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CNN Live At Daybreak
Impact of Child Molestation Trial on Michael Jackson's Financial Situation and Career; Condoleezza Rice's Upcoming Trip to the Middle East
Aired February 01, 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, for the first time, video showing the earthquake that triggered December's deadly tsunamis.
Plus, moving into the spotlight once again. Pop star Michael Jackson faces potential jurors who could determine his fate. We'll have first day detail from his molestation trial.
And pointing the way toward an easy, safe and secure way to pay for groceries. We'll tell you about pay by touch.
It is Tuesday, the first day of February.
This is 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, Iraqi election workers have counted all the ballots by hand. Now they're sending those numbers to Baghdad, where they'll be entered into a bank of computers. We could have partial results by tonight. But the official numbers could take up to 10 days.
In the meantime, post-election violence leaves two guards dead in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. Sources say the car bomb exploded near the home of a top Kurdish political official who insurgents have targeted before.
President Bush is proposing a big jump in death benefits for U.S. troops. Pentagon officials say he wants to give the families of those killed in combat zones $100,000 tax-free. Families now receive $12,420. The proposal is retroactive to when the war began in Afghanistan.
Microsoft wants to get in on some of the big bucks that can be made from the Web search engines. Websoft rolled out its own Internet search engine Monday after several months of testing.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: We're going to talk about Michael Jackson now, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Did you watch it yesterday afternoon?
MYERS: I watched a little bit of it, but I had a screaming baby and I couldn't hear a lot of it. But, yes.
COSTELLO: Grant just wouldn't be quiet for this, would he?
MYERS: No, no, no, he wasn't going to cooperate.
COSTELLO: Well, here you see Michael Jackson walking into the courtroom. Hundreds more prospective jurors will be processed today in his child molestation trial. A jury pool of 300 people called on day one of this process. One hundred thirty-eight of them asked to be excused, citing financial hardships and other concerns. One man said he was under house arrest and pointed out the ankle bracelet strapped to him. Can you believe that? And a woman who is eight months pregnant was the only person immediately dismissed, because this trial is expected to last six months and, you know, she wouldn't make it past the first month probably.
The case against Michael Jackson could cost him both his freedom and his finances.
CNN's Mary Snow looks at how the pop star's financial empire could crumble.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's legal troubles have implications beyond the courthouse, posing a threat to his financial empire.
ALAN LIGHT, "TRACKS" MAGAZINE: Anything short of being fully exonerated in this trial is going to be sort of a death blow to him professionally.
SNOW: Music industry observers can't put an exact figure on Jackson's net worth and his advisers keep the information close to the vest.
QUESTION: ... that Mr. Jackson is in financial trouble.
Can you clarify that, sir?
CHARLES KOPPELMAN, FORMER JACKSON MUSIC MANAGER: Again, do we look worried?
QUESTION: But is he in financial trouble?
KOPPELMAN: Of course not. SNOW: In his heyday with hits like "Thriller," some estimate he was worth as much as $900 million. But with no tours, no new albums and lavish spending like the upkeep of his Neverland Ranch, Jackson's finances have been shrinking. Industry observers say his main sources of income are the rights to music catalogs, including a stake with Sony ATV of 251 Beatles' songs.
BRUNO DELGRANADO, ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCER: Michael Jackson, if you count his music publishing catalog, is probably worth several hundred million dollars.
SNOW: Jackson has reportedly taken out $270 million in loans from Bank of America that are backed by his two music publishing catalogs. While his own new music may not be the bread and butter of his bank account these days, he has flocks of fans outside the United States.
DELGRANADO: He has a fairly strong and consistent following outside the United States, like a lot of '80s superstars.
SNOW: Unlike the '80s, though, when Jackson was known only for his talent, today's generation of young people know him mainly for the controversy around him.
LIGHT: For him to go out and rebuild and shift the focus away from the Michael Jackson freak show and on to Michael Jackson the brilliant singer and dancer and performer, you know, he's got to hope that everything works out absolutely for the best and then decide that he wants it bad enough to go for that. It's possible. It's a long, long shot.
SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Actually, this all brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.
Chad, are you listening?
MYERS: Carol, yes, I'm right here.
COSTELLO: Oh, good, because I want you to pay attention now.
Would you want to be a juror for a celebrity trial? Would you want to sit on this jury for six long months and decide whether Michael Jackson is innocent or guilty of child molestation charges?
MYERS: I don't even have to think about that one.
COSTELLO: You would say no?
MYERS: I would say no.
COSTELLO: Well, see, I would want to do it, because I just think it would be fascinating. MYERS: Yes. But, Carol, you wouldn't be on DAYBREAK then and everyone would be sad.
COSTELLO: I'd get to sleep in.
MYERS: True.
COSTELLO: Actually, I'd like to serve on any jury. I think it would be fascinating.
But we want to know what you think of serving on a celebrity jury for six months or more. Let you know what you think, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
Some post-election violence in Iraq this morning. A Kurdish official says a bomb went off in the northern town of Erbil near the home of a top Kurdish politician. Two guards were killed. But it is a different scene elsewhere in Iraq. The northern town of Mosul, where insurgents have struck frequently in the past, has been quiet after the election.
In the meantime, Iraqis are busy counting the votes, and that's only the beginning. They still have to draft a new constitution, and the deadline to do that is August 15. Now, the constitution also has to be voted on. That will happen in October in a national referendum and in December, if the constitution is improved -- is approved, rather, there will be a vote for a permanent government. If the constitution is rejected, the whole process has to start over.
Another post-election focus -- how much longer will U.S. troops stay in Iraq? President Bush is expected to touch on that question in his State of the Union speech tomorrow night. In the meantime, the administration is taking some wartime action today. It will propose a boost in benefits to families of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and future combat situations. Veterans groups had complained the current tax-free death benefits fall short. The new proposal would hike that one time payment to $100,000, from $12,420. It would also boost life insurance benefits to $400,000 from $250,000.
Iraq, Social Security and immigration some of the major themes as President Bush addresses the state of the union. CNN will bring you live coverage of the speech prime time on Wednesday.
The State of the Union address comes on the eve of Condoleezza Rice's first overseas trip. The new secretary of state is headed to Europe and to the Middle East. She'll be in Israel and the West Bank on Monday.
Let's see what she faces there.
Our Guy Raz is in Jerusalem -- hello, Guy.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice couldn't have come to this region at a more crucial time. For the past 10 days, Palestinian militant groups, with few exceptions, have abided by an informal arrangement to halt military operations and activities against Israeli targets. The Israeli Army, also with few exceptions, has essentially halted military incursions into Palestinian population centers in Gaza and in the West Bank.
But it is still a very delicate and fragile moment here in the region. Just yesterday, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was shot dead in southern Gaza, just on the grounds of her school. Local eyewitnesses blamed the Israeli Army. The Army denied it. But shortly after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a barrage of mortar fire at a nearby Jewish settlement in Gaza.
So Condoleezza Rice will essentially come here to try and bolster the momentum that was created after the election of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Now, the Bush administration has essentially said that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be central to its foreign policy agenda during its second term. And Ms. Rice told her staff at the State Department yesterday that essentially peace between Israelis and Palestinians will not be attainable without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. She told her staff essentially that the establishment of that state is "within our grasp."
Now, Carol, there is some considerable speculation that Ms. Rice will also appoint a new U.S. Middle East envoy. The last time that happened, 2002, it was former General Anthony Zinni. And he lasted in the job barely five months, frustrated at the lack of progress. Now, the time appears to be ripe for the revival of the peace process.
And shortly after Condoleezza Rice leaves the region, the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, will hold his first talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian president, since his election in January. Now, we shouldn't expect any major breakthrough in that meeting, but it's certainly a step unseen in this region now for more than two years -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Guy Raz reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
In News Across America this morning, four 9/11 memorial sculptures are on display in Dallas before being sent to New York City. Visitors to the Museum of Biblical Arts can write notes that will be placed in the base of the sculptures. They will find a permanent home at the Church of St. Peter, which was heavily damaged in the World Trade Center attack.
A controversial University of Colorado professor has stepped down as head of the school's Ethics Studies Department. Ward Churchill made news when he compared the 9/11 victims at the World Trade Center to Nazis. He also referred to the "gallant sacrifices" made by the attackers. Many 9/11 families are protesting his upcoming speaking engagement at Hamilton College in New York.
About 700 Semester At Sea students are now happy to be on dry land. Last week, rough seas and a big wave damaged the ship's engines and tossed around the students. The ship limped into Honolulu Harbor five days later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM DOWNING, PARENT OF STUDENT: It was this huge 50-foot wave that hit them and for a while they had no power. And they thought of evacuating the boats and it was scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The ship will remain in Hawaii for several days before taking the students on to China.
There will be more testimony today in the trial of a teenager accused of killing his grandparents three years ago when he was 12. His lawyers blame the killings on the anti-depressant drug Zoloft. They argue the drug clouded his judgment.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris Pittman, looking very much like a scared young teenager, wiped his eyes as lawyers argued over whether he should be held response for the shotgun slayings of his grandparents when he was only 12. The defense said Zoloft, the anti-depressant drug Chris was taking, made him hear voices telling him to kill.
ANDY VICKERY, DEFENSE LAWYER: He was a 96-pound, 12-year-old, a boy, a shy, decent boy who was acting under the influence of a powerful mind altering drug.
COHEN: But the prosecution called this a crime of a dark heart, an evil heart.
JOHN JUSTICE, PROSECUTOR: Chris Pittman knew that what he was doing was wrong, legally and morally.
COHEN: Three years ago, after his grandparents scolded Chris for a school fight, the prosecution said the boy lay awake, waiting.
JUSTICE: Chris Pittman, after his grandparents went to bed, got that .410 shotgun and killed them both.
COHEN: The child burned down the house and fled. The first prosecution witness recounted how the bodies were found in the ashes when the fire was out.
Zoloft's manufacturer, Pfizer, has denied its drug can be linked to violence. The government has warned, however, to watch younger patients for hostility and aggression, as the drug can lead to suicidal behavior.
(on camera): Both sides plan on calling a parade of psychiatric witnesses to debate whether these deaths were the act of a bad kid or a bad drug.
Elizabeth Cohen, Charleston, South Carolina.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
Back to the beginning -- we'll show you how the tsunami disaster started with some new pictures.
Also, diagnosis depression -- we'll tell you the tragic tale of one doctor's inner demons and why he's not alone.
Plus, a touch of a finger -- running your errands could get a whole lot easier soon. We'll tell you why.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday 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.
Michael Jackson heads back to court this morning. Another 300 prospective jurors will be processed. The judge wants to narrow the jury pool down to 12 jurors and eight alternates.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says it's no big deal. She fainted during a speaking engagement in Buffalo. Clinton blames a stomach virus. She went on to give another speech later in the day.
In money news, oil prices are expected to remain high even though OPEC decided against cutting production. Many experts believe OPEC may still cut production before the end of the first quarter. Oil is now at about $48 a barrel.
In culture, former network news anchor Tom Brokaw has a deal to write two books for Random House, but it's not known what he'll write or when he'll write it.
In sports, injured Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens practiced with the team for the first time since his December ankle injury. At least one teammate says he looked great. But Coach Andy Reid says he still hasn't decided if Owens will play in the Super Bowl.
So the mystery continues -- Chad.
MYERS: Well, of course it does. They don't know if they have to practice against him or not.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
MYERS: There you go.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Let your fingers do the walking, all the way to the bank. Find out if the so-called pay by touch system is the right touch for you.
And some small towns in Louisiana ring in some 20th century technology in the year 2005. It's a case of hard core long distance.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: More and more businesses are using biometric technology. Say what? Well, it helps speed you through the checkout line by just a touch.
We get more details from Tim Joyce of CNN affiliate KOIN in Portland, Oregon.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're allowing this payment method to be attached to your biometric.
TIM JOYCE, KOIN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monica Marquez is signing up for a cutting edge service, and while she has her hands full with Juliette and Charlotte, all she needs is a free finger to pay for her groceries.
MONICA MARQUEZ: Well, just because it's so easy and so fast.
JOYCE: The Portland market is where Albertson's is testing what's called pay by touch. Enrolling ties your checking account and/or credit card information to your fingerprint. Albertson's says it saves time, it's free, it's easy and, more importantly, they say it's one of the safest forms of payment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are a number of steps in place for the -- through the enrollment process just to confirm that the person that is enrolling is who they say they are.
JOYCE: Enrollment requires a canceled check and a valid photo I.D. Once you're enrolled, your finger on the special scanner at the checkout line will prompt you to enter a seven digit PIN, usually your phone number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't have any concerns about it. I think it sounds safer.
JOYCE: The monitor can read heat from your finger, so even if someone copied your fingerprint, it wouldn't work. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm cautiously optimistic. I think it's the wave of the future.
JOYCE (on camera): With the pay by touch system, Albertson's doesn't really have a copy of your fingerprint. What the computer is scanning for on these pads is 40 special points on your finger that turns it into a complicated mathematical equation, therefore protecting your security.
In Tigard, I'm Tim Joyce, KOIN News 6.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
Residents of Mink, Louisiana have moved into the 20th century. But it took them until the 21st century to do it. The area is now wired for telephone service. Mink and nearby Shaw, Louisiana are two of the last areas in the nation to get phone service. Some residents have cell phones, but the reception in the area is spotty, at best.
Take a look at this. It's the world's biggest snowball fight. Nearly 3,000 people took part in the event near Chicago. It set a Guinness World Book record. The previous record was set in Switzerland two years ago. Participants each gave $2 to charity so they could pelt their neighbors with snow.
Thieves in Washington State made off with, get this, a 3,000- pound copper bell. Three thousand pounds! The bell and its 12-foot tall wooden frame were swiped from a Vietnamese Buddhist temple. And this isn't the temple's only brush with crime. Last month, a 500- pound statue was stolen from the temple grounds.
This is the time we usually bring you "Late Nite Laughs," the best jokes from the talk shows. But this morning, we feature a late night tribute from David Letterman to Johnny Carson. It was Letterman's first new late show since Carson died last month. His opening monologue was made up entirely of jokes that the retired Carson had quietly sent him over the past few months.
As you're about to hear, Johnny couldn't resist a dig at Paris Hilton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Paris Hilton has a dog named Tinker Bell and Tinker bell was missing for a while. Don't worry, they found Tinker Bell. They found the dog. Tinker Bell was with the Taco Bell Chihuahua making a sex video.
At the end of the day, that's who you wanted to be there, you know? It didn't make any difference what kind of a day you had, if you had a great day or a bad day or, you know, the Watergate and Vietnam and the Gulf War. And it didn't make any difference who was president. It didn't make any difference what the economy was or the unemployment or what was going on. At the end of the day, the guy you wanted there was Johnny Carson. What a tremendous luxury, if you think about it, to be tucked in at night by Johnny Carson.
I was lucky enough to be on the...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Isn't that something, Chad, that Johnny Carson was sending him jokes and new material in this retirement?
MYERS: Yes. That's fine. And you know what? I think we will probably talk about David Letterman the same way.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're probably right.
MYERS: You know, at least all the kids that I went to college with 20 years ago, there wasn't a night that we didn't watch Letterman, you know? So, but yes.
COSTELLO: That's true.
MYERS: Johnny Carson obviously will be missed. He's been off the air a long time and obviously his, the legend just will live on.
COSTELLO: And grow.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: I bet it will grow.
MYERS: Oh, you're right.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Easing up -- Iraq lifts restrictions put into place in the days leading up to the historic election. We'll have a live report for you just ahead.
Plus, doctors throwing in the towel, giving up not on their careers, but on life. A report from Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, pop icon Michael Jackson returns to a California courtroom in seven hours for the second day of jury selection. Only one person was dismissed during the first day. The latest is expected to last up to six months. Paul Shanley's attorneys are expected to only call one witness in the defrocked priest's child molestation trial. The prosecution wrapped up its case yesterday. And expert in repressed memory is expected to testify when court resumes tomorrow or Thursday.
In the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, the king has fired the government and declared a state of emergency. Troops are patrolling the streets of the capital and phone lines there have been cut.
And look now, because it may be a really long time before you ever see this again. Ooh! A high school guard hurls the ball 92- feet, to make a basket with 6/10 of a second left in overtime. And, yes, that gave his team the game. We're going to have more on this later -- Chad.
MYERS: And guess what, Carol?
COSTELLO: What?
MYERS: That was a three pointer. Of course, that was way beyond the three point line.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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Aired February 1, 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, for the first time, video showing the earthquake that triggered December's deadly tsunamis.
Plus, moving into the spotlight once again. Pop star Michael Jackson faces potential jurors who could determine his fate. We'll have first day detail from his molestation trial.
And pointing the way toward an easy, safe and secure way to pay for groceries. We'll tell you about pay by touch.
It is Tuesday, the first day of February.
This is 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, Iraqi election workers have counted all the ballots by hand. Now they're sending those numbers to Baghdad, where they'll be entered into a bank of computers. We could have partial results by tonight. But the official numbers could take up to 10 days.
In the meantime, post-election violence leaves two guards dead in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. Sources say the car bomb exploded near the home of a top Kurdish political official who insurgents have targeted before.
President Bush is proposing a big jump in death benefits for U.S. troops. Pentagon officials say he wants to give the families of those killed in combat zones $100,000 tax-free. Families now receive $12,420. The proposal is retroactive to when the war began in Afghanistan.
Microsoft wants to get in on some of the big bucks that can be made from the Web search engines. Websoft rolled out its own Internet search engine Monday after several months of testing.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: We're going to talk about Michael Jackson now, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Did you watch it yesterday afternoon?
MYERS: I watched a little bit of it, but I had a screaming baby and I couldn't hear a lot of it. But, yes.
COSTELLO: Grant just wouldn't be quiet for this, would he?
MYERS: No, no, no, he wasn't going to cooperate.
COSTELLO: Well, here you see Michael Jackson walking into the courtroom. Hundreds more prospective jurors will be processed today in his child molestation trial. A jury pool of 300 people called on day one of this process. One hundred thirty-eight of them asked to be excused, citing financial hardships and other concerns. One man said he was under house arrest and pointed out the ankle bracelet strapped to him. Can you believe that? And a woman who is eight months pregnant was the only person immediately dismissed, because this trial is expected to last six months and, you know, she wouldn't make it past the first month probably.
The case against Michael Jackson could cost him both his freedom and his finances.
CNN's Mary Snow looks at how the pop star's financial empire could crumble.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's legal troubles have implications beyond the courthouse, posing a threat to his financial empire.
ALAN LIGHT, "TRACKS" MAGAZINE: Anything short of being fully exonerated in this trial is going to be sort of a death blow to him professionally.
SNOW: Music industry observers can't put an exact figure on Jackson's net worth and his advisers keep the information close to the vest.
QUESTION: ... that Mr. Jackson is in financial trouble.
Can you clarify that, sir?
CHARLES KOPPELMAN, FORMER JACKSON MUSIC MANAGER: Again, do we look worried?
QUESTION: But is he in financial trouble?
KOPPELMAN: Of course not. SNOW: In his heyday with hits like "Thriller," some estimate he was worth as much as $900 million. But with no tours, no new albums and lavish spending like the upkeep of his Neverland Ranch, Jackson's finances have been shrinking. Industry observers say his main sources of income are the rights to music catalogs, including a stake with Sony ATV of 251 Beatles' songs.
BRUNO DELGRANADO, ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCER: Michael Jackson, if you count his music publishing catalog, is probably worth several hundred million dollars.
SNOW: Jackson has reportedly taken out $270 million in loans from Bank of America that are backed by his two music publishing catalogs. While his own new music may not be the bread and butter of his bank account these days, he has flocks of fans outside the United States.
DELGRANADO: He has a fairly strong and consistent following outside the United States, like a lot of '80s superstars.
SNOW: Unlike the '80s, though, when Jackson was known only for his talent, today's generation of young people know him mainly for the controversy around him.
LIGHT: For him to go out and rebuild and shift the focus away from the Michael Jackson freak show and on to Michael Jackson the brilliant singer and dancer and performer, you know, he's got to hope that everything works out absolutely for the best and then decide that he wants it bad enough to go for that. It's possible. It's a long, long shot.
SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Actually, this all brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.
Chad, are you listening?
MYERS: Carol, yes, I'm right here.
COSTELLO: Oh, good, because I want you to pay attention now.
Would you want to be a juror for a celebrity trial? Would you want to sit on this jury for six long months and decide whether Michael Jackson is innocent or guilty of child molestation charges?
MYERS: I don't even have to think about that one.
COSTELLO: You would say no?
MYERS: I would say no.
COSTELLO: Well, see, I would want to do it, because I just think it would be fascinating. MYERS: Yes. But, Carol, you wouldn't be on DAYBREAK then and everyone would be sad.
COSTELLO: I'd get to sleep in.
MYERS: True.
COSTELLO: Actually, I'd like to serve on any jury. I think it would be fascinating.
But we want to know what you think of serving on a celebrity jury for six months or more. Let you know what you think, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
Some post-election violence in Iraq this morning. A Kurdish official says a bomb went off in the northern town of Erbil near the home of a top Kurdish politician. Two guards were killed. But it is a different scene elsewhere in Iraq. The northern town of Mosul, where insurgents have struck frequently in the past, has been quiet after the election.
In the meantime, Iraqis are busy counting the votes, and that's only the beginning. They still have to draft a new constitution, and the deadline to do that is August 15. Now, the constitution also has to be voted on. That will happen in October in a national referendum and in December, if the constitution is improved -- is approved, rather, there will be a vote for a permanent government. If the constitution is rejected, the whole process has to start over.
Another post-election focus -- how much longer will U.S. troops stay in Iraq? President Bush is expected to touch on that question in his State of the Union speech tomorrow night. In the meantime, the administration is taking some wartime action today. It will propose a boost in benefits to families of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and future combat situations. Veterans groups had complained the current tax-free death benefits fall short. The new proposal would hike that one time payment to $100,000, from $12,420. It would also boost life insurance benefits to $400,000 from $250,000.
Iraq, Social Security and immigration some of the major themes as President Bush addresses the state of the union. CNN will bring you live coverage of the speech prime time on Wednesday.
The State of the Union address comes on the eve of Condoleezza Rice's first overseas trip. The new secretary of state is headed to Europe and to the Middle East. She'll be in Israel and the West Bank on Monday.
Let's see what she faces there.
Our Guy Raz is in Jerusalem -- hello, Guy.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice couldn't have come to this region at a more crucial time. For the past 10 days, Palestinian militant groups, with few exceptions, have abided by an informal arrangement to halt military operations and activities against Israeli targets. The Israeli Army, also with few exceptions, has essentially halted military incursions into Palestinian population centers in Gaza and in the West Bank.
But it is still a very delicate and fragile moment here in the region. Just yesterday, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was shot dead in southern Gaza, just on the grounds of her school. Local eyewitnesses blamed the Israeli Army. The Army denied it. But shortly after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a barrage of mortar fire at a nearby Jewish settlement in Gaza.
So Condoleezza Rice will essentially come here to try and bolster the momentum that was created after the election of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Now, the Bush administration has essentially said that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be central to its foreign policy agenda during its second term. And Ms. Rice told her staff at the State Department yesterday that essentially peace between Israelis and Palestinians will not be attainable without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. She told her staff essentially that the establishment of that state is "within our grasp."
Now, Carol, there is some considerable speculation that Ms. Rice will also appoint a new U.S. Middle East envoy. The last time that happened, 2002, it was former General Anthony Zinni. And he lasted in the job barely five months, frustrated at the lack of progress. Now, the time appears to be ripe for the revival of the peace process.
And shortly after Condoleezza Rice leaves the region, the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, will hold his first talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian president, since his election in January. Now, we shouldn't expect any major breakthrough in that meeting, but it's certainly a step unseen in this region now for more than two years -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Guy Raz reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
In News Across America this morning, four 9/11 memorial sculptures are on display in Dallas before being sent to New York City. Visitors to the Museum of Biblical Arts can write notes that will be placed in the base of the sculptures. They will find a permanent home at the Church of St. Peter, which was heavily damaged in the World Trade Center attack.
A controversial University of Colorado professor has stepped down as head of the school's Ethics Studies Department. Ward Churchill made news when he compared the 9/11 victims at the World Trade Center to Nazis. He also referred to the "gallant sacrifices" made by the attackers. Many 9/11 families are protesting his upcoming speaking engagement at Hamilton College in New York.
About 700 Semester At Sea students are now happy to be on dry land. Last week, rough seas and a big wave damaged the ship's engines and tossed around the students. The ship limped into Honolulu Harbor five days later.
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PAM DOWNING, PARENT OF STUDENT: It was this huge 50-foot wave that hit them and for a while they had no power. And they thought of evacuating the boats and it was scary.
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COSTELLO: The ship will remain in Hawaii for several days before taking the students on to China.
There will be more testimony today in the trial of a teenager accused of killing his grandparents three years ago when he was 12. His lawyers blame the killings on the anti-depressant drug Zoloft. They argue the drug clouded his judgment.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen has more for you.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris Pittman, looking very much like a scared young teenager, wiped his eyes as lawyers argued over whether he should be held response for the shotgun slayings of his grandparents when he was only 12. The defense said Zoloft, the anti-depressant drug Chris was taking, made him hear voices telling him to kill.
ANDY VICKERY, DEFENSE LAWYER: He was a 96-pound, 12-year-old, a boy, a shy, decent boy who was acting under the influence of a powerful mind altering drug.
COHEN: But the prosecution called this a crime of a dark heart, an evil heart.
JOHN JUSTICE, PROSECUTOR: Chris Pittman knew that what he was doing was wrong, legally and morally.
COHEN: Three years ago, after his grandparents scolded Chris for a school fight, the prosecution said the boy lay awake, waiting.
JUSTICE: Chris Pittman, after his grandparents went to bed, got that .410 shotgun and killed them both.
COHEN: The child burned down the house and fled. The first prosecution witness recounted how the bodies were found in the ashes when the fire was out.
Zoloft's manufacturer, Pfizer, has denied its drug can be linked to violence. The government has warned, however, to watch younger patients for hostility and aggression, as the drug can lead to suicidal behavior.
(on camera): Both sides plan on calling a parade of psychiatric witnesses to debate whether these deaths were the act of a bad kid or a bad drug.
Elizabeth Cohen, Charleston, South Carolina.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
Back to the beginning -- we'll show you how the tsunami disaster started with some new pictures.
Also, diagnosis depression -- we'll tell you the tragic tale of one doctor's inner demons and why he's not alone.
Plus, a touch of a finger -- running your errands could get a whole lot easier soon. We'll tell you why.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
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COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Michael Jackson heads back to court this morning. Another 300 prospective jurors will be processed. The judge wants to narrow the jury pool down to 12 jurors and eight alternates.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says it's no big deal. She fainted during a speaking engagement in Buffalo. Clinton blames a stomach virus. She went on to give another speech later in the day.
In money news, oil prices are expected to remain high even though OPEC decided against cutting production. Many experts believe OPEC may still cut production before the end of the first quarter. Oil is now at about $48 a barrel.
In culture, former network news anchor Tom Brokaw has a deal to write two books for Random House, but it's not known what he'll write or when he'll write it.
In sports, injured Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens practiced with the team for the first time since his December ankle injury. At least one teammate says he looked great. But Coach Andy Reid says he still hasn't decided if Owens will play in the Super Bowl.
So the mystery continues -- Chad.
MYERS: Well, of course it does. They don't know if they have to practice against him or not.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
MYERS: There you go.
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COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Let your fingers do the walking, all the way to the bank. Find out if the so-called pay by touch system is the right touch for you.
And some small towns in Louisiana ring in some 20th century technology in the year 2005. It's a case of hard core long distance.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
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COSTELLO: More and more businesses are using biometric technology. Say what? Well, it helps speed you through the checkout line by just a touch.
We get more details from Tim Joyce of CNN affiliate KOIN in Portland, Oregon.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're allowing this payment method to be attached to your biometric.
TIM JOYCE, KOIN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monica Marquez is signing up for a cutting edge service, and while she has her hands full with Juliette and Charlotte, all she needs is a free finger to pay for her groceries.
MONICA MARQUEZ: Well, just because it's so easy and so fast.
JOYCE: The Portland market is where Albertson's is testing what's called pay by touch. Enrolling ties your checking account and/or credit card information to your fingerprint. Albertson's says it saves time, it's free, it's easy and, more importantly, they say it's one of the safest forms of payment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are a number of steps in place for the -- through the enrollment process just to confirm that the person that is enrolling is who they say they are.
JOYCE: Enrollment requires a canceled check and a valid photo I.D. Once you're enrolled, your finger on the special scanner at the checkout line will prompt you to enter a seven digit PIN, usually your phone number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't have any concerns about it. I think it sounds safer.
JOYCE: The monitor can read heat from your finger, so even if someone copied your fingerprint, it wouldn't work. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm cautiously optimistic. I think it's the wave of the future.
JOYCE (on camera): With the pay by touch system, Albertson's doesn't really have a copy of your fingerprint. What the computer is scanning for on these pads is 40 special points on your finger that turns it into a complicated mathematical equation, therefore protecting your security.
In Tigard, I'm Tim Joyce, KOIN News 6.
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COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
Residents of Mink, Louisiana have moved into the 20th century. But it took them until the 21st century to do it. The area is now wired for telephone service. Mink and nearby Shaw, Louisiana are two of the last areas in the nation to get phone service. Some residents have cell phones, but the reception in the area is spotty, at best.
Take a look at this. It's the world's biggest snowball fight. Nearly 3,000 people took part in the event near Chicago. It set a Guinness World Book record. The previous record was set in Switzerland two years ago. Participants each gave $2 to charity so they could pelt their neighbors with snow.
Thieves in Washington State made off with, get this, a 3,000- pound copper bell. Three thousand pounds! The bell and its 12-foot tall wooden frame were swiped from a Vietnamese Buddhist temple. And this isn't the temple's only brush with crime. Last month, a 500- pound statue was stolen from the temple grounds.
This is the time we usually bring you "Late Nite Laughs," the best jokes from the talk shows. But this morning, we feature a late night tribute from David Letterman to Johnny Carson. It was Letterman's first new late show since Carson died last month. His opening monologue was made up entirely of jokes that the retired Carson had quietly sent him over the past few months.
As you're about to hear, Johnny couldn't resist a dig at Paris Hilton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Paris Hilton has a dog named Tinker Bell and Tinker bell was missing for a while. Don't worry, they found Tinker Bell. They found the dog. Tinker Bell was with the Taco Bell Chihuahua making a sex video.
At the end of the day, that's who you wanted to be there, you know? It didn't make any difference what kind of a day you had, if you had a great day or a bad day or, you know, the Watergate and Vietnam and the Gulf War. And it didn't make any difference who was president. It didn't make any difference what the economy was or the unemployment or what was going on. At the end of the day, the guy you wanted there was Johnny Carson. What a tremendous luxury, if you think about it, to be tucked in at night by Johnny Carson.
I was lucky enough to be on the...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Isn't that something, Chad, that Johnny Carson was sending him jokes and new material in this retirement?
MYERS: Yes. That's fine. And you know what? I think we will probably talk about David Letterman the same way.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're probably right.
MYERS: You know, at least all the kids that I went to college with 20 years ago, there wasn't a night that we didn't watch Letterman, you know? So, but yes.
COSTELLO: That's true.
MYERS: Johnny Carson obviously will be missed. He's been off the air a long time and obviously his, the legend just will live on.
COSTELLO: And grow.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: I bet it will grow.
MYERS: Oh, you're right.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Easing up -- Iraq lifts restrictions put into place in the days leading up to the historic election. We'll have a live report for you just ahead.
Plus, doctors throwing in the towel, giving up not on their careers, but on life. A report from Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
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COSTELLO: Good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, pop icon Michael Jackson returns to a California courtroom in seven hours for the second day of jury selection. Only one person was dismissed during the first day. The latest is expected to last up to six months. Paul Shanley's attorneys are expected to only call one witness in the defrocked priest's child molestation trial. The prosecution wrapped up its case yesterday. And expert in repressed memory is expected to testify when court resumes tomorrow or Thursday.
In the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, the king has fired the government and declared a state of emergency. Troops are patrolling the streets of the capital and phone lines there have been cut.
And look now, because it may be a really long time before you ever see this again. Ooh! A high school guard hurls the ball 92- feet, to make a basket with 6/10 of a second left in overtime. And, yes, that gave his team the game. We're going to have more on this later -- Chad.
MYERS: And guess what, Carol?
COSTELLO: What?
MYERS: That was a three pointer. Of course, that was way beyond the three point line.
Good morning.
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