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CNN Live At Daybreak
Update on Hurricane Wilma; Clothes Controversy
Aired October 21, 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 Friday, October 21. Three nations lay out the not so welcome mat for Wilma. Well, Wilma met Cuba. The island nation is getting ready for a glancing blow from a monster storm. Mexico and Florida are next. We have complete coverage for you.
Say cheese. He is all smiles in his mug shot, but from the courtroom to the latest polls, Tom DeLay may not have much to smile about this morning.
And bling-bling goes bye-bye. What do NBA stars now have in common with Catholic school girls? They both have dress codes.
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 on those stories in a moment.
But first, we want to go right to hurricane headquarters, where meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has the latest on Hurricane Wilma.
How's it tracking now?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, believe it or not, it's like exactly the same that it was this time yesterday, just in a different spot. We've gone through a lot of different changes between now and then. Obviously changes in intensity; we were up to a 5, we were down to a 4.
Right now, we're at a 4, with 150-mile-per-hour winds, but it is getting very close now to the Yucatan peninsula. It's about 90 miles away from Cozumel. The hurricane-force winds extend out 85 miles from the center of the storm, so right now they should be experiencing sustained tropical storm-force winds.
The hurricane-force gusts are very likely. And the sustained hurricane winds are just right around the corner. They probably will be arriving within the next half an hour.
You can see the center of circulation right there, the eye very well defined now. A very large eye about 35 miles across, which is a far cry from the two to four miles across eye that we had when the storm was at its most intense point.
As you take a look at this, it appears that the storm might be taking some kind of a little bit of a wobble or a possible turn up on to the north. We're going to have to give it a little time and watch closely and see if this is just very minor or very temporary, or if it's pulling northward.
If it is going to continue pulling north, that's actually big trouble, unfortunately, for Florida, because that means it may not make a direct landfall over the Yucatan peninsula, which will weaken the storm significantly. But of course it would be better news for Mexico.
Here's the forecast track. It's probably going to go back up to a 5 we think later on today, but then weaken back down, move into the Gulf of Mexico, and take that sharp right-hand turn. Still, all eyes on southwestern Florida, but our timing has changed a little bit once again.
So there's still a lot of uncertainty as exactly where it's going to hit, when it's going to hit. But once we get through today and we get through Mexico, we're going to have a much better idea -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll get back to you. Thank you, Jacqui.
Let's get a check now of stories "Now in the News."
The United Nations investigators say there is evidence that Lebanese and Syrian government officials were involved in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. The report alleges the brother of Syria's president took part in plotting the February assassination.
New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson, says he believes North Korea remains flexible in upcoming nuclear talks. He was in the communist nation before heading to Japan. Those six-nation nuclear talks resume next month. Richardson made the trip on his own, not at the request of the White House.
In Taunton, Massachusetts, workers continue to pump water from the Whittenton Pond. They're trying to relieve the pressure on the timber dam. Half of the city's residents who evacuated earlier this week were allowed back home yesterday.
CNN is your hurricane headquarters. Let's take a look at what's happening in the expected hurricane zone.
Residents below the I-4 corridor in Florida are being warned that trouble is on the way. I-4 stretches all the way from Tampa to Orlando. Many people in those areas are using the major evacuation routes to head north and get out of the projected path of the storm. As you can see, the roads were packed.
In the meantime, homes are being boarded up along Florida's gulf coast. Voluntary evacuations under way in the Keys. Mandatory evacuations could be ordered tomorrow.
Closer to the storm, resorts in Cancun are preparing for the worst. Tourists have been streaming out of the resort on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Twenty-foot waves are reportedly crashing up on Cuba's coast as well, but luckily there aren't that many people there to see it. That's because the Cuban government quickly moved hundreds of thousands to higher ground.
CNN's Havana bureau chief, Lucia Newman, has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Hurricane- wary Cubans are at it again, packing up their things while they wait to be bused to higher ground.
"I pack everything, and a government container picks it up and stores it while we're evacuated to a school," says this man.
Batabanoa (ph), a low-lying fishing town in southwestern Cuba, is extremely vulnerable to storm surges and flooding.
"The water has come up to my chest in the past, and everyone is scared, because this is a very big hurricane," says this woman.
Prisoners from the local jail, too, are being moved to higher ground.
In the remote fishing town of La Caloma (ph), more than 100,000 people have already been evacuated, taken in buses to government shelters, or to the homes of friends and relatives.
"The important thing is to save lives. So we're moving everyone out," says this civil defense official.
In fact, the entire Renardo Rio (ph) province is expected to be hardest hit by Hurricane Wilma. It's famous for the tobacco used to make Cuban cigars. And workers are doing everything they can to keep their harvested crop safe.
The old, the sick and pregnant women are being evacuated first.
(on camera): Officials say at least half a million people will be evacuated from their homes in advance of this storm. And one of the reasons is that so many of their homes, especially here in Havana, are falling apart.
(voice over): Many government buildings and hotels are being boarded up. But in a country where wood and even nails are almost impossible to find, very few ordinary citizens have this luxury.
In the meantime, Cubans are stocking up on dry food and water, praying that the third hurricane to impact this island this season will be merciful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Lucia Newman reporting. While Cuba waits for the worst, it's already happened in other places. Officials in Jamaica and Haiti say 13 people are dead as a result of Hurricane Wilma.
As with past storms, we're looking for your help. We're calling on all of you citizen journalists out there to send us your pictures and your stories. Just log on to CNN.com/hurricane. But remember, be careful. No picture is worth risking your safety.
The nation's top law enforcer is cracking down on fraud involving disaster aid. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales toured storm-ravaged New Orleans and announced a Hurricane Katrina fraud task force. He warns that anyone found illegally benefiting from the disaster will be punished severely, no matter the amount of the theft.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Every dollar that is directed for hurricane relief should be used in the affected communities, not to pad the bank accounts of fraudsters and criminals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Forty-two people have been arrested so far for disaster aid fraud. Officials worry that large-scale fraud could occur.
A former FEMA inspector has been arrested on bribery charges related to hurricane disaster relief. The U.S. attorney's office says former Miami-Dade inspector Tywanishia Preston faces multiple counts of receipt of bribes by a public official and making fraudulent claims for disaster relief in Hurricane Francis -- after Hurricane Francis, I should say. It hit Florida's Martin County last September.
Some lawmakers are demanding that federal officials justify their decision to sign a $236 million deal with Carnival Cruise Lines to house Hurricane Katrina victims. Representative Henry Waxman of California says the six-month contract is overpriced. He says Carnival documents show the company normally earns $150 million over six months.
Lawmakers from both parties call it a prime example of wasted spending in Hurricane Katrina-related contracts.
Now to a legal showdown that officially gets under way this morning in Austin, Texas. That's when former House leader Tom DeLay is set to appear in court on conspiracy and money laundering charges. And it looks like the indictment is having an affect on people's opinion of him.
A new CNN "USA-Today"-Gallup poll finds DeLay's favorable rating is down to 18 percent. That's down from 27 percent in May. His unfavorable rating is up seven points.
Here's DeLay's booking photo, or his mug shot, as people call it. His lawyer says what his client did was entirely legal and that prosecutor Ronnie Earle is just playing politics with the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK DEGUERIN, TOM DELAY'S ATTORNEY: He wanted a mug shot so he could put it out to Congressman DeLay's political opponents. And he's got what he wanted. There's no reason for this. It was pure retaliation on the part of Ronnie Earle because we have not let him up and we've exposed this prosecution for what it is.
So there it is. Take a good look at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: DeLay and his lawyer say the prosecutor is just trying to make a name for himself, but some legal observers say Ronnie Earle had no choice given the evidence in the case.
In other news "Across America" now, a 16-year-old boy is under arrest in connection with the death of a noted defense attorney's wife. No charges have been filed yet in the case.
Pamela Vitale was found beaten to death in her northern California home on Saturday. Vitale's husband, Daniel Horowitz, has handled several high-profile cases and is also an occasional television commentator.
In just six months, fund-raising for the World Trade Center memorial has topped $100 million in private donation. The foundation overseeing the project hopes to eventually raise $500 million. A campaign asking the public for donations is expected to begin soon. The plan is for the memorial to open up on September of 2009.
A 23-year-old mother will appear in a San Francisco courtroom today to answer charges she killed her three children. Lashaun Harris allegedly threw her children off a pier and into the San Francisco Bay. Only one child's body has been found. A cousin says Harris had recently stopped taking medication prescribed for her mental health problems.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, caught on videotape. It prompts a Muslim outrage. The Pentagon investigates U.S. soldiers shown allegedly violating the Geneva Convention, desecrating the bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
And nearly half of all American households have pets. And thanks to a nationwide pet database, your cat or dog may be on the front lines in the war against bird flu.
And the NBA commissioner puts a full court press on a dress code for pro basketball players.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Let's take a look at the international markets there. Well, there's very little change this morning.
Tokyo -- the Tokyo Nikkei is only up nine points. The London FTSE is down eight. The German DAX is lower, but only by four points.
In futures trading, after a big loss yesterday oil is up 16 cents. It's $60.18 a barrel this morning, and I think yesterday it dipped below $60 for the first time in, oh, forever.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:13 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Florida holds its breath. Hurricane Wilma taking aim at the Mexican resort of Cancun, but it's expected to ricochet toward Florida. It could hit the state Sunday or Monday. Traffic out of Tampa on Interstate 75 is bumper to bumper in some areas.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his government is preparing for an invasion from the United States. The U.S. and Venezuela have been at odds, but a State Department spokesman says there are no invasion plans.
In money news, Ford Motor Company says it plans to announce significant plant closings and layoffs in January. That comes after Ford reported more than $280 million in third quarter losses.
In culture, Bill Clinton is teaming up with SpongeBob SquarePants. It's an effort to keep children healthy. SpongeBob's network, Nickelodeon, is giving free air time to the former president so he can encourage better eating habits and exercise.
I just love to hear SpongeBob SquarePants say, "Sponge!"
Anyway, let's talk sports now. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins will play a rare Friday night game tonight. The game in Miami was moved from its Sunday slot because of growing fears over Hurricane Wilma.
Speaking of Wilma, hi, Jacqui.
JERAS: Hey, Carol. We've got a great picture of the Cancun radar. Look at that storm, and look at the huge eye. The eye wall of the storm now is getting very near Cozumel, and they're going to be experiencing those sustained hurricane-force winds.
So the Yucatan peninsula just getting slammed right now. Landfall, if it happens in the Yucatan peninsula, will be happening midday today. Then we'll watch it move slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. And then it will start to advance in forward speed and make its way towards Florida, probably on Monday now. So that's been pushed back a little bit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thanks, Jacqui.
President Bush has high praise for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and high hopes for his people. After talks at the White House, President Bush called Abbas a man devoted to peace, and he said prospects for Palestinians getting a state -- gaining a state, rather, seemed better than ever before.
In response, Abbas insisted that Israel lift Palestinian travel restrictions. He also said Palestine will not interfere in Lebanese affairs.
This comes as a U.N. report links Lebanese and Syrian officials to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. He and 20 others were killed in a massive bombing in Beirut last February. The U.N. report concludes the attack was so complex that it would be difficult to imagine that Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services didn't know about it.
Syria's president denied that allegation in an earlier interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIA: This is against our principle and my principle. And I would never do such a thing in my life. What do we achieve? What do we achieve?
I think what happened targeted Syria. That will affect our relations with the Lebanese people and with most other countries. So we wouldn't do it, because it's against our interest and it's against my principle. I would never do it. It's impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Hariri's assassination sparked massive protests in Beirut that helped lead to Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Still to come this morning, reaction to a videotape shot in Afghanistan. An intentional insult, or soldiers just doing their jobs?
You're watching DAYBREAK for Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The NBA's new dress code has been called everything from insulting to racist to good business practice. In case you didn't know, the NBA has instituted a business-casual dress code for players. For many, that means no more bling, or blang, or clink, or clang.
We get some of the reactions from Dan Kerman of CNN affiliate KRON in San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN KERMAN, REPORTER, KRON (voice over): Some basketball players opt for the hip-hop look. Others for business attire. But now the NBA wants to impose a mandatory dress code, making business-casual a requirement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have no problem with the dress code, because I think it makes you look professional.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a lot of suits I bought right here. And also, I don't have a problem with that.
KERMAN: Some Warriors players we caught up with after practice had no problem with the code, but it will mean a change in how they dress as well. No sleeveless shirts, jerseys, T-shirts, sneakers, shorts, headgear, or chains, pendants or medallions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally feel that it should be up to the player's decision to determine what dress code he should adhere to.
KERMAN: Some Warrior fans oppose the new policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Youth expressing their identity I think should be permissive -- it should be permittable (ph).
KERMAN: And some NBA players, like the 76ers' Allen Iverson, have also voiced objection.
ALLEN IVERSON, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: I feel like if they -- if they want us to dress a certain way, they should pay for, you know, our clothes.
DEREK FISCHER, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: I think it's always tough when you get into taking away an individual person's ability to express themselves, or in the way they feel comfortable, whether it's through speech, or whether it's through dress, or whatever it may be.
KERMAN: But the Warriors' Derek Fischer says the players' objection is not so much about the policy, but the fact that the NBA handed it down unilaterally.
FISCHER: We feel a little bit disappointed that the proper channels and the proper process didn't take place so that everybody would at least know when and where this was coming from.
KERMAN: While the NBA believes this is a done deal, some players indicate the discussion is still continuing.
ADONAL FOYLE, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: We do have a collective agreement in place that allow us to come to some agreement, and not just the league to kind of hand down any policy it feels like it should.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That report was from Dan Kerman of our San Francisco affiliate KRON.
Some players like Allen Iverson say they should get extra money to help pay for those new clothes. You know how much money he makes every year? Of course you do. That's extra money on top of the average $4 million a year an NBA player already makes.
One group not worried about what they wear, Major League Baseball umpires. They just don't want to be wearing targets on their backs. But what do baseball fans really think of the men in blue?
A new Associated Press AOL poll shows that you're pretty darn satisfied with them. Twenty-four percent of you say they're doing an excellent job. Fifty-six percent say good. Only one percent say they're doing poorly.
Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
They may not be ready for the major leagues, but they're probably ready enough for the NFL. Jeanne Moos says hello to Sumo.
Plus, we'll take you back to Florida for a look at the preparations under way for Wilma's arrival.
But first, CNN's Daniel Sieberg checks the facts on hurricanes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The low pressure in a hurricane is measured in the eye of a storm. While the average barometric pressure on Earth's surface is 1,013 millibars, the pressure at the center of a hurricane is 100 to 120 millibars lower. That low pressure point is what determines the storm's strength. It acts like a vacuum, pulling the storm system inward all around it.
This does two things. First, it holds the hurricane together, keeping the storm bands from spraying away and dissipating. And second, the harder the pull inward, the faster the storm's rotation and the stronger the winds.
Of course the pull gets stronger as you get closer to the eye of the storm. That's why the winds in the so-called eye wall are the hurricane's strongest. It's those winds that can cause the most devastation when a storm makes landfall.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. Coming up in the next half- hour of DAYBREAK, U.S. soldiers in a damning videotape. What does the military say, and what is the reaction in the Middle East?
But first, "Now in the News."
Mandatory evacuation for residents of the Florida Keys have been postponed. The order was expected to come today, but now county officials may wait until tomorrow. Voluntary evacuations are still encouraged, and tourists have already been asked to leave town.
A California mother will be in court today to face charges she murdered her three children. Twenty-three-year-old Lashaun Harris allegedly threw her children into the San Francisco Bay. Only one child's body has been found.
A deputy police chief in southern Afghanistan is dead following a car bomb attack. The governor of the province blamed the attack on Taliban rebels. Several community leaders in the country have been the targets of attacks over the past few weeks.
To the forecast center for an update on Wilma.
Good morning, Jacqui.
JERAS: Good morning, Carol.
Good morning, everybody.
Wilma getting very close now to Cozumel and the Yucatan peninsula. In fact, we're just hours away from a potential landfall. There's still a little bit of uncertainty here, believe it or not, this close in, because the storm has been wobbling all over the place.
In fact, take a look at the latest satellite imagery. It had been moving northwest, then it kind of took a little turn on up to the north, and now it appears like maybe it's going back on that north- northwesterly track. So it's going to be a close call, but they're certainly already starting to get brushed by the eye wall of the storm. That is just offshore.
Here's our in-house computer model forecast. It does make landfall, according to this model, but the models have been kind of all over the place on this one.
One thing we do expect for certain, though, for Mexico is that we're likely going to see some extremely heavy rain. In fact, all of these grays and whites expecting 10 to 15 inches of rain. And that covers up much of the northern half of the Yucatan peninsula.
Forecast track then into the Gulf of Mexico, on up to the north and to the east and over Florida. And those evacuations that you mentioned, Carol, have been delayed because the storm timing has been delayed. It looks like the best chance now will be late on Monday.
COSTELLO: Oh. All right. Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, as you heard Jacqui say, this hurricane has forecasters kind of scratching their heads, just where it will head and how strong it will be, how fast it will be. One potential bull's eye, though, the Florida Keys.
So let's see what's going on there this morning.
Yvonne Nava of CNN affiliate WPLG joins us live from Key West.
Good morning.
YVONNE NAVA, REPORTER, WPLG: Well, good morning, Carol. It's safe to say that all of us are feeling just a tad bit anxious this morning. But around 4:00, about an hour and a half ago, we did get a slight patch of rain that kind of rolled on through.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Friday, October 21. Three nations lay out the not so welcome mat for Wilma. Well, Wilma met Cuba. The island nation is getting ready for a glancing blow from a monster storm. Mexico and Florida are next. We have complete coverage for you.
Say cheese. He is all smiles in his mug shot, but from the courtroom to the latest polls, Tom DeLay may not have much to smile about this morning.
And bling-bling goes bye-bye. What do NBA stars now have in common with Catholic school girls? They both have dress codes.
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 on those stories in a moment.
But first, we want to go right to hurricane headquarters, where meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has the latest on Hurricane Wilma.
How's it tracking now?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, believe it or not, it's like exactly the same that it was this time yesterday, just in a different spot. We've gone through a lot of different changes between now and then. Obviously changes in intensity; we were up to a 5, we were down to a 4.
Right now, we're at a 4, with 150-mile-per-hour winds, but it is getting very close now to the Yucatan peninsula. It's about 90 miles away from Cozumel. The hurricane-force winds extend out 85 miles from the center of the storm, so right now they should be experiencing sustained tropical storm-force winds.
The hurricane-force gusts are very likely. And the sustained hurricane winds are just right around the corner. They probably will be arriving within the next half an hour.
You can see the center of circulation right there, the eye very well defined now. A very large eye about 35 miles across, which is a far cry from the two to four miles across eye that we had when the storm was at its most intense point.
As you take a look at this, it appears that the storm might be taking some kind of a little bit of a wobble or a possible turn up on to the north. We're going to have to give it a little time and watch closely and see if this is just very minor or very temporary, or if it's pulling northward.
If it is going to continue pulling north, that's actually big trouble, unfortunately, for Florida, because that means it may not make a direct landfall over the Yucatan peninsula, which will weaken the storm significantly. But of course it would be better news for Mexico.
Here's the forecast track. It's probably going to go back up to a 5 we think later on today, but then weaken back down, move into the Gulf of Mexico, and take that sharp right-hand turn. Still, all eyes on southwestern Florida, but our timing has changed a little bit once again.
So there's still a lot of uncertainty as exactly where it's going to hit, when it's going to hit. But once we get through today and we get through Mexico, we're going to have a much better idea -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll get back to you. Thank you, Jacqui.
Let's get a check now of stories "Now in the News."
The United Nations investigators say there is evidence that Lebanese and Syrian government officials were involved in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. The report alleges the brother of Syria's president took part in plotting the February assassination.
New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson, says he believes North Korea remains flexible in upcoming nuclear talks. He was in the communist nation before heading to Japan. Those six-nation nuclear talks resume next month. Richardson made the trip on his own, not at the request of the White House.
In Taunton, Massachusetts, workers continue to pump water from the Whittenton Pond. They're trying to relieve the pressure on the timber dam. Half of the city's residents who evacuated earlier this week were allowed back home yesterday.
CNN is your hurricane headquarters. Let's take a look at what's happening in the expected hurricane zone.
Residents below the I-4 corridor in Florida are being warned that trouble is on the way. I-4 stretches all the way from Tampa to Orlando. Many people in those areas are using the major evacuation routes to head north and get out of the projected path of the storm. As you can see, the roads were packed.
In the meantime, homes are being boarded up along Florida's gulf coast. Voluntary evacuations under way in the Keys. Mandatory evacuations could be ordered tomorrow. Closer to the storm, resorts in Cancun are preparing for the worst. Tourists have been streaming out of the resort on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
Twenty-foot waves are reportedly crashing up on Cuba's coast as well, but luckily there aren't that many people there to see it. That's because the Cuban government quickly moved hundreds of thousands to higher ground.
CNN's Havana bureau chief, Lucia Newman, has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Hurricane- wary Cubans are at it again, packing up their things while they wait to be bused to higher ground.
"I pack everything, and a government container picks it up and stores it while we're evacuated to a school," says this man.
Batabanoa (ph), a low-lying fishing town in southwestern Cuba, is extremely vulnerable to storm surges and flooding.
"The water has come up to my chest in the past, and everyone is scared, because this is a very big hurricane," says this woman.
Prisoners from the local jail, too, are being moved to higher ground.
In the remote fishing town of La Caloma (ph), more than 100,000 people have already been evacuated, taken in buses to government shelters, or to the homes of friends and relatives.
"The important thing is to save lives. So we're moving everyone out," says this civil defense official.
In fact, the entire Renardo Rio (ph) province is expected to be hardest hit by Hurricane Wilma. It's famous for the tobacco used to make Cuban cigars. And workers are doing everything they can to keep their harvested crop safe.
The old, the sick and pregnant women are being evacuated first.
(on camera): Officials say at least half a million people will be evacuated from their homes in advance of this storm. And one of the reasons is that so many of their homes, especially here in Havana, are falling apart.
(voice over): Many government buildings and hotels are being boarded up. But in a country where wood and even nails are almost impossible to find, very few ordinary citizens have this luxury.
In the meantime, Cubans are stocking up on dry food and water, praying that the third hurricane to impact this island this season will be merciful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Lucia Newman reporting.
While Cuba waits for the worst, it's already happened in other places. Officials in Jamaica and Haiti say 13 people are dead as a result of Hurricane Wilma.
As with past storms, we're looking for your help. We're calling on all of you citizen journalists out there to send us your pictures and your stories. Just log on to CNN.com/hurricane. But remember, be careful. No picture is worth risking your safety.
The nation's top law enforcer is cracking down on fraud involving disaster aid. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales toured storm-ravaged New Orleans and announced a Hurricane Katrina fraud task force. He warns that anyone found illegally benefiting from the disaster will be punished severely, no matter the amount of the theft.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Every dollar that is directed for hurricane relief should be used in the affected communities, not to pad the bank accounts of fraudsters and criminals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Forty-two people have been arrested so far for disaster aid fraud. Officials worry that large-scale fraud could occur.
A former FEMA inspector has been arrested on bribery charges related to hurricane disaster relief. The U.S. attorney's office says former Miami-Dade inspector Tywanishia Preston faces multiple counts of receipt of bribes by a public official and making fraudulent claims for disaster relief in Hurricane Francis -- after Hurricane Francis, I should say. It hit Florida's Martin County last September.
Some lawmakers are demanding that federal officials justify their decision to sign a $236 million deal with Carnival Cruise Lines to house Hurricane Katrina victims. Representative Henry Waxman of California says the six-month contract is overpriced. He says Carnival documents show the company normally earns $150 million over six months.
Lawmakers from both parties call it a prime example of wasted spending in Hurricane Katrina-related contracts.
Now to a legal showdown that officially gets under way this morning in Austin, Texas. That's when former House leader Tom DeLay is set to appear in court on conspiracy and money laundering charges. And it looks like the indictment is having an affect on people's opinion of him.
A new CNN "USA-Today"-Gallup poll finds DeLay's favorable rating is down to 18 percent. That's down from 27 percent in May. His unfavorable rating is up seven points. Here's DeLay's booking photo, or his mug shot, as people call it. His lawyer says what his client did was entirely legal and that prosecutor Ronnie Earle is just playing politics with the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK DEGUERIN, TOM DELAY'S ATTORNEY: He wanted a mug shot so he could put it out to Congressman DeLay's political opponents. And he's got what he wanted. There's no reason for this. It was pure retaliation on the part of Ronnie Earle because we have not let him up and we've exposed this prosecution for what it is.
So there it is. Take a good look at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: DeLay and his lawyer say the prosecutor is just trying to make a name for himself, but some legal observers say Ronnie Earle had no choice given the evidence in the case.
In other news "Across America" now, a 16-year-old boy is under arrest in connection with the death of a noted defense attorney's wife. No charges have been filed yet in the case.
Pamela Vitale was found beaten to death in her northern California home on Saturday. Vitale's husband, Daniel Horowitz, has handled several high-profile cases and is also an occasional television commentator.
In just six months, fund-raising for the World Trade Center memorial has topped $100 million in private donation. The foundation overseeing the project hopes to eventually raise $500 million. A campaign asking the public for donations is expected to begin soon. The plan is for the memorial to open up on September of 2009.
A 23-year-old mother will appear in a San Francisco courtroom today to answer charges she killed her three children. Lashaun Harris allegedly threw her children off a pier and into the San Francisco Bay. Only one child's body has been found. A cousin says Harris had recently stopped taking medication prescribed for her mental health problems.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, caught on videotape. It prompts a Muslim outrage. The Pentagon investigates U.S. soldiers shown allegedly violating the Geneva Convention, desecrating the bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
And nearly half of all American households have pets. And thanks to a nationwide pet database, your cat or dog may be on the front lines in the war against bird flu.
And the NBA commissioner puts a full court press on a dress code for pro basketball players.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday.
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COSTELLO: Let's take a look at the international markets there. Well, there's very little change this morning.
Tokyo -- the Tokyo Nikkei is only up nine points. The London FTSE is down eight. The German DAX is lower, but only by four points.
In futures trading, after a big loss yesterday oil is up 16 cents. It's $60.18 a barrel this morning, and I think yesterday it dipped below $60 for the first time in, oh, forever.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:13 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Florida holds its breath. Hurricane Wilma taking aim at the Mexican resort of Cancun, but it's expected to ricochet toward Florida. It could hit the state Sunday or Monday. Traffic out of Tampa on Interstate 75 is bumper to bumper in some areas.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his government is preparing for an invasion from the United States. The U.S. and Venezuela have been at odds, but a State Department spokesman says there are no invasion plans.
In money news, Ford Motor Company says it plans to announce significant plant closings and layoffs in January. That comes after Ford reported more than $280 million in third quarter losses.
In culture, Bill Clinton is teaming up with SpongeBob SquarePants. It's an effort to keep children healthy. SpongeBob's network, Nickelodeon, is giving free air time to the former president so he can encourage better eating habits and exercise.
I just love to hear SpongeBob SquarePants say, "Sponge!"
Anyway, let's talk sports now. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins will play a rare Friday night game tonight. The game in Miami was moved from its Sunday slot because of growing fears over Hurricane Wilma.
Speaking of Wilma, hi, Jacqui.
JERAS: Hey, Carol. We've got a great picture of the Cancun radar. Look at that storm, and look at the huge eye. The eye wall of the storm now is getting very near Cozumel, and they're going to be experiencing those sustained hurricane-force winds.
So the Yucatan peninsula just getting slammed right now. Landfall, if it happens in the Yucatan peninsula, will be happening midday today. Then we'll watch it move slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. And then it will start to advance in forward speed and make its way towards Florida, probably on Monday now. So that's been pushed back a little bit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thanks, Jacqui.
President Bush has high praise for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and high hopes for his people. After talks at the White House, President Bush called Abbas a man devoted to peace, and he said prospects for Palestinians getting a state -- gaining a state, rather, seemed better than ever before.
In response, Abbas insisted that Israel lift Palestinian travel restrictions. He also said Palestine will not interfere in Lebanese affairs.
This comes as a U.N. report links Lebanese and Syrian officials to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. He and 20 others were killed in a massive bombing in Beirut last February. The U.N. report concludes the attack was so complex that it would be difficult to imagine that Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services didn't know about it.
Syria's president denied that allegation in an earlier interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIA: This is against our principle and my principle. And I would never do such a thing in my life. What do we achieve? What do we achieve?
I think what happened targeted Syria. That will affect our relations with the Lebanese people and with most other countries. So we wouldn't do it, because it's against our interest and it's against my principle. I would never do it. It's impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Hariri's assassination sparked massive protests in Beirut that helped lead to Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Still to come this morning, reaction to a videotape shot in Afghanistan. An intentional insult, or soldiers just doing their jobs?
You're watching DAYBREAK for Friday.
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COSTELLO: The NBA's new dress code has been called everything from insulting to racist to good business practice. In case you didn't know, the NBA has instituted a business-casual dress code for players. For many, that means no more bling, or blang, or clink, or clang.
We get some of the reactions from Dan Kerman of CNN affiliate KRON in San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAN KERMAN, REPORTER, KRON (voice over): Some basketball players opt for the hip-hop look. Others for business attire. But now the NBA wants to impose a mandatory dress code, making business-casual a requirement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have no problem with the dress code, because I think it makes you look professional.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a lot of suits I bought right here. And also, I don't have a problem with that.
KERMAN: Some Warriors players we caught up with after practice had no problem with the code, but it will mean a change in how they dress as well. No sleeveless shirts, jerseys, T-shirts, sneakers, shorts, headgear, or chains, pendants or medallions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally feel that it should be up to the player's decision to determine what dress code he should adhere to.
KERMAN: Some Warrior fans oppose the new policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Youth expressing their identity I think should be permissive -- it should be permittable (ph).
KERMAN: And some NBA players, like the 76ers' Allen Iverson, have also voiced objection.
ALLEN IVERSON, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: I feel like if they -- if they want us to dress a certain way, they should pay for, you know, our clothes.
DEREK FISCHER, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: I think it's always tough when you get into taking away an individual person's ability to express themselves, or in the way they feel comfortable, whether it's through speech, or whether it's through dress, or whatever it may be.
KERMAN: But the Warriors' Derek Fischer says the players' objection is not so much about the policy, but the fact that the NBA handed it down unilaterally.
FISCHER: We feel a little bit disappointed that the proper channels and the proper process didn't take place so that everybody would at least know when and where this was coming from.
KERMAN: While the NBA believes this is a done deal, some players indicate the discussion is still continuing.
ADONAL FOYLE, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: We do have a collective agreement in place that allow us to come to some agreement, and not just the league to kind of hand down any policy it feels like it should.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That report was from Dan Kerman of our San Francisco affiliate KRON. Some players like Allen Iverson say they should get extra money to help pay for those new clothes. You know how much money he makes every year? Of course you do. That's extra money on top of the average $4 million a year an NBA player already makes.
One group not worried about what they wear, Major League Baseball umpires. They just don't want to be wearing targets on their backs. But what do baseball fans really think of the men in blue?
A new Associated Press AOL poll shows that you're pretty darn satisfied with them. Twenty-four percent of you say they're doing an excellent job. Fifty-six percent say good. Only one percent say they're doing poorly.
Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
They may not be ready for the major leagues, but they're probably ready enough for the NFL. Jeanne Moos says hello to Sumo.
Plus, we'll take you back to Florida for a look at the preparations under way for Wilma's arrival.
But first, CNN's Daniel Sieberg checks the facts on hurricanes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The low pressure in a hurricane is measured in the eye of a storm. While the average barometric pressure on Earth's surface is 1,013 millibars, the pressure at the center of a hurricane is 100 to 120 millibars lower. That low pressure point is what determines the storm's strength. It acts like a vacuum, pulling the storm system inward all around it.
This does two things. First, it holds the hurricane together, keeping the storm bands from spraying away and dissipating. And second, the harder the pull inward, the faster the storm's rotation and the stronger the winds.
Of course the pull gets stronger as you get closer to the eye of the storm. That's why the winds in the so-called eye wall are the hurricane's strongest. It's those winds that can cause the most devastation when a storm makes landfall.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. Coming up in the next half- hour of DAYBREAK, U.S. soldiers in a damning videotape. What does the military say, and what is the reaction in the Middle East?
But first, "Now in the News." Mandatory evacuation for residents of the Florida Keys have been postponed. The order was expected to come today, but now county officials may wait until tomorrow. Voluntary evacuations are still encouraged, and tourists have already been asked to leave town.
A California mother will be in court today to face charges she murdered her three children. Twenty-three-year-old Lashaun Harris allegedly threw her children into the San Francisco Bay. Only one child's body has been found.
A deputy police chief in southern Afghanistan is dead following a car bomb attack. The governor of the province blamed the attack on Taliban rebels. Several community leaders in the country have been the targets of attacks over the past few weeks.
To the forecast center for an update on Wilma.
Good morning, Jacqui.
JERAS: Good morning, Carol.
Good morning, everybody.
Wilma getting very close now to Cozumel and the Yucatan peninsula. In fact, we're just hours away from a potential landfall. There's still a little bit of uncertainty here, believe it or not, this close in, because the storm has been wobbling all over the place.
In fact, take a look at the latest satellite imagery. It had been moving northwest, then it kind of took a little turn on up to the north, and now it appears like maybe it's going back on that north- northwesterly track. So it's going to be a close call, but they're certainly already starting to get brushed by the eye wall of the storm. That is just offshore.
Here's our in-house computer model forecast. It does make landfall, according to this model, but the models have been kind of all over the place on this one.
One thing we do expect for certain, though, for Mexico is that we're likely going to see some extremely heavy rain. In fact, all of these grays and whites expecting 10 to 15 inches of rain. And that covers up much of the northern half of the Yucatan peninsula.
Forecast track then into the Gulf of Mexico, on up to the north and to the east and over Florida. And those evacuations that you mentioned, Carol, have been delayed because the storm timing has been delayed. It looks like the best chance now will be late on Monday.
COSTELLO: Oh. All right. Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Well, as you heard Jacqui say, this hurricane has forecasters kind of scratching their heads, just where it will head and how strong it will be, how fast it will be. One potential bull's eye, though, the Florida Keys.
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