Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Getting Out of GITMO; New Hope For Women Left Infertile Through Cancer Treatment
Aired March 09, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
It's Tuesday, March 9.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Thank you for joining us this morning.
Pakistan tests its longest range missile yet. It's able to reach deep inside India with a nuclear warhead. The test firing follows recent peace initiatives between the nuclear armed South Asian rivals.
Weather permitting, recovery crews will return to the frigid, murky waters of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. That will happen just about three hours from now. Rescue workers will resume the search for three people still missing from Saturday's water taxi accident.
Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad will be sentenced this morning in a Virginia courtroom. You may remember Muhammad was convicted in November. The jury did recommend a death sentence, but a judge will ultimately decide his fate.
Future threats to national security will be the focus on Capitol Hill today. CIA Director George Tenet will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. Our next update comes your way at 6:15 Eastern.
America votes today. A total of 465 delegates up for grabs in four Democratic primaries. Texas is the biggie, with 195 delegates. Florida has got 177, Louisiana 60 and Mississippi has 33 delegates at stake.
Of course, the numbers don't matter so much, because John Kerry has no competition. But that has not stopped the ugliness in this campaign season. The difference this primary season is between Democrat and Republican.
So, Kerry is in the battleground state of Florida this morning and he's been talking taxes. And he's not mincing words about the man he hopes to kick out of the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George Bush, George Bush is already trying to pretend again and mislead again. And if you wanted to, you could use stronger words than that. He's trying to tell America that I want to raise your taxes, but I don't. I want to lower your taxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The president is in Bush country, his home state of Texas. He was cheered at Houston rodeo. Earlier in the day, the president took some sharp jabs at John Kerry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He seems to be against every idea that gives Americans more authority and more choices and more control over our own lives. It's the same old Washington mind set -- they'll give the orders and you pay the bills. I've got news for the Washington crowd -- America has gone beyond that way of thinking and we're not going back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, but it wasn't all knee slaps and down home fun for President Bush. Protesters held up anti-Bush signs at one of his fundraiser. Police were on hand to keep the peace and talking about nasty, one protester made that statue of President Bush and then others pulled it down. And you know what that statue mimics.
Oh, but it didn't stop the cash flow. The president raised $3 million for his reelection campaign in just a couple of days.
Something that will surely play into the upcoming election, the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The U.S. has stepped up its campaign to capture or kill him and there are signs bin Laden is feeling the heat. The U.S. believes bin Laden is hiding out along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And the military is getting help from Pakistan, local tribes and high tech surveillance equipment to smoke him out. Sources say U.S. intelligence has found signs Osama bin Laden could be planning to run.
Getting out of GITMO, the U.S. has agreed to release a handful of terror suspects. It's sending them home to Britain. They've been held at Guantanamo Bay for two years. The question -- what happens to them now?
Let's head live to London to find out and our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar -- good morning, Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
These five Britons are among nine Britons who have been held in detention at Guantanamo Bay, just a few of the more than 600 prisoners there. Back in December, after considerable pressure from the Blair government, which had been embarrassed that it had been unable to get the Bush administration, with whom, of course, they have a very close relationship, to agree to set any kind of definite timetable to establish what exact -- what process exactly these men would be subject to.
Back in the December, the U.S. administration said that it would be freeing a handful of detainees from various nationalities. Today is the day these five Britons come home. We are told that when they land here -- being transported on a British military jet -- they will be taken into custody and questioned by British anti-terror police. Under anti-terrorism legislation, they could be held for 48 hours and then for an additional 14 days with the permission of a judge.
But many here, Carol, believe that it is very unlikely, indeed, that any of these men will face any kind of court proceedings or any kind of charges. One reason, say lawyers, if, in fact, they have offered up confessions in Guantanamo Bay, those confessions would be inadmissible in British courts because the men did not have access to legal representation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So they'll just be set free?
MACVICAR: That is, indeed, what appears is very likely to happen. Of course, we won't know until after Scotland Yard and the anti-terror branch finishes its investigations. But that does appear to be what happens. These are prisoners who have been defined by the U.S. administration as "medium risk." The are four more Britons who will remain in detention and for the first time yesterday, the U.S. administration acknowledged that they believe those four are what they call al Qaeda suspects, people who could, they say, pose a threat. Of course, campaigners who want to see some end to the indefinite detention that they are in saying that those allegations have not been tested in any court -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sheila MacVicar live from London this morning.
Back here in the States, new allegations that sex is being used in college recruiting. That tops some other stories making headlines across America.
A special independent prosecutor has now been assigned to investigate recruiting practices at the University of Iowa. Last week, a high school quarterback from Kansas alleged that sex was arranged for him during a visit to the Iowa campus. He has since recanted his original allegation. University of Iowa officials also claimed there was no wrongdoing.
Officials in Asbury Park, New Jersey are expecting a rush of same sex couples who want to get married. New Jersey's first same-sex marriage ceremony was performed Monday afternoon. The state's attorney general says he will seek an injunction to stop the unions.
In Florida, a fire started by forestry officials has now grown beyond their control. Up to 10,000 acres of the Osceola National Forest have been destroyed and now smoke could pose safety problems for a major interstate highway. Only about 1,100 acres were supposed to be burned.
A completely different force of nature in Minnesota. An unexpected three inches of snowfall there caused more than 100 accidents on St. Paul Freeways on Monday, including the one you're looking at on I-94. Wow. Wow, that's bad, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we always tell that those people up in Minnesota know how to drive.
COSTELLO: Well...
MYERS: But, oh well.
COSTELLO: Not in that case.
MYERS: I guess that was a transplant from the South.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, it could have been a white out. Is that possible with three inches of snow?
MYERS: Yes, it could have been. I mean the snow was coming down in an Alberta clipper. And it's the same clipper that's going to make the big bend and actually make snow for Charlotte and even into parts of the Piedmont in North Carolina, the same storm. So it was on the map. Whether people knew about it or not, that's another thing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Eleven days till spring.
MYERS: Is that it?
COSTELLO: Just 11 days.
MYERS: Gosh, it just seems like yesterday it was 12.
COSTELLO: Time flies, doesn't it?
MYERS: It sure does.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Lowering the risk for heart attacks tops our health headlines this Tuesday. An important new study shows that some heart problems can actually be prevented by increasing the doses of statin drugs. Medications like Lipitor are usually given to recent heart patients to lower their cholesterol.
For women who suffered through cancer treatment that saved their lives but left them infertile, an experimental procedure is offering new hope that they may be able to have children after all.
CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
03080003.v84
(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: It's not exactly Super Tuesday, but big states hold primaries today. We'll check in on the campaign trail.
Plus, are you feeling a squeeze at the pump? Oh, I bet you are. We'll tell you why gas prices are so high.
And a classic film, an Oscar winning director. Why the dispute over his Academy Award?
Then later, would you leave your kids at home with a robot as a babysitter?
This is DAYBREAK for March 9.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is now 6:14 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at our top stories now.
A special seven man council of Haitian leaders is expected to choose the country's next prime minister. The former chief is the acting president. He will be replaced.
Gas prices have reached near record levels. The average gallon of gas now costs $1.74. That's the average price of a gallon of gas, just a penny below the record high price.
The head of UCLA's medical school is apologizing for the apparent sale of body parts from the school's donor program. Several families of cadaver donors have filed a class action suit against the university.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:30 Eastern.
The war on terror has taken homeland security chief Tom Ridge on a tour of Asia. One important stop is Singapore.
Our Maria Ressa is there and joins us live with how Ridge is defending the United States -- good morning.
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
I spoke with Tom Ridge earlier today. He had a very simple message in this tour, that is that more international cooperation is necessary to wing this global war on terror. As you said, he defended U.S. policies. He admitted some mistakes and that was necessary to deal with the sensitivities of the Singaporean audience.
I spoke with him earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RESSA (voice-over): Tom Ridge didn't need to convince this audience of the terrorist threat. Singapore uncovered the first al Qaeda links in Southeast Asia soon after 9/11 and remains a staunch U.S. ally.
But since the war in Iraq, anti-American sentiment increased drastically in Southeast Asia, partly because of what was seen here as arrogance, a U.S. tendency to go it alone and a discriminatory visa policy.
Ridge defended the U.S., admitting many foreign students were denied entry after 9/11, but that has changed.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: America knows we cannot seek a double standard and America knows that what we get, we will give.
RESSA: On the sidelines, he spoke to me about alleviating Muslim anger in a region which has more than a fifth of the world's Muslim population. The perception in these communities is that the U.S. is targeting Muslims. Not true, says Ridge.
RIDGE: We are as open and as diverse a religious culture as any in the world in the United States. And we just make -- we need to make sure that that is projected internationally, because that's who we are, that's who we've been and that's who we want to be in the future.
RESSA: What is also clear, says Singapore, is that the fight against terrorism must be focused and sustained.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fight against terrorism will be a long one. We need long-term relationships. We need long-term friends.
RIDGE: Keeping those long-term friends is a key message of Ridge's trip to Asia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RESSA: Aside from surprising, Ridge visits Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. He says his new department of homeland security is not just about open doors and secure borders, it is also about maintaining and improving relationships with allies well beyond the homeland -- back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Maria Ressa reporting live from Singapore this morning.
Is it time for a little business buzz right now. Remember back, will you, when $10 could fill up your tank, you know, when you were six. Well, not anymore.
Carrie Lee reports from the NASDAQ market site in Times Square.
I cannot believe how much the average is for a gallon of gas.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it's really at a historical high, $1.74 per gallon. This is the average for gasoline prices last week, just a penny shy of the August record of $1.75. That is the highest level gasoline has hit since the Energy Department began collecting data in 1990.
A couple of reasons for the hikes -- high prices for crude oil. Of course, that's used to make gasoline. Also, strong demand and low inventories, all contributing to the rise. And analysts say this is not may -- this may not be the end of the story. That's because the peak summer driving season coming our way soon. Also, refineries tend to shut down temporarily right around this time for maintenance. They try to ramp up production then of special blends of cleaner burning gasoline for summer. So that's going to put a damper on inventories, as well.
People on the West Coast have it even harder. The average last week there, $2.03 a gallon, Carol. So people really hitting in their wallet -- this is really hitting people in their wallets. That means they have less money to spend on other things. So this whole gasoline hike does have economic implications. It's not just the gasoline hikes, but when people have less money to spend, that's not good for the economy.
COSTELLO: No, it's not.
Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, today is the day the convicted sniper will find out his fate. But is this really the last we'll hear about John Allen Muhammad?
Plus, separated for six years, now a family is reunited.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Take a look. What is it? Can you guess? We'll have the answer for you, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? What is it, Chad?
MYERS: It looks like something only a doctor should see.
COSTELLO: We were thinking about that before we put it on the air but.
MYERS: Yikes.
COSTELLO: It kind of looks like chocolates. But it's not. Why, it's a bee looking for pollen in a cherry blossom.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: Isn't that cute?
MYERS: That is pretty good.
COSTELLO: This is from Lake Balboa Park in Los Angeles. It's not warm enough in Washington for the cherry blossoms to come out but... MYERS: Not yet.
COSTELLO: ... they will be in full bloom soon. Get this, Chad.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: The Park Service has announced that March 24 through April 2 is peak bloom time. So mark your calendars if you're traveling to Washington. And it's so beautiful there, as you well know.
MYERS: Washington, D.C.
COSTELLO: D.C., yes.
MYERS: Correct. Correct.
COSTELLO: The cherry blossoms.
MYERS: Absolutely. I used to live there.
COSTELLO: Jefferson Memorial, all around...
MYERS: I lived in Adelphia, Maryland. People can't believe that I did, but I did. When I worked for the Weather Service.
COSTELLO: Adelphia is a nice place.
MYERS: I used to go down there all the time. It sure is.
COSTELLO: Anyhow, the weather's pretty cold in Washington this morning.
MYERS: You know, yes, but you know what? I was listening to you talk about this gas price thing.
COSTELLO: Um-hmm?
MYERS: It sounded a little bit like whining.
COSTELLO: That's right. And I'm in my anti-whine policy.
MYERS: And there's no whining mode. That's right.
COSTELLO: That's right. The gas prices may be high, but I'm sure they'll come down.
MYERS: You know, I went onto a Google search and I did a calculation, an inflation calculator. I put in $0.30, which gas was in 1969. You know what $0.30 is worth now? $1.59, which is almost exactly what we're paying for a gallon of regular gas.
COSTELLO: No, the average, this is like above $1.70 a gallon.
MYERS: Well, whatever. I mean it's close enough. We used to -- we're thinking how expensive our gas is and then back in 1970, we thought how cheap it was. But, in fact, inflation is just the same.
COSTELLO: I think many people would still say gas prices are too high.
MYERS: Well, especially if you're driving a Hummer, you know?
COSTELLO: Exactly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Eleven days till spring.
MYERS: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: And now to the D.C. area sniper case. And a formal sentencing set for this morning. Jurors previously recommended the death penalty for John Allen Muhammad. But the judge can reduce that to life without parole.
So let's head live to Manassas, Virginia, where Bill Prasad is standing by to sort things out for us -- good morning.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
That sentencing hearing is set for 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. It could be the final chapter in one of the most notorious murder investigations in the nation's history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice-over): Hundreds of thousands of residents in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia held hostage in October of 2002 while 10 people were gunned down like targets in a shooting gallery by snipers.
WILLIAM CHAMBLISS, SOCIOLOGIST: There was sort of a gleeful, fun atmosphere surrounding this whole series of killings. And that's pretty extraordinary. I mean even serial killers rarely have that kind of an image projected about them.
PRASAD: Last year, juries convicted 43-year-old John Muhammad and 19-year-old Lee Malvo. The jury recommended death for Muhammad and life in prison for Malvo. Muhammad's attorneys asked a judge to spare his life, saying his execution will harm his children. But the families who lost loved ones want Muhammad to pay with his life. But will the death penalty bring closure?
Psychologist Wendy Berger.
DR. WENDY BERGER, ARGOSY UNIVERSITY: It may provide some relief that the publicity for the case will subside and that they may feel a sense of empowerment from having been part ofv the judicial process. PRASAD: For three weeks, schools closed, people ducked behind gas station pumps, many shoppers zigzagged through parking lots. A 21 day terror spree, a saga that could come to a close this week with the sentencings of both Muhammad and teen accomplice, Lee Malvo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD: There is the possibility that Muhammad could be tried in other jurisdictions, in Virginia, Maryland or Alabama. Officials will weigh the cost in time, money and anguish to those who have lost loved ones.
We're live in Manassas, Virginia this morning, I'm Bill Prasad -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Bill, just a question for you, because John Muhammad hasn't said much through all of this.
Will he get a chance to address the court if he's sentenced today, when he is sentenced today?
PRASAD: Yes, he will. He will have an opportunity to ask the judge for leniency. And, Carol, here's where it gets interesting. If he admits that he did the crime and he says I'm sorry, there's a possibility that information would be used against him in other trials. So there's a good chance he'll ask for leniency, but he won't admit culpability. COSTELLO: Bill Prasad live from Washington this morning.
Hey, kids can choose their class presidents, so why stop there? We'll tell you about one state's proposal to let kids have a say in elections.
And what do Americans really think about "The Passion of the Christ?" we've got new Gallup poll numbers to share with you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Through Cancer Treatment>
Aired March 9, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
It's Tuesday, March 9.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Thank you for joining us this morning.
Pakistan tests its longest range missile yet. It's able to reach deep inside India with a nuclear warhead. The test firing follows recent peace initiatives between the nuclear armed South Asian rivals.
Weather permitting, recovery crews will return to the frigid, murky waters of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. That will happen just about three hours from now. Rescue workers will resume the search for three people still missing from Saturday's water taxi accident.
Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad will be sentenced this morning in a Virginia courtroom. You may remember Muhammad was convicted in November. The jury did recommend a death sentence, but a judge will ultimately decide his fate.
Future threats to national security will be the focus on Capitol Hill today. CIA Director George Tenet will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. Our next update comes your way at 6:15 Eastern.
America votes today. A total of 465 delegates up for grabs in four Democratic primaries. Texas is the biggie, with 195 delegates. Florida has got 177, Louisiana 60 and Mississippi has 33 delegates at stake.
Of course, the numbers don't matter so much, because John Kerry has no competition. But that has not stopped the ugliness in this campaign season. The difference this primary season is between Democrat and Republican.
So, Kerry is in the battleground state of Florida this morning and he's been talking taxes. And he's not mincing words about the man he hopes to kick out of the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George Bush, George Bush is already trying to pretend again and mislead again. And if you wanted to, you could use stronger words than that. He's trying to tell America that I want to raise your taxes, but I don't. I want to lower your taxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The president is in Bush country, his home state of Texas. He was cheered at Houston rodeo. Earlier in the day, the president took some sharp jabs at John Kerry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He seems to be against every idea that gives Americans more authority and more choices and more control over our own lives. It's the same old Washington mind set -- they'll give the orders and you pay the bills. I've got news for the Washington crowd -- America has gone beyond that way of thinking and we're not going back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, but it wasn't all knee slaps and down home fun for President Bush. Protesters held up anti-Bush signs at one of his fundraiser. Police were on hand to keep the peace and talking about nasty, one protester made that statue of President Bush and then others pulled it down. And you know what that statue mimics.
Oh, but it didn't stop the cash flow. The president raised $3 million for his reelection campaign in just a couple of days.
Something that will surely play into the upcoming election, the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The U.S. has stepped up its campaign to capture or kill him and there are signs bin Laden is feeling the heat. The U.S. believes bin Laden is hiding out along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And the military is getting help from Pakistan, local tribes and high tech surveillance equipment to smoke him out. Sources say U.S. intelligence has found signs Osama bin Laden could be planning to run.
Getting out of GITMO, the U.S. has agreed to release a handful of terror suspects. It's sending them home to Britain. They've been held at Guantanamo Bay for two years. The question -- what happens to them now?
Let's head live to London to find out and our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar -- good morning, Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
These five Britons are among nine Britons who have been held in detention at Guantanamo Bay, just a few of the more than 600 prisoners there. Back in December, after considerable pressure from the Blair government, which had been embarrassed that it had been unable to get the Bush administration, with whom, of course, they have a very close relationship, to agree to set any kind of definite timetable to establish what exact -- what process exactly these men would be subject to.
Back in the December, the U.S. administration said that it would be freeing a handful of detainees from various nationalities. Today is the day these five Britons come home. We are told that when they land here -- being transported on a British military jet -- they will be taken into custody and questioned by British anti-terror police. Under anti-terrorism legislation, they could be held for 48 hours and then for an additional 14 days with the permission of a judge.
But many here, Carol, believe that it is very unlikely, indeed, that any of these men will face any kind of court proceedings or any kind of charges. One reason, say lawyers, if, in fact, they have offered up confessions in Guantanamo Bay, those confessions would be inadmissible in British courts because the men did not have access to legal representation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So they'll just be set free?
MACVICAR: That is, indeed, what appears is very likely to happen. Of course, we won't know until after Scotland Yard and the anti-terror branch finishes its investigations. But that does appear to be what happens. These are prisoners who have been defined by the U.S. administration as "medium risk." The are four more Britons who will remain in detention and for the first time yesterday, the U.S. administration acknowledged that they believe those four are what they call al Qaeda suspects, people who could, they say, pose a threat. Of course, campaigners who want to see some end to the indefinite detention that they are in saying that those allegations have not been tested in any court -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sheila MacVicar live from London this morning.
Back here in the States, new allegations that sex is being used in college recruiting. That tops some other stories making headlines across America.
A special independent prosecutor has now been assigned to investigate recruiting practices at the University of Iowa. Last week, a high school quarterback from Kansas alleged that sex was arranged for him during a visit to the Iowa campus. He has since recanted his original allegation. University of Iowa officials also claimed there was no wrongdoing.
Officials in Asbury Park, New Jersey are expecting a rush of same sex couples who want to get married. New Jersey's first same-sex marriage ceremony was performed Monday afternoon. The state's attorney general says he will seek an injunction to stop the unions.
In Florida, a fire started by forestry officials has now grown beyond their control. Up to 10,000 acres of the Osceola National Forest have been destroyed and now smoke could pose safety problems for a major interstate highway. Only about 1,100 acres were supposed to be burned.
A completely different force of nature in Minnesota. An unexpected three inches of snowfall there caused more than 100 accidents on St. Paul Freeways on Monday, including the one you're looking at on I-94. Wow. Wow, that's bad, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we always tell that those people up in Minnesota know how to drive.
COSTELLO: Well...
MYERS: But, oh well.
COSTELLO: Not in that case.
MYERS: I guess that was a transplant from the South.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, it could have been a white out. Is that possible with three inches of snow?
MYERS: Yes, it could have been. I mean the snow was coming down in an Alberta clipper. And it's the same clipper that's going to make the big bend and actually make snow for Charlotte and even into parts of the Piedmont in North Carolina, the same storm. So it was on the map. Whether people knew about it or not, that's another thing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Eleven days till spring.
MYERS: Is that it?
COSTELLO: Just 11 days.
MYERS: Gosh, it just seems like yesterday it was 12.
COSTELLO: Time flies, doesn't it?
MYERS: It sure does.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Lowering the risk for heart attacks tops our health headlines this Tuesday. An important new study shows that some heart problems can actually be prevented by increasing the doses of statin drugs. Medications like Lipitor are usually given to recent heart patients to lower their cholesterol.
For women who suffered through cancer treatment that saved their lives but left them infertile, an experimental procedure is offering new hope that they may be able to have children after all.
CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
03080003.v84
(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: It's not exactly Super Tuesday, but big states hold primaries today. We'll check in on the campaign trail.
Plus, are you feeling a squeeze at the pump? Oh, I bet you are. We'll tell you why gas prices are so high.
And a classic film, an Oscar winning director. Why the dispute over his Academy Award?
Then later, would you leave your kids at home with a robot as a babysitter?
This is DAYBREAK for March 9.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is now 6:14 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at our top stories now.
A special seven man council of Haitian leaders is expected to choose the country's next prime minister. The former chief is the acting president. He will be replaced.
Gas prices have reached near record levels. The average gallon of gas now costs $1.74. That's the average price of a gallon of gas, just a penny below the record high price.
The head of UCLA's medical school is apologizing for the apparent sale of body parts from the school's donor program. Several families of cadaver donors have filed a class action suit against the university.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:30 Eastern.
The war on terror has taken homeland security chief Tom Ridge on a tour of Asia. One important stop is Singapore.
Our Maria Ressa is there and joins us live with how Ridge is defending the United States -- good morning.
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
I spoke with Tom Ridge earlier today. He had a very simple message in this tour, that is that more international cooperation is necessary to wing this global war on terror. As you said, he defended U.S. policies. He admitted some mistakes and that was necessary to deal with the sensitivities of the Singaporean audience.
I spoke with him earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RESSA (voice-over): Tom Ridge didn't need to convince this audience of the terrorist threat. Singapore uncovered the first al Qaeda links in Southeast Asia soon after 9/11 and remains a staunch U.S. ally.
But since the war in Iraq, anti-American sentiment increased drastically in Southeast Asia, partly because of what was seen here as arrogance, a U.S. tendency to go it alone and a discriminatory visa policy.
Ridge defended the U.S., admitting many foreign students were denied entry after 9/11, but that has changed.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: America knows we cannot seek a double standard and America knows that what we get, we will give.
RESSA: On the sidelines, he spoke to me about alleviating Muslim anger in a region which has more than a fifth of the world's Muslim population. The perception in these communities is that the U.S. is targeting Muslims. Not true, says Ridge.
RIDGE: We are as open and as diverse a religious culture as any in the world in the United States. And we just make -- we need to make sure that that is projected internationally, because that's who we are, that's who we've been and that's who we want to be in the future.
RESSA: What is also clear, says Singapore, is that the fight against terrorism must be focused and sustained.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fight against terrorism will be a long one. We need long-term relationships. We need long-term friends.
RIDGE: Keeping those long-term friends is a key message of Ridge's trip to Asia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RESSA: Aside from surprising, Ridge visits Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. He says his new department of homeland security is not just about open doors and secure borders, it is also about maintaining and improving relationships with allies well beyond the homeland -- back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Maria Ressa reporting live from Singapore this morning.
Is it time for a little business buzz right now. Remember back, will you, when $10 could fill up your tank, you know, when you were six. Well, not anymore.
Carrie Lee reports from the NASDAQ market site in Times Square.
I cannot believe how much the average is for a gallon of gas.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it's really at a historical high, $1.74 per gallon. This is the average for gasoline prices last week, just a penny shy of the August record of $1.75. That is the highest level gasoline has hit since the Energy Department began collecting data in 1990.
A couple of reasons for the hikes -- high prices for crude oil. Of course, that's used to make gasoline. Also, strong demand and low inventories, all contributing to the rise. And analysts say this is not may -- this may not be the end of the story. That's because the peak summer driving season coming our way soon. Also, refineries tend to shut down temporarily right around this time for maintenance. They try to ramp up production then of special blends of cleaner burning gasoline for summer. So that's going to put a damper on inventories, as well.
People on the West Coast have it even harder. The average last week there, $2.03 a gallon, Carol. So people really hitting in their wallet -- this is really hitting people in their wallets. That means they have less money to spend on other things. So this whole gasoline hike does have economic implications. It's not just the gasoline hikes, but when people have less money to spend, that's not good for the economy.
COSTELLO: No, it's not.
Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, today is the day the convicted sniper will find out his fate. But is this really the last we'll hear about John Allen Muhammad?
Plus, separated for six years, now a family is reunited.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Take a look. What is it? Can you guess? We'll have the answer for you, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? What is it, Chad?
MYERS: It looks like something only a doctor should see.
COSTELLO: We were thinking about that before we put it on the air but.
MYERS: Yikes.
COSTELLO: It kind of looks like chocolates. But it's not. Why, it's a bee looking for pollen in a cherry blossom.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: Isn't that cute?
MYERS: That is pretty good.
COSTELLO: This is from Lake Balboa Park in Los Angeles. It's not warm enough in Washington for the cherry blossoms to come out but... MYERS: Not yet.
COSTELLO: ... they will be in full bloom soon. Get this, Chad.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: The Park Service has announced that March 24 through April 2 is peak bloom time. So mark your calendars if you're traveling to Washington. And it's so beautiful there, as you well know.
MYERS: Washington, D.C.
COSTELLO: D.C., yes.
MYERS: Correct. Correct.
COSTELLO: The cherry blossoms.
MYERS: Absolutely. I used to live there.
COSTELLO: Jefferson Memorial, all around...
MYERS: I lived in Adelphia, Maryland. People can't believe that I did, but I did. When I worked for the Weather Service.
COSTELLO: Adelphia is a nice place.
MYERS: I used to go down there all the time. It sure is.
COSTELLO: Anyhow, the weather's pretty cold in Washington this morning.
MYERS: You know, yes, but you know what? I was listening to you talk about this gas price thing.
COSTELLO: Um-hmm?
MYERS: It sounded a little bit like whining.
COSTELLO: That's right. And I'm in my anti-whine policy.
MYERS: And there's no whining mode. That's right.
COSTELLO: That's right. The gas prices may be high, but I'm sure they'll come down.
MYERS: You know, I went onto a Google search and I did a calculation, an inflation calculator. I put in $0.30, which gas was in 1969. You know what $0.30 is worth now? $1.59, which is almost exactly what we're paying for a gallon of regular gas.
COSTELLO: No, the average, this is like above $1.70 a gallon.
MYERS: Well, whatever. I mean it's close enough. We used to -- we're thinking how expensive our gas is and then back in 1970, we thought how cheap it was. But, in fact, inflation is just the same.
COSTELLO: I think many people would still say gas prices are too high.
MYERS: Well, especially if you're driving a Hummer, you know?
COSTELLO: Exactly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Eleven days till spring.
MYERS: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: And now to the D.C. area sniper case. And a formal sentencing set for this morning. Jurors previously recommended the death penalty for John Allen Muhammad. But the judge can reduce that to life without parole.
So let's head live to Manassas, Virginia, where Bill Prasad is standing by to sort things out for us -- good morning.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
That sentencing hearing is set for 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. It could be the final chapter in one of the most notorious murder investigations in the nation's history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice-over): Hundreds of thousands of residents in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia held hostage in October of 2002 while 10 people were gunned down like targets in a shooting gallery by snipers.
WILLIAM CHAMBLISS, SOCIOLOGIST: There was sort of a gleeful, fun atmosphere surrounding this whole series of killings. And that's pretty extraordinary. I mean even serial killers rarely have that kind of an image projected about them.
PRASAD: Last year, juries convicted 43-year-old John Muhammad and 19-year-old Lee Malvo. The jury recommended death for Muhammad and life in prison for Malvo. Muhammad's attorneys asked a judge to spare his life, saying his execution will harm his children. But the families who lost loved ones want Muhammad to pay with his life. But will the death penalty bring closure?
Psychologist Wendy Berger.
DR. WENDY BERGER, ARGOSY UNIVERSITY: It may provide some relief that the publicity for the case will subside and that they may feel a sense of empowerment from having been part ofv the judicial process. PRASAD: For three weeks, schools closed, people ducked behind gas station pumps, many shoppers zigzagged through parking lots. A 21 day terror spree, a saga that could come to a close this week with the sentencings of both Muhammad and teen accomplice, Lee Malvo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD: There is the possibility that Muhammad could be tried in other jurisdictions, in Virginia, Maryland or Alabama. Officials will weigh the cost in time, money and anguish to those who have lost loved ones.
We're live in Manassas, Virginia this morning, I'm Bill Prasad -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Bill, just a question for you, because John Muhammad hasn't said much through all of this.
Will he get a chance to address the court if he's sentenced today, when he is sentenced today?
PRASAD: Yes, he will. He will have an opportunity to ask the judge for leniency. And, Carol, here's where it gets interesting. If he admits that he did the crime and he says I'm sorry, there's a possibility that information would be used against him in other trials. So there's a good chance he'll ask for leniency, but he won't admit culpability. COSTELLO: Bill Prasad live from Washington this morning.
Hey, kids can choose their class presidents, so why stop there? We'll tell you about one state's proposal to let kids have a say in elections.
And what do Americans really think about "The Passion of the Christ?" we've got new Gallup poll numbers to share with you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Through Cancer Treatment>
