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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bush Courting Europe; 'Just In Time'

Aired February 21, 2005 - 05:59   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: It's time to check our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what you're clicking on to on CNN.com. And one of the top stories is, of course, the Daytona 500.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Sure.

COSTELLO: It was an exciting race, Chad. You just sound so down about it.

MYERS: You know what? I would give it about a 4 out of 10, literally. Of all the great Daytona 500s that were out there, it was marred by little wrecks at the end that prohibited good green-flag racing. We had to go into overtime with the green and white checker to actually get a finish. I don't know. It was all right.

COSTELLO: So, you don't believe Jeff Gordon, who won the race, when he says this one is sweeter than the other two?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Maybe to him because he won.

MYERS: He won it.

COSTELLO: And a million dollars.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: The other interesting story on CNN.com has to do with this restaurant who hosted a nude dinner.

MYERS: I couldn't find the story, Carol, so you're going to have to wing it on this one.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Well, these nudists wanted to go to a nice, elegant New York restaurant. So, one restaurateur helped them out by opening his restaurant to nudity. It was a buffet dinner, and organizers specified no hot soup on the menu.

MYERS: No soup for you.

COSTELLO: No hot soup, because when you're nude that would hurt if it fell on your lap.

MYERS: And, of course, no smoking.

COSTELLO: No smoking any restaurant in New York.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: So, they had that one down.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, President Bush looks to the future in Europe. In the meantime, we're getting some personal glimpses into his past.

And mud and boulders roared out of a Southern California hillside with deadly results.

And he came from behind to lead the pack. Jeff Gordon wins big.

It is Monday, February 21. 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."

We'll hear from President Bush in just about two hours. The president is speaking in Brussels, Belgium, the first stop on his five-day European trip. He'll call on European nations to heal wartime rifts and help Iraq build its democracy.

Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners by the busload today. In a goodwill gesture, 500 Palestinians have been freed. Israel promised the release at a Mideast summit earlier this month.

Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson has committed suicide. His son says Thompson shot himself at his home near Aspen, Colorado. Thompson was known for gonzo journalism as practiced in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He was just 67 years old.

Heavy rains in California have caused flooding and mudslides in several areas. The weather also caused a 40-foot-wide sinkhole in one Los Angeles roadway. Eight counties are under a landslide advisory today.

To the forecast center and Chad.

MYERS: You were in southern Nevada over the weekend. I'm sure you saw some of that rain, Carol.

COSTELLO: It was -- well, the prediction was it was going to rain for seven straight days, which is highly unusual in Las Vegas.

MYERS: It is.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We lead our coverage this morning with President Bush's fence-mending mission. He'll reach out to European nations in a speech in Belgium this morning. And he's putting special emphasis on the NATO alliance.

In an excerpt of his speech released by the White House, the president says, and I quote: "The alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our society in a new century. Our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe. And no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on Earth will ever divide us" -- end quote.

But just where is the relationship between America and Europe heading? When it comes to NATO, there are no easy answers.

CNN's European political editor Robyn Oakley has more for you from Brussels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice over): Leopards it seems can change their spots.

Not so long ago, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was angering European allies by dividing them into Old and New Europe. New Europe, of course, was the part which lined up with the U.S. on Iraq.

Now, the U.S. and the EU are keen to put their divisions behind them. So, in Germany last weekend, he turned that into a joke against himself.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Oh, that was old Rumsfeld.

OAKLEY: But are either the Europeans or the U.S. getting what they want from NATO?

The U.S. has been disappointed NATO hasn't done more to help in Iraq.

MARK JOYCE, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: The position that NATO took was that they would perform the minimum possible role in Iraq for which they could get some form of political consensus within the alliance. And that turned out to be the training of Iraqi Security Forces. Now, what this has amounted to in practice has been very little.

OAKLEY: But America is reluctant to let go of NATO and see the Europeans created an alternative.

JOYCE: What the Americans fear is that the Europeans will develop the defense capability to operate independent of NATO and could eventually emerge as a competitor to the United States. OAKLEY: So, it couldn't have helped the new conciliatory mood that last weekend German's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a speech, read out for him because he had the flu, that NATO was outdated and needed to be revamped.

It is, he said, "No longer the primary venue where trans-Atlantic partners discuss and coordinate strategies."

VICTOR BULMER-THOMAS, ROYAL INST. OF INTL. AFFAIRS: In one sense, Chancellor Schroeder is absolutely right. I think everybody knows that there's a big problem with NATO. His timing was awful. His failure to warn the Americans in advance, yet alone his European partners, that he was going to do this wasn't good.

OAKLEY (on camera): Analysts agree, NATO isn't currently the right place to discuss transatlantic differences on Iran, on Syria, on the EU's ending of the arms embargo for China. But no one seems quite sure of the right way to address these issues.

The U.S. patently prefers these days to trust coalitions of the willing. Europeans feel they're only offered partnerships and agendas the U.S. has already set. So, in that case, what is the alliance's future? His fellow leaders will be eager to hear the president's answer.

Robin Oakley, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And as President Bush looks ahead, his past is resurfacing. A family friend named Doug Wead secretly recorded some private talks with George W. Bush when he was the Texas governor. Wead played them recently for "The New York Times."

In the excerpt you are about to hear, the future president appears to acknowledge past drug use.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, Doug, but it's not, it doesn't matter, cocaine. It'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I'd tried.

DOUG WEAD, SECRETLY RECORDED PRIVATE TALKS WITH BUSH: Yes, and it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, hey, daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The man behind the tape is, Doug Wead. He's writing a book, by the way. He'll also be a guest on "AMERICAN MORNING." That will come your way at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, 5:00 a.m. on the West Coast. A new target for the Swift Boat advisers. A conservative lobbying group has hired some of the consultants behind the so-called Swift Boat ads. You might recall they attacked John Kerry's military record during the presidential race.

Well, according to "The New York Times," the group now plans to use the consultants against AARP. The senior group has been opposing President Bush's Social Security plans. AARP is planning its own major ad campaign.

Awful weather and pictures of destruction out of Southern California this morning. The pictures you're about to see -- well, take a look. Rain caused a rockslide in Orange County, killing an elderly woman inside of this home. A huge boulder went through the house. Two other buildings were destroyed by falling rocks.

In other news across America this morning, a Colorado man suspected in a series of sexual assaults appeared in court to hear the allegations against him. The judge set bail for Brent J. Brents at $25 million.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT ROENFELOT, VICTIM'S FATHER: I wanted him to look at me. You know, I used to live 50 feet from that man. I let him in my house. He's gutless. He'll hide. He preys on the week. I knew he'd come in with his head down. He's isn't a proud man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Brents had been released by Aurora, Colorado, police last fall after allegedly confessing to molesting an 8-year-old boy.

Bail denied. A Florida couple accused of starving and beating five of their adopted children will make the Citrus County jail their home for a while. The couple faced a judge for the first time on aggravated child abuse charges. More charges are pending.

It looks like a murder-suicide. Police say a man burst into a trailer home in southern Indiana, shot and killed his two children, his estranged wife and her boyfriend. The man later killed himself after being confronted by police.

And health officials in Florida are moving to protect the privacy of thousands of AIDS patients. A confidential list that included the names and addresses of 4,500 AIDS patients and 2,000 others who are HIV-positive was mistakenly e-mailed to 800 health workers in Palm Beach County.

Once the mistake was realized, the county's e-mail system was quickly shut down, and the e-mail was removed. But officials believe about 10 people may have opened the e-mail, read all of those names. They're now being contacted.

Still to come this hour on DAYBREAK, just who is he? And how did he get to where he is? We'll tell you more about John Negroponte. And more fallout over the death of a young Marine recruit. We will have the latest.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, February 21.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come, severe storms strike California, causing deadly mudslides. Now, more soggy weather is on the way.

And your replies to our e-mail "Question of the Day": Should New York host the Olympic Games in 2012?

And later, what do you get when you add Chinese food, a sports bar and a famous family name?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I was just noticing your boots, Jay, my floor manager. They're big and yellow.

Your news, money -- there they are. It's snowy here in New York City. And I just had to point that out, because how could you help but notice them from that big, wide shot that we just took?

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:14 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Mending fences. President Bush is in Brussels meeting with European leaders. He'll deliver a speech in just about two hours, calling for a fresh start to American-European relations, despite disagreements over Iraq.

The search for bodies has been called off, following the wreck of a ferry in Bangladesh. More than 115 people are confirmed dead. At least 80 others are still missing. The ferry capsized after being caught in a severe storm.

In money news, a small change, but gasoline prices fell -- hold onto yours seats. They fell a half-penny over the past two weeks. The Lundberg Survey says the average price for self-serve regular gas nationwide is $1.90 a gallon.

In culture, moviegoers got hitched for the second straight weekend. Will Smith's romantic comedy, "Hitch," led the way at the box office with $31.8 million.

In sports, there were plenty of dunks to excite the fans watching the NBA All-Star Game. The East team, led by Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal, beat the West 125-115. It's the first win for the East in four years.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: Chad, it's time for our little e-mail segment. We were asking the question earlier this morning: Is New York ready to be an Olympic city?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The people who will make the decision are in New York to see the sites. New Yorkers rolled out the red carpet and will keep it unfurled for a few days. New York is vying with Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow to host the 2012 Summer Games. But people here, well, they're concerned, too, because they're going to build this big, new stadium. But a lot of people are against it, because of the added traffic. And can you imagine that traffic?

MYERS: Yes, more traffic.

COSTELLO: Traffic, traffic. Exactly. So, should New York be the Olympic city in 2012?

MYERS: You know, Kevin in New York City is kind of on the fence. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no."

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: Maybe we can change his mind a little bit.

Jack in Clifton Park says: "What's next? New York City wanting $10 billion to upgrade their subway?"

They may need to, actually, to get that many people in and out of there.

From New York City: It's the greatest city in the world. It deserves it. New York City should be singing Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' right now."

That's from the Virgin Islands in the U.S., not from actually New York City.

And "I would definitely go to watch" -- "in New York to watch the events. However, I'm still a little scared about that Osama bin Laden guy making some attacks on New York City. Please, someone, get that guy first." John in Norwalk.

COSTELLO: Oh, no, come on to New York City. It's perfectly safe here.

MYERS: A great city.

COSTELLO: Yes, I'm getting e-mails like, "Your necklace isn't centered." So, I've centered it up. That was from Indiana.

Coming up, the new guy in charge, and he has a dry sense of humor. We're learning more about John Negroponte, who he is, and how he came to be in the spotlight. And can he keep our country safe from terrorists? We'll answer that question as well. And later, college students bare it all in the name of journalism. A university is none too pleased with "Boink," the magazine, as you might imagine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Just in Time." The man who will probably take the job that not many people wanted to tackle. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, has been tapped for the job of intelligence czar.

Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine is live in Washington this morning.

Good morning, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, the title, "intelligence czar," is daunting in itself.

NOVAK: It is. It's kind of a career kapra (ph) really for Negroponte, who is now 65 years old. He spent 40 years, the last 40 years in various diplomatic posts.

But it's a very difficult career kapra (ph). It's not easy ride, because this job has a lot of sort of vague powers, and he has to bring a lot of people to heal under him to make it work.

COSTELLO: Yes. You talk about vague powers. We know that he'll have a $40 billion budget, and he'll prepare the president's daily brief.

NOVAK: Right.

COSTELLO: That said, some say that adds up to a power struggle and takes power away from the Defense Department and Donald Rumsfeld, the CIA, Porter Goss.

NOVAK: Yes. There's parts of 15 different agencies that have some footing in the intelligence world that he's going to be overseeing. But 80 percent of the intelligence budget has been overseen by the Defense Department. And Donald Rumsfeld is no pussycat when it comes to turf fighting within the administration. So, he will probably be his toughest challenge.

COSTELLO: Is there any hidden agenda there? I mean, why take that away from the Defense Department, at least so much of it?

NOVAK: Well, this is something that the 9/11 Commission recommended very strongly to have somebody overseeing the whole intelligence realm within the U.S. government. It's something that the families of the victims of 9/11 pressed very strongly for.

But what happened in the end is they got something that was kind of watered down. So, you have an intelligence czar, but you have, as I said, these sort of vague powers. And it's -- you know, his control over the $40 billion budget is a little bit squishy. And you know that Donald Rumsfeld and the others are going to be scrapping for every bit of control that they can get of that budget.

COSTELLO: So, Viveca, and, of course, Negroponte still have to be approved. He has not been approved by Congress yet. But I'm sitting at home and I'm listening to you, and I'm thinking to myself, OK, so President Bush has finally named an intelligence czar. Will it make me any safer in the short term?

NOVAK: Well, that's a good question. This is one of those jobs where if you're successful, you may not get a lot of credit. But if you fail, it's going to be very, very public, and you are going to get a lot of blame.

It remains to be seen whether he can really coordinate policy in a way that is effective and get these agencies to share information, which is something that has been a huge problem in the past. And everyone since 9/11 has been saying this has got to happen. But we have very little evidence that it's happening to any great extent.

COSTELLO: Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine. If you want to know more, it's in this week's edition of "TIME." Thank you, Viveca. Coming up after the break...

NOVAK: Good to be with you, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

He's only visiting three nations, but he's meeting all of the major players. We'll bring you the latest on President Bush's trip to Europe.

Plus, floods, rockslides, mudslides and sinkholes. Californians have seen it all this weekend. And now they're bracing for more.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

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 21, 2005 - 05:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It's time to check our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what you're clicking on to on CNN.com. And one of the top stories is, of course, the Daytona 500.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Sure.

COSTELLO: It was an exciting race, Chad. You just sound so down about it.

MYERS: You know what? I would give it about a 4 out of 10, literally. Of all the great Daytona 500s that were out there, it was marred by little wrecks at the end that prohibited good green-flag racing. We had to go into overtime with the green and white checker to actually get a finish. I don't know. It was all right.

COSTELLO: So, you don't believe Jeff Gordon, who won the race, when he says this one is sweeter than the other two?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Maybe to him because he won.

MYERS: He won it.

COSTELLO: And a million dollars.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: The other interesting story on CNN.com has to do with this restaurant who hosted a nude dinner.

MYERS: I couldn't find the story, Carol, so you're going to have to wing it on this one.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Well, these nudists wanted to go to a nice, elegant New York restaurant. So, one restaurateur helped them out by opening his restaurant to nudity. It was a buffet dinner, and organizers specified no hot soup on the menu.

MYERS: No soup for you.

COSTELLO: No hot soup, because when you're nude that would hurt if it fell on your lap.

MYERS: And, of course, no smoking.

COSTELLO: No smoking any restaurant in New York.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: So, they had that one down.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, President Bush looks to the future in Europe. In the meantime, we're getting some personal glimpses into his past.

And mud and boulders roared out of a Southern California hillside with deadly results.

And he came from behind to lead the pack. Jeff Gordon wins big.

It is Monday, February 21. 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."

We'll hear from President Bush in just about two hours. The president is speaking in Brussels, Belgium, the first stop on his five-day European trip. He'll call on European nations to heal wartime rifts and help Iraq build its democracy.

Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners by the busload today. In a goodwill gesture, 500 Palestinians have been freed. Israel promised the release at a Mideast summit earlier this month.

Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson has committed suicide. His son says Thompson shot himself at his home near Aspen, Colorado. Thompson was known for gonzo journalism as practiced in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He was just 67 years old.

Heavy rains in California have caused flooding and mudslides in several areas. The weather also caused a 40-foot-wide sinkhole in one Los Angeles roadway. Eight counties are under a landslide advisory today.

To the forecast center and Chad.

MYERS: You were in southern Nevada over the weekend. I'm sure you saw some of that rain, Carol.

COSTELLO: It was -- well, the prediction was it was going to rain for seven straight days, which is highly unusual in Las Vegas.

MYERS: It is.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We lead our coverage this morning with President Bush's fence-mending mission. He'll reach out to European nations in a speech in Belgium this morning. And he's putting special emphasis on the NATO alliance.

In an excerpt of his speech released by the White House, the president says, and I quote: "The alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our society in a new century. Our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe. And no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on Earth will ever divide us" -- end quote.

But just where is the relationship between America and Europe heading? When it comes to NATO, there are no easy answers.

CNN's European political editor Robyn Oakley has more for you from Brussels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice over): Leopards it seems can change their spots.

Not so long ago, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was angering European allies by dividing them into Old and New Europe. New Europe, of course, was the part which lined up with the U.S. on Iraq.

Now, the U.S. and the EU are keen to put their divisions behind them. So, in Germany last weekend, he turned that into a joke against himself.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Oh, that was old Rumsfeld.

OAKLEY: But are either the Europeans or the U.S. getting what they want from NATO?

The U.S. has been disappointed NATO hasn't done more to help in Iraq.

MARK JOYCE, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: The position that NATO took was that they would perform the minimum possible role in Iraq for which they could get some form of political consensus within the alliance. And that turned out to be the training of Iraqi Security Forces. Now, what this has amounted to in practice has been very little.

OAKLEY: But America is reluctant to let go of NATO and see the Europeans created an alternative.

JOYCE: What the Americans fear is that the Europeans will develop the defense capability to operate independent of NATO and could eventually emerge as a competitor to the United States. OAKLEY: So, it couldn't have helped the new conciliatory mood that last weekend German's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a speech, read out for him because he had the flu, that NATO was outdated and needed to be revamped.

It is, he said, "No longer the primary venue where trans-Atlantic partners discuss and coordinate strategies."

VICTOR BULMER-THOMAS, ROYAL INST. OF INTL. AFFAIRS: In one sense, Chancellor Schroeder is absolutely right. I think everybody knows that there's a big problem with NATO. His timing was awful. His failure to warn the Americans in advance, yet alone his European partners, that he was going to do this wasn't good.

OAKLEY (on camera): Analysts agree, NATO isn't currently the right place to discuss transatlantic differences on Iran, on Syria, on the EU's ending of the arms embargo for China. But no one seems quite sure of the right way to address these issues.

The U.S. patently prefers these days to trust coalitions of the willing. Europeans feel they're only offered partnerships and agendas the U.S. has already set. So, in that case, what is the alliance's future? His fellow leaders will be eager to hear the president's answer.

Robin Oakley, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And as President Bush looks ahead, his past is resurfacing. A family friend named Doug Wead secretly recorded some private talks with George W. Bush when he was the Texas governor. Wead played them recently for "The New York Times."

In the excerpt you are about to hear, the future president appears to acknowledge past drug use.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, Doug, but it's not, it doesn't matter, cocaine. It'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I'd tried.

DOUG WEAD, SECRETLY RECORDED PRIVATE TALKS WITH BUSH: Yes, and it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, hey, daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The man behind the tape is, Doug Wead. He's writing a book, by the way. He'll also be a guest on "AMERICAN MORNING." That will come your way at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, 5:00 a.m. on the West Coast. A new target for the Swift Boat advisers. A conservative lobbying group has hired some of the consultants behind the so-called Swift Boat ads. You might recall they attacked John Kerry's military record during the presidential race.

Well, according to "The New York Times," the group now plans to use the consultants against AARP. The senior group has been opposing President Bush's Social Security plans. AARP is planning its own major ad campaign.

Awful weather and pictures of destruction out of Southern California this morning. The pictures you're about to see -- well, take a look. Rain caused a rockslide in Orange County, killing an elderly woman inside of this home. A huge boulder went through the house. Two other buildings were destroyed by falling rocks.

In other news across America this morning, a Colorado man suspected in a series of sexual assaults appeared in court to hear the allegations against him. The judge set bail for Brent J. Brents at $25 million.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT ROENFELOT, VICTIM'S FATHER: I wanted him to look at me. You know, I used to live 50 feet from that man. I let him in my house. He's gutless. He'll hide. He preys on the week. I knew he'd come in with his head down. He's isn't a proud man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Brents had been released by Aurora, Colorado, police last fall after allegedly confessing to molesting an 8-year-old boy.

Bail denied. A Florida couple accused of starving and beating five of their adopted children will make the Citrus County jail their home for a while. The couple faced a judge for the first time on aggravated child abuse charges. More charges are pending.

It looks like a murder-suicide. Police say a man burst into a trailer home in southern Indiana, shot and killed his two children, his estranged wife and her boyfriend. The man later killed himself after being confronted by police.

And health officials in Florida are moving to protect the privacy of thousands of AIDS patients. A confidential list that included the names and addresses of 4,500 AIDS patients and 2,000 others who are HIV-positive was mistakenly e-mailed to 800 health workers in Palm Beach County.

Once the mistake was realized, the county's e-mail system was quickly shut down, and the e-mail was removed. But officials believe about 10 people may have opened the e-mail, read all of those names. They're now being contacted.

Still to come this hour on DAYBREAK, just who is he? And how did he get to where he is? We'll tell you more about John Negroponte. And more fallout over the death of a young Marine recruit. We will have the latest.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, February 21.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come, severe storms strike California, causing deadly mudslides. Now, more soggy weather is on the way.

And your replies to our e-mail "Question of the Day": Should New York host the Olympic Games in 2012?

And later, what do you get when you add Chinese food, a sports bar and a famous family name?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I was just noticing your boots, Jay, my floor manager. They're big and yellow.

Your news, money -- there they are. It's snowy here in New York City. And I just had to point that out, because how could you help but notice them from that big, wide shot that we just took?

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:14 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Mending fences. President Bush is in Brussels meeting with European leaders. He'll deliver a speech in just about two hours, calling for a fresh start to American-European relations, despite disagreements over Iraq.

The search for bodies has been called off, following the wreck of a ferry in Bangladesh. More than 115 people are confirmed dead. At least 80 others are still missing. The ferry capsized after being caught in a severe storm.

In money news, a small change, but gasoline prices fell -- hold onto yours seats. They fell a half-penny over the past two weeks. The Lundberg Survey says the average price for self-serve regular gas nationwide is $1.90 a gallon.

In culture, moviegoers got hitched for the second straight weekend. Will Smith's romantic comedy, "Hitch," led the way at the box office with $31.8 million.

In sports, there were plenty of dunks to excite the fans watching the NBA All-Star Game. The East team, led by Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal, beat the West 125-115. It's the first win for the East in four years.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: Chad, it's time for our little e-mail segment. We were asking the question earlier this morning: Is New York ready to be an Olympic city?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The people who will make the decision are in New York to see the sites. New Yorkers rolled out the red carpet and will keep it unfurled for a few days. New York is vying with Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow to host the 2012 Summer Games. But people here, well, they're concerned, too, because they're going to build this big, new stadium. But a lot of people are against it, because of the added traffic. And can you imagine that traffic?

MYERS: Yes, more traffic.

COSTELLO: Traffic, traffic. Exactly. So, should New York be the Olympic city in 2012?

MYERS: You know, Kevin in New York City is kind of on the fence. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no."

COSTELLO: Oh.

MYERS: Maybe we can change his mind a little bit.

Jack in Clifton Park says: "What's next? New York City wanting $10 billion to upgrade their subway?"

They may need to, actually, to get that many people in and out of there.

From New York City: It's the greatest city in the world. It deserves it. New York City should be singing Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' right now."

That's from the Virgin Islands in the U.S., not from actually New York City.

And "I would definitely go to watch" -- "in New York to watch the events. However, I'm still a little scared about that Osama bin Laden guy making some attacks on New York City. Please, someone, get that guy first." John in Norwalk.

COSTELLO: Oh, no, come on to New York City. It's perfectly safe here.

MYERS: A great city.

COSTELLO: Yes, I'm getting e-mails like, "Your necklace isn't centered." So, I've centered it up. That was from Indiana.

Coming up, the new guy in charge, and he has a dry sense of humor. We're learning more about John Negroponte, who he is, and how he came to be in the spotlight. And can he keep our country safe from terrorists? We'll answer that question as well. And later, college students bare it all in the name of journalism. A university is none too pleased with "Boink," the magazine, as you might imagine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Just in Time." The man who will probably take the job that not many people wanted to tackle. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, has been tapped for the job of intelligence czar.

Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine is live in Washington this morning.

Good morning, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, the title, "intelligence czar," is daunting in itself.

NOVAK: It is. It's kind of a career kapra (ph) really for Negroponte, who is now 65 years old. He spent 40 years, the last 40 years in various diplomatic posts.

But it's a very difficult career kapra (ph). It's not easy ride, because this job has a lot of sort of vague powers, and he has to bring a lot of people to heal under him to make it work.

COSTELLO: Yes. You talk about vague powers. We know that he'll have a $40 billion budget, and he'll prepare the president's daily brief.

NOVAK: Right.

COSTELLO: That said, some say that adds up to a power struggle and takes power away from the Defense Department and Donald Rumsfeld, the CIA, Porter Goss.

NOVAK: Yes. There's parts of 15 different agencies that have some footing in the intelligence world that he's going to be overseeing. But 80 percent of the intelligence budget has been overseen by the Defense Department. And Donald Rumsfeld is no pussycat when it comes to turf fighting within the administration. So, he will probably be his toughest challenge.

COSTELLO: Is there any hidden agenda there? I mean, why take that away from the Defense Department, at least so much of it?

NOVAK: Well, this is something that the 9/11 Commission recommended very strongly to have somebody overseeing the whole intelligence realm within the U.S. government. It's something that the families of the victims of 9/11 pressed very strongly for.

But what happened in the end is they got something that was kind of watered down. So, you have an intelligence czar, but you have, as I said, these sort of vague powers. And it's -- you know, his control over the $40 billion budget is a little bit squishy. And you know that Donald Rumsfeld and the others are going to be scrapping for every bit of control that they can get of that budget.

COSTELLO: So, Viveca, and, of course, Negroponte still have to be approved. He has not been approved by Congress yet. But I'm sitting at home and I'm listening to you, and I'm thinking to myself, OK, so President Bush has finally named an intelligence czar. Will it make me any safer in the short term?

NOVAK: Well, that's a good question. This is one of those jobs where if you're successful, you may not get a lot of credit. But if you fail, it's going to be very, very public, and you are going to get a lot of blame.

It remains to be seen whether he can really coordinate policy in a way that is effective and get these agencies to share information, which is something that has been a huge problem in the past. And everyone since 9/11 has been saying this has got to happen. But we have very little evidence that it's happening to any great extent.

COSTELLO: Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine. If you want to know more, it's in this week's edition of "TIME." Thank you, Viveca. Coming up after the break...

NOVAK: Good to be with you, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

He's only visiting three nations, but he's meeting all of the major players. We'll bring you the latest on President Bush's trip to Europe.

Plus, floods, rockslides, mudslides and sinkholes. Californians have seen it all this weekend. And now they're bracing for more.

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