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CNN Live At Daybreak

Girl Found Alive; Bush-Karzai Talks; Hacker Hunters

Aired May 23, 2005 - 06:29   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: Our top story this morning is the amazing end to an Amber Alert in Florida. An 8-year-old girl is found alive after being left for dead in a garbage dump. In the meantime, the suspect in the case is set to appear in court today.

CNN's Susan Candiotti takes us through the whole story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The suspect's first name is the Spanish word for "miracle," but police say the miracle is that his alleged victim, an 8-year old girl, is alive.

SGT. DAN BOLAND, LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA, POLICE: That girl was put there to die. There's no uncertain terms that girl was put there to die.

CANDIOTTI: About seven hours after the suspect himself reported the girl missing in the middle of the night, searchers found her in an abandoned landfill a few blocks from where the girl was staying.

One officer zeroed in on a dumpster, filled with rocks.

SGT. MIKE HALL, LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA, POLICE: I jumped up on the ledge, and there was a yellow recycling bin. The lid was flipped closed. I flipped it open, observed a large pile of rocks. And through the rocks, you could see a hand and a foot.

BOLAND: He started to yell, trying to get her reaction, see if she was alive. And he didn't think she was at first. And it all...

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Did she make any noise?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. And then all of a sudden, she moved a finger.

CANDIOTTI (voice over): Investigators were amazed the 80-pound girl was still conscious.

MIKE DRISCOLL, FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT: She was in a position that you wouldn't think someone could ever survive.

CANDIOTTI: The child, who's not being identified by CNN because of her alleged sexual assault, is said to be in good physical condition. Authorities say she identified her alleged attacker. Seventeen-year old Milagro Cunningham is charged with attempted murder, sexual battery on a child under 12 and false imprisonment. He allegedly confessed.

Police say he recently moved into the home, where the little girl was spending the night, with a woman described as a godmother.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert, even though they say Cunningham's kidnapping story was suspicious from the start, pinning the blame on three mysterious white men who beat him up, yet he had no injuries.

Family and friends of the girl felt emotions rocket from despair to unbridled joy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, officer. Thank you.

CANDIOTTI: The young girl discovered because of a police officer's instincts.

BOLAND: It's because of him that child was found alive and well.

CANDIOTTI: The Palm Beach County state attorney's office says the teenager will be charged as an adult, and if convicted could face life in prison.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Lake Worth, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the officer who found that little girl will be a guest on "AMERICAN MORNING" coming up a little later. Sergeant Mike Hall will talk more about his amazing discovery at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

The father of those two missing Idaho children says the FBI feels he knows what happened to them. The search for the children began a week ago when their mother, brother and the mother's boyfriend were found beaten to death in their home. Police say they have no leads on Shasta and Dylan Groene. Their father says an FBI agent told him he failed parts of a polygraph test. But he says he didn't lie.

President Bush will hold White House talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today. And the two leaders will have a lot to talk about. Karzai said he wants greater control over American military operations in his country, and he is demanding punishment for any U.S. troops who mistreat prisoners. There are allegations American forces abused detainees at the main military prison north of Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: This is simply, simply not acceptable. We are angry about this. We want justice. We want the people responsible for this sort of a brutal behavior punished and tried and made public. At the same time, I must say, that while we condemn this, we'll show Afghans, we'll show the rest of the world that the behavior of one or two soldiers or interrogators must not reflect on the United States or on the U.S. people. There are bad people everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With an uptick in violence and kidnappings in Afghanistan, though there is so much more to put on the agenda at today's Bush-Karzai sit-down.

CNN's Bob Franken live now with a preview.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And when he comes here to the White House, Hamid Karzai is going to be making a big effort to try and establish some distance, some independence, from the United States. He is perceived as a person who has been put into power because of the actions of the United States, for a variety of reasons that are fairly obvious.

But now, he is going to be a bit more assertive by all accounts. He's going to insist that the Afghan government have more of a role in military actions. There have been some complaints about the tactics used sometimes against citizens of that country by the U.S. military, which controls the military operations there. In addition to which he's responding to charges that his government has not done enough to achieve one of the top United States' goals, which is to get rid of the poppy fields, which are such a huge source of opium around the world.

Karzai is saying in response to criticisms first published in "The New York Times" that his government has actually done quite a bit to eradicate the poppy fields, considering all of the difficulties. And that part of the problem is that he has not gotten the international funding that he was supposed to get.

In any case, this does not promise to be the love fest that his visit was last time, as the two presidents get together and then appear in public in the Rose Garden later this morning.

COSTELLO: Bob Franken live in Washington this morning.

Also on Capitol Hill, the Senate could wage a historical battle as early as tomorrow. At stake, an age-old tradition. Republican leaders are calling for a test vote on one of President Bush's judicial nominees. She's been stalled in the past by Democratic delaying tactics, namely filibusters.

If the Democrats keep stalling, the Republicans say they'll move to ban filibusters for court nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: The Senate will work its way through this mess. But if you institutionalize filibusters, if every nominee in the future is going to be treated like these past nominees, you're going to drive good men and women away from wanting to serve.

HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: The vote on Tuesday is going to be critical to decide whether American democracy still allows those of us who didn't vote for the president to have any say in running the country whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: About a dozen senators are still trying to work out a compromise, but they say they are running out of time.

We've been talking about the unbelievable recovery of a missing girl in Florida. "AMERICAN MORNING" is following that story, too. Soledad is here with a preview.

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

We're going to have more details on that terrible story out of Florida, the 8-year-old girl who was finally found buried alive in a landfill on Sunday just hours after she was reported missing. Well, now, a 17-year-old suspect in custody. This morning, we talk to the police officer who found that little girl.

Plus, Carol, guess what? It's summer vacation time. Did you know that a family of four is going to spend an average of 1,700 bucks on a weeks' vacation? Ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING," we're going to kick off our weeklong series. It's called "Surviving Family Vacations," and we've got some tips on how you can first and foremost survive the high costs. We'll give them to you this morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Soledad. We'll be there.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, chasing down computer hackers. We'll tell you about the people who track down the slickest players in the wild world of the Web.

And later on, if classic rock defined war for one generation, then hip-hop is taking its place for another. We'll talk about what this music represents for people today.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, Boston. These pictures brought to us by our affiliate WHDH in Boston. You're taking a look at the USS JFK, and we salute you this morning.

You know, when you think of a superhero, maybe Spider-Man comes to mind or Superman. How about hacker hunter? I'm telling you, you may soon view hacker hunter as a crusader, one that may save your identity.

Brian Grow is with "Business Week" magazine. He is live in Atlanta this morning.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN GROW, "BUSINESS WEEK" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, tell us about this new breed of crime fighter.

GROW: Well, the truth is the Web is becoming a more dangerous place, and the cops, private security firms and private companies like Microsoft are beginning to fight back.

COSTELLO: Fight back with some very trained people. You know, it seems strange -- I read your article -- but hackers have gangs like the Shadow Crew. These people are more than pranksters now. Tell us about these gangs.

GROW: They're becoming highly organized. They have a hierarchy much like the mafia with godfathers and koppos (ph) and soldiers carrying different acts. And as a result of this increasing organization, the cops are recognizing that it's time to get more aggressive in taking them down.

The types of crimes that they're committing on the Web are proliferating from phishing attacks, sending out bogus e-mails to so- called botnets, in which your computer becomes a remote-controlled terminal that they can use for many things, including renting them out to spammers.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. I know the Secret Service investigates this. And they're using some old-fashioned methods like snitches and covert monitoring. How do they crack these cases?

GROW: Yes, exactly. The truth is that old-fashioned crime fighting works on the Web, too. And as the Justice Department official in the story said, the wave of the future is to get inside these groups, develop intelligence and take them down. So, snitches are playing an increasing role.

And as many cops told us during the course of reporting this story, these hackers have the same personal peccadilloes of your average criminal. And so, if you can find out what makes them tick, what problems they have and use it, you can become more effective in taking down the gangs.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. I know that Shadow Crew was taken down. Quickly, tell me who these people were or are.

GROW: Well, the allegations, of course, are that the Shadow Crew was a massive gang of as many as 4,000 people in dozens of countries around the world. Allegedly it was led by a 23-year-old college student based in Arizona and a gentleman based on New Jersey, who evidently adopted an online persona of a military man and, you know, ran the Shadow Crew with an iron fist. Those individuals were taken down by the Secret Service. They have since pled not guilty, but a trial is scheduled to begin in October.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Brian Grow, your article is in "Business Week" magazine. Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Four more U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. The military says three of the soldiers died in what's described as a terrorist attack in Mosul. The other soldier was killed in a car bombing near an Army patrol north of Tikrit.

In money news, did they cook the books? "The Wall Street Journal" says a grand jury is looking into former top executives at American International Group; AIG as it's better known. The focus: alleged accounting misconduct at the New York-based insurance giant.

In culture, it's been a record-breaking few days for "Star Wars." Moviegoers plunked down more than $158 million to see "Episode 3" since it opened on Thursday. That's four days. And just add more money to George Lucas' pockets, the film made nearly 145 million overseas.

In sports, there was plenty of scoring in the first game of the western conference finals, but it was the usually-defensive San Antonio Spurs that came out on top with a 121-114 win over the Phoenix Suns.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Still to come on DAYBREAK, from low-riding jeans to words like "fling," we'll look at the influence of hip-hop on mainstream culture.

Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Here are some stories we'll be keeping an eye on in the week ahead.

Today, Florida prosecutors are heading to court, trying to get their hands on Rush Limbaugh's medical records. They're looking into alleged prescription drug abuse by the conservative commentator.

On Tuesday, the Senate holds a test vote on one of President Bush's judicial nominees that the Democrats have stalled with filibusters. If no progress is made, the Republicans say they'll move to end filibusters on court nominees.

On Wednesday, the world's human rights record is in the spotlight. Amnesty International released a global report on the state of human rights. The report covers 149 nations.

And on Thursday, don't just call them trailers, call them art. The Golden Trailer Awards will be handed out in Los Angeles honoring the best movie previews of the year. Among the nominees, "Crash," "Ray" and the "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie." It's an age-old question: Why do my kids like loud, obnoxious music? Well, some parents might be particularly curious about the love of hip-hop, especially if your kids know nothing of the culture surrounding hip-hop; hence the book "Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop: Wankstas, Wiggas, Wannabes and the New Reality of Race in America."

Live from Cleveland, author Bakari Kitwana.

Good morning.

BAKARI KITWANA, AUTHOR, "WHY WHITE KIDS LOVE HIP-HOP": Hi. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine. I was interested in some of the quotes in your book, and I'm going to read our viewers one of them.

KITWANA: OK.

COSTELLO: You say: "Most whites find in hip-hop something original and distinctive that spoke to the time, a music with a message that distinguished it from the pop music pack. More than any other music, hip-hop remains tailor-made to the here and now."

Explain.

KITWANA: Right. Well, what I was getting at in that point was just looking at the impact of the music and how American pop music was changing. I think by the time you get into the mid to late-'80s, the grunge music scene is starting to explode. By the time you get to about '94 or '95, that's kind of coming to an end. And hip-hop begins to take on a new sense of urgency, and the sales begin to increase at that time.

Prior to '89, you had rock and roll music being a vibrant music that young people were vacillating to that had a sense of rebelliousness. That was lost by the time grunge comes on the scene, and then after that hip-hop kind of takes over that new place.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, I kind of understand that. But why are white kids so attracted to this type of music? What does it say to them?

KITWANA: I think that the music is providing answers on one level for those of the older end of the age group. Those at the younger end of the age group it's no different than listening to Britney Spears. It's the pop music of our time. But I think as you get a little older, kids in their teenage years and a little bit older than that hip-hop takes on a sense of alienation. It responds to the sense of alienation that young people are feeling from mainstream American life.

COSTELLO: Yes. But as it applies to white kids, I guess I just still don't understand why they're so attracted, because it doesn't...

KITWANA: Well, I...

COSTELLO: To me, it doesn't say anything all that important anymore. It used to.

KITWANA: Right, well...

COSTELLO: But now, all you see are women shaking their booty.

KITWANA: Right. I think that's what you see in the mainstream commercialized version of hip-hop. Hip-hop is a culture. It's much broader than that. If you start to look at what's going on at the local level, local artists, local spoken-word venues, hip-hop is speaking to a much larger reality that young people are vacillating to, because of this sense of alienation from mainstream American life.

If you look at America in the '80s and '90s, the main response that society offers for anything deemed a youth problem has been incarceration and medication. Incarceration is increasing from 200,000 in 1970 to over 2 million by the year 2000, and prescription drug use for psychiatric problems are rising -- like tripling between 1986 and 1997.

COSTELLO: You know, the interesting thing is hip-hop and rap music really have become the music of our soldiers overseas. I mean, that's the kind of music they listen to in Iraq. And there must be a reason for that, too.

KITWANA: Well, I think that it's clear by now that hip-hop has become a part of American culture. I think young soldiers in Iraq listen to the music to the same reasons that young people listen to it here. The music is responding to a sense of alienation. And I think young people are finding in hip-hop a new identity.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you very much. An interesting book. Bakari Kitwana, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

It's 6:53 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Laura Bush is in Egypt for a two-day visit, the latest stop on her goodwill trip to the Middle East. Yesterday, Israeli and Palestinian protesters heckled the first lady as she visited two holy shrines. This morning, Mrs. Bush said protests are to be expected in a region where passions run high.

Two Florida brothers appear in court today after scuffling with their school bus driver. The boys are facing felony charges, while the bus driver faces a misdemeanor. The boys' lawyer says the driver is getting off too lightly.

And finally, Trump U? That's right. Tycoon Donald Trump is announcing the launch of Trump University. He'll get into the details today. Trump U is described as a lifelong learning center.

It's time to give away a mug.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'd love to be that "Apprentice" guy. How great would that be? To be able to learn from Donald Trump. COSTELLO: Yes. But, you know, the new job he had for the "Apprentice" winner, the woman, the young woman. She's going to redecorate his home.

MYERS: Is that right? Well, the other guy got to build a building or something, didn't he?

COSTELLO: It brings to mind all kinds of questions, doesn't it?

MYERS: Yes, I could decorate a home. Let's move on.

The mug questions now. This is actually from Thursday, Carol, because you went on and on so long with that woman about men's chores on Friday we couldn't get to them.

Name two domestic organizations the FBI says pose the greatest threat to U.S. security? That was the AFL and the ELF, the Animal Liberation Front and the Environmental Liberation Front. And how much money did the first "Star Wars" film make on its opening weekend? That answer was only $1.5 million, ten times more for this opening.

And here is the answer now, and the winner from Florida -- no, from Ohio, Ryan Dey from Solon, Ohio. Congratulations, Ryan. You are the winner there, Ryan Dey from Ohio. A CNN DAYBREAK coffee mug on the way for you.

Now for today. What do Eddie Haskell, Archie Bunker and Newman have in common? And what awards will be given out this Thursday?

CNN.com/daybreak -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

You're watching DAYBREAK for a Monday. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

Another assassination in Iraq today. This time, an aide to Iraq's prime minister was gunned down in a drive-by. His driver also killed.

Also today, the U.S. military says four more soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in Iraq.

Still in Iraq, a new military offensive is under way this morning in western Baghdad. U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched Operation Squeeze Play. The U.S. military says a number of terror suspects have already been captured.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is set to meet with President Bush today at the White House. Karzai says he wants justice after published reports of alleged abuses involving two Afghan detainees who died in U.S. custody. And an 8-year-old Florida girl is in remarkably good condition this morning after being found alive in a dumpster full of rocks. The teenager accused of putting her there, kidnapping and sexually assaulting her is expected to appear in court today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That does it for us. I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. Good morning -- Soledad O'Brien.

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 23, 2005 - 06:29   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: Our top story this morning is the amazing end to an Amber Alert in Florida. An 8-year-old girl is found alive after being left for dead in a garbage dump. In the meantime, the suspect in the case is set to appear in court today.

CNN's Susan Candiotti takes us through the whole story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The suspect's first name is the Spanish word for "miracle," but police say the miracle is that his alleged victim, an 8-year old girl, is alive.

SGT. DAN BOLAND, LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA, POLICE: That girl was put there to die. There's no uncertain terms that girl was put there to die.

CANDIOTTI: About seven hours after the suspect himself reported the girl missing in the middle of the night, searchers found her in an abandoned landfill a few blocks from where the girl was staying.

One officer zeroed in on a dumpster, filled with rocks.

SGT. MIKE HALL, LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA, POLICE: I jumped up on the ledge, and there was a yellow recycling bin. The lid was flipped closed. I flipped it open, observed a large pile of rocks. And through the rocks, you could see a hand and a foot.

BOLAND: He started to yell, trying to get her reaction, see if she was alive. And he didn't think she was at first. And it all...

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Did she make any noise?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. And then all of a sudden, she moved a finger.

CANDIOTTI (voice over): Investigators were amazed the 80-pound girl was still conscious.

MIKE DRISCOLL, FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT: She was in a position that you wouldn't think someone could ever survive.

CANDIOTTI: The child, who's not being identified by CNN because of her alleged sexual assault, is said to be in good physical condition. Authorities say she identified her alleged attacker. Seventeen-year old Milagro Cunningham is charged with attempted murder, sexual battery on a child under 12 and false imprisonment. He allegedly confessed.

Police say he recently moved into the home, where the little girl was spending the night, with a woman described as a godmother.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert, even though they say Cunningham's kidnapping story was suspicious from the start, pinning the blame on three mysterious white men who beat him up, yet he had no injuries.

Family and friends of the girl felt emotions rocket from despair to unbridled joy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, officer. Thank you.

CANDIOTTI: The young girl discovered because of a police officer's instincts.

BOLAND: It's because of him that child was found alive and well.

CANDIOTTI: The Palm Beach County state attorney's office says the teenager will be charged as an adult, and if convicted could face life in prison.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Lake Worth, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the officer who found that little girl will be a guest on "AMERICAN MORNING" coming up a little later. Sergeant Mike Hall will talk more about his amazing discovery at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

The father of those two missing Idaho children says the FBI feels he knows what happened to them. The search for the children began a week ago when their mother, brother and the mother's boyfriend were found beaten to death in their home. Police say they have no leads on Shasta and Dylan Groene. Their father says an FBI agent told him he failed parts of a polygraph test. But he says he didn't lie.

President Bush will hold White House talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today. And the two leaders will have a lot to talk about. Karzai said he wants greater control over American military operations in his country, and he is demanding punishment for any U.S. troops who mistreat prisoners. There are allegations American forces abused detainees at the main military prison north of Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: This is simply, simply not acceptable. We are angry about this. We want justice. We want the people responsible for this sort of a brutal behavior punished and tried and made public. At the same time, I must say, that while we condemn this, we'll show Afghans, we'll show the rest of the world that the behavior of one or two soldiers or interrogators must not reflect on the United States or on the U.S. people. There are bad people everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With an uptick in violence and kidnappings in Afghanistan, though there is so much more to put on the agenda at today's Bush-Karzai sit-down.

CNN's Bob Franken live now with a preview.

Good morning -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And when he comes here to the White House, Hamid Karzai is going to be making a big effort to try and establish some distance, some independence, from the United States. He is perceived as a person who has been put into power because of the actions of the United States, for a variety of reasons that are fairly obvious.

But now, he is going to be a bit more assertive by all accounts. He's going to insist that the Afghan government have more of a role in military actions. There have been some complaints about the tactics used sometimes against citizens of that country by the U.S. military, which controls the military operations there. In addition to which he's responding to charges that his government has not done enough to achieve one of the top United States' goals, which is to get rid of the poppy fields, which are such a huge source of opium around the world.

Karzai is saying in response to criticisms first published in "The New York Times" that his government has actually done quite a bit to eradicate the poppy fields, considering all of the difficulties. And that part of the problem is that he has not gotten the international funding that he was supposed to get.

In any case, this does not promise to be the love fest that his visit was last time, as the two presidents get together and then appear in public in the Rose Garden later this morning.

COSTELLO: Bob Franken live in Washington this morning.

Also on Capitol Hill, the Senate could wage a historical battle as early as tomorrow. At stake, an age-old tradition. Republican leaders are calling for a test vote on one of President Bush's judicial nominees. She's been stalled in the past by Democratic delaying tactics, namely filibusters.

If the Democrats keep stalling, the Republicans say they'll move to ban filibusters for court nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: The Senate will work its way through this mess. But if you institutionalize filibusters, if every nominee in the future is going to be treated like these past nominees, you're going to drive good men and women away from wanting to serve.

HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: The vote on Tuesday is going to be critical to decide whether American democracy still allows those of us who didn't vote for the president to have any say in running the country whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: About a dozen senators are still trying to work out a compromise, but they say they are running out of time.

We've been talking about the unbelievable recovery of a missing girl in Florida. "AMERICAN MORNING" is following that story, too. Soledad is here with a preview.

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

We're going to have more details on that terrible story out of Florida, the 8-year-old girl who was finally found buried alive in a landfill on Sunday just hours after she was reported missing. Well, now, a 17-year-old suspect in custody. This morning, we talk to the police officer who found that little girl.

Plus, Carol, guess what? It's summer vacation time. Did you know that a family of four is going to spend an average of 1,700 bucks on a weeks' vacation? Ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING," we're going to kick off our weeklong series. It's called "Surviving Family Vacations," and we've got some tips on how you can first and foremost survive the high costs. We'll give them to you this morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Soledad. We'll be there.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, chasing down computer hackers. We'll tell you about the people who track down the slickest players in the wild world of the Web.

And later on, if classic rock defined war for one generation, then hip-hop is taking its place for another. We'll talk about what this music represents for people today.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, Boston. These pictures brought to us by our affiliate WHDH in Boston. You're taking a look at the USS JFK, and we salute you this morning.

You know, when you think of a superhero, maybe Spider-Man comes to mind or Superman. How about hacker hunter? I'm telling you, you may soon view hacker hunter as a crusader, one that may save your identity.

Brian Grow is with "Business Week" magazine. He is live in Atlanta this morning.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN GROW, "BUSINESS WEEK" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, tell us about this new breed of crime fighter.

GROW: Well, the truth is the Web is becoming a more dangerous place, and the cops, private security firms and private companies like Microsoft are beginning to fight back.

COSTELLO: Fight back with some very trained people. You know, it seems strange -- I read your article -- but hackers have gangs like the Shadow Crew. These people are more than pranksters now. Tell us about these gangs.

GROW: They're becoming highly organized. They have a hierarchy much like the mafia with godfathers and koppos (ph) and soldiers carrying different acts. And as a result of this increasing organization, the cops are recognizing that it's time to get more aggressive in taking them down.

The types of crimes that they're committing on the Web are proliferating from phishing attacks, sending out bogus e-mails to so- called botnets, in which your computer becomes a remote-controlled terminal that they can use for many things, including renting them out to spammers.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. I know the Secret Service investigates this. And they're using some old-fashioned methods like snitches and covert monitoring. How do they crack these cases?

GROW: Yes, exactly. The truth is that old-fashioned crime fighting works on the Web, too. And as the Justice Department official in the story said, the wave of the future is to get inside these groups, develop intelligence and take them down. So, snitches are playing an increasing role.

And as many cops told us during the course of reporting this story, these hackers have the same personal peccadilloes of your average criminal. And so, if you can find out what makes them tick, what problems they have and use it, you can become more effective in taking down the gangs.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. I know that Shadow Crew was taken down. Quickly, tell me who these people were or are.

GROW: Well, the allegations, of course, are that the Shadow Crew was a massive gang of as many as 4,000 people in dozens of countries around the world. Allegedly it was led by a 23-year-old college student based in Arizona and a gentleman based on New Jersey, who evidently adopted an online persona of a military man and, you know, ran the Shadow Crew with an iron fist. Those individuals were taken down by the Secret Service. They have since pled not guilty, but a trial is scheduled to begin in October.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Brian Grow, your article is in "Business Week" magazine. Thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Four more U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. The military says three of the soldiers died in what's described as a terrorist attack in Mosul. The other soldier was killed in a car bombing near an Army patrol north of Tikrit.

In money news, did they cook the books? "The Wall Street Journal" says a grand jury is looking into former top executives at American International Group; AIG as it's better known. The focus: alleged accounting misconduct at the New York-based insurance giant.

In culture, it's been a record-breaking few days for "Star Wars." Moviegoers plunked down more than $158 million to see "Episode 3" since it opened on Thursday. That's four days. And just add more money to George Lucas' pockets, the film made nearly 145 million overseas.

In sports, there was plenty of scoring in the first game of the western conference finals, but it was the usually-defensive San Antonio Spurs that came out on top with a 121-114 win over the Phoenix Suns.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

Still to come on DAYBREAK, from low-riding jeans to words like "fling," we'll look at the influence of hip-hop on mainstream culture.

Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Here are some stories we'll be keeping an eye on in the week ahead.

Today, Florida prosecutors are heading to court, trying to get their hands on Rush Limbaugh's medical records. They're looking into alleged prescription drug abuse by the conservative commentator.

On Tuesday, the Senate holds a test vote on one of President Bush's judicial nominees that the Democrats have stalled with filibusters. If no progress is made, the Republicans say they'll move to end filibusters on court nominees.

On Wednesday, the world's human rights record is in the spotlight. Amnesty International released a global report on the state of human rights. The report covers 149 nations.

And on Thursday, don't just call them trailers, call them art. The Golden Trailer Awards will be handed out in Los Angeles honoring the best movie previews of the year. Among the nominees, "Crash," "Ray" and the "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie." It's an age-old question: Why do my kids like loud, obnoxious music? Well, some parents might be particularly curious about the love of hip-hop, especially if your kids know nothing of the culture surrounding hip-hop; hence the book "Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop: Wankstas, Wiggas, Wannabes and the New Reality of Race in America."

Live from Cleveland, author Bakari Kitwana.

Good morning.

BAKARI KITWANA, AUTHOR, "WHY WHITE KIDS LOVE HIP-HOP": Hi. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine. I was interested in some of the quotes in your book, and I'm going to read our viewers one of them.

KITWANA: OK.

COSTELLO: You say: "Most whites find in hip-hop something original and distinctive that spoke to the time, a music with a message that distinguished it from the pop music pack. More than any other music, hip-hop remains tailor-made to the here and now."

Explain.

KITWANA: Right. Well, what I was getting at in that point was just looking at the impact of the music and how American pop music was changing. I think by the time you get into the mid to late-'80s, the grunge music scene is starting to explode. By the time you get to about '94 or '95, that's kind of coming to an end. And hip-hop begins to take on a new sense of urgency, and the sales begin to increase at that time.

Prior to '89, you had rock and roll music being a vibrant music that young people were vacillating to that had a sense of rebelliousness. That was lost by the time grunge comes on the scene, and then after that hip-hop kind of takes over that new place.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, I kind of understand that. But why are white kids so attracted to this type of music? What does it say to them?

KITWANA: I think that the music is providing answers on one level for those of the older end of the age group. Those at the younger end of the age group it's no different than listening to Britney Spears. It's the pop music of our time. But I think as you get a little older, kids in their teenage years and a little bit older than that hip-hop takes on a sense of alienation. It responds to the sense of alienation that young people are feeling from mainstream American life.

COSTELLO: Yes. But as it applies to white kids, I guess I just still don't understand why they're so attracted, because it doesn't...

KITWANA: Well, I...

COSTELLO: To me, it doesn't say anything all that important anymore. It used to.

KITWANA: Right, well...

COSTELLO: But now, all you see are women shaking their booty.

KITWANA: Right. I think that's what you see in the mainstream commercialized version of hip-hop. Hip-hop is a culture. It's much broader than that. If you start to look at what's going on at the local level, local artists, local spoken-word venues, hip-hop is speaking to a much larger reality that young people are vacillating to, because of this sense of alienation from mainstream American life.

If you look at America in the '80s and '90s, the main response that society offers for anything deemed a youth problem has been incarceration and medication. Incarceration is increasing from 200,000 in 1970 to over 2 million by the year 2000, and prescription drug use for psychiatric problems are rising -- like tripling between 1986 and 1997.

COSTELLO: You know, the interesting thing is hip-hop and rap music really have become the music of our soldiers overseas. I mean, that's the kind of music they listen to in Iraq. And there must be a reason for that, too.

KITWANA: Well, I think that it's clear by now that hip-hop has become a part of American culture. I think young soldiers in Iraq listen to the music to the same reasons that young people listen to it here. The music is responding to a sense of alienation. And I think young people are finding in hip-hop a new identity.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you very much. An interesting book. Bakari Kitwana, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

It's 6:53 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

Laura Bush is in Egypt for a two-day visit, the latest stop on her goodwill trip to the Middle East. Yesterday, Israeli and Palestinian protesters heckled the first lady as she visited two holy shrines. This morning, Mrs. Bush said protests are to be expected in a region where passions run high.

Two Florida brothers appear in court today after scuffling with their school bus driver. The boys are facing felony charges, while the bus driver faces a misdemeanor. The boys' lawyer says the driver is getting off too lightly.

And finally, Trump U? That's right. Tycoon Donald Trump is announcing the launch of Trump University. He'll get into the details today. Trump U is described as a lifelong learning center.

It's time to give away a mug.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'd love to be that "Apprentice" guy. How great would that be? To be able to learn from Donald Trump. COSTELLO: Yes. But, you know, the new job he had for the "Apprentice" winner, the woman, the young woman. She's going to redecorate his home.

MYERS: Is that right? Well, the other guy got to build a building or something, didn't he?

COSTELLO: It brings to mind all kinds of questions, doesn't it?

MYERS: Yes, I could decorate a home. Let's move on.

The mug questions now. This is actually from Thursday, Carol, because you went on and on so long with that woman about men's chores on Friday we couldn't get to them.

Name two domestic organizations the FBI says pose the greatest threat to U.S. security? That was the AFL and the ELF, the Animal Liberation Front and the Environmental Liberation Front. And how much money did the first "Star Wars" film make on its opening weekend? That answer was only $1.5 million, ten times more for this opening.

And here is the answer now, and the winner from Florida -- no, from Ohio, Ryan Dey from Solon, Ohio. Congratulations, Ryan. You are the winner there, Ryan Dey from Ohio. A CNN DAYBREAK coffee mug on the way for you.

Now for today. What do Eddie Haskell, Archie Bunker and Newman have in common? And what awards will be given out this Thursday?

CNN.com/daybreak -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

You're watching DAYBREAK for a Monday. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

Another assassination in Iraq today. This time, an aide to Iraq's prime minister was gunned down in a drive-by. His driver also killed.

Also today, the U.S. military says four more soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in Iraq.

Still in Iraq, a new military offensive is under way this morning in western Baghdad. U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched Operation Squeeze Play. The U.S. military says a number of terror suspects have already been captured.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is set to meet with President Bush today at the White House. Karzai says he wants justice after published reports of alleged abuses involving two Afghan detainees who died in U.S. custody. And an 8-year-old Florida girl is in remarkably good condition this morning after being found alive in a dumpster full of rocks. The teenager accused of putting her there, kidnapping and sexually assaulting her is expected to appear in court today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That does it for us. I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. Good morning -- Soledad O'Brien.

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