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CNN Live At Daybreak
Oil-for-Food Scandal
Aired May 17, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, he's covered in an oil scandal and he's in for a drilling. A colorful character comes a long way to face his accusers.
Also, when does a hug cross the line? We'll wrap our arms around a touchy topic.
And the Supreme Court pops the cork. And that has wine lovers raising their glasses.
It is Tuesday, May 17.
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, is the Senate closer to a showdown over President Bush's court nominees. The Republican and Democratic leaders say they've broken off talks over the stalled nominations. But a bipartisan group of senators is still working on a compromise.
In Atlanta, an arraignment hearing for courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols gets underway this morning. He faces a 54-count indictment, including four charges of murder. Prosecutors say they'll seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Winds so strong they could knock over a semi truck. That's the scene in Utah. Eighty-mile an hour gusts blew over semi trailers, knocked down power lines, uprooted trees. No injuries, but boy, what a mess -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, all part of thunderstorms that rolled through that area yesterday. We told you about the potential from Salt Lake City right on down into Las Vegas for those storms to fire up. Today, they're a little bit farther to the east. They're just east of the Rocky Mountains, through about, oh, Rapid City, down through Denver, maybe a little bit farther to your east, right on through Scott's Bluff and down into west Texas. Tomorrow, they move a little bit farther to the Northeast from there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Taking bribes and making secret deals with Saddam Hussein, that's what a Senate committee will look into when it opens a hearing this morning on the U.N.'s Oil For Food Program. A member of the British parliament who is being accused of wrongdoing says he plans to give them both barrels when he testifies.
CNN's Richard Roth has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George Galloway left the U.K. promising, in his words, to give the Senate hell.
GEORGE GALLOWAY, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: The truth is I have never bought or sold a drop of oil from Iraq or sold or bought a drop of oil to anybody. And if I had, I'd be a very rich man.
ROTH: At London's Heathrow Airport, he ridiculed the Senate report that revived allegations that deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein granted him vouchers to import 20 million barrels of Iraqi crude between 2000 and 2003.
GALLOWAY: The story, at least a year old, which boils down to my name being inserted on pieces of paper. If I had actually performed any oil deals, you'd know about it now. The person who gave me the millions and millions of dollars would already be in front of the television cameras.
ROTH: Galloway has been a leading critic of Britain's alliance with the U.S. on the war with Iraq and was recently reelected on that platform. He is accused of steering his oil to a Jordanian businessman who financed a foundation that sent medical aid to Iraq.
Galloway will be the top witness before Senator Norm Coleman's investigative subcommittee, which in recent days condemned a number of European politicians it says were rewarded for supporting Iraq's bid to lift sanctions. Among them, former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua. The subcommittee says he was allocated 11 million barrels.
CHARLES PASQUA, FORMER FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER: I wrote to Mr. Coleman, the president of the subcommittee. And I tell him that all allegations about myself are false.
ROTH: And Russian Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, allegedly granted more allocations than a number of top Russian officials cited, 76 million barrels.
VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY, DEPUTY PARLIAMENT SPEAKER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have never received any contract and never received a cent from Iraq.
ROTH: Coleman says the evidence, including interviews the former top Saddam loyalists, speaks for itself.
SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: All we've done is report what we found. And what we found were Iraqi documents made at the time when Saddam was sin power that specifically listed these individuals by name, laid out the allocation that they were given. ROTH (on camera): The U.S. senator wants the British parliamentarian sworn in, warning Galloway he could face perjury charges for lying to committee if the accusations are later proven true.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: More about George Galloway now, because to say George Galloway is colorful is an understatement. He does not mince words. Example -- he told the Reuters News Agency he does not expect justice from "Zionist activists under the chairmanship of a neo-con, George Bush, who is pro-war."
So, exactly who is this outspoken British law maker? He was recently reelected to represent a Muslim district in the British parliament. Galloway was vehemently opposed to sending British troops to Iraq and he recently won a libel suit against a British paper for printing similar Oil For Food allegations.
In other news this morning, a sentencing hearing begins for an Army specialist convicted for her role in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. A military jury at Fort Hood, Texas convicted Specialist Sabrina Harman on all but one of seven charges against her. Harman could be sentenced to a maximum of five-and-a-half years in a military prison.
In other "News Across America" now, a California jury has recommended the death penalty for the man convicted of killing 5-year- old Samantha Runnion. Alejandro Avila was convicted by the same jury last month. The judge will decide Avila's sentence on July 22. Runnion was abducted and murdered in 2002. Her case gave national attention to the then fledgling amber alert system.
Police in Phoenix, Arizona may have found the body of a missing teenager in a local cemetery. A suspect confessed to burying the boy in an already occupied grave last year. Tests are being done to confirm the identity of the body.
Some scary moments for the crew and passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas. Five people, including three flight attendants, suffered minor injuries when the jet hit turbulence about 100 miles outside of San Jose, California.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, how long should a hug last in a school hallway? I'll talk to a mother and a superintendent who don't quite agree on the answer.
Plus, it's a big win for wine. A Supreme Court decision that may change the way you buy your favorite bottles.
And you've heard about the cyber crimes called pharming and phishing? Well, now we'll tell you about how an evil twin could creep into your computer.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: More on a story we've been talking about all morning. Have you had a little PBA today? You know, a public display of affection? Well, a 14-year-old middle school student in Bend, Oregon knows all about that kind of thing. She got detention earlier this year for hugging her boyfriend in the hallway at her school.
Her mom, Leslee Swanson, says she was stunned by the school's decision. She's speaking about this publicly for the first time on CNN.
And she joins us live now.
Good morning, Leslee.
LESLEE SWANSON, MOTHER OF STUDENT PUNISHED FOR HUGGING: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Tell us exactly what happened from your daughter's perspective.
SWANSON: Well, as my daughter explained it, she was coming from lunch and her boyfriend was going to P.E. -- oh, it's the opposite, she says. And they saw each other in the hall and they gave each other a hug. And this is pretty normal behavior, you know, at school. She's been hugging her friends, boys, girls, you know, all of her life at school and never received detention for it before and...
COSTELLO: Well, you know, some people, Leslee, say, like there's one kind of hug and then there's a hug.
SWANSON: Exactly. And I know exactly what they mean. And the hug -- the kind of hug that my daughter was participating in was a real basic, just affectionate hug that, you know, if we met each other and we might just give each other a hug, just a real gentle, nice hug.
And I agree with the school when they want to, you know, have guidelines about the kinds of touching that goes on at school. And I asked the vice principal who had given my daughter the detention, I said were there, you know, overt sexual overtones to the hug? Were they kissing or making out? Were they inappropriately touching one another in, you know, private parts or places where they shouldn't be touching one another? And he said, no, no, it was an extended hug, is what they called it. And...
COSTELLO: Well, what do they mean by extended? Did they actually time the hugs?
SWANSON: Well, what he told me was -- I asked him, I says well, OK, I see that you allow hugs. It's not that they're, you know, completely banned. They do allow hugs. But they allow a quick hello/good-bye hug. So I asked him, OK, so could you please help me understand what you mean by a quick hello/good-bye hug? And he says well, you know, it's a three second hug. And I said a three second hug. OK. So anything beyond three seconds is considered inappropriate? And he said that's right, it's just not appropriate behavior at school. And I...
COSTELLO: Leslee, I know your daughter is beside you there.
SWANSON: Yes.
COSTELLO: Would you mind if we talked to her?
SWANSON: Sure.
Here she is.
COSTELLO: Hi, Cazz.
CAZZ ALTOMARE: Hi.
COSTELLO: OK, tell us what happened when -- who came up to you? Was it the principal that said oh, you've been hugging too long, you get detention? Is that how it happened?
ALTOMARE: No, actually it was the vice principal and the -- well, it was different. Like the vice principal warned us, you know? But, you know, I never really (INAUDIBLE) thought we would get detention, you know? So the next day, like after the last warning he gave us, he called me to the office and he said that you and Garrett have detention. But, you know, and I was like OK. (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: So you had been warned before not to hug your boyfriend in the hall?
ALTOMARE: Yes. It was like -- yes.
COSTELLO: Got you.
So when they said that you were getting detention, how did that make you feel?
ALTOMARE: I was pretty shocked. I mean it was like, you know, detention? I mean come on.
COSTELLO: I heard your mom came into the detention hall and the first thing she did was give you a hug?
ALTOMARE: Yes. Yes, she did.
COSTELLO: Well, how did that make you feel?
ALTOMARE: You mean her coming in or the hug?
COSTELLO: All of it.
ALTOMARE: Well, at first it was kind of embarrassing because I really, I didn't really know what she was doing. And, but then it got cool (INAUDIBLE) I thought it was, like after I (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: Well, it's pretty cool your mom came in to support you.
Can you put Leslee back on the phone?
ALTOMARE: Yes.
SWANSON: Hi.
COSTELLO: So, Leslee, what do you want...
SWANSON: Hello?
COSTELLO: Hi. I'm still here.
Leslee, what do you want to come of all of this?
SWANSON: Oh, gosh, yes, what do I want to come of all this? Well, I'm hoping that they will reconsider this rule and allow children to hug and hold hands at school. I think it's a perfectly natural thing for children to want to do. And I don't think it's inappropriate behavior. I think it's absolutely appropriate. And that if they're going to have rules on the subject of inappropriate touching, they should really make it very specific.
COSTELLO: Leslee and Cazz, thank you for joining DAYBREAK, because I know it's very, very early out in Oregon.
SWANSON: Yes.
COSTELLO: We really appreciate your being with us this morning.
And good luck to both of you.
We're going to talk to the superintendent after a break, because he didn't want to appear at the same time because he doesn't want to turn this into a debate. And we'll ask him exactly why after our next commercial break.
But first, your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
British parliament member George Galloway testifies before a Senate panel this morning. A report from that panel accuses Galloway of profiting from the U.N. Oil For Food Program in Iraq. He denies the accusation.
In money news, delivery giant UPS has spent more than a billion dollars to add more trucks to its fleet. UPS bought trucking company Overnight. The move allows UPS to expand its ability to deliver heavier items. In culture, R&B singer Ciara has a chance to be center stage a lot at next month's BET Music Awards. She topped all artists with four nominations, including best new artist. The show will be co- hosted by Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
In sports, Jack Nicklaus says he's ready to end his golf career. The 65-year-old legend says July's British Open will be his last pro tournament. The Open will be played at the St. Andrew's course, which is where Nicklaus won two of his three British Open titles.
To the Forecast Center and -- Chad.
MYERS: You know, I guess this isn't a compliment, but I can't imagine that guy only being 65. He has played golf every moment that I can remember. He has just been the legend of the 20th century. It seems like he's been playing, at least, for 60 years. I know he hasn't, but we wish him well in that tournament.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, are you being preyed upon by an evil twin? Find out what that is and how you can protect your computer from it.
Plus, the story behind the story. Why one news magazine had to pull the plug on its own reporting. Was it too little too late, though?
That's when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, we've heard one side of the story, now let's hear from the superintendent of the school district in Bend, Oregon. That's where that middle schooler was recently sent to detention for hugging her boyfriend in the hallway. Her mom just talked to us a few minutes ago, and so did her daughter, Cazz.
Joining us now is Doug Nelson, who oversees the Bend-L.A. Pine School District.
Good morning, sir.
DOUG NELSON, SUPERINTENDENT, BEND-LA PINE SCHOOL DISTRICT: That's Bend-La Pine.
COSTELLO: Bend -- oh, I'm sorry.
I apologize. Bend-La Pine.
NELSON: Bend-La Pine.
That's perfectly OK. Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
Are you surprised that so much is being made over this?
NELSON: Well, we are a little surprised that so much is being made over this. It hasn't been an issue within our school district and I, quite honestly, didn't know it was an issue until I picked up the paper Sunday morning.
COSTELLO: And there it was.
Tell us what exactly the rule is.
NELSON: Well, the rule -- and I'll read this from -- this is from Skyview Middle School, one of our five middle schools, and this is very typical of what our schools would say: "Hugging, holding hands, walking arm and arm, kissing and other public displays of affection are not appropriate for middle school. Quick hello and good-bye hugs are OK. You are not to engage in physical displays of affection while in school."
COSTELLO: OK, so how long is a hello and good-bye hug?
NELSON: Well, that's a matter of judgment and middle school educators deal with judging student behavior all the time. And our staff doesn't get into timing hugs, but it's a matter of judgment and seeing as the students interact.
COSTELLO: So in regards to this particular student, Cazz, what did she do wrong?
NELSON: Well, I'm not going to comment on an individual student or an individual student disciplinary situation. That's very -- it's not appropriate for me to do. I don't believe that this is the place to deal with that kind of situation.
COSTELLO: Well, take us into why her behavior might have sent her to detention.
NELSON: Well, as I understand -- what the school has told me, the -- and I think you have to understand this in the context of a middle school. Our responsibilities to establish boundaries and rules and expectations, to educate the students about those rules and to ensure that when students are not following the rules, they're reminded to follow them. And if they, after repeated warnings, they're -- and repeated reminders, they don't follow the rules, students are often receive detention. We have to hold them accountable and we have to follow through.
And so that's real typical in middle schools. And when you're looking at an age range of 11 to 14, you have a wide variety of expectations about what is appropriate for the -- for all of the students, because we do have a wide range of development.
COSTELLO: Oh, I understand that.
We've been getting a lot of e-mails from our viewers about this particular topic and I want to read one to you now. This is from Lee. She's from Arizona. She says: "It amazes me that issues involving affection are being scrutinized by public schools when there are important things to worry about, such as gangs, weapons, making sure that the students can actually read and write before they graduate, etc. It would be understandable if the student was actually involved in a sexual act, but there is nothing wrong with a hug."
Can you respond to that?
NELSON: Well, I agree with the premise that there are a lot of very important things that we -- about which we have to deal. But I think it's important to emphasize we did not establish a new rule. There has been no action on our part about anything regarding public displays of affection. What we have here is one family questioning a longstanding expectation. And I think that's great. That's what makes America such a wonderful country.
But, again, this is not something that we have discussed or even had on our radar screen, if you will, as an issue. And so it's not something we've spent a lot of time on. We spent more time discussing it with people outside of our community and the media than we have internally.
COSTELLO: All right, Doug Nelson, the superintendent of the Bend-La Pine School District.
Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
We appreciate it.
NELSON: You're quite welcome, Carol.
COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
If you've finally figured out how to avoid phishing, there are some new scams computer hackers are using to steal your personal information.
Carrie Lee has more on that -- no surprise.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're always keeping ahead of us.
I know, Carol, it's very difficult to avoid these things sometimes. But let's talk about some of the scams out there, then at least people are aware of how they work. It's a constant battle to stay ahead of hackers. Phishing -- you mentioned that.
Now, phishing is a scam in which you receive an e-mail that's designed to look like it's from a legitimate company. A link in the e-mail takes you to a fake site, which asks for personal information. Well, bottom line, don't click on the e-mail. If you get an e-mail like that, just close it and then go to the legitimate Web site directly by typing in the address. So most people are familiar with that one.
But one new scam is called evil twins. It sounds pretty ominous and it is. As wi-fi or wireless fidelity gets more popular, hackers are setting up fake networks and they're called evil twins because they look identical to legitimate Web sites. So it can be tough to avoid them. Evil twins are not really a problem for home networks, since hackers are looking to steal information from a lot of people quickly. So you should always verify which network is the legitimate one and use at that hot spot. And never leave your laptop connected unless you're using it. That can be a big problem.
And then finally, the last scam here called pharming. Hackers are able to redirect you to an impostor Web page even when you type in the correct address in your browser. This is more dangerous because it's out of the user's control. It's up to the Internet service provider and the operator of the Web site to avoid pharming.
Experts say evil twins and pharming aren't widespread yet, but you can be sure as people figure out how to avoid these scams, hackers are going to come up with new ones. So it's a constant battle, but...
COSTELLO: Why don't they use their smarts for something good?
LEE: I know. They could probably make millions of dollars a legitimate way...
COSTELLO: Exactly.
LEE: ... if they can figure this stuff out, right?
COSTELLO: Thank you, Carrie Lee.
LEE: OK.
COSTELLO: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, they call him bin Laden's London general. This morning, a British court could send him to the United States.
And changes in the way you find out about children in danger, when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Still to come, four people are dead. Now a magazine retracts its story that supposedly led to this violence.
And you know that lighter ban at the nation's airports? Well, more changes to tell you about.
DAYBREAK will be back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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 17, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, he's covered in an oil scandal and he's in for a drilling. A colorful character comes a long way to face his accusers.
Also, when does a hug cross the line? We'll wrap our arms around a touchy topic.
And the Supreme Court pops the cork. And that has wine lovers raising their glasses.
It is Tuesday, May 17.
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, is the Senate closer to a showdown over President Bush's court nominees. The Republican and Democratic leaders say they've broken off talks over the stalled nominations. But a bipartisan group of senators is still working on a compromise.
In Atlanta, an arraignment hearing for courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols gets underway this morning. He faces a 54-count indictment, including four charges of murder. Prosecutors say they'll seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Winds so strong they could knock over a semi truck. That's the scene in Utah. Eighty-mile an hour gusts blew over semi trailers, knocked down power lines, uprooted trees. No injuries, but boy, what a mess -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, all part of thunderstorms that rolled through that area yesterday. We told you about the potential from Salt Lake City right on down into Las Vegas for those storms to fire up. Today, they're a little bit farther to the east. They're just east of the Rocky Mountains, through about, oh, Rapid City, down through Denver, maybe a little bit farther to your east, right on through Scott's Bluff and down into west Texas. Tomorrow, they move a little bit farther to the Northeast from there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Taking bribes and making secret deals with Saddam Hussein, that's what a Senate committee will look into when it opens a hearing this morning on the U.N.'s Oil For Food Program. A member of the British parliament who is being accused of wrongdoing says he plans to give them both barrels when he testifies.
CNN's Richard Roth has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George Galloway left the U.K. promising, in his words, to give the Senate hell.
GEORGE GALLOWAY, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: The truth is I have never bought or sold a drop of oil from Iraq or sold or bought a drop of oil to anybody. And if I had, I'd be a very rich man.
ROTH: At London's Heathrow Airport, he ridiculed the Senate report that revived allegations that deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein granted him vouchers to import 20 million barrels of Iraqi crude between 2000 and 2003.
GALLOWAY: The story, at least a year old, which boils down to my name being inserted on pieces of paper. If I had actually performed any oil deals, you'd know about it now. The person who gave me the millions and millions of dollars would already be in front of the television cameras.
ROTH: Galloway has been a leading critic of Britain's alliance with the U.S. on the war with Iraq and was recently reelected on that platform. He is accused of steering his oil to a Jordanian businessman who financed a foundation that sent medical aid to Iraq.
Galloway will be the top witness before Senator Norm Coleman's investigative subcommittee, which in recent days condemned a number of European politicians it says were rewarded for supporting Iraq's bid to lift sanctions. Among them, former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua. The subcommittee says he was allocated 11 million barrels.
CHARLES PASQUA, FORMER FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER: I wrote to Mr. Coleman, the president of the subcommittee. And I tell him that all allegations about myself are false.
ROTH: And Russian Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, allegedly granted more allocations than a number of top Russian officials cited, 76 million barrels.
VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY, DEPUTY PARLIAMENT SPEAKER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have never received any contract and never received a cent from Iraq.
ROTH: Coleman says the evidence, including interviews the former top Saddam loyalists, speaks for itself.
SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: All we've done is report what we found. And what we found were Iraqi documents made at the time when Saddam was sin power that specifically listed these individuals by name, laid out the allocation that they were given. ROTH (on camera): The U.S. senator wants the British parliamentarian sworn in, warning Galloway he could face perjury charges for lying to committee if the accusations are later proven true.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: More about George Galloway now, because to say George Galloway is colorful is an understatement. He does not mince words. Example -- he told the Reuters News Agency he does not expect justice from "Zionist activists under the chairmanship of a neo-con, George Bush, who is pro-war."
So, exactly who is this outspoken British law maker? He was recently reelected to represent a Muslim district in the British parliament. Galloway was vehemently opposed to sending British troops to Iraq and he recently won a libel suit against a British paper for printing similar Oil For Food allegations.
In other news this morning, a sentencing hearing begins for an Army specialist convicted for her role in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. A military jury at Fort Hood, Texas convicted Specialist Sabrina Harman on all but one of seven charges against her. Harman could be sentenced to a maximum of five-and-a-half years in a military prison.
In other "News Across America" now, a California jury has recommended the death penalty for the man convicted of killing 5-year- old Samantha Runnion. Alejandro Avila was convicted by the same jury last month. The judge will decide Avila's sentence on July 22. Runnion was abducted and murdered in 2002. Her case gave national attention to the then fledgling amber alert system.
Police in Phoenix, Arizona may have found the body of a missing teenager in a local cemetery. A suspect confessed to burying the boy in an already occupied grave last year. Tests are being done to confirm the identity of the body.
Some scary moments for the crew and passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas. Five people, including three flight attendants, suffered minor injuries when the jet hit turbulence about 100 miles outside of San Jose, California.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, how long should a hug last in a school hallway? I'll talk to a mother and a superintendent who don't quite agree on the answer.
Plus, it's a big win for wine. A Supreme Court decision that may change the way you buy your favorite bottles.
And you've heard about the cyber crimes called pharming and phishing? Well, now we'll tell you about how an evil twin could creep into your computer.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: More on a story we've been talking about all morning. Have you had a little PBA today? You know, a public display of affection? Well, a 14-year-old middle school student in Bend, Oregon knows all about that kind of thing. She got detention earlier this year for hugging her boyfriend in the hallway at her school.
Her mom, Leslee Swanson, says she was stunned by the school's decision. She's speaking about this publicly for the first time on CNN.
And she joins us live now.
Good morning, Leslee.
LESLEE SWANSON, MOTHER OF STUDENT PUNISHED FOR HUGGING: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Tell us exactly what happened from your daughter's perspective.
SWANSON: Well, as my daughter explained it, she was coming from lunch and her boyfriend was going to P.E. -- oh, it's the opposite, she says. And they saw each other in the hall and they gave each other a hug. And this is pretty normal behavior, you know, at school. She's been hugging her friends, boys, girls, you know, all of her life at school and never received detention for it before and...
COSTELLO: Well, you know, some people, Leslee, say, like there's one kind of hug and then there's a hug.
SWANSON: Exactly. And I know exactly what they mean. And the hug -- the kind of hug that my daughter was participating in was a real basic, just affectionate hug that, you know, if we met each other and we might just give each other a hug, just a real gentle, nice hug.
And I agree with the school when they want to, you know, have guidelines about the kinds of touching that goes on at school. And I asked the vice principal who had given my daughter the detention, I said were there, you know, overt sexual overtones to the hug? Were they kissing or making out? Were they inappropriately touching one another in, you know, private parts or places where they shouldn't be touching one another? And he said, no, no, it was an extended hug, is what they called it. And...
COSTELLO: Well, what do they mean by extended? Did they actually time the hugs?
SWANSON: Well, what he told me was -- I asked him, I says well, OK, I see that you allow hugs. It's not that they're, you know, completely banned. They do allow hugs. But they allow a quick hello/good-bye hug. So I asked him, OK, so could you please help me understand what you mean by a quick hello/good-bye hug? And he says well, you know, it's a three second hug. And I said a three second hug. OK. So anything beyond three seconds is considered inappropriate? And he said that's right, it's just not appropriate behavior at school. And I...
COSTELLO: Leslee, I know your daughter is beside you there.
SWANSON: Yes.
COSTELLO: Would you mind if we talked to her?
SWANSON: Sure.
Here she is.
COSTELLO: Hi, Cazz.
CAZZ ALTOMARE: Hi.
COSTELLO: OK, tell us what happened when -- who came up to you? Was it the principal that said oh, you've been hugging too long, you get detention? Is that how it happened?
ALTOMARE: No, actually it was the vice principal and the -- well, it was different. Like the vice principal warned us, you know? But, you know, I never really (INAUDIBLE) thought we would get detention, you know? So the next day, like after the last warning he gave us, he called me to the office and he said that you and Garrett have detention. But, you know, and I was like OK. (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: So you had been warned before not to hug your boyfriend in the hall?
ALTOMARE: Yes. It was like -- yes.
COSTELLO: Got you.
So when they said that you were getting detention, how did that make you feel?
ALTOMARE: I was pretty shocked. I mean it was like, you know, detention? I mean come on.
COSTELLO: I heard your mom came into the detention hall and the first thing she did was give you a hug?
ALTOMARE: Yes. Yes, she did.
COSTELLO: Well, how did that make you feel?
ALTOMARE: You mean her coming in or the hug?
COSTELLO: All of it.
ALTOMARE: Well, at first it was kind of embarrassing because I really, I didn't really know what she was doing. And, but then it got cool (INAUDIBLE) I thought it was, like after I (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: Well, it's pretty cool your mom came in to support you.
Can you put Leslee back on the phone?
ALTOMARE: Yes.
SWANSON: Hi.
COSTELLO: So, Leslee, what do you want...
SWANSON: Hello?
COSTELLO: Hi. I'm still here.
Leslee, what do you want to come of all of this?
SWANSON: Oh, gosh, yes, what do I want to come of all this? Well, I'm hoping that they will reconsider this rule and allow children to hug and hold hands at school. I think it's a perfectly natural thing for children to want to do. And I don't think it's inappropriate behavior. I think it's absolutely appropriate. And that if they're going to have rules on the subject of inappropriate touching, they should really make it very specific.
COSTELLO: Leslee and Cazz, thank you for joining DAYBREAK, because I know it's very, very early out in Oregon.
SWANSON: Yes.
COSTELLO: We really appreciate your being with us this morning.
And good luck to both of you.
We're going to talk to the superintendent after a break, because he didn't want to appear at the same time because he doesn't want to turn this into a debate. And we'll ask him exactly why after our next commercial break.
But first, your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:16 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
British parliament member George Galloway testifies before a Senate panel this morning. A report from that panel accuses Galloway of profiting from the U.N. Oil For Food Program in Iraq. He denies the accusation.
In money news, delivery giant UPS has spent more than a billion dollars to add more trucks to its fleet. UPS bought trucking company Overnight. The move allows UPS to expand its ability to deliver heavier items. In culture, R&B singer Ciara has a chance to be center stage a lot at next month's BET Music Awards. She topped all artists with four nominations, including best new artist. The show will be co- hosted by Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
In sports, Jack Nicklaus says he's ready to end his golf career. The 65-year-old legend says July's British Open will be his last pro tournament. The Open will be played at the St. Andrew's course, which is where Nicklaus won two of his three British Open titles.
To the Forecast Center and -- Chad.
MYERS: You know, I guess this isn't a compliment, but I can't imagine that guy only being 65. He has played golf every moment that I can remember. He has just been the legend of the 20th century. It seems like he's been playing, at least, for 60 years. I know he hasn't, but we wish him well in that tournament.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, are you being preyed upon by an evil twin? Find out what that is and how you can protect your computer from it.
Plus, the story behind the story. Why one news magazine had to pull the plug on its own reporting. Was it too little too late, though?
That's when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, we've heard one side of the story, now let's hear from the superintendent of the school district in Bend, Oregon. That's where that middle schooler was recently sent to detention for hugging her boyfriend in the hallway. Her mom just talked to us a few minutes ago, and so did her daughter, Cazz.
Joining us now is Doug Nelson, who oversees the Bend-L.A. Pine School District.
Good morning, sir.
DOUG NELSON, SUPERINTENDENT, BEND-LA PINE SCHOOL DISTRICT: That's Bend-La Pine.
COSTELLO: Bend -- oh, I'm sorry.
I apologize. Bend-La Pine.
NELSON: Bend-La Pine.
That's perfectly OK. Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
Are you surprised that so much is being made over this?
NELSON: Well, we are a little surprised that so much is being made over this. It hasn't been an issue within our school district and I, quite honestly, didn't know it was an issue until I picked up the paper Sunday morning.
COSTELLO: And there it was.
Tell us what exactly the rule is.
NELSON: Well, the rule -- and I'll read this from -- this is from Skyview Middle School, one of our five middle schools, and this is very typical of what our schools would say: "Hugging, holding hands, walking arm and arm, kissing and other public displays of affection are not appropriate for middle school. Quick hello and good-bye hugs are OK. You are not to engage in physical displays of affection while in school."
COSTELLO: OK, so how long is a hello and good-bye hug?
NELSON: Well, that's a matter of judgment and middle school educators deal with judging student behavior all the time. And our staff doesn't get into timing hugs, but it's a matter of judgment and seeing as the students interact.
COSTELLO: So in regards to this particular student, Cazz, what did she do wrong?
NELSON: Well, I'm not going to comment on an individual student or an individual student disciplinary situation. That's very -- it's not appropriate for me to do. I don't believe that this is the place to deal with that kind of situation.
COSTELLO: Well, take us into why her behavior might have sent her to detention.
NELSON: Well, as I understand -- what the school has told me, the -- and I think you have to understand this in the context of a middle school. Our responsibilities to establish boundaries and rules and expectations, to educate the students about those rules and to ensure that when students are not following the rules, they're reminded to follow them. And if they, after repeated warnings, they're -- and repeated reminders, they don't follow the rules, students are often receive detention. We have to hold them accountable and we have to follow through.
And so that's real typical in middle schools. And when you're looking at an age range of 11 to 14, you have a wide variety of expectations about what is appropriate for the -- for all of the students, because we do have a wide range of development.
COSTELLO: Oh, I understand that.
We've been getting a lot of e-mails from our viewers about this particular topic and I want to read one to you now. This is from Lee. She's from Arizona. She says: "It amazes me that issues involving affection are being scrutinized by public schools when there are important things to worry about, such as gangs, weapons, making sure that the students can actually read and write before they graduate, etc. It would be understandable if the student was actually involved in a sexual act, but there is nothing wrong with a hug."
Can you respond to that?
NELSON: Well, I agree with the premise that there are a lot of very important things that we -- about which we have to deal. But I think it's important to emphasize we did not establish a new rule. There has been no action on our part about anything regarding public displays of affection. What we have here is one family questioning a longstanding expectation. And I think that's great. That's what makes America such a wonderful country.
But, again, this is not something that we have discussed or even had on our radar screen, if you will, as an issue. And so it's not something we've spent a lot of time on. We spent more time discussing it with people outside of our community and the media than we have internally.
COSTELLO: All right, Doug Nelson, the superintendent of the Bend-La Pine School District.
Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
We appreciate it.
NELSON: You're quite welcome, Carol.
COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
If you've finally figured out how to avoid phishing, there are some new scams computer hackers are using to steal your personal information.
Carrie Lee has more on that -- no surprise.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're always keeping ahead of us.
I know, Carol, it's very difficult to avoid these things sometimes. But let's talk about some of the scams out there, then at least people are aware of how they work. It's a constant battle to stay ahead of hackers. Phishing -- you mentioned that.
Now, phishing is a scam in which you receive an e-mail that's designed to look like it's from a legitimate company. A link in the e-mail takes you to a fake site, which asks for personal information. Well, bottom line, don't click on the e-mail. If you get an e-mail like that, just close it and then go to the legitimate Web site directly by typing in the address. So most people are familiar with that one.
But one new scam is called evil twins. It sounds pretty ominous and it is. As wi-fi or wireless fidelity gets more popular, hackers are setting up fake networks and they're called evil twins because they look identical to legitimate Web sites. So it can be tough to avoid them. Evil twins are not really a problem for home networks, since hackers are looking to steal information from a lot of people quickly. So you should always verify which network is the legitimate one and use at that hot spot. And never leave your laptop connected unless you're using it. That can be a big problem.
And then finally, the last scam here called pharming. Hackers are able to redirect you to an impostor Web page even when you type in the correct address in your browser. This is more dangerous because it's out of the user's control. It's up to the Internet service provider and the operator of the Web site to avoid pharming.
Experts say evil twins and pharming aren't widespread yet, but you can be sure as people figure out how to avoid these scams, hackers are going to come up with new ones. So it's a constant battle, but...
COSTELLO: Why don't they use their smarts for something good?
LEE: I know. They could probably make millions of dollars a legitimate way...
COSTELLO: Exactly.
LEE: ... if they can figure this stuff out, right?
COSTELLO: Thank you, Carrie Lee.
LEE: OK.
COSTELLO: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, they call him bin Laden's London general. This morning, a British court could send him to the United States.
And changes in the way you find out about children in danger, when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Still to come, four people are dead. Now a magazine retracts its story that supposedly led to this violence.
And you know that lighter ban at the nation's airports? Well, more changes to tell you about.
DAYBREAK will be back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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