Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

A Tsunami Donor's Conference Going On; Iraq at a Crossroads

Aired January 06, 2005 - 05:00   ET

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


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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, opening hearts and pocketbooks. A tsunami donor's conference going on right now. We take you live to Jakarta in two minutes.
Plus, a crisis in the making. Does your community have enough firefighters?

And Iraq at a crossroads. Despite violence aimed at disrupting the interim government, plans proceed for those critical January 30th elections.

It is Thursday, January 6.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest developments out of South Asia this morning.

Today in Jakarta, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says almost $1 billion will be needed through the spring for tsunami victims in South Asia. More immediate needs -- funding for water, shelter and food.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is now in the region. Earlier today, he visited a refugee camp in Galle, Sri Lanka. Frist tells CNN it will take a long-term investment for the region to recover.

The search is on. Sixteen Americans now confirmed dead. Another 20 presumed dead. But the U.S. State Department says it has queries about nearly 3,000 Americans who may be the victims of that tsunami.

The heart tugging images coming out of this disaster are leading some nations to increase their financial pledges. Australia will now provide $764 million. Germany says it will give more than $660 million.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning to you.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: So far, more than $4 billion has been pledged at that donor's conference going on right now in Jakarta. The United Nations will coordinate efforts at getting the funds to those areas where it is needed the most.

Live to Jakarta now and John King with more on this unprecedented gathering -- hello, John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Carol.

Good morning back in the States.

A great sense of urgency here in Jakarta and a great sense, at least a spirit of cooperation at this meeting. The test now, of course, can you take all these generous commitments of money and actually do what the money is for, deliver the supplies that are necessary. And there are very different challenges in the very different countries affected by this tsunami.

The meeting here in Jakarta today notable for a moment of silence, of course, at the top of the meeting to pay tribute to the victims of the tsunami, now numbering more than 150,000. And several things discussed at this meeting. Most urgent, of course, getting the food, the water, the medicine, the supplies, to those displaced by the tsunami, the survivors. That is the most urgent demand and there are some difficulties -- roads and bridges washed out. Many of these remote areas do not have clean ways to get to them right now and many of them don't have the community infrastructure to get the medicine n the food to the people who need it most.

So that is one of the concerns, perhaps the primary concern. The leaders also taking time to lift their heads a bit and look a little bit down the road. Reconstruction and economic development, that is what the second wave of money, if you will, will go to. And then talk of spending a couple hundred million dollars, more likely, on an early warning system in the South China Sea, in the Indian Ocean, so that if, god forbid, something like this were to happen again, at least some of those coastal communities could get a bit of a warning, people told to stay away from the beaches.

And, Carol, one note here. Remember, a few days after the tsunami, President Bush formed what he called the core group -- the United States, Japan, Australia and India. And the president said those four nations would take the lead in disaster relief efforts. That group was folded today. That announcement made by Secretary of State Powell.

The United Nations will now take the lead. That step taken because Secretary Powell says the group is no longer needed and many, of course, had worried. They were worried -- there were concerns that these countries would not know who was in charge, who to call if you needed aid. So the decision made today to make clear it is the United Nations running the show -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John King reporting live from Jakarta this morning. CNN spoke earlier with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He had just visited a refugee camp in Galle, Sri Lanka. He says the United States will work with other nations to provide emergency funds, technology and the expertise to deal with this crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: We'll be looking at ways that we can participate in the longer-term to help the people of Sri Lanka who have been hurt, who have -- will have long-term psychological scars. And in terms of that long-term reconstruction, we will be looking at things of economic development, return to jobs and the like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Frist, who is also a medical doctor, praised relief workers who are working under almost unbearable conditions. Some one million people in the region are now homeless.

And what about the children? It's estimated that around one third of the more than 155,000 people killed in the tsunami are children. Now, the focus has turned to the youngsters who survived.

For more on that, we're joined by CNN's Atika Shubert.

She's in Banda Aceh, Indonesia -- hello, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

We visited a lot of these displacement camps today to see just what the situation of these children were. And, frankly, one of the sad realities, as you mentioned, is that there are far many more parents looking for children than children missing their parents. Everywhere you go, there are boards, notices, the faces of those children that are still missing.

And one of the things that's being done here is that the government, together with organizations like UNICEF, the United Nations funds for children, are setting up registration sites so that parents can come, give the details of their children, pictures, their ages, where they were last seen, in the hope that perhaps maybe they will be able to find their missing children. At the same time, these centers will also allow for those orphaned children to be brought to that center and to register themselves, again, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, their parents may only be missing in another refugee camp and hoping to somehow reunite them with, if not their parents, their extended families -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Atika Shubert reporting live for us this morning from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

I'm sorry, do we have a breaking news event going on right now?

We're going to go to Tony Blair.

He's speaking about the tsunami and the disaster there.

So let's head live to London now to listen to what the prime minister has to say.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We are meeting every request from the United Nations, aid agencies and from the countries themselves. We've already delivered, of course, as you know, much needed assistance. For example, we've airlifted emergency medical supplies to Indonesia, enough for 100,000 people for three months. We're sending one million water purification tablets to Aceh. We're providing significant airlift capacity. We've allocated already one RAF C-17 plane to the emergency, but there are now two RAF C-17s in theater. With these aircraft, we have delivered to Banda Aceh the first phase of equipment to support the U.N. field office there; forklift emergency lighting, vehicles, communications equipment, as well as further flights carrying food, water, tents, water purification equipment and vehicles.

Hercules and TriStar have also been involved in shuttling deliveries.

We're putting together at the moment plans for further airlifts, both from Europe and other regions, of shelter materials and potentially more emergency health kits to the region.

There are two navy ships, as you know, Frigate Chatham and RFA Diligence, which are providing assistance off Sri Lanka. RFA Bay Leaf will arrive in a few days. Their Lynx helicopters are available to move personnel and supplies quickly.

We're also providing three chartered MI8 helicopters to the U.N. for use in Aceh.

The instance of the Gerkas based in Brunei, we offered the government of Indonesia a company of Gerkas and the two helicopters attached to the Gerkas.

At present, they believe they have sufficient infantry troops on the ground and are after airlift and transport capacity and specialist expertise. They have therefore accepted the offer of the two helicopters attached to the Gerkas battalion.

We've given UNICEF four million pounds, the World Health Organization three million, the Red Cross and Crescent 3.5 million, Save The Children Fund and Christian Aid some 400,000 pounds each. So even as from yesterday, the amount of money that we are spending has -- is increasing.

We've now, however, received a considerable number of project proposals from U.K. NGOs, and I met the main U.K. NGOs yesterday and we expect them to be making funding decisions within the next few days.

As you know also, Jack Straw is at a conference in Indonesia to discuss the different sorts of support that the country will need not just immediately, but in the months and years to come. And as you know, also, Hillary Ben (ph) is visiting the region.

However, in addition to all of this, the government will continue to pursue the rest of its agenda at home and abroad. As you know, Gordon Brown is setting out in a speech today the government's ambitions for Africa. His speech will underline again that we need a comprehensive approach that increases aid, cancels debt, makes trade fairer, reduces conflict and promotes good governance.

The tragedy of the tsunami was through the force of nature. The tragedy of Africa is through the failure of man. There is the equivalent...

COSTELLO: And you're just listening to Prime Minister Tony Blair live from London talking about the aid that the British government is sending over to help the tsunami victims in South Asia.

CNN looks deeper into the effects of this disaster on the young, too. Our prime time special, "Saving The Children," airs tonight at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Let's switch gears now to U.S. politics.

Just a few hours from now, the confirmation process begins for President Bush's choice for attorney general. Alberto Gonzales was White House counsel before being nominated to replace John Ashcroft. Today, Gonzales goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he's expected to face tough questions about his role in formulating U.S. policy on torture.

CNN Congressional correspondent Ed Henry will join us in the second hour of DAYBREAK for more on today's confirmation hearings.

Are budget cuts putting people in danger? Some essential emergency programs could be downsized due to changes in homeland security rules. Law makers from New Jersey have a meeting a homeland security officials today to try to fix that problem.

CNN's Alina Cho looks at what could be a dangerous shortage.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A normal day for Jersey City firefighters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's see what we've got here.

CHO: Engine Company Six responds to a chemical spill. Nothing serious, but the big call could come at any time. Fire Chief Fred Eggers says that's a problem.

CHIEF FRED EGGERS, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY FIRE DEPARTMENT: The City of Jersey City is forced to close two companies a day because of the shortage of staffing.

CHO: Jersey City isn't alone. The National Fire Protection Association says two thirds of the nation's fire departments are understaffed. Places like Cleveland, where 7 percent of the city's firefighters were laid off this year; Houston, where several firehouses have shut down temporarily; and New York City, where six fire companies have closed permanently since 2001.

Eggers says it's like playing Russian roulette.

EGGERS: It's never a crisis until an incident happens. But the incident can happen at any moment and in any place.

CHO (on camera): Firefighters don't just fight fires. They're also first responders like on September 11. And that only amplifies the problem.

HAROLD SCHAITBERGER, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS: It's a crisis for them personally, endangering them unnecessarily, and it certainly is affecting the capacity for them to deliver an efficient and effective level of protection for their communities.

CHO (voice-over): Take the high rise fire in Chicago earlier this month. Four hundred fifty firefighters responded. The Windy City was lucky. It has full staffing.

SCHAITBERGER: If that fire had occurred in another major city in this country where the equipment was only staffed with three firefighters or less, that fire would have been much more difficult to bring under control.

CHO: Congress passed the Safer Act in 2003, pledging $7.6 billion over seven years to hire more firefighters. But very little of this money has yet been distributed.

REP. SHERWOOD BOEHLER (R), NEW YORK: Cities, states, counties across the United States are facing significant budget shortfalls. At the same time, they have a significant homeland security burden that is placed on them. So it put them in a tough spot to make some very tough decisions.

CHO: So fire departments, including Jersey City's, across the river from ground zero, will continue to do more with less.

Alina Cho, CNN, Jersey City, New Jersey.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, if you've got a laser beam device and live anywhere near an airport, oh, we've got a warning for you. Homeland security officials are taking the threat to pilots very seriously. We'll tell you one man's story at 18 minutes past the hour.

And more than a week after the tsunami, we have an incredible story of survival, another one. That's at 24 minutes past.

And at 51 minutes past the hour, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us what some parents in Sri Lanka are doing to help their children cope.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

South Asian countries will need nearly a billion dollars over the next six months to recover. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan made the plea for assistance at an international donors meeting in Jakarta.

William Rehnquist has been returning to his Supreme Court offices part-time. The 80-year-old chief justice is being treated for thyroid cancer. A court spokeswoman says he plans to preside over President Bush's inauguration on January 20th.

In money news, Wal-Mart is paying more than $14 million to settle a lawsuit over gun sale violations in California. Part of the settlement includes the development of a system to verify the age of a person buying a gun.

In culture, "Men's Fitness" magazine says that Seattle is the country's fittest city. Their survey takes into consideration commute times, weather and even the number of donut shops. On the flip side, the magazine named Houston as the fattest city.

In sports, Boston's Fleet Center will get another name. Bank of America, which bought Fleet, is giving up its naming rights. The Fleet Center is home to the Boston Celtics and Bruins.

And, oh, that's a better choice for a name -- Chad.

MYERS: So what's it going to be?

COSTELLO: I don't know. Probably the name of the bank, the new name.

MYERS: Well, I thought they gave it up or whatever?

COSTELLO: No. But the new company bought it.

MYERS: Oh, so now it'll be Bank of America Center.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Ah, well, there you go.

Hey, Carol, how was your ride into work today?

COSTELLO: You know, it's just raining, really raining in New York City.

MYERS: It's raining.

COSTELLO: But outside of the city it's really nasty.

MYERS: You bet you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Airline pilots want more warnings about lasers being aimed at airplanes. Union officials say the pilots also want to know how to protect themselves against the beams. Pilots could temporarily be blinded by the lasers and there have been several recent incidents of lasers being pointed into the cockpits of aircraft. But there have been no injuries and no incidents on the ground.

But one of those incidents of the pointing the laser thing involved a New Jersey man. His lawyer says the man was just playing around with a laser in his backyard. But his games could cost him 25 years in prison.

David Banach has been charged under the Patriot Act for shining his laser at a jet. The FBI says there is no link to terrorism, so Banach's attorney is wondering why the Patriot Act is being invoked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINA MENDOLA-LONGARZO, DAVID BANACH'S ATTORNEY: We are going to fight these charges. I don't think that the Act was intended to cover this kind of non-purposeful conduct. I think the spirit of the Patriot Act was to cover terrorist activity.

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, U.S. ATTORNEY: This conduct was reckless, in our view. And whether it was an accident or not, one thing we know is that there were a number of incidents involving this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Banach is also charged with lying to investigators because he first told them his daughter, his little daughter pointed the laser at the plane.

It actually brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.

We wanted to ask you about the Patriot Act. Is it time to review it? We know this guy allegedly did something wrong by pointing that laser into the cockpit of a plane, but the FBI says no terrorism was involved.

So, should this guy really be charged under the Patriot Act? Is it time to review that Act? Let us know what you think at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

Are you ready to go whole hog to help tsunami victims? Get ready for a bidding war for one very special Harley Davidson.

And later, we'll learn how music is helping some of the youngest tsunami victims try to reestablish a normal life.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning, January 6.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A couple of updates for you now.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: We told you about some of these stories yesterday.

When it comes to raising money for tsunami aid, the San Francisco Giants are stepping up to the plate.

MYERS: They are all over it.

COSTELLO: They are.

MYERS: Really.

COSTELLO: The club will hold an online auction with 100 percent of the proceeds going to disaster relief. And not only can you bid to win a chance to throw out the first pitch on opening day...

MYERS: Next year, the opening day first pitch.

COSTELLO: Isn't that something?

MYERS: I mean it's going to be all over TV.

COSTELLO: I love that.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: I think we should be involved. Let's pledge something.

MYERS: Well, OK.

COSTELLO: OK.

MYERS: Is it on eBay? I don't even know where you -- where do you bid?

COSTELLO: Gosh, that's a good question.

MYERS: Yes. OK, well, we'll figure that out.

COSTELLO: We're going to figure that out by the time I get to the end of this story. We will have figured that out.

MYERS: Because we have the best producers in TV.

COSTELLO: That's right.

MYERS: The first pitch on opening day or that private meeting we talked about yesterday with Barry Bonds. Those were the two, the top two.

COSTELLO: Yes, you can actually hang out in the dugout with Barry Bonds before a game, not during the game, but before the game.

MYERS: But how about going to spring training in Scottsdale and being able to swing against the pitchers?

COSTELLO: I would love that, too.

Could you hit the ball?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: I couldn't either.

MYERS: I couldn't see the ball.

COSTELLO: Have you ever gone to a batting cage and, you know, you go into the fast pitch area? It just goes by you. It's just like...

MYERS: I stand behind the fence.

COSTELLO: I understand.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We are going to get you the information so that you can possibly bid on these things because, of course, that could raise a lot of money for a very worthy cause.

MYERS: Sure. Yes, we'll get on their Web site. I'm sure it'll tell us.

COSTELLO: Definitely so.

Also, comedian Jay Leno is getting revved up about tsunami aid. He's asking his celebrity guests to sign a Harley Davidson motorcycle that will be sold on eBay for disaster relief. And look at that, Chad.

MYERS: Yes. The last time he did that for the 9/11 victims, he had a truck and a bike. $380,000 I think was raised. So it should be great.

COSTELLO: Exactly. He's having celebrities sign it. As we just saw, Ellen DeGeneres signed it.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That's why he's auctioning off that white Harley Davidson, so you can see all the celebrities' signatures. So good for him.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We want to tell you about a survivor's story now that's almost too hard to believe.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Take a look at this photograph. See that?

MYERS: Yes. You can't see it.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's just amazing. This was taken from a container ship in the Indian Ocean.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: This was Monday.

MYERS: Right. But they'll zoom in and there's a guy on that stuff.

COSTELLO: Look at him. This is 100 miles from land. You can see him, yes, you can see him waving. He was swept out to sea with several others, clinging desperately to tree branches and debris for eight days.

MYERS: The hardest part, he said, was not drinking the water. You're so tempted to drink the salt water but it is so bad to dehydrate your body. You can't drink it. You literally have to stop yourself from putting your hand down into that water and thinking it's good for you.

COSTELLO: He did. He survived eight days. Now he's safe in Malaysia and he's going to be OK.

CNN's Eunice Yoon has more on this incredible story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Indonesian man may look frail, but he's as strong as they come. Like so many others, 23-year-old Rizal Shahputra was washed out to sea by the deadly tsunami. But eight days later, he was found alive.

RIZAL SHAHPUTRA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I saw many dead bodies floating beside me.

YOON: The crew aboard this Malaysian cargo vessel, the Durban Bridge, spotted Rizal clinging to an uprooted tree 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, from his home near the shore of Aceh Province. They could only describe his survival as a miracle.

He told reporters that all he had to eat and drink was rainwater and coconut milk.

The vessel crew took Rizal to port in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was taken to hospital for cuts on his legs. Rizal is the second person to be found alive by Malaysian vessels days after the tsunami disaster.

A tuna ship picked up 23-year-old Melawati three days before. She had been clutching a floating palm tree for five days.

MELAWATI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I was alone when the wave came. I was running to the mosque and then the wave struck.

YOON: Rizal had been cleaning a mosque in Banda Aceh when the deadly tsunami hit.

SHAHPUTRA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I was repairing the mosque at the time. I was buys working when my son came and shouted, "Run! Run! A big wave is coming!" I ran to a two story building.

YOON: He survived. His son and the rest of his family did not.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: And as promised, we do have that Web site for you where you can...

MYERS: Oh, good.

COSTELLO: ... you can bid on all of those Giants' goodies. It is sanfrancisco.giants.mlb, major league baseball, .com. And the bidding starts at 12:00 Eastern.

MYERS: Good. I knew we could get that.

I just tried to type it in, but I didn't put in the mlb part and so it didn't come up.

COSTELLO: See.

MYERS: But sanfrancisco.giants@mlb.com.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: I hope that raises a lot of money. I mean, you've got to be thinking there's a million dollars in there somewhere for all those great things.

COSTELLO: Oh, exactly.

MYERS: So, that was so nice.

COSTELLO: Especially going to spring training. That would be very cool.

MYERS: Yes.

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

Actions speak louder than words. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urging nations to turn those pledges into cash. We take you live to Jakarta. And a reminder, our E-mail Question of the Day, the Patriot Act -- is it time to review it?

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 January 6, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, opening hearts and pocketbooks. A tsunami donor's conference going on right now. We take you live to Jakarta in two minutes.
Plus, a crisis in the making. Does your community have enough firefighters?

And Iraq at a crossroads. Despite violence aimed at disrupting the interim government, plans proceed for those critical January 30th elections.

It is Thursday, January 6.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest developments out of South Asia this morning.

Today in Jakarta, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says almost $1 billion will be needed through the spring for tsunami victims in South Asia. More immediate needs -- funding for water, shelter and food.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is now in the region. Earlier today, he visited a refugee camp in Galle, Sri Lanka. Frist tells CNN it will take a long-term investment for the region to recover.

The search is on. Sixteen Americans now confirmed dead. Another 20 presumed dead. But the U.S. State Department says it has queries about nearly 3,000 Americans who may be the victims of that tsunami.

The heart tugging images coming out of this disaster are leading some nations to increase their financial pledges. Australia will now provide $764 million. Germany says it will give more than $660 million.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning to you.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: So far, more than $4 billion has been pledged at that donor's conference going on right now in Jakarta. The United Nations will coordinate efforts at getting the funds to those areas where it is needed the most.

Live to Jakarta now and John King with more on this unprecedented gathering -- hello, John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Carol.

Good morning back in the States.

A great sense of urgency here in Jakarta and a great sense, at least a spirit of cooperation at this meeting. The test now, of course, can you take all these generous commitments of money and actually do what the money is for, deliver the supplies that are necessary. And there are very different challenges in the very different countries affected by this tsunami.

The meeting here in Jakarta today notable for a moment of silence, of course, at the top of the meeting to pay tribute to the victims of the tsunami, now numbering more than 150,000. And several things discussed at this meeting. Most urgent, of course, getting the food, the water, the medicine, the supplies, to those displaced by the tsunami, the survivors. That is the most urgent demand and there are some difficulties -- roads and bridges washed out. Many of these remote areas do not have clean ways to get to them right now and many of them don't have the community infrastructure to get the medicine n the food to the people who need it most.

So that is one of the concerns, perhaps the primary concern. The leaders also taking time to lift their heads a bit and look a little bit down the road. Reconstruction and economic development, that is what the second wave of money, if you will, will go to. And then talk of spending a couple hundred million dollars, more likely, on an early warning system in the South China Sea, in the Indian Ocean, so that if, god forbid, something like this were to happen again, at least some of those coastal communities could get a bit of a warning, people told to stay away from the beaches.

And, Carol, one note here. Remember, a few days after the tsunami, President Bush formed what he called the core group -- the United States, Japan, Australia and India. And the president said those four nations would take the lead in disaster relief efforts. That group was folded today. That announcement made by Secretary of State Powell.

The United Nations will now take the lead. That step taken because Secretary Powell says the group is no longer needed and many, of course, had worried. They were worried -- there were concerns that these countries would not know who was in charge, who to call if you needed aid. So the decision made today to make clear it is the United Nations running the show -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John King reporting live from Jakarta this morning. CNN spoke earlier with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He had just visited a refugee camp in Galle, Sri Lanka. He says the United States will work with other nations to provide emergency funds, technology and the expertise to deal with this crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: We'll be looking at ways that we can participate in the longer-term to help the people of Sri Lanka who have been hurt, who have -- will have long-term psychological scars. And in terms of that long-term reconstruction, we will be looking at things of economic development, return to jobs and the like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Frist, who is also a medical doctor, praised relief workers who are working under almost unbearable conditions. Some one million people in the region are now homeless.

And what about the children? It's estimated that around one third of the more than 155,000 people killed in the tsunami are children. Now, the focus has turned to the youngsters who survived.

For more on that, we're joined by CNN's Atika Shubert.

She's in Banda Aceh, Indonesia -- hello, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

We visited a lot of these displacement camps today to see just what the situation of these children were. And, frankly, one of the sad realities, as you mentioned, is that there are far many more parents looking for children than children missing their parents. Everywhere you go, there are boards, notices, the faces of those children that are still missing.

And one of the things that's being done here is that the government, together with organizations like UNICEF, the United Nations funds for children, are setting up registration sites so that parents can come, give the details of their children, pictures, their ages, where they were last seen, in the hope that perhaps maybe they will be able to find their missing children. At the same time, these centers will also allow for those orphaned children to be brought to that center and to register themselves, again, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, their parents may only be missing in another refugee camp and hoping to somehow reunite them with, if not their parents, their extended families -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Atika Shubert reporting live for us this morning from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

I'm sorry, do we have a breaking news event going on right now?

We're going to go to Tony Blair.

He's speaking about the tsunami and the disaster there.

So let's head live to London now to listen to what the prime minister has to say.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We are meeting every request from the United Nations, aid agencies and from the countries themselves. We've already delivered, of course, as you know, much needed assistance. For example, we've airlifted emergency medical supplies to Indonesia, enough for 100,000 people for three months. We're sending one million water purification tablets to Aceh. We're providing significant airlift capacity. We've allocated already one RAF C-17 plane to the emergency, but there are now two RAF C-17s in theater. With these aircraft, we have delivered to Banda Aceh the first phase of equipment to support the U.N. field office there; forklift emergency lighting, vehicles, communications equipment, as well as further flights carrying food, water, tents, water purification equipment and vehicles.

Hercules and TriStar have also been involved in shuttling deliveries.

We're putting together at the moment plans for further airlifts, both from Europe and other regions, of shelter materials and potentially more emergency health kits to the region.

There are two navy ships, as you know, Frigate Chatham and RFA Diligence, which are providing assistance off Sri Lanka. RFA Bay Leaf will arrive in a few days. Their Lynx helicopters are available to move personnel and supplies quickly.

We're also providing three chartered MI8 helicopters to the U.N. for use in Aceh.

The instance of the Gerkas based in Brunei, we offered the government of Indonesia a company of Gerkas and the two helicopters attached to the Gerkas.

At present, they believe they have sufficient infantry troops on the ground and are after airlift and transport capacity and specialist expertise. They have therefore accepted the offer of the two helicopters attached to the Gerkas battalion.

We've given UNICEF four million pounds, the World Health Organization three million, the Red Cross and Crescent 3.5 million, Save The Children Fund and Christian Aid some 400,000 pounds each. So even as from yesterday, the amount of money that we are spending has -- is increasing.

We've now, however, received a considerable number of project proposals from U.K. NGOs, and I met the main U.K. NGOs yesterday and we expect them to be making funding decisions within the next few days.

As you know also, Jack Straw is at a conference in Indonesia to discuss the different sorts of support that the country will need not just immediately, but in the months and years to come. And as you know, also, Hillary Ben (ph) is visiting the region.

However, in addition to all of this, the government will continue to pursue the rest of its agenda at home and abroad. As you know, Gordon Brown is setting out in a speech today the government's ambitions for Africa. His speech will underline again that we need a comprehensive approach that increases aid, cancels debt, makes trade fairer, reduces conflict and promotes good governance.

The tragedy of the tsunami was through the force of nature. The tragedy of Africa is through the failure of man. There is the equivalent...

COSTELLO: And you're just listening to Prime Minister Tony Blair live from London talking about the aid that the British government is sending over to help the tsunami victims in South Asia.

CNN looks deeper into the effects of this disaster on the young, too. Our prime time special, "Saving The Children," airs tonight at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Let's switch gears now to U.S. politics.

Just a few hours from now, the confirmation process begins for President Bush's choice for attorney general. Alberto Gonzales was White House counsel before being nominated to replace John Ashcroft. Today, Gonzales goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he's expected to face tough questions about his role in formulating U.S. policy on torture.

CNN Congressional correspondent Ed Henry will join us in the second hour of DAYBREAK for more on today's confirmation hearings.

Are budget cuts putting people in danger? Some essential emergency programs could be downsized due to changes in homeland security rules. Law makers from New Jersey have a meeting a homeland security officials today to try to fix that problem.

CNN's Alina Cho looks at what could be a dangerous shortage.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A normal day for Jersey City firefighters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's see what we've got here.

CHO: Engine Company Six responds to a chemical spill. Nothing serious, but the big call could come at any time. Fire Chief Fred Eggers says that's a problem.

CHIEF FRED EGGERS, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY FIRE DEPARTMENT: The City of Jersey City is forced to close two companies a day because of the shortage of staffing.

CHO: Jersey City isn't alone. The National Fire Protection Association says two thirds of the nation's fire departments are understaffed. Places like Cleveland, where 7 percent of the city's firefighters were laid off this year; Houston, where several firehouses have shut down temporarily; and New York City, where six fire companies have closed permanently since 2001.

Eggers says it's like playing Russian roulette.

EGGERS: It's never a crisis until an incident happens. But the incident can happen at any moment and in any place.

CHO (on camera): Firefighters don't just fight fires. They're also first responders like on September 11. And that only amplifies the problem.

HAROLD SCHAITBERGER, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS: It's a crisis for them personally, endangering them unnecessarily, and it certainly is affecting the capacity for them to deliver an efficient and effective level of protection for their communities.

CHO (voice-over): Take the high rise fire in Chicago earlier this month. Four hundred fifty firefighters responded. The Windy City was lucky. It has full staffing.

SCHAITBERGER: If that fire had occurred in another major city in this country where the equipment was only staffed with three firefighters or less, that fire would have been much more difficult to bring under control.

CHO: Congress passed the Safer Act in 2003, pledging $7.6 billion over seven years to hire more firefighters. But very little of this money has yet been distributed.

REP. SHERWOOD BOEHLER (R), NEW YORK: Cities, states, counties across the United States are facing significant budget shortfalls. At the same time, they have a significant homeland security burden that is placed on them. So it put them in a tough spot to make some very tough decisions.

CHO: So fire departments, including Jersey City's, across the river from ground zero, will continue to do more with less.

Alina Cho, CNN, Jersey City, New Jersey.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, if you've got a laser beam device and live anywhere near an airport, oh, we've got a warning for you. Homeland security officials are taking the threat to pilots very seriously. We'll tell you one man's story at 18 minutes past the hour.

And more than a week after the tsunami, we have an incredible story of survival, another one. That's at 24 minutes past.

And at 51 minutes past the hour, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us what some parents in Sri Lanka are doing to help their children cope.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

South Asian countries will need nearly a billion dollars over the next six months to recover. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan made the plea for assistance at an international donors meeting in Jakarta.

William Rehnquist has been returning to his Supreme Court offices part-time. The 80-year-old chief justice is being treated for thyroid cancer. A court spokeswoman says he plans to preside over President Bush's inauguration on January 20th.

In money news, Wal-Mart is paying more than $14 million to settle a lawsuit over gun sale violations in California. Part of the settlement includes the development of a system to verify the age of a person buying a gun.

In culture, "Men's Fitness" magazine says that Seattle is the country's fittest city. Their survey takes into consideration commute times, weather and even the number of donut shops. On the flip side, the magazine named Houston as the fattest city.

In sports, Boston's Fleet Center will get another name. Bank of America, which bought Fleet, is giving up its naming rights. The Fleet Center is home to the Boston Celtics and Bruins.

And, oh, that's a better choice for a name -- Chad.

MYERS: So what's it going to be?

COSTELLO: I don't know. Probably the name of the bank, the new name.

MYERS: Well, I thought they gave it up or whatever?

COSTELLO: No. But the new company bought it.

MYERS: Oh, so now it'll be Bank of America Center.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Ah, well, there you go.

Hey, Carol, how was your ride into work today?

COSTELLO: You know, it's just raining, really raining in New York City.

MYERS: It's raining.

COSTELLO: But outside of the city it's really nasty.

MYERS: You bet you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Airline pilots want more warnings about lasers being aimed at airplanes. Union officials say the pilots also want to know how to protect themselves against the beams. Pilots could temporarily be blinded by the lasers and there have been several recent incidents of lasers being pointed into the cockpits of aircraft. But there have been no injuries and no incidents on the ground.

But one of those incidents of the pointing the laser thing involved a New Jersey man. His lawyer says the man was just playing around with a laser in his backyard. But his games could cost him 25 years in prison.

David Banach has been charged under the Patriot Act for shining his laser at a jet. The FBI says there is no link to terrorism, so Banach's attorney is wondering why the Patriot Act is being invoked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINA MENDOLA-LONGARZO, DAVID BANACH'S ATTORNEY: We are going to fight these charges. I don't think that the Act was intended to cover this kind of non-purposeful conduct. I think the spirit of the Patriot Act was to cover terrorist activity.

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, U.S. ATTORNEY: This conduct was reckless, in our view. And whether it was an accident or not, one thing we know is that there were a number of incidents involving this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Banach is also charged with lying to investigators because he first told them his daughter, his little daughter pointed the laser at the plane.

It actually brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.

We wanted to ask you about the Patriot Act. Is it time to review it? We know this guy allegedly did something wrong by pointing that laser into the cockpit of a plane, but the FBI says no terrorism was involved.

So, should this guy really be charged under the Patriot Act? Is it time to review that Act? Let us know what you think at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

Are you ready to go whole hog to help tsunami victims? Get ready for a bidding war for one very special Harley Davidson.

And later, we'll learn how music is helping some of the youngest tsunami victims try to reestablish a normal life.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning, January 6.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A couple of updates for you now.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: We told you about some of these stories yesterday.

When it comes to raising money for tsunami aid, the San Francisco Giants are stepping up to the plate.

MYERS: They are all over it.

COSTELLO: They are.

MYERS: Really.

COSTELLO: The club will hold an online auction with 100 percent of the proceeds going to disaster relief. And not only can you bid to win a chance to throw out the first pitch on opening day...

MYERS: Next year, the opening day first pitch.

COSTELLO: Isn't that something?

MYERS: I mean it's going to be all over TV.

COSTELLO: I love that.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: I think we should be involved. Let's pledge something.

MYERS: Well, OK.

COSTELLO: OK.

MYERS: Is it on eBay? I don't even know where you -- where do you bid?

COSTELLO: Gosh, that's a good question.

MYERS: Yes. OK, well, we'll figure that out.

COSTELLO: We're going to figure that out by the time I get to the end of this story. We will have figured that out.

MYERS: Because we have the best producers in TV.

COSTELLO: That's right.

MYERS: The first pitch on opening day or that private meeting we talked about yesterday with Barry Bonds. Those were the two, the top two.

COSTELLO: Yes, you can actually hang out in the dugout with Barry Bonds before a game, not during the game, but before the game.

MYERS: But how about going to spring training in Scottsdale and being able to swing against the pitchers?

COSTELLO: I would love that, too.

Could you hit the ball?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: I couldn't either.

MYERS: I couldn't see the ball.

COSTELLO: Have you ever gone to a batting cage and, you know, you go into the fast pitch area? It just goes by you. It's just like...

MYERS: I stand behind the fence.

COSTELLO: I understand.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We are going to get you the information so that you can possibly bid on these things because, of course, that could raise a lot of money for a very worthy cause.

MYERS: Sure. Yes, we'll get on their Web site. I'm sure it'll tell us.

COSTELLO: Definitely so.

Also, comedian Jay Leno is getting revved up about tsunami aid. He's asking his celebrity guests to sign a Harley Davidson motorcycle that will be sold on eBay for disaster relief. And look at that, Chad.

MYERS: Yes. The last time he did that for the 9/11 victims, he had a truck and a bike. $380,000 I think was raised. So it should be great.

COSTELLO: Exactly. He's having celebrities sign it. As we just saw, Ellen DeGeneres signed it.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That's why he's auctioning off that white Harley Davidson, so you can see all the celebrities' signatures. So good for him.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We want to tell you about a survivor's story now that's almost too hard to believe.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Take a look at this photograph. See that?

MYERS: Yes. You can't see it.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's just amazing. This was taken from a container ship in the Indian Ocean.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: This was Monday.

MYERS: Right. But they'll zoom in and there's a guy on that stuff.

COSTELLO: Look at him. This is 100 miles from land. You can see him, yes, you can see him waving. He was swept out to sea with several others, clinging desperately to tree branches and debris for eight days.

MYERS: The hardest part, he said, was not drinking the water. You're so tempted to drink the salt water but it is so bad to dehydrate your body. You can't drink it. You literally have to stop yourself from putting your hand down into that water and thinking it's good for you.

COSTELLO: He did. He survived eight days. Now he's safe in Malaysia and he's going to be OK.

CNN's Eunice Yoon has more on this incredible story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Indonesian man may look frail, but he's as strong as they come. Like so many others, 23-year-old Rizal Shahputra was washed out to sea by the deadly tsunami. But eight days later, he was found alive.

RIZAL SHAHPUTRA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I saw many dead bodies floating beside me.

YOON: The crew aboard this Malaysian cargo vessel, the Durban Bridge, spotted Rizal clinging to an uprooted tree 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, from his home near the shore of Aceh Province. They could only describe his survival as a miracle.

He told reporters that all he had to eat and drink was rainwater and coconut milk.

The vessel crew took Rizal to port in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was taken to hospital for cuts on his legs. Rizal is the second person to be found alive by Malaysian vessels days after the tsunami disaster.

A tuna ship picked up 23-year-old Melawati three days before. She had been clutching a floating palm tree for five days.

MELAWATI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I was alone when the wave came. I was running to the mosque and then the wave struck.

YOON: Rizal had been cleaning a mosque in Banda Aceh when the deadly tsunami hit.

SHAHPUTRA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I was repairing the mosque at the time. I was buys working when my son came and shouted, "Run! Run! A big wave is coming!" I ran to a two story building.

YOON: He survived. His son and the rest of his family did not.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: And as promised, we do have that Web site for you where you can...

MYERS: Oh, good.

COSTELLO: ... you can bid on all of those Giants' goodies. It is sanfrancisco.giants.mlb, major league baseball, .com. And the bidding starts at 12:00 Eastern.

MYERS: Good. I knew we could get that.

I just tried to type it in, but I didn't put in the mlb part and so it didn't come up.

COSTELLO: See.

MYERS: But sanfrancisco.giants@mlb.com.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: I hope that raises a lot of money. I mean, you've got to be thinking there's a million dollars in there somewhere for all those great things.

COSTELLO: Oh, exactly.

MYERS: So, that was so nice.

COSTELLO: Especially going to spring training. That would be very cool.

MYERS: Yes.

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

Actions speak louder than words. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urging nations to turn those pledges into cash. We take you live to Jakarta. And a reminder, our E-mail Question of the Day, the Patriot Act -- is it time to review it?

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com