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CNN Live At Daybreak
Chicago High Rise Burns; 41 Homes Damaged by Suspected Arson in Maryland Neighborhood
Aired December 07, 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead, was this huge fire the work of a terrorist organization?
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHAMBER OF FEAR," COURTESY NIKE)
LEBRON JAMES: You think you're super bad? I'm super bad!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, one of America's hottest hoop stars won't be getting any air time in another part of the world.
Also, a convenience store clerk takes matters into her own hands. You will hear why she did it.
And which do you use more often, credit or cash? Ali Velshi explains the real deal you're getting for your money.
It is Tuesday, December 7.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
Let's get right to the headlines, shall we?
Streets are closed off this morning around a Chicago high rise. A fire at the LaSalle Bank building injured more than 30 people, most of them firefighters. No word yet on what caused this fire.
Congress now poised to reshape the intelligence community. Negotiators have reached a deal on the stalled intelligence reform bill. Votes in the House and Senate could come today and tomorrow.
Vice President Cheney says it's an historic moment for Afghanistan. Just a few hours ago, he watched as Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the nation's first popularly elected president.
No agreement is near on the steroids issue in baseball. Players union officials say discussions are continuing at their annual executive board meeting, but not to expect any movement soon. Commissioner Bud Selig has called for more stringent testing.
To the forecast center now and Rob, who's in for Chad this morning -- good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: We have a bit of breaking news now to pass along to you. Charles Jenkins, the man who deserted to North Korea during the Vietnam War, has reunited with his wife in Japan. That's his wife speaking now.
Let's listen in a bit.
Well, as you can hear, she's speaking in Japanese. That's Charles Jenkins, the white gentleman sitting there between those two people that you see there. Charles Jenkins defected to North Korea during the Vietnam War because he was afraid to actually go to the battle lines in Vietnam. He's been living in North Korea for a very long time and finally he was allowed out of the country, and now he's been reunited with his wife. They also have two daughters.
We're going to have much more on this when we get a translation going for you, so we're going to step away. We'll come back a little later.
It is still smoldering. Firefighters in Chicago are looking for active hot spots after a high rise building goes up in flames. The fire was so intense and smoky, it took until early this morning for firefighters to finally determine they got everyone out of the LaSalle office building. It's 45 stories high. At least 34 people are hurt this morning, many of them, including at least a dozen firefighters, are in serious condition.
And there are questions.
CNN's Jonathan Freed has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A perimeter went up around the core of the city's financial district here around 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Now, the fire broke out on the 29th floor of the LaSalle Bank building, which is a 43-story structure. And the 29th floor houses the bank's trust operations.
A full one third of the city's firefighters and firefighting equipment responded to the fire. It was declared a five alarm fire, which is as big as it gets in Chicago.
Now, the building was evacuated, ordered evacuated, and soon after, people started describing what they witnessed inside.
JIM RUBEN, BUILDING EMPLOYEE: Everybody was trying to, you know, get out and stay low, covering up their mouths. But at one point it was almost impossible to breathe and they just kept screaming, "Keep going! Keep going!" and everybody kept going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We're going to have to step away from this package, and we apologize.
Let's go back to Japan.
Charles Jenkins, who deserted during the Korean War, is now speaking emotionally.
Let's listen.
CHARLES JENKINS: This is my first visit to Seidel (ph), of course. But over the past 20 years I spent in North Korea, I saw the beautiful and quiet of this land, this island, which many times before were in my mind, long before today. I am speaking of the memories of Seidel that my wife shared with me on many occasions during our life together in North Korea.
This island is as beautiful as she described and I am honored to be here with you, honored that you are allowing me to live with my wife and children among you.
(TRANSLATION INTO JAPANESE)
COSTELLO: We're going to step away once again.
As you can see, it's an emotional time for Charles Jenkins and his wife. Four decades ago, he deserted to North Korea while fighting the Korean War, from the U.S. Army. And finally he is reunited. His daughters are also in Japan.
We're going to have much more on this story in the hours to come on CNN.
In Maryland, is it arson or eco-terrorism? That's what investigators are trying to figure out. Listen to this. A total of 41 homes were damaged in this subdivision. There it is. The Washington Post reports that at least 20 of the fires were deliberately set. The planned community has been at the front lines of a debate between builders and local environmental groups.
CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Residents living in this Washington suburb say they've never seen anything like it.
DAWN PHILLIPS, RESIDENT: The sky was really bright, I mean lit up like the sun. And I thought it was too early for it to be that light.
ARENA: Officials say it appears dozens of separate fires were set. Investigators say there were incendiary devices found at the scene. Some didn't go off and could provide investigative clues.
FARON TAYLOR, DEPUTY STATE FIRE MARSHAL: In each of those fires, we were also able to determine the cause, and that was incendiary. In other words, that was arson.
ARENA: The damage is estimated at about $10 million. Dozens of state, local and federal investigators are looking into whether this was an act of eco-terrorism.
TAYLOR: We have discovered no evidence at this point to give us an idea as to who may or what, if any, organization was responsible for these fires.
ARENA: Environmental activists claimed construction would damage a nearby wetlands area and some took legal action to try to stop the development. But at least one group involved in the lawsuits says that's where the protest ended, in court.
BOB DEGROOT, ASSOCIATION FOR GREENWAY IMPROVEMENT: The environmental groups in Maryland just aren't into things like terrorism, which is what this sounds like happened down there.
ARENA: There have been no claims of responsibility, no signature spray paintings that have been used before in eco-terror attacks. Still, law enforcement officials say it bears the marking of such an attack, as groups like the Earth Liberation Front have claimed responsibility for attacking housing developments before. In fact, out of all homegrown terrorist groups, the FBI says eco-terrorists pose the greatest threat.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And here are some other stories making news across America.
A Florida woman is being held on attempted murder charges after allegedly running down two teenage brothers with her SUV. One of the boys was critically injured. The incident comes after the boys accidentally hit her car with a bouncing golf ball. Police say the woman sped through a parking lot to hit the boys and even chased a third brother through the lot before crashing into a ditch.
It took a Houston, Texas jury two hours to clear basketball Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy of sexual abuse charges. Murphy was accused of molesting five of his 10 daughters more than a decade ago. He contended that the allegations were based on a dispute over money.
A New Jersey appeals court hears arguments today on legalizing gay marriage. Seven couples sued the state for the right to marry back in 2002. The case is expected to move from the appeals court to the state supreme court for a final decision on the issue.
The Scott Peterson jury trial is expected to begin deliberating his sentence today. Actually, the jurors are expected to do that. But before they do, another 10 witnesses will take the stand for the defense during this penalty phase. Family members testified about charitable acts done by Peterson and said they didn't believe he could have planned the murder of his wife and unborn child.
His uncle also told stories about the rough childhood of Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie. This is a quote. He says: "I can remember a Thanksgiving or a Christmas where my sister and I split a TV dinner."
Peterson could face the death penalty or just life in prison.
One tragedy or two? A jury has decided. Now the families of the victims react to the latest post-9/11 ruling.
Plus, Nike says its new ads are a way to pay homage to the kung fu flicks of the '70s. But some people in China don't agree. Now an NBA star is caught in the middle.
Then, why did this woman take the law into her own hands?
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Those tall buildings in lower Manhattan weren't called the Twin Towers for no reason. Now one real estate titan is cashing in on twin.
Carrie Lee joins us live from the Nasdaq market site to tell us why.
Tell us more about this -- Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Carol.
A federal jury has now ruled that the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York's Twin Towers were two separate events and deserve two separate insurance payouts. And that is exactly what the World Trade Center developer, Larry Silverstein, wants to hear.
Now he stands to collect an additional $1.1 billion on top of the $3.5 billion he collected right after September 11.
Let's take a look at the math here. When the first jury ruled the attack is one event, Silverstein was entitled to $3.5 billion, which was the face value of the insurance on the site. But he claimed the attacks were separate and he fought to get double that amount. Well, now he's not getting quite double, but he is getting an additional $1.1 billion, for a total of $4.6 billion. He's going to use the money to redevelop the ground zero site, including the 10 million square feet of destroyed office space, a memorial and cultural buildings.
Carol -- this story has been going on for quite a while. It looks like now the insurance part, anyway, coming to a close.
COSTELLO: All right, a quick look at the futures.
LEE: The futures are looking slightly higher so far for today's session. We did see the Nasdaq higher by 3, the Dow down 45, at yesterday's close.
Texas Instruments, the chip giant, one stock to watch a little later this week. Tonight after the close, they'll give their mid quarter update. This follows very positive news from Intel, doing the same thing last week. Of course, they're big competitors. So we'll see what TXN -- that's the ticker symbol -- has to say tonight.
COSTELLO: All right, Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The stalled intelligence bill is moving forward again. A compromise in the bill will lead to likely votes in the House today and in the Senate tomorrow. Both parties expect the bill to pass easily.
A third of the people in Sudan's Darfur region have been displaced by clashes between government troops and rebel forces. So says U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. Annan also says a devastating famine could result from the failed cease-fire in the region.
In money news, Internet holiday shoppers were unable to buy from Amazon.com for much of the day. System problems led to a "service unavailable" message to users. The company isn't saying what exactly caused the problem.
In culture, Grammy award hopefuls get either the good or the bad news later this morning. R&B star Usher is expected to be one of the most called names when the nominations are announced in Los Angeles.
And in sports, Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver Jerry Rice set a new NFL record, but it was the Dallas Cowboys who got the bigger prize. The Cowboys used two late fourth quarter touchdowns to win 43- 39. Jerry Rice set the record for most net yards gained in a career.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Lebron James -- he's young and he's a millionaire. But he's not going to be a star on Chinese TV. See why some are offended by his new Nike ads.
And paper or plastic -- we're talking about the way we spend the green.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Controversy -- NBA star Lebron James battles it out with a cartoon kung fu master. It's a Nike commercial that was running in China. Harmless? Not according to the Chinese government.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHAMBER OF FEAR," COURTESY NIKE)
JAMES: You think you're super bad? I'm super bad. You ain't got no game, brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: You ain't got no game, brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That ad running in China until recently.
We wanted to know more about why it's so controversial. So our correspondent in China, Tara Duffy, is live from Beijing to tell us more -- good morning.
TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Now, Chinese television regulators have banned the ad, which Nike does, "The Chamber of Fear," from being shown on television stations across the country. They say that is blasphemes China's culture and its customs.
Now, according to Chinese law, all commercials that are shown here in China must respect the country's dignity and its culture. Now, just how that is interpreted is a little bit open. There is no central government agency with screens or censors ads. So sometimes ads could run for a couple of weeks, as the Lebron James ad did, before someone in the government or perhaps viewers call in to say that they find the ad offensive. And then the ad is subsequently pulled.
Nike, meanwhile, has said that it respects Chinese law and regulations. But Nike is, you know, a hugely popular brand here in China. You know, one recent survey of young people found that Nike was the coolest brand in China. And previous campaigns have included a Chinese Olympic gold medalist, Liao Chien, and tapped into somewhat of Chinese nationalism there.
But Chinese regulators obviously seeing quite the opposite with this Lebron James commercial, with its feature of Chinese dragons, which are an auspicious creature here, and of a kung fu master being beaten by the U.S. basketball star -- Carol. COSTELLO: Interesting.
So, Tara, we know the Chinese government doesn't like the ads.
But what about the Chinese people?
DUFFY: Well, the people that we spoke to, some of them said they actually quite like the ad, the graphics and the pictures. Others said that they found it a little bit inappropriate.
And here's what some of them had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It doesn't matter how high tech, how much money you've spent. If it's foreigners beating up Chinese, then this can't be allowed in China.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I think I will still buy things from Nike. A commercial won't influence me that much. It's just that maybe the way they made the ad is not appropriate for Chinese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I don't think it's necessary to ban the ad. These are just two different cultures. One is American street culture and basketball. It's just a mix of two cultures. There's no conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: Now, Nike also said that they don't expect any impact on its Chinese sales as a result of the controversy over this ad. But, you know, well, this is something that we'll be watching. And clearly this has been a lesson for Nike in cultural sensitivity here in China -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Tara Duffy reporting live from Beijing this morning.
Thank you.
Another story from Asia this morning, this one amazing video of a hostage stand-off coming to a close in Bangkok, Thailand. A 9-year- old boy in the clutches of a man described as homeless and drunk. There you see, that man has a knife to the boy's throat.
After four hours of negotiations failed, police fired rubber bullets. The suspect takes off, running right into the crowd of onlookers, who knock him to the ground, kick, punch and drag him into a nearby van. I believe he's in police custody right now. But he was beaten.
Coming up, they're national heroes in the eyes of many fans young and old. So what's America's opinion of baseball players in the wake of that steroid scandal sweeping the major leagues? We'll have the numbers for you. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
Let's get right to the headlines now.
Congress could start voting as early as today on a bill that would bring some sweeping changes. Earlier, negotiators reached a deal on the stalled intelligence reform bill, which would reshape the U.S. intelligence community.
The Saudi wing of al Qaeda claims responsibility for the attack on the American consulate in Jeddah. Saudi officials say eight people were killed in yesterday's assault, five consulate employees and three attackers.
The fire is finally out, but streets still closed this morning around a downtown skyscraper in Chicago. Yesterday's blaze sent at least 25 people, including 12 firefighters, to hospitals. No cause of the fire as of yet.
Arson is being blamed for these fires in Maryland. Federal investigators are due on the scene today in Charles County, Maryland. Some 40 unoccupied homes in an upscale subdivision were damaged or destroyed. Authorities say eco-terrorism may be the motive.
To the forecast center now and Rob Marciano in for Chad this morning -- good morning.
MARCIANO: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Back to our top story now.
The intelligence reform bill moves forward finally. The head of the House Armed Services Committee had opposed the measure, but Congressman Duncan Hunter now says he will back it thanks to a compromise deal. Hunter had feared the reforms would interfere with the military's chain of command.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: We have been working, as you know, over the many weeks, trying to ensure that we have a good provision for chain of command protection. And we have that. We've received language that we think does that very effectively. And so we have agreed that we will support this conference report because it has now met the standard that we were most interested in, which is protecting our troops on the battlefield.
(END VIDEO CLIP) 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 December 7, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead, was this huge fire the work of a terrorist organization?
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHAMBER OF FEAR," COURTESY NIKE)
LEBRON JAMES: You think you're super bad? I'm super bad!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, one of America's hottest hoop stars won't be getting any air time in another part of the world.
Also, a convenience store clerk takes matters into her own hands. You will hear why she did it.
And which do you use more often, credit or cash? Ali Velshi explains the real deal you're getting for your money.
It is Tuesday, December 7.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
Let's get right to the headlines, shall we?
Streets are closed off this morning around a Chicago high rise. A fire at the LaSalle Bank building injured more than 30 people, most of them firefighters. No word yet on what caused this fire.
Congress now poised to reshape the intelligence community. Negotiators have reached a deal on the stalled intelligence reform bill. Votes in the House and Senate could come today and tomorrow.
Vice President Cheney says it's an historic moment for Afghanistan. Just a few hours ago, he watched as Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the nation's first popularly elected president.
No agreement is near on the steroids issue in baseball. Players union officials say discussions are continuing at their annual executive board meeting, but not to expect any movement soon. Commissioner Bud Selig has called for more stringent testing.
To the forecast center now and Rob, who's in for Chad this morning -- good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: We have a bit of breaking news now to pass along to you. Charles Jenkins, the man who deserted to North Korea during the Vietnam War, has reunited with his wife in Japan. That's his wife speaking now.
Let's listen in a bit.
Well, as you can hear, she's speaking in Japanese. That's Charles Jenkins, the white gentleman sitting there between those two people that you see there. Charles Jenkins defected to North Korea during the Vietnam War because he was afraid to actually go to the battle lines in Vietnam. He's been living in North Korea for a very long time and finally he was allowed out of the country, and now he's been reunited with his wife. They also have two daughters.
We're going to have much more on this when we get a translation going for you, so we're going to step away. We'll come back a little later.
It is still smoldering. Firefighters in Chicago are looking for active hot spots after a high rise building goes up in flames. The fire was so intense and smoky, it took until early this morning for firefighters to finally determine they got everyone out of the LaSalle office building. It's 45 stories high. At least 34 people are hurt this morning, many of them, including at least a dozen firefighters, are in serious condition.
And there are questions.
CNN's Jonathan Freed has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A perimeter went up around the core of the city's financial district here around 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Now, the fire broke out on the 29th floor of the LaSalle Bank building, which is a 43-story structure. And the 29th floor houses the bank's trust operations.
A full one third of the city's firefighters and firefighting equipment responded to the fire. It was declared a five alarm fire, which is as big as it gets in Chicago.
Now, the building was evacuated, ordered evacuated, and soon after, people started describing what they witnessed inside.
JIM RUBEN, BUILDING EMPLOYEE: Everybody was trying to, you know, get out and stay low, covering up their mouths. But at one point it was almost impossible to breathe and they just kept screaming, "Keep going! Keep going!" and everybody kept going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We're going to have to step away from this package, and we apologize.
Let's go back to Japan.
Charles Jenkins, who deserted during the Korean War, is now speaking emotionally.
Let's listen.
CHARLES JENKINS: This is my first visit to Seidel (ph), of course. But over the past 20 years I spent in North Korea, I saw the beautiful and quiet of this land, this island, which many times before were in my mind, long before today. I am speaking of the memories of Seidel that my wife shared with me on many occasions during our life together in North Korea.
This island is as beautiful as she described and I am honored to be here with you, honored that you are allowing me to live with my wife and children among you.
(TRANSLATION INTO JAPANESE)
COSTELLO: We're going to step away once again.
As you can see, it's an emotional time for Charles Jenkins and his wife. Four decades ago, he deserted to North Korea while fighting the Korean War, from the U.S. Army. And finally he is reunited. His daughters are also in Japan.
We're going to have much more on this story in the hours to come on CNN.
In Maryland, is it arson or eco-terrorism? That's what investigators are trying to figure out. Listen to this. A total of 41 homes were damaged in this subdivision. There it is. The Washington Post reports that at least 20 of the fires were deliberately set. The planned community has been at the front lines of a debate between builders and local environmental groups.
CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Residents living in this Washington suburb say they've never seen anything like it.
DAWN PHILLIPS, RESIDENT: The sky was really bright, I mean lit up like the sun. And I thought it was too early for it to be that light.
ARENA: Officials say it appears dozens of separate fires were set. Investigators say there were incendiary devices found at the scene. Some didn't go off and could provide investigative clues.
FARON TAYLOR, DEPUTY STATE FIRE MARSHAL: In each of those fires, we were also able to determine the cause, and that was incendiary. In other words, that was arson.
ARENA: The damage is estimated at about $10 million. Dozens of state, local and federal investigators are looking into whether this was an act of eco-terrorism.
TAYLOR: We have discovered no evidence at this point to give us an idea as to who may or what, if any, organization was responsible for these fires.
ARENA: Environmental activists claimed construction would damage a nearby wetlands area and some took legal action to try to stop the development. But at least one group involved in the lawsuits says that's where the protest ended, in court.
BOB DEGROOT, ASSOCIATION FOR GREENWAY IMPROVEMENT: The environmental groups in Maryland just aren't into things like terrorism, which is what this sounds like happened down there.
ARENA: There have been no claims of responsibility, no signature spray paintings that have been used before in eco-terror attacks. Still, law enforcement officials say it bears the marking of such an attack, as groups like the Earth Liberation Front have claimed responsibility for attacking housing developments before. In fact, out of all homegrown terrorist groups, the FBI says eco-terrorists pose the greatest threat.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And here are some other stories making news across America.
A Florida woman is being held on attempted murder charges after allegedly running down two teenage brothers with her SUV. One of the boys was critically injured. The incident comes after the boys accidentally hit her car with a bouncing golf ball. Police say the woman sped through a parking lot to hit the boys and even chased a third brother through the lot before crashing into a ditch.
It took a Houston, Texas jury two hours to clear basketball Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy of sexual abuse charges. Murphy was accused of molesting five of his 10 daughters more than a decade ago. He contended that the allegations were based on a dispute over money.
A New Jersey appeals court hears arguments today on legalizing gay marriage. Seven couples sued the state for the right to marry back in 2002. The case is expected to move from the appeals court to the state supreme court for a final decision on the issue.
The Scott Peterson jury trial is expected to begin deliberating his sentence today. Actually, the jurors are expected to do that. But before they do, another 10 witnesses will take the stand for the defense during this penalty phase. Family members testified about charitable acts done by Peterson and said they didn't believe he could have planned the murder of his wife and unborn child.
His uncle also told stories about the rough childhood of Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie. This is a quote. He says: "I can remember a Thanksgiving or a Christmas where my sister and I split a TV dinner."
Peterson could face the death penalty or just life in prison.
One tragedy or two? A jury has decided. Now the families of the victims react to the latest post-9/11 ruling.
Plus, Nike says its new ads are a way to pay homage to the kung fu flicks of the '70s. But some people in China don't agree. Now an NBA star is caught in the middle.
Then, why did this woman take the law into her own hands?
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Those tall buildings in lower Manhattan weren't called the Twin Towers for no reason. Now one real estate titan is cashing in on twin.
Carrie Lee joins us live from the Nasdaq market site to tell us why.
Tell us more about this -- Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Carol.
A federal jury has now ruled that the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York's Twin Towers were two separate events and deserve two separate insurance payouts. And that is exactly what the World Trade Center developer, Larry Silverstein, wants to hear.
Now he stands to collect an additional $1.1 billion on top of the $3.5 billion he collected right after September 11.
Let's take a look at the math here. When the first jury ruled the attack is one event, Silverstein was entitled to $3.5 billion, which was the face value of the insurance on the site. But he claimed the attacks were separate and he fought to get double that amount. Well, now he's not getting quite double, but he is getting an additional $1.1 billion, for a total of $4.6 billion. He's going to use the money to redevelop the ground zero site, including the 10 million square feet of destroyed office space, a memorial and cultural buildings.
Carol -- this story has been going on for quite a while. It looks like now the insurance part, anyway, coming to a close.
COSTELLO: All right, a quick look at the futures.
LEE: The futures are looking slightly higher so far for today's session. We did see the Nasdaq higher by 3, the Dow down 45, at yesterday's close.
Texas Instruments, the chip giant, one stock to watch a little later this week. Tonight after the close, they'll give their mid quarter update. This follows very positive news from Intel, doing the same thing last week. Of course, they're big competitors. So we'll see what TXN -- that's the ticker symbol -- has to say tonight.
COSTELLO: All right, Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The stalled intelligence bill is moving forward again. A compromise in the bill will lead to likely votes in the House today and in the Senate tomorrow. Both parties expect the bill to pass easily.
A third of the people in Sudan's Darfur region have been displaced by clashes between government troops and rebel forces. So says U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. Annan also says a devastating famine could result from the failed cease-fire in the region.
In money news, Internet holiday shoppers were unable to buy from Amazon.com for much of the day. System problems led to a "service unavailable" message to users. The company isn't saying what exactly caused the problem.
In culture, Grammy award hopefuls get either the good or the bad news later this morning. R&B star Usher is expected to be one of the most called names when the nominations are announced in Los Angeles.
And in sports, Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver Jerry Rice set a new NFL record, but it was the Dallas Cowboys who got the bigger prize. The Cowboys used two late fourth quarter touchdowns to win 43- 39. Jerry Rice set the record for most net yards gained in a career.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Lebron James -- he's young and he's a millionaire. But he's not going to be a star on Chinese TV. See why some are offended by his new Nike ads.
And paper or plastic -- we're talking about the way we spend the green.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Controversy -- NBA star Lebron James battles it out with a cartoon kung fu master. It's a Nike commercial that was running in China. Harmless? Not according to the Chinese government.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CHAMBER OF FEAR," COURTESY NIKE)
JAMES: You think you're super bad? I'm super bad. You ain't got no game, brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: You ain't got no game, brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That ad running in China until recently.
We wanted to know more about why it's so controversial. So our correspondent in China, Tara Duffy, is live from Beijing to tell us more -- good morning.
TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Now, Chinese television regulators have banned the ad, which Nike does, "The Chamber of Fear," from being shown on television stations across the country. They say that is blasphemes China's culture and its customs.
Now, according to Chinese law, all commercials that are shown here in China must respect the country's dignity and its culture. Now, just how that is interpreted is a little bit open. There is no central government agency with screens or censors ads. So sometimes ads could run for a couple of weeks, as the Lebron James ad did, before someone in the government or perhaps viewers call in to say that they find the ad offensive. And then the ad is subsequently pulled.
Nike, meanwhile, has said that it respects Chinese law and regulations. But Nike is, you know, a hugely popular brand here in China. You know, one recent survey of young people found that Nike was the coolest brand in China. And previous campaigns have included a Chinese Olympic gold medalist, Liao Chien, and tapped into somewhat of Chinese nationalism there.
But Chinese regulators obviously seeing quite the opposite with this Lebron James commercial, with its feature of Chinese dragons, which are an auspicious creature here, and of a kung fu master being beaten by the U.S. basketball star -- Carol. COSTELLO: Interesting.
So, Tara, we know the Chinese government doesn't like the ads.
But what about the Chinese people?
DUFFY: Well, the people that we spoke to, some of them said they actually quite like the ad, the graphics and the pictures. Others said that they found it a little bit inappropriate.
And here's what some of them had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It doesn't matter how high tech, how much money you've spent. If it's foreigners beating up Chinese, then this can't be allowed in China.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I think I will still buy things from Nike. A commercial won't influence me that much. It's just that maybe the way they made the ad is not appropriate for Chinese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I don't think it's necessary to ban the ad. These are just two different cultures. One is American street culture and basketball. It's just a mix of two cultures. There's no conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: Now, Nike also said that they don't expect any impact on its Chinese sales as a result of the controversy over this ad. But, you know, well, this is something that we'll be watching. And clearly this has been a lesson for Nike in cultural sensitivity here in China -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Tara Duffy reporting live from Beijing this morning.
Thank you.
Another story from Asia this morning, this one amazing video of a hostage stand-off coming to a close in Bangkok, Thailand. A 9-year- old boy in the clutches of a man described as homeless and drunk. There you see, that man has a knife to the boy's throat.
After four hours of negotiations failed, police fired rubber bullets. The suspect takes off, running right into the crowd of onlookers, who knock him to the ground, kick, punch and drag him into a nearby van. I believe he's in police custody right now. But he was beaten.
Coming up, they're national heroes in the eyes of many fans young and old. So what's America's opinion of baseball players in the wake of that steroid scandal sweeping the major leagues? We'll have the numbers for you. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
Let's get right to the headlines now.
Congress could start voting as early as today on a bill that would bring some sweeping changes. Earlier, negotiators reached a deal on the stalled intelligence reform bill, which would reshape the U.S. intelligence community.
The Saudi wing of al Qaeda claims responsibility for the attack on the American consulate in Jeddah. Saudi officials say eight people were killed in yesterday's assault, five consulate employees and three attackers.
The fire is finally out, but streets still closed this morning around a downtown skyscraper in Chicago. Yesterday's blaze sent at least 25 people, including 12 firefighters, to hospitals. No cause of the fire as of yet.
Arson is being blamed for these fires in Maryland. Federal investigators are due on the scene today in Charles County, Maryland. Some 40 unoccupied homes in an upscale subdivision were damaged or destroyed. Authorities say eco-terrorism may be the motive.
To the forecast center now and Rob Marciano in for Chad this morning -- good morning.
MARCIANO: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Back to our top story now.
The intelligence reform bill moves forward finally. The head of the House Armed Services Committee had opposed the measure, but Congressman Duncan Hunter now says he will back it thanks to a compromise deal. Hunter had feared the reforms would interfere with the military's chain of command.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: We have been working, as you know, over the many weeks, trying to ensure that we have a good provision for chain of command protection. And we have that. We've received language that we think does that very effectively. And so we have agreed that we will support this conference report because it has now met the standard that we were most interested in, which is protecting our troops on the battlefield.
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