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CNN Live At Daybreak

Holiday Shopping; Stalemate in Kiev

Aired November 26, 2004 - 06:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: On your mark, get ready, get set and shop! This is a live picture from Macy's this morning. Now, all across America at this hour, thousands, millions are getting ready for the after Thanksgiving spree. At 20 after we have a live report.
In Kiev, a stalemate in the streets. Government protesters block key government buildings in another day of protest over national elections. We're live to Kiev at the half hour.

And "The Phantom of the Opera," how is it shaping up for a Golden Globe? We'll ask someone who should know.

It's Friday, November 26, and you are watching DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Thanks for waking up with us.

I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello this morning.

There is a lot going on, so let's get right to it.

A check of the headlines now.

Bargain hunters get ready to pry open those billfolds. These shoppers are getting ready to sail through Macy's in New York's Herald Square. A lot of retailers are opening earlier today than they did last year and offering even deeper discounts. We'll have a live report in just a few minutes.

A wave of protesters in Ukraine. Opposition supporters are circling government buildings in the capital, Kiev, refusing to let another through. This after election officials declared the country's pro-Russia prime minister the winner of a highly disputed presidential election.

In central China, a grizzly attack this morning in a high school dorm. And police are still looking for the attacker. A man broke into the dorm with a knife and stabbed eight sleeping students to death.

In Colorado, work crews have been at it through the night trying to clear part of Interstate 70. Check out these pictures. One hundred fifty miles west of Denver, near Glenwood Springs this huge rock slide forced traffic in both directions to close and knocked a hole in the highway. Motorists face a 220-mile detour.

Chad, you're familiar with that area.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I am.

NGUYEN: Does this happen very often?

MYERS: And that's not an easy detour. It does. I mean you always see the signs, "watch out, falling rock zone" and so...

NGUYEN: But a hole in the highway?

MYERS: Not -- we called them this morning Fred Flintstone sized boulders.

NGUYEN: Goodness.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. That was part of the elevated highway, the new part. There used to only be the two lane road there, then they made the four lane road, one higher, one lower. And I've actually been on a bicycle path that goes right in between them, which would have...

NGUYEN: That could be dangerous.

MYERS: That would have been a scary place to be with those boulders coming down, exactly.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MYERS: The good news out there, Betty, was that nobody was hurt because the road was already closed because of an accident.

NGUYEN: Yes. An accident there.

MYERS: How ironic is that? I mean there would have been so many people on that road at that time. So, yes, good news for that. But there is a hole in the road and it's not going to be opened anytime soon. You have to go to Walcott, up to Steam Boat, back over to Rifle. Oh, it's a long, hard drive, and especially longer and harder when it's going to be snowing out there. The snow is moving into Colorado from Utah. So that entire route, that big square up over and down is going to be slow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: U.S. troops keep making some horrific discoveries as they comb through Falluja. The latest? What could be a chemical kitchen with recipes for explosives, chemical agents and trouble.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is standing by in Baghdad with much more on this -- hi there, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Iraq's national security adviser, Kassim Daoud, has told us that Iraqi troops combing through the southeastern area of Falluja made this discovery. It's a very rudimentary laboratory, from what Kassim Daoud has described. In it, a number of chemical substances have been found. Now, these chemical substances can best be described as industrially manufactured, mass produced chemicals but which, at the same time, are highly toxic or can be very corrosive, as well.

A U.S. military spokesman in Falluja has said that there's no evidence that there was any research into chemical agents, biological warfare agents going on, but certainly there do seem to be indications that explosives were being manufactured there.

Now, we have seen reports out of the Pentagon, a spokesman saying there that what was found in laboratory were chemical blood agents. Now, that's military jargon, again, for the same thing that we've been talking about, these industrial chemicals that in the wrong hands can be highly poisonous.

In other developments, as well, in another press conference, Iraq's foreign relations minister, Hoshyar Zabari, was also making a number of important announcements. Among those saying that the Iraqi interim government was ready to meet opposition leaders, which might be a nice word for rebel leaders, outside of the country. Probably in the coming weeks, they will schedule a meeting in Amman, Jordan with some of these rebel leaders to try and calm things down ahead of the January 30th elections.

This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: First, actually, this is not going to be a conference in Jordan at all for national reconciliation or (UNINTELLIGIBLE). This has been a desire for some contacts between the Iraqi government and some of those people who are of political and tribal backgrounds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: The Iraqi government does believe that people within the neighboring countries may be supporting the rebels, either financially or logistically. And what seems to be going on here with the announcement of this meeting in Jordan could be the start of some kind of political solution to the insurgency here in Iraq -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Now, Karl, this is important because some of these rebel leaders are calling for a boycott completely of these elections, correct?

PENHAUL: Indeed. In fact, some of the mainstream political parties here run by the Sunni Muslims are also calling for a boycott. But the insurgents themselves have been calling for a boycott. Some other ordinary Iraqis also say that they believe the timetable is too tight. So there's a multiplicity of people really calling for a delay in elections. Other parts of society, of course, are saying let's have those elections as quick as possible and get further down the road to democracy -- Betty.

NGUYEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad for you this morning. Thank you, Karl.

A personal thank you to U.S. troops from their commander-in- chief. President Bush sent part of his Thanksgiving -- or spent part of it on the phone. From his Texas ranch, he called selected American troops overseas to wish them a happy holiday and thank them for their service.

Other stories across America now on this Friday, the first of six funerals for the Wisconsin deer hunters killed in last week's shooting will be held today. The victims' families are also getting some financial help. A local fund was set up two days ago and has already attracted more than $20,000 in donations. A separate fund has also been set up for the suspect, 36-year-old Chai Vang.

A new NBA player is in the morning's headlines. Timberwolves Michael Olowokandi is now facing two misdemeanor charges after police say he refused to leave an Indianapolis nightclub. They say they were forced to use a stun gun on the seven foot, 270 pound center twice when he refused to leave a bar at closing time.

And finally, Michael Jackson's attorneys are asking a judge to order his accuser to undergo psychological testing. They're also asking that two of the boys' relatives do the same. The defense claims it needs the evaluations to effectively cross-examine a psychologist. Jury selection for Jackson's child molestation trial is set to begin January 31.

The day after Thanksgiving is either one of the best or worst shopping days, depending on which side of the cash register you're on.

Allan Chernoff is on the shoppers' side, live outside Macy's in New York's Herald Square. I imagine it is a mad dash.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.

Shopping at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, as they say in Brooklyn, faggedabout it. But several hundred people actually did storm through the door right next to us just a few minutes ago. And there are seven such doors here at Macy's in midtown Manhattan. That means we've got at least 1,500 people swarming through the store right now, trying to, number one, beat the crowds; and also get a hold of some of those door buster specials.

They've got pearl earrings for $300. I'm told that's a fantastic sale. Down jackets for $50. A microwave oven also for $50.

Now, to some people, that's especially important this year simply because the price of gas is up 30 percent compared to last Thanksgiving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WENDY FARINA, KURT SALMON ASSOCIATES: Those consumers that are in that lower income bracket are actually going to be affected more by the rise in gasoline prices and by the fact that there's still uncertainty in their minds about their jobs and the fact that their health care costs have increased dramatically over the course of the last couple of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: One survey found that shoppers say two thirds of the gifts they'll be buying this holiday season they intend to buy on sale, at a discount. Nonetheless, a lot of analysts are saying this should be a pretty good season for the retailers. They're expecting sales to be up about 4 1/2 percent compared to last season.

But, Betty, certainly at this hour in the morning, frankly, I think it's a lot easier to just be at home and shop over the Internet, which I think a lot of people are going to be doing -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

We were looking at a Best Buy earlier and people were wrapped around the building. The lines were long. And some even came out at 9:00 last night.

Do you see any of that this morning where you are?

CHERNOFF: The closest I can give you is that there is one family I met from the Bronx. They woke up at 2:30 in the morning in order to get down here by 5:00. They were waiting for one hour and then they just came through the doors at 6:00.

NGUYEN: All I've got to say is that'd better be a good deal, OK?

Allan Chernoff, thank you.

CHERNOFF: I certainly hope they get some good stuff.

NGUYEN: Thank you this morning.

And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question. What's the must have item on your holiday shopping list? Or are you avoiding the mad mall rush altogether? We want to hear from all of you Santas out there at daybreak@cnn.com. We'll read those responses on the air.

Well, a crime has been committed and SpongeBob SquarePants is involved. At 16 after, we'll show you where he is and isn't showing up.

So easy to use, so difficult to pay off. At 23 after, we'll tell you about a little surprise some people are finding when they pull out their plastic.

And in the Ukraine, the fallout over the presidential election gets even worse. There are some new developments we want to run down for you in a live report. That's at 31 after the hour.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Good morning.

We have your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 6:13 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Many stores are already open to welcome the traditional after Thanksgiving shopping crunch. An estimated 130 million people will hit the stores this weekend.

Presidential votes are still being counted in Ohio. That fact has led the Reverend Jesse Jackson to plan a Sunday rally in Columbus. Jackson is calling for an investigation into possible voting problems in the state.

In money, one day after making his debut in the Macy's Parade, SpongeBob SquarePants is again making news in New York. The cartoon character and now movie star will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. That happens this morning.

In culture, is "Bay Watch" the worst television show ever? Well, British TV executives say it is the worst program ever imported into their country. They credit mind numbingly predictable scripts as the reason for that ranking.

In sports, the Dallas Cowboys, well, they snapped a three game losing streak with a 21-7 win over the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Vinnie Testaverde replaced struggling rookie Drew Henson to lead the Cowboys to two second half touchdowns. Way to go, Cowboys -- Chad, did you watch that game?

MYERS: I did. And when you see Vinnie still playing like he is, there's still hope for all of us, you know?

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

MYERS: If you get on the treadmill and you get in shape, there's fortysomethings who should be playing football. But I think we'd probably have to...

NGUYEN: Did you see some of the signs in the stands? People were holding up signs that said, "Troy, how's your shoulder?"

MYERS: Well, hmmm.

NGUYEN: I don't think he'll be coming back.

MYERS: I don't think he's coming back.

NGUYEN: No.

MYERS: I don't think there's enough money to make that guy come back. He has all the money he needs. NGUYEN: Absolutely.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Retailers want to be in the black this holiday season, but that means you could be in the red. We'll tell you why you might want to put some of that stuff

We'll give you some tips on how to avoid those spending traps.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Retailers want to be in the black this holiday season, but that means you could be in the red. We'll tell you why you might want to put some of that stuff on your plastic, you might want to put it on ice instead.

And later, are you afraid you'll spend most of next year paying for this year? We'll give you some tips on how to avoid those spending traps.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, the fighting in Falluja has taken a heavy toll on civilians.

CNN producer Kianne Sadeq has the story of one family.

And she joins us now with the latest on this -- hi there, Kianne.

KIANNE SADEQ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Actually, it's a number of families, Betty. We're here in Falluja right now. We've been roaming the streets with the Iraqi Red Crescent. We spoke to a number of families here, about five or six of them, who were in their homes and they came out of their doors very carefully. Their homes looked like they were hit lightly. And they were mentioning that they wanted to leave the town and go -- and, you know, get out of Falluja, but they weren't allowed to because there is an imposed curfew.

So these people are just, you know, talking about how bad it is and that they want to leave the city. But that's their main mission right now, is to get out of the city. But they are not able to because of imposed curfews right now, which the military is telling us is for their own safety -- back to you.

NGUYEN: Kianne, are these families who have been stuck there before the offensive, were not able to make it out and now they're finally getting some aid?

SADEQ: That's right. These families have been here. They say they've been stuck in their homes for the past 10 days, have wanted to leave, but they never got the chance. They've actually moved to this area from other areas, other neighborhoods in Falluja from their original homes that were hit. They moved to these as other areas of safety, but haven't been able to leave these places for the last 10 days.

There was an attempt to open an aid center in the Prophet Mohammed Mosque here in Falluja and the U.S. military and the Iraqi forces attempted to open this as an aid center. But the mosque was hit and they had to stop that and impose a curfew once again on the people.

So there have been attempts to distribute aid. They haven't been able to. Right now they are planning to open up this curfew, to remove this curfew tomorrow in order for the people to be able to receive aid once again.

But the Red Crescent is here today and has been here for the past two days trying to distribute aid anyway to these people. They are receiving cooperation by the military, but they continue, you know, there continues to be misunderstandings at times as today, which is where the Red Crescent felt that there, you know, the Red Crescent wants to distribute aid and take people to their center.

NGUYEN: Yes, a difficult situation there, but we'd like to see aid coming in soon.

As you mentioned, they're working on that as we speak.

CNN producer Kianne Sadeq, thank you for that report.

All right, the shopping demons are hopping and shoppers are hitting the streets.

Stacey Turner of CNN affiliate WGCL joins us live from one of the Target stores here in Atlanta -- hi there, Stacey.

Have you been mobbed by people just yet?

STACEY TURNER, WGCL CORRESPONDENT: OK.

NGUYEN: Can you hear us, Stacey?

TURNER: OK.

NGUYEN: We're having some audio difficulties with Stacey.

Stacey, can you hear us?

TURNER: Well, it's, you know, a fairly busy morning here in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: OK.

TURNER: If you take a look behind me here, we've got quite a few people shopping at the Target here in Buckhead this morning. And they're looking for those gadgets, looking for the Seinfeld, looking for the "Shrek 2." It looks like they're buying some digital cameras, things of that nature.

It has been pretty busy. They opened the doors at 6:00, had plenty of people coming through the doors. They're still coming through pretty steady here, and spending a good part of their morning in here getting those perfect Christmas items. Once they get them here, they've already got other places they're hading on their lists, like Best Buy and things like that in Atlanta.

So -- back to you.

NGUYEN: You have to be very strategic about where you want to go, which sale item you want to get, because they often go very, very fast.

Are you seeing that there?

All right, I think we have lost Stacey Turner of CNN affiliate WGCL. But we'll be talking a lot more about shopping this morning.

If you're thinking about pulling out the plastic for your holiday shopping, keep this in mind. Rising interest rates have some credit card holders feeling an unexpected pinch.

And to talk about that -- actually, I'm being told we'll have that guest in just a moment. That's financial adviser Rick Applegate. We'll be talking to him about credit card rates.

But right now, are you worried about your privacy every time you get online? All next week on DAYBREAK, we will tell you how to avoid getting snarled on the World Wide Web.

CNN's technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your privacy, even your identity, may not be quiet what it used to be. It's a jungle out there in the cyber world, and all next week on DAYBREAK, we'll explore the risks and what you can do about them.

Do you think you have a right to privacy?

Why do we need privacy? That's the question. Like why do people need privacy?

SIEBERG: Well, not everyone else agrees. At home, online and in the workplace, we'll show you how to avoid your own identity crisis.

Our series starts Monday with a look at Spyware. It's probably on your computer. You didn't put it there and it's following your every move.

We'll see you all next week on DAYBREAK.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: All right, thousands in the streets protesting the results of a presidential election. Is there a lesson in democracy to be learned from the voting crisis in the Ukraine? And the young men who killed a gay student speak out for the first time about why they did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, and good morning, everybody on this Friday after Thanksgiving.

Thanks for waking up with us with us today.

I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

There's a lot going on this morning.

Let's check the headlines.

Thousands of Ukrainians supporting the opposition presidential candidate have encircled government buildings in Kiev and refused to let anyone through. This move comes after Ukraine's Supreme Court barred publication of disputed election results. Now on Monday, the court will consider opposition complaints that the presidential elections were rigged.

A full plate for delegates to the U.N. nuclear agency meeting in Vienna. On the agenda, Iran's current freeze on uranium enrichment and nuclear experiments in the past by South Korea.

Many stores in the East are open right now, as retailers try to get a jump on today's traditional start of the holiday shopping season. This is a live look at Macy's in Herald Square, New York. Some of those retailers are offering steep discounts already, but you've got to get them early.

Alabama residents, they are clearing away debris after tornadoes wrecked dozens of homes and killed one woman in the town of Beinham (ph), which is east of Birmingham. Eight tornadoes were reported on Wednesday in six Alabama counties.

Not good news for holiday travelers -- Chad.

MYERS: They even had some severe weather, not tornadoes, but wind damage, up across parts of New York and northern New Jersey yesterday, right around New York City. But that was just, just after the parade got over.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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Aired November 26, 2004 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: On your mark, get ready, get set and shop! This is a live picture from Macy's this morning. Now, all across America at this hour, thousands, millions are getting ready for the after Thanksgiving spree. At 20 after we have a live report.
In Kiev, a stalemate in the streets. Government protesters block key government buildings in another day of protest over national elections. We're live to Kiev at the half hour.

And "The Phantom of the Opera," how is it shaping up for a Golden Globe? We'll ask someone who should know.

It's Friday, November 26, and you are watching DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Thanks for waking up with us.

I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello this morning.

There is a lot going on, so let's get right to it.

A check of the headlines now.

Bargain hunters get ready to pry open those billfolds. These shoppers are getting ready to sail through Macy's in New York's Herald Square. A lot of retailers are opening earlier today than they did last year and offering even deeper discounts. We'll have a live report in just a few minutes.

A wave of protesters in Ukraine. Opposition supporters are circling government buildings in the capital, Kiev, refusing to let another through. This after election officials declared the country's pro-Russia prime minister the winner of a highly disputed presidential election.

In central China, a grizzly attack this morning in a high school dorm. And police are still looking for the attacker. A man broke into the dorm with a knife and stabbed eight sleeping students to death.

In Colorado, work crews have been at it through the night trying to clear part of Interstate 70. Check out these pictures. One hundred fifty miles west of Denver, near Glenwood Springs this huge rock slide forced traffic in both directions to close and knocked a hole in the highway. Motorists face a 220-mile detour.

Chad, you're familiar with that area.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I am.

NGUYEN: Does this happen very often?

MYERS: And that's not an easy detour. It does. I mean you always see the signs, "watch out, falling rock zone" and so...

NGUYEN: But a hole in the highway?

MYERS: Not -- we called them this morning Fred Flintstone sized boulders.

NGUYEN: Goodness.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. That was part of the elevated highway, the new part. There used to only be the two lane road there, then they made the four lane road, one higher, one lower. And I've actually been on a bicycle path that goes right in between them, which would have...

NGUYEN: That could be dangerous.

MYERS: That would have been a scary place to be with those boulders coming down, exactly.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MYERS: The good news out there, Betty, was that nobody was hurt because the road was already closed because of an accident.

NGUYEN: Yes. An accident there.

MYERS: How ironic is that? I mean there would have been so many people on that road at that time. So, yes, good news for that. But there is a hole in the road and it's not going to be opened anytime soon. You have to go to Walcott, up to Steam Boat, back over to Rifle. Oh, it's a long, hard drive, and especially longer and harder when it's going to be snowing out there. The snow is moving into Colorado from Utah. So that entire route, that big square up over and down is going to be slow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: U.S. troops keep making some horrific discoveries as they comb through Falluja. The latest? What could be a chemical kitchen with recipes for explosives, chemical agents and trouble.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is standing by in Baghdad with much more on this -- hi there, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Iraq's national security adviser, Kassim Daoud, has told us that Iraqi troops combing through the southeastern area of Falluja made this discovery. It's a very rudimentary laboratory, from what Kassim Daoud has described. In it, a number of chemical substances have been found. Now, these chemical substances can best be described as industrially manufactured, mass produced chemicals but which, at the same time, are highly toxic or can be very corrosive, as well.

A U.S. military spokesman in Falluja has said that there's no evidence that there was any research into chemical agents, biological warfare agents going on, but certainly there do seem to be indications that explosives were being manufactured there.

Now, we have seen reports out of the Pentagon, a spokesman saying there that what was found in laboratory were chemical blood agents. Now, that's military jargon, again, for the same thing that we've been talking about, these industrial chemicals that in the wrong hands can be highly poisonous.

In other developments, as well, in another press conference, Iraq's foreign relations minister, Hoshyar Zabari, was also making a number of important announcements. Among those saying that the Iraqi interim government was ready to meet opposition leaders, which might be a nice word for rebel leaders, outside of the country. Probably in the coming weeks, they will schedule a meeting in Amman, Jordan with some of these rebel leaders to try and calm things down ahead of the January 30th elections.

This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: First, actually, this is not going to be a conference in Jordan at all for national reconciliation or (UNINTELLIGIBLE). This has been a desire for some contacts between the Iraqi government and some of those people who are of political and tribal backgrounds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: The Iraqi government does believe that people within the neighboring countries may be supporting the rebels, either financially or logistically. And what seems to be going on here with the announcement of this meeting in Jordan could be the start of some kind of political solution to the insurgency here in Iraq -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Now, Karl, this is important because some of these rebel leaders are calling for a boycott completely of these elections, correct?

PENHAUL: Indeed. In fact, some of the mainstream political parties here run by the Sunni Muslims are also calling for a boycott. But the insurgents themselves have been calling for a boycott. Some other ordinary Iraqis also say that they believe the timetable is too tight. So there's a multiplicity of people really calling for a delay in elections. Other parts of society, of course, are saying let's have those elections as quick as possible and get further down the road to democracy -- Betty.

NGUYEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad for you this morning. Thank you, Karl.

A personal thank you to U.S. troops from their commander-in- chief. President Bush sent part of his Thanksgiving -- or spent part of it on the phone. From his Texas ranch, he called selected American troops overseas to wish them a happy holiday and thank them for their service.

Other stories across America now on this Friday, the first of six funerals for the Wisconsin deer hunters killed in last week's shooting will be held today. The victims' families are also getting some financial help. A local fund was set up two days ago and has already attracted more than $20,000 in donations. A separate fund has also been set up for the suspect, 36-year-old Chai Vang.

A new NBA player is in the morning's headlines. Timberwolves Michael Olowokandi is now facing two misdemeanor charges after police say he refused to leave an Indianapolis nightclub. They say they were forced to use a stun gun on the seven foot, 270 pound center twice when he refused to leave a bar at closing time.

And finally, Michael Jackson's attorneys are asking a judge to order his accuser to undergo psychological testing. They're also asking that two of the boys' relatives do the same. The defense claims it needs the evaluations to effectively cross-examine a psychologist. Jury selection for Jackson's child molestation trial is set to begin January 31.

The day after Thanksgiving is either one of the best or worst shopping days, depending on which side of the cash register you're on.

Allan Chernoff is on the shoppers' side, live outside Macy's in New York's Herald Square. I imagine it is a mad dash.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.

Shopping at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, as they say in Brooklyn, faggedabout it. But several hundred people actually did storm through the door right next to us just a few minutes ago. And there are seven such doors here at Macy's in midtown Manhattan. That means we've got at least 1,500 people swarming through the store right now, trying to, number one, beat the crowds; and also get a hold of some of those door buster specials.

They've got pearl earrings for $300. I'm told that's a fantastic sale. Down jackets for $50. A microwave oven also for $50.

Now, to some people, that's especially important this year simply because the price of gas is up 30 percent compared to last Thanksgiving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WENDY FARINA, KURT SALMON ASSOCIATES: Those consumers that are in that lower income bracket are actually going to be affected more by the rise in gasoline prices and by the fact that there's still uncertainty in their minds about their jobs and the fact that their health care costs have increased dramatically over the course of the last couple of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: One survey found that shoppers say two thirds of the gifts they'll be buying this holiday season they intend to buy on sale, at a discount. Nonetheless, a lot of analysts are saying this should be a pretty good season for the retailers. They're expecting sales to be up about 4 1/2 percent compared to last season.

But, Betty, certainly at this hour in the morning, frankly, I think it's a lot easier to just be at home and shop over the Internet, which I think a lot of people are going to be doing -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

We were looking at a Best Buy earlier and people were wrapped around the building. The lines were long. And some even came out at 9:00 last night.

Do you see any of that this morning where you are?

CHERNOFF: The closest I can give you is that there is one family I met from the Bronx. They woke up at 2:30 in the morning in order to get down here by 5:00. They were waiting for one hour and then they just came through the doors at 6:00.

NGUYEN: All I've got to say is that'd better be a good deal, OK?

Allan Chernoff, thank you.

CHERNOFF: I certainly hope they get some good stuff.

NGUYEN: Thank you this morning.

And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question. What's the must have item on your holiday shopping list? Or are you avoiding the mad mall rush altogether? We want to hear from all of you Santas out there at daybreak@cnn.com. We'll read those responses on the air.

Well, a crime has been committed and SpongeBob SquarePants is involved. At 16 after, we'll show you where he is and isn't showing up.

So easy to use, so difficult to pay off. At 23 after, we'll tell you about a little surprise some people are finding when they pull out their plastic.

And in the Ukraine, the fallout over the presidential election gets even worse. There are some new developments we want to run down for you in a live report. That's at 31 after the hour.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Good morning.

We have your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 6:13 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Many stores are already open to welcome the traditional after Thanksgiving shopping crunch. An estimated 130 million people will hit the stores this weekend.

Presidential votes are still being counted in Ohio. That fact has led the Reverend Jesse Jackson to plan a Sunday rally in Columbus. Jackson is calling for an investigation into possible voting problems in the state.

In money, one day after making his debut in the Macy's Parade, SpongeBob SquarePants is again making news in New York. The cartoon character and now movie star will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. That happens this morning.

In culture, is "Bay Watch" the worst television show ever? Well, British TV executives say it is the worst program ever imported into their country. They credit mind numbingly predictable scripts as the reason for that ranking.

In sports, the Dallas Cowboys, well, they snapped a three game losing streak with a 21-7 win over the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Vinnie Testaverde replaced struggling rookie Drew Henson to lead the Cowboys to two second half touchdowns. Way to go, Cowboys -- Chad, did you watch that game?

MYERS: I did. And when you see Vinnie still playing like he is, there's still hope for all of us, you know?

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

MYERS: If you get on the treadmill and you get in shape, there's fortysomethings who should be playing football. But I think we'd probably have to...

NGUYEN: Did you see some of the signs in the stands? People were holding up signs that said, "Troy, how's your shoulder?"

MYERS: Well, hmmm.

NGUYEN: I don't think he'll be coming back.

MYERS: I don't think he's coming back.

NGUYEN: No.

MYERS: I don't think there's enough money to make that guy come back. He has all the money he needs. NGUYEN: Absolutely.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Retailers want to be in the black this holiday season, but that means you could be in the red. We'll tell you why you might want to put some of that stuff

We'll give you some tips on how to avoid those spending traps.

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NGUYEN: Retailers want to be in the black this holiday season, but that means you could be in the red. We'll tell you why you might want to put some of that stuff on your plastic, you might want to put it on ice instead.

And later, are you afraid you'll spend most of next year paying for this year? We'll give you some tips on how to avoid those spending traps.

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NGUYEN: Well, the fighting in Falluja has taken a heavy toll on civilians.

CNN producer Kianne Sadeq has the story of one family.

And she joins us now with the latest on this -- hi there, Kianne.

KIANNE SADEQ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Actually, it's a number of families, Betty. We're here in Falluja right now. We've been roaming the streets with the Iraqi Red Crescent. We spoke to a number of families here, about five or six of them, who were in their homes and they came out of their doors very carefully. Their homes looked like they were hit lightly. And they were mentioning that they wanted to leave the town and go -- and, you know, get out of Falluja, but they weren't allowed to because there is an imposed curfew.

So these people are just, you know, talking about how bad it is and that they want to leave the city. But that's their main mission right now, is to get out of the city. But they are not able to because of imposed curfews right now, which the military is telling us is for their own safety -- back to you.

NGUYEN: Kianne, are these families who have been stuck there before the offensive, were not able to make it out and now they're finally getting some aid?

SADEQ: That's right. These families have been here. They say they've been stuck in their homes for the past 10 days, have wanted to leave, but they never got the chance. They've actually moved to this area from other areas, other neighborhoods in Falluja from their original homes that were hit. They moved to these as other areas of safety, but haven't been able to leave these places for the last 10 days.

There was an attempt to open an aid center in the Prophet Mohammed Mosque here in Falluja and the U.S. military and the Iraqi forces attempted to open this as an aid center. But the mosque was hit and they had to stop that and impose a curfew once again on the people.

So there have been attempts to distribute aid. They haven't been able to. Right now they are planning to open up this curfew, to remove this curfew tomorrow in order for the people to be able to receive aid once again.

But the Red Crescent is here today and has been here for the past two days trying to distribute aid anyway to these people. They are receiving cooperation by the military, but they continue, you know, there continues to be misunderstandings at times as today, which is where the Red Crescent felt that there, you know, the Red Crescent wants to distribute aid and take people to their center.

NGUYEN: Yes, a difficult situation there, but we'd like to see aid coming in soon.

As you mentioned, they're working on that as we speak.

CNN producer Kianne Sadeq, thank you for that report.

All right, the shopping demons are hopping and shoppers are hitting the streets.

Stacey Turner of CNN affiliate WGCL joins us live from one of the Target stores here in Atlanta -- hi there, Stacey.

Have you been mobbed by people just yet?

STACEY TURNER, WGCL CORRESPONDENT: OK.

NGUYEN: Can you hear us, Stacey?

TURNER: OK.

NGUYEN: We're having some audio difficulties with Stacey.

Stacey, can you hear us?

TURNER: Well, it's, you know, a fairly busy morning here in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: OK.

TURNER: If you take a look behind me here, we've got quite a few people shopping at the Target here in Buckhead this morning. And they're looking for those gadgets, looking for the Seinfeld, looking for the "Shrek 2." It looks like they're buying some digital cameras, things of that nature.

It has been pretty busy. They opened the doors at 6:00, had plenty of people coming through the doors. They're still coming through pretty steady here, and spending a good part of their morning in here getting those perfect Christmas items. Once they get them here, they've already got other places they're hading on their lists, like Best Buy and things like that in Atlanta.

So -- back to you.

NGUYEN: You have to be very strategic about where you want to go, which sale item you want to get, because they often go very, very fast.

Are you seeing that there?

All right, I think we have lost Stacey Turner of CNN affiliate WGCL. But we'll be talking a lot more about shopping this morning.

If you're thinking about pulling out the plastic for your holiday shopping, keep this in mind. Rising interest rates have some credit card holders feeling an unexpected pinch.

And to talk about that -- actually, I'm being told we'll have that guest in just a moment. That's financial adviser Rick Applegate. We'll be talking to him about credit card rates.

But right now, are you worried about your privacy every time you get online? All next week on DAYBREAK, we will tell you how to avoid getting snarled on the World Wide Web.

CNN's technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has a preview.

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DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your privacy, even your identity, may not be quiet what it used to be. It's a jungle out there in the cyber world, and all next week on DAYBREAK, we'll explore the risks and what you can do about them.

Do you think you have a right to privacy?

Why do we need privacy? That's the question. Like why do people need privacy?

SIEBERG: Well, not everyone else agrees. At home, online and in the workplace, we'll show you how to avoid your own identity crisis.

Our series starts Monday with a look at Spyware. It's probably on your computer. You didn't put it there and it's following your every move.

We'll see you all next week on DAYBREAK.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: All right, thousands in the streets protesting the results of a presidential election. Is there a lesson in democracy to be learned from the voting crisis in the Ukraine? And the young men who killed a gay student speak out for the first time about why they did it.

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NGUYEN: Well, and good morning, everybody on this Friday after Thanksgiving.

Thanks for waking up with us with us today.

I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

There's a lot going on this morning.

Let's check the headlines.

Thousands of Ukrainians supporting the opposition presidential candidate have encircled government buildings in Kiev and refused to let anyone through. This move comes after Ukraine's Supreme Court barred publication of disputed election results. Now on Monday, the court will consider opposition complaints that the presidential elections were rigged.

A full plate for delegates to the U.N. nuclear agency meeting in Vienna. On the agenda, Iran's current freeze on uranium enrichment and nuclear experiments in the past by South Korea.

Many stores in the East are open right now, as retailers try to get a jump on today's traditional start of the holiday shopping season. This is a live look at Macy's in Herald Square, New York. Some of those retailers are offering steep discounts already, but you've got to get them early.

Alabama residents, they are clearing away debris after tornadoes wrecked dozens of homes and killed one woman in the town of Beinham (ph), which is east of Birmingham. Eight tornadoes were reported on Wednesday in six Alabama counties.

Not good news for holiday travelers -- Chad.

MYERS: They even had some severe weather, not tornadoes, but wind damage, up across parts of New York and northern New Jersey yesterday, right around New York City. But that was just, just after the parade got over.

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