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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iran Nukes; 'War Room'; Martha Stewart's Future; The Brain in the Family

Aired February 24, 2005 - 05:30   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, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."

Presidents Bush of the U.S. and Putin of Russia meet today in Slovakia. The two are expected to announce creation of a joint terrorism response team. They'll meet with reporters at 11:30 Eastern. CNN does plan live coverage.

The latest suicide car bombing in Iraq was this morning outside of a police station in Tikrit. The blast killed 11 police officers and wounded 24.

Ten unions are suing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Dan Blair of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The suits claim Rumsfeld and Blair are circumventing Congress with new personnel rules for the Defense Department.

Good morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: President Bush is in Slovakia this morning, and he says all options are on the table with Iran. But experts say the effect of a U.S. air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would be limited.

More on this from Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All this week, while traveling in Europe, President Bush has sent a mixed message, dismissing the idea the U.S. is considering bombing Iran's suspected nuclear sites, while refusing to rule out such an attack in the future.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. Having said that, all options are on the table.

MCINTYRE: In fact, the U.S. came close to carrying out a preemptive strike against North Korea in 1994. As Pentagon officials later confirmed, plans were seriously considered to use Cruise missiles and stealth aircraft to destroy North Korea's Pyongyang (ph) nuclear reactor.

The air strike option was rejected by then Defense Secretary William Perry who decided not to risk all-out war on the Korea Peninsula. A war the Pentagon projected could result in one million casualties on both sides.

The crisis was averted when North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for nuclear technology that did not produce raw materials for nuclear weapons. But that 1994 agreement didn't stop North Korea from working on nuclear bombs in secret and now claiming to possess them.

Fast forward to 2005 in Iran, which claims its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent. Unlike in North Korea 11 years ago, Iran's nuclear facilities are dispersed, and the locations of many are unknown. While a single strike might set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, experts say it would not shut them down.

FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: What you're going to be able to do, if you do attack them, is probably not much more than interrupt, disrupt, or degrade, for a time, the onward march of the Iranians towards nuclear weapons.

MCINTYRE (on camera): Pentagon officials say the key to a successful preemptive strike is to couple it with a strong warning that any retaliation would be suicidal and to present the rest of the world with strong evidence that the strike was justified.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That leads us to "The War Room" now. Despite all the attention on Iran and nuclear weapons, there is real concern about that country getting advanced systems of conventional weapons. So is the U.S. cracking down on the sales of technology to Iran?

That's a question we put forth to our senior international editor David Clinch.

Good morning -- David.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol, and that is a very important point..

I was reading, with interest, a "Wall Street Journal" article this morning on their front page about continuing U.S. efforts to crack down on companies and middlemen that are thought to be sending high tech equipment, so-called jewel use equipment, ending up in Iran. Some of which, of course, could perhaps be used to develop weapon systems.

There's a great story there when you're paying so much attention to nuclear weapons. Iran and other countries that are flush with oil money are out there looking for weapons, looking for materials that they can use and somehow getting around sanctions. So a great story there.

Of course the problem is they have so much money that the real concern, to say if somebody was to put in that available weapons shop window, if you want to think about it that way, a nuclear weapon for $1 billion, they might be tempted to buy that, too.

COSTELLO: So they have all this oil money, yet sanctions might work?

CLINCH: Well that's a very good point. Because with President Bush now saying that they are -- quote -- "on the same page with Europe" and hoping for a diplomatic solution, the military threat, if there ever was one, certainly not on the front page right now. What effects will sanctions, and of course sanctions already exist, what effect would more sanctions on Iran have? That's always the question.

Will it solve the problem or just make them more likely to go out there looking for weapons on the black market. And again, the big ticket item would be a nuclear weapon which would potentially only be one shipload away from North Korea, if they were able to do that.

COSTELLO: So...

CLINCH: So sanctions are a very difficult issue.

COSTELLO: So at every stop the president has mentioned Iran. How is Iran reacting to his comments?

CLINCH: Well that again a good question. Iran making two points today. One, they are saying well the U.S. may say it's on the same page with Europe, but our talks, they say, the Iranians, their talks are with the Europeans. They are not interested in talking to the U.S. right now. So that's one point.

And they're also taking some not very subtle digs at President Bush, saying that, in their view, he's had to cave in to the European point of view that diplomacy is the way to go and military threats just won't get him anywhere.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, live in Atlanta, thank you.

It is a bittersweet day for American families, some are welcoming home the troops while others are saying goodbye. People lined the streets of Richmond to welcome home about four battalions of the Virginia National Guard from Iraq. Thirty of the soldiers received Purple Hearts.

In the meantime, in Colorado, 5,200 troops will soon leave for Iraq. Families and friends gathered for a ceremony at Fort Carson for the 3rd Armored Cavalry. Martha Stewart is about to leave her prison days behind. In five minutes, find out what she's got planned for her immediate release.

And traffic jam caused by rubberneckers gawking at an accident. One state thinks it has a solution. Find out where and what in less than 10 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Martha Stewart is not back yet, but she will be next week. Stewart will be released after five months in prison, and indications are she will be busy. A source tells CNN Stewart's lawyers are working on a deal with government regulators that would allow her to become CEO of her company again. No confirmation of that yet, but there is a lot more in the works as CNN's Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She is set to be ready to get planting, has ordered the seeds and has made extensive to-do lists. Martha Stewart has her work cut out for her when she's released from prison in Alderson, West Virginia, next week. One job, says marketers, will be to polish her image.

ROBIN KOVAL, THE KAPLAN THALER GROUP: I don't think it's been damaged. I think it's up for reevaluation and how she manages it, but she's a great brand.

SNOW: Her brand, though, has suffered since she's been in prison. Today, her company reported a $7 million loss in the last quarter, mainly because of lost advertising revenue.

But Wall Street has been betting on her comeback. Her company's stock has soared more than 100 percent since she began serving time in October. That's boosted her net worth by more than $500 million, a far cry from the pennies she earns in prison, where her magazine editor says she's been practicing yoga and foraging for dandelions on the prison grounds, among other things. It's expected she will share some of her experiences in a recently announced new syndicated show.

SUSAN LYNE, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: This is a forgiving country. People love redemption stories.

SNOW: Reality show king Mark Burnett is producing the show. It will begin airing in September. He'll also produce a new version of "The Apprentice" starring Stewart. And there have already been lines for tryouts. Stewart has a lot riding on it.

KOVAL: If she's popular on television, if she shows humility to the public, it's certainly not a sure thing, but I think advertisers will go where the readers are, and readers will go where the interest is, and I think Martha is going to be interesting again. SNOW: And it appears she's preparing for the part. Stylist Frederic Fekkai recently visited Alderson, reportedly to consult on coloring her blonde hair. This, as she gets ready to leave prison for five months of home confinement in Bedford, New York.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In just a few minutes, President Bush will speak to the Slovak people on the last leg of his European tour. Bush and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will meet later this morning to discuss the war on terror and Iran.

Today, Michael Jackson's attorneys and prosecutors will start selecting alternate jurors. Four men and eight women will hear the child molestation case. The judge estimates the trial will last five months.

In money news, AT&T may have to shell out half a billion dollars for its pre-paid phone cards. Federal government says the company dodged fees on those cards.

In culture, Natalie Portman caused quite a stir in Jerusalem. A group of ultra-Orthodox worshipers became angry when Portman began kissing her costar during the filming of a movie scene at the city's Western Wall. Orthodox law forbids contact between the sexes at this holy site.

In sports, Randy Moss is heading to Oakland. Reports say an agreement was reached that will send the enigmatic wide receiver from the Vikings to the Raiders. The Vikings will get the seventh pick in the upcoming draft.

Interesting -- Chad.

MYERS: Nice first round pick for them, yes, exactly.

Hey, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad, thank you.

We have breaking news. That's why I'm not paying complete attention to you.

We understand, according to The Associated Press, that Pope John Paul is heading back to the hospital. As you know, he made an appearance just last Sunday in St. Peter's Square, said a few words to the masses gathered there. He had suffered from a respiratory ailment that came about because of the flu, and he spent several days in the hospital. But this morning, we are getting word from The Associated Press that Pope John Paul is going back to that hospital. When we get more information about this of course we'll pass it along to you.

What makes men and women so different from each other? Coming up next, a look at how the battle of the sexes was born.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A little bit more information about Pope John Paul. As I told you just a few minutes ago, Pope John Paul headed back to the same hospital he was treated at for the flu and that respiratory ailment. Well, the Vatican, A.P., Reuters, they're actually getting their information from the Italian news service, ANSA. They say the Pope has flu-like symptoms again and he suffered a relapse. That's what they're saying. And of course when I get more information, I will pass it along to you.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, the government is preparing to test a Bird Flu vaccine. Authorities are also stockpiling both vaccine and anti-viral drugs. This comes as health officials warn of a growing threat from a deadly strain of Avian Flu in Asia.

In the fight against AIDS, scientists now say they found an important clue as to how HIV mutates to evade the immune system. Researchers say this information could advance the search for new drugs and a vaccine against AIDS.

And a warning for those of you on high protein diets, the source of your protein really does matter. Research on 30,000 women has found that women are more likely to die from heart disease. That is if they often substitute red meat for carbohydrates. In contrast, swapping vegetable sources of protein for carbs appears to protect women from heart disease.

Shifting now from your heart to your brain. We can all pretty much tell that men think differently from women. And we know who is the superior sex, don't we? But let's take a scientific look at the gender differences of the brain.

For that we turn to CNN's Elizabeth Cohen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL GURIAN, AUTHOR: I could have put that away.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They notice it when they make dinner. They notice it when they walk the dog.

GURIAN: There are about 100 identified structural differences between the male and the female brain. COHEN: Family therapist Michael Gurian and his wife, Gayle Reid (ph) Gurian, say they notice all the time how differently their brains function. How he tends when they're talking to get right to the point.

GURIAN: Your taking in all sorts of stuff, whereas, all I am doing is I am listening for what I think is the key variable and I hone right in on that. And that's really very male/female.

COHEN: Gurian, author of the book "What Could He Be Thinking," says when scientists looked inside men's and women's brains, literally with MRIs, they find a biological reason for this difference.

Women, in general, have a larger corpus callosum. That's the area of the brain that handles communication between the two hemispheres. So the two sides talk better to each other. That's one theory as to why studies show women tend to multi-task better.

GURIAN: Female brain approach: gather a lot of material, gather a lot of information, feel a lot, hear a lot, sense a lot.

COHEN: MRIs show men, on the other hand, tend to move information more easily within each hemisphere.

GURIAN: Men, because we tend to compartmentalize our communication into a smaller part of the brain, we tend to be better at getting right to the issue.

COHEN: MRIs also show men have more activity in mechanical and spatial centers of the brain. So does that mean scientists think men really do have better innate science and math abilities? In a way, yes.

Neuropsychiatrist Ruben Gur studies the differences between men's and women's brains.

RUBEN GUR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Our top performers on spatial tasks were almost all men.

COHEN: But scientists say, in other ways, women's brains are superior. Women have more activity in verbal centers, and in general have 15 percent more blood flow to the brain.

GURIAN: They're going to be able to do a lot more with 15 percent more blood flow.

COHEN: Researchers point out, of course, there are women who do highly complicated math and science and there are men with great verbal skills. It's not black and white. There's a lot of gray matter when you're talking about the human brain.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

And I'm searching for any more bits of information I can about the pope. Pope John Paul has been taken back to the same hospital where he was treated for the flu and that respiratory ailment. According to Reuters and The A.P. and an Italian news service, the Vatican is saying the pope needs more specialist treatment and checks. They say his flu-like symptoms have returned. When we get more information, I'll pass it along.

Are you an easy target, a potential victim of identity theft? In the next hour of DAYBREAK, a quiz to see if you're scam bait.

Plus, incredible new pictures from a digital camera found on a Thailand beach after the tsunami.

All that, plus much more, just ahead on DAYBREAK.

(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 - 05:30   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, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."

Presidents Bush of the U.S. and Putin of Russia meet today in Slovakia. The two are expected to announce creation of a joint terrorism response team. They'll meet with reporters at 11:30 Eastern. CNN does plan live coverage.

The latest suicide car bombing in Iraq was this morning outside of a police station in Tikrit. The blast killed 11 police officers and wounded 24.

Ten unions are suing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Dan Blair of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The suits claim Rumsfeld and Blair are circumventing Congress with new personnel rules for the Defense Department.

Good morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: President Bush is in Slovakia this morning, and he says all options are on the table with Iran. But experts say the effect of a U.S. air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would be limited.

More on this from Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All this week, while traveling in Europe, President Bush has sent a mixed message, dismissing the idea the U.S. is considering bombing Iran's suspected nuclear sites, while refusing to rule out such an attack in the future.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. Having said that, all options are on the table.

MCINTYRE: In fact, the U.S. came close to carrying out a preemptive strike against North Korea in 1994. As Pentagon officials later confirmed, plans were seriously considered to use Cruise missiles and stealth aircraft to destroy North Korea's Pyongyang (ph) nuclear reactor.

The air strike option was rejected by then Defense Secretary William Perry who decided not to risk all-out war on the Korea Peninsula. A war the Pentagon projected could result in one million casualties on both sides.

The crisis was averted when North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for nuclear technology that did not produce raw materials for nuclear weapons. But that 1994 agreement didn't stop North Korea from working on nuclear bombs in secret and now claiming to possess them.

Fast forward to 2005 in Iran, which claims its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent. Unlike in North Korea 11 years ago, Iran's nuclear facilities are dispersed, and the locations of many are unknown. While a single strike might set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, experts say it would not shut them down.

FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: What you're going to be able to do, if you do attack them, is probably not much more than interrupt, disrupt, or degrade, for a time, the onward march of the Iranians towards nuclear weapons.

MCINTYRE (on camera): Pentagon officials say the key to a successful preemptive strike is to couple it with a strong warning that any retaliation would be suicidal and to present the rest of the world with strong evidence that the strike was justified.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That leads us to "The War Room" now. Despite all the attention on Iran and nuclear weapons, there is real concern about that country getting advanced systems of conventional weapons. So is the U.S. cracking down on the sales of technology to Iran?

That's a question we put forth to our senior international editor David Clinch.

Good morning -- David.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol, and that is a very important point..

I was reading, with interest, a "Wall Street Journal" article this morning on their front page about continuing U.S. efforts to crack down on companies and middlemen that are thought to be sending high tech equipment, so-called jewel use equipment, ending up in Iran. Some of which, of course, could perhaps be used to develop weapon systems.

There's a great story there when you're paying so much attention to nuclear weapons. Iran and other countries that are flush with oil money are out there looking for weapons, looking for materials that they can use and somehow getting around sanctions. So a great story there.

Of course the problem is they have so much money that the real concern, to say if somebody was to put in that available weapons shop window, if you want to think about it that way, a nuclear weapon for $1 billion, they might be tempted to buy that, too.

COSTELLO: So they have all this oil money, yet sanctions might work?

CLINCH: Well that's a very good point. Because with President Bush now saying that they are -- quote -- "on the same page with Europe" and hoping for a diplomatic solution, the military threat, if there ever was one, certainly not on the front page right now. What effects will sanctions, and of course sanctions already exist, what effect would more sanctions on Iran have? That's always the question.

Will it solve the problem or just make them more likely to go out there looking for weapons on the black market. And again, the big ticket item would be a nuclear weapon which would potentially only be one shipload away from North Korea, if they were able to do that.

COSTELLO: So...

CLINCH: So sanctions are a very difficult issue.

COSTELLO: So at every stop the president has mentioned Iran. How is Iran reacting to his comments?

CLINCH: Well that again a good question. Iran making two points today. One, they are saying well the U.S. may say it's on the same page with Europe, but our talks, they say, the Iranians, their talks are with the Europeans. They are not interested in talking to the U.S. right now. So that's one point.

And they're also taking some not very subtle digs at President Bush, saying that, in their view, he's had to cave in to the European point of view that diplomacy is the way to go and military threats just won't get him anywhere.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, live in Atlanta, thank you.

It is a bittersweet day for American families, some are welcoming home the troops while others are saying goodbye. People lined the streets of Richmond to welcome home about four battalions of the Virginia National Guard from Iraq. Thirty of the soldiers received Purple Hearts.

In the meantime, in Colorado, 5,200 troops will soon leave for Iraq. Families and friends gathered for a ceremony at Fort Carson for the 3rd Armored Cavalry. Martha Stewart is about to leave her prison days behind. In five minutes, find out what she's got planned for her immediate release.

And traffic jam caused by rubberneckers gawking at an accident. One state thinks it has a solution. Find out where and what in less than 10 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Martha Stewart is not back yet, but she will be next week. Stewart will be released after five months in prison, and indications are she will be busy. A source tells CNN Stewart's lawyers are working on a deal with government regulators that would allow her to become CEO of her company again. No confirmation of that yet, but there is a lot more in the works as CNN's Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She is set to be ready to get planting, has ordered the seeds and has made extensive to-do lists. Martha Stewart has her work cut out for her when she's released from prison in Alderson, West Virginia, next week. One job, says marketers, will be to polish her image.

ROBIN KOVAL, THE KAPLAN THALER GROUP: I don't think it's been damaged. I think it's up for reevaluation and how she manages it, but she's a great brand.

SNOW: Her brand, though, has suffered since she's been in prison. Today, her company reported a $7 million loss in the last quarter, mainly because of lost advertising revenue.

But Wall Street has been betting on her comeback. Her company's stock has soared more than 100 percent since she began serving time in October. That's boosted her net worth by more than $500 million, a far cry from the pennies she earns in prison, where her magazine editor says she's been practicing yoga and foraging for dandelions on the prison grounds, among other things. It's expected she will share some of her experiences in a recently announced new syndicated show.

SUSAN LYNE, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: This is a forgiving country. People love redemption stories.

SNOW: Reality show king Mark Burnett is producing the show. It will begin airing in September. He'll also produce a new version of "The Apprentice" starring Stewart. And there have already been lines for tryouts. Stewart has a lot riding on it.

KOVAL: If she's popular on television, if she shows humility to the public, it's certainly not a sure thing, but I think advertisers will go where the readers are, and readers will go where the interest is, and I think Martha is going to be interesting again. SNOW: And it appears she's preparing for the part. Stylist Frederic Fekkai recently visited Alderson, reportedly to consult on coloring her blonde hair. This, as she gets ready to leave prison for five months of home confinement in Bedford, New York.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In just a few minutes, President Bush will speak to the Slovak people on the last leg of his European tour. Bush and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will meet later this morning to discuss the war on terror and Iran.

Today, Michael Jackson's attorneys and prosecutors will start selecting alternate jurors. Four men and eight women will hear the child molestation case. The judge estimates the trial will last five months.

In money news, AT&T may have to shell out half a billion dollars for its pre-paid phone cards. Federal government says the company dodged fees on those cards.

In culture, Natalie Portman caused quite a stir in Jerusalem. A group of ultra-Orthodox worshipers became angry when Portman began kissing her costar during the filming of a movie scene at the city's Western Wall. Orthodox law forbids contact between the sexes at this holy site.

In sports, Randy Moss is heading to Oakland. Reports say an agreement was reached that will send the enigmatic wide receiver from the Vikings to the Raiders. The Vikings will get the seventh pick in the upcoming draft.

Interesting -- Chad.

MYERS: Nice first round pick for them, yes, exactly.

Hey, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad, thank you.

We have breaking news. That's why I'm not paying complete attention to you.

We understand, according to The Associated Press, that Pope John Paul is heading back to the hospital. As you know, he made an appearance just last Sunday in St. Peter's Square, said a few words to the masses gathered there. He had suffered from a respiratory ailment that came about because of the flu, and he spent several days in the hospital. But this morning, we are getting word from The Associated Press that Pope John Paul is going back to that hospital. When we get more information about this of course we'll pass it along to you.

What makes men and women so different from each other? Coming up next, a look at how the battle of the sexes was born.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A little bit more information about Pope John Paul. As I told you just a few minutes ago, Pope John Paul headed back to the same hospital he was treated at for the flu and that respiratory ailment. Well, the Vatican, A.P., Reuters, they're actually getting their information from the Italian news service, ANSA. They say the Pope has flu-like symptoms again and he suffered a relapse. That's what they're saying. And of course when I get more information, I will pass it along to you.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, the government is preparing to test a Bird Flu vaccine. Authorities are also stockpiling both vaccine and anti-viral drugs. This comes as health officials warn of a growing threat from a deadly strain of Avian Flu in Asia.

In the fight against AIDS, scientists now say they found an important clue as to how HIV mutates to evade the immune system. Researchers say this information could advance the search for new drugs and a vaccine against AIDS.

And a warning for those of you on high protein diets, the source of your protein really does matter. Research on 30,000 women has found that women are more likely to die from heart disease. That is if they often substitute red meat for carbohydrates. In contrast, swapping vegetable sources of protein for carbs appears to protect women from heart disease.

Shifting now from your heart to your brain. We can all pretty much tell that men think differently from women. And we know who is the superior sex, don't we? But let's take a scientific look at the gender differences of the brain.

For that we turn to CNN's Elizabeth Cohen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL GURIAN, AUTHOR: I could have put that away.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They notice it when they make dinner. They notice it when they walk the dog.

GURIAN: There are about 100 identified structural differences between the male and the female brain. COHEN: Family therapist Michael Gurian and his wife, Gayle Reid (ph) Gurian, say they notice all the time how differently their brains function. How he tends when they're talking to get right to the point.

GURIAN: Your taking in all sorts of stuff, whereas, all I am doing is I am listening for what I think is the key variable and I hone right in on that. And that's really very male/female.

COHEN: Gurian, author of the book "What Could He Be Thinking," says when scientists looked inside men's and women's brains, literally with MRIs, they find a biological reason for this difference.

Women, in general, have a larger corpus callosum. That's the area of the brain that handles communication between the two hemispheres. So the two sides talk better to each other. That's one theory as to why studies show women tend to multi-task better.

GURIAN: Female brain approach: gather a lot of material, gather a lot of information, feel a lot, hear a lot, sense a lot.

COHEN: MRIs show men, on the other hand, tend to move information more easily within each hemisphere.

GURIAN: Men, because we tend to compartmentalize our communication into a smaller part of the brain, we tend to be better at getting right to the issue.

COHEN: MRIs also show men have more activity in mechanical and spatial centers of the brain. So does that mean scientists think men really do have better innate science and math abilities? In a way, yes.

Neuropsychiatrist Ruben Gur studies the differences between men's and women's brains.

RUBEN GUR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Our top performers on spatial tasks were almost all men.

COHEN: But scientists say, in other ways, women's brains are superior. Women have more activity in verbal centers, and in general have 15 percent more blood flow to the brain.

GURIAN: They're going to be able to do a lot more with 15 percent more blood flow.

COHEN: Researchers point out, of course, there are women who do highly complicated math and science and there are men with great verbal skills. It's not black and white. There's a lot of gray matter when you're talking about the human brain.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

And I'm searching for any more bits of information I can about the pope. Pope John Paul has been taken back to the same hospital where he was treated for the flu and that respiratory ailment. According to Reuters and The A.P. and an Italian news service, the Vatican is saying the pope needs more specialist treatment and checks. They say his flu-like symptoms have returned. When we get more information, I'll pass it along.

Are you an easy target, a potential victim of identity theft? In the next hour of DAYBREAK, a quiz to see if you're scam bait.

Plus, incredible new pictures from a digital camera found on a Thailand beach after the tsunami.

All that, plus much more, just ahead on DAYBREAK.

(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