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CNN Live At Daybreak
Recapping Actions, Capture of Atlanta Courthouse Shooting Suspect; U.S. Army's Cooking Contest
Aired March 14, 2005 - 05:00 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: He asked me what I thought he should do and I said I think you should turn yourself in. If you don't turn yourself in is what I said, if you don't turn yourself in, lots more people are going to get hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What an ordeal. Her ordeal is over this morning and a shooting suspect who terrorized a city is behind bars. That's straight ahead on DAYBREAK.
Plus, some soldiers get ready for battle, but this fight is over a stove.
And a champ in a silver trophy -- it's the British equivalent of Westminster. And what a charmer.
It is Monday, March 14.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Brian Nichols, the man police say shot and killed four people in Atlanta, including a judge and two law enforcement officers, could be in court this morning or tomorrow. Authorities are sorting out various federal and state charges against him.
Heading to court five hours from now, Ahmed Abu Ali, a 23-year- old American accused of plotting to assassinate President Bush. Abu Ali will be arraigned in Alexandria, Virginia.
Michael Jackson will again face his accuser in court today. Jackson's defense attorney resumes questioning the boy, who says the entertainer molested him twice at the Neverland Ranch.
And in Trenton, New Jersey, the postal facility that handled those anthrax laced letters that killed five people in 2001 has reopened. Renovation of the facility and replacement of equipment there cost an estimated $80 million to $100 million. To the Forecast Center now and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Man, they never caught that person, did they?
COSTELLO: Pardon?
I'm sorry.
MYERS: They never caught the anthrax person, did they?
COSTELLO: They did not.
MYERS: Hmm, well, still out there.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Straight to the story that gripped the nation, that courthouse shooting in Atlanta. We want to bring you the riveting description from the woman police say Brian Nichols held hostage for seven hours. That, in a minute.
But first the latest. Nichols is being held on a federal charge of firearms possession by a person under indictment. Federal and state prosecutors are discussing the other charges they'll make against the 33-year-old suspect. The Fulton County district attorney says the investigation into this weekend's shooting spree will be finished within 30 days.
Brian Nichols called her an angel. Ashley Smith was the woman police say was held hostage by Nichols for seven hours. She whipped him up a breakfast of pancakes before leaving to call police, triggering an end to one of the most intense manhunts in the South.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: I asked him why he did what he did. And his reason was because he was a soldier. I asked him why he chose me and why he chose Bridgewater Apartments. And he said he didn't know, he just ran in there. But after we began to talk and he said he thought that I was an angel sent from god, and that I was his sister and he was my brother in Christ, and that he was lost and god led him right to me to tell him that he had hurt a lot of people and the families, the people, to let him know how they felt, because I had gone through it myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He held her in her apartment for seven hours before she managed to get away, and then she went to her apartment's office and she called 911.
We want to step back and give you the events that led to the Nichols capture. Here's our Randi Kaye with a time line.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 9:00 a.m. Friday, Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta -- 6'1" Brian Nichols overpowers 51-year-old Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Cynthia Hall. He grabs her gun. She is critically injured in the scuffle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody off the sidewalk!
KAYE: About 9:15 a.m., Nichols wrestles a second gun away from another deputy, slips into the courtroom through Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes' private chambers and shoots him dead. Nichols then shoots and kills court reporter Julie Ann Brandau. He flees down eight flights of stairs, shooting and killing 43-year-old Fulton County Deputy Sergeant Hoyt Teasley outside.
9:30 a.m. -- Nichols hijacks a number of vehicles in downtown Atlanta, including a tow truck, before pistol-whipping "AJC" newspaper reporter Don O'Briant and taking his 1997 green Honda Accord.
DON O'BRIANT, "ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION": And he pulls the gun and says, "Give me your keys." And I don't give them to him.
And he says, "Give me the keys or I'll kill you."
KAYE: Police warn the public to be on the lookout for O'Briant's Honda.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last known vehicle is a 1997 Honda Accord.
KAYE: About that same time, a security camera inside a garage captures Nichols wearing what appears to be O'Briant's blazer. He casually walks down the steps, then takes the commuter rail to an upscale Atlanta neighborhood eight miles from the courthouse.
10:40 p.m. Friday -- a couple is assaulted near the same subway station where Nichols gets off.
11:30 p.m. Friday -- someone notices the green Honda parked in the same garage where it had been stolen, only on a different floor. Police view the garage's security camera tape.
CHIEF RICHARD PENNINGTON, ATLANTA POLICE: Remember, we still thought he was in the car. So we had no reason to close down MARTA, because we thought he was still in the Honda.
KAYE: 2:30 a.m. Saturday -- Nichols takes a woman hostage in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta. She was returning from buying cigarettes at a convenience store. About four hours later, construction workers find the body of David Wilhelm, a United States Customs agent. His gun, badge and truck are missing.
9:50 a.m. Saturday -- seven hours after taking a woman hostage, Nichols lets her go. She quickly calls 911.
CHIEF CHARLES WALTERS, GWINNETT COUNTY POLICE: She was able to get out of the apartment and call us. We were -- we activated our SWAT team.
KAYE: Nichols waves a white t-shirt outside the apartment window and surrenders to police. As he's taken away, there is celebration mixed with relief. The manhunt that began 26 hours earlier is over.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And there are complaints that lax security procedures at the courthouse helped set the stage for this carnage. Brian Nichols had to go through several sheriff's deputies to reach Judge Barnes. The judge knew Nichols was a security threat because he'd said he wanted to put more beef in his courtroom, meaning more security. That's after Nichols had been caught trying to smuggle makeshift weapons into court just two days before the shooting.
And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day. Courthouse security -- what went wrong? We want to know what you think. Let us know, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
In other "News Across America" this morning, only speculation so far about a motive in the shooting rampage that left eight people dead during a church service in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The gunman, Terry Ratzmann, took his own life after killing seven other people and wounding four. Church members say Ratzmann had employment problems and he became angry and walked out of a service two weeks ago.
In Utah, hundreds of volunteers grabbed shovels and tried to rescue a 10-year-old boy buried by a mud slide. But they were too late. The boy's body was found under seven feet of mud. His sister and a friend had managed to dig themselves out.
An Air China jetliner is stuck in the mud this morning at the Los Angeles International Airport. And the fuel is being drained to make the plane lighter and easier to move. Three hundred thirty passengers and crew members got off safely after the jetliner wandered off the pavement and into that mud.
At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, more joyful reunions as more soldiers returned from the Iraq war. These troops are from the 39th Infantry Brigade and they look happy, don't they? They spent a year in the war zone.
Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
We'll take you to the hometown of the alleged courthouse shooter, Brian Nichols. The people he grew up with, needless to say, they're in shock this morning.
Also, taking it to the streets -- another day in Beirut, another massive rally. And a battle rages within the Army, but it's more about baked beans than bullets.
Now, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, March 14.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Brian Nichols could go before a federal judge in Atlanta today. The alleged courthouse shooter is now in federal custody after surrendering to police north of the city on Saturday.
Back home, the pope has returned to the Vatican after two and a half weeks in the hospital. He blessed cheering worshipers as a van drove him into St. Peter's Square last night.
In money news, a change at the top of the Walt Disney Company. President Robert Iger will succeed Michael Eisner as CEO. Eisner steps down at the end of September, a year earlier than expected.
In culture, machines ruled at the box office this weekend. The animated family film "Robots" opened at the top, cranking up more than $36 million. That's the year's second biggest debut.
And in sports, Chad? Should I announce this or should you?
MYERS: You should -- you go right ahead, because you even know who he is, Carol.
COSTELLO: Jimmie Johnson, the California dreamy driver.
MYERS: Yes. That's right.
COSTELLO: He took the checkered flag to win the UAW- DaimlerChrysler 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch came in second, right?
MYERS: Yes. And Kurt Busch came in third. And actually the Busch brothers are from Las Vegas. So they had huge crowds, huge fans out there. It was a great race. It was good fun yesterday, actually. A lot of good racing and actually there was racing at a super speedway for a change.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Wolfgang Puck would be proud. These soldiers know how to whip up a tasty meal that can fortify the troops. Their recipe for success, coming your way next.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.
COSTELLO: Think of it as the iron chef in fatigues. Some talented soldiers are proving that an army really does travel on its stomach.
And as our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports, there's a lot more to it than just ripping open a ration pack.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Army troops gather for battle. But today the weapons are butcher knives, pots and stoves. Some 200 soldier chefs have gathered for the 30th annual Army Culinary Arts Competition, a contest to be named the best cook in all the things soldiers love to eat. In this field competition, teams take on a box of food that can feed 50 people just to see what they can whip up.
C.W.O. VERONA WILLIAMS, U.S. ARMY: You take that and make barbecued pork chops, breaded pork chops where they can take it. Some guys have even went to do stir-fry.
STARR: The judges taste and then everybody eats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guava glaze?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good for the pork chop. Good for the pork chop.
STARR: This recipe wins best in field cooking on this very wet day. Many here are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, where food is serious business. A hot meal always a morale builder on the front line.
WILLIAMS: Our job as food server professionals is to make them feel better, make them feel like they're closer to home.
STARR: Across the base in this kitchen, a crucial battle -- the contest to be named the best chef in the military. But make no mistake, these are soldiers first.
SGT. 1ST CLASS DAVID RUSS, U.S. ARMY: I spent time in the special forces and in a Ranger battalion, also.
STARR: Sergeant First Class David Russ of the elite 82nd Airborne Division.
RUSS: I started out with the morel, cream of morel mushroom soup.
STARR: A four-time winner of this contest, he now teaches cooking to other soldiers, and knows jumping out of airplanes can give you an edge in a kitchen crisis.
RUSS: You get confidence, you know, having been places that are worse than this.
STARR: The competitors say they don't cook just to win.
RUSS: Everything you do here is to the benefit of the soldiers.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: It's time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
Take a look at a champ. The trophy is bigger than she is. This little cutie is Cracknor Cause Celebre, Coco to her friends, Chad.
MYERS: I see the lid over there. Just don't even think about that.
COSTELLO: That's true.
MYERS: Keep it off.
COSTELLO: She's a 6-year-old Norfolk terrier. She beat out more than 21,000 other dogs -- she beat out 21,000 other dogs.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: That's amazing! She won top prize at Britain's Crufts dog show.
MYERS: Look at her smile.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is a cute pup.
MYERS: It sure is.
COSTELLO: This is Chicago. A crowd is on one of the bridges over the Chicago River. A police boat drops green dye in the river for, what else, the Saint Patrick's Day parade on Saturday. Even though Saint Patrick's Day isn't until Thursday...
MYERS: I was going to say, isn't this like Saint Patrick's Week? I mean come on!
COSTELLO: It is in Chicago.
Despite temperatures in the mid-20s, they could not keep the Irish faithful and the Irish wannabes away. After all, isn't everyone Irish this time of year?
MYERS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Check out this fellow stepping into freezing water in Moscow. Why do people do this? MYERS: I'm not sure.
COSTELLO: This guy spent the past two years preparing for this day.
MYERS: Did he have something tattooed on his forehead? What is that?
COSTELLO: Like "fool?" No, I'm sorry. I didn't say that.
MYERS: What does it say?
COSTELLO: He spent one hour in the water. He's the first person to do that and survive. And we're pretty sure he didn't win a trophy like Coco's. He spent an hour in that frigid water.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: Look at the sensor on his back. Is that what that is?
MYERS: I guess it's a yin and yang, I think.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, it is. So it's not a sensor. The monitor is really far away in this studio.
MYERS: There! There he is! Whatever that means.
COSTELLO: I have no clue.
MYERS: He probably sold that on eBay.
COSTELLO: I have no clue.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Those who did not know Brian Nichols are stunned and saddened by his actions. We'll hear from Nichols' friends, just ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Incredible pictures to show you this morning. Literally tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets of Beirut, Lebanon. Most of them are pro-democracy.
Brent Sadler is in the middle of it all.
He joins us live now to tell us more -- hello, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
Good morning, Carol.
This is another huge rally taking place in Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut. This is the resting place of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in a massive bomb blast exactly four weeks ago today.
Now, this rally, along with others we've seen for the past several days or so, is all about numbers. Five matters in terms of which side, those who support Syria and those who want Syrian troops and intelligence out of this country, who can draw the bigger crowd?
Last Tuesday, Hezbollah, the Islamic resistance, denounced as a terror organization by the U.S., attracted at least half a million people into the area of downtown Beirut. Today, the question is the challenge -- can the opposition mount such a show of support?
It's important because the authorities here are using these demonstrations to show that they, the pro-Syrians, have the larger clout, the bigger clout in terms of people power. The opposition are trying to challenge that with this counter-rally.
So at the end of the day, it really is going to be important to see how many tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, maybe 30,000 plus and rising so far, will fill Martyrs Square by the end of the day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Brent, what a strange way to determine which way the country is leaning.
Why not put it to a vote?
SADLER: Well, elections are due here in May, by mid-May. And up until now, Syrian influence over Lebanon has been seen as a major drawback to Lebanese independence and democracy. That's why we've heard the U.S. president, George W. Bush, consistently pressuring Syria to quit Lebanon, to take its troops out, to take its intelligence out, so the Lebanese can have a free and fair election.
If that election goes ahead under new conditions, then the Lebanese may, repeat, may be able to say they have voted who the majority wants to see in power.
But at the moment, until that happens, this is a tug of war, and it's being taken place on the streets of Beirut -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Fascinating.
We'll get back to you.
Brent Sadler live from Beirut this morning.
Thank you.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
We're back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Brian Nichols, the suspect in four Atlanta killings, may appear in court today, or that appearance may be delayed until tomorrow. Nichols, who was captured Saturday, is being held in a maximum security prison in Atlanta.
China's parliament has passed a law authorizing military action against Taiwan if the island moves toward independence. Taiwan condemns the law and the U.S. calls the vote "a mistake."
Back in business -- it's reporting day at the Hamilton, New Jersey post office closed in 2001 after it handled letters containing anthrax. Decontamination and renovation cost $80 million to $100 million.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Imagine this -- held hostage by an alleged killer for hours on end. Police say it was all too real for one Georgia woman over the weekend. This morning, we take you "Beyond the Sound Bite," in her own words.
Ashley Smith says Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols forced his way into her apartment north of the city. Smith says Nichols later allowed her to leave and her subsequent call to police led to his capture.
Smith tells reporters she cooked pancakes for Nichols and she talked to him for hours to gain his trust.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 14, 2005 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE: He asked me what I thought he should do and I said I think you should turn yourself in. If you don't turn yourself in is what I said, if you don't turn yourself in, lots more people are going to get hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What an ordeal. Her ordeal is over this morning and a shooting suspect who terrorized a city is behind bars. That's straight ahead on DAYBREAK.
Plus, some soldiers get ready for battle, but this fight is over a stove.
And a champ in a silver trophy -- it's the British equivalent of Westminster. And what a charmer.
It is Monday, March 14.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Brian Nichols, the man police say shot and killed four people in Atlanta, including a judge and two law enforcement officers, could be in court this morning or tomorrow. Authorities are sorting out various federal and state charges against him.
Heading to court five hours from now, Ahmed Abu Ali, a 23-year- old American accused of plotting to assassinate President Bush. Abu Ali will be arraigned in Alexandria, Virginia.
Michael Jackson will again face his accuser in court today. Jackson's defense attorney resumes questioning the boy, who says the entertainer molested him twice at the Neverland Ranch.
And in Trenton, New Jersey, the postal facility that handled those anthrax laced letters that killed five people in 2001 has reopened. Renovation of the facility and replacement of equipment there cost an estimated $80 million to $100 million. To the Forecast Center now and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Man, they never caught that person, did they?
COSTELLO: Pardon?
I'm sorry.
MYERS: They never caught the anthrax person, did they?
COSTELLO: They did not.
MYERS: Hmm, well, still out there.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Straight to the story that gripped the nation, that courthouse shooting in Atlanta. We want to bring you the riveting description from the woman police say Brian Nichols held hostage for seven hours. That, in a minute.
But first the latest. Nichols is being held on a federal charge of firearms possession by a person under indictment. Federal and state prosecutors are discussing the other charges they'll make against the 33-year-old suspect. The Fulton County district attorney says the investigation into this weekend's shooting spree will be finished within 30 days.
Brian Nichols called her an angel. Ashley Smith was the woman police say was held hostage by Nichols for seven hours. She whipped him up a breakfast of pancakes before leaving to call police, triggering an end to one of the most intense manhunts in the South.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: I asked him why he did what he did. And his reason was because he was a soldier. I asked him why he chose me and why he chose Bridgewater Apartments. And he said he didn't know, he just ran in there. But after we began to talk and he said he thought that I was an angel sent from god, and that I was his sister and he was my brother in Christ, and that he was lost and god led him right to me to tell him that he had hurt a lot of people and the families, the people, to let him know how they felt, because I had gone through it myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He held her in her apartment for seven hours before she managed to get away, and then she went to her apartment's office and she called 911.
We want to step back and give you the events that led to the Nichols capture. Here's our Randi Kaye with a time line.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 9:00 a.m. Friday, Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta -- 6'1" Brian Nichols overpowers 51-year-old Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Cynthia Hall. He grabs her gun. She is critically injured in the scuffle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody off the sidewalk!
KAYE: About 9:15 a.m., Nichols wrestles a second gun away from another deputy, slips into the courtroom through Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes' private chambers and shoots him dead. Nichols then shoots and kills court reporter Julie Ann Brandau. He flees down eight flights of stairs, shooting and killing 43-year-old Fulton County Deputy Sergeant Hoyt Teasley outside.
9:30 a.m. -- Nichols hijacks a number of vehicles in downtown Atlanta, including a tow truck, before pistol-whipping "AJC" newspaper reporter Don O'Briant and taking his 1997 green Honda Accord.
DON O'BRIANT, "ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION": And he pulls the gun and says, "Give me your keys." And I don't give them to him.
And he says, "Give me the keys or I'll kill you."
KAYE: Police warn the public to be on the lookout for O'Briant's Honda.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last known vehicle is a 1997 Honda Accord.
KAYE: About that same time, a security camera inside a garage captures Nichols wearing what appears to be O'Briant's blazer. He casually walks down the steps, then takes the commuter rail to an upscale Atlanta neighborhood eight miles from the courthouse.
10:40 p.m. Friday -- a couple is assaulted near the same subway station where Nichols gets off.
11:30 p.m. Friday -- someone notices the green Honda parked in the same garage where it had been stolen, only on a different floor. Police view the garage's security camera tape.
CHIEF RICHARD PENNINGTON, ATLANTA POLICE: Remember, we still thought he was in the car. So we had no reason to close down MARTA, because we thought he was still in the Honda.
KAYE: 2:30 a.m. Saturday -- Nichols takes a woman hostage in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta. She was returning from buying cigarettes at a convenience store. About four hours later, construction workers find the body of David Wilhelm, a United States Customs agent. His gun, badge and truck are missing.
9:50 a.m. Saturday -- seven hours after taking a woman hostage, Nichols lets her go. She quickly calls 911.
CHIEF CHARLES WALTERS, GWINNETT COUNTY POLICE: She was able to get out of the apartment and call us. We were -- we activated our SWAT team.
KAYE: Nichols waves a white t-shirt outside the apartment window and surrenders to police. As he's taken away, there is celebration mixed with relief. The manhunt that began 26 hours earlier is over.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: And there are complaints that lax security procedures at the courthouse helped set the stage for this carnage. Brian Nichols had to go through several sheriff's deputies to reach Judge Barnes. The judge knew Nichols was a security threat because he'd said he wanted to put more beef in his courtroom, meaning more security. That's after Nichols had been caught trying to smuggle makeshift weapons into court just two days before the shooting.
And that brings us to our DAYBREAK E-Mail Question of the Day. Courthouse security -- what went wrong? We want to know what you think. Let us know, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
In other "News Across America" this morning, only speculation so far about a motive in the shooting rampage that left eight people dead during a church service in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The gunman, Terry Ratzmann, took his own life after killing seven other people and wounding four. Church members say Ratzmann had employment problems and he became angry and walked out of a service two weeks ago.
In Utah, hundreds of volunteers grabbed shovels and tried to rescue a 10-year-old boy buried by a mud slide. But they were too late. The boy's body was found under seven feet of mud. His sister and a friend had managed to dig themselves out.
An Air China jetliner is stuck in the mud this morning at the Los Angeles International Airport. And the fuel is being drained to make the plane lighter and easier to move. Three hundred thirty passengers and crew members got off safely after the jetliner wandered off the pavement and into that mud.
At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, more joyful reunions as more soldiers returned from the Iraq war. These troops are from the 39th Infantry Brigade and they look happy, don't they? They spent a year in the war zone.
Much more to come on DAYBREAK this hour.
We'll take you to the hometown of the alleged courthouse shooter, Brian Nichols. The people he grew up with, needless to say, they're in shock this morning.
Also, taking it to the streets -- another day in Beirut, another massive rally. And a battle rages within the Army, but it's more about baked beans than bullets.
Now, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, March 14.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:12 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Brian Nichols could go before a federal judge in Atlanta today. The alleged courthouse shooter is now in federal custody after surrendering to police north of the city on Saturday.
Back home, the pope has returned to the Vatican after two and a half weeks in the hospital. He blessed cheering worshipers as a van drove him into St. Peter's Square last night.
In money news, a change at the top of the Walt Disney Company. President Robert Iger will succeed Michael Eisner as CEO. Eisner steps down at the end of September, a year earlier than expected.
In culture, machines ruled at the box office this weekend. The animated family film "Robots" opened at the top, cranking up more than $36 million. That's the year's second biggest debut.
And in sports, Chad? Should I announce this or should you?
MYERS: You should -- you go right ahead, because you even know who he is, Carol.
COSTELLO: Jimmie Johnson, the California dreamy driver.
MYERS: Yes. That's right.
COSTELLO: He took the checkered flag to win the UAW- DaimlerChrysler 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch came in second, right?
MYERS: Yes. And Kurt Busch came in third. And actually the Busch brothers are from Las Vegas. So they had huge crowds, huge fans out there. It was a great race. It was good fun yesterday, actually. A lot of good racing and actually there was racing at a super speedway for a change.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
Wolfgang Puck would be proud. These soldiers know how to whip up a tasty meal that can fortify the troops. Their recipe for success, coming your way next.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.
COSTELLO: Think of it as the iron chef in fatigues. Some talented soldiers are proving that an army really does travel on its stomach.
And as our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports, there's a lot more to it than just ripping open a ration pack.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Army troops gather for battle. But today the weapons are butcher knives, pots and stoves. Some 200 soldier chefs have gathered for the 30th annual Army Culinary Arts Competition, a contest to be named the best cook in all the things soldiers love to eat. In this field competition, teams take on a box of food that can feed 50 people just to see what they can whip up.
C.W.O. VERONA WILLIAMS, U.S. ARMY: You take that and make barbecued pork chops, breaded pork chops where they can take it. Some guys have even went to do stir-fry.
STARR: The judges taste and then everybody eats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guava glaze?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good for the pork chop. Good for the pork chop.
STARR: This recipe wins best in field cooking on this very wet day. Many here are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, where food is serious business. A hot meal always a morale builder on the front line.
WILLIAMS: Our job as food server professionals is to make them feel better, make them feel like they're closer to home.
STARR: Across the base in this kitchen, a crucial battle -- the contest to be named the best chef in the military. But make no mistake, these are soldiers first.
SGT. 1ST CLASS DAVID RUSS, U.S. ARMY: I spent time in the special forces and in a Ranger battalion, also.
STARR: Sergeant First Class David Russ of the elite 82nd Airborne Division.
RUSS: I started out with the morel, cream of morel mushroom soup.
STARR: A four-time winner of this contest, he now teaches cooking to other soldiers, and knows jumping out of airplanes can give you an edge in a kitchen crisis.
RUSS: You get confidence, you know, having been places that are worse than this.
STARR: The competitors say they don't cook just to win.
RUSS: Everything you do here is to the benefit of the soldiers.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: It's time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."
Take a look at a champ. The trophy is bigger than she is. This little cutie is Cracknor Cause Celebre, Coco to her friends, Chad.
MYERS: I see the lid over there. Just don't even think about that.
COSTELLO: That's true.
MYERS: Keep it off.
COSTELLO: She's a 6-year-old Norfolk terrier. She beat out more than 21,000 other dogs -- she beat out 21,000 other dogs.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: That's amazing! She won top prize at Britain's Crufts dog show.
MYERS: Look at her smile.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is a cute pup.
MYERS: It sure is.
COSTELLO: This is Chicago. A crowd is on one of the bridges over the Chicago River. A police boat drops green dye in the river for, what else, the Saint Patrick's Day parade on Saturday. Even though Saint Patrick's Day isn't until Thursday...
MYERS: I was going to say, isn't this like Saint Patrick's Week? I mean come on!
COSTELLO: It is in Chicago.
Despite temperatures in the mid-20s, they could not keep the Irish faithful and the Irish wannabes away. After all, isn't everyone Irish this time of year?
MYERS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Check out this fellow stepping into freezing water in Moscow. Why do people do this? MYERS: I'm not sure.
COSTELLO: This guy spent the past two years preparing for this day.
MYERS: Did he have something tattooed on his forehead? What is that?
COSTELLO: Like "fool?" No, I'm sorry. I didn't say that.
MYERS: What does it say?
COSTELLO: He spent one hour in the water. He's the first person to do that and survive. And we're pretty sure he didn't win a trophy like Coco's. He spent an hour in that frigid water.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: Look at the sensor on his back. Is that what that is?
MYERS: I guess it's a yin and yang, I think.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, it is. So it's not a sensor. The monitor is really far away in this studio.
MYERS: There! There he is! Whatever that means.
COSTELLO: I have no clue.
MYERS: He probably sold that on eBay.
COSTELLO: I have no clue.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Those who did not know Brian Nichols are stunned and saddened by his actions. We'll hear from Nichols' friends, just ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Incredible pictures to show you this morning. Literally tens of thousands of people protesting in the streets of Beirut, Lebanon. Most of them are pro-democracy.
Brent Sadler is in the middle of it all.
He joins us live now to tell us more -- hello, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
Good morning, Carol.
This is another huge rally taking place in Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut. This is the resting place of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in a massive bomb blast exactly four weeks ago today.
Now, this rally, along with others we've seen for the past several days or so, is all about numbers. Five matters in terms of which side, those who support Syria and those who want Syrian troops and intelligence out of this country, who can draw the bigger crowd?
Last Tuesday, Hezbollah, the Islamic resistance, denounced as a terror organization by the U.S., attracted at least half a million people into the area of downtown Beirut. Today, the question is the challenge -- can the opposition mount such a show of support?
It's important because the authorities here are using these demonstrations to show that they, the pro-Syrians, have the larger clout, the bigger clout in terms of people power. The opposition are trying to challenge that with this counter-rally.
So at the end of the day, it really is going to be important to see how many tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, maybe 30,000 plus and rising so far, will fill Martyrs Square by the end of the day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Brent, what a strange way to determine which way the country is leaning.
Why not put it to a vote?
SADLER: Well, elections are due here in May, by mid-May. And up until now, Syrian influence over Lebanon has been seen as a major drawback to Lebanese independence and democracy. That's why we've heard the U.S. president, George W. Bush, consistently pressuring Syria to quit Lebanon, to take its troops out, to take its intelligence out, so the Lebanese can have a free and fair election.
If that election goes ahead under new conditions, then the Lebanese may, repeat, may be able to say they have voted who the majority wants to see in power.
But at the moment, until that happens, this is a tug of war, and it's being taken place on the streets of Beirut -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Fascinating.
We'll get back to you.
Brent Sadler live from Beirut this morning.
Thank you.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
We're back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, Brian Nichols, the suspect in four Atlanta killings, may appear in court today, or that appearance may be delayed until tomorrow. Nichols, who was captured Saturday, is being held in a maximum security prison in Atlanta.
China's parliament has passed a law authorizing military action against Taiwan if the island moves toward independence. Taiwan condemns the law and the U.S. calls the vote "a mistake."
Back in business -- it's reporting day at the Hamilton, New Jersey post office closed in 2001 after it handled letters containing anthrax. Decontamination and renovation cost $80 million to $100 million.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Imagine this -- held hostage by an alleged killer for hours on end. Police say it was all too real for one Georgia woman over the weekend. This morning, we take you "Beyond the Sound Bite," in her own words.
Ashley Smith says Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols forced his way into her apartment north of the city. Smith says Nichols later allowed her to leave and her subsequent call to police led to his capture.
Smith tells reporters she cooked pancakes for Nichols and she talked to him for hours to gain his trust.
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