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CNN Live At Daybreak
Sweep of World Series by Boston Red Sox; Update on Health of Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat
Aired October 28, 2004 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Boston Red Sox are world champions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, the curse of the Bambino gone.
It is Thursday, October 28.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition is said to be a little improved this morning. A source close to Arafat tells CNN he was able to get out of bed for morning prayers. But doctors aren't sure yet if the 75-year-old leader needs to be taken to a hospital.
A mine explosion in Siberia has killed 13 coal miners. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry says a methane buildup caused the blast.
The Delta Airlines pilots' union says it has reached a tentative agreement on concessions. No word yet on if the package grants the billion dollars in pilot givebacks that Delta says it needs to avoid bankruptcy.
Did you see this? Ah, the Earth's shadow moved across the moon, giving stargazers an unusually long view of the total lunar eclipse. It won't happen again for another two and a half years.
Oh, that was pretty cool -- Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Very cool. Did you stay up to watch it?
COSTELLO: No.
MARCIANO: No, I didn't either.
COSTELLO: I feel asleep.
MARCIANO: I barely made it to like the third inning and then I forgot all about the eclipse.
COSTELLO: That's all you needed to see, actually, the Boston game.
MARCIANO: Hey, well, that's a great story. Even as a Yankee fan, it's an amazing story.
COSTELLO: It is.
MARCIANO: And I don't want to hear about it anymore.
COSTELLO: You can't chant that 1918 chant anymore.
MARCIANO: No, no more 1918.
All right, well, we'll figure something else out next year.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: That tie is kind of crooked this morning. Fix that...
COSTELLO: That's because I'm going to talk more about the Red Sox now, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right.
COSTELLO: So get yourself together.
MARCIANO: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: It took 86 years before anyone could say these words -- the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions. The Red Sox actually won the Series with the first batter. And who better than Johnny Damon? He belted this home run for the only run the Red Sox would actually need. And with this ground out you're going to see right here, the Red Sox shut out the St. Louis Cardinals to sweep the Series. And then, boy, did the celebration begin. The Red Sox are just the eighth team to sweep in the last 50 years.
The Boston Red Sox are due to land back home any minute now because, you know, they played in St. Louis. But the players and the city will no doubt be flying high for days and weeks to come.
CNN's Larry Smith has more from St. Louis.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It was a celebration 86 years in the making, with champagne that's been on ice for generations. It started with the words millions of baseball fans never thought they'd hear -- the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions.
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: Twenty-five guys in the locker room can say something no other living player can say -- they're a member of the Boston Red Sox world champions. BRONSON ARROYO, RED SOX PITCHER: This one's for them, man. Eighty-six years they've been coming out seeing the Red Sox come up short.
JOHNNY DAMON: We happened to win the championship, but this is for a lot of, you know, guys that have played in this organization for a long time.
SMITH: For Boston, breaking the famed curse of the Bambino is the unlikeliest of events, accomplished nearly unimaginably by this perpetually doomed franchise. Eleven days ago, the Red Sox were three outs from being swept by their archrivals, the New York Yankees. Yet a record eight straight wins later, they finished with tears of a different kind.
TERRY FRANCONA, RED SOX MANAGER: We had some really special players never once quit, oh, we go home. I mean we had a big deep hole to dig out of against some really good teams.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: We did do it in style. We did it in style. We went right through New York. We made a little history along the way.
KEVIN MILLAR, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: No curse, man. They can rip up those signs. It means this is the Sox, the new generation of the Sox, and we're ready to roll.
SMITH: So thorough was the Red Sox domination, they never once trailed in the Series, providing a virtual stress-free ride to redemption for fans who have only known seasons ending in disappointment or disaster.
TIM WAKEFIELD, RED SOX PITCHER: It's tremendous for them, you know? We finally got it done for them and it's been so many years of heartache and, you know, disappointment. And we can finally hold that trophy up right there and say we're world champions.
MILLAR: They deserve that. They deserve that from all the misery they've been through over those years. They deserve this kind of a championship and we're proud to bring it to them.
FRANCONA: I think we were just worried about everyone's ticker after that Yankee series. We wanted to take it a little easy on them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have 100 percent confidence in our team, but you're always thinking, you know, the old what if.
SMITH (on camera): The Red Sox came into this series as self- proclaimed "idiots." The Boston fans will remember this motley crew by another name, world champions.
Larry Smith, CNN, St. Louis.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Back in Boston, thousands of fans spilled into the states around Fenway Park. People hung from trees and knocked a few down. They lit small fires in celebration. But some of the more unruly fans threw bottles at police. The police presence actually was hard to ignore. A large number of officers wore riot gear to make sure the revelry didn't get too far out of hand. Twenty people were arrested, but this time no one got hurt.
Coming up later on DAYBREAK, CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter will join us when we take a closer look at the Red Sox's long wait to claim a World Series title.
To international news now. Yasser Arafat left his bed today to participate I morning prayers. It is a sign the Palestinian leader's condition might be improving. Earlier, Arafat was reported in serious condition after he collapsed and lost consciousness briefly at his compound in Ramallah.
Let's go live to the West Bank and Guy Raz for an update -- Guy, what have you heard this morning?
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Yasser Arafat's condition is far from certain. In fact, this, his condition now just hours after he reportedly collapsed at dinner on Wednesday evening. Now, the official line from the Palestinian Authority is that Mr. Arafat is now in serious condition. He's prayed, as you mentioned earlier. He's had breakfast.
But at the same time we're receiving conflicting reports from other Palestinian sources, who say his condition is grave, indeed.
Now, we understand that within the past few hours, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia telephoned Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, asking him for medical aid for Mr. Arafat. Now, according to our sources, the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Sharon, agreed to that request without any conditions.
Now, we also understand that Mr. Arafat initially had collapsed. There was talk about whether he was unconscious or not. In fact, it turns out that perhaps he was not unconscious. But to give you a sense of just how serious his condition is, his wife, Suha Arafat, is set to visit her husband. She hasn't seen him in several years. She's set to arrive here in just a few hours time. Suha Arafat, who lives in Paris, arriving from Tunisia to see her husband. Apparently he asked to see her, apparently believing that his condition is quite grave, indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know that the Palestinian prime minister, as you said, called on Ariel Sharon and asked if Yasser Arafat could leave for medical attention without condition.
Does that mean the Israelis are going to allow Yasser Arafat to come back into Ramallah if he, indeed, has to leave?
RAZ: Well, Carol, that's far from clear, as well. Now, for the past two and a half years, Yasser Arafat has been holed up in this complex behind me. This is the Moqata, the headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority. And Mr. Arafat has essentially been confined to this location because the Israeli Army has warned that if he leaves they may not allow him to return.
But it seems as if, based on those conversations between the Palestinian prime minister and the Israeli prime minister, that there may be a possibility that he would be allowed to return once he receives medical treatment, either here in the West Bank, in Israel or elsewhere outside of the country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Guy, it's such a busy scene behind you.
Where are you? Who are all those people behind you?
RAZ: Carol, we're right in front of the Moqata. This is the headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority, the main complex where Yasser Arafat lives. Parts of it, you may not be able to see it from here, were very badly damaged by Israeli forces in 2002. Some of it has been rebuilt.
Now, most of the people here, there are a mixture of journalists, also dignitaries, Palestinian legislators coming to see Mr. Arafat, coming to check on his condition. Those legislators who have entered the compound and then come out have generally told reporters here that Mr. Arafat's condition is good, he's in stable condition and they're not concerned that his condition will further deteriorate -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Guy Raz live from the West Bank.
Thank you.
More on the Arafat health situation at the half hour. Palestinian cabinet member Hanan Ashwari will be our guest.
Five days and counting until we vote for president and other local candidates and issues. Five days, that is, unless you took advantage of early voting. President Bush follows the campaign trail today to Michigan, one of the states still considered a tossup. And then it's on to Ohio for two stops, one in Dayton, the other in the Cleveland suburb of West Lake. He then moves on to Pennsylvania for a rally in Yardley. And here's the reason for the president's push in Michigan -- 17 electoral votes, which Al Gore won in 2000.
On the stump in Ohio, President Bush broke his two day silence over the vanishing explosives in Iraq. He says he is not to blame. He adds the military is investigating a number of possible scenarios.
The president also had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now the senator is making wild charges about missing explosives when his top foreign policy adviser admits, "We don't know the facts." End quote. Think about that, the senator is denigrating the actions of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts. Unfortunately, that's part of the pattern of saying anything it takes to get elected.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: In the meantime, Senator Kerry also is doing battle in the battleground states. First to Toledo, Ohio for an early morning rally; and then it's on to Madison, Wisconsin and a rally at the state capital. Then it is back to Ohio, Columbus this time, before going on to Orlando, Florida.
At a rally yesterday in Rochester, Minnesota, Kerry took Bush to task over those missing explosives in Iraq, calling it another example of Bush bungling the Iraq war. Kerry said Bush owes America real answers about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The bottom line is your administration was warned. You were put on notice. But you didn't put these explosives on a priority list. You didn't think it was important. You didn't check for them. You didn't give the troops the instructions they needed. You didn't put enough troops on the ground to do that job. You didn't guard the ammunitions dump and now our troops are at greater risk. That's the bottom line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The races, the votes, all the results, CNN's special prime time election night coverage begins Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Thousands of people have already cast their votes, though, in the presidential election. Long lines and long waits greeted early voters in states that have already opened up polling places.
And as CNN's Bruce Morton explains, it seems that more and more people seriously believe that every vote counts.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early voting, it's up, 16 states with polling places open early, more than 30, if you include states with other ways of voting before Election Day. In Iowa, you could mail in your ballot even before the first debate. Or take Nevada. Just under 600,000 people voted in the year 2000. How many early voters this time? A hundred thousand? No.
DEAN HELLER, NEVADA SECRETARY OF STATE: It's closer to 200,000 right now, people who have already cast their votes.
MORTON: A slight edge for Democrats?
HELLER: Just a slight edge, yes. And I think that's going to determine who is going to win this state. It's down to the line. The polls are so close, I think whoever turns out their voters is going to win this state.
MORTON: Florida has registered 1.6 million new voters since 2000. They have early voting. Last time, 14 percent of voters nationally voted early or absentee. This time, 19 percent told a poll they would. Is that because of the unusual interest in the presidential race this year?
DOUG CHAPIN, ELECTIONONLINE.ORG: I think the interest -- the increased interest in early voting is partly a result of the interest in this election. In many places, we have new voting technology, touch screen machines or -- touch screen machines or unfamiliar technology, and some voters want a little extra time with that. Other voters don't trust the technology and want to cast a paper ballot rather than use that machine on Election Day.
MORTON: Problems? Sure. Florida voters have griped about slow machines, long lines. Some remember the 245 votes electronically lost in Tampa in the September primary.
CHAPIN: We may be headed to the courts. I think a lot of that will depend on how close the election is in certain states. We're in an era right now where everyone believes that a tiny number of votes can have a huge impact on the outcome. And so, anything they can do to sway that few number of votes or protect that few number of votes through litigation is something they're going to be willing to do.
MORTON: And that's probably true whether the votes are cast early or the old-fashioned way next Tuesday.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And that leads us to this morning's e-mail question -- what is motivating so many voters to go to the polls? What is motivating you to vote this election year? Send us your thoughts at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. And, of course, we will read some of your responses later in our show.
It's always been a conundrum -- you need experience and education to get a job, but getting those on your resume is costly if you're not working. A look at how John Kerry and George Bush plan to improve education and job quality.
And it was a bloody good show. At 25 minutes past the hour, we'll show you what you might have missed if the clouds got in your way as the moon glowed red.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had no way to let them know that I was awake as I am right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ooh, and at 47 minutes past the hour, we'll hear what it's like when anesthesia does not work.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:18 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The trial of Zacarias Moussaoui could start early next year. Federal prosecutors asked a judge to set opening statements for the day after Memorial Day. Moussaoui is the only person publicly charged in the 9/11 attacks.
Hundreds of mourners showed up for a candlelight vigil at the headquarters of Hendrick Motor Sports in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ten people were killed when the race team's plane crashed on Sunday. The cause of the crash still under investigation.
In money news, a glut of unsold SUVs and pickup trucks is leading to temporary layoffs at General Motors. The auto maker says they will idle five plants and 9,000 workers for a few weeks early next year.
In culture, hip-hop group Outkast has been honored for its success in the world of downloaded music. Their song "Hey Ya" got a multi-platinum award for being legally downloaded at least 400,000 times.
In sports, it was a long time in coming, but the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions. The Sox beat the Cardinals 3-0 to sweep the Series. It is Boston's first World Series title in 86 years -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Carol, here's a look at your forecast across the country today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Both George Bush and John Kerry agree, jobs and education are the keys to future propensity. But the two candidates have different plans on how to use education to boost the economy long-term.
CNN's Louise Schiavone takes a look at the differences.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Education, it's a lower tier political issue with first tier impact because without education, both candidates agree there will be no prosperity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As governor, George Bush enacted reforms that produced dramatic results. As president, he signed the most significant education reforms in 35 years. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHIAVONE: The president's no child left behind effort is aimed at improving school standards and student achievement. His challenger, John Kerry, voted for it, but now says the Republicans under funded it.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, we're Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: What do you think of George Bush?
KERRY: I like him. I just -- I disagree with his policies. I think he makes the wrong choices.
SCHIAVONE: But when it comes to education, many of their choices are the same. George Bush wants to reward teachers with pay incentives for student achievement. John Kerry does, too. And Bush and Kerry agree that the Pell grant program for needy college students is an important federal effort. The candidates agree that education should continue beyond high school and that the government should help.
DAVID WARD, AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION: They both went to one of the world's great universities, Yale. And I think that having attended a university, both of them, I think, will be well disposed to higher education.
SCHIAVONE: The Chamber of Commerce says three quarters of today's workforce needs training just to keep their jobs. BETH BUEHLMANN, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Eighty-five percent of jobs in the high growth industries require post-secondary education or training.
SCHIAVONE: John Kerry envisions a tax credit for college tuition, public college tuition or its equivalent in exchange for two years of public service and would expand training and lifelong learning programs. President Bush is proposing community based job training grants.
In the final days of the race, while the candidates are trying to highlight their differences on education, one Bush supporter quipped privately, they're really not different enough.
Louise Schiavone, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: What's hot on the Web straight ahead.
Also, the home run ball is sold to the highest bidder in an online auction. We'll tell you about the six figure price tag ahead.
And our e-mail Question of the Morning -- what is motivating voters to go to the polls? Why are so many people choosing to vote this year? Why are you going to the polls? We want to hear what you have to say. The address, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, it's time to check our Web clicks this morning.
But before we do, we must take you live to Boston. Take a look at what it looks like around Fenway Park right now.
MARCIANO: They're coming home, aren't they, Carol?
COSTELLO: They're coming home. They're on those buses, actually. The Boston Red Sox, of course, played in St. Louis. They won the World Series, flew into Logan. There they are on the buses to get back to their cars to go home finally. And look at the fans surrounding the busses.
MARCIANO: They can't be more -- they, you know they've been up all night in Boston.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know, they're really cold, too.
MARCIANO: Well, it's -- I think it's -- it's 42 degrees right now in Boston. It feels like somewhere in the 30s with a little wind.
COSTELLO: Well, maybe they're used to that kind of weather.
MARCIANO: That's not bad. This time of year, you know, they throw a sweater and a jacket on and they're good to go.
COSTELLO: You know, the funny thing is...
MARCIANO: Plus, a lot of them, I'm sure, are already warmed up from a night of celebrating.
COSTELLO: They're probably numb to all feeling right now.
MARCIANO: Yes, I think so.
COSTELLO: But get this. After 86 years of frustration and futility, after two World Wars, the Great Depression, men on the moon and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series. So we're going to have much more on that later.
Let's check our Web clicks.
MARCIANO: OK.
COSTELLO: Because we're always interested in what people are clicking onto on cnn.com.
The number one story, the lunar eclipse.
MARCIANO: And we both missed it.
COSTELLO: I know.
MARCIANO: But we have cameras to show the video.
COSTELLO: Did it glow red, though, like you said it would yesterday?
MARCIANO: No, apparently not. It was more dark than it was red, from what I've seen. And that's good news. It means there's less junk in the atmosphere.
COSTELLO: Oh, you mean it was because of pollution that it was going to glow red.
MARCIANO: The sun? Yes. Sometimes pollution, volcanic ash, that kind of stuff. So maybe. Let's be optimistic and say maybe there's less pollution in the atmosphere today than there was the last time of a lunar eclipse.
COSTELLO: I like that. But you won't be able to see a total lunar eclipse again for, what, two years?
MARCIANO: At least, yes.
COSTELLO: At least. Yes. So if you missed it like we did, too bad.
The second most clicked on story on cnn.com has to do with Americans growing taller and, of course, wider. Adults are roughly an inch taller than they were in the early '60s, but nearly 25 pounds heavier. In '60 to '62, the average man weighed 166.3 pounds. By 2002, the average had reached 191 pounds. The average woman's weight rose from 140 pounds to 164.3 pounds.
MARCIANO: Wow!
COSTELLO: Just think what we're going to be in the far, far future.
MARCIANO: A lot bigger, stronger, faster.
COSTELLO: Certainly bigger.
MARCIANO: Steroids in the milk they'll drink and I don't what else.
COSTELLO: Yes.
The third most clicked on story, and this is kind of a sad story, a man who weighed a half a ton when he was admitted to a hospital is recovering today from obesity surgery. He had gastric bypass surgery. He'd lost 400 pounds before having the surgery.
MARCIANO: Oh, I read about this guy.
COSTELLO: This is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: And for the first time, he was able to get up and just walk down the stairs and walk around.
MARCIANO: I mean he was stuck in his house for months, right?
COSTELLO: Yes, house bound. He couldn't walk, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't breathe right. And this is his chance to live a normal life so.
MARCIANO: Good news.
COSTELLO: Hopefully he'll recover fast and he'll be jogging soon.
MARCIANO: All on the eve or the day after a lunar eclipse and the Boston...
COSTELLO: And the Boston Red Sox winning. Poor Yankee fans.
MARCIANO: Congratulations.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Red Sox fans have longed to hear it!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, can we see it enough? Sweeping changes in Boston history. Baseball fans celebrate the end of an era, from curse to first. The Beantown Bosox bring it home.
This is DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
We'll have more on Boston's World Series win in just a minute.
But first, now in the news, how sick is Yasser Arafat? The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, tells us Arafat was able to get out of bed for prayers this morning. This comes one day after he was described as too weak to walk and unable to keep food down.
A mine explosion in Siberia has killed 13 coal miners. A Russian official says the methane buildup caused the blast.
The Delta Airlines pilots' union says it's reached a tentative agreement on concessions. No word yet on if the package grants the billion dollars in pilot givebacks that Delta says it needs to avoid bankruptcy.
And did you see this? Did you get up and see it? The Earth's shadow moved across the moon, giving stargazers an unusually long view of a total lunar eclipse. It will not happen again for another two and a half years. What a sight -- good morning, Rob.
MARCIANO: Good morning.
That's very cool stuff and we missed it, but the beauty of television and the Internet, we can check it out...
COSTELLO: We didn't miss it.
MARCIANO: We didn't miss it. Exactly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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 October 28, 2004 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Boston Red Sox are world champions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, the curse of the Bambino gone.
It is Thursday, October 28.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition is said to be a little improved this morning. A source close to Arafat tells CNN he was able to get out of bed for morning prayers. But doctors aren't sure yet if the 75-year-old leader needs to be taken to a hospital.
A mine explosion in Siberia has killed 13 coal miners. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry says a methane buildup caused the blast.
The Delta Airlines pilots' union says it has reached a tentative agreement on concessions. No word yet on if the package grants the billion dollars in pilot givebacks that Delta says it needs to avoid bankruptcy.
Did you see this? Ah, the Earth's shadow moved across the moon, giving stargazers an unusually long view of the total lunar eclipse. It won't happen again for another two and a half years.
Oh, that was pretty cool -- Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Very cool. Did you stay up to watch it?
COSTELLO: No.
MARCIANO: No, I didn't either.
COSTELLO: I feel asleep.
MARCIANO: I barely made it to like the third inning and then I forgot all about the eclipse.
COSTELLO: That's all you needed to see, actually, the Boston game.
MARCIANO: Hey, well, that's a great story. Even as a Yankee fan, it's an amazing story.
COSTELLO: It is.
MARCIANO: And I don't want to hear about it anymore.
COSTELLO: You can't chant that 1918 chant anymore.
MARCIANO: No, no more 1918.
All right, well, we'll figure something else out next year.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: That tie is kind of crooked this morning. Fix that...
COSTELLO: That's because I'm going to talk more about the Red Sox now, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right.
COSTELLO: So get yourself together.
MARCIANO: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: It took 86 years before anyone could say these words -- the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions. The Red Sox actually won the Series with the first batter. And who better than Johnny Damon? He belted this home run for the only run the Red Sox would actually need. And with this ground out you're going to see right here, the Red Sox shut out the St. Louis Cardinals to sweep the Series. And then, boy, did the celebration begin. The Red Sox are just the eighth team to sweep in the last 50 years.
The Boston Red Sox are due to land back home any minute now because, you know, they played in St. Louis. But the players and the city will no doubt be flying high for days and weeks to come.
CNN's Larry Smith has more from St. Louis.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It was a celebration 86 years in the making, with champagne that's been on ice for generations. It started with the words millions of baseball fans never thought they'd hear -- the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions.
CURT SCHILLING, RED SOX PITCHER: Twenty-five guys in the locker room can say something no other living player can say -- they're a member of the Boston Red Sox world champions. BRONSON ARROYO, RED SOX PITCHER: This one's for them, man. Eighty-six years they've been coming out seeing the Red Sox come up short.
JOHNNY DAMON: We happened to win the championship, but this is for a lot of, you know, guys that have played in this organization for a long time.
SMITH: For Boston, breaking the famed curse of the Bambino is the unlikeliest of events, accomplished nearly unimaginably by this perpetually doomed franchise. Eleven days ago, the Red Sox were three outs from being swept by their archrivals, the New York Yankees. Yet a record eight straight wins later, they finished with tears of a different kind.
TERRY FRANCONA, RED SOX MANAGER: We had some really special players never once quit, oh, we go home. I mean we had a big deep hole to dig out of against some really good teams.
THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER: We did do it in style. We did it in style. We went right through New York. We made a little history along the way.
KEVIN MILLAR, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: No curse, man. They can rip up those signs. It means this is the Sox, the new generation of the Sox, and we're ready to roll.
SMITH: So thorough was the Red Sox domination, they never once trailed in the Series, providing a virtual stress-free ride to redemption for fans who have only known seasons ending in disappointment or disaster.
TIM WAKEFIELD, RED SOX PITCHER: It's tremendous for them, you know? We finally got it done for them and it's been so many years of heartache and, you know, disappointment. And we can finally hold that trophy up right there and say we're world champions.
MILLAR: They deserve that. They deserve that from all the misery they've been through over those years. They deserve this kind of a championship and we're proud to bring it to them.
FRANCONA: I think we were just worried about everyone's ticker after that Yankee series. We wanted to take it a little easy on them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have 100 percent confidence in our team, but you're always thinking, you know, the old what if.
SMITH (on camera): The Red Sox came into this series as self- proclaimed "idiots." The Boston fans will remember this motley crew by another name, world champions.
Larry Smith, CNN, St. Louis.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Back in Boston, thousands of fans spilled into the states around Fenway Park. People hung from trees and knocked a few down. They lit small fires in celebration. But some of the more unruly fans threw bottles at police. The police presence actually was hard to ignore. A large number of officers wore riot gear to make sure the revelry didn't get too far out of hand. Twenty people were arrested, but this time no one got hurt.
Coming up later on DAYBREAK, CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter will join us when we take a closer look at the Red Sox's long wait to claim a World Series title.
To international news now. Yasser Arafat left his bed today to participate I morning prayers. It is a sign the Palestinian leader's condition might be improving. Earlier, Arafat was reported in serious condition after he collapsed and lost consciousness briefly at his compound in Ramallah.
Let's go live to the West Bank and Guy Raz for an update -- Guy, what have you heard this morning?
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Yasser Arafat's condition is far from certain. In fact, this, his condition now just hours after he reportedly collapsed at dinner on Wednesday evening. Now, the official line from the Palestinian Authority is that Mr. Arafat is now in serious condition. He's prayed, as you mentioned earlier. He's had breakfast.
But at the same time we're receiving conflicting reports from other Palestinian sources, who say his condition is grave, indeed.
Now, we understand that within the past few hours, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia telephoned Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, asking him for medical aid for Mr. Arafat. Now, according to our sources, the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Sharon, agreed to that request without any conditions.
Now, we also understand that Mr. Arafat initially had collapsed. There was talk about whether he was unconscious or not. In fact, it turns out that perhaps he was not unconscious. But to give you a sense of just how serious his condition is, his wife, Suha Arafat, is set to visit her husband. She hasn't seen him in several years. She's set to arrive here in just a few hours time. Suha Arafat, who lives in Paris, arriving from Tunisia to see her husband. Apparently he asked to see her, apparently believing that his condition is quite grave, indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I know that the Palestinian prime minister, as you said, called on Ariel Sharon and asked if Yasser Arafat could leave for medical attention without condition.
Does that mean the Israelis are going to allow Yasser Arafat to come back into Ramallah if he, indeed, has to leave?
RAZ: Well, Carol, that's far from clear, as well. Now, for the past two and a half years, Yasser Arafat has been holed up in this complex behind me. This is the Moqata, the headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority. And Mr. Arafat has essentially been confined to this location because the Israeli Army has warned that if he leaves they may not allow him to return.
But it seems as if, based on those conversations between the Palestinian prime minister and the Israeli prime minister, that there may be a possibility that he would be allowed to return once he receives medical treatment, either here in the West Bank, in Israel or elsewhere outside of the country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Guy, it's such a busy scene behind you.
Where are you? Who are all those people behind you?
RAZ: Carol, we're right in front of the Moqata. This is the headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority, the main complex where Yasser Arafat lives. Parts of it, you may not be able to see it from here, were very badly damaged by Israeli forces in 2002. Some of it has been rebuilt.
Now, most of the people here, there are a mixture of journalists, also dignitaries, Palestinian legislators coming to see Mr. Arafat, coming to check on his condition. Those legislators who have entered the compound and then come out have generally told reporters here that Mr. Arafat's condition is good, he's in stable condition and they're not concerned that his condition will further deteriorate -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Guy Raz live from the West Bank.
Thank you.
More on the Arafat health situation at the half hour. Palestinian cabinet member Hanan Ashwari will be our guest.
Five days and counting until we vote for president and other local candidates and issues. Five days, that is, unless you took advantage of early voting. President Bush follows the campaign trail today to Michigan, one of the states still considered a tossup. And then it's on to Ohio for two stops, one in Dayton, the other in the Cleveland suburb of West Lake. He then moves on to Pennsylvania for a rally in Yardley. And here's the reason for the president's push in Michigan -- 17 electoral votes, which Al Gore won in 2000.
On the stump in Ohio, President Bush broke his two day silence over the vanishing explosives in Iraq. He says he is not to blame. He adds the military is investigating a number of possible scenarios.
The president also had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now the senator is making wild charges about missing explosives when his top foreign policy adviser admits, "We don't know the facts." End quote. Think about that, the senator is denigrating the actions of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts. Unfortunately, that's part of the pattern of saying anything it takes to get elected.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: In the meantime, Senator Kerry also is doing battle in the battleground states. First to Toledo, Ohio for an early morning rally; and then it's on to Madison, Wisconsin and a rally at the state capital. Then it is back to Ohio, Columbus this time, before going on to Orlando, Florida.
At a rally yesterday in Rochester, Minnesota, Kerry took Bush to task over those missing explosives in Iraq, calling it another example of Bush bungling the Iraq war. Kerry said Bush owes America real answers about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The bottom line is your administration was warned. You were put on notice. But you didn't put these explosives on a priority list. You didn't think it was important. You didn't check for them. You didn't give the troops the instructions they needed. You didn't put enough troops on the ground to do that job. You didn't guard the ammunitions dump and now our troops are at greater risk. That's the bottom line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The races, the votes, all the results, CNN's special prime time election night coverage begins Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Thousands of people have already cast their votes, though, in the presidential election. Long lines and long waits greeted early voters in states that have already opened up polling places.
And as CNN's Bruce Morton explains, it seems that more and more people seriously believe that every vote counts.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early voting, it's up, 16 states with polling places open early, more than 30, if you include states with other ways of voting before Election Day. In Iowa, you could mail in your ballot even before the first debate. Or take Nevada. Just under 600,000 people voted in the year 2000. How many early voters this time? A hundred thousand? No.
DEAN HELLER, NEVADA SECRETARY OF STATE: It's closer to 200,000 right now, people who have already cast their votes.
MORTON: A slight edge for Democrats?
HELLER: Just a slight edge, yes. And I think that's going to determine who is going to win this state. It's down to the line. The polls are so close, I think whoever turns out their voters is going to win this state.
MORTON: Florida has registered 1.6 million new voters since 2000. They have early voting. Last time, 14 percent of voters nationally voted early or absentee. This time, 19 percent told a poll they would. Is that because of the unusual interest in the presidential race this year?
DOUG CHAPIN, ELECTIONONLINE.ORG: I think the interest -- the increased interest in early voting is partly a result of the interest in this election. In many places, we have new voting technology, touch screen machines or -- touch screen machines or unfamiliar technology, and some voters want a little extra time with that. Other voters don't trust the technology and want to cast a paper ballot rather than use that machine on Election Day.
MORTON: Problems? Sure. Florida voters have griped about slow machines, long lines. Some remember the 245 votes electronically lost in Tampa in the September primary.
CHAPIN: We may be headed to the courts. I think a lot of that will depend on how close the election is in certain states. We're in an era right now where everyone believes that a tiny number of votes can have a huge impact on the outcome. And so, anything they can do to sway that few number of votes or protect that few number of votes through litigation is something they're going to be willing to do.
MORTON: And that's probably true whether the votes are cast early or the old-fashioned way next Tuesday.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And that leads us to this morning's e-mail question -- what is motivating so many voters to go to the polls? What is motivating you to vote this election year? Send us your thoughts at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. And, of course, we will read some of your responses later in our show.
It's always been a conundrum -- you need experience and education to get a job, but getting those on your resume is costly if you're not working. A look at how John Kerry and George Bush plan to improve education and job quality.
And it was a bloody good show. At 25 minutes past the hour, we'll show you what you might have missed if the clouds got in your way as the moon glowed red.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had no way to let them know that I was awake as I am right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ooh, and at 47 minutes past the hour, we'll hear what it's like when anesthesia does not work.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:18 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The trial of Zacarias Moussaoui could start early next year. Federal prosecutors asked a judge to set opening statements for the day after Memorial Day. Moussaoui is the only person publicly charged in the 9/11 attacks.
Hundreds of mourners showed up for a candlelight vigil at the headquarters of Hendrick Motor Sports in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ten people were killed when the race team's plane crashed on Sunday. The cause of the crash still under investigation.
In money news, a glut of unsold SUVs and pickup trucks is leading to temporary layoffs at General Motors. The auto maker says they will idle five plants and 9,000 workers for a few weeks early next year.
In culture, hip-hop group Outkast has been honored for its success in the world of downloaded music. Their song "Hey Ya" got a multi-platinum award for being legally downloaded at least 400,000 times.
In sports, it was a long time in coming, but the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions. The Sox beat the Cardinals 3-0 to sweep the Series. It is Boston's first World Series title in 86 years -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Carol, here's a look at your forecast across the country today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Both George Bush and John Kerry agree, jobs and education are the keys to future propensity. But the two candidates have different plans on how to use education to boost the economy long-term.
CNN's Louise Schiavone takes a look at the differences.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Education, it's a lower tier political issue with first tier impact because without education, both candidates agree there will be no prosperity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As governor, George Bush enacted reforms that produced dramatic results. As president, he signed the most significant education reforms in 35 years. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHIAVONE: The president's no child left behind effort is aimed at improving school standards and student achievement. His challenger, John Kerry, voted for it, but now says the Republicans under funded it.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, we're Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: What do you think of George Bush?
KERRY: I like him. I just -- I disagree with his policies. I think he makes the wrong choices.
SCHIAVONE: But when it comes to education, many of their choices are the same. George Bush wants to reward teachers with pay incentives for student achievement. John Kerry does, too. And Bush and Kerry agree that the Pell grant program for needy college students is an important federal effort. The candidates agree that education should continue beyond high school and that the government should help.
DAVID WARD, AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION: They both went to one of the world's great universities, Yale. And I think that having attended a university, both of them, I think, will be well disposed to higher education.
SCHIAVONE: The Chamber of Commerce says three quarters of today's workforce needs training just to keep their jobs. BETH BUEHLMANN, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Eighty-five percent of jobs in the high growth industries require post-secondary education or training.
SCHIAVONE: John Kerry envisions a tax credit for college tuition, public college tuition or its equivalent in exchange for two years of public service and would expand training and lifelong learning programs. President Bush is proposing community based job training grants.
In the final days of the race, while the candidates are trying to highlight their differences on education, one Bush supporter quipped privately, they're really not different enough.
Louise Schiavone, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: What's hot on the Web straight ahead.
Also, the home run ball is sold to the highest bidder in an online auction. We'll tell you about the six figure price tag ahead.
And our e-mail Question of the Morning -- what is motivating voters to go to the polls? Why are so many people choosing to vote this year? Why are you going to the polls? We want to hear what you have to say. The address, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, it's time to check our Web clicks this morning.
But before we do, we must take you live to Boston. Take a look at what it looks like around Fenway Park right now.
MARCIANO: They're coming home, aren't they, Carol?
COSTELLO: They're coming home. They're on those buses, actually. The Boston Red Sox, of course, played in St. Louis. They won the World Series, flew into Logan. There they are on the buses to get back to their cars to go home finally. And look at the fans surrounding the busses.
MARCIANO: They can't be more -- they, you know they've been up all night in Boston.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know, they're really cold, too.
MARCIANO: Well, it's -- I think it's -- it's 42 degrees right now in Boston. It feels like somewhere in the 30s with a little wind.
COSTELLO: Well, maybe they're used to that kind of weather.
MARCIANO: That's not bad. This time of year, you know, they throw a sweater and a jacket on and they're good to go.
COSTELLO: You know, the funny thing is...
MARCIANO: Plus, a lot of them, I'm sure, are already warmed up from a night of celebrating.
COSTELLO: They're probably numb to all feeling right now.
MARCIANO: Yes, I think so.
COSTELLO: But get this. After 86 years of frustration and futility, after two World Wars, the Great Depression, men on the moon and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series. So we're going to have much more on that later.
Let's check our Web clicks.
MARCIANO: OK.
COSTELLO: Because we're always interested in what people are clicking onto on cnn.com.
The number one story, the lunar eclipse.
MARCIANO: And we both missed it.
COSTELLO: I know.
MARCIANO: But we have cameras to show the video.
COSTELLO: Did it glow red, though, like you said it would yesterday?
MARCIANO: No, apparently not. It was more dark than it was red, from what I've seen. And that's good news. It means there's less junk in the atmosphere.
COSTELLO: Oh, you mean it was because of pollution that it was going to glow red.
MARCIANO: The sun? Yes. Sometimes pollution, volcanic ash, that kind of stuff. So maybe. Let's be optimistic and say maybe there's less pollution in the atmosphere today than there was the last time of a lunar eclipse.
COSTELLO: I like that. But you won't be able to see a total lunar eclipse again for, what, two years?
MARCIANO: At least, yes.
COSTELLO: At least. Yes. So if you missed it like we did, too bad.
The second most clicked on story on cnn.com has to do with Americans growing taller and, of course, wider. Adults are roughly an inch taller than they were in the early '60s, but nearly 25 pounds heavier. In '60 to '62, the average man weighed 166.3 pounds. By 2002, the average had reached 191 pounds. The average woman's weight rose from 140 pounds to 164.3 pounds.
MARCIANO: Wow!
COSTELLO: Just think what we're going to be in the far, far future.
MARCIANO: A lot bigger, stronger, faster.
COSTELLO: Certainly bigger.
MARCIANO: Steroids in the milk they'll drink and I don't what else.
COSTELLO: Yes.
The third most clicked on story, and this is kind of a sad story, a man who weighed a half a ton when he was admitted to a hospital is recovering today from obesity surgery. He had gastric bypass surgery. He'd lost 400 pounds before having the surgery.
MARCIANO: Oh, I read about this guy.
COSTELLO: This is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: And for the first time, he was able to get up and just walk down the stairs and walk around.
MARCIANO: I mean he was stuck in his house for months, right?
COSTELLO: Yes, house bound. He couldn't walk, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't breathe right. And this is his chance to live a normal life so.
MARCIANO: Good news.
COSTELLO: Hopefully he'll recover fast and he'll be jogging soon.
MARCIANO: All on the eve or the day after a lunar eclipse and the Boston...
COSTELLO: And the Boston Red Sox winning. Poor Yankee fans.
MARCIANO: Congratulations.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Red Sox fans have longed to hear it!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, can we see it enough? Sweeping changes in Boston history. Baseball fans celebrate the end of an era, from curse to first. The Beantown Bosox bring it home.
This is DAYBREAK for a Thursday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
We'll have more on Boston's World Series win in just a minute.
But first, now in the news, how sick is Yasser Arafat? The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, tells us Arafat was able to get out of bed for prayers this morning. This comes one day after he was described as too weak to walk and unable to keep food down.
A mine explosion in Siberia has killed 13 coal miners. A Russian official says the methane buildup caused the blast.
The Delta Airlines pilots' union says it's reached a tentative agreement on concessions. No word yet on if the package grants the billion dollars in pilot givebacks that Delta says it needs to avoid bankruptcy.
And did you see this? Did you get up and see it? The Earth's shadow moved across the moon, giving stargazers an unusually long view of a total lunar eclipse. It will not happen again for another two and a half years. What a sight -- good morning, Rob.
MARCIANO: Good morning.
That's very cool stuff and we missed it, but the beauty of television and the Internet, we can check it out...
COSTELLO: We didn't miss it.
MARCIANO: We didn't miss it. Exactly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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