Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Bending the Rules; Scout Deaths; Back on Track
Aired July 26, 2005 - 05:00 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 Tuesday, July 26. NASA is ready for liftoff again. Just a few hours to go before Shuttle Discovery's second launch attempt. And this time NASA may bend the rules a bit.
Also, there is no celebrating at this year's Boy Scout Jamboree. We'll tell you why grief counselors are there instead.
And wrong time, wrong place. Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor pays her respects, but a military family says they feel disrespected.
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. We'll have more on the Space Shuttle Discovery in just a minute.
Also ahead, what do a whitewater rafting trip and Tupperware have to do with recent terror attacks in London? A lot. We'll bring you up to date on the investigation.
And later, they're talking, but will anything be worked out? A live update on the North Korea talks from Beijing still ahead.
But first, a return to flight for the shuttle. They're up and ready to go on an historic voyage. You're looking at a live picture of the seven Shuttle Discovery astronauts at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Actually, you're taking a look at the shuttle itself.
Those astronauts, though, will walk out to the launch pad in just under two hours. They're scheduled to blast off at 10:39 a.m. Eastern Time. This is the first shuttle mission since the doomed Columbia flight two-and-a-half years ago in which all seven astronauts died.
NASA scrubbed Discovery's launch on July 13 because of a fuel sensor glitch. And NASA engineers do admit they still haven't gotten to the bottom of that problem, but they're pressing ahead with the launch anyway.
CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien has more from Kennedy Space Center.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were so close. Suited up, strapped in, the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery stealing themselves for the wild ride to orbit. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the vehicle, the ecosensors for some reasons did not pave (ph) today, and so we're going to have to scrub this launch attempt.
O'BRIEN: Instead, they got a leisurely drive in a motor home back to their quarters. The first launch since the loss of Columbia and her crew of seven would have to wait for another day.
WAYNE HALE, DEP. SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: And I think we're all still struggling a little bit with the ghosts of Columbia. And therefore, we want to make sure we do it right. This has -- this has been a very vexing problem.
O'BRIEN: The showstopper cropped up two hours and 20 minutes before they were set to light the candles. The culprit: a faulty hydrogen fuel gauge inside the external tank designed to shut down the shuttle main engines before they run dry. An inoperable fuel sensor system could cause an emergency landing or worse, a catastrophic failure. And so shuttle engineers got to work.
HALE: I would tell you that, based on the last 10 days worth of effort, the huge number of people and the tremendous number of hours that have been spent in testing and analysis, I think that we're coming to the right place.
O'BRIEN (on camera): But they aren't exactly there just yet. NASA's best and brightest remained stumped over what is causing the problem with the fuel sensor.
Is it in fact the sensor itself? This is a spare. Or is it some of the wires that are connected to it? Or is it the black box which actually controls the whole system?
No one can say for certain. And so NASA has decided to change its rules. It used to be they required four of these sensors before they would launch. Now they say three is enough.
MICHAEL GRIFFIN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: These sensors are normally not used at all. There has to be at least one failure of our system before these sensors come into play. If they come into play, we need two of them. So if we launch with three, then it would take a second failure to take out one of the sensors and we'd still be OK.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): But it remains a controversial decision. Some engineers inside NASA wonder if the shuttle team could have a case of launch fever and might be making decisions the way it did during the Columbia mission. NASA engineers say they may fly with the problem, but they insist they will know where it is and what it is before they launch the crew.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And Miles will join us live throughout DAYBREAK, so stick around. This is an historic moment for the American space program, not just because of the launch itself, but also because of what lies ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID WOLF, NASA ASTRONAUT: This mission really signals the beginning of the rest of our exploration space program, on to the moon, on to Mars, and completing the construction of the International Space Station.
Well, there's nothing like a space launch from the inside. Zero to 17,500 miles an hour in 8.5 minutes is serious acceleration. It's a little like being on a football punted into orbit. And then the engines cut off and you can fly, you can float, you can look back at the whole Earth and its spectacular view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Discovery astronauts are wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Their uniform patch honors the memory of the fallen Columbia crew. The blue shuttle at the top includes the seven stars that were featured on the Columbia mission patch.
Here's what's coming up at the Kennedy Space Center.
At 6:44 a.m. Eastern, the countdown resumes. At 6:49, the crew heads to the launch pad. At 7:19 Eastern, the astronauts begin strapping in.
Some special guests show up at 10:24 this morning. First lady Laura Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush arrive. And at 10:39 a.m. Eastern -- 10:38 and 59 seconds, to be exact, Discovery lifts off. Of course that all depends on the weather.
"Now in the News," though, the mood is upbeat. Six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program officially resumed in China this morning. U.S. and North Korean officials held a rare one-on-one meeting yesterday, and they plan to meet again today.
Getting tough on terror. Under an hour ago, British Prime Minister Tony Blair started meeting with opposition party leaders. They're talking about ways to usher in new anti-terror measures in light of the London bombing attacks.
Now let's head to the forecast center and check on the weather in Florida this morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So far it looks good.
(WEATHER)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: It was a horrific beginning to a massive Boy Scout Jamboree in Virginia. Four adult scout leaders were killed in an electrical accident while they were setting up a tent. Today, grief counselors are available to help young scouts cope with what they saw.
More from reporter A.J. Lagoe of our affiliate station WRIC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. LAGOE, REPORTER, WRIC: Truly a tragic start to the 2005 Boy Scout Jamboree here at Fort A.P. Hill. Four scout leaders are dead and another severely injured after an accident happened while tents were being set up.
We want to show you several photographs that were taken by The Associated Press shortly after this fatal accident that happened around 5:00 p.m. Monday evening.
Witnesses tell me that a number of scout leaders were setting up a tent when they somehow hit an overhead power line. Four of the scout leaders, all from Alaska, were killed. Another leader, along with a civilian contractor, was severely injured.
Jamboree organizers tell me right now their biggest concern is for the young scouts who lost their close friends and role models.
GREGG SHIELDS, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA: They are our primary concern right now. We have chaplains with the boys, and we're doing everything we can to comfort them.
LAGOE: The victims' families are being notified. No word yet as to what this means for the remainder of the Boy Scout Jamboree.
For CNN, I'm A.J. Lagoe, reporting from Fort A.P. Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Other news "Across America" this morning.
As many as 80 residents in Madera County, California, have been urged to get out of the way of a big grass fire. Take a look at that.
This thing's burned about 1,600 acres near the community of Course Gold (ph). Firefighters say the fire is being pushed by winds, making it hard to contain. Some people have taken shelter in a casino. They're gambling. They'll be safe there.
In Golden, Colorado, Sylvia Johnson told police she wanted to be a cool mom. So she hosted weekly sex parties for high school boys, having sex with five of them. Now she's pleaded guilty to sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and she could get up to 89 years in prison.
Following up on a story that was just developing yesterday morning, all 34 people aboard a Greyhound bus were taken to the hospital after the bus ran off the interstate in -- an interstate highway in Baltimore during a heavy downpour. Five people seriously hurt. The bus driver told police she lost control while changing lanes after being passed by a truck that kicked up spray from the wet road.
Now to the White House, where President Bush appears to be facing a divided nation. A CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll was taken over the weekend. It asked people how they think the president is handling his job. Forty-nine percent said they approve of his performance. Forty- eight percent disapprove.
The U.S., North Korea and four other nations are back at the bargaining table this morning to talk about North Korea's nuclear program. This after more than a year of stalling. China is hosting this meeting.
CNN's Stan Grant joins us now from Beijing to bring us up to date.
Hello, Stan.
STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
These are high-stakes negotiations here in Beijing. We have a nation branded a rogue state, an outpost of tyranny, part of an international axis of evil which admits that it indeed has nuclear weapons and the capacity and the willingness to make more. Now after a yearlong standoff, it is back at the negotiating table.
There are six parties involved in these talks aiming at getting North Korea to give up its weapons. The most significant parties, though, of course, the United States and North Korea themselves.
They had a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines ahead of the beginning of the six-party talks. They tried to get on the same page. The United States stressing that they want to see a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. And at the opening of the six-party talks, the U.S. envoy, Chris Hill, further reassured North Korea of the U.S. intentions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER HILL, CHIEF U.S. DELEGATE: The United States is prepared for serious negotiations in the six-party framework. We view DPRK's sovereignty as a matter of fact. The United States has absolutely no intention to invade or attack the DPRK, and we remain prepared to speak with the DPRK bilaterally in the context of these talks. My delegation and I are pleased to be back here in Beijing, and we want to remain here so long as we are making progress in these talks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRANT: Now, sending the right signals there, but there is an "if." The "if" is that if they cannot make progress at this round of talks, the United States does have "other options." Now, what those other options are they're not at this stage saying, preferring to see through the six-way process and try to get some headway here.
North Korea also saying it is committed to making progress. What it wants is a security guarantee, an anti-aggression pact with the United States, and further guarantees of more aid, particularly food and energy. The U.S. response to that will meet action with action -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Stan Grant, live from Beijing this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, relatives of a fallen Marine say they're amazed and disgusted. We'll tell you why they say Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor, boy did she make them mad.
Also, about five-and-a-half hours to go before liftoff. We'll take you to the Kennedy Space Center as these seven astronauts gear up for a historic return to space.
And they melt in your mouth, not in your hands. But could they also cure what ails you?
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: International markets are mixed this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei is down more than 24 points. The London FTSE is up four. The German DAX down a fraction of a point. The technical term for that, as you know, is a smidge.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:15 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
The Shuttle Discovery astronauts are set to lift off in under five-and-a-half hours. NASA is pressing on with the launch even though it hasn't figured out what caused a fuel sensor glitch.
Grief counselors on hand today at a huge Boy Scout gathering in Virginia. Yesterday, four Boy Scout leaders were electrocuted while setting up a tent on the first day of the national jamboree. All four died.
In money news, want a seat on the New York Stock Exchange? Pay up. Two seats have sold for $2.6 million a piece, just shy of the record. The price has jumped since the exchange announced plans to go public.
In culture, Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson -- oh, what a duo -- they'll be among the featured performers at this year's MTV Vide Music Awards. The August 28 award show will be live from Miami with host P. Diddy.
In sports, Ricky Williams is back with the Miami Dolphins one year after that surprise retirement. The one-time Pro Bowler returned to the practice field for the first day of training camp. If he makes the team, Williams will miss the first four games of the season for violating the league's drug policy.
You think he was out of money, Chad?
MYERS: Yes, he would have been. Let's just put it that way, because obviously he owed all that back pay that -- whatever. I remember that story from ad nauseam.
(WEATHER)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: That's a look at the headlines this morning.
The family of a Pennsylvania Marine killed in Iraq says it's bad enough they lost their loved one in the war, but when the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania showed up at his funeral, the family became enraged. Not because of the gesture, but because of politicking.
Timyka Artist of our Pittsburgh affiliate WTAE explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIMYKA ARTIST, REPORTER, WTAE (voice-over): The funeral of slain Staff Sergeant Joseph Goodrich was attended by hundreds of relatives, close friends and fellow Marines. But there was one person in attendance who the family says was not welcomed. That was Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll.
RHONDA GOODRICH, SISTER-IN-LAW: And then she walks in there, she didn't say she was sorry, she didn't say she was proud of Joe, she didn't offer any assistance. She offered her opinion on the war, called a hero's funeral a function. A wedding reception is a function.
ARTIST: In a phone interview from her home in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhonda Goodrich says Knoll disrespected her brother-in- law's memory by showing up uninvited, handing out business cards, and making statements about the commonwealth being against the war.
GOODRICH: If our government's against this war, why are these Marines fighting? What are they fighting for?
ARTIST: Channel 4 Action News caught up with Governor Ed Rendell, who was attending a mayoral conference down at the waterfront. He did not shy away from talking about his lieutenant governor's actions.
GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: But I don't think she meant any harm by no means. I think she was trying to pay her respects. Passing out business cards, I think it's her way of saying, if you need help, give me a call. I generally think, though, it's not a good idea to go to funerals where you're not invited.
ARTIST: Rendell says he has in the past attended wakes uninvited because they are meant for the public. In the meantime, the Goodrich family is asking for an apology.
Governor Rendell's response to that?
RENDELL: I think either the lieutenant governor or I should probably send the family a note and say, look, we certainly meant no disrespect and no harm. The lieutenant governor meant no disrespect or no harm by doing that. In actuality, she wanted to pay her respects and show how all Pennsylvania grieves for the loss of any of our sons and daughters. And we're sorry if her actions were misunderstood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was Timyka Artist of our Pittsburgh affiliate WTAE.
In a letter dated Monday to Goodrich's widow, Lieutenant Governor Catherine Knoll did issue an apology. I'm going to read it to you now.
She says, "Sergeant Goodrich's service was beyond the call of duty. If my regard for his family's grief was seen another way, it is thoroughly regrettable. The fact that you have been offended deserves and receives my most profound apology."
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, will he or won't he? We'll tell you if Republican Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania plans to run for president in 2008.
And are your toes pumping iron? Your toes pumping iron? Yes, your toes. They need to be to win this competition. We'll tell you more.
You're watching DAYBREAK for Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Nothing like driving rock music in the morning to wake you up.
MYERS: Put a bunch of haze on the horizon.
Good morning.
COSTELLO: Hey, it's time to laugh.
MYERS: Yes. Jay Leno.
COSTELLO: Jay Leno.
MYERS: You know what he's talking about?
COSTELLO: Lance Armstrong.
MYERS: Lance Armstrong. Surprise, surprise. COSTELLO: I know. But, you know, Jay Leno seems to make it funny. So here's Jay Leno's take on Lance Armstrong's Tour de France seventh win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Seven times he's won it. The French call it beginner's luck. That's what...
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: Remember, that's Tour de France. So you don't confuse that with what Jude Law did. That's tour de pants. That's a totally...
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: That was a whole -- that was a whole different thing.
You know, he's like the most amazing athlete, this Lance Armstrong. You see, this is so huge in Europe. We don't really appreciate what a remarkable athlete he is.
He can ride 31 miles an hour for 74 minutes. That's more than a new KIA. Do you realize that? That's unbelievable.
President Bush even called Lance after the big victory. And not to congratulate him. He wants Lance to teach him how to backpedal even faster. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: Oh, rim shot.
COSTELLO: See. And he called it the Tour de France.
MYERS: He did.
COSTELLO: He did.
MYERS: It's the tour de Lance.
COSTELLO: I know you prefer the Americanized version, tour de Lance.
MYERS: Tour de Lance.
COSTELLO: I got it now. Thanks, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Time four our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
Here's an event for people who thought thumb wrestling was something to be desired. It's called toe wrestling.
Oh, Chad, it's just not good to look at this so early in the morning.
These foot fighters faced off for the 12th annual toe wrestling championship in Ashburn, England. And in case you're wondering, the winner is the -- go ahead. Say it, Chad.
Toeminator.
MYERS: Doh. But he had a lake up on somebody.
COSTELLO: El Salvador's most famous animal has celebrated her 55th birthday. Zookeepers made a special cake for Manyula the elephant.
MYERS: Oh.
COSTELLO: Isn't that nice?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: The cake, of course, had lots of fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of nougat -- nougats. Manyula's strange affinity for candy may come from the fact that she's never lived anywhere but the San Salvador Zoo.
MYERS: Typically, a life span for an elephant, 60 to 70 years. So she's still doing well.
COSTELLO: She's doing well on those nougats.
There was an impromptu cattle drive on an Idaho highway. It all started when a cattle truck overturned. Idaho state troopers then had to try to round up the wayward cattle cargo.
It took them four hours, Chad.
MYERS: Moo.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That was great.
MYERS: Thank you.
COSTELLO: It led to many highway problems. The high temperatures caused many cars to overheat, which also blocked the road. But eventually they rounded up those cows.
MYERS: I didn't punch no doggie.
COSTELLO: I think we should wrap this thing up.
MYERS: Move it on.
COSTELLO: In the next half-hour, we'll go live to the Kennedy Space Center, where Discovery prepares for liftoff.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Coming up in the next 30 minutes, how London plans to fight its own war on terror.
And later, the letters Jennifer Aniston may regret writing and why.
But first, "Now in the News."
Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts are all set for this morning's liftoff. The fuel sensor that caused the scrub of an earlier launch performed well enough during a test overnight.
Discovery is set to blast off at 10:39 Eastern. You can see it live right here on CNN.
A tent pole touching a power line appears to be what caused the electrocution of four adult Boy Scout leaders.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
