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CNN Live At Daybreak

Troops in Iraq Celebrate Thanksgiving; Black Friday Shopping Madness

Aired November 25, 2005 - 06:00   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 Friday, November 25, and if you're awake at this hour, then you've probably got good walking shoes on and you've got your credit cards in your hand. It's a favorite day of the year for bargain hunters everywhere and if the turkey is not weighing you down too much, there are sales to be conquered.
And we're playing this music because Macy's is about to open its doors. And you see the people waiting? There will be a stampede through those doors any minute from now, and we're going to show next.

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

We'll have more your shopping rush in just a minute.

Also ahead, actually, the doors at Macy's have just opened, and look at those people coming in. All of those people waiting in line, some for a couple of hours, just to be the first in line to get into the Macy's store here in New York on 34th Street. I hope they have a lot of bargains, because it's cold outside.

Also ahead on DAYBREAK, highway safety is especially important this time of year. And that's why the big rig drivers are asking for your attention.

And an unusual sentence for an uncaring crime. We'll tell you why one woman was sent into the woods.

But first, now in the news, former FEMA Director Michael Brown is starting a consulting business. The man who was the target of so much criticism for FEMA's response to hurricane Katrina says he is opening a disaster planning firm.

An official with the China National Petroleum Corporation is apologizing for a huge pollution incident. An explosion almost two weeks ago caused the chemical benzene to spread into a river. The spill forced a cut off of winter to a city of nine million people.

Across America today, consumers are gearing up for Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It's also called Black Friday because this is the day when retailers hope to move out of the red and into the black.

To the Forecast -- do you believe all those people running into Macy's?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I can. You've got to save money. Gas is so expensive these days, right? You've got to get up -- what else are you going to do today, right?

COSTELLO: That's true. You can burn off your turkey...

JERAS: Help you burn off some of the mashed potatoes and some of the pumpkin pie. Let's go mall walking with all the people. Sure. A lot of fun.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: I don't know if I was hearing this right, but apparently Allan Chernoff is at that Macy's store in New York and he's going to be talking to two people who drove from Washington, D.C. to shop at -- come on, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's so true. Would you believe it? That's just one story, and we'll tell you about that in a minute.

But there -- you saw the people rushing in through the door. There are nine such doors here at the main Macy's in Herald Square. More than 1,000 people just rushed into this store, many of them waiting for more than two hours outside.

And I do have those two folks who came from Washington, D.C.

Trice Williams (ph), Nicole Jackson (ph), tell me your story. You left Washington, D.C. at midnight?

TRICE WILLIAMS: We left from Chinatown in Washington, D.C. and we got here at about 3:30ish and we were...

CHERNOFF: Now that was to Chinatown, New York?

WILLIAMS: Yes. And we got a little bit lost, but we got here about 4:00. So we've been here for about two hours.

CHERNOFF: It's pretty cold outside.

WILLIAMS: Oh...

NICOLE JACKSON: Freezing!

WILLIAMS: I'm from Arizona, too, so it's cold.

CHERNOFF: Originally.

WILLIAMS: Originally.

CHERNOFF: But you're going to school in D.C.?

WILLIAMS: Uh-huh.

CHERNOFF: Nicole, why come so early?

JACKSON: Well, you have to be here first because you want to hit all the same, so you've got to be first so you can get everything before everyone else does.

CHERNOFF: Had you heard about Macy's in particular, the Macy's sale? That was why you wanted to be at this store?

JACKSON: Yes. And I really love this store. It really caters to juniors. So I really love this story and the stuff that they offer on a regular basis.

CHERNOFF: One last question.

What about that subway ride up from Chinatown to New York...

WILLIAMS: It was a rough one...

CHERNOFF: ... in the middle of the night?

WILLIAMS: It was a rough one. It was a rough one, but I got here and I'm happy.

JACKSON: Right.

CHERNOFF: All right, well, happy shopping.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

CHERNOFF: Good luck to you.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

JACKSON: Thank you.

CHERNOFF: And, Carol, there are, as I said, hundreds of people already in this store now, hoping to get some of these bargains that they're offering here at Macy's. And, of course, they're doing the same at many stores around the country. But lots of very loyal people. For many folks, this is a holiday tradition. Get here before the doors open at 6:00 a.m. and get in, get it all done.

In a couple of hours, we're going to see people walking out of here, both hands, carrying bags, tons of bags. So a lot of folks very ambitious, even hoping to get almost all of their holiday shopping done this very morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, I hope they do because that would be an accomplishment.

And kudos to those two young ladies for coming so far to shop in Macy's.

Allan Chernoff, we'll get back to you.

A Thanksgiving Day Parade accident. We've got to tell you about that. It could have been much worse. Fortunately, two sisters injured while watching the parade say they are OK. They were struck by debris from a falling street lamp that tethers on the M&Ms chocolate candies balloon. Maybe you can see it there. You see it? The light fixture just fell?

I hope we can show that again, because it's really hard to see. But it fell to the ground and some of the debris hit those two women on the ground, one of the women in a wheelchair, her 11-year-old sister beside her. They suffered bumps and bruises. In fact, the 11- year-old -- there it is, see it? You see the light fixture? One of the ropes -- and then it falls into the crowd.

The two young ladies were from Albany, New York. They'd come to see the parade. Both were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The 11-year- old girl had to have nine stitches in her head. But luckily, as I said, everything was OK.

And, of course, an investigation is underway.

Another parade watcher, by the way, caught this incident on video.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We focus in on the lamp itself. And it was pretty big. I mean it was like the size of a beer keg. And we were just, you know, hoping that no one was really seriously hurt. But we couldn't tell.

When we were able to zoom in, we did notice that the woman who was laying on the ground, her eyes were open. So that was a good sign.

But, yes, I mean we were expecting the worst out of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Yes, but as I said, both sisters are OK. In fact, they're back at home this morning. And their dad tells us the sisters do not plan to sue.

President Bush is spending Thanksgiving at his Crawford ranch. But before he sat down to a turkey dinner, he called members of the military. Aides say he called 10 service members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and at sea to thank them for their service.

Cindy Sheehan is back at Crawford for more anti-war protests. Dozens of cheering supporters met her at Waco's airport last night. Of course, you remember Sheehan reignited the anti-war movement last August when she led a nearly month-long peace vigil. Tomorrow, she will lead another anti-war rally.

In the meantime, on the war front, another American soldier has died. The military says it happened when an M-1 Abrams tank was involved in a single vehicle accident in Thanksgiving Day.

Aneesh Raman spent Thanksgiving embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division. He says it's no holiday.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That soldier that died from the tank going over was within this area. So were the four soldiers who were wounded after that car bomb attack in Mahmoudia. And it really hits home that for these guys Thanksgiving was just another Thursday.

They did get some rest. They got a big Thanksgiving Day meal, some turkey, some stuffing, all the amenities of everything back home. But it's near impossible for anyone to imagine that they could feel a break from the environment they're in. This is very much still a war.

And the fight in this area, south of Baghdad, an area known as the Triangle of Death, remains a persistent one. They are finding IEDs on a consistent basis. Car bombs have now entered into this area. As I mentioned, that car bombing in Mahmoudia, south of the capital, a suicide car bomber trying to enter into a hospital and detonate, he said, was stopped by the other security. But dozens of people were killed, mainly Iraqi civilians; four U.S. soldiers wounded.

And so for all the soldiers we spoke to yesterday -- and, Carol, these are some of the greatest people you'll meet. They're the bravest people and some of the most down to earth people. And they're aware that there's a debate going on back home, but for them this is a job that they have to do until they're told to do it no more.

And they go out there every day with the potential of losing their life to make sure that this thing goes forward and that the Iraqi security forces start to train up.

And so for them, Thanksgiving was a time to sort of reflect. It was a time that many of them missed home incredibly. The distance couldn't have been farther. But they've been able to keep in touch on phone and all that. So they now truck along and the fight here continues.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman reporting live.

Also in Iraq, Saddam Hussein's trial will start up again on Monday as planned. Of course, Saddam and seven former members of his regime are charged with the massacre of more than 140 Iraqis in 1982. If they're all convicted, they could face the death penalty. The deposed dictator has pleaded not guilty. And, of course, he's been challenging the court's authority.

Now for some news making -- now for some stories making news across America this morning.

Three people still in the hospital after they were hit by a rapid transit train in Chicago. The Metro train hit several cars that were stopped on the tracks. Investigators say drivers had more than 50 seconds to move from the time the warning gates first activated, but backed up traffic would have forced them to stay stuck on the tracks.

Scott Peterson has filed suit to stop another book about his case. Peterson is currently on death row. This latest book was written by one of Peterson's own attorneys, who was kicked off the case before preliminary hearings began. Matthew Dalton was removed after he broke the judge's gag order.

An Ohio woman only had to serve a few hours of her unusual sentence. Michelle Murray was originally ordered to stay alone in the woods overnight after being found guilty of abandoning 35 kittens. The judge says he wanted her to feel the same way the kittens did. But because of the cold and the snow, the judge let her go home early.

Still to come this hour on DAYBREAK, a look at the mania over the mega media hit. What's in an Xbox?

And we will reveal some of the experts' reviews on the hottest gadgets of the season.

And as you contemplate turkey for breakfast, stick around and check out the walking calculator with us. Figure out how far you would have to walk to work off your turkeys dinner.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:13 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Ready, set, shop -- it is the official start of the holiday shopping season. These pictures are from Toys 'R Us. And when the doors opened about 15 minutes ago, the buying blitz was on at Macy's in New York City. Millions of other people will be out in full force today, trying to catch some good deals.

In money news, an American icon is coming to China. "Rolling Stone" magazine hopes to find a large audience hungry for the latest news on today's music and pop culture. The Chinese edition of "Rolling Stone" launches in February.

Also in pop culture, after months of rumors, Nick and Jessica have officially split up. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey had just celebrated their third anniversary last month. But both say they still have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other.

In sports, the Denver Broncos beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-21 in overtime last night. The winning field goal by Jason Elam was set up by Ron Dayne's 55-yard run on the second play of overtime. He's a third stringer, Jacqui.

The starting quarterback stayed in the whole game. I was wrong on that. But he is a third stringer. But look at him go.

JERAS: Wow! He's got some wheels.

COSTELLO: He does.

And that set up the winning field goal. So, Denver comes out on top of Dallas.

JERAS: Wow! Lots of big wins yesterday.

COSTELLO: Yes, not for Detroit, though.

JERAS: I love that outfit, too, by the way.

COSTELLO: Oh...

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: ... let's talk about that. Let's talk about the Detroit Lions, because it was a very bad Thanksgiving Day for Detroit Lions fans, like me. The Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Falcons just embarrassed them. And there is now speculation in Detroit that Lions' head coach Steve Mariucci may be fired as early as today.

And, Jacqui, this picture shows how Lions' fans feel. Do you see that? Too embarrassed to show my face as a Lions' fan. A 14-year-old fan was wearing this during the Lions' second straight Thanksgiving Day turkey.

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts beat them by 32 points. You know, I don't know, it's got to be the coach, because the recovers are supposedly great.

JERAS: Right.

COSTELLO: Although one of them tripped and didn't catch the ball yesterday. And two others like dropped the ball. And I like Joey Harrington.

JERAS: You've got to stay loyal, though.

COSTELLO: Pardon?

JERAS: You've got to stay loyal. You've got to stay loyal, though, right?

COSTELLO: I will.

I have been, believe me.

JERAS: Hang in there. Things will get better, hopefully.

COSTELLO: Yes, it will.

JERAS: And that's the big story with the weather too. Hang in, it will get warmer. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, Jacqui, don't go anywhere, because we've got to talk about how we're going to work off all that turkey and stuffing we had yesterday.

JERAS: Well, I did my pushups during the Lions'...

COSTELLO: It's not enough, Jacqui. It is not enough.

JERAS: That's not enough?

COSTELLO: We have found a fun tool, though, to help you figure out how you can burn those Thanksgiving calories. It's called a walking calculator. Go to this Web site. It's really long, so it's Walking.about.com. There is it on your screen. Check off...

JERAS: Did you do it?

COSTELLO: I did do it.

Check off everything on the list of Thanksgiving dishes, from the turkey to the mashed potatoes and even the green bean casserole, and then click onto the box that says "do the math." The site will tell you how far you have to walk in order to burn off the big meal. And don't feel bad, because our executive producer, Brian Bell, he did the math. He has to walk 23 miles to work off what he ate yesterday.

JERAS: But he only had one meal. Does that make a difference, if it's just one meal ?

COSTELLO: Well, it was a doozy of a meal, Jacqui.

JERAS: I know.

Did you -- well, so what did you get?

COSTELLO: I did -- I have to walk 11 miles.

JERAS: Eleven?

COSTELLO: Yes. So I...

JERAS: You were really good.

COSTELLO: I know. I feel good next to Brian.

JERAS: 17.4.

COSTELLO: That's yours?

JERAS: Yes, that was mine. But you know what? I was looking at some of these things. For example, like a half a cup of gelatin with fruit.

COSTELLO: Yes? JERAS: I had maybe a quarter of a cup of gelatin and no fruit. So, you know...

COSTELLO: Well, the fruit's the good part. The gelatin is the bad part, Jacqui.

JERAS: But I didn't have a half a cup. Just a little. Moderation, right?

COSTELLO: I know, but studies say you only gain one pound over the Thanksgiving Day holidays.

JERAS: Oh, really?

COSTELLO: The problem is, is you continue to eat through the holidays and it compounds it.

JERAS: What -- is it like seven, like seven to 10 pounds, I think, on average, most people gain through the holidays?

COSTELLO: Yes. When you take all the holidays together.

JERAS: Yes. That's rough.

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, all of you anti-bargain hunters, we'll explain the meaning of the word "shop-ocalypse." Yes, the word "shop-ocalypse."

And is the new Xbox your must have gift this year? The pains of pinning down a popular item. And hear what some people have to say once they get them home.

DAYBREAK will be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than anyone else this year, J.K. Rowling proved magic is found between the pages of books. Her latest, "Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince," sold about nine million copies in Britain and the U.S. in its first 24 hours alone, making J.K. Rowling a candidate for "Time" magazine's person of the year.

PRISCILLA PAINTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "TIME": After about a decade, almost, of producing these books, one could ask one's self, you know, has this franchise been exhausted? And what she proved this year was that no, it's not the case, and, in fact, it's stronger than ever.

She published a book in the late spring/early summer that was a huge success. Then came the movie. And what this proves is that she not only has been able to convert that first generation of readers, but successive ones after that, not to mention their parents, and that her legacy gets stronger and that legacy is reminding people that in the age of I.M.ing, you cannot tear a book out of the hands of a young reader in love with a book. (END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

One legal worry is apparently over, but more are still possible for Hank Greenberg, the former chief of American International Group. The "Wall Street Journal" reports New York prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges against Greenberg in connection with the insurer's accounting scandal. But the paper says prosecutors might pursue a civil suit, instead.

Say good-bye to Casual Corner. The company is closing or selling all 525 stores across the country. Casual Corner is a women's clothing store. The company employs 9,000 people.

One thing at the top of many people's wish list this holiday season is the new Xbox 360. But many of those who already have the game are experiencing technical glitches, yes, technical glitches, including the screens freezing and systems crashing.

CNN's Mary Snow reports on the Xbox rush.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four at a time, guys. Four at a time. Let's do some lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three, four.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's amazing what people will do to get their hands on an Xbox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I called in sick today. I was supposed to be at work today. I'm out one day's pay and I still have no Xbox 360.

SNOW: Since it was released at midnight early Tuesday morning, many have lined up in the cold and rain to get them out of the stores and into their homes.

BRAD ANDERSON, CEO, BEST BUY: Well, Xbox 360 is one of the biggest things that's happened to this industry in a long time.

SNOW: Two versions of the Xbox cost $299 and $399. But since they've been nearly sold out of most stores across the country, some sellers on eBay are hawking them for thousands of dollars. It's just the kind of must-have mania Microsoft wants. The company is betting the box that will be able to beat out long-time gaming rival Sony out of the number one position.

ROBERT BACH, CHIEF XBOX OFFICER, MICROSOFT: Certainly our goal with Xbox 360 and our new games is to be the worldwide leader in this business. That's been a goal since we got into the business. Our first version of Xbox was a great first step. This is the logical follow-on and, we think, the opportunity to be number one. SNOW: So Microsoft is sending out its top executives to promote the console, spending some $2 billion in marketing, and hopes celebrity support will help the company sell some three million units in 90 days. All this, even though Microsoft apparently loses money on each box sold. A report by market researcher iSuppli says Microsoft loses at least $153 on each Xbox itself, based on the cost of components and assembly. So Microsoft's game plan is to make the unit profitable over the life of the machine.

Also important, dominance of the very lucrative market for games, some costing as much as $60.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, Xboxes aren't the only expensive high tech gift that many parents just won't understand. Coming up, our guru from "Wired" magazine tells us what the kids may want in their stockings this year and how much it will cost you.

And before you hit the road to go home from grandma's house, who's really more dangerous, you or those big rig truck drivers? We'll tell you, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

Jacqui will have your forecast in just a minute.

Also coming up this half hour, early shoppers are already burning up their credit cards this morning. We'll take you live to a couple of places where the shopping rush may be turning into the shopping crush. In fact, we're hearing of a little scuffle at a Wal-Mart on Orlando.

But first, now in the news, getting the go-ahead. Indonesia's health minister says Swiss drug manufacturer Roche has given Indonesia permission to make the drug Tamiflu. The anti-viral drug can be used to treat bird flu in people.

Four U.S. governors got a chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with the troops serving in the Middle East. The Pentagon invited the governors of Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi and Kansas on the trip.

New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson, admits his claim to have been a draft pick of the Kansas City As in 1966, it was not true. His admission came after the "Albuquerque Journal" reported it found no record of Richardson being drafted.

To the Forecast Center and Jacqui -- good morning.

JERAS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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