[Kyra Phillips, Cnn Anchor:] Now in the news central California rocked by a strong earthquake. The magnitude 6 quake struck about an hour ago just south of the city of Parkfield. It could be felt from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Some 40 aftershocks have rocked the region. No immediate reports of damage or injuries at this time. In Detroit, every parents' nightmare: A gunman opened fire at a home day care center. A three-year-old child and two women were critically wounds. A seven-month-old infant is also in critical condition after apparently being dropped. The suspect is still on the loose. Two Italian women held hostage in Iraq are now free. The women who work for a humanitarian group were kidnapped from their Baghdad office three weeks ago. Last week, unconfirmed Internet postings claimed that they had been killed. Well, Italy's parliament broke into applause when the release was announced. A CNN producer abducted yesterday in Gaza is also free today. Riad Ali was released almost 24 hours after he was abducted at gunpoint from a cab. In a video that surfaces shortly before his release, Ali said that he was being held by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Leaders of that group had condemned the abduction. Ali thanked everyone who worked to set him free.
[Riad Ali, Cnn Producer:] I would like to say is to thank all of those people who were involved in my release. I would like to thank President Arafat, the Palestinian prime minister, many Israeli Arab figures, of course, CNN. CNN had made a lot of efforts to ensure my release. I would like to thank all of these people. The only thing that I'm awaiting for now is to see my family, to see my kids, to see my wife. They're waiting for me up in the north in my village. So, thanks to all of you.
[Phillips:] Real quickly, we've been talking about that central California rocked by a strong earthquake, 6.0 magnitude. So far, no reports of any injuries or structural damage, but definitely some flashbacks for folks that remember the earthquake that hit that same area just nine months ago. Diane Ray lives in Paso Robles. She remembers the last quake. Can you even compare the two, Diane?
[Diane Ray:] This was more of a rolling earthquake, where the other was more of a pounding earthquake. But very long, same, you know, longevity of shaking.
[Phillips:] Were you at home or at work when this happened?
[Ray:] At work.
[Phillips:] At work.
[Ray:] Same place as the December one.
[Phillips:] Oh, boy. So, last time, obviously, we saw a lot of damage, even deaths reported out of Paso Robles and surrounding areas. We're even looking at video right now at how that earthquake rattled the same region then. Now tell me what did you say? This is what did you say? This is file right, that's what I just said. OK. Diane, today, can you even when you look outside your window, is it the same at all as last time? Do you see any structural damage or are you hearing any reports of injuries?
[Ray:] No, no injuries. I did hear a few sirens and, of course, fire departments and police have been actively driving up and down the streets looking for any damage. We lost a lot of chimneys last time, and they're looking for that. But everybody was outside in the streets again, on their cell phones and bringing back sheer panic again.
[Phillips:] Yes, no kidding. Did you talk with any family members or friends?
[Ray:] Yes, I talked to pretty much everybody. Everybody's OK. And I know they felt it pretty far, you know, east and south both. So, it's felt pretty far, it sounds like.
[Phillips:] All right. Diane Ray in Paso Robles. Glad you're safe. Thank you so much.
[Ray:] Thank you.
[Phillips:] Appreciate it. Now we've got Eric Lamoureux on the phone with the California Emergency Services. Eric, did I pronounce your last name properly?
[Eric Lamoureux, Calif. Emergency Services:] Lamoureux.
[Phillips:] Lamoureux, OK. Well, tell us, from an emergency standpoint, where exactly are you? Has there been a lot of calls, any 911 calls, any injuries, any reported deaths to this point?
[Lamoureux:] Well, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services continues to actively monitor what's going on. We've got folks on the ground from state OES as well as local county OES San Luis Obispo County. And all indications are at this point that we have no damages and no injuries at this point. As your map is indicating, we've got strong shaking east of Paso Robles and south of Coalinga that's a relatively unpopulated area along the San Andreas Fault. So, we're certainly fortunate there. We're going to continue to actively monitor the situation so that we can get on top of anything as it develops.
[Phillips:] And of course, everything is OK at this point. Could there be any more aftershocks that might cause more damage or lead you to be a little more concerned?
[Lamoureux:] Well, the USGS has put out an aftershock advisory, which is pretty routine on earthquakes like this. We will continue to have aftershocks. We've already had 30-plus aftershocks. We'll continue to have those aftershocks. And you know, what we're telling people in California is, you know, if you feel one of the aftershocks, you need to duck, cover, and hold under a sturdy table of desk, protect yourself from any items that may fall in the building. But we've been fortunate so far that the earthquakes that have occurred are in a relatively unpopulated area. So, we haven't had much concern for citizens at this point, but we need to be cautious.
[Phillips:] Well, no news is good news with a story like this. Eric Lamoureux with California Emergency Services, thank you so much.
[Lamoureux:] Thank you.
[Phillips:] Well, slowly but surely, the race for the White House is nearing the finish line. Only five more weeks to go before the election and only a couple of days until the first debate. Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport joins us now from Princeton, New Jersey, with some new polls. Frank, what's the latest numbers on the election?
[Frank Newport, Editor-in-chief, Gallup:] Well, Kyra, Bush is ahead by how much, of course, we'll wait and see after the debates as we get nearer to the election itself. But right now, it's the convention that's been everything. The candidates were close after the convention. Three different CNN"USA Today"Gallup polls had showed George W. Bush in the lead among likely voters over John Kerry. Our most recent poll, just finished over the weekend, 52 percent for George W. Bush and 44 for John Kerry Kyra?
[Phillips:] We're just two days away from the first of three debates. Will they influence voters?
[Newport:] Well, it's a fascinating question. Everybody assumes they will, but look at the data here. We asked this question, the third time now over the last 12 years: Will they influence your vote? And look at this, back in 1992, 30 percent said they would that was Bush the elder, Clinton and Perot. In 2000, it was 26, and now only 18 percent. So, actually fewer voters this year, Kyra, interesting, say that it's going to affect them in the past. That may be because we've all noticed in our polling that is, survey organizations that people are more fixed this year than they have been in the past. One other point about the debates: Who's going to win them? Both campaigns want to downplay expectations. We asked the voters, 52 to 39 they say Bush is probably going to do better than Kerry. That's interestingly this is weird paradox of contemporary politics, Kyra, but that's actually better news for Kerry that he comes in lower because expectations are lower for John Kerry.
[Phillips:] Well, the town hall debate is next week. Gallup selects the audience, of course. How does that work?
[Newport:] Well, the way we did it in 2000 and in 1996 2000 in St. Louis, 1996 in San Diego was we take a random sample totally random sample, just like we do polling of the metropolitan area around the venue where the debate is being held and then screen for voters. And the past couple of times, we've screened for voters that we have called broadly uncommitted people that are undecided or soft in their support for either candidate. We're still working out the final details for this year, but our presumption is we'll do something quite similar.
[Phillips:] All right. Frank Newport, thank you so much. Straight ahead: A space challenge, big money you know my co- anchor is there.
[Miles O'brien, Cnn Anchor:] Kyra, we're out here to cover the first attempt to win the $10 million X Prize. We're also going to check in with an astronomer who's a good friend of ours, Neil de Grasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium. He's out with a new special series on NOVA on the very origins and I'm told he has a great explanation for the Big Bang. You're going to want to stay tuned.