Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Reaction to Death of Johnny Carson; Latest Developments in Iraq as Country's First Elections Approaches
Aired January 24, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On the ground and in the air, the blizzard of 2005 has left behind one big mess. We'll dig through it Straight ahead on DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, here's Johnny!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, he walked through that curtain for nearly 30 years. Now, Johnny Carson takes his final curtain. We'll remember him.
And Florida, here they come -- the Eagles and the Patriots will head south for a super showdown.
It is Monday, January 24.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, a suicide car bomb attack in western Baghdad leaves 10 Iraqi police officers wounded. The attack took place near the headquarters of Interim President Ayad Allawi's political party. Actually, he's the interim prime minister.
Asa Hutchinson is expected to announce his resignation today from the Department of Homeland Security. Hutchinson, an undersecretary in the department, told an Arkansas newspaper he was disappointed that he was passed over twice as Tom Ridge's replacement.
It'll be the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 39 on February 6 in Jacksonville. The Patriots won the AFC championship by beating Pittsburgh, ooh, they whomped them, 41-24. The Eagles took the NFC title with a 27-10 win over Atlanta.
And parts of Massachusetts have been slammed with two to three feet of snow. Some colleges and schools closed this morning. The governor asks non-essential state workers in the eastern part of the state to stay at home. And they're still under a state of emergency there. Chad Myers is out playing in the Northeast snow.
We'll check in with him at the bottom of the hour.
Right now, though, Rob Marciano joins us from the forecast center in kind of warm Atlanta, I mean, you know, if you compare it to other parts of the country.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, it was 19 this morning and we had wind chills below that.
COSTELLO: That's pretty cold for Atlanta.
MARCIANO: Yes. It felt good, actually.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: There's a whole lot of digging going on this morning, as people try to get out from the blizzard that blasted the Northeast. Forecasters like Rob and Chad say the snowstorm of 2005 is one for the record books. The governors of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have declared states of emergency. Thirty-eight inches of snow on the ground in Plymouth and Salem, Massachusetts. And at least 14 deaths are being blamed on this huge storm. You can bet there will be flight delays this morning across the region, so if you're planning to head out to the airport, be sure to call ahead to see if your flight is on schedule.
Boston's Logan International Airport due to reopen in just about two hours, at least we hope so. That's what they're saying right now. Nearly 1,300 flights out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Midway were canceled this weekend. A spokeswoman for the city's aviation department, oh, she's sounding positive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE MARTINEZ, CHICAGO AVIATION DEPARTMENT: I think the good thing about this storm is that so many people have had enough of a warning that this was coming down and they've made other travel plans or other arrangements and have rescheduled. So, so far, so good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Chicago has pretty well dug out from the weekend storm. Not so with Boston and other parts of Massachusetts, and also here in New York City.
We are remembering a legend this morning. Johnny Carson dead of emphysema. The long time host of "The Tonight Show" died yesterday at the age of 79. He is remembered for refining the talk show format with a monologue and skits, as well as launching the careers of dozens of entertainers.
Many of his friends are talking about their most memorable Carson moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIENNE: Johnny, could I have time to say...
CARSON: Yes?
RIVERS: Because I always, I always thank you in abstentia because you're never there. Thank you for my first appearance on the show. Thank you for my career. Thank you for letting me guest host for you, because I would not be sitting here ever. They all thought I stank and you were the first one to say you're funny.
CARSON: Oh, thank you.
RIVERS: Thank you for that.
CARSON: Thank you.
We'll be back in a moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
CARSON: Let's get on with this. Mount Saint Helens, Three Mile Island and the Love Canal. Where can you still buy a house for less than $100,000?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
CARSON: And I hope that I find something that I want to do and I think you will like and come back that you'll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It still gives you chills, doesn't it? Millions of us went to bed with Johnny Carson every night for 30 years. He was the undisputed king of late night.
Live now to CNN's Chris Wolfe.
He's in Hollywood this morning -- good morning.
CHRIS WOLFE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We are on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just a few feet from Johnny Carson's star. I don't know if you can see behind me. It's been turned into a makeshift shrine. Fans have been bringing flowers and cards and setting candles down by the star. The notes read things like, "God bless you, Johnny," "We love and miss you very, very much," "You were the absolute best."
I can tell you in talking to a lot of people here in Hollywood, they say they haven't seen this kind of outpouring of emotion for quite some time. Fans, viewers across the country, as well as colleagues in the entertainment industry, truly loved Johnny Carson.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's Johnny!
WOLFE (voice-over): He was an enormous TV personality because he was just an average guy -- easy to watch, funny and entertaining. Friends of the legendary comedian say he made it all look so easy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: History is going to say he was the best at what he did, the very best.
WOLFE: CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman says, "All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again."
Johnny Carson was born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska. He began his show business career as a teenaged magician and ventriloquist before serving in the Navy during World War 2. He later became a radio personality and eventually made the jump to television, hosting a number of variety and game shows.
Then Carson snagged "The Tonight Show" gig in October of 1962. He held court over celebrities as well as every day people with special stories to tell, and even acted out in zany stunts and skits until May of 1992.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was an inspiration for me even to get into standup and then just to be on his show.
JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIENNE: Every major name now in comedy, we all got our breaks due to him.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WOLFE: Johnny Carson's successor, Jay Leno, says, "No single individual has had as great an impact on television as Johnny. He was the gold standard."
Now, Carson's family says he was an intensely private individual and for that reason they are not planning a public memorial service.
For now, reporting live in Hollywood, I'm Chris Wolfe -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: You know, Chris, he was out of the limelight for such a long time, many people are wondering about his quality of life.
WOLFE: He said he had a great time in his retirement. He just, when he stepped down from "The Tonight Show" back in 1992, he said that was it for him. He wanted to just relax, enjoy his retirement. He was an active boater. He loved getting together with his old pals, playing poker every few weeks. He really enjoyed his retirement and said that he did.
And, in fact, he turned down an appeal from the head of NBC Entertainment a little while ago to appear on a special on NBC celebrating the network's 75th anniversary. He simply said no thanks, I don't want to do that anymore. So he was quite an individual, had a lot of integrity, he knew what he wanted, hew knew what he didn't want to do and he is missed around the country.
COSTELLO: He meant what he said.
Chris Wolfe live in Hollywood this morning.
Thank you.
Johnny Carson's long time sidekick, Ed McMahon, will be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Do not miss the exclusive prime time interview on the amazing career of Johnny Carson. That's tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific time right here on CNN.
Now for more news making news across America this morning, former President Richard Nixon's long time secretary, Rosemary Woods, died over the weekend at the age of 87. Woods was Nixon's secretary when she admitted to accidentally erasing part of the now infamous Oval Office audiotape. But Woods said she only erased about four minutes, not the full 18 1/2 that was missing.
There may be a problem with some continuing stem cell research. A new study says the federally approved human embryonic stem cells are contaminated. The contamination could mean that the cells will be absolutely no help in research aimed at stopping diseases like Alzheimer's or diabetes.
Sunday was a disastrous day for firefighters in New York City. Two firefighters were killed and four were seriously hurt while battling a fire in an apartment building in the Bronx. Later, a firefighter was fatally injured while fighting a basement fire here in Brooklyn. It was really cold.
Police in Germany have arrested two suspected al Qaeda members. They're accused of plotting a suicide attack in Iraq and officials say one of the suspects tried to obtain nuclear materials and had contacts with Osama bin Laden. But there is a twist to the story. They're also suspected of insurance fraud. Prosecutors say the payoff would have funded al Qaeda activities.
And this reminder, to stay tuned to CNN all day and all night for the most reliable news about your security.
Six days and counting to the Iraqi election and the top Islamic militant in Iraq is declaring a war on democracy. On an audiotape, a man claiming to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi says the candidates and the voters in Sunday's election are enemies of god. Al-Zarqawi declares what he calls "a bitter war against democracy and all those who seek to enact it."
And there was more violence this morning in the run-up to Sunday's voting. But Iraqi and U.S. officials are still telling CNN they are committed to making the election safe and legitimate.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour live in Baghdad this morning -- good morning.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.
And Zarqawi has already claimed responsibility in a statement on a Web site for the big suicide car bomb attack in Baghdad earlier this morning. We heard the blast all the way over this side, at our office space here. What appears to have happened is that this suicide car bomb attack happened at a checkpoint near the offices of the political party headed by Ayad Allawi, who is the interim Iraqi prime minister and who heads a list going into these elections for next Sunday.
Nobody was killed, but 12 people, we're told by Baghdad police, were wounded, including 10 policemen. Allawi, of course, was not in the building and nowhere near it.
So that's the latest on that.
In the meantime, American forces are stepping up their crackdown on insurgents and weapons caches ahead of these elections. We have been in Tikrit, for instance, over the weekend, where we were told by the commander there that hundreds of suspected insurgents have been rounded up. Dozens of weapons caches have been found and confiscated and there is a very, very intensive operation going on right now to train up as many Iraqi security forces, who will, we're told, take the front lines of polling and securing the polling stations on Sunday.
So this is a very serious effort to make sure that people are safe enough to come out and that they feel safe enough to come out so that fear doesn't keep them away on Sunday -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Christiane Amanpour live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, don't call them enemy combatants, but you can still call them prisoners. We'll find out what's going on Iraqi election GITMO.
Also, it's cold, it's icy, it's windy, it's the day after the blizzard of 2005.
And the Patriots are looking for another Super Bowl ring, but the Eagles want some jewelry for themselves. Or should we say bling- bling? We'll preview a super showdown.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, January 24.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very sexy, you know?
CARSON: Excuse me? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very sexy.
CARSON: Very sexy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have hair on your toes.
CARSON: And a song in my heart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You will marry again in course time.
CARSON: I will what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You will remarry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:17 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Bundle up. Even though all that snow has stopped falling in the Northeast, it is still bitterly cold. Expect sub-zero wind chills and icy patches, even on plowed roads.
Confrontation or confirmation -- Senate Democrats stall the president's shoe-in choice for secretary of state. Senators will debate Condoleezza Rice's nomination tomorrow and then they'll vote on it Wednesday.
In money news, gas prices have gone up for the first time in three months. An average gallon of unleaded up more than a nickel, to $1.85. A cut in the oil production is being blamed for the rise.
In culture, Ice Cube arrived at the top of the weekend box office with his new movie, "Are We There Yet?" The film made $18.5 million in its first week, knocking "Coach Carter" off the top of the mountain.
And in sports, Tom Brady and the Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl after beating the Steelers in the AFC championship game. The Pats will meet the Eagles, who finally won the NFC championship after losing that game the past three seasons. The Eagles beat up on the Falcons 27-10.
To the forecast center and Rob Marciano.
MARCIANO: Carol, I can guarantee you that in Jacksonville next week, it will be much warmer, that's for sure, although it's pretty cold in Florida this morning. And wind chill advisories are out for much of the state, including Miami, through later on this morning until about 9:00 a.m.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Rob, do you realize what day it is?
MARCIANO: I don't know, but I'm feeling awfully sad.
COSTELLO: You know, I'm a little depressed myself.
MARCIANO: Why is that?
COSTELLO: Well, let me tell you...
MARCIANO: But what day is it?
COSTELLO: Supposedly it's the most depressing day of the year. So if you're having trouble getting out of bed on this snowy Monday morning, you know why.
MARCIANO: And someone has a reason for this, a scientific backing for this, correct?
COSTELLO: Exactly. A British expert has come up with a unique equation. It determines the most depressing day of the year. And the answer is, of course, as I said, Monday, January 24. Now, take notes. There might be a quiz later.
MARCIANO: OK.
COSTELLO: This is the equation. It takes several factors into account. They include the worst weather, which, of course, we've had.
MARCIANO: OK, that's now.
COSTELLO: Christmas debts, which I know you have.
MARCIANO: All right.
COSTELLO: And how long it takes before you quite those new year's resolutions. And that all adds up somehow to the most depressing day of the year, which would be January 24.
MARCIANO: Well, we didn't explain quite all those variables, but I understand it. I'd like to say that it gets more depressing in February, after the Super Bowl. There's not a whole lot of sports going on in February. You're kind of done with Christmas, you're done with winter, you're ready for spring yet it's still cold and miserable, so.
COSTELLO: I find March to be the most depressing month because, for all those reasons and more. Because you've been waiting so long for warm weather, especially here in the Northeast, I've found.
MARCIANO: Well, listen, it's been a tough winter for you there so far, Carol.
COSTELLO: It has. But, you know, it was beautiful in New York City with all the snow, I must say.
MARCIANO: It is.
COSTELLO: I didn't have to go anywhere.
MARCIANO: You just wait until it gets all dirty in the next couple of days.
COSTELLO: Pardon?
MARCIANO: That snow gets all dirty now in the next couple of days and it's kind of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: Yes. Then it gets really ugly.
MARCIANO: So enjoy it this morning.
COSTELLO: I will enjoy it on this most depressing day of the year.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: Perk up.
OK.
COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
If you do live in the Northeast, you're probably in for a messy commute this morning. We'll have the latest on the blizzard aftermath.
Plus, this picture is worth a thousand words to one New Mexico community -- an image from the battlefield leads to sighs of relief back home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The Pentagon now confirms it. It has a secret spy unit with the authority to operate anywhere in the world on anti- terror missions. It's part of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's desire to expand the Pentagon's ability to collect human intelligence and not rely so much on technology.
Senior defense officials say the strategic support branch has been deployed to work with the military's special operation forces on secret missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And just in time this morning, getting out of GITMO. Dozens of the 567 detainees at Guantanamo Bay have been reclassified as non- enemy combatants. That means they should be free to go, but they are still behind bars.
For more on the GITMO situation, we're joined live from Washington by "Time" magazine journalist Tim Burger.
Good morning, Tim.
TIM BURGER, "TIME" CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, why is this taking so long?
BURGER: Well, what's going on is after the initial designation as a non-enemy combatant, the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community is then given an opportunity to come back, review these names and look through their files to make sure that something important that bears on this person as, perhaps, having been misclassified as a non-enemy combatant, you know, should be brought to bear.
So, in other words, the U.S. government intelligence community gets another chance to say wait a minute, this guy is a bad guy, he was a combatant, he should not be released.
COSTELLO: So the government can overrule what the tribunals have decided?
BURGER: Yes, indeed. The tribunal process is set up so that the initial -- the rulings that we are talking about, the non-enemy combatant rulings, are sort of an initial ruling. Then they are reaffirmed by an admiral after the intelligence community combs through those names. So it's sort of an initial step.
Now, what that means is that these three dozen or so detainees are kind of in a limbo status that some critics say should be resolved as quickly as possible. Some of them obviously may have been there as long as three years.
COSTELLO: Yes. And those critics say, you know, innocent people behind bars for three years, they should be let out immediately.
But once they decide who is to be released, where will they go? Does anybody know?
BURGER: Well, these individuals will be from, you know, any number of certain countries that we've heard of before in the news. Obviously many may be from Afghanistan. Others have been returned in the past in other processes to Pakistan and various places.
So they'll basically be repatriated to wherever they were either picked up or wherever they are from. It's a little bit of a complicated process, though.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding.
BURGER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Tim Burger from "Time" magazine.
If you want to read more, that article is in this week's edition of "Time" magazine. Thank you, Tim.
Remember, it's not over until it's over. The snow may have stopped falling, but watch out for ice and blowing snow and bitterly cold wind chills. We'll go live to Chad Myers. Yup, he's all bundled up. He's just across the river in Jersey.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the last half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, a suicide car bomb attack in a western Baghdad neighborhood wounds 10 Iraqi police officers. The attack took place near the headquarters of Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's political party.
Asa Hutchinson is expected to announce his resignation today from the Department of Homeland Security. Hutchinson, an undersecretary in the department, told an Arkansas newspaper he was disappointed that he was passed over twice at Tom Ridge's replacement.
He won't march, but he will call. President Bush phones in a message of support to anti-abortion activists today. They're marching in Washington around the 32nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
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 24, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On the ground and in the air, the blizzard of 2005 has left behind one big mess. We'll dig through it Straight ahead on DAYBREAK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, here's Johnny!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, he walked through that curtain for nearly 30 years. Now, Johnny Carson takes his final curtain. We'll remember him.
And Florida, here they come -- the Eagles and the Patriots will head south for a super showdown.
It is Monday, January 24.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, a suicide car bomb attack in western Baghdad leaves 10 Iraqi police officers wounded. The attack took place near the headquarters of Interim President Ayad Allawi's political party. Actually, he's the interim prime minister.
Asa Hutchinson is expected to announce his resignation today from the Department of Homeland Security. Hutchinson, an undersecretary in the department, told an Arkansas newspaper he was disappointed that he was passed over twice as Tom Ridge's replacement.
It'll be the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 39 on February 6 in Jacksonville. The Patriots won the AFC championship by beating Pittsburgh, ooh, they whomped them, 41-24. The Eagles took the NFC title with a 27-10 win over Atlanta.
And parts of Massachusetts have been slammed with two to three feet of snow. Some colleges and schools closed this morning. The governor asks non-essential state workers in the eastern part of the state to stay at home. And they're still under a state of emergency there. Chad Myers is out playing in the Northeast snow.
We'll check in with him at the bottom of the hour.
Right now, though, Rob Marciano joins us from the forecast center in kind of warm Atlanta, I mean, you know, if you compare it to other parts of the country.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, it was 19 this morning and we had wind chills below that.
COSTELLO: That's pretty cold for Atlanta.
MARCIANO: Yes. It felt good, actually.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: There's a whole lot of digging going on this morning, as people try to get out from the blizzard that blasted the Northeast. Forecasters like Rob and Chad say the snowstorm of 2005 is one for the record books. The governors of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have declared states of emergency. Thirty-eight inches of snow on the ground in Plymouth and Salem, Massachusetts. And at least 14 deaths are being blamed on this huge storm. You can bet there will be flight delays this morning across the region, so if you're planning to head out to the airport, be sure to call ahead to see if your flight is on schedule.
Boston's Logan International Airport due to reopen in just about two hours, at least we hope so. That's what they're saying right now. Nearly 1,300 flights out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Midway were canceled this weekend. A spokeswoman for the city's aviation department, oh, she's sounding positive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE MARTINEZ, CHICAGO AVIATION DEPARTMENT: I think the good thing about this storm is that so many people have had enough of a warning that this was coming down and they've made other travel plans or other arrangements and have rescheduled. So, so far, so good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Chicago has pretty well dug out from the weekend storm. Not so with Boston and other parts of Massachusetts, and also here in New York City.
We are remembering a legend this morning. Johnny Carson dead of emphysema. The long time host of "The Tonight Show" died yesterday at the age of 79. He is remembered for refining the talk show format with a monologue and skits, as well as launching the careers of dozens of entertainers.
Many of his friends are talking about their most memorable Carson moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIENNE: Johnny, could I have time to say...
CARSON: Yes?
RIVERS: Because I always, I always thank you in abstentia because you're never there. Thank you for my first appearance on the show. Thank you for my career. Thank you for letting me guest host for you, because I would not be sitting here ever. They all thought I stank and you were the first one to say you're funny.
CARSON: Oh, thank you.
RIVERS: Thank you for that.
CARSON: Thank you.
We'll be back in a moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
CARSON: Let's get on with this. Mount Saint Helens, Three Mile Island and the Love Canal. Where can you still buy a house for less than $100,000?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
CARSON: And I hope that I find something that I want to do and I think you will like and come back that you'll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It still gives you chills, doesn't it? Millions of us went to bed with Johnny Carson every night for 30 years. He was the undisputed king of late night.
Live now to CNN's Chris Wolfe.
He's in Hollywood this morning -- good morning.
CHRIS WOLFE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We are on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just a few feet from Johnny Carson's star. I don't know if you can see behind me. It's been turned into a makeshift shrine. Fans have been bringing flowers and cards and setting candles down by the star. The notes read things like, "God bless you, Johnny," "We love and miss you very, very much," "You were the absolute best."
I can tell you in talking to a lot of people here in Hollywood, they say they haven't seen this kind of outpouring of emotion for quite some time. Fans, viewers across the country, as well as colleagues in the entertainment industry, truly loved Johnny Carson.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's Johnny!
WOLFE (voice-over): He was an enormous TV personality because he was just an average guy -- easy to watch, funny and entertaining. Friends of the legendary comedian say he made it all look so easy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: History is going to say he was the best at what he did, the very best.
WOLFE: CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman says, "All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again."
Johnny Carson was born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska. He began his show business career as a teenaged magician and ventriloquist before serving in the Navy during World War 2. He later became a radio personality and eventually made the jump to television, hosting a number of variety and game shows.
Then Carson snagged "The Tonight Show" gig in October of 1962. He held court over celebrities as well as every day people with special stories to tell, and even acted out in zany stunts and skits until May of 1992.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was an inspiration for me even to get into standup and then just to be on his show.
JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIENNE: Every major name now in comedy, we all got our breaks due to him.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WOLFE: Johnny Carson's successor, Jay Leno, says, "No single individual has had as great an impact on television as Johnny. He was the gold standard."
Now, Carson's family says he was an intensely private individual and for that reason they are not planning a public memorial service.
For now, reporting live in Hollywood, I'm Chris Wolfe -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: You know, Chris, he was out of the limelight for such a long time, many people are wondering about his quality of life.
WOLFE: He said he had a great time in his retirement. He just, when he stepped down from "The Tonight Show" back in 1992, he said that was it for him. He wanted to just relax, enjoy his retirement. He was an active boater. He loved getting together with his old pals, playing poker every few weeks. He really enjoyed his retirement and said that he did.
And, in fact, he turned down an appeal from the head of NBC Entertainment a little while ago to appear on a special on NBC celebrating the network's 75th anniversary. He simply said no thanks, I don't want to do that anymore. So he was quite an individual, had a lot of integrity, he knew what he wanted, hew knew what he didn't want to do and he is missed around the country.
COSTELLO: He meant what he said.
Chris Wolfe live in Hollywood this morning.
Thank you.
Johnny Carson's long time sidekick, Ed McMahon, will be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." Do not miss the exclusive prime time interview on the amazing career of Johnny Carson. That's tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific time right here on CNN.
Now for more news making news across America this morning, former President Richard Nixon's long time secretary, Rosemary Woods, died over the weekend at the age of 87. Woods was Nixon's secretary when she admitted to accidentally erasing part of the now infamous Oval Office audiotape. But Woods said she only erased about four minutes, not the full 18 1/2 that was missing.
There may be a problem with some continuing stem cell research. A new study says the federally approved human embryonic stem cells are contaminated. The contamination could mean that the cells will be absolutely no help in research aimed at stopping diseases like Alzheimer's or diabetes.
Sunday was a disastrous day for firefighters in New York City. Two firefighters were killed and four were seriously hurt while battling a fire in an apartment building in the Bronx. Later, a firefighter was fatally injured while fighting a basement fire here in Brooklyn. It was really cold.
Police in Germany have arrested two suspected al Qaeda members. They're accused of plotting a suicide attack in Iraq and officials say one of the suspects tried to obtain nuclear materials and had contacts with Osama bin Laden. But there is a twist to the story. They're also suspected of insurance fraud. Prosecutors say the payoff would have funded al Qaeda activities.
And this reminder, to stay tuned to CNN all day and all night for the most reliable news about your security.
Six days and counting to the Iraqi election and the top Islamic militant in Iraq is declaring a war on democracy. On an audiotape, a man claiming to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi says the candidates and the voters in Sunday's election are enemies of god. Al-Zarqawi declares what he calls "a bitter war against democracy and all those who seek to enact it."
And there was more violence this morning in the run-up to Sunday's voting. But Iraqi and U.S. officials are still telling CNN they are committed to making the election safe and legitimate.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour live in Baghdad this morning -- good morning.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.
And Zarqawi has already claimed responsibility in a statement on a Web site for the big suicide car bomb attack in Baghdad earlier this morning. We heard the blast all the way over this side, at our office space here. What appears to have happened is that this suicide car bomb attack happened at a checkpoint near the offices of the political party headed by Ayad Allawi, who is the interim Iraqi prime minister and who heads a list going into these elections for next Sunday.
Nobody was killed, but 12 people, we're told by Baghdad police, were wounded, including 10 policemen. Allawi, of course, was not in the building and nowhere near it.
So that's the latest on that.
In the meantime, American forces are stepping up their crackdown on insurgents and weapons caches ahead of these elections. We have been in Tikrit, for instance, over the weekend, where we were told by the commander there that hundreds of suspected insurgents have been rounded up. Dozens of weapons caches have been found and confiscated and there is a very, very intensive operation going on right now to train up as many Iraqi security forces, who will, we're told, take the front lines of polling and securing the polling stations on Sunday.
So this is a very serious effort to make sure that people are safe enough to come out and that they feel safe enough to come out so that fear doesn't keep them away on Sunday -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Christiane Amanpour live from Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, don't call them enemy combatants, but you can still call them prisoners. We'll find out what's going on Iraqi election GITMO.
Also, it's cold, it's icy, it's windy, it's the day after the blizzard of 2005.
And the Patriots are looking for another Super Bowl ring, but the Eagles want some jewelry for themselves. Or should we say bling- bling? We'll preview a super showdown.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, January 24.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very sexy, you know?
CARSON: Excuse me? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very sexy.
CARSON: Very sexy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have hair on your toes.
CARSON: And a song in my heart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You will marry again in course time.
CARSON: I will what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You will remarry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:17 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Bundle up. Even though all that snow has stopped falling in the Northeast, it is still bitterly cold. Expect sub-zero wind chills and icy patches, even on plowed roads.
Confrontation or confirmation -- Senate Democrats stall the president's shoe-in choice for secretary of state. Senators will debate Condoleezza Rice's nomination tomorrow and then they'll vote on it Wednesday.
In money news, gas prices have gone up for the first time in three months. An average gallon of unleaded up more than a nickel, to $1.85. A cut in the oil production is being blamed for the rise.
In culture, Ice Cube arrived at the top of the weekend box office with his new movie, "Are We There Yet?" The film made $18.5 million in its first week, knocking "Coach Carter" off the top of the mountain.
And in sports, Tom Brady and the Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl after beating the Steelers in the AFC championship game. The Pats will meet the Eagles, who finally won the NFC championship after losing that game the past three seasons. The Eagles beat up on the Falcons 27-10.
To the forecast center and Rob Marciano.
MARCIANO: Carol, I can guarantee you that in Jacksonville next week, it will be much warmer, that's for sure, although it's pretty cold in Florida this morning. And wind chill advisories are out for much of the state, including Miami, through later on this morning until about 9:00 a.m.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Rob, do you realize what day it is?
MARCIANO: I don't know, but I'm feeling awfully sad.
COSTELLO: You know, I'm a little depressed myself.
MARCIANO: Why is that?
COSTELLO: Well, let me tell you...
MARCIANO: But what day is it?
COSTELLO: Supposedly it's the most depressing day of the year. So if you're having trouble getting out of bed on this snowy Monday morning, you know why.
MARCIANO: And someone has a reason for this, a scientific backing for this, correct?
COSTELLO: Exactly. A British expert has come up with a unique equation. It determines the most depressing day of the year. And the answer is, of course, as I said, Monday, January 24. Now, take notes. There might be a quiz later.
MARCIANO: OK.
COSTELLO: This is the equation. It takes several factors into account. They include the worst weather, which, of course, we've had.
MARCIANO: OK, that's now.
COSTELLO: Christmas debts, which I know you have.
MARCIANO: All right.
COSTELLO: And how long it takes before you quite those new year's resolutions. And that all adds up somehow to the most depressing day of the year, which would be January 24.
MARCIANO: Well, we didn't explain quite all those variables, but I understand it. I'd like to say that it gets more depressing in February, after the Super Bowl. There's not a whole lot of sports going on in February. You're kind of done with Christmas, you're done with winter, you're ready for spring yet it's still cold and miserable, so.
COSTELLO: I find March to be the most depressing month because, for all those reasons and more. Because you've been waiting so long for warm weather, especially here in the Northeast, I've found.
MARCIANO: Well, listen, it's been a tough winter for you there so far, Carol.
COSTELLO: It has. But, you know, it was beautiful in New York City with all the snow, I must say.
MARCIANO: It is.
COSTELLO: I didn't have to go anywhere.
MARCIANO: You just wait until it gets all dirty in the next couple of days.
COSTELLO: Pardon?
MARCIANO: That snow gets all dirty now in the next couple of days and it's kind of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: Yes. Then it gets really ugly.
MARCIANO: So enjoy it this morning.
COSTELLO: I will enjoy it on this most depressing day of the year.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: Perk up.
OK.
COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
If you do live in the Northeast, you're probably in for a messy commute this morning. We'll have the latest on the blizzard aftermath.
Plus, this picture is worth a thousand words to one New Mexico community -- an image from the battlefield leads to sighs of relief back home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The Pentagon now confirms it. It has a secret spy unit with the authority to operate anywhere in the world on anti- terror missions. It's part of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's desire to expand the Pentagon's ability to collect human intelligence and not rely so much on technology.
Senior defense officials say the strategic support branch has been deployed to work with the military's special operation forces on secret missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And just in time this morning, getting out of GITMO. Dozens of the 567 detainees at Guantanamo Bay have been reclassified as non- enemy combatants. That means they should be free to go, but they are still behind bars.
For more on the GITMO situation, we're joined live from Washington by "Time" magazine journalist Tim Burger.
Good morning, Tim.
TIM BURGER, "TIME" CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, why is this taking so long?
BURGER: Well, what's going on is after the initial designation as a non-enemy combatant, the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community is then given an opportunity to come back, review these names and look through their files to make sure that something important that bears on this person as, perhaps, having been misclassified as a non-enemy combatant, you know, should be brought to bear.
So, in other words, the U.S. government intelligence community gets another chance to say wait a minute, this guy is a bad guy, he was a combatant, he should not be released.
COSTELLO: So the government can overrule what the tribunals have decided?
BURGER: Yes, indeed. The tribunal process is set up so that the initial -- the rulings that we are talking about, the non-enemy combatant rulings, are sort of an initial ruling. Then they are reaffirmed by an admiral after the intelligence community combs through those names. So it's sort of an initial step.
Now, what that means is that these three dozen or so detainees are kind of in a limbo status that some critics say should be resolved as quickly as possible. Some of them obviously may have been there as long as three years.
COSTELLO: Yes. And those critics say, you know, innocent people behind bars for three years, they should be let out immediately.
But once they decide who is to be released, where will they go? Does anybody know?
BURGER: Well, these individuals will be from, you know, any number of certain countries that we've heard of before in the news. Obviously many may be from Afghanistan. Others have been returned in the past in other processes to Pakistan and various places.
So they'll basically be repatriated to wherever they were either picked up or wherever they are from. It's a little bit of a complicated process, though.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding.
BURGER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Tim Burger from "Time" magazine.
If you want to read more, that article is in this week's edition of "Time" magazine. Thank you, Tim.
Remember, it's not over until it's over. The snow may have stopped falling, but watch out for ice and blowing snow and bitterly cold wind chills. We'll go live to Chad Myers. Yup, he's all bundled up. He's just across the river in Jersey.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the last half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, a suicide car bomb attack in a western Baghdad neighborhood wounds 10 Iraqi police officers. The attack took place near the headquarters of Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's political party.
Asa Hutchinson is expected to announce his resignation today from the Department of Homeland Security. Hutchinson, an undersecretary in the department, told an Arkansas newspaper he was disappointed that he was passed over twice at Tom Ridge's replacement.
He won't march, but he will call. President Bush phones in a message of support to anti-abortion activists today. They're marching in Washington around the 32nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
