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CNN Live At Daybreak

Death of Prince Rainier of Monaco; Vatican Prepares for a Deluge of World Leaders

Aired April 06, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: He lived a fairy tale life. Flags in Monaco lowered to half staff as a princely tale of love and tragedy comes to a quiet end.
Elsewhere, mourning the passing of Pope John Paul as the Vatican prepares for a deluge of world leaders.

And filling up your tank these days means emptying out your wallet.

It's Wednesday, April 6.

You're 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, he was one of the longest serving monarchs in the world. Less than six hours ago, Prince Rainier of Monaco died of heart, lung and kidney failure. He was 81 years old. Later, we'll look back on his life.

The lines are stretching for several blocks outside of the Vatican this morning as thousands more people file past the pope's body. In the meantime, Roman Catholic cardinals are planning Friday's funeral.

The Iraqi National Assembly this morning chose a Kurdish leader to serve as its first elected president. The assembly also chose a Sunni and a Shiite as vice presidents. The vice presidents are in charge of naming a prime minister.

Novelist Saul Bellow has died. Most of his work focused on the Jewish immigrant experience in American cities. Bellow's work earned him a Pulitzer, a Nobel and three National Book Awards. Saul Bellow was 89 years old.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Prince Rainier of Monaco had been ill for several weeks, but his death overnight is still somewhat of a shock to many. Americans were introduced to him when he married movie star Grace Kelly and then spirited her away to a life of glamour in Europe.

Jim Bittermann has more on the life and death of a prince.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was one of the longest serving monarchs of one of the smallest countries in the world. And Prince Rainier III of Monaco deserves most of the credit for putting and keeping his tiny principality on the map.

At first, the dashing young prince used the reflected glamour of the French Riviera to attract growing numbers of tourists to his casino and hotels. But it was his whirlwind courtship and eventual marriage to American movie actress Grace Kelly that gave Monaco the glittering image that continues to draw the cruise liners full of visitors even today.

CAROLINE PIGOZZI, "PARIS MATCH" MAGAZINE: Princess Grace, you know, was -- it was the salt of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Canada at that time.

BITTERMANN: Prince Rainier, not always comfortable in public, worked behind-the-scenes to burnish and benefit from Monaco's glittering image. He fought to keep Monaco independent from France and to preserve its status as a tax haven, something that led columnist Art Buchwald to label Monaco "a sunny place for shady people."

Members of the Monaco jet set called Rainier "the builder" for the way he packed the once obscure fishing village, Monte Carlo, with high rise apartments to shelter and protect the rich.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Monaco and southern France are in shock after the surprise announcement of the death of Princess Grace.

BITTERMANN: But that focus on the family turned tragic in 1982 when Monaco's magic came to an end for Prince Rainier. The car carrying his princess plummeted off one of the country's winding roads and the next day she was dead. There was shock and sorrow around the world, but no more so than in the royal family itself.

At the funeral, Prince Rainier repeatedly broke down in tears. The loss of Princess Grace, the pillar of the family, had a great impact on him, and many said the children, too. Caroline and Stephanie were soon making the covers of all the gossip magazines, their lives rich with scandalous behavior and tragic affairs.

Prince Albert now takes power in Monaco, but because he has no children, it seems certain that the line of succession will pass to his sister Caroline and her children. But the real question is not the succession, but whether Monaco itself can prosper in the same way it did under Prince Rainier, the shy man who fought during more than a half century in power to turn an undistinguished family fiefdom into a capital of fantasy, wealth and glamour. Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: In the next half hour, we'll take you live to London for more on the death of Prince Rainier and what it means for Monaco. We'll be talking with royal commentator Charles Mosley.

Some major planning underway in Rome. Officials are preparing for the pope's funeral and for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Mourners are still pouring into the city to view the pope's body. The lines are stretching for several blocks outside of the Vatican. We should say several miles.

In the meantime, the church's cardinals are holding another day of meetings. So far, no decision on when they'll start their Conclave. That's the meeting aimed at electing a new pope.

In the meantime, the Vatican is releasing more information about burial plans. The pope is to be buried in a grave beneath St. Peter's Basilica, but on word on other details, since the pope's will has not been read yet.

Let's head straight to Vatican City now.

CNN's Diana Muriel is in St. Peter's Square -- hello, Diana.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, it's the second full day of the mourners of the faithful here in Rome being able to file past the body of Pope John Paul II, who is lying in state inside the basilica behind me. As you say, the que is stretching for several miles now. The area immediately behind me has been closed off because the ambulance services and the provision of water, the stockpiles of water, are being kept here, so that they can be handed out to the crowd.

It's a very hot day here in Rome and a lot of people are starting to feel the effects of the heat. If you look at the crowd, you'll see a sea of umbrellas. People are trying their best to protect themselves from the heat. But over the course of the next few hours -- and they are going to be waiting in line for something like six to eight hours before they actually get into the basilica and spend just a few seconds in front of the body of the pope, where they can say their last farewells.

This is an endurance test for the hundreds of thousands of people who are here. We're seeing ambulance after ambulance taking people away who have suffered, who have succumb to heat exhaustion. And we saw that during the course of yesterday.

The people who are at the back of the crowd have also brought with them overcoats and hats and scarves because the minute the sun goes down, it gets very cold here in Rome, and they suddenly need to have provision for that change in temperature.

So it really is a very tough call for the people who have decided to come. But they have come in their hundreds of thousands -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Diana, a question for you. I know people are waiting hours and hours in line. They're only allowed to pause near the pope's body for a few seconds. There are people who take them by the arm and lead them away.

That's how they're kind of controlling things, right?

MURIEL: That's right. There is a detail of stewards who are in there whose job it is is to keep the crowd moving along. And these people, who have been waiting for so long, you can imagine they'll want to linger. Many of them want to stop and say a prayer. But there just simply isn't the time, there isn't the facility.

The authorities have decided to close the basilica in the early hours of the morning for three hours for cleaning. But it may well be that the sheer pressure of people here will have them change their minds and open it up throughout the night.

Certainly the cues we saw forming last night into the early hours of the morning were absolutely huge. I have never seen anything like it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Diana Muriel reporting live from Rome this morning.

Thank you.

Some 200 world leaders are planning to attend the pope's funeral on Friday. The five members of the official U.S. delegation include the president and first lady, former President Clinton, the first President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Senate leader Bill Frist is leading a bipartisan delegation of 14 senators to the funeral. And House Speaker Dennis Hastert will head a delegation of 26 House members. The senators and House members will not be part of the official U.S. delegation, which the Vatican limited to five.

Does the Patriot Act need tweaking? Still ahead on DAYBREAK, that's a question the new attorney general is taking up as he defends the controversial law.

Also, news anchor Peter Jennings says he has some bad days ahead. We'll tell you what he's facing off against.

And we'll take you inside the trial of a suspected serial bomber.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:12 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning. Monaco's Prince Rainier died this morning. He was 81. Europe's longest reigning monarch had been in the hospital for the last month with heart, lung and kidney problems. The prince may be best known in the United States for his marriage to movie star Grace Kelly way back in 1956.

As many as one million mourners have passed by the pope's body in St. Peter's Basilica. World leaders and dignitaries are expected to begin arriving today, ahead of Friday's funeral. We're expecting a briefing from the Vatican some time this hour.

In money news, General Motors hopes that giving away cars will help boost sales. It's so-called "hot button" promotion gives you a chance to win one of a thousand cars. G.M. hopes the promotion will bring more of you into its dealerships.

In culture, Clint Eastwood is hoping to begin filming his tribute to American soldiers in Iwo Jima later this year. He's in Tokyo to talk to government officials about the project. Tokyo's governor asked him to respect Japanese soldiers whose remains remain unaccounted for.

In sports, Baylor's Lady Bears have a national championship. They beat Michigan State 84-62. Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson becomes the first woman to play on and coach a national championship team. Congrats to her -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

I'm glad we had that story on this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: When DAYBREAK continues, Congress takes a closer look at the Patriot Act. Is it a crucial tool in the fight for terrorism or a violation of your personal freedom?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The nation's new attorney general says he's open to suggestions on changing the Patriot Act, but would oppose any change that would reign in law enforcement.

As justice correspondent CNN's Kelli Arena reports, a test of that resolve is coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under a provision of the Patriot Act, federal agents secretly entered Brandon Mayfield's home. GREGORY NOJEIM, ACLU LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL: His home was broken into secretly and searched. The government downloaded the contents of the hard drives of four computers in his home. It took 355 digital photographs.

ARENA: Mayfield is the Portland attorney who was wrongly accused of involvement in the train bombings in Madrid last spring. The ACLU says the Mayfield search is an example of how the Patriot Act can infringe on the rights of innocent Americans. But Bush administration officials told Congress the law is vital in the war on terror.

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups still pose a great threat to the American people now is not the time to relinquish some of our most effective tools in this fight.

ARENA: The Patriot Act greatly expanded the government's information sharing and surveillance powers. Sixteen provisions will expire in December unless renewed by Congress. Among them, the so- called library provision, which allows federal agents to secretly request library and some business records as part of a terror investigation.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: We have heard over and over again there have been no abuses as a result of the Patriot Act. But it's been difficult, if not impossible, to verify that claim when some of the most controversial surveillance powers in the act operated under a cloak of secrecy.

ARENA: In response to such criticism, Attorney General Gonzales disclosed that since the law was passed, courts only approved such requests 35 times, and none involved libraries. Gonzales also said he's open to making some technical changes in the law. But it wasn't enough to quiet the debate, even within his own party.

Republican senator Larry Craig is a sponsor of bipartisan legislation to curb parts of the act.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Clearly, the civil liberties of this country are its strength. They create its diversity. They create the great uniqueness of the American experience. And out of fear, we should not run from those principles.

ARENA (on camera): Analysts say the future of the Patriot Act may very well depend on whether there is another terrorist attack or whether the Act is successfully used in a high profile prosecution between now and the end of the year.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: It used to be Americans coming back from trips to neighboring nations could just flash a driver's license to get back home. But in a few years, they might need some extra I.D. In a plan proposed on Tuesday, the State Department wants to toughen up its re- entry rules. The new rules would require Americans to show their passports when returning to the United States. The guidelines would go into effect at the end of 2005 for travel from Bermuda, the Caribbean and Central and South America by air and sea. One year later, the passport rule would affect Americans traveling back from Canada and Mexico by air and sea.

The controversial proposal could be finalized this fall. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

When DAYBREAK continues, a surprise announcement from Peter Jennings. We'll hear what he told his TV audience about his new battle.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And you're taking a live look at the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, as people line up to view the pope's body. We are expecting a press conference to happen at any time from a Vatican spokesman. We don't know exactly what the topic will be, but we suspect the topic will give us more details on the pope's funeral on Friday and maybe about the pope's successor.

When that news conference happens, of course, we'll take you to Rome live.

Let's talk about Monaco now. Many of Monaco's 32,000 residents have never known a leader other than Prince Rainier. But now the 56- year reign comes to an end with his death at the age of 81.

Joining me now to talk about Europe's longest reigning monarch is Charles Mosley, the editor of "Debretts" reference guides.

Good morning to you, sir.

CHARLES MOSLEY, EDITOR, "DEBRETTS": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, we heard that Prince Rainier was sick.

How sick was he and how long has he been ill?

MOSLEY: Several weeks now. He died of lung, heart and kidney complications, which seems like overkill to me, but it certainly killed him.

COSTELLO: Was his family around him at the time?

MOSLEY: I'm not sure. I think since he died at 6:57 this morning they would probably have been trying to get some sleep. But perhaps they loved him so much that they took shifts or had a 24-hour vigil arranged in some other way.

COSTELLO: Most Americans know the prince, you know, through tabloid reports of his children and also his marriage to the actress Grace Kelly. How was he getting along with his children?

MOSLEY: Better in latter years. They are beginning to calm down a bit, although Stephanie still seems to have a bit of energy left. Caroline, of course, is now married to her own prince and has children by her second husband. And it's said that they will eventually, the oldest, who is now a young man in his 20s, will eventually take over, because the new prince, Albert, is unmarried and likely to remain so, of course, at his age.

COSTELLO: Why is that?

MOSLEY: He just doesn't have -- he hasn't found the ruling girl yet, I suppose. You would have thought he'd have plenty of choice, but he's obviously very picky.

COSTELLO: Yes, obviously.

Prince Rainier, he really defined Monaco for the rest of the world.

Can you give us that definition?

MOSLEY: Yes. He attracted lots and lots of money into it. He extended its area by 20 percent. Now, it's not a big place, but 20 percent is a very hefty chunk even so. The trouble is, of course, that in attracting that money, some of it was -- had, shall we say, dangerous strings attached. There have been one or two very murky incidents, notably the death in a fire in his apartment of the banker Edmund Safra a few years ago.

And this, of course, is the great problem for his successor, who must clean up the money and clean up the reputation of Monaco, or otherwise it will remain what Noel Coward once called it, "a shady place" -- sorry -- "a sunny place with shady people in it."

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Well, we'll see what Prince Albert does.

Thank you so much.

Charles Mosley joining us live on DAYBREAK this morning.

I'm sure you've heard this news by now -- a lot of bad news this morning. ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings is being treated for lung cancer. Jennings made the announcement on his newscast last night.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Some of you have noticed in the last several days that I was not covering the pope. One of my colleagues at ABC did a superb job. I did think a few times I was missing out. However, as some of you now know, I have learned in the last couple of days that I have lung cancer. Yes, I was a smoker until about 20 years ago and I was weak and I smoked over 9/11.

But whatever the reasons, the news does slow you down a bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Jennings says he'll start chemotherapy next week and he expects to have some good days and some bad days. And he's going to try to anchor his broadcasts. But when he's not feeling well, of course, others will fill in for him. Coming up in the next half hour of DAYBREAK, it's day one of jury selection and already the Eric Rudolph trial is taking some bizarre turns. We'll have a live report for you from Birmingham, Alabama.

But first, we will take you live to Rome for a look at the massive crowds waiting their turn to say farewell to the pope.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 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, Monaco's Prince Rainier died overnight. He was one of the world's longest reigning monarchs and had been hospitalized for several weeks. The prince died of heart, lung and kidney failure. He was 81. His son Albert is heir to the throne.

We are expecting an update from the Vatican any minute now on plans to choose a new pope. In the meantime, that river of mourners continues to move through Rome's streets, flowing into St. Peter's Basilica. An estimated one million people viewed Pope John Paul's body during the first 24 hours it lay in state.

Another step forward in Iraq. Just about three hours ago, the Iraqi transitional national assembly elected a Kurd as president. It also chose a Shiite Muslim and a Sunni Muslim as his two vice presidents. And a note about the elections. Saddam Hussein was allowed to watch it on television, if he wanted to.

In Kansas, voters have approved a constitutional amendment banning same sex couples from marrying. Kansas law already bans gay marriage, but supporters of the ban want to bolster it by putting it in the state constitution.

To the Forecast Center now -- good morning, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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


Aired April 6, 2005 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: He lived a fairy tale life. Flags in Monaco lowered to half staff as a princely tale of love and tragedy comes to a quiet end.
Elsewhere, mourning the passing of Pope John Paul as the Vatican prepares for a deluge of world leaders.

And filling up your tank these days means emptying out your wallet.

It's Wednesday, April 6.

You're 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, he was one of the longest serving monarchs in the world. Less than six hours ago, Prince Rainier of Monaco died of heart, lung and kidney failure. He was 81 years old. Later, we'll look back on his life.

The lines are stretching for several blocks outside of the Vatican this morning as thousands more people file past the pope's body. In the meantime, Roman Catholic cardinals are planning Friday's funeral.

The Iraqi National Assembly this morning chose a Kurdish leader to serve as its first elected president. The assembly also chose a Sunni and a Shiite as vice presidents. The vice presidents are in charge of naming a prime minister.

Novelist Saul Bellow has died. Most of his work focused on the Jewish immigrant experience in American cities. Bellow's work earned him a Pulitzer, a Nobel and three National Book Awards. Saul Bellow was 89 years old.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Prince Rainier of Monaco had been ill for several weeks, but his death overnight is still somewhat of a shock to many. Americans were introduced to him when he married movie star Grace Kelly and then spirited her away to a life of glamour in Europe.

Jim Bittermann has more on the life and death of a prince.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was one of the longest serving monarchs of one of the smallest countries in the world. And Prince Rainier III of Monaco deserves most of the credit for putting and keeping his tiny principality on the map.

At first, the dashing young prince used the reflected glamour of the French Riviera to attract growing numbers of tourists to his casino and hotels. But it was his whirlwind courtship and eventual marriage to American movie actress Grace Kelly that gave Monaco the glittering image that continues to draw the cruise liners full of visitors even today.

CAROLINE PIGOZZI, "PARIS MATCH" MAGAZINE: Princess Grace, you know, was -- it was the salt of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Canada at that time.

BITTERMANN: Prince Rainier, not always comfortable in public, worked behind-the-scenes to burnish and benefit from Monaco's glittering image. He fought to keep Monaco independent from France and to preserve its status as a tax haven, something that led columnist Art Buchwald to label Monaco "a sunny place for shady people."

Members of the Monaco jet set called Rainier "the builder" for the way he packed the once obscure fishing village, Monte Carlo, with high rise apartments to shelter and protect the rich.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Monaco and southern France are in shock after the surprise announcement of the death of Princess Grace.

BITTERMANN: But that focus on the family turned tragic in 1982 when Monaco's magic came to an end for Prince Rainier. The car carrying his princess plummeted off one of the country's winding roads and the next day she was dead. There was shock and sorrow around the world, but no more so than in the royal family itself.

At the funeral, Prince Rainier repeatedly broke down in tears. The loss of Princess Grace, the pillar of the family, had a great impact on him, and many said the children, too. Caroline and Stephanie were soon making the covers of all the gossip magazines, their lives rich with scandalous behavior and tragic affairs.

Prince Albert now takes power in Monaco, but because he has no children, it seems certain that the line of succession will pass to his sister Caroline and her children. But the real question is not the succession, but whether Monaco itself can prosper in the same way it did under Prince Rainier, the shy man who fought during more than a half century in power to turn an undistinguished family fiefdom into a capital of fantasy, wealth and glamour. Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: In the next half hour, we'll take you live to London for more on the death of Prince Rainier and what it means for Monaco. We'll be talking with royal commentator Charles Mosley.

Some major planning underway in Rome. Officials are preparing for the pope's funeral and for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Mourners are still pouring into the city to view the pope's body. The lines are stretching for several blocks outside of the Vatican. We should say several miles.

In the meantime, the church's cardinals are holding another day of meetings. So far, no decision on when they'll start their Conclave. That's the meeting aimed at electing a new pope.

In the meantime, the Vatican is releasing more information about burial plans. The pope is to be buried in a grave beneath St. Peter's Basilica, but on word on other details, since the pope's will has not been read yet.

Let's head straight to Vatican City now.

CNN's Diana Muriel is in St. Peter's Square -- hello, Diana.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well, it's the second full day of the mourners of the faithful here in Rome being able to file past the body of Pope John Paul II, who is lying in state inside the basilica behind me. As you say, the que is stretching for several miles now. The area immediately behind me has been closed off because the ambulance services and the provision of water, the stockpiles of water, are being kept here, so that they can be handed out to the crowd.

It's a very hot day here in Rome and a lot of people are starting to feel the effects of the heat. If you look at the crowd, you'll see a sea of umbrellas. People are trying their best to protect themselves from the heat. But over the course of the next few hours -- and they are going to be waiting in line for something like six to eight hours before they actually get into the basilica and spend just a few seconds in front of the body of the pope, where they can say their last farewells.

This is an endurance test for the hundreds of thousands of people who are here. We're seeing ambulance after ambulance taking people away who have suffered, who have succumb to heat exhaustion. And we saw that during the course of yesterday.

The people who are at the back of the crowd have also brought with them overcoats and hats and scarves because the minute the sun goes down, it gets very cold here in Rome, and they suddenly need to have provision for that change in temperature.

So it really is a very tough call for the people who have decided to come. But they have come in their hundreds of thousands -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Diana, a question for you. I know people are waiting hours and hours in line. They're only allowed to pause near the pope's body for a few seconds. There are people who take them by the arm and lead them away.

That's how they're kind of controlling things, right?

MURIEL: That's right. There is a detail of stewards who are in there whose job it is is to keep the crowd moving along. And these people, who have been waiting for so long, you can imagine they'll want to linger. Many of them want to stop and say a prayer. But there just simply isn't the time, there isn't the facility.

The authorities have decided to close the basilica in the early hours of the morning for three hours for cleaning. But it may well be that the sheer pressure of people here will have them change their minds and open it up throughout the night.

Certainly the cues we saw forming last night into the early hours of the morning were absolutely huge. I have never seen anything like it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Diana Muriel reporting live from Rome this morning.

Thank you.

Some 200 world leaders are planning to attend the pope's funeral on Friday. The five members of the official U.S. delegation include the president and first lady, former President Clinton, the first President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Senate leader Bill Frist is leading a bipartisan delegation of 14 senators to the funeral. And House Speaker Dennis Hastert will head a delegation of 26 House members. The senators and House members will not be part of the official U.S. delegation, which the Vatican limited to five.

Does the Patriot Act need tweaking? Still ahead on DAYBREAK, that's a question the new attorney general is taking up as he defends the controversial law.

Also, news anchor Peter Jennings says he has some bad days ahead. We'll tell you what he's facing off against.

And we'll take you inside the trial of a suspected serial bomber.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:12 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning. Monaco's Prince Rainier died this morning. He was 81. Europe's longest reigning monarch had been in the hospital for the last month with heart, lung and kidney problems. The prince may be best known in the United States for his marriage to movie star Grace Kelly way back in 1956.

As many as one million mourners have passed by the pope's body in St. Peter's Basilica. World leaders and dignitaries are expected to begin arriving today, ahead of Friday's funeral. We're expecting a briefing from the Vatican some time this hour.

In money news, General Motors hopes that giving away cars will help boost sales. It's so-called "hot button" promotion gives you a chance to win one of a thousand cars. G.M. hopes the promotion will bring more of you into its dealerships.

In culture, Clint Eastwood is hoping to begin filming his tribute to American soldiers in Iwo Jima later this year. He's in Tokyo to talk to government officials about the project. Tokyo's governor asked him to respect Japanese soldiers whose remains remain unaccounted for.

In sports, Baylor's Lady Bears have a national championship. They beat Michigan State 84-62. Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson becomes the first woman to play on and coach a national championship team. Congrats to her -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

I'm glad we had that story on this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: When DAYBREAK continues, Congress takes a closer look at the Patriot Act. Is it a crucial tool in the fight for terrorism or a violation of your personal freedom?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The nation's new attorney general says he's open to suggestions on changing the Patriot Act, but would oppose any change that would reign in law enforcement.

As justice correspondent CNN's Kelli Arena reports, a test of that resolve is coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under a provision of the Patriot Act, federal agents secretly entered Brandon Mayfield's home. GREGORY NOJEIM, ACLU LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL: His home was broken into secretly and searched. The government downloaded the contents of the hard drives of four computers in his home. It took 355 digital photographs.

ARENA: Mayfield is the Portland attorney who was wrongly accused of involvement in the train bombings in Madrid last spring. The ACLU says the Mayfield search is an example of how the Patriot Act can infringe on the rights of innocent Americans. But Bush administration officials told Congress the law is vital in the war on terror.

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups still pose a great threat to the American people now is not the time to relinquish some of our most effective tools in this fight.

ARENA: The Patriot Act greatly expanded the government's information sharing and surveillance powers. Sixteen provisions will expire in December unless renewed by Congress. Among them, the so- called library provision, which allows federal agents to secretly request library and some business records as part of a terror investigation.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: We have heard over and over again there have been no abuses as a result of the Patriot Act. But it's been difficult, if not impossible, to verify that claim when some of the most controversial surveillance powers in the act operated under a cloak of secrecy.

ARENA: In response to such criticism, Attorney General Gonzales disclosed that since the law was passed, courts only approved such requests 35 times, and none involved libraries. Gonzales also said he's open to making some technical changes in the law. But it wasn't enough to quiet the debate, even within his own party.

Republican senator Larry Craig is a sponsor of bipartisan legislation to curb parts of the act.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Clearly, the civil liberties of this country are its strength. They create its diversity. They create the great uniqueness of the American experience. And out of fear, we should not run from those principles.

ARENA (on camera): Analysts say the future of the Patriot Act may very well depend on whether there is another terrorist attack or whether the Act is successfully used in a high profile prosecution between now and the end of the year.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: It used to be Americans coming back from trips to neighboring nations could just flash a driver's license to get back home. But in a few years, they might need some extra I.D. In a plan proposed on Tuesday, the State Department wants to toughen up its re- entry rules. The new rules would require Americans to show their passports when returning to the United States. The guidelines would go into effect at the end of 2005 for travel from Bermuda, the Caribbean and Central and South America by air and sea. One year later, the passport rule would affect Americans traveling back from Canada and Mexico by air and sea.

The controversial proposal could be finalized this fall. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

When DAYBREAK continues, a surprise announcement from Peter Jennings. We'll hear what he told his TV audience about his new battle.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And you're taking a live look at the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, as people line up to view the pope's body. We are expecting a press conference to happen at any time from a Vatican spokesman. We don't know exactly what the topic will be, but we suspect the topic will give us more details on the pope's funeral on Friday and maybe about the pope's successor.

When that news conference happens, of course, we'll take you to Rome live.

Let's talk about Monaco now. Many of Monaco's 32,000 residents have never known a leader other than Prince Rainier. But now the 56- year reign comes to an end with his death at the age of 81.

Joining me now to talk about Europe's longest reigning monarch is Charles Mosley, the editor of "Debretts" reference guides.

Good morning to you, sir.

CHARLES MOSLEY, EDITOR, "DEBRETTS": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, we heard that Prince Rainier was sick.

How sick was he and how long has he been ill?

MOSLEY: Several weeks now. He died of lung, heart and kidney complications, which seems like overkill to me, but it certainly killed him.

COSTELLO: Was his family around him at the time?

MOSLEY: I'm not sure. I think since he died at 6:57 this morning they would probably have been trying to get some sleep. But perhaps they loved him so much that they took shifts or had a 24-hour vigil arranged in some other way.

COSTELLO: Most Americans know the prince, you know, through tabloid reports of his children and also his marriage to the actress Grace Kelly. How was he getting along with his children?

MOSLEY: Better in latter years. They are beginning to calm down a bit, although Stephanie still seems to have a bit of energy left. Caroline, of course, is now married to her own prince and has children by her second husband. And it's said that they will eventually, the oldest, who is now a young man in his 20s, will eventually take over, because the new prince, Albert, is unmarried and likely to remain so, of course, at his age.

COSTELLO: Why is that?

MOSLEY: He just doesn't have -- he hasn't found the ruling girl yet, I suppose. You would have thought he'd have plenty of choice, but he's obviously very picky.

COSTELLO: Yes, obviously.

Prince Rainier, he really defined Monaco for the rest of the world.

Can you give us that definition?

MOSLEY: Yes. He attracted lots and lots of money into it. He extended its area by 20 percent. Now, it's not a big place, but 20 percent is a very hefty chunk even so. The trouble is, of course, that in attracting that money, some of it was -- had, shall we say, dangerous strings attached. There have been one or two very murky incidents, notably the death in a fire in his apartment of the banker Edmund Safra a few years ago.

And this, of course, is the great problem for his successor, who must clean up the money and clean up the reputation of Monaco, or otherwise it will remain what Noel Coward once called it, "a shady place" -- sorry -- "a sunny place with shady people in it."

COSTELLO: Interesting.

Well, we'll see what Prince Albert does.

Thank you so much.

Charles Mosley joining us live on DAYBREAK this morning.

I'm sure you've heard this news by now -- a lot of bad news this morning. ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings is being treated for lung cancer. Jennings made the announcement on his newscast last night.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Some of you have noticed in the last several days that I was not covering the pope. One of my colleagues at ABC did a superb job. I did think a few times I was missing out. However, as some of you now know, I have learned in the last couple of days that I have lung cancer. Yes, I was a smoker until about 20 years ago and I was weak and I smoked over 9/11.

But whatever the reasons, the news does slow you down a bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Jennings says he'll start chemotherapy next week and he expects to have some good days and some bad days. And he's going to try to anchor his broadcasts. But when he's not feeling well, of course, others will fill in for him. Coming up in the next half hour of DAYBREAK, it's day one of jury selection and already the Eric Rudolph trial is taking some bizarre turns. We'll have a live report for you from Birmingham, Alabama.

But first, we will take you live to Rome for a look at the massive crowds waiting their turn to say farewell to the pope.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 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, Monaco's Prince Rainier died overnight. He was one of the world's longest reigning monarchs and had been hospitalized for several weeks. The prince died of heart, lung and kidney failure. He was 81. His son Albert is heir to the throne.

We are expecting an update from the Vatican any minute now on plans to choose a new pope. In the meantime, that river of mourners continues to move through Rome's streets, flowing into St. Peter's Basilica. An estimated one million people viewed Pope John Paul's body during the first 24 hours it lay in state.

Another step forward in Iraq. Just about three hours ago, the Iraqi transitional national assembly elected a Kurd as president. It also chose a Shiite Muslim and a Sunni Muslim as his two vice presidents. And a note about the elections. Saddam Hussein was allowed to watch it on television, if he wanted to.

In Kansas, voters have approved a constitutional amendment banning same sex couples from marrying. Kansas law already bans gay marriage, but supporters of the ban want to bolster it by putting it in the state constitution.

To the Forecast Center now -- good morning, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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