Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Bush-Blair Talks; Health Problems; Acupuncture & Pain; Big on Broadway

Aired June 07, 2005 - 05:29   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is payback time for President Bush. That's what his strongest ally Tony Blair is hoping. The British Prime Minister has given unwavering support to President Bush in the Iraq war and now Blair is in Washington looking for support in his fight for more aid to Africa.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live in London this morning.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well this is all about Tony Blair trying to set the stage for success for the G-8 Summit in Gleneagle in Scotland in about a month's time. What he wants to do there with the other G-8 nations is agree a means to end poverty in Africa, and that's why he's coming to meet with President Bush today.

He will be trying to advance his agenda of relieving all the debt for the poorer African nations and doubling the amount of aid given to Africa. The European Nations already, some of the European nations, along with Great Britain, at least have already said that they will contribute $80 billion in aid by the end of 2010. He will be looking at President Bush to make a similar contribution.

They also have some very radical ideas, an international finance facility on how to raise more money for aid relief in Africa, essentially by borrowing against future aid donations. So all of this Tony Blair will be putting to President Bush.

He'll also be talking about climate control, trying to get agreement. Again, setting the stage for success for the Gleneagle Summit and G-8 Summit in Scotland. Getting agreements on cleaner technologies and what energy efficient technologies, again, to help climate control -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live in London this morning.

President Bush and the Prime Minister do plan a joint news conference this afternoon. CNN will bring that to you live at 4:45 Eastern.

As the California jury deliberates Michael Jackson's fate, you can't help but wonder about his health. He's been in and out of the hospital throughout the trial, most recently, Sunday.

And as CNN's Rusty Dornin reports, the pop singer has had his share of health problems for decades.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An incredible athlete on stage. Offstage, Michael Jackson's health often seemed fragile. His longest ongoing health issue, says his biographer, has been panic attacks.

RANDI TARABORRELLI, JACKSON BIOGRAPHER: There have been instances when he's had to perform on stage, and he was upset about one thing or another, and he would have a panic attack, and actually has been hospitalized.

DORNIN: In the '70s, he broke his nose in a dancing accident, which began a series of plastic surgeries. Jackson will only admit to two. In the '80s, Jackson's hair caught on fire during a commercial. He was hospitalized and forced to undergo scalp surgery. During that same time, Jackson's skin began to appear much lighter. He claimed he had a skin condition.

TARABORRELLI: Vitiligo is a true condition. It's not a made-up Michael Jackson fantasy. He was diagnosed with it back in the 1980s. He does have it. And you know it is an issue in his life.

DORNIN: In 1993, following the previous allegations of sexual abuse, Jackson admitted problems with prescription drugs.

MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: After my tour ended, I remained out of the country undergoing treatment for a dependency on pain medication.

DORNIN: Then in '94, he fell off a stage in Germany injuring his back, a problem that Jackson says plagues him to this day.

During jury selection, Jackson went to the hospital with flu symptoms. Through the rest of the trial, it was his back that sent him to the hospital twice, complaining of debilitating pain. He even showed up for court in his pajamas. Then he went to the hospital last week because a family friend thought he looked dehydrated.

TARABORRELLI: It always is a big drama around Michael Jackson. I mean, he's always, you know, dehydrated, or he's exhausted, or...

DORNIN (on camera): So is he sick? Is he really sick?

TARABORRELLI: He is. I mean, I could tell you from my own sources in the Jackson camp that he is very sick right now and has been for quite some time. It is the back. It's not an exaggeration.

DORNIN (voice-over): Some close to the superstar say his health always deteriorates when the pressure is on.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Laci Peterson's mother plans to write a book. Sharon Rocha's account of her daughter's murder is titled "For Laci." And it's scheduled for publication this December, three years after Laci's disappearance.

Sharon Rocha's husband, Laci's stepfather, tells "The Modesto Bee" he will help Rocha write the book. He says -- quote -- "A lot of truths haven't been told, and I kind of think they should be... Everyone has written little bits and pieces. This story is going to be a good one."

Scott Peterson has been sentenced to death for killing his wife and unborn son, Conner.

Peterson's attorney suggests his client is on death row for a crime he did not commit. Mark Geragos talked about the case with CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GERAGOS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He has been, throughout all of this, I think, enormously resilient. And one of the things, you know without breaching confidentiality, because he's said it to others and not just to me, but he said, look, after my family was killed, the fact that they're blaming me for it, it pales in comparison with losing Laci and Conner. So, as I'd indicated before, either the guy's the greatest sociopath of all time, or he's innocent.

As a lawyer, you cannot feel any lower than in a death penalty case to have somebody that you truly believe is innocent to be convicted and then be sentenced to death. I mean, there is, bar none, at least for me professionally, nothing worse than you can experience than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Geragos says he was surprised at Peterson's guilty verdict, saying he thought a hung jury was more likely.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, it may look painful, but more Americans are choosing these little needles for relief. In four minutes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores why acupuncture is growing in popularity.

And later, put on your dancing shoes. We'll show you -- we'll have lovers of Broadway musicals skipping to The Great White Way this summer.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Being pricked by lots of little needles is not the typical thing we do to fix what ails us. But more and more people are turning to alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, to relief pain and other health problems.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how it can impact your quality of life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 25 years, pain has been smoldering throughout 51-year-old Darrell Ortiz's body. Several major work injuries turned into a nagging sort of pain at first, but then basic things, like walking, going to the grocery store, eventually even going to work, became impossible.

DARRELL ORTIZ, PAIN SUFFERER: Excruciating. It feels like I've gone through all my injuries all over again, like they just happened. There's sometimes when I almost want to give up completely, you know? The pain just takes over.

GUPTA: Pain also appears in the sharp hues and images born of Ortiz's palette. Each day with each glide of his brush on canvas, he could paint away the dull painful throb; but eventually, pain would invade even that.

ORTIZ: Just lifting my arm like this, you know, to paint, sometimes I couldn't do it. I'd paint for a half an hour and have to go to bed, you know.

GUPTA: That was the last straw. He tried everything: potent pain drugs, like OxyContin and Percocet, exercise. Nothing worked over the long term.

ORTIZ: I was to the point where I was desperate. I was willing to try anything.

GUPTA: He swallowed his fear of needles and tried acupuncture.

(on camera): Studies seem to be stacking up in favor of acupuncture, according to the World Health Organization. They say inserting little needles, like these, can be effective in terms of treating arthritis, headache, menopausal symptoms, low back pain, dental pain even.

The theory is this: you have energy, or chi, flowing through natural channels in your body. Any interruption of those natural channels can cause tension, subsequently causing disease. Well it's acupuncture that can help restore that flow.

DR. WEI HUANG, EMORY UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: The theory of the tradition of Chinese medicine focuses on the whole body and there's a harmony inside the body. The flow of the chi should be very fluent in order to maintain health.

GUPTA (voice-over): Historically, Western doctors may have been reluctant to use this 2,000-year-old practice, but the landscape is changing slowly.

DR. PETER JOHNSTONE, EMORY UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: There are some things that we still don't do well and there are things that we still don't understand well. And in an attempt to hopefully relieve suffering, we need to, I think, be open to the fact that there may be other avenues besides those that we were taught in medical school.

GUPTA: Mainstream options alone weren't helping Darrell Ortiz. He says using acupuncture as a complement to other therapies has made his life livable. A series of treatments keeps him pain free for months at a time.

ORTIZ: Since I've been doing the acupuncture, I've been having to take less drugs.

GUPTA: Fewer drugs, but more importantly, the ability to paint away his pain and to live a normal life.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:41 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Allies on Africa, President Bush and British leader Tony Blair meet this afternoon at the White House. They plan to announce a multimillion-dollar African aid package.

Exclusive pictures on CNN this morning of a major military offensive in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi troops are cracking down on insurgents near the Syrian border. At least 1 U.S. soldier has been killed, 23 suspected insurgents detained.

In money news, the personal information of millions of Citigroup customers could be at risk. The company's finance division says UPS lost some of its computer tapes. The tapes have data on nearly four million Citi Financial customers.

In culture, you've seen her waifish figure on billboards and magazines and on the runway. Now supermodel Kate Moss is getting a top fashion industry award. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is honoring Moss' career. Oh joy!

In sports, a preliminary Olympic report does not look good for the city of New York. The report gives good reviews to Paris, Madrid and London in their bids for the 2012 Summer Games. New York and Moscow get mixed reviews. The decision will be announced on July 6.

To the Forecast Center and -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

That's a look at the latest headlines this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, there are lots of stars on Broadway this summer. We'll tell you what's a must see.

And do not forget our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should you be required to take a written driver's test regularly? You know, more than once in your lifetime. E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: To our DAYBREAK "Eye-Opener."

Here's a twist on the old alligator found in the backyard story. This little gator was found in a backyard in Desert Hot Springs, California. Animal experts think it was someone's pet that just got too big. The problem is no one will take the young gator, so it's being kept at the pound with the dogs and the cats.

Can't have an alligator story without a bear in a tree story. This one was chased up a tree in Lumberton, North Carolina. Wildlife experts told onlookers that if they left the bear alone it would simply go away. It was last seen running for the woods.

In Bali they're making big money by breeding butterflies. This breeding ground produces about 250 a week. The farms are necessary due to the dwindling population of Indonesian insects. The butterflies are then sent off to collectors and butterfly parks worldwide.

Wow, I had no idea that was -- there was a shortage of insects in Indonesia. I wonder how they did that.

MYERS: Well I'm not sure, just penned them all up.

COSTELLO: The insects?

MYERS: Yes, kept them inside and they made more insects.

COSTELLO: They must have some great insecticide out there.

We have been quizzing Chad all this morning, not about high- pressure fronts or warming systems, but the rules of the road.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's time again.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: A new study says 1 in 10 of you would fail a written driver's test if you took it today. Also, one out of three drivers tested in the study admit they've sped up to go through a yellow light, even if there were pedestrians in the crosswalk. That's nasty.

All right, your third question -- Chad.

MYERS: OK. COSTELLO: All right, to avoid last-minute moves, you should be looking down the road to where your vehicle will be in about a) 5 to 10 seconds, b) 10 to 15 seconds or c) 15 to 20 seconds?

MYERS: And this was actually on a test?

COSTELLO: Yes, in California.

MYERS: This is ridiculous. It's a stupid question. Ten to 15 seconds, sure, but the farther you can look down the road the better. Everybody else looks at the taillights of the car behind them. So as soon as they stop, they're right into the back of them. Really, you should always look as far down the road as you can, so, I mean, and sometimes you can't even see over the horizon that far. But I would guess the answer...

COSTELLO: Just give me an answer.

MYERS: The answer b) 10 to 15 seconds down the road. If you're doing 60 miles an hour, 15 seconds is a quarter mile and most drivers can't focus that far anyway, so.

COSTELLO: You are correct, it is b). And of course our technical director gave it away once again.

MYERS: That's all right.

COSTELLO: But that's OK.

MYERS: Got some great answers to our e-mail question, Carol. Here it is: should you be required to take a written driver's test regularly? Every 4 years, 5 years, 10 years, whatever. Got some good answers. You want to hear one?

COSTELLO: Yes, I do.

MYERS: OK. This one kind of goes along with what I'm thinking. Yes, everyone should have to pass a driving test every five years. Everyone who buys a computer should have to pass a test before they can buy it. Everyone who gets married should have to pass a compatibility test before they say I do.

COSTELLO: That person has to be joking. Who's that from?

MYERS: That is from Macon, Georgia. From Macon in Georgia.

And I'll tell you what, though, if a marriage certificate had a five-year expiration date on it, there would be a lot less divorces now, wouldn't there? You just have to keep renewing it.

COSTELLO: Read another e-mail.

MYERS: It is 100 percent correct that people need to take regular driving tests. If there were a test for drivers every four years, there'd be a lot less licensed drivers, less traffic and a whole lot less profanity. Got one here from Elliot (ph), and this is a really great idea. If you go to the AARP Web site, 55 Alive is a program nationwide, started in 1979 for drivers 55 years and older. You can get in there, find out for about 100 bucks or so, you can get $100 deduction on your insurance fee in 35 different states...

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: ... if you take this two-day course, 55 Alive. We have to wait a couple more years before we can do it, though, but anywhere.

Now this one from Donna (ph) in Buffalo, no to more frequent license testing. People who normally can't pass the test can somehow cheat on it anyway. Instead, every car should include a dumb move computer. Each time you make a dangerous move, a hand should pop out and slap you across the face twice and a voice should say get out, you're too stupid to be driving. That's from Buffalo. That's from Donna.

COSTELLO: Who sent that in, we have to see (ph)...

MYERS: That was from Donna. That was from Donna in Buffalo.

COSTELLO: Donna, thanks for that, we appreciate it.

Thank you for your e-mails this morning. I love that one.

All new in the next hour of DAYBREAK, four more casualties to an aging veteran population. Arlington National Cemetery is stressed to keep up with the large number of burials. We'll tell you what they're doing.

And we'll go live to Aruba for the latest on the investigation into a missing Alabama teenager.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning.

A rapper accused of stabbing a man at last year's Vibe Awards will be in court today in Los Angeles. David Darnell Brown, aka "Young Buck," has been ordered to stand trial for assault. He's pleaded not guilty to stabbing a man for punching Dr. Dre.

Stevie Wonder got a bouncing baby boy for his 55th birthday. It is the Grammy Award winning singer's seventh child and the first one by his current wife. They named the baby Mandela, which means powerful and defiant in Zulu.

Former President Bill Clinton has been awarded again for his reading of the best selling memoir "My Life." He won the audiobook of the year award from the Audio Publishers Association this weekend. The ex-president won a Grammy for best-spoken word album for that book back in February. And speaking of awards, you probably heard by now about Spamalot's Tony win. In case you can't get a ticket, CNN's Karyn Bryant has the summer preview of all the big Broadway hits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARYN BRYANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sweet, the rotten, "Little Women," "Angry Men." New York's Theater District, three dozen shows crammed into 11 city blocks. Broadway, baby!

You like plays you say? Let's start with some classics. Denzel is doing Julius Caesar. Yes, Shakespeare is here. So is Tennessee Williams times two.

CHRISTIAN SLATER, "THE GLASS MENAGERIE": And the audience seems to be laughing. I think they're quite relieved to discover that this is not like this heavy, heavy, heavy classic thing.

BRYANT: Christian Slater fronts "The Glass Menagerie" with Jessica Lange. And "A Streetcar Named Desire" has got Natasha Richardson this go around.

NATASHA RICHARDSON, "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE": It's an extraordinary play. One of the great plays ever written.

BRYANT: "Glengarry Glen Ross" is back. So is "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" with Kathleen Turner.

KATHLEEN TURNER, "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF": Scream.

BRYANT: Need new drama in your life? Theater critic Adam Feldman has some picks.

ADAM FELDMAN, THEATER CRITIC: I would say two plays, "Doubt" and "The Pillow Man." Very different shows, both about child abuse, but in a very different way.

BRYANT: Familiar stories, which began on Broadway, are being reinvented. "On Golden Pond" is one.

FELDMAN: The twist is that it has an all-black cast.

BRYANT: "Steel Magnolias" is another. With eight live shows a week, Christine Ebersole is clocking a lot of time at the crossroads of the world.

We want to talk musicals now, big shows, the choice is overwhelming. We need guidance. Help, Christine!

(on camera): There are some great long-running shows, like "Chicago."

CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, "STEEL MAGNOLIAS": Yes.

BRYANT: You can't go wrong with that, right?

EBERSOLE: You can't go wrong with that show.

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: "Wicked" has been running for a long time.

EBERSOLE: Yes, that's right. And "La Cage."

BRYANT: "La Cage" hall (ph), right? Right?

EBERSOLE: And there's "La Cage," too. That's a fantastic show. And now Robert Goulet (ph) is in it.

BRYANT: Bob Goulet?

EBERSOLE: Robert Goulet, younger than springtime.

BRYANT: Excellent.

FELDMAN: And we had 11 new book musicals open on Broadway this year. That's more than we've had, actually, in almost 20 years.

BRYANT (voice-over): And a few of those, some spun from films, are already summer must sees. There's "Sweet Charity" starring Christina Applegate or "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," along with the hands down hottest show in town...

FELDMAN: Monty Python's "Spamalot" is new this year. It's been a huge success and sold out. So if you can get tickets for it, good luck.

BRYANT (on camera): When you have a night off, what show do you want to go see?

EBERSOLE: "Spamalot."

FELDMAN: From the newer crop of musicals, "Spamalot" or "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" are both old fashioned, good Broadway musicals.

BRYANT (voice-over): Karyn Bryant, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: You can get more entertainment news every night on "ShowBiz Tonight." That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline News.

And the next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is Tuesday, June 7.

U.S. and Iraqi troops are in action this morning. Troops, tanks and planes converge on the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar. CNN has exclusive pictures to show you.

Also, they've been allies in war, now they're allies in aid. The U.S. and Britain are sending a ton of money overseas.

And a new warning for millions of consumers, your personal information is at risk.

And good morning to you.

We'll have more on the U.S. push into Tal Afar in just a moment.

Also ahead, the Supreme Court shoots down medical marijuana, but will the ruling be enforced?

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 June 7, 2005 - 05:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is payback time for President Bush. That's what his strongest ally Tony Blair is hoping. The British Prime Minister has given unwavering support to President Bush in the Iraq war and now Blair is in Washington looking for support in his fight for more aid to Africa.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is live in London this morning.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well this is all about Tony Blair trying to set the stage for success for the G-8 Summit in Gleneagle in Scotland in about a month's time. What he wants to do there with the other G-8 nations is agree a means to end poverty in Africa, and that's why he's coming to meet with President Bush today.

He will be trying to advance his agenda of relieving all the debt for the poorer African nations and doubling the amount of aid given to Africa. The European Nations already, some of the European nations, along with Great Britain, at least have already said that they will contribute $80 billion in aid by the end of 2010. He will be looking at President Bush to make a similar contribution.

They also have some very radical ideas, an international finance facility on how to raise more money for aid relief in Africa, essentially by borrowing against future aid donations. So all of this Tony Blair will be putting to President Bush.

He'll also be talking about climate control, trying to get agreement. Again, setting the stage for success for the Gleneagle Summit and G-8 Summit in Scotland. Getting agreements on cleaner technologies and what energy efficient technologies, again, to help climate control -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live in London this morning.

President Bush and the Prime Minister do plan a joint news conference this afternoon. CNN will bring that to you live at 4:45 Eastern.

As the California jury deliberates Michael Jackson's fate, you can't help but wonder about his health. He's been in and out of the hospital throughout the trial, most recently, Sunday.

And as CNN's Rusty Dornin reports, the pop singer has had his share of health problems for decades.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An incredible athlete on stage. Offstage, Michael Jackson's health often seemed fragile. His longest ongoing health issue, says his biographer, has been panic attacks.

RANDI TARABORRELLI, JACKSON BIOGRAPHER: There have been instances when he's had to perform on stage, and he was upset about one thing or another, and he would have a panic attack, and actually has been hospitalized.

DORNIN: In the '70s, he broke his nose in a dancing accident, which began a series of plastic surgeries. Jackson will only admit to two. In the '80s, Jackson's hair caught on fire during a commercial. He was hospitalized and forced to undergo scalp surgery. During that same time, Jackson's skin began to appear much lighter. He claimed he had a skin condition.

TARABORRELLI: Vitiligo is a true condition. It's not a made-up Michael Jackson fantasy. He was diagnosed with it back in the 1980s. He does have it. And you know it is an issue in his life.

DORNIN: In 1993, following the previous allegations of sexual abuse, Jackson admitted problems with prescription drugs.

MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: After my tour ended, I remained out of the country undergoing treatment for a dependency on pain medication.

DORNIN: Then in '94, he fell off a stage in Germany injuring his back, a problem that Jackson says plagues him to this day.

During jury selection, Jackson went to the hospital with flu symptoms. Through the rest of the trial, it was his back that sent him to the hospital twice, complaining of debilitating pain. He even showed up for court in his pajamas. Then he went to the hospital last week because a family friend thought he looked dehydrated.

TARABORRELLI: It always is a big drama around Michael Jackson. I mean, he's always, you know, dehydrated, or he's exhausted, or...

DORNIN (on camera): So is he sick? Is he really sick?

TARABORRELLI: He is. I mean, I could tell you from my own sources in the Jackson camp that he is very sick right now and has been for quite some time. It is the back. It's not an exaggeration.

DORNIN (voice-over): Some close to the superstar say his health always deteriorates when the pressure is on.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Laci Peterson's mother plans to write a book. Sharon Rocha's account of her daughter's murder is titled "For Laci." And it's scheduled for publication this December, three years after Laci's disappearance.

Sharon Rocha's husband, Laci's stepfather, tells "The Modesto Bee" he will help Rocha write the book. He says -- quote -- "A lot of truths haven't been told, and I kind of think they should be... Everyone has written little bits and pieces. This story is going to be a good one."

Scott Peterson has been sentenced to death for killing his wife and unborn son, Conner.

Peterson's attorney suggests his client is on death row for a crime he did not commit. Mark Geragos talked about the case with CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GERAGOS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He has been, throughout all of this, I think, enormously resilient. And one of the things, you know without breaching confidentiality, because he's said it to others and not just to me, but he said, look, after my family was killed, the fact that they're blaming me for it, it pales in comparison with losing Laci and Conner. So, as I'd indicated before, either the guy's the greatest sociopath of all time, or he's innocent.

As a lawyer, you cannot feel any lower than in a death penalty case to have somebody that you truly believe is innocent to be convicted and then be sentenced to death. I mean, there is, bar none, at least for me professionally, nothing worse than you can experience than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Geragos says he was surprised at Peterson's guilty verdict, saying he thought a hung jury was more likely.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, it may look painful, but more Americans are choosing these little needles for relief. In four minutes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores why acupuncture is growing in popularity.

And later, put on your dancing shoes. We'll show you -- we'll have lovers of Broadway musicals skipping to The Great White Way this summer.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Being pricked by lots of little needles is not the typical thing we do to fix what ails us. But more and more people are turning to alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, to relief pain and other health problems.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how it can impact your quality of life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 25 years, pain has been smoldering throughout 51-year-old Darrell Ortiz's body. Several major work injuries turned into a nagging sort of pain at first, but then basic things, like walking, going to the grocery store, eventually even going to work, became impossible.

DARRELL ORTIZ, PAIN SUFFERER: Excruciating. It feels like I've gone through all my injuries all over again, like they just happened. There's sometimes when I almost want to give up completely, you know? The pain just takes over.

GUPTA: Pain also appears in the sharp hues and images born of Ortiz's palette. Each day with each glide of his brush on canvas, he could paint away the dull painful throb; but eventually, pain would invade even that.

ORTIZ: Just lifting my arm like this, you know, to paint, sometimes I couldn't do it. I'd paint for a half an hour and have to go to bed, you know.

GUPTA: That was the last straw. He tried everything: potent pain drugs, like OxyContin and Percocet, exercise. Nothing worked over the long term.

ORTIZ: I was to the point where I was desperate. I was willing to try anything.

GUPTA: He swallowed his fear of needles and tried acupuncture.

(on camera): Studies seem to be stacking up in favor of acupuncture, according to the World Health Organization. They say inserting little needles, like these, can be effective in terms of treating arthritis, headache, menopausal symptoms, low back pain, dental pain even.

The theory is this: you have energy, or chi, flowing through natural channels in your body. Any interruption of those natural channels can cause tension, subsequently causing disease. Well it's acupuncture that can help restore that flow.

DR. WEI HUANG, EMORY UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: The theory of the tradition of Chinese medicine focuses on the whole body and there's a harmony inside the body. The flow of the chi should be very fluent in order to maintain health.

GUPTA (voice-over): Historically, Western doctors may have been reluctant to use this 2,000-year-old practice, but the landscape is changing slowly.

DR. PETER JOHNSTONE, EMORY UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: There are some things that we still don't do well and there are things that we still don't understand well. And in an attempt to hopefully relieve suffering, we need to, I think, be open to the fact that there may be other avenues besides those that we were taught in medical school.

GUPTA: Mainstream options alone weren't helping Darrell Ortiz. He says using acupuncture as a complement to other therapies has made his life livable. A series of treatments keeps him pain free for months at a time.

ORTIZ: Since I've been doing the acupuncture, I've been having to take less drugs.

GUPTA: Fewer drugs, but more importantly, the ability to paint away his pain and to live a normal life.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:41 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Allies on Africa, President Bush and British leader Tony Blair meet this afternoon at the White House. They plan to announce a multimillion-dollar African aid package.

Exclusive pictures on CNN this morning of a major military offensive in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi troops are cracking down on insurgents near the Syrian border. At least 1 U.S. soldier has been killed, 23 suspected insurgents detained.

In money news, the personal information of millions of Citigroup customers could be at risk. The company's finance division says UPS lost some of its computer tapes. The tapes have data on nearly four million Citi Financial customers.

In culture, you've seen her waifish figure on billboards and magazines and on the runway. Now supermodel Kate Moss is getting a top fashion industry award. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is honoring Moss' career. Oh joy!

In sports, a preliminary Olympic report does not look good for the city of New York. The report gives good reviews to Paris, Madrid and London in their bids for the 2012 Summer Games. New York and Moscow get mixed reviews. The decision will be announced on July 6.

To the Forecast Center and -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

That's a look at the latest headlines this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, there are lots of stars on Broadway this summer. We'll tell you what's a must see.

And do not forget our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should you be required to take a written driver's test regularly? You know, more than once in your lifetime. E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: To our DAYBREAK "Eye-Opener."

Here's a twist on the old alligator found in the backyard story. This little gator was found in a backyard in Desert Hot Springs, California. Animal experts think it was someone's pet that just got too big. The problem is no one will take the young gator, so it's being kept at the pound with the dogs and the cats.

Can't have an alligator story without a bear in a tree story. This one was chased up a tree in Lumberton, North Carolina. Wildlife experts told onlookers that if they left the bear alone it would simply go away. It was last seen running for the woods.

In Bali they're making big money by breeding butterflies. This breeding ground produces about 250 a week. The farms are necessary due to the dwindling population of Indonesian insects. The butterflies are then sent off to collectors and butterfly parks worldwide.

Wow, I had no idea that was -- there was a shortage of insects in Indonesia. I wonder how they did that.

MYERS: Well I'm not sure, just penned them all up.

COSTELLO: The insects?

MYERS: Yes, kept them inside and they made more insects.

COSTELLO: They must have some great insecticide out there.

We have been quizzing Chad all this morning, not about high- pressure fronts or warming systems, but the rules of the road.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's time again.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: A new study says 1 in 10 of you would fail a written driver's test if you took it today. Also, one out of three drivers tested in the study admit they've sped up to go through a yellow light, even if there were pedestrians in the crosswalk. That's nasty.

All right, your third question -- Chad.

MYERS: OK. COSTELLO: All right, to avoid last-minute moves, you should be looking down the road to where your vehicle will be in about a) 5 to 10 seconds, b) 10 to 15 seconds or c) 15 to 20 seconds?

MYERS: And this was actually on a test?

COSTELLO: Yes, in California.

MYERS: This is ridiculous. It's a stupid question. Ten to 15 seconds, sure, but the farther you can look down the road the better. Everybody else looks at the taillights of the car behind them. So as soon as they stop, they're right into the back of them. Really, you should always look as far down the road as you can, so, I mean, and sometimes you can't even see over the horizon that far. But I would guess the answer...

COSTELLO: Just give me an answer.

MYERS: The answer b) 10 to 15 seconds down the road. If you're doing 60 miles an hour, 15 seconds is a quarter mile and most drivers can't focus that far anyway, so.

COSTELLO: You are correct, it is b). And of course our technical director gave it away once again.

MYERS: That's all right.

COSTELLO: But that's OK.

MYERS: Got some great answers to our e-mail question, Carol. Here it is: should you be required to take a written driver's test regularly? Every 4 years, 5 years, 10 years, whatever. Got some good answers. You want to hear one?

COSTELLO: Yes, I do.

MYERS: OK. This one kind of goes along with what I'm thinking. Yes, everyone should have to pass a driving test every five years. Everyone who buys a computer should have to pass a test before they can buy it. Everyone who gets married should have to pass a compatibility test before they say I do.

COSTELLO: That person has to be joking. Who's that from?

MYERS: That is from Macon, Georgia. From Macon in Georgia.

And I'll tell you what, though, if a marriage certificate had a five-year expiration date on it, there would be a lot less divorces now, wouldn't there? You just have to keep renewing it.

COSTELLO: Read another e-mail.

MYERS: It is 100 percent correct that people need to take regular driving tests. If there were a test for drivers every four years, there'd be a lot less licensed drivers, less traffic and a whole lot less profanity. Got one here from Elliot (ph), and this is a really great idea. If you go to the AARP Web site, 55 Alive is a program nationwide, started in 1979 for drivers 55 years and older. You can get in there, find out for about 100 bucks or so, you can get $100 deduction on your insurance fee in 35 different states...

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: ... if you take this two-day course, 55 Alive. We have to wait a couple more years before we can do it, though, but anywhere.

Now this one from Donna (ph) in Buffalo, no to more frequent license testing. People who normally can't pass the test can somehow cheat on it anyway. Instead, every car should include a dumb move computer. Each time you make a dangerous move, a hand should pop out and slap you across the face twice and a voice should say get out, you're too stupid to be driving. That's from Buffalo. That's from Donna.

COSTELLO: Who sent that in, we have to see (ph)...

MYERS: That was from Donna. That was from Donna in Buffalo.

COSTELLO: Donna, thanks for that, we appreciate it.

Thank you for your e-mails this morning. I love that one.

All new in the next hour of DAYBREAK, four more casualties to an aging veteran population. Arlington National Cemetery is stressed to keep up with the large number of burials. We'll tell you what they're doing.

And we'll go live to Aruba for the latest on the investigation into a missing Alabama teenager.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning.

A rapper accused of stabbing a man at last year's Vibe Awards will be in court today in Los Angeles. David Darnell Brown, aka "Young Buck," has been ordered to stand trial for assault. He's pleaded not guilty to stabbing a man for punching Dr. Dre.

Stevie Wonder got a bouncing baby boy for his 55th birthday. It is the Grammy Award winning singer's seventh child and the first one by his current wife. They named the baby Mandela, which means powerful and defiant in Zulu.

Former President Bill Clinton has been awarded again for his reading of the best selling memoir "My Life." He won the audiobook of the year award from the Audio Publishers Association this weekend. The ex-president won a Grammy for best-spoken word album for that book back in February. And speaking of awards, you probably heard by now about Spamalot's Tony win. In case you can't get a ticket, CNN's Karyn Bryant has the summer preview of all the big Broadway hits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARYN BRYANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sweet, the rotten, "Little Women," "Angry Men." New York's Theater District, three dozen shows crammed into 11 city blocks. Broadway, baby!

You like plays you say? Let's start with some classics. Denzel is doing Julius Caesar. Yes, Shakespeare is here. So is Tennessee Williams times two.

CHRISTIAN SLATER, "THE GLASS MENAGERIE": And the audience seems to be laughing. I think they're quite relieved to discover that this is not like this heavy, heavy, heavy classic thing.

BRYANT: Christian Slater fronts "The Glass Menagerie" with Jessica Lange. And "A Streetcar Named Desire" has got Natasha Richardson this go around.

NATASHA RICHARDSON, "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE": It's an extraordinary play. One of the great plays ever written.

BRYANT: "Glengarry Glen Ross" is back. So is "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" with Kathleen Turner.

KATHLEEN TURNER, "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF": Scream.

BRYANT: Need new drama in your life? Theater critic Adam Feldman has some picks.

ADAM FELDMAN, THEATER CRITIC: I would say two plays, "Doubt" and "The Pillow Man." Very different shows, both about child abuse, but in a very different way.

BRYANT: Familiar stories, which began on Broadway, are being reinvented. "On Golden Pond" is one.

FELDMAN: The twist is that it has an all-black cast.

BRYANT: "Steel Magnolias" is another. With eight live shows a week, Christine Ebersole is clocking a lot of time at the crossroads of the world.

We want to talk musicals now, big shows, the choice is overwhelming. We need guidance. Help, Christine!

(on camera): There are some great long-running shows, like "Chicago."

CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, "STEEL MAGNOLIAS": Yes.

BRYANT: You can't go wrong with that, right?

EBERSOLE: You can't go wrong with that show.

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: "Wicked" has been running for a long time.

EBERSOLE: Yes, that's right. And "La Cage."

BRYANT: "La Cage" hall (ph), right? Right?

EBERSOLE: And there's "La Cage," too. That's a fantastic show. And now Robert Goulet (ph) is in it.

BRYANT: Bob Goulet?

EBERSOLE: Robert Goulet, younger than springtime.

BRYANT: Excellent.

FELDMAN: And we had 11 new book musicals open on Broadway this year. That's more than we've had, actually, in almost 20 years.

BRYANT (voice-over): And a few of those, some spun from films, are already summer must sees. There's "Sweet Charity" starring Christina Applegate or "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," along with the hands down hottest show in town...

FELDMAN: Monty Python's "Spamalot" is new this year. It's been a huge success and sold out. So if you can get tickets for it, good luck.

BRYANT (on camera): When you have a night off, what show do you want to go see?

EBERSOLE: "Spamalot."

FELDMAN: From the newer crop of musicals, "Spamalot" or "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" are both old fashioned, good Broadway musicals.

BRYANT (voice-over): Karyn Bryant, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: You can get more entertainment news every night on "ShowBiz Tonight." That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline News.

And the next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is Tuesday, June 7.

U.S. and Iraqi troops are in action this morning. Troops, tanks and planes converge on the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar. CNN has exclusive pictures to show you.

Also, they've been allies in war, now they're allies in aid. The U.S. and Britain are sending a ton of money overseas.

And a new warning for millions of consumers, your personal information is at risk.

And good morning to you.

We'll have more on the U.S. push into Tal Afar in just a moment.

Also ahead, the Supreme Court shoots down medical marijuana, but will the ruling be enforced?

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