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CNN Live At Daybreak

Nichols Portrayed; Shooting Aftermath; Lebanese Protest; Male Menopause

Aired March 14, 2005 - 05:30   ET

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


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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Imagine this, held hostage by an alleged killer for hours on end. Police say it was all too real for one Georgia woman over the weekend.
This morning we take you "Beyond the Soundbite." In her own words, Ashley Smith says Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols forced his way into her apartment north of the city. Smith says Nichols later allowed her to leave and her subsequent call to police led to his capture. Smith tells reporters she cooked pancakes for Nichols and she talked to him for hours to gain his trust.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: He asked me what I thought he should do.

And I said, I think you should turn yourself in. If you don't turn yourself in, this is what I said, if you don't turn yourself in, lots more people are going to get hurt and you're probably going to die.

And he said I don't want that to happen.

He said can I stay here for a few days? I just want to eat some real food and watch some TV and sleep and just do normal things that normal people do.

So of course I said sure, you can stay here. I didn't want -- I wanted to gain his trust.

Most of my time was spent talking to this man about my life and experiences in my life, things that had happened to me.

He needed hope for his life. He told me that he was already dead. He said look at me, look at my eyes, I am already dead.

And I said you are not dead, you are standing right in front of me. If you want to die, you can, it's your choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Just an amazing story. I just got chills from just listening to her.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, for the amount of time that she was actually in there with him. COSTELLO: Seven hours.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And he tied her up at one point.

MYERS: I didn't know that.

COSTELLO: Put a gag over her mouth at one point. But she kept talking to him. And she was very level headed about it. She had tragedy in her life. Her husband was stabbed to death not so long ago. She has a 5-year-old child.

And there's an article, a very interesting article about her from her family members. It's quoting her family members in the "AJC." It says that she believed that God had a plan for her life. That plan, she and family members said Sunday, brought Nichols to the door of a woman who could always see a flicker of promise in someone else. An angel Smith said Nichols called her. Her level headedness allowed her to control her fear as he stuck a gun into her side.

It's just absolutely amazing how she dealt with this person. He had a gun. She must have been horribly frightened. I can't even imagine that.

MYERS: Well I read something on our wire that says that that interview with her lasted 21 minutes. And it's the most compelling 21 minutes you may ever see.

COSTELLO: You could not look away.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: You could not.

We're going to have more from Ashley Smith as the minutes roll along on DAYBREAK.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Contrasting portraits of Brian Nichols have emerged since his capture on Saturday following a 26-hour reign of terror in Atlanta. In Nichols' hometown of Baltimore, people were shocked to learn their former friend and neighbor was a suspect in four killings.

CNN's Kathleen Koch talked with some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this quiet street in northeast Baltimore where Brian Nichols grew up, there is relief that he surrendered Saturday without a fight.

ROBERT JOHNSON, NEIGHBOR: Well I'm glad that they didn't kill him, you know. KOCH: Nichols attended a local Catholic school, Cardinal Gibbons High School, where he played basketball and football. His friends say what stood out was his athletic ability and his sense of humor.

TRACEY BREWER, FRIEND: Laughed a lot, smiled a lot, liked to play, you know, liked to joke. I cannot recall any event or behavior from him that would be -- that would send off a warning signal that this was to come, nothing, absolutely nothing.

KOCH: Nichols left Baltimore in 1989 to play football and study at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and later Newberry College in South Carolina.

CHARLES FRANKLIN JR., FRIEND: But my mind could not comprehend how this could happen to one of our own.

KOCH: Boyhood friend and Minister Charles Franklin shared his disbelief with his congregation.

FRANKLIN: How senseless this is and how tragic it is and how none of us would have ever seen this happening to someone that we know and that is so lovable. The jokes in the neighborhood and very intelligent, and you know what point drove him to this?

KOCH: Answers are in short supply among Nichols' former neighbors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was just a very nice kid from what I could see. And I really think that whatever the problem was that it lies somewhere way beneath what we can see, you know.

KOCH: They wait now for the inevitable court proceedings, and if convicted, the punishment of someone they once thought they knew so well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would he be found guilty for the crimes, you know, that's -- you know he has to suffer the consequences.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Also this programming note, see "26 HOURS: INSIDE THE ATLANTA MANHUNT" on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN." That airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific Time. That's tonight on CNN.

And it's time to read some of our viewer e-mails right now, Chad. The question: courthouse security: what went so terribly wrong that day? How could this have happened?

Another interesting article, just a tidbit for you, there was a surveillance camera looking into the room where this guy attacked the initial deputy. Nobody was monitoring that surveillance camera.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: If they had been, they would have seen something.

MYERS: Ninety-five percent of the e-mails this morning are kind of coming in like this one from Eric (ph). It seems to me that a man should have been in shackles and handcuffs wouldn't have time to kill four people. Perhaps it's time to revisit the prisoner restraint policies.

The problem with that, Carol, is that he was already in the courtroom. And to not prejudice the jury, they take the shackles and the handcuffs off, because you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. If you're coming in in handcuffs, that makes the appearance or the potential appearance that that man is already guilty to the jury. So that's why...

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: ... he's not in shackles.

COSTELLO: But I'll just add something to that. When that deputy brought him into the holding cell, the holding area where he changes his clothes, she took off one handcuff, so the other -- the cuff was dangling from one wrist. At that point he attacked her.

Some say there should be a holding cell there. The man should be put behind bars. He should stick his arms through, she should uncuff him, and then he could change his clothes behind bars. And then you know you stick your hands back out and you cuff the person and they come out, but that's not the way it's done in the Atlanta courthouse there.

MYERS: Sure, everything will be revisited, as they say.

COSTELLO: You've got that right.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: After the break, we'll take a look at life in Lebanon. Is it the start of a revolution? That story is just ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Beautiful shot of New York City this morning. Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Downtown Atlanta workers have a lot more on their minds than rush hour traffic this morning, they're heading back to work after the shooting rampage that sent shock waves through the community.

Joining us now from Atlanta, Elaine Reyes from our affiliate WXIA.

Good morning.

ELAINE REYES, WXIA-TV REPORTER: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Tell us the latest on this.

REYES: Well right now at this time they're thinking that Brian Nichols will make a first court appearance as early as today, but possibly tomorrow. Right now he is being held on a federal firearms charge, and that's just to give the other agencies enough time to put all their charges together and complete their investigations.

COSTELLO: Do we know where he's being held?

REYES: Well at last check he was being held at the Fulton County Jail in a holding area. Originally he was, you remember, he was brought to Atlanta police for questioning, then he was brought here to the Richard Russell Federal Building, the federal courthouse behind me. And then sometime over the weekend, possibly last night, he was brought to the Fulton County Jail.

COSTELLO: Any changes in security this morning at the courthouse?

REYES: Well you know that's the thing that is being talked about. A lot of the judges who work there, a lot of the staff are really concerned about how things will change. So they actually met over the weekend to discuss some of the procedures that normally take place. And they will probably meet again.

But they were just, you know, spending some time talking about what improvements need to happen. A lot of those judges were saying that they don't feel safe. And a lot of the court reporters actually don't want to come to work today. So it will be interesting to see how the security measures will be at 8:00 this morning once the courthouse opens.

COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding, a lot of criticism being leveled at sheriff's deputies. A lot of people saying not so flattering things about them this morning. Let's talk about blame here. Who are they pinning -- who are they, and I'm talking about those investigating this, who is being pinned with most of the blame here, do we know yet?

REYES: Not yet. They're talking about a lot of different groups of people. And a lot of people have questions for the sheriff. Now Sheriff Myron Freeman, he is new to the post. He's only been in office for three months. So some of his supporters say you know he inherited a problem that was already there, that's been around for quite some time, and he hasn't even really had time to address those existing concerns.

So his supporters are saying that you know he's in a position that he didn't ask to be in, but they are surely going to be addressing that in the next several days. A lot of people asking questions this morning.

COSTELLO: Yes. Elaine Reyes reporting live from Atlanta for us this morning from our affiliate WXIA. Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

No, no and no. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers speculation that she might be a presidential candidate in 2008, and she said a resounding N-O, no.

In money news, the best part of waking up will cost you a bit more. Procter & Gamble has raised the retail price of Folgers coffee 12 percent, and other coffee companies may follow suit.

In culture, popular "American Idol" contender Mario Vazquez quit the competition unexpectedly citing personal reasons. Some considered him to be a leading contender to win.

In sports, Illinois won the Big 10 conference. And to no one's surprise, the 32-1 Fighting Illini got a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Also No. 1 seeds, North Carolina, Duke and Washington -- Chad.

MYERS: The brackets are all done. Now all you've got to do is play the games. Sixty-three games to a winner, Carol.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Lebanese opposition groups are back in the streets of Beirut today for another anti-Syrian demonstration. Comes exactly four weeks after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Let's go live now to Martyrs' Square in the heart of Beirut and CNN's senior Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr.

Good morning -- Octavia.

Octavia, can you hear us?

I do not believe Octavia can hear us. We're going to pull away. But you saw the tens of thousands of protesters behind her. Those are pro-democracy supporters. And we'll get back to Octavia shortly, we hope, to find out more of what's happening on the streets of Beirut this morning.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Pro-democracy groups are literally packing the streets of Beirut. Let's go back there. We believe we have all the problems ironed out with Octavia Nasr.

Octavia, tell us the mood there.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Carol, good morning to you.

Beirut rocks today. I'm standing here, behind me is Martyrs' Square, which the opposition in Lebanon has renamed Independence Square. The downtown is rocking because, first of all, they're playing all kinds of nationalistic music. They're trying to rally the demonstrators. The chanting is ongoing. They're calling for national immunity.

The opposition in Lebanon has changed its tone in the last few days. They're not calling for Syria to get out of Lebanon anymore as much as they were before. The reason being is that Syria has announced that it will pull its troops out of Lebanon. So this is an opposition in Lebanon that understands that the next step is going to be to call for all Lebanese to stand together and be unified.

Ads in newspapers, in local newspapers, are very interesting this morning. They are using quotes from the Lebanese National Anthem. The Lebanese National Anthem starts with all of us for the country and they're saying all of us for the country and all means all. A very clear message from the opposition calling everybody to stand together in order to face the challenges ahead in Lebanon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Octavia, you were born in Lebanon. Personally, for you, how does it feel there today?

NASR: For me to be here has a very emotional significance, not only did I -- was I born in Lebanon, I grew up during the war in Lebanon. So these images bring back a lot of memories of the war, of the division of Lebanon, the different warring factions. And it was right here in this square that the Lebanese fought each other the most. Downtown Beirut was completely destroyed. The street war was taking place right here in that very square where we're standing. So of course these images bring back a lot of memories.

And experts are telling me, people I'm speaking with, of course, have been gone a while, but experts I'm speaking with on the ground are telling me that Lebanon right now is standing at a very critical point. It is possible that the civil war can break out again, but it's very possible, they tell me, that the Lebanese can act smart and they show that they learned from their mistakes and they come together.

At this point, the opposition in Lebanon is very strong. They were able to bring down the government, the pro-Syrian government. They were also successful in pushing Syria to take a stand and announce that it is going to pull out of Lebanon.

But at this point, you still have a very important element in the equation, which is the Hezbollah, this Shi'a militant group. They are the only group that is allowed to have arms. And they are pro-Syria. And the job of this opposition right now is to bring Hezbollah to the mix or for the Lebanese government to come up with one government that includes everybody now that Syria has announced it will pull out and try to bring Lebanon out of its crisis.

COSTELLO: Octavia Nasr, thank you, reporting live for us from Beirut, Lebanon this morning.

It is well documented how women go through that so-called change of life, but not so for men. Problems brought on by their hormonal changes are not as well known.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on one couples' challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George and Pat Watt married 37 years ago. They've raised children and grandchildren. They've been through so much together, but nothing prepared them for menopause. Not hers, his.

GEORGE WATT, MENOPAUSE: I was irritable a lot, I was depressed.

PAT WATT, WIFE: My daughter, I told her, your dad is going through -- if I didn't know better, I'd swear he's going through menopause.

COHEN: Pat was worried. What had happened to the George she married? George, who is 60, wondered too.

G. WATT: Why when I get done with work and all I want to do is sit on the couch and go to sleep and I don't like doing that. I was always active my whole life.

P. WATT: He would say how he had no sex drive but that was my fault. OK? That was my fault.

G. WATT: We talked about it. And we determined that I needed to check with somebody.

P. WATT: That there was something wrong.

G. WATT: Something was wronged and I needed to check with somebody.

P. WATT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, George.

COHEN: Their family doctor hit the nail on the head. He immediately suspected a lack of testosterone, a hormone that affects mood and sex drive.

G. WATT: And he found it was low and we started the shots.

P. WATT: Yes.

COHEN: He gets a shot every other week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, sweetie, ready? Here we go.

G. WATT: Yes.

COHEN: And now their sex life...

P. WATT: Well, just kind of wasn't any then, but it's there now.

G. WATT: Yep. I'm not as grumpy. I'm not as stressed out.

COHEN: So should all men George's age get testosterone shots? Starting in their 40s, testosterone levels naturally start to slowly decline.

JED DIAMOND, AUTHOR, "MALE MENOPAUSE": Changes of testosterone can affect everything about a man. It can affect his bone density. It can affect his muscle mass, can affect his emotional sensitivity.

COHEN: But experts recommend shots only if the testosterone goes abnormally low, because the shots can have complications, such as prostate problems. Some doctors worry testosterone therapy has gotten too popular and hasn't been studied nearly enough. But it's certainly easy to see why men like it.

G. WATT: It's been great ever since I got the shot.

COHEN: Things are better now with his wife, with his grandchildren.

G. WATT: Better in other places.

COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, he was cited three times last year by the House Ethics Committee for violations of House rules. We'll take a look at Majority Leader Tom DeLay. What does his future hold? That's still ahead in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's look -- I was just enjoying U2 there.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Time to look at celebrity news and our culture tabs.

British rock star Rod Stewart...

MYERS: Getting married. COSTELLO: He's getting married again. He popped the question to model Penny Lancaster on bended knee at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He's 60 -- Chad.

MYERS: I wonder if he'll -- yes, he is 60. She is 34.

COSTELLO: Doesn't that violate the rule?

MYERS: Not if you get married in Las Vegas. Plus, this is his third wife, so basically there are no rules. But half your age plus seven is 37 for him and 34 is close enough.

COSTELLO: That's close enough, you're right, so we'll give Rod a break.

"Million Dollar Baby" star Hilary Swank is taking on authorities in New Zealand over 150 bucks. It's a fine she's contesting for failing to declare an apple and an orange in her luggage when she entered the country. Now that may not sound like a lot, 150 bucks, to a gal who makes millions of dollars -- Chad.

MYERS: Right, yes.

COSTELLO: But it's principle here.

MYERS: What is the principle? You can't bring fruit into other countries.

COSTELLO: I don't know, but she's...

MYERS: You can't bring fruit into Florida or out of Florida if it's backyard fruit, come on.

COSTELLO: I don't know.

President Bush's daughter, Jenna, Chad, was spotted at the ACC men's championship basketball game between Georgia Tech and Duke. And look there, that guy there with his hand on her knee is...

MYERS: Beau.

COSTELLO: Is it Beau?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: We have him as unidentified.

MYERS: Right, but obviously beau would fit, right?

COSTELLO: I guess so.

MYERS: Her beau. Badabing (ph). Sorry -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Gee, that went right over my head. That went sailing far over my head.

MYERS: I wasn't talking about Bo Duke or something like that you know.

COSTELLO: Got you.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: And school names go up on a giant six-story NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament bracket. St. Louis is host city for the 2005 Final Four.

MYERS: Wow, look at those guys up there on that crane.

COSTELLO: It's pretty scary. March Madness about to begin.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: As is the next hour of DAYBREAK, which starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: About my family. I told him about things that had happened in my life. I asked him about his family. I asked him why he did what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: She's talking about a conversation with an alleged killer. A former hostage talks about her terrifying ordeal straight ahead on DAYBREAK.

Also, a deadly attack on a group of worshipers, why did it happen? There is still no answer.

And they call him the hammer, but will Tom DeLay end up getting nailed?

It is Monday, March 14. You are watching DAYBREAK.

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 14, 2005 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Imagine this, held hostage by an alleged killer for hours on end. Police say it was all too real for one Georgia woman over the weekend.
This morning we take you "Beyond the Soundbite." In her own words, Ashley Smith says Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols forced his way into her apartment north of the city. Smith says Nichols later allowed her to leave and her subsequent call to police led to his capture. Smith tells reporters she cooked pancakes for Nichols and she talked to him for hours to gain his trust.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: He asked me what I thought he should do.

And I said, I think you should turn yourself in. If you don't turn yourself in, this is what I said, if you don't turn yourself in, lots more people are going to get hurt and you're probably going to die.

And he said I don't want that to happen.

He said can I stay here for a few days? I just want to eat some real food and watch some TV and sleep and just do normal things that normal people do.

So of course I said sure, you can stay here. I didn't want -- I wanted to gain his trust.

Most of my time was spent talking to this man about my life and experiences in my life, things that had happened to me.

He needed hope for his life. He told me that he was already dead. He said look at me, look at my eyes, I am already dead.

And I said you are not dead, you are standing right in front of me. If you want to die, you can, it's your choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Just an amazing story. I just got chills from just listening to her.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, for the amount of time that she was actually in there with him. COSTELLO: Seven hours.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And he tied her up at one point.

MYERS: I didn't know that.

COSTELLO: Put a gag over her mouth at one point. But she kept talking to him. And she was very level headed about it. She had tragedy in her life. Her husband was stabbed to death not so long ago. She has a 5-year-old child.

And there's an article, a very interesting article about her from her family members. It's quoting her family members in the "AJC." It says that she believed that God had a plan for her life. That plan, she and family members said Sunday, brought Nichols to the door of a woman who could always see a flicker of promise in someone else. An angel Smith said Nichols called her. Her level headedness allowed her to control her fear as he stuck a gun into her side.

It's just absolutely amazing how she dealt with this person. He had a gun. She must have been horribly frightened. I can't even imagine that.

MYERS: Well I read something on our wire that says that that interview with her lasted 21 minutes. And it's the most compelling 21 minutes you may ever see.

COSTELLO: You could not look away.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: You could not.

We're going to have more from Ashley Smith as the minutes roll along on DAYBREAK.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Contrasting portraits of Brian Nichols have emerged since his capture on Saturday following a 26-hour reign of terror in Atlanta. In Nichols' hometown of Baltimore, people were shocked to learn their former friend and neighbor was a suspect in four killings.

CNN's Kathleen Koch talked with some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this quiet street in northeast Baltimore where Brian Nichols grew up, there is relief that he surrendered Saturday without a fight.

ROBERT JOHNSON, NEIGHBOR: Well I'm glad that they didn't kill him, you know. KOCH: Nichols attended a local Catholic school, Cardinal Gibbons High School, where he played basketball and football. His friends say what stood out was his athletic ability and his sense of humor.

TRACEY BREWER, FRIEND: Laughed a lot, smiled a lot, liked to play, you know, liked to joke. I cannot recall any event or behavior from him that would be -- that would send off a warning signal that this was to come, nothing, absolutely nothing.

KOCH: Nichols left Baltimore in 1989 to play football and study at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and later Newberry College in South Carolina.

CHARLES FRANKLIN JR., FRIEND: But my mind could not comprehend how this could happen to one of our own.

KOCH: Boyhood friend and Minister Charles Franklin shared his disbelief with his congregation.

FRANKLIN: How senseless this is and how tragic it is and how none of us would have ever seen this happening to someone that we know and that is so lovable. The jokes in the neighborhood and very intelligent, and you know what point drove him to this?

KOCH: Answers are in short supply among Nichols' former neighbors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was just a very nice kid from what I could see. And I really think that whatever the problem was that it lies somewhere way beneath what we can see, you know.

KOCH: They wait now for the inevitable court proceedings, and if convicted, the punishment of someone they once thought they knew so well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would he be found guilty for the crimes, you know, that's -- you know he has to suffer the consequences.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Also this programming note, see "26 HOURS: INSIDE THE ATLANTA MANHUNT" on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN." That airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific Time. That's tonight on CNN.

And it's time to read some of our viewer e-mails right now, Chad. The question: courthouse security: what went so terribly wrong that day? How could this have happened?

Another interesting article, just a tidbit for you, there was a surveillance camera looking into the room where this guy attacked the initial deputy. Nobody was monitoring that surveillance camera.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: If they had been, they would have seen something.

MYERS: Ninety-five percent of the e-mails this morning are kind of coming in like this one from Eric (ph). It seems to me that a man should have been in shackles and handcuffs wouldn't have time to kill four people. Perhaps it's time to revisit the prisoner restraint policies.

The problem with that, Carol, is that he was already in the courtroom. And to not prejudice the jury, they take the shackles and the handcuffs off, because you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. If you're coming in in handcuffs, that makes the appearance or the potential appearance that that man is already guilty to the jury. So that's why...

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: ... he's not in shackles.

COSTELLO: But I'll just add something to that. When that deputy brought him into the holding cell, the holding area where he changes his clothes, she took off one handcuff, so the other -- the cuff was dangling from one wrist. At that point he attacked her.

Some say there should be a holding cell there. The man should be put behind bars. He should stick his arms through, she should uncuff him, and then he could change his clothes behind bars. And then you know you stick your hands back out and you cuff the person and they come out, but that's not the way it's done in the Atlanta courthouse there.

MYERS: Sure, everything will be revisited, as they say.

COSTELLO: You've got that right.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: After the break, we'll take a look at life in Lebanon. Is it the start of a revolution? That story is just ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Beautiful shot of New York City this morning. Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Downtown Atlanta workers have a lot more on their minds than rush hour traffic this morning, they're heading back to work after the shooting rampage that sent shock waves through the community.

Joining us now from Atlanta, Elaine Reyes from our affiliate WXIA.

Good morning.

ELAINE REYES, WXIA-TV REPORTER: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Tell us the latest on this.

REYES: Well right now at this time they're thinking that Brian Nichols will make a first court appearance as early as today, but possibly tomorrow. Right now he is being held on a federal firearms charge, and that's just to give the other agencies enough time to put all their charges together and complete their investigations.

COSTELLO: Do we know where he's being held?

REYES: Well at last check he was being held at the Fulton County Jail in a holding area. Originally he was, you remember, he was brought to Atlanta police for questioning, then he was brought here to the Richard Russell Federal Building, the federal courthouse behind me. And then sometime over the weekend, possibly last night, he was brought to the Fulton County Jail.

COSTELLO: Any changes in security this morning at the courthouse?

REYES: Well you know that's the thing that is being talked about. A lot of the judges who work there, a lot of the staff are really concerned about how things will change. So they actually met over the weekend to discuss some of the procedures that normally take place. And they will probably meet again.

But they were just, you know, spending some time talking about what improvements need to happen. A lot of those judges were saying that they don't feel safe. And a lot of the court reporters actually don't want to come to work today. So it will be interesting to see how the security measures will be at 8:00 this morning once the courthouse opens.

COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding, a lot of criticism being leveled at sheriff's deputies. A lot of people saying not so flattering things about them this morning. Let's talk about blame here. Who are they pinning -- who are they, and I'm talking about those investigating this, who is being pinned with most of the blame here, do we know yet?

REYES: Not yet. They're talking about a lot of different groups of people. And a lot of people have questions for the sheriff. Now Sheriff Myron Freeman, he is new to the post. He's only been in office for three months. So some of his supporters say you know he inherited a problem that was already there, that's been around for quite some time, and he hasn't even really had time to address those existing concerns.

So his supporters are saying that you know he's in a position that he didn't ask to be in, but they are surely going to be addressing that in the next several days. A lot of people asking questions this morning.

COSTELLO: Yes. Elaine Reyes reporting live from Atlanta for us this morning from our affiliate WXIA. Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

No, no and no. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers speculation that she might be a presidential candidate in 2008, and she said a resounding N-O, no.

In money news, the best part of waking up will cost you a bit more. Procter & Gamble has raised the retail price of Folgers coffee 12 percent, and other coffee companies may follow suit.

In culture, popular "American Idol" contender Mario Vazquez quit the competition unexpectedly citing personal reasons. Some considered him to be a leading contender to win.

In sports, Illinois won the Big 10 conference. And to no one's surprise, the 32-1 Fighting Illini got a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Also No. 1 seeds, North Carolina, Duke and Washington -- Chad.

MYERS: The brackets are all done. Now all you've got to do is play the games. Sixty-three games to a winner, Carol.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Lebanese opposition groups are back in the streets of Beirut today for another anti-Syrian demonstration. Comes exactly four weeks after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Let's go live now to Martyrs' Square in the heart of Beirut and CNN's senior Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr.

Good morning -- Octavia.

Octavia, can you hear us?

I do not believe Octavia can hear us. We're going to pull away. But you saw the tens of thousands of protesters behind her. Those are pro-democracy supporters. And we'll get back to Octavia shortly, we hope, to find out more of what's happening on the streets of Beirut this morning.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Pro-democracy groups are literally packing the streets of Beirut. Let's go back there. We believe we have all the problems ironed out with Octavia Nasr.

Octavia, tell us the mood there.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Carol, good morning to you.

Beirut rocks today. I'm standing here, behind me is Martyrs' Square, which the opposition in Lebanon has renamed Independence Square. The downtown is rocking because, first of all, they're playing all kinds of nationalistic music. They're trying to rally the demonstrators. The chanting is ongoing. They're calling for national immunity.

The opposition in Lebanon has changed its tone in the last few days. They're not calling for Syria to get out of Lebanon anymore as much as they were before. The reason being is that Syria has announced that it will pull its troops out of Lebanon. So this is an opposition in Lebanon that understands that the next step is going to be to call for all Lebanese to stand together and be unified.

Ads in newspapers, in local newspapers, are very interesting this morning. They are using quotes from the Lebanese National Anthem. The Lebanese National Anthem starts with all of us for the country and they're saying all of us for the country and all means all. A very clear message from the opposition calling everybody to stand together in order to face the challenges ahead in Lebanon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Octavia, you were born in Lebanon. Personally, for you, how does it feel there today?

NASR: For me to be here has a very emotional significance, not only did I -- was I born in Lebanon, I grew up during the war in Lebanon. So these images bring back a lot of memories of the war, of the division of Lebanon, the different warring factions. And it was right here in this square that the Lebanese fought each other the most. Downtown Beirut was completely destroyed. The street war was taking place right here in that very square where we're standing. So of course these images bring back a lot of memories.

And experts are telling me, people I'm speaking with, of course, have been gone a while, but experts I'm speaking with on the ground are telling me that Lebanon right now is standing at a very critical point. It is possible that the civil war can break out again, but it's very possible, they tell me, that the Lebanese can act smart and they show that they learned from their mistakes and they come together.

At this point, the opposition in Lebanon is very strong. They were able to bring down the government, the pro-Syrian government. They were also successful in pushing Syria to take a stand and announce that it is going to pull out of Lebanon.

But at this point, you still have a very important element in the equation, which is the Hezbollah, this Shi'a militant group. They are the only group that is allowed to have arms. And they are pro-Syria. And the job of this opposition right now is to bring Hezbollah to the mix or for the Lebanese government to come up with one government that includes everybody now that Syria has announced it will pull out and try to bring Lebanon out of its crisis.

COSTELLO: Octavia Nasr, thank you, reporting live for us from Beirut, Lebanon this morning.

It is well documented how women go through that so-called change of life, but not so for men. Problems brought on by their hormonal changes are not as well known.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on one couples' challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George and Pat Watt married 37 years ago. They've raised children and grandchildren. They've been through so much together, but nothing prepared them for menopause. Not hers, his.

GEORGE WATT, MENOPAUSE: I was irritable a lot, I was depressed.

PAT WATT, WIFE: My daughter, I told her, your dad is going through -- if I didn't know better, I'd swear he's going through menopause.

COHEN: Pat was worried. What had happened to the George she married? George, who is 60, wondered too.

G. WATT: Why when I get done with work and all I want to do is sit on the couch and go to sleep and I don't like doing that. I was always active my whole life.

P. WATT: He would say how he had no sex drive but that was my fault. OK? That was my fault.

G. WATT: We talked about it. And we determined that I needed to check with somebody.

P. WATT: That there was something wrong.

G. WATT: Something was wronged and I needed to check with somebody.

P. WATT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, George.

COHEN: Their family doctor hit the nail on the head. He immediately suspected a lack of testosterone, a hormone that affects mood and sex drive.

G. WATT: And he found it was low and we started the shots.

P. WATT: Yes.

COHEN: He gets a shot every other week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, sweetie, ready? Here we go.

G. WATT: Yes.

COHEN: And now their sex life...

P. WATT: Well, just kind of wasn't any then, but it's there now.

G. WATT: Yep. I'm not as grumpy. I'm not as stressed out.

COHEN: So should all men George's age get testosterone shots? Starting in their 40s, testosterone levels naturally start to slowly decline.

JED DIAMOND, AUTHOR, "MALE MENOPAUSE": Changes of testosterone can affect everything about a man. It can affect his bone density. It can affect his muscle mass, can affect his emotional sensitivity.

COHEN: But experts recommend shots only if the testosterone goes abnormally low, because the shots can have complications, such as prostate problems. Some doctors worry testosterone therapy has gotten too popular and hasn't been studied nearly enough. But it's certainly easy to see why men like it.

G. WATT: It's been great ever since I got the shot.

COHEN: Things are better now with his wife, with his grandchildren.

G. WATT: Better in other places.

COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, he was cited three times last year by the House Ethics Committee for violations of House rules. We'll take a look at Majority Leader Tom DeLay. What does his future hold? That's still ahead in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's look -- I was just enjoying U2 there.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Time to look at celebrity news and our culture tabs.

British rock star Rod Stewart...

MYERS: Getting married. COSTELLO: He's getting married again. He popped the question to model Penny Lancaster on bended knee at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He's 60 -- Chad.

MYERS: I wonder if he'll -- yes, he is 60. She is 34.

COSTELLO: Doesn't that violate the rule?

MYERS: Not if you get married in Las Vegas. Plus, this is his third wife, so basically there are no rules. But half your age plus seven is 37 for him and 34 is close enough.

COSTELLO: That's close enough, you're right, so we'll give Rod a break.

"Million Dollar Baby" star Hilary Swank is taking on authorities in New Zealand over 150 bucks. It's a fine she's contesting for failing to declare an apple and an orange in her luggage when she entered the country. Now that may not sound like a lot, 150 bucks, to a gal who makes millions of dollars -- Chad.

MYERS: Right, yes.

COSTELLO: But it's principle here.

MYERS: What is the principle? You can't bring fruit into other countries.

COSTELLO: I don't know, but she's...

MYERS: You can't bring fruit into Florida or out of Florida if it's backyard fruit, come on.

COSTELLO: I don't know.

President Bush's daughter, Jenna, Chad, was spotted at the ACC men's championship basketball game between Georgia Tech and Duke. And look there, that guy there with his hand on her knee is...

MYERS: Beau.

COSTELLO: Is it Beau?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: We have him as unidentified.

MYERS: Right, but obviously beau would fit, right?

COSTELLO: I guess so.

MYERS: Her beau. Badabing (ph). Sorry -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Gee, that went right over my head. That went sailing far over my head.

MYERS: I wasn't talking about Bo Duke or something like that you know.

COSTELLO: Got you.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: And school names go up on a giant six-story NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament bracket. St. Louis is host city for the 2005 Final Four.

MYERS: Wow, look at those guys up there on that crane.

COSTELLO: It's pretty scary. March Madness about to begin.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: As is the next hour of DAYBREAK, which starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: About my family. I told him about things that had happened in my life. I asked him about his family. I asked him why he did what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: She's talking about a conversation with an alleged killer. A former hostage talks about her terrifying ordeal straight ahead on DAYBREAK.

Also, a deadly attack on a group of worshipers, why did it happen? There is still no answer.

And they call him the hammer, but will Tom DeLay end up getting nailed?

It is Monday, March 14. You are watching DAYBREAK.

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