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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Offensive Against Insurgents In Falluja Continues; Reaction To Falluja From the Pentagon; Update on Arafat's Condition
Aired November 09, 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- word just in from Paris this morning. Yasser Arafat's condition is getting worse. A spokesman for the Paris hospital where Arafat is being treated says the Palestinian leader has fallen into a deeper coma. We're going to have a live report for you out of Paris coming up.
Night and day -- U.S. and Iraqi forces are keeping up a steady pounding of insurgent sites in Falluja. Troops are plowing farther into the insurgents' stronghold this morning. They're also dodging sniper fire and destroying booby traps. Another live report for you coming up from there.
Elsewhere in Iraq this morning, more violence. Insurgents attacked two police stations near Ba'qubah, north of Baghdad. Police say four of the attackers were killed and more than a dozen other people wounded.
Back in the States, it's back to work this morning for the jury in Scott Peterson's California murder trial. Jurors showed signs of a possible deadlock yesterday, but the judge told them to keep on deliberating.
And First Lady Laura Bush attends an event just outside of her front door this morning. She'll preside over the reopening of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. The pedestrian plaza has been closed for renovation since January. So, only part of Pennsylvania Avenue will be reopened, but that'll be nice.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right.
COSTELLO: The traffic will flow much easier.
MYERS: So, it took them nine months to renovate a pedestrian mall.
COSTELLO: Well, you know how it goes.
MYERS: Good thing it wasn't a real street. That would have taken them a couple of years.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: And you can hear it, heavy fire from U.S. forces in Falluja this morning. The insurgents are fighting back. The fighting shows no signs of dying down on the second day of the U.S.-led assault. There's some big troop numbers behind it.
Here's how they stack up -- 10,000 to 15,000 U.S. troops are taking part, along with 2,000 Iraqi troops. What are they facing? U.S. military officials think 3,000 to 5,000 insurgents may be inside Falluja. Some of the insurgents are believed to be linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
But is the terror leader himself in Falluja? Top U.S. officials don't know. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says "I have no idea if he is there."
Back to the battleground now. Jane Arraf embedded with some U.S. Marines near Falluja. She has the latest on the battle scene.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The city came under heavy bombardment during the night. It was pounded by artillery and air strikes. There seems to be a lull in that now. We're on the eastern outskirts, an area where we came under fire from somewhere among the residential district, an illustration of how difficult it is to actually fight in this urban environment. A lot of civilians in this area have already fled, the military believes, because part of this area has been rigged to explode if U.S. forces were to come in.
Now, the Army unit that we're with, Task Force 22 of the 1st Infantry Division, laid a line charge, detonating many of those explosive devices to be able to breach the city. They are clearing the way forward for Marines and other forces.
There are Iraqi forces here, as well. They have already taken a mosque in this sector and other areas.
The unit here has Iraqi commandos with them, who are doing some of the most sensitive work. But certainly they have tried to soften up the targets, and that started even before the major battle. They pounded the city with artillery hours before the tanks moved in. The unit we're with, they send in the Army because it is heavily armored. There are tanks, Bradleys and other vehicles, assets that the Marines, mostly infantry, perhaps don't have. So, essentially they've been doing air strikes, ground strikes, artillery, mortar, and after that comes street to street searches.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf embedded with the Army this morning.
U.S. defense officials are far from the battle, but they're keeping a close watch.
What are they thinking at this early stage?
Let's head live to the Pentagon to find out and CNN's Kathleen Koch -- good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Some cautious optimism and a lot of determination being expressed here at the Pentagon today. Cautious optimism because at this point at least, the high numbers of casualties that had initially been expected in this battle, though it is far from over, those casualties have so far not materialized. And then determination that this battle will end very differently than the last foray into Falluja back in April, when U.S. Marines were forced to pull out after just three days.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in a briefing Monday here at the Pentagon, saying that the decision to go into Falluja this time included a decision to finish the fight.
Now, Rumsfeld predicted that there would not be the large numbers of civilian casualties, saying that coalition forces in the region are very disciplined, very determined, and using, though, precision weapons to help avoid any casualties.
Still, the defense secretary did make it clear that this battle in Falluja would not be the final showdown that would break the back of the resistance in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Oh, I wouldn't use the word final. I think this is -- if you think of what the terrorists and the extremists will lose when Iraq is, in fact, a free, functioning, stabilized country, providing for their own security and respectful of all the people in that country, it's pretty clear that the extremists would lose a great deal. And I think they are quite determined to not have that happen.
So, suggesting anything is final, I think it's a tough business, and I think it's going to take time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, Rumsfeld says that he does not know if militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is in Falluja. Of course, Zarqawi a man with a $25 million price on his head, who has claimed responsibility for so much of the violence thus far in Iraq. Military leaders saying basically if they catch Zarqawi in Falluja, it will simply be a bonus, because the expectation is that he and his lieutenants have had ample time to slip quietly out of this city.
Now, speaking to the slipping quietly away, there are a number, perhaps hundreds, of Iraqi soldiers who did not turn up for this very decisive battle. The defense secretary yesterday saying basically that this is an isolated problem, though something that should be expected from time to time, considering the circumstances. But still this is not welcome news for the Pentagon, Carol, because this is the force that is supposed to take over security in Iraq so that U.S. troops can eventually come home -- back to you.
COSTELLO: When you say, Kathleen, that many Iraqi soldiers didn't show up, what are we talking about? Is there a specific number that we know of?
KOCH: Well, those numbers are very fuzzy. Apparently there are reports that perhaps as many as 500 didn't show up for the battle, but then there is some talk that there may have simply been some confusion behind-the-scenes, that they were on leave, didn't realize they needed to come back.
But again, these are the kinds of things that need to be worked out so that these troops can be reliably counted upon under any sort of circumstance, and especially for a critical battle like this.
COSTELLO: Kathleen Koch reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.
Thank you.
Now we want to get more on the ailing Palestinian leader's condition.
Our Jim Bittermann is joining us live from Paris.
And officials have said, Jim, that Yasser Arafat has slipped into a deeper coma.
What exactly does that mean?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question, Carol. They've been very sparse with the information coming out here at the military hospital outside Paris. Christian Estripeau, the general who is the controller of information as far as we're concerned here, came out just a few minutes ago saying that, in fact, Arafat's condition had worsened overnight, that he had slipped into a deeper coma and that they were offering no prognosis in his case.
Now, we're taking that to mean that they're taking it that he is -- that this situation has gotten much worse than what it's been. Since Friday, we've heard that Arafat has been in stable condition. This is the first time any kind of indication that his condition has changed. And it seems that it is going for the worse.
At the same time, Carol, we're standing by here to see what happens with this high level Palestinian delegation, including the prime minister and foreign minister, the number two in the PLO and the speaker of the national assembly, all here in Paris today trying to get to see Arafat and particularly Arafat's doctors, to try to determine exactly what the state of his health is.
They want to know, because if he is not going to return at any point to his homeland, then they are going to want to make political plans to replace him.
And up until now, the doorway to his room has been blocked by Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's wife, who basically, under French law, is allowed to make all decisions about who can get to see her husband and also what kind of information that can be let out about her husband and his exact state of health. So, they're here. We're not sure when or whether they're going to get to see Yasser Arafat. But in any case, we expect them at least to come to the hospital and talk to the doctors later on today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, we heard earlier from the cooperation, Saeb Erakat, who says that this delegation from the Palestinian territory will get to meet with Arafat and the doctors. But now that Arafat's condition has worsened, how likely is that?
BITTERMANN: Well, that's exactly the question, because Estripeau, General Estripeau yesterday said that access to Yasser Arafat had to be restricted because of the state of his health. He said that yesterday when his health conditions were apparently somewhat better than they are today.
So, I would say it's really up for question whether or not they will actually get to see Yasser Arafat. The real determining factor, I think, for them, anyway, will be to see Arafat's doctors, because from them they'll get a much better idea of whether or not President Arafat is ever going to come back to Palestine and going to come back into any kind of a powerful role in Palestine or whether they are going to have to talk about succession -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann live from Paris.
Thank you.
When CNN DAYBREAK continues, a firewall in the Garden State. James McGreevey's parting words in his final minutes as New Jersey's governor. We'll tell you how he said more than just I'm sorry at 12 past the hour.
And they've examined Scott Peterson's boat, asked for another look at photographs of the couple's home. At 42 minutes past, what the jury wants to see now and what are the chances they'll be able to reach a verdict?
Plus, Web sites teaching young women techniques associated with anorexia and bulimia. At 54 minutes after, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at eating disorders and the not so secret society that's offering the wrong kind of help.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: New Jersey Governor James McGreevey has said good-bye. He's officially stepping down on Monday, more than three months after admitting to a homosexual affair. McGreevey used his farewell address to apologize. But he had much more to say beyond the sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JAMES E. MCGREEVEY (D), NEW JERSEY: You see today I stand before you as a changed man. Escalas said, "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of god."
Like the psalmists of old, I have asked god to create in me a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within me. I stand before you as a man who has experienced the freedom that comes with the truth, claiming the promise the truth will set you free.
Just as Lincoln said that a house divided against itself cannot stand, so it is true with a person. A divided self is not an integrated self. And so, as I have been preparing for this day, I have been doing some mending in my soul. I so want the words of my mouth and the actions of my hands and the thoughts of my heart to be one and the same thing. That brings proper alignment, something true and whole.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The president of the New Jersey State Senate, Richard Codey, will serve as governor until January of 2006.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Yasser Arafat's condition has worsened. Doctors at the Paris hospital say the Palestinian leader has slipped into a deeper coma. They said that just a few minutes ago, but they're offering no prognosis for his future.
One person is dead after a car was destroyed by an explosion near a Moscow apartment building. Police aren't sure if the car blew up or if there was an explosion near the car. One other person was injured in that blast.
In money news, amazon.com is back to normal this morning, but customers had to be patient during lengthy delays on the Web site yesterday. The unexplained slowdown at the world's largest Internet retailer lasted for over eight hours.
In culture, "Saturday Night Live" alum Chris Kattan is coming back to television. He signed on with one of the writers of the Austin Powers movies to develop a series for ABC. Kattan will play a consumer reporter for a small town TV station.
In sports, a thrilling end in Indianapolis. The Colts overcame a fierce comeback by the Minnesota Vikings to win 31-28. Peyton Manning led a final minute drive that ended with the winning field goal with just two seconds left. And there it goes through the uprights.
To the forecast center and Chad. MYERS: That ended about four hours ago, Carol. So, that's a really long game.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Let's talk a little bit about savvy advertising practices used to get you to spend, spend, spend. It seems ads are everywhere. Tonight, the PBS program "Frontline" exposes the inner workings of the marketing and advertising industries.
Advertisers don't always use the in your face billboards or TV commercials to hook you. Some ads are much more subtle. In fact, sometimes they seem to blend into the background and we don't even notice. "Frontline" explains the surprising methods advertisers use to figure out who we are, what we want and how to persuade us to spend our money.
And that brings us to our e-mail question this morning. Product placement, like in movies and TV shows on your computer, does it work for you? Is it effective? Daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com.
What's hot on the Web straight ahead.
Plus, imagine this. A myriad of flavors to tempt your taste buds, turkey and gravy and that green bean casserole just a gulp away. Yes, I said a gulp. We'll explain.
You're watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: If you're just waking up this morning, I know you need a little laugh. And Chad is here to provide that.
MYERS: That'll be my job. I'll have a little rant for you this morning. Go ahead.
COSTELLO: No, go ahead. I thought you were going to do the late night, because, you know, it's been one week since Election Day and that means the comedians were hard at work last night.
MYERS: You know, you would think that they'd be over with this by now, but nope. They just can't get over it. They're playing that political humor still.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": How about that election, though? Was that something? Was that crazy, the election? Yes. And you know, friends are now concerned. They're worried about John Kerry, because today he made one last duck hunting trip to Ohio.
Bush says now that he is going to simplify the tax code. Have you heard about this? Only the states that are blue will have to pay.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Are you all finally over this election? Look at that guy. You see, a lot of people had a rough week last week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
LENO: And it was an especially rough week if you were a gay, pro-choice stem cell.
In his press conference the other day, President Bush said he felt the people had spoken. That's what he said, the people had spoken. And ironically, most of the people speak better than he does so there's...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: That was pretty good. Better than I expected, actually.
COSTELLO: Yes. It really was.
We have to go to our Web clicks now, because there are some fascinating stories on cnn.com this morning, and boy, did they get your attention, because you clicked onto them in droves.
First, though...
MYERS: Jim Belushi.
COSTELLO: What's this about? Jim Belushi sues Julie Newmar for harassment. Remember Julie Newmar? She played Catwoman.
MYERS: Well, yes, I can see that. I mean, look...
COSTELLO: She played Catwoman.
MYERS: She still looks like Catwoman.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: She looks great for her age. She looks awesome.
COSTELLO: She's 71 years old and apparently she's been harassing Jim Belushi, who is her next door neighbor. She's been saying defamatory things about him. Let's see what else...
MYERS: This isn't the first time she's done this --
COSTELLO: She's called him a peeping Tom.
MYERS: ... though, to a neighbor. There was another neighbor who was using those gas blowers.
COSTELLO: Oh, to blow leaves?
MYERS: Yes. She kind of went into attack mode there. COSTELLO: I guess she doesn't want anyone to live next door to her. At least that's what Jim Belushi is saying.
Another clicked on story, "New Age Mystic To Become Mom At 57 Years Old."
MYERS: A little in vitro.
COSTELLO: Her name is Aleta St. James. She's from New York. And she may be the oldest American to give birth to twins.
MYERS: You know, I went to the hospital the other day with my wife. My wife is going to have a baby in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner than that. And the lady said to me, "Are you the coach?"
And I said, "No, I'm the father."
"Oh, we don't use the word father. That's not politically correct."
COSTELLO: No.
MYERS: When did father stop being politically correct?
COSTELLO: When so many single women started having babies. That is weird, isn't it?
MYERS: Oh, so that got on my nerves a little.
COSTELLO: I know.
Here's another enormously clicked on story on cnn.com. I don't really quite get this. She is selling, this woman, this Saudi woman is selling her divorce settlement for $250 million.
MYERS: No, she's selling it for whatever it will bring. It may bring $2.5 million. It may bring $25 million, $0.10 on the dollar, so that someone else can go after this guy, this late guy, who's already actually passed away and given his money to somebody else already.
COSTELLO: Oh, so you'd have to go through the legal battle of getting the settlement?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And she doesn't have the money to do that. So, she's just cutting and running and hoping to reach some sort of profit.
MYERS: A settlement is only a settlement when you get it.
COSTELLO: Got it!
We're going to take a little break.
We'll be right back.
This is DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK JANNOT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "POPULAR SCIENCE": Every year at "Popular Science," we're looking throughout the best of what's new for real breakthroughs, products and technologies that take either existing technologies to an entirely new level or that tackle a medical problem, in this case, in a way that hasn't been tackled before.
What the SonoPrep Skin Permeation device does is it allows you to get medication into your system without using a needle at all. It takes a low frequency ultrasound wave and it applies it to the skin and it creates a gap that you can get the medication through.
And a light speed VCT is the fastest C.T. scanner that's ever been on the market. This can scan your entire body, head to toe, in 10 seconds. And the Oral Quick is the first oral HIV test. It doesn't require using blood to test you for HIV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 9, 2004 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- word just in from Paris this morning. Yasser Arafat's condition is getting worse. A spokesman for the Paris hospital where Arafat is being treated says the Palestinian leader has fallen into a deeper coma. We're going to have a live report for you out of Paris coming up.
Night and day -- U.S. and Iraqi forces are keeping up a steady pounding of insurgent sites in Falluja. Troops are plowing farther into the insurgents' stronghold this morning. They're also dodging sniper fire and destroying booby traps. Another live report for you coming up from there.
Elsewhere in Iraq this morning, more violence. Insurgents attacked two police stations near Ba'qubah, north of Baghdad. Police say four of the attackers were killed and more than a dozen other people wounded.
Back in the States, it's back to work this morning for the jury in Scott Peterson's California murder trial. Jurors showed signs of a possible deadlock yesterday, but the judge told them to keep on deliberating.
And First Lady Laura Bush attends an event just outside of her front door this morning. She'll preside over the reopening of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. The pedestrian plaza has been closed for renovation since January. So, only part of Pennsylvania Avenue will be reopened, but that'll be nice.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right.
COSTELLO: The traffic will flow much easier.
MYERS: So, it took them nine months to renovate a pedestrian mall.
COSTELLO: Well, you know how it goes.
MYERS: Good thing it wasn't a real street. That would have taken them a couple of years.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: And you can hear it, heavy fire from U.S. forces in Falluja this morning. The insurgents are fighting back. The fighting shows no signs of dying down on the second day of the U.S.-led assault. There's some big troop numbers behind it.
Here's how they stack up -- 10,000 to 15,000 U.S. troops are taking part, along with 2,000 Iraqi troops. What are they facing? U.S. military officials think 3,000 to 5,000 insurgents may be inside Falluja. Some of the insurgents are believed to be linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
But is the terror leader himself in Falluja? Top U.S. officials don't know. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says "I have no idea if he is there."
Back to the battleground now. Jane Arraf embedded with some U.S. Marines near Falluja. She has the latest on the battle scene.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The city came under heavy bombardment during the night. It was pounded by artillery and air strikes. There seems to be a lull in that now. We're on the eastern outskirts, an area where we came under fire from somewhere among the residential district, an illustration of how difficult it is to actually fight in this urban environment. A lot of civilians in this area have already fled, the military believes, because part of this area has been rigged to explode if U.S. forces were to come in.
Now, the Army unit that we're with, Task Force 22 of the 1st Infantry Division, laid a line charge, detonating many of those explosive devices to be able to breach the city. They are clearing the way forward for Marines and other forces.
There are Iraqi forces here, as well. They have already taken a mosque in this sector and other areas.
The unit here has Iraqi commandos with them, who are doing some of the most sensitive work. But certainly they have tried to soften up the targets, and that started even before the major battle. They pounded the city with artillery hours before the tanks moved in. The unit we're with, they send in the Army because it is heavily armored. There are tanks, Bradleys and other vehicles, assets that the Marines, mostly infantry, perhaps don't have. So, essentially they've been doing air strikes, ground strikes, artillery, mortar, and after that comes street to street searches.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf embedded with the Army this morning.
U.S. defense officials are far from the battle, but they're keeping a close watch.
What are they thinking at this early stage?
Let's head live to the Pentagon to find out and CNN's Kathleen Koch -- good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Some cautious optimism and a lot of determination being expressed here at the Pentagon today. Cautious optimism because at this point at least, the high numbers of casualties that had initially been expected in this battle, though it is far from over, those casualties have so far not materialized. And then determination that this battle will end very differently than the last foray into Falluja back in April, when U.S. Marines were forced to pull out after just three days.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in a briefing Monday here at the Pentagon, saying that the decision to go into Falluja this time included a decision to finish the fight.
Now, Rumsfeld predicted that there would not be the large numbers of civilian casualties, saying that coalition forces in the region are very disciplined, very determined, and using, though, precision weapons to help avoid any casualties.
Still, the defense secretary did make it clear that this battle in Falluja would not be the final showdown that would break the back of the resistance in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Oh, I wouldn't use the word final. I think this is -- if you think of what the terrorists and the extremists will lose when Iraq is, in fact, a free, functioning, stabilized country, providing for their own security and respectful of all the people in that country, it's pretty clear that the extremists would lose a great deal. And I think they are quite determined to not have that happen.
So, suggesting anything is final, I think it's a tough business, and I think it's going to take time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, Rumsfeld says that he does not know if militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is in Falluja. Of course, Zarqawi a man with a $25 million price on his head, who has claimed responsibility for so much of the violence thus far in Iraq. Military leaders saying basically if they catch Zarqawi in Falluja, it will simply be a bonus, because the expectation is that he and his lieutenants have had ample time to slip quietly out of this city.
Now, speaking to the slipping quietly away, there are a number, perhaps hundreds, of Iraqi soldiers who did not turn up for this very decisive battle. The defense secretary yesterday saying basically that this is an isolated problem, though something that should be expected from time to time, considering the circumstances. But still this is not welcome news for the Pentagon, Carol, because this is the force that is supposed to take over security in Iraq so that U.S. troops can eventually come home -- back to you.
COSTELLO: When you say, Kathleen, that many Iraqi soldiers didn't show up, what are we talking about? Is there a specific number that we know of?
KOCH: Well, those numbers are very fuzzy. Apparently there are reports that perhaps as many as 500 didn't show up for the battle, but then there is some talk that there may have simply been some confusion behind-the-scenes, that they were on leave, didn't realize they needed to come back.
But again, these are the kinds of things that need to be worked out so that these troops can be reliably counted upon under any sort of circumstance, and especially for a critical battle like this.
COSTELLO: Kathleen Koch reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.
Thank you.
Now we want to get more on the ailing Palestinian leader's condition.
Our Jim Bittermann is joining us live from Paris.
And officials have said, Jim, that Yasser Arafat has slipped into a deeper coma.
What exactly does that mean?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question, Carol. They've been very sparse with the information coming out here at the military hospital outside Paris. Christian Estripeau, the general who is the controller of information as far as we're concerned here, came out just a few minutes ago saying that, in fact, Arafat's condition had worsened overnight, that he had slipped into a deeper coma and that they were offering no prognosis in his case.
Now, we're taking that to mean that they're taking it that he is -- that this situation has gotten much worse than what it's been. Since Friday, we've heard that Arafat has been in stable condition. This is the first time any kind of indication that his condition has changed. And it seems that it is going for the worse.
At the same time, Carol, we're standing by here to see what happens with this high level Palestinian delegation, including the prime minister and foreign minister, the number two in the PLO and the speaker of the national assembly, all here in Paris today trying to get to see Arafat and particularly Arafat's doctors, to try to determine exactly what the state of his health is.
They want to know, because if he is not going to return at any point to his homeland, then they are going to want to make political plans to replace him.
And up until now, the doorway to his room has been blocked by Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's wife, who basically, under French law, is allowed to make all decisions about who can get to see her husband and also what kind of information that can be let out about her husband and his exact state of health. So, they're here. We're not sure when or whether they're going to get to see Yasser Arafat. But in any case, we expect them at least to come to the hospital and talk to the doctors later on today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, we heard earlier from the cooperation, Saeb Erakat, who says that this delegation from the Palestinian territory will get to meet with Arafat and the doctors. But now that Arafat's condition has worsened, how likely is that?
BITTERMANN: Well, that's exactly the question, because Estripeau, General Estripeau yesterday said that access to Yasser Arafat had to be restricted because of the state of his health. He said that yesterday when his health conditions were apparently somewhat better than they are today.
So, I would say it's really up for question whether or not they will actually get to see Yasser Arafat. The real determining factor, I think, for them, anyway, will be to see Arafat's doctors, because from them they'll get a much better idea of whether or not President Arafat is ever going to come back to Palestine and going to come back into any kind of a powerful role in Palestine or whether they are going to have to talk about succession -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann live from Paris.
Thank you.
When CNN DAYBREAK continues, a firewall in the Garden State. James McGreevey's parting words in his final minutes as New Jersey's governor. We'll tell you how he said more than just I'm sorry at 12 past the hour.
And they've examined Scott Peterson's boat, asked for another look at photographs of the couple's home. At 42 minutes past, what the jury wants to see now and what are the chances they'll be able to reach a verdict?
Plus, Web sites teaching young women techniques associated with anorexia and bulimia. At 54 minutes after, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at eating disorders and the not so secret society that's offering the wrong kind of help.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: New Jersey Governor James McGreevey has said good-bye. He's officially stepping down on Monday, more than three months after admitting to a homosexual affair. McGreevey used his farewell address to apologize. But he had much more to say beyond the sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JAMES E. MCGREEVEY (D), NEW JERSEY: You see today I stand before you as a changed man. Escalas said, "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of god."
Like the psalmists of old, I have asked god to create in me a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within me. I stand before you as a man who has experienced the freedom that comes with the truth, claiming the promise the truth will set you free.
Just as Lincoln said that a house divided against itself cannot stand, so it is true with a person. A divided self is not an integrated self. And so, as I have been preparing for this day, I have been doing some mending in my soul. I so want the words of my mouth and the actions of my hands and the thoughts of my heart to be one and the same thing. That brings proper alignment, something true and whole.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The president of the New Jersey State Senate, Richard Codey, will serve as governor until January of 2006.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Yasser Arafat's condition has worsened. Doctors at the Paris hospital say the Palestinian leader has slipped into a deeper coma. They said that just a few minutes ago, but they're offering no prognosis for his future.
One person is dead after a car was destroyed by an explosion near a Moscow apartment building. Police aren't sure if the car blew up or if there was an explosion near the car. One other person was injured in that blast.
In money news, amazon.com is back to normal this morning, but customers had to be patient during lengthy delays on the Web site yesterday. The unexplained slowdown at the world's largest Internet retailer lasted for over eight hours.
In culture, "Saturday Night Live" alum Chris Kattan is coming back to television. He signed on with one of the writers of the Austin Powers movies to develop a series for ABC. Kattan will play a consumer reporter for a small town TV station.
In sports, a thrilling end in Indianapolis. The Colts overcame a fierce comeback by the Minnesota Vikings to win 31-28. Peyton Manning led a final minute drive that ended with the winning field goal with just two seconds left. And there it goes through the uprights.
To the forecast center and Chad. MYERS: That ended about four hours ago, Carol. So, that's a really long game.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Let's talk a little bit about savvy advertising practices used to get you to spend, spend, spend. It seems ads are everywhere. Tonight, the PBS program "Frontline" exposes the inner workings of the marketing and advertising industries.
Advertisers don't always use the in your face billboards or TV commercials to hook you. Some ads are much more subtle. In fact, sometimes they seem to blend into the background and we don't even notice. "Frontline" explains the surprising methods advertisers use to figure out who we are, what we want and how to persuade us to spend our money.
And that brings us to our e-mail question this morning. Product placement, like in movies and TV shows on your computer, does it work for you? Is it effective? Daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com.
What's hot on the Web straight ahead.
Plus, imagine this. A myriad of flavors to tempt your taste buds, turkey and gravy and that green bean casserole just a gulp away. Yes, I said a gulp. We'll explain.
You're watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
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COSTELLO: If you're just waking up this morning, I know you need a little laugh. And Chad is here to provide that.
MYERS: That'll be my job. I'll have a little rant for you this morning. Go ahead.
COSTELLO: No, go ahead. I thought you were going to do the late night, because, you know, it's been one week since Election Day and that means the comedians were hard at work last night.
MYERS: You know, you would think that they'd be over with this by now, but nope. They just can't get over it. They're playing that political humor still.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": How about that election, though? Was that something? Was that crazy, the election? Yes. And you know, friends are now concerned. They're worried about John Kerry, because today he made one last duck hunting trip to Ohio.
Bush says now that he is going to simplify the tax code. Have you heard about this? Only the states that are blue will have to pay.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Are you all finally over this election? Look at that guy. You see, a lot of people had a rough week last week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
LENO: And it was an especially rough week if you were a gay, pro-choice stem cell.
In his press conference the other day, President Bush said he felt the people had spoken. That's what he said, the people had spoken. And ironically, most of the people speak better than he does so there's...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: That was pretty good. Better than I expected, actually.
COSTELLO: Yes. It really was.
We have to go to our Web clicks now, because there are some fascinating stories on cnn.com this morning, and boy, did they get your attention, because you clicked onto them in droves.
First, though...
MYERS: Jim Belushi.
COSTELLO: What's this about? Jim Belushi sues Julie Newmar for harassment. Remember Julie Newmar? She played Catwoman.
MYERS: Well, yes, I can see that. I mean, look...
COSTELLO: She played Catwoman.
MYERS: She still looks like Catwoman.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: She looks great for her age. She looks awesome.
COSTELLO: She's 71 years old and apparently she's been harassing Jim Belushi, who is her next door neighbor. She's been saying defamatory things about him. Let's see what else...
MYERS: This isn't the first time she's done this --
COSTELLO: She's called him a peeping Tom.
MYERS: ... though, to a neighbor. There was another neighbor who was using those gas blowers.
COSTELLO: Oh, to blow leaves?
MYERS: Yes. She kind of went into attack mode there. COSTELLO: I guess she doesn't want anyone to live next door to her. At least that's what Jim Belushi is saying.
Another clicked on story, "New Age Mystic To Become Mom At 57 Years Old."
MYERS: A little in vitro.
COSTELLO: Her name is Aleta St. James. She's from New York. And she may be the oldest American to give birth to twins.
MYERS: You know, I went to the hospital the other day with my wife. My wife is going to have a baby in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner than that. And the lady said to me, "Are you the coach?"
And I said, "No, I'm the father."
"Oh, we don't use the word father. That's not politically correct."
COSTELLO: No.
MYERS: When did father stop being politically correct?
COSTELLO: When so many single women started having babies. That is weird, isn't it?
MYERS: Oh, so that got on my nerves a little.
COSTELLO: I know.
Here's another enormously clicked on story on cnn.com. I don't really quite get this. She is selling, this woman, this Saudi woman is selling her divorce settlement for $250 million.
MYERS: No, she's selling it for whatever it will bring. It may bring $2.5 million. It may bring $25 million, $0.10 on the dollar, so that someone else can go after this guy, this late guy, who's already actually passed away and given his money to somebody else already.
COSTELLO: Oh, so you'd have to go through the legal battle of getting the settlement?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And she doesn't have the money to do that. So, she's just cutting and running and hoping to reach some sort of profit.
MYERS: A settlement is only a settlement when you get it.
COSTELLO: Got it!
We're going to take a little break.
We'll be right back.
This is DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK JANNOT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "POPULAR SCIENCE": Every year at "Popular Science," we're looking throughout the best of what's new for real breakthroughs, products and technologies that take either existing technologies to an entirely new level or that tackle a medical problem, in this case, in a way that hasn't been tackled before.
What the SonoPrep Skin Permeation device does is it allows you to get medication into your system without using a needle at all. It takes a low frequency ultrasound wave and it applies it to the skin and it creates a gap that you can get the medication through.
And a light speed VCT is the fastest C.T. scanner that's ever been on the market. This can scan your entire body, head to toe, in 10 seconds. And the Oral Quick is the first oral HIV test. It doesn't require using blood to test you for HIV.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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