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CNN Live At Daybreak

Harsh Weather in California; President Bush Courting Europe; Wild Finish at Daytona 500

Aired February 21, 2005 - 06:26   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: 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."

It is day one of President Bush's European tour aimed at mending fences. The president is in Brussels, where he met this morning with Belgium's king and prime minister. Tonight, he'll host a dinner for French President Jacques Chirac.

A video that surfaced today in Iraq appears to show the release of two Indonesian journalists abducted last week. CNN cannot confirm this tape is authentic, but it's believed the two TV journalists were kidnapped in Ramadi.

Disturbing pictures out of Baghdad this morning. A roadside bomb went off next to a U.S. military convoy, overturning a Humvee. There are reports of casualties, but details are still sketchy. Of course, we'll keep following this story.

And 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.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And especially watch your step out West, because more rain is expected in parts of California.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: And, boy, they've just taken a beating the last several days.

MYERS: They truly have. The rain has been coming down in waves, one wave after another. And they get another wave today.

COSTELLO: Yes. And you have more information on that.

MYERS: Here's what we have this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS (voice over): Once again, Californians are being plagued by the weather. One person was killed in Orange County after rains caused a rock slide. At least two structures were heavily damaged by those boulders.

In Laguna Beach, heavy rain produced several mudslides, which filled homes and yards with debris. Residents there know the worst may not be over. So, they're setting up sandbag walls to protect their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do our best. This is just one of those things. We're just going to make it happen.

MYERS: The saturated ground caused a major problem for drivers in the Sun Valley section of Los Angeles. A 40-foot-wide sinkhole swallowed a major part of the road, and repairs are expected to take several weeks.

Other roadways became more like waterways. The only access to homes near Latuna (ph) Canyon was washed away, and that has residents there on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got rains coming ahead of us. This is not going to end. And I've got to tell you, I'm terrified.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And, you know, for good reason. There are rock slide warnings in effect in Southern California.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The most frightening piece of video we have this morning, Chad, was a huge boulder went into a woman's house.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It rolled into her house and killed her.

MYERS: Right. And right out the other side and right onto the roadway through her home. Yes, we just had a picture of that. It was on that picture.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's just awful.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, the rain is not going to let up in Southern California for a while?

MYERS: No, obviously not here. The low pressure system is still offshore, bringing in wave after wave of wave of rain, and now San Diego is really getting hit hard.

And you really have to watch it when it rains heavily, because some of the ground, although saturated, gets super-saturated, becomes almost liquid, and that's when they slide off. That's when the land starts to lose its traction against each other when too many water molecules get between the dirt molecules.

And obviously water is slippery if you drive on or walk on it, and it's slippery for the dirt and the mud as well.

COSTELLO: Enough said. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: President Bush is trying to heal some bruised relations with Europe. The president is on a three-nation tour of Europe, and he'll deliver a major speech in Brussels in just about 90 minutes.

Let's head live to Washington now and CNN's Lindsey Arent.

Good morning -- Lindsey.

LINDSEY ARENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

By now the president has spent several hours in Brussels. He's addressing NATO leaders there, essentially trying to spread the message that despite differences in the run-up leading into the war in Iraq that the United States and the Bush administration still values the trans-Atlantic community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENT (voice over): On his first overseas trip since re- election, the president arrived in Brussels Sunday evening focused on improving the frayed ties between Europe and the United States, caused by the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: European public sentiment is still skeptical about this administration. They're a little bit cautious, but they're optimistically cautious.

ARENT: In Brussels, the president will meet with NATO leaders and give a major policy speech, calling on Europe to help Iraq become a beacon of freedom and a source of stability in the region.

Though his schedule calls for time in just two other nations, Germany and the Slovak Republic, the president plans to meet with some of the continent's most important leaders along the way. He'll have one-on-ones with French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Ukraine's new president, Victor Yuschenko.

The president will likely look for support on a variety of issues, including aid for Afghanistan's new government, assessing Syria's military present in Lebanon, brokering an Israeli-Palestinian peace, and the problem of Iran's nuclear program. Three European governments are involved in talks with Iran, but...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very difficult to see how Europe on its own can resolve this problem, because what Iran wants essentially are security guarantees, which only the United States can provide. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENT: Now, on Wednesday, the president will embark on the second leg of his tour. He'll travel to Germany, where he'll meet with political leaders there. And he will also address U.S. troops -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Lindsey Arent reporting live from Washington this morning. Thank you.

Five Marines have been suspended and another put on administrative leave as the military investigates the drowning of a Marine recruit. Jason Tharp died in Parris Island, South Carolina, earlier this month one day after a camera crew shot this video showing a drill instructor grabbing and striking him.

Now, you have to look carefully in the background there to see the attack. I missed it, too.

Jason Tharp's father reacted emotionally to this tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN THARP, FATHER OF DROWNED MARINE: I don't know how they can treat my son the way we saw on that video. He never hurt nobody. He'd do anything that anybody asked him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The Marine Corps responds to the allegations and answers some questions about the investigation this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now to tell us a little more.

Good morning -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

The big question, of course, is just what are the Marines doing to try to find out the truth about Private Jason Tharp's death?

We're going to talk this morning to the chief of staff for the Marines Corps recruit depot at Parris Island. We're going to hear what he has to say about the allegations that Private Tharp was singled out because he couldn't keep up. Also, how does he respond to this tape that you're showing right now that shows Private Tharp grabbed and struck?

And, of course, we'll hear some words some more from Private Tharp's father as well.

That's all ahead this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" at the top of the hour.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

They were three prominent figures in American culture. Now, they're loss is being mourned.

First, he was a hard-drinking rebel, who wrote about the dark side of American life. Hunter S. Thompson has committed suicide. He was just 67. He pioneered the personal writing style known as gonzo journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Generation of Swine."

His son says Thompson shot himself at his Colorado home last night.

And the lights will be dim on Broadway tomorrow night in honor of John Raitt. His baritone voice graced the stage in "Carousel, "Annie, Get Your Gun," and "Pajama Game." He was also the father of singer Bonnie Raitt. He died on Sunday at his California home. He was 88 years old.

And she was an American sweetheart and a teenage heartthrob. Actress Sandra Dee died in California of complications from kidney disease and pneumonia. She attracted a large teen audience during the '60s in movies like "Gidget" and "A Summer Place."

Still to come this morning, we're all revved up for the Daytona 500. We'll have a Monday morning review for you. When we come back, we'll be talking to a NASCAR writer who was there for all of the action. That's coming up in about 15 minutes.

Plus, here's a slam dunk, kind of. Yao Ming's family opens a restaurant in Houston. That story at 47 minutes past.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:39 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush speaks to Belgium leaders this morning. He'll call on Europeans to put bad feelings over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq behind them and help Iraq's fledging democracy.

Pope John Paul II addressed the faithful Sunday. It was his second appearance at St. Peters Square since being released from the hospital 11 days ago.

In money news, Switzerland's Novartis is about to become the world's top maker of copycat drugs. The company announced plans to buy German generics-maker Hexal and the majority of the U.S. firm Eon Labs for more than $7 billion.

In culture, "The Simpsons" may have broken new ground when their fictional hometown of Springfield legalized gay marriage to boost tourism. In the episode, one of Marge's sisters revealed she was gay, but her fiance turned out to be a man.

In sports, California's storms left Tiger Woods and the rest of the Nissan Open field feeling all wet. They'll try to play again today after Sunday's round was washed out.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

It only takes a little bit of rain to do a lot of damage in California. And families there are preparing for more severe weather today. You just heard Chad's forecast.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now with a look at what she'll have ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

Yes, as you just heard Chad say, Southern California is bracing for more storms. Lots of residents are in danger, in fact, of losing their homes. It's been raining on and off for days. Forecasters say an even more intense storm is actually on the way.

So, what's being done to save homes from being lost and ripped and slid down the mountains? Some people are actually taking pretty drastic steps. We're going to check in with the watch commander for the Laguna Beach Police Department ahead this morning.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF GORDON, DAYTONA 500 WINNER: I can't even really relive all of the moments that happened. I'm going to have to watch it on video, because I don't really know how everything transpired there at the end. All I know is, I saw the checkered flag waving, and I was excited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's Jeff Gordon there. He's one happy man. He is the winner of the Daytona 500. The race saw one of its wildest finishes ever.

Joining us live is someone who watched it all, Marty Smith of Turner Sports Interactive, a NASCAR writer. He joins us live now from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Good morning, Marty.

MARTY SMITH, TURNER SPORTS INTERACTIVE: Hi, Carol. How are you? I'm actually still in Daytona Beach. COSTELLO: You are. Well, great. So, you've been partying.

SMITH: I wish I could say that. We were there working until about midnight. I wish I could say I was partying, I can say that.

COSTELLO: I know. I know you worked really hard out there. Tell me, was this one of the most exciting Daytona 500s? Because Chad does not think so.

SMITH: I disagree with him. I mean, the race overall was not all that exciting, but the finish was one of the best finishes we've had in a while. A green-white-checker finish, because of the late caution in the race. And Jeff got pushed to the front and won his third Daytona 500, which joins him with Dale Jarrett and a very distinguished group of Daytona 500 champions.

So, I disagree with Chad. I think it was a pretty solid race.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad, jump in here, because we want to talk about the crashes. What, 17 cars were involved? Chad, take it away.

MYERS: I don't know. I was just bored with the first 450 miles, waiting for something to happen. Obviously, the drivers are making time or making laps, trying to get to that 500 miles. You can't win if you do this at lap 50. You can't -- I mean, if you wreck your car you're done.

But it just seemed like we didn't have any decent racing. I was waiting for the racing to start about lap, oh, I don't know, 170. And then all of the back markers started wrecking, and we didn't even get that good of racing up front, Carol.

COSTELLO: Marty?

MYERS: There were just too many yellow flags at the end.

COSTELLO: Wait, wait. Let Marty weigh in here. What do you think, Marty?

SMITH: I see what he's saying, but I just disagree with him. I mean, it's not that much different than any other race we go to. If he's a NASCAR fan he understands that. In order to make it to the end of these races, you've got to be really careful, especially restrict or play races like we saw yesterday at Daytona, where the motors are choked down so much with horsepower that they bunch up in those huge packs.

And in order to make it to the end, and you've got young drivers, you've got to be super-careful. And, in turn, a lot of those guys ride around in the back.

And Chad is right. There was a five or six-lap period there where we saw 17-20 cars taken out by those big bunches of big packs of guys getting together. And, you know, that's restricted play racing. And anyone who is a fan knows that and expects that and anticipates that. And it's just the way it is. COSTELLO: So, Chad, you're slapped down on that one.

MYERS: No, I mean...

COSTELLO: Now, wait a second. Wait a second.

MYERS: We're seeing video here of the Busch race. The Busch race was actually better than the cup race.

SMITH: A completely different area of dynamics package, Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

SMITH: Completely different racecars, man.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK. I want to talk about some behind-the-scenes stuff. Tell us something interesting that happened behind the scenes that people probably didn't notice while they were watching the race.

SMITH: Well, the only real drama we had after the race was Jimmy Johnson, who finished in the top five, and Tony Stewart, who finished seventh, had a little post-race extracurricular activity. They were frustrated at one another. Tony was frustrated at Jimmy for cutting him off late in the race, and then made his displeasure known by bumping Jimmy after the checkered flag.

And NASCAR called those two guys to the hauler, to their mobile office, if you will, and set them straight. Chad Kanouse (ph), Jimmy's crew chief, got in Tony's face a little bit after the race and screamed this, that and the other. Better left unsaid.

And that was really the only drama we had after the race, but it was a pretty good show.

COSTELLO: Yes.

SMITH: I was pretty impressed and happy for NASCAR that it wasn't a boring finish. And it's a good thing for NARSCAR, though, that they had their best drivers on those types of tracks up front at the end during the green-white-checkered finish, because if the field would have stacked up behind those guys it would have gotten really ugly.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Marty, for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

SMITH: My pleasure.

MYERS: I will say that NASCAR had the green-white checker. Without that green-white-checker finish that they instituted last year it would have been a total waste of time watching it.

COSTELLO: OK. We've got to move on now, Chad.

MYERS: OK, fine!

COSTELLO: All right. Students at Boson University now have something other to read than textbooks and term papers, because we have to get to this story, Chad.

MYERS: All right, this is more important.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We're going to have to talk about "Boink" magazine now. "Boink" is a university-educated skin magazine, whose own student editor playfully calls it "pornography."

But BU isn't the only university to move into mature themes. Harvard publishes "H Bomb," while Vassar issues copies of "Squirm."

And, of course, the question you might ask: Is this really what college students should be doing with their education? Because it's really expensive to go to those universities.

MYERS: I'm wondering, I mean, do the education dollars come from the university? Or is this all independently funded?

COSTELLO: You know, I'm not sure about that. But that is a very good question. But this magazine, "Boink" will feature nude students, and they'll talk about sex. And the editor says that the university needs this, because that's part of college life.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about Steven Tyler now, because he separated from his wife after 17 years of marriage. The Aerosmith front man has two children with wife Teresa (ph). He also has two other children, including Liv Tyler, from two separate relationships.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The 56-year-old Tyler asked the public for some privacy while his family deals with their problems.

And there is more controversy from Jose Canseco. Massachusetts says he owes the state more than $32,000 in back taxes. Canseco played for the Red Sox in '95 and '96. A local newspaper reports that Canseco's agent insists the taxes were paid, but his accountant never filed the proper paperwork.

Yao Ming's parents are settling in nicely in their new hometown of Houston. They'll open the Yao Restaurant and Bar today.

MYERS: He doesn't even have to jump to get to the hoop.

COSTELLO: It's amazing. Anyway, back to Yao Ming's parents. Their menu in their new restaurant features many of Yao's favorite dishes that mom used to make.

MYERS: Oh, good news.

COSTELLO: And, of course, the place will have a sports bar, so the parents can watch Yao and the Rockets every single night.

As we celebrate President's Day in America, who claims the title of America's favorite president? We'll share some fun data from the folks at Gallup.

And two former commanders-in-chief on a goodwill mission. We'll tell you where former Presidents Bush and Clinton are today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: On this President's Day, we thought we'd give you a glimpse at how Americans rate their presidents. Gallup Poll asked Americans, who do you think is the greatest U.S. president? No list of choices was provided either.

Guess who tops the list? No surprise here, Ronald Reagan does. He gets the nod from 20 percent of the respondents. Bill Clinton comes in second place with 15 percent, followed by Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy. George W. Bush and George Washington both came in at 5 percent.

And when asked who was the better president, Abraham Lincoln or George Washington? An overwhelming 69 percent picked Lincoln.

Former Presidents Clinton and Bush, by the way, are on the fourth leg of their tour of countries hit by the December tsunamis. The ex- leaders visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives today. They spent time with survivors, getting a feel for the emotional impact of the disaster, as well as its physical destruction. They're calling for accountability of relief funds. The former leaders are heading a drive to raise private donations for tsunami relief.

It is now 6:52 Eastern. Here's what will be making news today.

The top refugee official at the U.N. has resigned following accusations he sexually harassed a co-worker. In his resignation letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Ruud Lubbers says he has been an asset to the United Nations.

But quoting here, he says: "Now in the middle of a series of ongoing problems and with ongoing media pressure, you apparently view this differently. To be frank and despite all my loyalty, insult has now been added to injury, and I now resign as high commissioner" -- end quote.

Later today, the parents of Terry Schiavo will ask the judge in Florida to delay the removal of their daughter's feeding tube. A court order preventing feeding tubes from being removed expires tomorrow.

And today is the 40th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X. The civil rights leader was assassinated in New York's Autobahn Ballroom in 1965. Now, his daughters are working to convert the ballroom into a history center to preserve the work of Malcolm X.

This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, business travelers out there, we know you're up and traveling and probably already at the airport. So, Chad has a little traveling forecast for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Now it's time for the most important element in our DAYBREAK show. Back by popular demand...

MYERS: I have it in my hand.

COSTELLO: ... the "DAYBREAK Coffee Quiz." I cannot tell you how many e-mails we've gotten from people saying, what's with the mug quiz? Where has it been? Well, we've brought it back.

MYERS: You know why, Carol. We've been redesigning the mugs.

COSTELLO: We have.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: They now come in...

MYERS: Now in full color.

COSTELLO: That's right. They come in different colors.

MYERS: Now in Technicolor, as they say.

Here are the questions here now for today. What is the estimated intelligence budget that John Negroponte will oversee? And what NBA star's family is opening up a restaurant?

COSTELLO: Oh, e-mail...

MYERS: We just had that one. One out of two are very easy to get, the top one there a little bit difficult. Go ahead.

COSTELLO: Oh, e-mail your answers. I was just going to say, e- mail your answers to Daybreak@CNN.com. That's Daybreak@CNN.com. And for those of you who are not hip to the DAYBREAK mug quiz, all you have to do is answer those two questions via e-mail. And we go through a very complicated process of picking out the winner that I can't explain right now. But if you're the one chosen, we will send you a mug in the mail.

MYERS: Only one person will be chosen, right?

COSTELLO: Only one person.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Get them both in there, and give me your name and your address, please.

COSTELLO: All right. Tomorrow on DAYBREAK, we're going to talk to a company of soldiers. The new documentary profiles a group of U.S. soldiers as we rarely get to see them, up close, under fire, and living day to day in Iraq.

And on a much lighter note, later this week, I'll talk to Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey and ask him how he managed to get those six-pack abs and more.

I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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 - 06:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 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."

It is day one of President Bush's European tour aimed at mending fences. The president is in Brussels, where he met this morning with Belgium's king and prime minister. Tonight, he'll host a dinner for French President Jacques Chirac.

A video that surfaced today in Iraq appears to show the release of two Indonesian journalists abducted last week. CNN cannot confirm this tape is authentic, but it's believed the two TV journalists were kidnapped in Ramadi.

Disturbing pictures out of Baghdad this morning. A roadside bomb went off next to a U.S. military convoy, overturning a Humvee. There are reports of casualties, but details are still sketchy. Of course, we'll keep following this story.

And 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.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And especially watch your step out West, because more rain is expected in parts of California.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: And, boy, they've just taken a beating the last several days.

MYERS: They truly have. The rain has been coming down in waves, one wave after another. And they get another wave today.

COSTELLO: Yes. And you have more information on that.

MYERS: Here's what we have this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS (voice over): Once again, Californians are being plagued by the weather. One person was killed in Orange County after rains caused a rock slide. At least two structures were heavily damaged by those boulders.

In Laguna Beach, heavy rain produced several mudslides, which filled homes and yards with debris. Residents there know the worst may not be over. So, they're setting up sandbag walls to protect their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do our best. This is just one of those things. We're just going to make it happen.

MYERS: The saturated ground caused a major problem for drivers in the Sun Valley section of Los Angeles. A 40-foot-wide sinkhole swallowed a major part of the road, and repairs are expected to take several weeks.

Other roadways became more like waterways. The only access to homes near Latuna (ph) Canyon was washed away, and that has residents there on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got rains coming ahead of us. This is not going to end. And I've got to tell you, I'm terrified.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And, you know, for good reason. There are rock slide warnings in effect in Southern California.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The most frightening piece of video we have this morning, Chad, was a huge boulder went into a woman's house.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It rolled into her house and killed her.

MYERS: Right. And right out the other side and right onto the roadway through her home. Yes, we just had a picture of that. It was on that picture.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's just awful.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, the rain is not going to let up in Southern California for a while?

MYERS: No, obviously not here. The low pressure system is still offshore, bringing in wave after wave of wave of rain, and now San Diego is really getting hit hard.

And you really have to watch it when it rains heavily, because some of the ground, although saturated, gets super-saturated, becomes almost liquid, and that's when they slide off. That's when the land starts to lose its traction against each other when too many water molecules get between the dirt molecules.

And obviously water is slippery if you drive on or walk on it, and it's slippery for the dirt and the mud as well.

COSTELLO: Enough said. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: President Bush is trying to heal some bruised relations with Europe. The president is on a three-nation tour of Europe, and he'll deliver a major speech in Brussels in just about 90 minutes.

Let's head live to Washington now and CNN's Lindsey Arent.

Good morning -- Lindsey.

LINDSEY ARENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

By now the president has spent several hours in Brussels. He's addressing NATO leaders there, essentially trying to spread the message that despite differences in the run-up leading into the war in Iraq that the United States and the Bush administration still values the trans-Atlantic community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENT (voice over): On his first overseas trip since re- election, the president arrived in Brussels Sunday evening focused on improving the frayed ties between Europe and the United States, caused by the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: European public sentiment is still skeptical about this administration. They're a little bit cautious, but they're optimistically cautious.

ARENT: In Brussels, the president will meet with NATO leaders and give a major policy speech, calling on Europe to help Iraq become a beacon of freedom and a source of stability in the region.

Though his schedule calls for time in just two other nations, Germany and the Slovak Republic, the president plans to meet with some of the continent's most important leaders along the way. He'll have one-on-ones with French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Ukraine's new president, Victor Yuschenko.

The president will likely look for support on a variety of issues, including aid for Afghanistan's new government, assessing Syria's military present in Lebanon, brokering an Israeli-Palestinian peace, and the problem of Iran's nuclear program. Three European governments are involved in talks with Iran, but...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very difficult to see how Europe on its own can resolve this problem, because what Iran wants essentially are security guarantees, which only the United States can provide. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENT: Now, on Wednesday, the president will embark on the second leg of his tour. He'll travel to Germany, where he'll meet with political leaders there. And he will also address U.S. troops -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Lindsey Arent reporting live from Washington this morning. Thank you.

Five Marines have been suspended and another put on administrative leave as the military investigates the drowning of a Marine recruit. Jason Tharp died in Parris Island, South Carolina, earlier this month one day after a camera crew shot this video showing a drill instructor grabbing and striking him.

Now, you have to look carefully in the background there to see the attack. I missed it, too.

Jason Tharp's father reacted emotionally to this tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN THARP, FATHER OF DROWNED MARINE: I don't know how they can treat my son the way we saw on that video. He never hurt nobody. He'd do anything that anybody asked him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The Marine Corps responds to the allegations and answers some questions about the investigation this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING." CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now to tell us a little more.

Good morning -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

The big question, of course, is just what are the Marines doing to try to find out the truth about Private Jason Tharp's death?

We're going to talk this morning to the chief of staff for the Marines Corps recruit depot at Parris Island. We're going to hear what he has to say about the allegations that Private Tharp was singled out because he couldn't keep up. Also, how does he respond to this tape that you're showing right now that shows Private Tharp grabbed and struck?

And, of course, we'll hear some words some more from Private Tharp's father as well.

That's all ahead this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" at the top of the hour.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

They were three prominent figures in American culture. Now, they're loss is being mourned.

First, he was a hard-drinking rebel, who wrote about the dark side of American life. Hunter S. Thompson has committed suicide. He was just 67. He pioneered the personal writing style known as gonzo journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Generation of Swine."

His son says Thompson shot himself at his Colorado home last night.

And the lights will be dim on Broadway tomorrow night in honor of John Raitt. His baritone voice graced the stage in "Carousel, "Annie, Get Your Gun," and "Pajama Game." He was also the father of singer Bonnie Raitt. He died on Sunday at his California home. He was 88 years old.

And she was an American sweetheart and a teenage heartthrob. Actress Sandra Dee died in California of complications from kidney disease and pneumonia. She attracted a large teen audience during the '60s in movies like "Gidget" and "A Summer Place."

Still to come this morning, we're all revved up for the Daytona 500. We'll have a Monday morning review for you. When we come back, we'll be talking to a NASCAR writer who was there for all of the action. That's coming up in about 15 minutes.

Plus, here's a slam dunk, kind of. Yao Ming's family opens a restaurant in Houston. That story at 47 minutes past.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:39 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush speaks to Belgium leaders this morning. He'll call on Europeans to put bad feelings over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq behind them and help Iraq's fledging democracy.

Pope John Paul II addressed the faithful Sunday. It was his second appearance at St. Peters Square since being released from the hospital 11 days ago.

In money news, Switzerland's Novartis is about to become the world's top maker of copycat drugs. The company announced plans to buy German generics-maker Hexal and the majority of the U.S. firm Eon Labs for more than $7 billion.

In culture, "The Simpsons" may have broken new ground when their fictional hometown of Springfield legalized gay marriage to boost tourism. In the episode, one of Marge's sisters revealed she was gay, but her fiance turned out to be a man.

In sports, California's storms left Tiger Woods and the rest of the Nissan Open field feeling all wet. They'll try to play again today after Sunday's round was washed out.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

It only takes a little bit of rain to do a lot of damage in California. And families there are preparing for more severe weather today. You just heard Chad's forecast.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now with a look at what she'll have ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

Yes, as you just heard Chad say, Southern California is bracing for more storms. Lots of residents are in danger, in fact, of losing their homes. It's been raining on and off for days. Forecasters say an even more intense storm is actually on the way.

So, what's being done to save homes from being lost and ripped and slid down the mountains? Some people are actually taking pretty drastic steps. We're going to check in with the watch commander for the Laguna Beach Police Department ahead this morning.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF GORDON, DAYTONA 500 WINNER: I can't even really relive all of the moments that happened. I'm going to have to watch it on video, because I don't really know how everything transpired there at the end. All I know is, I saw the checkered flag waving, and I was excited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's Jeff Gordon there. He's one happy man. He is the winner of the Daytona 500. The race saw one of its wildest finishes ever.

Joining us live is someone who watched it all, Marty Smith of Turner Sports Interactive, a NASCAR writer. He joins us live now from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Good morning, Marty.

MARTY SMITH, TURNER SPORTS INTERACTIVE: Hi, Carol. How are you? I'm actually still in Daytona Beach. COSTELLO: You are. Well, great. So, you've been partying.

SMITH: I wish I could say that. We were there working until about midnight. I wish I could say I was partying, I can say that.

COSTELLO: I know. I know you worked really hard out there. Tell me, was this one of the most exciting Daytona 500s? Because Chad does not think so.

SMITH: I disagree with him. I mean, the race overall was not all that exciting, but the finish was one of the best finishes we've had in a while. A green-white-checker finish, because of the late caution in the race. And Jeff got pushed to the front and won his third Daytona 500, which joins him with Dale Jarrett and a very distinguished group of Daytona 500 champions.

So, I disagree with Chad. I think it was a pretty solid race.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad, jump in here, because we want to talk about the crashes. What, 17 cars were involved? Chad, take it away.

MYERS: I don't know. I was just bored with the first 450 miles, waiting for something to happen. Obviously, the drivers are making time or making laps, trying to get to that 500 miles. You can't win if you do this at lap 50. You can't -- I mean, if you wreck your car you're done.

But it just seemed like we didn't have any decent racing. I was waiting for the racing to start about lap, oh, I don't know, 170. And then all of the back markers started wrecking, and we didn't even get that good of racing up front, Carol.

COSTELLO: Marty?

MYERS: There were just too many yellow flags at the end.

COSTELLO: Wait, wait. Let Marty weigh in here. What do you think, Marty?

SMITH: I see what he's saying, but I just disagree with him. I mean, it's not that much different than any other race we go to. If he's a NASCAR fan he understands that. In order to make it to the end of these races, you've got to be really careful, especially restrict or play races like we saw yesterday at Daytona, where the motors are choked down so much with horsepower that they bunch up in those huge packs.

And in order to make it to the end, and you've got young drivers, you've got to be super-careful. And, in turn, a lot of those guys ride around in the back.

And Chad is right. There was a five or six-lap period there where we saw 17-20 cars taken out by those big bunches of big packs of guys getting together. And, you know, that's restricted play racing. And anyone who is a fan knows that and expects that and anticipates that. And it's just the way it is. COSTELLO: So, Chad, you're slapped down on that one.

MYERS: No, I mean...

COSTELLO: Now, wait a second. Wait a second.

MYERS: We're seeing video here of the Busch race. The Busch race was actually better than the cup race.

SMITH: A completely different area of dynamics package, Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

SMITH: Completely different racecars, man.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK. I want to talk about some behind-the-scenes stuff. Tell us something interesting that happened behind the scenes that people probably didn't notice while they were watching the race.

SMITH: Well, the only real drama we had after the race was Jimmy Johnson, who finished in the top five, and Tony Stewart, who finished seventh, had a little post-race extracurricular activity. They were frustrated at one another. Tony was frustrated at Jimmy for cutting him off late in the race, and then made his displeasure known by bumping Jimmy after the checkered flag.

And NASCAR called those two guys to the hauler, to their mobile office, if you will, and set them straight. Chad Kanouse (ph), Jimmy's crew chief, got in Tony's face a little bit after the race and screamed this, that and the other. Better left unsaid.

And that was really the only drama we had after the race, but it was a pretty good show.

COSTELLO: Yes.

SMITH: I was pretty impressed and happy for NASCAR that it wasn't a boring finish. And it's a good thing for NARSCAR, though, that they had their best drivers on those types of tracks up front at the end during the green-white-checkered finish, because if the field would have stacked up behind those guys it would have gotten really ugly.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Marty, for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

SMITH: My pleasure.

MYERS: I will say that NASCAR had the green-white checker. Without that green-white-checker finish that they instituted last year it would have been a total waste of time watching it.

COSTELLO: OK. We've got to move on now, Chad.

MYERS: OK, fine!

COSTELLO: All right. Students at Boson University now have something other to read than textbooks and term papers, because we have to get to this story, Chad.

MYERS: All right, this is more important.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We're going to have to talk about "Boink" magazine now. "Boink" is a university-educated skin magazine, whose own student editor playfully calls it "pornography."

But BU isn't the only university to move into mature themes. Harvard publishes "H Bomb," while Vassar issues copies of "Squirm."

And, of course, the question you might ask: Is this really what college students should be doing with their education? Because it's really expensive to go to those universities.

MYERS: I'm wondering, I mean, do the education dollars come from the university? Or is this all independently funded?

COSTELLO: You know, I'm not sure about that. But that is a very good question. But this magazine, "Boink" will feature nude students, and they'll talk about sex. And the editor says that the university needs this, because that's part of college life.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about Steven Tyler now, because he separated from his wife after 17 years of marriage. The Aerosmith front man has two children with wife Teresa (ph). He also has two other children, including Liv Tyler, from two separate relationships.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The 56-year-old Tyler asked the public for some privacy while his family deals with their problems.

And there is more controversy from Jose Canseco. Massachusetts says he owes the state more than $32,000 in back taxes. Canseco played for the Red Sox in '95 and '96. A local newspaper reports that Canseco's agent insists the taxes were paid, but his accountant never filed the proper paperwork.

Yao Ming's parents are settling in nicely in their new hometown of Houston. They'll open the Yao Restaurant and Bar today.

MYERS: He doesn't even have to jump to get to the hoop.

COSTELLO: It's amazing. Anyway, back to Yao Ming's parents. Their menu in their new restaurant features many of Yao's favorite dishes that mom used to make.

MYERS: Oh, good news.

COSTELLO: And, of course, the place will have a sports bar, so the parents can watch Yao and the Rockets every single night.

As we celebrate President's Day in America, who claims the title of America's favorite president? We'll share some fun data from the folks at Gallup.

And two former commanders-in-chief on a goodwill mission. We'll tell you where former Presidents Bush and Clinton are today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: On this President's Day, we thought we'd give you a glimpse at how Americans rate their presidents. Gallup Poll asked Americans, who do you think is the greatest U.S. president? No list of choices was provided either.

Guess who tops the list? No surprise here, Ronald Reagan does. He gets the nod from 20 percent of the respondents. Bill Clinton comes in second place with 15 percent, followed by Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy. George W. Bush and George Washington both came in at 5 percent.

And when asked who was the better president, Abraham Lincoln or George Washington? An overwhelming 69 percent picked Lincoln.

Former Presidents Clinton and Bush, by the way, are on the fourth leg of their tour of countries hit by the December tsunamis. The ex- leaders visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives today. They spent time with survivors, getting a feel for the emotional impact of the disaster, as well as its physical destruction. They're calling for accountability of relief funds. The former leaders are heading a drive to raise private donations for tsunami relief.

It is now 6:52 Eastern. Here's what will be making news today.

The top refugee official at the U.N. has resigned following accusations he sexually harassed a co-worker. In his resignation letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Ruud Lubbers says he has been an asset to the United Nations.

But quoting here, he says: "Now in the middle of a series of ongoing problems and with ongoing media pressure, you apparently view this differently. To be frank and despite all my loyalty, insult has now been added to injury, and I now resign as high commissioner" -- end quote.

Later today, the parents of Terry Schiavo will ask the judge in Florida to delay the removal of their daughter's feeding tube. A court order preventing feeding tubes from being removed expires tomorrow.

And today is the 40th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X. The civil rights leader was assassinated in New York's Autobahn Ballroom in 1965. Now, his daughters are working to convert the ballroom into a history center to preserve the work of Malcolm X.

This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, business travelers out there, we know you're up and traveling and probably already at the airport. So, Chad has a little traveling forecast for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Now it's time for the most important element in our DAYBREAK show. Back by popular demand...

MYERS: I have it in my hand.

COSTELLO: ... the "DAYBREAK Coffee Quiz." I cannot tell you how many e-mails we've gotten from people saying, what's with the mug quiz? Where has it been? Well, we've brought it back.

MYERS: You know why, Carol. We've been redesigning the mugs.

COSTELLO: We have.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: They now come in...

MYERS: Now in full color.

COSTELLO: That's right. They come in different colors.

MYERS: Now in Technicolor, as they say.

Here are the questions here now for today. What is the estimated intelligence budget that John Negroponte will oversee? And what NBA star's family is opening up a restaurant?

COSTELLO: Oh, e-mail...

MYERS: We just had that one. One out of two are very easy to get, the top one there a little bit difficult. Go ahead.

COSTELLO: Oh, e-mail your answers. I was just going to say, e- mail your answers to Daybreak@CNN.com. That's Daybreak@CNN.com. And for those of you who are not hip to the DAYBREAK mug quiz, all you have to do is answer those two questions via e-mail. And we go through a very complicated process of picking out the winner that I can't explain right now. But if you're the one chosen, we will send you a mug in the mail.

MYERS: Only one person will be chosen, right?

COSTELLO: Only one person.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Get them both in there, and give me your name and your address, please.

COSTELLO: All right. Tomorrow on DAYBREAK, we're going to talk to a company of soldiers. The new documentary profiles a group of U.S. soldiers as we rarely get to see them, up close, under fire, and living day to day in Iraq.

And on a much lighter note, later this week, I'll talk to Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey and ask him how he managed to get those six-pack abs and more.

I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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