Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Car Bomb Explodes in Madrid; Condition of Pope John Paul II

Aired February 09, 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, going on right now, a car bombing has rocked Madrid at Spain's convention center. Police and ambulances have rushed to the center now.
It is Wednesday, February 9.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

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

Let's go straight to the breaking news, shall we, out of Spain's capital?

CNN's Al Goodman standing by at the Madrid convention center -- Al, what can you tell us?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the injury count now at 31 people wounded from this car bomb that exploded about an hour and a half ago near the main Madrid convention center, not right outside of it, as had been initially reported, but instead several -- a couple of blocks away in a very upscale office district.

Now, of the 31 people wounded, according to reports, 21 have been taken to hospital, although initial relationships say that they've largely got slight injuries. These include police officers and workers in this upscale office.

There was a warning call made in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA to a Basque newspaper in northern Spain, which typically gets these kinds of warning calls. And they alerted authorities. So police did rush to the scene and try to clear this out, Carol, but obviously they didn't get everybody out of the way in time for this powerful car bomb.

The initial estimate, 20 to 30 kilos of explosives. That's more than 40 pounds of explosives, according to authorities -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow!

Remind us again about ETA, this group, this Basque group.

GOODMAN: Well, Spain has been hit by two kinds of terrorist activity. The one most people know about is the Madrid train bombings of last March 11. That was blamed on Islamic terrorists. But for three decades, the Basque separatist group ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, has been carrying on a series of bombings, blamed for more than 800 deaths over that time.

Now, authorities had said that they've made a lot of arrests against ETA's leadership and ETA members and they had ETA on its hind legs. But ETA has come back recently with some bombs. This is the most powerful ETA bomb in recent months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, of course, many Americans remember the bombs on board the trains in Madrid. This group had nothing to do with that, is that true?

GOODMAN: According to the courts and the main investigators, there was no link between the Basque group ETA and the suspected Islamic terrorists who carried out the train bombings, although the former conservative government did insist on that and continues to insist maybe there's some sort of link. But the investigators and the judges have found no link whatsoever. They've said that publicly many times -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Al Goodman reporting live from Madrid, Spain.

We'll get back to you when you get more information.

Thank you.

Also in the news this morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice due to arrive in Brussels just about 30 minutes from now. She has a meeting with NATO's secretary general in the next hour. And later she will have lunch with NATO foreign ministers.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is heading to Europe this hour, where he'll have lunch with sailors aboard the USS O'Bannon and then he'll head it Nice, France for a meeting tomorrow with NATO defense ministers.

In Baghdad this hour, a search going on for a senior official with Iraq's Interior Ministry. He was kidnapped today as he was leaving home for his office.

Also in Iraq, a correspondent for the Arab language TV network Al-Hurra was killed when gunmen burst into his home and shot him to death. Al-Hurra is funded by the United States.

Let's head to the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning to you, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: There is a first for Pope John Paul II, probably not one he relishes. For the first time in 26 years, he will miss his first Ash Wednesday service. As you know, he's been in a Rome hospital for a week now.

So let's head live to Rome for a checkup and our Alessio Vinci -- good morning, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, doctors have suggested that Pope John Paul II remain a few days more in hospital. We do expect a new medical bulletin to be released tomorrow, in about -- in tomorrow morning from the Vatican press office. But that is why the pope, for the first time in his papacy, will not be able to celebrate in St. Peter's Square the Ash Wednesday mass, which is underway now. Ash Wednesday being the traditional period of penitence, fasting and prayer for Christians around the world.

It is unclear whether the pope is celebrating a special mass inside his bedroom at the Gemelli Hospital. We do know from Vatican officials

COSTELLO: That he does celebrate a mass for the nurses and doctors who attend him every day there at the Gemelli Hospital.

The mass is now underway, as I said. It is being celebrated by an American cardinal, James Stafford, who said we feel the pope's spiritual presence inside the cathedral as he began celebrating the mass.

Cardinal Stafford is only -- is one of -- is the only active American cardinal inside the roman curia, which is the government of the Vatican, if you will. He has been heavily involved in organizing World Youth Day, including in 1993, in his hometown of Denver, which was considered by Vatican officials a huge success. And that is when the cardinal then moved here to Rome.

Cardinal Stafford is also the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is one of the three courts inside the Vatican. It is the court that rules on secret matters of conscience.

Now, the pope, meanwhile, has already released his Lenten message, which is dedicated this year to the gift of longevity. The 84-year-old pontiff wrote, and I quote here: "People should always remain open and welcoming toward the older people, especially those who are weak, sick or suffering," a message, of course, directed to pilgrims around the world, but also a missing very much describing his current condition -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Very fitting.

Alessio Vinci reporting live from Rome.

And in case you're wondering what Ash Wednesday actually is, it's 40 days before Good Friday, always falls on a Wednesday and it's called Ash Wednesday because on that day, the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross. And you'll see many people walking around town with the mark of the cross with ashes on their heads.

And, of course, this begins the Lenten season for Catholics across the world. In News Across America this morning, a suspected jewel thief could face the death penalty in Connecticut. Christopher DiMeo was charged with capital felony and murder in the shooting deaths of two jewelry store owners last week. DiMeo and his girlfriend are accused of killing three people in two states during robberies.

In Los Angeles, about 200 people attended a church rally to protest the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy by police. Devin Brown was killed after leading police on a short pursuit in a stolen car. Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn is calling for an immediate change in policies that govern when police can shoot at moving vehicles.

The Virginia state legislature wants young people to pull up their pants. The House passed a bill that authorizes a $50 fine for anyone showing their underpants in a lewd or indecent manner. The bill's sponsor says it's aimed at kids who walk around with their pants drooping below their waist.

Super Bowl victory parades are becoming old hat for the people of Boston. Nearly one million people turned out to cheer their latest championship team. Quarterback Tom Brady told the crowd that he never gets sick of winning. The Pats have won three of the last four Super Bowls.

A Tennessee elementary school teacher is out on bail after being charged with having sex with a student. Pamela Rogers Turner has also been placed on leave by the school.

CNN's Brian Todd looks at the details of this case and how it isn't the first of its kind.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another young, attractive teacher. Another sordid case. Twenty-seven-year-old Pamela R. Turner, a gym teacher at Center Town Elementary School in Warren County, central Tennessee, arrested this week, accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her students, a boy then 13 years old.

DALE POTTER, WARREN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We've got 15 counts of sexual battery by an authority figure based on the position as a teacher and that she had with this student at Center Town Elementary School. There's 13 counts of statutory rape.

TODD: The Warren County district attorney tells CNN the relationship began this past November and ended in January.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have anything to say?

PAMELA ROGERS TURNER: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have an affair with the boy?

TODD: Seem familiar? We've reported recently on the case of Debra Lafave, the 24-year-old remedial reading teacher facing trial in two Florida jurisdictions for allegedly having sex with a then 14- year-old boy from her middle school. Her attorney is pursuing the insanity defense.

JOHN FITZGIBBONS, DEBRA LAFAVE'S ATTORNEY: Debbie has some profound emotional issues that are not her fault. I think once anyone reads what the doctors have to say, they will understand a lot more.

TODD: The attorney wouldn't comment when we called to find out what those issues are. Lafave's husband has spoken of the emotional trauma she suffered when her sister was killed in a car accident. But does this explain this entry in a Florida sheriff's probable cause affidavit? When the boy told detectives Lafave was "turned on by the fact that having sexual relations with him was not allowed."

(on camera): Psychiatrists and psychologists say that attraction to danger is a common theme in these cases, along with immaturity on the part of the teacher. One psychologist says they become almost emotionally on par with the student.

(voice-over): Here's part of a taped phone conversation between Lafave and her alleged victim, released by Florida prosecutors.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DEBRA LAFAVE: Promise?

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Yes.

LAFAVE: Pinky promise?

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Yes.

LAFAVE: Say pinky promise.

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Pinky promise.

LAFAVE: All right. Well, tell me a time.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

TODD: In these cases, experts say, some female teachers see themselves as nurturers, blocking out the idea that the affair is wrong or illegal.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.

His comments about 9/11 sparked an uproar, but a Colorado professor is not backing down. We'll tell you what he has to say.

Also, new boots, new pants, new hats. The Army is getting a fashion makeover.

And no more monkeying around. We will usher in the Year of the Rooster. That's just wrong, isn't it?

Here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Just under two hours ago, a powerful car bomb shook Madrid, Spain. It went off near the city's convention center. More than 30 people are wounded.

New duds for the soldiers. These National Guard troops in Georgia are among the first to try out the Army's new combat uniforms. They're designed to help soldiers blend into city, desert and forest environments.

In money news, Krispy Kreme may be running low on dough. The donut maker announced a round of job cuts in an effort to save money. Slow sales may also force the company to close some of its more than 400 stores.

In culture, Chris Noth is returning to "Law and Order." The former series regular will appear in about half the season's episodes of the spin-off "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." Noth left the original series 10 years ago.

In sports, New England Patriots assistant coach Romeo Crennel missed the Super Bowl victory parade back in Boston. Instead, he was being introduced as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. This is the first head coaching job for the 57-year-old Crennel -- Chad.

MYERS: They're getting a lot of talent removed from that team. That coaching staff is going to be a little thin next year. Belichick is going to...

COSTELLO: Well, the Cleveland Browns sorely need him.

MYERS: Yes. Yes. He's a very, very talented man. So good for him. Congratulations.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

The University of Colorado professor who came under fire for an essay he wrote on the 9/11 attacks has gotten a big boost from students. Ward Churchill enraged many people by comparing the World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi.

But as reports Cheryl Preheim of CNN affiliate KUSA in Boulder, Colorado reports, the ethnic studies professor remains defiant.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CHERYL PREHEIM, KUSA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Professor Ward Churchill says he came here to stand behind his words, words he says have been misunderstood and taken out of context.

PROF. WARD CHURCHILL, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO: I'm not backing up an inch. I owe no one an apology, clarifications, yes...

(CHEERING)

PREHEIM: He told the crowd his essay was an expression about the U.S. government's treatment of many other countries around the world.

CHURCHILL: And what I said was when you treat people this way, when you devalue, demean and degrade others to this point, naturally and inevitably what you're putting out will blow back on you. And that's what happened.

PREHEIM: To questions about whether he feels sorrow for the victims of 9/11...

CHURCHILL: And the answer is yes, of course. And it's not one whit more proportionately significant than the mourning, the sorrow I experience for every single one of those Iraqi children.

PREHEIM: Every one of the 1,100 seats was full. Hundreds of others stood in the back and a few hundred more listened outside. Most here were Churchill supporters. Some critics came, too, to listen. Others confronted the professor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you get the gall to call the people who died in 9/11 technocrats when you sit around and get a $90,000 paycheck from the government you purport to hate?

PREHEIM: Professor Ward Churchill says he will never back down from teaching the opinions he has a right as an American to have and to share publicly.

CHURCHILL: I do not work for the taxpayers of the State of Colorado. I do not work for Bill Owens. I work for you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from Cheryl Preheim of CNN affiliate KUSA in Boulder.

Colorado Governor Bill Owens has called for Churchill to be fired and school officials are deciding if they'll do just that.

Let's talk about a new reality television show that will soon air in Britain.

Chad?

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: I want you to listen to this story, because when I first heard about it, I mean your first emotion is you've got to be kidding.

MYERS: What, who wants to be Benny Hill 2?

COSTELLO: No. If only it were that. This show will recreate some of the practices allegedly used at the U.S. naval base where hundreds of so-called enemy combatants have been held without trial for about three years ago. I'm talking about Guantanamo Bay.

Get this, during the show, seven male volunteers are exposed to things like sleep deprivation, extreme temperatures and mild physical contact. So they're going to recreate this alleged activity at Guantanamo Bay.

They're also going to recreate periods of enforced nudity and religious and sexual humiliation. They actually got seven volunteers to do this.

MYERS: And this is going to be on TV?

COSTELLO: This is going to be on British TV, TV-4. Producers say it's similar to what happened at GITMO. I said that. And the purpose of this show is to examine the widespread use of government torture and whether it can be ever justified.

So apparently they've already filmed this with these seven male volunteers and they've offered counseling to them after the show. I don't know...

MYERS: It's funny that they announce it after they've already done it. You know, you wonder how many shows that they tried, even producers in the U.S., how many shows that they've tried but didn't work and they just canned it and all the stuff ended up on the floor.

COSTELLO: I guess they're thinking what better to watch than these seven guys getting tortured.

I don't know, that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.

MYERS: OK, yes, I knew you were going somewhere with this.

COSTELLO: I know. I'm going somewhere. I am.

This British torture show -- reality TV gone too far? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Chad, it's time to laugh now.

Are you ready?

MYERS: Yes, sure. Of course.

COSTELLO: Of course.

MYERS: Leno and probably on "Letterman" maybe?

COSTELLO: No, we just have Jay Leno today.

MYERS: OK. OK.

COSTELLO: Because, you know, he says there's a funny side to President Bush's Social Security reform campaign. So, check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)

JAY LENO, HOST: Now, here's President Bush in Tampa, in Tampa, Florida. Here he is explaining to people -- this woman asked how does Social Security worked? We have not doctored this or changed this.

Here's President Bush explaining to the American people how Social Security works.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that -- those different cost drivers, affecting those, changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be or closer delivered to what has been promised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LENO: As you know, President Bush has been traveling around the country trying to sell his Social Security plan. He wants us to take our retirement money and invest it in the stock market then say nothing can go wrong. I'll be sure to mention that to Martha Stewart when I see her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You know what's interesting about that? He's doing excellent what Jon Stewart is doing.

MYERS: What's that, taking political and -- yes.

COSTELLO: Exactly. And almost the same way.

MYERS: But Jon Stewart is very popular.

COSTELLO: Pardon?

MYERS: Jon Stewart is becoming very, very popular out there.

COSTELLO: Yes, he's very popular. MYERS: I watched.

COSTELLO: He beats out some new shows that are on at the same time.

MYERS: I'll tell you what, I TiVo it every night.

COSTELLO: Do you really?

MYERS: You've been on it before.

COSTELLO: I know. I heard about that.

MYERS: You've been made fun of before.

COSTELLO: I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but hey.

MYERS: I'm not sure.

COSTELLO: Guess what year it is, Chad? You knew.

MYERS: The rooster!

COSTELLO: It's the Year of the Rooster. Yes, there is something to crow about this morning, we do mean crow. It is the Year of the Rooster.

MYERS: The monkey is gone.

COSTELLO: The picture that we have -- yes.

Check out that chicken dance, Chad.

MYERS: That is awesome.

COSTELLO: In Asia, today is one of the more important holidays of the year. Traditional celebrations for the new year have been going on for more than a thousand years. And just in case you did not know, the Year of the Rooster replaces the Year of the Monkey.

MYERS: That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: Famous people born in the Year of the Rooster?

MYERS: Oh, yes, go ahead.

COSTELLO: These are fun to look at.

MYERS: I know. These little kids are awesome.

COSTELLO: Eric Clapton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Benjamin Franklin.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Exactly. So if you were born in the year 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 or, of course, 2005, you were born in the Year of the Rooster and you have these qualities.

MYERS: Go.

COSTELLO: You're independent.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: Confident. And you have flair.

MYERS: Hmm. I've got deep thinker, capable, talented, often a bit eccentric, deeply disappointed by failure, but interesting and brave. And you go well with the Ox, Snake and Dragon.

What are you, Carol?

COSTELLO: I'm an Ox.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: So I have to find a Rooster. I hope my husband is a Rooster, but I don't think he is. You're a Rabbit, right?

MYERS: I am a bunny.

COSTELLO: You're a bunny. I think we should stick to the term rabbit.

MYERS: OK, rabbit.

COSTELLO: It sounds better.

We're going to toss it to a break.

We'll be back with more DAYBREAK after this.

(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, Spain's capital has been rocked by a powerful car bomb. It went off near the Madrid convention center about two hours ago, wounding more than 30 people. Someone claiming to be with the Basque group reportedly phoned in a warning before the blast.

In Iraq, gunmen burst into the home of a TV reporter this morning, shooting him dead. It happened in the southern city of Basra. The reporter worked for an Arab language network funded by the United States. Two top U.S. officials are overseas this morning. Condoleezza Rice is lunching with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium. She's nearing the end of her first trip as secretary of state.

In the meantime, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is launching an overseas trip himself this morning. He's also focusing on NATO, attending a meeting of Alliance defense ministers in Nice, France.

To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

Did you walk outside this morning and think it was summer?

COSTELLO: It was pretty nice.

MYERS: It's like 50 degrees there. And then they're forecasting, well, we're forecasting snow to move in behind this thing, although it's going to start out as rain.

COSTELLO: Great.

MYERS: There's a big storm coming into the west.

There you go.

Hey, but not as much snow as places like Worcester and the Berkshires and Massachusetts are going to pick up. You guys are really going to get hammered. The Green and White Mountains, Killington, Rutland, you guys we're going to get hammered with snow. No rain mixing in for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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 February 9, 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, going on right now, a car bombing has rocked Madrid at Spain's convention center. Police and ambulances have rushed to the center now.
It is Wednesday, February 9.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

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

Let's go straight to the breaking news, shall we, out of Spain's capital?

CNN's Al Goodman standing by at the Madrid convention center -- Al, what can you tell us?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the injury count now at 31 people wounded from this car bomb that exploded about an hour and a half ago near the main Madrid convention center, not right outside of it, as had been initially reported, but instead several -- a couple of blocks away in a very upscale office district.

Now, of the 31 people wounded, according to reports, 21 have been taken to hospital, although initial relationships say that they've largely got slight injuries. These include police officers and workers in this upscale office.

There was a warning call made in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA to a Basque newspaper in northern Spain, which typically gets these kinds of warning calls. And they alerted authorities. So police did rush to the scene and try to clear this out, Carol, but obviously they didn't get everybody out of the way in time for this powerful car bomb.

The initial estimate, 20 to 30 kilos of explosives. That's more than 40 pounds of explosives, according to authorities -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow!

Remind us again about ETA, this group, this Basque group.

GOODMAN: Well, Spain has been hit by two kinds of terrorist activity. The one most people know about is the Madrid train bombings of last March 11. That was blamed on Islamic terrorists. But for three decades, the Basque separatist group ETA, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, has been carrying on a series of bombings, blamed for more than 800 deaths over that time.

Now, authorities had said that they've made a lot of arrests against ETA's leadership and ETA members and they had ETA on its hind legs. But ETA has come back recently with some bombs. This is the most powerful ETA bomb in recent months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, of course, many Americans remember the bombs on board the trains in Madrid. This group had nothing to do with that, is that true?

GOODMAN: According to the courts and the main investigators, there was no link between the Basque group ETA and the suspected Islamic terrorists who carried out the train bombings, although the former conservative government did insist on that and continues to insist maybe there's some sort of link. But the investigators and the judges have found no link whatsoever. They've said that publicly many times -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Al Goodman reporting live from Madrid, Spain.

We'll get back to you when you get more information.

Thank you.

Also in the news this morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice due to arrive in Brussels just about 30 minutes from now. She has a meeting with NATO's secretary general in the next hour. And later she will have lunch with NATO foreign ministers.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is heading to Europe this hour, where he'll have lunch with sailors aboard the USS O'Bannon and then he'll head it Nice, France for a meeting tomorrow with NATO defense ministers.

In Baghdad this hour, a search going on for a senior official with Iraq's Interior Ministry. He was kidnapped today as he was leaving home for his office.

Also in Iraq, a correspondent for the Arab language TV network Al-Hurra was killed when gunmen burst into his home and shot him to death. Al-Hurra is funded by the United States.

Let's head to the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning to you, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: There is a first for Pope John Paul II, probably not one he relishes. For the first time in 26 years, he will miss his first Ash Wednesday service. As you know, he's been in a Rome hospital for a week now.

So let's head live to Rome for a checkup and our Alessio Vinci -- good morning, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, doctors have suggested that Pope John Paul II remain a few days more in hospital. We do expect a new medical bulletin to be released tomorrow, in about -- in tomorrow morning from the Vatican press office. But that is why the pope, for the first time in his papacy, will not be able to celebrate in St. Peter's Square the Ash Wednesday mass, which is underway now. Ash Wednesday being the traditional period of penitence, fasting and prayer for Christians around the world.

It is unclear whether the pope is celebrating a special mass inside his bedroom at the Gemelli Hospital. We do know from Vatican officials

COSTELLO: That he does celebrate a mass for the nurses and doctors who attend him every day there at the Gemelli Hospital.

The mass is now underway, as I said. It is being celebrated by an American cardinal, James Stafford, who said we feel the pope's spiritual presence inside the cathedral as he began celebrating the mass.

Cardinal Stafford is only -- is one of -- is the only active American cardinal inside the roman curia, which is the government of the Vatican, if you will. He has been heavily involved in organizing World Youth Day, including in 1993, in his hometown of Denver, which was considered by Vatican officials a huge success. And that is when the cardinal then moved here to Rome.

Cardinal Stafford is also the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is one of the three courts inside the Vatican. It is the court that rules on secret matters of conscience.

Now, the pope, meanwhile, has already released his Lenten message, which is dedicated this year to the gift of longevity. The 84-year-old pontiff wrote, and I quote here: "People should always remain open and welcoming toward the older people, especially those who are weak, sick or suffering," a message, of course, directed to pilgrims around the world, but also a missing very much describing his current condition -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Very fitting.

Alessio Vinci reporting live from Rome.

And in case you're wondering what Ash Wednesday actually is, it's 40 days before Good Friday, always falls on a Wednesday and it's called Ash Wednesday because on that day, the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross. And you'll see many people walking around town with the mark of the cross with ashes on their heads.

And, of course, this begins the Lenten season for Catholics across the world. In News Across America this morning, a suspected jewel thief could face the death penalty in Connecticut. Christopher DiMeo was charged with capital felony and murder in the shooting deaths of two jewelry store owners last week. DiMeo and his girlfriend are accused of killing three people in two states during robberies.

In Los Angeles, about 200 people attended a church rally to protest the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy by police. Devin Brown was killed after leading police on a short pursuit in a stolen car. Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn is calling for an immediate change in policies that govern when police can shoot at moving vehicles.

The Virginia state legislature wants young people to pull up their pants. The House passed a bill that authorizes a $50 fine for anyone showing their underpants in a lewd or indecent manner. The bill's sponsor says it's aimed at kids who walk around with their pants drooping below their waist.

Super Bowl victory parades are becoming old hat for the people of Boston. Nearly one million people turned out to cheer their latest championship team. Quarterback Tom Brady told the crowd that he never gets sick of winning. The Pats have won three of the last four Super Bowls.

A Tennessee elementary school teacher is out on bail after being charged with having sex with a student. Pamela Rogers Turner has also been placed on leave by the school.

CNN's Brian Todd looks at the details of this case and how it isn't the first of its kind.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another young, attractive teacher. Another sordid case. Twenty-seven-year-old Pamela R. Turner, a gym teacher at Center Town Elementary School in Warren County, central Tennessee, arrested this week, accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her students, a boy then 13 years old.

DALE POTTER, WARREN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We've got 15 counts of sexual battery by an authority figure based on the position as a teacher and that she had with this student at Center Town Elementary School. There's 13 counts of statutory rape.

TODD: The Warren County district attorney tells CNN the relationship began this past November and ended in January.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have anything to say?

PAMELA ROGERS TURNER: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have an affair with the boy?

TODD: Seem familiar? We've reported recently on the case of Debra Lafave, the 24-year-old remedial reading teacher facing trial in two Florida jurisdictions for allegedly having sex with a then 14- year-old boy from her middle school. Her attorney is pursuing the insanity defense.

JOHN FITZGIBBONS, DEBRA LAFAVE'S ATTORNEY: Debbie has some profound emotional issues that are not her fault. I think once anyone reads what the doctors have to say, they will understand a lot more.

TODD: The attorney wouldn't comment when we called to find out what those issues are. Lafave's husband has spoken of the emotional trauma she suffered when her sister was killed in a car accident. But does this explain this entry in a Florida sheriff's probable cause affidavit? When the boy told detectives Lafave was "turned on by the fact that having sexual relations with him was not allowed."

(on camera): Psychiatrists and psychologists say that attraction to danger is a common theme in these cases, along with immaturity on the part of the teacher. One psychologist says they become almost emotionally on par with the student.

(voice-over): Here's part of a taped phone conversation between Lafave and her alleged victim, released by Florida prosecutors.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DEBRA LAFAVE: Promise?

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Yes.

LAFAVE: Pinky promise?

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Yes.

LAFAVE: Say pinky promise.

14-YEAR-OLD-BOY: Pinky promise.

LAFAVE: All right. Well, tell me a time.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

TODD: In these cases, experts say, some female teachers see themselves as nurturers, blocking out the idea that the affair is wrong or illegal.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.

His comments about 9/11 sparked an uproar, but a Colorado professor is not backing down. We'll tell you what he has to say.

Also, new boots, new pants, new hats. The Army is getting a fashion makeover.

And no more monkeying around. We will usher in the Year of the Rooster. That's just wrong, isn't it?

Here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Just under two hours ago, a powerful car bomb shook Madrid, Spain. It went off near the city's convention center. More than 30 people are wounded.

New duds for the soldiers. These National Guard troops in Georgia are among the first to try out the Army's new combat uniforms. They're designed to help soldiers blend into city, desert and forest environments.

In money news, Krispy Kreme may be running low on dough. The donut maker announced a round of job cuts in an effort to save money. Slow sales may also force the company to close some of its more than 400 stores.

In culture, Chris Noth is returning to "Law and Order." The former series regular will appear in about half the season's episodes of the spin-off "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." Noth left the original series 10 years ago.

In sports, New England Patriots assistant coach Romeo Crennel missed the Super Bowl victory parade back in Boston. Instead, he was being introduced as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. This is the first head coaching job for the 57-year-old Crennel -- Chad.

MYERS: They're getting a lot of talent removed from that team. That coaching staff is going to be a little thin next year. Belichick is going to...

COSTELLO: Well, the Cleveland Browns sorely need him.

MYERS: Yes. Yes. He's a very, very talented man. So good for him. Congratulations.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

The University of Colorado professor who came under fire for an essay he wrote on the 9/11 attacks has gotten a big boost from students. Ward Churchill enraged many people by comparing the World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi.

But as reports Cheryl Preheim of CNN affiliate KUSA in Boulder, Colorado reports, the ethnic studies professor remains defiant.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CHERYL PREHEIM, KUSA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Professor Ward Churchill says he came here to stand behind his words, words he says have been misunderstood and taken out of context.

PROF. WARD CHURCHILL, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO: I'm not backing up an inch. I owe no one an apology, clarifications, yes...

(CHEERING)

PREHEIM: He told the crowd his essay was an expression about the U.S. government's treatment of many other countries around the world.

CHURCHILL: And what I said was when you treat people this way, when you devalue, demean and degrade others to this point, naturally and inevitably what you're putting out will blow back on you. And that's what happened.

PREHEIM: To questions about whether he feels sorrow for the victims of 9/11...

CHURCHILL: And the answer is yes, of course. And it's not one whit more proportionately significant than the mourning, the sorrow I experience for every single one of those Iraqi children.

PREHEIM: Every one of the 1,100 seats was full. Hundreds of others stood in the back and a few hundred more listened outside. Most here were Churchill supporters. Some critics came, too, to listen. Others confronted the professor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you get the gall to call the people who died in 9/11 technocrats when you sit around and get a $90,000 paycheck from the government you purport to hate?

PREHEIM: Professor Ward Churchill says he will never back down from teaching the opinions he has a right as an American to have and to share publicly.

CHURCHILL: I do not work for the taxpayers of the State of Colorado. I do not work for Bill Owens. I work for you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from Cheryl Preheim of CNN affiliate KUSA in Boulder.

Colorado Governor Bill Owens has called for Churchill to be fired and school officials are deciding if they'll do just that.

Let's talk about a new reality television show that will soon air in Britain.

Chad?

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: I want you to listen to this story, because when I first heard about it, I mean your first emotion is you've got to be kidding.

MYERS: What, who wants to be Benny Hill 2?

COSTELLO: No. If only it were that. This show will recreate some of the practices allegedly used at the U.S. naval base where hundreds of so-called enemy combatants have been held without trial for about three years ago. I'm talking about Guantanamo Bay.

Get this, during the show, seven male volunteers are exposed to things like sleep deprivation, extreme temperatures and mild physical contact. So they're going to recreate this alleged activity at Guantanamo Bay.

They're also going to recreate periods of enforced nudity and religious and sexual humiliation. They actually got seven volunteers to do this.

MYERS: And this is going to be on TV?

COSTELLO: This is going to be on British TV, TV-4. Producers say it's similar to what happened at GITMO. I said that. And the purpose of this show is to examine the widespread use of government torture and whether it can be ever justified.

So apparently they've already filmed this with these seven male volunteers and they've offered counseling to them after the show. I don't know...

MYERS: It's funny that they announce it after they've already done it. You know, you wonder how many shows that they tried, even producers in the U.S., how many shows that they've tried but didn't work and they just canned it and all the stuff ended up on the floor.

COSTELLO: I guess they're thinking what better to watch than these seven guys getting tortured.

I don't know, that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day.

MYERS: OK, yes, I knew you were going somewhere with this.

COSTELLO: I know. I'm going somewhere. I am.

This British torture show -- reality TV gone too far? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Chad, it's time to laugh now.

Are you ready?

MYERS: Yes, sure. Of course.

COSTELLO: Of course.

MYERS: Leno and probably on "Letterman" maybe?

COSTELLO: No, we just have Jay Leno today.

MYERS: OK. OK.

COSTELLO: Because, you know, he says there's a funny side to President Bush's Social Security reform campaign. So, check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)

JAY LENO, HOST: Now, here's President Bush in Tampa, in Tampa, Florida. Here he is explaining to people -- this woman asked how does Social Security worked? We have not doctored this or changed this.

Here's President Bush explaining to the American people how Social Security works.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that -- those different cost drivers, affecting those, changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be or closer delivered to what has been promised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LENO: As you know, President Bush has been traveling around the country trying to sell his Social Security plan. He wants us to take our retirement money and invest it in the stock market then say nothing can go wrong. I'll be sure to mention that to Martha Stewart when I see her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You know what's interesting about that? He's doing excellent what Jon Stewart is doing.

MYERS: What's that, taking political and -- yes.

COSTELLO: Exactly. And almost the same way.

MYERS: But Jon Stewart is very popular.

COSTELLO: Pardon?

MYERS: Jon Stewart is becoming very, very popular out there.

COSTELLO: Yes, he's very popular. MYERS: I watched.

COSTELLO: He beats out some new shows that are on at the same time.

MYERS: I'll tell you what, I TiVo it every night.

COSTELLO: Do you really?

MYERS: You've been on it before.

COSTELLO: I know. I heard about that.

MYERS: You've been made fun of before.

COSTELLO: I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but hey.

MYERS: I'm not sure.

COSTELLO: Guess what year it is, Chad? You knew.

MYERS: The rooster!

COSTELLO: It's the Year of the Rooster. Yes, there is something to crow about this morning, we do mean crow. It is the Year of the Rooster.

MYERS: The monkey is gone.

COSTELLO: The picture that we have -- yes.

Check out that chicken dance, Chad.

MYERS: That is awesome.

COSTELLO: In Asia, today is one of the more important holidays of the year. Traditional celebrations for the new year have been going on for more than a thousand years. And just in case you did not know, the Year of the Rooster replaces the Year of the Monkey.

MYERS: That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: Famous people born in the Year of the Rooster?

MYERS: Oh, yes, go ahead.

COSTELLO: These are fun to look at.

MYERS: I know. These little kids are awesome.

COSTELLO: Eric Clapton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Benjamin Franklin.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Exactly. So if you were born in the year 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 or, of course, 2005, you were born in the Year of the Rooster and you have these qualities.

MYERS: Go.

COSTELLO: You're independent.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: Confident. And you have flair.

MYERS: Hmm. I've got deep thinker, capable, talented, often a bit eccentric, deeply disappointed by failure, but interesting and brave. And you go well with the Ox, Snake and Dragon.

What are you, Carol?

COSTELLO: I'm an Ox.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: So I have to find a Rooster. I hope my husband is a Rooster, but I don't think he is. You're a Rabbit, right?

MYERS: I am a bunny.

COSTELLO: You're a bunny. I think we should stick to the term rabbit.

MYERS: OK, rabbit.

COSTELLO: It sounds better.

We're going to toss it to a break.

We'll be back with more DAYBREAK after this.

(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, Spain's capital has been rocked by a powerful car bomb. It went off near the Madrid convention center about two hours ago, wounding more than 30 people. Someone claiming to be with the Basque group reportedly phoned in a warning before the blast.

In Iraq, gunmen burst into the home of a TV reporter this morning, shooting him dead. It happened in the southern city of Basra. The reporter worked for an Arab language network funded by the United States. Two top U.S. officials are overseas this morning. Condoleezza Rice is lunching with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium. She's nearing the end of her first trip as secretary of state.

In the meantime, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is launching an overseas trip himself this morning. He's also focusing on NATO, attending a meeting of Alliance defense ministers in Nice, France.

To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

Did you walk outside this morning and think it was summer?

COSTELLO: It was pretty nice.

MYERS: It's like 50 degrees there. And then they're forecasting, well, we're forecasting snow to move in behind this thing, although it's going to start out as rain.

COSTELLO: Great.

MYERS: There's a big storm coming into the west.

There you go.

Hey, but not as much snow as places like Worcester and the Berkshires and Massachusetts are going to pick up. You guys are really going to get hammered. The Green and White Mountains, Killington, Rutland, you guys we're going to get hammered with snow. No rain mixing in for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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