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CNN Live At Daybreak

Judge's House Searched in Aruba; Testimony Begins Today in Civil Rights Murders; Philadelphia Schools Require African History Class

Aired June 16, 2005 - 06:32   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.


ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner center in New York, this is DAYBREAK, with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us.

In just a few minutes, the tape that prompted the firing of two police officers, and it's unbelievable.

And a new way of teaching history in one urban city.

But first, "Now in the News."

A six-hour school hostage crisis in Cambodia ended just about two hours ago. A 5-year-old Canadian girl and two gunmen were killed. Police took two other gunmen into custody.

Police in Long Beach, California, are still looking for the victim of an apparent shooting at a high school graduation. They found a blood trail and two handguns at the scene of the graduation ceremony.

The Patriot Act is under scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to restrict federal investigators from using Section 215 to look at your library records and book store sales receipts. President Bush, though, has threatened to veto any changes.

To the forecast center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: In Aruba, authorities have searched the house of a judge whose son has been detained in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

John Zarrella live in Palm Beach, Aruba. He's going to bring us up-to-date now.

Hello -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, a couple of days ago, of course, they searched a beach area about a mile-and-a-half from the hotel here, the Holiday Inn, where Natalee Holloway was staying. And then yesterday, authorities went to the house of Joran Van Der Sloot. He is the son of the judge here. He is the 17-year-old, one of three young men being held in connection with her disappearance.

Authorities are said to have searched outside and inside the house. They roped off a portion of the property. And it is reported that they came out with some materials, but it's unclear exactly what they got or whether they were looking for anything specific.

While that was taking place earlier yesterday, a hearing was held, where all three young men appeared in court. That hearing was called because the attorney representing Joran Van Der Sloot asked the judge for permission for his client's father to go visit the boy. No one has gone in to see him since he has been detained.

The attorney representing one of the Surinamese young men, who was also being detained, that attorney also went before the judge and asked for documents to be released, for evidence to be released pertaining to the case. He would not say, the attorney, exactly what those documents were or what specific evidence he was looking for.

There are expected to be rulings by a judge here on both of those requests. We expect that ruling sometime today.

In the meantime, the search continues for Natalee Holloway. But at this point, those searches have turned up nothing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, John Zarrella live in Aruba this morning.

Now to South Carolina, where two police officers could face criminal charges after beating a suspect at a traffic stop. The police officers have been kicked off the force, and here is why. And we warn you, this video is hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A lot of questions are associated with this. You can see the passenger in the car. He's standing right there to the right- hand side of the car just watching. And he is probably frightened. And, of course, the pictures are being taken by the onboard camera inside the officer's car.

This incident happened on June 5. The tape contradicts what the officers Donnie Bubba Grimsley (ph) and Darren Miles (ph) wrote in their police reports about the incident. As I said, they've been kicked off the force, and criminal charges may soon be filed.

Emotional testimony is expected today in Mississippi. That's where witnesses will finally take the stand in the more than 40-year- old murders of three civil rights workers. An 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman is standing for trial for those killings.

For a look at what we can expect, let's turn to CNN's Ed Lavandera. He's in Philadelphia, Mississippi, this morning.

Hello -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the jury was set yesterday -- or early yesterday morning. The jury is made up of nine white jurors, three black jurors, ranging in age from 27 to 72. And many people here have been paying close attention just to see exactly what this jury makeup was going to end up being. But the trial is under way.

The prosecution will begin putting on their first witnesses this morning. And we expect to hear from family members of the three civil rights workers, as well as former Klansmen, who prosecutors say will point the finger toward Edgar Ray Killen as being the instigator and the ringleader of organizing the mob of Ku Klux Klan members that killed the three civil rights workers back in June of 1964.

COSTELLO: Ed Lavandera reporting live from Philadelphia, Mississippi. We'll be back to you throughout the day.

It's supposed to be the happiest time of their lives, the birth of a child. But one husband faces a difficult choice.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

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

This is such a tough story. It really is a race against time for a Virginia mother and her unborn child. Susan Torres (ph), the mother was just 17 weeks into her pregnancy when she suffered a stroke. It was the result of melanoma. She's brain dead now, but they've put her on life support so her unborn child can have a chance to survive. Doctors want her to hold off delivery for a few more weeks. It's very risky, though, because her cancer can pass through the placenta and affect the baby.

This morning, we're going to talk to Torres' (ph) husband about what his strategy is really right now. It's just a terrible story on so many levels.

Also this morning, Carol, we'll tell you about that military jet crash in Yuma, Arizona. The plane was carrying four bombs, 300 rounds of ammo as well, when it crashed into a residential area; 1,300 people evacuated. One resident actually -- right there, look at these pictures. We're going to talk to the guy who took this videotape. He heard the crash, he says. He ran and grabbed his video camera. He'll tell us exactly what he experienced when the plane crashed.

That's ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning, Carol. We'll see you at the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: We'll do. Thank you, Soledad. Still to come on DAYBREAK, open yet undercover. Does one tabloid reporter get too much access to Prince Harry? He goes inside of his school for seven hours.

Plus, a new approach to American history that includes African- American -- an African-American perspective, I should say. Should this be required learning in public schools?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In Cambodia, a hostage standoff at a school ended with one 5- year-old girl and two armed bandits dead. Police arrested two other gunmen, who took more than 50 students and teachers hostage.

In money news, cell phone users in Alexandria, Virginia, are going to have to pay a little extra starting in September. The city has tacked on a $3 a month charge to make up for real estate tax breaks.

In culture, a more high-tech Teddy Ruxpin is heading back to the market. Take a look. He's still quite the scary bear, isn't he? The animated stuffed bear has been updated with digital technology. It will be available to frighten your children beginning in September.

In sports, the 105th annual U.S. Open tees off in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in just about 20 minutes. Tiger Woods is looking for his second straight Grand Slam victory after wining the Masters in April.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, reading, writing, arithmetic and African-American history. One school system (INAUDIBLE) the curriculum. Should the new coursework be required?

But first, it's time to say happy birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Washington, House Democrats hold hearings on allegations that intelligence was manipulated to justify the war in Iraq. At issue is a memo prepared for British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Britain's defense minister orders an investigation into security at the Sandhurst officers academy, where Prince Harry is in training; this, after the "Sun" newspaper said one of its reporters got in with a fake bomb and filmed the prince. And are you ready for runaway bride, the movie? Jennifer Wilbanks now has a deal with Multimedia Company that's pitching her life story. As if you could forget, Wilbanks took off from her home in suburban Georgia four days before her planned April wedding.

It is a first in the United States. Philadelphia schools will now require students to take a full-year course in African-American history. It's an attempt to engage students and improve student performance. But some aren't so sure this is the right tactic for all students.

So, let's head live to Philadelphia to talk about it and Gregory Thornton. He's the chief academic officer of Philadelphia's school system.

Good morning, sir.

GREGORY THORNTON, SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA: Good morning.

COSTELLO: First off, what part of African-American history will you teach?

THORNTON: We will begin with the civilization of Africa focused around the migration of Africans to America. And the majority, of course, will then pick up and go forward from America on.

COSTELLO: You know, I asked you that question because we've been asking our viewers how they felt about this. And we got this from Derrick. He says: "I'm black, and I don't particularly believe in the African-American studies. It seems as though the public school system in America as a whole want to have black people's only legacy as slavery and totally ignore their contribution to mathematics, astronomy, et cetera."

THORNTON: Most definitely. Well, in the diverse culture that we live in, and the workplace being what it is, we felt it was imperative that our youngsters in the city, both youngsters of color and also youngsters that are not of color, have an appreciation for the contributions and an understanding of the different cultures that, hopefully, they will be working with as they grow older and be part of this global economy.

COSTELLO: I know that 67 percent of the kids in your school system are black. How does learning about African-American history keep them in school?

THORNTON: Well, I think there is certainly an appreciation of one's culture, an appreciation of one's heritage. It's our hope that enriching these students with a more comprehensive true sense of their origin will certainly engage them.

The other goal we had was we really felt that we wanted to provide a valuable academic asset, which will, hopefully, augment their skills to be even more competitive in the contemporary and global economy. You know, if you look at California, California is our largest state and at one time majority white. And by the middle of the century, one-third of America's workers will be of color. It's imperative as our youngsters, not only youngsters of color but youngsters not of color, have a full understanding of each other's history, of each other's culture, because they're going to have to work to...

COSTELLO: But it's not just black and white. I mean, there are Hispanic kids, Asian kids. The kid in the minority in your school, the whites, the Hispanic kids, won't they feel left out by requiring them to learn African-American history?

THORNTON: No, ma'am. Our goal is basically there will be a requirement of American history -- an African-American history course. We will have elective courses for youngsters of Latino heritage and of Asian heritage. And we have three basic courses, which all youngsters take for graduation -- a geography course, a world history course and an American history course, which I think has done a really good job in representing the heritage and cultures of all...

COSTELLO: Well, I guess what people were asking this morning in their e-mails to us is why not require a course on Hispanic culture for the year or Asian culture?

THORNTON: This has been a 10-year discussion that's going on in Philadelphia. And the understanding and the feeling of our school reform commission over the last few years is that we could use this pivotal African-American history course with the African civilization as a building block for the additional coursework that will hopefully take place with many of our youngsters.

COSTELLO: Gregory Thornton from Philadelphia. Thank you for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

Don't we all dream of winning the lottery from time to time? Now one man's dreams have come true.

Let's check in with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's coming up.

This is a good story.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm telling you, Carol. At the end of May, what, about four weeks ago?

COSTELLO: Yes.

HEMMER: This guy hit the jackpot, right? We didn't know his name; $220 million worth, though. He won the Powerball. He has kept his identity secret until today. And we'll ask him why about that. We'll also learn about the special plans he has for his winnings. He's not going out and buying a boat or car or anything like that. He's going to invest the money. We'll talk to him about that.

COSTELLO: Good idea. HEMMER: I'm telling you, sure. Also...

COSTELLO: He's going to say the money won't change him, right? Right.

HEMMER: We'll try and get that answer out of him for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK.

HEMMER: Sanjay is a pop, did you know that?

COSTELLO: No. Oh, yes, I did, actually. He had a girl.

HEMMER: Yes. He and his wife, Rebecca, gave birth yesterday. We'll page the good doctor for his series so appropriate with Father's Day over the weekend in our series, "Just for Dads," ad Sanjay having a baby this week. Baby-proofing 101, the hidden dangers found in many homes. Sanjay offers some important safety advice on that. We'll see what the good doctor knows about being a pop real soon, won't we, Carol?

COSTELLO: I bet he's frightened just as every new parent is frightened.

HEMMER: Congratulations to all three of them. See you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: All right, bye-bye.

COSTELLO: Let's talk to another new dad, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It was a baby girl, too, by the way.

COSTELLO: It was a baby girl. Her name is Sage.

MYERS: Oh, pretty.

COSTELLO: Isn't that a pretty name?

MYERS: Yes, it is.

COSTELLO: Sage Ayallah Gupta (ph).

MYERS: There you go.

COSTELLO: Very melodic.

MYERS: And you know what? If you can't win the lottery, at least you can win a coffee mug, Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, it's true.

MYERS: Just lower your standards about 221.5 million. Here are the questions from yesterday. What percentage of companies monitor their employees' Web usage? That number is 78 percent.

COSTELLO: It's scary.

MYERS: Yes. And when was the shuttle Discovery last rolled down to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center? And actually they tried to do it, and they did it April 6 of this year. But then they had to roll it back.

Oscar Saliba of Sarasota, Florida, you are the winner of the DAYBREAK coffee mug.

Now for today's questions. And the second one is not too easy. How much did the Justice Department originally seek in the tobacco settlement? And what three airlines are now selling travel insurance with online ticket purchases? That was from the Ben Mutzabaugh segment about 30 minutes ago.

COSTELLO: Yes. Hard questions this morning.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, submit your answers to what? CNN.com/daybreak.

MYERS: Right there. Click on it.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: If you're in the airport, Chad has a travel update for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

The electricity is back on in southeast Texas, but the power surge might have caused this and other homes to catch on fire. A transmission failure is blamed for the outage that affected nearly 100,000 homes.

And I guess that does it for us. 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 June 16, 2005 - 06:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner center in New York, this is DAYBREAK, with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us.

In just a few minutes, the tape that prompted the firing of two police officers, and it's unbelievable.

And a new way of teaching history in one urban city.

But first, "Now in the News."

A six-hour school hostage crisis in Cambodia ended just about two hours ago. A 5-year-old Canadian girl and two gunmen were killed. Police took two other gunmen into custody.

Police in Long Beach, California, are still looking for the victim of an apparent shooting at a high school graduation. They found a blood trail and two handguns at the scene of the graduation ceremony.

The Patriot Act is under scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to restrict federal investigators from using Section 215 to look at your library records and book store sales receipts. President Bush, though, has threatened to veto any changes.

To the forecast center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: In Aruba, authorities have searched the house of a judge whose son has been detained in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

John Zarrella live in Palm Beach, Aruba. He's going to bring us up-to-date now.

Hello -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, a couple of days ago, of course, they searched a beach area about a mile-and-a-half from the hotel here, the Holiday Inn, where Natalee Holloway was staying. And then yesterday, authorities went to the house of Joran Van Der Sloot. He is the son of the judge here. He is the 17-year-old, one of three young men being held in connection with her disappearance.

Authorities are said to have searched outside and inside the house. They roped off a portion of the property. And it is reported that they came out with some materials, but it's unclear exactly what they got or whether they were looking for anything specific.

While that was taking place earlier yesterday, a hearing was held, where all three young men appeared in court. That hearing was called because the attorney representing Joran Van Der Sloot asked the judge for permission for his client's father to go visit the boy. No one has gone in to see him since he has been detained.

The attorney representing one of the Surinamese young men, who was also being detained, that attorney also went before the judge and asked for documents to be released, for evidence to be released pertaining to the case. He would not say, the attorney, exactly what those documents were or what specific evidence he was looking for.

There are expected to be rulings by a judge here on both of those requests. We expect that ruling sometime today.

In the meantime, the search continues for Natalee Holloway. But at this point, those searches have turned up nothing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, John Zarrella live in Aruba this morning.

Now to South Carolina, where two police officers could face criminal charges after beating a suspect at a traffic stop. The police officers have been kicked off the force, and here is why. And we warn you, this video is hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A lot of questions are associated with this. You can see the passenger in the car. He's standing right there to the right- hand side of the car just watching. And he is probably frightened. And, of course, the pictures are being taken by the onboard camera inside the officer's car.

This incident happened on June 5. The tape contradicts what the officers Donnie Bubba Grimsley (ph) and Darren Miles (ph) wrote in their police reports about the incident. As I said, they've been kicked off the force, and criminal charges may soon be filed.

Emotional testimony is expected today in Mississippi. That's where witnesses will finally take the stand in the more than 40-year- old murders of three civil rights workers. An 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman is standing for trial for those killings.

For a look at what we can expect, let's turn to CNN's Ed Lavandera. He's in Philadelphia, Mississippi, this morning.

Hello -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the jury was set yesterday -- or early yesterday morning. The jury is made up of nine white jurors, three black jurors, ranging in age from 27 to 72. And many people here have been paying close attention just to see exactly what this jury makeup was going to end up being. But the trial is under way.

The prosecution will begin putting on their first witnesses this morning. And we expect to hear from family members of the three civil rights workers, as well as former Klansmen, who prosecutors say will point the finger toward Edgar Ray Killen as being the instigator and the ringleader of organizing the mob of Ku Klux Klan members that killed the three civil rights workers back in June of 1964.

COSTELLO: Ed Lavandera reporting live from Philadelphia, Mississippi. We'll be back to you throughout the day.

It's supposed to be the happiest time of their lives, the birth of a child. But one husband faces a difficult choice.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

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

This is such a tough story. It really is a race against time for a Virginia mother and her unborn child. Susan Torres (ph), the mother was just 17 weeks into her pregnancy when she suffered a stroke. It was the result of melanoma. She's brain dead now, but they've put her on life support so her unborn child can have a chance to survive. Doctors want her to hold off delivery for a few more weeks. It's very risky, though, because her cancer can pass through the placenta and affect the baby.

This morning, we're going to talk to Torres' (ph) husband about what his strategy is really right now. It's just a terrible story on so many levels.

Also this morning, Carol, we'll tell you about that military jet crash in Yuma, Arizona. The plane was carrying four bombs, 300 rounds of ammo as well, when it crashed into a residential area; 1,300 people evacuated. One resident actually -- right there, look at these pictures. We're going to talk to the guy who took this videotape. He heard the crash, he says. He ran and grabbed his video camera. He'll tell us exactly what he experienced when the plane crashed.

That's ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning, Carol. We'll see you at the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: We'll do. Thank you, Soledad. Still to come on DAYBREAK, open yet undercover. Does one tabloid reporter get too much access to Prince Harry? He goes inside of his school for seven hours.

Plus, a new approach to American history that includes African- American -- an African-American perspective, I should say. Should this be required learning in public schools?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In Cambodia, a hostage standoff at a school ended with one 5- year-old girl and two armed bandits dead. Police arrested two other gunmen, who took more than 50 students and teachers hostage.

In money news, cell phone users in Alexandria, Virginia, are going to have to pay a little extra starting in September. The city has tacked on a $3 a month charge to make up for real estate tax breaks.

In culture, a more high-tech Teddy Ruxpin is heading back to the market. Take a look. He's still quite the scary bear, isn't he? The animated stuffed bear has been updated with digital technology. It will be available to frighten your children beginning in September.

In sports, the 105th annual U.S. Open tees off in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in just about 20 minutes. Tiger Woods is looking for his second straight Grand Slam victory after wining the Masters in April.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, reading, writing, arithmetic and African-American history. One school system (INAUDIBLE) the curriculum. Should the new coursework be required?

But first, it's time to say happy birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Washington, House Democrats hold hearings on allegations that intelligence was manipulated to justify the war in Iraq. At issue is a memo prepared for British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Britain's defense minister orders an investigation into security at the Sandhurst officers academy, where Prince Harry is in training; this, after the "Sun" newspaper said one of its reporters got in with a fake bomb and filmed the prince. And are you ready for runaway bride, the movie? Jennifer Wilbanks now has a deal with Multimedia Company that's pitching her life story. As if you could forget, Wilbanks took off from her home in suburban Georgia four days before her planned April wedding.

It is a first in the United States. Philadelphia schools will now require students to take a full-year course in African-American history. It's an attempt to engage students and improve student performance. But some aren't so sure this is the right tactic for all students.

So, let's head live to Philadelphia to talk about it and Gregory Thornton. He's the chief academic officer of Philadelphia's school system.

Good morning, sir.

GREGORY THORNTON, SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA: Good morning.

COSTELLO: First off, what part of African-American history will you teach?

THORNTON: We will begin with the civilization of Africa focused around the migration of Africans to America. And the majority, of course, will then pick up and go forward from America on.

COSTELLO: You know, I asked you that question because we've been asking our viewers how they felt about this. And we got this from Derrick. He says: "I'm black, and I don't particularly believe in the African-American studies. It seems as though the public school system in America as a whole want to have black people's only legacy as slavery and totally ignore their contribution to mathematics, astronomy, et cetera."

THORNTON: Most definitely. Well, in the diverse culture that we live in, and the workplace being what it is, we felt it was imperative that our youngsters in the city, both youngsters of color and also youngsters that are not of color, have an appreciation for the contributions and an understanding of the different cultures that, hopefully, they will be working with as they grow older and be part of this global economy.

COSTELLO: I know that 67 percent of the kids in your school system are black. How does learning about African-American history keep them in school?

THORNTON: Well, I think there is certainly an appreciation of one's culture, an appreciation of one's heritage. It's our hope that enriching these students with a more comprehensive true sense of their origin will certainly engage them.

The other goal we had was we really felt that we wanted to provide a valuable academic asset, which will, hopefully, augment their skills to be even more competitive in the contemporary and global economy. You know, if you look at California, California is our largest state and at one time majority white. And by the middle of the century, one-third of America's workers will be of color. It's imperative as our youngsters, not only youngsters of color but youngsters not of color, have a full understanding of each other's history, of each other's culture, because they're going to have to work to...

COSTELLO: But it's not just black and white. I mean, there are Hispanic kids, Asian kids. The kid in the minority in your school, the whites, the Hispanic kids, won't they feel left out by requiring them to learn African-American history?

THORNTON: No, ma'am. Our goal is basically there will be a requirement of American history -- an African-American history course. We will have elective courses for youngsters of Latino heritage and of Asian heritage. And we have three basic courses, which all youngsters take for graduation -- a geography course, a world history course and an American history course, which I think has done a really good job in representing the heritage and cultures of all...

COSTELLO: Well, I guess what people were asking this morning in their e-mails to us is why not require a course on Hispanic culture for the year or Asian culture?

THORNTON: This has been a 10-year discussion that's going on in Philadelphia. And the understanding and the feeling of our school reform commission over the last few years is that we could use this pivotal African-American history course with the African civilization as a building block for the additional coursework that will hopefully take place with many of our youngsters.

COSTELLO: Gregory Thornton from Philadelphia. Thank you for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

Don't we all dream of winning the lottery from time to time? Now one man's dreams have come true.

Let's check in with CNN's Bill Hemmer for a look at what's coming up.

This is a good story.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm telling you, Carol. At the end of May, what, about four weeks ago?

COSTELLO: Yes.

HEMMER: This guy hit the jackpot, right? We didn't know his name; $220 million worth, though. He won the Powerball. He has kept his identity secret until today. And we'll ask him why about that. We'll also learn about the special plans he has for his winnings. He's not going out and buying a boat or car or anything like that. He's going to invest the money. We'll talk to him about that.

COSTELLO: Good idea. HEMMER: I'm telling you, sure. Also...

COSTELLO: He's going to say the money won't change him, right? Right.

HEMMER: We'll try and get that answer out of him for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK.

HEMMER: Sanjay is a pop, did you know that?

COSTELLO: No. Oh, yes, I did, actually. He had a girl.

HEMMER: Yes. He and his wife, Rebecca, gave birth yesterday. We'll page the good doctor for his series so appropriate with Father's Day over the weekend in our series, "Just for Dads," ad Sanjay having a baby this week. Baby-proofing 101, the hidden dangers found in many homes. Sanjay offers some important safety advice on that. We'll see what the good doctor knows about being a pop real soon, won't we, Carol?

COSTELLO: I bet he's frightened just as every new parent is frightened.

HEMMER: Congratulations to all three of them. See you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: All right, bye-bye.

COSTELLO: Let's talk to another new dad, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It was a baby girl, too, by the way.

COSTELLO: It was a baby girl. Her name is Sage.

MYERS: Oh, pretty.

COSTELLO: Isn't that a pretty name?

MYERS: Yes, it is.

COSTELLO: Sage Ayallah Gupta (ph).

MYERS: There you go.

COSTELLO: Very melodic.

MYERS: And you know what? If you can't win the lottery, at least you can win a coffee mug, Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, it's true.

MYERS: Just lower your standards about 221.5 million. Here are the questions from yesterday. What percentage of companies monitor their employees' Web usage? That number is 78 percent.

COSTELLO: It's scary.

MYERS: Yes. And when was the shuttle Discovery last rolled down to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center? And actually they tried to do it, and they did it April 6 of this year. But then they had to roll it back.

Oscar Saliba of Sarasota, Florida, you are the winner of the DAYBREAK coffee mug.

Now for today's questions. And the second one is not too easy. How much did the Justice Department originally seek in the tobacco settlement? And what three airlines are now selling travel insurance with online ticket purchases? That was from the Ben Mutzabaugh segment about 30 minutes ago.

COSTELLO: Yes. Hard questions this morning.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, submit your answers to what? CNN.com/daybreak.

MYERS: Right there. Click on it.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: If you're in the airport, Chad has a travel update for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

The electricity is back on in southeast Texas, but the power surge might have caused this and other homes to catch on fire. A transmission failure is blamed for the outage that affected nearly 100,000 homes.

And I guess that does it for us. 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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