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CNN Live At Daybreak
Pretrial Hearings Today in Kobe Bryant Case; Filipino Troops Leaving Iraq Today
Aired July 19, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: He spent his career playing before the cameras. But will they be allowed in the courtroom when Kobe Bryant defends his private life?
It's Monday, July 19, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, just about five and a half hours ago a suicide truck bomber struck near a police station in southern Baghdad. Nine people were killed, including three police officers. Sixty people were wounded.
Also in Iraq, Philippine troops are moving out. We'll have a live report on that in just a few minutes.
A low-ranking official of the Shiite Muslim organization, Hezbollah, is killed in a southern Beirut neighborhood. Authorities say it happened when he started his car, and it exploded.
A wildfire is racing toward four hillside communities in northern Los Angeles County. Sixteen hundred homes have been evacuated, and at least 600 of them are considered in imminent danger.
A veterans group plans to take a granite monument depicting the Ten Commandments on a national tour. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was ousted when he refused to remove the monument from Alabama's state judicial building.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(WEATHER BREAK)
NGUYEN: Should the Kobe Bryant trial be televised? Attorneys will debate the pros and cons of television coverage at a hearing in Colorado today. Also on the agenda, the issue of the accuser's right to privacy.
Live now to CNN's Adrian Baschuk in Eagle, Colorado.
Good morning -- Adrian.
ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, good morning to you.
It's just five and a half weeks until a trial gets under way here in Eagle. However, many issues remain unresolved. Chief among them is whether or not the past -- the sexual past of the accuser will enter into trial evidence and be used against her.
However, that will stay that way, because today the judge will be considering a flurry of technological issues, like cameras, text messages and online privacy. The prosecution is asking the judge to ban the posting of court documents online because they say it puts the alleged victim's privacy and safety in jeopardy.
Secondly, the judge will consider arguments of whether or not to allow certain AT&T text message records of the accuser's ex-boyfriend.
And lastly, while the news media have asked that two cameras -- television cameras and a still camera broadcast and cover this trial, both the prosecution and the defense are asking the judge to ban them, because they say that neither Kobe Bryant nor his accuser will get a fair trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Kobe Bryant, the alleged victim, the prosecution, they are all objecting to a camera in the courtroom. It will be very difficult for the judge under that circumstance to allow one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASCHUK: Now, Betty, to give you some perspective on this, if our viewers are wondering whether or not cameras will televise this trial. Well, cameras have never been allowed in a Colorado courtroom to broadcast a sexual assault case -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Adrian, something that is being allowed is the fact that jurors can now ask questions. That's new to all of this.
BASCHUK: Yes, absolutely. Handed down about a month ago, just in this last round of hearings, the judge ruled that, in fact -- and this didn't come from Judge Terry Ruckriegle, though. This came from the Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado becoming the first state in the nation where jurors will be able to ask questions of the attorneys during trial. They'll have to submit their questions to the judge. If the judge deems them admissible and approves them, he'll ask those questions of the lawyers during trial proceedings -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Adrian Baschuk in Eagle, Colorado, this morning. Thank you.
And you can follow the developments in the Kobe Bryant case online. Just go to CNN.com.
Filipino troops are getting out of Iraq today, beating the July 20 deadline set by kidnappers. But their hostage, Filipino truck driver, Angelo de la Cruz, has yet to be released.
CNN's Maria Ressa has a live report from Manila.
Any indication as to when or where he's going to be released -- Maria?
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: None yet so far, Betty. At this point, the Philippine pullout, which began on Friday, is well under way. As we speak, the last of this humanitarian contingent are driving out of Iraq. They are on their way to Kuwait, where they'll transit and take commercial flights to the Philippines.
The first -- the head of this contingent arrived in Manila very early this morning. At this point, the Philippine government has satisfied the demands of kidnappers in exchange for the life of 46- year-old Angelo de la Cruz, the truck driver now being held hostage. There is hope. There is expectation that he will be released as soon as the last soldier -- the last Filipino soldier leaves Iraq -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Any indication that the Philippine government will get some -- the rest of the world may not be happy with this and they'll be upset with the fact that they've met these demands. Is the rest of the world going to be cracking down on its relations with the Philippines because of this?
RESSA: Well, certainly analysts here in the Philippines feel that there will be repercussions in terms of the bilateral relations between the United States and the Philippines. There has been more than 100 years of strong bilateral relations. The Philippines was a former U.S. colony.
However, this was a key moment when the Philippines decided to go against what the United States has wanted. It's pulled out of the coalition of the willing. At this point, that repercussion also, in addition to the Philippines own problems in dealing with its terrorists. The Philippines faces three al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups.
And in terms of dealing with future hostage situations, both Baghdad and the United States say that this decision to appease kidnappers has really set a -- quote -- "bad precedent," and basically setting the stage for kidnappers and terrorists to use hostages to make governments bow to their demands.
The last effect of this is that it actually increases public pressure on governments. If the Filipino government makes the life of its citizen more important than its policy, why not the next government -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, Maria Ressa live in Manila, thank you for that.
Well, the acting director of the CIA says he thinks a national intelligence director is unnecessary. John McLaughlin gave his assessment during TV appearances. It would be a cabinet-level post and is one recommendation in the final report of the 9/11 Commission.
McLaughlin had told the 9/11 Commission that intelligence agencies are constantly making changes to better protect the country from terrorism.
And "Newsweek's" Michael Isikoff told CNN about another aspect of the 9/11 report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL ISIKOFF, "NEWSWEEK": The report makes clear that the Iranian government did not have advance knowledge of the attacks. But it did have this arrangement with al Qaeda, which is quite serious, and actually in the view of many counterterrorism officials and some on the commission, goes far beyond any connections that al Qaeda had with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein.
In effect, the Iranian security services by having this arrangement were acting as helping to facilitate the September 11 attacks, whether they knew about the ultimate goal of the September 11 attacks or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, the final report of the 9/11 Commission is expected to be made public on Thursday.
Here are some stories making news across America this Monday.
In New Jersey, 38-year-old Jack Fuller will appear in court this afternoon to answer charges he murdered a missing teenage girl. Sixteen-year-old Brittany Gregory (ph) disappeared eight days ago. Police still have not found her body. And prosecutors will not comment on why Fuller was charged in the case, but he is being held on $1 million bail.
In Colorado, about 50 same-sex couples exchanged vows during a gay pride festival in Colorado Springs. The couples were celebrating the Senate's defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment. The ceremonies were really just for show since the state doesn't recognize same-sex marriages or unions.
A scary ride for some balloon passengers in Baltimore, Maryland. Twenty people were aboard the tethered sightseeing ride Saturday when it became stuck about 300 feet in the air. The balloon was tossed around by high winds for about 90 minutes until workers were able to make repairs to the retracting winch.
And coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING," one of the families on that harrowing adventure will talk about their experience in the open air. That comes your way at 8:00 a.m. Eastern on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Arnold Schwarzenegger will not apologize. The California governor is being criticized for referring to Democratic lawmakers as "girlie men" during a rally speech on Saturday. At least one state senator says the phrase is blatantly homophobic. A governor spokesman says Schwarzenegger was just making the point that the legislators are wimps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: And I hope that those that want to sell out to the special interests, those girlie men out there in Sacramento, if they don't have the guts -- if they don't have the guts to come out here in front of you and say I don't want to represent you. I want to represent those special interest unions, the trials lawyers, and I want them to make millions of dollars, I don't want to represent you. If they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men. They should go back to the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, Schwarzenegger made almost the exact same speech at a rally Sunday but without the "girlie men" remark.
Still to come here on DAYBREAK, a day care predicament for government employees. Concerns about security leaves some families with no child care.
Then, this morning's "Coffey Talk," two celebrity cases, one legal expert. Kendall Coffey joins us at the bottom of the hour.
This is DAYBREAK for Monday, July 19.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning. Your news, money, weather and sports. The time is 6:13 Eastern. And here's what's all new this morning.
Nine people were killed when a truck bomb exploded near a Baghdad police station about six hours ago. Officials say three of the victims were police officers. Sixty other people were injured in that suicide bomb attack.
Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins is in Japan, where he is seeking urgent medical attention. Jenkins is accused of defecting to North Korea 39 years ago. U.S. officials say they still expect to take Jenkins into custody when possible.
In money, plenty of it was spent by people going to see Will Smith in "I, Robot." Check it out. The movie debuted this weekend and pulled in just over $52 million. So lots of folks checked it out. "Spider-Man 2" fell to No. 2, but has earned more than 300 million since its opening.
In culture, eBay has pulled a controversial item from its auction site. A Memphis judge was trying to sell the bathtub James Earl Ray stood in when he assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr. EBay says it has a policy not to offer items that portray violence.
In sports, watch this scary sight. NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s car burst into flames after a crash during practice for an American Le Mans Series race. Earnhardt was able to climb from that blaze, but was hospitalized with second-degree burns on his face and his legs. And I still cannot get over the pictures of that crash, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and you can see the road workers there, the helpers not getting him out of that car. He was able to kind of fall out of the car himself, but not before that thing was totally engulfed. The fuel filler next, as I now read from NASCAR.com, was broken off the car as he backed into the wall. That's why the fuel spilled out of that fuel cell.
(WEATHER BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time now for a little business buzz. Good news for couch potatoes. A low-cost airline launches its own TV channel. And Carrie Lee reports. She's at the Nasdaq Marketsite in Times Square.
Couch potatoes, listen up, huh, Carrie?
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Or if you're stuck on a plane and have nowhere else to go.
Now, keep in mind, Frontier Airlines already has a television channel, those screens embedded in the seat. It costs $5, though, per flight.
So, now Frontier is offering an in-flight television channel for free, and this includes short movies, games and a video of the destination city where you're traveling. And the company's Web site lets travelers print out information for the city that they're visiting.
So, Frontier is really trying to keep travelers happy. And as I said, this new television service is free. So, that's the latest from Frontier.
Turning to stocks, we are coming off of a lot of selling last week. The Dow Jones Industrial is down about 73 points. The Nasdaq losing over 3 percent last week. We're now at the lowest level there that we've been in about a month. It looks like we could see some buying today. Futures are looking strong.
Among companies reporting profits is 3M. This is one of the Dow 30. It's also the maker of Post-it Notes and Scotch tape, among other things. Wall Street is looking for 96 cents a share versus 78 cents a year ago.
Betty, this week we'll have 14 of the Dow 30 reporting profits. So profit news is really front and center this week on Wall Street.
Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, Carrie Lee at the Nasdaq Marketsite, thank you.
Well, it could be considered one of the safest child day care centers there is, and it's at the Pentagon. But that is about to change. The Pentagon is closing its child care facility.
Our Sean Callebs has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on to both sides, sweetie, OK?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Wood family's comfortable, organized daily routine has become a casualty of national security concerns.
Jill works at the Pentagon. She and her husband, Marshall, relish the convenience of a Pentagon day care. That's changing. Defense Department officials say they are closing the day care within two months for security reasons.
JILL WOOD, PENTAGON EMPLOYEE, PARENT: We've been being briefed as parents for two-and-a-half years that the center is secure, strengthened, fortified, and to use the Defense Department's own words, the safest child care center in the country. So, I don't know what happened between then and last Wednesday when they made the announcement.
CALLEBS: That's the day parents of the 115 or so children here were told to look for an alternative. During the attack on 9/11, no children were hurt. With new heightened security concerns raised by U.S. officials, authorities say the Pentagon could be targeted again, and say they don't want to put children at risk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is thick smoke still coming from the building.
CALLEBS: They don't want to relive images of children hurt and killed during Timothy McVeigh's attack on the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
Many parents believe their children are safe here, and point out area day care centers have long waiting lists, and openly wonder why now and why only 60 days' notice?
REP. JIM MORAN, (D) VIRGINIA: I think that most of the parents when presented with the situation would have said well, let's move our children to a safer location that's not as likely to be a target of terrorists. But let's work out a timeframe so that we can find some alternative location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know there have been a lot of discussions with families about alternative sites.
CALLEBS: DOD officials contend they've been working to find alternatives. In a July 16 memo saying, "We have been aggressively working toward this goal over the last week, and have been in communication with many of you."
WOOD: There should have been a way to involve the parents early on in this decision, and also do some contingency planning, have an interim plan for us.
CALLEBS (on camera): Military officials say they want to build a new day care center for Pentagon parents nearby. Parents argue that will take time. And by the time construction is complete, many of the children in need now will have moved on to grade school.
Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And still to come here on DAYBREAK, could smoke in the sky be a sign of things to come? A dangerous weather warning that some may have overlooked.
Plus, our DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day." What is it? Take a guess. We'll share the answer right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, did you figure out the DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day?" Any guesses? Well, here it is. It is a butterfly having lunch of nectar in Bangkok, Thailand, today. What a beautiful butterfly.
Well, we've been telling you this morning about the destructive and disruptive wildfires out West. But a similar scene in Florida could be signaling that and much more ominous disasters on the way.
Here is CNN's John Zarrella to explain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Wildfires producing thick, choking, blinding smoke have been more of a nuisance this summer in South Florida than usual. The reason: A very dry spring. In fact, this past May was one of the driest Mays here since recordkeeping began.
Jim Lushine, a National Weather Service expert on severe weather, says this could be a sign of bad things to come.
JIM LUSHINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: There is a positive correlation between the dryness in the spring months here in South Florida and the event of a major hurricane.
ZARRELLA: There's no way to know if a big one will hit here, but Lushine says, if you look back historically, it's somewhat ominous.
After three of the previous driest Mays, South Florida was hit with major hurricanes: Andrew in 1992, the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane, and Betsy in 1965.
Hurricanes hitting South Florida and unusually dry weather are both caused, to some degree, by the same weather feature in the Atlantic called the Bermuda High. When it sets up close to the U.S. East Coast, as it has this year, storms can be steered into Florida.
But Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield says the high won't stay in the same place indefinitely.
MAX MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: I would hate to characterize the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) whole season by what's going on right now. It would be unheard of for this condition to persist. ZARRELLA: The satellite image of Hurricane Isabel last year shows what happens when the Bermuda High is nudged away from the East Coast. Isabel turned to the north. Good for Florida, bad for the Carolinas.
(on camera): Because weather patterns are ever changing, hurricane forecasters say it's impossible to know which area, if any, will be in the bull's eye a month or six weeks from now when hurricane season peaks, which means no one from Texas to Maine should think they've dodged a bullet.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And here is what's all new in the next half-hour. Shake-up in the Middle East. How will Arafat handle the latest blow to his government? We have a live report from the region.
Plus, the case played out in public. Will a judge let you see the Kobe Bryant case?
And, Lance Armstrong on the move, making up nine minutes in the mountains. We'll check out the other highs and lows of the Tour de France.
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Aired July 19, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: He spent his career playing before the cameras. But will they be allowed in the courtroom when Kobe Bryant defends his private life?
It's Monday, July 19, and this is DAYBREAK.
Good morning from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, just about five and a half hours ago a suicide truck bomber struck near a police station in southern Baghdad. Nine people were killed, including three police officers. Sixty people were wounded.
Also in Iraq, Philippine troops are moving out. We'll have a live report on that in just a few minutes.
A low-ranking official of the Shiite Muslim organization, Hezbollah, is killed in a southern Beirut neighborhood. Authorities say it happened when he started his car, and it exploded.
A wildfire is racing toward four hillside communities in northern Los Angeles County. Sixteen hundred homes have been evacuated, and at least 600 of them are considered in imminent danger.
A veterans group plans to take a granite monument depicting the Ten Commandments on a national tour. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was ousted when he refused to remove the monument from Alabama's state judicial building.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(WEATHER BREAK)
NGUYEN: Should the Kobe Bryant trial be televised? Attorneys will debate the pros and cons of television coverage at a hearing in Colorado today. Also on the agenda, the issue of the accuser's right to privacy.
Live now to CNN's Adrian Baschuk in Eagle, Colorado.
Good morning -- Adrian.
ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, good morning to you.
It's just five and a half weeks until a trial gets under way here in Eagle. However, many issues remain unresolved. Chief among them is whether or not the past -- the sexual past of the accuser will enter into trial evidence and be used against her.
However, that will stay that way, because today the judge will be considering a flurry of technological issues, like cameras, text messages and online privacy. The prosecution is asking the judge to ban the posting of court documents online because they say it puts the alleged victim's privacy and safety in jeopardy.
Secondly, the judge will consider arguments of whether or not to allow certain AT&T text message records of the accuser's ex-boyfriend.
And lastly, while the news media have asked that two cameras -- television cameras and a still camera broadcast and cover this trial, both the prosecution and the defense are asking the judge to ban them, because they say that neither Kobe Bryant nor his accuser will get a fair trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Kobe Bryant, the alleged victim, the prosecution, they are all objecting to a camera in the courtroom. It will be very difficult for the judge under that circumstance to allow one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASCHUK: Now, Betty, to give you some perspective on this, if our viewers are wondering whether or not cameras will televise this trial. Well, cameras have never been allowed in a Colorado courtroom to broadcast a sexual assault case -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Adrian, something that is being allowed is the fact that jurors can now ask questions. That's new to all of this.
BASCHUK: Yes, absolutely. Handed down about a month ago, just in this last round of hearings, the judge ruled that, in fact -- and this didn't come from Judge Terry Ruckriegle, though. This came from the Colorado Supreme Court. Colorado becoming the first state in the nation where jurors will be able to ask questions of the attorneys during trial. They'll have to submit their questions to the judge. If the judge deems them admissible and approves them, he'll ask those questions of the lawyers during trial proceedings -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Adrian Baschuk in Eagle, Colorado, this morning. Thank you.
And you can follow the developments in the Kobe Bryant case online. Just go to CNN.com.
Filipino troops are getting out of Iraq today, beating the July 20 deadline set by kidnappers. But their hostage, Filipino truck driver, Angelo de la Cruz, has yet to be released.
CNN's Maria Ressa has a live report from Manila.
Any indication as to when or where he's going to be released -- Maria?
MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: None yet so far, Betty. At this point, the Philippine pullout, which began on Friday, is well under way. As we speak, the last of this humanitarian contingent are driving out of Iraq. They are on their way to Kuwait, where they'll transit and take commercial flights to the Philippines.
The first -- the head of this contingent arrived in Manila very early this morning. At this point, the Philippine government has satisfied the demands of kidnappers in exchange for the life of 46- year-old Angelo de la Cruz, the truck driver now being held hostage. There is hope. There is expectation that he will be released as soon as the last soldier -- the last Filipino soldier leaves Iraq -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Any indication that the Philippine government will get some -- the rest of the world may not be happy with this and they'll be upset with the fact that they've met these demands. Is the rest of the world going to be cracking down on its relations with the Philippines because of this?
RESSA: Well, certainly analysts here in the Philippines feel that there will be repercussions in terms of the bilateral relations between the United States and the Philippines. There has been more than 100 years of strong bilateral relations. The Philippines was a former U.S. colony.
However, this was a key moment when the Philippines decided to go against what the United States has wanted. It's pulled out of the coalition of the willing. At this point, that repercussion also, in addition to the Philippines own problems in dealing with its terrorists. The Philippines faces three al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups.
And in terms of dealing with future hostage situations, both Baghdad and the United States say that this decision to appease kidnappers has really set a -- quote -- "bad precedent," and basically setting the stage for kidnappers and terrorists to use hostages to make governments bow to their demands.
The last effect of this is that it actually increases public pressure on governments. If the Filipino government makes the life of its citizen more important than its policy, why not the next government -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, Maria Ressa live in Manila, thank you for that.
Well, the acting director of the CIA says he thinks a national intelligence director is unnecessary. John McLaughlin gave his assessment during TV appearances. It would be a cabinet-level post and is one recommendation in the final report of the 9/11 Commission.
McLaughlin had told the 9/11 Commission that intelligence agencies are constantly making changes to better protect the country from terrorism.
And "Newsweek's" Michael Isikoff told CNN about another aspect of the 9/11 report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL ISIKOFF, "NEWSWEEK": The report makes clear that the Iranian government did not have advance knowledge of the attacks. But it did have this arrangement with al Qaeda, which is quite serious, and actually in the view of many counterterrorism officials and some on the commission, goes far beyond any connections that al Qaeda had with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein.
In effect, the Iranian security services by having this arrangement were acting as helping to facilitate the September 11 attacks, whether they knew about the ultimate goal of the September 11 attacks or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, the final report of the 9/11 Commission is expected to be made public on Thursday.
Here are some stories making news across America this Monday.
In New Jersey, 38-year-old Jack Fuller will appear in court this afternoon to answer charges he murdered a missing teenage girl. Sixteen-year-old Brittany Gregory (ph) disappeared eight days ago. Police still have not found her body. And prosecutors will not comment on why Fuller was charged in the case, but he is being held on $1 million bail.
In Colorado, about 50 same-sex couples exchanged vows during a gay pride festival in Colorado Springs. The couples were celebrating the Senate's defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment. The ceremonies were really just for show since the state doesn't recognize same-sex marriages or unions.
A scary ride for some balloon passengers in Baltimore, Maryland. Twenty people were aboard the tethered sightseeing ride Saturday when it became stuck about 300 feet in the air. The balloon was tossed around by high winds for about 90 minutes until workers were able to make repairs to the retracting winch.
And coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING," one of the families on that harrowing adventure will talk about their experience in the open air. That comes your way at 8:00 a.m. Eastern on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Arnold Schwarzenegger will not apologize. The California governor is being criticized for referring to Democratic lawmakers as "girlie men" during a rally speech on Saturday. At least one state senator says the phrase is blatantly homophobic. A governor spokesman says Schwarzenegger was just making the point that the legislators are wimps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: And I hope that those that want to sell out to the special interests, those girlie men out there in Sacramento, if they don't have the guts -- if they don't have the guts to come out here in front of you and say I don't want to represent you. I want to represent those special interest unions, the trials lawyers, and I want them to make millions of dollars, I don't want to represent you. If they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men. They should go back to the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, Schwarzenegger made almost the exact same speech at a rally Sunday but without the "girlie men" remark.
Still to come here on DAYBREAK, a day care predicament for government employees. Concerns about security leaves some families with no child care.
Then, this morning's "Coffey Talk," two celebrity cases, one legal expert. Kendall Coffey joins us at the bottom of the hour.
This is DAYBREAK for Monday, July 19.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning. Your news, money, weather and sports. The time is 6:13 Eastern. And here's what's all new this morning.
Nine people were killed when a truck bomb exploded near a Baghdad police station about six hours ago. Officials say three of the victims were police officers. Sixty other people were injured in that suicide bomb attack.
Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins is in Japan, where he is seeking urgent medical attention. Jenkins is accused of defecting to North Korea 39 years ago. U.S. officials say they still expect to take Jenkins into custody when possible.
In money, plenty of it was spent by people going to see Will Smith in "I, Robot." Check it out. The movie debuted this weekend and pulled in just over $52 million. So lots of folks checked it out. "Spider-Man 2" fell to No. 2, but has earned more than 300 million since its opening.
In culture, eBay has pulled a controversial item from its auction site. A Memphis judge was trying to sell the bathtub James Earl Ray stood in when he assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr. EBay says it has a policy not to offer items that portray violence.
In sports, watch this scary sight. NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s car burst into flames after a crash during practice for an American Le Mans Series race. Earnhardt was able to climb from that blaze, but was hospitalized with second-degree burns on his face and his legs. And I still cannot get over the pictures of that crash, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and you can see the road workers there, the helpers not getting him out of that car. He was able to kind of fall out of the car himself, but not before that thing was totally engulfed. The fuel filler next, as I now read from NASCAR.com, was broken off the car as he backed into the wall. That's why the fuel spilled out of that fuel cell.
(WEATHER BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time now for a little business buzz. Good news for couch potatoes. A low-cost airline launches its own TV channel. And Carrie Lee reports. She's at the Nasdaq Marketsite in Times Square.
Couch potatoes, listen up, huh, Carrie?
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Or if you're stuck on a plane and have nowhere else to go.
Now, keep in mind, Frontier Airlines already has a television channel, those screens embedded in the seat. It costs $5, though, per flight.
So, now Frontier is offering an in-flight television channel for free, and this includes short movies, games and a video of the destination city where you're traveling. And the company's Web site lets travelers print out information for the city that they're visiting.
So, Frontier is really trying to keep travelers happy. And as I said, this new television service is free. So, that's the latest from Frontier.
Turning to stocks, we are coming off of a lot of selling last week. The Dow Jones Industrial is down about 73 points. The Nasdaq losing over 3 percent last week. We're now at the lowest level there that we've been in about a month. It looks like we could see some buying today. Futures are looking strong.
Among companies reporting profits is 3M. This is one of the Dow 30. It's also the maker of Post-it Notes and Scotch tape, among other things. Wall Street is looking for 96 cents a share versus 78 cents a year ago.
Betty, this week we'll have 14 of the Dow 30 reporting profits. So profit news is really front and center this week on Wall Street.
Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, Carrie Lee at the Nasdaq Marketsite, thank you.
Well, it could be considered one of the safest child day care centers there is, and it's at the Pentagon. But that is about to change. The Pentagon is closing its child care facility.
Our Sean Callebs has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on to both sides, sweetie, OK?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Wood family's comfortable, organized daily routine has become a casualty of national security concerns.
Jill works at the Pentagon. She and her husband, Marshall, relish the convenience of a Pentagon day care. That's changing. Defense Department officials say they are closing the day care within two months for security reasons.
JILL WOOD, PENTAGON EMPLOYEE, PARENT: We've been being briefed as parents for two-and-a-half years that the center is secure, strengthened, fortified, and to use the Defense Department's own words, the safest child care center in the country. So, I don't know what happened between then and last Wednesday when they made the announcement.
CALLEBS: That's the day parents of the 115 or so children here were told to look for an alternative. During the attack on 9/11, no children were hurt. With new heightened security concerns raised by U.S. officials, authorities say the Pentagon could be targeted again, and say they don't want to put children at risk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is thick smoke still coming from the building.
CALLEBS: They don't want to relive images of children hurt and killed during Timothy McVeigh's attack on the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
Many parents believe their children are safe here, and point out area day care centers have long waiting lists, and openly wonder why now and why only 60 days' notice?
REP. JIM MORAN, (D) VIRGINIA: I think that most of the parents when presented with the situation would have said well, let's move our children to a safer location that's not as likely to be a target of terrorists. But let's work out a timeframe so that we can find some alternative location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know there have been a lot of discussions with families about alternative sites.
CALLEBS: DOD officials contend they've been working to find alternatives. In a July 16 memo saying, "We have been aggressively working toward this goal over the last week, and have been in communication with many of you."
WOOD: There should have been a way to involve the parents early on in this decision, and also do some contingency planning, have an interim plan for us.
CALLEBS (on camera): Military officials say they want to build a new day care center for Pentagon parents nearby. Parents argue that will take time. And by the time construction is complete, many of the children in need now will have moved on to grade school.
Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.
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NGUYEN: And still to come here on DAYBREAK, could smoke in the sky be a sign of things to come? A dangerous weather warning that some may have overlooked.
Plus, our DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day." What is it? Take a guess. We'll share the answer right after the break.
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NGUYEN: Well, did you figure out the DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day?" Any guesses? Well, here it is. It is a butterfly having lunch of nectar in Bangkok, Thailand, today. What a beautiful butterfly.
Well, we've been telling you this morning about the destructive and disruptive wildfires out West. But a similar scene in Florida could be signaling that and much more ominous disasters on the way.
Here is CNN's John Zarrella to explain.
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Wildfires producing thick, choking, blinding smoke have been more of a nuisance this summer in South Florida than usual. The reason: A very dry spring. In fact, this past May was one of the driest Mays here since recordkeeping began.
Jim Lushine, a National Weather Service expert on severe weather, says this could be a sign of bad things to come.
JIM LUSHINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: There is a positive correlation between the dryness in the spring months here in South Florida and the event of a major hurricane.
ZARRELLA: There's no way to know if a big one will hit here, but Lushine says, if you look back historically, it's somewhat ominous.
After three of the previous driest Mays, South Florida was hit with major hurricanes: Andrew in 1992, the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane, and Betsy in 1965.
Hurricanes hitting South Florida and unusually dry weather are both caused, to some degree, by the same weather feature in the Atlantic called the Bermuda High. When it sets up close to the U.S. East Coast, as it has this year, storms can be steered into Florida.
But Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield says the high won't stay in the same place indefinitely.
MAX MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: I would hate to characterize the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) whole season by what's going on right now. It would be unheard of for this condition to persist. ZARRELLA: The satellite image of Hurricane Isabel last year shows what happens when the Bermuda High is nudged away from the East Coast. Isabel turned to the north. Good for Florida, bad for the Carolinas.
(on camera): Because weather patterns are ever changing, hurricane forecasters say it's impossible to know which area, if any, will be in the bull's eye a month or six weeks from now when hurricane season peaks, which means no one from Texas to Maine should think they've dodged a bullet.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
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NGUYEN: And here is what's all new in the next half-hour. Shake-up in the Middle East. How will Arafat handle the latest blow to his government? We have a live report from the region.
Plus, the case played out in public. Will a judge let you see the Kobe Bryant case?
And, Lance Armstrong on the move, making up nine minutes in the mountains. We'll check out the other highs and lows of the Tour de France.
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