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CNN Live At Daybreak
Blair Again; 'Precious Doe' Named; Baseball Fantasy
Aired May 06, 2005 - 5:00 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: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, plenty to smile about for Tony Blair and family this morning. The votes are in and so is Blair.
Plus, a rescue at sea, but not everyone made it. We'll have the aftermath of quite an ordeal.
And George Bush did it, so did his father. And now you can too. Get ready to play ball with the Diamondbacks.
It is Friday, May 6. This is 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," it looks like British prime minister Tony Blair has been reelected. Election results will not be finalized until later today. Voter turnout was an estimated 65 percent.
President Bush is getting ready for a trip to two Baltic states, the Netherlands and Russia. He meets Russian President Putin on Sunday. President Bush will be wheeled up about two hours from now.
A suicide car bomber rammed his car into a bus carrying Iraqi police officers to work today. Seven officers were killed in the attack, three others wounded. It happened in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's birthplace.
The American hockey team plays Finland today in the qualification round of the World Hockey Championships in Austria. The U.S. team was beaten by Canada on Thursday, but the U.S. coach says the Americans can still win it all.
A little hockey for you this morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what, Carol? That's one of those don't care kind of things.
COSTELLO: I know.
MYERS: I mean, a lot...
COSTELLO: I'm with you.
MYERS: ... of those guys are not the guys that are on strike. They're the amateurs. They play all the time. They play because they love the game, and that's great. But hockey has a really bad taste right back here, right on that back taste bud right there.
Good morning, everybody.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a great way to think of it, since it's May. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Our top story this morning Tony Blair. Final election results aren't in, but it looks like the British prime minister's Labor Party will win a third straight majority in parliament. So let's head live to London and Walter Rodgers to tell us more.
Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, Tony Blair borrowed a page from Charles Dickens. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times for Mr. Blair.
The best of times because he becomes the first British Labor Party prime minister ever to be elected to a third term. That is truly historic.
The worst of times, however, because he went into this election with a 160-seat majority in the House of Commons, and it got carved down to 66 seats. And if you don't think Blair didn't have a bad time, look at the headlines and the tabloids this morning.
"Blair Takes a Battering." Here, "Blair Kicked in the Ballots." And then here's another great one for you: "Blair Gets a Bloody Nose."
That's pretty much the way it's being interpreted this morning. Even Mr. Blair knows why he got a bloody nose in this election.
He has a majority, but it's greatly whittled down. And he was very clear in identifying the issue which hurt him most.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I know, too, that Iraq has been a divisive issue in this country, but I hope now that we can unite again and look to the future there and here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: During the campaign, Mr. Blair might have thought things couldn't have gotten worse for him on the Iraq issue. People during the campaign at rallies would shout at him, "Liar! Liar!" Because many British people believe he was economical with the truth in his reasons for taking Britain to war, the alleged weapons of mass destruction which never materialized. But that war really, really hurt him, and it got even worse this morning. Even after Mr. Blair had won, one of the antiwar party candidates here, George Galloway, who beat a Blair candidate, again lambasted Mr. Blair on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE GALLOWAY: Mr. Blair, this is for Iraq. This defeat that you have suffered, and all the other defeats that Labor has suffered this evening, is for Iraq. All the people you killed, all the lies you told, have come back to haunt you. And the best thing the Labor Party could do is sack you tomorrow morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: And if that wasn't bad enough for Prime Minister Blair, he has only to look at his popular mandate. He derived only 36 percent of the vote, and that's what he's going to try to govern on over the next four years.
Already, people are talking about Prime Minister Tony Blair never finishing this historic third term. Some are guessing he'll be gone within two years.
Back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers live in London this morning.
President Bush is a busy man. Let's take a look at where the president is heading overseas.
Early today, Air Force One will take him to Riga, Latvia. He arrives after 3:00 p.m. Eastern and has meetings with the prime ministers of Estonia and Lithuania.
From the Latvian capital, he heads straight to the Netherlands. That's tomorrow. He'll pay tribute to World War II veterans and remarks and the American cemetery there.
After that, it's on to Moscow. He's got a working dinner with Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, President Bush joins nearly 50 other world leaders for VE-Day ceremonies in Red Square.
After Moscow, it's wheels up to Georgia. Ah, the old Soviet Georgia.
On Tuesday, the final day of his trip, the president meets with his counterpart in Georgia and delivers an address to the people of that former Soviet Republic.
Here's a historical note for you. Thirty years after the end of the Vietnam War, the prime minister of Vietnam is coming to the states. He will meet June 21 with President Bush. Washington and Hanoi reestablished diplomatic ties in 1995. Busted. Janis Karpinski, the Army Reserve general in charge of Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, has been demoted to colonel. A Pentagon investigation cleared four other senior officers who were investigated in that prison abuse scandal.
And prayer and perseverance have paid off in Kansas City. A precious little girl whose headless body was found four years ago now has a name. And her mother and her stepfather are in custody.
CNN's Drew Griffin has details on the sad murder mystery that now appears to have been solved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNETTE JOHNSON: This is right here, it's where her body laid -- where I will take you.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Annette Johnson has walked this path dozens of time and wondered just who the little girl was. Her headless nude body dumped on the road. The head found a week later dumped in a bag. No name, no family. No one in this little girl's life who even reported her missing. It was up to strangers to keep at least her case alive.
JOHNSON: I decided to put together a committee, which is called the Precious Doe Committee. That's the name that we gave her, because we didn't know who she was, and to us she was precious. And we named her Precious Doe.
GRIFFIN: Vowing not to let her die anonymously, the Precious Doe Committee held a vigil in this park every week for the past four years.
JOHNSON: Every vigil, she was there with us.
GRIFFIN (on camera): She wanted you to find her.
JOHNSON: She did. And every night, I pray about it. I have children of my own, and we in the community felt like this is our child. And we had to protect her. And we had to come out here and rally for her.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): The citizens group pushed police to stay on the case and watched as detectives tracked down hundreds of leads that seemed to go nowhere.
JOHNSON: We thought she was the child in Florida. We thought she was from Jamaica. So I was always very optimistic.
GRIFFIN (on camera): And each time you had your hopes up and...
JOHNSON: And they crushed them. They got crushed, but I knew it would come. I knew the day would come.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Thursday, Annette Johnson and everyone in Kansas City who adopted a girl they never knew, heard the news they had waited four years to hear.
CHIEF JIM CORWIN, KANSAS CITY POLICE: The little girl we have known for four years as Precious Doe has a name.
GRIFFIN: Erica Michelle Marie Green would have been 8 years old this month.
JOHNSON: I felt so relieved. I felt so happy. And then I started to feel sad. Because I had to think about all night, and I tossed and turned and said, what happened?
GRIFFIN (on camera): But along with the joy of finding out who this little girl was, Kansas City also learned how precious Erica Green died, and there was nothing precious about it.
(voice-over): Police say the mother told them it was the husband who kicked the girl in the head. She lay on the floor for two days unresponsive, until she finally died. Police say the parents then disposed of the body just down the street, because they feared they would be arrested.
The family had been in the home only weeks, apparently looking for work they never found, and returned to Oklahoma.
After four years, police received a tip that led to the mother. She is under arrest, and the prosecutor here says everyone else who may be responsible is in custody, too.
Not a happy ending. How could there be one? But at least for those who have waited and prayed for a precious little girl, the ending has a name.
(on camera): Do you wish Erica Green, maybe she does in your mind, know how much she is loved by this community?
JOHNSON: She does. I know she does. Because I feel her presence. Every time when I am here, I still feel her presence. She is happy, she's running around. When we're holding hands, she is running between us, you know, laughing, looking at her teddy bears, touching them, smelling her flowers, and saying, boy, they love me. They love me.
GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" this morning, here's something you do not want to be involved in.
In Florida, Broward County sheriff's deputies chased this pickup for 45 minutes before the driver struck several cars. And as you can see, he swerved into the median. At one point he was going against traffic. Police say the driver is a suspect in two armed robberies.
In Los Angeles, a fire truck hits a car, pushing it into a tree and uprooting it. One person was -- one person in the car was killed, two others injured. Also, four firefighters on the truck was hurt. Fire officials say the truck's lights and siren were on when the accident occurred.
Something you thought was just for novel. The pilot of this private plane suffered an apparent heart attack. One of two passengers grabbed the controls and crash-landed the plane just short of the runway at North Las Vegas Airport. The pilot died. The two passengers are not believed to be seriously hurt.
Good things comes in threes, don't they? In Orlando, Florida, doctors at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women delivered three sets of triplets Wednesday. If you're counting, three girls, six boys. And just for good measure, a set of twins was delivered on the same day.
Something's in the water there.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, life goes on, so the saying goes. But life is just not the same for a quartet of Georgia friends and fishing buddies. Gary Tuchman brings us their powerful story.
Got that baseball fan itch? The Arizona Diamondbacks can scratch it for you, if you've got the cash, or a credit card, or a second mortgage.
But first, here are some other stories making news today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Now to our market watch.
The international market is mixed this morning. Japan's Nikkei closes up more than 190 points. Britain's FTSE up just over a half- point. The German DAX down 15 points this morning.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:15 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Tony Blair has won a third term as British prime minister. But his Labor Party has lost a significant number of parliamentary seats. And Blair's support for the Iraq war is being blamed.
President Bush leaves for Europe in less than two hours from now. He's going to four countries, including Russia, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
In money news, ABC's "Fallen Idol" show has ranked as the most watched news magazine in over a year. The documentary exposed an alleged affair between American idol judge Paula Abdul and a former contestant. And it aired, of course, during the crucial sweeps month.
In culture, the group Audioslave in Havana tonight. It will become the first U.S. band to rock communist Cuba.
In sports, the Boston Celtics were able to force a game seven against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs. The Celtics forced it down to the wire and won in overtime. The two meet in Boston for game seven tomorrow.
I know how excited you are about that, Chad.
MYERS: The end of basketball season means the beginning of football season. That's all I have to say, Carol. But, you know, the beginning of football season means the end of summer. So I'm not trying to push things ahead too far here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad. Hey, Chad...
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: ... have you ever wanted to throw out the first pitch at a ballgame?
MYERS: You know, I've always wanted to do that, but I'm afraid that I would probably make it about halfway down there. It would be a 30-foot fastball instead of a 60-foot, you know?
COSTELLO: That would be so embarrassing, wouldn't it?
MYERS: It would be, yes.
COSTELLO: Well, anyway, this next story will give you hope if you've always wanted to do this. So come, one, come all, to the ballpark. That's what the Arizona Diamondbacks say. And you can get your 15 minutes of fame if you've got the scratch.
Joe Dana of CNN affiliate KPNX in Phoenix throws it out for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE DANA, REPORTER, KPNX (voice-over): It's usually for dignitaries, community leaders...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It symbolizes a special pitch to honor somebody.
DANA: ... the ceremonial first pitch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's something that only baseball has.
DANA: The average fan could only dream about it, the chance to step onto the baseball field in front of thousands. A chance to throw out the first pitch that signals "play ball."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds like a neat idea.
DANA: Fans with the money can stop dreaming. For $4,000, the ball is theirs.
MARK FERNANDEZ, DIAMONDBACKS MARKETING: They're going to get great seats to the game. When the thing is over, they're going to get a terrific photo with the ball in the air with their name on the scoreboard.
DANA: For some, it's too pricey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife would hang me up by the highest pole if I -- if I spent $4,000 on that.
DANA: But like NASCAR drivers, a resourceful fan could market themselves. These guys sell every inch of their uniform for ad space, so why not a fan? Collect enough sponsors, you could probably pay for your entire experience, maybe even make a profit.
(on camera): How much would you be willing to pay to put your law firm's name on my shirt and I go throw out the first pitch?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not much.
DANA (voice-over): But Diamondbacks say it wouldn't be against the rules. As long as it's appropriate, anything goes.
FERNANDEZ: That's OK. We just want baseball fans to come out and have a great time.
DANA: A great time, while making the perfect advertising pitch.
In Phoenix, Joe Dana, 12 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: So there you have it. If you have the cash, you can do it.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, what are you reading on the Web? We'll check out the top stories on CNN.com later this hour.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
MYERS: There you go.
COSTELLO: You know, with a name like "Myers," we can all guess what Chad celebrated. He celebrated Cinco de Mayo in a big way.
MYERS: Oh, no, no, no. It's Mujeres, and I shortened it to Myers. I'm just kidding.
COSTELLO: That makes so much more sense.
MYERS: Yes, yes, yes, but...
COSTELLO: Anyway, David Letterman and Jay Leno did not let the annual Mexican holiday get past them either. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": You know what today is? Cinco de Mayo. Were you aware of that? Today is Cinco de Mayo.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: Everybody in New York City gets into a very festive mood whenever it's Cinco de Mayo. Coming to work today, I'll give you an example. My cab driver, he had his turban filled with chips and salsa.
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, down in Washington, Tom DeLay is accepting all bribes in pesos.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Happy Cinco de Mayo. It's a holiday celebrated by over 10 million Mexicans, and that's just here in LA. OK, there you go.
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Do you know what Cinco de Mayo means?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. What does it mean?
LENO: It means we outnumber you five to one. That includes...
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: I guess we found out one thing about Paula Abdul... she bangs! She bangs!
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Well, now FOX is trying to get back at ABC News. Like tomorrow night, the FOX network is going to have a big expose on how early in her career Barbara Walters was sleeping with Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, they're going to show those...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That was cold.
MYERS: Wow.
COSTELLO: That was so cold.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: You know that -- that expose by ABC garnered some huge ratings.
MYERS: I guess it did. I didn't see it, but I thought all the news was out. I thought they leaked it all beforehand. But clearly people wanted to see the rest live, huh?
COSTELLO: People wanted to hear that -- what's his name? I always forget his name, the singer.
MYERS: It was like episode two or something like that. Wasn't it? Wasn't it?
COSTELLO: Episode two?
MYERS: It was "Idol" 2 or something? I don't even know who it was.
COSTELLO: I don't remember his name either. I will. It will pop into my mind like...
MYERS: The -- well, I'd say, so far, I guess with us, it didn't make him famous that he brought this out against Paula Abdul.
COSTELLO: Well, it may make him famous now. We're going to talk more about this, actually.
MYERS: We don't even know what his name is.
COSTELLO: Good point.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, we're going to talk more about him in the next hour of DAYBREAK.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Outside of a country club in suburban Atlanta, foxes. Three young ones, each about eight to nine weeks old, were taken from their den near the golf course near by a wildlife agent. It seems they wanted to play, though. Well, not really. The foxes were taken to the Atlanta Zoo.
Also in suburban Atlanta, a rescue. A dog got caught in an 18- inch sewer pipe. Residents were -- called in the fire department.
MYERS: Oh, puppy.
COSTELLO: Oh. It took him a while to get the pooch out, but he was brought up, secured to a stretcher, and he is reported to be on the mend.
And finally this. In central Florida, Local 6 News is reporting that a controversial marijuana-flavored lollipop is being sold on the Internet, and it can be purchased by your children. Why would anyone want a lollipop with marijuana flavor? Oh, you decide for yourself.
The lollipop makers say they're made with hemp and sugar. But supposedly, you can not get high off of them. They're just flavored like -- they taste like basil.
MYERS: Like basil? Great.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK. The harrowing tale of a fishing trip that went horribly wrong, we'll tell you all about it when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News," this just into CNN. The bodies of 14 people who had been shot and killed were found in Baghdad this morning. An Iraqi soldier says some of the victims were blindfolded and shot in the head execution style. The victims, believed to be Iraqis, were found buried in shallow graves, and they're believed to be -- to have been killed recently.
President Bush is getting ready to leave for Europe. The main event will be a celebration in Moscow Monday marking the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Tony Blair has won a third term as British prime minister, something his Labor Party has never done before. But the party has lost a lot of seats in parliament. It's seen as backlash over Blair support for the Iraq war.
Florida police are looking for this man, Patrick Wayne Bell. He's described as a repeat sexual offender who preys on children. Police say Bell cut off his tracking device and fled from his mother's home in Riviera Beach.
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Aired May 6, 2005 - 5:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, plenty to smile about for Tony Blair and family this morning. The votes are in and so is Blair.
Plus, a rescue at sea, but not everyone made it. We'll have the aftermath of quite an ordeal.
And George Bush did it, so did his father. And now you can too. Get ready to play ball with the Diamondbacks.
It is Friday, May 6. This is 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," it looks like British prime minister Tony Blair has been reelected. Election results will not be finalized until later today. Voter turnout was an estimated 65 percent.
President Bush is getting ready for a trip to two Baltic states, the Netherlands and Russia. He meets Russian President Putin on Sunday. President Bush will be wheeled up about two hours from now.
A suicide car bomber rammed his car into a bus carrying Iraqi police officers to work today. Seven officers were killed in the attack, three others wounded. It happened in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's birthplace.
The American hockey team plays Finland today in the qualification round of the World Hockey Championships in Austria. The U.S. team was beaten by Canada on Thursday, but the U.S. coach says the Americans can still win it all.
A little hockey for you this morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what, Carol? That's one of those don't care kind of things.
COSTELLO: I know.
MYERS: I mean, a lot...
COSTELLO: I'm with you.
MYERS: ... of those guys are not the guys that are on strike. They're the amateurs. They play all the time. They play because they love the game, and that's great. But hockey has a really bad taste right back here, right on that back taste bud right there.
Good morning, everybody.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a great way to think of it, since it's May. Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Our top story this morning Tony Blair. Final election results aren't in, but it looks like the British prime minister's Labor Party will win a third straight majority in parliament. So let's head live to London and Walter Rodgers to tell us more.
Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, Tony Blair borrowed a page from Charles Dickens. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times for Mr. Blair.
The best of times because he becomes the first British Labor Party prime minister ever to be elected to a third term. That is truly historic.
The worst of times, however, because he went into this election with a 160-seat majority in the House of Commons, and it got carved down to 66 seats. And if you don't think Blair didn't have a bad time, look at the headlines and the tabloids this morning.
"Blair Takes a Battering." Here, "Blair Kicked in the Ballots." And then here's another great one for you: "Blair Gets a Bloody Nose."
That's pretty much the way it's being interpreted this morning. Even Mr. Blair knows why he got a bloody nose in this election.
He has a majority, but it's greatly whittled down. And he was very clear in identifying the issue which hurt him most.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I know, too, that Iraq has been a divisive issue in this country, but I hope now that we can unite again and look to the future there and here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: During the campaign, Mr. Blair might have thought things couldn't have gotten worse for him on the Iraq issue. People during the campaign at rallies would shout at him, "Liar! Liar!" Because many British people believe he was economical with the truth in his reasons for taking Britain to war, the alleged weapons of mass destruction which never materialized. But that war really, really hurt him, and it got even worse this morning. Even after Mr. Blair had won, one of the antiwar party candidates here, George Galloway, who beat a Blair candidate, again lambasted Mr. Blair on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE GALLOWAY: Mr. Blair, this is for Iraq. This defeat that you have suffered, and all the other defeats that Labor has suffered this evening, is for Iraq. All the people you killed, all the lies you told, have come back to haunt you. And the best thing the Labor Party could do is sack you tomorrow morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: And if that wasn't bad enough for Prime Minister Blair, he has only to look at his popular mandate. He derived only 36 percent of the vote, and that's what he's going to try to govern on over the next four years.
Already, people are talking about Prime Minister Tony Blair never finishing this historic third term. Some are guessing he'll be gone within two years.
Back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers live in London this morning.
President Bush is a busy man. Let's take a look at where the president is heading overseas.
Early today, Air Force One will take him to Riga, Latvia. He arrives after 3:00 p.m. Eastern and has meetings with the prime ministers of Estonia and Lithuania.
From the Latvian capital, he heads straight to the Netherlands. That's tomorrow. He'll pay tribute to World War II veterans and remarks and the American cemetery there.
After that, it's on to Moscow. He's got a working dinner with Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, President Bush joins nearly 50 other world leaders for VE-Day ceremonies in Red Square.
After Moscow, it's wheels up to Georgia. Ah, the old Soviet Georgia.
On Tuesday, the final day of his trip, the president meets with his counterpart in Georgia and delivers an address to the people of that former Soviet Republic.
Here's a historical note for you. Thirty years after the end of the Vietnam War, the prime minister of Vietnam is coming to the states. He will meet June 21 with President Bush. Washington and Hanoi reestablished diplomatic ties in 1995. Busted. Janis Karpinski, the Army Reserve general in charge of Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, has been demoted to colonel. A Pentagon investigation cleared four other senior officers who were investigated in that prison abuse scandal.
And prayer and perseverance have paid off in Kansas City. A precious little girl whose headless body was found four years ago now has a name. And her mother and her stepfather are in custody.
CNN's Drew Griffin has details on the sad murder mystery that now appears to have been solved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNETTE JOHNSON: This is right here, it's where her body laid -- where I will take you.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Annette Johnson has walked this path dozens of time and wondered just who the little girl was. Her headless nude body dumped on the road. The head found a week later dumped in a bag. No name, no family. No one in this little girl's life who even reported her missing. It was up to strangers to keep at least her case alive.
JOHNSON: I decided to put together a committee, which is called the Precious Doe Committee. That's the name that we gave her, because we didn't know who she was, and to us she was precious. And we named her Precious Doe.
GRIFFIN: Vowing not to let her die anonymously, the Precious Doe Committee held a vigil in this park every week for the past four years.
JOHNSON: Every vigil, she was there with us.
GRIFFIN (on camera): She wanted you to find her.
JOHNSON: She did. And every night, I pray about it. I have children of my own, and we in the community felt like this is our child. And we had to protect her. And we had to come out here and rally for her.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): The citizens group pushed police to stay on the case and watched as detectives tracked down hundreds of leads that seemed to go nowhere.
JOHNSON: We thought she was the child in Florida. We thought she was from Jamaica. So I was always very optimistic.
GRIFFIN (on camera): And each time you had your hopes up and...
JOHNSON: And they crushed them. They got crushed, but I knew it would come. I knew the day would come.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Thursday, Annette Johnson and everyone in Kansas City who adopted a girl they never knew, heard the news they had waited four years to hear.
CHIEF JIM CORWIN, KANSAS CITY POLICE: The little girl we have known for four years as Precious Doe has a name.
GRIFFIN: Erica Michelle Marie Green would have been 8 years old this month.
JOHNSON: I felt so relieved. I felt so happy. And then I started to feel sad. Because I had to think about all night, and I tossed and turned and said, what happened?
GRIFFIN (on camera): But along with the joy of finding out who this little girl was, Kansas City also learned how precious Erica Green died, and there was nothing precious about it.
(voice-over): Police say the mother told them it was the husband who kicked the girl in the head. She lay on the floor for two days unresponsive, until she finally died. Police say the parents then disposed of the body just down the street, because they feared they would be arrested.
The family had been in the home only weeks, apparently looking for work they never found, and returned to Oklahoma.
After four years, police received a tip that led to the mother. She is under arrest, and the prosecutor here says everyone else who may be responsible is in custody, too.
Not a happy ending. How could there be one? But at least for those who have waited and prayed for a precious little girl, the ending has a name.
(on camera): Do you wish Erica Green, maybe she does in your mind, know how much she is loved by this community?
JOHNSON: She does. I know she does. Because I feel her presence. Every time when I am here, I still feel her presence. She is happy, she's running around. When we're holding hands, she is running between us, you know, laughing, looking at her teddy bears, touching them, smelling her flowers, and saying, boy, they love me. They love me.
GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" this morning, here's something you do not want to be involved in.
In Florida, Broward County sheriff's deputies chased this pickup for 45 minutes before the driver struck several cars. And as you can see, he swerved into the median. At one point he was going against traffic. Police say the driver is a suspect in two armed robberies.
In Los Angeles, a fire truck hits a car, pushing it into a tree and uprooting it. One person was -- one person in the car was killed, two others injured. Also, four firefighters on the truck was hurt. Fire officials say the truck's lights and siren were on when the accident occurred.
Something you thought was just for novel. The pilot of this private plane suffered an apparent heart attack. One of two passengers grabbed the controls and crash-landed the plane just short of the runway at North Las Vegas Airport. The pilot died. The two passengers are not believed to be seriously hurt.
Good things comes in threes, don't they? In Orlando, Florida, doctors at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women delivered three sets of triplets Wednesday. If you're counting, three girls, six boys. And just for good measure, a set of twins was delivered on the same day.
Something's in the water there.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, life goes on, so the saying goes. But life is just not the same for a quartet of Georgia friends and fishing buddies. Gary Tuchman brings us their powerful story.
Got that baseball fan itch? The Arizona Diamondbacks can scratch it for you, if you've got the cash, or a credit card, or a second mortgage.
But first, here are some other stories making news today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Now to our market watch.
The international market is mixed this morning. Japan's Nikkei closes up more than 190 points. Britain's FTSE up just over a half- point. The German DAX down 15 points this morning.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:15 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Tony Blair has won a third term as British prime minister. But his Labor Party has lost a significant number of parliamentary seats. And Blair's support for the Iraq war is being blamed.
President Bush leaves for Europe in less than two hours from now. He's going to four countries, including Russia, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
In money news, ABC's "Fallen Idol" show has ranked as the most watched news magazine in over a year. The documentary exposed an alleged affair between American idol judge Paula Abdul and a former contestant. And it aired, of course, during the crucial sweeps month.
In culture, the group Audioslave in Havana tonight. It will become the first U.S. band to rock communist Cuba.
In sports, the Boston Celtics were able to force a game seven against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs. The Celtics forced it down to the wire and won in overtime. The two meet in Boston for game seven tomorrow.
I know how excited you are about that, Chad.
MYERS: The end of basketball season means the beginning of football season. That's all I have to say, Carol. But, you know, the beginning of football season means the end of summer. So I'm not trying to push things ahead too far here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad. Hey, Chad...
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: ... have you ever wanted to throw out the first pitch at a ballgame?
MYERS: You know, I've always wanted to do that, but I'm afraid that I would probably make it about halfway down there. It would be a 30-foot fastball instead of a 60-foot, you know?
COSTELLO: That would be so embarrassing, wouldn't it?
MYERS: It would be, yes.
COSTELLO: Well, anyway, this next story will give you hope if you've always wanted to do this. So come, one, come all, to the ballpark. That's what the Arizona Diamondbacks say. And you can get your 15 minutes of fame if you've got the scratch.
Joe Dana of CNN affiliate KPNX in Phoenix throws it out for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE DANA, REPORTER, KPNX (voice-over): It's usually for dignitaries, community leaders...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It symbolizes a special pitch to honor somebody.
DANA: ... the ceremonial first pitch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's something that only baseball has.
DANA: The average fan could only dream about it, the chance to step onto the baseball field in front of thousands. A chance to throw out the first pitch that signals "play ball."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds like a neat idea.
DANA: Fans with the money can stop dreaming. For $4,000, the ball is theirs.
MARK FERNANDEZ, DIAMONDBACKS MARKETING: They're going to get great seats to the game. When the thing is over, they're going to get a terrific photo with the ball in the air with their name on the scoreboard.
DANA: For some, it's too pricey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife would hang me up by the highest pole if I -- if I spent $4,000 on that.
DANA: But like NASCAR drivers, a resourceful fan could market themselves. These guys sell every inch of their uniform for ad space, so why not a fan? Collect enough sponsors, you could probably pay for your entire experience, maybe even make a profit.
(on camera): How much would you be willing to pay to put your law firm's name on my shirt and I go throw out the first pitch?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not much.
DANA (voice-over): But Diamondbacks say it wouldn't be against the rules. As long as it's appropriate, anything goes.
FERNANDEZ: That's OK. We just want baseball fans to come out and have a great time.
DANA: A great time, while making the perfect advertising pitch.
In Phoenix, Joe Dana, 12 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: So there you have it. If you have the cash, you can do it.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, what are you reading on the Web? We'll check out the top stories on CNN.com later this hour.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
MYERS: There you go.
COSTELLO: You know, with a name like "Myers," we can all guess what Chad celebrated. He celebrated Cinco de Mayo in a big way.
MYERS: Oh, no, no, no. It's Mujeres, and I shortened it to Myers. I'm just kidding.
COSTELLO: That makes so much more sense.
MYERS: Yes, yes, yes, but...
COSTELLO: Anyway, David Letterman and Jay Leno did not let the annual Mexican holiday get past them either. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": You know what today is? Cinco de Mayo. Were you aware of that? Today is Cinco de Mayo.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: Everybody in New York City gets into a very festive mood whenever it's Cinco de Mayo. Coming to work today, I'll give you an example. My cab driver, he had his turban filled with chips and salsa.
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, down in Washington, Tom DeLay is accepting all bribes in pesos.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Happy Cinco de Mayo. It's a holiday celebrated by over 10 million Mexicans, and that's just here in LA. OK, there you go.
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Do you know what Cinco de Mayo means?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. What does it mean?
LENO: It means we outnumber you five to one. That includes...
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: I guess we found out one thing about Paula Abdul... she bangs! She bangs!
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Well, now FOX is trying to get back at ABC News. Like tomorrow night, the FOX network is going to have a big expose on how early in her career Barbara Walters was sleeping with Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, they're going to show those...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That was cold.
MYERS: Wow.
COSTELLO: That was so cold.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: You know that -- that expose by ABC garnered some huge ratings.
MYERS: I guess it did. I didn't see it, but I thought all the news was out. I thought they leaked it all beforehand. But clearly people wanted to see the rest live, huh?
COSTELLO: People wanted to hear that -- what's his name? I always forget his name, the singer.
MYERS: It was like episode two or something like that. Wasn't it? Wasn't it?
COSTELLO: Episode two?
MYERS: It was "Idol" 2 or something? I don't even know who it was.
COSTELLO: I don't remember his name either. I will. It will pop into my mind like...
MYERS: The -- well, I'd say, so far, I guess with us, it didn't make him famous that he brought this out against Paula Abdul.
COSTELLO: Well, it may make him famous now. We're going to talk more about this, actually.
MYERS: We don't even know what his name is.
COSTELLO: Good point.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, we're going to talk more about him in the next hour of DAYBREAK.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Outside of a country club in suburban Atlanta, foxes. Three young ones, each about eight to nine weeks old, were taken from their den near the golf course near by a wildlife agent. It seems they wanted to play, though. Well, not really. The foxes were taken to the Atlanta Zoo.
Also in suburban Atlanta, a rescue. A dog got caught in an 18- inch sewer pipe. Residents were -- called in the fire department.
MYERS: Oh, puppy.
COSTELLO: Oh. It took him a while to get the pooch out, but he was brought up, secured to a stretcher, and he is reported to be on the mend.
And finally this. In central Florida, Local 6 News is reporting that a controversial marijuana-flavored lollipop is being sold on the Internet, and it can be purchased by your children. Why would anyone want a lollipop with marijuana flavor? Oh, you decide for yourself.
The lollipop makers say they're made with hemp and sugar. But supposedly, you can not get high off of them. They're just flavored like -- they taste like basil.
MYERS: Like basil? Great.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK. The harrowing tale of a fishing trip that went horribly wrong, we'll tell you all about it when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News," this just into CNN. The bodies of 14 people who had been shot and killed were found in Baghdad this morning. An Iraqi soldier says some of the victims were blindfolded and shot in the head execution style. The victims, believed to be Iraqis, were found buried in shallow graves, and they're believed to be -- to have been killed recently.
President Bush is getting ready to leave for Europe. The main event will be a celebration in Moscow Monday marking the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Tony Blair has won a third term as British prime minister, something his Labor Party has never done before. But the party has lost a lot of seats in parliament. It's seen as backlash over Blair support for the Iraq war.
Florida police are looking for this man, Patrick Wayne Bell. He's described as a repeat sexual offender who preys on children. Police say Bell cut off his tracking device and fled from his mother's home in Riviera Beach.
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