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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Coffey Talk'; Terror Targets; Death of Heavy Metal Star; Weekend Movies

Aired December 10, 2004 - 06:30   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: And good morning to you. Live from the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining us this morning.
"Now in the News."

The emotional testimony is over in the Scott Peterson case. Now, it's time to decide if he lives or dies. Jurors go back at it later today after deliberating for just two hours yesterday afternoon.

So, let's head live to Miami and get our CNN analyst, legal analyst in here, Kendall Coffey.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, the jury deliberates just two hours, and then they go back to the hotel to sleep on it. Can we read anything into that?

COFFEY: Maybe not a lot. It's hard to think that in a case this emotional, this extensive that they'd come back with a decision on life or death in just two hours.

But, Carol, after the jury was sort of straightened out in terms of who the final members were -- remember, a few jurors were removed along the way -- it took them seven hours to come back on guilt or innocence. So, it is conceivable there could be a verdict today. And if there is a quick verdict, that's going to be a deadly sign for Scott Peterson.

COSTELLO: At times during the penalty phase of this thing, especially at the end, Mark Geragos did some interesting things in court. For example, he put his head in his hands and became very emotional. Good tactics?

COFFEY: Well, it may have been honest. I know that doesn't seem like a likely thing in terms of what we all see in a courtroom. But I think it was very intensely emotional for Geragos and the other defense counsel, because they seem to be humbling themselves and seem to be letting it all hang out in a desperate attempt to save their client's life.

COSTELLO: Do you have any idea of which this thing is going? Because you've probably heard more about what happened in court than I have with the attorneys' closing arguments. COFFEY: Carol, I think that the defense has a tough time in this process. They're hoping, I think, for a couple of holdout jurors. I think the overwhelming sentiment of this jury is, hey, there were 39 witnesses from the defense during the sentencing phase. We don't care about the nice guy testimonials, one after another.

The fact is that something really horrible happened. And I think they're buying into the prosecution's view that all of that nice guy stuff was a fraud that Scott Peterson was committing. And that the real Scott Peterson is somebody who murdered his wife, his unborn baby, and left them to rot in the bottom of the bay.

COSTELLO: It's so strange, though, because they showed a lot of pictures of Scott Peterson as a little boy, and it would be hard for me, at least, to equate those pictures with this man who now stands accused, or has been convicted of killing his wife and unborn child.

COFFEY: It's an extraordinary paradox. And I can't say it's not going to have some impact on the jury. It almost seems as if inside this cold-blooded defendant is another person who has a basic decency. The defense tried very hard to develop that theme. The prosecution's counterpunch was, hey, if Scott Peterson could lie and fool Laci Peterson, his own wife, he could be perpetrating deceit on everybody.

COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live from Miami this morning, thank you.

COFFEY: Hey, thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: It's a joke, and not a very funny one. That's how one Republican congressman describes a list of terror targets compiled by the Department of Homeland Security. It's supposed to guide officials to sites that need stepped-up security in case a facility is threatened. The problem is the nationwide list was supposed to be completed this month. Today, it is nowhere near to being fully compiled. And that's despite a presidential order.

How concerned should we be? Let's turn to our security expert, Mike Brooks. He's live in Atlanta to tell us.

Good morning -- Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, let's show this partial list. There are food processing plants, cable lines -- obvious targets of every municipality should already be aware of. How helpful will this list be anyway?

BROOKS: Well, the whole reason for the list most likely is for funding. How much money is the Department of Homeland Security going to give to each state, to each city, that has these target lists?

But I can tell you, Carol, every city, every mayor, every police chief in major cities know what their vulnerabilities are and what critical infrastructures need protection. You know, this is a great list, but, you know, they're talking about miniature golf courses, these kinds of things. You know, you could add malls to that, especially at this time of the year, around the Christmas season, where everyone is out shopping. They are full of people. Are they targets? Absolutely.

But, you know, is it that big of a deal? I think it has to do more with funding than anything else.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Well, we know the Department of Homeland Security has been compiling this list for a year, and they were supposed to be done. How difficult is it to compile such a list?

BROOKS: It's not difficult at all. Here in Atlanta, I can go around and tell you what the critical infrastructures and what needs protecting here in Atlanta. Then you have target-rich environments, like D.C. and New York City. Every time they build a building, is that a potential target? Absolutely.

You know, yes, it's easy to update these things as things get built, but there are certain institutions, certain buildings, certain sites that are already considered critical. You know, we go back to the threats we had a number of months ago against the financial institutions in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Cities know what their critical infrastructures are. They know what needs protecting. And every time that we go from yellow to orange, police departments take their manpower and put them in places they think are critical. They already have lists. All they have to do is go to the Department of Homeland Security in each state or each city, compile the list and they've got their list. I don't know why it's taking them so long, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, they say that, you know, municipalities and states are sending in things that aren't complete. You know, because there are so many municipalities across the country, and it all goes into one place.

BROOKS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That's a lot of cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.

BROOKS: It really is. And going back to funding, cities and states want more and more funding. So, you know, they're not going to sit back on the list. They're not going to sit on this list and say, well, you know, we don't need any money. They're sending these lists in, saying give us more money.

You know, the first responders, where the rubber meets the road, the first responders, people who are going to be out there, the first ones on the scene of a terrorism incident, they want all of the equipment they can get. They want the equipment that they need. And by having these lists, by having the cities and the states take these lists and send them to the Department of Homeland Security, they're hoping the money comes their way.

So, why is it taking so long? That remains to be seen. COSTELLO: Well, maybe Bernard Kerik will have the answer if, of course, he's confirmed.

BROOKS: That's another question, whether or not he's going to be confirmed. We are hearing a lot of things coming up about him.

COSTELLO: Yes. And whether or not he really cares the list.

BROOKS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Mike Brooks live from Atlanta, thank you.

BROOKS: Carol, it was good to be with you.

COSTELLO: The FBI is warning airlines about lasers. In September, a pilot's eye was injured when he was hit with a laser beam while landing in Salt Lake City, Utah. That incident is still under investigation. But a recent FBI memo says that terrorists may try to bring down airliners using that very same method.

When we come back, the fans and the man, the man behind the guitar killed in that nightclub shooting in Ohio. We'll talk to a man who knew "Dimebag" Darrell and about the music scene and the tragedy.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Police can only speculate as to what led up to that deadly shooting in an Ohio nightclub. But they have identified the suspect. He is 25-year-old Nathan Gale of Marysville, Ohio.

A police officer, who has been on the force less than five years, shot and killed Gail to stop him from shooting anyone else inside that nightclub. Heavy metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three others were killed during the rampage.

Fans have created a makeshift memorial outside of Abbott's home in Texas with emotional words from his neighbors and friends about the man behind the music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know why anybody would want to do that. I mean, he was just a really, really cool person, just down to earth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, they look real grungy and everything, but they were great. I mean, it's on the inside that counts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all love "Dimebag." We just want to pay our respects. It's almost like losing a family member.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He really influenced -- you know, really influenced our lives in a positive way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: On the Web site for the band, Damageplan, one fan posted this comment: "This is the worst day in metal history. Millions of hard rock and heavy metal fans are mourning the death of guitarist Darrell Abbott."

I'm joined now by Brad Tolinski, who is a heavy metal industry expert and editor-in-chief of "Guitar World" magazine.

Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

BRAD TOLINSKI, "GUITAR WORLD" MAGAZINE: Hi, Carol.

COSTELLO: What can you say? You know, we heard those fans speaking out about Darrell, the man. And when you look at him, you think of violence, because he looked like a pretty nasty guy.

TOLINSKI: Well, the truth is there really wasn't a nicer guy in the business. He was -- you know, had this great larger-than-life personality, a really great sort of Texas -- you know, he called everybody "brother," and, you know, not threatening at all. A really nice person.

COSTELLO: I don't think many people realize what a great guitarist he was.

TOLINSKI: Yes. I mean, last year we had -- we voted the 100 greatest metal guitarists of all time, and Darrell was in the top 10. I mean, he's right up there with the Eddie Van Halens and Jimmy Pages of the world.

COSTELLO: Were you surprised that this event happened at a heavy metal concert?

TOLINSKI: Yes, I was shocked, because, really, metal is not a culture of aggression. If anything, it's this great channel to get all of the aggression out. I mean, you go there and you stomp your feet and scream and get into the mosh pit and basically have a good time. I mean, the culture of metal is it's the audience and the performer against the establishment.

So, it's very rarely ever turned to violence. It's very rarely turned inside.

COSTELLO: So, it's not us versus us, it's...

TOLINSKI: It's not us versus us.

COSTELLO: It's us versus them.

TOLINSKI: Exactly.

COSTELLO: But doesn't this kind of music attract obsessive fans?

TOLINSKI: Yes. It isn't a culture of violence, but it is a culture of obsession.

COSTELLO: Explain that.

TOLINSKI: Well, I think the fans identify so closely with the artist that sometimes the music and the fan becomes one. Now, from what I understand, this fan was upset that his favorite band had broken up. Darrell was originally in Pantera, and then moved to this band called Damageplan. Well, that band breaking up for that fan meant losing a bit of himself, I think, and he was probably very, very angry with that.

COSTELLO: It seems that way. There were people at the concert that supposedly heard him shouting, "Darrell, Darrell, you've ruined my life. You've broken Pantera up." That just seems so odd.

TOLINSKI: Yes. Well, it isn't unlike what happened with John Lennon and his obsessive fans. Rock tends to breed obsessiveness.

COSTELLO: You know, you mentioned John Lennon. This happened a year -- it happened on the anniversary of John Lennon's death.

TOLINSKI: Yes, yes.

COSTELLO: I don't know if that means anything. It may mean nothing at all.

TOLINSKI: Well, I don't know if it means anything, but I do think, again, there are parallels that the violence isn't endemic of metal. It's more about an obsessive fan than about violence at a rock concert.

COSTELLO: Understand. Brad Tolinski, thanks for coming in.

TOLINSKI: Thank you.

COSTELLO: We appreciate it.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A California jury gets back to deliberating Scott Peterson's fate today. They're deciding whether to sentence him to life in prison without parole or death for killing his wife and unborn son.

Canada's supreme court cleared the way for the country to legalize gay marriage. Canada will join Belgium and The Netherlands as the only countries to allow same-sex marriage.

In money news, the government's giant printing presses are about to go into overdrive. The Treasury Department just got the go-ahead from Congress to start printing other countries' money.

In culture, Retired General Tommy Franks is the new face of a company that keeps track of teenagers on the road. The company's GPS technology in cell phones tells parents where their teenagers are and if they're driving too fast. And in sports, the Portland Trailblazers had a score to settle with the Celtics, and they did just that at the Rose Garden last night. It all came down to a final shot. Sharif Abdul Rahim scored at the buzzing, giving Portland the game 89-87.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Let's check in with Miles O'Brien and Kelly Wallace, in for Bill and Soledad, to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. They've left us. We're alone here, and we're...

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are. Bill is in Japan. Soledad is enjoying a day off. So...

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

WALLACE: Good morning, Carol. Some of the headlines we're following today, that terror target list. Miles, three years after that September 11 attack that list is still not finished. How big a risk is this? We're going to talk to Stephen Flynn, author of "America the Vulnerable." And that's part of "CNN's Security Watch."

O'BRIEN: There is an SUV recall to tell you about. Federal regulators request a recall of as many as 600,000 trucks and SUVs. We'll tell you about that, and we'll talk to the editor-in-chief of "Automobile" magazine about the problem.

WALLACE: And the NBA brawl fallout. Could one of the players involved file suit of his own? We'll talk to Ron Artest's lawyer and his agent. That's all ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING." And we'll see you in a little bit, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, all of that will never end.

O'BRIEN: Should he be suing the fans, Carol? What do you think?

COSTELLO: Ron Artest?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: No.

COSTELLO: No. I'm totally against the players in this matter.

O'BRIEN: A bad PR move. A bad PR move for sure.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll see you in a bit. Thank you. Earlier this week, we told you about a Nike commercial banned in China because it shows NBA star LeBron James attacking kung fu characters. Well, the Chinese government considers the "Chamber of Fears" spot offensive to Asian culture. Now, Nike has apologized for the ad, saying the idea came from Hong Kong's kung fu movies of the '70s. A Nike statement says the company -- quote -- "hoped it could encourage Asia youth to face their fears in basketball." China didn't buy it, though.

First, there were 11. Then there were 12. Danny Ocean makes a splash again. But what will you think of this sequel?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: How long has Danny been in jail?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a couple of days, really, which, you know, on the bright side, he's completely safe from Benedict.

ROBERTS: He told me everything was fine. He lied right to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think what he meant by fine is that we're running low on time and money, and, you know, we're deeper in debt than when we started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Man, that was really an exciting clip, wasn't it? A few years ago, there was "Ocean's 11." Now comes, can you guess? "Ocean's 12."

Also at the movies this weekend, "Million Dollar Baby."

Tom O'Neil of "In-Touch Weekly" is here with a preview.

That was not an exciting preview.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": No, it wasn't. But that sets you up for the scene that comes later, which is we see Julia Roberts portray Julia Roberts.

COSTELLO: Oh.

O'NEIL: This is this movie about all of these Hollywood heavyweights becoming -- the beauty of "Ocean's 11" and this sequel is that you have all of these superstars up on one screen. How exciting is that?

COSTELLO: All looking fabulous.

O'NEIL: Fabulous! And how cares about the plot? That's not what it's about. It's about how cool and clever and chummy they are. And this movie has a few too many of those things.

COSTELLO: "Ocean's 11" was quite popular, though. So, people apparently want that kind of stuff, but...

O'NEIL: Yes. It was so popular it set a new record for December openings. So, the expectations on this are very high.

And we had a very good year of sequels -- "Shrek 2," Spider-Man 2," et cetera. This doesn't measure up. In fact, some critics say the real heist in this heist movie is your and my wallet at the box office. But they're wrong. It's really a good entertainment.

COSTELLO: Now, this other movie you're going to talk about, "Million Dollar Baby," is supposed to be primo.

O'NEIL: Prime. This is the only movie that can unseat "The Aviator" for best picture at the Golden Globes.

COSTELLO: Nuh-uh (ph)!

O'NEIL: And what is odd about this movie are two things, Carol. Clint Eastwood can act. You walk away going wow, who knew? And second of all, it inspires a kind of religious fanatic response in guys.

COSTELLO: It's about boxing.

O'NEIL: I know. But two-thirds of the way into this very traditional movie about boxing it takes a turn you don't expect. And it becomes very important. And it is inspiring. Watch what that effect is going to have on the Oscar race, because we have the big epic "Aviator" movie up against this movie that inspires such passion.

COSTELLO: And it's very spare in comparison to that, which is very elaborate...

O'NEIL: Right.

COSTELLO: ... and rich, you know, in its scenery and all of that kind of stuff. It's a female boxer, though, isn't it?

O'NEIL: Right, played by Hilary Swank.

COSTELLO: And she really pumped up for the role, and she's quite a great actress.

O'NEIL: She's really good. And she, again, transforms herself physically into a very man-ish role, like she did in "Boys Don't Cry." Here, she has added 20 pounds of muscle, because she had worked out six hours a day for many months.

COSTELLO: So, she's not a woman disguised as a man boxing.

O'NEIL: No, she's...

COSTELLO: Oh, good.

O'NEIL: Freaked, huh?

COSTELLO: I was just -- I just wanted to clear that up.

O'NEIL: But Clint both directed and stars in this movie and shows off extraordinary skills at both talents. And Hilary Swank is quite good.

COSTELLO: Can you kind of compare this movie to "Mystic River?" You know, the tone?

O'NEIL: It's a little somber that way. But I hated "Mystic River." I thought it was poorly written and pompous. I'm sorry. But this movie is not pretentious, and it hits every note just right. Roger Ebert went out of his mind the other day on TV, saying it's a masterpiece. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a very good movie.

COSTELLO: Great. Tom O'Neil from "In-Touch Weekly" joining DAYBREAK this morning. Thank you so much.

A special CNN tribute in just a few minutes. But first this is DAYBREAK for a Friday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I'm laughing because every year CNN employees celebrate the holiday season by having a huge talent show competition amongst ourselves. You're looking at the second-place winner. That was her best impersonation of Jerry Lee Lewis, and she was pretty darned good.

But last night, first place went to a video editor named Dave Burkhart (ph). Dave won the contest not just for his singing and songwriting ability, but because the country tune he composed reminds us how the news affects all of our lives.

Here now, the winner's musical tribute to a soldier we all came to know this year, former NFL star Pat Tillman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): And as he shipped off to battle, he remembered what his daddy always said. Sometimes you've got to take one for the team, so everyone can share the glory. You can keep proud of what you've done together to take you as far as you can dream. Sometimes you've got to take one for the team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, that's terrific. Congratulations to him for being the winner for a beautiful song.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts 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 December 10, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Live from the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining us this morning.
"Now in the News."

The emotional testimony is over in the Scott Peterson case. Now, it's time to decide if he lives or dies. Jurors go back at it later today after deliberating for just two hours yesterday afternoon.

So, let's head live to Miami and get our CNN analyst, legal analyst in here, Kendall Coffey.

Good morning -- Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, the jury deliberates just two hours, and then they go back to the hotel to sleep on it. Can we read anything into that?

COFFEY: Maybe not a lot. It's hard to think that in a case this emotional, this extensive that they'd come back with a decision on life or death in just two hours.

But, Carol, after the jury was sort of straightened out in terms of who the final members were -- remember, a few jurors were removed along the way -- it took them seven hours to come back on guilt or innocence. So, it is conceivable there could be a verdict today. And if there is a quick verdict, that's going to be a deadly sign for Scott Peterson.

COSTELLO: At times during the penalty phase of this thing, especially at the end, Mark Geragos did some interesting things in court. For example, he put his head in his hands and became very emotional. Good tactics?

COFFEY: Well, it may have been honest. I know that doesn't seem like a likely thing in terms of what we all see in a courtroom. But I think it was very intensely emotional for Geragos and the other defense counsel, because they seem to be humbling themselves and seem to be letting it all hang out in a desperate attempt to save their client's life.

COSTELLO: Do you have any idea of which this thing is going? Because you've probably heard more about what happened in court than I have with the attorneys' closing arguments. COFFEY: Carol, I think that the defense has a tough time in this process. They're hoping, I think, for a couple of holdout jurors. I think the overwhelming sentiment of this jury is, hey, there were 39 witnesses from the defense during the sentencing phase. We don't care about the nice guy testimonials, one after another.

The fact is that something really horrible happened. And I think they're buying into the prosecution's view that all of that nice guy stuff was a fraud that Scott Peterson was committing. And that the real Scott Peterson is somebody who murdered his wife, his unborn baby, and left them to rot in the bottom of the bay.

COSTELLO: It's so strange, though, because they showed a lot of pictures of Scott Peterson as a little boy, and it would be hard for me, at least, to equate those pictures with this man who now stands accused, or has been convicted of killing his wife and unborn child.

COFFEY: It's an extraordinary paradox. And I can't say it's not going to have some impact on the jury. It almost seems as if inside this cold-blooded defendant is another person who has a basic decency. The defense tried very hard to develop that theme. The prosecution's counterpunch was, hey, if Scott Peterson could lie and fool Laci Peterson, his own wife, he could be perpetrating deceit on everybody.

COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live from Miami this morning, thank you.

COFFEY: Hey, thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: It's a joke, and not a very funny one. That's how one Republican congressman describes a list of terror targets compiled by the Department of Homeland Security. It's supposed to guide officials to sites that need stepped-up security in case a facility is threatened. The problem is the nationwide list was supposed to be completed this month. Today, it is nowhere near to being fully compiled. And that's despite a presidential order.

How concerned should we be? Let's turn to our security expert, Mike Brooks. He's live in Atlanta to tell us.

Good morning -- Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, let's show this partial list. There are food processing plants, cable lines -- obvious targets of every municipality should already be aware of. How helpful will this list be anyway?

BROOKS: Well, the whole reason for the list most likely is for funding. How much money is the Department of Homeland Security going to give to each state, to each city, that has these target lists?

But I can tell you, Carol, every city, every mayor, every police chief in major cities know what their vulnerabilities are and what critical infrastructures need protection. You know, this is a great list, but, you know, they're talking about miniature golf courses, these kinds of things. You know, you could add malls to that, especially at this time of the year, around the Christmas season, where everyone is out shopping. They are full of people. Are they targets? Absolutely.

But, you know, is it that big of a deal? I think it has to do more with funding than anything else.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Well, we know the Department of Homeland Security has been compiling this list for a year, and they were supposed to be done. How difficult is it to compile such a list?

BROOKS: It's not difficult at all. Here in Atlanta, I can go around and tell you what the critical infrastructures and what needs protecting here in Atlanta. Then you have target-rich environments, like D.C. and New York City. Every time they build a building, is that a potential target? Absolutely.

You know, yes, it's easy to update these things as things get built, but there are certain institutions, certain buildings, certain sites that are already considered critical. You know, we go back to the threats we had a number of months ago against the financial institutions in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Cities know what their critical infrastructures are. They know what needs protecting. And every time that we go from yellow to orange, police departments take their manpower and put them in places they think are critical. They already have lists. All they have to do is go to the Department of Homeland Security in each state or each city, compile the list and they've got their list. I don't know why it's taking them so long, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, they say that, you know, municipalities and states are sending in things that aren't complete. You know, because there are so many municipalities across the country, and it all goes into one place.

BROOKS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That's a lot of cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.

BROOKS: It really is. And going back to funding, cities and states want more and more funding. So, you know, they're not going to sit back on the list. They're not going to sit on this list and say, well, you know, we don't need any money. They're sending these lists in, saying give us more money.

You know, the first responders, where the rubber meets the road, the first responders, people who are going to be out there, the first ones on the scene of a terrorism incident, they want all of the equipment they can get. They want the equipment that they need. And by having these lists, by having the cities and the states take these lists and send them to the Department of Homeland Security, they're hoping the money comes their way.

So, why is it taking so long? That remains to be seen. COSTELLO: Well, maybe Bernard Kerik will have the answer if, of course, he's confirmed.

BROOKS: That's another question, whether or not he's going to be confirmed. We are hearing a lot of things coming up about him.

COSTELLO: Yes. And whether or not he really cares the list.

BROOKS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Mike Brooks live from Atlanta, thank you.

BROOKS: Carol, it was good to be with you.

COSTELLO: The FBI is warning airlines about lasers. In September, a pilot's eye was injured when he was hit with a laser beam while landing in Salt Lake City, Utah. That incident is still under investigation. But a recent FBI memo says that terrorists may try to bring down airliners using that very same method.

When we come back, the fans and the man, the man behind the guitar killed in that nightclub shooting in Ohio. We'll talk to a man who knew "Dimebag" Darrell and about the music scene and the tragedy.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Police can only speculate as to what led up to that deadly shooting in an Ohio nightclub. But they have identified the suspect. He is 25-year-old Nathan Gale of Marysville, Ohio.

A police officer, who has been on the force less than five years, shot and killed Gail to stop him from shooting anyone else inside that nightclub. Heavy metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three others were killed during the rampage.

Fans have created a makeshift memorial outside of Abbott's home in Texas with emotional words from his neighbors and friends about the man behind the music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know why anybody would want to do that. I mean, he was just a really, really cool person, just down to earth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, they look real grungy and everything, but they were great. I mean, it's on the inside that counts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all love "Dimebag." We just want to pay our respects. It's almost like losing a family member.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He really influenced -- you know, really influenced our lives in a positive way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: On the Web site for the band, Damageplan, one fan posted this comment: "This is the worst day in metal history. Millions of hard rock and heavy metal fans are mourning the death of guitarist Darrell Abbott."

I'm joined now by Brad Tolinski, who is a heavy metal industry expert and editor-in-chief of "Guitar World" magazine.

Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

BRAD TOLINSKI, "GUITAR WORLD" MAGAZINE: Hi, Carol.

COSTELLO: What can you say? You know, we heard those fans speaking out about Darrell, the man. And when you look at him, you think of violence, because he looked like a pretty nasty guy.

TOLINSKI: Well, the truth is there really wasn't a nicer guy in the business. He was -- you know, had this great larger-than-life personality, a really great sort of Texas -- you know, he called everybody "brother," and, you know, not threatening at all. A really nice person.

COSTELLO: I don't think many people realize what a great guitarist he was.

TOLINSKI: Yes. I mean, last year we had -- we voted the 100 greatest metal guitarists of all time, and Darrell was in the top 10. I mean, he's right up there with the Eddie Van Halens and Jimmy Pages of the world.

COSTELLO: Were you surprised that this event happened at a heavy metal concert?

TOLINSKI: Yes, I was shocked, because, really, metal is not a culture of aggression. If anything, it's this great channel to get all of the aggression out. I mean, you go there and you stomp your feet and scream and get into the mosh pit and basically have a good time. I mean, the culture of metal is it's the audience and the performer against the establishment.

So, it's very rarely ever turned to violence. It's very rarely turned inside.

COSTELLO: So, it's not us versus us, it's...

TOLINSKI: It's not us versus us.

COSTELLO: It's us versus them.

TOLINSKI: Exactly.

COSTELLO: But doesn't this kind of music attract obsessive fans?

TOLINSKI: Yes. It isn't a culture of violence, but it is a culture of obsession.

COSTELLO: Explain that.

TOLINSKI: Well, I think the fans identify so closely with the artist that sometimes the music and the fan becomes one. Now, from what I understand, this fan was upset that his favorite band had broken up. Darrell was originally in Pantera, and then moved to this band called Damageplan. Well, that band breaking up for that fan meant losing a bit of himself, I think, and he was probably very, very angry with that.

COSTELLO: It seems that way. There were people at the concert that supposedly heard him shouting, "Darrell, Darrell, you've ruined my life. You've broken Pantera up." That just seems so odd.

TOLINSKI: Yes. Well, it isn't unlike what happened with John Lennon and his obsessive fans. Rock tends to breed obsessiveness.

COSTELLO: You know, you mentioned John Lennon. This happened a year -- it happened on the anniversary of John Lennon's death.

TOLINSKI: Yes, yes.

COSTELLO: I don't know if that means anything. It may mean nothing at all.

TOLINSKI: Well, I don't know if it means anything, but I do think, again, there are parallels that the violence isn't endemic of metal. It's more about an obsessive fan than about violence at a rock concert.

COSTELLO: Understand. Brad Tolinski, thanks for coming in.

TOLINSKI: Thank you.

COSTELLO: We appreciate it.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A California jury gets back to deliberating Scott Peterson's fate today. They're deciding whether to sentence him to life in prison without parole or death for killing his wife and unborn son.

Canada's supreme court cleared the way for the country to legalize gay marriage. Canada will join Belgium and The Netherlands as the only countries to allow same-sex marriage.

In money news, the government's giant printing presses are about to go into overdrive. The Treasury Department just got the go-ahead from Congress to start printing other countries' money.

In culture, Retired General Tommy Franks is the new face of a company that keeps track of teenagers on the road. The company's GPS technology in cell phones tells parents where their teenagers are and if they're driving too fast. And in sports, the Portland Trailblazers had a score to settle with the Celtics, and they did just that at the Rose Garden last night. It all came down to a final shot. Sharif Abdul Rahim scored at the buzzing, giving Portland the game 89-87.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Let's check in with Miles O'Brien and Kelly Wallace, in for Bill and Soledad, to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. They've left us. We're alone here, and we're...

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are. Bill is in Japan. Soledad is enjoying a day off. So...

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

WALLACE: Good morning, Carol. Some of the headlines we're following today, that terror target list. Miles, three years after that September 11 attack that list is still not finished. How big a risk is this? We're going to talk to Stephen Flynn, author of "America the Vulnerable." And that's part of "CNN's Security Watch."

O'BRIEN: There is an SUV recall to tell you about. Federal regulators request a recall of as many as 600,000 trucks and SUVs. We'll tell you about that, and we'll talk to the editor-in-chief of "Automobile" magazine about the problem.

WALLACE: And the NBA brawl fallout. Could one of the players involved file suit of his own? We'll talk to Ron Artest's lawyer and his agent. That's all ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING." And we'll see you in a little bit, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, all of that will never end.

O'BRIEN: Should he be suing the fans, Carol? What do you think?

COSTELLO: Ron Artest?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: No.

COSTELLO: No. I'm totally against the players in this matter.

O'BRIEN: A bad PR move. A bad PR move for sure.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll see you in a bit. Thank you. Earlier this week, we told you about a Nike commercial banned in China because it shows NBA star LeBron James attacking kung fu characters. Well, the Chinese government considers the "Chamber of Fears" spot offensive to Asian culture. Now, Nike has apologized for the ad, saying the idea came from Hong Kong's kung fu movies of the '70s. A Nike statement says the company -- quote -- "hoped it could encourage Asia youth to face their fears in basketball." China didn't buy it, though.

First, there were 11. Then there were 12. Danny Ocean makes a splash again. But what will you think of this sequel?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: How long has Danny been in jail?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a couple of days, really, which, you know, on the bright side, he's completely safe from Benedict.

ROBERTS: He told me everything was fine. He lied right to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think what he meant by fine is that we're running low on time and money, and, you know, we're deeper in debt than when we started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Man, that was really an exciting clip, wasn't it? A few years ago, there was "Ocean's 11." Now comes, can you guess? "Ocean's 12."

Also at the movies this weekend, "Million Dollar Baby."

Tom O'Neil of "In-Touch Weekly" is here with a preview.

That was not an exciting preview.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": No, it wasn't. But that sets you up for the scene that comes later, which is we see Julia Roberts portray Julia Roberts.

COSTELLO: Oh.

O'NEIL: This is this movie about all of these Hollywood heavyweights becoming -- the beauty of "Ocean's 11" and this sequel is that you have all of these superstars up on one screen. How exciting is that?

COSTELLO: All looking fabulous.

O'NEIL: Fabulous! And how cares about the plot? That's not what it's about. It's about how cool and clever and chummy they are. And this movie has a few too many of those things.

COSTELLO: "Ocean's 11" was quite popular, though. So, people apparently want that kind of stuff, but...

O'NEIL: Yes. It was so popular it set a new record for December openings. So, the expectations on this are very high.

And we had a very good year of sequels -- "Shrek 2," Spider-Man 2," et cetera. This doesn't measure up. In fact, some critics say the real heist in this heist movie is your and my wallet at the box office. But they're wrong. It's really a good entertainment.

COSTELLO: Now, this other movie you're going to talk about, "Million Dollar Baby," is supposed to be primo.

O'NEIL: Prime. This is the only movie that can unseat "The Aviator" for best picture at the Golden Globes.

COSTELLO: Nuh-uh (ph)!

O'NEIL: And what is odd about this movie are two things, Carol. Clint Eastwood can act. You walk away going wow, who knew? And second of all, it inspires a kind of religious fanatic response in guys.

COSTELLO: It's about boxing.

O'NEIL: I know. But two-thirds of the way into this very traditional movie about boxing it takes a turn you don't expect. And it becomes very important. And it is inspiring. Watch what that effect is going to have on the Oscar race, because we have the big epic "Aviator" movie up against this movie that inspires such passion.

COSTELLO: And it's very spare in comparison to that, which is very elaborate...

O'NEIL: Right.

COSTELLO: ... and rich, you know, in its scenery and all of that kind of stuff. It's a female boxer, though, isn't it?

O'NEIL: Right, played by Hilary Swank.

COSTELLO: And she really pumped up for the role, and she's quite a great actress.

O'NEIL: She's really good. And she, again, transforms herself physically into a very man-ish role, like she did in "Boys Don't Cry." Here, she has added 20 pounds of muscle, because she had worked out six hours a day for many months.

COSTELLO: So, she's not a woman disguised as a man boxing.

O'NEIL: No, she's...

COSTELLO: Oh, good.

O'NEIL: Freaked, huh?

COSTELLO: I was just -- I just wanted to clear that up.

O'NEIL: But Clint both directed and stars in this movie and shows off extraordinary skills at both talents. And Hilary Swank is quite good.

COSTELLO: Can you kind of compare this movie to "Mystic River?" You know, the tone?

O'NEIL: It's a little somber that way. But I hated "Mystic River." I thought it was poorly written and pompous. I'm sorry. But this movie is not pretentious, and it hits every note just right. Roger Ebert went out of his mind the other day on TV, saying it's a masterpiece. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a very good movie.

COSTELLO: Great. Tom O'Neil from "In-Touch Weekly" joining DAYBREAK this morning. Thank you so much.

A special CNN tribute in just a few minutes. But first this is DAYBREAK for a Friday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I'm laughing because every year CNN employees celebrate the holiday season by having a huge talent show competition amongst ourselves. You're looking at the second-place winner. That was her best impersonation of Jerry Lee Lewis, and she was pretty darned good.

But last night, first place went to a video editor named Dave Burkhart (ph). Dave won the contest not just for his singing and songwriting ability, but because the country tune he composed reminds us how the news affects all of our lives.

Here now, the winner's musical tribute to a soldier we all came to know this year, former NFL star Pat Tillman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): And as he shipped off to battle, he remembered what his daddy always said. Sometimes you've got to take one for the team, so everyone can share the glory. You can keep proud of what you've done together to take you as far as you can dream. Sometimes you've got to take one for the team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, that's terrific. Congratulations to him for being the winner for a beautiful song.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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