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CNN Live At Daybreak

A New Chief and a New Shakeup at the CIA

Aired November 15, 2004 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. There's a lot going on this morning, so let's check the headlines for you.
At this hour, going on right now, the southern part of Iraq's Falluja, renewed fighting between U.S. troops and insurgents. Earlier today, U.S. war planes bombed insurgent targets. Our Jane Arraf reports U.S. and Iraqi forces are searching house to house now.

Jury selection begins today in the murder trial of actor Robert Blake. Blake is accused of killing his wife three and a half years ago now, outside of a Southern California restaurant.

The man who shot President Reagan, John Hinckley, Jr. could learn his fate this week, if he gets to spend more time away from the Washington Psychiatric Hospital, where he has lived since 1981. Closing arguments on his request will be heard by a federal judge today.

Weather permitting NASA plans to conduct a final test today of Scramjet, a new engine technology. NASA hopes the X-43A aircraft can hit 7,000 mph in testing off the California coast.

That's fast, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That is. But if you read some of the books, like "Angels and Demons", and things like that from Dan Brown, they already exist, so...

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Cool.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

COSTELLO: A new chief and a new shake up at the CIA. Is the spy agency heading for turmoil? CNN's Elaine Quijano has more for you, from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is no secret there are tensions at the CIA.

This quite a soap opera even by Washington politics standards.

QUIJANO: "The Washington Post" reports some long-time officers are threatening to resign over staff changes. And like everything in Washington, opinions fall along party lines.

SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: Well, I think that Porter Goss apparently carried out a few things in a heavy-handed way, or a precipitous way.

Porter Goss, during his days as the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was harshly critical of the CIA's clandestine service. During his confirmation hearings he vowed to lead the agency in a non-partisan way. But the former '60s era intelligence officer also hinted at his style.

PORTER GOSS, DIRECTOR, CIA: My attitude toward the intelligence community, and I guess my alma mater, the CIA, is one of tough love.

QUIJANO: Some Republicans see that tough love as exactly the answer to preventing future CIA failures.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: This is an organization full of very good and decent people, but is dysfunctional and is not providing the intelligence information necessary for the president to conduct the war on terror.

QUIJANO: Yet, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says the problem is not Director Goss, but those he's brought with him, now clashing with career CIA officers.

REP. JANE HARMAN, (D) CALIFORNIA: The agency seems in free-fall in Washington, and that is a very, very bad omen, in the middle of a war.

QUIJANO (on camera): The reports of discord at the CIA coincide with the announcement Friday that Deputy Director John McLaughlin will retire in December.

Now, in a written statement McLaughlin said the move was a purely personal decision. And a CIA spokesman denies that any other factors were in involved -- Elaine Quijano, CNN, The White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And coming up on CNN's "American Morning", we'll get more of a take on the CIA from the man who sat in the big chair, former Director James Woolsey joins us. That is in the 7 a.m. Eastern hour.

Iran is trying to reassure the world that it is not trying to build nuclear weapons, the government has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program and has notified the U.N. nuclear watchdog group of its decision, in writing.

The agreement came after lengthy talks among Iran, France, Britain and Germany. The International Atomic Energy Agency, by the way, is expected to include the Iranian commitment in a report due out later today.

The Iranians have always insisted they wanted the nuclear technology for energy purposes only.

Uplifting and somber moments in Britain, over the weekend. And will the Iraqi elections really take place on time. Our Senior International Editor David Clinch is in London this morning. He joins us live now.

Why are you in London, David? Explain to our viewers, first off, why you are there.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Just taking a look at the bureau here. We have a very large operation in London, a lot of the people that we use internationally on stories, like Iraq and other places, are based here in London.

It is very useful here for us, in Atlanta, to come and spend some time here with the team in London. And it is a fantastic operation here. So, really just meeting and greeting.

But also, working while I'm here. And I'm looking at the papers. We have a wide variety of headlines in the newspapers today, but sort of a theme, in some ways, tying them together. One, the most widely read paper in Britain, "The Sun", today featuring what it is sort of claiming as its story. And that is the recording of Band Aid II. That is the re-recording of the original Band Aid song, 20 years ago. Makes me feel very old.

Everybody here in the UK remembers where they were during Band Aid, or more particularly during Live Aid, which was the big concert that followed that. "The Sun" claiming to have originated the idea, with Bob Galdolf (ph) of re-recording Band Aid. And they have a lot of British pop stars, from Cold Play, here, Chris Martin and others recording. Bono down here. So, a heavy Irish influence as well, in that effort.

It will be interesting to see, though, it is Christmas, but it will be interesting to see with Iraq and everything else going on, whether British people really care about hunger in Africa, which, of course is what that is all about, feeding starving in Africa has not necessarily been on the top of anybody's agenda, here, or in the United States, recently. So, we'll watch that one.

Now, sort of getting closer to the theme of Iraq, but on the British side, of course, the Queen, Queen Elizabeth, here attending Remembrance Day services in Britain yesterday.

And all also interestingly -- no picture of him here -- but Prince William was featured, I think for the first time, officially at those Remembrance Day services yesterday, in Britain.

And, of course, somber as always, remembering the British war dead, from all wars. But of course, the focus on Iraq right now, British soldiers close to, coming near to 100 British soldiers having been killed in Iraq and the Black Watch, the Scottish regiment that is in the front line or close to the frontline in Iraq, was featured heavily in that yesterday. And then just very quickly, on Iraq, the reality, "The Guardian", left-wing paper, saying Iraqi officials do not know for sure if elections can be held on time in Iraq, in January, as planned. Now, again, left-leaning there. They are anti-war, but still worth reading.

So, a variety of papers here, and Britain, as always, very complicated place.

COSTELLO: Definitely so. Not unlike the United States because that question about whether elections could be held in Iraq in January is going to come up in our next hour. We're going to talk a "Time" magazine reporter.

Thanks, David.

Interim Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is shrugging off a shooting in Gaza City.

Gunfire erupted when masked men burst into a tent where Abbas and others had gathered to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat. When the gun smoke cleared, two security guards were dead, at least 10 other people were wounded. President Abbas was not hurt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN INTERIM PRESIDENT: I confirmed that there was no intention to shoot anybody. Not from the PLO, nor from outsiders. It is normal in any crowded place that gunshots can cause accidental casualties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Abbas says the shooting was not a political or a personal thing, it was just something that happened.

Abbas is a likely candidate for permanent president of the Palestinian Authority, to succeed Yasser Arafat. The election now set for January 9. Candidates can be nominated between November 20 and December 1. Campaigning begins on December 27.

Along with Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, another possible candidate could present a dilemma. Marwan Bargudi (ph), one of the Palestinian's most popular is serving five consecutive life sentences in Israel for murder and attempted murder.

And then, there is the Israel question. The Israeli government is going to be discussing if Palestinian in East Jerusalem will be allowed to vote. Israel' foreign affairs minister says he doesn't believe it is right for a resident of Israel to vote in a Palestinian election. We'll keep you posted.

How safe is your seat in a rear-ender? Julie Vallese has the stats on crash tests for whiplash, that will come your way 12 minutes from now.

And our e-mail question of the morning: "Should anyone born outside of the United States, you know, i.e., Arnold Schwarzenegger, be allowed to run for president?

Should there be a change in out Constitution?

We will read some of your e-mail a little later, Daybreak@cnn.com .

But first here is what else is making news this Monday morning.

(GRAPHIC WITH HEADLINES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A hot property in the nation's capital. Plans to build a baseball stadium in Washington are driving up housing prices in the area. Critics of the stadium fear poor residents maybe pushed out of the city.

In money news, Fannie Mae faces a deadline today for filing its third quarter financial results. Investors will be looking to see if the government sponsored mortgage giant will have to restate earnings. Fannie Mae is under investigation for its accounting practices.

In sports, golfer Charlie Sifford was the first African-American golfer to break into the PGA. Tonight he breaks another barrier. He is being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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.

To the forecast center, and Chad.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning. Still ahead on DAYBREAK, when it comes to an accident not all headrests in cars are created equal. Consumer Reporter Julie Vallese has the stats on the best seats to have a rear-ender in, if that makes any sense to you.

Our e-mail question of the morning: Should anyone born outside the United States be allowed to run for president? We will read some of your thoughts, a little later on DAYBREAK.

And you are watching DAYBREAK for Monday, November 15.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've all seen the crash tests of cars smashing head on into walls or other cars, but what happens if the cars are hit from behind? As CNN's Julie Vallese reports, in many cases what happens is not so good.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE VALLESE, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There is no dented bumper, no smashed front-end, but the newest test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does simulate a crash, a rear- impact crash, and measures how well a vehicle's head restraint and seat protect the driver.

ADRIAN LUND, INSUR. INST. FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: Only eight of the 73 head restraint combinations that we looked at did a good job. And we had 30 of the tested seats that we rated as doing a poor job.

VALLESE: The eight models earning a good rating, the highest mark, went to the Saab 92X and the 93, three Volvo models, Jaguar X Type, the Subaru Impressa and certain Volkswagen Beetles.

LUND: Some manufacturers have paid attention to this problem. Volvo and Saab, it is not by chance that they are the stars of this release. They account for five of the good rated head restraints.

VALLESE: You can even see the difference between a good performer and a marginal one. The Institute says a good restraint will catch a head early, so it will push your head along with your body. The marginal performer allows for some motion and forces on the neck.

LUND: Getting a rating of poor on this test doesn't mean that if you are in a rear-impact you are necessarily going to have a neck injury. But if you have a seat that is rated poor, you chances of being injured are much greater.

VALLESE: Drivers, Lund says, need to stop thinking of them as headrests and start adjusting head restraints to fit behind the head and not below it.

(on camera): Insurers pay out more than $7 billion each year for minor neck sprain injuries, and insurance premiums are higher because of it. So making a minor adjustment in your driving may make getting in a crash and paying for insurance a little less of a pain in the neck -- Julie Vallese, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And here is what is all new in the next hour on DAYBREAK. The material girl speaks out, yes. We'll tell you where the super star stands on politics and kids. She has a suggestion for President Bush. Wait until you hear what her advice is for him.

Also, red hot hybrids: All the convenience and a fraction of the cost. But are savvy spenders getting the most for their money?

Also, everyday at this time, we'll put what you learned in high school and history class to the test with a bit of trivia. Today's question is, in 1966, Gemini 12 splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. What two astronauts were on board?

From New York, this is DAYBREAK, for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right our history question of the day: In 1966 Gemini 12 splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. What two astronauts were on board?

The answer is, James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. They were picked up by helicopter and taken to the aircraft carrier Wasp. So congrats to all of you who actually remember that.

MYERS: Yes. That was a long time ago.

COSTELLO: It was a long time ago.

MYERS: And not a well-publicized thing at that time either. We were all waiting for Apollo and stuff.

COSTELLO: You were just a baby.

MYERS: Let's go, "Web Clicks".

COSTELLO: "Web Clicks" at CNN.com we are always interested in what people are clicking onto. The number one story, Have the found the lost city of Atlantis? This is really interesting, Chad.

MYERS: It is. They said that they taken what Plato described as Atlantis and they found and exact copy of that, an exact replica. The walls are in the same places, the walls are three kilometers long. The squares are in the right places, the ditches are in the right places. The problem is, it is almost 5,000 feet down the middle of the Mediterranean.

COSTELLO: An American researcher is claiming all of this, so we'll continue to follow that story. That's fascinating.

Another interesting story on our web site and I was surprised so many people were clicking onto this one, but Rod Stewart has been ordered to repay $780,000. Because he had this Latin American concert tour and he canceled it. So, he was going to keep the deposit.

MYERS: But why?

COSTELLO: Because he said he was entitled to it. The organizers said, I don't think so.

MYERS: You put a deposit down on a car and then you don't get it. Or they -- you should get your money back.

COSTELLO: But he's a rock star.

MYERS: Oh, whatever.

COSTELLO: Yeah. Another story of high interest on our website, is the Clinton Presidential Library. It opens later this week. And it is supposed to be incredible, spectacular. That was the bridge into the 21st century that you just saw there.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And it is supposed to have everything inside, including a mention of Monica Lewinsky.

MYERS: I was surprised. Not about Monica Lewinsky, I thought a presidential library had books in it. Like it's a library. The library, the books that will be in it, and the displays will actually be about his presidency. It is not like somewhere where you go check out books.

COSTELLO: No, no, no. No president library is. But they're trying to make this into a tourism thing, so they can make a lot of money. Most presidential libraries aren't visited very often. So, they're going to charge 7 bucks to get in, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I want to get to our e-mail question of the day, because it is quite interesting. We asked this question: "Should anyone born outside of the United States be allowed to run for president?"

And we asked that because ads have started running in California, in support of changing the Constitution to allow that. Because, of course, they want Arnold Schwarzenegger, to run in 2008.

MYERS: I have one, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, go ahead.

MYERS: From Ryan, in Montgomery. "It doesn't sound right to have a foreign born president, but I can't come up with a reason why it would be bad. "The President-ator".

It has a ring to it.

COSTELLO: You can have a lot of fun with that.

Here's one from Matthew, he says, "I think it would be a good idea to give foreign-born U.S. citizens the right to be president, maybe they'll breathe new life into the choices we have now."

And this one, from Aaron, from Billings, Montana: "Every president since the United States was established was born in the United States. Now people want to change it because one candidate, Arnold, wants to run. Since he's popular and has good reviews right now, it does not mean you should go and change the Constitution. Sorry, got to be born here. You can't smoke cigars in the White House."

But I bet they do.

MYERS: I think you can.

COSTELLO: I think the president can do anything he darn well pleases.

MYERS: That is what it means to be president.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

The next hour of DAYBREAK begins right now.

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 November 15, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. There's a lot going on this morning, so let's check the headlines for you.
At this hour, going on right now, the southern part of Iraq's Falluja, renewed fighting between U.S. troops and insurgents. Earlier today, U.S. war planes bombed insurgent targets. Our Jane Arraf reports U.S. and Iraqi forces are searching house to house now.

Jury selection begins today in the murder trial of actor Robert Blake. Blake is accused of killing his wife three and a half years ago now, outside of a Southern California restaurant.

The man who shot President Reagan, John Hinckley, Jr. could learn his fate this week, if he gets to spend more time away from the Washington Psychiatric Hospital, where he has lived since 1981. Closing arguments on his request will be heard by a federal judge today.

Weather permitting NASA plans to conduct a final test today of Scramjet, a new engine technology. NASA hopes the X-43A aircraft can hit 7,000 mph in testing off the California coast.

That's fast, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That is. But if you read some of the books, like "Angels and Demons", and things like that from Dan Brown, they already exist, so...

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Cool.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

COSTELLO: A new chief and a new shake up at the CIA. Is the spy agency heading for turmoil? CNN's Elaine Quijano has more for you, from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is no secret there are tensions at the CIA.

This quite a soap opera even by Washington politics standards.

QUIJANO: "The Washington Post" reports some long-time officers are threatening to resign over staff changes. And like everything in Washington, opinions fall along party lines.

SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: Well, I think that Porter Goss apparently carried out a few things in a heavy-handed way, or a precipitous way.

Porter Goss, during his days as the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was harshly critical of the CIA's clandestine service. During his confirmation hearings he vowed to lead the agency in a non-partisan way. But the former '60s era intelligence officer also hinted at his style.

PORTER GOSS, DIRECTOR, CIA: My attitude toward the intelligence community, and I guess my alma mater, the CIA, is one of tough love.

QUIJANO: Some Republicans see that tough love as exactly the answer to preventing future CIA failures.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: This is an organization full of very good and decent people, but is dysfunctional and is not providing the intelligence information necessary for the president to conduct the war on terror.

QUIJANO: Yet, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says the problem is not Director Goss, but those he's brought with him, now clashing with career CIA officers.

REP. JANE HARMAN, (D) CALIFORNIA: The agency seems in free-fall in Washington, and that is a very, very bad omen, in the middle of a war.

QUIJANO (on camera): The reports of discord at the CIA coincide with the announcement Friday that Deputy Director John McLaughlin will retire in December.

Now, in a written statement McLaughlin said the move was a purely personal decision. And a CIA spokesman denies that any other factors were in involved -- Elaine Quijano, CNN, The White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And coming up on CNN's "American Morning", we'll get more of a take on the CIA from the man who sat in the big chair, former Director James Woolsey joins us. That is in the 7 a.m. Eastern hour.

Iran is trying to reassure the world that it is not trying to build nuclear weapons, the government has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program and has notified the U.N. nuclear watchdog group of its decision, in writing.

The agreement came after lengthy talks among Iran, France, Britain and Germany. The International Atomic Energy Agency, by the way, is expected to include the Iranian commitment in a report due out later today.

The Iranians have always insisted they wanted the nuclear technology for energy purposes only.

Uplifting and somber moments in Britain, over the weekend. And will the Iraqi elections really take place on time. Our Senior International Editor David Clinch is in London this morning. He joins us live now.

Why are you in London, David? Explain to our viewers, first off, why you are there.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Just taking a look at the bureau here. We have a very large operation in London, a lot of the people that we use internationally on stories, like Iraq and other places, are based here in London.

It is very useful here for us, in Atlanta, to come and spend some time here with the team in London. And it is a fantastic operation here. So, really just meeting and greeting.

But also, working while I'm here. And I'm looking at the papers. We have a wide variety of headlines in the newspapers today, but sort of a theme, in some ways, tying them together. One, the most widely read paper in Britain, "The Sun", today featuring what it is sort of claiming as its story. And that is the recording of Band Aid II. That is the re-recording of the original Band Aid song, 20 years ago. Makes me feel very old.

Everybody here in the UK remembers where they were during Band Aid, or more particularly during Live Aid, which was the big concert that followed that. "The Sun" claiming to have originated the idea, with Bob Galdolf (ph) of re-recording Band Aid. And they have a lot of British pop stars, from Cold Play, here, Chris Martin and others recording. Bono down here. So, a heavy Irish influence as well, in that effort.

It will be interesting to see, though, it is Christmas, but it will be interesting to see with Iraq and everything else going on, whether British people really care about hunger in Africa, which, of course is what that is all about, feeding starving in Africa has not necessarily been on the top of anybody's agenda, here, or in the United States, recently. So, we'll watch that one.

Now, sort of getting closer to the theme of Iraq, but on the British side, of course, the Queen, Queen Elizabeth, here attending Remembrance Day services in Britain yesterday.

And all also interestingly -- no picture of him here -- but Prince William was featured, I think for the first time, officially at those Remembrance Day services yesterday, in Britain.

And, of course, somber as always, remembering the British war dead, from all wars. But of course, the focus on Iraq right now, British soldiers close to, coming near to 100 British soldiers having been killed in Iraq and the Black Watch, the Scottish regiment that is in the front line or close to the frontline in Iraq, was featured heavily in that yesterday. And then just very quickly, on Iraq, the reality, "The Guardian", left-wing paper, saying Iraqi officials do not know for sure if elections can be held on time in Iraq, in January, as planned. Now, again, left-leaning there. They are anti-war, but still worth reading.

So, a variety of papers here, and Britain, as always, very complicated place.

COSTELLO: Definitely so. Not unlike the United States because that question about whether elections could be held in Iraq in January is going to come up in our next hour. We're going to talk a "Time" magazine reporter.

Thanks, David.

Interim Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is shrugging off a shooting in Gaza City.

Gunfire erupted when masked men burst into a tent where Abbas and others had gathered to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat. When the gun smoke cleared, two security guards were dead, at least 10 other people were wounded. President Abbas was not hurt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN INTERIM PRESIDENT: I confirmed that there was no intention to shoot anybody. Not from the PLO, nor from outsiders. It is normal in any crowded place that gunshots can cause accidental casualties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Abbas says the shooting was not a political or a personal thing, it was just something that happened.

Abbas is a likely candidate for permanent president of the Palestinian Authority, to succeed Yasser Arafat. The election now set for January 9. Candidates can be nominated between November 20 and December 1. Campaigning begins on December 27.

Along with Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, another possible candidate could present a dilemma. Marwan Bargudi (ph), one of the Palestinian's most popular is serving five consecutive life sentences in Israel for murder and attempted murder.

And then, there is the Israel question. The Israeli government is going to be discussing if Palestinian in East Jerusalem will be allowed to vote. Israel' foreign affairs minister says he doesn't believe it is right for a resident of Israel to vote in a Palestinian election. We'll keep you posted.

How safe is your seat in a rear-ender? Julie Vallese has the stats on crash tests for whiplash, that will come your way 12 minutes from now.

And our e-mail question of the morning: "Should anyone born outside of the United States, you know, i.e., Arnold Schwarzenegger, be allowed to run for president?

Should there be a change in out Constitution?

We will read some of your e-mail a little later, Daybreak@cnn.com .

But first here is what else is making news this Monday morning.

(GRAPHIC WITH HEADLINES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A hot property in the nation's capital. Plans to build a baseball stadium in Washington are driving up housing prices in the area. Critics of the stadium fear poor residents maybe pushed out of the city.

In money news, Fannie Mae faces a deadline today for filing its third quarter financial results. Investors will be looking to see if the government sponsored mortgage giant will have to restate earnings. Fannie Mae is under investigation for its accounting practices.

In sports, golfer Charlie Sifford was the first African-American golfer to break into the PGA. Tonight he breaks another barrier. He is being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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.

To the forecast center, and Chad.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning. Still ahead on DAYBREAK, when it comes to an accident not all headrests in cars are created equal. Consumer Reporter Julie Vallese has the stats on the best seats to have a rear-ender in, if that makes any sense to you.

Our e-mail question of the morning: Should anyone born outside the United States be allowed to run for president? We will read some of your thoughts, a little later on DAYBREAK.

And you are watching DAYBREAK for Monday, November 15.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've all seen the crash tests of cars smashing head on into walls or other cars, but what happens if the cars are hit from behind? As CNN's Julie Vallese reports, in many cases what happens is not so good.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE VALLESE, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There is no dented bumper, no smashed front-end, but the newest test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does simulate a crash, a rear- impact crash, and measures how well a vehicle's head restraint and seat protect the driver.

ADRIAN LUND, INSUR. INST. FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: Only eight of the 73 head restraint combinations that we looked at did a good job. And we had 30 of the tested seats that we rated as doing a poor job.

VALLESE: The eight models earning a good rating, the highest mark, went to the Saab 92X and the 93, three Volvo models, Jaguar X Type, the Subaru Impressa and certain Volkswagen Beetles.

LUND: Some manufacturers have paid attention to this problem. Volvo and Saab, it is not by chance that they are the stars of this release. They account for five of the good rated head restraints.

VALLESE: You can even see the difference between a good performer and a marginal one. The Institute says a good restraint will catch a head early, so it will push your head along with your body. The marginal performer allows for some motion and forces on the neck.

LUND: Getting a rating of poor on this test doesn't mean that if you are in a rear-impact you are necessarily going to have a neck injury. But if you have a seat that is rated poor, you chances of being injured are much greater.

VALLESE: Drivers, Lund says, need to stop thinking of them as headrests and start adjusting head restraints to fit behind the head and not below it.

(on camera): Insurers pay out more than $7 billion each year for minor neck sprain injuries, and insurance premiums are higher because of it. So making a minor adjustment in your driving may make getting in a crash and paying for insurance a little less of a pain in the neck -- Julie Vallese, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And here is what is all new in the next hour on DAYBREAK. The material girl speaks out, yes. We'll tell you where the super star stands on politics and kids. She has a suggestion for President Bush. Wait until you hear what her advice is for him.

Also, red hot hybrids: All the convenience and a fraction of the cost. But are savvy spenders getting the most for their money?

Also, everyday at this time, we'll put what you learned in high school and history class to the test with a bit of trivia. Today's question is, in 1966, Gemini 12 splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. What two astronauts were on board?

From New York, this is DAYBREAK, for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right our history question of the day: In 1966 Gemini 12 splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. What two astronauts were on board?

The answer is, James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. They were picked up by helicopter and taken to the aircraft carrier Wasp. So congrats to all of you who actually remember that.

MYERS: Yes. That was a long time ago.

COSTELLO: It was a long time ago.

MYERS: And not a well-publicized thing at that time either. We were all waiting for Apollo and stuff.

COSTELLO: You were just a baby.

MYERS: Let's go, "Web Clicks".

COSTELLO: "Web Clicks" at CNN.com we are always interested in what people are clicking onto. The number one story, Have the found the lost city of Atlantis? This is really interesting, Chad.

MYERS: It is. They said that they taken what Plato described as Atlantis and they found and exact copy of that, an exact replica. The walls are in the same places, the walls are three kilometers long. The squares are in the right places, the ditches are in the right places. The problem is, it is almost 5,000 feet down the middle of the Mediterranean.

COSTELLO: An American researcher is claiming all of this, so we'll continue to follow that story. That's fascinating.

Another interesting story on our web site and I was surprised so many people were clicking onto this one, but Rod Stewart has been ordered to repay $780,000. Because he had this Latin American concert tour and he canceled it. So, he was going to keep the deposit.

MYERS: But why?

COSTELLO: Because he said he was entitled to it. The organizers said, I don't think so.

MYERS: You put a deposit down on a car and then you don't get it. Or they -- you should get your money back.

COSTELLO: But he's a rock star.

MYERS: Oh, whatever.

COSTELLO: Yeah. Another story of high interest on our website, is the Clinton Presidential Library. It opens later this week. And it is supposed to be incredible, spectacular. That was the bridge into the 21st century that you just saw there.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And it is supposed to have everything inside, including a mention of Monica Lewinsky.

MYERS: I was surprised. Not about Monica Lewinsky, I thought a presidential library had books in it. Like it's a library. The library, the books that will be in it, and the displays will actually be about his presidency. It is not like somewhere where you go check out books.

COSTELLO: No, no, no. No president library is. But they're trying to make this into a tourism thing, so they can make a lot of money. Most presidential libraries aren't visited very often. So, they're going to charge 7 bucks to get in, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I want to get to our e-mail question of the day, because it is quite interesting. We asked this question: "Should anyone born outside of the United States be allowed to run for president?"

And we asked that because ads have started running in California, in support of changing the Constitution to allow that. Because, of course, they want Arnold Schwarzenegger, to run in 2008.

MYERS: I have one, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, go ahead.

MYERS: From Ryan, in Montgomery. "It doesn't sound right to have a foreign born president, but I can't come up with a reason why it would be bad. "The President-ator".

It has a ring to it.

COSTELLO: You can have a lot of fun with that.

Here's one from Matthew, he says, "I think it would be a good idea to give foreign-born U.S. citizens the right to be president, maybe they'll breathe new life into the choices we have now."

And this one, from Aaron, from Billings, Montana: "Every president since the United States was established was born in the United States. Now people want to change it because one candidate, Arnold, wants to run. Since he's popular and has good reviews right now, it does not mean you should go and change the Constitution. Sorry, got to be born here. You can't smoke cigars in the White House."

But I bet they do.

MYERS: I think you can.

COSTELLO: I think the president can do anything he darn well pleases.

MYERS: That is what it means to be president.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

The next hour of DAYBREAK begins right now.

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