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House Bill Would Stop Fast-Food Lawsuits; Study Shows That Coffee May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Aired March 10, 2004 - 06:30   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: Good morning to you. Welcome back to DAYBREAK. I'm Carol Costello. It is Wednesday, March 10. Let me bring you up-to-date now.
A lot of progress in the Middle East. Yes, I said progress. The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers have agreed to meet face-to- face, probably next week. The two have never held an official meeting.

Four more wins for John Kerry running virtually unopposed. He swept Tuesday's four southern primaries. He's now just a few delegates shy of having enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

Attorney General John Ashcroft is expected to make a full recovery from surgery. He had his gall bladder removed yesterday.

Robert Pastorelli, the actor best known as Eldon "the housepainter" on "Murphy Brown," has been found dead in his Hollywood Hills home. Heroin drug paraphernalia was found near his body.

We update our top stores every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:45 Eastern.

Later today, we will hear some fighting words from President Bush about jobs and trade. He's heading off to Ohio to defend his economic policies. Ohio, as you know, is a battleground state that has lost 160,000 manufacturing jobs and has an unemployment rate well above the national average.

In his speech, the president will promote what he calls his pro- growth and free and fair trade agenda. And he'll defend his trade policy as critical to creating new jobs.

You can watch President Bush's economic speech right here on CNN. We'll carry it live at noon Eastern.

No more fat suits. That's what Congress is trying to do with a new bill expected to move across the House floor today. The bill would put an end to lawsuits filed by people who blame the burger joints for their big bellies.

So live to Washington now and Paul Courson, who has much more on this topic and more.

Good morning -- Paul. PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON MORNING PRODUCER: Good morning. I thought a fat suit was one of those Spandex outfits that you wear when you're not feeling so quite so (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: It was sort of a clever play on words for us.

COURSON: I see. Well, you know, the lawsuits -- we're in kind of a litigation-prone society, and House Speaker Tom DeLay said, I can't believe that the trial lawyers want us to believe that Ronald McDonald made me do it when it comes to eating fast food and getting overweight.

So, the House is poised to pass a bill today that would prevent lawsuits related to obesity and fast-food eating.

Now, the idea from the author, Ric Keller of Florida, is to prevent that sort of thing and take it away from the court-by-court sort of decision-making that's going on right now.

Democrat Bobby Scott of Virginia said the courts are handling it exactly right on a case-by-case basis; that they should determine the merits of each individual suit.

However, on the other side of this is the analogy to the tobacco lawsuits, where all it would take is one victorious lawsuit linking fast food to obesity and the insurance rates for the fast-food industry might go through the roof. That's why the National Restaurant Association is weighing in heavily in support of the bill that's moving through the House today.

The idea? Our insurance rates could drive us out of business if one of these lawsuits makes its way through.

COSTELLO: I like that part about weighing in heavily -- a good pun for this morning.

COURSON: I couldn't help it.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. Paul Courson live from Washington, many thanks.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, from apartheid to artwork. A famous leader shares pieces of his prison pastime.

And, low-carb dieters can still enjoy a popular soft drink. That would be Pepsi.

Plus, hear what police say this groom did to cut costs for his own wedding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, the low-carb craze has hit one of America's biggest soft drinks. Plus, get your java on. We'll tell you why a cup of java might do more than just give you energy. Guess what? It's good for you.

Those stories and much more in a moment, but first we have some interesting dish this morning on desired V.P. candidates. John Kerry, are you listening? Because you know the name Hillary Clinton has been bandied about.

Time for a "Wake-Up Call" and Judlynne Lilly from Washington, D.C.'s WTOP News Radio.

Good morning -- Judlynne.

JUDLYNNE LILLY, WTOP NEWS RADIO ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

First, I want to get this out of the way. Kerry won all four states holding primaries last night -- Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Is there some inside word on who he's most interested in as a running mate?

LILLY: Well, some political observers I've spoken with tell me that he actually should look at Gephardt, whose name is not anywhere on any exit polls of people. You know, John Edwards is generally at the top of the list and, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton, who most other political observers believe would not make a good vice president, because she's a woman who generally likes being in charge.

COSTELLO: And she's also a very polarizing personality.

LILLY: And she's a polarizing personality, let's add that to the list.

COSTELLO: And, Judlynne, you're talking about exit polls. CNN conducted some interesting exit polls on who voters want Kerry to choose. The choice for running mate Florida voters want -- let's take a look at the graphic now -- Senator John Edwards. Forty-five percent want him.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Them comes Senator Bob Graham with 20 percent, and then Hillary Clinton with 17 percent. Any surprises there?

LILLY: No, not really, especially in Florida, where, of course, the last presidential election came down to. Now, John Edwards is also a southerner, so Florida is considered south. Edwards will be a favorite there, and that's kind of surprising, obviously, that Bob Graham is not at the top of the list, because, after all, that's where he's from. COSTELLO: Yes.

LILLY: But I think that the voters are looking for these exit -- these people who responded to the polls are probably looking for a little youth, a little verve, a little vitality. And, after all, Bob Graham did not do well in his own presidential race. How many votes can he help with Kerry? How can he help Kerry?

COSTELLO: Oh, you got that right. And voters are pretty smart this time around, aren't they?

LILLY: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Let's head to Louisiana now. Louisiana voters, Senator Edwards, 31 percent as Kerry's V.P. Senator Hillary Clinton comes in second, though, with 22 percent, and then Mary Landrieu with 21 percent.

LILLY: Well, she's a state favorite, and she actually might be a choice. But, once again, when presidential candidates are looking for vice presidential choices, or running mates, they're looking for someone who can bring something to the ticket. That's why Kennedy chose Johnson, because Johnson was from Texas, a delegate-rich state.

So, Kerry will probably be looking for the same thing. He's from Massachusetts, a New Englander. He's going to be looking to expand his base throughout the south.

COSTELLO: OK. You mentioned Texas. Let's see what Texas voters had to say about who John Kerry's V.P. should be. Senator John Edwards, 45 percent.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton, 27 percent, and Governor Bill Richardson, you know, a lot of people have been talking about him...

LILLY: Well, you know...

COSTELLO: ... only 5 percent.

LILLY: Well, you know, Bill Richardson can't be governor of New Mexico for still handling all of the international things that he did while with the Clinton administration, because we would see him constantly on CNN and various other places talking about international events and just after he had been voted in as the governor of New Mexico. He keeps saying he'll just continue -- he wants to be the governor of New Mexico. He's -- once again, he may not bring that much to the ticket for Kerry.

COSTELLO: Well, what about him? You know, he could bring the Latino vote, couldn't he?

LILLY: Yes, he could, but you can't just say blanketly that all Latinos will vote for Bill Richardson. You know, they have their own minds. COSTELLO: They do, too, as do African-Americans. I wanted to touch on Al Sharpton. He's canceled two scheduled news conferences.

LILLY: Yes.

COSTELLO: What's he doing?

LILLY: Al Sharpton, if you all remember, he was really good on "Saturday Night Live" when he hosted it. Remember that?

COSTELLO: Yes, I do.

LILLY: And he was really good. And now he's talking about perhaps, or there is some consideration that he may be doing a cable or some sort of radio program -- some kind of way to get him back in the public eye.

Sharpton has said, and I've heard him say this in other interviews, that, yes, he certainly does want to be president, but he is looking at the writing on the wall.

He really wants a little bit of power when he gets to the Democratic Convention. He doesn't want to really drop out of the race. He wants to be able to say, hey, these are the number of votes I garnered. I stayed through the whole thing, and this is the kind of power I bring to you. He certainly will not be considered as a vice presidential candidate.

COSTELLO: I don't think so.

LILLY: But he will be in the public eye for the next who knows how many years?

COSTELLO: I have to agree with you there. Judlynne Lilly from WTOP Radio in Washington, thanks for joining us on DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern Time. Here are the latest headlines.

The man chosen to be Haiti's new prime minister is expected to arrive in that country today. Gerard Latortue, who lives in Florida, was Haiti's foreign minister back in 1988.

South Dakota's governor is set to sign one of the country's toughest anti-abortion bills as early as next week. He also says he hopes the new law will help overturn the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

Scott Peterson's attorney may ask the court for another change of venue. Mark Geragos says that after reviewing the jury questionnaires handed out last week, too many potential jurors have already made up their minds.

Your money. If one congressman has his way, you'll see more $1 coins in circulation with pictures of past presidents on them. The plan would be like the state quarters, which were introduced a few years ago.

In sports, Vancouver Canucks winger Todd Bertuzzi has been suspended indefinitely for this vicious hit on Steve Moore of the Avalanche. Oh! Moore remains hospitalized with a broken neck. Vancouver police are investigating Monday's incident and might file assault charges.

In culture, Nelson Mandela, the artist. Around 20 limited- edition lithographs done by the former South African president are selling at New York gallery. They go for between $5,000 and $28,000.

And in weather, there isn't much on the map, which means it will be clear and warm for most of us.

Those are the headlines. Your next update comes your way on "AMERICAN MORNING." That will come at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Speaking of "AMERICAN MORNING," let's check in with -- oh, Bill, you're back!

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: How about that?

COSTELLO: How about that? Wow!

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: He's back from a little vaca (ph). Spent some time with the family.

HEMMER: Yes, yes.

O'BRIEN: Did a little skiing.

HEMMER: Snowboarding.

COSTELLO: That's good.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, you guys have one fascinating interview coming up with Charles Moose. I'll be fascinated to watch that.

HEMMER: Yes. And, Carol, coming off this verdict from yesterday, the judge's ruling for John Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo gets his turn today. He will only get, in this case anyway, life in prison. But Charles Moose has said before that he believes both men should die for their crimes committed in the D.C. area. We'll talk to him about that.

Also, reaction from last night. Politics. Bill Schneider is here. Who else? We've got Carlos Watson, Jeff Greenfield. The whole gang is going to be along to talk about campaign '04.

O'BRIEN: Lots of analysis.

HEMMER: That's right.

O'BRIEN: Yes, absolutely. Also this morning, we're talking about obesity and America on the health front. It is quickly becoming the No. 1 preventable cause of death. Actually, it's on the verge of surpassing smoking on that front, which, of course, is not a good thing to be doing. We're going to talk a little bit about that this morning with a doctor.

COSTELLO: All right.

HEMMER: See you at the top of the hour, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks to both of you, Bill and Soledad.

Are we going to take a little break right now? We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All of you carb counters, this one's for you. Pepsi is coming out with a new soda that's lower in calories and carbohydrates. It's billed as a mid-calorie cola. The new Pepsi Edge hits markets this summer. No word yet if Coke will introduce a rival brand.

Coffee lovers rejoice. It's good for you. Really? Two or three cups of caffeine-laden java can actually do your body good. Really?

Live to New York and our nutritionist, Lisa Drayer.

This makes me very happy, Lisa.

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETICIAN: I know. Me, too, especially considering I have already had two cups today.

Actually, a study in this week's "Journal of the American Medical Association" reveals that drinking just three -- just four cups of coffee each day may help to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers studied over 14,000 adults in Finland, whose population has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. And they found that by drinking three to four cups each day, women had a 29 percent reduced risk of diabetes and men had a 27 percent reduced risk of the disease.

And back in January, Carol, Harvard researchers found that over six cups of coffee per day was associated with a decreased risk for diabetes. But now, it seems like six -- you know, we may not have to go for the six, that three or four may still provide benefits.

In fact, looking at the two studies, women experienced the same reduction in risk, about 30 percent, whether they drank three or six cups of coffee.

COSTELLO: Wow! Interesting.

DRAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, Lisa, what in coffee benefits the body?

DRAYER: Well, it's thought that caffeine may play a role, because caffeine does stimulate cells to secrete insulin. This is the hormone that helps to metabolize blood sugar and helps to keep diabetes in check. But it's probably not only the caffeine, because decaf drinkers also experience benefits.

Perhaps it's compounds known as chlorogenic acid and magnesium. These are found in coffee, and they also may help to improve the body's sensitivity to insulin, and it's the insulin insensitivity that's often a problem seen in type 2 diabetics.

COSTELLO: So, should non-coffee drinkers run out and buy a coffeemaker?

DRAYER: Well, researchers aren't saying that you should definitely start drinking coffee if you don't as a strategy to reduce diabetes risk, and there are certainly other ways to reduce your risk of diabetes, such as losing weight, for example.

But if you do drink, there are some tips that you may want to follow. These are my tips.

First, add milk to your coffee, because caffeine, especially if you're drinking caffeinated coffee, caffeine does cause some calcium to be excreted from the body. You'll lose about five milligrams of calcium. Adding two tablespoons of milk to your drink can help to offset that.

Also, go for filtered coffee. Interestingly, the unfiltered kind, like the pot-boiled, has been associated with increased risk for diabetes. And the filter also traps the chemicals in coffee that may help to boost cholesterol.

And finally, drink between meals, not with your meals, especially if you're vegetarian, because the chemicals in coffee -- actually the good chemicals -- can inhibit the absorption of the plant's iron.

COSTELLO: Oh.

DRAYER: So, you don't want to be lacking the iron, especially if you're a vegetarian and you're counting on that iron from plant foods.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. And here's to you, Lisa Drayer. Thank you very much -- live from New York this morning.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now. Which company invented digital photography? Kodak says it did. Sony says it did.

Carrie Lee has more on the battle from the Nasdaq Marketsite.

Good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Good morning, Carol. A big battle between two big players. Eastman Kodak says it invented digital photography, has about 1,000 patents to prove it, and now Kodak is getting serious about protecting its assets. Kodak sued Sony this week -- Sony, the top seller of digital cameras -- citing patent infringement.

Now, unlike other companies like Olympus and Sanyo, which have licensed Kodak patents, Sony does not license these patents. So, Sony is being sued by Kodak.

The broader implication here is that Kodak will expect other players in the booming digital camera industry to start paying up as well. It's estimated that about 42 percent of U.S. consumers this year will own a digital camera, so the stakes are very high here.

Sony, for its part, says that it has not violated any Kodak patents relating to digital imaging, and it will vigorously defend any allegations made in this regard.

So, that's the latest on Kodak, which is in the Dow, and Sony.

Futures are looking flat to slightly higher this morning. Krispy Kreme Donuts, Carol, reporting profits of 26 cents a share.

COSTELLO: Wow!

LEE: That's a 45-percent gain over the fourth quarter a year ago. I think Krispy Kreme Donuts is the only company not negatively affected by this low-carb phase. They continuously do well. So...

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Because their donuts are darn good.

LEE: I think people -- yes, I think people sort of see Krispy Kreme as the one guilty pleasure, maybe, they'll allow themselves. I don't know.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Carrie Lee, many thanks to you.

Chad joins me for "The Lightning Round" coming up, but first here are the latest headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Yes, it is time for ""The Lightning Round." Thank you very much, Chad.

Hey, no sequins are still for this high school student. Take a look at her dress. She made her entire dress out of gum wrappers, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: She planned it a year ago, because she had to collect all of those gum wrappers to make the dress. Her date is going to have...

MYERS: Let's hope it doesn't rain.

COSTELLO: Look, she has gum wrapper earrings. That's right, if it rains she's in deep trouble, isn't she?

MYERS: Very cute.

COSTELLO: Very cute, and her date is going to have a gum wrapper tie. Would you do that for young love?

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: I would, too.

A groom-to-be -- speaking of love. A groom-to-be apparently decided he could cut the cost of his wedding by forging checks to pay for all of the nuptial necessities. I hadn't thought of that, Chad.

MYERS: No, don't try it.

COSTELLO: Yes, I shouldn't. Police say surveillance pictures show him making illegal purchases at several stores. He even bought himself a one-carat diamond groom's ring. What the heck is that?

MYERS: I don't know.

COSTELLO: Groom's ring?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It must be new fad.

MYERS: No, it's your wedding ring.

COSTELLO: But isn't the bride supposed to buy that?

MYERS: Well, yes, but if you're forging the checks.

COSTELLO: I guess it was a lot cheaper that way.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: We don't have time for the Tanya Harding story, but I'm sure you'll hear about it at some point during the day. She's going to play for a minor league hockey game.

That does it for us.

MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: You got it. That does it for us. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great day.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.




Coffee May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes>


Aired March 10, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome back to DAYBREAK. I'm Carol Costello. It is Wednesday, March 10. Let me bring you up-to-date now.
A lot of progress in the Middle East. Yes, I said progress. The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers have agreed to meet face-to- face, probably next week. The two have never held an official meeting.

Four more wins for John Kerry running virtually unopposed. He swept Tuesday's four southern primaries. He's now just a few delegates shy of having enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

Attorney General John Ashcroft is expected to make a full recovery from surgery. He had his gall bladder removed yesterday.

Robert Pastorelli, the actor best known as Eldon "the housepainter" on "Murphy Brown," has been found dead in his Hollywood Hills home. Heroin drug paraphernalia was found near his body.

We update our top stores every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:45 Eastern.

Later today, we will hear some fighting words from President Bush about jobs and trade. He's heading off to Ohio to defend his economic policies. Ohio, as you know, is a battleground state that has lost 160,000 manufacturing jobs and has an unemployment rate well above the national average.

In his speech, the president will promote what he calls his pro- growth and free and fair trade agenda. And he'll defend his trade policy as critical to creating new jobs.

You can watch President Bush's economic speech right here on CNN. We'll carry it live at noon Eastern.

No more fat suits. That's what Congress is trying to do with a new bill expected to move across the House floor today. The bill would put an end to lawsuits filed by people who blame the burger joints for their big bellies.

So live to Washington now and Paul Courson, who has much more on this topic and more.

Good morning -- Paul. PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON MORNING PRODUCER: Good morning. I thought a fat suit was one of those Spandex outfits that you wear when you're not feeling so quite so (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: It was sort of a clever play on words for us.

COURSON: I see. Well, you know, the lawsuits -- we're in kind of a litigation-prone society, and House Speaker Tom DeLay said, I can't believe that the trial lawyers want us to believe that Ronald McDonald made me do it when it comes to eating fast food and getting overweight.

So, the House is poised to pass a bill today that would prevent lawsuits related to obesity and fast-food eating.

Now, the idea from the author, Ric Keller of Florida, is to prevent that sort of thing and take it away from the court-by-court sort of decision-making that's going on right now.

Democrat Bobby Scott of Virginia said the courts are handling it exactly right on a case-by-case basis; that they should determine the merits of each individual suit.

However, on the other side of this is the analogy to the tobacco lawsuits, where all it would take is one victorious lawsuit linking fast food to obesity and the insurance rates for the fast-food industry might go through the roof. That's why the National Restaurant Association is weighing in heavily in support of the bill that's moving through the House today.

The idea? Our insurance rates could drive us out of business if one of these lawsuits makes its way through.

COSTELLO: I like that part about weighing in heavily -- a good pun for this morning.

COURSON: I couldn't help it.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. Paul Courson live from Washington, many thanks.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, from apartheid to artwork. A famous leader shares pieces of his prison pastime.

And, low-carb dieters can still enjoy a popular soft drink. That would be Pepsi.

Plus, hear what police say this groom did to cut costs for his own wedding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, the low-carb craze has hit one of America's biggest soft drinks. Plus, get your java on. We'll tell you why a cup of java might do more than just give you energy. Guess what? It's good for you.

Those stories and much more in a moment, but first we have some interesting dish this morning on desired V.P. candidates. John Kerry, are you listening? Because you know the name Hillary Clinton has been bandied about.

Time for a "Wake-Up Call" and Judlynne Lilly from Washington, D.C.'s WTOP News Radio.

Good morning -- Judlynne.

JUDLYNNE LILLY, WTOP NEWS RADIO ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

First, I want to get this out of the way. Kerry won all four states holding primaries last night -- Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Is there some inside word on who he's most interested in as a running mate?

LILLY: Well, some political observers I've spoken with tell me that he actually should look at Gephardt, whose name is not anywhere on any exit polls of people. You know, John Edwards is generally at the top of the list and, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton, who most other political observers believe would not make a good vice president, because she's a woman who generally likes being in charge.

COSTELLO: And she's also a very polarizing personality.

LILLY: And she's a polarizing personality, let's add that to the list.

COSTELLO: And, Judlynne, you're talking about exit polls. CNN conducted some interesting exit polls on who voters want Kerry to choose. The choice for running mate Florida voters want -- let's take a look at the graphic now -- Senator John Edwards. Forty-five percent want him.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Them comes Senator Bob Graham with 20 percent, and then Hillary Clinton with 17 percent. Any surprises there?

LILLY: No, not really, especially in Florida, where, of course, the last presidential election came down to. Now, John Edwards is also a southerner, so Florida is considered south. Edwards will be a favorite there, and that's kind of surprising, obviously, that Bob Graham is not at the top of the list, because, after all, that's where he's from. COSTELLO: Yes.

LILLY: But I think that the voters are looking for these exit -- these people who responded to the polls are probably looking for a little youth, a little verve, a little vitality. And, after all, Bob Graham did not do well in his own presidential race. How many votes can he help with Kerry? How can he help Kerry?

COSTELLO: Oh, you got that right. And voters are pretty smart this time around, aren't they?

LILLY: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Let's head to Louisiana now. Louisiana voters, Senator Edwards, 31 percent as Kerry's V.P. Senator Hillary Clinton comes in second, though, with 22 percent, and then Mary Landrieu with 21 percent.

LILLY: Well, she's a state favorite, and she actually might be a choice. But, once again, when presidential candidates are looking for vice presidential choices, or running mates, they're looking for someone who can bring something to the ticket. That's why Kennedy chose Johnson, because Johnson was from Texas, a delegate-rich state.

So, Kerry will probably be looking for the same thing. He's from Massachusetts, a New Englander. He's going to be looking to expand his base throughout the south.

COSTELLO: OK. You mentioned Texas. Let's see what Texas voters had to say about who John Kerry's V.P. should be. Senator John Edwards, 45 percent.

LILLY: Right.

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton, 27 percent, and Governor Bill Richardson, you know, a lot of people have been talking about him...

LILLY: Well, you know...

COSTELLO: ... only 5 percent.

LILLY: Well, you know, Bill Richardson can't be governor of New Mexico for still handling all of the international things that he did while with the Clinton administration, because we would see him constantly on CNN and various other places talking about international events and just after he had been voted in as the governor of New Mexico. He keeps saying he'll just continue -- he wants to be the governor of New Mexico. He's -- once again, he may not bring that much to the ticket for Kerry.

COSTELLO: Well, what about him? You know, he could bring the Latino vote, couldn't he?

LILLY: Yes, he could, but you can't just say blanketly that all Latinos will vote for Bill Richardson. You know, they have their own minds. COSTELLO: They do, too, as do African-Americans. I wanted to touch on Al Sharpton. He's canceled two scheduled news conferences.

LILLY: Yes.

COSTELLO: What's he doing?

LILLY: Al Sharpton, if you all remember, he was really good on "Saturday Night Live" when he hosted it. Remember that?

COSTELLO: Yes, I do.

LILLY: And he was really good. And now he's talking about perhaps, or there is some consideration that he may be doing a cable or some sort of radio program -- some kind of way to get him back in the public eye.

Sharpton has said, and I've heard him say this in other interviews, that, yes, he certainly does want to be president, but he is looking at the writing on the wall.

He really wants a little bit of power when he gets to the Democratic Convention. He doesn't want to really drop out of the race. He wants to be able to say, hey, these are the number of votes I garnered. I stayed through the whole thing, and this is the kind of power I bring to you. He certainly will not be considered as a vice presidential candidate.

COSTELLO: I don't think so.

LILLY: But he will be in the public eye for the next who knows how many years?

COSTELLO: I have to agree with you there. Judlynne Lilly from WTOP Radio in Washington, thanks for joining us on DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern Time. Here are the latest headlines.

The man chosen to be Haiti's new prime minister is expected to arrive in that country today. Gerard Latortue, who lives in Florida, was Haiti's foreign minister back in 1988.

South Dakota's governor is set to sign one of the country's toughest anti-abortion bills as early as next week. He also says he hopes the new law will help overturn the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

Scott Peterson's attorney may ask the court for another change of venue. Mark Geragos says that after reviewing the jury questionnaires handed out last week, too many potential jurors have already made up their minds.

Your money. If one congressman has his way, you'll see more $1 coins in circulation with pictures of past presidents on them. The plan would be like the state quarters, which were introduced a few years ago.

In sports, Vancouver Canucks winger Todd Bertuzzi has been suspended indefinitely for this vicious hit on Steve Moore of the Avalanche. Oh! Moore remains hospitalized with a broken neck. Vancouver police are investigating Monday's incident and might file assault charges.

In culture, Nelson Mandela, the artist. Around 20 limited- edition lithographs done by the former South African president are selling at New York gallery. They go for between $5,000 and $28,000.

And in weather, there isn't much on the map, which means it will be clear and warm for most of us.

Those are the headlines. Your next update comes your way on "AMERICAN MORNING." That will come at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Speaking of "AMERICAN MORNING," let's check in with -- oh, Bill, you're back!

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: How about that?

COSTELLO: How about that? Wow!

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: He's back from a little vaca (ph). Spent some time with the family.

HEMMER: Yes, yes.

O'BRIEN: Did a little skiing.

HEMMER: Snowboarding.

COSTELLO: That's good.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, you guys have one fascinating interview coming up with Charles Moose. I'll be fascinated to watch that.

HEMMER: Yes. And, Carol, coming off this verdict from yesterday, the judge's ruling for John Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo gets his turn today. He will only get, in this case anyway, life in prison. But Charles Moose has said before that he believes both men should die for their crimes committed in the D.C. area. We'll talk to him about that.

Also, reaction from last night. Politics. Bill Schneider is here. Who else? We've got Carlos Watson, Jeff Greenfield. The whole gang is going to be along to talk about campaign '04.

O'BRIEN: Lots of analysis.

HEMMER: That's right.

O'BRIEN: Yes, absolutely. Also this morning, we're talking about obesity and America on the health front. It is quickly becoming the No. 1 preventable cause of death. Actually, it's on the verge of surpassing smoking on that front, which, of course, is not a good thing to be doing. We're going to talk a little bit about that this morning with a doctor.

COSTELLO: All right.

HEMMER: See you at the top of the hour, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks to both of you, Bill and Soledad.

Are we going to take a little break right now? We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All of you carb counters, this one's for you. Pepsi is coming out with a new soda that's lower in calories and carbohydrates. It's billed as a mid-calorie cola. The new Pepsi Edge hits markets this summer. No word yet if Coke will introduce a rival brand.

Coffee lovers rejoice. It's good for you. Really? Two or three cups of caffeine-laden java can actually do your body good. Really?

Live to New York and our nutritionist, Lisa Drayer.

This makes me very happy, Lisa.

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETICIAN: I know. Me, too, especially considering I have already had two cups today.

Actually, a study in this week's "Journal of the American Medical Association" reveals that drinking just three -- just four cups of coffee each day may help to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers studied over 14,000 adults in Finland, whose population has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. And they found that by drinking three to four cups each day, women had a 29 percent reduced risk of diabetes and men had a 27 percent reduced risk of the disease.

And back in January, Carol, Harvard researchers found that over six cups of coffee per day was associated with a decreased risk for diabetes. But now, it seems like six -- you know, we may not have to go for the six, that three or four may still provide benefits.

In fact, looking at the two studies, women experienced the same reduction in risk, about 30 percent, whether they drank three or six cups of coffee.

COSTELLO: Wow! Interesting.

DRAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, Lisa, what in coffee benefits the body?

DRAYER: Well, it's thought that caffeine may play a role, because caffeine does stimulate cells to secrete insulin. This is the hormone that helps to metabolize blood sugar and helps to keep diabetes in check. But it's probably not only the caffeine, because decaf drinkers also experience benefits.

Perhaps it's compounds known as chlorogenic acid and magnesium. These are found in coffee, and they also may help to improve the body's sensitivity to insulin, and it's the insulin insensitivity that's often a problem seen in type 2 diabetics.

COSTELLO: So, should non-coffee drinkers run out and buy a coffeemaker?

DRAYER: Well, researchers aren't saying that you should definitely start drinking coffee if you don't as a strategy to reduce diabetes risk, and there are certainly other ways to reduce your risk of diabetes, such as losing weight, for example.

But if you do drink, there are some tips that you may want to follow. These are my tips.

First, add milk to your coffee, because caffeine, especially if you're drinking caffeinated coffee, caffeine does cause some calcium to be excreted from the body. You'll lose about five milligrams of calcium. Adding two tablespoons of milk to your drink can help to offset that.

Also, go for filtered coffee. Interestingly, the unfiltered kind, like the pot-boiled, has been associated with increased risk for diabetes. And the filter also traps the chemicals in coffee that may help to boost cholesterol.

And finally, drink between meals, not with your meals, especially if you're vegetarian, because the chemicals in coffee -- actually the good chemicals -- can inhibit the absorption of the plant's iron.

COSTELLO: Oh.

DRAYER: So, you don't want to be lacking the iron, especially if you're a vegetarian and you're counting on that iron from plant foods.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. And here's to you, Lisa Drayer. Thank you very much -- live from New York this morning.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now. Which company invented digital photography? Kodak says it did. Sony says it did.

Carrie Lee has more on the battle from the Nasdaq Marketsite.

Good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Good morning, Carol. A big battle between two big players. Eastman Kodak says it invented digital photography, has about 1,000 patents to prove it, and now Kodak is getting serious about protecting its assets. Kodak sued Sony this week -- Sony, the top seller of digital cameras -- citing patent infringement.

Now, unlike other companies like Olympus and Sanyo, which have licensed Kodak patents, Sony does not license these patents. So, Sony is being sued by Kodak.

The broader implication here is that Kodak will expect other players in the booming digital camera industry to start paying up as well. It's estimated that about 42 percent of U.S. consumers this year will own a digital camera, so the stakes are very high here.

Sony, for its part, says that it has not violated any Kodak patents relating to digital imaging, and it will vigorously defend any allegations made in this regard.

So, that's the latest on Kodak, which is in the Dow, and Sony.

Futures are looking flat to slightly higher this morning. Krispy Kreme Donuts, Carol, reporting profits of 26 cents a share.

COSTELLO: Wow!

LEE: That's a 45-percent gain over the fourth quarter a year ago. I think Krispy Kreme Donuts is the only company not negatively affected by this low-carb phase. They continuously do well. So...

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Because their donuts are darn good.

LEE: I think people -- yes, I think people sort of see Krispy Kreme as the one guilty pleasure, maybe, they'll allow themselves. I don't know.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Carrie Lee, many thanks to you.

Chad joins me for "The Lightning Round" coming up, but first here are the latest headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Yes, it is time for ""The Lightning Round." Thank you very much, Chad.

Hey, no sequins are still for this high school student. Take a look at her dress. She made her entire dress out of gum wrappers, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: She planned it a year ago, because she had to collect all of those gum wrappers to make the dress. Her date is going to have...

MYERS: Let's hope it doesn't rain.

COSTELLO: Look, she has gum wrapper earrings. That's right, if it rains she's in deep trouble, isn't she?

MYERS: Very cute.

COSTELLO: Very cute, and her date is going to have a gum wrapper tie. Would you do that for young love?

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: I would, too.

A groom-to-be -- speaking of love. A groom-to-be apparently decided he could cut the cost of his wedding by forging checks to pay for all of the nuptial necessities. I hadn't thought of that, Chad.

MYERS: No, don't try it.

COSTELLO: Yes, I shouldn't. Police say surveillance pictures show him making illegal purchases at several stores. He even bought himself a one-carat diamond groom's ring. What the heck is that?

MYERS: I don't know.

COSTELLO: Groom's ring?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It must be new fad.

MYERS: No, it's your wedding ring.

COSTELLO: But isn't the bride supposed to buy that?

MYERS: Well, yes, but if you're forging the checks.

COSTELLO: I guess it was a lot cheaper that way.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: We don't have time for the Tanya Harding story, but I'm sure you'll hear about it at some point during the day. She's going to play for a minor league hockey game.

That does it for us.

MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: You got it. That does it for us. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great day.

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Coffee May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes>