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CNN Live At Daybreak
Iraqi Cabinet Member Unhurt in Mosul Shootings; Israeli Prime Minister Could be Indicted in Corruption Probe
Aired March 29, 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: In the target sights: a member of Iraq's interim cabinet. CNN's Walter Rodgers has details on the attack in the northern city of Mosul, and he joins us live this morning from Baghdad.
Hello -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Iraq continues to bubble at a slow boil, and this threshold of violence is threatening to undermine American efforts to stabilize and democratize this country.
In Mosul yesterday, there was an assassination attempt against Nisreen Berwari. She is Iraq's public works minister. This is her second escape from an assassination attempt in the last half-year. Two members of her motorcade were killed. Also, a British subject and a Canadian citizen were killed in Mosul over the weekend.
In An Najaf and in Baghdad, passionate anti-American demonstrations. The reason? The U.S. administrator, Paul Bremer, has shut down a newspaper, "Al Hawsa," published by the followers of the fiery Shiite Muslim cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr. The Americans says the Iraqi newspaper incites violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Recent articles in "Al Hawsa" said a U.S. missile, not a car bomb last February, was responsible for a big explosion in Esconderia (ph) that killed 50 people. The newspaper also alleges that the U.S. administrator, Paul Bremer, is following -- quote -- "in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein."
These demonstrating Iraqis mock the Americans for talking about democracy while shutting down dissenting newspapers that oppose the American occupation.
Muqtada al-Sadr, incidentally, in his Friday sermon on An Najaf called the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center -- quote -- "a miracle of God." And it is increasingly clear that while the Americans have one blueprint for rebuilding Iraq, the Iraq Shiites have a separate road map, the Iraqi Muslims have their own blueprint, and the insurgents, the guerillas who are conducting the violent resistance, have their own plans -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Speaking about Iraq, the French attorney who says he will be Saddam Hussein's lead defense attorney does not expect a trial for a very long time. And Jacques Verges claims the United States has violated the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACQUES VERGES, ATTORNEY (through translator): It is important to ensure the safekeeping of the Geneva Convention by the occupation forces. It is contrary to the Geneva Convention to exhibit a man like an animal with a doctor who acts like a vet and looks at his teeth, his hair, his tongue. It is not in accord with the Geneva Convention to take a photo of a prisoner lying on the ground with the boot of a soldier pressing his chest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Verges says he's also representing Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister.
Now to the latest on the corruption probe in Israel. The supreme court today order Ariel Sharon's son to hand over tapes and documents relating to the case. This comes a day after Israel's chief prosecutor recommended Prime Minister Sharon be indicted on charges of taking bribes.
Details now from CNN correspondent Paula Hancocks. She's live in Jerusalem this morning.
Hello -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, it could be up to a month before we find out whether or not Ariel Sharon will be indicted on those bribery charges.
Now, the story is back in the 1990s when he was foreign minister, David Appel, an Israeli businessman, paid his son, Gilad, around $690,000 to work as a consultant.
But the allegations are that Sharon was involved in trying to smooth over a real estate deal that Appel was undergoing at the time with the Greek government. It was a venture that he wanted to build on a Greek island. It wasn't going so well. The allegations are, according to the chief prosecutor, that he met with Greek government officials to try and smooth that over.
Now, Ariel Sharon in the past has denied any wrongdoing. Back in January, David Appel was indicted. He denies any wrongdoing as well.
But the latest development this Monday is, as you say, Carol, the fact that Ariel Sharon's son has been ordered by the supreme court to bring any tapes or any documents that are applicable to either this case or another corruption case that is ongoing at the moment.
This other corruption case involves both of Sharon's sons, saying they used a $1.5 million loan from a South African businessman to pay back alleged illegal contributions to Sharon's election campaign. Now, in Israeli law it's illegal for any foreign funding to be involved in political campaigns.
So, it could be up to a month before we find out exactly what happened with Ariel Sharon, whether or not they will be pressing charges against him -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Paula Hancocks live in Jerusalem this morning.
The politics, the personalities, the voice of talk radio is about to change. It's the liberals' turn to talk. We'll hear what that means for the audience and the industry.
And are you planning a vacation to the Magic Kingdom? Well, you'd better start saving now. We'll tell you how much it may cost you to meet the mouse.
And this is one way to get there fast. Really fast. The way of the future? At mach speed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Move over Rush Limbaugh. Make room for Al Franken. Air America hits the airwaves this week with liberal talk radio. Comedian Al Franken is among those hosting, and it looks like the name of the show, "The O'Franken Factor," is already taking jabs.
CNN's Adaora Udoji has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL FRANKEN, COMEDIAN: If I was friends with Ken Adelman (ph), and I'm sure he's a nice Jewish boy.
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Comedian Al Franken just couldn't resist. Even the name of his upcoming radio show sounds like a punch line. It's called "The O'Franken Factor," a clear swipe at the conservative Bill O'Reilly show, "The O'Reilly Factor."
The creators of Air America, the country's first self-proclaimed liberal radio network, are betting that humor will pull in listeners.
EVAN COHEN, CHAIRMAN AIR AMERICA RADIO: You take somebody as talented as Al Franken, who is working as hard as he is, with as committed as he is to being successful, and providing, you know, great radio to talk about things that he believes are not in the American dialogue right now.
UDOJI: Indeed the airwaves are dominated by conservatives with Rush Limbaugh leading the pack.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Increasingly popular Rush Limbaugh program. UDOJI: He pulls in nearly 15 million listeners a week. Right behind him, conservative host Shawn Hannity, at 12 million. But analysts say there's plenty of room.
MICHAEL HARRISON, EDITOR, "TALKERS" MAGAZINE: Being conservative or being liberal are not the main elements in the recipe for success. You have to be talented and have some special charismatic magic about you to attract a radio audience.
UDOJI: Air America is promising provocative programs led by Franken, actress/comedian Janeane Gorofalo and hip-hop godfather Chuck D of the group Public Enemy. Some argue it might even help that Democrats are not in the White House, especially in a big presidential election year.
HARRISON: Talk radio works best when it takes on power, when it flies in the face of authority, when it takes the outsider role and is the critical position.
UDOJI (on-camera): But it's a tough business. They don't expect to turn a profit for three years, even if people do tune in.
(on camera): The task for Air America begins this week when the shows start broadcasting out of this building on Park Avenue to radio stations here in New York City, in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports now. It is 6:40 Eastern Time. Here are the latest headlines.
A Santa Barbara grand jury convenes today to begin hearing the case against Michael Jackson. He's charged with lewd behavior involving a child.
Three separate federal abortion rights lawsuits are expected to be heard today. The suits seek to overturn the government's ban on so-called partial-birth abortion.
In money, prices at the pump continue to climb. The average price for a gallon jumps another three cents to a record average of $1.77 a gallon for self-serve regular.
In sports, Duke becomes the only top seed to get to the final four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a win over Xavier. Georgia Tech also is in with its overtime win against Kansas.
In culture, moviegoers made "Scooby-Doo 2" -- it makes me laugh every time. Anyway, "Scooby-Doo" was No. 1 at the box office this weekend. The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pulled in over $30 million. Tom Hanks' "Ladykillers" finished second.
(WEATHER BREAK) COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
Health headlines for you this morning. Grab that Vitamin E and have at it. A new study finds Vitamin E may lower our risk of getting bladder cancer. The study finds people who get lots of Vitamin E have only about half as much bladder cancer as those who take relatively little. And it doesn't matter much whether it comes from food alone or in combination with vitamin pills.
Stretching. Stretching may not be all it's cracked up to be. It may help...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: See? See?
COSTELLO: I know. I've been stretching. It may help limber up muscles before a workout, but a new study indicates there is no evidence that stretching prevents injuries such as pulled muscles.
Honey is a sweet treat, but it's also been known to have many health benefits. The American Chemical Society found people who ate about four tablespoons of buckwheat honey in addition to their regular diets increased the amount of antioxidants in their blood. Doctors say a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer. Pretty darn amazing.
Let's head out to New York City and check in with Bill and Soledad in New York for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Right.
COSTELLO: Did you catch...
O'BRIEN: Yes, shall we?
COSTELLO: Did you catch "60 Minutes" last night?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I saw a little bit of it.
COSTELLO: I did too.
HEMMER: I certainly did. I saw you and Chad on the couch today, by the way, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
HEMMER: Fancy, shamsy (ph) stuff.
COSTELLO: We do it all here on DAYBREAK with our $300 budget.
HEMMER: You looked great, too. Listen, we're going to spot you another five and make it $305.
O'BRIEN: That's $105 more than we get. HEMMER: You got it.
Talking about Dr. Rice last night, Senator Shelby is with us -- Senator Graham, too -- about the decision to testify or not testify publicly. So, we'll get into all of that this morning in a moment here, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking about Michael Jackson and, of course, the grand jury. Jeff Toobin is going to explain all of the ins and outs for us legally speaking this morning.
HEMMER: And there is some fallout from "The Passion." A very interesting story we have out of the state of Texas. You've been talking about it already today, in fact.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. A man saw "The Passion of the Christ" -- we reported this earlier at the end of last week -- and confessed to his minister friend that he had killed his girlfriend. Everyone had assumed that this young lady was a suicide. This morning we're going to talk to the sheriff to find out how that could happen, and also what happens to this man now.
HEMMER: All right, we'll get to all of that at the top of the hour. See you then, OK, Carol?
COSTELLO: All right, Bill and Soledad, many thanks to you.
Let's talk a little baseball, Chad.
MYERS: Guess what time it is?
COSTELLO: It is?
MYERS: It's time for snow in Detroit and the opening day, of course.
COSTELLO: Maybe that will help the Tigers.
MYERS: Oh, my goodness!
COSTELLO: Actually, the Tigers have a pretty good team this year, but...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: But we cannot talk about the Tigers, because we have to talk about the Yankees this morning.
MYERS: Yes, the most expensive team ever in baseball.
COSTELLO: Yes, because they're over in Japan this morning ready to play a game tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
MYERS: They'll be playing, like, 24 hours from now. They'll be in the fourth inning by now.
COSTELLO: It's pretty amazing.
MYERS: It is kind of odd.
COSTELLO: Let's head over to Tokyo. We're joined by Atika Shubert.
I'm sure there's a lot of excitement over there.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, baseball is huge in Japan, tens of thousands pack into the Tokyo (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when the major leagues play.
Just warm-up games today and yesterday, but tomorrow is the season opener, of course. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will throw the first pitch, accompanied by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The people here are very excited.
Now, this is just part of the Major League's push to go international, not just with audiences, of course, but with recruits. There are a number of Japanese stars that have been recruited into Major League Baseball teams, so it's a big thrill for Japanese fans to see their hometown heroes come home to play.
COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about Hideki Matsui, because I'm sure everybody wants to see him instead of the rest of the Yankees.
SHUBERT: Yes, exactly. That's the big thrill for many Japanese fans who are coming back to see Hideki Matsui. He's also nicknamed "Godzilla" here for his slugging abilities, and he used to play with the Yomiuri Giants. He, of course, now plays with the New York Yankees.
So, it was a very exciting game yesterday when he played against his old team and hit a homerun to the delight of crowds. So, it's going to be a very exciting time here over the next few days.
COSTELLO: Well, hopefully you'll join us again tomorrow morning. Atika Shubert live from Tokyo this morning.
Now it's time to win that beautiful, possibly win that beautiful coffee mug.
MYERS: Yes. I left mine over there half-full, or half-empty, depending on...
COSTELLO: Drew, can you get us the coffee mug while Chad gives the questions?
MYERS: Yes, yes, there we go. We have them finally in their own rainbows of colors.
All right, here you go. Get ready to type, type, type. Your questions for the mug of the day.
Air America, a liberal radio network, will start this week in four U.S. cities. Which ones?
According to a local newspaper, the Columbus, Ohio, area shootings there, the investigation cost police and taxpayers how much money?
COSTELLO: Tough questions this morning.
MYERS: Yes, the first one is very tough, because you have to get all four, and you have to answer both questions.
COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com. And the mug. See? They're in. They're finally in.
MYERS: And they're in rainbow colors. It actually looks like jelly bellies or something there. It's just a great bunch of, you know, classic colors.
COSTELLO: Yes, classic DAYBREAK mugs. We like that.
MYERS: There we go.
COSTELLO: It's time for a little business buzz right now. If you're planning a family vacation to Disneyland this summer, oh, you'd better start saving now. The Magic Kingdom is going to cost you some big bucks.
Stacey Tisdale live from the Nasdaq Marketsite to tell us how much.
How much?
STACEY TISDALE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: A lot. I can't believe how much. You want to take your family to Disneyworld or Disneyland, as Carol said, it's going to cost you -- it is going to cost you $49.75 just to get into Disneyland in California. That's a hike of $2.75. If you want to go to Disneyworld in Florida, it's going to cost you $54.75. It was $52.
What do you do if you have, like, four or five kids or something? But anyway...
COSTELLO: Don't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
TISDALE: Exactly. Disney said that this hike reflects costs of investment. For example, they do have a new attraction, a Snow White musical production at Disneyland, and the Twilight Dome Tower of Terror ride opens May 5 in Disneyland.
In addition, the company said that they are introducing a new lower-priced annual pass for weekday admission. People get an annual pass, I guess, to Disneyland and Disneyworld. But just for us people who only get a couple of days off at a time, it's really going to cost us.
COSTELLO: That's incredible.
A quick look at the futures.
TISDALE: Things are looking good, Carol. I heard you mention earlier that a lot of Wall Street is focusing on the U.S. employment report, which comes out on Friday. So, there's a lot of buzz that there wasn't going to be much activity until we got to that.
But futures are strong. It looks like Monday is going to be a good one for the bulls, at least at the get-go.
COSTELLO: All right, Stacey Tisdale live at the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Chad will join me for "The Lightning Round." That is coming up. But first, the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, it kind of makes me feel good that Elle MacPherson is 41.
MYERS: Yes, me too.
COSTELLO: She looks darn good, doesn't she?
MYERS: I have a -- I have a month and 14 days left to not be.
COSTELLO: To get even older than you are already.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: It's time for "The Lightning Round," huh?
MYERS: Ready.
COSTELLO: Check this out. NASA used a converted B-52 to launch an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft hit a speed seven times the speed of sound during a test flight over the Pacific. How fast is that exactly, Chad?
MYERS: We did a little multiplication. Depending on the temperature and the elevation at ground level, it would be about 5,300 miles per hour. Obviously not ground level. Otherwise it wouldn't be going so fast.
COSTELLO: That could help you in your morning commute.
MYERS: That's still very fast, 5,000 miles an hour.
COSTELLO: Wow!
You know what they say? Beauty is only skin deep. Well, Russians are celebrating body art with a two-month-long tattoo festival. Isn't that pretty?
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: During the Soviet years, tattoos were considered symbols of criminals, but that has apparently changed. Everybody -- and I mean -- look at that, Chad.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: Beautiful.
Tennis star Serena Williams says she wants to compete in the summer games in Athens, but she may not go if she does not feel safe from terrorism. Chicken.
It's a Swiss holiday on the slopes for Prince Charles and Prince William. Take a look.
MYERS: There is snow.
COSTELLO: Oh! That's right. There's still snow. The royal father and son took part in a prearranged photo-op. I wondered how they got these pictures. It was prearranged. They're in their skis. And what did they get for this photo array? They got being left alone for the rest of their vacation.
MYERS: Nice.
COSTELLO: That's a pretty good deal, don't you think?
MYERS: He's a pretty good skier.
COSTELLO: Yes, whatever.
Quick weather before we go, Chad.
(WEATHER 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.
Aired March 29, 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: In the target sights: a member of Iraq's interim cabinet. CNN's Walter Rodgers has details on the attack in the northern city of Mosul, and he joins us live this morning from Baghdad.
Hello -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Iraq continues to bubble at a slow boil, and this threshold of violence is threatening to undermine American efforts to stabilize and democratize this country.
In Mosul yesterday, there was an assassination attempt against Nisreen Berwari. She is Iraq's public works minister. This is her second escape from an assassination attempt in the last half-year. Two members of her motorcade were killed. Also, a British subject and a Canadian citizen were killed in Mosul over the weekend.
In An Najaf and in Baghdad, passionate anti-American demonstrations. The reason? The U.S. administrator, Paul Bremer, has shut down a newspaper, "Al Hawsa," published by the followers of the fiery Shiite Muslim cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr. The Americans says the Iraqi newspaper incites violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Recent articles in "Al Hawsa" said a U.S. missile, not a car bomb last February, was responsible for a big explosion in Esconderia (ph) that killed 50 people. The newspaper also alleges that the U.S. administrator, Paul Bremer, is following -- quote -- "in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein."
These demonstrating Iraqis mock the Americans for talking about democracy while shutting down dissenting newspapers that oppose the American occupation.
Muqtada al-Sadr, incidentally, in his Friday sermon on An Najaf called the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center -- quote -- "a miracle of God." And it is increasingly clear that while the Americans have one blueprint for rebuilding Iraq, the Iraq Shiites have a separate road map, the Iraqi Muslims have their own blueprint, and the insurgents, the guerillas who are conducting the violent resistance, have their own plans -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Speaking about Iraq, the French attorney who says he will be Saddam Hussein's lead defense attorney does not expect a trial for a very long time. And Jacques Verges claims the United States has violated the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACQUES VERGES, ATTORNEY (through translator): It is important to ensure the safekeeping of the Geneva Convention by the occupation forces. It is contrary to the Geneva Convention to exhibit a man like an animal with a doctor who acts like a vet and looks at his teeth, his hair, his tongue. It is not in accord with the Geneva Convention to take a photo of a prisoner lying on the ground with the boot of a soldier pressing his chest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Verges says he's also representing Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister.
Now to the latest on the corruption probe in Israel. The supreme court today order Ariel Sharon's son to hand over tapes and documents relating to the case. This comes a day after Israel's chief prosecutor recommended Prime Minister Sharon be indicted on charges of taking bribes.
Details now from CNN correspondent Paula Hancocks. She's live in Jerusalem this morning.
Hello -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, it could be up to a month before we find out whether or not Ariel Sharon will be indicted on those bribery charges.
Now, the story is back in the 1990s when he was foreign minister, David Appel, an Israeli businessman, paid his son, Gilad, around $690,000 to work as a consultant.
But the allegations are that Sharon was involved in trying to smooth over a real estate deal that Appel was undergoing at the time with the Greek government. It was a venture that he wanted to build on a Greek island. It wasn't going so well. The allegations are, according to the chief prosecutor, that he met with Greek government officials to try and smooth that over.
Now, Ariel Sharon in the past has denied any wrongdoing. Back in January, David Appel was indicted. He denies any wrongdoing as well.
But the latest development this Monday is, as you say, Carol, the fact that Ariel Sharon's son has been ordered by the supreme court to bring any tapes or any documents that are applicable to either this case or another corruption case that is ongoing at the moment.
This other corruption case involves both of Sharon's sons, saying they used a $1.5 million loan from a South African businessman to pay back alleged illegal contributions to Sharon's election campaign. Now, in Israeli law it's illegal for any foreign funding to be involved in political campaigns.
So, it could be up to a month before we find out exactly what happened with Ariel Sharon, whether or not they will be pressing charges against him -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Paula Hancocks live in Jerusalem this morning.
The politics, the personalities, the voice of talk radio is about to change. It's the liberals' turn to talk. We'll hear what that means for the audience and the industry.
And are you planning a vacation to the Magic Kingdom? Well, you'd better start saving now. We'll tell you how much it may cost you to meet the mouse.
And this is one way to get there fast. Really fast. The way of the future? At mach speed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Move over Rush Limbaugh. Make room for Al Franken. Air America hits the airwaves this week with liberal talk radio. Comedian Al Franken is among those hosting, and it looks like the name of the show, "The O'Franken Factor," is already taking jabs.
CNN's Adaora Udoji has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL FRANKEN, COMEDIAN: If I was friends with Ken Adelman (ph), and I'm sure he's a nice Jewish boy.
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Comedian Al Franken just couldn't resist. Even the name of his upcoming radio show sounds like a punch line. It's called "The O'Franken Factor," a clear swipe at the conservative Bill O'Reilly show, "The O'Reilly Factor."
The creators of Air America, the country's first self-proclaimed liberal radio network, are betting that humor will pull in listeners.
EVAN COHEN, CHAIRMAN AIR AMERICA RADIO: You take somebody as talented as Al Franken, who is working as hard as he is, with as committed as he is to being successful, and providing, you know, great radio to talk about things that he believes are not in the American dialogue right now.
UDOJI: Indeed the airwaves are dominated by conservatives with Rush Limbaugh leading the pack.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Increasingly popular Rush Limbaugh program. UDOJI: He pulls in nearly 15 million listeners a week. Right behind him, conservative host Shawn Hannity, at 12 million. But analysts say there's plenty of room.
MICHAEL HARRISON, EDITOR, "TALKERS" MAGAZINE: Being conservative or being liberal are not the main elements in the recipe for success. You have to be talented and have some special charismatic magic about you to attract a radio audience.
UDOJI: Air America is promising provocative programs led by Franken, actress/comedian Janeane Gorofalo and hip-hop godfather Chuck D of the group Public Enemy. Some argue it might even help that Democrats are not in the White House, especially in a big presidential election year.
HARRISON: Talk radio works best when it takes on power, when it flies in the face of authority, when it takes the outsider role and is the critical position.
UDOJI (on-camera): But it's a tough business. They don't expect to turn a profit for three years, even if people do tune in.
(on camera): The task for Air America begins this week when the shows start broadcasting out of this building on Park Avenue to radio stations here in New York City, in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports now. It is 6:40 Eastern Time. Here are the latest headlines.
A Santa Barbara grand jury convenes today to begin hearing the case against Michael Jackson. He's charged with lewd behavior involving a child.
Three separate federal abortion rights lawsuits are expected to be heard today. The suits seek to overturn the government's ban on so-called partial-birth abortion.
In money, prices at the pump continue to climb. The average price for a gallon jumps another three cents to a record average of $1.77 a gallon for self-serve regular.
In sports, Duke becomes the only top seed to get to the final four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a win over Xavier. Georgia Tech also is in with its overtime win against Kansas.
In culture, moviegoers made "Scooby-Doo 2" -- it makes me laugh every time. Anyway, "Scooby-Doo" was No. 1 at the box office this weekend. The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pulled in over $30 million. Tom Hanks' "Ladykillers" finished second.
(WEATHER BREAK) COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
Health headlines for you this morning. Grab that Vitamin E and have at it. A new study finds Vitamin E may lower our risk of getting bladder cancer. The study finds people who get lots of Vitamin E have only about half as much bladder cancer as those who take relatively little. And it doesn't matter much whether it comes from food alone or in combination with vitamin pills.
Stretching. Stretching may not be all it's cracked up to be. It may help...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: See? See?
COSTELLO: I know. I've been stretching. It may help limber up muscles before a workout, but a new study indicates there is no evidence that stretching prevents injuries such as pulled muscles.
Honey is a sweet treat, but it's also been known to have many health benefits. The American Chemical Society found people who ate about four tablespoons of buckwheat honey in addition to their regular diets increased the amount of antioxidants in their blood. Doctors say a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer. Pretty darn amazing.
Let's head out to New York City and check in with Bill and Soledad in New York for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Right.
COSTELLO: Did you catch...
O'BRIEN: Yes, shall we?
COSTELLO: Did you catch "60 Minutes" last night?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I saw a little bit of it.
COSTELLO: I did too.
HEMMER: I certainly did. I saw you and Chad on the couch today, by the way, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
HEMMER: Fancy, shamsy (ph) stuff.
COSTELLO: We do it all here on DAYBREAK with our $300 budget.
HEMMER: You looked great, too. Listen, we're going to spot you another five and make it $305.
O'BRIEN: That's $105 more than we get. HEMMER: You got it.
Talking about Dr. Rice last night, Senator Shelby is with us -- Senator Graham, too -- about the decision to testify or not testify publicly. So, we'll get into all of that this morning in a moment here, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking about Michael Jackson and, of course, the grand jury. Jeff Toobin is going to explain all of the ins and outs for us legally speaking this morning.
HEMMER: And there is some fallout from "The Passion." A very interesting story we have out of the state of Texas. You've been talking about it already today, in fact.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. A man saw "The Passion of the Christ" -- we reported this earlier at the end of last week -- and confessed to his minister friend that he had killed his girlfriend. Everyone had assumed that this young lady was a suicide. This morning we're going to talk to the sheriff to find out how that could happen, and also what happens to this man now.
HEMMER: All right, we'll get to all of that at the top of the hour. See you then, OK, Carol?
COSTELLO: All right, Bill and Soledad, many thanks to you.
Let's talk a little baseball, Chad.
MYERS: Guess what time it is?
COSTELLO: It is?
MYERS: It's time for snow in Detroit and the opening day, of course.
COSTELLO: Maybe that will help the Tigers.
MYERS: Oh, my goodness!
COSTELLO: Actually, the Tigers have a pretty good team this year, but...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: But we cannot talk about the Tigers, because we have to talk about the Yankees this morning.
MYERS: Yes, the most expensive team ever in baseball.
COSTELLO: Yes, because they're over in Japan this morning ready to play a game tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
MYERS: They'll be playing, like, 24 hours from now. They'll be in the fourth inning by now.
COSTELLO: It's pretty amazing.
MYERS: It is kind of odd.
COSTELLO: Let's head over to Tokyo. We're joined by Atika Shubert.
I'm sure there's a lot of excitement over there.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, baseball is huge in Japan, tens of thousands pack into the Tokyo (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when the major leagues play.
Just warm-up games today and yesterday, but tomorrow is the season opener, of course. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will throw the first pitch, accompanied by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The people here are very excited.
Now, this is just part of the Major League's push to go international, not just with audiences, of course, but with recruits. There are a number of Japanese stars that have been recruited into Major League Baseball teams, so it's a big thrill for Japanese fans to see their hometown heroes come home to play.
COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about Hideki Matsui, because I'm sure everybody wants to see him instead of the rest of the Yankees.
SHUBERT: Yes, exactly. That's the big thrill for many Japanese fans who are coming back to see Hideki Matsui. He's also nicknamed "Godzilla" here for his slugging abilities, and he used to play with the Yomiuri Giants. He, of course, now plays with the New York Yankees.
So, it was a very exciting game yesterday when he played against his old team and hit a homerun to the delight of crowds. So, it's going to be a very exciting time here over the next few days.
COSTELLO: Well, hopefully you'll join us again tomorrow morning. Atika Shubert live from Tokyo this morning.
Now it's time to win that beautiful, possibly win that beautiful coffee mug.
MYERS: Yes. I left mine over there half-full, or half-empty, depending on...
COSTELLO: Drew, can you get us the coffee mug while Chad gives the questions?
MYERS: Yes, yes, there we go. We have them finally in their own rainbows of colors.
All right, here you go. Get ready to type, type, type. Your questions for the mug of the day.
Air America, a liberal radio network, will start this week in four U.S. cities. Which ones?
According to a local newspaper, the Columbus, Ohio, area shootings there, the investigation cost police and taxpayers how much money?
COSTELLO: Tough questions this morning.
MYERS: Yes, the first one is very tough, because you have to get all four, and you have to answer both questions.
COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com. And the mug. See? They're in. They're finally in.
MYERS: And they're in rainbow colors. It actually looks like jelly bellies or something there. It's just a great bunch of, you know, classic colors.
COSTELLO: Yes, classic DAYBREAK mugs. We like that.
MYERS: There we go.
COSTELLO: It's time for a little business buzz right now. If you're planning a family vacation to Disneyland this summer, oh, you'd better start saving now. The Magic Kingdom is going to cost you some big bucks.
Stacey Tisdale live from the Nasdaq Marketsite to tell us how much.
How much?
STACEY TISDALE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: A lot. I can't believe how much. You want to take your family to Disneyworld or Disneyland, as Carol said, it's going to cost you -- it is going to cost you $49.75 just to get into Disneyland in California. That's a hike of $2.75. If you want to go to Disneyworld in Florida, it's going to cost you $54.75. It was $52.
What do you do if you have, like, four or five kids or something? But anyway...
COSTELLO: Don't (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
TISDALE: Exactly. Disney said that this hike reflects costs of investment. For example, they do have a new attraction, a Snow White musical production at Disneyland, and the Twilight Dome Tower of Terror ride opens May 5 in Disneyland.
In addition, the company said that they are introducing a new lower-priced annual pass for weekday admission. People get an annual pass, I guess, to Disneyland and Disneyworld. But just for us people who only get a couple of days off at a time, it's really going to cost us.
COSTELLO: That's incredible.
A quick look at the futures.
TISDALE: Things are looking good, Carol. I heard you mention earlier that a lot of Wall Street is focusing on the U.S. employment report, which comes out on Friday. So, there's a lot of buzz that there wasn't going to be much activity until we got to that.
But futures are strong. It looks like Monday is going to be a good one for the bulls, at least at the get-go.
COSTELLO: All right, Stacey Tisdale live at the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Chad will join me for "The Lightning Round." That is coming up. But first, the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, it kind of makes me feel good that Elle MacPherson is 41.
MYERS: Yes, me too.
COSTELLO: She looks darn good, doesn't she?
MYERS: I have a -- I have a month and 14 days left to not be.
COSTELLO: To get even older than you are already.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: It's time for "The Lightning Round," huh?
MYERS: Ready.
COSTELLO: Check this out. NASA used a converted B-52 to launch an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft hit a speed seven times the speed of sound during a test flight over the Pacific. How fast is that exactly, Chad?
MYERS: We did a little multiplication. Depending on the temperature and the elevation at ground level, it would be about 5,300 miles per hour. Obviously not ground level. Otherwise it wouldn't be going so fast.
COSTELLO: That could help you in your morning commute.
MYERS: That's still very fast, 5,000 miles an hour.
COSTELLO: Wow!
You know what they say? Beauty is only skin deep. Well, Russians are celebrating body art with a two-month-long tattoo festival. Isn't that pretty?
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: During the Soviet years, tattoos were considered symbols of criminals, but that has apparently changed. Everybody -- and I mean -- look at that, Chad.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: Beautiful.
Tennis star Serena Williams says she wants to compete in the summer games in Athens, but she may not go if she does not feel safe from terrorism. Chicken.
It's a Swiss holiday on the slopes for Prince Charles and Prince William. Take a look.
MYERS: There is snow.
COSTELLO: Oh! That's right. There's still snow. The royal father and son took part in a prearranged photo-op. I wondered how they got these pictures. It was prearranged. They're in their skis. And what did they get for this photo array? They got being left alone for the rest of their vacation.
MYERS: Nice.
COSTELLO: That's a pretty good deal, don't you think?
MYERS: He's a pretty good skier.
COSTELLO: Yes, whatever.
Quick weather before we go, Chad.
(WEATHER BREAK)
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