[Collins:] Want to give you some quick information here regarding another appointment of President Bush's. This time yesterday we told you about the secretary of veterans affairs. And today, that man is going to be the nominee for agriculture secretary. And his name, Edward Schafer. He's a former two-term Republican governor from North Dakota, and he is going to be replacing Mike Johanns, who actually resigned last month. He's going to be running for the Nebraska Senate seat that was vacated by Chuck Hagel. So now we will hear the formal announcement from the president, coming up at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Going to happen in the Roosevelt Room. Once again, the secretary of agriculture nominee will be that gentleman that you're looking at on your screen, Edward Schafer. We'll hear more about him a little bit later on today. A matter of life and death. The Supreme Court stepping in to block the execution of a convicted killer in Mississippi. Now, new questions about lethal injection. It's the third time the justices have granted reprieves to Death Row inmates since last month. That's when they agreed to decide a larger constitutional issue of lethal injection. That case centers around Kentucky's lethal injection procedures. Opponents of the death penalty say inmates suffer excruciating pain, which amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. A ruling from the high court is expected next year.
[Harris:] You know, what you eat matters when it comes to fighting cancer. That conclusion from a landmark study on cancer and diet. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here with some of the food rules that might reduce your risk. Well, I'm all ears.
[Elizabeth Cohen, Cnn Correspondent:] You're all ears.
[Harris:] Yes, yes.
[Cohen:] You know, well, that's good to hear, because I think sometimes people don't get the link. They get it, that what you eat affects your heart.
[Harris:] Sure.
[Cohen:] You better keep your weight down for the sake of your heart. They don't always get it that there is a connection between what you eat and your weight and whether or not you're going to get cancer. But for the second time a worldwide group of experts has said there is a strong foodcancer connection. They say, in fact, that we might be able to prevent 30 to 40 percent of all the cases of cancer out there if people eat right. Well, what does it mean to eat right? We're going to tell you. We have five tips for how to eat right to fight cancer. Eat a plant-based diet. It's very simple: if it comes up from the ground, it's good. If people have messed with it and processed it, not as good. Maintain a healthy body weight. That's so important. Being overweight puts you at a higher risk for having cancer. Drink less alcohol. Alcohol not good for cancer. Don't eat much red meat. Keep it to about 10 percent of your diet. And keep your fat intake down in general. So there are some tips for how to do it.
[Harris:] I'm good with four of the five.
[Cohen:] I won't ask what the fifth one is. OK.
[Harris:] You can figure that one out. But here is the question. I'm wondering how strong the linkage is, the foodcancer link. When we think about how strong the link is between smoking and cancer.
[Cohen:] Right, right. And I'll be honest. The link is not as strong. The link between smoking and cancer is about as strong as it gets.
[Harris:] Yes.
[Cohen:] The link between food and cancer is there, but it's not as strong. But even knowing that, here's what's so important. Eating right is such a great idea for your entire body.
[Harris:] Absolutely.
[Cohen:] It helps cut the risk of heart disease.
[Harris:] Makes sense.
[Cohen:] And the rules are all pretty much the same.
[Harris:] Yes. OK. All right. Anything else we need to take care of?
[Cohen:] No, I think that's it. I think that's it.
[Harris:] Four out of five.
[Cohen:] Cancer, heart disease, four out of five.
[Harris:] The linkage. All right, great.
[Cohen:] OK.
[Harris:] Elizabeth, thank you. And to get your daily dose of health news online, logon to our Web site. You will find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address: CNN.comhealth.
[Announcer:] Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.
[Harris:] And welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
[Collins:] Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. We want to get you straight to our Elaine Quijano, who is standing by to talk a little more now about this announcement that the president will be making, Elaine, come about 2 this afternoon, on a nominee for agriculture secretary.
[Elaine Quijano, Cnn Correspondent:] That's right. You know, I just got off the phone with a senior administration official who says, really, they believe here at the White House that this person, the former North Dakota governor, Ed Schaefer, has the right experience for this job. And people at home might be saying, "Well, agriculture secretary, we don't hear a lot about that." But certainly the issue that you were just talking about a moment ago with Elizabeth Cohen is very big on the priority list for this cabinet position. Nutrition, food safety we're talking about. Other issues that this nominee, if confirmed, will have to tackle include the president's trade agenda, trying to open up markets for U.S. agricultural products, and, of course, the Farm Bill. All of those issues are ones that certainly will be first and foremost. So we have not, again, heard a lot about agricultural agricultural secretaries in the past, but certainly it is an important position, a cabinet-level position. President Bush, again, set to announce that at 2:00 Eastern Time in the Roosevelt room. Heidi?
[Heidi Collins, Cnn Anchor:] A cabinet level position, Elaine, is going to have to be confirmed and everything, correct?
[Quijano:] That's right. And you know, it's interesting to note, Heidi, the climate of course that exists here in Washington when you're talking about confirmation. I asked a senior official what they anticipate in terms of a confirmation process for this particular nominee. This official said look, it's very early yet. We haven't even really begun to have conversations, but you can bet, it's a highly charged atmosphere here in Washington and there could possibly be some fireworks. We don't know of any at the moment. This announcement hasn't even been made officially just yet, but it'll be something to keep our eye on.
[Collins:] Yes and there certainly has been often a lot of talk here, absolutely right, Elaine, about the nutrition and what we are putting in our bodies in this country. So appreciate that, Elaine Quijano at the White House.
[Harris:] A guilty plea to tell you about in an alleged plot to attack a U.S. military base in New Jersey. One of six men arrested in the Fort Dix case has pleaded guilty. The 25-year-old native of Kosovo admits providing weapons to a group of an accused plotting the attack. He faces five years in prison. The others could face life imprison. Investigators say the men scouted bases along the East Coast but decided on Fort Dix largely because one of them delivered pizzas there.
[Collins:] Will you be looking at lower mortgage and credit card rates? Possible, if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates. Today, the Fed is trying to ward off a recession. An interest rate cut would make money cheaper to borrow. That allows businesses to expand and hire more workers. People are actually saving money on lower rates, obviously and that allows for more consumers spending. Many analysts expect a quarter point cut in the Federal funds rate. Right now, it's at 4.75 percent. So, here's how it impacts you. If the Fed does cut rates, commercial banks reduce their prime lending rate. Right now, that rate, 7.75 percent.
[Harris:] A desperate measure as a storm moves in. Our I- reporters helping us tell this story. Tropical storm Noel hits hard in the Caribbean. Now, Florida is feeling the pain.