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CNN Live At Daybreak
Some Former, Current MLB Stars Subpoenaed by Congress to Testify About Steroid Use; Jackson's Accuser Expected Back on Witness Stand Today
Aired March 10, 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, batter up. Some former and current Major League stars are subpoenaed by Congress to testify about steroid use. But will they play ball?
Plus, a hard-pedaling Texan throws his weight behind one city's bid for the 2012 Olympics. But you just might be surprised at which city he's backing.
And the growing problem of crystal meth -- how it affects the body and the children caught in the middle.
It is Thursday, March 10.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Congress gets a report today on the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite pressure from top commanders in Iraq on interrogators to get useful information, the bottom line is this -- Rumsfeld, the Pentagon and the Defense Department are not to blame.
In Baghdad today, two high ranking Iraqi police officials are killed by insurgents in a series of attacks. A third is wounded. One of the victims is the chief of the central Baghdad police station.
President Bush touts his Social Security reform proposals in Kentucky and Alabama today. Republicans hold seven of nine seats in Alabama's congressional delegation, but most won't be with the president when he makes his pitch there.
A day after playing in a charity golf tournament, former President Clinton heads to the hospital. He's having surgery today to drain fluid in his chest and he's expected to be hospitalized about 10 days.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Carol.
A static cling alert for you today. COSTELLO: Uh-oh.
MYERS: Do you wear any non-natural fibers today?
COSTELLO: What's a natural fiber these days in clothing?
MYERS: Well, they're all blends aren't, they? Or something genetically altered at that point in time.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
MYERS: Good morning, everybody.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Baseball's wild ride with steroids isn't about to end any time soon. And now Congress is getting in on the act. Seven subpoenas for current or former Major Leaguers have gone out and there is now a vow of a fight from the commissioner's office.
CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire forged a bond during the celebrated summer of '98 when they each surpassed the previous record for home runs in a season. Now, they're linked again, both slapped with subpoenas from a congressional committee probing whether their home run chase was fueled by more than just Mother Nature.
Also on the hit list, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas and Jose Canseco. Canseco wants to testify, perhaps so he can discuss his explosive new book that claims he used steroids with McGwire and others. Schilling has spoken out against steroids and Thomas has said this is a problem baseball must face.
FRANK THOMAS, CHICAGO WHITE SOCKS: I told people before, I've got nothing to hide. So if they subpoena us, they subpoena us. And I'll stick by my word. It's an honor to go there.
HENRY: But Major League Baseball officials are swinging back at Congress, insisting they'll fight the subpoenas because the committee does not have legal jurisdiction. Baseball officials also say forcing players like Giambi to testify on Capitol Hill next Thursday could taint a federal judge's probe of Balco Laboratories, which allegedly provided steroids to various athletes. Giambi reportedly told the grand jury he used steroids, though publicly he's been vague about the case that's dominated the early days of spring training.
JASON GIAMBI, NEW YORK YANKEES: I know there's been a lot of distractions, you know, over the past year and I wanted to apologize for all those, you know, distractions, from the bottom of my heart. You know, I take full responsibility for it and I'm sorry.
HENRY: In a letter to the congressional panel, Major League Baseball's lawyer lashed out at separate subpoena seeking the results of player drug tests. He wrote: "The right to privacy outweighs any asserted interest in the health problems stemming from the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs."
An aide to House Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis, who issued the subpoenas, fired back the panel does have legal authority, saying: "It's sad that they've resorted to legalese, and inaccurate legalese at that."
And despite baseball's push to block testimony, there are indications players like Sosa may come forward on their own. The stakes have been raised because a failure to testify could result in charges of contempt of Congress. An agent for Sosa told CNN that after respectfully declining the panel's initial invitation, the slugger now will "take a second look and make the right choice."
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The House actually begins one of their steroid hearings this morning. Among those scheduled to testify is a father who says steroids played a part in his son's suicide. Taylor Hooten was just 17 years old when he killed himself two years ago. Don Hooten says his son suffered from depression after he stopped using steroids.
And, Chad, that brings us to our E-Mail Question this morning. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? Daybreak@cnn.com. It should be interesting today to see what happens in Congress.
MYERS: Clearly a problem, especially with younger children who want to have the star power that this, taking a pill can get you. But at some point you're saying to yourself aren't there bigger fish out there that we need to worry about, you know?
COSTELLO: Well, and baseball has already changed its rules. It seems to be dealing with the problem right now. All of a sudden now they want to have congressional hearings. I mean why not do that before at the height of the controversy?
MYERS: P.R.?
COSTELLO: Who knows? Some are just saying that some Congress members are grandstanding. So that's why we're asking you this question.
MYERS: And that's The Question of the Day.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? Daybreak@cnn.com.
More "News from Across America" now.
Jesse James Hollywood has been captured. Hollywood is an alleged drug dealer wanted by police in connection with the murder of a California teenager more than four years ago. Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Markowitz was kidnapped and killed because his half brother owed Hollywood some money.
The Los Angeles mayor's race will come down to another vote. The councilman and the incumbent mayor finished first and second out of the 12 candidates. Since neither captured 50 percent of the vote, they'll face each other in a runoff on May 17.
The tasering of a handcuffed drug suspect has caused the suspension of an Orlando, Florida police officer. He allegedly tasered the suspect twice while the man was tied down on a hospital bed.
The suspect had refused to give a urine sample. The incident now under investigation.
Washington, D.C. schools have been ordered to get the lead out and the mercury, too. The school superintendent wants hazardous materials removed from schools. That includes thermometers. The original order came two years ago, after an area high school was shut down by a mercury spill.
Michael Jackson's 15-year-old accuser is expected back on the witness stand today.
Our Miguel Marquez reports on the boy's testimony so far in the pop star's child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson finally came face-to-face with his accuser. The 15-year-old only testified for about an hour before the court day ended. It made for some tense moments in the courtroom, as the teenager finally began to tell his story about the world renewed pop star.
QUESTION: Michael, would you tell us how you (CROSSTALK) please? Can you tell us how you felt facing your accuser?
MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: I'm sorry, I'm under a gag order.
MARQUEZ: The boy testified that on his first day at Neverland in 2000 it was Jackson's suggestion that he and his brother spend the night in his bedroom. The boy said his parents allowed it and the following night, instead of watching movies, said the accuser, a Jackson associate got online and surfed adult sites on the Internet for 15 to 30 minutes.
The accuser also told jurors that Jackson brought he and his siblings to Neverland during the filming of the Martin Bashir documentary, "Living With Michael Jackson." And Jackson told them the documentary was the boys' audition for the movies. He also told the court that Jackson instructed him to call him "Michael Daddy" and to tell Bashir on camera that Jackson was largely responsible for his recovery from cancer. (on camera): Questioning by the prosecution will continue later this morning. It'll be interesting, since Friday the court is not in session, as to whether or not the prosecution tries to take up the entire six hour day so that the jurors have a long three day weekend to think about what this boy says Michael Jackson did to him.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Chad, we talked a lot about this yesterday morning.
MYERS: Yes, we did.
COSTELLO: Dan Rather, his last day at CBS on the anchor desk. It was actually on Wednesday. And I guess you could call it a wrap.
Did you see it?
MYERS: You know, I did not. I was actually out shopping. But I do have it on TiVo that I did plan on watching it later on and then I just never got a chance.
COSTELLO: Well, you're going to have to get a preview this morning...
MYERS: OK. Good.
COSTELLO: ... because we have a bit of it for people to hear.
MYERS: That will be good.
COSTELLO: We'll hear his entire farewell later in the hour. But here's the preview now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE CBS EVENING NEWS," COURTESY CBS)
DAN RATHER, CBS EVENING NEWS: For the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather reporting. Good night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I'm sure we can get a little more of a preview than that. But look at all of the staff clapping and cheering him on, giving him a standing ovation, so to speak.
MYERS: Did they give him a new jacket or something? What was that?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
MYERS: Or put his jacket on him?
COSTELLO: We're going to see a little later.
MYERS: OK. COSTELLO: We're going to go into detail a little later. But there's Dan Rather stepping down from the anchor desk after 24 years. Well, actually, he didn't anchor all 24 years, but he had a 24-year career at CBS.
MYERS: Somebody wrote yesterday, and I thought it was a nice e- mail. He said a thousand atta boys and one oops still makes a pretty good career.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll get his remarks in their entirety later on on DAYBREAK.
MYERS: OK. Great.
COSTELLO: Also still to come, the host city for the 2012 Summer Olympics is up for grabs. Lance Armstrong is peddling once again, but this time he's not a spokesman for the United States. We'll have more on that in six minutes.
Oil and gas reserves are at the highest levels ever. So why more pain at the pump? John King has that in 24 minutes.
And the smallest and most innocent victims of crystal meth. We'll look at the results of chasing the high in 32 minutes.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:14 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
President Bush takes his Social Security reform message on the road again. He's got stops in Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee today.
A huge drug bust in suburban Atlanta. Police seized a record 174 pounds of crystal methamphetamine; street value, $16 million. Plus they found $1 million in cash and evidence of distribution. A suspect is behind bars. We'll have more on the nationwide meth problem throughout DAYBREAK this morning.
In money news, Henry Ford's last remaining grandson is stepping down from the car maker's board of directors. William Clay Ford, Sr. says he'll leave in May, but he'll still have a hand in the company. Ford turns 80 on Monday. His son is the current chair and CEO. And, of course, they also own the Detroit Lions.
In culture, rap fans can now rest easy. 50 Cent and The Game have reconciled, or at least called a truce. 50 had tossed The Game out of a G-Unit for disloyalty. That expulsion was blamed for last week's shooting outside of a New York radio station.
In sports, Amari Stoudemire led the Phoenix Suns with 44 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. The 107-101 win for the Suns ties them with the Spurs for the best record in the NBA -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Chad, I want you to take a look at the picture in the "New York Post" this morning of Lance Armstrong.
MYERS: What does he have a -- does he have a mustache on there? Did you paint that in?
COSTELLO: No. Isn't that funny? Well, let me explain why they're depicting Lance Armstrong -- see this Axle of Weasel thing on his shirt?
MYERS: Oh, I see.
COSTELLO: Well, New York has a message for the international biking legend, Lance Armstrong, this morning. Say it ain't so. The six time winner of the Tour de France says he thinks the 2012 Olympics should be held in Paris. But he adds New York City should also be a candidate. Armstrong told a reporter that Paris would be an outstanding host for the Summer Games.
Still, organizers of Paris' bid may be somewhat red-faced today. A strike is disrupting transportation in Paris and all across France. But that's not the only problem.
Let's head live now to Jim Bittermann. He is in the City of Lights this morning.
Good morning, Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Red-faced, black eye, shoot yourself in the foot, there's probably a lot of cliches that might have applied to the situation here this morning, because as the International Olympic Committee has showed up here for three days of inspection, right in the middle of those three days a massive nationwide transportation strike staged by the rail unions and other unions here who are against the government's plans to change the 35-hour work week rules. So, as a consequence, massive traffic jams. Only about 20 percent of the commuter trains were running into Paris this morning, so people had to get in in other ways. They switched to their cars. There's 120 miles of traffic jams around the city. And all this while the Olympic Committee is looking around and trying to decide whether Paris should be the site of the 2012 Games. The city trying to impress with its best face on and all the rest of it, trying, in fact, to put these demonstrations off and ask the unions to put them off. But, in fact, the unions said no.
They are, however, making one concession, and that is this afternoon when they hold their massive demonstration through the streets of Paris, they're going to be wearing Olympic pins and Olympic buttons and the Olympic colors to show their support for the Games. But they weren't going to go a day without a strike. They would not put it off as they had planned for the 10th of March -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Hmmm. New York is looking better and better.
Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris this morning.
A new development to tell you about just in on the killing of two people related to that federal judge in Chicago. The "Chicago Tribune" is reporting a man who shot himself in the head during a traffic stop in Wisconsin claimed responsibility for the killing of the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow. Investigators say the man who shot himself left a suicide note making that claim. Investigators tell the newspaper that the note includes details not released to the public.
The man was stopped last night in West Alice, near Milwaukee. He shot himself as police approached the car. Right now, it's believed the man has no ties to any hate group. As you know, a white supremacist is serving prison time for once threatening to kill Judge Lefkow. Judge Lefkow's husband and mother were killed late last month.
What goes up must come down and go up again. I am talking about gas prices. We'll tell you what President Bush had to say about the energy issue.
And we'll introduce you to some of the victims of the crystal meth craze. You'll see what happens when mom's too busy chasing a high.
You are watching DAYBREAK for Thursday, March 10.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Ooh, that sounds nice, doesn't it?
MYERS: Wake up.
COSTELLO: Lenny Kravitz in the morning.
Are you ready to chuckle?
MYERS: I am. I slept through this.
COSTELLO: Guess what?
MYERS: What?
COSTELLO: Dan Rather has packed it in. After 24 years as the CBS Evening News anchor, he stepped down.
MYERS: We need a breaking news banner across the bottom, Carol.
COSTELLO: This just in.
Well, anyway, Jay Leno only had Dan and Martha Stewart's best interests at heart in his last night's monologue.
So let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Martha Stewart is under house arrest for the next five months. And during this time, her activity has been limited to doing only things that will make her even richer. That's what the judge said. You know, everybody's talking about that poncho that Martha wore when she was released from prison. Did you see that thing, a beautiful poncho? It turns out it was a gift from a fellow inmate. A woman crocheted it by hand. And this could turn out to be the woman's lucky day.
When word got out it was handmade by prison labor for $0.12 an hour, Wal-Mart ordered two million of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
LENO: And I think Dan is still a little bitter that he had to step down. Like his last words tonight were hey, President Bush, bite me. See, that seemed a little bitter. It seemed a little bitter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Wouldn't you love it if that really happened?
MYERS: There's no chance.
COSTELLO: No, I know. But it would be kind of refreshing in a way, wouldn't it?
Anyway, as you know, Dan Rather moves on to "60 Minutes II." And tonight you'll see Bob Schieffer in the CBS anchor chair. After all these years working "Face The Nation" on weekends. Schieffer finally gets a week day gig, at least temporarily.
MYERS: I was going to say, that's not permanent yet, is it?
COSTELLO: No, no, no. They're still picking Dan's successor.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: It will be real interesting to see who that will be.
It's time to read some e-mail.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: We're asking you this question -- Congress has subpoenaed many baseball players to appear before Congress for hearings on steroid use. We wondered if you thought if Congress was grandstanding. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? You got some, Chad?
MYERS: I got one from Buzz in Florida. He says: "Fair game or political ploy? Wait a minute, this is fair game. Performance enhancing dope has no place on my ball field." That's pretty clear.
COSTELLO: This is from Brent. He says: "My question is why is our government wasting our tax dollars to deal with steroids in baseball? It's just a sport. It's not as though steroids are illegal."
Oh, but they are.
"The use of steroids simply violates an organization's rules. The government has no place in such affairs."
MYERS: Geraldine (ph) says: "If they really want to deal with steroids, there'd be full testing of each and every one in time to analyze these potential damaging effects of these steroids. Just because anabolic steroids are harmful doesn't make them all harmful. Find the ones that work without harm and maybe allow the athletes to use them."
COSTELLO: Interesting.
We'll get to more of your e-mails later on DAYBREAK.
For now we have to take a break.
We'll be back in a couple of minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: 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, the Pentagon releases its review of interrogation policies today, and it's expected to find little fault with the top brass. The report says commanders in Iraq put pressure on interrogators to get information from prisoners, but it says no civilian or uniformed leaders encouraged prison abuse.
Insurgents gunmen attacked three top Iraqi police officials in Baghdad this morning in separate shootings. Two police colonels were killed. One general is in the hospital in critical condition.
He was playing golf yesterday in the rain, but former President Bill Clinton is in surgery this morning, or will be, to remove scar tissue and fluid from his chest. It's a complication of last year's heart bypass surgery.
The condition of Pope John Paul II will be updated shortly, probably within the hour. The pope, who's recovering from throat surgery, appeared at his hospital window yesterday, and he blessed the crowd.
MYERS: Yes, he did.
COSTELLO: To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Those were great pictures yesterday with him making the sign of the cross and all that.
COSTELLO: Yes, when he...
MYERS: And then all of a sudden we took...
COSTELLO: ... pushed the blinds aside.
MYERS: We took the live shot and the blinds went shut. It was like oh, wait. Don't go! Don't go! Don't go, Mr. Pope.
COSTELLO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MYERS: Good morning, everybody.
(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 10, 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, batter up. Some former and current Major League stars are subpoenaed by Congress to testify about steroid use. But will they play ball?
Plus, a hard-pedaling Texan throws his weight behind one city's bid for the 2012 Olympics. But you just might be surprised at which city he's backing.
And the growing problem of crystal meth -- how it affects the body and the children caught in the middle.
It is Thursday, March 10.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Congress gets a report today on the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite pressure from top commanders in Iraq on interrogators to get useful information, the bottom line is this -- Rumsfeld, the Pentagon and the Defense Department are not to blame.
In Baghdad today, two high ranking Iraqi police officials are killed by insurgents in a series of attacks. A third is wounded. One of the victims is the chief of the central Baghdad police station.
President Bush touts his Social Security reform proposals in Kentucky and Alabama today. Republicans hold seven of nine seats in Alabama's congressional delegation, but most won't be with the president when he makes his pitch there.
A day after playing in a charity golf tournament, former President Clinton heads to the hospital. He's having surgery today to drain fluid in his chest and he's expected to be hospitalized about 10 days.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Carol.
A static cling alert for you today. COSTELLO: Uh-oh.
MYERS: Do you wear any non-natural fibers today?
COSTELLO: What's a natural fiber these days in clothing?
MYERS: Well, they're all blends aren't, they? Or something genetically altered at that point in time.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
MYERS: Good morning, everybody.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Baseball's wild ride with steroids isn't about to end any time soon. And now Congress is getting in on the act. Seven subpoenas for current or former Major Leaguers have gone out and there is now a vow of a fight from the commissioner's office.
CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire forged a bond during the celebrated summer of '98 when they each surpassed the previous record for home runs in a season. Now, they're linked again, both slapped with subpoenas from a congressional committee probing whether their home run chase was fueled by more than just Mother Nature.
Also on the hit list, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas and Jose Canseco. Canseco wants to testify, perhaps so he can discuss his explosive new book that claims he used steroids with McGwire and others. Schilling has spoken out against steroids and Thomas has said this is a problem baseball must face.
FRANK THOMAS, CHICAGO WHITE SOCKS: I told people before, I've got nothing to hide. So if they subpoena us, they subpoena us. And I'll stick by my word. It's an honor to go there.
HENRY: But Major League Baseball officials are swinging back at Congress, insisting they'll fight the subpoenas because the committee does not have legal jurisdiction. Baseball officials also say forcing players like Giambi to testify on Capitol Hill next Thursday could taint a federal judge's probe of Balco Laboratories, which allegedly provided steroids to various athletes. Giambi reportedly told the grand jury he used steroids, though publicly he's been vague about the case that's dominated the early days of spring training.
JASON GIAMBI, NEW YORK YANKEES: I know there's been a lot of distractions, you know, over the past year and I wanted to apologize for all those, you know, distractions, from the bottom of my heart. You know, I take full responsibility for it and I'm sorry.
HENRY: In a letter to the congressional panel, Major League Baseball's lawyer lashed out at separate subpoena seeking the results of player drug tests. He wrote: "The right to privacy outweighs any asserted interest in the health problems stemming from the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs."
An aide to House Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis, who issued the subpoenas, fired back the panel does have legal authority, saying: "It's sad that they've resorted to legalese, and inaccurate legalese at that."
And despite baseball's push to block testimony, there are indications players like Sosa may come forward on their own. The stakes have been raised because a failure to testify could result in charges of contempt of Congress. An agent for Sosa told CNN that after respectfully declining the panel's initial invitation, the slugger now will "take a second look and make the right choice."
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The House actually begins one of their steroid hearings this morning. Among those scheduled to testify is a father who says steroids played a part in his son's suicide. Taylor Hooten was just 17 years old when he killed himself two years ago. Don Hooten says his son suffered from depression after he stopped using steroids.
And, Chad, that brings us to our E-Mail Question this morning. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? Daybreak@cnn.com. It should be interesting today to see what happens in Congress.
MYERS: Clearly a problem, especially with younger children who want to have the star power that this, taking a pill can get you. But at some point you're saying to yourself aren't there bigger fish out there that we need to worry about, you know?
COSTELLO: Well, and baseball has already changed its rules. It seems to be dealing with the problem right now. All of a sudden now they want to have congressional hearings. I mean why not do that before at the height of the controversy?
MYERS: P.R.?
COSTELLO: Who knows? Some are just saying that some Congress members are grandstanding. So that's why we're asking you this question.
MYERS: And that's The Question of the Day.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? Daybreak@cnn.com.
More "News from Across America" now.
Jesse James Hollywood has been captured. Hollywood is an alleged drug dealer wanted by police in connection with the murder of a California teenager more than four years ago. Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Markowitz was kidnapped and killed because his half brother owed Hollywood some money.
The Los Angeles mayor's race will come down to another vote. The councilman and the incumbent mayor finished first and second out of the 12 candidates. Since neither captured 50 percent of the vote, they'll face each other in a runoff on May 17.
The tasering of a handcuffed drug suspect has caused the suspension of an Orlando, Florida police officer. He allegedly tasered the suspect twice while the man was tied down on a hospital bed.
The suspect had refused to give a urine sample. The incident now under investigation.
Washington, D.C. schools have been ordered to get the lead out and the mercury, too. The school superintendent wants hazardous materials removed from schools. That includes thermometers. The original order came two years ago, after an area high school was shut down by a mercury spill.
Michael Jackson's 15-year-old accuser is expected back on the witness stand today.
Our Miguel Marquez reports on the boy's testimony so far in the pop star's child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Jackson finally came face-to-face with his accuser. The 15-year-old only testified for about an hour before the court day ended. It made for some tense moments in the courtroom, as the teenager finally began to tell his story about the world renewed pop star.
QUESTION: Michael, would you tell us how you (CROSSTALK) please? Can you tell us how you felt facing your accuser?
MICHAEL JACKSON, DEFENDANT: I'm sorry, I'm under a gag order.
MARQUEZ: The boy testified that on his first day at Neverland in 2000 it was Jackson's suggestion that he and his brother spend the night in his bedroom. The boy said his parents allowed it and the following night, instead of watching movies, said the accuser, a Jackson associate got online and surfed adult sites on the Internet for 15 to 30 minutes.
The accuser also told jurors that Jackson brought he and his siblings to Neverland during the filming of the Martin Bashir documentary, "Living With Michael Jackson." And Jackson told them the documentary was the boys' audition for the movies. He also told the court that Jackson instructed him to call him "Michael Daddy" and to tell Bashir on camera that Jackson was largely responsible for his recovery from cancer. (on camera): Questioning by the prosecution will continue later this morning. It'll be interesting, since Friday the court is not in session, as to whether or not the prosecution tries to take up the entire six hour day so that the jurors have a long three day weekend to think about what this boy says Michael Jackson did to him.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Chad, we talked a lot about this yesterday morning.
MYERS: Yes, we did.
COSTELLO: Dan Rather, his last day at CBS on the anchor desk. It was actually on Wednesday. And I guess you could call it a wrap.
Did you see it?
MYERS: You know, I did not. I was actually out shopping. But I do have it on TiVo that I did plan on watching it later on and then I just never got a chance.
COSTELLO: Well, you're going to have to get a preview this morning...
MYERS: OK. Good.
COSTELLO: ... because we have a bit of it for people to hear.
MYERS: That will be good.
COSTELLO: We'll hear his entire farewell later in the hour. But here's the preview now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE CBS EVENING NEWS," COURTESY CBS)
DAN RATHER, CBS EVENING NEWS: For the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather reporting. Good night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I'm sure we can get a little more of a preview than that. But look at all of the staff clapping and cheering him on, giving him a standing ovation, so to speak.
MYERS: Did they give him a new jacket or something? What was that?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
MYERS: Or put his jacket on him?
COSTELLO: We're going to see a little later.
MYERS: OK. COSTELLO: We're going to go into detail a little later. But there's Dan Rather stepping down from the anchor desk after 24 years. Well, actually, he didn't anchor all 24 years, but he had a 24-year career at CBS.
MYERS: Somebody wrote yesterday, and I thought it was a nice e- mail. He said a thousand atta boys and one oops still makes a pretty good career.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll get his remarks in their entirety later on on DAYBREAK.
MYERS: OK. Great.
COSTELLO: Also still to come, the host city for the 2012 Summer Olympics is up for grabs. Lance Armstrong is peddling once again, but this time he's not a spokesman for the United States. We'll have more on that in six minutes.
Oil and gas reserves are at the highest levels ever. So why more pain at the pump? John King has that in 24 minutes.
And the smallest and most innocent victims of crystal meth. We'll look at the results of chasing the high in 32 minutes.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
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COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:14 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
President Bush takes his Social Security reform message on the road again. He's got stops in Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee today.
A huge drug bust in suburban Atlanta. Police seized a record 174 pounds of crystal methamphetamine; street value, $16 million. Plus they found $1 million in cash and evidence of distribution. A suspect is behind bars. We'll have more on the nationwide meth problem throughout DAYBREAK this morning.
In money news, Henry Ford's last remaining grandson is stepping down from the car maker's board of directors. William Clay Ford, Sr. says he'll leave in May, but he'll still have a hand in the company. Ford turns 80 on Monday. His son is the current chair and CEO. And, of course, they also own the Detroit Lions.
In culture, rap fans can now rest easy. 50 Cent and The Game have reconciled, or at least called a truce. 50 had tossed The Game out of a G-Unit for disloyalty. That expulsion was blamed for last week's shooting outside of a New York radio station.
In sports, Amari Stoudemire led the Phoenix Suns with 44 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. The 107-101 win for the Suns ties them with the Spurs for the best record in the NBA -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
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COSTELLO: Chad, I want you to take a look at the picture in the "New York Post" this morning of Lance Armstrong.
MYERS: What does he have a -- does he have a mustache on there? Did you paint that in?
COSTELLO: No. Isn't that funny? Well, let me explain why they're depicting Lance Armstrong -- see this Axle of Weasel thing on his shirt?
MYERS: Oh, I see.
COSTELLO: Well, New York has a message for the international biking legend, Lance Armstrong, this morning. Say it ain't so. The six time winner of the Tour de France says he thinks the 2012 Olympics should be held in Paris. But he adds New York City should also be a candidate. Armstrong told a reporter that Paris would be an outstanding host for the Summer Games.
Still, organizers of Paris' bid may be somewhat red-faced today. A strike is disrupting transportation in Paris and all across France. But that's not the only problem.
Let's head live now to Jim Bittermann. He is in the City of Lights this morning.
Good morning, Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Red-faced, black eye, shoot yourself in the foot, there's probably a lot of cliches that might have applied to the situation here this morning, because as the International Olympic Committee has showed up here for three days of inspection, right in the middle of those three days a massive nationwide transportation strike staged by the rail unions and other unions here who are against the government's plans to change the 35-hour work week rules. So, as a consequence, massive traffic jams. Only about 20 percent of the commuter trains were running into Paris this morning, so people had to get in in other ways. They switched to their cars. There's 120 miles of traffic jams around the city. And all this while the Olympic Committee is looking around and trying to decide whether Paris should be the site of the 2012 Games. The city trying to impress with its best face on and all the rest of it, trying, in fact, to put these demonstrations off and ask the unions to put them off. But, in fact, the unions said no.
They are, however, making one concession, and that is this afternoon when they hold their massive demonstration through the streets of Paris, they're going to be wearing Olympic pins and Olympic buttons and the Olympic colors to show their support for the Games. But they weren't going to go a day without a strike. They would not put it off as they had planned for the 10th of March -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Hmmm. New York is looking better and better.
Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris this morning.
A new development to tell you about just in on the killing of two people related to that federal judge in Chicago. The "Chicago Tribune" is reporting a man who shot himself in the head during a traffic stop in Wisconsin claimed responsibility for the killing of the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow. Investigators say the man who shot himself left a suicide note making that claim. Investigators tell the newspaper that the note includes details not released to the public.
The man was stopped last night in West Alice, near Milwaukee. He shot himself as police approached the car. Right now, it's believed the man has no ties to any hate group. As you know, a white supremacist is serving prison time for once threatening to kill Judge Lefkow. Judge Lefkow's husband and mother were killed late last month.
What goes up must come down and go up again. I am talking about gas prices. We'll tell you what President Bush had to say about the energy issue.
And we'll introduce you to some of the victims of the crystal meth craze. You'll see what happens when mom's too busy chasing a high.
You are watching DAYBREAK for Thursday, March 10.
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COSTELLO: Ooh, that sounds nice, doesn't it?
MYERS: Wake up.
COSTELLO: Lenny Kravitz in the morning.
Are you ready to chuckle?
MYERS: I am. I slept through this.
COSTELLO: Guess what?
MYERS: What?
COSTELLO: Dan Rather has packed it in. After 24 years as the CBS Evening News anchor, he stepped down.
MYERS: We need a breaking news banner across the bottom, Carol.
COSTELLO: This just in.
Well, anyway, Jay Leno only had Dan and Martha Stewart's best interests at heart in his last night's monologue.
So let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Martha Stewart is under house arrest for the next five months. And during this time, her activity has been limited to doing only things that will make her even richer. That's what the judge said. You know, everybody's talking about that poncho that Martha wore when she was released from prison. Did you see that thing, a beautiful poncho? It turns out it was a gift from a fellow inmate. A woman crocheted it by hand. And this could turn out to be the woman's lucky day.
When word got out it was handmade by prison labor for $0.12 an hour, Wal-Mart ordered two million of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
LENO: And I think Dan is still a little bitter that he had to step down. Like his last words tonight were hey, President Bush, bite me. See, that seemed a little bitter. It seemed a little bitter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Wouldn't you love it if that really happened?
MYERS: There's no chance.
COSTELLO: No, I know. But it would be kind of refreshing in a way, wouldn't it?
Anyway, as you know, Dan Rather moves on to "60 Minutes II." And tonight you'll see Bob Schieffer in the CBS anchor chair. After all these years working "Face The Nation" on weekends. Schieffer finally gets a week day gig, at least temporarily.
MYERS: I was going to say, that's not permanent yet, is it?
COSTELLO: No, no, no. They're still picking Dan's successor.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: It will be real interesting to see who that will be.
It's time to read some e-mail.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: We're asking you this question -- Congress has subpoenaed many baseball players to appear before Congress for hearings on steroid use. We wondered if you thought if Congress was grandstanding. Congress and steroids -- fair game or political play? You got some, Chad?
MYERS: I got one from Buzz in Florida. He says: "Fair game or political ploy? Wait a minute, this is fair game. Performance enhancing dope has no place on my ball field." That's pretty clear.
COSTELLO: This is from Brent. He says: "My question is why is our government wasting our tax dollars to deal with steroids in baseball? It's just a sport. It's not as though steroids are illegal."
Oh, but they are.
"The use of steroids simply violates an organization's rules. The government has no place in such affairs."
MYERS: Geraldine (ph) says: "If they really want to deal with steroids, there'd be full testing of each and every one in time to analyze these potential damaging effects of these steroids. Just because anabolic steroids are harmful doesn't make them all harmful. Find the ones that work without harm and maybe allow the athletes to use them."
COSTELLO: Interesting.
We'll get to more of your e-mails later on DAYBREAK.
For now we have to take a break.
We'll be back in a couple of minutes.
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COSTELLO: 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, the Pentagon releases its review of interrogation policies today, and it's expected to find little fault with the top brass. The report says commanders in Iraq put pressure on interrogators to get information from prisoners, but it says no civilian or uniformed leaders encouraged prison abuse.
Insurgents gunmen attacked three top Iraqi police officials in Baghdad this morning in separate shootings. Two police colonels were killed. One general is in the hospital in critical condition.
He was playing golf yesterday in the rain, but former President Bill Clinton is in surgery this morning, or will be, to remove scar tissue and fluid from his chest. It's a complication of last year's heart bypass surgery.
The condition of Pope John Paul II will be updated shortly, probably within the hour. The pope, who's recovering from throat surgery, appeared at his hospital window yesterday, and he blessed the crowd.
MYERS: Yes, he did.
COSTELLO: To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Those were great pictures yesterday with him making the sign of the cross and all that.
COSTELLO: Yes, when he...
MYERS: And then all of a sudden we took...
COSTELLO: ... pushed the blinds aside.
MYERS: We took the live shot and the blinds went shut. It was like oh, wait. Don't go! Don't go! Don't go, Mr. Pope.
COSTELLO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MYERS: Good morning, everybody.
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