortunately for them in Miami, the rain really came down heavy and hard. Right now it's pouring right now into parts of Cuba. But the center of the storm is on its way to another part of the country. It looks like the central Gulf Coast.
So the State of Florida, at least South Florida, breathing a sigh of relief at this moment that Katrina is moving away. The movement is to the west. But eventually, gradually, the turn to the north is expected.
When that turn to the north occurs, that's really going to be key to determine when we get a better idea of landfall as far as timing goes and intensity. But right now, the latest track, the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami brings Katrina all the way up to category four strength and all the way up to category four strength on landfall. And eventually this storm will die down. But it's so powerful that when it makes landfall, it looks like some time on Monday, it'll stay pretty strong as it works its way to the north.
Right now, again, the cone of uncertainty brings it from the Panhandle of Florida back through Louisiana. And as you can see, Louisiana and New Orleans, back toward Mobile, really keep a close watch on Katrina -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Am I looking at that right, Bonnie? By Tuesday it's still going to be a category one over land?
SCHNEIDER: That's exactly right.
NGUYEN: Wow!
SCHNEIDER: We saw that with other storms like Dennis. When a storm is so powerful, even after it interacts with the land, it's just so powerful that we don't see that downgrade immediately, like we do with other hurricanes when they're lower grade.
So, yes, definitely. And we're even likely to see this as a tropical storm once it goes further inland from there. So a lot of folks will be affected by Katrina.
NGUYEN: All right, well, stay on top of it.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
Here's a question for you -- why are hundreds of thousands of people still building homes along shorelines in the path of hurricanes? And when their homes are damaged or destroyed, why are you paying for it?
CNN's Randi Kaye went to Topsail Island, North Carolina to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a beachgoer's dream, Topsail Island on the North Carolina coast. It has also suffered the fury of six major hurricanes in the last decade. Still, that hasn't stopped people like North Topsail Beach Mayor Rodney Knowles from building a home on the water's edge.
MAYOR RODNEY KNOWLES, TOPSAIL ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA: Well, I guess I'm just a river rat and I like water.
KAYE: After Hurricane Fran flooded Mayor Knowles' home back in '96, he moved it back another 120 feet from the ocean and raised it seven feet. He paid for that. But because the mayor's home is in a zone that qualifies for a federal flood insurance subsidy, guess who paid for a big chunk of his repairs? That's right, you.
KNOWLES: With any type of insurance, you have a pool of money goes in anywhere. And with the federal flood insurance, the money we pay here may go to the mountains of North Carolina. It could go to Georgia. It could go other places.
KAYE: Fran, in 1996, nearly destroyed Topsail Island. The Federal Emergency Management Agency spent $55 million to help rebuild here -- $55 million, your tax dollars.
ORRIN PILKEY, COASTAL SCIENTIST: It's madness. I mean, it's just crazy to build on such a dangerous site.
KAYE: Orrin Pilkey is a coastal geologist with Duke University.
(on camera): Is it our obligation, as a taxpayer, to pay for these people to rebuild their homes?
PILKEY: I think not.
KAYE (voice-over): Pilkey has visited every barrier island in the United States and says Topsail Island is the most vulnerable to hurricanes.
PILKEY: This continual cycle of property damage is going to eventually cost the taxpayers a lot of money, and the individuals who live there, as well.
KAYE: Money, your money, that was never even supposed to be spent here.
(on camera): Back in 1982, Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. The law was designed to discourage people from building along the coast. It makes hurricane prone areas off limits to federal aid, aid like federally subsidized flood insurance and money to help rebuild beaches and infrastructure. (voice-over): Most of the northern part of the island falls under this act. But not even the threat of losing federal dollars could keep developers away. And in the wake of hurricane Fran, there was so much damage, FEMA waved the usual rules and used millions of your tax dollars to clean up anyway, saying safety was at stake. Once forbidden funds made this sleepy little town irresistible to developers.
Real estate broker Pam Dabney has seen property values here increase 500 percent in just the last five years.
PAM DABNEY, TREASURE ISLAND REAL ESTATE: It's just like living in any part of the country, you know you have your earthquakes, you have your tornadoes any place. I think they'll trade the fear for paradise.
KAYE: Dabney sold this home a few months ago for nearly $1.5 million. It seems Dabney's selling real life sand castles faster than kids can build them on the beach. And geologists say both could be washed away in an instant.
Then why are million dollar homes being repaired and rebuilt again and again, at your expense?
PILKEY: People are not concerned with coastal hazards, in part, because they feel that the federal government will take care of them.
KAYE: And, like it or not, we will all pay the bill.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: That was CNN's Randi Kaye in Topsail Island, North Carolina.
By the way, the federal flood insurance program has been in place since 1968. About 20,000 communities in the U.S. are designated flood plains.
And speaking of hurricanes, let's get the latest on hurricane Katrina right now.
Bonnie, you've got a new update for us, don't you?
SCHNEIDER: I do, Betty.
We have the 8:00 advisory just in right now. And really not too much of a change. The only thing to note is that Katrina is on the move. The movement is still to the west at seven miles per hour. But now when we're talking about proximity to the U.S. as far as where the next landfall goes, it's 430 miles right now to the southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi. And that is where we're watching closely where the track will take it over the next 24 to 48 hours.
So the intensity remains the same. This is still a category three hurricane with maximum winds at 115 miles per hour. So the latest information shows Katrina is not at all weakening. In fact, it's likely to strengthen over the next day or so.
We'll keep you up to date -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Bonnie.
HARRIS: Well, we've been asking those of you in the hurricane's path to be our citizen journalists without doing anything too nutty or too dangerous.
NGUYEN: Yes, please don't.
HARRIS: Yes, don't do that.
NGUYEN: And, you know, we're going to share some of those images captured by you right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: Look at this.
NGUYEN: Here's one right now from Jennifer Roberts from Miramar, Florida. Look at that wind there. We're talking about Katrina. We'll have much more on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: CNN.COM is putting you on assignment. We are asking those of you living in an area affected by hurricane Katrina to be citizen journalists.
Veronica De La Cruz of the Dot-Com Desk joins us now to explain.
What are we asking people to do here -- Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, very important to remember, you need to be safe.
HARRIS: Be safe.
DE LA CRUZ: But you need to share your stories with us. So we're asking people to share their stories, to send us their photos of Katrina.
And we've actually received some pretty amazing ones into the newsroom. Here are a couple of them. I want to share them with you.
This one is coming to us from Adilbek in Pompano Beach, Florida. It shows Katrina's strength, if you look, Tony, you'll notice this roof blown down in this mobile home park. So we want to thank Adilbek for sending us that one.
Here's another one. This one coming to us from Christian Calzadillas. This one is kind of artsy. It's nice.
HARRIS: Yes. A little bit of...
DE LA CRUZ: It was taken on Miami's South Beach, which we've all been there, right guys? HARRIS: Right. A bit of a wave. I guess a bit of storm surge, if you wanted to go that far. But sort of a nice wave.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, it shows this lonely figure kind of huddled over in the storm.
And not only are people sending us pictures, Tony, this is pretty amazing. They've also been shooting video, too. Check this one out.
NGUYEN: That wind!
DE LA CRUZ: This one is from Jennifer Roberts. And I saw you guys show this before the break.
HARRIS: Right. Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Jennifer shot this as Katrina moved through the outside of her condo in Miramar, Florida. And you can really notice the wind and the rain here. And if you listen to the video, she's actually talking about those palm fronds outside her windows swaying back and forth.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
DE LA CRUZ: We can't hear the sound, but that's actually what she was doing. She was narrating there.
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: If you live in an area affected by Katrina, you can help add to our coverage. E-mail us your stories, pictures and video by logging onto CNN.COM/STORIES.
Please include your name, location and phone number, but please -- and we were just talking about this during the break -- please be careful because we...
HARRIS: Be careful.
DE LA CRUZ: We don't want to send you into the eye of the storm. We'd like to hear your stories, but we want you to be careful in the process.
HARRIS: The aftermath. Get safe.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HARRIS: Evacuate if you need to.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, yes.
HARRIS: And then go back and take a couple of pictures and show us what the storm has done to you.
NGUYEN: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: And leave the other stuff to the storm chasers.
NGUYEN: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, don't get in harm's way. Better safe than sorry.
HARRIS: Here's a perfect example, OK? We've got some pictures we want to show you now of Miami.
Do we have the pictures of Miami?
DE LA CRUZ: OK.
NGUYEN: Yes, we want to put those up.
HARRIS: OK. And this is after the storm obviously has moved through.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: All right?
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: I mean the flooding and all that they're dealing with. There was a lot of flooding. You know...
DE LA CRUZ: A lot of flooding.
NGUYEN: ... a million people are still without power in the Miami area, the Dade County and whatnot...
HARRIS: There was a Superdome in New Orleans.
NGUYEN: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: And a lot of this area (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: But, you know, speaking of New Orleans, they're bracing for Katrina, which is headed to Louisiana and Mississippi, that area. So we're going to be tracking that.
DE LA CRUZ: And I thought the second picture was good. It was kind of artsy, with a person on a beach.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: And it really looked like the picture was taken before Katrina moved through the area.
HARRIS: There we go.
NGUYEN: And this is what it did when it got there.
HARRIS: Right. This is it. This is -- this -- give us moments like this. We don't want you in the middle of the storm. And, yes, it's dramatic and -- when we can see the wind blowing the trees and everything else. But that's putting you a little closer to harm's way in the path of the storm than we want to ask you to go.
NGUYEN: Right.
HARRIS: And so here's the aftermath.
DE LA CRUZ: The bottom line is be a citizen journalist but be safe. Safety first.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Look at this. Look at all this water.
NGUYEN: Look at that car. I mean you see trees knocked down. This is a neighborhood which has kind of turned into a lake area because of all that's been left behind.
Of course, we're going to keep on top of Katrina and make sure you Katrina where she is and where she's headed so that everyone out there watching can get out of harm's way.
HARRIS: And another update from Bonnie Schneider coming up in mere moments.
The second hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
NGUYEN: President Bush vows to complete the job in Iraq while facing the lowest approval numbers in his presidency.
We invite you to talk to CNN this morning and tell us what's on your mind -- the war in Iraq or maybe the protests in Crawford. Send us those e-mails at WEEKENDS@CNN.COM. And CNN's Bob Franken will tackle all those questions.
But right now, we've got a lot to tell you about. A lot on the table this morning.
HARRIS: Yes. Let's get you caught up with headlines now in the news.
Hurricane Katrina, our top story this morning, is going to strike twice, but not, we understand, in the same place. After drenching South Florida, Katrina -- look at the radar picture right now -- is a category three storm and it is swirling over the open Gulf of Mexico. Somewhere between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle is in the eye of the storm. The latest tracking on the hurricane is straight ahead.
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