Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

G8 Labor Meeting; Pump It Up; Chasing the High; Breast Cancer Risk

Aired March 10, 2005 - 05:30   ET

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

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


(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Will that affect the cars?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It will affect the tires. This has been a big thing how soft the tires are, the compounds are different, the rear spoiler is different, the grip is different. And these guys are going to -- this is going to be the first really hot race that these guys are going to see whether these ties hold up or not.

COSTELLO: Well, it will be an interesting one then.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Polls show support is slipping for President Bush's Social Security overhaul plan, so the president takes his message on the road again today with stops in Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee.

The U.S. comptroller general told Congress that Social Security faces no immediate crisis, but he did add this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WALKER, U.S. COMPTROLLER GENERAL: We have a problem that needs to be solved, and it's prudent to solve it sooner rather than later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Social Security's financial problems will get harder to solve as Baby Boomers start retiring. This 1995 census map shows 16 states with 12 percent or fewer elderly people making up their population. By 2025, the Census Bureau estimates only Alaska will have that distinction.

And as we grapple with that growing aging population, they're talking about it at a G8 labor conference in Edinburgh.

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is heading the American delegation, and she joins us now live from London. Also in attendance, by the way, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and Britain.

Good morning, Secretary Chao, welcome to DAYBREAK.

ELAINE CHAO, SECRETARY OF LABOR: Good morning. Thank you.

COSTELLO: I know you'll be talking about Social Security American style at this conference. This week, Congress will hold its first hearing on the matter. Shouldn't the focus be on whether the system will really go bust anytime soon rather than if private retirement accounts will fix what ails it?

CHAO: Well the current Social Security system is sound for current retirees and near retirees. But for today's 30-year-old, when they retire, they're going to face a benefit cut of 27 percent if nothing is done.

So we've got to do something now, as you've just heard from the comptroller general, about the Social Security system now so that it will be safe for our children and our grandchildren. Because, after all, the government has made a promise, and these are empty promises if we don't do something to ensure that today's young people will have a healthy Social Security system when they retire.

COSTELLO: Does that constitute a crisis, though?

CHAO: Well, you know in 1950, 15 workers supported one retiree. Now, currently, three workers support every one retiree. And when the Baby Boomer generation starts to retire, that number is going to be reduced to two. So, again, the system is sound for current retirees and near retirees, but something has got to be done with our workers that are going to be entering retirement.

COSTELLO: You know some Republicans are even pulling away from this idea, though, of private accounts, for now at least. Senator Lindsey Graham said in "The Washington Post" of private accounts, he says, "it's always been a sideshow, but we sold it as the main event. Critics are attacking it as the undoing of Social Security. That's what frustrates me that we're off in a ditch over a sideshow, and there's plenty of blame to go around."

Who's he blaming?

CHAO: Well, you know I don't know about that. But I think the president deserves a lot of credit for leadership for bringing this issue to the forefront of the American people. You know what we want is a dialogue, not just a monologue. This is a very, very important issue.

I'm a trustee of the Social Security system, and I'm very concerned about the future financial viability of this system to make good on promises that the government has made to all workers. And so, once again, the president deserves a great deal of credit for bringing this issue to the forefront of the American public. We're encouraging a dialogue, and we hope that through this national dialog we're going to come up with some solutions. COSTELLO: But isn't the idea -- people really don't much like the idea of private accounts. Isn't it time to move away from that, as Senator Graham is suggesting, and come up with a new idea, perhaps one with more specifics?

CHAO: Well these are called voluntary retirement accounts. And so, again, you know if someone doesn't like these accounts, they don't have to sign up. This is an account that is on a voluntary basis for young people who are currently in the work force who have the advantage of time on their side to voluntarily take a small portion of their Social Security taxes, put it in a voluntary retirement account. That's a diversified instrument that will be very safe.

And over time, through the magic of compound interest, and also you know just time alone, they're going to see greater investment than they would receive. But again, this is all voluntary. And this is one idea of many ideas. So the most important thing is current retirees and near retirees will not be impacted.

We're empowering, through the president's proposal, the option for young workers to put voluntarily a small portion of their Social Security taxes in a safe instrument investment, if they so wish. And they'll see better returns when they retire.

COSTELLO: OK. We'll see if the president can get everyone to agree. Secretary Chao, live from London this morning, thank you.

Another pocketbook issue for Americans to talk about, you know what it is, yes, the price at the pump.

Our senior White House correspondent John King brings us the political angle on rising gas prices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prices at the pump are heading up again. And as always, the politicians are taking notice.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Higher prices at the gas pump and rising home heating bills and the possibility of blackout are legitimate concerns for all Americans.

KING: The average price of gas is $2 a gallon, and it's projected to rise 15 cents a gallon more by summer.

Focusing on energy issues in Ohio, the president said rising prices are a drag on the economy. And he again called on lawmakers to pass the energy plan he has failed to get through Congress for four years now, including allowing exploration at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

BUSH: By applying the most innovative environmental practices, we can carry out the project with almost no impact on land or local wildlife.

KING: But most Democrats oppose drilling at the wildlife refuge and say the president has powers to help immediately.

In this letter, a group of 16 senators, all but one Democrats, urged Mr. Bush to suspend purchases for the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Saying that plan will take an average of 92,000 barrels per day off the market during the height of the driving season between April and the end of August.

The senators say Mr. Bush should also release some reserves into the market.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Instead of going out to Ohio and making a political speech, he should turn the spigot, open the SPR and bring prices down.

KING: Mr. Bush says the reserves are for national emergencies. And the White House reiterated its longstanding opposition to tapping those stockpiles to counter seasonal or other market fluctuations.

BUSH: Congress is debating the Clear Skies Initiative, but I'm going to act to get results.

KING: As Mr. Bush traveled, Congress provided a reminder of the sharp partisan divide over energy and the environment. The Senate committee deadlocked on what Mr. Bush calls his Clear Skies Initiative, but critics call an effort to weaken the Clean Air Act.

(on camera): Inventories of oil and gas are actually at their highest levels in six years. And some analysts believe all this speculation about higher prices, including all these speeches from the politician, is as much a factor in escalating prices at the pump than the laws of supply and demand

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" this morning, there is a new development just in on the killing of two people related to a federal judge in Chicago. "The Chicago Tribune" reports a man who shot himself in the head during a traffic stop in Wisconsin has claimed responsibility for the killing of the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow.

And investigators say the man who shot himself left a suicide note making that claim. Investigators tell the newspaper the note includes details not released to the public. The man was stopped yesterday in West Allis near Milwaukee. He shot himself as police approached the car.

Right now it's believed the man has no ties to any hate group. 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.

Hiker Matthew Schultz (ph) is in stable condition after he was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Schultz and three other hikers were rescued by Rangers in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Bad weather set in as the young men where hiking. They were stranded in the snow overnight.

Straight ahead, the epidemic called methamphetamine and children caught up in the chase for a quick high and a fast buck. Details in four minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Believed to be the biggest methamphetamine seizure ever in the eastern United States, federal agents and local police arrested one man, Vic Doriano Jamines (ph), in a suburb of Atlanta. And they seized 174 pounds of crystal meth with a street value of $16 million. Also seized, $1 million in cash and ledgers that appear to show the distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and the collection of millions of dollars in payments.

DAYBREAK will be taking a look at the meth problem in America over the next two days.

Our first report this morning is on the smallest and the most innocent victims of methamphetamine, the children often found in meth labs.

CNN's Randi Kaye has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thorton, Colorado, 10 miles outside Denver, a drug raid under way, but this bust will reveal more than just drugs, a victim, one you wouldn't expect. His name is Brandon (ph), just 18 months, exposed to a world no child should ever see.

Brandon and his mother are in this home where the drug methamphetamine is being made. It's a meth lab. Right next to Brandon's toys, deadly chemicals. His mother reaches out to him to assure him, but it's too late. His mother is arrested, later convicted for drug possession and child abuse. This little boy now faces a tough journey. He's not the only one.

PEGGY WALKER, JUDGE: We see it over and over and over again, and I'm sick of it. I'm angry. I'm tired of it.

KAYE: Meth use is spiking across the country and children are suffering.

WALKER: Who's going to raise these children? Who's going to care for these children?

KAYE: Juvenile Court Judge Peggy Walker sees it in her Douglasville, Georgia courtroom every day.

WALKER: It's the most addictive drug I have ever seen.

KAYE: Meth is made using everyday household items, like hydrochloric acid found in toilet bowl cleaner. The chemicals are used to convert common cold medicines containing suphedrine into meth. That process creates toxic fumes that are especially harmful to children.

(on camera): According to the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, kids are found in more than 30 percent of meth labs raided nationwide. It also says most women who are meth cooks are of childbearing age. And when a pregnant woman gets high on meth, so does her baby.

(voice-over): Dr. Rizwan Shah is a pediatrician who studies the effects of meth on children.

DR. RIZWAN SHAH, PEDIATRICIAN: Methamphetamine grassing (ph) placenta can cause a sudden rise in the blood pressure of the brain, and that can cause a stroke in an unborn child, resulting in convulsions, muscle tone problems, tremors and sometimes even paralysis.

KAYE: This is what a meth baby looks like, premature, hooked on meth and suffering the pangs of withdrawal. They don't want to eat or sleep and the simplest things cause great pain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she would cry when she would have her diaper changed because it was so tender and sore.

KAYE: This baby's bottom is burned. When her mother inhaled meth, so did she. Now every time the baby goes to the bathroom, the acids from the meth in her system burn her own skin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buttocks actually is bleeding.

KAYE: Ron Mullins is a cop turned coordinator with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. During his years on the street, he shut down hundreds of meth labs. Today, he helps states care for children of meth.

RON MULLINS, DRUG ENDANGERED CHILDREN: These children are being raised in homes that are absolutely filthy. There's rotting food everywhere. There's animal and human feces everywhere. It's deplorable conditions.

WALKER: Parents are walking away from their children. They walk away from their spouses. They walk away from their home. They walk away from their jobs. They walk away from their life as they knew it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll talk about the meth problem next hour with Dr. Tim Kelly, Addictionologist and Director of the Fairbanks -- of Fairbanks, rather, the treatment and recovery facility in Indianapolis. And tomorrow, we'll talk with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour who has signed a bill to strengthen his state's laws against methamphetamine.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

The Senate is expected to approve a hotly debated bankruptcy bill today. It would make it harder for those of you seeking bankruptcy protection to have your debts dissolved.

Some promising news for heart patients, two studies have found that adding Plavix to other anti-clotting drugs typically given to heart attack patients saves lives and prevents second heart attacks.

In money news, there's another identity theft at a data broker, this time, Lexis-Nexis was hit. Thieves gained access to the profiles of 32,000 U.S. residents. The FBI now investigating.

In culture, take a close look at this, see that guy, do you recognize him? Do you recognize him now? That's Jim Morrison of "The Doors." Come on people, you knew that. He's actually in a short 1964 instructional film that's recently been discovered in the Florida archives. It was shot when Morrison was a Florida State University student.

In sports, this is why former phenom Rick Ankiel has decided to give up pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 25-year-old has battled terrible control problems since the 2000 playoffs. He says he'll now try to make the team as an outfielder -- Chad.

MYERS: Wow that's a big switch. Yes. Actually a great call by him, though, if he really wants to stay in the game and he wants to play in the bigs, there you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, sliding over here. Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines.

And -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Here it is, Dan Rather...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... leaves the anchor chair after 24 years at CBS News. No word on who will fill the chair permanently. But last night, Rather looked back on some of the most important stories of his career, including that 2001 terrorist attack. Of course we all know that very well.

Let's go "Beyond the Soundbite" now for more on Rather's emotional farewell. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, ANCHOR, CBS EVENING NEWS: To a nation still nursing a broken heart for what happened here in 2001, and especially to those who found themselves closest to the events of September 11, to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in dangerous places, to those who have endured the tsunami and to all who have suffered natural disasters and who must now find the will to rebuild, to the oppressed and to those whose lot it is to struggle in financial hardship or in failing health, to my fellow journalists in places where reporting the truth means risking all, and to each of you, courage.

For the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather reporting, goodnight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And you thought he wouldn't say courage at the end, but he did. Rather will continue with CBS as a "60 Minutes II" correspondent.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You've heard all the studies, you know the fact that secondhand smoke can cause cancer. Now there is new evidence linking it to breast cancer.

More details now from our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's far from the final word, but scientists doing research for a reputable environmental advisory group are now ready to report that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer, increasing a woman's risk by up to 90 percent.

DR. JONATHAN M. SAMET, JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL: The California report gives the very powerful conclusion that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer. California is a little bit out front on this in being the first, and my judgment is a little more reserved at the moment.

GUPTA: While doctors are still being cautious, what is not in dispute is that secondhand smoke is bad for your health. Now the focus is just how bad? Smoke, whether it comes off the tip of your cigarette or out of your lungs is linked to 40,000 deaths from heart disease, just about every respiratory disease you can think of and 3,000 cases of lung cancer every year.

In fact, the link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer is so strong researchers have pinpointed just how much secondhand smoke increases your risk. For example, 20 or more years in the workplace increases your risk by 25 percent. Thirty or more years with a spouse increases your risk by 23 percent. Or, over 20 years of exposure in social settings ups your risk by 26 percent.

It turns out it's a more complicated puzzle when trying to link secondhand smoke to breast cancer. Still, researchers from the California Air Resources Board think they have the data to show a similar cause and effect with breast cancer and say they will submit their data on Monday. They arrived at their conclusions by reviewing existing studies that showed the toxic elements of secondhand smoke in breast tissue.

Scientists also found a link between active smoking and breast cancer, although remarkably that was much weaker.

DR. SUSAN LOVE, AUTHOR, "DR. SUSAN LOVE'S BREAST BOOK": When you're a smoker, it actually is very toxic to your ovaries and it reduces the amount of estrogen you have, and estrogen feeds breast cancer. So, the theory is even though the cigarette smoking might be carcinogenic, the low estrogen may be hiding that and not feeding that cancer.

GUPTA: The tobacco industry is far from sold, pointing to the numerous studies that also show no association between breast cancer and secondhand smoke. As many often say, more studies are still needed, but many doctors agree that another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

We're right back with more e-mails after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There is the DAYBREAK "Question of the Morning," Congress and steroids: fair game or political play? And, boy, have you responded to this one.

Chad, you have some?

MYERS: I have one from each side, Carol.

From Robert (ph) in New Mexico, many 8 year olds successfully play Little League sports. When these 8 year olds grow up into high school and some of them notice that their friends are getting much bigger, stronger and faster, many of them will do whatever it takes to keep themselves competitive.

And from Anthony (ph) in Virginia, in a time where children go hungry, go to bed homeless, crime makes our cities unsafe, not to mention a terrorist threat, Congress needs to waste time on these sports hearings. I don't think that whether baseball players use steroids or not is important as these other problems. COSTELLO: Interesting. Of course we're talking about Congress subpoenaing baseball players to appear before -- will appear in a congressional hearing to talk about steroids in baseball.

This is from D.H. (ph) in Chicago. The actions of Major League Baseball players and the look-the-other-way mentality of MLB management gravely contribute to the pressures that America's youth feel to compete. The only way to demonstrate to our youth that illegal abuse of steroids is not OK is to have an independent investigation of steroid use by Major League ballplayers, including players testifying under oath.

So we'll see if Congress achieves that today or tomorrow, however long those hearings will last. We're going to talk about it more in the next hour of DAYBREAK, which starts right now.

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 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Will that affect the cars?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It will affect the tires. This has been a big thing how soft the tires are, the compounds are different, the rear spoiler is different, the grip is different. And these guys are going to -- this is going to be the first really hot race that these guys are going to see whether these ties hold up or not.

COSTELLO: Well, it will be an interesting one then.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Polls show support is slipping for President Bush's Social Security overhaul plan, so the president takes his message on the road again today with stops in Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee.

The U.S. comptroller general told Congress that Social Security faces no immediate crisis, but he did add this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WALKER, U.S. COMPTROLLER GENERAL: We have a problem that needs to be solved, and it's prudent to solve it sooner rather than later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Social Security's financial problems will get harder to solve as Baby Boomers start retiring. This 1995 census map shows 16 states with 12 percent or fewer elderly people making up their population. By 2025, the Census Bureau estimates only Alaska will have that distinction.

And as we grapple with that growing aging population, they're talking about it at a G8 labor conference in Edinburgh.

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is heading the American delegation, and she joins us now live from London. Also in attendance, by the way, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and Britain.

Good morning, Secretary Chao, welcome to DAYBREAK.

ELAINE CHAO, SECRETARY OF LABOR: Good morning. Thank you.

COSTELLO: I know you'll be talking about Social Security American style at this conference. This week, Congress will hold its first hearing on the matter. Shouldn't the focus be on whether the system will really go bust anytime soon rather than if private retirement accounts will fix what ails it?

CHAO: Well the current Social Security system is sound for current retirees and near retirees. But for today's 30-year-old, when they retire, they're going to face a benefit cut of 27 percent if nothing is done.

So we've got to do something now, as you've just heard from the comptroller general, about the Social Security system now so that it will be safe for our children and our grandchildren. Because, after all, the government has made a promise, and these are empty promises if we don't do something to ensure that today's young people will have a healthy Social Security system when they retire.

COSTELLO: Does that constitute a crisis, though?

CHAO: Well, you know in 1950, 15 workers supported one retiree. Now, currently, three workers support every one retiree. And when the Baby Boomer generation starts to retire, that number is going to be reduced to two. So, again, the system is sound for current retirees and near retirees, but something has got to be done with our workers that are going to be entering retirement.

COSTELLO: You know some Republicans are even pulling away from this idea, though, of private accounts, for now at least. Senator Lindsey Graham said in "The Washington Post" of private accounts, he says, "it's always been a sideshow, but we sold it as the main event. Critics are attacking it as the undoing of Social Security. That's what frustrates me that we're off in a ditch over a sideshow, and there's plenty of blame to go around."

Who's he blaming?

CHAO: Well, you know I don't know about that. But I think the president deserves a lot of credit for leadership for bringing this issue to the forefront of the American people. You know what we want is a dialogue, not just a monologue. This is a very, very important issue.

I'm a trustee of the Social Security system, and I'm very concerned about the future financial viability of this system to make good on promises that the government has made to all workers. And so, once again, the president deserves a great deal of credit for bringing this issue to the forefront of the American public. We're encouraging a dialogue, and we hope that through this national dialog we're going to come up with some solutions. COSTELLO: But isn't the idea -- people really don't much like the idea of private accounts. Isn't it time to move away from that, as Senator Graham is suggesting, and come up with a new idea, perhaps one with more specifics?

CHAO: Well these are called voluntary retirement accounts. And so, again, you know if someone doesn't like these accounts, they don't have to sign up. This is an account that is on a voluntary basis for young people who are currently in the work force who have the advantage of time on their side to voluntarily take a small portion of their Social Security taxes, put it in a voluntary retirement account. That's a diversified instrument that will be very safe.

And over time, through the magic of compound interest, and also you know just time alone, they're going to see greater investment than they would receive. But again, this is all voluntary. And this is one idea of many ideas. So the most important thing is current retirees and near retirees will not be impacted.

We're empowering, through the president's proposal, the option for young workers to put voluntarily a small portion of their Social Security taxes in a safe instrument investment, if they so wish. And they'll see better returns when they retire.

COSTELLO: OK. We'll see if the president can get everyone to agree. Secretary Chao, live from London this morning, thank you.

Another pocketbook issue for Americans to talk about, you know what it is, yes, the price at the pump.

Our senior White House correspondent John King brings us the political angle on rising gas prices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prices at the pump are heading up again. And as always, the politicians are taking notice.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Higher prices at the gas pump and rising home heating bills and the possibility of blackout are legitimate concerns for all Americans.

KING: The average price of gas is $2 a gallon, and it's projected to rise 15 cents a gallon more by summer.

Focusing on energy issues in Ohio, the president said rising prices are a drag on the economy. And he again called on lawmakers to pass the energy plan he has failed to get through Congress for four years now, including allowing exploration at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

BUSH: By applying the most innovative environmental practices, we can carry out the project with almost no impact on land or local wildlife.

KING: But most Democrats oppose drilling at the wildlife refuge and say the president has powers to help immediately.

In this letter, a group of 16 senators, all but one Democrats, urged Mr. Bush to suspend purchases for the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Saying that plan will take an average of 92,000 barrels per day off the market during the height of the driving season between April and the end of August.

The senators say Mr. Bush should also release some reserves into the market.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Instead of going out to Ohio and making a political speech, he should turn the spigot, open the SPR and bring prices down.

KING: Mr. Bush says the reserves are for national emergencies. And the White House reiterated its longstanding opposition to tapping those stockpiles to counter seasonal or other market fluctuations.

BUSH: Congress is debating the Clear Skies Initiative, but I'm going to act to get results.

KING: As Mr. Bush traveled, Congress provided a reminder of the sharp partisan divide over energy and the environment. The Senate committee deadlocked on what Mr. Bush calls his Clear Skies Initiative, but critics call an effort to weaken the Clean Air Act.

(on camera): Inventories of oil and gas are actually at their highest levels in six years. And some analysts believe all this speculation about higher prices, including all these speeches from the politician, is as much a factor in escalating prices at the pump than the laws of supply and demand

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" this morning, there is a new development just in on the killing of two people related to a federal judge in Chicago. "The Chicago Tribune" reports a man who shot himself in the head during a traffic stop in Wisconsin has claimed responsibility for the killing of the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow.

And investigators say the man who shot himself left a suicide note making that claim. Investigators tell the newspaper the note includes details not released to the public. The man was stopped yesterday in West Allis near Milwaukee. He shot himself as police approached the car.

Right now it's believed the man has no ties to any hate group. 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.

Hiker Matthew Schultz (ph) is in stable condition after he was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Schultz and three other hikers were rescued by Rangers in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Bad weather set in as the young men where hiking. They were stranded in the snow overnight.

Straight ahead, the epidemic called methamphetamine and children caught up in the chase for a quick high and a fast buck. Details in four minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Believed to be the biggest methamphetamine seizure ever in the eastern United States, federal agents and local police arrested one man, Vic Doriano Jamines (ph), in a suburb of Atlanta. And they seized 174 pounds of crystal meth with a street value of $16 million. Also seized, $1 million in cash and ledgers that appear to show the distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and the collection of millions of dollars in payments.

DAYBREAK will be taking a look at the meth problem in America over the next two days.

Our first report this morning is on the smallest and the most innocent victims of methamphetamine, the children often found in meth labs.

CNN's Randi Kaye has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thorton, Colorado, 10 miles outside Denver, a drug raid under way, but this bust will reveal more than just drugs, a victim, one you wouldn't expect. His name is Brandon (ph), just 18 months, exposed to a world no child should ever see.

Brandon and his mother are in this home where the drug methamphetamine is being made. It's a meth lab. Right next to Brandon's toys, deadly chemicals. His mother reaches out to him to assure him, but it's too late. His mother is arrested, later convicted for drug possession and child abuse. This little boy now faces a tough journey. He's not the only one.

PEGGY WALKER, JUDGE: We see it over and over and over again, and I'm sick of it. I'm angry. I'm tired of it.

KAYE: Meth use is spiking across the country and children are suffering.

WALKER: Who's going to raise these children? Who's going to care for these children?

KAYE: Juvenile Court Judge Peggy Walker sees it in her Douglasville, Georgia courtroom every day.

WALKER: It's the most addictive drug I have ever seen.

KAYE: Meth is made using everyday household items, like hydrochloric acid found in toilet bowl cleaner. The chemicals are used to convert common cold medicines containing suphedrine into meth. That process creates toxic fumes that are especially harmful to children.

(on camera): According to the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, kids are found in more than 30 percent of meth labs raided nationwide. It also says most women who are meth cooks are of childbearing age. And when a pregnant woman gets high on meth, so does her baby.

(voice-over): Dr. Rizwan Shah is a pediatrician who studies the effects of meth on children.

DR. RIZWAN SHAH, PEDIATRICIAN: Methamphetamine grassing (ph) placenta can cause a sudden rise in the blood pressure of the brain, and that can cause a stroke in an unborn child, resulting in convulsions, muscle tone problems, tremors and sometimes even paralysis.

KAYE: This is what a meth baby looks like, premature, hooked on meth and suffering the pangs of withdrawal. They don't want to eat or sleep and the simplest things cause great pain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she would cry when she would have her diaper changed because it was so tender and sore.

KAYE: This baby's bottom is burned. When her mother inhaled meth, so did she. Now every time the baby goes to the bathroom, the acids from the meth in her system burn her own skin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buttocks actually is bleeding.

KAYE: Ron Mullins is a cop turned coordinator with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. During his years on the street, he shut down hundreds of meth labs. Today, he helps states care for children of meth.

RON MULLINS, DRUG ENDANGERED CHILDREN: These children are being raised in homes that are absolutely filthy. There's rotting food everywhere. There's animal and human feces everywhere. It's deplorable conditions.

WALKER: Parents are walking away from their children. They walk away from their spouses. They walk away from their home. They walk away from their jobs. They walk away from their life as they knew it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll talk about the meth problem next hour with Dr. Tim Kelly, Addictionologist and Director of the Fairbanks -- of Fairbanks, rather, the treatment and recovery facility in Indianapolis. And tomorrow, we'll talk with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour who has signed a bill to strengthen his state's laws against methamphetamine.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

The Senate is expected to approve a hotly debated bankruptcy bill today. It would make it harder for those of you seeking bankruptcy protection to have your debts dissolved.

Some promising news for heart patients, two studies have found that adding Plavix to other anti-clotting drugs typically given to heart attack patients saves lives and prevents second heart attacks.

In money news, there's another identity theft at a data broker, this time, Lexis-Nexis was hit. Thieves gained access to the profiles of 32,000 U.S. residents. The FBI now investigating.

In culture, take a close look at this, see that guy, do you recognize him? Do you recognize him now? That's Jim Morrison of "The Doors." Come on people, you knew that. He's actually in a short 1964 instructional film that's recently been discovered in the Florida archives. It was shot when Morrison was a Florida State University student.

In sports, this is why former phenom Rick Ankiel has decided to give up pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 25-year-old has battled terrible control problems since the 2000 playoffs. He says he'll now try to make the team as an outfielder -- Chad.

MYERS: Wow that's a big switch. Yes. Actually a great call by him, though, if he really wants to stay in the game and he wants to play in the bigs, there you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, sliding over here. Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines.

And -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Here it is, Dan Rather...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... leaves the anchor chair after 24 years at CBS News. No word on who will fill the chair permanently. But last night, Rather looked back on some of the most important stories of his career, including that 2001 terrorist attack. Of course we all know that very well.

Let's go "Beyond the Soundbite" now for more on Rather's emotional farewell. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, ANCHOR, CBS EVENING NEWS: To a nation still nursing a broken heart for what happened here in 2001, and especially to those who found themselves closest to the events of September 11, to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in dangerous places, to those who have endured the tsunami and to all who have suffered natural disasters and who must now find the will to rebuild, to the oppressed and to those whose lot it is to struggle in financial hardship or in failing health, to my fellow journalists in places where reporting the truth means risking all, and to each of you, courage.

For the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather reporting, goodnight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And you thought he wouldn't say courage at the end, but he did. Rather will continue with CBS as a "60 Minutes II" correspondent.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You've heard all the studies, you know the fact that secondhand smoke can cause cancer. Now there is new evidence linking it to breast cancer.

More details now from our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's far from the final word, but scientists doing research for a reputable environmental advisory group are now ready to report that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer, increasing a woman's risk by up to 90 percent.

DR. JONATHAN M. SAMET, JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL: The California report gives the very powerful conclusion that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer. California is a little bit out front on this in being the first, and my judgment is a little more reserved at the moment.

GUPTA: While doctors are still being cautious, what is not in dispute is that secondhand smoke is bad for your health. Now the focus is just how bad? Smoke, whether it comes off the tip of your cigarette or out of your lungs is linked to 40,000 deaths from heart disease, just about every respiratory disease you can think of and 3,000 cases of lung cancer every year.

In fact, the link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer is so strong researchers have pinpointed just how much secondhand smoke increases your risk. For example, 20 or more years in the workplace increases your risk by 25 percent. Thirty or more years with a spouse increases your risk by 23 percent. Or, over 20 years of exposure in social settings ups your risk by 26 percent.

It turns out it's a more complicated puzzle when trying to link secondhand smoke to breast cancer. Still, researchers from the California Air Resources Board think they have the data to show a similar cause and effect with breast cancer and say they will submit their data on Monday. They arrived at their conclusions by reviewing existing studies that showed the toxic elements of secondhand smoke in breast tissue.

Scientists also found a link between active smoking and breast cancer, although remarkably that was much weaker.

DR. SUSAN LOVE, AUTHOR, "DR. SUSAN LOVE'S BREAST BOOK": When you're a smoker, it actually is very toxic to your ovaries and it reduces the amount of estrogen you have, and estrogen feeds breast cancer. So, the theory is even though the cigarette smoking might be carcinogenic, the low estrogen may be hiding that and not feeding that cancer.

GUPTA: The tobacco industry is far from sold, pointing to the numerous studies that also show no association between breast cancer and secondhand smoke. As many often say, more studies are still needed, but many doctors agree that another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

We're right back with more e-mails after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There is the DAYBREAK "Question of the Morning," Congress and steroids: fair game or political play? And, boy, have you responded to this one.

Chad, you have some?

MYERS: I have one from each side, Carol.

From Robert (ph) in New Mexico, many 8 year olds successfully play Little League sports. When these 8 year olds grow up into high school and some of them notice that their friends are getting much bigger, stronger and faster, many of them will do whatever it takes to keep themselves competitive.

And from Anthony (ph) in Virginia, in a time where children go hungry, go to bed homeless, crime makes our cities unsafe, not to mention a terrorist threat, Congress needs to waste time on these sports hearings. I don't think that whether baseball players use steroids or not is important as these other problems. COSTELLO: Interesting. Of course we're talking about Congress subpoenaing baseball players to appear before -- will appear in a congressional hearing to talk about steroids in baseball.

This is from D.H. (ph) in Chicago. The actions of Major League Baseball players and the look-the-other-way mentality of MLB management gravely contribute to the pressures that America's youth feel to compete. The only way to demonstrate to our youth that illegal abuse of steroids is not OK is to have an independent investigation of steroid use by Major League ballplayers, including players testifying under oath.

So we'll see if Congress achieves that today or tomorrow, however long those hearings will last. We're going to talk about it more in the next hour of DAYBREAK, which starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com