[Phillips:] Headlines at the half hour: the money is rolling in. President Bush hoping to raise $3 million in campaign cash today. He's attending a fund-raiser this hour in Dallas. Live pictures now. And then he moves on to Houston. We'll have a live report from the campaign trail, just ahead. No proof. During closing arguments today, an attorney for former finance chief Mark Schwartz says prosecutors failed to prove his client's guilt. Schwartz and former CEO Dennis Kozlowski excuse me are accused of looting millions of dollars from the company. Kozlowski's attorneys have yet to present their final arguments. Taking action. Health officials in Maryland have destroyed more than 300,000 chickens after a single case of bird flu was discovered on a farm yesterday. The strain is the same as the one found in Delaware and is not believed to be harmful to humans. Other news around the world now. Threatening revenge. Hamas is vowing to avenge a deadly Israeli raid in Gaza. Eleven Hamas militants and three boys were killed in Sunday's attack, the bloodiest in 17 months. Israel's army is checking reports that a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead today. A turning point in Greek politics. Greece's socialist leader is out, conservatives are moving in. The new Democracy Party won a majority of seats in parliament in Sunday's elections, ending the socialist 11-year rule. Seized in Zimbabwe. Authorities in the African nation say they've intercepted a U.S. registered jetliner and taken dozens of suspected mercenaries into custody. Investigators say military equipment was found on board. It's unclear whether any of the passengers were American. Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry is looking for a little southern comfort in the land of sunshine. He told Florida supporters today that he's the man some foreign leaders want sitting in the Oval Office. Our John Zarrella is live in Miami with more on Kerry in Florida and the impact of the Cuban American voters John.
[John Zarrella, Cnn Correspondent:] Kyra, you know, Senator Kerry got more than just a little southern comfort here in Florida. A poll just released by the "Miami Herald" and the "St. Petersburg Times" of 800 likely voters shows Senator Kerry now leading President Bush here in the Sunshine State 49-43 percent. The senator is here today. This morning he was in Hollywood, Florida campaigning, then up in West Palm Beach at lunchtime for a rally. And this evening, he will be over on the west coast of Florida, in Tampa. Both All of those, actually, Democratic strongholds, where Senator Kerry is likely to do very well in November. But there is one group of voters here in south Florida that Senator Kerry cannot count on for support.
[Zarrella:] Florida, political experts say, is a difficult state for any candidate. The message has to appeal to a diverse population: retired and active military, elderly voters, affluent young suburbanites and minorities. Among them, traditionally Republican Cuban Americans. One party message, maintaining a tough stance against Fidel Castro, has for decades play Played well in south Florida.
[Pepe Lopez, Latin American Voters Association:] Whoever wants to win Florida better come here and better say what we want to hear. I mean, I don't even say do what we want to do, because I know in Florida for years they haven't done it. But at least, you know, I want to hear it.
[Zarrella:] Among a large majority of Cuban American voters, President Bush is still their man. But recently, there have been uncharacteristic grumblings. The Cuban American National Foundation, once a powerful Republican all, has expressed frustration that the administration hasn't done enough to put pressure on Castro. But so far, political science professor Dario Moreno says Democrats haven't taken advantage of the opening.
[Unidentified Male:] The Democrats' problem in Florida is that they haven't had a very powerful outreach program towards Hispanics.
[Zarrella:] Even if Democratic candidate John Kerry doesn't strike a chord with Cuban voters, the Republicans can't, political analyst Jim Kane says, rely on the old saying, "Who else are they going to vote for?"
[Jim Kane, Political Analyst:] It doesn't work with Cuban Americans, because they'll stay home and sit on their hands and turnout will drop dramatically. A Republican candidate can't win Florida without an energized Cuban American vote.
[Zarrella:] That energized vote is one Republicans have counted on. And the president will no doubt do everything he can to make sure it stays that way. Now, regarding that poll, that just released poll, the political experts are saying that we can expect the numbers to flip- flop back and forth between now and November between Senator Kerry and President Bush. And as usual, come November, Florida may very well be too close to call Kyra.
[Phillips:] All right. You know I have to ask this question, John. The voting machines, are we sensing disaster or not?
[Zarrella:] I don't think anyone is sensing disaster yet, but I can tell you that Congressman Robert Wexler is filing a federal lawsuit this afternoon, and basically he is demanding that printers be provided with the electronic machines that are present in the big counties. That's because right now he believes that voter intent can't be measured, because your vote really is in cyber space. And if something goes wrong nobody will really know what the voter intended once again. We may not have chads, but we still might have cyber-snafus come November Kyra.
[Phillips:] All right. John Zarrella, thanks. Well, hitting the trail for campaign cash. We'll get an update on President Bush in Texas. Also, healthy eating at the vending machine? We'll tell you about one idea that's raising a few eyebrows. And they've already been anointed, the darlings of the dance. We'll profile the small school that's made history in college basketball.