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CNN Live At Daybreak
An American Cardinal Prepares to Say Mass for the Pope; What's Being Done in Florida to Track Sexual Predators?
Aired April 11, 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: An American cardinal prepares to say mass for the pope. But not everyone is pleased to see Cardinal Bernard Law in the pulpit. We'll tell you why in a live report from the Vatican.
A little girl and a deadly crime. We'll look at what's being done in Florida to track sexual predators.
Also, silicon breast implants -- are they coming back?
It is Monday, April 11.
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, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush meet at the president's Texas ranch this morning. The president is objecting to Israel's plans for 3,500 new housing units in the disputed West Bank.
John Bolton has voiced disdain for the United Nations, but he's the president's pick to be U.N. ambassador. The nomination goes before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in about three hours.
The U.S. soldier accused of using a grenade to attack his fellow soldiers in Kuwait faces a court martial this morning in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Army Sergeant Hassan Akbar faces two counts of first degree murder stemming from that March 2003 attack.
And holy cow, Colorado. Parts of the state are socked in by a blizzard this morning. Up to two feet of snow has fallen, closing roads and stranding travelers. Many schools are closed today. And it's April. It doesn't look like it, though -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Did you say holy Colorado?
COSTELLO: It was pretty clever, wasn't it?
MYERS: It really was.
(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: A controversial cardinal has a place of honor in Rome today, but will his appearance at a special mass overshadow the remembrance of Pope John Paul II?
CNN's Chris Burns joins us from Vatican City with more on this.
Cardinal Bernard Law saying a special mass to the pope, that has a lot of people angry this morning -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Carol.
Over my shoulder, St. Peter's Square. There will be a protest in about three hours by a group called SNAP. They're coming from the States, based in Chicago, a survivors network of those abused by priests. It's a group that claims 5,000 members, among those people who were abused by priests in the past, including the head of the group, who is going to be here at the protest.
They are saying that Cardinal Law is making a cynical attempt to rehabilitate himself by giving this mass. This is one of the key masses that is part of the mourning process for John Paul II. And the argument by those close to the Vatican is that this is part of the protocol, that the cardinal is head of the church here, the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. It is protocol for him to give this mass and they have no choice but to do that.
On the other hand, this group is saying that the cardinal has no business doing this.
So there will be a protest today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's a question for you, I thought that Cardinal Law left Boston because it was too hot to handle there and they found a position for him in Rome.
Am I reading that wrong?
BURNS: Well, that's what happened. The cardinal, when he was archbishop in Boston, he resigned after there were court documents that said that the had transferred some priests to other parishes after those priests were accused of sexual abuse. He also apologized for the pain that resulted from those decisions.
And so the Vatican believes that he has paid penance and that he has given a lifetime of service for the church. And the pope did move him over here and head of that very key basilica. So the Vatican believes that he has paid his dues and that he is in the proper position he should be.
COSTELLO: Well, let's see if he finally says that mass.
I mean will those protesters be able to get to people who may stop Cardinal Law from performing that mass?
BURNS: Well, we'll be watching to see what happens. They are to be protesting on the edge of St. Peter's Square. They will be, there will be people inside listening to the mass. We'll see what happens there.
But as far as the cardinals are concerned, including Cardinal Law, who is going to be voting for a new pope, by the way, beginning this next week, they are in a press blackout They are not allowed to speak. They are in this quote, deep -- period of deep reflection and prayer and they are not allowed to talk to the press -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
Chris Burns live from Vatican City this morning.
Thank you.
Now to American politics and the embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay has been dogged in recent months by reports of possible ethics violations and he's now facing criticism from some fellow Republicans. There are questions about his overseas travel, campaign payments to family members and connections to lobbyists who are under investigation.
But some are speaking out in DeLay's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves. But from everything I've heard, again, from his -- from the comments and responding to those, is everything he's done was according to the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But as I said, others are not. Connecticut Congressman Christopher Shays says, and I quote: "My party is going to have to decide whether we're going to continue to make excuses for Tom to the detriment of Republicans seeking elections."
DeLay was admonished three times last year by the House Ethics Committee, but that panel is now in limbo over a rules dispute. We'll keep you posted.
More "News Across America" now.
An arena football league player has died after sustaining a serious hit on the field. Twenty-six-year-old Al Lucas suffered the suspected spinal cord injury while making a tackle. An autopsy will be performed within the next two days. Lucas had played parts of two seasons with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL before entering the arena league.
Students at Miami University in Ohio are mourning the deaths of three classmates. They were killed during a fire at a house off campus. Two others were injured. The cause of this fire still under investigation.
The Michael Jackson trial resumes today with more testimony about the entertainer's past. Prosecutors are trying to convince jurors that Jackson has a pattern of abusing young boys. Last week ended with Jackson's former chef testifying that he saw the entertainer put his hand in actor McCauley Culkin's shorts. Culkin denies he was ever molested by Jackson.
And accused bomber Eric Rudolph will enter his guilty plea Wednesday as part of a deal with prosecutors. Rudolph will not face the death penalty, but instead will serve four consecutive life sentences, one for each of the bombings he will admit to. One of the survivors of the Birmingham, Alabama bombing believes there would have been a benefit to an open trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY LYONS, BOMBING VICTIM: I think having the public know would be beneficial for the country, to know that there are people out there like this, who are willing to kill for whatever reason they believe. People just don't think about this every day and to hear it and to see it is to make you realize that it's present every day in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: To hear more from Emily Lyons, be sure to tune in for a live interview on "AMERICAN MORNING." That begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
It's a case that tore every parent's heart -- an innocent girl and a registered sex offender who went unnoticed. What's this Florida community doing now to prevent it from happening again?
And why is this man such a lightning rod for controversy?
And then, who are the most influential people in the world? Here's a hint, they're not all politicians and heads of state. Here, Alicia Keys.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Cardinal Bernard Law, who was accused of covering up priestly sexual abuse in Boston, celebrates a mass to remember the pope today in Rome. That prestigious role has angered abuse victims, as well as other American Catholics. They do plan to protest.
Supporters from several states attended a rally in West Carmel, Ohio to mark the one year anniversary of Matt Maupin's capture. The 21-year-old Army Reservist was taken in Iraq. He still hasn't been found.
In money news, gas prices have jumped nearly $0.20 over the past three weeks. The latest national survey shows the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is now up to a record $2.29.
In culture, makers of the desert drama "Sahara" are anything but parched after a successful first weekend in release. "Sahara" was tops at the box office, with $18.5 million.
In sports, watch this. It took forever to go in, but it did. Tiger Woods' shot on the 16th at the Masters. It was very sweet. It didn't win it for him, but it put him in position to take his fourth Masters' green jacket. Woods beats Chris DeMarco in a play-off. Tiger's dad wasn't there for the victory. He's been quite sick.
But here's what Tiger had to say about his dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, MASTERS CHAMPION: He's done everything for the sport. He's the one who introduced me to the game. He got me started. He got me trained in the fundamentals. He taught me all those things. So for him to not be out there when I won was, I mean it hurt. But for him to make the trek here, knowing his condition and how he has been feeling, it just goes to show you how tough he is, you know? And that's what I -- that's one of the reasons why I wanted to win, because, you know, he made the trek and I wasn't going to make him, you know, make it all for naught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, he won in such dramatic fashion -- Chad.
MYERS: He did. I had my little son Grant next to me on my arm and I kept saying, "OK, see how he's putting? Remember that. Learn that. Learn that. Make dad some money."
What a phenomenal player and a really nice young man, too, as well.
COSTELLO: Absolutely.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the headlines today.
When we come back, new developments in the married case that shook a Florida town to its core. Some neighbors are asking what can we do about sex offenders who live next door? Taking action after tragedy, when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: There's still a lot of anger in the Florida community where 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was allegedly abducted and killed by a sex offender. A police officer met with several residents of Homosassa, Florida over the weekend; actually, more than several. Some people blamed the crime on the judicial system. John Couey, who police say has confessed to the crimes, had not registered in Citrus County after changing residence, and he was a convicted sex offender.
A member of the U.S. House from Florida says, and this is extreme, she says sex offenders should be tattooed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GINNY BROWN-WAITE (R), FLORIDA: I think that they should have a tattoo on their forehead (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
(APPLAUSE)
BROWN-WAITE: ... that they pull their hair back so every child could see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: As we said, a lot of anger there.
Let's talk about the moves to change how sex offenders are tracked.
Mark Caputo of the "Miami Herald" joins us live now.
Good morning, Mark.
MARK CAPUTO, "MIAMI HERALD": Hi.
How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm fine.
So, are changes already in place?
CAPUTO: Well, the legislature meets for 60 days in a regular legislative session every year. We're about halfway through and there is a bill, which is probably going to pass and be signed by the governor, which would require GPS tracking of sex offenders, convicted sex offenders.
COSTELLO: How would they do that?
CAPUTO: Well, after a person is convicted and, you know, sentenced and gets out, if the person were on probation, they would be given an ankle bracelet. The ankle bracelet has a small cell phone like device in it which communicates with a tower just like a regular cell phone does. And this gives -- would give police the opportunity to track a person in real time.
COSTELLO: We heard this state representative say that sex offenders should be tattooed.
That's not in the works, is it? CAPUTO: I don't believe so. I don't -- I'm not a constitutional expert, but I think that's kind of a scarlet letter issue. And I don't know if that's constitutional.
Don't get me wrong, it's the, you know, the state -- Florida has kind of tough sexual predator laws already. In fact, there are -- for some sex offenders, when they complete their sentence, they then have to go to an extra kind of prison and be locked up still. There's a theory that if you're a sex offender, you have an illness and therefore you need -- kind of need to be treated. And this has caused some constitutional questions over whether, you know, a person is ever truly free after serving one's time.
COSTELLO: You know, four other people were arrested that were connected to John Couey. We haven't really heard much about them.
Have you?
CAPUTO: No. We're still, you know, they're friends and relatives of his and they were apparently, you know, according to the police they knew something, you know, about this. You know, whether they knew about his past or -- I don't know if they, whether they knew this girl was there, is unclear.
But the, you know, they're clearly responding to this amount of rage and anger in Florida. It seems like, you know, this year we had Jessica Lunsford; the year before, Carly Bruscia, a girl who was caught on camera being abducted. It seems as if, you know, these things are happening so often that they keep wanting to kind of tighten the law and make more arrests and the like.
But fortunately it's, Florida is a growing state and you can't have a policeman and a camera on every corner and a GPS on every person.
COSTELLO: You're probably right about that.
I wanted to ask you more about the case itself. We're hearing reports of how Couey may have killed this girl.
What are you hearing?
CAPUTO: Well, you know, of course it, you know, it seems like the case gets worse and worse and it doesn't seem like it's possible until, of course, it gets worse. There are some people who believe that he's setting himself up to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. You know, everything, of course, depends on the medical examination. But if it shows that she was cardinal killed beforehand and was not buried alive or the like, this could show, some say, that he's, you know, he's making things up, he's embellishing, and therefore he's crazy, because, you know, prosecutors certainly intend to seek the death penalty.
But it would complicate it if he were declared not guilty by reason of insanity. COSTELLO: Well, didn't the autopsy show she was asphyxiated? So wouldn't it be hard to prove, you know, if he's lying about burying her alive? Wouldn't that be hard to prove?
CAPUTO: I would imagine so. You know, I'm not a medical expert. You know, but I can't remember -- there is some, you know, there are different ways to show manner of death. And in the end it's, you know, a medical examination report is only a best guess. And if it could be argued that he killed her beforehand and then buried her and that he did not bury her alive, then, you know, theoretically not only is he lying about that, but he might be crazy and who knows what?
COSTELLO: A terrible case.
Mark Caputo from the "Miami Herald" joining us live this morning.
Thank you so much.
We're going to take a short...
CAPUTO: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Thank you.
We're going to take a short break.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Advertisers are thinking outside the box -- in this case, the television set -- in an effort to reach potential customers.
Carrie Lee joins us live now to explain more -- good morning.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Thank you.
Good morning to you.
Advertisers are really having to get creative nowadays to reach their target audience. Less television watching, more gaming, at least for young men. And so they're having to get creative.
And this is where a company called Massive, Inc. comes in. What the company is doing is launching a network to place ads within games. And Massive says it already has agreements with several advertisers, including Coca Cola and Intel, as well as deals with 10 game publishers for about 40 games to offer the ads.
Now, the challenge is to avoid having the ads dominate the games. So, for example, if a bus drives by during a street chase game, that bus may have an ad for Coke on the side. Massive says game publishers could earn as much as $2 for every game it sells which contains these types of ads, $2 per device, in other words. A creative and lucrative way to help advertisers reach their target audience.
They're really having to try to stay ahead of the curve and get their message across.
COSTELLO: And they're coming up with all sorts of clever ways, aren't they?
LEE: You can't get away from it.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Carrie Lee, thank you.
LEE: Sure.
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, he once said there's no such thing as the United Nations. Sop why is he up for the top American post there?
And we'll check in with the mile high city as they face a foot high -- a foot high bank of snow this morning.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Loose cannon or global problem solver? There are many adjectives for the man President Bush wants to represent the United States on the world stage.
It is Monday, April 11.
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.
President Bush's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has become a lightning rod for controversy. Hard line conservative John Bolton has drawn some pretty strong criticism. Bolton's Senate confirmation hearing begins today.
Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us now live with the latest -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Three days of grueling hearings expected for John Bolton, who is President Bush's pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. A lot of this is because of what Bolton has said on the record. He had very kind, respectful words for the United Nations when he was introduced by Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, a couple of months ago.
Years ago, Bolton said things such as you could tear down the top 10 stories on the U.N. Secretariat building and not lose anything; there is no such thing as the United Nations. He may have been trying to make another point there.
He was President Bush's strong arms control expert for several years. He had a lot to do with the U.N. before the first Gulf War.
Critics and actors have fought an Internet war involving advertisements and things Bolton has said.
Supporters think he's the man the U.S. really needs at the U.N. to help shake it up and try to change the way the U.N. does business, to reform it, something Secretary General Kofi Annan wants to do. But many people say Annan has lost his luster over Oil For Food and other scandals -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to say, Richard, that many Americans think it's time to shake up the United Nations. So maybe many in the public are happy with the president's choice.
ROTH: Yes, they've been talking about tough love, that Bolton is the man, and even some at the U.N. recognize that because of the situation the building is in, that the only one who can help the organization's credibility inside the United States is a tough player such as John Bolton.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what happens in the Senate.
Richard Roth reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
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 11, 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: An American cardinal prepares to say mass for the pope. But not everyone is pleased to see Cardinal Bernard Law in the pulpit. We'll tell you why in a live report from the Vatican.
A little girl and a deadly crime. We'll look at what's being done in Florida to track sexual predators.
Also, silicon breast implants -- are they coming back?
It is Monday, April 11.
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, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush meet at the president's Texas ranch this morning. The president is objecting to Israel's plans for 3,500 new housing units in the disputed West Bank.
John Bolton has voiced disdain for the United Nations, but he's the president's pick to be U.N. ambassador. The nomination goes before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in about three hours.
The U.S. soldier accused of using a grenade to attack his fellow soldiers in Kuwait faces a court martial this morning in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Army Sergeant Hassan Akbar faces two counts of first degree murder stemming from that March 2003 attack.
And holy cow, Colorado. Parts of the state are socked in by a blizzard this morning. Up to two feet of snow has fallen, closing roads and stranding travelers. Many schools are closed today. And it's April. It doesn't look like it, though -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Did you say holy Colorado?
COSTELLO: It was pretty clever, wasn't it?
MYERS: It really was.
(WEATHER REPORT) COSTELLO: A controversial cardinal has a place of honor in Rome today, but will his appearance at a special mass overshadow the remembrance of Pope John Paul II?
CNN's Chris Burns joins us from Vatican City with more on this.
Cardinal Bernard Law saying a special mass to the pope, that has a lot of people angry this morning -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Carol.
Over my shoulder, St. Peter's Square. There will be a protest in about three hours by a group called SNAP. They're coming from the States, based in Chicago, a survivors network of those abused by priests. It's a group that claims 5,000 members, among those people who were abused by priests in the past, including the head of the group, who is going to be here at the protest.
They are saying that Cardinal Law is making a cynical attempt to rehabilitate himself by giving this mass. This is one of the key masses that is part of the mourning process for John Paul II. And the argument by those close to the Vatican is that this is part of the protocol, that the cardinal is head of the church here, the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. It is protocol for him to give this mass and they have no choice but to do that.
On the other hand, this group is saying that the cardinal has no business doing this.
So there will be a protest today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's a question for you, I thought that Cardinal Law left Boston because it was too hot to handle there and they found a position for him in Rome.
Am I reading that wrong?
BURNS: Well, that's what happened. The cardinal, when he was archbishop in Boston, he resigned after there were court documents that said that the had transferred some priests to other parishes after those priests were accused of sexual abuse. He also apologized for the pain that resulted from those decisions.
And so the Vatican believes that he has paid penance and that he has given a lifetime of service for the church. And the pope did move him over here and head of that very key basilica. So the Vatican believes that he has paid his dues and that he is in the proper position he should be.
COSTELLO: Well, let's see if he finally says that mass.
I mean will those protesters be able to get to people who may stop Cardinal Law from performing that mass?
BURNS: Well, we'll be watching to see what happens. They are to be protesting on the edge of St. Peter's Square. They will be, there will be people inside listening to the mass. We'll see what happens there.
But as far as the cardinals are concerned, including Cardinal Law, who is going to be voting for a new pope, by the way, beginning this next week, they are in a press blackout They are not allowed to speak. They are in this quote, deep -- period of deep reflection and prayer and they are not allowed to talk to the press -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
Chris Burns live from Vatican City this morning.
Thank you.
Now to American politics and the embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay has been dogged in recent months by reports of possible ethics violations and he's now facing criticism from some fellow Republicans. There are questions about his overseas travel, campaign payments to family members and connections to lobbyists who are under investigation.
But some are speaking out in DeLay's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves. But from everything I've heard, again, from his -- from the comments and responding to those, is everything he's done was according to the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But as I said, others are not. Connecticut Congressman Christopher Shays says, and I quote: "My party is going to have to decide whether we're going to continue to make excuses for Tom to the detriment of Republicans seeking elections."
DeLay was admonished three times last year by the House Ethics Committee, but that panel is now in limbo over a rules dispute. We'll keep you posted.
More "News Across America" now.
An arena football league player has died after sustaining a serious hit on the field. Twenty-six-year-old Al Lucas suffered the suspected spinal cord injury while making a tackle. An autopsy will be performed within the next two days. Lucas had played parts of two seasons with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL before entering the arena league.
Students at Miami University in Ohio are mourning the deaths of three classmates. They were killed during a fire at a house off campus. Two others were injured. The cause of this fire still under investigation.
The Michael Jackson trial resumes today with more testimony about the entertainer's past. Prosecutors are trying to convince jurors that Jackson has a pattern of abusing young boys. Last week ended with Jackson's former chef testifying that he saw the entertainer put his hand in actor McCauley Culkin's shorts. Culkin denies he was ever molested by Jackson.
And accused bomber Eric Rudolph will enter his guilty plea Wednesday as part of a deal with prosecutors. Rudolph will not face the death penalty, but instead will serve four consecutive life sentences, one for each of the bombings he will admit to. One of the survivors of the Birmingham, Alabama bombing believes there would have been a benefit to an open trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY LYONS, BOMBING VICTIM: I think having the public know would be beneficial for the country, to know that there are people out there like this, who are willing to kill for whatever reason they believe. People just don't think about this every day and to hear it and to see it is to make you realize that it's present every day in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: To hear more from Emily Lyons, be sure to tune in for a live interview on "AMERICAN MORNING." That begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
It's a case that tore every parent's heart -- an innocent girl and a registered sex offender who went unnoticed. What's this Florida community doing now to prevent it from happening again?
And why is this man such a lightning rod for controversy?
And then, who are the most influential people in the world? Here's a hint, they're not all politicians and heads of state. Here, Alicia Keys.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Cardinal Bernard Law, who was accused of covering up priestly sexual abuse in Boston, celebrates a mass to remember the pope today in Rome. That prestigious role has angered abuse victims, as well as other American Catholics. They do plan to protest.
Supporters from several states attended a rally in West Carmel, Ohio to mark the one year anniversary of Matt Maupin's capture. The 21-year-old Army Reservist was taken in Iraq. He still hasn't been found.
In money news, gas prices have jumped nearly $0.20 over the past three weeks. The latest national survey shows the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is now up to a record $2.29.
In culture, makers of the desert drama "Sahara" are anything but parched after a successful first weekend in release. "Sahara" was tops at the box office, with $18.5 million.
In sports, watch this. It took forever to go in, but it did. Tiger Woods' shot on the 16th at the Masters. It was very sweet. It didn't win it for him, but it put him in position to take his fourth Masters' green jacket. Woods beats Chris DeMarco in a play-off. Tiger's dad wasn't there for the victory. He's been quite sick.
But here's what Tiger had to say about his dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, MASTERS CHAMPION: He's done everything for the sport. He's the one who introduced me to the game. He got me started. He got me trained in the fundamentals. He taught me all those things. So for him to not be out there when I won was, I mean it hurt. But for him to make the trek here, knowing his condition and how he has been feeling, it just goes to show you how tough he is, you know? And that's what I -- that's one of the reasons why I wanted to win, because, you know, he made the trek and I wasn't going to make him, you know, make it all for naught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, he won in such dramatic fashion -- Chad.
MYERS: He did. I had my little son Grant next to me on my arm and I kept saying, "OK, see how he's putting? Remember that. Learn that. Learn that. Make dad some money."
What a phenomenal player and a really nice young man, too, as well.
COSTELLO: Absolutely.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the headlines today.
When we come back, new developments in the married case that shook a Florida town to its core. Some neighbors are asking what can we do about sex offenders who live next door? Taking action after tragedy, when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: There's still a lot of anger in the Florida community where 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was allegedly abducted and killed by a sex offender. A police officer met with several residents of Homosassa, Florida over the weekend; actually, more than several. Some people blamed the crime on the judicial system. John Couey, who police say has confessed to the crimes, had not registered in Citrus County after changing residence, and he was a convicted sex offender.
A member of the U.S. House from Florida says, and this is extreme, she says sex offenders should be tattooed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GINNY BROWN-WAITE (R), FLORIDA: I think that they should have a tattoo on their forehead (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
(APPLAUSE)
BROWN-WAITE: ... that they pull their hair back so every child could see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: As we said, a lot of anger there.
Let's talk about the moves to change how sex offenders are tracked.
Mark Caputo of the "Miami Herald" joins us live now.
Good morning, Mark.
MARK CAPUTO, "MIAMI HERALD": Hi.
How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm fine.
So, are changes already in place?
CAPUTO: Well, the legislature meets for 60 days in a regular legislative session every year. We're about halfway through and there is a bill, which is probably going to pass and be signed by the governor, which would require GPS tracking of sex offenders, convicted sex offenders.
COSTELLO: How would they do that?
CAPUTO: Well, after a person is convicted and, you know, sentenced and gets out, if the person were on probation, they would be given an ankle bracelet. The ankle bracelet has a small cell phone like device in it which communicates with a tower just like a regular cell phone does. And this gives -- would give police the opportunity to track a person in real time.
COSTELLO: We heard this state representative say that sex offenders should be tattooed.
That's not in the works, is it? CAPUTO: I don't believe so. I don't -- I'm not a constitutional expert, but I think that's kind of a scarlet letter issue. And I don't know if that's constitutional.
Don't get me wrong, it's the, you know, the state -- Florida has kind of tough sexual predator laws already. In fact, there are -- for some sex offenders, when they complete their sentence, they then have to go to an extra kind of prison and be locked up still. There's a theory that if you're a sex offender, you have an illness and therefore you need -- kind of need to be treated. And this has caused some constitutional questions over whether, you know, a person is ever truly free after serving one's time.
COSTELLO: You know, four other people were arrested that were connected to John Couey. We haven't really heard much about them.
Have you?
CAPUTO: No. We're still, you know, they're friends and relatives of his and they were apparently, you know, according to the police they knew something, you know, about this. You know, whether they knew about his past or -- I don't know if they, whether they knew this girl was there, is unclear.
But the, you know, they're clearly responding to this amount of rage and anger in Florida. It seems like, you know, this year we had Jessica Lunsford; the year before, Carly Bruscia, a girl who was caught on camera being abducted. It seems as if, you know, these things are happening so often that they keep wanting to kind of tighten the law and make more arrests and the like.
But fortunately it's, Florida is a growing state and you can't have a policeman and a camera on every corner and a GPS on every person.
COSTELLO: You're probably right about that.
I wanted to ask you more about the case itself. We're hearing reports of how Couey may have killed this girl.
What are you hearing?
CAPUTO: Well, you know, of course it, you know, it seems like the case gets worse and worse and it doesn't seem like it's possible until, of course, it gets worse. There are some people who believe that he's setting himself up to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. You know, everything, of course, depends on the medical examination. But if it shows that she was cardinal killed beforehand and was not buried alive or the like, this could show, some say, that he's, you know, he's making things up, he's embellishing, and therefore he's crazy, because, you know, prosecutors certainly intend to seek the death penalty.
But it would complicate it if he were declared not guilty by reason of insanity. COSTELLO: Well, didn't the autopsy show she was asphyxiated? So wouldn't it be hard to prove, you know, if he's lying about burying her alive? Wouldn't that be hard to prove?
CAPUTO: I would imagine so. You know, I'm not a medical expert. You know, but I can't remember -- there is some, you know, there are different ways to show manner of death. And in the end it's, you know, a medical examination report is only a best guess. And if it could be argued that he killed her beforehand and then buried her and that he did not bury her alive, then, you know, theoretically not only is he lying about that, but he might be crazy and who knows what?
COSTELLO: A terrible case.
Mark Caputo from the "Miami Herald" joining us live this morning.
Thank you so much.
We're going to take a short...
CAPUTO: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Thank you.
We're going to take a short break.
We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Advertisers are thinking outside the box -- in this case, the television set -- in an effort to reach potential customers.
Carrie Lee joins us live now to explain more -- good morning.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Thank you.
Good morning to you.
Advertisers are really having to get creative nowadays to reach their target audience. Less television watching, more gaming, at least for young men. And so they're having to get creative.
And this is where a company called Massive, Inc. comes in. What the company is doing is launching a network to place ads within games. And Massive says it already has agreements with several advertisers, including Coca Cola and Intel, as well as deals with 10 game publishers for about 40 games to offer the ads.
Now, the challenge is to avoid having the ads dominate the games. So, for example, if a bus drives by during a street chase game, that bus may have an ad for Coke on the side. Massive says game publishers could earn as much as $2 for every game it sells which contains these types of ads, $2 per device, in other words. A creative and lucrative way to help advertisers reach their target audience.
They're really having to try to stay ahead of the curve and get their message across.
COSTELLO: And they're coming up with all sorts of clever ways, aren't they?
LEE: You can't get away from it.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Carrie Lee, thank you.
LEE: Sure.
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, he once said there's no such thing as the United Nations. Sop why is he up for the top American post there?
And we'll check in with the mile high city as they face a foot high -- a foot high bank of snow this morning.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Loose cannon or global problem solver? There are many adjectives for the man President Bush wants to represent the United States on the world stage.
It is Monday, April 11.
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.
President Bush's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has become a lightning rod for controversy. Hard line conservative John Bolton has drawn some pretty strong criticism. Bolton's Senate confirmation hearing begins today.
Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us now live with the latest -- good morning, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Three days of grueling hearings expected for John Bolton, who is President Bush's pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. A lot of this is because of what Bolton has said on the record. He had very kind, respectful words for the United Nations when he was introduced by Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, a couple of months ago.
Years ago, Bolton said things such as you could tear down the top 10 stories on the U.N. Secretariat building and not lose anything; there is no such thing as the United Nations. He may have been trying to make another point there.
He was President Bush's strong arms control expert for several years. He had a lot to do with the U.N. before the first Gulf War.
Critics and actors have fought an Internet war involving advertisements and things Bolton has said.
Supporters think he's the man the U.S. really needs at the U.N. to help shake it up and try to change the way the U.N. does business, to reform it, something Secretary General Kofi Annan wants to do. But many people say Annan has lost his luster over Oil For Food and other scandals -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to say, Richard, that many Americans think it's time to shake up the United Nations. So maybe many in the public are happy with the president's choice.
ROTH: Yes, they've been talking about tough love, that Bolton is the man, and even some at the U.N. recognize that because of the situation the building is in, that the only one who can help the organization's credibility inside the United States is a tough player such as John Bolton.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what happens in the Senate.
Richard Roth reporting live for us this morning.
Thank you.
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