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CNN Live At Daybreak

War on Terror Gets More Expensive; National I.D. Card Considered

Aired May 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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The yeas are 100, the nays are zero. The conference report is agreed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Unanimous -- a war spending bill hits close to home. Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, we'll tell you how it could affect your driver's license.

Also, a community in shock after a brutal double murder. People are asking why? The police don't have an answer.

And she's finally been given a name. Now authorities are trying to give her justice.

It is Wednesday, May 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, at least 54 Iraqis are dead, nearly 100 wounded, after six bombing attacks in Baghdad and two other cities this morning. In one attack, a suicide bomber killed civilians who were lined up to join the Army.

Word just coming into us, North Korea says it has completed taking spent nuclear fuel rods from a reactor at its main nuclear facility. And that could allow Pyongyang to produce more weapons grade plutonium.

A bond hearing set this morning for Jerry Hobbs. The 34-year-old ex-convict is charged with killing his 8-year-old daughter and her 9- year-old friend in Zion, Illinois.

And Michael Jackson's molestation trial. It's back to the witness stand today for the manager of his Neverland Ranch. This will be the third day on the stand for him. Prosecutors are trying to find holes in his claims that a family was not held against their will on Jackson's estate.

To the Forecast Center.

Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers this morning -- good morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We begin this hour with a CNN "Security Watch."

The Senate has approved spending $76 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. And tucked away in that spending bill is a provision that would create what some say is a national I.D. card.

Our Sumi Das is live in Washington with more on this -- good morning.

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

The war on terror is about to get more expensive. Late Tuesday, the Senate voted 100-0 to approve a measure that would significantly increase U.S. spending.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAS (voice-over): On Tuesday, a unanimous Senate passed a bill already passed by the House authorizing spending an additional $82 billion, much of it to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This pushes the total cost of the U.S. war on terror since 9/11 past the $300 billion mark. $76 billion would be dedicated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also provides $5.7 billion for Iraqi security forces training and an increase in the death benefit for survivors of U.S. service members from $12,000 to $100,000.

Senator Bill Frist said the bill was essential.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Our troops overseas and to provide for tsunami relief.

DAS: Over $650 million would be allotted to helping the South Asian countries devastated by the tsunami.

While all 100 senators voted in favor of the bill, some took issue with some immigration provisions stuck in the bill, prohibiting states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, creating stricter asylum laws and completing construction of a fence on the California-Mexico border.

Nonetheless, the legislation has moved forward and lands on President Bush's desk next. Mr. Bush has said he "looks forward to signing the bill into law."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAS: Some international projects would receive just over $4 billion in funding. One such project, a new American embassy in Baghdad that would cost nearly $600 million -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sumi Das reporting live from Washington.

And, as we've been telling you, what Sumi just told you, there was something tacked in there called -- what some are calling the new national I.D. card, which would affect your driver's license. And we know you've got questions about them like what's going to be store on these I.D. cards? Well, your name, date of birth, your sex, your I.D. number, photo and address.

Now, these cards will also contain anti-fraud technology, and that's the biggest part of the controversy over this. Agencies will be able to electronically scan your license, store the information. And some say that opens you up to identity fraud.

Will DMV share this information? The answer is yes. In exchange for federal cash, states must agree to link their databases. And that could cost $500 million.

Is this a national I.D. card?

Well, that depends on who you ask. The director of the ACLU's technology program says it won't just be a national I.D. card, but it will create a national database.

Will this be challenged in court, you ask? Well, the ACLU says it is exploring legal possibilities. And when does it take effect? That would be May, 2008. The Feds are getting tough in illegal immigration. But a state court is being more lenient.

CNN's Kitty Pilgrim explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In New York State, a judge ruled it doesn't matter if you are in the country illegally, the Department of Motor Vehicles may not use immigration status to deny a driver's license. That was not what the New York Department of Motor Vehicles wanted to hear.

The DMV argues, "Here in New York, as in most states, the Department of Motor Vehicles is the main source, and often the only source, of government-issued photo identification of our residents." The agency says anyone who doesn't match up with a Social Security number to prove they are legal residents should have their license revoked.

Back in 2002, New York State ran an analysis of Social Security numbers and found that more than 600,000 numbers didn't have a match. After further investigation, they matched all but 252,000 names.

State officials said it was in the interests of homeland security to take away those licenses if they were traced to illegals. But Judge Karen Smith ruled, "The DMV cannot be an enforcer for the Department of Homeland Security. It simply lacks the expertise, and, more importantly, has not been empowered by the state legislature to carry out that function."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's Kitty Pilgrim reporting. And remember that new driver's license, the new national I.D., what some are calling it, passed by the Senate? Well, that will address what Kitty was talking about, because to get a new driver's license, you're going to have to have the original copy of your birth certificate, a Social Security card and utility bills. And, of course, those things are very difficult for illegal immigrants to get when they go to the DMV.

DMV Commissioner Ray Martinez issued a statement. He says that verifying the Social Security numbers is a common sense and proven way to verify identity.

Lawyers say the New York judge's ruling will not actually change the rules, at least not yet. All this on hold while that case is still working its way through the court. But that might be moot because of these new rules. But, of course, they don't go into effect until 2008.

Of course, we want to remind you, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Was President Bush in danger when he visited the former Soviet republic of Georgia?

Georgian officials say no. A hand grenade was found about 200 feet from the stage where the president gave his speech on democracy. But officials say the grenade is the kind used for military training and does not contain any explosives. They say someone apparently wanted to scare people in the crowd to draw media attention.

A wave of violence washes over Iraq today. Bombings have killed at least 54 Iraqis and wounded nearly 100 more.

Our Ryan Chilcote is in Baghdad with details on these latest bombings.

Bring us up to date -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the violence just seems to go on and on and on here, doesn't it? Staggering casualties today as a result of those six bombings, as you said. At least 54 Iraqis killed. Another 100 wounded in those attacks.

We start in the city of Hawija. That's way up in the north of Iraq. There, a suicide bomber targeted an army recruitment center. Somehow this suicide bomber with these explosives strapped to himself was able to get close enough to these recruits that when he blew himself up, he killed 20 of them and wounded 30 more. It's very similar to a lot of attacks we've seen on Iraqi recruitment centers before. Just moving south of there to the city of Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, another suicide bomber attack, only this time the suicide bomber was in a car and was targeting day laborers at a very busy intersection in that city. These day laborers basically standing beside the road, waiting for someone to hire them for the day. That's when this suicide bomber struck in his car, killing 30 of them, wounding 40 more.

The Iraqi police say that they believe they may have been targeted because some of these day laborers are actually used, their services are used by the U.S. military, and they may have been targeted for their cooperation with the U.S. military.

And finally here in the Iraqi capital, four more bombings, killing at least four Iraqis, wounding more than a dozen -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad this morning.

Now to a tragedy in small town America, the brutal killing of two second grade girls. The girls were best friends who lived just blocks apart in the quiet town of Zion, Illinois, north of Chicago.

The father of one of the victims has now been charged with the killings. He will appear in court this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WALLER, LAKE COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: We are filing two counts of first degree murder against Jerry Branton Hobbs III (ph) of Zion. He's charged in the murders of Laura Hobbs, his daughter, age nine, and Krystal Tobias -- excuse me, Laura is age eight -- Krystal Tobias, age 9, who was Laura's best friend.

He's charged with the stabbing and beating death of both girls, which occurred on Mother's Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The prosecutor says Jerry Hobbs could face the death penalty for the killings. Lake County officials say he has a criminal record that spans more than 15 years. He got out of jail only last month after serving almost two years for violating probation.

At a prayer vigil late Tuesday night, residents gathered to comfort each other, walking from one slain girl's home to the other. Laura's mother read a poem from the classmate that called the two little girls angels and said they died too young.

We'll hear more from the Lake County state's attorney, Michael Waller, on "AMERICAN MORNING." That's at 7:00 a.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, hacking into your security -- it's so easy even a kid can do it. And we mean that literally.

Also, quite getting bossed around. We'll tell you how to do it without getting fired.

And are you feeling congested on the road? Believe me, you're not alone.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

At least 54 Iraqis have been killed in six bombings today in Iraq. Nearly 100 more have been wounded. The deadliest bombing was 130 miles north of Baghdad, where 30 people were killed outside of an Iraqi recruitment center.

In money news, General Motors is recalling 300,000 trucks and SUVs. That's because the turn signal could cause the front or back lights to flash, which looks like a hazard warning.

In culture, he'll pick the winning gal and you will see it live. Monday's season finale of ABC's "The Bachelor" will be shown live, unlike in past seasons, where it's been shown on tape. Bachelor Charlie O'Connell will bestow the final rose. Boy, I bet that'll get you to watch.

In sports, Bellamy Road will be out to pasture for a few months. The former Kentucky Derby favorite is off the Triple Crown trail, sidelined by a minor hoof injury. He finished a disappointing seventh in the Derby -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Carol, I wonder if he got hurt during the Derby race. Twenty horses raced. I'm sure there was a little banging going around like the NASCAR.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, if a teenager in Sweden can hack into government computers, just how safe can your personal information really be and what are computer companies doing to protect you? What's the government doing? We'll put that question to an expert next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

A judge's ruling helps a struggling airline, but it comes at the expense of its employees. Isn't that always the case?

Carrie Lee joins us now to explain.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People aren't happy about this, Carol.

COSTELLO: I know they're not.

LEE: The carrier is happy, but the employees are not. What's happening is the judge has approved the end of United Airlines' pension plans. Part of the plan for the airline to exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy later this year.

Now, this means the government will take over about $5 billion in pension plans from United. That's good news for the carrier because it will save money. But now unions are threatening to strike. The federal pension system preserves the majority of benefits for employees at troubled companies. But in this case, workers can expect their checks to be cut by about 25 percent.

The judge called it "the least bad" of the available choices, since it gives unprofitable United the best chance to keep functioning.

The pensions cover 120,000 current and retired United workers, including 62,000 active and now very angry employees, Carol.

It's a tough thing. You know, you work for these airlines all your years and then your pension is, on average, cut by 25 percent.

COSTELLO: But if there's anything the company should protect it should be that.

LEE: Well, their argument is, hey, we are losing money, we want to get out of bankruptcy, we're doing what we can and it's better than nothing...

COSTELLO: And we're going to...

LEE: That's their argument. But as we said, the workers are threatening to strike. We haven't heard that they are actually doing that, but you can bet we're going to be following it today.

COSTELLO: They've been paying into their pension plan, though, aren't they?

LEE: They have. They have, absolutely. Absolutely.

Just a quick side, today the carrier headed back to bankruptcy court to talk about machinists' and mechanics' labor contracts. So there are a lot of things going on at United this week.

COSTELLO: All right, Carrie Lee, thank you.

LEE: OK.

COSTELLO: Hacking -- it's something even a child can do. The FBI confirms a 16-year-old boy in Sweden managed to hack into Cisco Systems' computers. That's the company that controls the flow of the Internet. What's more disturbing, there have been attacks on computer systems serving the U.S. military, NASA and research labs. In a statement, the Feds say, and I quote: "We have been working closely with our international partners to include Sweden, Great Britain and others. As a result of recent actions, the criminal activity appears to have stopped."

Joining me now for more on what happened is computer expert, security expert Jon McCown with Cybertrust.

Good morning, Jon.

JON MCCOWN, CYBERTRUST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: A 16-year-old kid was able to do this?

MCCOWN: Well, there's always some low hanging fruit on the Internet somewhere to be exploited and we find that people are always probing and looking for places to catch on and start working their way in.

COSTELLO: You know, I've always wondered what is the personality profile of such a person and why they get, I don't know, enjoyment out of doing something like this?

MCCOWN: Well, in the past, hackers were motivated largely by bragging rights, you know, being able to count coup on some major corporation or Web site. We're seeing any more that they're increasingly focused on things that are marketable, identity things, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and things like that, things that can actually be converted into cash.

COSTELLO: Oh, so they're doing it for profit, not just enjoyment anymore?

MCCOWN: Well, we see a mixture in there, but much more focus on the economic side of things now.

COSTELLO: You know, it's kind of frightening that this could happen anywhere in the world, that a hacker anywhere in the world could tap into some sensitive computer systems here in the United States. That must be incredibly difficult to track down and control.

MCCOWN: The tracking is the hard part of it. The Internet has us all connected more intimately with the far reaches of the world than we've ever been before and, you know, receiving mail or being poked at from someplace that's, you know, 15 time zones away is, you know, entirely possible right now.

COSTELLO: So how much cooperation is there between countries?

MCCOWN: Well, it -- a large part of it works through emergency response groups, the incident response groups. And there are forums in that area where people know each other and have trust relationships established. So being able to, you know, reach out to somebody you know to get, you know, law enforcement or investigations going overseas is, you know, it's pretty good right now. COSTELLO: OK, so if a 16-year-old kid can do this because they have active minds, apparently -- and this kid must be incredibly smart -- should we gather together a group of teenagers to help us combat computer theft?

MCCOWN: Well, we really hate to encourage or reward that behavior. You know, if -- there's been a lot of debate on this in the past where, you know, if you find these clever people who are doing bad things and reward them for it, we're sort of motivating toward that behavior to, you know, maybe that's something we shouldn't do, because the tryouts could be a little rough.

COSTELLO: Yes, you've got that right.

Jon McCown, thanks for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We appreciate it.

And you are watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, an $82 billion spending package has sailed through the Senate. Most of the money goes to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the bill also requires states to establish uniform standards for driver's licenses. Where did that come from? It was tacked onto the end. Critics are calling it a national I.D. card.

Iraq has been rocked by six more bombings this morning. Fifty- four Iraqis are dead, nearly 100 wounded. It's the latest in a string of deadly insurgent attacks. Officials say many of the dead were lined up to join the Iraqi Army.

Reports this hour that North Korea has completed removing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods from its main reactor. The spent fuel rods can be used to produce more weapons grade plutonium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says North Korea already has enough plutonium to make six bombs.

These pictures new to CNN this morning. Take a look. A violent anti-American protest in eastern Afghanistan. Two people were killed, more than 50 injured, when police clashed with protesters. They set fire to government offices and attacked U.N. missions.

To the Forecast Center now.

Rob in for Chad today -- good morning.

MARCIANO: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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


Aired May 11, 2005 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The yeas are 100, the nays are zero. The conference report is agreed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Unanimous -- a war spending bill hits close to home. Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, we'll tell you how it could affect your driver's license.

Also, a community in shock after a brutal double murder. People are asking why? The police don't have an answer.

And she's finally been given a name. Now authorities are trying to give her justice.

It is Wednesday, May 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, at least 54 Iraqis are dead, nearly 100 wounded, after six bombing attacks in Baghdad and two other cities this morning. In one attack, a suicide bomber killed civilians who were lined up to join the Army.

Word just coming into us, North Korea says it has completed taking spent nuclear fuel rods from a reactor at its main nuclear facility. And that could allow Pyongyang to produce more weapons grade plutonium.

A bond hearing set this morning for Jerry Hobbs. The 34-year-old ex-convict is charged with killing his 8-year-old daughter and her 9- year-old friend in Zion, Illinois.

And Michael Jackson's molestation trial. It's back to the witness stand today for the manager of his Neverland Ranch. This will be the third day on the stand for him. Prosecutors are trying to find holes in his claims that a family was not held against their will on Jackson's estate.

To the Forecast Center.

Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers this morning -- good morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We begin this hour with a CNN "Security Watch."

The Senate has approved spending $76 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. And tucked away in that spending bill is a provision that would create what some say is a national I.D. card.

Our Sumi Das is live in Washington with more on this -- good morning.

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

The war on terror is about to get more expensive. Late Tuesday, the Senate voted 100-0 to approve a measure that would significantly increase U.S. spending.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAS (voice-over): On Tuesday, a unanimous Senate passed a bill already passed by the House authorizing spending an additional $82 billion, much of it to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This pushes the total cost of the U.S. war on terror since 9/11 past the $300 billion mark. $76 billion would be dedicated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also provides $5.7 billion for Iraqi security forces training and an increase in the death benefit for survivors of U.S. service members from $12,000 to $100,000.

Senator Bill Frist said the bill was essential.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Our troops overseas and to provide for tsunami relief.

DAS: Over $650 million would be allotted to helping the South Asian countries devastated by the tsunami.

While all 100 senators voted in favor of the bill, some took issue with some immigration provisions stuck in the bill, prohibiting states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, creating stricter asylum laws and completing construction of a fence on the California-Mexico border.

Nonetheless, the legislation has moved forward and lands on President Bush's desk next. Mr. Bush has said he "looks forward to signing the bill into law."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAS: Some international projects would receive just over $4 billion in funding. One such project, a new American embassy in Baghdad that would cost nearly $600 million -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sumi Das reporting live from Washington.

And, as we've been telling you, what Sumi just told you, there was something tacked in there called -- what some are calling the new national I.D. card, which would affect your driver's license. And we know you've got questions about them like what's going to be store on these I.D. cards? Well, your name, date of birth, your sex, your I.D. number, photo and address.

Now, these cards will also contain anti-fraud technology, and that's the biggest part of the controversy over this. Agencies will be able to electronically scan your license, store the information. And some say that opens you up to identity fraud.

Will DMV share this information? The answer is yes. In exchange for federal cash, states must agree to link their databases. And that could cost $500 million.

Is this a national I.D. card?

Well, that depends on who you ask. The director of the ACLU's technology program says it won't just be a national I.D. card, but it will create a national database.

Will this be challenged in court, you ask? Well, the ACLU says it is exploring legal possibilities. And when does it take effect? That would be May, 2008. The Feds are getting tough in illegal immigration. But a state court is being more lenient.

CNN's Kitty Pilgrim explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In New York State, a judge ruled it doesn't matter if you are in the country illegally, the Department of Motor Vehicles may not use immigration status to deny a driver's license. That was not what the New York Department of Motor Vehicles wanted to hear.

The DMV argues, "Here in New York, as in most states, the Department of Motor Vehicles is the main source, and often the only source, of government-issued photo identification of our residents." The agency says anyone who doesn't match up with a Social Security number to prove they are legal residents should have their license revoked.

Back in 2002, New York State ran an analysis of Social Security numbers and found that more than 600,000 numbers didn't have a match. After further investigation, they matched all but 252,000 names.

State officials said it was in the interests of homeland security to take away those licenses if they were traced to illegals. But Judge Karen Smith ruled, "The DMV cannot be an enforcer for the Department of Homeland Security. It simply lacks the expertise, and, more importantly, has not been empowered by the state legislature to carry out that function."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's Kitty Pilgrim reporting. And remember that new driver's license, the new national I.D., what some are calling it, passed by the Senate? Well, that will address what Kitty was talking about, because to get a new driver's license, you're going to have to have the original copy of your birth certificate, a Social Security card and utility bills. And, of course, those things are very difficult for illegal immigrants to get when they go to the DMV.

DMV Commissioner Ray Martinez issued a statement. He says that verifying the Social Security numbers is a common sense and proven way to verify identity.

Lawyers say the New York judge's ruling will not actually change the rules, at least not yet. All this on hold while that case is still working its way through the court. But that might be moot because of these new rules. But, of course, they don't go into effect until 2008.

Of course, we want to remind you, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Was President Bush in danger when he visited the former Soviet republic of Georgia?

Georgian officials say no. A hand grenade was found about 200 feet from the stage where the president gave his speech on democracy. But officials say the grenade is the kind used for military training and does not contain any explosives. They say someone apparently wanted to scare people in the crowd to draw media attention.

A wave of violence washes over Iraq today. Bombings have killed at least 54 Iraqis and wounded nearly 100 more.

Our Ryan Chilcote is in Baghdad with details on these latest bombings.

Bring us up to date -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the violence just seems to go on and on and on here, doesn't it? Staggering casualties today as a result of those six bombings, as you said. At least 54 Iraqis killed. Another 100 wounded in those attacks.

We start in the city of Hawija. That's way up in the north of Iraq. There, a suicide bomber targeted an army recruitment center. Somehow this suicide bomber with these explosives strapped to himself was able to get close enough to these recruits that when he blew himself up, he killed 20 of them and wounded 30 more. It's very similar to a lot of attacks we've seen on Iraqi recruitment centers before. Just moving south of there to the city of Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, another suicide bomber attack, only this time the suicide bomber was in a car and was targeting day laborers at a very busy intersection in that city. These day laborers basically standing beside the road, waiting for someone to hire them for the day. That's when this suicide bomber struck in his car, killing 30 of them, wounding 40 more.

The Iraqi police say that they believe they may have been targeted because some of these day laborers are actually used, their services are used by the U.S. military, and they may have been targeted for their cooperation with the U.S. military.

And finally here in the Iraqi capital, four more bombings, killing at least four Iraqis, wounding more than a dozen -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad this morning.

Now to a tragedy in small town America, the brutal killing of two second grade girls. The girls were best friends who lived just blocks apart in the quiet town of Zion, Illinois, north of Chicago.

The father of one of the victims has now been charged with the killings. He will appear in court this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WALLER, LAKE COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: We are filing two counts of first degree murder against Jerry Branton Hobbs III (ph) of Zion. He's charged in the murders of Laura Hobbs, his daughter, age nine, and Krystal Tobias -- excuse me, Laura is age eight -- Krystal Tobias, age 9, who was Laura's best friend.

He's charged with the stabbing and beating death of both girls, which occurred on Mother's Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The prosecutor says Jerry Hobbs could face the death penalty for the killings. Lake County officials say he has a criminal record that spans more than 15 years. He got out of jail only last month after serving almost two years for violating probation.

At a prayer vigil late Tuesday night, residents gathered to comfort each other, walking from one slain girl's home to the other. Laura's mother read a poem from the classmate that called the two little girls angels and said they died too young.

We'll hear more from the Lake County state's attorney, Michael Waller, on "AMERICAN MORNING." That's at 7:00 a.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, hacking into your security -- it's so easy even a kid can do it. And we mean that literally.

Also, quite getting bossed around. We'll tell you how to do it without getting fired.

And are you feeling congested on the road? Believe me, you're not alone.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

At least 54 Iraqis have been killed in six bombings today in Iraq. Nearly 100 more have been wounded. The deadliest bombing was 130 miles north of Baghdad, where 30 people were killed outside of an Iraqi recruitment center.

In money news, General Motors is recalling 300,000 trucks and SUVs. That's because the turn signal could cause the front or back lights to flash, which looks like a hazard warning.

In culture, he'll pick the winning gal and you will see it live. Monday's season finale of ABC's "The Bachelor" will be shown live, unlike in past seasons, where it's been shown on tape. Bachelor Charlie O'Connell will bestow the final rose. Boy, I bet that'll get you to watch.

In sports, Bellamy Road will be out to pasture for a few months. The former Kentucky Derby favorite is off the Triple Crown trail, sidelined by a minor hoof injury. He finished a disappointing seventh in the Derby -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Carol, I wonder if he got hurt during the Derby race. Twenty horses raced. I'm sure there was a little banging going around like the NASCAR.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, if a teenager in Sweden can hack into government computers, just how safe can your personal information really be and what are computer companies doing to protect you? What's the government doing? We'll put that question to an expert next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

A judge's ruling helps a struggling airline, but it comes at the expense of its employees. Isn't that always the case?

Carrie Lee joins us now to explain.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People aren't happy about this, Carol.

COSTELLO: I know they're not.

LEE: The carrier is happy, but the employees are not. What's happening is the judge has approved the end of United Airlines' pension plans. Part of the plan for the airline to exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy later this year.

Now, this means the government will take over about $5 billion in pension plans from United. That's good news for the carrier because it will save money. But now unions are threatening to strike. The federal pension system preserves the majority of benefits for employees at troubled companies. But in this case, workers can expect their checks to be cut by about 25 percent.

The judge called it "the least bad" of the available choices, since it gives unprofitable United the best chance to keep functioning.

The pensions cover 120,000 current and retired United workers, including 62,000 active and now very angry employees, Carol.

It's a tough thing. You know, you work for these airlines all your years and then your pension is, on average, cut by 25 percent.

COSTELLO: But if there's anything the company should protect it should be that.

LEE: Well, their argument is, hey, we are losing money, we want to get out of bankruptcy, we're doing what we can and it's better than nothing...

COSTELLO: And we're going to...

LEE: That's their argument. But as we said, the workers are threatening to strike. We haven't heard that they are actually doing that, but you can bet we're going to be following it today.

COSTELLO: They've been paying into their pension plan, though, aren't they?

LEE: They have. They have, absolutely. Absolutely.

Just a quick side, today the carrier headed back to bankruptcy court to talk about machinists' and mechanics' labor contracts. So there are a lot of things going on at United this week.

COSTELLO: All right, Carrie Lee, thank you.

LEE: OK.

COSTELLO: Hacking -- it's something even a child can do. The FBI confirms a 16-year-old boy in Sweden managed to hack into Cisco Systems' computers. That's the company that controls the flow of the Internet. What's more disturbing, there have been attacks on computer systems serving the U.S. military, NASA and research labs. In a statement, the Feds say, and I quote: "We have been working closely with our international partners to include Sweden, Great Britain and others. As a result of recent actions, the criminal activity appears to have stopped."

Joining me now for more on what happened is computer expert, security expert Jon McCown with Cybertrust.

Good morning, Jon.

JON MCCOWN, CYBERTRUST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: A 16-year-old kid was able to do this?

MCCOWN: Well, there's always some low hanging fruit on the Internet somewhere to be exploited and we find that people are always probing and looking for places to catch on and start working their way in.

COSTELLO: You know, I've always wondered what is the personality profile of such a person and why they get, I don't know, enjoyment out of doing something like this?

MCCOWN: Well, in the past, hackers were motivated largely by bragging rights, you know, being able to count coup on some major corporation or Web site. We're seeing any more that they're increasingly focused on things that are marketable, identity things, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and things like that, things that can actually be converted into cash.

COSTELLO: Oh, so they're doing it for profit, not just enjoyment anymore?

MCCOWN: Well, we see a mixture in there, but much more focus on the economic side of things now.

COSTELLO: You know, it's kind of frightening that this could happen anywhere in the world, that a hacker anywhere in the world could tap into some sensitive computer systems here in the United States. That must be incredibly difficult to track down and control.

MCCOWN: The tracking is the hard part of it. The Internet has us all connected more intimately with the far reaches of the world than we've ever been before and, you know, receiving mail or being poked at from someplace that's, you know, 15 time zones away is, you know, entirely possible right now.

COSTELLO: So how much cooperation is there between countries?

MCCOWN: Well, it -- a large part of it works through emergency response groups, the incident response groups. And there are forums in that area where people know each other and have trust relationships established. So being able to, you know, reach out to somebody you know to get, you know, law enforcement or investigations going overseas is, you know, it's pretty good right now. COSTELLO: OK, so if a 16-year-old kid can do this because they have active minds, apparently -- and this kid must be incredibly smart -- should we gather together a group of teenagers to help us combat computer theft?

MCCOWN: Well, we really hate to encourage or reward that behavior. You know, if -- there's been a lot of debate on this in the past where, you know, if you find these clever people who are doing bad things and reward them for it, we're sort of motivating toward that behavior to, you know, maybe that's something we shouldn't do, because the tryouts could be a little rough.

COSTELLO: Yes, you've got that right.

Jon McCown, thanks for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

We appreciate it.

And you are watching DAYBREAK.

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COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, an $82 billion spending package has sailed through the Senate. Most of the money goes to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the bill also requires states to establish uniform standards for driver's licenses. Where did that come from? It was tacked onto the end. Critics are calling it a national I.D. card.

Iraq has been rocked by six more bombings this morning. Fifty- four Iraqis are dead, nearly 100 wounded. It's the latest in a string of deadly insurgent attacks. Officials say many of the dead were lined up to join the Iraqi Army.

Reports this hour that North Korea has completed removing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods from its main reactor. The spent fuel rods can be used to produce more weapons grade plutonium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says North Korea already has enough plutonium to make six bombs.

These pictures new to CNN this morning. Take a look. A violent anti-American protest in eastern Afghanistan. Two people were killed, more than 50 injured, when police clashed with protesters. They set fire to government offices and attacked U.N. missions.

To the Forecast Center now.

Rob in for Chad today -- good morning.

MARCIANO: Good morning, Carol.

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