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CNN Live At Daybreak
Latest on Condition of Pope John Paul II; Preview of the Oscar Ceremonies
Aired February 25, 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, around the world this hour, concern for Pope John Paul, back in a Rome hospital. A Vatican update is expected to come this morning.
Plus, hear the gunshots? In a Texas courthouse, a shooting gallery erupts as an angry husband responds to a court summons.
And one of Hollywood's leading men is also a star of the open road. He drops in on the troops in Georgia and at CNN. I ask all the questions you want to know.
It is Friday, February 25.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Let's get right to our top story this morning, the pope's health. And the news may not be very encouraging.
Live now to CNN senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers -- Walt, any update at all?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, is said to be resting comfortably in the Gemelli Hospital, which you see behind me. But I think this headline in "La Republica" says it more clearly -- "Fears For the Pope After An Operation."
Now, of course, the official Vatican word is that the operation was successful. Indeed, it was. It was a tracheotomy, a relatively simple operation. An incision is made in the pope's throat and into his windpipe and that enables air to get into his lungs. He is breathing with the help of a respirator. Again, relatively minor operation unless your 84-years-old and unless you have a long history if infirmities and unless you're suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
Indeed, that may be part of the reason why the tracheotomy was necessary. With Parkinson's you have degeneration of the muscles, in this case, some of the throat muscles. The pope would have had difficulty getting air in and out of his lungs because of congestion. The simple difficulty of swallowing his own saliva. So, as I say, air is being pumped into his lungs. We're expecting a medical bulletin, another one, in about an hour and a half. No one, however, is expecting this pope to come out of hospital any time soon. Indeed, he does not have his voice anymore. He cannot speak, at least for three to six weeks, according to the medical reports we're getting now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers live in Rome this morning.
Thank you.
Other stories in the news this morning, President Bush back in Washington after a five day European trip. He spent the last day of his trip with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He says they had a candid and open exchange of views despite differences over Iraq and Iran.
The support of an openly gay church leader is threatening again to split Episcopalians. At a meeting in Northern Ireland, members of the U.S. and Canadian church groups were asked to leave a major church body.
In three hours, two British soldiers could learn their fate. They were found guilty of prison abuse in Basra. Both could face up to two years behind bars. CNN will let you know when the final decision is handed down.
And coming through, it is a snowy morning in the Northeast. This is Connecticut. Ooh, and that's what it looks like, because I know firsthand. Residents across the Northeast are waking up to a winter storm warning. The snow just stopped here in New York City, though -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It did. The snow stopped in D.C. The snow stopped all the way across Philadelphia now. Finally, Carol, the snow has pulled out, right down to Atlantic City and Wildwood, the snow is over. But not over yet for Connecticut, for Rhode Island, for Boston and for the Cape, for Block Island. Areas there could still pick up another three to four inches before the storm quickly moves out to the ocean today, although obviously 25 in New York City. That snow isn't melting. Four inches officially on the ground at Central Park and a little bit more into parts of Connecticut and also into New Jersey. Many areas there between the fives and the sixes. We'll have a big list of all those snow numbers for you in a little bit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Back to the pope now. Reaction to his return to the hospital and surgery is coming from all over the world. President Bush issued this statement during his return from Europe. He says: "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers and we wish him a speedy recovery and a return to the service of the church and all humanity."
In the meantime, Catholics around the world are praying for the 84-year-old pontiff. In Poland, people gathered at a special mass in the town where the pope was born. And in other cities throughout Poland, people went to their churches to offer their own get well prayers. In Mexico City, a mass was held at the Basilica of Guadalupe. Many people gathered around the large statue of Pope John Paul II that keeps watch over the church. And here in New York City, the prayers were being held at St. Patrick's Cathedral. A special mass will be held there this morning.
That Vatican announcement that the pope was returned to the hospital is not surprising to many, considering he suffers from a number of chronic illnesses. And we want to talk about those illnesses now.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has joined me now to talk about the pope's health -- good morning.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Help us understand a little more what having a tracheotomy is like and how the pope might be feeling this morning with that in his throat.
COHEN: Right. It's actually a relatively simple, mechanical procedure. It's done around the world. And basically what they do is they insert a wind -- they insert a pipe at the base of his neck a little bit above the collarbone. And that allows the air to flow in and out. And so it's actually, it's pretty simple. You sort of imagine a hollow tube going in sort of right around here and that allows the air to flow in and out.
COSTELLO: So, in essence, you're breathing, you're breathing through your throat.
COHEN: Right.
COSTELLO: And he's doing that with the help of a respirator right now.
COHEN: That's right. So there are two procedures that happened yesterday. One was the tracheotomy and the other is a respirator. A respirator is a machine that basically breathes for you or helps you breathe. So it helps your lungs, you know, the chest rise and the chest fall. The machine does that. And so what that indicates, obviously, is that he's having trouble breathing. And that's why he needed those two procedures.
COSTELLO: A couple of questions.
Can he eat with this in this throat?
COHEN: He can eat and, in fact, one of the issues that may be happening here is that sometimes people with Parkinson's Disease, when they eat, sometimes particles can actually get into the lungs. So that's, you know, we don't know how advanced his Parkinson's is. We don't know if he has that problem. But that is something the doctors would be concerned about. COSTELLO: Because he had to have this kind of procedure done, does that mean there is fluid in his lungs and that's why he's finding it difficult to breathe?
COHEN: It does not necessarily mean that. We do not exactly know why. They haven't given details as to why he's having difficulty breathing. Is there fluid in the lungs? Is there some kind of inflammation around the airway? Is there some kind of obstruction? We don't know that.
But we do know that Parkinson's patients, the muscles, the muscles that control every part of the body, really, aren't working as well as they should, including the muscles that regulate breathing and including the muscles that would expel fluid from the lungs.
So, again, something else doctors would be looking at.
COSTELLO: Parkinson's is just one of the many problems that the pope has. He's been, you know, he's been shot. He has been having trouble over the years with his health.
How is all of this combined affecting what's happening to him right now?
COHEN: Right. All of those things mean something at this point. You have a lot going on. You have an 84-year-old man. You have someone who's frail. You have someone who, as you said, had a history of problems. You have someone who's had, also, intestinal problems, is another issue that he's had. He had flu 10 days ago. They said that he was recovered enough to get out of the hospital and then had to go back into the hospital. And it's important to remember that when the pope leaves the hospital, he's really going to another medical facility. There is a facility within the Vatican, which a lot of people don't know there's a lot of very advanced technology there for him to use.
So when you put all of these things one on top of the other, the Parkinson's on top of the flu on top of his frailty, those are all, again, things, details that the doctors need to look at, because at that age, any one thing can sort of make the situation take a turn.
COSTELLO: OK, let me ask you this. If the pope needs that tracheotomy to remain in place for some time, can he be released from the hospital and go about his business with the trach still in?
COHEN: Conceivably he could. Conceivably you can go about and you can do things with a tracheotomy in your throat. You can't talk. You can cover the hole and try to talk, but it's not exactly the kind of clear diction that one might expect, so that he would -- it would be a difficult thing to do. But, yes, you can be ambulatory. You can walk with a tracheotomy.
COSTELLO: Elizabeth Cohen, you're going to stick around and be with us throughout these next two hours.
COHEN: That's right. COSTELLO: Thank you very much.
A deadly gun battle outside of a Tyler, Texas courthouse leaves three dead. A man angry over a child support dispute opens fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing his ex-wife and a bystander. He was finally gunned down by police, but only after he wounded his son and three officers. The ringing gunfire also sparked terror inside the courtroom.
Those dramatic moments were caught on tape.
(VIDEO TAPE, COURTESY CHANNEL 7)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Inside the court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's still going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just started going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down! Stay down!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside the courtroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Again, police eventually killed that gunman. In other "Stories Across America" now, a Cleveland woman was jailed for allegedly attacking her child's elementary school principal. Witnesses say the two began to argue when the woman was called back to the school after dropping off her 7-year-old at school before it opened. Charges will not be filed in the case until the principal files a formal complaint.
Special guests gathered in alba for the groundbreaking of a new Tuskegee Airman Museum. Among those helping out was 84-year-old former Airman Harry Ford. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African- American pilots in the U.S. military. The $29 million museum should be completed within two years.
Jerry Falwell's son says his father could be released from the hospital as early as this weekend. The elder Falwell entered a Lynchburg, Virginia hospital on Sunday with pneumonia. His son says the reverend had a rough time, but he is recovering.
And still to come this morning on DAYBREAK, how do you fight human nature when it comes to traffic tie-ups? Massachusetts thinks it has the answer. You could say this is one way to keep accidents under wraps.
Plus, there is a much different face on this year's Academy Awards, or should we say diverse face, instead? Sibila Vargas has that.
And Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey makes a stop with us on his caravan swing across the country.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Pope John Paul is resting in a Rome hospital this morning after emergency surgery to ease his breathing. An update on the pope's condition is expected in the next hour.
How does Governor Swann sound? Lynn Swann, wide receiver in the Pittsburgh Steelers' four Super Bowl heydays says he might run for governor of Pennsylvania. Swann has formed a campaign committee for a possible run as a Republican next year.
In money news, no Big Apple Wal-Mart any time soon. New York developers have scrapped plans to build the city's first Wal-Mart. They were swamped by opposition from labor unions, small businesses and residents.
In culture, noted director Quentin Tarantino is taking a turn on the small screen. Tarantino has signed on to direct the season finale of the CBS drama "CSI." Producers say Tarantino also came up with a story line for the May 19th episode.
In sports, Tiger Woods easily won the first round contest in the Accenture Match Play Championship. Woods joins other top seeds like V.J. Singh and Phil Mickelson in the second round.
To the forecast center and Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
I'm not sure whether he straightened out that putter or bought a new one or whatever, but he was flawless. I think he putted like 18 times yesterday. It was amazing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Oh, Chad?
MYERS: Yes, ma'am?
COSTELLO: Do you have that cheesy lightning sound effect ready to go?
MYERS: Well, that's -- I don't have sound effects up here, but there you go. The audio room does.
COSTELLO: Ask and ye shall receive. You know, we did "Stump The Weatherman" yesterday. It was the big comeback. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: But then we had so much breaking news we didn't have time to answer your questions.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So, Chad is going to answer them today.
MYERS: We had some really cool questions. And, actually, some of the questions, I actually had to do a little bit of research on, as well.
COSTELLO: Oh.
MYERS: So that's almost stumping me, really.
But the one that caught my eye was actually from Richard in New Jersey. He said: "If a hurricane forms either in the Southern or the Northern Hemisphere and it crosses the equator, will it continue to move in the same direction or will it stop and spin the other way?"
Well, in fact, that's never really happened before, but there are scientists that have put this through a model. If the storm is actually strong enough, like a category three or a category four, and it really does make a run at the equator, it will have so much momentum by the time it gets there, it will continue to go across the equator in the same direction, at least for a while, and then slow down and come to a stop and either fizzle out or possibly turn in the other direction.
But as it crosses the equator, it'll still be going in the same direction that it was. The same reason like when you pull the string on a top it eventually spins and slows down and slows down and slows down and it comes to a stop. Well, it'll finally be slowing and slowing and slowing on the way down there.
I thought that was really cool.
And, also, Gary from California said: "But I'm wondering if there is any correlation between sunspots and the weather, or really the climate."
And we've been studying a lot about that. Some of the latest numbers show that sunspot activity does increase and decrease depending on the numbers of sunspots, where they are, how they are in the sun, the amount of incoming solar radiation. So there's more heat or less heat depending on whether there's more sunspots or less sunspots out there.
COSTELLO: Cool. And you will answer more of our viewers' questions from yesterday.
MYERS: I have loads of them, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, no. You're right, they are good questions. MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: The Academy Awards are Sunday night and there is plenty of speculation about who will take home the coveted golden statues. But some Hollywood observers say this year's minority representation among the nominees is already a victory.
Sibila Vargas has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "RAY," COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS)
JAMIE FOXX, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: I said now Georgia...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the character he plays in "Ray," Jamie Foxx has made history in the world of entertainment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Jamie Foxx in "Ray."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: At this year's Academy Award nominations, Foxx heard his name twice, once for the lead role in "Ray," and again for his supporting role in "Collateral," an unprecedented feat for a black actor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Maria, Full of Grace."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: But the story of diversity at these Oscars doesn't end here. For the first time ever, people of color were nominated in every acting category, including Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno.
CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: It's wonderful. People just like good stories and good acting. And I think people are changing.
FOXX: It's fabulous. It lets you know that things are moving.
VARGAS: In the Awards' 77 year history, black actors account for just over 3 percent of nominees. This year, they are 25 percent, a far cry from 1996, when a complete lack of black acting nominees spurred Jesse Jackson and others to protest the awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JESSE JACKSON, PROTESTED OSCARS IN 1996: There is no wrong time to march against injustice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Nine years later, the nominations also include supporting actress Sophie Okonedo from "Hotel Rwanda."
(on camera): Do you feel like there's a great movement for diversity?
SOPHIE OKONEDO, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I feel that maybe if this film had come out 10 years ago, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the Oscars, you know? So I do think there is a move towards that.
VARGAS (voice-over): This year the move was fueled by "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ray," two Oscar caliber bio-pics which showcased a broad array of black performers.
FOXX: Everybody got a chance to see these guys put it down and so now we've got a chance. There are a lot of scripts out there that we're going ask Taylor Hackford to help us out with.
VARGAS: "Ray" director Taylor Hackford and others will have the opportunity to bring more roles for all people of color to the big screen, and Jamie Foxx is convinced they will.
FOXX: But I know the cast that you see right here, this is not the end of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "RAY," COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS)
FOXX: Yes, well, I'm going to make it do what it do, baby. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And CNN will be live at the Kodak Theater in the heart of Hollywood for the 77th Academy Awards. Join Sibila Vargas and Karen Bryant Sunday night for an Oscar preview, "Hollywood's Gold Rush." That's Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
A bit of new just in to CNN, and it's a bit of bright news about Pope John Paul II. Apparently he has been removed from his respirator and is breathing on his own. This is according to the Italian News Service. Of course, as you know, he underwent a tracheotomy to help him breathe and he was also put on a respirator. But, again, the Italian News Agency is reporting the pope has been removed from that respirator now and he is breathing on his own. When we get new information, of course, we'll continue to pass it along to you.
Well, fans have bought his albums and flocked to his concerts by the millions. Now, thousands more can see him live in Las Vegas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY MANILOW, ENTERTAINER: My goal ever since I began -- back in 1821, that was -- when I got the opportunity to make records, live in knew that I wasn't a great singer. There were many, many, many better singers out there than I would ever be able to be. You know, you've got your from Sinatras to Luther Vandross to Sting to, you know, I mean -- and I could never compete with those kinds of wonderful, that talent.
But what I could do is be myself and connect with them. And that was my goal, to connect with a group of strangers in the dark. That was it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And boy, has he connected. I go one-on-one with Barry Manilow in the next hour of DAYBREAK. In Las Vegas, I was.
We're back here in New York in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make me feel like dancing. I want to dance the night away. You make me feel like dancing.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MYERS: What's that, the Bee Gees? I don't even know who that is. Is that Barry Gibb?
COSTELLO: It is Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees.
MYERS: Oh my god.
COSTELLO: It's good that you...
MYERS: Oh, Leo Sayer.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's Leo Sayer. We were both wrong. We're pathetic.
OK, well, let's talk about...
MYERS: Well, those are the early morning laughs. Now we'll get the "Late Night Laughs."
COSTELLO: Exactly. Exactly. Let's get to the "Late Night Laughs" because David Letterman was talking about just how cold it is in New York City.
Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: It's so cold, earlier today I saw a rat wearing a North Face jacket. Honest to god, it's cold.
It's so cold today I actually enjoyed the hot breath of a mugger on the back of my neck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, get him out of here.
LETTERMAN: It's so cold today, Bill was happy to get the third degree from Hillary.
It's so cold in New York City today, Christo draped himself in fabric. Bush says that the idea that the United States is going to attack Iran is ridiculous. He says the idea that we will be attacking Iran is ridiculous. And do you know what that means? We'll be attacking Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, how did he go from weather to Iran?
MYERS: I know. I think there (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: It was not a good segue.
MYERS: I think we cut that. He was a weatherman for a while, though, in Indiana. Did you know that?
COSTELLO: Yes, at WTHR, where I worked for a short time.
MYERS: And his famous quote?
COSTELLO: I don't remember.
MYERS: "It's hailing the size of canned hams." It didn't go over...
COSTELLO: Why don't you work some of that stuff into your act?
MYERS: Because it didn't go over very well. You know, he's not a weatherman anymore.
COSTELLO: That's true.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
A rookie highway patrolman in Ohio is being held a hero after rescuing a truck driver from a freezing pond. The truck had slid off the road and into this 12 foot deep retention pond. The driver was treated for hypothermia.
The Big Apple has nothing on Somerville, Massachusetts. The town has unveiled its own conceptual art project. The Somerville Gates were meant as a spoof of the Christo project in New York's Central Park. But these gates were only up for a day. They were also under a constant danger of being attacked by the mayor's cat.
One of the gates will be auctioned at a Massachusetts art show in April.
A Louisiana rap artist is releasing a new CD that has the local sheriff pretty darned upset. It seems the rapper C-Murder is actually in jail awaiting trial for murder. C-Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller, recorded his entire CD and music video while in prison. Now the sheriff thinks some of the money from the CD sales should be turned over to him.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Can't help but stare at a traffic accident? Find out what one state is doing about rubbernecking motorists.
Plus, what his leading man had to say about the Hollywood rumor mill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, ACTOR: That'll happen. Rumors will spread. They do, don't they?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired February 25, 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, around the world this hour, concern for Pope John Paul, back in a Rome hospital. A Vatican update is expected to come this morning.
Plus, hear the gunshots? In a Texas courthouse, a shooting gallery erupts as an angry husband responds to a court summons.
And one of Hollywood's leading men is also a star of the open road. He drops in on the troops in Georgia and at CNN. I ask all the questions you want to know.
It is Friday, February 25.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Let's get right to our top story this morning, the pope's health. And the news may not be very encouraging.
Live now to CNN senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers -- Walt, any update at all?
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, is said to be resting comfortably in the Gemelli Hospital, which you see behind me. But I think this headline in "La Republica" says it more clearly -- "Fears For the Pope After An Operation."
Now, of course, the official Vatican word is that the operation was successful. Indeed, it was. It was a tracheotomy, a relatively simple operation. An incision is made in the pope's throat and into his windpipe and that enables air to get into his lungs. He is breathing with the help of a respirator. Again, relatively minor operation unless your 84-years-old and unless you have a long history if infirmities and unless you're suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
Indeed, that may be part of the reason why the tracheotomy was necessary. With Parkinson's you have degeneration of the muscles, in this case, some of the throat muscles. The pope would have had difficulty getting air in and out of his lungs because of congestion. The simple difficulty of swallowing his own saliva. So, as I say, air is being pumped into his lungs. We're expecting a medical bulletin, another one, in about an hour and a half. No one, however, is expecting this pope to come out of hospital any time soon. Indeed, he does not have his voice anymore. He cannot speak, at least for three to six weeks, according to the medical reports we're getting now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers live in Rome this morning.
Thank you.
Other stories in the news this morning, President Bush back in Washington after a five day European trip. He spent the last day of his trip with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He says they had a candid and open exchange of views despite differences over Iraq and Iran.
The support of an openly gay church leader is threatening again to split Episcopalians. At a meeting in Northern Ireland, members of the U.S. and Canadian church groups were asked to leave a major church body.
In three hours, two British soldiers could learn their fate. They were found guilty of prison abuse in Basra. Both could face up to two years behind bars. CNN will let you know when the final decision is handed down.
And coming through, it is a snowy morning in the Northeast. This is Connecticut. Ooh, and that's what it looks like, because I know firsthand. Residents across the Northeast are waking up to a winter storm warning. The snow just stopped here in New York City, though -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It did. The snow stopped in D.C. The snow stopped all the way across Philadelphia now. Finally, Carol, the snow has pulled out, right down to Atlantic City and Wildwood, the snow is over. But not over yet for Connecticut, for Rhode Island, for Boston and for the Cape, for Block Island. Areas there could still pick up another three to four inches before the storm quickly moves out to the ocean today, although obviously 25 in New York City. That snow isn't melting. Four inches officially on the ground at Central Park and a little bit more into parts of Connecticut and also into New Jersey. Many areas there between the fives and the sixes. We'll have a big list of all those snow numbers for you in a little bit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Back to the pope now. Reaction to his return to the hospital and surgery is coming from all over the world. President Bush issued this statement during his return from Europe. He says: "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers and we wish him a speedy recovery and a return to the service of the church and all humanity."
In the meantime, Catholics around the world are praying for the 84-year-old pontiff. In Poland, people gathered at a special mass in the town where the pope was born. And in other cities throughout Poland, people went to their churches to offer their own get well prayers. In Mexico City, a mass was held at the Basilica of Guadalupe. Many people gathered around the large statue of Pope John Paul II that keeps watch over the church. And here in New York City, the prayers were being held at St. Patrick's Cathedral. A special mass will be held there this morning.
That Vatican announcement that the pope was returned to the hospital is not surprising to many, considering he suffers from a number of chronic illnesses. And we want to talk about those illnesses now.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has joined me now to talk about the pope's health -- good morning.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Help us understand a little more what having a tracheotomy is like and how the pope might be feeling this morning with that in his throat.
COHEN: Right. It's actually a relatively simple, mechanical procedure. It's done around the world. And basically what they do is they insert a wind -- they insert a pipe at the base of his neck a little bit above the collarbone. And that allows the air to flow in and out. And so it's actually, it's pretty simple. You sort of imagine a hollow tube going in sort of right around here and that allows the air to flow in and out.
COSTELLO: So, in essence, you're breathing, you're breathing through your throat.
COHEN: Right.
COSTELLO: And he's doing that with the help of a respirator right now.
COHEN: That's right. So there are two procedures that happened yesterday. One was the tracheotomy and the other is a respirator. A respirator is a machine that basically breathes for you or helps you breathe. So it helps your lungs, you know, the chest rise and the chest fall. The machine does that. And so what that indicates, obviously, is that he's having trouble breathing. And that's why he needed those two procedures.
COSTELLO: A couple of questions.
Can he eat with this in this throat?
COHEN: He can eat and, in fact, one of the issues that may be happening here is that sometimes people with Parkinson's Disease, when they eat, sometimes particles can actually get into the lungs. So that's, you know, we don't know how advanced his Parkinson's is. We don't know if he has that problem. But that is something the doctors would be concerned about. COSTELLO: Because he had to have this kind of procedure done, does that mean there is fluid in his lungs and that's why he's finding it difficult to breathe?
COHEN: It does not necessarily mean that. We do not exactly know why. They haven't given details as to why he's having difficulty breathing. Is there fluid in the lungs? Is there some kind of inflammation around the airway? Is there some kind of obstruction? We don't know that.
But we do know that Parkinson's patients, the muscles, the muscles that control every part of the body, really, aren't working as well as they should, including the muscles that regulate breathing and including the muscles that would expel fluid from the lungs.
So, again, something else doctors would be looking at.
COSTELLO: Parkinson's is just one of the many problems that the pope has. He's been, you know, he's been shot. He has been having trouble over the years with his health.
How is all of this combined affecting what's happening to him right now?
COHEN: Right. All of those things mean something at this point. You have a lot going on. You have an 84-year-old man. You have someone who's frail. You have someone who, as you said, had a history of problems. You have someone who's had, also, intestinal problems, is another issue that he's had. He had flu 10 days ago. They said that he was recovered enough to get out of the hospital and then had to go back into the hospital. And it's important to remember that when the pope leaves the hospital, he's really going to another medical facility. There is a facility within the Vatican, which a lot of people don't know there's a lot of very advanced technology there for him to use.
So when you put all of these things one on top of the other, the Parkinson's on top of the flu on top of his frailty, those are all, again, things, details that the doctors need to look at, because at that age, any one thing can sort of make the situation take a turn.
COSTELLO: OK, let me ask you this. If the pope needs that tracheotomy to remain in place for some time, can he be released from the hospital and go about his business with the trach still in?
COHEN: Conceivably he could. Conceivably you can go about and you can do things with a tracheotomy in your throat. You can't talk. You can cover the hole and try to talk, but it's not exactly the kind of clear diction that one might expect, so that he would -- it would be a difficult thing to do. But, yes, you can be ambulatory. You can walk with a tracheotomy.
COSTELLO: Elizabeth Cohen, you're going to stick around and be with us throughout these next two hours.
COHEN: That's right. COSTELLO: Thank you very much.
A deadly gun battle outside of a Tyler, Texas courthouse leaves three dead. A man angry over a child support dispute opens fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing his ex-wife and a bystander. He was finally gunned down by police, but only after he wounded his son and three officers. The ringing gunfire also sparked terror inside the courtroom.
Those dramatic moments were caught on tape.
(VIDEO TAPE, COURTESY CHANNEL 7)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Inside the court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's still going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just started going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down! Stay down!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside the courtroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Again, police eventually killed that gunman. In other "Stories Across America" now, a Cleveland woman was jailed for allegedly attacking her child's elementary school principal. Witnesses say the two began to argue when the woman was called back to the school after dropping off her 7-year-old at school before it opened. Charges will not be filed in the case until the principal files a formal complaint.
Special guests gathered in alba for the groundbreaking of a new Tuskegee Airman Museum. Among those helping out was 84-year-old former Airman Harry Ford. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African- American pilots in the U.S. military. The $29 million museum should be completed within two years.
Jerry Falwell's son says his father could be released from the hospital as early as this weekend. The elder Falwell entered a Lynchburg, Virginia hospital on Sunday with pneumonia. His son says the reverend had a rough time, but he is recovering.
And still to come this morning on DAYBREAK, how do you fight human nature when it comes to traffic tie-ups? Massachusetts thinks it has the answer. You could say this is one way to keep accidents under wraps.
Plus, there is a much different face on this year's Academy Awards, or should we say diverse face, instead? Sibila Vargas has that.
And Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey makes a stop with us on his caravan swing across the country.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 5:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Pope John Paul is resting in a Rome hospital this morning after emergency surgery to ease his breathing. An update on the pope's condition is expected in the next hour.
How does Governor Swann sound? Lynn Swann, wide receiver in the Pittsburgh Steelers' four Super Bowl heydays says he might run for governor of Pennsylvania. Swann has formed a campaign committee for a possible run as a Republican next year.
In money news, no Big Apple Wal-Mart any time soon. New York developers have scrapped plans to build the city's first Wal-Mart. They were swamped by opposition from labor unions, small businesses and residents.
In culture, noted director Quentin Tarantino is taking a turn on the small screen. Tarantino has signed on to direct the season finale of the CBS drama "CSI." Producers say Tarantino also came up with a story line for the May 19th episode.
In sports, Tiger Woods easily won the first round contest in the Accenture Match Play Championship. Woods joins other top seeds like V.J. Singh and Phil Mickelson in the second round.
To the forecast center and Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
I'm not sure whether he straightened out that putter or bought a new one or whatever, but he was flawless. I think he putted like 18 times yesterday. It was amazing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Oh, Chad?
MYERS: Yes, ma'am?
COSTELLO: Do you have that cheesy lightning sound effect ready to go?
MYERS: Well, that's -- I don't have sound effects up here, but there you go. The audio room does.
COSTELLO: Ask and ye shall receive. You know, we did "Stump The Weatherman" yesterday. It was the big comeback. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: But then we had so much breaking news we didn't have time to answer your questions.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So, Chad is going to answer them today.
MYERS: We had some really cool questions. And, actually, some of the questions, I actually had to do a little bit of research on, as well.
COSTELLO: Oh.
MYERS: So that's almost stumping me, really.
But the one that caught my eye was actually from Richard in New Jersey. He said: "If a hurricane forms either in the Southern or the Northern Hemisphere and it crosses the equator, will it continue to move in the same direction or will it stop and spin the other way?"
Well, in fact, that's never really happened before, but there are scientists that have put this through a model. If the storm is actually strong enough, like a category three or a category four, and it really does make a run at the equator, it will have so much momentum by the time it gets there, it will continue to go across the equator in the same direction, at least for a while, and then slow down and come to a stop and either fizzle out or possibly turn in the other direction.
But as it crosses the equator, it'll still be going in the same direction that it was. The same reason like when you pull the string on a top it eventually spins and slows down and slows down and slows down and it comes to a stop. Well, it'll finally be slowing and slowing and slowing on the way down there.
I thought that was really cool.
And, also, Gary from California said: "But I'm wondering if there is any correlation between sunspots and the weather, or really the climate."
And we've been studying a lot about that. Some of the latest numbers show that sunspot activity does increase and decrease depending on the numbers of sunspots, where they are, how they are in the sun, the amount of incoming solar radiation. So there's more heat or less heat depending on whether there's more sunspots or less sunspots out there.
COSTELLO: Cool. And you will answer more of our viewers' questions from yesterday.
MYERS: I have loads of them, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, no. You're right, they are good questions. MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: The Academy Awards are Sunday night and there is plenty of speculation about who will take home the coveted golden statues. But some Hollywood observers say this year's minority representation among the nominees is already a victory.
Sibila Vargas has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "RAY," COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS)
JAMIE FOXX, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: I said now Georgia...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the character he plays in "Ray," Jamie Foxx has made history in the world of entertainment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Jamie Foxx in "Ray."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: At this year's Academy Award nominations, Foxx heard his name twice, once for the lead role in "Ray," and again for his supporting role in "Collateral," an unprecedented feat for a black actor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Maria, Full of Grace."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: But the story of diversity at these Oscars doesn't end here. For the first time ever, people of color were nominated in every acting category, including Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno.
CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: It's wonderful. People just like good stories and good acting. And I think people are changing.
FOXX: It's fabulous. It lets you know that things are moving.
VARGAS: In the Awards' 77 year history, black actors account for just over 3 percent of nominees. This year, they are 25 percent, a far cry from 1996, when a complete lack of black acting nominees spurred Jesse Jackson and others to protest the awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JESSE JACKSON, PROTESTED OSCARS IN 1996: There is no wrong time to march against injustice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Nine years later, the nominations also include supporting actress Sophie Okonedo from "Hotel Rwanda."
(on camera): Do you feel like there's a great movement for diversity?
SOPHIE OKONEDO, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I feel that maybe if this film had come out 10 years ago, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the Oscars, you know? So I do think there is a move towards that.
VARGAS (voice-over): This year the move was fueled by "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ray," two Oscar caliber bio-pics which showcased a broad array of black performers.
FOXX: Everybody got a chance to see these guys put it down and so now we've got a chance. There are a lot of scripts out there that we're going ask Taylor Hackford to help us out with.
VARGAS: "Ray" director Taylor Hackford and others will have the opportunity to bring more roles for all people of color to the big screen, and Jamie Foxx is convinced they will.
FOXX: But I know the cast that you see right here, this is not the end of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "RAY," COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS)
FOXX: Yes, well, I'm going to make it do what it do, baby. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And CNN will be live at the Kodak Theater in the heart of Hollywood for the 77th Academy Awards. Join Sibila Vargas and Karen Bryant Sunday night for an Oscar preview, "Hollywood's Gold Rush." That's Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
A bit of new just in to CNN, and it's a bit of bright news about Pope John Paul II. Apparently he has been removed from his respirator and is breathing on his own. This is according to the Italian News Service. Of course, as you know, he underwent a tracheotomy to help him breathe and he was also put on a respirator. But, again, the Italian News Agency is reporting the pope has been removed from that respirator now and he is breathing on his own. When we get new information, of course, we'll continue to pass it along to you.
Well, fans have bought his albums and flocked to his concerts by the millions. Now, thousands more can see him live in Las Vegas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY MANILOW, ENTERTAINER: My goal ever since I began -- back in 1821, that was -- when I got the opportunity to make records, live in knew that I wasn't a great singer. There were many, many, many better singers out there than I would ever be able to be. You know, you've got your from Sinatras to Luther Vandross to Sting to, you know, I mean -- and I could never compete with those kinds of wonderful, that talent.
But what I could do is be myself and connect with them. And that was my goal, to connect with a group of strangers in the dark. That was it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And boy, has he connected. I go one-on-one with Barry Manilow in the next hour of DAYBREAK. In Las Vegas, I was.
We're back here in New York in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make me feel like dancing. I want to dance the night away. You make me feel like dancing.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MYERS: What's that, the Bee Gees? I don't even know who that is. Is that Barry Gibb?
COSTELLO: It is Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees.
MYERS: Oh my god.
COSTELLO: It's good that you...
MYERS: Oh, Leo Sayer.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's Leo Sayer. We were both wrong. We're pathetic.
OK, well, let's talk about...
MYERS: Well, those are the early morning laughs. Now we'll get the "Late Night Laughs."
COSTELLO: Exactly. Exactly. Let's get to the "Late Night Laughs" because David Letterman was talking about just how cold it is in New York City.
Let's listen to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: It's so cold, earlier today I saw a rat wearing a North Face jacket. Honest to god, it's cold.
It's so cold today I actually enjoyed the hot breath of a mugger on the back of my neck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, get him out of here.
LETTERMAN: It's so cold today, Bill was happy to get the third degree from Hillary.
It's so cold in New York City today, Christo draped himself in fabric. Bush says that the idea that the United States is going to attack Iran is ridiculous. He says the idea that we will be attacking Iran is ridiculous. And do you know what that means? We'll be attacking Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, how did he go from weather to Iran?
MYERS: I know. I think there (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: It was not a good segue.
MYERS: I think we cut that. He was a weatherman for a while, though, in Indiana. Did you know that?
COSTELLO: Yes, at WTHR, where I worked for a short time.
MYERS: And his famous quote?
COSTELLO: I don't remember.
MYERS: "It's hailing the size of canned hams." It didn't go over...
COSTELLO: Why don't you work some of that stuff into your act?
MYERS: Because it didn't go over very well. You know, he's not a weatherman anymore.
COSTELLO: That's true.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
A rookie highway patrolman in Ohio is being held a hero after rescuing a truck driver from a freezing pond. The truck had slid off the road and into this 12 foot deep retention pond. The driver was treated for hypothermia.
The Big Apple has nothing on Somerville, Massachusetts. The town has unveiled its own conceptual art project. The Somerville Gates were meant as a spoof of the Christo project in New York's Central Park. But these gates were only up for a day. They were also under a constant danger of being attacked by the mayor's cat.
One of the gates will be auctioned at a Massachusetts art show in April.
A Louisiana rap artist is releasing a new CD that has the local sheriff pretty darned upset. It seems the rapper C-Murder is actually in jail awaiting trial for murder. C-Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller, recorded his entire CD and music video while in prison. Now the sheriff thinks some of the money from the CD sales should be turned over to him.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Can't help but stare at a traffic accident? Find out what one state is doing about rubbernecking motorists.
Plus, what his leading man had to say about the Hollywood rumor mill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, ACTOR: That'll happen. Rumors will spread. They do, don't they?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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