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CNN Live At Daybreak

Discussing Announcement by North Korea That It Has Nuclear Weapons; Latest Technology for Airport Screening

Aired February 10, 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: Royal nuptials from the other woman to the future queen.
A puff of air -- could this new security portal replace the traditional airport pat down?

Small states paying a big price -- can the National Guard maintain its strength at the cost of your hometowns?

And later, rock, rap and religion -- music with a message hits the mainstream.

It is Thursday, February 10.

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, North Korea says it's dropping out of nuclear talks and is bolstering its nuclear weapons arsenal. The statement marks the first time North Korea has publicly admitted to having nuclear weapons.

Two car bombings in Iraq today. Iraqi police and the U.S. military were apparently the targets. Three people killed in the first blast. Iraq will tighten security by closing all borders from February 17 through February 22.

Wedding bells soon for Prince Charles. His office says Britain's heir to the throne is to marry his long-time lover, Camilla Parker Bowles. We'll have much more on this in the minutes to come on DAYBREAK.

And the pope may be getting out of the hospital soon. We're expecting an announcement from the Vatican any minute now regarding Pope John Paul II's health.

And at the bottom of the hour, we'll bring you a live report from Rome.

To the forecast center now.

It's time to talk to Chad -- good morning. CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The controversy over North Korea's nukes is mushrooming this morning. The communist nation has admitted publicly for the first time that it does, indeed, have nuclear weapons. And it says it's pulling out of all disarmament talks.

Live to CNN's Andrea Koppel.

She's in Luxembourg, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is wrapping up her trip to Europe. But she is an expert in these things, as well -- good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

We should add one caveat. North Korea said in the statement this morning on its state run press that it was dismantling its nuclear programs and pulling out of these talks for "a indefinite period."

North Korea is known for its saber rattling, for its brinksmanship and for very colorful rhetoric. This is not the first time that the North Koreans have stepped out of talks or put them on hold, but it certainly is the first time they've been as explicit publicly about the fact that they have a nuclear weapons program.

Secretary Rice was asked about this this morning in an interview here in Luxembourg. She said, and this is quoting from the interview, "While I've only recently seen the North Korean statement," and that she said that they would take a look at it, "but, if, in fact, this is the case," said Rice, then the North Koreans are "only deepening their isolation."

We should be hearing from Rice in a few minutes here in Luxembourg, where journalists with the traveling press will have an opportunity to ask her about this specifically. But remember that privately, the Bush administration had said the North Koreans had already admitted that they had a nuclear weapons program that and they had a secret uranium program.

The Bush administration has been insisting for the last four years that North Korea engage in multi-party talks. The North Koreans want to talk directly to the U.S. So a lot of this could be posturing, Carol. A lot of this could be the North Koreans reacting to President Bush's State of the Union address, just about a week or so ago, in which, although he (AUDIO GAP) the fact that North Korea was an axis of evil, he did say that the U.S. was committed to "ending tyranny." And North Korea is a paranoid nation. It is one of the world's most isolated countries and its only bargaining chip is its nuclear card.

And so just from previous experience, I would put this in the context of North Korea has been known to rattle nuclear sabers before and it is -- it remains to be seen whether or not this is something that the North Koreans are not going to engage in future talks or whether or not they've made some strategic decision to step back from diplomacy -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, we'll see how things develop.

Andrea Koppel live in Luxembourg.

We're just getting word in from Vatican City that the pope is to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. As you know, he's been in the hospital suffering from a respiratory infection. Oh, this announcement is in Italian. I was going to go to it, but you wouldn't be able to understand it, unless, of course, you spoke Italian.

But the latest word that we have, the pope is to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. And then, according to Alessio Vinci, because he reported live in our 5:00 a.m. Eastern hour, the pope will be on vacation for a two week period. Alessio Vinci is listening to this press conference right now. When we get him, we will bring him to you live with more information on the pope this morning.

Back here at home, President Bush is focusing on a battle. The commander-in-chief is fighting for his Social Security plan. He is hitting the road again campaign style. This morning, the president will try to sell his Social Security proposal to people in Raleigh, North Carolina. And then he'll take his missing to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

The president will hold town hall style events. He's already passed through six states since his State of the Union speech, in which he warned the Social Security system is going bankrupt.

Howard Dean appears to be on track to become the next chairman of the Democratic Party. The former presidential credit and former Vermont governor has apparently fended off six other challengers. The 447 members of the Democratic National Committee hold a vote in Washington on Saturday. We'll keep you posted.

And in a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton got the most support for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. On the Republican side, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani topped Senator John McCain by just a few percentage points.

Giuliani, by the way, has set political pundits' tongues a wagging in South Carolina. He was in Columbia to address a tsunami relief fund-raiser. South Carolina is among states that hold early presidential primaries. But Giuliani says it's way too early for such speculation.

Now for a look at defending America, just how can a puff of air keep you safe in the skies? New technology is being tested at several airports that adds a little science to airport screening.

CNN's Kareen Wynter has more from one of those testing sites at BWI Airport in Baltimore.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. You'll soon get a look at this new cutting edge device that's already been tested in real time with a large crowd. In fact, passengers traveling to and from this year's Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida had to pass through this screening device. And many of them, perhaps, didn't even realize it.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): Flying the friendly skies -- it's taken on new meaning since September 11. There are more federal air marshals on board, armed pilots in the cockpit and on the ground, inside airport terminals, numerous high tech screening devices. Now, take a look at another layer of security that detects plastic and other non- metallic explosive substances.

It's called an explosive trace portal and it's currently being tested at eight airports across the country.

JAMES FULLER, TSA CHIEF OF STAFF: What we're trying to find and eliminate is the opportunity for the shoe bomber incident, where a bomb might be hidden.

WYNTER: Passengers simply step onto the machine. Seconds later, puffs of natural air shoot out. The air will disturb any material attached to the person's body and clothing. The air is then drawn back into the system and analyzed. An alarm signals additional screening.

Transportation Security Administration officials say it's fast, sensitive and non-intrusive.

FULLER: We think that's going to encourage more trust in the market.

WYNTER: Will it? We asked some travelers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's necessary. I would rather be frisked than blown up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I'm more worried about other threats.

WYNTER: Passengers must still pass through metal detectors, but officials say this simple device should take some of the hassle out of airport travel.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WYNTER: The TSA says it will continue assessing the results of this machine before it can decide whether or not to permanently install them at airports across the country. Now, each device runs around $150,000. The federal government is picking up the tab.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Kareen. Also on the "Security Watch," Las Vegas cab drivers have been asked to help keep their city secure. The state wants taxi and limo drivers to be on the lookout for overly curious or nervous individuals. They're also being asked to watch for unusual behavior by other drivers. It's all part of Nevada's homeland security efforts.

Also, a group of people who lost family members in the 9/11 attacks want to hear their loved ones' last words. The group is asking New York State's highest court to unseal all emergency calls made to 911 operators that day. The City of New York is blocking that move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY REGEHARD, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Three and a half years later, I don't know one single thing about what happened to my son, where he was sent, what building he was in, what time he was called in or what he was supposed to accomplish with radios that did not work in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

It's not a matter of national security, but certainly one of international interest. Coming up on DAYBREAK, the impending nuptials of Prince Charles and Camilla.

Plus, a major announcement this morning on the pope's condition. We take you live to Rome for the latest.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come here on DAYBREAK, a wedding fit for a Prince. Charles and his mistress decide to make it official. Details on the royal vows coming up.

And it's lyrics about life -- you're probably hearing more religion on the radio than you realize.

But first, how to figure out your retirement income.

DAYBREAK is back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY": By the time you're 50, you should have at least some kind of a sense of how much income you're actually going to need at age 65. And what you can do is you can look and see how much you have saved right now and what kind of return you're likely to earn from that, and then how much you're likely to save and exactly what amount of money that will eventually generate when you retire.

Now, there are a lot of collectors out there on the Web that allow you to do this with a pretty good degree of accuracy. It's not 100 percent accuracy, but it's certainly enough for you to get a sense of whether you need to be saving more or whether you need to be changing the way you invest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

An announcement out of North Korea today. Pyongyang says it is pulling out of those six nation talks over its nuclear program. And North Korea says it will add to its nuclear weapons arsenal.

A butane tanker truck hit a van near Salt Lake City, causing a series of flash explosions. The volatile fumes leaked for hours, igniting a nearby home. The fire then traveled back to the tanker, sending flames 100 feet into the air. One injury reported.

In money news, how would you like to slip between Russell Simmons or Pamela Anderson's sheets, without them, of course? The new "MTV Crib's" bedding and home furnishings collection hits J.C. Penney stores just as the show's new season began on Monday.

In culture, get ready for "The Donald," the movie. ABC is planning a TV movie about Donald Trump and his career in big business. The network hasn't yet picked out who will play Trump in the movie. Trump himself will not take part in that project.

In sports, Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb says he was not sick during the Super Bowl. Teammates have claimed he was ill during the fourth quarter and had trouble calling plays. McNabb says he is upset with those comments.

Boy, that's been the talk a long -- the last couple of days.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Some people said he actually was so nauseated that he threw up. But he's saying he wasn't sick at all.

MYERS: Well, it's almost being pregnant, right? It's one or the other. Either he was or he wasn't and he says he's not, so you've got to believe the guy.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, hopefully Brad is still listening, because we have news out of Vermont this morning.

Those are the latest headlines, though.

Thank you, Chad.

A new bill introduced in the Senate would provide greater health care coverage for the National Guard and Reserve troops. Under the bill, those troops would be allowed to join the military's health system when not on active duty.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who is the only member of the Senate in the Reserves, co-sponsored the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Twenty percent of the Guard and Reserve has no health care in the private sector. So what happens when you activate these people, a lot of them are unable to be deployed because they're not medically fit. So we're saying allow Guard and Reserve members to sign up for military health care, let them pay a premium when they're in Reserve and Guard status, like a retiree, so when they're called to active duty, they'll be ready to go to the fight. And, number two, to help these families. These families have suffered a lot for our country and to provide them year round health care, I think, would be the least we could do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And while law makers work to help the Guard, small communities try to deal with the stress. The small state of Vermont is sending more Guardsmen and women to the war front per capita than any other state except Hawaii.

Let's head live to Burlington, Vermont now, and head of the Vermont National Guard, Major General Martha Rainville.

Good morning, General.

MAJ. GEN. MARTHA RAINVILLE, VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: According to the "Washington Post," 50 percent of Vermont's Guard is mobilized.

Why so many willing to serve in your state?

RAINVILLE: We have tremendous support in Vermont for the soldiers and for the airmen in our National Guard. Right now it's our turn in the barrel. We are heavily involved in the current rotation for OIFs (ph) and our soldiers are really standing up to the call. They have been training for years and they feel a real sense of satisfaction in being able to serve their country in this way.

COSTELLO: How many are currently serving?

RAINVILLE: Right now we have about 1,350 soldiers who are activated. They're either training at Camp Shelby or they are overseas serving in a lay-up.

COSTELLO: You know, it must affect the community in a lot of ways, like employers moving their employees for what could be years at a time. You live there. Tell me how the community is coping.

RAINVILLE: The community is actually being extremely supportive. And out of about 240 small communities across the state, at least 200 have donated soldiers and airmen for this service. So every community is feeling the impact, every family, every employer. We have a lot of small employers in the state who really notice the difference when even one or two soldiers are mobilized. They have come together to support the families in a variety of ways, from shoveling their driveway, which is important this morning, to making up the difference in pay voluntarily. We really have seen the state pull together to help protect the families and support the soldiers.

COSTELLO: Yet there are some in your state that have gotten up this petition drive saying that the Vermont National Guard has served enough, I mean enough people have gone and their tours of duty are being extended and enough is enough.

And when the military hears such things, how does it feel?

RAINVILLE: Here in Vermont, citizens have really done a fantastic job of separating out their opinions about the political natures of war with their support for the men and women who are serving in the National Guard. The Green Mountain boys of Vermont know that they have their community support. So in that sense, it's a debate that is going parallel to the support for their service.

This hasn't really bothered us. Obviously, everyone has a right to their opinion, and one of the reasons that we serve is so that they're able to express their opinion.

COSTELLO: Major General Martha Rainville joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Thank you.

We'll get back to the big announcement coming out of London this morning. The prince takes a bride. When will the royal wedding take place?

And when the union got tough, Wal-Mart got going. We'll find out why the retail giant is closing up shop at one Canadian location.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, everyone.

I'm Carrie Lee at the Nasdaq market site. Wal-Mart is closing a store in Canada, as 200 workers there were close to winning the first ever union contract from the world's largest retailer. And this continues a long battle between Wal-Mart and unions.

Now, Wal-Mart says it's closing the store because union demands would have made it impossible to operate the store profitably and effectively, but union leaders say the store is closing to prevent workers from unionizing at its stores.

Now, there are several cases in the United States where Wal-Mart workers are attempting to unionize. Workers in the tire department of a Colorado Wal-Mart are attempting to do this; also meat packers at a store in Florida joined a union, after which Wal-Mart eliminated the meat cutting done at that department, ordering in and selling pre- packaged meat only.

So the Wal-Mart battle with unions continues. That is the latest there.

Turning to stock futures, well, we could see a little bit of buying at the 9:30 opening bell. Futures pointing to a slightly higher open. This after some selling yesterday. The Nasdaq lost 1.6 percent. We did see two Dow components do well. American International Group and Hewlett-Packard gained ground.

Carly Fiorina, Hewlett's chief executive, stepped down at the company. That was announced yesterday. HPQ's shares soared 7 percent on the news. So we'll see if there's any follow through today, as investors start to focus on the future of Hewlett-Packard. There's some talk that they may be spinning off their printer business. So we'll keep an eye on that.

And that is the latest from here.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Have you heard? Britain is getting ready for a royal wedding. Don't worry girls, heartthrob Prince William is still up for grabs. But his father, Prince Charles, is set to marry his long-time love, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Let's go straight to London and Diana Muriel for more on the royal watch.

There's going to be an announcement in parliament soon?

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There is, in just a few hours time, there's going to be a formal announcement to members of parliament by Peter Hain, who is the leader of the House of Commons. We've already had a statement from the prime minister, Tony Blair. We've also had a statement from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who says that she and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, have extended their warmest wishes to Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on the announcement of their marriage.

We've also had a statement from the archbishop of Canterbury, who will be participating in the marriage service.

The marriage is due to take place on April the 8th at Windsor Castle. We understand that it is set to be a largely private, civil ceremony, although there will be a religious element to it, and the archbishop of Canterbury will be conducting a blessing.

We've also been told that Camilla Parker Bowles will same the title Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall. Of course, Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall. That's his second title, after Prince of Wales. And we've also been told that once Prince Charles becomes King Charles, Camilla will not be known as Queen Camilla. She will, in fact, be known as the Prince's consort -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Diana Muriel live from London this morning.

Still to come, more headlines out of Europe this morning. The pope's condition as the Lenten season gets underway. We'll have a live update for you from Rome.

And a teenager shot and killed after a car chase with police. The LAPD comments on its actions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired February 10, 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: Royal nuptials from the other woman to the future queen.
A puff of air -- could this new security portal replace the traditional airport pat down?

Small states paying a big price -- can the National Guard maintain its strength at the cost of your hometowns?

And later, rock, rap and religion -- music with a message hits the mainstream.

It is Thursday, February 10.

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, North Korea says it's dropping out of nuclear talks and is bolstering its nuclear weapons arsenal. The statement marks the first time North Korea has publicly admitted to having nuclear weapons.

Two car bombings in Iraq today. Iraqi police and the U.S. military were apparently the targets. Three people killed in the first blast. Iraq will tighten security by closing all borders from February 17 through February 22.

Wedding bells soon for Prince Charles. His office says Britain's heir to the throne is to marry his long-time lover, Camilla Parker Bowles. We'll have much more on this in the minutes to come on DAYBREAK.

And the pope may be getting out of the hospital soon. We're expecting an announcement from the Vatican any minute now regarding Pope John Paul II's health.

And at the bottom of the hour, we'll bring you a live report from Rome.

To the forecast center now.

It's time to talk to Chad -- good morning. CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The controversy over North Korea's nukes is mushrooming this morning. The communist nation has admitted publicly for the first time that it does, indeed, have nuclear weapons. And it says it's pulling out of all disarmament talks.

Live to CNN's Andrea Koppel.

She's in Luxembourg, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is wrapping up her trip to Europe. But she is an expert in these things, as well -- good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

We should add one caveat. North Korea said in the statement this morning on its state run press that it was dismantling its nuclear programs and pulling out of these talks for "a indefinite period."

North Korea is known for its saber rattling, for its brinksmanship and for very colorful rhetoric. This is not the first time that the North Koreans have stepped out of talks or put them on hold, but it certainly is the first time they've been as explicit publicly about the fact that they have a nuclear weapons program.

Secretary Rice was asked about this this morning in an interview here in Luxembourg. She said, and this is quoting from the interview, "While I've only recently seen the North Korean statement," and that she said that they would take a look at it, "but, if, in fact, this is the case," said Rice, then the North Koreans are "only deepening their isolation."

We should be hearing from Rice in a few minutes here in Luxembourg, where journalists with the traveling press will have an opportunity to ask her about this specifically. But remember that privately, the Bush administration had said the North Koreans had already admitted that they had a nuclear weapons program that and they had a secret uranium program.

The Bush administration has been insisting for the last four years that North Korea engage in multi-party talks. The North Koreans want to talk directly to the U.S. So a lot of this could be posturing, Carol. A lot of this could be the North Koreans reacting to President Bush's State of the Union address, just about a week or so ago, in which, although he (AUDIO GAP) the fact that North Korea was an axis of evil, he did say that the U.S. was committed to "ending tyranny." And North Korea is a paranoid nation. It is one of the world's most isolated countries and its only bargaining chip is its nuclear card.

And so just from previous experience, I would put this in the context of North Korea has been known to rattle nuclear sabers before and it is -- it remains to be seen whether or not this is something that the North Koreans are not going to engage in future talks or whether or not they've made some strategic decision to step back from diplomacy -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, we'll see how things develop.

Andrea Koppel live in Luxembourg.

We're just getting word in from Vatican City that the pope is to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. As you know, he's been in the hospital suffering from a respiratory infection. Oh, this announcement is in Italian. I was going to go to it, but you wouldn't be able to understand it, unless, of course, you spoke Italian.

But the latest word that we have, the pope is to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. And then, according to Alessio Vinci, because he reported live in our 5:00 a.m. Eastern hour, the pope will be on vacation for a two week period. Alessio Vinci is listening to this press conference right now. When we get him, we will bring him to you live with more information on the pope this morning.

Back here at home, President Bush is focusing on a battle. The commander-in-chief is fighting for his Social Security plan. He is hitting the road again campaign style. This morning, the president will try to sell his Social Security proposal to people in Raleigh, North Carolina. And then he'll take his missing to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

The president will hold town hall style events. He's already passed through six states since his State of the Union speech, in which he warned the Social Security system is going bankrupt.

Howard Dean appears to be on track to become the next chairman of the Democratic Party. The former presidential credit and former Vermont governor has apparently fended off six other challengers. The 447 members of the Democratic National Committee hold a vote in Washington on Saturday. We'll keep you posted.

And in a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton got the most support for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. On the Republican side, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani topped Senator John McCain by just a few percentage points.

Giuliani, by the way, has set political pundits' tongues a wagging in South Carolina. He was in Columbia to address a tsunami relief fund-raiser. South Carolina is among states that hold early presidential primaries. But Giuliani says it's way too early for such speculation.

Now for a look at defending America, just how can a puff of air keep you safe in the skies? New technology is being tested at several airports that adds a little science to airport screening.

CNN's Kareen Wynter has more from one of those testing sites at BWI Airport in Baltimore.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. You'll soon get a look at this new cutting edge device that's already been tested in real time with a large crowd. In fact, passengers traveling to and from this year's Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida had to pass through this screening device. And many of them, perhaps, didn't even realize it.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): Flying the friendly skies -- it's taken on new meaning since September 11. There are more federal air marshals on board, armed pilots in the cockpit and on the ground, inside airport terminals, numerous high tech screening devices. Now, take a look at another layer of security that detects plastic and other non- metallic explosive substances.

It's called an explosive trace portal and it's currently being tested at eight airports across the country.

JAMES FULLER, TSA CHIEF OF STAFF: What we're trying to find and eliminate is the opportunity for the shoe bomber incident, where a bomb might be hidden.

WYNTER: Passengers simply step onto the machine. Seconds later, puffs of natural air shoot out. The air will disturb any material attached to the person's body and clothing. The air is then drawn back into the system and analyzed. An alarm signals additional screening.

Transportation Security Administration officials say it's fast, sensitive and non-intrusive.

FULLER: We think that's going to encourage more trust in the market.

WYNTER: Will it? We asked some travelers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's necessary. I would rather be frisked than blown up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I'm more worried about other threats.

WYNTER: Passengers must still pass through metal detectors, but officials say this simple device should take some of the hassle out of airport travel.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WYNTER: The TSA says it will continue assessing the results of this machine before it can decide whether or not to permanently install them at airports across the country. Now, each device runs around $150,000. The federal government is picking up the tab.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Kareen. Also on the "Security Watch," Las Vegas cab drivers have been asked to help keep their city secure. The state wants taxi and limo drivers to be on the lookout for overly curious or nervous individuals. They're also being asked to watch for unusual behavior by other drivers. It's all part of Nevada's homeland security efforts.

Also, a group of people who lost family members in the 9/11 attacks want to hear their loved ones' last words. The group is asking New York State's highest court to unseal all emergency calls made to 911 operators that day. The City of New York is blocking that move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY REGEHARD, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Three and a half years later, I don't know one single thing about what happened to my son, where he was sent, what building he was in, what time he was called in or what he was supposed to accomplish with radios that did not work in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

It's not a matter of national security, but certainly one of international interest. Coming up on DAYBREAK, the impending nuptials of Prince Charles and Camilla.

Plus, a major announcement this morning on the pope's condition. We take you live to Rome for the latest.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come here on DAYBREAK, a wedding fit for a Prince. Charles and his mistress decide to make it official. Details on the royal vows coming up.

And it's lyrics about life -- you're probably hearing more religion on the radio than you realize.

But first, how to figure out your retirement income.

DAYBREAK is back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY": By the time you're 50, you should have at least some kind of a sense of how much income you're actually going to need at age 65. And what you can do is you can look and see how much you have saved right now and what kind of return you're likely to earn from that, and then how much you're likely to save and exactly what amount of money that will eventually generate when you retire.

Now, there are a lot of collectors out there on the Web that allow you to do this with a pretty good degree of accuracy. It's not 100 percent accuracy, but it's certainly enough for you to get a sense of whether you need to be saving more or whether you need to be changing the way you invest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

An announcement out of North Korea today. Pyongyang says it is pulling out of those six nation talks over its nuclear program. And North Korea says it will add to its nuclear weapons arsenal.

A butane tanker truck hit a van near Salt Lake City, causing a series of flash explosions. The volatile fumes leaked for hours, igniting a nearby home. The fire then traveled back to the tanker, sending flames 100 feet into the air. One injury reported.

In money news, how would you like to slip between Russell Simmons or Pamela Anderson's sheets, without them, of course? The new "MTV Crib's" bedding and home furnishings collection hits J.C. Penney stores just as the show's new season began on Monday.

In culture, get ready for "The Donald," the movie. ABC is planning a TV movie about Donald Trump and his career in big business. The network hasn't yet picked out who will play Trump in the movie. Trump himself will not take part in that project.

In sports, Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb says he was not sick during the Super Bowl. Teammates have claimed he was ill during the fourth quarter and had trouble calling plays. McNabb says he is upset with those comments.

Boy, that's been the talk a long -- the last couple of days.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Some people said he actually was so nauseated that he threw up. But he's saying he wasn't sick at all.

MYERS: Well, it's almost being pregnant, right? It's one or the other. Either he was or he wasn't and he says he's not, so you've got to believe the guy.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

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COSTELLO: All right, hopefully Brad is still listening, because we have news out of Vermont this morning.

Those are the latest headlines, though.

Thank you, Chad.

A new bill introduced in the Senate would provide greater health care coverage for the National Guard and Reserve troops. Under the bill, those troops would be allowed to join the military's health system when not on active duty.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who is the only member of the Senate in the Reserves, co-sponsored the bill.

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SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Twenty percent of the Guard and Reserve has no health care in the private sector. So what happens when you activate these people, a lot of them are unable to be deployed because they're not medically fit. So we're saying allow Guard and Reserve members to sign up for military health care, let them pay a premium when they're in Reserve and Guard status, like a retiree, so when they're called to active duty, they'll be ready to go to the fight. And, number two, to help these families. These families have suffered a lot for our country and to provide them year round health care, I think, would be the least we could do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And while law makers work to help the Guard, small communities try to deal with the stress. The small state of Vermont is sending more Guardsmen and women to the war front per capita than any other state except Hawaii.

Let's head live to Burlington, Vermont now, and head of the Vermont National Guard, Major General Martha Rainville.

Good morning, General.

MAJ. GEN. MARTHA RAINVILLE, VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: According to the "Washington Post," 50 percent of Vermont's Guard is mobilized.

Why so many willing to serve in your state?

RAINVILLE: We have tremendous support in Vermont for the soldiers and for the airmen in our National Guard. Right now it's our turn in the barrel. We are heavily involved in the current rotation for OIFs (ph) and our soldiers are really standing up to the call. They have been training for years and they feel a real sense of satisfaction in being able to serve their country in this way.

COSTELLO: How many are currently serving?

RAINVILLE: Right now we have about 1,350 soldiers who are activated. They're either training at Camp Shelby or they are overseas serving in a lay-up.

COSTELLO: You know, it must affect the community in a lot of ways, like employers moving their employees for what could be years at a time. You live there. Tell me how the community is coping.

RAINVILLE: The community is actually being extremely supportive. And out of about 240 small communities across the state, at least 200 have donated soldiers and airmen for this service. So every community is feeling the impact, every family, every employer. We have a lot of small employers in the state who really notice the difference when even one or two soldiers are mobilized. They have come together to support the families in a variety of ways, from shoveling their driveway, which is important this morning, to making up the difference in pay voluntarily. We really have seen the state pull together to help protect the families and support the soldiers.

COSTELLO: Yet there are some in your state that have gotten up this petition drive saying that the Vermont National Guard has served enough, I mean enough people have gone and their tours of duty are being extended and enough is enough.

And when the military hears such things, how does it feel?

RAINVILLE: Here in Vermont, citizens have really done a fantastic job of separating out their opinions about the political natures of war with their support for the men and women who are serving in the National Guard. The Green Mountain boys of Vermont know that they have their community support. So in that sense, it's a debate that is going parallel to the support for their service.

This hasn't really bothered us. Obviously, everyone has a right to their opinion, and one of the reasons that we serve is so that they're able to express their opinion.

COSTELLO: Major General Martha Rainville joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Thank you.

We'll get back to the big announcement coming out of London this morning. The prince takes a bride. When will the royal wedding take place?

And when the union got tough, Wal-Mart got going. We'll find out why the retail giant is closing up shop at one Canadian location.

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CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, everyone.

I'm Carrie Lee at the Nasdaq market site. Wal-Mart is closing a store in Canada, as 200 workers there were close to winning the first ever union contract from the world's largest retailer. And this continues a long battle between Wal-Mart and unions.

Now, Wal-Mart says it's closing the store because union demands would have made it impossible to operate the store profitably and effectively, but union leaders say the store is closing to prevent workers from unionizing at its stores.

Now, there are several cases in the United States where Wal-Mart workers are attempting to unionize. Workers in the tire department of a Colorado Wal-Mart are attempting to do this; also meat packers at a store in Florida joined a union, after which Wal-Mart eliminated the meat cutting done at that department, ordering in and selling pre- packaged meat only.

So the Wal-Mart battle with unions continues. That is the latest there.

Turning to stock futures, well, we could see a little bit of buying at the 9:30 opening bell. Futures pointing to a slightly higher open. This after some selling yesterday. The Nasdaq lost 1.6 percent. We did see two Dow components do well. American International Group and Hewlett-Packard gained ground.

Carly Fiorina, Hewlett's chief executive, stepped down at the company. That was announced yesterday. HPQ's shares soared 7 percent on the news. So we'll see if there's any follow through today, as investors start to focus on the future of Hewlett-Packard. There's some talk that they may be spinning off their printer business. So we'll keep an eye on that.

And that is the latest from here.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

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COSTELLO: Have you heard? Britain is getting ready for a royal wedding. Don't worry girls, heartthrob Prince William is still up for grabs. But his father, Prince Charles, is set to marry his long-time love, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Let's go straight to London and Diana Muriel for more on the royal watch.

There's going to be an announcement in parliament soon?

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There is, in just a few hours time, there's going to be a formal announcement to members of parliament by Peter Hain, who is the leader of the House of Commons. We've already had a statement from the prime minister, Tony Blair. We've also had a statement from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who says that she and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, have extended their warmest wishes to Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on the announcement of their marriage.

We've also had a statement from the archbishop of Canterbury, who will be participating in the marriage service.

The marriage is due to take place on April the 8th at Windsor Castle. We understand that it is set to be a largely private, civil ceremony, although there will be a religious element to it, and the archbishop of Canterbury will be conducting a blessing.

We've also been told that Camilla Parker Bowles will same the title Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall. Of course, Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall. That's his second title, after Prince of Wales. And we've also been told that once Prince Charles becomes King Charles, Camilla will not be known as Queen Camilla. She will, in fact, be known as the Prince's consort -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Diana Muriel live from London this morning.

Still to come, more headlines out of Europe this morning. The pope's condition as the Lenten season gets underway. We'll have a live update for you from Rome.

And a teenager shot and killed after a car chase with police. The LAPD comments on its actions.

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