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CNN Live At Daybreak

Californians Bracing for More; Some Americans Taking Border Security Into Their Own Hands

Aired February 23, 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: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, when will it end? Californians have been hit with just about everything weather wise, and now they're bracing for more.
Also, some Americans are taking border security into their own hands. But the government fears they may be crossing the line.

And he got plenty of cheers this weekend, but it wasn't always that way for Jeff Gordon. We'll find out why so many people dislike him and so many love him, too.

It is Wednesday, February 23.

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 are awaiting a live northern California from Germany in just a few minutes. President Bush has been meeting with the German leader, Gerhardt Schroeder. The two have clashed on key issues, including the Iraq war and Iran's nuclear program.

He was detained in Saudi Arabia for more than a year and a half. This morning, Ahmed Abu Ali is behind bars in America. Federal officials accuse the U.S. citizen of being involved in a possible plot to assassinate President Bush.

The Supreme Court is weighing in on an emotionally charged question -- should terminally ill people be allowed to choose death over life? The Bush administration is trying to override an Oregon law that allows doctor-assisted suicide.

And new video this morning from a team of Japanese scientists. They used a remote controlled vehicle to get underwater shots near the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered those Asian tsunamis in December. And you can see the lines in the seabed just to the left of that quake. See it there? That's fascinating -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it sure is. And there was an awful lot of lift and then falling of that sea floor. And that caused the water to, obviously, lift and fall. And then the tsunami moves on. So, an awful lot -- you can actually go onto some of the really great Web sites owned or operated by the government here, the .gov, and see how all of those animations worked and how that earthquake actually happened.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We're going to talk about the weather out West because it's making a lot of people miserable -- Chad.

Dozens of people in southern California are facing a daunting task, and that would be rebuilding their lives. The storm triggered mud slides and floods that wrecked some homes and made others too dangerous to live in and the danger is not over yet. There could be more mud slides in store, and that means even more homes could simply collapse.

In the meantime, homeowners in southern California are seeing red, both literally and figuratively.

More now from CNN's Ted Rowlands in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RICHARD GOODPASTURE, HOMEOWNER: I was frightened. I mean that was the first thing that came is fear and panic.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Richard Goodpasture owns one of the Highland Park homes that's in danger of sliding. In the middle of the night, Richard says he heard what he thought was his backyard fence rattling.

GOODPASTURE: We just came out here and looked and saw the fence missing and decided that it's probably a good idea to pack up some stuff and get, you know, get away from it.

ROWLANDS: A red tag is now on Richard's home of 28 years. The red tag means the City of Los Angeles has deemed his home uninhabitable. He, his wife and 15-year-old son are staying with relatives. The family piano is one of the few valuables they pulled out.

Richard's home is one of four in this close-knit neighbor that was red-tagged after the slide.

ROBERT PROLE, HOMEOWNER: It's all right. My family is behind me. We got out OK. And let's, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) people say that's the important thing.

PATRICIA PROLE, HOMEOWNER: It sounded like a, between an earthquake and thunder. And there was a very strong smell of wet earth.

ROWLANDS: Patricia and Robert Trole live around the corner from Richard.

P. PROLE: It was a horrible, horrible sound and I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we had lost any more land. And we realized we'd lost all the land. R. PROLE: You just wonder, you know, people say if you had 20 minutes to get out, what would you take? And now I know what you take. You take your pets and you take your family, you take your kids, you take some photographs off the wall and you just get out.

ROWLANDS: The Lacanilao family, Mark, Gina (ph) and 6-year-old Marina (ph), were escorted into their home to get clothes and photos. Their backyard deck came crashing down with the slide.

MARK LACANILAO, HOMEOWNER: I just pray to god that nothing affects the house. Right now we have cracks all along the back side on the slabs, my slabs.

ROWLANDS: Richard says he's well aware that living on a hillside is a risk. It is one that he was willing to take almost 30 years ago when he moved in.

GOODPASTURE: You're always thinking about it. I don't think there's anybody around here that's not thinking of it. We don't expect it to happen, but when it does, you know, it does. You try to deal with it. We're lucky we're alive.

ROWLANDS (on camera): As rain continues to fall off and on around southern California, not only this hillside but hillsides around the region become more saturated. Forecasters say they do expect a much needed break in the weather by Thursday.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: More "Stories Across America" this morning.

The fate of Terri Schiavo remains in the courts. A hearing today could set the stage for her husband to be allowed to have that feeding tube removed. The judge delayed yesterday's deadline while an appeal by her parents is heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: We are begging and pleading with the legislators and Governor Bush to save Terri from being murdered in cold blood. And that's all I have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Terri Schiavo's parents plan to take their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if today's hearing does not go in their favor.

The family of that California teenager killed by police has hire Johnny Cochran's law firm. Thirteen-year-old Devon Brown was shot February 6 after leading police on a chase in a stolen car. The family is suing the city for wrongful death and civil rights violations. The city has since revised its policy on firing into a moving vehicle. More jury selection this morning in the Michael Jackson case. Twenty prospective jurors got the heave-ho Tuesday for different reasons. If this pace keeps up, the jury could be seated within a few days. The 221 people in the jury pool must be whittled down to 20 before the trial can begin.

President Bush has been meeting with a major European player this morning. Any minute now, he and German leader Gerhardt Schroeder are expected to hold a news conference. The two have clashed on key issues in the past, but where does their relationship stand now?

For the latest, let's head to Mainz, Germany and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux -- good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

This is what President Bush is calling his listening tour. It's the second leg of the tour, of course, here in Germany. He'll be spending about nine hours on the ground. And you're absolutely right, both of the leaders getting ready for a press conference just moments away.

This trip really is meant to show that relations here have improved.

The two leaders, of course, as you know, have a very rocky history. They didn't speak for months after Schroeder's campaign. He won back in 2002 largely on an anti-American, anti-Iraq war platform. Even one of his top officials, the former justice minister, compared President Bush to Adolph Hitler at the time. So they've had a very frosty relationship in the past.

But there are a lot of improvements that both White House officials and German officials point out. They talk about the fact that Germany is taking a lead role in this international effort, peacekeeping effort in Afghanistan. They also talk about the fact that Germany is now training some Iraqi troops in the United Arab Emirates. And it was just yesterday, as a part of NATO's gift to the administration, offered $650,000 toward that effort.

So there are -- there is some common ground between the two leaders, and that is what they're hoping to emphasize today.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us.

And when that news conference begins, we will dip in live.

Back here in the States, President Bush's transportation secretary is defending the administration's plan for Amtrak. Bush wants to cut funding as a way to reduce budget deficits. Norman Mineta, in the meantime, says Amtrak is limping along on life support. In an op-ed piece in the "New York Times," he calls the 34-year partnership between the government and rail service a failure, saying: "Today trains carry as many passengers between New York and Washington as the airlines do. In the Northeast, on the West Coast and in the Midwest, train ridership is growing. The problem is not that Americans don't use trains, it's that Amtrak has failed to keep up with the times, stubbornly sticking to routes and services even as they lose money and attract few users."

Mineta goes on to say: "The only way to improve our passenger rail is to put it on the same footing as other types of transportation -- federal-state partnership to plan, build and maintain the physical aspects of the system while allowing Amtrak and other train operators to do what they do best, and that would be to operate trains."

If you want to know more, that's in the "New York Times" this morning.

Just how safe are America's airports? A former security screener says not as safe as you think. The Transportation Security Administration is investigating claims by a former security screener at San Francisco's airport. Gene Bencomo has filed a lawsuit claiming aviation security company officials would spot federal decoys, follow them and then make sure they were properly searched. Bencomo resigned earlier this month, citing a hostile, intolerable and stressful atmosphere.

Safety at America's borders -- one group decides to take the job on themselves. We will talk to a volunteer who runs a group that will patrol the border between Arizona and Mexico.

And the history of America's favorite pastime for sale. We'll check out the big ticket items headed for the auction block.

Then, it's not as old as baseball, but some argue it's just as popular. NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon tells me why he's in the driver's seat. His answer just may surprise you.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come, surveillance tape puts one of the customers you see here behind bars. We'll show you the rest later.

And fresh off a victory at Daytona, Jeff Gordon explains his reason for being in car number 24.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON: Racing is not what I love to do, it's winning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: More of my interview with Jeff Gordon later on DAYBREAK.

We're back in a minute. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush meeting right now with Germany's prime minister. The two have opposing views on Iraq, Iran's nuclear program and an arms embargo against China.

Tough news for the families over 9/11 victims. New York officials have stopped identifying human remains from the World Trade Center site, saying they've used all the DNA technology available. That means more than four out of 10 families will not have any recovered remains to bury.

In money news, Dell Computers is the most admired company in the United States. "Forbes" magazine listed Dell number one in their survey, beating out Wal-Mart and General Electric.

In culture, you can own a piece of disco history, that is, if you really want to. The flashing dance floor that was the centerpiece of the movie "Saturday Night Fever" -- there it is -- well, it's being auctioned off on April Fool's Day, and we're not fooling. The New York nightclub that housed the floor closed last week.

In sports, Drew Bledsoe is the likely new starting quarterback in Dallas. The veteran was released by the Buffalo Bills. Sources say Bledsoe will be reunited with former Coach Bill Parcels as early as today.

And, Chad, I was hoping he'd go to the Lions, but no.

MYERS: Well, you know, hey, the Lions are still rebuilding. We'll see how that goes next year.

COSTELLO: Yes, right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Well, we're going to go quickly to Germany just to show you a live picture. The president and the German leader, Gerhardt Schroeder, expected to make a few remarks. When they get behind the podium there -- you're probably looking at officials and Secret Service agents and some reporters, but that's the room where this news conference will take place shortly. When the president begins speaking, of course, we'll bring you more live.

A neighborhood tiff has one celebrity labeled bully.

And hear what Barry Bonds had to say about another major leaguer whose name has come up in that steroid investigation.

And patrolling the borders -- you've heard if you can't beat them, join them. One group of volunteers really means it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

But before we get to the buzz part, we have to make a little correction. It was "Fortune" magazine, not "Forbes," that listed Dell as America's most admired company. So I just wanted to make that distinction for you.

Oil prices soared yesterday. Why did it happen and what it could mean for your energy bill. Ooh, Carrie Lee has the answers to those questions.

She's live at a the Nasdaq market site this morning -- good morning, Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, let me start with some numbers here, because oil prices soared yesterday, gaining $2.80 a barrel, to $51.15. So above that $50 a barrel mark. This is the biggest one day jump in four years. We're above $50 a barrel for the first time in nearly four months.

Now, there are three main reasons why this happened.

Number one, the weak U.S. dollar means oil producers receive less money, so they have to raise prices. Also, recent cold weather in some parts of the U.S. causing the expectation of great demand. And then, number, three, as always, oil prices respond and they're very dependent on global events and events particularly in the Middle East.

So all of these causing prices to rise.

What does this mean for consumers?

Well, higher prices for oil often translate into higher gasoline and home heating oil costs, but also every company in the world uses energy of some sort to produce their goods, and they can often pass those higher prices for oil onto consumers. So it can translate into higher prices.

By the way, we will get a key look at consumer prices later today in the session.

We did see, though, the markets yesterday sell off, the Dow down 174 points, the biggest one day drop since May of 2003, in large part because of high oil prices.

Now, this morning futures looking flat to slightly higher. So we could see a little bit of a rebound.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia one stock to watch today. Shares have tripled since Martha Stewart's conviction and they've done very well recently as her post-prison plans have been revealed. A lot of talk about that reality show, Carol. A lot of people waiting to see what that's all about -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.

Thank you.

Now for a look at "Defending America."

Some say its vigilante justice that could easily turn deadly. Others say its a citizens' battle against al Qaeda and illegal immigrants. A group of volunteers calling itself Minutemen will patrol the Arizona border and the Feds are not so happy about that.

Joining us now from Sierra Vista, Arizona is Glenn Spencer.

Oh, I'm sorry, Glenn.

We're going to have to get to you after this, because President Bush and Gerhardt Schroeder are just beginning to speak.

They're in Mainz, Germany this morning. They've already met privately.

So let's dip in and listen to what they have to say.

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: We're going to come back out of that because -- until we get the translation -- is that correct?

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: Let's jump out of this.

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: All right, we're going to jump out of this until we get the translation worked out for you. But the president and Gerhardt Schroeder are now speaking. They're going to have a news conference. And when we get our act together, we'll go back to Mainz, Germany.

Let's go back to Sierra Vista, Arizona and talk to Glenn Spencer, who leads these volunteers in the American Border Control.

Good morning, Glenn.

GLENN SPENCER, AMERICAN BORDER PATROL: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Specifically tell me what you do.

SPENCER: Well, I think there may be a little confusion here. I'm president of a group, a non-profit group here on the border called American Border Patrol. We've actually been active here for about five years. And we started patrols here about two and a half years ago using citizens. But what we are, we're different from the Minuteman project. We're the group who uses unmanned aerial vehicles on the border, sending live video out on the Internet. And we use high technology to expose what is going on at the border. And the Minuteman project is sort of an outgrowth of what we have been trying to do to expose this problem.

COSTELLO: I understand. The Minutemen are kind of connected, but kind of not. Five hundred people have volunteered to join the Minutemen.

What specifically will they be doing along the Arizona-Mexico border?

SPENCER: Well, as I understand it, what they will be doing is sort of a neighborhood watch program where they'll be looking for suspected border intruders and reporting them to the Border Patrol, who will actually come and make the apprehensions.

COSTELLO: Well, from the articles I've read, Glenn, it goes a little farther than that, because some of these people will be armed.

SPENCER: Well, this is usual in southern Arizona. It -- most people are armed. I mean we have mountain lions down here. We have videotape of them. We've picked up them when we were on patrol. You have wild pigs. You have bandits. Most of the ranchers who travel in this territory in southern Arizona are armed for their own protection.

So I don't think the armament issue is really related to what they're trying to do.

COSTELLO: But let's say they catch an illegal immigrant coming across the border.

What will they do?

SPENCER: Well, as I understand it -- and once again, we're really not part of it -- but as I understand it, they will call the Border Patrol and ask them to come and make the apprehension.

COSTELLO: Well, then why are federal agents not so happy about this group?

SPENCER: Well, there are a couple of reasons. The agents, individual agents may have their own opinions. But I think there are some people in Washington, D.C. who are uncomfortable with this because they don't really want public scrutiny on this problem. They don't want the public attention that is going to be brought by 500 people along the border.

Now, also, there is a risk. You do have the problem with volunteers. We started out with volunteers and, as you know, it's sort of like herding cats. It's difficult to control them and it's also difficult to make sure that everybody who is working with you is sound of mind and body.

So you run -- you do run a risk.

COSTELLO: Well, Glenn, and part of that risk is, is these people really have no training to do this.

SPENCER: Yes. That's -- that is the risk. But I think on balance, the idea that Americans are coming down here to focus attention on the problem is a worthwhile effort. We started out by demonstrating that unmanned aerial vehicles could be used effectively. And no journalist in southern Arizona would deny the fact that it was our initiation, our initiative that led the government to start using them.

Recently reported -- now, this is important -- they tested last summer unmanned aerial vehicles and a DHS official said they spotted 890,000 border crossers in three months using these -- this technology.

COSTELLO: Eight hundred...

SPENCER: Eight hundred and ninety...

COSTELLO: ... and ninety thousand?

SPENCER: ... thousand, using this UAV technology.

COSTELLO: That seems unbelievable to me, Glenn.

SPENCER: Well, you can go into "Aviation Daily" on americanpatrol.com. There's a direct quote from an official from the Department of Homeland Security. And it is online. You can go look at it. It's right there. The...

COSTELLO: Well, you've brought up so many interesting things this morning, Glenn...

SPENCER: But if I could just say...

COSTELLO: And...

SPENCER: If I may just say this.

COSTELLO: Go ahead.

SPENCER: The idea that the Border Patrol doesn't have the technology to know where these people are is silly. They know where they are. They just don't have the resources, nor do they have the political will in Washington to enforce our laws. That's the problem.

COSTELLO: Glenn Spencer from the American Border Patrol, joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Thank you so much.

SPENCER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Coming up, Barry Bonds never fails to let loose a few eyebrow raising sound bites on his way into spring training. You'll want to hear some of this. And before Bonds and McGwire, A-Rod and Piazza, there were names like Gehrig and, oh, yes, Ruth, you know, the Babe? Baseball's story passed on the auction block, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right, we have our translation issues worked out. Actually, the president speaking, and he's speaking in English. Let's head to Mainz, Germany.

That's Gerhardt Schroeder along with President Bush.

Let's listen to what they have to say.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... I did want to say how much I appreciated Minister Schilley (ph) coming to Washington, D.C. I had a good visit with him, as did other people in my administration. I appreciate so very much the strong cooperation between Germany and the United States when it comes to sharing intelligence and to working together to find and arrest and bring to justice people who would do harm to our respective peoples, or anybody else in the world. And I want to thank you for that good work.

Secondly, I appreciated your kind words about Iraq and the need for us to put past differences behind us and focus on the people of that country. After all, over eight million people said we want to be free. And in the face of incredible threat to their life and safety, they voted. And as democracies, we have now decided to help them. And I want to thank you for your contributions. I fully understand the limitations of German contribution. However, the contributions that Gerhardt Schroeder talked about are not limited, they're important, whether it be ministry building or training of law enforcement officials, those are in vital contributions and I appreciate it, including debt relief, by the way, as a part of the vital contribution.

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 23, 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: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, when will it end? Californians have been hit with just about everything weather wise, and now they're bracing for more.
Also, some Americans are taking border security into their own hands. But the government fears they may be crossing the line.

And he got plenty of cheers this weekend, but it wasn't always that way for Jeff Gordon. We'll find out why so many people dislike him and so many love him, too.

It is Wednesday, February 23.

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 are awaiting a live northern California from Germany in just a few minutes. President Bush has been meeting with the German leader, Gerhardt Schroeder. The two have clashed on key issues, including the Iraq war and Iran's nuclear program.

He was detained in Saudi Arabia for more than a year and a half. This morning, Ahmed Abu Ali is behind bars in America. Federal officials accuse the U.S. citizen of being involved in a possible plot to assassinate President Bush.

The Supreme Court is weighing in on an emotionally charged question -- should terminally ill people be allowed to choose death over life? The Bush administration is trying to override an Oregon law that allows doctor-assisted suicide.

And new video this morning from a team of Japanese scientists. They used a remote controlled vehicle to get underwater shots near the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered those Asian tsunamis in December. And you can see the lines in the seabed just to the left of that quake. See it there? That's fascinating -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it sure is. And there was an awful lot of lift and then falling of that sea floor. And that caused the water to, obviously, lift and fall. And then the tsunami moves on. So, an awful lot -- you can actually go onto some of the really great Web sites owned or operated by the government here, the .gov, and see how all of those animations worked and how that earthquake actually happened.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We're going to talk about the weather out West because it's making a lot of people miserable -- Chad.

Dozens of people in southern California are facing a daunting task, and that would be rebuilding their lives. The storm triggered mud slides and floods that wrecked some homes and made others too dangerous to live in and the danger is not over yet. There could be more mud slides in store, and that means even more homes could simply collapse.

In the meantime, homeowners in southern California are seeing red, both literally and figuratively.

More now from CNN's Ted Rowlands in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RICHARD GOODPASTURE, HOMEOWNER: I was frightened. I mean that was the first thing that came is fear and panic.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Richard Goodpasture owns one of the Highland Park homes that's in danger of sliding. In the middle of the night, Richard says he heard what he thought was his backyard fence rattling.

GOODPASTURE: We just came out here and looked and saw the fence missing and decided that it's probably a good idea to pack up some stuff and get, you know, get away from it.

ROWLANDS: A red tag is now on Richard's home of 28 years. The red tag means the City of Los Angeles has deemed his home uninhabitable. He, his wife and 15-year-old son are staying with relatives. The family piano is one of the few valuables they pulled out.

Richard's home is one of four in this close-knit neighbor that was red-tagged after the slide.

ROBERT PROLE, HOMEOWNER: It's all right. My family is behind me. We got out OK. And let's, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) people say that's the important thing.

PATRICIA PROLE, HOMEOWNER: It sounded like a, between an earthquake and thunder. And there was a very strong smell of wet earth.

ROWLANDS: Patricia and Robert Trole live around the corner from Richard.

P. PROLE: It was a horrible, horrible sound and I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we had lost any more land. And we realized we'd lost all the land. R. PROLE: You just wonder, you know, people say if you had 20 minutes to get out, what would you take? And now I know what you take. You take your pets and you take your family, you take your kids, you take some photographs off the wall and you just get out.

ROWLANDS: The Lacanilao family, Mark, Gina (ph) and 6-year-old Marina (ph), were escorted into their home to get clothes and photos. Their backyard deck came crashing down with the slide.

MARK LACANILAO, HOMEOWNER: I just pray to god that nothing affects the house. Right now we have cracks all along the back side on the slabs, my slabs.

ROWLANDS: Richard says he's well aware that living on a hillside is a risk. It is one that he was willing to take almost 30 years ago when he moved in.

GOODPASTURE: You're always thinking about it. I don't think there's anybody around here that's not thinking of it. We don't expect it to happen, but when it does, you know, it does. You try to deal with it. We're lucky we're alive.

ROWLANDS (on camera): As rain continues to fall off and on around southern California, not only this hillside but hillsides around the region become more saturated. Forecasters say they do expect a much needed break in the weather by Thursday.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: More "Stories Across America" this morning.

The fate of Terri Schiavo remains in the courts. A hearing today could set the stage for her husband to be allowed to have that feeding tube removed. The judge delayed yesterday's deadline while an appeal by her parents is heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: We are begging and pleading with the legislators and Governor Bush to save Terri from being murdered in cold blood. And that's all I have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Terri Schiavo's parents plan to take their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if today's hearing does not go in their favor.

The family of that California teenager killed by police has hire Johnny Cochran's law firm. Thirteen-year-old Devon Brown was shot February 6 after leading police on a chase in a stolen car. The family is suing the city for wrongful death and civil rights violations. The city has since revised its policy on firing into a moving vehicle. More jury selection this morning in the Michael Jackson case. Twenty prospective jurors got the heave-ho Tuesday for different reasons. If this pace keeps up, the jury could be seated within a few days. The 221 people in the jury pool must be whittled down to 20 before the trial can begin.

President Bush has been meeting with a major European player this morning. Any minute now, he and German leader Gerhardt Schroeder are expected to hold a news conference. The two have clashed on key issues in the past, but where does their relationship stand now?

For the latest, let's head to Mainz, Germany and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux -- good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

This is what President Bush is calling his listening tour. It's the second leg of the tour, of course, here in Germany. He'll be spending about nine hours on the ground. And you're absolutely right, both of the leaders getting ready for a press conference just moments away.

This trip really is meant to show that relations here have improved.

The two leaders, of course, as you know, have a very rocky history. They didn't speak for months after Schroeder's campaign. He won back in 2002 largely on an anti-American, anti-Iraq war platform. Even one of his top officials, the former justice minister, compared President Bush to Adolph Hitler at the time. So they've had a very frosty relationship in the past.

But there are a lot of improvements that both White House officials and German officials point out. They talk about the fact that Germany is taking a lead role in this international effort, peacekeeping effort in Afghanistan. They also talk about the fact that Germany is now training some Iraqi troops in the United Arab Emirates. And it was just yesterday, as a part of NATO's gift to the administration, offered $650,000 toward that effort.

So there are -- there is some common ground between the two leaders, and that is what they're hoping to emphasize today.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us.

And when that news conference begins, we will dip in live.

Back here in the States, President Bush's transportation secretary is defending the administration's plan for Amtrak. Bush wants to cut funding as a way to reduce budget deficits. Norman Mineta, in the meantime, says Amtrak is limping along on life support. In an op-ed piece in the "New York Times," he calls the 34-year partnership between the government and rail service a failure, saying: "Today trains carry as many passengers between New York and Washington as the airlines do. In the Northeast, on the West Coast and in the Midwest, train ridership is growing. The problem is not that Americans don't use trains, it's that Amtrak has failed to keep up with the times, stubbornly sticking to routes and services even as they lose money and attract few users."

Mineta goes on to say: "The only way to improve our passenger rail is to put it on the same footing as other types of transportation -- federal-state partnership to plan, build and maintain the physical aspects of the system while allowing Amtrak and other train operators to do what they do best, and that would be to operate trains."

If you want to know more, that's in the "New York Times" this morning.

Just how safe are America's airports? A former security screener says not as safe as you think. The Transportation Security Administration is investigating claims by a former security screener at San Francisco's airport. Gene Bencomo has filed a lawsuit claiming aviation security company officials would spot federal decoys, follow them and then make sure they were properly searched. Bencomo resigned earlier this month, citing a hostile, intolerable and stressful atmosphere.

Safety at America's borders -- one group decides to take the job on themselves. We will talk to a volunteer who runs a group that will patrol the border between Arizona and Mexico.

And the history of America's favorite pastime for sale. We'll check out the big ticket items headed for the auction block.

Then, it's not as old as baseball, but some argue it's just as popular. NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon tells me why he's in the driver's seat. His answer just may surprise you.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come, surveillance tape puts one of the customers you see here behind bars. We'll show you the rest later.

And fresh off a victory at Daytona, Jeff Gordon explains his reason for being in car number 24.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON: Racing is not what I love to do, it's winning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: More of my interview with Jeff Gordon later on DAYBREAK.

We're back in a minute. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush meeting right now with Germany's prime minister. The two have opposing views on Iraq, Iran's nuclear program and an arms embargo against China.

Tough news for the families over 9/11 victims. New York officials have stopped identifying human remains from the World Trade Center site, saying they've used all the DNA technology available. That means more than four out of 10 families will not have any recovered remains to bury.

In money news, Dell Computers is the most admired company in the United States. "Forbes" magazine listed Dell number one in their survey, beating out Wal-Mart and General Electric.

In culture, you can own a piece of disco history, that is, if you really want to. The flashing dance floor that was the centerpiece of the movie "Saturday Night Fever" -- there it is -- well, it's being auctioned off on April Fool's Day, and we're not fooling. The New York nightclub that housed the floor closed last week.

In sports, Drew Bledsoe is the likely new starting quarterback in Dallas. The veteran was released by the Buffalo Bills. Sources say Bledsoe will be reunited with former Coach Bill Parcels as early as today.

And, Chad, I was hoping he'd go to the Lions, but no.

MYERS: Well, you know, hey, the Lions are still rebuilding. We'll see how that goes next year.

COSTELLO: Yes, right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Well, we're going to go quickly to Germany just to show you a live picture. The president and the German leader, Gerhardt Schroeder, expected to make a few remarks. When they get behind the podium there -- you're probably looking at officials and Secret Service agents and some reporters, but that's the room where this news conference will take place shortly. When the president begins speaking, of course, we'll bring you more live.

A neighborhood tiff has one celebrity labeled bully.

And hear what Barry Bonds had to say about another major leaguer whose name has come up in that steroid investigation.

And patrolling the borders -- you've heard if you can't beat them, join them. One group of volunteers really means it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

But before we get to the buzz part, we have to make a little correction. It was "Fortune" magazine, not "Forbes," that listed Dell as America's most admired company. So I just wanted to make that distinction for you.

Oil prices soared yesterday. Why did it happen and what it could mean for your energy bill. Ooh, Carrie Lee has the answers to those questions.

She's live at a the Nasdaq market site this morning -- good morning, Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, let me start with some numbers here, because oil prices soared yesterday, gaining $2.80 a barrel, to $51.15. So above that $50 a barrel mark. This is the biggest one day jump in four years. We're above $50 a barrel for the first time in nearly four months.

Now, there are three main reasons why this happened.

Number one, the weak U.S. dollar means oil producers receive less money, so they have to raise prices. Also, recent cold weather in some parts of the U.S. causing the expectation of great demand. And then, number, three, as always, oil prices respond and they're very dependent on global events and events particularly in the Middle East.

So all of these causing prices to rise.

What does this mean for consumers?

Well, higher prices for oil often translate into higher gasoline and home heating oil costs, but also every company in the world uses energy of some sort to produce their goods, and they can often pass those higher prices for oil onto consumers. So it can translate into higher prices.

By the way, we will get a key look at consumer prices later today in the session.

We did see, though, the markets yesterday sell off, the Dow down 174 points, the biggest one day drop since May of 2003, in large part because of high oil prices.

Now, this morning futures looking flat to slightly higher. So we could see a little bit of a rebound.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia one stock to watch today. Shares have tripled since Martha Stewart's conviction and they've done very well recently as her post-prison plans have been revealed. A lot of talk about that reality show, Carol. A lot of people waiting to see what that's all about -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.

Thank you.

Now for a look at "Defending America."

Some say its vigilante justice that could easily turn deadly. Others say its a citizens' battle against al Qaeda and illegal immigrants. A group of volunteers calling itself Minutemen will patrol the Arizona border and the Feds are not so happy about that.

Joining us now from Sierra Vista, Arizona is Glenn Spencer.

Oh, I'm sorry, Glenn.

We're going to have to get to you after this, because President Bush and Gerhardt Schroeder are just beginning to speak.

They're in Mainz, Germany this morning. They've already met privately.

So let's dip in and listen to what they have to say.

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: We're going to come back out of that because -- until we get the translation -- is that correct?

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: Let's jump out of this.

(LIVE FEED IN GERMAN)

COSTELLO: All right, we're going to jump out of this until we get the translation worked out for you. But the president and Gerhardt Schroeder are now speaking. They're going to have a news conference. And when we get our act together, we'll go back to Mainz, Germany.

Let's go back to Sierra Vista, Arizona and talk to Glenn Spencer, who leads these volunteers in the American Border Control.

Good morning, Glenn.

GLENN SPENCER, AMERICAN BORDER PATROL: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Specifically tell me what you do.

SPENCER: Well, I think there may be a little confusion here. I'm president of a group, a non-profit group here on the border called American Border Patrol. We've actually been active here for about five years. And we started patrols here about two and a half years ago using citizens. But what we are, we're different from the Minuteman project. We're the group who uses unmanned aerial vehicles on the border, sending live video out on the Internet. And we use high technology to expose what is going on at the border. And the Minuteman project is sort of an outgrowth of what we have been trying to do to expose this problem.

COSTELLO: I understand. The Minutemen are kind of connected, but kind of not. Five hundred people have volunteered to join the Minutemen.

What specifically will they be doing along the Arizona-Mexico border?

SPENCER: Well, as I understand it, what they will be doing is sort of a neighborhood watch program where they'll be looking for suspected border intruders and reporting them to the Border Patrol, who will actually come and make the apprehensions.

COSTELLO: Well, from the articles I've read, Glenn, it goes a little farther than that, because some of these people will be armed.

SPENCER: Well, this is usual in southern Arizona. It -- most people are armed. I mean we have mountain lions down here. We have videotape of them. We've picked up them when we were on patrol. You have wild pigs. You have bandits. Most of the ranchers who travel in this territory in southern Arizona are armed for their own protection.

So I don't think the armament issue is really related to what they're trying to do.

COSTELLO: But let's say they catch an illegal immigrant coming across the border.

What will they do?

SPENCER: Well, as I understand it -- and once again, we're really not part of it -- but as I understand it, they will call the Border Patrol and ask them to come and make the apprehension.

COSTELLO: Well, then why are federal agents not so happy about this group?

SPENCER: Well, there are a couple of reasons. The agents, individual agents may have their own opinions. But I think there are some people in Washington, D.C. who are uncomfortable with this because they don't really want public scrutiny on this problem. They don't want the public attention that is going to be brought by 500 people along the border.

Now, also, there is a risk. You do have the problem with volunteers. We started out with volunteers and, as you know, it's sort of like herding cats. It's difficult to control them and it's also difficult to make sure that everybody who is working with you is sound of mind and body.

So you run -- you do run a risk.

COSTELLO: Well, Glenn, and part of that risk is, is these people really have no training to do this.

SPENCER: Yes. That's -- that is the risk. But I think on balance, the idea that Americans are coming down here to focus attention on the problem is a worthwhile effort. We started out by demonstrating that unmanned aerial vehicles could be used effectively. And no journalist in southern Arizona would deny the fact that it was our initiation, our initiative that led the government to start using them.

Recently reported -- now, this is important -- they tested last summer unmanned aerial vehicles and a DHS official said they spotted 890,000 border crossers in three months using these -- this technology.

COSTELLO: Eight hundred...

SPENCER: Eight hundred and ninety...

COSTELLO: ... and ninety thousand?

SPENCER: ... thousand, using this UAV technology.

COSTELLO: That seems unbelievable to me, Glenn.

SPENCER: Well, you can go into "Aviation Daily" on americanpatrol.com. There's a direct quote from an official from the Department of Homeland Security. And it is online. You can go look at it. It's right there. The...

COSTELLO: Well, you've brought up so many interesting things this morning, Glenn...

SPENCER: But if I could just say...

COSTELLO: And...

SPENCER: If I may just say this.

COSTELLO: Go ahead.

SPENCER: The idea that the Border Patrol doesn't have the technology to know where these people are is silly. They know where they are. They just don't have the resources, nor do they have the political will in Washington to enforce our laws. That's the problem.

COSTELLO: Glenn Spencer from the American Border Patrol, joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Thank you so much.

SPENCER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Coming up, Barry Bonds never fails to let loose a few eyebrow raising sound bites on his way into spring training. You'll want to hear some of this. And before Bonds and McGwire, A-Rod and Piazza, there were names like Gehrig and, oh, yes, Ruth, you know, the Babe? Baseball's story passed on the auction block, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right, we have our translation issues worked out. Actually, the president speaking, and he's speaking in English. Let's head to Mainz, Germany.

That's Gerhardt Schroeder along with President Bush.

Let's listen to what they have to say.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... I did want to say how much I appreciated Minister Schilley (ph) coming to Washington, D.C. I had a good visit with him, as did other people in my administration. I appreciate so very much the strong cooperation between Germany and the United States when it comes to sharing intelligence and to working together to find and arrest and bring to justice people who would do harm to our respective peoples, or anybody else in the world. And I want to thank you for that good work.

Secondly, I appreciated your kind words about Iraq and the need for us to put past differences behind us and focus on the people of that country. After all, over eight million people said we want to be free. And in the face of incredible threat to their life and safety, they voted. And as democracies, we have now decided to help them. And I want to thank you for your contributions. I fully understand the limitations of German contribution. However, the contributions that Gerhardt Schroeder talked about are not limited, they're important, whether it be ministry building or training of law enforcement officials, those are in vital contributions and I appreciate it, including debt relief, by the way, as a part of the vital contribution.

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