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CNN Live At Daybreak

New Developments in Battle Over Schiavo; 'Business Buzz'

Aired March 21, 2005 - 06:29   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: And good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."

The parents and husband of Terri Schiavo are awaiting a federal judge's decision on a request for an emergency injunction. Translation: That would order the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube reinserted. Congress passed and President Bush signed a bill overnight to transfer jurisdiction from Florida courts to the federal system.

And this comment just in from the lawyer for Terri Schiavo's parents:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GIBBS, SCHLINDER FAMILY ATTORNEY: He's got to decide, do I issue an order whether food and water be restored. That's No. 1. And, again, we're very hopeful that that will happen soon.

And then, in terms of the case, federal court judges will generally set forward a case management plan, and he will get some ideas as to how long this case will take and what will be entailed. And then, he will put forward a schedule, and the parties will proceed with their discovery and their different legal challenges or motions. And then, ultimately, if necessary, a trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's what may come next.

President Bush heads west this morning on another Social Security sales trip. He'll push his Social Security plan today in Tucson, Denver and Albuquerque.

Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case may shift focus this week away from the alleged child molestation itself. The prosecutors may concentrate on allegations Jackson held the victim's family captive at his Neverland ranch.

A funnel cloud believed to be a tornado. Take a look. You can see just a corner of it, Chad. It ripped through south San Francisco and knocked out power to 1,500 homes and businesses. The storm also shattered windows, damaged roofs. Nobody got hurt, but we're really not sure this is a tornado just yet, are we? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not really. I've been looking at the Severe Prediction Center Web site. The only one that actually we had over the weekend was a small F-0 up in Kentucky. But you know what? They're going to go out there and they're going to see what that was, whether it was just a little bit of wind. Or was it maybe -- you know, there's a lot of water around there. It could have been a water spout that came on shore. We'll have to see, Carol. And they'll get out there, and they'll tell us exactly what that was.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: An update now on the Terri Schiavo case. Congress did pass that bill. It went to the president at 1:11 a.m. this morning. And the president signed it into law. So now, Terri Schiavo's fate is in the hands of a federal judge.

The court took over the case in the wee hours of the morning; this after, as I said, Congress passed and President Bush signed that bill, shifting the case of the brain-damaged Florida woman to the federal court. It means Schiavo's parents can now ask that her feeding tube be reinserted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHLINDER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: I think it's imperative that, you know, Terri receive a fair trial. And that's been our, you know, concern and frustration is that everything that was presented in this trial before in the circuit court was being ignored. So, hopefully, if we get this in front of a federal court, that they will listen to the evidence as presented, and, you know, Terri will be a free woman again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It is in the hands of a federal judge right now in Florida. We're going to have to wait and see what he will decide, though. He could decide not to reinstate Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. We don't know. What we do know is it has been an exceptional weekend of legal wrangling and political maneuvering in the Schiavo case.

CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry is here to talk about that.

Good morning -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: I can't even imagine what it was like in the House of Representatives.

HENRY: It really was a surreal drama. You know, it's extremely rare for the House to meet on a Sunday, especially even more rare to meet on Palm Sunday. And then to meet from 9:00 p.m. until midnight and voted about 12:30 in the morning. It was very strange. I can tell you, I spoke just moments after that final vote, 203- 58, when the legislation passed, and Tom DeLay, the House majority leader who has been leading this, said, as you just mentioned. His biggest concern right now is making sure that the tube is put back in, because you're right. This is just put back into the hands of a federal judge instead of a state judge, but there is no guarantee that the feeding tube will be put in.

At that point last night, Tom DeLay noted that Terri Schiavo had gone without food and water for about 58 hours. Obviously, we had another 8 to 10 hours has passed since then. And he expressed a lot of concern about how her health is right now.

COSTELLO: The 47 Democrats that voted along with Republicans, why did they do that? Did they bow to public pressure? Or did they hold strongly-held beliefs?

HENRY: I think there's a combination. I think there were many Democrats, just as there were many Republicans, in this debate who have strong beliefs about the right to life, and they thought that Terri Schiavo should be given another opportunity to live. But I think, obviously, there also was this memo. There is politics involved clearly.

And over the weekend, a Republican memo surfaced suggesting that Republicans felt this would help rally their conservative base and put pressure on Democrats in red states, who have some difficulties with the life issue. So, there's no question there are some Democrats who voted on principle and others who voted on politics.

COSTELLO: Ed Henry reporting live from Washington this morning.

Terri Schiavo's father says he is ready to take her for a ride. That would be a ride from the hospice to a hospital. And that could happen this morning.

Live to reporter Trey Thomas of CNN affiliate Bay News 9 in Clearwater, Florida.

Bring us up to date from Florida.

TREY THOMAS, CNN AFFILIATE BAY NEWS 9 REPORTER: Good morning.

Well, the ambulance ride has not happened yet. But doctors here and nurses are likely on standby, waiting for that ambulance to transport Terri Schiavo from the hospice center in Pinellas Park here to the hospital in Clearwater.

Now, Terri, of course, is the woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state for many, many years, and doctors tell us they will have to likely re-hydrate her before they begin the surgery process to reinsert that feeding tube.

Now, her feeding tube was removed for the third time on Friday, of course, once the order came down from a state judge in Florida. But in the late-night session, both Houses of Congress passed a bill that would allow the parents to file an injunction in federal court this morning to reinsert that feeding tube.

Bob and Mary Schlinder were elated to hear the news. They went to the hospice center late last night in Pinellas Park to share that news with their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHLINDER: I asked her if she was ready to take a little ride. And I told her that we were going to take her for a little trip and take her outside and get her some breakfast. And I got a big smile out of her face, so help me God. So, she seemed to be very pleased. And we're pleased. You know, we're very thankful for both the House and the Senate for passing this bill and saving -- literally saving Terri's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS: That, of course, was Bob Schlinder, Terri's father, obviously very, very happy at the news late last night that Congress passed that bill.

But before that feeding tube can be reinserted, a federal judge in Tampa must sign off on the injunction. And we might want to point out that this is a temporary stop-gap measure, and that this case is going to be going to federal court before the whole thing can be settled.

Reporting live in Clearwater, Trey Thomas, CNN.

COSTELLO: Trey, we really appreciate it. Thank you.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And I'm sure you're going to be talking much more about this case -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No question, Carol. In fact, just a moment ago, you heard from Terri Schiavo's father. This morning, her husband, Michael, is our guest. He's going to give us his reaction to the weekend-long political fight over his wife's fate. We'll talk to him about that. Also ask him the question: If that federal court does indeed order that that feeding tube is removed, then what does he do next? Does he continue his fight, or does he finally say that is the final word? We'll find out this morning.

Also, Carol, some chilling new details in the terrible story over the weekend in the abduction and killing of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. We're going to talk to the man this morning who is leading the investigation and ask him, just how did police miss her shallow grave? It was only yards away from the Lunsford home. Lots more questions, of course, in that case about exactly what happened. That story is ahead this morning as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Soledad, thank you.

When DAYBREAK continues, more on the job cuts at General Motors. A sign of the times or a seasonal symptom?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." Struggles are continuing at General Motors. The auto giant could be making some job cuts.

Carrie Lee joins us once again with how painful it might be.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: This is a very tough time for the auto industry, Carol. Sales have been challenging. And now, "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that General Motors could be cutting as much as 25 percent of its workforce. We're talking about the 38 U.S. white collar workers, and these are pretty big numbers.

Now, remember, last Wednesday GM came out and said for 2005 they expected that profits would come in at just a $1 or $2 a share. That's far below the $4 to $5 Wall Street had been expecting. And GM shares on that day fell 14 percent.

So, this is more bad news for the company. We'll see what the stock does today. A GM spokeswoman, though, does say that there are no planned layoffs; rather that the company is going to get to these cuts through early retirement and attrition. So that is the latest from GM.

Meanwhile, Carol, futures are looking pretty flat for today's session. Oil, though, is going to be in focus. Remember, we settled at a new all-time high on Friday. So a lot of investors are concerned about that.

COSTELLO: So, it might go up above $55 a barrel.

LEE: Well, the settlement price was above $57 on Friday. So, certainly a lot of concern there for oil, and you know that translates down the road, possibly into high gas prices.

COSTELLO: I certainly do.

LEE: So a lot of people are watching.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.

DAYBREAK will be back in one moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: What a beautiful morning in New York, isn't it? Well, at least there wasn't any snow overnight.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning. A federal judge is studying the Terri Schiavo case right now to decide whether to order her feeding tube reinserted. President Bush overnight signed into law an emergency bill that shifts her case to federal court. Congress rushed the measure through in a weekend session that brought lawmakers back from Easter recess.

A furor over Israel's decision to go ahead with plans to build 3,500 housing units in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The chief Palestinian peace negotiator says this means kissing the peace process goodbye.

In money news, the price of gas is now at a record high level, a new one, and it's expected to go up even more. The Lundberg Survey finds self-serve regular nationwide averages $2.10 a gallon.

In culture, who doesn't like the movie about singer Ray Charles? It's now won four NAACP image awards, including outstanding actor for Jamie Foxx.

And in sports, LeBron James scored 56 points. That's 5-6 points, 56 against the Toronto Rafters, becoming the youngest player to score than 50 points in an NBA game. But guess what? It wasn't enough. The Rafters still won, 105-98. How depressing is that for LeBron James?

MYERS: Not really so much for him, but for his team.

COSTELLO: Yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Let's check in now with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Welcome back.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, thank you. Good to be back. And good morning to you as well.

The fate of Terri Schiavo is now once again in the hands of a judge. But on the medical side this morning, could removing and then reinserting that tube for a third time now, Carol, have any long-term effects? Is she likely in any pain through all of this? And if she is starving at this point, how would she indicate that to others? We'll put those questions to Dr. Sanjay Gupta this morning.

Also, a very young "Contender" takes his own life after the show's taping is over. The show's creator is Mark Burnett. He's our guest this morning to talk about this, about whether or not there were any warning signs in the show. And why did the show ultimately decide to keep his story in the program? It aired last night on NBC in primetime. So, we'll talk with Mark Burnett on those issues this morning.

See you at the top of the hour, Carol, 12 minutes away.

COSTELLO: We'll be here. Thank you, Bill.

When DAYBREAK returns, we have more information on what really happened to Jessica Lunsford. She might have been held captive for two days right near where she lived.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Evidence from a medical examiner shows Jessica Lunsford was sexually assaulted.

The man who allegedly kidnapped and killed the 9-year-old girl made his first court appearance in Citrus County, Florida, late Sunday. John Couey is a registered sex offender. He was not charged with killing the child. He's being held on unrelated charges right now that is. But the sheriff says charged will be filed shortly.

Investigators say Jessica may have been held captive for one or two days. Her grieving father has a message for the alleged killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: I can only hope that Couey is watching, and all my life I've done nothing but raise kids and work. And this was my last job with Jessie to raise her. And you took that away from me, Couey. And my father was lenient when he said that he has hope that God has mercy on your soul. I don't feel that way. I hope you rot in hell, and I hope you get the death penalty. And I hope you can find it somewhere in you to be a man and stand up and take your punishment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Powerful words. Mark Lunsford has announced a petition in Jessica's name calling for tougher prison sentences for sexual predators.

It is 6:52 Eastern. Here is what will be making news later today.

In just a matter of hours overnight, the Terri Schiavo case went from Congress to the president to a federal court. The House passing a bill aimed at keeping the brain-damaged woman alive. President Bush did sign it at 1:11 a.m. Eastern. And now, a federal judge in Florida is reviewing the case.

A new twist in the baseball steroid scandal. Barry Bonds' ex- girlfriend reportedly went before a grand jury. According to the "San Francisco Chronicle," the woman testified that Bonds told her he had used steroids.

And finally, new questions about the pope's recovery. At the Vatican, he waved an olive branch on Palm Sunday. But he did not speak, skipping Palm Sunday mass for the first time in 26 years.

Gasoline prices are the new reality. The average price of self- serve regular nationwide is now $2.10. And it is expected to keep going up for the foreseeable future. The level of pain depends on where you live. We have some examples of that, Chad.

MYERS: Yes, look at Chicago even at 2.14.

COSTELLO: It's just -- where you are in Atlanta, though, where usually the gas remains fairly cheap, the average price is $1.98 a gallon.

MYERS: Yes. And that's exactly what it is on the station that I drove by this morning. So, that is an accurate number for regular unleaded.

COSTELLO: Well, thank goodness we're putting it on the air.

MYERS: Well, I'll tell you what. You can get it a little cheaper than that at Costco and at Sam's if you're a member there. But, obviously, you have to pay for the membership to get it that cheap.

COSTELLO: I bet you have a membership.

MYERS: I do, of course, I'm a cheapskate.

COSTELLO: I knew it. In Boston, $2 a gallon. In Chicago, as you said, it's 2.14. In Denver, $2.06. Out in San Francisco, that hurts...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... $2.37 a gallon. In Honolulu, the average is $2.33 a gallon. Of course, these figures are provided by the American Automobile Association, better known as the AAA.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, you have a quick travelers update for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, it's time to give away a mug now this morning, our DAYBREAK coffee mug quiz. There you go, right there.

COSTELLO: I feel Carol Merrill (ph).

MYERS: You look better, though. To give away the coffee mug DAYBREAK quiz now. These are Friday's questions here. How much time do American college students spend watching television? The answer is three hours and 41 minutes. And who is expected to play the role of Martha Stewart in an upcoming movie? The answer is Cybill Shepherd.

The winner from North Clarendon, Vermont, Dave Chapman. Dave, congratulations.

Now is your chance to win another one, actually. The questions for today. We just showed you a map of gas prices across the country. What city had the cheapest gas on our map?

COSTELLO: A good one.

MYERS: Carol, you talked about it. Anyway, and what Web site is expected to be sold in a multibillion-dollar deal?

Submit your answers to CNN.com/daybreak. Click on the little response and give us your answers to those two questions.

COSTELLO: You know, we were asking the question this morning in our e-mail segment. If you were Terri Schiavo, who would you want making that decision? We've gotten lots of e-mails. I'm just going to read one.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: "The only one who has the right to decide is God. He created us. He will take away. These people will have blood on their hands for killing her."

And another: "I am 100 percent for the spouse making the decision. She's an adult. He's an adult. And they committed to a life together as partners."

Thank you for your e-mails this morning.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" 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 21, 2005 - 06:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."

The parents and husband of Terri Schiavo are awaiting a federal judge's decision on a request for an emergency injunction. Translation: That would order the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube reinserted. Congress passed and President Bush signed a bill overnight to transfer jurisdiction from Florida courts to the federal system.

And this comment just in from the lawyer for Terri Schiavo's parents:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID GIBBS, SCHLINDER FAMILY ATTORNEY: He's got to decide, do I issue an order whether food and water be restored. That's No. 1. And, again, we're very hopeful that that will happen soon.

And then, in terms of the case, federal court judges will generally set forward a case management plan, and he will get some ideas as to how long this case will take and what will be entailed. And then, he will put forward a schedule, and the parties will proceed with their discovery and their different legal challenges or motions. And then, ultimately, if necessary, a trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's what may come next.

President Bush heads west this morning on another Social Security sales trip. He'll push his Social Security plan today in Tucson, Denver and Albuquerque.

Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case may shift focus this week away from the alleged child molestation itself. The prosecutors may concentrate on allegations Jackson held the victim's family captive at his Neverland ranch.

A funnel cloud believed to be a tornado. Take a look. You can see just a corner of it, Chad. It ripped through south San Francisco and knocked out power to 1,500 homes and businesses. The storm also shattered windows, damaged roofs. Nobody got hurt, but we're really not sure this is a tornado just yet, are we? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not really. I've been looking at the Severe Prediction Center Web site. The only one that actually we had over the weekend was a small F-0 up in Kentucky. But you know what? They're going to go out there and they're going to see what that was, whether it was just a little bit of wind. Or was it maybe -- you know, there's a lot of water around there. It could have been a water spout that came on shore. We'll have to see, Carol. And they'll get out there, and they'll tell us exactly what that was.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: An update now on the Terri Schiavo case. Congress did pass that bill. It went to the president at 1:11 a.m. this morning. And the president signed it into law. So now, Terri Schiavo's fate is in the hands of a federal judge.

The court took over the case in the wee hours of the morning; this after, as I said, Congress passed and President Bush signed that bill, shifting the case of the brain-damaged Florida woman to the federal court. It means Schiavo's parents can now ask that her feeding tube be reinserted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHLINDER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: I think it's imperative that, you know, Terri receive a fair trial. And that's been our, you know, concern and frustration is that everything that was presented in this trial before in the circuit court was being ignored. So, hopefully, if we get this in front of a federal court, that they will listen to the evidence as presented, and, you know, Terri will be a free woman again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It is in the hands of a federal judge right now in Florida. We're going to have to wait and see what he will decide, though. He could decide not to reinstate Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. We don't know. What we do know is it has been an exceptional weekend of legal wrangling and political maneuvering in the Schiavo case.

CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry is here to talk about that.

Good morning -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: I can't even imagine what it was like in the House of Representatives.

HENRY: It really was a surreal drama. You know, it's extremely rare for the House to meet on a Sunday, especially even more rare to meet on Palm Sunday. And then to meet from 9:00 p.m. until midnight and voted about 12:30 in the morning. It was very strange. I can tell you, I spoke just moments after that final vote, 203- 58, when the legislation passed, and Tom DeLay, the House majority leader who has been leading this, said, as you just mentioned. His biggest concern right now is making sure that the tube is put back in, because you're right. This is just put back into the hands of a federal judge instead of a state judge, but there is no guarantee that the feeding tube will be put in.

At that point last night, Tom DeLay noted that Terri Schiavo had gone without food and water for about 58 hours. Obviously, we had another 8 to 10 hours has passed since then. And he expressed a lot of concern about how her health is right now.

COSTELLO: The 47 Democrats that voted along with Republicans, why did they do that? Did they bow to public pressure? Or did they hold strongly-held beliefs?

HENRY: I think there's a combination. I think there were many Democrats, just as there were many Republicans, in this debate who have strong beliefs about the right to life, and they thought that Terri Schiavo should be given another opportunity to live. But I think, obviously, there also was this memo. There is politics involved clearly.

And over the weekend, a Republican memo surfaced suggesting that Republicans felt this would help rally their conservative base and put pressure on Democrats in red states, who have some difficulties with the life issue. So, there's no question there are some Democrats who voted on principle and others who voted on politics.

COSTELLO: Ed Henry reporting live from Washington this morning.

Terri Schiavo's father says he is ready to take her for a ride. That would be a ride from the hospice to a hospital. And that could happen this morning.

Live to reporter Trey Thomas of CNN affiliate Bay News 9 in Clearwater, Florida.

Bring us up to date from Florida.

TREY THOMAS, CNN AFFILIATE BAY NEWS 9 REPORTER: Good morning.

Well, the ambulance ride has not happened yet. But doctors here and nurses are likely on standby, waiting for that ambulance to transport Terri Schiavo from the hospice center in Pinellas Park here to the hospital in Clearwater.

Now, Terri, of course, is the woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state for many, many years, and doctors tell us they will have to likely re-hydrate her before they begin the surgery process to reinsert that feeding tube.

Now, her feeding tube was removed for the third time on Friday, of course, once the order came down from a state judge in Florida. But in the late-night session, both Houses of Congress passed a bill that would allow the parents to file an injunction in federal court this morning to reinsert that feeding tube.

Bob and Mary Schlinder were elated to hear the news. They went to the hospice center late last night in Pinellas Park to share that news with their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHLINDER: I asked her if she was ready to take a little ride. And I told her that we were going to take her for a little trip and take her outside and get her some breakfast. And I got a big smile out of her face, so help me God. So, she seemed to be very pleased. And we're pleased. You know, we're very thankful for both the House and the Senate for passing this bill and saving -- literally saving Terri's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS: That, of course, was Bob Schlinder, Terri's father, obviously very, very happy at the news late last night that Congress passed that bill.

But before that feeding tube can be reinserted, a federal judge in Tampa must sign off on the injunction. And we might want to point out that this is a temporary stop-gap measure, and that this case is going to be going to federal court before the whole thing can be settled.

Reporting live in Clearwater, Trey Thomas, CNN.

COSTELLO: Trey, we really appreciate it. Thank you.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And I'm sure you're going to be talking much more about this case -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No question, Carol. In fact, just a moment ago, you heard from Terri Schiavo's father. This morning, her husband, Michael, is our guest. He's going to give us his reaction to the weekend-long political fight over his wife's fate. We'll talk to him about that. Also ask him the question: If that federal court does indeed order that that feeding tube is removed, then what does he do next? Does he continue his fight, or does he finally say that is the final word? We'll find out this morning.

Also, Carol, some chilling new details in the terrible story over the weekend in the abduction and killing of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. We're going to talk to the man this morning who is leading the investigation and ask him, just how did police miss her shallow grave? It was only yards away from the Lunsford home. Lots more questions, of course, in that case about exactly what happened. That story is ahead this morning as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Soledad, thank you.

When DAYBREAK continues, more on the job cuts at General Motors. A sign of the times or a seasonal symptom?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." Struggles are continuing at General Motors. The auto giant could be making some job cuts.

Carrie Lee joins us once again with how painful it might be.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: This is a very tough time for the auto industry, Carol. Sales have been challenging. And now, "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that General Motors could be cutting as much as 25 percent of its workforce. We're talking about the 38 U.S. white collar workers, and these are pretty big numbers.

Now, remember, last Wednesday GM came out and said for 2005 they expected that profits would come in at just a $1 or $2 a share. That's far below the $4 to $5 Wall Street had been expecting. And GM shares on that day fell 14 percent.

So, this is more bad news for the company. We'll see what the stock does today. A GM spokeswoman, though, does say that there are no planned layoffs; rather that the company is going to get to these cuts through early retirement and attrition. So that is the latest from GM.

Meanwhile, Carol, futures are looking pretty flat for today's session. Oil, though, is going to be in focus. Remember, we settled at a new all-time high on Friday. So a lot of investors are concerned about that.

COSTELLO: So, it might go up above $55 a barrel.

LEE: Well, the settlement price was above $57 on Friday. So, certainly a lot of concern there for oil, and you know that translates down the road, possibly into high gas prices.

COSTELLO: I certainly do.

LEE: So a lot of people are watching.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.

DAYBREAK will be back in one moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: What a beautiful morning in New York, isn't it? Well, at least there wasn't any snow overnight.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning. A federal judge is studying the Terri Schiavo case right now to decide whether to order her feeding tube reinserted. President Bush overnight signed into law an emergency bill that shifts her case to federal court. Congress rushed the measure through in a weekend session that brought lawmakers back from Easter recess.

A furor over Israel's decision to go ahead with plans to build 3,500 housing units in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The chief Palestinian peace negotiator says this means kissing the peace process goodbye.

In money news, the price of gas is now at a record high level, a new one, and it's expected to go up even more. The Lundberg Survey finds self-serve regular nationwide averages $2.10 a gallon.

In culture, who doesn't like the movie about singer Ray Charles? It's now won four NAACP image awards, including outstanding actor for Jamie Foxx.

And in sports, LeBron James scored 56 points. That's 5-6 points, 56 against the Toronto Rafters, becoming the youngest player to score than 50 points in an NBA game. But guess what? It wasn't enough. The Rafters still won, 105-98. How depressing is that for LeBron James?

MYERS: Not really so much for him, but for his team.

COSTELLO: Yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Let's check in now with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Welcome back.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, thank you. Good to be back. And good morning to you as well.

The fate of Terri Schiavo is now once again in the hands of a judge. But on the medical side this morning, could removing and then reinserting that tube for a third time now, Carol, have any long-term effects? Is she likely in any pain through all of this? And if she is starving at this point, how would she indicate that to others? We'll put those questions to Dr. Sanjay Gupta this morning.

Also, a very young "Contender" takes his own life after the show's taping is over. The show's creator is Mark Burnett. He's our guest this morning to talk about this, about whether or not there were any warning signs in the show. And why did the show ultimately decide to keep his story in the program? It aired last night on NBC in primetime. So, we'll talk with Mark Burnett on those issues this morning.

See you at the top of the hour, Carol, 12 minutes away.

COSTELLO: We'll be here. Thank you, Bill.

When DAYBREAK returns, we have more information on what really happened to Jessica Lunsford. She might have been held captive for two days right near where she lived.

We'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: Evidence from a medical examiner shows Jessica Lunsford was sexually assaulted.

The man who allegedly kidnapped and killed the 9-year-old girl made his first court appearance in Citrus County, Florida, late Sunday. John Couey is a registered sex offender. He was not charged with killing the child. He's being held on unrelated charges right now that is. But the sheriff says charged will be filed shortly.

Investigators say Jessica may have been held captive for one or two days. Her grieving father has a message for the alleged killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: I can only hope that Couey is watching, and all my life I've done nothing but raise kids and work. And this was my last job with Jessie to raise her. And you took that away from me, Couey. And my father was lenient when he said that he has hope that God has mercy on your soul. I don't feel that way. I hope you rot in hell, and I hope you get the death penalty. And I hope you can find it somewhere in you to be a man and stand up and take your punishment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Powerful words. Mark Lunsford has announced a petition in Jessica's name calling for tougher prison sentences for sexual predators.

It is 6:52 Eastern. Here is what will be making news later today.

In just a matter of hours overnight, the Terri Schiavo case went from Congress to the president to a federal court. The House passing a bill aimed at keeping the brain-damaged woman alive. President Bush did sign it at 1:11 a.m. Eastern. And now, a federal judge in Florida is reviewing the case.

A new twist in the baseball steroid scandal. Barry Bonds' ex- girlfriend reportedly went before a grand jury. According to the "San Francisco Chronicle," the woman testified that Bonds told her he had used steroids.

And finally, new questions about the pope's recovery. At the Vatican, he waved an olive branch on Palm Sunday. But he did not speak, skipping Palm Sunday mass for the first time in 26 years.

Gasoline prices are the new reality. The average price of self- serve regular nationwide is now $2.10. And it is expected to keep going up for the foreseeable future. The level of pain depends on where you live. We have some examples of that, Chad.

MYERS: Yes, look at Chicago even at 2.14.

COSTELLO: It's just -- where you are in Atlanta, though, where usually the gas remains fairly cheap, the average price is $1.98 a gallon.

MYERS: Yes. And that's exactly what it is on the station that I drove by this morning. So, that is an accurate number for regular unleaded.

COSTELLO: Well, thank goodness we're putting it on the air.

MYERS: Well, I'll tell you what. You can get it a little cheaper than that at Costco and at Sam's if you're a member there. But, obviously, you have to pay for the membership to get it that cheap.

COSTELLO: I bet you have a membership.

MYERS: I do, of course, I'm a cheapskate.

COSTELLO: I knew it. In Boston, $2 a gallon. In Chicago, as you said, it's 2.14. In Denver, $2.06. Out in San Francisco, that hurts...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... $2.37 a gallon. In Honolulu, the average is $2.33 a gallon. Of course, these figures are provided by the American Automobile Association, better known as the AAA.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: This is DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.

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COSTELLO: Oh, you have a quick travelers update for us.

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MYERS: Carol, it's time to give away a mug now this morning, our DAYBREAK coffee mug quiz. There you go, right there.

COSTELLO: I feel Carol Merrill (ph).

MYERS: You look better, though. To give away the coffee mug DAYBREAK quiz now. These are Friday's questions here. How much time do American college students spend watching television? The answer is three hours and 41 minutes. And who is expected to play the role of Martha Stewart in an upcoming movie? The answer is Cybill Shepherd.

The winner from North Clarendon, Vermont, Dave Chapman. Dave, congratulations.

Now is your chance to win another one, actually. The questions for today. We just showed you a map of gas prices across the country. What city had the cheapest gas on our map?

COSTELLO: A good one.

MYERS: Carol, you talked about it. Anyway, and what Web site is expected to be sold in a multibillion-dollar deal?

Submit your answers to CNN.com/daybreak. Click on the little response and give us your answers to those two questions.

COSTELLO: You know, we were asking the question this morning in our e-mail segment. If you were Terri Schiavo, who would you want making that decision? We've gotten lots of e-mails. I'm just going to read one.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: "The only one who has the right to decide is God. He created us. He will take away. These people will have blood on their hands for killing her."

And another: "I am 100 percent for the spouse making the decision. She's an adult. He's an adult. And they committed to a life together as partners."

Thank you for your e-mails this morning.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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