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CNN Live At Daybreak

Hunt for Escaped Prisoner in Tennessee; Iraq Violence

Aired August 10, 2005 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is Wednesday, August 10, and the manhunt continues for an escaped prisoner and his wife. George and Jennifer Lyn Hyatte are still on the run almost 24 hours after a deadly shootout outside the Kingston, Tennessee courthouse. We'll have the latest on the search.
Tough talk from the defense secretary on the link between Iranian arms and Iraqi insurgents. We're live from Baghdad.

And inside North Korea and only on CNN. Our Mike Chinoy is there.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Carol Costello.

We'll have more from Tennessee in a moment.

Also ahead, water facts and fiction. Are eight glasses a day really the best thing for your health?

And out of Africa and into a beautiful new book. One photographer's obsession with what he calls the last place on Earth.

But first, now in the news, a massive explosion and fire at a chemical plant in suburban Detroit has prompted evacuations from the area. The Environmental Protection Agency will monitor the air around the hazardous waste disposal plant for any toxic dangers.

The FBI has joined the investigation into a police helicopter crash in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Investigators say the helicopter was brought down by gunfire last weekend. There were no serious injuries.

The search is ongoing for a 7-year-old girl who was swept away by floodwaters near Phoenix, Arizona. Police are using search dogs in an effort to locate the little girl. One man was killed when his truck was carried away by the rushing water.

And -- Chad, either it's extreme drought in some places or extreme water.

What's going on?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, there's been a lot of rain in Phoenix. I mean, today the high in Phoenix only 91. It doesn't even warm up enough to get hot, because the clouds and showers come in. It's one of those rain makes rain kind of things. When you get so much moisture on the ground, it evaporates into the air and then it rains again the next day. And it's been pouring out there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: We start this morning with the manhunt for an escaped convict in Tennessee. Police are searching for convicted robber George Hyatte and his wife, Jennifer Lyn Hyatte. One officer was shot and killed during the escape. Police say Jennifer Hyatte fired on the guards as they were moving her husband out of the courthouse in Kingston, Tennessee. George Hyatte was serving a 35-year sentence for aggravated robbery and assault.

Murder charges are already being prepared against the pair.

Joining us now to update the statewide search from Kingston, Tennessee is Police Chief Jim Washam.

Chief, thanks so much for being with us.

This was somebody who had escaped prison, or at least security, before.

While transporting him outside that courthouse, did he have a beefed up security detail? Was that a normal protocol?

CHIEF JIM WASHAM, KINGSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: Well, we're unsure of that. The prison system has their own protocol and at this time we still don't know what kind of preparations they had and what type of protocol they were following when they were transporting yesterday.

WHITFIELD: Now, Chief, there were witnesses of the shootings.

Have you been hearing from any eyewitnesses since their escape? Are you getting any tips?

WASHAM: We are following up on tips. They were coming in all evening last night. We have not been able to confirm any of them, but every one that comes in, we follow up on. And we've just not been able to confirm or capture these two individuals.

WHITFIELD: And apparently there was blood on the vehicle that was dumped, their escape vehicle, that was later found. It's your suspicion that at least one of them was shot.

Do you have any idea which one?

WASHAM: We don't have any idea. We're not sure at this time. We think it was the driver, Jennifer, that was hit. She -- if, indeed, it was her -- she lost a lot of blood. A lot of blood was in the vehicle in the driver's seat and that vehicle will be processed today. We have it in a secure location. TBI will be going through it today.

But whoever was driving, which we, we think it was her, took a shot and lost quite a bit of blood. And eventually they're going to need some medical attention.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kingston, Tennessee Police Chief Jim Washam.

Thanks so much for joining us as the manhunt continues for the two Hyattes.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is furious. He says weapons in Iraq are clearly coming from Iran. Rumsfeld says a shipment of explosives confiscated in Iraq came from Iran. U.S. officials say the explosives are more lethal than the improvised devices typically used by insurgents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: If one sees it there on the ground, you identify it. It's from Iran. And you don't know who brought it in or who tolerated it being brought in and who facilitated it to be brought in, who sold it to someone to take in, to bring in.

What you do know, of certain knowledge is the Iranians did not stop it from coming in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Iranian government denies involvement in the shipment of any explosives or weapons into Iraq. U.S. intelligence officials believe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard may be responsible.

The number of American service men and women who've died in Iraq to date has now risen to 1,840. That includes those four U.S. soldiers killed late Tuesday. Forty-two U.S. troops have died this month.

Now from Baghdad, let's go to Aneesh Raman with the latest on this casualty, the death toll raising exponentially, particularly this month -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, yesterday's attack, the military said today, took place about 120 miles north of the capital in the town of Beji. They call it a complex attack. U.S. soldiers, Task Force Liberty soldiers, were driving around trying to investigate an incident when their armored vehicle hit a tank destroying landmine, essentially. After that explosion, it was followed up by insurgent small arms fire. Four of them were killed, six others wounded.

It brings to 42 the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq just since the start of the month. And all of this as ongoing operations continue in the northwestern part of the country, in Al Anbar, as they try to push back against the insurgency -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And now these accusations, Aneesh, coming from Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, saying that these weapons are coming across the border from Iran and Iraq is not doing anything about it. Has the Iraqi government in any way responded to some of those questions coming from the Department of Defense?

RAMAN: They have. They say they are looking into the secretary's allegations. They, the Iraqi government, have suggested similar things before. Last year around this time, during that stand- off in the city of Najaf, then defense minister said that Iran was allowing weapons to come in.

I spoke with the prime minister's spokesman just a short time ago. He said that Ibrahim al-Jaafari had raised this specific issue with the leadership in Iran during his visit to Tehran last month, also calling on Iran not to interfere in Iraq's affairs, whether it be by allowing weapons into the country or especially in terms of domestic political affairs.

But they have back channels of communication. They are being extremely cautious, Fredricka, in their working. Such is the very complex relationship between these two countries.

WHITFIELD: Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.

Thanks so much.

Well, still to come this hour, a rare look at North Korea. It's not every day Westerners get to see the isolated communist nation. We'll take you there at 20 after the hour.

And are you drinking eight glasses of water a day? More importantly, should you? We'll dive into that question with a registered dietitian at 23 minutes after the hour.

And Christopher Reeve's widow announces she is battling lung cancer. At 40 after the hour, we'll bring you her struggle, shared by many other non-smokers.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is now 11 minutes after the hour and here's what is all new this morning.

That emergency meeting of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency is back on today in Vienna. Delegates will struggle to convince Iran to suspend its nuclear program. Iran says it's proceeding with the Iranian conversion process at one plant.

In money, the Federal Reserve raised the target for short-term interest rates by a 1/4 of a percentage point. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan says we can expect another hike next month.

In culture, some of the biggest names in jazz are headed to the Hall of Fame. The 12 inductees include Ella Fitzgerald, Bennie Goodman and Count Basie.

And in sports, defending NASCAR champion Kurt Busch is changing teams. Busch signed a deal to drive for the Penske Racing starting in 2007. He's expected to drive the number two car when Rusty Wallace retires -- and Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Fred.

Not next year, but 2007. They're still trying to get him out of the 2006 ride, because the sponsorship says wait, wait, wait, we still want him. So we'll see how that goes. Roush Racing obviously losing Mark Martin, as well. It's going to be a little short. They obviously added a couple of drivers, but we'll see.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: A big court win for Microsoft could have a big payoff for consumers. We'll tell you how.

And if interest rates don't interest you, stick around. Carrie Lee will tell us why the Fed's latest move should matter to you.

But first, we want to say good morning to Miami.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here are some other stories making "News Across America" this morning.

Multi-millionaire Abe Hirschfeld has died. The real estate magnet was once touted by "Time" magazine as one of the 20th century's top business tycoons. But his later years were filled with eccentric behavior, including the time he offered Paula Jones a million dollars to drop her lawsuit against President Bill Clinton. Abe Hirschfeld was 86 years old.

The man suspected of shooting singer Mark Cohn is being held on $1 million bond. He was arrested after a five-and-a-half hour stand- off with police. Cohn was released from the hospital after being shot in the head during an attempted carjacking on Sunday.

Charles McCoy, Jr. issued a tearful apology before being sentenced in a series of Ohio highway shootings. One person was killed in those shootings. He'll serve 27 years in prison. McCoy said he had stopped taking his medication for paranoid schizophrenia before the shootings back in 2003 and 2004.

OK, we've all heard this advice more than a few times we can remember -- you've got to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. But do we really?

The new issue of "Women's Health" magazine takes on hydration questions.

And registered dietitian Lisa Drayer, who also writes for the magazine, is here with a few answers.

Good to see you, Lisa.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Hi, Fredricka.

Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right, it's early, isn't it?

All right, well, we're all told drink at least eight glasses of water, maybe even 10.

Should we really?

DRAYER: You know, it's certainly not a bad idea to aim for eight glasses of water each day. But there's actually no scientific evidence to support the number eight. So in reality, our individual water needs will vary. If, for example, we exercise a lot or if we perspire a lot, our needs are going to be greater.

On the other hand, if we're mostly sedentary and we consume a lot of water rich foods like fruits and vegetables, also, other beverages, then we may need even less.

And, in fact, Fredricka, new water recommendations from the Institute of Medicine take this into account. They say women should aim for 11 cups a day, men 15 cups. But that can include not only water, but other beverages, and, of course, water rich foods.

But a quick tip. If you want to know your individual needs, get on the scale. And if you lose a pound overnight and it's not from dieting, then you know you came up short on water and you want to add back two cups, or 16 ounces of fluids.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's tricky.

All right, so a lot of this depends on your activity and all that kind of good stuff.

Does that mean that we should be drinking as much water as, perhaps, our thirst tells us to drink?

DRAYER: You know, in a lot of cases this is fine. You can use thirst as your guide, except if you're involved in intense exercise. If that's the case, Fredricka, you end up losing water so quickly that your brain doesn't have enough time to tell yourself that you're thirsty. So it's not a reliable indicator.

In that case, you want to drink about 20 ounces about a an hour before you exercise.

Also, the elderly, we lose our sense of thirst as we age. So for the elderly, it's important to keep that in mind and to take precautions, yes.

WHITFIELD: So a lot of people drink tea or coffee and say hey, that's made with water.

Is that enough?

DRAYER: You know, actually, the research is showing that it can be, especially if you're a habitual drinker; that is, if you're drinking five cups or less. And that includes coffee, caffeinated tea...

WHITFIELD: Oh, my.

DRAYER: ... and also caffeinated soft drinks. So if you're consuming these beverages, then chances are that caffeine is not going to have a dehydrating effect. And you can include these beverages as part of your fluid intake.

WHITFIELD: Is there a difference between bottled water and tap water in terms of it benefiting your body? We know that a lot of people choose battled water because they're afraid of what's in tap.

DRAYER: Right.

WHITFIELD: But should they be avoiding tap altogether?

DRAYER: Well, not necessarily. In fact, tap water is an excellent source of minerals -- calcium, magnesium, zinc. Yes, these are all important minerals that we need on a daily basis. So from a nutritional perspective, certainly tap water looks pretty good. And when you even pass it through a filter, these minerals can get preserved.

Now, if you want to choose bottled water, the distillation process removes not only the contaminants, but also the minerals. So you want to make sure that they've been fortified back. And you will see these minerals listed on the label of bottled waters.

WHITFIELD: Wow!

And what about the fluoride? A lot of people argue that, you know, our teeth need that kind of fluoride that's in the tap water.

DRAYER: Especially for young children, yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, which leads us to the vitamin water that you see on the market. Some of these bottled waters say it's, you know, injected with a whole lot of great nutrients and vitamins that we all need.

Do we?

DRAYER: You know, Fredricka, maybe it's great if you're not taking your multi-vitamin and you don't mind the sugars that come in this, because these vitamin waters do contain calories. So it's something to keep in mind if you're drinking water in the hopes of losing weight. So, you know, you're not really getting all that much. In fact, many times it's fewer multi-vitamin -- vitamins, that is -- than what you would get in a multi. But certainly, yes, if you want, you know, some extra C and B and, again, you don't mind those extra calories, up to 125 calories per bottle, then go for it.

WHITFIELD: Wow!

Some H2O facts.

DRAYER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

DRAYER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Lisa Drayer.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

The big three automakers are extending their employee pricing deals for another month. Good news there. Consumer reports experts say your choice of colors or options may be limited, since the program has been such a success. But if a specific model is selling slowly, you might be able to work out an even better deal.

And talk about canning spam, Microsoft wins a $7 million settlement in a lawsuit against a man once ranked as the world's third most prolific spammer. The company says it will use the money to boost its spam fighting efforts and target other computer misuse.

And Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again yesterday. Carrie Lee joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange area to explain the Fed's balancing act -- Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, here, yes, at Time Warner Center, Fredricka.

Now, this is the Fed's 10th rate hike in the past 12 months. Basically, the Fed tries to keep rates at a point where the economy can grow without letting inflation or rising prices get out of control.

Now here's how it works. When the Fed raises rates, it makes it more expensive to borrow money. Interest rates on everything from credit cards, auto loans, even home mortgages, can rise. So, for example, if you're buying a house, you can't afford to spend as much on that house because you're theoretically paying more in interest. And if buyers can't spend as much, well, then sellers can't raise prices as much, or as quickly. If prices don't rise, then the Fed did its job and inflation is under control.

Now, yesterday the Fed said inflation has mostly been contained to food and energy. But the Fed still expects to keep raising rates at a measured pace. That means we can expect more quarter point hikes going forward. Taking a look at stocks early this morning, futures set for a much higher open. Stocks did post strong gains yesterday, as well, after that Fed decision. Also, a dip in oil prices helped things, also.

One stock to watch today, Walt Disney, one of the Dow 30. The company posted higher profits after the bell yesterday and a judge ruled in favor of the company's board in a shareholder suit, saying the board did not breach its responsibilities in granting former company president Michael Ovitz $140 million in severance.

So that, Fredricka, could help Disney's shares today. Interesting. It's been a long time that that whole situation has taken to resolve itself.

WHITFIELD: It has, indeed.

All right, thanks so much.

We're making a bit of history this morning on DAYBREAK.

CNN's senior Asia correspondent, Mike Chinoy, is in Hyang San, North Korea. And for the first time, he's making a cell phone call out of the communist nation. He's on the phone with us right now -- Mike.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

Well, that's right. North Korea is a very closed society. In fact, when I flew in on Tuesday, I had to leave my regular cell phone with the authorities at the airport. But I've been able to get a cell phone that is usable here in North Korea. It's one of a series of very, very interesting moves that are taking place. The North Koreans very cautiously beginning to tinker with some ideas about liberalization and opening up.

Earlier in the day, before I left Pyongyang for the countryside, I met a German businessman who's been doing business in North Korea for many years. And his current project is to make the Internet available to foreign businesspeople in hotels in North Korea. Again, this is something that is unprecedented, unheard of. Still very, very limited to outside visitors, not to ordinary North Koreans, who remain pretty much as isolated as ever.

But intriguing signs that the government here realizes the economy is in a mess and it needs to do something to try and reverse that -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Mike, why now are you getting this kind of access? And especially just a couple weeks after the six party talks?

CHINOY: Well, the North Koreans, after holding out on resuming those negotiations with five other nations on their nuclear program, decided at the beginning of the summer they would rejoin the talks. And with that decision came some signals that they wanted to be a little bit more open, that they wanted to try and make their case to the international community.

So there have been a small trickle of Western journalists who have been allowed into North Korea to get a glimpse of what's going on here, to hear the official North Korean line from officials themselves.

The North Koreans clearly hoping that their case, if they make it through the international media, will help them diplomatically.

Our access to the North Korean society is still very, very limited. We have government guides with us everywhere. We are not able to take pictures of everything we want. But it is fascinating, still, just to get a glimpse beyond the wall that normally surrounds North Korea so much of the time -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And now what about the citizens of North Korea, Mike? Are you having an opportunity to talk with them as candidly as possible, given that you do have the guides? And what's their view of the outside world and their view of how the outside world sees them?

CHINOY: Yes. It's not easy. In fact, it's been very hard to just speak with ordinary people.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CHINOY: There have been some instances where we've tried to talk to people and our guides have said no.

But we were able to speak with a few folks and they all wanted to talk about America. Their attitude here toward the United States is very negative. People still talk about the damage caused by the Korean War. They blame the United States for many of their difficulties. And some of them who have never met Americans before were a little uncomfortable when I said I'm an American, how do you feel?

But they did warm up because the official line from the government is that North Korea would like to find a way to mend fences with the United States without being pressured, in its view, to abandon things that the North Koreans feel are important to them, including the nuclear program.

So, people are bemused, but on balance, pleased to see Americans visiting.

WHITFIELD: Mike Chinoy, thanks so much for that report on the cell phone from North Korea.

Lots more still to come on DAYBREAK, including the fight of her life. Christopher Reeve's widow is battling a deadly disease that strikes women hardest.

And pictures of a lifetime -- the photographer behind these amazing images out of Africa joins us live in the next 30 minutes.

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