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CNN Live At Daybreak
Rough Military Recruiting; Stand-Down Day for Military Recruiting; 911 Calls
Aired May 20, 2005 - 06:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Military recruiters across the country are taking a day off from signing up new recruits to get a refresher course on the ethics of their jobs.
CNN Radio's Dick Uliano joins us now.
Dick, why is a day like today necessary for military recruiters?
Do we have Dick Uliano? It appears that we do not have Dick Uliano. Is that correct? Well, why don't we come back to me now until we get him?
We're going to go to David McSwane. He's the teenager whose article blew the story wide open for the Army. And actually that's why they're having this one day break from recruitment, because of his investigative piece, which appeared in his high school newspaper.
Good morning, David. He joins us live now.
DAVID MCSWANE, HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALIST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: How are you? You sound kind of sleepy.
MCSWANE: Yes, a little bit.
COSTELLO: Well, since we didn't have Dick Uliano explaining this for us, give us a little background. You did this investigative report for your high school newspaper, and you went to the recruitment center. What were you expecting to find?
MCSWANE: Well, I went in with an open mind, and I didn't exactly know what would happen. I just wanted to do some investigative reporting and just trying to get a story, and it turned out to be a little more intense than I thought it would be. And it turned out to become a national issue.
COSTELLO: Oh, it certainly did. So, you went in there to the Army recruitment officer, and he told you that the Army required a high school diploma. Or did you ask him about that?
MCSWANE: Well, actually, the original plan was for me to get my grade equivalency diploma. It wasn't until after I purposely failed it that I was told about the fake diploma option. COSTELLO: So, this is what the Army recruitment office told you since you failed this equivalency test that they gave you. He told you to do what?
MCSWANE: He said I can just go on the Internet and order a fake diploma, and it would get there in a couple of days. And I would need a transcript to go along with it. And he would turn it in, and everything would be all right.
COSTELLO: You also told this recruiter that you had a drug problem. What was his response to that?
MCSWANE: The very first time I met him I told him about my drug problem. I don't really have a drug problem. It was just for my article.
COSTELLO: I understand.
MCSWANE: And he said, you know, it's no big deal; that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And he later told me about a drug detox kit that he would help me buy that would clean out my system and give me about a three-hour winder, where I could drop a urine analysis, and I could pass the physical exam.
COSTELLO: So, as he's telling you this, what is going through your mind?
MCSWANE: At first I was little shocked, you know, just to see, you know, an Army officer acting in such a way. And then, you know, I'm just, you know, like, you know, that figures. This is what's going to happen when they're under so much intense pressure to get recruits.
COSTELLO: That's definitely true. The Army, I think, they need 80,000 recruits every single year, and that's a lot of people to recruit. Another question for you. What kind of feedback are you getting about this? This has now made the national news.
MCSWANE: You know, like you said earlier, today they're having a national stand-down day, which is unprecedented, especially in a time of war. And I think, you know, I'm certainly surprised to see a reaction from the U.S. Pentagon from a high school newspaper investigation. And, you know, a lot of people are angry, especially recruiters after, you know, some higher-up Army, you know, lieutenant colonels and such are saying, you know, these are rogue recruiters. And that, you know, these guys screwed up, and they're going to be punished. And it seems -- and they're denying that recruiters are punished for not meeting quota.
COSTELLO: Are you going to continue following this story, David?
MCSWANE: Yes.
COSTELLO: I'm sure you are. David McSwane joining us live from Denver, Colorado, this morning. We appreciate that. And as you heard David say, military recruiters across the country are taking a day off from signing up new recruits to get a refresher course on the ethics of their jobs.
We do have CNN Radio's Dick Uliano now.
Dick -- explain to us what that is.
DICK ULIANO, CNN RADIO: Well, Carol, a couple of points on this. Number one, military analysts say this 24-hour freeze on recruitment is a statement on the Army that they do take these charges very, very seriously, because, Carol, very rarely does the Army stand-down a unit because of problems like this.
Number two, members of Congress are calling for investigations. There's even a call for a special council of the Justice Department to investigate all of this.
And number three, the major general of Army recruiting, Michael Rochelle (ph), is going to have a news conference this afternoon at 1:30 to talk more about this 24-hour freeze on recruitment, these ethics problems that have been uncovered and what the Army plans to do about it.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, the first thing that pops into your mind is just how widespread is this.
ULIANO: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Does the military have an answer to this?
ULIANO: Yes. Yes. Certainly the problems uncovered by this young journalist in Colorado are not the only ones. In fact, a spokesman for Army recruiting command says the Army is investigating nearly 500 allegations of improper conduct by recruits this year, and that's well ahead of last year when all of last year there were about 957 allegations of impropriety. So, it's not the first.
Members of Congress and Pentagon officials want to know how extensive it is. And this one-day stand-down apparently will be a starting point. But, Carol, it may not be the end of this. We could see more investigations.
COSTELLO: Yes. And I just want to go over some figures for our audience. The Army's goal is 80,000 recruits a year. That's 6,600 recruits a month. And the Army has missed its recruiting goal for three months now. It's the first time this has happened. So, we'll see what happens later today, because I'm sure there will be much more fallout from this. Dick Uliano, thanks for joining us live from Washington.
ULIANO: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: New pictures. Have you seen these? You probably haven't seen this yet, but wait until you do. There he is. Do you see that, "Tyrant's In His Pants?" These supposedly are pictures from Saddam Hussein in prison. The picture is splashed on the cover of a British tabloid, "The Sun," as you see. The U.S. Department of Defense has condemned the release of these photographs. Officials are vowing an aggressive investigation and steps to assure the breach never, ever happens again. Of course, we'll be hearing more about that throughout the day as well.
Caught on tape an amazing crash, and one police officer is grateful for his life.
CNN's Bill Hemmer joins us now with a look at this controversy coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol. How is this guy alive? I mean, you look at this videotape, and the woman, too, the deputy who just got out of the way. Watch this here. Man, is that close! He not only survived, Carol, they say he walked away from this with barely a scratch. I don't even know how that's possible. Watch the whiplash on his neck and the way he gets chopped down in the back and thrown off to the side of that road. He is alive, and he's with us this morning. And, wow, was that a scene that we saw yesterday. Man!
Also, a man on death row in Indiana asking for more time so that he can donate his liver to his sister. He is scheduled to die next week. But should he be allowed to live so that he can save his sister's life? An intriguing story. We'll talk about that this morning on a Friday edition of "AMERICAN MORNING."
See you at the top of the hour, huh, Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes, I'll be here. Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Bye-bye.
COSTELLO: Sex offenders may not be welcome at Six Flags Amusement Parks. In fact, they will not be welcome. The company says they're reserving the right to refuse entry to registered sex offenders. That policy would stand at all 30 of the company's theme parks.
The warning is actually printed on the back of all season passes. But company officials say they're not prepared to conduct background checks on all park visitors. So, that might be mighty hard to enforce.
Native Americans are almost welcome in Boston. It's hard to believe, but there is still a law on the books that bans American Indians from entering the city. But state lawmakers have repealed the 330-year-old law. Now it's awaiting the governor's signature. Somehow I'm sure he'll sign that, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Some high school students in Bakersfield, California, have sued the school district over their students' newspaper stories. They want the paper to print their articles about gay students at the school. The principal says he censored the articles because he was afraid of anti-gay violence.
When DAYBREAK returns, ticket prices, frequent fliers and destinations. What now? Your questions about the latest airline merger are answered by our own Carrie Lee next.
And help is just a call away. Or is it? A look at Internet phone technology and your safety.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." A couple of airlines are joining forces.
Carrie Lee joins us to tell us what it will mean for you. Two troubled airlines are joining forces, which kind of scares me.
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Two troubled airlines are coming together to make one stronger airline. That's the idea here. US Airways and America West are coming together. A lot of people were anticipating this, of course. No surprise. They will create the sixth largest U.S. airline. And the companies are getting $1.5 billion in new capital from a variety of investors.
So, what does this mean for the consumer? Well, the new airline should be more competitive with discount carriers, like Southwest and JetBlue. Obviously America West is strong on the West Coast. US Airways is strong on the East. So, this is going to be a nationwide discounter. That's the idea anyway.
Competition, more competition here, and that's always a plus for the consumer. The new company also will honor all frequent flier miles if you have them with either airline.
Now, it's not quite a done deal. There are still several steps, including approval from the court handling US Airway's bankruptcy. This deal, Carol, will help the company come out of its second bankruptcy in three years.
COSTELLO: OK.
LEE: So, troubled separately, yes; together, stronger.
COSTELLO: Maybe. We don't know.
LEE: Well, that's the hope. That's the hope. And, you know, a lot of talk about maybe consolidation in the space. But think about it. If they don't come together, if these airlines would fall off separately, well, then there would be even fewer carriers. And that's not good for anyone. So...
COSTELLO: I guess the biggest worry is how many people will be laid off. LEE: That's a good question. They're not sure. They're not saying exactly how many yet. US Airways, though, is saying that the furloughs that have already been planned, that's probably not going to change at this point. So, we'll see.
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Carrie.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, when you have an emergency, you expect help to arrive right away. But will your phone service work when you need it? We're talking about Internet phones and cell phones.
More news in a moment. But first, it's time to say happy birthday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Traditional phone service is safe competition from cell phones and Internet companies. But dialing 911 from those kinds of phones has caused a lot of problems. So, the FCC has ordered Internet phone companies to provide the emergency service by the end of the summer.
Consumer correspondent Julie Vallese joins us live from Washington to explain this technology.
Good morning -- Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
You know, 911 is something that everybody expects to have. But as this Voice over Internet Protocol grows in popularity, people are finding out that it's not part of their service. And in some cases, people have actually died because they couldn't get through to emergency services. Now that's going to change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice over): Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the phone service that uses high-speed broadband to transmit and receive calls. It is cheaper than traditional phone service, just as clear and portable.
But for all of its benefits, there is one shortcoming: unreliable 911 emergency service.
CHERYL WALLER, COULDN'T ACCESS 911: By the time emergency personnel were notified and arrived on the scene, they were unable to help my daughter. And she was pronounced dead.
LEE: Now, in a 4-0 vote, the Federal Communications Commission has ruled all providers of the service must make enhanced 911 standard.
KEVIN MARTIN, FCC CHAIRMAN: Today's action seems to remedy a very serious problem, one quite literally of life and death for customers who subscribe to VoIP services.
VALLESE: The commission set a swift timeline: four months to comply. One provider says it is dialing in early.
JOYCE DORRIS, CO-FOUNDER, SUNROCKET: We've architected a system that will allow all of our customers within the next 30 days to get enhanced 911 automatically built in.
VALLESE: For customers who choose to have a different area code for their voice over Internet phone service than the one where they live, e911 will not be available.
BROOKE SHULZ, VONAGE: We're going to devote tens of millions of dollars this year alone to getting e911 up and running throughout the country.
VALLESE: Mandatory enhanced 911 service is expected to go into effect in October. So should any of the more than one million households using voice over IP need emergency service, they'll have it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now customers do have a responsibility to make the system work. They will be required to register an address to go along with their telephone number and update their location if they travel or move -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Julie Vallese live in Washington this morning. Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
All Army recruiting is being suspended today. The so-called stand-down is in response to reports of widespread abuses of recruiting rules. The Army will spend the day retraining its recruiters.
In money news, China will raise export tariffs on clothes and textiles next month. This comes amid growing complaints from the U.S. and Europe about the surge of Chinese goods in their markets.
In culture, those midnight showings of the new "Star Wars" movie proved to be real money makers. The long lines led to ticket sales totaling $16.5 million, and that's just for the film's first few hours.
In sports, the San Antonio Spurs slipped by the Seattle Sonics to move on to the Western Conference finals. An injured Tim Duncan stayed in the game after this, and he hit the game-winning shot, Chad, with just a half-second remaining.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you. As we've been telling you, there are new developments in the search for a missing brother and sister in Idaho. And it could be positive news, at least we hope so.
CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now with a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.
And, yes, as you well know, that Amber Alert is still in effect for those two young children who are missing in Idaho. This morning, we talk to the father of those kids as well as an investigator from the sheriff's department to update us on any new information and any new leads in the case today.
Also, it's hard to believe it's been 30 years since "Jaws" swam on to the big screen. But the summer blockbuster didn't just make us afraid of the ocean; it completely changed the course of Hollywood movie making. We're going to tell you how it did that ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING."
Carol -- that's at the top of the hour.
COSTELLO: Candy gram. Candy gram, Soledad. Remember that from "Saturday Night Live?" And then they did this thing. I'm showing my age. OK, we'll join you in about 10 minutes.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, some fodder for your breakfast table. Who does more housework? Is it you or your husband? Or is it your wife and you? You know what I mean. We've got some numbers that may make men happy throughout the world.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Police may have a break this morning in the case of those two missing Idaho children. There may, may have been a sighting of 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta. As you know, they've been missing since Monday when the bodies of their brother, mother and her boyfriend were found in their home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Police got a tip the children may have been spotted in an Idaho store yesterday. And that has now prompted a lookout for a man driving a light-colored full-sized van with Washington state plates. Authorities believe that van is heading to Montana.
Here's a timeline of events that led up to an Amber Alert being posted. Members of the Groene family and friend, Mark McKenzie, were last seen alive last Sunday at a barbecue. On Monday, a concerned neighbor checks the house and calls 911. The bound bodies of Brenda Kay Groene, her son, Slade, and her boyfriend, McKenzie, are found inside. Dylan and his sister, Shasta, are missing. Tuesday, May 17, an Amber Alert is issued. Authorities announced they're looking for Robert Roy Lutner, a person of interest. On Wednesday, Lutner voluntarily surrenders to authorities in Coeur d'Alene and is questioned extensively. And yesterday, Lutner passes a polygraph test, and he is ruled out as a person of interest. And then, the children's father, Steve Groene, pleas for the return of Dylan and Shasta.
As you heard Soledad say, much more on this coming you way on "AMERICAN MORNING" in seven minutes.
It is 6:53 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.
A Shiite cleric launches a campaign against the U.S. occupation of Iraq. He wants Muslims to paint Israeli and American flags on the ground in front of mosques. The intention here is for worshipers to step on the flags to protest raids against holy places.
South Korean researchers announced a new medical frontier. They say they've successfully created batches of human embryonic stem cells. The cells come from nine patients and specifically are tailored to treat their medical conditions.
And speaking of South Korea, Hyundai Motor Company officially opens its $1 billion auto production plant in Montgomery, Alabama. It's Hyundai's first assembly line in the United States. It's expected to provide up to 2,000 jobs.
Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol.
COSTELLO: It's time.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: It's time to ask this question. Ladies, does your man help you out around the house? Does he do his fair share? Well, your man is going to like this one. A new study shows that men actually do more housework than women think. Let's just see about that.
MYERS: Really?
COSTELLO: Yes. Can you believe it?
MYERS: Was that conducted by a man's organization?
COSTELLO: No, oddly enough it wasn't.
MYERS: Oh, good.
COSTELLO: Joining us live from Chicago is Linda Waite, urban sociology professor at the University of Chicago.
Good morning, Linda.
LINDA WAITE, SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: We're skeptical, at least I am. So, how did you arrive at your results?
WAITE: Well, as part of the University of Chicago's Sloan Center on Working Families, we interviewed parents, mothers and fathers in 500 dual-worker families around the country. And we asked each of the moms and each of the dads to tell us how much time they spend each week doing things like laundry and cooking, how much time the spouse spent. So, we asked the wife who much time she spent and how much time her husband spent. We asked the husband how much time he spent and how much time his wife spent.
But here's the key. Both the husband and the wife wore a beeper watch for a week. And each time their watch beeped -- and it beeped eight times a day for the week -- the person wrote down what they were doing, what else they were doing, and what they were thinking about.
COSTELLO: Oh.
WAITE: So, this is an objective measure of whether you were caught on this beep doing the laundry.
COSTELLO: Interesting. OK. So, let's put up your results. Chad, are you being alert there?
MYERS: My beeper just went off, Carol.
COSTELLO: Here is what the study found. Wives estimate their husbands do 33 percent of household chores. Husbands actually do 39 percent. Husbands claimed they do -- let me see. Wives estimate their husbands do 33 percent. Husbands actually do 39 percent. Husbands claimed they do 42 percent.
MYERS: Right. Now, I'm wondering, what is considered a chore? I have 150 bushes that I trim every two months. I mow the lawn every week. I clean the pool. I do all of this stuff with my blower outside. I clean the gutters. And yet I'm not getting credit for washing dishes.
COSTELLO: Well, Linda?
WAITE: You would get credit for doing yard work.
MYERS: Oh, good, OK.
WAITE: But those kinds of things, which are typically done by men, are occasional. And they may be onerous, but they don't happen very often. You don't clean gutters very often.
COSTELLO: Yes, you're not doing them in the winter. You're not doing those things in the winter, right?
MYERS: I'm shoveling snow, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, in Atlanta? Give me a break. MYERS: My beeper just went off. I'm shoveling snow.
COSTELLO: Do you know what it is, Linda, though? I think that the -- this is what I -- OK. I have to say this right. Because I think that cleanliness has a different definition for men and women. For example, I don't think men ever dust. They don't really see that as a household chore. Women dust. They don't like anything on the tables. So, women might think they're doing more, but since their husbands don't really consider that a chore, then that makes for a sense of resentment.
WAITE: Well, I think the big thing that makes for a sense of resentment is that the women think that they're doing about 12 or 13 or 14 hours more housework a week than they think their husbands are doing. And the husbands think -- they know their wives are doing more. They give them complete credit for doing more. But they think the gap is more like seven hours.
So, you know, you could fight over the facts. But when we have people wear the beeper watch, the hour gap is actually much smaller, according to the beeper estimates than according to either person's estimates just adding up, you know, how much time I spend on the cooking and the laundry and the yard work.
COSTELLO: Right. Well, Linda, you may have saved many marriages this morning.
WAITE: I hope so.
COSTELLO: OK. Linda, thanks for joining us this morning.
I'm sorry. Where are we doing now? We're going to go to a travel update now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: "Now in the News."
All Army recruiting operations are on hold today. It's called a stand-down. Recruiters will get a refresher on military laws that dictate what they can and cannot do to enlist someone. It's in response to recent allegations of improper tactics by some recruiters.
First Lady Laura Bush is on her way to the Middle East. Her first stop today is Jordan, followed by Israel and Egypt. Mrs. Bush says part of her mission is to help repair the U.S. image overseas.
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 20, 2005 - 06:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Military recruiters across the country are taking a day off from signing up new recruits to get a refresher course on the ethics of their jobs.
CNN Radio's Dick Uliano joins us now.
Dick, why is a day like today necessary for military recruiters?
Do we have Dick Uliano? It appears that we do not have Dick Uliano. Is that correct? Well, why don't we come back to me now until we get him?
We're going to go to David McSwane. He's the teenager whose article blew the story wide open for the Army. And actually that's why they're having this one day break from recruitment, because of his investigative piece, which appeared in his high school newspaper.
Good morning, David. He joins us live now.
DAVID MCSWANE, HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALIST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: How are you? You sound kind of sleepy.
MCSWANE: Yes, a little bit.
COSTELLO: Well, since we didn't have Dick Uliano explaining this for us, give us a little background. You did this investigative report for your high school newspaper, and you went to the recruitment center. What were you expecting to find?
MCSWANE: Well, I went in with an open mind, and I didn't exactly know what would happen. I just wanted to do some investigative reporting and just trying to get a story, and it turned out to be a little more intense than I thought it would be. And it turned out to become a national issue.
COSTELLO: Oh, it certainly did. So, you went in there to the Army recruitment officer, and he told you that the Army required a high school diploma. Or did you ask him about that?
MCSWANE: Well, actually, the original plan was for me to get my grade equivalency diploma. It wasn't until after I purposely failed it that I was told about the fake diploma option. COSTELLO: So, this is what the Army recruitment office told you since you failed this equivalency test that they gave you. He told you to do what?
MCSWANE: He said I can just go on the Internet and order a fake diploma, and it would get there in a couple of days. And I would need a transcript to go along with it. And he would turn it in, and everything would be all right.
COSTELLO: You also told this recruiter that you had a drug problem. What was his response to that?
MCSWANE: The very first time I met him I told him about my drug problem. I don't really have a drug problem. It was just for my article.
COSTELLO: I understand.
MCSWANE: And he said, you know, it's no big deal; that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And he later told me about a drug detox kit that he would help me buy that would clean out my system and give me about a three-hour winder, where I could drop a urine analysis, and I could pass the physical exam.
COSTELLO: So, as he's telling you this, what is going through your mind?
MCSWANE: At first I was little shocked, you know, just to see, you know, an Army officer acting in such a way. And then, you know, I'm just, you know, like, you know, that figures. This is what's going to happen when they're under so much intense pressure to get recruits.
COSTELLO: That's definitely true. The Army, I think, they need 80,000 recruits every single year, and that's a lot of people to recruit. Another question for you. What kind of feedback are you getting about this? This has now made the national news.
MCSWANE: You know, like you said earlier, today they're having a national stand-down day, which is unprecedented, especially in a time of war. And I think, you know, I'm certainly surprised to see a reaction from the U.S. Pentagon from a high school newspaper investigation. And, you know, a lot of people are angry, especially recruiters after, you know, some higher-up Army, you know, lieutenant colonels and such are saying, you know, these are rogue recruiters. And that, you know, these guys screwed up, and they're going to be punished. And it seems -- and they're denying that recruiters are punished for not meeting quota.
COSTELLO: Are you going to continue following this story, David?
MCSWANE: Yes.
COSTELLO: I'm sure you are. David McSwane joining us live from Denver, Colorado, this morning. We appreciate that. And as you heard David say, military recruiters across the country are taking a day off from signing up new recruits to get a refresher course on the ethics of their jobs.
We do have CNN Radio's Dick Uliano now.
Dick -- explain to us what that is.
DICK ULIANO, CNN RADIO: Well, Carol, a couple of points on this. Number one, military analysts say this 24-hour freeze on recruitment is a statement on the Army that they do take these charges very, very seriously, because, Carol, very rarely does the Army stand-down a unit because of problems like this.
Number two, members of Congress are calling for investigations. There's even a call for a special council of the Justice Department to investigate all of this.
And number three, the major general of Army recruiting, Michael Rochelle (ph), is going to have a news conference this afternoon at 1:30 to talk more about this 24-hour freeze on recruitment, these ethics problems that have been uncovered and what the Army plans to do about it.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, the first thing that pops into your mind is just how widespread is this.
ULIANO: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Does the military have an answer to this?
ULIANO: Yes. Yes. Certainly the problems uncovered by this young journalist in Colorado are not the only ones. In fact, a spokesman for Army recruiting command says the Army is investigating nearly 500 allegations of improper conduct by recruits this year, and that's well ahead of last year when all of last year there were about 957 allegations of impropriety. So, it's not the first.
Members of Congress and Pentagon officials want to know how extensive it is. And this one-day stand-down apparently will be a starting point. But, Carol, it may not be the end of this. We could see more investigations.
COSTELLO: Yes. And I just want to go over some figures for our audience. The Army's goal is 80,000 recruits a year. That's 6,600 recruits a month. And the Army has missed its recruiting goal for three months now. It's the first time this has happened. So, we'll see what happens later today, because I'm sure there will be much more fallout from this. Dick Uliano, thanks for joining us live from Washington.
ULIANO: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: New pictures. Have you seen these? You probably haven't seen this yet, but wait until you do. There he is. Do you see that, "Tyrant's In His Pants?" These supposedly are pictures from Saddam Hussein in prison. The picture is splashed on the cover of a British tabloid, "The Sun," as you see. The U.S. Department of Defense has condemned the release of these photographs. Officials are vowing an aggressive investigation and steps to assure the breach never, ever happens again. Of course, we'll be hearing more about that throughout the day as well.
Caught on tape an amazing crash, and one police officer is grateful for his life.
CNN's Bill Hemmer joins us now with a look at this controversy coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol. How is this guy alive? I mean, you look at this videotape, and the woman, too, the deputy who just got out of the way. Watch this here. Man, is that close! He not only survived, Carol, they say he walked away from this with barely a scratch. I don't even know how that's possible. Watch the whiplash on his neck and the way he gets chopped down in the back and thrown off to the side of that road. He is alive, and he's with us this morning. And, wow, was that a scene that we saw yesterday. Man!
Also, a man on death row in Indiana asking for more time so that he can donate his liver to his sister. He is scheduled to die next week. But should he be allowed to live so that he can save his sister's life? An intriguing story. We'll talk about that this morning on a Friday edition of "AMERICAN MORNING."
See you at the top of the hour, huh, Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes, I'll be here. Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Bye-bye.
COSTELLO: Sex offenders may not be welcome at Six Flags Amusement Parks. In fact, they will not be welcome. The company says they're reserving the right to refuse entry to registered sex offenders. That policy would stand at all 30 of the company's theme parks.
The warning is actually printed on the back of all season passes. But company officials say they're not prepared to conduct background checks on all park visitors. So, that might be mighty hard to enforce.
Native Americans are almost welcome in Boston. It's hard to believe, but there is still a law on the books that bans American Indians from entering the city. But state lawmakers have repealed the 330-year-old law. Now it's awaiting the governor's signature. Somehow I'm sure he'll sign that, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Some high school students in Bakersfield, California, have sued the school district over their students' newspaper stories. They want the paper to print their articles about gay students at the school. The principal says he censored the articles because he was afraid of anti-gay violence.
When DAYBREAK returns, ticket prices, frequent fliers and destinations. What now? Your questions about the latest airline merger are answered by our own Carrie Lee next.
And help is just a call away. Or is it? A look at Internet phone technology and your safety.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's time now for a little "Business Buzz." A couple of airlines are joining forces.
Carrie Lee joins us to tell us what it will mean for you. Two troubled airlines are joining forces, which kind of scares me.
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Two troubled airlines are coming together to make one stronger airline. That's the idea here. US Airways and America West are coming together. A lot of people were anticipating this, of course. No surprise. They will create the sixth largest U.S. airline. And the companies are getting $1.5 billion in new capital from a variety of investors.
So, what does this mean for the consumer? Well, the new airline should be more competitive with discount carriers, like Southwest and JetBlue. Obviously America West is strong on the West Coast. US Airways is strong on the East. So, this is going to be a nationwide discounter. That's the idea anyway.
Competition, more competition here, and that's always a plus for the consumer. The new company also will honor all frequent flier miles if you have them with either airline.
Now, it's not quite a done deal. There are still several steps, including approval from the court handling US Airway's bankruptcy. This deal, Carol, will help the company come out of its second bankruptcy in three years.
COSTELLO: OK.
LEE: So, troubled separately, yes; together, stronger.
COSTELLO: Maybe. We don't know.
LEE: Well, that's the hope. That's the hope. And, you know, a lot of talk about maybe consolidation in the space. But think about it. If they don't come together, if these airlines would fall off separately, well, then there would be even fewer carriers. And that's not good for anyone. So...
COSTELLO: I guess the biggest worry is how many people will be laid off. LEE: That's a good question. They're not sure. They're not saying exactly how many yet. US Airways, though, is saying that the furloughs that have already been planned, that's probably not going to change at this point. So, we'll see.
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Carrie.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, when you have an emergency, you expect help to arrive right away. But will your phone service work when you need it? We're talking about Internet phones and cell phones.
More news in a moment. But first, it's time to say happy birthday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Traditional phone service is safe competition from cell phones and Internet companies. But dialing 911 from those kinds of phones has caused a lot of problems. So, the FCC has ordered Internet phone companies to provide the emergency service by the end of the summer.
Consumer correspondent Julie Vallese joins us live from Washington to explain this technology.
Good morning -- Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
You know, 911 is something that everybody expects to have. But as this Voice over Internet Protocol grows in popularity, people are finding out that it's not part of their service. And in some cases, people have actually died because they couldn't get through to emergency services. Now that's going to change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice over): Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the phone service that uses high-speed broadband to transmit and receive calls. It is cheaper than traditional phone service, just as clear and portable.
But for all of its benefits, there is one shortcoming: unreliable 911 emergency service.
CHERYL WALLER, COULDN'T ACCESS 911: By the time emergency personnel were notified and arrived on the scene, they were unable to help my daughter. And she was pronounced dead.
LEE: Now, in a 4-0 vote, the Federal Communications Commission has ruled all providers of the service must make enhanced 911 standard.
KEVIN MARTIN, FCC CHAIRMAN: Today's action seems to remedy a very serious problem, one quite literally of life and death for customers who subscribe to VoIP services.
VALLESE: The commission set a swift timeline: four months to comply. One provider says it is dialing in early.
JOYCE DORRIS, CO-FOUNDER, SUNROCKET: We've architected a system that will allow all of our customers within the next 30 days to get enhanced 911 automatically built in.
VALLESE: For customers who choose to have a different area code for their voice over Internet phone service than the one where they live, e911 will not be available.
BROOKE SHULZ, VONAGE: We're going to devote tens of millions of dollars this year alone to getting e911 up and running throughout the country.
VALLESE: Mandatory enhanced 911 service is expected to go into effect in October. So should any of the more than one million households using voice over IP need emergency service, they'll have it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now customers do have a responsibility to make the system work. They will be required to register an address to go along with their telephone number and update their location if they travel or move -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Julie Vallese live in Washington this morning. Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
All Army recruiting is being suspended today. The so-called stand-down is in response to reports of widespread abuses of recruiting rules. The Army will spend the day retraining its recruiters.
In money news, China will raise export tariffs on clothes and textiles next month. This comes amid growing complaints from the U.S. and Europe about the surge of Chinese goods in their markets.
In culture, those midnight showings of the new "Star Wars" movie proved to be real money makers. The long lines led to ticket sales totaling $16.5 million, and that's just for the film's first few hours.
In sports, the San Antonio Spurs slipped by the Seattle Sonics to move on to the Western Conference finals. An injured Tim Duncan stayed in the game after this, and he hit the game-winning shot, Chad, with just a half-second remaining.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you. As we've been telling you, there are new developments in the search for a missing brother and sister in Idaho. And it could be positive news, at least we hope so.
CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now with a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.
And, yes, as you well know, that Amber Alert is still in effect for those two young children who are missing in Idaho. This morning, we talk to the father of those kids as well as an investigator from the sheriff's department to update us on any new information and any new leads in the case today.
Also, it's hard to believe it's been 30 years since "Jaws" swam on to the big screen. But the summer blockbuster didn't just make us afraid of the ocean; it completely changed the course of Hollywood movie making. We're going to tell you how it did that ahead on this "AMERICAN MORNING."
Carol -- that's at the top of the hour.
COSTELLO: Candy gram. Candy gram, Soledad. Remember that from "Saturday Night Live?" And then they did this thing. I'm showing my age. OK, we'll join you in about 10 minutes.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, some fodder for your breakfast table. Who does more housework? Is it you or your husband? Or is it your wife and you? You know what I mean. We've got some numbers that may make men happy throughout the world.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Police may have a break this morning in the case of those two missing Idaho children. There may, may have been a sighting of 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta. As you know, they've been missing since Monday when the bodies of their brother, mother and her boyfriend were found in their home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Police got a tip the children may have been spotted in an Idaho store yesterday. And that has now prompted a lookout for a man driving a light-colored full-sized van with Washington state plates. Authorities believe that van is heading to Montana.
Here's a timeline of events that led up to an Amber Alert being posted. Members of the Groene family and friend, Mark McKenzie, were last seen alive last Sunday at a barbecue. On Monday, a concerned neighbor checks the house and calls 911. The bound bodies of Brenda Kay Groene, her son, Slade, and her boyfriend, McKenzie, are found inside. Dylan and his sister, Shasta, are missing. Tuesday, May 17, an Amber Alert is issued. Authorities announced they're looking for Robert Roy Lutner, a person of interest. On Wednesday, Lutner voluntarily surrenders to authorities in Coeur d'Alene and is questioned extensively. And yesterday, Lutner passes a polygraph test, and he is ruled out as a person of interest. And then, the children's father, Steve Groene, pleas for the return of Dylan and Shasta.
As you heard Soledad say, much more on this coming you way on "AMERICAN MORNING" in seven minutes.
It is 6:53 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.
A Shiite cleric launches a campaign against the U.S. occupation of Iraq. He wants Muslims to paint Israeli and American flags on the ground in front of mosques. The intention here is for worshipers to step on the flags to protest raids against holy places.
South Korean researchers announced a new medical frontier. They say they've successfully created batches of human embryonic stem cells. The cells come from nine patients and specifically are tailored to treat their medical conditions.
And speaking of South Korea, Hyundai Motor Company officially opens its $1 billion auto production plant in Montgomery, Alabama. It's Hyundai's first assembly line in the United States. It's expected to provide up to 2,000 jobs.
Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol.
COSTELLO: It's time.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: It's time to ask this question. Ladies, does your man help you out around the house? Does he do his fair share? Well, your man is going to like this one. A new study shows that men actually do more housework than women think. Let's just see about that.
MYERS: Really?
COSTELLO: Yes. Can you believe it?
MYERS: Was that conducted by a man's organization?
COSTELLO: No, oddly enough it wasn't.
MYERS: Oh, good.
COSTELLO: Joining us live from Chicago is Linda Waite, urban sociology professor at the University of Chicago.
Good morning, Linda.
LINDA WAITE, SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: We're skeptical, at least I am. So, how did you arrive at your results?
WAITE: Well, as part of the University of Chicago's Sloan Center on Working Families, we interviewed parents, mothers and fathers in 500 dual-worker families around the country. And we asked each of the moms and each of the dads to tell us how much time they spend each week doing things like laundry and cooking, how much time the spouse spent. So, we asked the wife who much time she spent and how much time her husband spent. We asked the husband how much time he spent and how much time his wife spent.
But here's the key. Both the husband and the wife wore a beeper watch for a week. And each time their watch beeped -- and it beeped eight times a day for the week -- the person wrote down what they were doing, what else they were doing, and what they were thinking about.
COSTELLO: Oh.
WAITE: So, this is an objective measure of whether you were caught on this beep doing the laundry.
COSTELLO: Interesting. OK. So, let's put up your results. Chad, are you being alert there?
MYERS: My beeper just went off, Carol.
COSTELLO: Here is what the study found. Wives estimate their husbands do 33 percent of household chores. Husbands actually do 39 percent. Husbands claimed they do -- let me see. Wives estimate their husbands do 33 percent. Husbands actually do 39 percent. Husbands claimed they do 42 percent.
MYERS: Right. Now, I'm wondering, what is considered a chore? I have 150 bushes that I trim every two months. I mow the lawn every week. I clean the pool. I do all of this stuff with my blower outside. I clean the gutters. And yet I'm not getting credit for washing dishes.
COSTELLO: Well, Linda?
WAITE: You would get credit for doing yard work.
MYERS: Oh, good, OK.
WAITE: But those kinds of things, which are typically done by men, are occasional. And they may be onerous, but they don't happen very often. You don't clean gutters very often.
COSTELLO: Yes, you're not doing them in the winter. You're not doing those things in the winter, right?
MYERS: I'm shoveling snow, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, in Atlanta? Give me a break. MYERS: My beeper just went off. I'm shoveling snow.
COSTELLO: Do you know what it is, Linda, though? I think that the -- this is what I -- OK. I have to say this right. Because I think that cleanliness has a different definition for men and women. For example, I don't think men ever dust. They don't really see that as a household chore. Women dust. They don't like anything on the tables. So, women might think they're doing more, but since their husbands don't really consider that a chore, then that makes for a sense of resentment.
WAITE: Well, I think the big thing that makes for a sense of resentment is that the women think that they're doing about 12 or 13 or 14 hours more housework a week than they think their husbands are doing. And the husbands think -- they know their wives are doing more. They give them complete credit for doing more. But they think the gap is more like seven hours.
So, you know, you could fight over the facts. But when we have people wear the beeper watch, the hour gap is actually much smaller, according to the beeper estimates than according to either person's estimates just adding up, you know, how much time I spend on the cooking and the laundry and the yard work.
COSTELLO: Right. Well, Linda, you may have saved many marriages this morning.
WAITE: I hope so.
COSTELLO: OK. Linda, thanks for joining us this morning.
I'm sorry. Where are we doing now? We're going to go to a travel update now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: "Now in the News."
All Army recruiting operations are on hold today. It's called a stand-down. Recruiters will get a refresher on military laws that dictate what they can and cannot do to enlist someone. It's in response to recent allegations of improper tactics by some recruiters.
First Lady Laura Bush is on her way to the Middle East. Her first stop today is Jordan, followed by Israel and Egypt. Mrs. Bush says part of her mission is to help repair the U.S. image overseas.
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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