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CNN Live At Daybreak

Battle Over Judges; Security Images

Aired May 19, 2005 - 06:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Still to come, offended and outraged over a yearbook photo that depicts slavery and bondage? We have the pictures for you.
And how much would you think this bus stop is worth? Does a million bucks sound steep? That story in the last half-hour of DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

In the news this morning.

The filibuster fight has begun. It was pretty testy on Capitol Hill.

Dick Uliano is there live now.

Dick -- fill us in.

DICK ULIANO, CNN RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the talks are expected to continue today among moderate Republican and Democrat senators in closed doors on Capitol Hill, trying to find a compromise, trying to find a way out of this fight that has begun.

You know, it's the so-called nuclear option to change the rules of the Senate. They call it that because it would be such a big step and would really kind of change things in the Senate. And if it is a nuclear option, then the fuse was lit yesterday when debate began on Priscilla Owen, one of the judges that Democrats are blocking from a Senate vote.

And this will proceed until next week if debate cannot be cut off; in other words, if Democrats filibuster it, calling for endless debate without a vote. Then that would trigger this so-called nuclear option, and a move by Republicans to change the rules of the Senate and prevent such vote blocking in the future.

COSTELLO: So, how likely is that? I mean, are there any special meetings set up between key Republicans and key Democrats?

ULIANO: Well, how likely the -- how successful it would be to change the rules is a question that remains hanging in the air over the Capitol Dome, because nobody really seems to know how that vote would come out. And that's pretty unusual in Congress. Usually, there's a sense of how things may play out. But nobody really seems to know.

The leaders are determined, it seems, to have this collision, this vote over changing the rules. But moderates, about a dozen of them, continue their meetings. And yet, a compromise so far, Carol, has been elusive. They just haven't reached it.

COSTELLO: I know you'll keep following it. Dick Uliano live in Washington this morning.

A DAYBREAK follow-up now on what now appears to have been an assassination attempt against President Bush. The FBI is now confirming that someone tossed a live grenade within 100 feet of the president during his appearance in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Authorities say a malfunction was the only thing that prevented the device from exploding. The report contradicts a statement from Georgian authorities, who said the grenade did not contain explosives.

President Bush is pushing forward with his promise to help young democracies. He announced a new plan to create a special corps of federal workers, who would quickly deploy to help foreign governments in crisis. The president is asking Congress for $24 million to fund the project. He discussed it at a dinner hosted by the International Republican Institute.

And Democrats have new ammunition in their battle against John Bolton, the man President Bush wants to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused Bolton of misleading them. They have issued a 63- page report disputing his testimony in which he denied trying to discipline or fire intelligence analysts who disagreed with him. The Democrats are recommending that senators vote against Bolton's nomination.

We told you earlier on DAYBREAK about that bank robbery that turned into a hostage situation and what one pilot thought was a plane hijacking. More now on that from CNN's Bill Hemmer with a look ahead to "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

Some are saying this was the most unusual bank robbery in Kansas history. The suspect handcuffing his hostages, forcing them to strip down to their underwear. He leads them away with a rope into a waiting van, drives to an airport and tries to hijack a plane. And then there's a shootout, Carol. We can't make this up. This thing had everything in Wichita. We'll talk to a witness this morning. He says it was like watching a traumatic movie. Some more on that this morning.

Also, meet the first American, Carol, to climb the world's 14th- tallest peaks. This is downright extraordinary. Every one of these mountains, Carol, has an altitude of greater than 26,000 feet. The guy does it without oxygen. We'll talk to him this morning about it. An amazing feat.

COSTELLO: He was moving very slowly.

HEMMER: Well, at that point, yes. I mean, wouldn't you, for crying out loud? I mean, you're touching the heavens up there.

COSTELLO: Yes, I know. It's very hard to breathe.

HEMMER: So, we'll talk to him this morning.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Sure.

COSTELLO: We'll see you in about, oh, 20 minutes.

In other stories across America this Thursday, this yearbook photo of a high school senior elected by his classmates as most whipped is stirring up trouble in Boynton Beach, Florida. Take a look at that. That's his girlfriend, holding the leash. The student's mother says it reminds her of a picture from the '70s miniseries "Roots" that showed a manacled slave. Her son, though, says it's no big deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT RICHARDS, STUDENT: It doesn't look racist to me, because I wasn't brought up in that era. I can see where some people might get offended, but this yearbook was not made for people. This is micromedia. It was made for us students. And I don't think that this should be such a big deal.

JACQUELINE NOBLES, MOTHER: I'm pretty sure it meant fun for them as well, but it's not a joke. And I would like to see it removed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In Georgia, two high school seniors planning to graduate this weekend are appealing their suspension for bringing a knife to school. The school superintendent has said the girls will not be allowed to attend ceremonies, but will be able to graduate with their class on Saturday. One girl's mother says they took the knife from the band room, and they used it to cut a cake.

OK, it looks like this Anchorage, Alaska, bus stop could use some improvements. But does it really take a million-and-a-half dollars? Well, that's what it's getting, thanks to a piece of pork barrel spending pushed through by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. And by the way, he is the head of the Appropriations Committee.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, is your insurance company punishing you for where you call home? It's a hurricane headache for some families.

And screening at the nation's airports is about to reveal even more about you. But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." As we've mentioned this week, hurricane season is right around the corner. Those strong storms in Florida last year caused insurance companies millions of dollars. And now one insurance company is fighting back.

Carrie Lee joins us with more on this story.

Oh, this does not sound good for the consumer.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It is not good news for them, Carol. Nor is it good news for the insurance companies, millions, billions of dollars in losses, in some cases.

So now, Allstate says it is not going to renew 95,000 homeowner insurance policies in the state of Florida, although Allstate is going to keep 663,000 policies in that state. Allstate says it is taking steps to make sure no one is left without insurance, though. A company called Universal Insurance is going to sell policies to Allstate customers, who are not renewed. So, Universal is basically stepping in.

Now, Allstate is also not renewing 16,000 commercial insurance policies, nor is it going to write any new commercial policies. Allstate says it will continue to write new homeowner policies in the states as it sees fit, but four major hurricanes last year -- Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, you remember all of those -- hit Florida last year. And now, an Allstate spokesperson says they altered the world of doing business in Florida. Allstate alone paid $2 billion -- that's billion with a "b" -- in claims as a result.

So, they're really having no choice, they say, but to pull out and get Universal to come in for these people instead.

COSTELLO: You know, if I have an insurance policy from them, I'm not buying that. I'm mad!

LEE: Well, I would be mad, too. But you have to understand Allstate and all of these insurance companies are in business to make money, right? And if they have to...

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) claims that you pay for.

LEE: That's true. But if they have to stay in business and subsidize these folks, that means everyone else's insurance premium is going to go up. So -- and in some areas of the country you can't even get insurance if you're right on a high-risk area or right on a shoreline. So, this is the situation with Allstate. That's the latest.

COSTELLO: Wow!

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures.

LEE: The futures are looking flat to slightly higher. I'll tell you, though, it's been a great week for stocks. We've seen three days in a row of gains. The Dow has seen its best three-day gain since the elections back in November. All of the major market indices are up 3 percent for the week. So, maybe people are taking a little bit of a breather today.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.

Well, let's take a short break. We'll be back with much more on DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Gunmen have assassinated an official from Iraq's Oil Ministry. He was killed in his Baghdad home this morning as he was leaving for work.

In money news, Toyota is tops in quality. That's according to a study by J.D. Power. The Lexis is one of 10 vehicles from the Japanese automaker that won the highest scores.

In culture, it is down two on "American Idol." A tearful Vonzell Solomon, the 20-year-old affectionately known as "Baby V," was knocked off the show. That leaves Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood.

In sports, Barry Bonds is still recovering from an infection in his surgically-repaired right knee. The sidelined slugger had his IV removed, but it's not known if he'll return to the dugout this year.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, think there's nothing private at the airport anymore? You're probably right. We'll tell you what the backscatter is and how it sees you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 6:49 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

The SCC is expected to set a deadline today for Internet telephone providers to offer emergency 911 calling services. It's in response to incidents of 911 calls from Internet customers being rerouted or going unanswered.

First baseball. Today it's pro basketball's turn to be grilled by Congress about steroids. NBA Commissioner David Stern has said he's against a proposed mandated uniform drug testing policy covering all sports.

And the wait is over for diehard "Star Wars" fans. "Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" debuts today. Some theaters started the fun early with midnight shows.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The storm troopers showed up in droves.

COSTELLO: I know. I wish we had shown those new pictures of people waiting in line.

MYERS: They're still in line. Some of them had been in line for weeks trying to get to the first showing. They didn't even make it the first showing, because that was sold out. Now they're waiting for the 3:00 show there. Oh, my goodness! Anyway...

COSTELLO: It's crazy.

MYERS: It is. Let me show you what's going on here. We're giving away a mug. That's what we're doing.

Who will unveil a new design for the World Trade Center? That was obviously the Donald. And name the actor who portrays Anakin Skywalker? And the answer, Hayden Christensen. You should know that, of course.

The winner, Lucy MacPhail from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Congratulations. You get a beautiful CNN DAYBREAK coffee mug. I gave one to our boss yesterday. He didn't realize how nice it was. So good thing you got a good one, because we may be making it a little bit cheaper from now on.

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: No, I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

COSTELLO: He's going to buy us new mugs since he liked it so much?

MYERS: He loved them.

And now the questions for today. Name two domestic organizations the FBI says pose the greatest threat to U.S. security. And, number two, how much money did the first "Star Wars" film make in its opening weekend? And it's nowhere near what this one is going to make.

COSTELLO: Are you going to give the address?

MYERS: CNN.com/daybreak, Carol. Everybody knows that by now.

COSTELLO: I know. Silly me. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: X-ray vision. Superman has it. Now airports can have it, too. And it's bringing to mind all sorts of privacy issues.

"USA Today" aviation writer Ben Mutzabaugh reveals all. He's live in Washington.

Good morning, Ben.

BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: We keep hearing about this X-ray-type machine. So, first of all, remind us what it is.

MUTZABAUGH: Well, as you said earlier, it's called the backscatter. And what it is, it bounces low-level X-ray radiation off of passengers. And when these particles come back to the sensor, what it does is it paints a pretty detailed picture of what a passenger has beneath his or her clothes.

And not only will it show possibly hidden explosives or other items that you might be trying to sneak past security, it shows just about everything else as well.

COSTELLO: Boy, it really does. So, are these installed in any airports across the country now?

MUTZABAUGH: Not yet. But the TSA says that they're going to be testing one of these backscatter devices to see how well they work. But they're not saying when it will be deployed or where it will be deployed. But it's just, they say, it's just going to be a test basis just to see if these things are practical or not.

COSTELLO: Now, I wonder how they're going to, you know, perform that test. Are they going to ask people if they feel comfortable in getting...

MUTZABAUGH: Well...

COSTELLO: ... getting (INAUDIBLE) like this?

MUTZABAUGH: It will be -- and I don't think they've revealed a whole lot about how that's going to happen. But it's an excellent question. And as you can see just from those pictures, it is a very revealing picture. And myself included, I would feel a little uncomfortable if I knew someone was seeing a picture like that of me. On the flip side, you have all of the privacy advocates who are worried that this is the first step towards a surveillance society. And I don't know if that's going too far or not. But you do really have some privacy issues.

But I've got to tell you on the flip side, I would hate to be the person that said, you know, this is too much privacy, and then have someone sneak C-4 explosives onto a plane like happened in Russia.

COSTELLO: Oh, I totally understand that. But if it can be used in airports legally, might it be used, you know, the doors of courtrooms across the country, for example? MUTZABAUGH: And that's what some of the privacy advocates are saying. They're saying -- I think it sounds like they've almost agreed that it may make sense at airports, but I think what they're concerned about is if people get used to seeing such security measures at airports, then it lowers their inhibition to say, why not have this at a school? Why not have this at a library or wherever?

COSTELLO: Exactly. Ben Mutzabaugh, thanks for joining us this morning.

MUTZABAUGH: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Peeping Tom technology has reached the New York City subway system. Police are looking for the person responsible for installing a camera underneath a subway grate on the street. They say the camera took pictures up women's skirts as they walked over the grate. Police also say the camera could have been transmitting the pictures straight to the Internet, because some of those pictures have now made it online.

When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. This is DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time for your travel update.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

In Idaho, no sign so far of those two missing children. They lived in a home where three people were killed. Detectives have questioned Robert Lutner. Police say he was at the house the night before those bodies were found.

A new tape said to be from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq justifies suicide bombings. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi calls for the killing of infidels by any means necessary, even if it means killing innocent Muslims.

Today is round two of the Senate battle over judicial nominees. Majority Leader Bill Frist is the Republicans' point man. He's calling for an up or down vote, while Democrats still promise to filibuster.

Negotiations on an NBA labor contract broke down on the same day that Commissioner David Stern appeared before Congress during the steroid hearings. Management says if no deal is reached, it could lead to a July 1 lockout.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" 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 19, 2005 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Still to come, offended and outraged over a yearbook photo that depicts slavery and bondage? We have the pictures for you.
And how much would you think this bus stop is worth? Does a million bucks sound steep? That story in the last half-hour of DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

In the news this morning.

The filibuster fight has begun. It was pretty testy on Capitol Hill.

Dick Uliano is there live now.

Dick -- fill us in.

DICK ULIANO, CNN RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the talks are expected to continue today among moderate Republican and Democrat senators in closed doors on Capitol Hill, trying to find a compromise, trying to find a way out of this fight that has begun.

You know, it's the so-called nuclear option to change the rules of the Senate. They call it that because it would be such a big step and would really kind of change things in the Senate. And if it is a nuclear option, then the fuse was lit yesterday when debate began on Priscilla Owen, one of the judges that Democrats are blocking from a Senate vote.

And this will proceed until next week if debate cannot be cut off; in other words, if Democrats filibuster it, calling for endless debate without a vote. Then that would trigger this so-called nuclear option, and a move by Republicans to change the rules of the Senate and prevent such vote blocking in the future.

COSTELLO: So, how likely is that? I mean, are there any special meetings set up between key Republicans and key Democrats?

ULIANO: Well, how likely the -- how successful it would be to change the rules is a question that remains hanging in the air over the Capitol Dome, because nobody really seems to know how that vote would come out. And that's pretty unusual in Congress. Usually, there's a sense of how things may play out. But nobody really seems to know.

The leaders are determined, it seems, to have this collision, this vote over changing the rules. But moderates, about a dozen of them, continue their meetings. And yet, a compromise so far, Carol, has been elusive. They just haven't reached it.

COSTELLO: I know you'll keep following it. Dick Uliano live in Washington this morning.

A DAYBREAK follow-up now on what now appears to have been an assassination attempt against President Bush. The FBI is now confirming that someone tossed a live grenade within 100 feet of the president during his appearance in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Authorities say a malfunction was the only thing that prevented the device from exploding. The report contradicts a statement from Georgian authorities, who said the grenade did not contain explosives.

President Bush is pushing forward with his promise to help young democracies. He announced a new plan to create a special corps of federal workers, who would quickly deploy to help foreign governments in crisis. The president is asking Congress for $24 million to fund the project. He discussed it at a dinner hosted by the International Republican Institute.

And Democrats have new ammunition in their battle against John Bolton, the man President Bush wants to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused Bolton of misleading them. They have issued a 63- page report disputing his testimony in which he denied trying to discipline or fire intelligence analysts who disagreed with him. The Democrats are recommending that senators vote against Bolton's nomination.

We told you earlier on DAYBREAK about that bank robbery that turned into a hostage situation and what one pilot thought was a plane hijacking. More now on that from CNN's Bill Hemmer with a look ahead to "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

Some are saying this was the most unusual bank robbery in Kansas history. The suspect handcuffing his hostages, forcing them to strip down to their underwear. He leads them away with a rope into a waiting van, drives to an airport and tries to hijack a plane. And then there's a shootout, Carol. We can't make this up. This thing had everything in Wichita. We'll talk to a witness this morning. He says it was like watching a traumatic movie. Some more on that this morning.

Also, meet the first American, Carol, to climb the world's 14th- tallest peaks. This is downright extraordinary. Every one of these mountains, Carol, has an altitude of greater than 26,000 feet. The guy does it without oxygen. We'll talk to him this morning about it. An amazing feat.

COSTELLO: He was moving very slowly.

HEMMER: Well, at that point, yes. I mean, wouldn't you, for crying out loud? I mean, you're touching the heavens up there.

COSTELLO: Yes, I know. It's very hard to breathe.

HEMMER: So, we'll talk to him this morning.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Sure.

COSTELLO: We'll see you in about, oh, 20 minutes.

In other stories across America this Thursday, this yearbook photo of a high school senior elected by his classmates as most whipped is stirring up trouble in Boynton Beach, Florida. Take a look at that. That's his girlfriend, holding the leash. The student's mother says it reminds her of a picture from the '70s miniseries "Roots" that showed a manacled slave. Her son, though, says it's no big deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT RICHARDS, STUDENT: It doesn't look racist to me, because I wasn't brought up in that era. I can see where some people might get offended, but this yearbook was not made for people. This is micromedia. It was made for us students. And I don't think that this should be such a big deal.

JACQUELINE NOBLES, MOTHER: I'm pretty sure it meant fun for them as well, but it's not a joke. And I would like to see it removed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In Georgia, two high school seniors planning to graduate this weekend are appealing their suspension for bringing a knife to school. The school superintendent has said the girls will not be allowed to attend ceremonies, but will be able to graduate with their class on Saturday. One girl's mother says they took the knife from the band room, and they used it to cut a cake.

OK, it looks like this Anchorage, Alaska, bus stop could use some improvements. But does it really take a million-and-a-half dollars? Well, that's what it's getting, thanks to a piece of pork barrel spending pushed through by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. And by the way, he is the head of the Appropriations Committee.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, is your insurance company punishing you for where you call home? It's a hurricane headache for some families.

And screening at the nation's airports is about to reveal even more about you. But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." As we've mentioned this week, hurricane season is right around the corner. Those strong storms in Florida last year caused insurance companies millions of dollars. And now one insurance company is fighting back.

Carrie Lee joins us with more on this story.

Oh, this does not sound good for the consumer.

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It is not good news for them, Carol. Nor is it good news for the insurance companies, millions, billions of dollars in losses, in some cases.

So now, Allstate says it is not going to renew 95,000 homeowner insurance policies in the state of Florida, although Allstate is going to keep 663,000 policies in that state. Allstate says it is taking steps to make sure no one is left without insurance, though. A company called Universal Insurance is going to sell policies to Allstate customers, who are not renewed. So, Universal is basically stepping in.

Now, Allstate is also not renewing 16,000 commercial insurance policies, nor is it going to write any new commercial policies. Allstate says it will continue to write new homeowner policies in the states as it sees fit, but four major hurricanes last year -- Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, you remember all of those -- hit Florida last year. And now, an Allstate spokesperson says they altered the world of doing business in Florida. Allstate alone paid $2 billion -- that's billion with a "b" -- in claims as a result.

So, they're really having no choice, they say, but to pull out and get Universal to come in for these people instead.

COSTELLO: You know, if I have an insurance policy from them, I'm not buying that. I'm mad!

LEE: Well, I would be mad, too. But you have to understand Allstate and all of these insurance companies are in business to make money, right? And if they have to...

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) claims that you pay for.

LEE: That's true. But if they have to stay in business and subsidize these folks, that means everyone else's insurance premium is going to go up. So -- and in some areas of the country you can't even get insurance if you're right on a high-risk area or right on a shoreline. So, this is the situation with Allstate. That's the latest.

COSTELLO: Wow!

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures.

LEE: The futures are looking flat to slightly higher. I'll tell you, though, it's been a great week for stocks. We've seen three days in a row of gains. The Dow has seen its best three-day gain since the elections back in November. All of the major market indices are up 3 percent for the week. So, maybe people are taking a little bit of a breather today.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.

Well, let's take a short break. We'll be back with much more on DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:45 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Gunmen have assassinated an official from Iraq's Oil Ministry. He was killed in his Baghdad home this morning as he was leaving for work.

In money news, Toyota is tops in quality. That's according to a study by J.D. Power. The Lexis is one of 10 vehicles from the Japanese automaker that won the highest scores.

In culture, it is down two on "American Idol." A tearful Vonzell Solomon, the 20-year-old affectionately known as "Baby V," was knocked off the show. That leaves Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood.

In sports, Barry Bonds is still recovering from an infection in his surgically-repaired right knee. The sidelined slugger had his IV removed, but it's not known if he'll return to the dugout this year.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, think there's nothing private at the airport anymore? You're probably right. We'll tell you what the backscatter is and how it sees you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 6:49 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

The SCC is expected to set a deadline today for Internet telephone providers to offer emergency 911 calling services. It's in response to incidents of 911 calls from Internet customers being rerouted or going unanswered.

First baseball. Today it's pro basketball's turn to be grilled by Congress about steroids. NBA Commissioner David Stern has said he's against a proposed mandated uniform drug testing policy covering all sports.

And the wait is over for diehard "Star Wars" fans. "Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" debuts today. Some theaters started the fun early with midnight shows.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The storm troopers showed up in droves.

COSTELLO: I know. I wish we had shown those new pictures of people waiting in line.

MYERS: They're still in line. Some of them had been in line for weeks trying to get to the first showing. They didn't even make it the first showing, because that was sold out. Now they're waiting for the 3:00 show there. Oh, my goodness! Anyway...

COSTELLO: It's crazy.

MYERS: It is. Let me show you what's going on here. We're giving away a mug. That's what we're doing.

Who will unveil a new design for the World Trade Center? That was obviously the Donald. And name the actor who portrays Anakin Skywalker? And the answer, Hayden Christensen. You should know that, of course.

The winner, Lucy MacPhail from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Congratulations. You get a beautiful CNN DAYBREAK coffee mug. I gave one to our boss yesterday. He didn't realize how nice it was. So good thing you got a good one, because we may be making it a little bit cheaper from now on.

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: No, I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

COSTELLO: He's going to buy us new mugs since he liked it so much?

MYERS: He loved them.

And now the questions for today. Name two domestic organizations the FBI says pose the greatest threat to U.S. security. And, number two, how much money did the first "Star Wars" film make in its opening weekend? And it's nowhere near what this one is going to make.

COSTELLO: Are you going to give the address?

MYERS: CNN.com/daybreak, Carol. Everybody knows that by now.

COSTELLO: I know. Silly me. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: X-ray vision. Superman has it. Now airports can have it, too. And it's bringing to mind all sorts of privacy issues.

"USA Today" aviation writer Ben Mutzabaugh reveals all. He's live in Washington.

Good morning, Ben.

BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: We keep hearing about this X-ray-type machine. So, first of all, remind us what it is.

MUTZABAUGH: Well, as you said earlier, it's called the backscatter. And what it is, it bounces low-level X-ray radiation off of passengers. And when these particles come back to the sensor, what it does is it paints a pretty detailed picture of what a passenger has beneath his or her clothes.

And not only will it show possibly hidden explosives or other items that you might be trying to sneak past security, it shows just about everything else as well.

COSTELLO: Boy, it really does. So, are these installed in any airports across the country now?

MUTZABAUGH: Not yet. But the TSA says that they're going to be testing one of these backscatter devices to see how well they work. But they're not saying when it will be deployed or where it will be deployed. But it's just, they say, it's just going to be a test basis just to see if these things are practical or not.

COSTELLO: Now, I wonder how they're going to, you know, perform that test. Are they going to ask people if they feel comfortable in getting...

MUTZABAUGH: Well...

COSTELLO: ... getting (INAUDIBLE) like this?

MUTZABAUGH: It will be -- and I don't think they've revealed a whole lot about how that's going to happen. But it's an excellent question. And as you can see just from those pictures, it is a very revealing picture. And myself included, I would feel a little uncomfortable if I knew someone was seeing a picture like that of me. On the flip side, you have all of the privacy advocates who are worried that this is the first step towards a surveillance society. And I don't know if that's going too far or not. But you do really have some privacy issues.

But I've got to tell you on the flip side, I would hate to be the person that said, you know, this is too much privacy, and then have someone sneak C-4 explosives onto a plane like happened in Russia.

COSTELLO: Oh, I totally understand that. But if it can be used in airports legally, might it be used, you know, the doors of courtrooms across the country, for example? MUTZABAUGH: And that's what some of the privacy advocates are saying. They're saying -- I think it sounds like they've almost agreed that it may make sense at airports, but I think what they're concerned about is if people get used to seeing such security measures at airports, then it lowers their inhibition to say, why not have this at a school? Why not have this at a library or wherever?

COSTELLO: Exactly. Ben Mutzabaugh, thanks for joining us this morning.

MUTZABAUGH: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Peeping Tom technology has reached the New York City subway system. Police are looking for the person responsible for installing a camera underneath a subway grate on the street. They say the camera took pictures up women's skirts as they walked over the grate. Police also say the camera could have been transmitting the pictures straight to the Internet, because some of those pictures have now made it online.

When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. This is DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time for your travel update.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

In Idaho, no sign so far of those two missing children. They lived in a home where three people were killed. Detectives have questioned Robert Lutner. Police say he was at the house the night before those bodies were found.

A new tape said to be from the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq justifies suicide bombings. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi calls for the killing of infidels by any means necessary, even if it means killing innocent Muslims.

Today is round two of the Senate battle over judicial nominees. Majority Leader Bill Frist is the Republicans' point man. He's calling for an up or down vote, while Democrats still promise to filibuster.

Negotiations on an NBA labor contract broke down on the same day that Commissioner David Stern appeared before Congress during the steroid hearings. Management says if no deal is reached, it could lead to a July 1 lockout.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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