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CNN Live At Daybreak
Cold Case Reopened; Podcasting; 'Idol' Chatter
Aired May 09, 2005 - 05:30 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.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks -- Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: See you.
COSTELLO: Back to our top story now, President Bush in Moscow. He and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are putting politics aside for this morning's World War II celebrations. But in an earlier talk, the president brought up U.S. fears that Russia is moving away from democracy. At the same time, he says the two nations see eye to eye on a lot of other issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Russia is a great nation, and I'm looking forward to working together on big problems. And I want to thank you for your work on Iran and the Middle East, and there's a lot we can do together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And what else did they chat about? Well top administration officials say President Bush brought up Putin's recent speech on the state of his nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The president talked to President Putin about his recent speech and the comments that he had made about internal reform in Russia. And I think it simply, again, underscores that there is these two men have developed a relationship in which they can talk about any subject and talk about it in a constructive and friendly manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Russian leaders were annoyed by the way President Bush kicked off his overseas trip. He reached out to the Baltic States where anger toward the former Soviet Union's wartime occupation runs high.
In "The Fight for Iraq," a real prize. You probably do not recognize the name Omar al-Zubiti (ph), but you'll recognize this one, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zubiti is a key aide to the Jordanian militant believed to be behind several attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops. Zubiti is now in Iraqi custody. You're looking at a picture of Zarqawi. Iraqi officials say documents seized at his house indicate he is preparing to assassinate a senior Iraqi official.
A former CIA agent says two days after 9/11 he was ordered to find Osama bin Laden, kill him and put his head in dry ice so it could be shown to President Bush. Gary Schroen told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the order came from Cofer Black, who was, at the time, the agency's head of counterterrorism. Schroen says he believes the al Qaeda leader is in a rugged area north of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Turning now to matters of national security, toss it out says the federal government. The Homeland Security Department spent $4.5 billion on passenger and cargo screening devices after 9/11. Well now "The New York Times" reports the government is moving to replace much of that. Some is being tossed because it just doesn't work. We'll ask a security expert about this in the next hour of DAYBREAK.
And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A notorious Atlanta area child killings 25 years ago gripped the nation and sparked fear in the Atlanta community. Now the police chief in nearby Dekalb County has reopened the investigation into the deaths of four young boys, not because of new evidence, but because of a gut feeling.
CNN's Sara Dorsey has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For three years, starting in 1979, the city of Atlanta, and gradually the rest of the nation, watched with horror as 29 African-Americans, mostly boys and young men, disappeared and turned up dead.
In 1981, an emotional sigh of relief nationwide, as this man, Wayne Williams, was arrested. He was eventually convicted of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Most of the evidence against Williams circumstantial, based on fiber analysis of a carpet material called Wellman 181-B.
JOSEPH DROLET, CITY COURT OF ATLANTA SOLICITOR: They did a search warrant on his home, but the home was carpeted in the Wellman 181-B fiber that was found on all of these victims. They also found that there were as many as 11 different items from that home matched fibers found on victims.
DORSEY: Williams has always maintained his innocence. Since his conviction, controversy has surfaced over the very evidence that put him behind bars. His attorney says the jury was completely misled.
MICHAEL JACKSON, WAYNE WILLIAMS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The tri-level fiber that they used to try to tie these cases together was much more common than they led the jury to believe at trial. And there were tens of thousands of other fibers on the victims that they never ran down, that weren't connected to Wayne Williams that were never explained. DORSEY: Louis Graham agrees. He was the assistant police chief in Fulton County, Georgia at the time, and part of the missing and murder task force.
CHIEF LOUIS GRAHAM, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything.
DORSEY: Today, Graham is police chief in adjacent Dekalb County, where four of the victims lived. Their cases were shelved when Williams went to jail.
GRAHAM: I felt an emptiness when he was convicted. I've felt that emptiness sense. And, yes, it has had a hold of me ever since. And you know I just can't seem to turn it loose.
DORSEY: Now that he's in charge, Chief Graham is reopening those cold cases, armed with technology not available 25 years ago, seeking answers in the deaths of Patrick Baltazar, Curtis Walker, Joseph Bell and William Barrett.
GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that.
DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Another man who doesn't believe Williams is guilty is journalist and author Jeff Prugh. He says he believes some evidence is questionable at best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF PRUGH, JOURNALIST & AUTHOR: There is one of the victims, William Barrett, where there are a couple of type A blood stains that could be tested, possibly, and they may show that that victim's blood was not William Barrett's. And of course the significance of all of these cases, if one of them falls, they all topple like a house of cards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There's no decision yet, but Dekalb County's police chief says he may also take another look at a fifth death as well.
Actress Angelina Jolie has been in the headlines lately, and you know why, not for her humanitarian efforts, but this time we're going to talk about her humanitarian efforts, not Brad Pitt. Jolie has wrapped up her second visit to Pakistan as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for many years.
And in this "Beyond the Soundbite," Jolie made an impassioned plea for international assistance for refugees. She talked to none other than President Musharraf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANGELINA JOLIE, UNHCR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Everyone is in agreement, mostly, of what needs to be done. And that was very encouraging, because that's not often the case. Everyone spoke of a need for there to be development in Afghanistan as quickly as possible, faster if possible and especially in the rural areas, which are not getting as much attention as they should be.
Another thing that is discussed is that everybody feels that forestry patchuration (ph) is not humane and not something that should be done.
I spent a lot of time crying yesterday, I don't have a lot of answers. You know I wish I did. I wish I could solve it for them. I know many people in this room wish they could find the solution. It's very, very difficult. I think it's -- you know it's like asking how to end poverty. It's an enormous question. I think you know we need to balance resources in the world and we need to -- you know there's much to be done.
I think the first thing that needs to happen is we need to all focus on the global -- in a global way, in education and on health care and on children's rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: An estimated three million Afghan refugees are supposed to be repatriated by the end of next year.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, to be hip these days you need to know what podcasting is. We'll fill you in after the break.
And later, where the judges on "American Idol" get judged by students for college credit.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Isn't it, though. Move over radio, there is a new technology on the block, it's called podcasting, as opposed to broadcasting. Have you heard of it yet? I haven't either.
CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg fills us in from behind the scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Grape Radio where an enthusiasm for wine gets personal.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grape Radio has mikes and a mixing board, all the tell-tale signs of a radio station, except for one minor detail, Grape Radio is not actually on the radio. MICHAEL GEOGHEGAN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GRAPE RADIO: The magic of the fact that once somebody puts a show up it's automatically downloaded to your computer, I just really found compelling.
SIEBERG: Meet Brian (ph)...
BRIAN: This is sweet. This is very nice.
SIEBERG: ... Lee (ph) and Jay (ph). Wine enthusiasts turned talk show hosts, not just in the studio, but also on the road.
RON TAMEZ, HAMILTON OAKS VINEYARD: And this is our Malan Desue (ph) that I was talking about.
SIEBERG: The show is recorded, then uploaded to the Internet and becomes a podcast, an audio file playable on any iPod or portable music device.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just like a song, it's no different.
SIEBERG: They say they had 50 listeners for their first podcast in January. Five weeks later, the hosts say their 12th show was downloaded 3,000 times.
Web sites, like Podcast Alley, list scores of different shows, some produced with nothing more than a computer and a microphone. Favorite DVDs, "Geek Talk About Gadgets," college sports, even podcasts about podcasting and a racy talk show from a couple named Dawn and Drew in Wisconsin. It's ranked number one. Click on the number one you want, in this case, Grape Radio, and you're halfway there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If all you're looking for is this link right up here.
SIEBERG: Then you just have to copy and paste your link into a program like iPodder and your podcast is ready to roll.
(on camera): You may have heard of podcasting through the grapevine. What started as an experiment last summer has now grown to more than 3,000 podcasts online. The question is will podcasting give broadcasting a run for its money?
HARRY SHEARER, RADIO SHOW HOST: KCRW is handpicked music and NPR News streaming and now podcasting, imagine that.
SIEBERG (voice-over): Harry Shearer, a voice on "The Simpsons" and former cast member of "Saturday Night Live," has been on the radio since he was 7 years old. His weekly broadcast is now also a podcast.
SHEARER: There is a certain sadness to me that the broadcasting model we've known is dissolving. I think radio stations have to, and broadcasters generally, have to chase the audience. You know the audience is moving to different technologies that are more convenient.
SIEBERG: Shearer says podcasting lets the listener pick the time and place, a necessity in today's busy society. But the quality of podcasts, well, Shearer says the jury is still out.
SHEARER: What podcasting reminds me of is blogging five years ago, which started out as a very personal form of communication via the Internet and has now become a medium for its practitioners to declare their own self-importance.
Elvis from Holland (ph), hello.
SIEBERG: Back at Grape Radio, the guys say they just want to declare their passion for wine and have fun hobbying as talk show hosts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a blast. It is an absolute blast.
SIEBERG: Perhaps it's the 21st century equivalent of ham radio, talking to the void just to see if anyone can hear you.
Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Irvine, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now you know.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
In Moscow, President Bush and Russian President Putin wrapped up private talks before attending VE Day ceremonies. Bush had been expected to raise his concern about Moscow's commitment to democracy.
A Columbus, Ohio jury could not reach a verdict in the highway shootings trial. Charles McCoy Jr. was charged in 12 shootings in 2003 and '04. If no plea deal can be reached, a new trial will involve repeating more than two dozen witnesses.
In money news, General Motors says no way. The automaker denies a report on "The Wall Street Journal" Web site that it's talking with Toyota about gas-electric hybrid vehicles.
In culture, the laughs will be there, but some serious talk will too. Tomorrow night's sitcom, George Lopez will focus on high school athletes using steroids.
In sports, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns is the NBA's most valuable player. He edged out Miami's Shaquille O'Neal for that honor. Phoenix plays Dallas in game one of the Western Conference semifinals tonight.
And how about those Wizards?
MARCIANO: Unbelievable.
COSTELLO: The Washington Wizards.
MARCIANO: Looking good. Looking good. Just let me know when they're down like to two or four teams, Carol. I can't really deal with the NBA playoffs with all these games involved at this point.
COSTELLO: I know.
MARCIANO: But you seem to be in the know, so I'll defer to you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this weekend?
COSTELLO: You know I didn't, but I read all about it. It was a fantastic, a weird race, actually.
MARCIANO: Well a longshot won it and that usually silenced the crowd.
COSTELLO: Giacomo...
MARCIANO: Love the name.
COSTELLO: ... came from back of the pack, 50 to 1 odds. So if you placed a $2 bet, you would have won, what, $102 or something like that.
MARCIANO: Not a bad payoff.
COSTELLO: No, not at all. In fact, the top two horses were longshots, the third wasn't. The George Steinbrenner horse was, what, finished seventh.
MARCIANO: And that one guy that had five horses in the race, I think he's on suicide watch right now.
COSTELLO: Mr. Zito.
MARCIANO: There he is.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MARCIANO: Hey, there was 20 horses in this race. I mean it was like watching NASCAR. I thought there was going to be a crash or something. You know you've just got to box out the winner or the favorite and you know forget about it. Twenty horses, that seemed a little much.
COSTELLO: Well the really cool thing about it, though, is Giacomo's jockey has a great story.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: He's been waiting and waiting to win. He hasn't had a big win in 11 years or something like that, and finally. He said he was so excited and so spent emotionally he could barely speak at the end of the race.
MARCIANO: Well a million dollars will help out the cause, too.
COSTELLO: For the owner, not the jockey.
MARCIANO: Congratulations. That's a good story.
COSTELLO: All right, coming up on DAYBREAK, if your child tells you he or she can get college credit for watching "American Idol," he or she may not be kidding. Still ahead, we'll tell you one university that actually wants students to tune in and they can get college credit for doing that.
You're watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Shaping up to be a beautiful day in New York City this morning.
And our audience, well, they woke up -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Yes, the mailbox is now full. A nice day to maybe picnic with some fast food in Central Park.
COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. That sounds terrific to me.
Actually, our DAYBREAK "Question of the Day" has to do with fast food. Should there be a tax on fast food? The mayor of Detroit has this idea to make up for the city's shortfall to put a 2 percent tax on fast food. We wondered if you thought that was a good idea.
This is from Lynn (ph). I'm proud to be the first responder to this morning's question, and the answer is an extra cheesy, gooey, dripping, yes. My younger brother, a fast food efficienoto (ph), an active guy who plays racquetball, windsurfs and works in advertising, the health food trifecta. Thanks to the fast food consumption, he's now diabetic, she says, because of fast food and his diet isn't so healthy. So thanks to fast food, his life story is way beyond the angina monologues. A tax, you bet, and a super sized one at that.
MARCIANO: Wow.
There were some very long and interesting e-mails, and then there were a lot of ones that said no or yes.
This one, tax our food, no way. I like to eat healthy but I also like an occasional fast food break. And as a senior citizen, I have to count my pennies. Also, the homeless eat a lot of fast food and this would make it hard on them, so, not to mention a kid. So whatever way, it's not a good way out.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
This is from David (ph). He says, no, the fast food tax is a ridiculous approach to Detroit's problems. There should be a Michigan imposed retroactive desertion tax on the hundreds of thousands of relatively affluent whites who vacated Detroit over the past 35 years, following yet more years of race issue avoidance. He's from Michigan.
MARCIANO: I know.
COSTELLO: This is from Jessie (ph). I want to read one more. I think there should be a fast food tax in Detroit. The city often depends more on income taxes and business taxes than property taxes. But due to the decline in population, there is most likely a decline in all three sources of tax. However, as a native of Detroit, I am also aware that the exception to the decline is in fast food, so why not tax it and raise some money.
Thank you for your e-mails this morning. We appreciate it.
We'll be right back.
MARCIANO: OK, Carol.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning, the Cannes Film Festival will be out of this world this year. "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" will debut at the festival Sunday, four days before the movie opens in theaters here in the States.
My goodness gracious, "Alias" star Jennifer Garner and actor Ben Affleck are reportedly expecting a baby. E! Online says Garner is three months pregnant, but Ben and Jen have not confirmed it.
And best selling author Stephen King delivered the commencement speech at his alma mater. He told the University of Maine graduates to be veracious readers, donate a tenth of their earnings to worthy causes and carve out their careers in Maine.
Some TV viewers take those so-called reality shows quite seriously. Take "American Idol," for instance. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, there is a course called examining "American Idol" through musical critique. I know what you're thinking, so were we. So we have invited Professor Jay Grymes to talk about it. He teaches the course.
Good morning -- professor.
PROFESSOR JAY GRYMES, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So everybody in this studio says, come on, a course on "American Idol," what a waste of parent's money.
GRYMES: Well the course really isn't about "American Idol" as much as it's about critiquing musical performance. We're basically just using the show as our test studies for practicing our skills as music critics.
COSTELLO: And how are you doing that exactly?
GRYMES: We spend a lot of time talking about the elements of music, the basic vocabulary every critic needs to know about, whether it be pitch or rhythm. And we've been serving the various periods in American popular music, because it's really important to know what you're talking about, what is Motown and what's the Motown sound, before you can say how well a singer is able to capture that.
And various aspects of performance, from vocal production to stage fright, to breath in the body, all culminating in the experience of being able to actually critique any type of musical performance, not just popular music, but also classical and other types.
COSTELLO: You know I would imagine it's hard to capture young people's attention and keep it through an hour-long class.
GRYMES: It's true. It usually isn't. This generation, especially, has a rather short attention span. But this is a class, the only class I've taught where every time we go in after an hour is over the students are like do we have to leave now, is it over already? And I have to sort of push them out the door to make way for the next class.
COSTELLO: You know it seems to me they want to talk more about the Paula Abdul scandal and Simon Cowell's comments than really like concentrating on the music and the meaning behind the music and what they're singing and what you've just told us about.
GRYMES: Right, but I sort of push them in the other direction. The class is really about the music; it's not about the personalities.
COSTELLO: So how popular is this class?
GRYMES: Well we had a hundred seats and they all filled up pretty fast.
COSTELLO: So are you going to offer it next semester and the semesters to follow or until the show like stays on the air, and if it goes off the air you're not going to teach it anymore?
GRYMES: Well if it goes off the air, obviously it will be hard to teach it. Maybe I'll have to go to "Nashville Star" or something. But this year was sort of a test pilot project, and we're going to just reevaluate and see how we feel for future semesters.
COSTELLO: Professor Jay Grymes, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.
The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 9, 2005 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks -- Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: See you.
COSTELLO: Back to our top story now, President Bush in Moscow. He and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are putting politics aside for this morning's World War II celebrations. But in an earlier talk, the president brought up U.S. fears that Russia is moving away from democracy. At the same time, he says the two nations see eye to eye on a lot of other issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Russia is a great nation, and I'm looking forward to working together on big problems. And I want to thank you for your work on Iran and the Middle East, and there's a lot we can do together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And what else did they chat about? Well top administration officials say President Bush brought up Putin's recent speech on the state of his nation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The president talked to President Putin about his recent speech and the comments that he had made about internal reform in Russia. And I think it simply, again, underscores that there is these two men have developed a relationship in which they can talk about any subject and talk about it in a constructive and friendly manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Russian leaders were annoyed by the way President Bush kicked off his overseas trip. He reached out to the Baltic States where anger toward the former Soviet Union's wartime occupation runs high.
In "The Fight for Iraq," a real prize. You probably do not recognize the name Omar al-Zubiti (ph), but you'll recognize this one, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zubiti is a key aide to the Jordanian militant believed to be behind several attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops. Zubiti is now in Iraqi custody. You're looking at a picture of Zarqawi. Iraqi officials say documents seized at his house indicate he is preparing to assassinate a senior Iraqi official.
A former CIA agent says two days after 9/11 he was ordered to find Osama bin Laden, kill him and put his head in dry ice so it could be shown to President Bush. Gary Schroen told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the order came from Cofer Black, who was, at the time, the agency's head of counterterrorism. Schroen says he believes the al Qaeda leader is in a rugged area north of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Turning now to matters of national security, toss it out says the federal government. The Homeland Security Department spent $4.5 billion on passenger and cargo screening devices after 9/11. Well now "The New York Times" reports the government is moving to replace much of that. Some is being tossed because it just doesn't work. We'll ask a security expert about this in the next hour of DAYBREAK.
And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A notorious Atlanta area child killings 25 years ago gripped the nation and sparked fear in the Atlanta community. Now the police chief in nearby Dekalb County has reopened the investigation into the deaths of four young boys, not because of new evidence, but because of a gut feeling.
CNN's Sara Dorsey has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For three years, starting in 1979, the city of Atlanta, and gradually the rest of the nation, watched with horror as 29 African-Americans, mostly boys and young men, disappeared and turned up dead.
In 1981, an emotional sigh of relief nationwide, as this man, Wayne Williams, was arrested. He was eventually convicted of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Most of the evidence against Williams circumstantial, based on fiber analysis of a carpet material called Wellman 181-B.
JOSEPH DROLET, CITY COURT OF ATLANTA SOLICITOR: They did a search warrant on his home, but the home was carpeted in the Wellman 181-B fiber that was found on all of these victims. They also found that there were as many as 11 different items from that home matched fibers found on victims.
DORSEY: Williams has always maintained his innocence. Since his conviction, controversy has surfaced over the very evidence that put him behind bars. His attorney says the jury was completely misled.
MICHAEL JACKSON, WAYNE WILLIAMS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The tri-level fiber that they used to try to tie these cases together was much more common than they led the jury to believe at trial. And there were tens of thousands of other fibers on the victims that they never ran down, that weren't connected to Wayne Williams that were never explained. DORSEY: Louis Graham agrees. He was the assistant police chief in Fulton County, Georgia at the time, and part of the missing and murder task force.
CHIEF LOUIS GRAHAM, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything.
DORSEY: Today, Graham is police chief in adjacent Dekalb County, where four of the victims lived. Their cases were shelved when Williams went to jail.
GRAHAM: I felt an emptiness when he was convicted. I've felt that emptiness sense. And, yes, it has had a hold of me ever since. And you know I just can't seem to turn it loose.
DORSEY: Now that he's in charge, Chief Graham is reopening those cold cases, armed with technology not available 25 years ago, seeking answers in the deaths of Patrick Baltazar, Curtis Walker, Joseph Bell and William Barrett.
GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that.
DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Another man who doesn't believe Williams is guilty is journalist and author Jeff Prugh. He says he believes some evidence is questionable at best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF PRUGH, JOURNALIST & AUTHOR: There is one of the victims, William Barrett, where there are a couple of type A blood stains that could be tested, possibly, and they may show that that victim's blood was not William Barrett's. And of course the significance of all of these cases, if one of them falls, they all topple like a house of cards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There's no decision yet, but Dekalb County's police chief says he may also take another look at a fifth death as well.
Actress Angelina Jolie has been in the headlines lately, and you know why, not for her humanitarian efforts, but this time we're going to talk about her humanitarian efforts, not Brad Pitt. Jolie has wrapped up her second visit to Pakistan as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for many years.
And in this "Beyond the Soundbite," Jolie made an impassioned plea for international assistance for refugees. She talked to none other than President Musharraf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANGELINA JOLIE, UNHCR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Everyone is in agreement, mostly, of what needs to be done. And that was very encouraging, because that's not often the case. Everyone spoke of a need for there to be development in Afghanistan as quickly as possible, faster if possible and especially in the rural areas, which are not getting as much attention as they should be.
Another thing that is discussed is that everybody feels that forestry patchuration (ph) is not humane and not something that should be done.
I spent a lot of time crying yesterday, I don't have a lot of answers. You know I wish I did. I wish I could solve it for them. I know many people in this room wish they could find the solution. It's very, very difficult. I think it's -- you know it's like asking how to end poverty. It's an enormous question. I think you know we need to balance resources in the world and we need to -- you know there's much to be done.
I think the first thing that needs to happen is we need to all focus on the global -- in a global way, in education and on health care and on children's rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: An estimated three million Afghan refugees are supposed to be repatriated by the end of next year.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, to be hip these days you need to know what podcasting is. We'll fill you in after the break.
And later, where the judges on "American Idol" get judged by students for college credit.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Isn't it, though. Move over radio, there is a new technology on the block, it's called podcasting, as opposed to broadcasting. Have you heard of it yet? I haven't either.
CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg fills us in from behind the scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Grape Radio where an enthusiasm for wine gets personal.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grape Radio has mikes and a mixing board, all the tell-tale signs of a radio station, except for one minor detail, Grape Radio is not actually on the radio. MICHAEL GEOGHEGAN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GRAPE RADIO: The magic of the fact that once somebody puts a show up it's automatically downloaded to your computer, I just really found compelling.
SIEBERG: Meet Brian (ph)...
BRIAN: This is sweet. This is very nice.
SIEBERG: ... Lee (ph) and Jay (ph). Wine enthusiasts turned talk show hosts, not just in the studio, but also on the road.
RON TAMEZ, HAMILTON OAKS VINEYARD: And this is our Malan Desue (ph) that I was talking about.
SIEBERG: The show is recorded, then uploaded to the Internet and becomes a podcast, an audio file playable on any iPod or portable music device.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just like a song, it's no different.
SIEBERG: They say they had 50 listeners for their first podcast in January. Five weeks later, the hosts say their 12th show was downloaded 3,000 times.
Web sites, like Podcast Alley, list scores of different shows, some produced with nothing more than a computer and a microphone. Favorite DVDs, "Geek Talk About Gadgets," college sports, even podcasts about podcasting and a racy talk show from a couple named Dawn and Drew in Wisconsin. It's ranked number one. Click on the number one you want, in this case, Grape Radio, and you're halfway there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If all you're looking for is this link right up here.
SIEBERG: Then you just have to copy and paste your link into a program like iPodder and your podcast is ready to roll.
(on camera): You may have heard of podcasting through the grapevine. What started as an experiment last summer has now grown to more than 3,000 podcasts online. The question is will podcasting give broadcasting a run for its money?
HARRY SHEARER, RADIO SHOW HOST: KCRW is handpicked music and NPR News streaming and now podcasting, imagine that.
SIEBERG (voice-over): Harry Shearer, a voice on "The Simpsons" and former cast member of "Saturday Night Live," has been on the radio since he was 7 years old. His weekly broadcast is now also a podcast.
SHEARER: There is a certain sadness to me that the broadcasting model we've known is dissolving. I think radio stations have to, and broadcasters generally, have to chase the audience. You know the audience is moving to different technologies that are more convenient.
SIEBERG: Shearer says podcasting lets the listener pick the time and place, a necessity in today's busy society. But the quality of podcasts, well, Shearer says the jury is still out.
SHEARER: What podcasting reminds me of is blogging five years ago, which started out as a very personal form of communication via the Internet and has now become a medium for its practitioners to declare their own self-importance.
Elvis from Holland (ph), hello.
SIEBERG: Back at Grape Radio, the guys say they just want to declare their passion for wine and have fun hobbying as talk show hosts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a blast. It is an absolute blast.
SIEBERG: Perhaps it's the 21st century equivalent of ham radio, talking to the void just to see if anyone can hear you.
Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Irvine, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now you know.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
In Moscow, President Bush and Russian President Putin wrapped up private talks before attending VE Day ceremonies. Bush had been expected to raise his concern about Moscow's commitment to democracy.
A Columbus, Ohio jury could not reach a verdict in the highway shootings trial. Charles McCoy Jr. was charged in 12 shootings in 2003 and '04. If no plea deal can be reached, a new trial will involve repeating more than two dozen witnesses.
In money news, General Motors says no way. The automaker denies a report on "The Wall Street Journal" Web site that it's talking with Toyota about gas-electric hybrid vehicles.
In culture, the laughs will be there, but some serious talk will too. Tomorrow night's sitcom, George Lopez will focus on high school athletes using steroids.
In sports, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns is the NBA's most valuable player. He edged out Miami's Shaquille O'Neal for that honor. Phoenix plays Dallas in game one of the Western Conference semifinals tonight.
And how about those Wizards?
MARCIANO: Unbelievable.
COSTELLO: The Washington Wizards.
MARCIANO: Looking good. Looking good. Just let me know when they're down like to two or four teams, Carol. I can't really deal with the NBA playoffs with all these games involved at this point.
COSTELLO: I know.
MARCIANO: But you seem to be in the know, so I'll defer to you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this weekend?
COSTELLO: You know I didn't, but I read all about it. It was a fantastic, a weird race, actually.
MARCIANO: Well a longshot won it and that usually silenced the crowd.
COSTELLO: Giacomo...
MARCIANO: Love the name.
COSTELLO: ... came from back of the pack, 50 to 1 odds. So if you placed a $2 bet, you would have won, what, $102 or something like that.
MARCIANO: Not a bad payoff.
COSTELLO: No, not at all. In fact, the top two horses were longshots, the third wasn't. The George Steinbrenner horse was, what, finished seventh.
MARCIANO: And that one guy that had five horses in the race, I think he's on suicide watch right now.
COSTELLO: Mr. Zito.
MARCIANO: There he is.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MARCIANO: Hey, there was 20 horses in this race. I mean it was like watching NASCAR. I thought there was going to be a crash or something. You know you've just got to box out the winner or the favorite and you know forget about it. Twenty horses, that seemed a little much.
COSTELLO: Well the really cool thing about it, though, is Giacomo's jockey has a great story.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COSTELLO: He's been waiting and waiting to win. He hasn't had a big win in 11 years or something like that, and finally. He said he was so excited and so spent emotionally he could barely speak at the end of the race.
MARCIANO: Well a million dollars will help out the cause, too.
COSTELLO: For the owner, not the jockey.
MARCIANO: Congratulations. That's a good story.
COSTELLO: All right, coming up on DAYBREAK, if your child tells you he or she can get college credit for watching "American Idol," he or she may not be kidding. Still ahead, we'll tell you one university that actually wants students to tune in and they can get college credit for doing that.
You're watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Shaping up to be a beautiful day in New York City this morning.
And our audience, well, they woke up -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Yes, the mailbox is now full. A nice day to maybe picnic with some fast food in Central Park.
COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. That sounds terrific to me.
Actually, our DAYBREAK "Question of the Day" has to do with fast food. Should there be a tax on fast food? The mayor of Detroit has this idea to make up for the city's shortfall to put a 2 percent tax on fast food. We wondered if you thought that was a good idea.
This is from Lynn (ph). I'm proud to be the first responder to this morning's question, and the answer is an extra cheesy, gooey, dripping, yes. My younger brother, a fast food efficienoto (ph), an active guy who plays racquetball, windsurfs and works in advertising, the health food trifecta. Thanks to the fast food consumption, he's now diabetic, she says, because of fast food and his diet isn't so healthy. So thanks to fast food, his life story is way beyond the angina monologues. A tax, you bet, and a super sized one at that.
MARCIANO: Wow.
There were some very long and interesting e-mails, and then there were a lot of ones that said no or yes.
This one, tax our food, no way. I like to eat healthy but I also like an occasional fast food break. And as a senior citizen, I have to count my pennies. Also, the homeless eat a lot of fast food and this would make it hard on them, so, not to mention a kid. So whatever way, it's not a good way out.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
This is from David (ph). He says, no, the fast food tax is a ridiculous approach to Detroit's problems. There should be a Michigan imposed retroactive desertion tax on the hundreds of thousands of relatively affluent whites who vacated Detroit over the past 35 years, following yet more years of race issue avoidance. He's from Michigan.
MARCIANO: I know.
COSTELLO: This is from Jessie (ph). I want to read one more. I think there should be a fast food tax in Detroit. The city often depends more on income taxes and business taxes than property taxes. But due to the decline in population, there is most likely a decline in all three sources of tax. However, as a native of Detroit, I am also aware that the exception to the decline is in fast food, so why not tax it and raise some money.
Thank you for your e-mails this morning. We appreciate it.
We'll be right back.
MARCIANO: OK, Carol.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning, the Cannes Film Festival will be out of this world this year. "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" will debut at the festival Sunday, four days before the movie opens in theaters here in the States.
My goodness gracious, "Alias" star Jennifer Garner and actor Ben Affleck are reportedly expecting a baby. E! Online says Garner is three months pregnant, but Ben and Jen have not confirmed it.
And best selling author Stephen King delivered the commencement speech at his alma mater. He told the University of Maine graduates to be veracious readers, donate a tenth of their earnings to worthy causes and carve out their careers in Maine.
Some TV viewers take those so-called reality shows quite seriously. Take "American Idol," for instance. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, there is a course called examining "American Idol" through musical critique. I know what you're thinking, so were we. So we have invited Professor Jay Grymes to talk about it. He teaches the course.
Good morning -- professor.
PROFESSOR JAY GRYMES, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So everybody in this studio says, come on, a course on "American Idol," what a waste of parent's money.
GRYMES: Well the course really isn't about "American Idol" as much as it's about critiquing musical performance. We're basically just using the show as our test studies for practicing our skills as music critics.
COSTELLO: And how are you doing that exactly?
GRYMES: We spend a lot of time talking about the elements of music, the basic vocabulary every critic needs to know about, whether it be pitch or rhythm. And we've been serving the various periods in American popular music, because it's really important to know what you're talking about, what is Motown and what's the Motown sound, before you can say how well a singer is able to capture that.
And various aspects of performance, from vocal production to stage fright, to breath in the body, all culminating in the experience of being able to actually critique any type of musical performance, not just popular music, but also classical and other types.
COSTELLO: You know I would imagine it's hard to capture young people's attention and keep it through an hour-long class.
GRYMES: It's true. It usually isn't. This generation, especially, has a rather short attention span. But this is a class, the only class I've taught where every time we go in after an hour is over the students are like do we have to leave now, is it over already? And I have to sort of push them out the door to make way for the next class.
COSTELLO: You know it seems to me they want to talk more about the Paula Abdul scandal and Simon Cowell's comments than really like concentrating on the music and the meaning behind the music and what they're singing and what you've just told us about.
GRYMES: Right, but I sort of push them in the other direction. The class is really about the music; it's not about the personalities.
COSTELLO: So how popular is this class?
GRYMES: Well we had a hundred seats and they all filled up pretty fast.
COSTELLO: So are you going to offer it next semester and the semesters to follow or until the show like stays on the air, and if it goes off the air you're not going to teach it anymore?
GRYMES: Well if it goes off the air, obviously it will be hard to teach it. Maybe I'll have to go to "Nashville Star" or something. But this year was sort of a test pilot project, and we're going to just reevaluate and see how we feel for future semesters.
COSTELLO: Professor Jay Grymes, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.
The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.
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