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CNN Live At Daybreak

Terri Schiavo Saga; Global Warming; Talking Tourney

Aired March 25, 2005 - 06:32   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: The clock is ticking and legal options dwindle. No matter which side you're on, the case of Terri Schiavo is agonizing.
And a basketball coach known for his temper tantrums did not disappoint last night, unless you're a Red Raiders fan that is.

It's Friday, March 25. You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

"Now in the News."

A federal judge in Tampa is expected to rule any time now on yet another appeal by Terri Schiavo's parents to keep her alive. Schiavo's feeding tube was removed a week ago. The U.S. Supreme Court once again has refused to hear the case, upholding a series of court rulings filed since Monday.

A U.N. report is blaming Syria for ratcheting up political tensions that preceded the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A bomb on Beirut's waterfront killed Hariri and 20 other people last month.

Christians around the world will attend Good Friday services, but for the first time, an ailing Pope John Paul II will attend only through a video connection. The 84-year-old pope has been hospitalized twice this year.

To the forecast center now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Twenty-two times. That's how many times the Schlinders have been turned down in court. But still, they fight. The case is now back in Florida in federal court. At issue this time? New evidence and due process violations.

As for the emotions surrounding Terri Schiavo, it is at fever pitch.

CNN's national correspondent Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park, Florida.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And the same judge who had earlier rejected a plea to reconnect the feeding tube is hearing new evidence, and he has told the court after several hours of hearings last night that he will try and have a decision, in fact quite soon. The last time he ruled, it came at 6:30 in the morning. So, it's pretty close to that time right now.

Judge James Whitemore says that he's not going to rule on the substance of the claims that are made, but only if legally there is a reason to reconnect the tube, something that he's said before that he was not going to do.

And as for the emotions, they were reflected outside the courthouse when police had to evacuate a two-block area because they found a suspicious knapsack alone against the courthouse building. When they did some tests on it, they said there were indications there was suspicious material.

But the caution that they exercised is because there has been, they said, a huge number of threats in connection with this case.

And at the site of the hospice in Pinellas Park, the demonstrations turned a little more intense last night. They had been quiet and peaceful for the most part, but they were more noisy, more raucous as feelings run high.

Terri Schiavo has now been disconnected with her feeding tube for just about a week. Most doctors say that she would probably have, if it was not reconnected, about a week to go -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A couple of questions for you, Bob. I understand that a busload of protesters is now parked in front of the governor's mansion in Tallahassee. What do these...

FRANKEN: They, of course...

COSTELLO: Go ahead. What do these protesters want the governor to do? Because he's exhausted his options. He even came out and said that.

FRANKEN: Well, what they want him to do is to, in effect, violate his oath of office. They're saying that no matter what the courts do, they want him to use his executive power to intercede in this and rescue Terri Schiavo. And as one activist put it, if there's a constitutional crisis, so be it.

COSTELLO: The other question I have, we interviewed a local reporter there on the scene. He said that if the federal judge in Florida turns down this latest request, the family can also appeal to the appeals court in Atlanta again, the 11th Circuit Court.

FRANKEN: They can do that. But what they will probably discover, in the minds of most legal experts, is that the appeals court has made it clear that unless there would be some intensely compelling reason, they would defer to the lower court judge. And that would probably be a futile appeal. COSTELLO: All right. Bob Franken live from Florida this morning.

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

Soledad, of course, many are awaiting that Florida court decision. And you guys are going to have a lot more on this.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are, Carol. And, in fact, it is no surprise that the Schlinders, Terri Schiavo's parents, are pinning their hopes on that last-minute emergency appeal. Is there anything else the family can do to keep Terri alive? We're going to talk this morning with an adviser to the Schlinders about what he thinks they're going to be able to do. Also this morning, we talk to Michael Schiavo's, Terri Schiavo's husband's attorney.

Also this morning, our special series, "Faith in America," continues, the beat of religious music. You're looking there at the Reverend Run of Run DMC. Remember, there's also Kanye West as well. It seems that Jesus and hip-hop are a winning formula. We're going to tell you why.

We've got that and much, much more ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING" coming up at the top of the hour -- Carol.

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

A couple of retail giants join forces to get even bigger. We'll tell you about the giga-merger (ph) just ahead in our "Business Buzz." That's at 37 minutes past.

And later, they thought they had a shot to go all the way. We'll look at Bob Knight's time at the not-so-sweet 16. And update your brackets just ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is a controversial subject: global warming. But many experts say there is ample evidence to prove that it's true. Polar bears are losing precious feeding grounds in Canada because the weather is getting strangely warm.

"CNN PRESENTS" investigates this. Miles O'Brien joins us live with a preview now.

Good morning -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

I bet on your top 10 list of worries this morning, global warming wasn't there, right?

COSTELLO: I don't know. I'm really concerned about that.

M. O'BRIEN: You are? OK. All right, well, that's good, because most people, I think, in their daily lives don't think much about it. But when you go to certain parts of the world, where there is an impact already, well, it becomes quite evident that global warming is real. And what scientists are telling us is that humans are making matters worse.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN (voice over): They call it the polar bear capital of the world. Churchill, Manitoba, on the western banks of Hudson Bay, is probably the best place in the world for humans to catch a glimpse of the magnificent mammals that rule the arctic ice pack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Polar Bear Alert.

M. O'BRIEN: But the bears are in trouble, big trouble. For them, it's a matter of survival.

RICHARD ROMANIUK, POLAR BEAR POLICE: We've been chasing her since Wednesday, about 10:00, we got the first call.

M. O'BRIEN: That's Richard Romaniuk, polar bear policeman. He's a very busy man these days.

ROMANIUK: Well, last night we had four calls, one at 5:00, one at about 1:00, one at about 3:00 and one at about 5:00.

Hey, buddy. You here by yourself?

The last three years -- 2001, 2002, 2003 -- were the busiest years the program has ever had.

M. O'BRIEN: The bears are coming to town with alarming frequency, weak, famished and scavenging for food.

ROMANIUK: Last year, there were 176 bears that were captured. About 135 were captured in and around the dump.

M. O'BRIEN: Polar bears are nature's ultimate binge-eaters. During the winter, once the Hudson Bay freezes over, they take to the ice with a veracious appetite for seal. They hunt and eat as much as they can get their paws on. And then when the ice gets thin in the spring, they return to terra firma for a four-month fast.

NICK LUNN, SCIENTIST: The amount of time that bears in western Hudson Bay can spend on sea ice is critical for their survival.

M. O'BRIEN: Scientist Nick Lunn has logged two dozen years studying polar bears for the Canadian Wildlife Service.

LUNN: We've seen bears come into shore in poorer and poorer condition.

M. O'BRIEN: Adult males are 15 percent lighter than they were 20 years ago. Adult females with cubs, 20 percent skinnier. The reason? The polar bear buffet is opening later and closing sooner.

Over the past three decades, the thermometer has steadily risen, and the ice has just as steadily receded. Today, the Hudson Bay returns to its liquid state three weeks earlier than it did in 1970.

LUNN: They're coming ashore earlier with less fat, and they have to make that reduced amount of fat reserves last longer. There's going to be a point in time where the bears are forced ashore so early that they just simply won't be able to survive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Just an excerpt of our "CNN PRESENTS," "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat." This special report airs this Sunday, "CNN PRESENTS," 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Carol, I hope you'll at least TiVo it if you can't stay up that late.

COSTELLO: Oh, no, I'm going to watch it.

M. O'BRIEN: You're going to stay up for that?

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm so impressed. Thank you.

COSTELLO: It's a fascinating subject, and you have amazing pictures to go along with it.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, well, we went to -- in addition to the cold places, we went to the South Pacific to some islands there, Tubalo (ph), that are just above sea level. And they're literally being inundated. Sea level rise is a big problem with them. A big problem.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Thank you, Miles, for appearing on DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

M. O'BRIEN: My pleasure.

COSTELLO: Let's check in with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING" on this Good Friday.

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

People around the world are waiting to see if the pope will attend Easter services this weekend, noticeably absent for most ceremonies this past week. How is his health today? And what are we learning from inside the Vatican? Our analyst in Rome has some insight as to what's happening behind the scenes there.

Also, why Paul Abdul went to court the same day that Fox learns the impact of an "Idol" error in primetime.

Hey, Carol, it was her turn to face the judge. We'll let you know what happens in a moment here. See you in 12 minutes on "AMERICAN MORNING."

COSTELLO: It wasn't a happy thing, either.

HEMMER: We'll see.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Bye-bye.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" may be coming up soon, but we're not quite done here on DAYBREAK. Up next, more on March Madness. We'll find out why it's been an especially maddening time for many of the nations top-ranked teams.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now I know why Chad was off the last two days. I know, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Working on my brackets.

COSTELLO: Yes, you were working on your brackets, I know. You needed some shut-eye to watch the Sweet 16. Are we going to put Chad in the big double box so we can -- there he is.

MYERS: There I am.

COSTELLO: It's been such a strange tournament we thought we'd talk to Mike Hall. He's one of the anchors for the new ESPN U channel.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Good morning, Mike. Mike?

MIKE HALL, ESPNU: Hello?

COSTELLO: Oh, you're there.

MYERS: There he is.

COSTELLO: Thank goodness. This has been one weird tournament this year. It's confounding, isn't it?

HALL: Well, it seems every year it does just enough things to screw everybody up.

MYERS: What do you think about NC State and North Carolina? Can it happen?

HALL: Well, yes, it certainly could happen. I mean, you know, with Julius Hodge (ph) and NC State, they proved they can beat anybody since they took out the defending champs last year. But I don't know if they're going to be able to move on. But I certainly think UN (ph), too, has another winner, too, in them.

COSTELLO: You know, I was kind of hoping that Texas Tech would have won, because Bobby Knight, he was being actually gracious about the West Virginia coach.

MYERS: What?

COSTELLO: This is -- I'm going to read what he had to say about him: "If I were just a fan," says Bobby Knight, "if I had no interest in this game whatsoever, I would really enjoy watching West Virginia play, because they're one of the best-coached teams and the best- taught teams I have seen in a long, long time."

That is so gracious coming from Bobby Knight.

HALL: Well, he's just a big, old teddy bear, isn't he?

COSTELLO: He was riled up, though, during the game. Look at him.

HALL: Oh, yes, he still is a fiery as ever when it comes to coaching the x's and o's.

MYERS: They did nail down all of the chairs, though. Did you notice? None of them were movable.

HALL: No, not one of them was able to fly across the floor, that's right.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: Now, truthfully -- I mean, truly though, Bobby Knight has brought Texas Tech a long way.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: I mean, the guy is an incredible coach.

HALL: Oh, yes. It's really an interesting story. I mean, when he's in Indiana, I mean, that's a basketball-crazy state. But Texas, you know, that's football down there. Basketball, especially college basketball, is like third or fourth on their list of things to do. And he got them back to the national spotlight.

And pretty much in his four or five years there he hasn't had any incidents like he's had. There has been no chair-throwing. There have been no real crazy outbursts. I mean, the only thing I can think of is he had an argument at a salad bar a couple of years ago.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

HALL: But that's really about it. He really has turned things around there.

COSTELLO: OK. So, what's your pick? HALL: Well, I should warn you before I give you any picks that I was on Anderson Cooper's show last year, and he asked me for his final four picks and then the championship game, yes, I was 0 for 3. So, keep that in mind.

But I think the Final Four will be Illinois, UNC, Louisville and Kentucky.

COSTELLO: Chad?

MYERS: Good job on the Louisville thing. I really do think Louisville will make it. They have played outstanding basketball. They didn't deserve that No. 4 rating in the first place, but they're going to make it all the way to the Final Four, Carol.

HALL: Yes. No, they're certainly proving they're more than a four seed.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll see. Mike Hall from ESPNU. Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

It's 6:54 Eastern, and here is what will be making news later today.

Any moment now a federal judge in Florida is expected to rule on a request by Terri Schiavo's parents. It could be the final legal option they have. The brain-damaged woman has been without nutrition and water for seven days now.

The merger of Kmart and Sears is a done deal. Shareholders of both companies have given a thumbs-up to the $12 billion marriage. It creates the nation's third-largest retailer.

And doctors for Monaco's Prince Rainier say they don't know if the 81-year-old ruler will recover. He's in intensive care with heart and kidney failure and lung problems.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: So, it's raining in Florida.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That doesn't mean good things for the airlines, does it?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: OK, time for some fun.

MYERS: Mug winner. There's the one we're going to give away. The winner from yesterday is from Minnesota. In fact, Edina, Minnesota. The winner, the winner, Patty Griffith from Edina, Minnesota. Congratulations.

Now the questions for today. I hope you were watching. What mammal is in jeopardy due to global warming trends? And what team does Bobby Knight coach for now?

CNN.com/daybreak. Give us your answers. Carol, those should be two pretty easy ones if you've been paying attention the past 15 minutes.

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, that's a cinch this morning.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: I'm glad you're back.

MYERS: It's Friday.

COSTELLO: Now you're off for the weekend, so you can recover fully.

MYERS: A little bit.

COSTELLO: That does it for us. From the Time Warner -- excuse me. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "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 25, 2005 - 06:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The clock is ticking and legal options dwindle. No matter which side you're on, the case of Terri Schiavo is agonizing.
And a basketball coach known for his temper tantrums did not disappoint last night, unless you're a Red Raiders fan that is.

It's Friday, March 25. You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

"Now in the News."

A federal judge in Tampa is expected to rule any time now on yet another appeal by Terri Schiavo's parents to keep her alive. Schiavo's feeding tube was removed a week ago. The U.S. Supreme Court once again has refused to hear the case, upholding a series of court rulings filed since Monday.

A U.N. report is blaming Syria for ratcheting up political tensions that preceded the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A bomb on Beirut's waterfront killed Hariri and 20 other people last month.

Christians around the world will attend Good Friday services, but for the first time, an ailing Pope John Paul II will attend only through a video connection. The 84-year-old pope has been hospitalized twice this year.

To the forecast center now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Twenty-two times. That's how many times the Schlinders have been turned down in court. But still, they fight. The case is now back in Florida in federal court. At issue this time? New evidence and due process violations.

As for the emotions surrounding Terri Schiavo, it is at fever pitch.

CNN's national correspondent Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park, Florida.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And the same judge who had earlier rejected a plea to reconnect the feeding tube is hearing new evidence, and he has told the court after several hours of hearings last night that he will try and have a decision, in fact quite soon. The last time he ruled, it came at 6:30 in the morning. So, it's pretty close to that time right now.

Judge James Whitemore says that he's not going to rule on the substance of the claims that are made, but only if legally there is a reason to reconnect the tube, something that he's said before that he was not going to do.

And as for the emotions, they were reflected outside the courthouse when police had to evacuate a two-block area because they found a suspicious knapsack alone against the courthouse building. When they did some tests on it, they said there were indications there was suspicious material.

But the caution that they exercised is because there has been, they said, a huge number of threats in connection with this case.

And at the site of the hospice in Pinellas Park, the demonstrations turned a little more intense last night. They had been quiet and peaceful for the most part, but they were more noisy, more raucous as feelings run high.

Terri Schiavo has now been disconnected with her feeding tube for just about a week. Most doctors say that she would probably have, if it was not reconnected, about a week to go -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A couple of questions for you, Bob. I understand that a busload of protesters is now parked in front of the governor's mansion in Tallahassee. What do these...

FRANKEN: They, of course...

COSTELLO: Go ahead. What do these protesters want the governor to do? Because he's exhausted his options. He even came out and said that.

FRANKEN: Well, what they want him to do is to, in effect, violate his oath of office. They're saying that no matter what the courts do, they want him to use his executive power to intercede in this and rescue Terri Schiavo. And as one activist put it, if there's a constitutional crisis, so be it.

COSTELLO: The other question I have, we interviewed a local reporter there on the scene. He said that if the federal judge in Florida turns down this latest request, the family can also appeal to the appeals court in Atlanta again, the 11th Circuit Court.

FRANKEN: They can do that. But what they will probably discover, in the minds of most legal experts, is that the appeals court has made it clear that unless there would be some intensely compelling reason, they would defer to the lower court judge. And that would probably be a futile appeal. COSTELLO: All right. Bob Franken live from Florida this morning.

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

Soledad, of course, many are awaiting that Florida court decision. And you guys are going to have a lot more on this.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are, Carol. And, in fact, it is no surprise that the Schlinders, Terri Schiavo's parents, are pinning their hopes on that last-minute emergency appeal. Is there anything else the family can do to keep Terri alive? We're going to talk this morning with an adviser to the Schlinders about what he thinks they're going to be able to do. Also this morning, we talk to Michael Schiavo's, Terri Schiavo's husband's attorney.

Also this morning, our special series, "Faith in America," continues, the beat of religious music. You're looking there at the Reverend Run of Run DMC. Remember, there's also Kanye West as well. It seems that Jesus and hip-hop are a winning formula. We're going to tell you why.

We've got that and much, much more ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING" coming up at the top of the hour -- Carol.

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

A couple of retail giants join forces to get even bigger. We'll tell you about the giga-merger (ph) just ahead in our "Business Buzz." That's at 37 minutes past.

And later, they thought they had a shot to go all the way. We'll look at Bob Knight's time at the not-so-sweet 16. And update your brackets just ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is a controversial subject: global warming. But many experts say there is ample evidence to prove that it's true. Polar bears are losing precious feeding grounds in Canada because the weather is getting strangely warm.

"CNN PRESENTS" investigates this. Miles O'Brien joins us live with a preview now.

Good morning -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

I bet on your top 10 list of worries this morning, global warming wasn't there, right?

COSTELLO: I don't know. I'm really concerned about that.

M. O'BRIEN: You are? OK. All right, well, that's good, because most people, I think, in their daily lives don't think much about it. But when you go to certain parts of the world, where there is an impact already, well, it becomes quite evident that global warming is real. And what scientists are telling us is that humans are making matters worse.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN (voice over): They call it the polar bear capital of the world. Churchill, Manitoba, on the western banks of Hudson Bay, is probably the best place in the world for humans to catch a glimpse of the magnificent mammals that rule the arctic ice pack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Polar Bear Alert.

M. O'BRIEN: But the bears are in trouble, big trouble. For them, it's a matter of survival.

RICHARD ROMANIUK, POLAR BEAR POLICE: We've been chasing her since Wednesday, about 10:00, we got the first call.

M. O'BRIEN: That's Richard Romaniuk, polar bear policeman. He's a very busy man these days.

ROMANIUK: Well, last night we had four calls, one at 5:00, one at about 1:00, one at about 3:00 and one at about 5:00.

Hey, buddy. You here by yourself?

The last three years -- 2001, 2002, 2003 -- were the busiest years the program has ever had.

M. O'BRIEN: The bears are coming to town with alarming frequency, weak, famished and scavenging for food.

ROMANIUK: Last year, there were 176 bears that were captured. About 135 were captured in and around the dump.

M. O'BRIEN: Polar bears are nature's ultimate binge-eaters. During the winter, once the Hudson Bay freezes over, they take to the ice with a veracious appetite for seal. They hunt and eat as much as they can get their paws on. And then when the ice gets thin in the spring, they return to terra firma for a four-month fast.

NICK LUNN, SCIENTIST: The amount of time that bears in western Hudson Bay can spend on sea ice is critical for their survival.

M. O'BRIEN: Scientist Nick Lunn has logged two dozen years studying polar bears for the Canadian Wildlife Service.

LUNN: We've seen bears come into shore in poorer and poorer condition.

M. O'BRIEN: Adult males are 15 percent lighter than they were 20 years ago. Adult females with cubs, 20 percent skinnier. The reason? The polar bear buffet is opening later and closing sooner.

Over the past three decades, the thermometer has steadily risen, and the ice has just as steadily receded. Today, the Hudson Bay returns to its liquid state three weeks earlier than it did in 1970.

LUNN: They're coming ashore earlier with less fat, and they have to make that reduced amount of fat reserves last longer. There's going to be a point in time where the bears are forced ashore so early that they just simply won't be able to survive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Just an excerpt of our "CNN PRESENTS," "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat." This special report airs this Sunday, "CNN PRESENTS," 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Carol, I hope you'll at least TiVo it if you can't stay up that late.

COSTELLO: Oh, no, I'm going to watch it.

M. O'BRIEN: You're going to stay up for that?

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm so impressed. Thank you.

COSTELLO: It's a fascinating subject, and you have amazing pictures to go along with it.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, well, we went to -- in addition to the cold places, we went to the South Pacific to some islands there, Tubalo (ph), that are just above sea level. And they're literally being inundated. Sea level rise is a big problem with them. A big problem.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Thank you, Miles, for appearing on DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

M. O'BRIEN: My pleasure.

COSTELLO: Let's check in with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING" on this Good Friday.

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

People around the world are waiting to see if the pope will attend Easter services this weekend, noticeably absent for most ceremonies this past week. How is his health today? And what are we learning from inside the Vatican? Our analyst in Rome has some insight as to what's happening behind the scenes there.

Also, why Paul Abdul went to court the same day that Fox learns the impact of an "Idol" error in primetime.

Hey, Carol, it was her turn to face the judge. We'll let you know what happens in a moment here. See you in 12 minutes on "AMERICAN MORNING."

COSTELLO: It wasn't a happy thing, either.

HEMMER: We'll see.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Bye-bye.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" may be coming up soon, but we're not quite done here on DAYBREAK. Up next, more on March Madness. We'll find out why it's been an especially maddening time for many of the nations top-ranked teams.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now I know why Chad was off the last two days. I know, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Working on my brackets.

COSTELLO: Yes, you were working on your brackets, I know. You needed some shut-eye to watch the Sweet 16. Are we going to put Chad in the big double box so we can -- there he is.

MYERS: There I am.

COSTELLO: It's been such a strange tournament we thought we'd talk to Mike Hall. He's one of the anchors for the new ESPN U channel.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Good morning, Mike. Mike?

MIKE HALL, ESPNU: Hello?

COSTELLO: Oh, you're there.

MYERS: There he is.

COSTELLO: Thank goodness. This has been one weird tournament this year. It's confounding, isn't it?

HALL: Well, it seems every year it does just enough things to screw everybody up.

MYERS: What do you think about NC State and North Carolina? Can it happen?

HALL: Well, yes, it certainly could happen. I mean, you know, with Julius Hodge (ph) and NC State, they proved they can beat anybody since they took out the defending champs last year. But I don't know if they're going to be able to move on. But I certainly think UN (ph), too, has another winner, too, in them.

COSTELLO: You know, I was kind of hoping that Texas Tech would have won, because Bobby Knight, he was being actually gracious about the West Virginia coach.

MYERS: What?

COSTELLO: This is -- I'm going to read what he had to say about him: "If I were just a fan," says Bobby Knight, "if I had no interest in this game whatsoever, I would really enjoy watching West Virginia play, because they're one of the best-coached teams and the best- taught teams I have seen in a long, long time."

That is so gracious coming from Bobby Knight.

HALL: Well, he's just a big, old teddy bear, isn't he?

COSTELLO: He was riled up, though, during the game. Look at him.

HALL: Oh, yes, he still is a fiery as ever when it comes to coaching the x's and o's.

MYERS: They did nail down all of the chairs, though. Did you notice? None of them were movable.

HALL: No, not one of them was able to fly across the floor, that's right.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: Now, truthfully -- I mean, truly though, Bobby Knight has brought Texas Tech a long way.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: I mean, the guy is an incredible coach.

HALL: Oh, yes. It's really an interesting story. I mean, when he's in Indiana, I mean, that's a basketball-crazy state. But Texas, you know, that's football down there. Basketball, especially college basketball, is like third or fourth on their list of things to do. And he got them back to the national spotlight.

And pretty much in his four or five years there he hasn't had any incidents like he's had. There has been no chair-throwing. There have been no real crazy outbursts. I mean, the only thing I can think of is he had an argument at a salad bar a couple of years ago.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

HALL: But that's really about it. He really has turned things around there.

COSTELLO: OK. So, what's your pick? HALL: Well, I should warn you before I give you any picks that I was on Anderson Cooper's show last year, and he asked me for his final four picks and then the championship game, yes, I was 0 for 3. So, keep that in mind.

But I think the Final Four will be Illinois, UNC, Louisville and Kentucky.

COSTELLO: Chad?

MYERS: Good job on the Louisville thing. I really do think Louisville will make it. They have played outstanding basketball. They didn't deserve that No. 4 rating in the first place, but they're going to make it all the way to the Final Four, Carol.

HALL: Yes. No, they're certainly proving they're more than a four seed.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll see. Mike Hall from ESPNU. Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

It's 6:54 Eastern, and here is what will be making news later today.

Any moment now a federal judge in Florida is expected to rule on a request by Terri Schiavo's parents. It could be the final legal option they have. The brain-damaged woman has been without nutrition and water for seven days now.

The merger of Kmart and Sears is a done deal. Shareholders of both companies have given a thumbs-up to the $12 billion marriage. It creates the nation's third-largest retailer.

And doctors for Monaco's Prince Rainier say they don't know if the 81-year-old ruler will recover. He's in intensive care with heart and kidney failure and lung problems.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: So, it's raining in Florida.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: That doesn't mean good things for the airlines, does it?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: OK, time for some fun.

MYERS: Mug winner. There's the one we're going to give away. The winner from yesterday is from Minnesota. In fact, Edina, Minnesota. The winner, the winner, Patty Griffith from Edina, Minnesota. Congratulations.

Now the questions for today. I hope you were watching. What mammal is in jeopardy due to global warming trends? And what team does Bobby Knight coach for now?

CNN.com/daybreak. Give us your answers. Carol, those should be two pretty easy ones if you've been paying attention the past 15 minutes.

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, that's a cinch this morning.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: I'm glad you're back.

MYERS: It's Friday.

COSTELLO: Now you're off for the weekend, so you can recover fully.

MYERS: A little bit.

COSTELLO: That does it for us. From the Time Warner -- excuse me. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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