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CNN Live At Daybreak

Falluja Firefight; Using Tasers on Children

Aired November 15, 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: Falluja firefight -- CNN takes you into the battle.
Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I couldn't breathe and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Using tasers on children -- this morning, a public outcry and a police department defending itself.

And your car under the microscope. If you're in a crash, do you think your head rests will really protect you? New information before you get into your car to go to work. It is Monday, November 15.

This is DAYBREAK.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the Time Warner Center in New York and CNN Center in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

There is a lot going on right now, so let's check the headlines right now.

A sigh of relief over Iran's nuclear program. Iran has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program. Still, it could take several days for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to close the program.

Yet another high profile murder trial in southern California. Jury selection begins today in the trial of actor Robert Blake. He's accused of killing his wife outside of a San Fernando Valley restaurant three and a half years ago.

Closing arguments set today in the hearing for John Hinckley, Jr. Hinckley wants more time away from his Washington psychiatric hospital. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of President Reagan and three others. A look into the future of flight. NASA hopes today to conduct the final test of Scramjet, a new engine technology. It's hoped the X-43A aircraft will reach 7,000 miles per hour in the testing off the coast of California.

To the Weather Center in Atlanta and Chad -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

How is New York?

COSTELLO: It's fabulous.

How's Atlanta?

MYERS: Do you have a bagel and lox right there?

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Do you have hand cut novas sitting right next to you?

COSTELLO: How did you know?

MYERS: Well, I would hope so. It's New York.

Good morning.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Insurgents attack and an infamous bridge reopens. That is the latest out of Iraq this morning. Explosions and gunfire have rocked the Ba'qubah area northeast of Baghdad. Witnesses say insurgents clashed with Iraqi police and American troops.

In Falluja, U.S. Marines have reopened a key bridge to military traffic. It is the same bridge where mobs strung up the burned bodies of two American contract workers last spring.

And more insurgent attacks in northern Iraq. A car bomb killed two Iraqi National Guardsmen in Mosul. And in a town north of Tikrit, a railroad overpass was sabotaged.

A U.S. Marine commander says coalition troops have liberated the city of Falluja. But the Marines are still blasting their way into buildings, clearing them obo. War planes are still bombing insurgent positions in the city and U.S. Army units are shelling what they call a massive enemy bunker complex.

Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is embedded with the Marines on the outskirts of Falluja.

He joins us now.

Hello -- Nic. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, the city is controlled, that's what military officials are telling us here. It is not safe for civilians to go back. It is not safe for humanitarian missions to enter Falluja.

What is happening? The troops achieved their objectives. They swept through the city. Now they are going back building by building, area by area looking for insurgents. One Marine officer said to me, "The insurgents have the advantage in this respect, that they are hidden, that it's up to them when they pop up, fire their weapons at us." Then the Marine officer said, "Then we can take them on using coordination firepower.

The situation, though, for the troops who are going building to building there remains unpredictable.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For this Marine gunner, resupplying Charley Company was never going to be easy -- a high speed dash through Falluja's dangerous streets, head-long into a firefight. Resupplying Charlie Company abruptly switching to reinforce Bravo Company. Their foot patrol pinned down by insurgent gunfire. Incoming rounds whistle and snap overhead. Bullets ricochet off the armored supply vehicle. Suddenly a call. Marines injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what they're doing right now, they're getting casualties. They're going to call me and then they're going to leave.

ROBERTSON: Reinforcement turns into MediVac. A race back to base, resupplying Charlie Company no longer the objective. Better luck on the next run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, give me some people down here and grab this (OBSCENE WORD OMITTED) and bring it inside.

ROBERTSON: Charlie Company Marines rush to get their water, food and ammunition out of harm's way. For their commander, the focus now on insurgents bypassed in the initial phase of the assault.

CAPT. THOMAS TENANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: The threat that they pose right now is that they hold the ground. We don't know where they are. They can continue to snipe at us and fire RPGs.

ROBERTSON: Resupplied, Captain Tenant's marines race for cover, en route to the next objective, plans worked out as they go.

TENANT: If we do end up clearing rooms, if we have to take over and clear rooms, you guys are throwing frag in every room we come to.

ROBERTSON: Explosives to clear the way. Two of Charlie Company killed by insurgents lying in wait in a house just a few days before. Past the body of a man believed to be an insurgent, progress is cautious, holding up in a house along the way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I want a scope up top. I want an eight ton up there. Anderson has got us covered back here. We're good.

ROBERTSON: The strains of battle, etching their wearying patterns on the face of Charlie Company. No flagging, though, on the final push for their objective -- an Iraqi school. As promised, no risks taken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clear the hole!

ROBERTSON: Marines rush forward. No insurgents found.

LT. COL. TRAVIS FULLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: One of our biggest concerns right now actually is not enemy being in the building, it's a building being booby trapped.

ROBERTSON: Later, under cover of darkness, detainees being sent back to base for questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is no -- Charlie Company needs this done tomorrow.

ROBERTSON: And a call for much needed supplies. As day breaks, relative quiet after a night of sporadic explosions. Time to repair, refresh and reflect on their first taste of battle.

TENANT: I've never gone through anything like this with one of my friends before and I definitely know that we're all a lot closer now.

ROBERTSON: Unpredictably and seemingly out of nowhere, they take fire. A day to be like the one before, maybe. More objectives to be taken. More time for Charlie Company in the firing line. Their losses so far cutting deep, but not hindering their mission.

TENANT: Broken-hearted, disappointed, but with the mission at hand, you can't grieve too much now. You just save it and you grieve when you get out of here safely.

ROBERTSON: For Charlie Company, Falluja was never going to be painless.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And for those Marines, they're still going house to house, as are the Marines in the other companies surrounding them. The efforts now to really secure the city, to make it safe for people to come back. That's the focus right now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Nic, I was just going to ask you that.

Will they stay in Falluja for a while? What's the next step for them now that they've, you know, in essence, taken the city?

ROBERTSON: Really the current step is the ongoing phase. Nobody's giving an exact time estimate of when the Marines, when Task Force 22 from the 1st Infantry Division will complete their assignments, when they will move to other locations. But the expectation is it will be a few days, that then an Iraqi force will take over. Already there are many Iraqi troops in the city, securing key locations, key buildings. But they -- it's the Iraqis who are expected to be the flown force, if you will, who will maintain and provide security in the city -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live out of Iraq this morning.

Thank you.

In addition to the U.S. troops killed in Falluja, scores have been flown to Germany for treatment of bullet and blast wounds. Some of those soldiers will participate in a news conference from Landstuhl. That will happen in the next half hour of DAYBREAK and, of course, we will bring you that live when it begins.

In news across America this morning, New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey has been sworn in as acting governor, but he won't officially take office until midnight tonight. He's taking the place of resigning Governor James McGreevey, who has resigned over a gay sex scandal. Codey, also a Democrat, says he's ready to get the state government back in working order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICHARD CODEY (D), NEW JERSEY: Well, I think just by bringing stability to the government, we'll help that process, clearly. And over the next few weeks, they'll see that I'm serious about ethical reform. We've already initiated some campaign finance reforms as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Five people were killed when their small plane crashed into a senior citizens' apartment complex in San Antonio, Texas. There were a few minor injuries on the ground. The plane barreled into the ground while trying to change course in bad weather.

A 21-year-old motorcycle rider died after plunging 500 feet down an empty mine shaft. He was riding through an off road area in San Bernardino County, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles. It took a search and rescue team several hours to find the body.

And in Florida, tasering children -- that will be the focus when Miami-Dade police hold a news conference later today. Two controversial incidents recently. One involves the tasering of a 6- year-old child.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The second taser incident involving a child was publicly revealed only after CNN first reported on a 6-year old being jolted, even though both cases were known to authorities. This 12-year old girl was also tasered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt like I couldn't breathe and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

CANDIOTTI: Police say she was playing hooky from school, drinking and swimming with friends in a pool. After breaking it up, an officer gave chase. According to a police report, he advised her to stop several times, but she didn't, to the point of starting to run into lanes of traffic.

About two weeks earlier, this first grader was tasered at school. He was holding a piece of broken glass, allegedly about to cut his leg. Police insist two officers and others there had no other choice.

DET. JUAN DEL CASTILLO, MIAMI-DADE FLORIDA POLICE: We're happy that we're here talking about this as opposed to an injury that he might have caused himself with that piece of glass.

CANDIOTTI: After the quick 50,000 volt jolt, the boy's family says he threw up.

KATHY ALLEN, MOTHER: If there's three officers, it's nothing to tell a 6-year old holding a glass, if you feel threatened, hey, here's a piece of candy. Hey, here's a toy. You know, let the glass go.

CANDIOTTI: Both incidents have created an outcry. Florida's governor was asked about it.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I don't know the circumstances of why adults couldn't control a six-year old.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): While Miami-Dade police defend using a taser on a 6-year old boy, they question using a taser on a child playing hooky. However, they refuse to answer any more questions until Monday.

(voice-over): Community activists are calling for a meeting with police.

GEORGIA AYERS, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: There needs to be more in- depth study on using the taser on children. Paragraph ended.

CANDIOTTI: Miami Police Chief John Timoney has questions about his sister agency's taser policy and says he's uncomfortable about using tasers on children, especially in school.

JOHN TIMONEY, CHIEF, MIAMI DADE POLICE: You're arming them just to deal with unruly students. I mean, that's...

CANDIOTTI: Taser International says more than 5,000 police agencies nationwide use their product and insist it has tested safe for anyone weighing at least 60 pounds. Yet tasers on children remain controversial. And in South Florida, policies on their use are under review.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what we've got coming up this hour.

A foreign born president? Some Americans want to give Arnold Schwarzenegger and other immigrants a shot at the White House. We'll have more for you at 19 minutes past the hour.

And spy versus spy at the CIA? We'll tell you about some major shakeups at 31 minutes past.

And the latest crash tests might have you looking back instead of looking ahead when you drive. We will explain at 50 minutes past.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, November 15.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:138 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Two members of the Iraqi interim prime minister's family have been released. Sources close to Ayad Allawi say two female relatives were freed by kidnappers. Allawi's male cousin still a captive, though. A militant group took credit for abducting all three last week.

Vice President Dick Cheney is expected back at work today. He had a minor health scare over the weekend. The vice president went to the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. But it turned out to be just a cold.

In money news, in the box office battle of animated films, "The Incredibles" scored a big win over Tom Hanks' "The Polar Express." "The Incredibles" pulled in $51 million over the weekend against $23 million for "Polar Express."

In culture, it was another successful night for Usher, this time at the American Music Awards. He walked away with four statues, including the award for best pop rock artist and album.

In sports, the New England Patriots batter the Buffalo Bills 29-6 in another dominating performance. Get this, the Pats allowed just 50 yards rushing and intercepted the Bills' quarterback four times on their way to their eighth victory of the season.

Wow!

You know, Chad, Pittsburgh won, too.

MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: And it, Pittsburgh is now eight and one.

MYERS: Yes. And you know the quarterback's name, Carol, don't you?

COSTELLO: Rothersberger (ph).

MYERS: And do you know how cool it is to men that you know that name? I can't tell you how cool that is. What happened to your Lions yesterday, though? Did they not show up?

COSTELLO: Oh, please don't even speak about that because it would have been better had they not shown up.

MYERS: Sorry.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Hey, Chad, stick around.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: Because how does this sound to you, President Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well, it sounds good to...

MYERS: Well, I don't think he's qualified right now.

COSTELLO: Well, exactly. And that's what this next story is going to be about. Article 2 of the constitution says it cannot happen, but an amendment could change that. New TV ads begin running today in California supporting a change to allow a foreign born citizen to become president of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM TV AD)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot choose the land of your birth. You can choose the land you love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twelve million people have chosen America. Now America wants to choose them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help us amend the constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Of course, this ad is funded by Schwarzenegger backers. And even if Congress approves an amendment to the constitution, 38 states would still have to ratify it. The organization running the ads, as I said, is made up of Schwarzenegger donors and supporters. But the governor's office says it has nothing to do with the movement, absolutely nothing. Nothing.

And that leads us to our e-mail Question of the Morning. Should anyone born outside of the United States be allowed to run for president? Send us your thoughts, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. Tell us what you think of the new set, too, because we want to know.

We will read your responses later in the show. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Still to come this morning on DAYBREAK, even without all the celebrity spectators, the wedding was still star-studded. Yes, Star Jones got married. Stick with us. We'll tell you all about it.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Twenty thousand fans have spoken and the performers have collected their American Music Awards.

Did you watch last night, Chad?

MYERS: I didn't, but I heard all about it.

COSTELLO: You did not.

MYERS: I did.

COSTELLO: You really read about it?

MYERS: I read all about it this morning, sure. Usher.

COSTELLO: Usher?

MYERS: Right?

COSTELLO: Usher scoops up four awards, winning in all categories he was nominated for, including favorite male R&B artist.

MYERS: And that's rare, to win everything you're nominated for, really.

COSTELLO: Well, it is the American Music -- which is kind of bogus. We're going to talk about that in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

MYERS: What?

COSTELLO: It's bogus, Chad.

MYERS: Hmmm.

COSTELLO: Cheryl Crow wins two prizes.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: She beat out Avril Lavigne for favorite adult contemporary artist and favorite female artist. Ooh, she's looking good, though, isn't she?

MYERS: Yes, I like that. COSTELLO: I always like when women look great in their 40s. It makes me happy.

And veteran rockers John Bon Jovi...

MYERS: That's easy for you to say.

COSTELLO: Yes, whatever -- pick up a special merit award for their 20 years in the music biz. Twenty years of great hair.

MYERS: A nice job.

Did he have a mullet for a while?

COSTELLO: Yes, I believe he -- didn't everyone in the '80s have a mullet? I bet you did.

MYERS: I didn't.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

MYERS: I -- no, I had a little curly perm. I looked like the older Brady guy, you know, Michael Brady? Was that...

COSTELLO: Greg Brady.

MYERS: Greg Brady, yes. I looked like Greg Brady.

COSTELLO: That's really bad. That's wrong.

MYERS: Well, then you wanted to know. Sorry.

COSTELLO: Yes. As I said, though, just a sample from the American Music Awards. Tom O'Neill (ph) will give the American Music Awards a complete going over in the next half hour.

MYERS: And he'll tell us why it's bogus.

COSTELLO: He will tell us why it's bogus. You've got that right.

Time more for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."

A Christmas tradition snaps out of place in Atlanta. A 75-foot tree snapped in half while crews were lifting it onto the roof of a mall. Organizers promise that a new tree will be up and decorated in time for the traditional Thanksgiving lighting ceremony.

It seems that store mannequins are putting on a little weight. Makers say the demand for bigger, more curvy models is growing all across the country. Stores like Macy's and Sak's are even ordering small mannequins with bigger, rounder back sides. The classic mannequin was a size four, while the average American woman is a size eight. And I believe that these mannequins are a size four except for the back side. Star Jones married banker Al Reynolds over the weekend. Yes, she finally got married, and boy was it a lavish affair, featuring dozens of A, B and C list celebrities. The new bride says she plans to legally change her name to Star Jones Reynolds. Among the guests, and I know you're fascinated by this, actor/comedian Chris Rock and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

MYERS: And, Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes?

MYERS: She had a 27-foot train on the back of that beautiful dress.

COSTELLO: Oh, let's listen to a bit of sound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORRAINE BRACCO, ACTRESS: The dress was beautiful. It was white with a train that went on for several New York blocks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just beautiful. I mean just top notch, classy and heartfelt and just beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I'm tearing up, Chad.

MYERS: Carol, you didn't have a train.

COSTELLO: No, I didn't have a train. And I wasn't invited to Star Jones' wedding, either. You know, the funny part is that she wouldn't come out because like some magazine sponsored her wedding and you can only see the pictures in the magazine.

MYERS: Oh, of course.

COSTELLO: She knows how to profit from a wedding.

MYERS: Hey, you know what?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Thought it was free.

COSTELLO: You got that right.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

We'll see some overseas headlines like Bono and McCartney teaming up.

And a possible delay in the Iraqi elections.

Also, the good and the bad in crash tests for whiplash.

From New York and Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He burst into the fashion world at age 19. Now, 26 years later, award winning designer Michael Kors has an established label and an expanding multi-million dollar company.

MICHAEL KORS, DESIGNER, MICHAEL KORS: A lot of people say how do you last a long time in fashion? And I think that there are sort of three things. Always be ready for what's next, stay curious, but at the same time, really, I've always kept my eye on the compound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now Kors hopes to broaden his customer base. Known for outfitting the wealthy in cashmere and sequins, he recently launched a less expensive clothing and accessory line. Kors believes retail experience is the key to becoming a successful designer.

KORS: Be on a selling floor, see what people buy, learn product. The more you're around clothes, you're going to know how they're made, how things fit, how things work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired November 15, 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: Falluja firefight -- CNN takes you into the battle.
Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I couldn't breathe and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Using tasers on children -- this morning, a public outcry and a police department defending itself.

And your car under the microscope. If you're in a crash, do you think your head rests will really protect you? New information before you get into your car to go to work. It is Monday, November 15.

This is DAYBREAK.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the Time Warner Center in New York and CNN Center in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

There is a lot going on right now, so let's check the headlines right now.

A sigh of relief over Iran's nuclear program. Iran has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program. Still, it could take several days for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to close the program.

Yet another high profile murder trial in southern California. Jury selection begins today in the trial of actor Robert Blake. He's accused of killing his wife outside of a San Fernando Valley restaurant three and a half years ago.

Closing arguments set today in the hearing for John Hinckley, Jr. Hinckley wants more time away from his Washington psychiatric hospital. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of President Reagan and three others. A look into the future of flight. NASA hopes today to conduct the final test of Scramjet, a new engine technology. It's hoped the X-43A aircraft will reach 7,000 miles per hour in the testing off the coast of California.

To the Weather Center in Atlanta and Chad -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

How is New York?

COSTELLO: It's fabulous.

How's Atlanta?

MYERS: Do you have a bagel and lox right there?

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Do you have hand cut novas sitting right next to you?

COSTELLO: How did you know?

MYERS: Well, I would hope so. It's New York.

Good morning.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Insurgents attack and an infamous bridge reopens. That is the latest out of Iraq this morning. Explosions and gunfire have rocked the Ba'qubah area northeast of Baghdad. Witnesses say insurgents clashed with Iraqi police and American troops.

In Falluja, U.S. Marines have reopened a key bridge to military traffic. It is the same bridge where mobs strung up the burned bodies of two American contract workers last spring.

And more insurgent attacks in northern Iraq. A car bomb killed two Iraqi National Guardsmen in Mosul. And in a town north of Tikrit, a railroad overpass was sabotaged.

A U.S. Marine commander says coalition troops have liberated the city of Falluja. But the Marines are still blasting their way into buildings, clearing them obo. War planes are still bombing insurgent positions in the city and U.S. Army units are shelling what they call a massive enemy bunker complex.

Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is embedded with the Marines on the outskirts of Falluja.

He joins us now.

Hello -- Nic. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, the city is controlled, that's what military officials are telling us here. It is not safe for civilians to go back. It is not safe for humanitarian missions to enter Falluja.

What is happening? The troops achieved their objectives. They swept through the city. Now they are going back building by building, area by area looking for insurgents. One Marine officer said to me, "The insurgents have the advantage in this respect, that they are hidden, that it's up to them when they pop up, fire their weapons at us." Then the Marine officer said, "Then we can take them on using coordination firepower.

The situation, though, for the troops who are going building to building there remains unpredictable.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For this Marine gunner, resupplying Charley Company was never going to be easy -- a high speed dash through Falluja's dangerous streets, head-long into a firefight. Resupplying Charlie Company abruptly switching to reinforce Bravo Company. Their foot patrol pinned down by insurgent gunfire. Incoming rounds whistle and snap overhead. Bullets ricochet off the armored supply vehicle. Suddenly a call. Marines injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what they're doing right now, they're getting casualties. They're going to call me and then they're going to leave.

ROBERTSON: Reinforcement turns into MediVac. A race back to base, resupplying Charlie Company no longer the objective. Better luck on the next run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, give me some people down here and grab this (OBSCENE WORD OMITTED) and bring it inside.

ROBERTSON: Charlie Company Marines rush to get their water, food and ammunition out of harm's way. For their commander, the focus now on insurgents bypassed in the initial phase of the assault.

CAPT. THOMAS TENANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: The threat that they pose right now is that they hold the ground. We don't know where they are. They can continue to snipe at us and fire RPGs.

ROBERTSON: Resupplied, Captain Tenant's marines race for cover, en route to the next objective, plans worked out as they go.

TENANT: If we do end up clearing rooms, if we have to take over and clear rooms, you guys are throwing frag in every room we come to.

ROBERTSON: Explosives to clear the way. Two of Charlie Company killed by insurgents lying in wait in a house just a few days before. Past the body of a man believed to be an insurgent, progress is cautious, holding up in a house along the way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, I want a scope up top. I want an eight ton up there. Anderson has got us covered back here. We're good.

ROBERTSON: The strains of battle, etching their wearying patterns on the face of Charlie Company. No flagging, though, on the final push for their objective -- an Iraqi school. As promised, no risks taken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clear the hole!

ROBERTSON: Marines rush forward. No insurgents found.

LT. COL. TRAVIS FULLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: One of our biggest concerns right now actually is not enemy being in the building, it's a building being booby trapped.

ROBERTSON: Later, under cover of darkness, detainees being sent back to base for questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is no -- Charlie Company needs this done tomorrow.

ROBERTSON: And a call for much needed supplies. As day breaks, relative quiet after a night of sporadic explosions. Time to repair, refresh and reflect on their first taste of battle.

TENANT: I've never gone through anything like this with one of my friends before and I definitely know that we're all a lot closer now.

ROBERTSON: Unpredictably and seemingly out of nowhere, they take fire. A day to be like the one before, maybe. More objectives to be taken. More time for Charlie Company in the firing line. Their losses so far cutting deep, but not hindering their mission.

TENANT: Broken-hearted, disappointed, but with the mission at hand, you can't grieve too much now. You just save it and you grieve when you get out of here safely.

ROBERTSON: For Charlie Company, Falluja was never going to be painless.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And for those Marines, they're still going house to house, as are the Marines in the other companies surrounding them. The efforts now to really secure the city, to make it safe for people to come back. That's the focus right now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Nic, I was just going to ask you that.

Will they stay in Falluja for a while? What's the next step for them now that they've, you know, in essence, taken the city?

ROBERTSON: Really the current step is the ongoing phase. Nobody's giving an exact time estimate of when the Marines, when Task Force 22 from the 1st Infantry Division will complete their assignments, when they will move to other locations. But the expectation is it will be a few days, that then an Iraqi force will take over. Already there are many Iraqi troops in the city, securing key locations, key buildings. But they -- it's the Iraqis who are expected to be the flown force, if you will, who will maintain and provide security in the city -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live out of Iraq this morning.

Thank you.

In addition to the U.S. troops killed in Falluja, scores have been flown to Germany for treatment of bullet and blast wounds. Some of those soldiers will participate in a news conference from Landstuhl. That will happen in the next half hour of DAYBREAK and, of course, we will bring you that live when it begins.

In news across America this morning, New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey has been sworn in as acting governor, but he won't officially take office until midnight tonight. He's taking the place of resigning Governor James McGreevey, who has resigned over a gay sex scandal. Codey, also a Democrat, says he's ready to get the state government back in working order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICHARD CODEY (D), NEW JERSEY: Well, I think just by bringing stability to the government, we'll help that process, clearly. And over the next few weeks, they'll see that I'm serious about ethical reform. We've already initiated some campaign finance reforms as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Five people were killed when their small plane crashed into a senior citizens' apartment complex in San Antonio, Texas. There were a few minor injuries on the ground. The plane barreled into the ground while trying to change course in bad weather.

A 21-year-old motorcycle rider died after plunging 500 feet down an empty mine shaft. He was riding through an off road area in San Bernardino County, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles. It took a search and rescue team several hours to find the body.

And in Florida, tasering children -- that will be the focus when Miami-Dade police hold a news conference later today. Two controversial incidents recently. One involves the tasering of a 6- year-old child.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The second taser incident involving a child was publicly revealed only after CNN first reported on a 6-year old being jolted, even though both cases were known to authorities. This 12-year old girl was also tasered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt like I couldn't breathe and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

CANDIOTTI: Police say she was playing hooky from school, drinking and swimming with friends in a pool. After breaking it up, an officer gave chase. According to a police report, he advised her to stop several times, but she didn't, to the point of starting to run into lanes of traffic.

About two weeks earlier, this first grader was tasered at school. He was holding a piece of broken glass, allegedly about to cut his leg. Police insist two officers and others there had no other choice.

DET. JUAN DEL CASTILLO, MIAMI-DADE FLORIDA POLICE: We're happy that we're here talking about this as opposed to an injury that he might have caused himself with that piece of glass.

CANDIOTTI: After the quick 50,000 volt jolt, the boy's family says he threw up.

KATHY ALLEN, MOTHER: If there's three officers, it's nothing to tell a 6-year old holding a glass, if you feel threatened, hey, here's a piece of candy. Hey, here's a toy. You know, let the glass go.

CANDIOTTI: Both incidents have created an outcry. Florida's governor was asked about it.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I don't know the circumstances of why adults couldn't control a six-year old.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): While Miami-Dade police defend using a taser on a 6-year old boy, they question using a taser on a child playing hooky. However, they refuse to answer any more questions until Monday.

(voice-over): Community activists are calling for a meeting with police.

GEORGIA AYERS, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: There needs to be more in- depth study on using the taser on children. Paragraph ended.

CANDIOTTI: Miami Police Chief John Timoney has questions about his sister agency's taser policy and says he's uncomfortable about using tasers on children, especially in school.

JOHN TIMONEY, CHIEF, MIAMI DADE POLICE: You're arming them just to deal with unruly students. I mean, that's...

CANDIOTTI: Taser International says more than 5,000 police agencies nationwide use their product and insist it has tested safe for anyone weighing at least 60 pounds. Yet tasers on children remain controversial. And in South Florida, policies on their use are under review.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what we've got coming up this hour.

A foreign born president? Some Americans want to give Arnold Schwarzenegger and other immigrants a shot at the White House. We'll have more for you at 19 minutes past the hour.

And spy versus spy at the CIA? We'll tell you about some major shakeups at 31 minutes past.

And the latest crash tests might have you looking back instead of looking ahead when you drive. We will explain at 50 minutes past.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, November 15.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:138 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Two members of the Iraqi interim prime minister's family have been released. Sources close to Ayad Allawi say two female relatives were freed by kidnappers. Allawi's male cousin still a captive, though. A militant group took credit for abducting all three last week.

Vice President Dick Cheney is expected back at work today. He had a minor health scare over the weekend. The vice president went to the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. But it turned out to be just a cold.

In money news, in the box office battle of animated films, "The Incredibles" scored a big win over Tom Hanks' "The Polar Express." "The Incredibles" pulled in $51 million over the weekend against $23 million for "Polar Express."

In culture, it was another successful night for Usher, this time at the American Music Awards. He walked away with four statues, including the award for best pop rock artist and album.

In sports, the New England Patriots batter the Buffalo Bills 29-6 in another dominating performance. Get this, the Pats allowed just 50 yards rushing and intercepted the Bills' quarterback four times on their way to their eighth victory of the season.

Wow!

You know, Chad, Pittsburgh won, too.

MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: And it, Pittsburgh is now eight and one.

MYERS: Yes. And you know the quarterback's name, Carol, don't you?

COSTELLO: Rothersberger (ph).

MYERS: And do you know how cool it is to men that you know that name? I can't tell you how cool that is. What happened to your Lions yesterday, though? Did they not show up?

COSTELLO: Oh, please don't even speak about that because it would have been better had they not shown up.

MYERS: Sorry.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Hey, Chad, stick around.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: Because how does this sound to you, President Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well, it sounds good to...

MYERS: Well, I don't think he's qualified right now.

COSTELLO: Well, exactly. And that's what this next story is going to be about. Article 2 of the constitution says it cannot happen, but an amendment could change that. New TV ads begin running today in California supporting a change to allow a foreign born citizen to become president of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM TV AD)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot choose the land of your birth. You can choose the land you love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twelve million people have chosen America. Now America wants to choose them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Help us amend the constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Of course, this ad is funded by Schwarzenegger backers. And even if Congress approves an amendment to the constitution, 38 states would still have to ratify it. The organization running the ads, as I said, is made up of Schwarzenegger donors and supporters. But the governor's office says it has nothing to do with the movement, absolutely nothing. Nothing.

And that leads us to our e-mail Question of the Morning. Should anyone born outside of the United States be allowed to run for president? Send us your thoughts, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com. Tell us what you think of the new set, too, because we want to know.

We will read your responses later in the show. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Still to come this morning on DAYBREAK, even without all the celebrity spectators, the wedding was still star-studded. Yes, Star Jones got married. Stick with us. We'll tell you all about it.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Twenty thousand fans have spoken and the performers have collected their American Music Awards.

Did you watch last night, Chad?

MYERS: I didn't, but I heard all about it.

COSTELLO: You did not.

MYERS: I did.

COSTELLO: You really read about it?

MYERS: I read all about it this morning, sure. Usher.

COSTELLO: Usher?

MYERS: Right?

COSTELLO: Usher scoops up four awards, winning in all categories he was nominated for, including favorite male R&B artist.

MYERS: And that's rare, to win everything you're nominated for, really.

COSTELLO: Well, it is the American Music -- which is kind of bogus. We're going to talk about that in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

MYERS: What?

COSTELLO: It's bogus, Chad.

MYERS: Hmmm.

COSTELLO: Cheryl Crow wins two prizes.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: She beat out Avril Lavigne for favorite adult contemporary artist and favorite female artist. Ooh, she's looking good, though, isn't she?

MYERS: Yes, I like that. COSTELLO: I always like when women look great in their 40s. It makes me happy.

And veteran rockers John Bon Jovi...

MYERS: That's easy for you to say.

COSTELLO: Yes, whatever -- pick up a special merit award for their 20 years in the music biz. Twenty years of great hair.

MYERS: A nice job.

Did he have a mullet for a while?

COSTELLO: Yes, I believe he -- didn't everyone in the '80s have a mullet? I bet you did.

MYERS: I didn't.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

MYERS: I -- no, I had a little curly perm. I looked like the older Brady guy, you know, Michael Brady? Was that...

COSTELLO: Greg Brady.

MYERS: Greg Brady, yes. I looked like Greg Brady.

COSTELLO: That's really bad. That's wrong.

MYERS: Well, then you wanted to know. Sorry.

COSTELLO: Yes. As I said, though, just a sample from the American Music Awards. Tom O'Neill (ph) will give the American Music Awards a complete going over in the next half hour.

MYERS: And he'll tell us why it's bogus.

COSTELLO: He will tell us why it's bogus. You've got that right.

Time more for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."

A Christmas tradition snaps out of place in Atlanta. A 75-foot tree snapped in half while crews were lifting it onto the roof of a mall. Organizers promise that a new tree will be up and decorated in time for the traditional Thanksgiving lighting ceremony.

It seems that store mannequins are putting on a little weight. Makers say the demand for bigger, more curvy models is growing all across the country. Stores like Macy's and Sak's are even ordering small mannequins with bigger, rounder back sides. The classic mannequin was a size four, while the average American woman is a size eight. And I believe that these mannequins are a size four except for the back side. Star Jones married banker Al Reynolds over the weekend. Yes, she finally got married, and boy was it a lavish affair, featuring dozens of A, B and C list celebrities. The new bride says she plans to legally change her name to Star Jones Reynolds. Among the guests, and I know you're fascinated by this, actor/comedian Chris Rock and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

MYERS: And, Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes?

MYERS: She had a 27-foot train on the back of that beautiful dress.

COSTELLO: Oh, let's listen to a bit of sound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORRAINE BRACCO, ACTRESS: The dress was beautiful. It was white with a train that went on for several New York blocks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just beautiful. I mean just top notch, classy and heartfelt and just beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I'm tearing up, Chad.

MYERS: Carol, you didn't have a train.

COSTELLO: No, I didn't have a train. And I wasn't invited to Star Jones' wedding, either. You know, the funny part is that she wouldn't come out because like some magazine sponsored her wedding and you can only see the pictures in the magazine.

MYERS: Oh, of course.

COSTELLO: She knows how to profit from a wedding.

MYERS: Hey, you know what?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Thought it was free.

COSTELLO: You got that right.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

We'll see some overseas headlines like Bono and McCartney teaming up.

And a possible delay in the Iraqi elections.

Also, the good and the bad in crash tests for whiplash.

From New York and Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He burst into the fashion world at age 19. Now, 26 years later, award winning designer Michael Kors has an established label and an expanding multi-million dollar company.

MICHAEL KORS, DESIGNER, MICHAEL KORS: A lot of people say how do you last a long time in fashion? And I think that there are sort of three things. Always be ready for what's next, stay curious, but at the same time, really, I've always kept my eye on the compound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now Kors hopes to broaden his customer base. Known for outfitting the wealthy in cashmere and sequins, he recently launched a less expensive clothing and accessory line. Kors believes retail experience is the key to becoming a successful designer.

KORS: Be on a selling floor, see what people buy, learn product. The more you're around clothes, you're going to know how they're made, how things fit, how things work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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