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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Bush's Visit to Slovakia; Lawsuit Filed Against ChoicePoint in Connection with Identity Theft Scam

Aired February 24, 2005 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, you've heard about them, you've seen them on the news. Up next, exactly why mud slides happen and how you can protect yourself.
Plus, just what could this big black tarp do to make your ride into work a little safer this morning, and faster, too?

And find out what Martha Stewart plans to do once she gets out of prison next week.

It is Thursday, February 24.

This is 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, right now President Bush is meeting with leaders in the central European nation of Slovakia. We'll have a live report for you in just about four minutes. Plus, we'll take you there live later this hour, when the president addresses the Slovak people.

Another deadly attack today in Iraq. A suicide car bomber kills at least 11 policemen and wounds 24 others. The attack happened at an emergency police station in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

The Pentagon says there will be no more trained dogs used in interviews with detainees. That's one of the changes the Army is making in the way it handles detainees. Senior Army officials say the new rules will clarify procedures.

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

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

Was your commute OK this morning?

COSTELLO: Yes, but I understand it's going to get nasty this afternoon.

MYERS: It certainly is. Snow is on the way. It's already snowing in Ohio, into parts of Pennsylvania. Temperatures will support the snow. Twenty-seven right now in New York City, 30 in Philadelphia and 33 in D.C. And all three of those cities all are going to be in the big snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Well, you know, we've been talking a lot, you've been talking a lot about the rain out in California.

MYERS: Yes, it's over now, finally.

COSTELLO: Finally?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Well, the cleanup has begun, and it's not going to be easy. Floods and mud slides have destroyed dozens of homes and left dozens more unlivable. The Los Angeles Fire Department received nearly 2,000 emergency calls in one day. At least nine deaths reported now. The storms deluged southern California with more than nine inches of rain. The average for an entire year is about 15 inches. Crews are working to clear at least 20 major roads closed by mud slides and flooding. Ventura County's Santa Paula Airport is shut down this morning. And Amtrak train service from L.A. to Santa Barbara is suspended due to mud slides.

Mud slides are the worst case scenario for southern California. But is this just -- I'm sorry, but is the rain, is it just the rain that's causing all of the movement of the mud?

CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras takes a look at the science behind the slides.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): They're fast, deadly and unstoppable, with enough power to wipe out a neighborhood in seconds. To put it simply, a landslide is a massive movement of earth, rock or debris down a slope. And even minor triggers can set a major slide in motion. Unrelenting rains in California can be blamed for the recent rash of them.

Moisture equals weight and when the rain saturates the ground, it becomes unstable and gravity takes over. The flow moves as fast as 200 miles per hour, dragging everything from mud, trees, boulders and even houses in its path. Or, it can move so slowly it's not visible to the naked eye.

Other factors can make the area more vulnerable to a slide. Erosion, snow melt, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and wildfires contribute. Man can cause problems, too. Development and deforestation wipes out vegetation that helps hold the soil together and construction blasts and traffic vibrate the earth.

So how do you know if your family and home are at risk? There are several warning signs to look for. Watch for tilting of your decks, patios, telephone poles and fences. Cracked or sunken floors, sidewalks, streets and foundations could indicate a problem, and so can sticking doors and windows. Unusually soaked, split or sunken ground or sudden changes in water levels could alert you to a possible slide.

While the rains may come and go quickly, the danger can remain long after the weather event if over. Land, mud and rock slides can threaten months after a major event.

Jacqui Jeras, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Just the pictures from that story were amazing and frightening.

MYERS: Yes. Well, you've got to think about the dirt particle all the way down to the smallest of science. Just the dirt particle itself that you'll eventually wash off in the sink if you get it on your hands. If those dirt particles get too much water between them, they don't have friction anymore. It's like when you drive over too much water on your car, your tires don't have any friction anymore. You hydroplane. In essence, really, the dirt is hydroplaning on itself and is sliding down either, like Jacqui said, either very quickly or very slowly, depending on the type of slide.

COSTELLO: And because of that knowledge that you have, Chad, it's time to announce the return of something else today.

MYERS: Oh, no, not the big-headed weatherman.

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: There he is.

COSTELLO: Yes, he's back by popular demand. Viewers want to stump you with their weather questions. If you want to know anything about the weather, the mud slides out West, the big snowstorm that's headed to the East...

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Daybreak@cnn.com, daybreak@cnn.com. Try to stump Chad.

MYERS: There.

COSTELLO: It's tough to do.

MYERS: You can do it.

COSTELLO: Not usually, though, on weather questions. You're good.

MYERS: We'll see.

COSTELLO: We'll get back to you.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: It's been a busy week for President Bush. This is the final day of his five day fence mending trip to Europe. Right now, he's holding talks at the presidential palace in Slovakia.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president.

She joins us now from the capital -- good morning.

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

President Bush, of course, receiving a very warm welcome here from both the Slovak president and the prime minister. Very fitting that he should end his European tour here. This is a country, a staunch ally of the United States, a former communist state, now a member of NATO as well as the European Union.

President Bush, in less than an hour or so, is going to be delivering a major speech to the Slovak people. Of course, the highlight of today is going to be the summit that President Bush is going to have with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Medieval castle up on a hill.

Much has changed since President Bush said years ago that he first looked into Putin's eyes and saw the soul of a man that he could trust. The two leaders, of course, have worked closely together when it comes to anti-terrorism measures and security measures. But there are a number of concerns that have really cooled this relationship recently -- President Bush's concern over Putin's retreat from democratic reforms, his attempts to interfere in the affairs of his neighbors, Ukraine and Georgia, and Putin's announced cooperation with Iran in support of its nuclear program, as well as with Syria in the sales of missiles.

Now, President Bush says that because he has a close relationship with Mr. Putin, he'll be able to try to help convince him to come back to those democratic ways, both of them. And, of course, the president also gently pushing him, reminding him this week that membership of the World Trade Organization perhaps somewhat contingent on good behavior on Russia's part.

Having said that, there's going to be a lot of talk about values, but also there will be some concrete measures, some agreement that both leaders will walk away when it comes to fighting terrorism as well as security. One, a joint response to terrorist threats involving weapons of mass destruction, which would involve, really, parallel groups; Russia as well as American groups, perhaps based in a third country, that would be called in the case of an emergency or of a terrorist attack. This is something that has been milled around for some time, but because of cooperation with the tsunami disaster, they felt that perhaps this would be more realistic to be able to do at this time. Secondly, to speed the installation of security systems at Russian nuclear facilities. This has been a very big concern of the United States, to have what they call those loose nukes in the hands of terrorists.

Third, to replace highly enriched uranium fuel at research facilities around the world with low grade material to make sure that it is used for energy and not for weapons.

And, finally, an agreement to control the disbursement, I guess, if you will, of these shoulder fired missiles dubbed MANPADS used by terrorists to shoot down airlines.

Carol, I should tell you that the president called this a listening tour. This comes after many European leaders for the last couple of years believing that their concerns have largely been ignored, their institutions denigrated. President Bush reaching out and, of course, extending an olive branch, hoping that better relations will ensue once he gets back to Washington -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux reporting live this morning.

Thank you.

And, of course, CNN will be bringing you live coverage of the news conference with Presidents Bush and Putin just about six and a half hours from now. That'll hit you at 11:30 Eastern time.

In News Across America now, an intern teacher at a Sacramento high school has been suspended. Police say the teacher was caught having sex with a student. Police say 30-year-old Margaret De Barraicua was partially clothed in the front seat of her car with a 16-year-old. Her toddler was strapped in a car seat in the back.

Connecticut is suing over those Lance Armstrong bracelets. The state's attorney general filed suit against two companies that are accused of selling counterfeits. Authentic "live strong" bracelets only come in yellow. Sales of the bracelets go to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation that promotes cancer survivor programs. The state wants the money from the counterfeits turned over to Armstrong's foundation.

A Florida man is hoping a new hospital will help him get the kidney he needs. Alex Crionas was turned down for transplant surgery because he'd started a Web site to find a donor. Crionas said he found someone at a party who was willing to donate their kidney. Now they'll go to a different donor organization that says the Web site is not a problem.

And who's looking at you, kid? You may not have any idea who's looking into your personal information until it's too late. Now at least one person hopes to get even. Daniel Sieberg on identity theft in six minutes.

And Martha Stewart's identity is apparently worth its weight in gold, and she's not even out of jail yet. More on that in 32 minutes. And admit it, we've all done it, slowed down to gawk at an accident. We'll find out how Massachusetts is trying to crack down on rubber neckers in 36 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush has been meeting with the leader of Slovakia this hour. He's scheduled to meet with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, later today in Slovakia. The two are expected to sign agreements on nuclear security and anti-terrorism.

There is a new development in the death of a pregnant Texas woman and her young son. The business partner of Stephen Barbee, the man charged in the killings, has now been arrested. Police are holding Ronald Dodd on a parole violation while they decide whether more charges are warranted.

In money news, Apple is expanding its iPod line to include more memory. The company is introducing a six gigabyte version of the popular digital music player. They're also dropping the price of their original four gigabyte model.

In culture, the late Ray Charles has reached number one on the Billboard charts. After winning eight Grammys, sales of his last album, "Genius Loves Company," jumped more than 200 percent.

And in sports, Villanova held on down the stretch to conclude a 76-70 upset over third ranked Boston College. It's the Wildcats' fourth win over a top 25 team this season. It's just the second loss of the year for B.C. -- Chad.

MYERS: And only five days until March, Carol.

Waiting for the madness.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A California woman is the first person to file suit against the data collection company ChoicePoint. Tens of thousands of people may have been compromised by identity theft with the company.

Technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The fallout from a massive identity theft scam is still being felt by consumers across the country. It involves a company called ChoicePoint, and if you haven't heard of it, you still could be affected by it. They're a data mining service and basically they scour public records, including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, military records, the purchases you've made, the homes you've bought. And they gather all that information together, about 19 billion different records. And then third party businesses are able to access it, legitimate ones, and get that information to possibly approve a home loan or to give someone a job.

Now, in this case, the thieves posed as legitimate businesses, but they didn't even have to break in the door or get through the security at ChoicePoint. They posed as legitimate businesses and were able to obtain the records of 145,000 people across the U.S.

Now, despite ChoicePoint's best efforts to keep their records secure, they still fell into the wrong hands. But it didn't involve breaking in.

JAMES LEE, MARKETING DIRECTOR, CHOICEPOINT: This was not a hacking. This was not what we traditionally think of as a failure of a security system to protect an actual network. This was bright, smart people who were engaging in business fraud. Business fraud is big business in our economy today and no one is immune to it, including us.

SIEBERG: Of course, the irony is that ChoicePoint's point is to help reduce fraud. Now, these 145,000 people must worry if they could be the victim of an identity thief. They are also going to be sending out letters. ChoicePoint is sending out letters to the people who may have been affected by this to let them know and to alert them. And the company's CEO spoke to one of our affiliates, WXIA, about the possibility of any monetary compensation to the victims of identity theft.

DEREK SMITH, CEO, CHOICEPOINT: At this point, we really don't know how many consumers' identities have been compromised. But we will take a look at it and see what we can do to help those consumers as they come forward if, in fact, their identities have been compromised. We don't have a specific proposal to put in place today, but I think what people are seeing, we tried to address it as quickly and as effectively as we can, and that we will look at doing the right thing as we go forward.

SIEBERG: So you're not ruling out the possibility of some monetary help to these folks who are going to get stuck, perhaps, spending money to get their situations straightened out.

SMITH: Right. We're not ruling out anything at this point in terms of what we would do.

(END VIDEO TAPE) SIEBERG: Of course, it's important to keep track of your credit reporting information and to follow up on that at all times; also to think about where your personal data and personal information could be stored or shared -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Daniel.

What about you? Think you're safe from something like that? We'll see if you're ripe for a scam in the next hour of DAYBREAK when we talk with a reporter from "Money" magazine. There will also be a quiz for you to take to see if you are, you know, if you can be fooled by scammers.

Time now to check our DAYBREAK "Legal Briefs."

The selection of eight alternates in the Michael Jackson trial is expected to begin today. It took just a few days to pare down the more than 240 prospective jurors to the final 12. Of the regular jurors already chosen, eight are women and they're all mothers. There are no African-Americans on the panel.

The defense has rested in the Robert Blake murder trial without the mercurial actor ever taking the stand. Jurors were shown a videotaped interview with Blake. He talks about his daughter Rosie that he had with his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. The key live witness on the final day was Blake's adult daughter, who legally adopted Rosie.

Kobe Bryant will answer questions under oath for the first time since he was accused of rape in 2003. Lawyers for his accuser will sit down for a seven hour session with Bryant on Friday. The civil suit against Bryant could go to trial as early as this summer.

And the man accused of stalking Anna Kournikova will have to stay far away from her. William Lepeska cannot go within 1,000 yards of Kournikova. He faces 30 years in prison for two counts of battery on police officers. Lepeska also admitted stalking Scary Spice of The Spice Girls before turning his attention to Kournikova.

There is a lot more ahead on DAYBREAK.

Preemptive talk aimed at nuclear nations -- the president says all options on the table.

And guess who's coming to dinner? Martha Stewart is about to get out of prison. Find out what's next for her.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Thursday, February 24.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time for a little fun now on DAYBREAK.

"The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno made a royal pain of himself. Yes, it's time for "Late Night Laughs."

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

JAY LENO, HOST: You know something? I was watching one of these cable shows. You know these debates like "CROSSFIRE?" -- it wasn't "CROSSFIRE" -- and these debates get so nasty. Like they were debating same-sex marriages and one of the opponents said if you allow gays to marry, next thing they'll be letting dogs marry. Why do they have to bring Prince Charles and Camilla into this? You see what I mean?

We do a lot of jokes, but Charles and Camilla really aren't a very attractive couple. I was thinking -- show their picture. All right, now you see it? Look at them. Look at the two of them. All right, you know, you could switch their faces and it wouldn't make any difference. Switch their faces. You see what I'm saying? You see what I mean? It doesn't -- it doesn't make any...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's just wrong. You can't help but laugh, though, even though it's cruel, isn't it? That's your late night laugh for this morning.

Time for our DAYBREAK Eye-Opener right now.

The rain in California has not just been hard on people. Watch as several firefighters and concern citizens pull a 1,200 pound horse out of the mud. The horse fell into a deep mud hole at a ranch in Malibu and the horse is doing fine this morning.

Wildlife officials were forced to kill a large tiger near the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. It's unknown how the 425-pound tiger got there. Hunters have been tracking it for a few days. Officers say they couldn't tranquilize the animal since it could have attacked before the drugs took effect.

Kelli Davis is upset that her senior picture was banned from the high school yearbook in Orange Park, Florida. Davis, who is a lesbian, chose to wear a tuxedo for the picture instead of a wrap. The photo was rejected because it broke with school tradition. Her mother plans to appeal the decision to the school board today.

And here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Is it that time already? Martha Stewart is almost a free woman. We'll preview what's ahead for her after life in the slammer.

Plus, New York City invites the world to play. The latest on the Big Apple's for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

And a reminder -- "Stump The Weatherman" is back. If you have any weather questions, if you've been wondering about any weather phenomenon, try to stump Chad this morning -- daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLIFTON LEAF, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "FORTUNE": Intuit is a software maker for small businesses and individuals to manage their businesses and their personal finances. Quicken, Quick Books and Turbo Tax, those are the three big names. Intuit, in the software category, displaced Microsoft, which had been the leader in that category for years. People felt this is a software company that's well managed, they know what they're good at and they do it well.

The story behind Intuit, I think, really has to go back to founder Scott Cook. Here was this guy that was selling Crisco for P&G. He knows how to sell product. And he basically snapped that onto this geeky software and said here's how we sell this thing. And I think that's really the secret to their success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 24, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, you've heard about them, you've seen them on the news. Up next, exactly why mud slides happen and how you can protect yourself.
Plus, just what could this big black tarp do to make your ride into work a little safer this morning, and faster, too?

And find out what Martha Stewart plans to do once she gets out of prison next week.

It is Thursday, February 24.

This is 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, right now President Bush is meeting with leaders in the central European nation of Slovakia. We'll have a live report for you in just about four minutes. Plus, we'll take you there live later this hour, when the president addresses the Slovak people.

Another deadly attack today in Iraq. A suicide car bomber kills at least 11 policemen and wounds 24 others. The attack happened at an emergency police station in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

The Pentagon says there will be no more trained dogs used in interviews with detainees. That's one of the changes the Army is making in the way it handles detainees. Senior Army officials say the new rules will clarify procedures.

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

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

Was your commute OK this morning?

COSTELLO: Yes, but I understand it's going to get nasty this afternoon.

MYERS: It certainly is. Snow is on the way. It's already snowing in Ohio, into parts of Pennsylvania. Temperatures will support the snow. Twenty-seven right now in New York City, 30 in Philadelphia and 33 in D.C. And all three of those cities all are going to be in the big snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Well, you know, we've been talking a lot, you've been talking a lot about the rain out in California.

MYERS: Yes, it's over now, finally.

COSTELLO: Finally?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Well, the cleanup has begun, and it's not going to be easy. Floods and mud slides have destroyed dozens of homes and left dozens more unlivable. The Los Angeles Fire Department received nearly 2,000 emergency calls in one day. At least nine deaths reported now. The storms deluged southern California with more than nine inches of rain. The average for an entire year is about 15 inches. Crews are working to clear at least 20 major roads closed by mud slides and flooding. Ventura County's Santa Paula Airport is shut down this morning. And Amtrak train service from L.A. to Santa Barbara is suspended due to mud slides.

Mud slides are the worst case scenario for southern California. But is this just -- I'm sorry, but is the rain, is it just the rain that's causing all of the movement of the mud?

CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras takes a look at the science behind the slides.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): They're fast, deadly and unstoppable, with enough power to wipe out a neighborhood in seconds. To put it simply, a landslide is a massive movement of earth, rock or debris down a slope. And even minor triggers can set a major slide in motion. Unrelenting rains in California can be blamed for the recent rash of them.

Moisture equals weight and when the rain saturates the ground, it becomes unstable and gravity takes over. The flow moves as fast as 200 miles per hour, dragging everything from mud, trees, boulders and even houses in its path. Or, it can move so slowly it's not visible to the naked eye.

Other factors can make the area more vulnerable to a slide. Erosion, snow melt, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and wildfires contribute. Man can cause problems, too. Development and deforestation wipes out vegetation that helps hold the soil together and construction blasts and traffic vibrate the earth.

So how do you know if your family and home are at risk? There are several warning signs to look for. Watch for tilting of your decks, patios, telephone poles and fences. Cracked or sunken floors, sidewalks, streets and foundations could indicate a problem, and so can sticking doors and windows. Unusually soaked, split or sunken ground or sudden changes in water levels could alert you to a possible slide.

While the rains may come and go quickly, the danger can remain long after the weather event if over. Land, mud and rock slides can threaten months after a major event.

Jacqui Jeras, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Just the pictures from that story were amazing and frightening.

MYERS: Yes. Well, you've got to think about the dirt particle all the way down to the smallest of science. Just the dirt particle itself that you'll eventually wash off in the sink if you get it on your hands. If those dirt particles get too much water between them, they don't have friction anymore. It's like when you drive over too much water on your car, your tires don't have any friction anymore. You hydroplane. In essence, really, the dirt is hydroplaning on itself and is sliding down either, like Jacqui said, either very quickly or very slowly, depending on the type of slide.

COSTELLO: And because of that knowledge that you have, Chad, it's time to announce the return of something else today.

MYERS: Oh, no, not the big-headed weatherman.

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: There he is.

COSTELLO: Yes, he's back by popular demand. Viewers want to stump you with their weather questions. If you want to know anything about the weather, the mud slides out West, the big snowstorm that's headed to the East...

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Daybreak@cnn.com, daybreak@cnn.com. Try to stump Chad.

MYERS: There.

COSTELLO: It's tough to do.

MYERS: You can do it.

COSTELLO: Not usually, though, on weather questions. You're good.

MYERS: We'll see.

COSTELLO: We'll get back to you.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: It's been a busy week for President Bush. This is the final day of his five day fence mending trip to Europe. Right now, he's holding talks at the presidential palace in Slovakia.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president.

She joins us now from the capital -- good morning.

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

President Bush, of course, receiving a very warm welcome here from both the Slovak president and the prime minister. Very fitting that he should end his European tour here. This is a country, a staunch ally of the United States, a former communist state, now a member of NATO as well as the European Union.

President Bush, in less than an hour or so, is going to be delivering a major speech to the Slovak people. Of course, the highlight of today is going to be the summit that President Bush is going to have with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Medieval castle up on a hill.

Much has changed since President Bush said years ago that he first looked into Putin's eyes and saw the soul of a man that he could trust. The two leaders, of course, have worked closely together when it comes to anti-terrorism measures and security measures. But there are a number of concerns that have really cooled this relationship recently -- President Bush's concern over Putin's retreat from democratic reforms, his attempts to interfere in the affairs of his neighbors, Ukraine and Georgia, and Putin's announced cooperation with Iran in support of its nuclear program, as well as with Syria in the sales of missiles.

Now, President Bush says that because he has a close relationship with Mr. Putin, he'll be able to try to help convince him to come back to those democratic ways, both of them. And, of course, the president also gently pushing him, reminding him this week that membership of the World Trade Organization perhaps somewhat contingent on good behavior on Russia's part.

Having said that, there's going to be a lot of talk about values, but also there will be some concrete measures, some agreement that both leaders will walk away when it comes to fighting terrorism as well as security. One, a joint response to terrorist threats involving weapons of mass destruction, which would involve, really, parallel groups; Russia as well as American groups, perhaps based in a third country, that would be called in the case of an emergency or of a terrorist attack. This is something that has been milled around for some time, but because of cooperation with the tsunami disaster, they felt that perhaps this would be more realistic to be able to do at this time. Secondly, to speed the installation of security systems at Russian nuclear facilities. This has been a very big concern of the United States, to have what they call those loose nukes in the hands of terrorists.

Third, to replace highly enriched uranium fuel at research facilities around the world with low grade material to make sure that it is used for energy and not for weapons.

And, finally, an agreement to control the disbursement, I guess, if you will, of these shoulder fired missiles dubbed MANPADS used by terrorists to shoot down airlines.

Carol, I should tell you that the president called this a listening tour. This comes after many European leaders for the last couple of years believing that their concerns have largely been ignored, their institutions denigrated. President Bush reaching out and, of course, extending an olive branch, hoping that better relations will ensue once he gets back to Washington -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux reporting live this morning.

Thank you.

And, of course, CNN will be bringing you live coverage of the news conference with Presidents Bush and Putin just about six and a half hours from now. That'll hit you at 11:30 Eastern time.

In News Across America now, an intern teacher at a Sacramento high school has been suspended. Police say the teacher was caught having sex with a student. Police say 30-year-old Margaret De Barraicua was partially clothed in the front seat of her car with a 16-year-old. Her toddler was strapped in a car seat in the back.

Connecticut is suing over those Lance Armstrong bracelets. The state's attorney general filed suit against two companies that are accused of selling counterfeits. Authentic "live strong" bracelets only come in yellow. Sales of the bracelets go to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation that promotes cancer survivor programs. The state wants the money from the counterfeits turned over to Armstrong's foundation.

A Florida man is hoping a new hospital will help him get the kidney he needs. Alex Crionas was turned down for transplant surgery because he'd started a Web site to find a donor. Crionas said he found someone at a party who was willing to donate their kidney. Now they'll go to a different donor organization that says the Web site is not a problem.

And who's looking at you, kid? You may not have any idea who's looking into your personal information until it's too late. Now at least one person hopes to get even. Daniel Sieberg on identity theft in six minutes.

And Martha Stewart's identity is apparently worth its weight in gold, and she's not even out of jail yet. More on that in 32 minutes. And admit it, we've all done it, slowed down to gawk at an accident. We'll find out how Massachusetts is trying to crack down on rubber neckers in 36 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush has been meeting with the leader of Slovakia this hour. He's scheduled to meet with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, later today in Slovakia. The two are expected to sign agreements on nuclear security and anti-terrorism.

There is a new development in the death of a pregnant Texas woman and her young son. The business partner of Stephen Barbee, the man charged in the killings, has now been arrested. Police are holding Ronald Dodd on a parole violation while they decide whether more charges are warranted.

In money news, Apple is expanding its iPod line to include more memory. The company is introducing a six gigabyte version of the popular digital music player. They're also dropping the price of their original four gigabyte model.

In culture, the late Ray Charles has reached number one on the Billboard charts. After winning eight Grammys, sales of his last album, "Genius Loves Company," jumped more than 200 percent.

And in sports, Villanova held on down the stretch to conclude a 76-70 upset over third ranked Boston College. It's the Wildcats' fourth win over a top 25 team this season. It's just the second loss of the year for B.C. -- Chad.

MYERS: And only five days until March, Carol.

Waiting for the madness.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A California woman is the first person to file suit against the data collection company ChoicePoint. Tens of thousands of people may have been compromised by identity theft with the company.

Technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The fallout from a massive identity theft scam is still being felt by consumers across the country. It involves a company called ChoicePoint, and if you haven't heard of it, you still could be affected by it. They're a data mining service and basically they scour public records, including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, military records, the purchases you've made, the homes you've bought. And they gather all that information together, about 19 billion different records. And then third party businesses are able to access it, legitimate ones, and get that information to possibly approve a home loan or to give someone a job.

Now, in this case, the thieves posed as legitimate businesses, but they didn't even have to break in the door or get through the security at ChoicePoint. They posed as legitimate businesses and were able to obtain the records of 145,000 people across the U.S.

Now, despite ChoicePoint's best efforts to keep their records secure, they still fell into the wrong hands. But it didn't involve breaking in.

JAMES LEE, MARKETING DIRECTOR, CHOICEPOINT: This was not a hacking. This was not what we traditionally think of as a failure of a security system to protect an actual network. This was bright, smart people who were engaging in business fraud. Business fraud is big business in our economy today and no one is immune to it, including us.

SIEBERG: Of course, the irony is that ChoicePoint's point is to help reduce fraud. Now, these 145,000 people must worry if they could be the victim of an identity thief. They are also going to be sending out letters. ChoicePoint is sending out letters to the people who may have been affected by this to let them know and to alert them. And the company's CEO spoke to one of our affiliates, WXIA, about the possibility of any monetary compensation to the victims of identity theft.

DEREK SMITH, CEO, CHOICEPOINT: At this point, we really don't know how many consumers' identities have been compromised. But we will take a look at it and see what we can do to help those consumers as they come forward if, in fact, their identities have been compromised. We don't have a specific proposal to put in place today, but I think what people are seeing, we tried to address it as quickly and as effectively as we can, and that we will look at doing the right thing as we go forward.

SIEBERG: So you're not ruling out the possibility of some monetary help to these folks who are going to get stuck, perhaps, spending money to get their situations straightened out.

SMITH: Right. We're not ruling out anything at this point in terms of what we would do.

(END VIDEO TAPE) SIEBERG: Of course, it's important to keep track of your credit reporting information and to follow up on that at all times; also to think about where your personal data and personal information could be stored or shared -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Daniel.

What about you? Think you're safe from something like that? We'll see if you're ripe for a scam in the next hour of DAYBREAK when we talk with a reporter from "Money" magazine. There will also be a quiz for you to take to see if you are, you know, if you can be fooled by scammers.

Time now to check our DAYBREAK "Legal Briefs."

The selection of eight alternates in the Michael Jackson trial is expected to begin today. It took just a few days to pare down the more than 240 prospective jurors to the final 12. Of the regular jurors already chosen, eight are women and they're all mothers. There are no African-Americans on the panel.

The defense has rested in the Robert Blake murder trial without the mercurial actor ever taking the stand. Jurors were shown a videotaped interview with Blake. He talks about his daughter Rosie that he had with his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. The key live witness on the final day was Blake's adult daughter, who legally adopted Rosie.

Kobe Bryant will answer questions under oath for the first time since he was accused of rape in 2003. Lawyers for his accuser will sit down for a seven hour session with Bryant on Friday. The civil suit against Bryant could go to trial as early as this summer.

And the man accused of stalking Anna Kournikova will have to stay far away from her. William Lepeska cannot go within 1,000 yards of Kournikova. He faces 30 years in prison for two counts of battery on police officers. Lepeska also admitted stalking Scary Spice of The Spice Girls before turning his attention to Kournikova.

There is a lot more ahead on DAYBREAK.

Preemptive talk aimed at nuclear nations -- the president says all options on the table.

And guess who's coming to dinner? Martha Stewart is about to get out of prison. Find out what's next for her.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Thursday, February 24.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time for a little fun now on DAYBREAK.

"The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno made a royal pain of himself. Yes, it's time for "Late Night Laughs."

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

JAY LENO, HOST: You know something? I was watching one of these cable shows. You know these debates like "CROSSFIRE?" -- it wasn't "CROSSFIRE" -- and these debates get so nasty. Like they were debating same-sex marriages and one of the opponents said if you allow gays to marry, next thing they'll be letting dogs marry. Why do they have to bring Prince Charles and Camilla into this? You see what I mean?

We do a lot of jokes, but Charles and Camilla really aren't a very attractive couple. I was thinking -- show their picture. All right, now you see it? Look at them. Look at the two of them. All right, you know, you could switch their faces and it wouldn't make any difference. Switch their faces. You see what I'm saying? You see what I mean? It doesn't -- it doesn't make any...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's just wrong. You can't help but laugh, though, even though it's cruel, isn't it? That's your late night laugh for this morning.

Time for our DAYBREAK Eye-Opener right now.

The rain in California has not just been hard on people. Watch as several firefighters and concern citizens pull a 1,200 pound horse out of the mud. The horse fell into a deep mud hole at a ranch in Malibu and the horse is doing fine this morning.

Wildlife officials were forced to kill a large tiger near the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. It's unknown how the 425-pound tiger got there. Hunters have been tracking it for a few days. Officers say they couldn't tranquilize the animal since it could have attacked before the drugs took effect.

Kelli Davis is upset that her senior picture was banned from the high school yearbook in Orange Park, Florida. Davis, who is a lesbian, chose to wear a tuxedo for the picture instead of a wrap. The photo was rejected because it broke with school tradition. Her mother plans to appeal the decision to the school board today.

And here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Is it that time already? Martha Stewart is almost a free woman. We'll preview what's ahead for her after life in the slammer.

Plus, New York City invites the world to play. The latest on the Big Apple's for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

And a reminder -- "Stump The Weatherman" is back. If you have any weather questions, if you've been wondering about any weather phenomenon, try to stump Chad this morning -- daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLIFTON LEAF, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "FORTUNE": Intuit is a software maker for small businesses and individuals to manage their businesses and their personal finances. Quicken, Quick Books and Turbo Tax, those are the three big names. Intuit, in the software category, displaced Microsoft, which had been the leader in that category for years. People felt this is a software company that's well managed, they know what they're good at and they do it well.

The story behind Intuit, I think, really has to go back to founder Scott Cook. Here was this guy that was selling Crisco for P&G. He knows how to sell product. And he basically snapped that onto this geeky software and said here's how we sell this thing. And I think that's really the secret to their success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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