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CNN Live At Daybreak

Authorities Tight-Lipped About BTK Killer; A Look at the Nation's High Schools

Aired March 01, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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


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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, she was once the target of a death plot. Now a federal judge comes home to a death scene.
Also, two opening statements, two very different stories -- who will the jury believe?

And have the nation's high schools hit a new low? Some people think they're obsolete.

It is Tuesday, March 1.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, Condoleezza Rice is in London this morning for a conference on the Middle East. Her goal? Lining up more Arab support for the new Palestinian government. This is her third trip overseas as secretary of state.

The claim? Prisoner abuse. The target? Donald Rumsfeld. Sources close to the case say human rights lawyers plan to sue the defense chief today over alleged abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The alleged BTK serial killer makes a first court appearance today. Ten charges against Dennis Rader will be read at 12:00 Eastern time at a Wichita, Kansas court. He'll likely appear by video from jail.

And here in New York, people are preparing to dig out of another snowstorm. It is the third in a week and the snow, it is still falling. We'll give you a live update for you after the half hour.

But now, a live forecast right now from Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Police in Florida are not giving up hope, but they are turning to child abduction experts in the case of a missing 9-year-old girl. The family showed off more pictures of Jessica Marie Lunsford as they pleaded for her safe return. The third grader was last seen at her home in Homosassa Wednesday night. Police say they have confirmation that she was abducted.

But her father says he's sure she did not leave her bedroom on her own. Mark Lunsford also said he's grateful for local volunteers, who have been searching for his daughter since her disappearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: It's hard. But all I can do is just keep on asking you people that -- and I can't ask you enough. I mean my little girl is coming home and it's because you're helping me. And just because the sheriff leaves the area, the media one day is going to be gone, I still need you. And I mean I can't thank all of you enough. But I still need you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Police say experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will join them today to do what they can in helping with the case.

A horrible mystery in Chicago this morning. A federal judge who's had death threats finds two bodies in her basement. Local media report the bodies were the mother of her husband and the judge's name, Joan Lefkow, Judge Joan Lefkow. The bodies apparently are of her husband and her mother. The FBI and its marshals have now joined Chicago police in investigating those deaths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE GORMAN, NEIGHBOR: Judge Lefkow is a wonderful judge and I really hope it has nothing to do with any case she's ever worked on, because that's an outrageous position for any judge to be in, to think that their family is at risk because of decisions they make in their cases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It is unknown if the deaths are related to a white supremacist who was convicted last year of hiring an undercover FBI agent to murder the judge.

Now to Kansas. Later this morning, we will see the alleged BTK killer in court. He'll appear via video hookup from a Wichita jail. It's just an initial appearance, so we may not learn any more about him. And authorities are being very tight-lipped about the arrest of the Boy Scout leader and churchgoer.

Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams says the case will not be tried in the media, but in court. And he's more than upset about some of the reporting he's heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF NORMAN WILLIAMS, WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The fact that inaccurate and inappropriate information was being released, for instance, the media was saying that he's been connected with 13 cases and that was totally inaccurate. He has only been connected with 10 cases throughout our investigation. And it's that type of inaccuracy that adds to the complications of this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: He was actually threatening prosecution for the reporters who leaked the false information. New leaks from police sources usually come when police are not saying much about their case, though.

But why aren't police more forthcoming as they investigate the case against the alleged BTK killer?

Live to Washington and our legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Kendall Coffey -- good morning, Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, deputies are threatening reporters.

Is there a deeper meaning here than just irritation at the media? I mean let's face it, they have a DNA match for the evidence and the guy is apparently talking.

COFFEY: Well, they're frustrated, I'm sure, because some of their attempts to seal this down tight aren't completely working. I think they are concerned about a fair trial for the defendant. But I think they're also concerned, Carol, just about having a whole rumor mill stirred up perhaps about other victims of other killers, many of whom are now wondering could their loved one have also been part of the BTK slayings. And I suspect that some of the rumors that are making the rounds are stirring up a lot of, perhaps, deep frustrations and unrealized hopes.

COSTELLO: Let's talk more about this man's supposed confessions to the police. You're a former federal prosecutor.

When you're putting together a case like this, just because you have a confession sometimes doesn't mean very much, does it?

COFFEY: Well, it's a great start on the path to conviction. The key thing is getting it right. We're hearing reports that there are confessions. We don't if it's true. That will be the first thing that whoever his defense lawyer is starts to attack. If he has confessed to six killings with the other corroboration they've got, this is not a defensible case.

So I think that whoever the lawyer is has got to focus immediately on that and see if there is some possible way to get those confessions, if they've been given, excluded.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about who that possible lawyer might be. I mean, many lawyers probably wouldn't be eager to take this case. COFFEY: Well, hardly anybody is going to want to get this case. It's going to be somebody who's plenty of moxie, plenty of experience, because the system is going to want a very, very capable, competent lawyer so they don't go through years of allegations about ineffective assistance of counsel after the conviction, if there is one.

But this is not a morning where lawyers around knows and around the country are hoping to get a phone call from the judge. I don't think many are hoping to be asked to be the lawyer for the BTK killer.

COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live for us this morning.

Thank you.

COFFEY: OK, thank you.

COSTELLO: In Florida, relatives of Terri Schiavo are pressing ahead with their legal battle to keep her alive. A judge has ordered that the severely brain damaged woman's feeding tube may be removed in under three weeks. That's what her husband, Michael Schiavo, wants.

But the woman's family says he's not acting in her best interests. They want a judge to grant a divorce now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, JR., TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: He's been with someone now since 1995. He has two children with this woman. He has carried on with his life. His loyalties are to this woman and his family. And we just feel he is not acing in Terri's best interests and we just want her back. It's as simple as that.

This is not a complicated case. It never had to reach -- it never had to get this much attention. We never expected it to get this much attention. But we are not going to stand by and watch my sister being starved to death by a guardian that does not have her best interests in mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The family has filed a flurry of new motions to keep Terri Schiavo's feeding tube intact. As you know, this case has dragged on for years.

Those of you with high schoolers at home know preparing for college is no easy task. But is there something more we should be doing for our students?

And the circus that is the Santa Maria courthouse. We'll preview day two of the Jackson trial.

And the day many families have been waiting for -- a suspect is set to appear in a Kansas courtroom for the BTK killings. We'll have a live report for you from knows.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, is al Qaeda calling on Iraq's most wanted to plot against the United States?

And Bill Gates says they're obsolete. What do you think of America's high schools. We'll tell you about a new effort to save them.

DAYBREAK, we'll be back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY": There are a couple of ways to find a club. One is to go to the Web site of the National Association of Investors Corp., which is basically an organization of investment clubs. And they have on their site a regional chapters section and you can find clubs in different parts of the country and you can contact them directly to see if they're accepting new members. Another site that lists various clubs and gives some tips on how to find a club is the Divio site.

So that's probably the best way, going through an organization that actually deals with a variety of investment clubs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Serial killer suspect Dennis Rader is not expected to be in the courtroom today when charges against him are finally read. Instead, the BTK suspect will be connected through a closed-circuit TV hookup from prison. He's being held in connection with 10 deaths.

In money news, the fight for a satellite radio program is pushing the price up. Industry leader X.M. is raising its subscription rate by $3 a month. That hike makes their monthly cost the same as Sirius Satellite Radio.

In culture, the addition of Chris Rock didn't lead to the roll in Oscar ratings ABC had hoped for. Preliminary numbers show that just over 41 million people watched the broadcast. That's a 5 percent drop over last year.

In sports, veteran NBA announcer Marv Albert will start calling games for the New Jersey Nets next season. Albert had been the voice of the New York Knicks for more than 35 years. He will continue to call NBA games for TNT -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

The terrorists will not succeed. That's the emerging theme of a Mideast conference that kicked off in London this morning. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is there, urging more Arab support for the Palestinian government.

In the meantime, British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the recent suicide bombing in Israel will not kill peace efforts.

For her part, Secretary Rice says the U.S. general she assigned to monitor Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts will soon relocate to the region.

One day after huge crowds forced Lebanon's pro-Syrian cabinet to resign, today the country's president is taking on the task of forming a new government and opposition leaders are trying to make sure the next one is not beholden to Damascus.

U.S. intelligence has intercepted communication from Osama bin Laden to this top lieutenant in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It suggests bin Laden wants Zarqawi to plan terrorist strikes within the United States.

And Britain's Prince Charles visited a Perth hospital today where victims of the 2002 Bali bombings were treated. It was the first official duty of his five city whirlwind tour of Australia.

Coming up on DAYBREAK, are your kids getting the high school education they deserve? A look at a revived effort to save secondary education.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been talking this morning about high schools and whether they're preparing young people to succeed in the real world. If you ask Microsoft's chairman, Bill Gates, he would say no.

This is what he said to the National Governors Association. He said, and I quote: "America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't mean that they're broken, flawed or under funded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools, even when they're working as designed, cannot teach all our students what they need to know today."

The governors of 13 states agree. They're coming together in an effort to raise high school standards.

Joining us to talk more about the push to get students prepared is Mike Cohen.

He's the president of Achieve, a non-profit, bipartisan organization put together by the nation's governors.

Good morning, Mike.

MIKE COHEN, PRESIDENT OF ACHIEVE: Good morning, Carol.

Nice to be here with you.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's nice to have you, because we've asked this question of our viewers this morning and we're getting e-mails by the dozens, by the hundreds, I should say.

Let me read you one by -- from Jaylin (ph). He's 19 years old. He says he graduated in 2004. He says: "The fact is, our high schools are horrible. Where I went to school, the curriculum was centered on the standardized tests given by the state and not centered on helpful skills in math, reading, English, etc. The questions on the test were worded weirdly and they seemed like trick questions. Hopefully, my future career will involve figuring out puzzles and riddles. Otherwise, I feel I'm screwed."

And we've gotten a lot of e-mails that way.

Are high schools really that bad?

COHEN: Well, they're not doing very well. About a third of the students who enter ninth grade don't even graduate, don't even earn a diploma. Of those who graduate and go on to post-secondary education, about a third of those need some remedial education as soon as they get into college. Those two indicators alone tell you that we're losing quite a few students along the way and those we keep aren't as well prepared as they need to be.

We've heard from lots of young people ourselves. We did a survey of recent high school graduates. About 40 percent of them said they didn't feel that they were adequately prepared. Whether they were in college or in the workplace, high school didn't prepare them well enough.

COSTELLO: So let's talk about how to fix the problem. And there are four things that your group wants to do. Number one is raise high school standards.

COHEN: That's right. When you look at what students are expected to learn by the time they leave high school, there's a big gap between what we officially expect of them and what they need to know in order to be ready, either to succeed in college or to get into the workplace in a position that leaves them prepared to succeed.

COSTELLO: The second thing you want to do is require rigorous college curriculum.

What do you mean by rigorous?

COHEN: Well, for example, in mathematics, we've learned through our own research that students need the skills that are taught in a typical college prep sequence -- Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and additional mathematics courses. They need those skills in order to be ready to succeed in college or to have a shot at a decent job in the workplace where they can advance and succeed.

COSTELLO: The third thing, develop tests of college readiness. And by that I suppose you mean you'd give kids tests through high school to figure out if they're ready for college.

COHEN: Sure. Think of it this way, the young man who you mentioned at the top of this discussion, the tests that he was given, by his own acknowledgement, didn't focus on the things that really prepared him to succeed after he left high school.

Just about every youngster who leaves high school and goes to college takes a placement exam once they get to college to find out whether they can take credit bearing courses, real college courses, or whether they have to take remedial courses. We think those tests, those placement tests that are the things that count in college, ought to be the kind of tests that young people take while they're in high school.

COSTELLO: And of course...

COHEN: They could find that -- go ahead.

COSTELLO: No, no, no, I was just going to go to the fourth point, because from all of what you said, this is the toughest, I think, holding high schools accountable for graduating all students.

How can you do that?

COHEN: Well, we hold high schools accountable now, but we don't hold them accountable for succeeding with the students that they admit. We just ignore the fact that many students fall through the cracks. So we can start by at least accurately reporting, accurately counting and reporting how many students who went to high school actually make it all the way through. And you will see in every state, in every community in the country, big differences among high schools. Some do a lot better than others. And we can then start asking the question why are some succeeding, what are they doing and how can we transfer those practices to other schools.

COSTELLO: OK, Mike, I've got an e-mail from someone in Ohio and I think she put it all in a nutshell: "All of this sounds great, but, you know, they're cutting funding for education. All of this will take money and where is that money going to come from?"

COHEN: Well, some of this will take money, there's no doubt about that. We've got some work to do in order to build the support for that, to build the political will. One of the things that came out of this conference with the nation's governors and business leaders was that business leaders are prepared to step up to the plate and make the case for the needed changes and be prepared to make the case for the investments that are necessary, as well.

COSTELLO: Yes. And maybe the money, some of the money, should come from those private businesspeople. Some schools are actually doing that and it's worked quite well.

COHEN: Well, you know, one of the other announcements at this summit conference was a pool of about $24 million that foundations, including those associated with businesses, have provided to help jump start this effort. More needs to be done, both in the foundation world and, more importantly, in state and federal and local governments. But you've got to start someplace and by moving in this direction, I think we can begin to educate the public about the changes that are going to be necessary, not just in standards, but in how we teach and the kind of support that we provide students and the kind of support that we provide teachers and principals, as well.

COSTELLO: Mike Cohen from Achieve, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We have many more e-mails to read.

COHEN: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: We're going to -- thank you, Mike.

We're going to get to them at the end of our show. Keep them coming, though, daybreak@cnn.com.

Coming up, too, who is this man? We will see on video hookup before a Kansas judge later today. We're talking about that man. The BTK suspect -- an update from Wichita for you in just a few minutes.

We'll also hear the emotional memories from a man forever changed by the BTK tragedies.

Also, a live report from California, where testimony in the Michael Jackson trial is set to begin in just a few hours.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Years after his father's murder, powerful memories. A life forever changed by the criminal who called himself BTK. And a messy morning to kick off the month for March for some travelers, actually for many travelers. Ooh, it's a mess in the Northeast.

It is Tuesday.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, the man accused of being the BTK killer appears before a judge today for the first time. Dennis Rader is expected to appear via video hookup from a Wichita, Kansas jail to hear the 10 murder charges against him. CNN's Bob Franken will have more for you live in about two minutes. A French journalist who's been missing in Iraq since early January is seen pleading for help in a new videotape. It's not known when this videotape was shot. It was given to news agencies today.

This morning, a Vatican spokesman says Pope John Paul II's health is improving, but there is still no indication when the pontiff may be heading back to the Vatican from the hospital.

And Steve Fossett is now about 11 hours into a solo around the world attempt. His global flyer is currently passing south of the Azores on his way to Africa. Fossett hopes to land back in Kansas some time on Thursday. And as you can hear, Chad, he took off to cheers.

MYERS: Yes, from Salinas, Kansas.

I wonder, though, I wonder if you can actually see it online. I'm going to go search to see if I can find and track it online, because I'm sure he's got a GPS in there and they know exactly where he is.

COSTELLO: Oh, if you find it, tell us the Web site.

MYERS: OK. I will.

COSTELLO: OK.

MYERS: I'll be back in 15 minutes with that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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 March 1, 2005 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, she was once the target of a death plot. Now a federal judge comes home to a death scene.
Also, two opening statements, two very different stories -- who will the jury believe?

And have the nation's high schools hit a new low? Some people think they're obsolete.

It is Tuesday, March 1.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, Condoleezza Rice is in London this morning for a conference on the Middle East. Her goal? Lining up more Arab support for the new Palestinian government. This is her third trip overseas as secretary of state.

The claim? Prisoner abuse. The target? Donald Rumsfeld. Sources close to the case say human rights lawyers plan to sue the defense chief today over alleged abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The alleged BTK serial killer makes a first court appearance today. Ten charges against Dennis Rader will be read at 12:00 Eastern time at a Wichita, Kansas court. He'll likely appear by video from jail.

And here in New York, people are preparing to dig out of another snowstorm. It is the third in a week and the snow, it is still falling. We'll give you a live update for you after the half hour.

But now, a live forecast right now from Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Police in Florida are not giving up hope, but they are turning to child abduction experts in the case of a missing 9-year-old girl. The family showed off more pictures of Jessica Marie Lunsford as they pleaded for her safe return. The third grader was last seen at her home in Homosassa Wednesday night. Police say they have confirmation that she was abducted.

But her father says he's sure she did not leave her bedroom on her own. Mark Lunsford also said he's grateful for local volunteers, who have been searching for his daughter since her disappearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: It's hard. But all I can do is just keep on asking you people that -- and I can't ask you enough. I mean my little girl is coming home and it's because you're helping me. And just because the sheriff leaves the area, the media one day is going to be gone, I still need you. And I mean I can't thank all of you enough. But I still need you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Police say experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will join them today to do what they can in helping with the case.

A horrible mystery in Chicago this morning. A federal judge who's had death threats finds two bodies in her basement. Local media report the bodies were the mother of her husband and the judge's name, Joan Lefkow, Judge Joan Lefkow. The bodies apparently are of her husband and her mother. The FBI and its marshals have now joined Chicago police in investigating those deaths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE GORMAN, NEIGHBOR: Judge Lefkow is a wonderful judge and I really hope it has nothing to do with any case she's ever worked on, because that's an outrageous position for any judge to be in, to think that their family is at risk because of decisions they make in their cases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It is unknown if the deaths are related to a white supremacist who was convicted last year of hiring an undercover FBI agent to murder the judge.

Now to Kansas. Later this morning, we will see the alleged BTK killer in court. He'll appear via video hookup from a Wichita jail. It's just an initial appearance, so we may not learn any more about him. And authorities are being very tight-lipped about the arrest of the Boy Scout leader and churchgoer.

Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams says the case will not be tried in the media, but in court. And he's more than upset about some of the reporting he's heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF NORMAN WILLIAMS, WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The fact that inaccurate and inappropriate information was being released, for instance, the media was saying that he's been connected with 13 cases and that was totally inaccurate. He has only been connected with 10 cases throughout our investigation. And it's that type of inaccuracy that adds to the complications of this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: He was actually threatening prosecution for the reporters who leaked the false information. New leaks from police sources usually come when police are not saying much about their case, though.

But why aren't police more forthcoming as they investigate the case against the alleged BTK killer?

Live to Washington and our legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Kendall Coffey -- good morning, Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, deputies are threatening reporters.

Is there a deeper meaning here than just irritation at the media? I mean let's face it, they have a DNA match for the evidence and the guy is apparently talking.

COFFEY: Well, they're frustrated, I'm sure, because some of their attempts to seal this down tight aren't completely working. I think they are concerned about a fair trial for the defendant. But I think they're also concerned, Carol, just about having a whole rumor mill stirred up perhaps about other victims of other killers, many of whom are now wondering could their loved one have also been part of the BTK slayings. And I suspect that some of the rumors that are making the rounds are stirring up a lot of, perhaps, deep frustrations and unrealized hopes.

COSTELLO: Let's talk more about this man's supposed confessions to the police. You're a former federal prosecutor.

When you're putting together a case like this, just because you have a confession sometimes doesn't mean very much, does it?

COFFEY: Well, it's a great start on the path to conviction. The key thing is getting it right. We're hearing reports that there are confessions. We don't if it's true. That will be the first thing that whoever his defense lawyer is starts to attack. If he has confessed to six killings with the other corroboration they've got, this is not a defensible case.

So I think that whoever the lawyer is has got to focus immediately on that and see if there is some possible way to get those confessions, if they've been given, excluded.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about who that possible lawyer might be. I mean, many lawyers probably wouldn't be eager to take this case. COFFEY: Well, hardly anybody is going to want to get this case. It's going to be somebody who's plenty of moxie, plenty of experience, because the system is going to want a very, very capable, competent lawyer so they don't go through years of allegations about ineffective assistance of counsel after the conviction, if there is one.

But this is not a morning where lawyers around knows and around the country are hoping to get a phone call from the judge. I don't think many are hoping to be asked to be the lawyer for the BTK killer.

COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live for us this morning.

Thank you.

COFFEY: OK, thank you.

COSTELLO: In Florida, relatives of Terri Schiavo are pressing ahead with their legal battle to keep her alive. A judge has ordered that the severely brain damaged woman's feeding tube may be removed in under three weeks. That's what her husband, Michael Schiavo, wants.

But the woman's family says he's not acting in her best interests. They want a judge to grant a divorce now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, JR., TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: He's been with someone now since 1995. He has two children with this woman. He has carried on with his life. His loyalties are to this woman and his family. And we just feel he is not acing in Terri's best interests and we just want her back. It's as simple as that.

This is not a complicated case. It never had to reach -- it never had to get this much attention. We never expected it to get this much attention. But we are not going to stand by and watch my sister being starved to death by a guardian that does not have her best interests in mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The family has filed a flurry of new motions to keep Terri Schiavo's feeding tube intact. As you know, this case has dragged on for years.

Those of you with high schoolers at home know preparing for college is no easy task. But is there something more we should be doing for our students?

And the circus that is the Santa Maria courthouse. We'll preview day two of the Jackson trial.

And the day many families have been waiting for -- a suspect is set to appear in a Kansas courtroom for the BTK killings. We'll have a live report for you from knows.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, is al Qaeda calling on Iraq's most wanted to plot against the United States?

And Bill Gates says they're obsolete. What do you think of America's high schools. We'll tell you about a new effort to save them.

DAYBREAK, we'll be back in a minute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY": There are a couple of ways to find a club. One is to go to the Web site of the National Association of Investors Corp., which is basically an organization of investment clubs. And they have on their site a regional chapters section and you can find clubs in different parts of the country and you can contact them directly to see if they're accepting new members. Another site that lists various clubs and gives some tips on how to find a club is the Divio site.

So that's probably the best way, going through an organization that actually deals with a variety of investment clubs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Serial killer suspect Dennis Rader is not expected to be in the courtroom today when charges against him are finally read. Instead, the BTK suspect will be connected through a closed-circuit TV hookup from prison. He's being held in connection with 10 deaths.

In money news, the fight for a satellite radio program is pushing the price up. Industry leader X.M. is raising its subscription rate by $3 a month. That hike makes their monthly cost the same as Sirius Satellite Radio.

In culture, the addition of Chris Rock didn't lead to the roll in Oscar ratings ABC had hoped for. Preliminary numbers show that just over 41 million people watched the broadcast. That's a 5 percent drop over last year.

In sports, veteran NBA announcer Marv Albert will start calling games for the New Jersey Nets next season. Albert had been the voice of the New York Knicks for more than 35 years. He will continue to call NBA games for TNT -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

The terrorists will not succeed. That's the emerging theme of a Mideast conference that kicked off in London this morning. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is there, urging more Arab support for the Palestinian government.

In the meantime, British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the recent suicide bombing in Israel will not kill peace efforts.

For her part, Secretary Rice says the U.S. general she assigned to monitor Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts will soon relocate to the region.

One day after huge crowds forced Lebanon's pro-Syrian cabinet to resign, today the country's president is taking on the task of forming a new government and opposition leaders are trying to make sure the next one is not beholden to Damascus.

U.S. intelligence has intercepted communication from Osama bin Laden to this top lieutenant in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It suggests bin Laden wants Zarqawi to plan terrorist strikes within the United States.

And Britain's Prince Charles visited a Perth hospital today where victims of the 2002 Bali bombings were treated. It was the first official duty of his five city whirlwind tour of Australia.

Coming up on DAYBREAK, are your kids getting the high school education they deserve? A look at a revived effort to save secondary education.

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COSTELLO: We've been talking this morning about high schools and whether they're preparing young people to succeed in the real world. If you ask Microsoft's chairman, Bill Gates, he would say no.

This is what he said to the National Governors Association. He said, and I quote: "America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't mean that they're broken, flawed or under funded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools, even when they're working as designed, cannot teach all our students what they need to know today."

The governors of 13 states agree. They're coming together in an effort to raise high school standards.

Joining us to talk more about the push to get students prepared is Mike Cohen.

He's the president of Achieve, a non-profit, bipartisan organization put together by the nation's governors.

Good morning, Mike.

MIKE COHEN, PRESIDENT OF ACHIEVE: Good morning, Carol.

Nice to be here with you.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's nice to have you, because we've asked this question of our viewers this morning and we're getting e-mails by the dozens, by the hundreds, I should say.

Let me read you one by -- from Jaylin (ph). He's 19 years old. He says he graduated in 2004. He says: "The fact is, our high schools are horrible. Where I went to school, the curriculum was centered on the standardized tests given by the state and not centered on helpful skills in math, reading, English, etc. The questions on the test were worded weirdly and they seemed like trick questions. Hopefully, my future career will involve figuring out puzzles and riddles. Otherwise, I feel I'm screwed."

And we've gotten a lot of e-mails that way.

Are high schools really that bad?

COHEN: Well, they're not doing very well. About a third of the students who enter ninth grade don't even graduate, don't even earn a diploma. Of those who graduate and go on to post-secondary education, about a third of those need some remedial education as soon as they get into college. Those two indicators alone tell you that we're losing quite a few students along the way and those we keep aren't as well prepared as they need to be.

We've heard from lots of young people ourselves. We did a survey of recent high school graduates. About 40 percent of them said they didn't feel that they were adequately prepared. Whether they were in college or in the workplace, high school didn't prepare them well enough.

COSTELLO: So let's talk about how to fix the problem. And there are four things that your group wants to do. Number one is raise high school standards.

COHEN: That's right. When you look at what students are expected to learn by the time they leave high school, there's a big gap between what we officially expect of them and what they need to know in order to be ready, either to succeed in college or to get into the workplace in a position that leaves them prepared to succeed.

COSTELLO: The second thing you want to do is require rigorous college curriculum.

What do you mean by rigorous?

COHEN: Well, for example, in mathematics, we've learned through our own research that students need the skills that are taught in a typical college prep sequence -- Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and additional mathematics courses. They need those skills in order to be ready to succeed in college or to have a shot at a decent job in the workplace where they can advance and succeed.

COSTELLO: The third thing, develop tests of college readiness. And by that I suppose you mean you'd give kids tests through high school to figure out if they're ready for college.

COHEN: Sure. Think of it this way, the young man who you mentioned at the top of this discussion, the tests that he was given, by his own acknowledgement, didn't focus on the things that really prepared him to succeed after he left high school.

Just about every youngster who leaves high school and goes to college takes a placement exam once they get to college to find out whether they can take credit bearing courses, real college courses, or whether they have to take remedial courses. We think those tests, those placement tests that are the things that count in college, ought to be the kind of tests that young people take while they're in high school.

COSTELLO: And of course...

COHEN: They could find that -- go ahead.

COSTELLO: No, no, no, I was just going to go to the fourth point, because from all of what you said, this is the toughest, I think, holding high schools accountable for graduating all students.

How can you do that?

COHEN: Well, we hold high schools accountable now, but we don't hold them accountable for succeeding with the students that they admit. We just ignore the fact that many students fall through the cracks. So we can start by at least accurately reporting, accurately counting and reporting how many students who went to high school actually make it all the way through. And you will see in every state, in every community in the country, big differences among high schools. Some do a lot better than others. And we can then start asking the question why are some succeeding, what are they doing and how can we transfer those practices to other schools.

COSTELLO: OK, Mike, I've got an e-mail from someone in Ohio and I think she put it all in a nutshell: "All of this sounds great, but, you know, they're cutting funding for education. All of this will take money and where is that money going to come from?"

COHEN: Well, some of this will take money, there's no doubt about that. We've got some work to do in order to build the support for that, to build the political will. One of the things that came out of this conference with the nation's governors and business leaders was that business leaders are prepared to step up to the plate and make the case for the needed changes and be prepared to make the case for the investments that are necessary, as well.

COSTELLO: Yes. And maybe the money, some of the money, should come from those private businesspeople. Some schools are actually doing that and it's worked quite well.

COHEN: Well, you know, one of the other announcements at this summit conference was a pool of about $24 million that foundations, including those associated with businesses, have provided to help jump start this effort. More needs to be done, both in the foundation world and, more importantly, in state and federal and local governments. But you've got to start someplace and by moving in this direction, I think we can begin to educate the public about the changes that are going to be necessary, not just in standards, but in how we teach and the kind of support that we provide students and the kind of support that we provide teachers and principals, as well.

COSTELLO: Mike Cohen from Achieve, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We have many more e-mails to read.

COHEN: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: We're going to -- thank you, Mike.

We're going to get to them at the end of our show. Keep them coming, though, daybreak@cnn.com.

Coming up, too, who is this man? We will see on video hookup before a Kansas judge later today. We're talking about that man. The BTK suspect -- an update from Wichita for you in just a few minutes.

We'll also hear the emotional memories from a man forever changed by the BTK tragedies.

Also, a live report from California, where testimony in the Michael Jackson trial is set to begin in just a few hours.

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COSTELLO: Years after his father's murder, powerful memories. A life forever changed by the criminal who called himself BTK. And a messy morning to kick off the month for March for some travelers, actually for many travelers. Ooh, it's a mess in the Northeast.

It is Tuesday.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, the man accused of being the BTK killer appears before a judge today for the first time. Dennis Rader is expected to appear via video hookup from a Wichita, Kansas jail to hear the 10 murder charges against him. CNN's Bob Franken will have more for you live in about two minutes. A French journalist who's been missing in Iraq since early January is seen pleading for help in a new videotape. It's not known when this videotape was shot. It was given to news agencies today.

This morning, a Vatican spokesman says Pope John Paul II's health is improving, but there is still no indication when the pontiff may be heading back to the Vatican from the hospital.

And Steve Fossett is now about 11 hours into a solo around the world attempt. His global flyer is currently passing south of the Azores on his way to Africa. Fossett hopes to land back in Kansas some time on Thursday. And as you can hear, Chad, he took off to cheers.

MYERS: Yes, from Salinas, Kansas.

I wonder, though, I wonder if you can actually see it online. I'm going to go search to see if I can find and track it online, because I'm sure he's got a GPS in there and they know exactly where he is.

COSTELLO: Oh, if you find it, tell us the Web site.

MYERS: OK. I will.

COSTELLO: OK.

MYERS: I'll be back in 15 minutes with that.

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