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CNN Live At Daybreak
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to Testify Before Senate, House Today; Troops, Civilians Comment on Prisoner Abuse in Iraq; Choosing Carbs, Fuel For Runners
Aired May 07, 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: The Senate this morning, the House this afternoon. It's going to be a long day for the embattled defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. He is testifying at back-to-back committee hearings about prisoner abuse in Iraq.
CNN's Jennifer Davis, live in D.C., she has a preview for us.
Good morning.
JENNIFER DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the secretary of defense will be on the defensive here on Capitol Hill this morning, because amid this growing controversy, Democratic lawmakers are calling for his resignation or firing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIS (voice-over): The hot seat on Capitol Hill today is reserved for Donald Rumsfeld, and he knows it. The embattled defense secretary abruptly cancelled a scheduled speech in Philadelphia Thursday to prepare to testify before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: I still believe for the benefit of our country, our nation, our honor, that he has to resign, and he has to go.
DAVIS: Rumsfeld is under fire from irate lawmakers who want to know why they weren't told about the Pentagon's investigation into the Iraqi prison scandal and the photos depicting alleged abuse.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER): Mr. Rumsfeld has been engaged in a cover-up from the start on this issue, and continues to be so.
DAVIS: But he also has support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calling for Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation is as bad as saying the war in unwinnable.
DAVIS: The president has admitted he was also unhappy to be left in the dark. He has apologized, though, for the scandal, rebuked Rumsfeld, but he says he won't ask him to step down.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Secretary Rumsfeld has been the secretary during two wars. And he is an important part of my cabinet, and he'll stay in my cabinet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIS: Now, among other things today, Rumsfeld is expected to announce the creation of an independent panel to review how the Pentagon has handled these prison abuse allegations.
Live on Capitol Hill, I'm Jennifer Davis.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: All right, many thanks to you, Jennifer.
Rumsfeld does go before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 11:45 Eastern this morning. CNN, of course, will bring you that testimony live.
In America's other war, the one in Afghanistan, U.S. troops and civilians are reacting to the charges of prisoner abuse in Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Force in south-central Afghanistan. He joins us on DAYBREAK this morning.
Hello -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, for the Marines here, there is a lot of concern about those pictures of the prisoner abuse in Iraq. There's concern because they know that there is a potential for them to be perceived here in Afghanistan through the eyes of the Afghan people as being measured against these pictures.
Now, some people I talked to outside of Kabul, perhaps better informed Afghans, quite an angry crowd protesting the detention of some figures from their community, said we know how U.S. troops treat their prisoners.
Down here in south-central Afghanistan in Oruzgan (ph) Province where the Marines are setting up this new base, it is right in the heart of one of the most troublesome areas in Afghanistan, the heart of where the Taliban used to and still do in some places have influence, the people I've talked to here, Afghans I've talked to here, said they weren't aware of these pictures from Iraq.
So, this area is very isolated. Perhaps the news hasn't really filtered through here in the same way that it has in other parts of Afghanistan. But certainly, the Marines here are aware of how the perception of Afghans can be altered about them and about the way they operate -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know that you're in a remote area, but I wanted to explore more of what the Marines are telling you about these pictures and these allegations. I'm sure it upsets them greatly. ROBERTSON: They're disgusted by it. They say that this just isn't the acts of professional service people.
The way they see it is that the junior, younger, lower-rank, perhaps less experienced service men should be made more aware of the bigger pictures, so they understand that whatever actions they partake in can impact the bigger picture of what service men and women are trying to do globally. Certainly for the Marines here, they know, because they're out dealing with Afghans who look at them through the perception of what they pick up through the international media. They're very aware of how potentially it can impact them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us from Afghanistan.
A new audiotape allegedly with the voice of Osama bin Laden has surfaced. On this particular tape, the voice offers rewards in gold for the killers of U.S. administrator Paul Bremer, U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan and others.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You know that America promised big rewards for those who kill mujahideen. We in al Qaeda will guarantee, God willing, 10,000 grams of gold to whoever kills the occupier, Bremer, or the American chief military commander or his deputy in Iraq.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And that amount of gold translates to about 147,000 U.S. dollars.
Experts say the voice on the tape sounds like bin Laden, but that cannot be independently confirmed.
Other headlines out of Iraq this morning in our situation report, two journalists killed there today, one from Poland, the other Algeria. They were gunned down south of Baghdad in a drive-by shooting.
An Iraqi-American who returned to his native country hoping to help rebuild it has been taken hostage. His family here in the states are begging for his release.
Thomas Hamill, the American who escaped his Iraqi captors, may be heading home, well, we thought today, but maybe in a couple of days. He's still being treated in Germany for a gunshot wound to the arm.
And Iraqis marched on a Japanese military base, not in protest, but to thank the soldiers for helping them rebuild the region.
Stay on top of developments in Iraq by clicking on to our Web site. The address: CNN.com.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, we'll all familiar with the anti-carb craze, but there are some instances when you need to eat that pasta and bread. I'll take you along on my nutrition lesson right in the aisles of the supermarket.
Plus, once we tell you it's OK to load up on carbs, you'll be ready for a bucket of popcorn and the latest blockbuster, right? See what our movie critic has to say about "Van Helsing" and the other weekend movies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's been a while since I filed an "8 Weeks to a Better Body" story, but better late than never. I know that many of you are training for a 5K run. It is time for the Race for the Cure and other fabulous races this summer. And I know you train not just to compete, but to lose weight.
Some nutritionists are worried you're not eating the right fuel for your body, because you follow the Atkins way of eating. And that, they say, may be your downfall.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Meet Rachel, a nutritionist who loves carbs. I know what you're thinking.
RACHEL BRANDEIS, NUTRITIONIST: Now, in this time and age, people are not thinking about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are...
COSTELLO (on camera): They're evil.
BRANDEIS: ... evil. Too much carbs, increases fat, all that kind of stuff. But when you are preparing for an event, you need to think of carbohydrates as fuel.
COSTELLO (voice-over): As in gas for your body. Oranges, bananas. Oh, come on! Let's travel the grocery store and take you back to a time when responsibly eaten carbs were nothing but good.
(on camera): OK, so we're at the salad bar, and you're very excited about this.
BRANDEIS: Pre-exercise, you want to think about all of these foods as fueling your body before exercise, but specifically the beans, the legumes and the pastas.
COSTELLO (voice-over): These foods add fuel to your body. They burn slowly and provide you staying power. I know that this has become your favorite place in the whole grocery store, and it all looks delicious. But protein does not give you energy.
BRANDEIS: If you're just going to eat protein prior to the race, chances are you're going to feel it in your legs. You're going to start to feel fatigued. You're not going to be able to do your best in terms of time.
COSTELLO: And that applies to your energy throughout the day, too. No carbs, little fuel, it's like your body's gas tank is always hovering around E. OK, next energy booster: good old water.
BRANDEIS: You need to think about actually hydrating yourself two to three hours before your race.
COSTELLO: That means two cups two hours before you race, one cup 15 minutes before you hit the street.
Summation? To exercise efficiently, to make it through the day without feeling tired, you need those things so many of us now do without: oranges, bread, pasta, beans, carbs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
But keep in mind, you can't just eat any carb, but the good carbs, as in whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta. The biggest thing to watch out for is the calories. If you choose a power bar, for example, do not choose one with more than 200 calories.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:42 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will face tough questions about his handling of the Iraqi prison abuse scandal today. Rumsfeld has separate appearances before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
These pictures just in to us this morning. Gunshots ring out as U.S. troops and Shiite militia clash in Karbala. Heavy fire and explosions were heard near the office of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
In money news, looking to finance or refinance a home? This may not be the time. Rates on 30-year mortgages have risen for the seventh straight week.
And in sports, it's called the smart shoe. The new Adidas running shoe has a computer chip. It adjusts to a runner's size and stride and adapts to road conditions. The shoe goes on sale in December, but, boy, will it cost you: 250 bucks.
In culture, a clash. Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite will host an MTV special on job issues for young adults. The show airs on May 25. You go, Walter.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, seeing double on the big screen. It may not be their first film, but will the Olsen twins' new movie be a hit in a "New York Minute?" We'll preview the weekend box office just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The Olsen twins, all grown up, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They're not the twins anymore. They don't want to be known as the Olsen twins.
COSTELLO: Well, that's right. It's Mary Kate and Ashley. I apologize. If you do have movie plans this weekend, you'll want to listen up.
Tom O'Neil from "In Touch Weekly" magazine joins us live from New York to see what's new at the box office.
Welcome.
TOM O'NEIL, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, let's start with Mary Kate and Ashley's new movie, "New York Minute."
O'NEIL: Well, you know, they're not those little girls anymore. In a couple of weeks, these kids turn 18. They're going to be adults. So, this movie hopes to usher in this grand event. And it's not about plot, which is so convoluted here.
It's this kind of a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" with the girls. And they end up going into Manhattan for a 24-hour period, where -- what is it -- Ashley tries to break into the music business and Mary Kate tries to get a scholarship. Somehow they get accused of stealing a senator's dog. Who cares? It's about shoes. It's about dresses. It's about hair. It's about the twins!
COSTELLO: Well, can they act as adults?
O'NEIL: Well, who cares?
COSTELLO: Who cares!
O'NEIL: Well, actually they're really charming. That adorable quality they had on "Full House" on TV seems to translate to film.
COSTELLO: That's kind of scary that adorable quality translating to 18-year-olds. But, hey, who am I?
O'NEIL: I know. It really is. You know, this is not their first movie. You mentioned this just a few minutes ago. We forget that they had five or six movies that went straight to video before this.
COSTELLO: Oh, darn.
O'NEIL: They had a movie back in 1996 called "It Takes Two." It did actually pretty well.
COSTELLO: Oh, good. I'm sure this one will do well, too. More power to those Olsen -- I mean, Mary Kate and Ashley.
"Van Helsing."
O'NEIL: Well, "Van Helsing" is the character from the Dracula book, who is a vampire hunter, and here he's hunting a lot more than just vampires. He's going after Frankenstein. He's going after werewolves. He's going after everything in a horror movie except they forget the horror.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: This is all special effects and boom, boom, bang, bang. It's fun. It's a rollercoaster ride. But remember what makes Dracula so scary is, the people being bitten kind of want to be bitten.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
O'NEIL: And you sympathize with the victims.
COSTELLO: It's sexual tension.
O'NEIL: That tension and it's not here.
COSTELLO: Oh. Well, that's disappointing, because that looked like a good one to me.
O'NEIL: And it's still going to do really well.
COSTELLO: I'm sure.
O'NEIL: It should probably pull in at least $20 million or $30 million this weekend.
COSTELLO: Good enough.
O'NEIL: That's right.
COSTELLO: "Super Size Me."
O'NEIL: This you're going to love. You were just doing a diet segment there a minute ago. This is everything you don't do on your diet, Carol. This guy, a documentary filmmaker, a gorilla filmmaker, decided for one month he's just going to eat McDonald's food and see what happens. Well, never mind that he gains 18 pounds. This poor guy loses his sex drive. Worse than that, if you can imagine that, his doctor says his liver almost gives out.
Well, this is so important right now in the news, because Congress recently passed a bill that indemnifies food makers like McDonald's from any of the health repercussions that come from this. So, you've got to take a premise like this pretty seriously.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Oh, I'll definitely go see that one. That looks like a winner to me.
O'NEIL: It is.
COSTELLO: "Valentin," I've not heard of this movie. O'NEIL: It's a little South American movie that was filmed in Buenos Aires about a little boy, 8 years old, who feels disenfranchised when his parents dump him on the doorstep of his grandmother, and it's a cute little movie. Unfortunately, it's not heavy on plot, but it's about an endearing young boy trying to find his place in the world.
COSTELLO: Oh! Sort of like the Olsen twins' movie.
O'NEIL: That's right.
COSTELLO: Except it's not New York.
O'NEIL: And he should find that billion dollars that they have found in merchandise ever since.
COSTELLO: Oh, wouldn't that be great for him?
"Mudge Boy," "The "Mudge Boy."
O'NEIL: This is a much better lost boy movie, actually. This kid is 14 years old. His mother dies. He lives on a farm in Vermont, and he is so troubled by the mourning process that he wears her clothes to bed. He befriends a little chicken. And his father doesn't understand. You see this conflict here. And you see this boy grappling with one of the most serious issues of life and death while being totally alienated from his father. This movie takes some dark turns. It includes a violent rape scene, by the way.
It was hatched at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival out in Utah, and it's a terrific little movie.
COSTELLO: It sounds very depressing, though, I must say, Tom.
O'NEIL: It is.
COSTELLO: OK, Tom O'Neil, many thanks to you, from "In Touch" magazine. We'll see you again next Friday.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.
(WEATHER BREAK)
MYERS: Now it's time to give away that super-duper, fancy- schamcy (ph)...
COSTELLO: You don't want to talk about Spider-Man on the bases not being there?
MYERS: Oh!
COSTELLO: All right, let's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MYERS: That was there for, what, like an hour?
COSTELLO: It was never there. Major League Baseball changed its mind.
MYERS: They took it off.
COSTELLO: Because fans were complaining, so Spider-Man will not appear on bases at Major League games. And, you know, baseball was only going to make, what, 3.4 million bucks from this?
MYERS: Well, my question is: Who could actually see that, except the third baseman? You're only advertising to three guys: first baseman, second baseman and third, and maybe the shortstop could walk over and see it.
COSTELLO: They were going to take this giant overhead shot, and then the camera was going to, like, do a close-up on the -- I don't know. But it's gone now. It doesn't matter.
MYERS: It was only this big. The words were this big.
Anyway, now we'll give it away. So, I'm kind of jumping ahead of myself here.
The coffee morning quiz from yesterday. Do not answer these questions, because they've already been answered.
Ads for what major motion picture was going to be the first on the bases at the Major League games? "Spider-Man" that we just showed you.
And on the "Frontline" report, what year was cyber security recognized as a significant national issue? And the answer to that was 1987. I think I was still about (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in 1987 using card readers.
And the winner, the winner, from Comstock Park, Michigan: Anil Jose.
COSTELLO: Anil Jose, congratulations!
MYERS: Good morning and congratulations. Your mug is in the mail.
Now, here are the questions you have to answer today.
Our business report showed that Wal-Mart's video game prices are higher than other retailers. By what percentage? There are two answers today, and you can give me either one.
Now, how much water should you drink two hours before a race? That was just on your package.
COSTELLO: Yes, it was.
MYERS: We'll name the winner Monday morning.
COSTELLO: Those are tough questions.
MYERS: They are.
COSTELLO: You know, Chad, it is graduation time, and here are a few commencement speakers who will be giving advice to young students as they head out into the real world. This afternoon in East Lansing, Michigan, Condoleezza Rice speaks to graduates at Michigan State University. And out West this morning, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will deliver the commencement address at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
MYERS: And guess what? You are giving one as well.
COSTELLO: I'm so proud of this. I am giving the commencement address at Kent State University, and thank you for the privilege. And should I say what my topic is?
MYERS: Go ahead.
COSTELLO: I'm going to talk about failure.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: I know that's strange, but, you know, sometimes failure can be the very best thing that ever happens to you. Some of my failures in life have turned into my biggest successes.
MYERS: They say the best thing that can happen to you in TV is get fired.
COSTELLO: That's right.
MYERS: Because then you're going to get a better job somewhere else.
COSTELLO: And that has happened to me.
MYERS: Of course.
COSTELLO: But thank you, Kent State University, for the opportunity.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: And it will be tomorrow.
MYERS: Good. When are you flying out there?
COSTELLO: I'm flying out there this afternoon.
Chad will have the latest on that tornado warning...
MYERS: I sure will.
COSTELLO: ... outside of Chicago, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: We're going to forego "The Lightning Round" because we've got some really what could be serious lightning to talk about in a sense -- that tornado in the Chicago area.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello. For Chad Myers, from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, we thank you for watching. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
MYERS: All of you mothers, happy, happy Mother's Day.
COSTELLO: Happy Mother's 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.
Aired May 7, 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: The Senate this morning, the House this afternoon. It's going to be a long day for the embattled defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. He is testifying at back-to-back committee hearings about prisoner abuse in Iraq.
CNN's Jennifer Davis, live in D.C., she has a preview for us.
Good morning.
JENNIFER DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the secretary of defense will be on the defensive here on Capitol Hill this morning, because amid this growing controversy, Democratic lawmakers are calling for his resignation or firing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIS (voice-over): The hot seat on Capitol Hill today is reserved for Donald Rumsfeld, and he knows it. The embattled defense secretary abruptly cancelled a scheduled speech in Philadelphia Thursday to prepare to testify before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: I still believe for the benefit of our country, our nation, our honor, that he has to resign, and he has to go.
DAVIS: Rumsfeld is under fire from irate lawmakers who want to know why they weren't told about the Pentagon's investigation into the Iraqi prison scandal and the photos depicting alleged abuse.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER): Mr. Rumsfeld has been engaged in a cover-up from the start on this issue, and continues to be so.
DAVIS: But he also has support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calling for Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation is as bad as saying the war in unwinnable.
DAVIS: The president has admitted he was also unhappy to be left in the dark. He has apologized, though, for the scandal, rebuked Rumsfeld, but he says he won't ask him to step down.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Secretary Rumsfeld has been the secretary during two wars. And he is an important part of my cabinet, and he'll stay in my cabinet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIS: Now, among other things today, Rumsfeld is expected to announce the creation of an independent panel to review how the Pentagon has handled these prison abuse allegations.
Live on Capitol Hill, I'm Jennifer Davis.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: All right, many thanks to you, Jennifer.
Rumsfeld does go before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 11:45 Eastern this morning. CNN, of course, will bring you that testimony live.
In America's other war, the one in Afghanistan, U.S. troops and civilians are reacting to the charges of prisoner abuse in Iraq.
CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Force in south-central Afghanistan. He joins us on DAYBREAK this morning.
Hello -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, for the Marines here, there is a lot of concern about those pictures of the prisoner abuse in Iraq. There's concern because they know that there is a potential for them to be perceived here in Afghanistan through the eyes of the Afghan people as being measured against these pictures.
Now, some people I talked to outside of Kabul, perhaps better informed Afghans, quite an angry crowd protesting the detention of some figures from their community, said we know how U.S. troops treat their prisoners.
Down here in south-central Afghanistan in Oruzgan (ph) Province where the Marines are setting up this new base, it is right in the heart of one of the most troublesome areas in Afghanistan, the heart of where the Taliban used to and still do in some places have influence, the people I've talked to here, Afghans I've talked to here, said they weren't aware of these pictures from Iraq.
So, this area is very isolated. Perhaps the news hasn't really filtered through here in the same way that it has in other parts of Afghanistan. But certainly, the Marines here are aware of how the perception of Afghans can be altered about them and about the way they operate -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know that you're in a remote area, but I wanted to explore more of what the Marines are telling you about these pictures and these allegations. I'm sure it upsets them greatly. ROBERTSON: They're disgusted by it. They say that this just isn't the acts of professional service people.
The way they see it is that the junior, younger, lower-rank, perhaps less experienced service men should be made more aware of the bigger pictures, so they understand that whatever actions they partake in can impact the bigger picture of what service men and women are trying to do globally. Certainly for the Marines here, they know, because they're out dealing with Afghans who look at them through the perception of what they pick up through the international media. They're very aware of how potentially it can impact them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us from Afghanistan.
A new audiotape allegedly with the voice of Osama bin Laden has surfaced. On this particular tape, the voice offers rewards in gold for the killers of U.S. administrator Paul Bremer, U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan and others.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You know that America promised big rewards for those who kill mujahideen. We in al Qaeda will guarantee, God willing, 10,000 grams of gold to whoever kills the occupier, Bremer, or the American chief military commander or his deputy in Iraq.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And that amount of gold translates to about 147,000 U.S. dollars.
Experts say the voice on the tape sounds like bin Laden, but that cannot be independently confirmed.
Other headlines out of Iraq this morning in our situation report, two journalists killed there today, one from Poland, the other Algeria. They were gunned down south of Baghdad in a drive-by shooting.
An Iraqi-American who returned to his native country hoping to help rebuild it has been taken hostage. His family here in the states are begging for his release.
Thomas Hamill, the American who escaped his Iraqi captors, may be heading home, well, we thought today, but maybe in a couple of days. He's still being treated in Germany for a gunshot wound to the arm.
And Iraqis marched on a Japanese military base, not in protest, but to thank the soldiers for helping them rebuild the region.
Stay on top of developments in Iraq by clicking on to our Web site. The address: CNN.com.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, we'll all familiar with the anti-carb craze, but there are some instances when you need to eat that pasta and bread. I'll take you along on my nutrition lesson right in the aisles of the supermarket.
Plus, once we tell you it's OK to load up on carbs, you'll be ready for a bucket of popcorn and the latest blockbuster, right? See what our movie critic has to say about "Van Helsing" and the other weekend movies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's been a while since I filed an "8 Weeks to a Better Body" story, but better late than never. I know that many of you are training for a 5K run. It is time for the Race for the Cure and other fabulous races this summer. And I know you train not just to compete, but to lose weight.
Some nutritionists are worried you're not eating the right fuel for your body, because you follow the Atkins way of eating. And that, they say, may be your downfall.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Meet Rachel, a nutritionist who loves carbs. I know what you're thinking.
RACHEL BRANDEIS, NUTRITIONIST: Now, in this time and age, people are not thinking about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are...
COSTELLO (on camera): They're evil.
BRANDEIS: ... evil. Too much carbs, increases fat, all that kind of stuff. But when you are preparing for an event, you need to think of carbohydrates as fuel.
COSTELLO (voice-over): As in gas for your body. Oranges, bananas. Oh, come on! Let's travel the grocery store and take you back to a time when responsibly eaten carbs were nothing but good.
(on camera): OK, so we're at the salad bar, and you're very excited about this.
BRANDEIS: Pre-exercise, you want to think about all of these foods as fueling your body before exercise, but specifically the beans, the legumes and the pastas.
COSTELLO (voice-over): These foods add fuel to your body. They burn slowly and provide you staying power. I know that this has become your favorite place in the whole grocery store, and it all looks delicious. But protein does not give you energy.
BRANDEIS: If you're just going to eat protein prior to the race, chances are you're going to feel it in your legs. You're going to start to feel fatigued. You're not going to be able to do your best in terms of time.
COSTELLO: And that applies to your energy throughout the day, too. No carbs, little fuel, it's like your body's gas tank is always hovering around E. OK, next energy booster: good old water.
BRANDEIS: You need to think about actually hydrating yourself two to three hours before your race.
COSTELLO: That means two cups two hours before you race, one cup 15 minutes before you hit the street.
Summation? To exercise efficiently, to make it through the day without feeling tired, you need those things so many of us now do without: oranges, bread, pasta, beans, carbs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
But keep in mind, you can't just eat any carb, but the good carbs, as in whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta. The biggest thing to watch out for is the calories. If you choose a power bar, for example, do not choose one with more than 200 calories.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:42 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will face tough questions about his handling of the Iraqi prison abuse scandal today. Rumsfeld has separate appearances before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
These pictures just in to us this morning. Gunshots ring out as U.S. troops and Shiite militia clash in Karbala. Heavy fire and explosions were heard near the office of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
In money news, looking to finance or refinance a home? This may not be the time. Rates on 30-year mortgages have risen for the seventh straight week.
And in sports, it's called the smart shoe. The new Adidas running shoe has a computer chip. It adjusts to a runner's size and stride and adapts to road conditions. The shoe goes on sale in December, but, boy, will it cost you: 250 bucks.
In culture, a clash. Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite will host an MTV special on job issues for young adults. The show airs on May 25. You go, Walter.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, seeing double on the big screen. It may not be their first film, but will the Olsen twins' new movie be a hit in a "New York Minute?" We'll preview the weekend box office just ahead.
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COSTELLO: The Olsen twins, all grown up, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They're not the twins anymore. They don't want to be known as the Olsen twins.
COSTELLO: Well, that's right. It's Mary Kate and Ashley. I apologize. If you do have movie plans this weekend, you'll want to listen up.
Tom O'Neil from "In Touch Weekly" magazine joins us live from New York to see what's new at the box office.
Welcome.
TOM O'NEIL, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, let's start with Mary Kate and Ashley's new movie, "New York Minute."
O'NEIL: Well, you know, they're not those little girls anymore. In a couple of weeks, these kids turn 18. They're going to be adults. So, this movie hopes to usher in this grand event. And it's not about plot, which is so convoluted here.
It's this kind of a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" with the girls. And they end up going into Manhattan for a 24-hour period, where -- what is it -- Ashley tries to break into the music business and Mary Kate tries to get a scholarship. Somehow they get accused of stealing a senator's dog. Who cares? It's about shoes. It's about dresses. It's about hair. It's about the twins!
COSTELLO: Well, can they act as adults?
O'NEIL: Well, who cares?
COSTELLO: Who cares!
O'NEIL: Well, actually they're really charming. That adorable quality they had on "Full House" on TV seems to translate to film.
COSTELLO: That's kind of scary that adorable quality translating to 18-year-olds. But, hey, who am I?
O'NEIL: I know. It really is. You know, this is not their first movie. You mentioned this just a few minutes ago. We forget that they had five or six movies that went straight to video before this.
COSTELLO: Oh, darn.
O'NEIL: They had a movie back in 1996 called "It Takes Two." It did actually pretty well.
COSTELLO: Oh, good. I'm sure this one will do well, too. More power to those Olsen -- I mean, Mary Kate and Ashley.
"Van Helsing."
O'NEIL: Well, "Van Helsing" is the character from the Dracula book, who is a vampire hunter, and here he's hunting a lot more than just vampires. He's going after Frankenstein. He's going after werewolves. He's going after everything in a horror movie except they forget the horror.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: This is all special effects and boom, boom, bang, bang. It's fun. It's a rollercoaster ride. But remember what makes Dracula so scary is, the people being bitten kind of want to be bitten.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
O'NEIL: And you sympathize with the victims.
COSTELLO: It's sexual tension.
O'NEIL: That tension and it's not here.
COSTELLO: Oh. Well, that's disappointing, because that looked like a good one to me.
O'NEIL: And it's still going to do really well.
COSTELLO: I'm sure.
O'NEIL: It should probably pull in at least $20 million or $30 million this weekend.
COSTELLO: Good enough.
O'NEIL: That's right.
COSTELLO: "Super Size Me."
O'NEIL: This you're going to love. You were just doing a diet segment there a minute ago. This is everything you don't do on your diet, Carol. This guy, a documentary filmmaker, a gorilla filmmaker, decided for one month he's just going to eat McDonald's food and see what happens. Well, never mind that he gains 18 pounds. This poor guy loses his sex drive. Worse than that, if you can imagine that, his doctor says his liver almost gives out.
Well, this is so important right now in the news, because Congress recently passed a bill that indemnifies food makers like McDonald's from any of the health repercussions that come from this. So, you've got to take a premise like this pretty seriously.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Oh, I'll definitely go see that one. That looks like a winner to me.
O'NEIL: It is.
COSTELLO: "Valentin," I've not heard of this movie. O'NEIL: It's a little South American movie that was filmed in Buenos Aires about a little boy, 8 years old, who feels disenfranchised when his parents dump him on the doorstep of his grandmother, and it's a cute little movie. Unfortunately, it's not heavy on plot, but it's about an endearing young boy trying to find his place in the world.
COSTELLO: Oh! Sort of like the Olsen twins' movie.
O'NEIL: That's right.
COSTELLO: Except it's not New York.
O'NEIL: And he should find that billion dollars that they have found in merchandise ever since.
COSTELLO: Oh, wouldn't that be great for him?
"Mudge Boy," "The "Mudge Boy."
O'NEIL: This is a much better lost boy movie, actually. This kid is 14 years old. His mother dies. He lives on a farm in Vermont, and he is so troubled by the mourning process that he wears her clothes to bed. He befriends a little chicken. And his father doesn't understand. You see this conflict here. And you see this boy grappling with one of the most serious issues of life and death while being totally alienated from his father. This movie takes some dark turns. It includes a violent rape scene, by the way.
It was hatched at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival out in Utah, and it's a terrific little movie.
COSTELLO: It sounds very depressing, though, I must say, Tom.
O'NEIL: It is.
COSTELLO: OK, Tom O'Neil, many thanks to you, from "In Touch" magazine. We'll see you again next Friday.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.
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MYERS: Now it's time to give away that super-duper, fancy- schamcy (ph)...
COSTELLO: You don't want to talk about Spider-Man on the bases not being there?
MYERS: Oh!
COSTELLO: All right, let's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MYERS: That was there for, what, like an hour?
COSTELLO: It was never there. Major League Baseball changed its mind.
MYERS: They took it off.
COSTELLO: Because fans were complaining, so Spider-Man will not appear on bases at Major League games. And, you know, baseball was only going to make, what, 3.4 million bucks from this?
MYERS: Well, my question is: Who could actually see that, except the third baseman? You're only advertising to three guys: first baseman, second baseman and third, and maybe the shortstop could walk over and see it.
COSTELLO: They were going to take this giant overhead shot, and then the camera was going to, like, do a close-up on the -- I don't know. But it's gone now. It doesn't matter.
MYERS: It was only this big. The words were this big.
Anyway, now we'll give it away. So, I'm kind of jumping ahead of myself here.
The coffee morning quiz from yesterday. Do not answer these questions, because they've already been answered.
Ads for what major motion picture was going to be the first on the bases at the Major League games? "Spider-Man" that we just showed you.
And on the "Frontline" report, what year was cyber security recognized as a significant national issue? And the answer to that was 1987. I think I was still about (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in 1987 using card readers.
And the winner, the winner, from Comstock Park, Michigan: Anil Jose.
COSTELLO: Anil Jose, congratulations!
MYERS: Good morning and congratulations. Your mug is in the mail.
Now, here are the questions you have to answer today.
Our business report showed that Wal-Mart's video game prices are higher than other retailers. By what percentage? There are two answers today, and you can give me either one.
Now, how much water should you drink two hours before a race? That was just on your package.
COSTELLO: Yes, it was.
MYERS: We'll name the winner Monday morning.
COSTELLO: Those are tough questions.
MYERS: They are.
COSTELLO: You know, Chad, it is graduation time, and here are a few commencement speakers who will be giving advice to young students as they head out into the real world. This afternoon in East Lansing, Michigan, Condoleezza Rice speaks to graduates at Michigan State University. And out West this morning, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will deliver the commencement address at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
MYERS: And guess what? You are giving one as well.
COSTELLO: I'm so proud of this. I am giving the commencement address at Kent State University, and thank you for the privilege. And should I say what my topic is?
MYERS: Go ahead.
COSTELLO: I'm going to talk about failure.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: I know that's strange, but, you know, sometimes failure can be the very best thing that ever happens to you. Some of my failures in life have turned into my biggest successes.
MYERS: They say the best thing that can happen to you in TV is get fired.
COSTELLO: That's right.
MYERS: Because then you're going to get a better job somewhere else.
COSTELLO: And that has happened to me.
MYERS: Of course.
COSTELLO: But thank you, Kent State University, for the opportunity.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: And it will be tomorrow.
MYERS: Good. When are you flying out there?
COSTELLO: I'm flying out there this afternoon.
Chad will have the latest on that tornado warning...
MYERS: I sure will.
COSTELLO: ... outside of Chicago, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: We're going to forego "The Lightning Round" because we've got some really what could be serious lightning to talk about in a sense -- that tornado in the Chicago area.
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COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello. For Chad Myers, from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, we thank you for watching. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
MYERS: All of you mothers, happy, happy Mother's Day.
COSTELLO: Happy Mother's Day.
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