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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anthrax Scare; Michael Jackson Trial; A Dog By Any Other Name?; Food for Thought

Aired March 16, 2005 - 05:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 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."

Iraq puts its budding democracy to the test amid continuing violence. Right now in Baghdad, the newly elected National Assembly is meeting for the first time. A series of explosions went off near the site, but lawmakers did not evacuate.

Worldwide oil prices are falling this morning. It comes amid word that OPEC has agreed to immediately boost oil production by half a million barrels a day. Another boost could come later.

Back here in the States, should oil drilling be allowed in this Alaskan wildlife refuge? The Senate is expected to vote on that controversial question some time today. Senators are almost evenly divided over the issue.

And a new development in the case of a missing Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford, officials are looking for a man they call a person of interest. They say he has a criminal history, but they have not released his name yet.

And Jason Giambi will not be stepping up to Congress' plate. A House panel has excused the New York Yankees slugger from testifying in tomorrow's hearing on steroid use in baseball. The feds fear Giambi's appearance might interfere with their ongoing probe.

Curt Shilling, too, has refused to go, Chad, but he still has a subpoena issued for him, so we'll see what happens there.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know contempt of Congress is not really one thing you want to have on your resume.

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: It's just not where I'd want to go, so anyway, with that contempt of Congress thing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: In our "Security Watch" this morning, what if? According to "The New York Times," an upcoming Homeland Security report outlines a frightening range of attacks that terrorists could commit.

Here are some of the scenarios.

A 10-kiloton nuclear bomb going off in a downtown business district. Officials don't know how many casualties that might cause.

Also, airborne anthrax sprayed in five cities. That could kill 13,000 people.

And what if terrorists released a pneumonia-like plague in the bathrooms of an airport, sports arena and train station? The report says 2,500 people could die.

One hundred eighty people could be killed if a radioactive dirty bomb went off in a medium or a large city. The radiation could contaminate 20,000 others.

Keep in mind these are just scenarios. And the Homeland Security wants local municipalities to be prepared.

The Pentagon is sounding a cautious all clear following an anthrax scare. In the meantime, the ordeal has stirred up some bad memories for people in the Washington area.

Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Government officials now say it does not appear that the mail facility adjacent to the Pentagon or any other mail facilities were contaminated with anthrax. Preliminary test results from earlier in the day had reached a different conclusion. Officials say later tests determined the positive results were incorrect.

The scare shut off mail to the entire federal government in Washington, the White House, Capitol Hill, the departments and agencies.

PAUL HARRINGTON, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: Unfortunately, this is another situation where we have to be vigilant.

MESERVE: The Postal Service once again found itself handing out three-day doses of the antibiotic Cipro protectively to hundreds of its workers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go again.

MESERVE: Their work site, a postal facility in Northeast D.C., was closed Monday night for testing, and city officials took additional steps. DR. GREGG PANE, DIRECTOR, D.C. HEALTH DEPT.: We've also mobilized our hospital network and our epidemiologic surveillance, so they're on the lookout and on alert for any cases that could be related to anthrax.

MESERVE: Meanwhile, a flurry of activity for the D.C. Hazardous Materials teams. First, a call from the Internal Revenue Service about a suspicious letter leaking a black substance.

ALAN ETTER, D.C. DEPT. OF FIRE & EMS: HazMat tested the material and came up with a high probability of the kind of material that you would use in rat poison.

MESERVE: Mail to the federal government, including the Pentagon, is irradiated to kill biological agents, like anthrax. Your mail likely is not. But the Postal Service has installed new technology in every central processing facility in the nation, which constantly tests for anthrax.

(on camera): Officials are continuing with testing and precautionary steps until they are absolutely sure they are not dealing with a real threat. They expect definitive results soon. But based on all the information available right now, officials do not believe they have another anthrax attack.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We've been telling you all morning long that the National Assembly is meeting in Baghdad to finalize the government there. Eventually they'll be electing for good a prime minister and a president, but right now they're just finalizing the government. The president and prime minister part probably won't come until tomorrow or maybe a few days from tomorrow.

Right now we want to go live to Baghdad to talk to Ibrahim Jaafari who is expected to be elected the prime minister.

Good morning. Can you hear me?

He's not ready yet. When he is ready, of course we'll take you back -- we're going to try again?

Mr. Jaafari, can you hear me? Mr. Jaafari, can you hear me?

He cannot hear me, obviously. When we get this together, we'll go back to Baghdad, Ibrahim Jaafari. The National Assembly meeting right now in Baghdad to finalize the Iraqi government. And, as I said, when we get our audio problems worked out, we'll go back to Baghdad.

Turning our attention now to the Michael Jackson trial, which has seen some of its most dramatic moments yet. On the hot seat, the teenaged boy who is accusing Jackson of molesting him.

For the latest, let's turn to "People" magazine's London Bureau Chief Bryan Alexander, who has been observing this trial.

Good morning.

BRYAN ALEXANDER, LONDON BUREAU CHIEF, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Morning, Carol, how are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

So are people really following this trial still in Britain?

ALEXANDER: Oh my god, this is big news over here, front page of all the tabloids most every day. He's an international star. I mean just because you go beyond the U.S. borders doesn't mean it stops there. There's an intense interest in Michael Jackson.

COSTELLO: So what are people saying, what are experts saying in Britain about the cross-examination of the accuser in the Michael Jackson case?

ALEXANDER: Well it seems to go up, it goes down. I mean the accuser was on the stand, he seemed very effective while the prosecution was up. But the defense is slowly but surely tearing it apart. And I think everybody is monitoring that on sort of a day-to- day basis, knowing, of course, that really the end result is all that matters.

COSTELLO: I know it's really difficult to tell unless you're inside the courtroom actually looking at this kid, because some say he's a pistol, he's a smart aleck and that might be hurting his testimony.

ALEXANDER: Yes. Well that's very true, but he is connecting very effectively with the jury. The jury is looking at him. They're making eye contact with him. They're nodding. They're taking intense notes. So there does seem to be a connection there. Once again, that doesn't always leave the courtroom.

I think the bigger story out in Britain is the sort of the circus around the trial. That's really what's capturing the attention of the Brits over here.

COSTELLO: I think that's died -- after Michael Jackson appeared in his pajamas, I think things have gotten pretty calm, don't you?

ALEXANDER: Yes. Well, yes, it has calmed down, but I don't think that image of Michael Jackson showing up to court in his pajamas will go away anytime soon. I mean that was, even in Britain, they went live to that. All the news stations went live to the courtroom waiting for him to show up, and that was a pretty intense hour as we waited for him to show up. And then, once again, he did show up in his pajamas. That was front page news everywhere. And I don't think it will go from anyone's mind anytime soon.

COSTELLO: Well you know we have one, the E! News Channel, they're like reenacting the trial with actors.

ALEXANDER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Is that showing in Britain at all?

ALEXANDER: Yes. That's playing over here, yes. That's must watching, I must say, 9:30 and 2:30 every day. And once again, it's got its devotees. They write about the actor playing Michael Jackson. He's become a star in itself. There's interviews of him in the Sunday's paper. Everybody is paying attention to this trial and especially that newscast.

COSTELLO: Wait a minute, the guy who portrays Michael Jackson on the E! News Channel has become a star in Britain?

ALEXANDER: Yes. Interviews, how he does it, absolutely. How he gets his nose to look like that. We're all waiting for him to take the stand to see if he can do the Michael Jackson voice.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. So how does he get his nose like that?

ALEXANDER: Apparently it's a pencil. There's no plastic surgery involved, obviously. So he uses a makeup pencil.

COSTELLO: A makeup pencil, I see. Boy, he's getting more publicity there than he is here in the United States.

Bryan Alexander from "People."

ALEXANDER: Really?

COSTELLO: Yes.

Thank you, Bryan, for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: All right. Scott Peterson, he will find out today if he will be put to death. He'll be sentenced in California for the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son. The same jury that convicted Peterson in November recommended death.

In the meantime, Laci Peterson's mother is blasting the sentencing arrangements. She's outraged over a decision to limit the number of seats in court for her family and friends while letting a larger group of journalists inside the courtroom.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, fighting for dogs' rights. We'll meet one man who's taking on the state of Kansas to get greyhounds the recognition they deserve.

Plus, imagine making lunch every day for one million of the pickiest eaters in the world. That story is ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Is a dog by any other name still a dog, well not if it's a greyhound in Kansas. No joke here, the state excludes greyhounds from the designation of dog. And some people are trying to change that.

Reporter Bev Chapman of CNN affiliate KMBC has all the details for you from Kansas City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here comes Woody (ph).

BEV CHAPMAN, KMBC-TV REPORTER (voice-over): What's in a name? Well apparently a lot when you are talking about greyhounds. Two years after pari-mutual racing was passed in Kansas, the law protecting pets in the state was changed to exclude these animals from the designation of dog.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With Plastrate (ph) right there in second.

KEVIN NEUMAN, OVERLAND PARK: Yes, say we know that spot, don't we? Yes, we do.

CHAPMAN: Kevin Neuman and his wife, Sherry, have fostered and adopted greyhounds for 11 years. Their house is a virtual shrine to the sleek, fast-moving animal.

NEUMAN: We fell in love with the breed. They are definitely a dog. They're a great dog.

CHAPMAN: That's why Neuman went to Topeka today to try and change the law.

NEUMAN: Your greyhound ought to be a dog in the state of Kansas.

CHAPMAN: The National Greyhound Association based in Abilene disagrees. The executive director calls the change unnecessary. He says greyhounds aren't bred for pets and therefore shouldn't fall under pet protection laws.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, here we go.

CHAPMAN: Advocates of the change in the law say as dog racing revenues and attendance at races wane there will be more pressure to breed a winner and the state should help protect these animals.

NEUMAN: More dogs are bred to get the fastest dog and more dogs are put at risk.

CHAPMAN: Breeding organizations dispute that, saying kennels are closely regulated by the National Greyhound Association and the Kansas Greyhound registry. But people who love the dogs and not the sport say it's time to call it like it is and to level the playing field when it comes to the law.

NEUMAN: Protecting a greyhound just like they would a Cocker Spaniel or a German Shepherd or any other breed of dog.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from Bev Chapman of CNN affiliate KMBC in Kansas City. Neither side is backing down from their positions.

Your news, weather, money and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Iraq's new National Assembly begins its historic first session today and explosions are heard near the building where that governing body is convening. We'll take you there live in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

The president of Harvard gets a no-confidence vote from his faculty. It's just a reminder of just how angry the faculty is over Lawrence Summers managerial style and his comments on women in science.

In money news, former WorldCom Chief Bernard Ebbers will appeal his fraud conviction. That's according to his attorney. A New York jury found Ebbers guilty of organizing the largest corporate fraud in U.S. history. He's 63. He faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

In culture, the much-anticipated musical based on "The Lord of the Rings" is set to have its world premiere in Toronto next year. The show will combine words, music, physical theater and of course spectacle.

In sports, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant were lighting it up last night. Iverson had 36 points, Bryant 20. Iverson also hurt his left thumb. But the final score, 76ers 108, Lakers 91.

So the Lakers continue to struggle -- Chad.

MYERS: Is that basketball -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes, that was basketball.

MYERS: Yes, OK. Yes, didn't see it.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

Good food that's good for you, after the break, one of the healthiest meals in town under two bucks. How one New York City chef reformed school cafeteria food for millions of children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Don't you love Abba early in the morning?

It's 5:51 Eastern.

There is a nationwide push to get kids to eat healthier. And while good habits start at home, school may be the next best place.

Our Beth Nissen reports on one chef's creative methods that are making a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JORGE COLLAZO, NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS CHEF: No, I need some half- pans. Do you have some half-pans?

BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jorge Collazo is the executive chef for New York City public schools, the largest school system in the nation. His job will seem to any parent like a form of mission impossible, make nutritious meals on a budget, $2 on average per lunch, that more than a million kids will eat.

COLLAZO: It's a big challenge. We don't say, eat this, it's healthy for you. That's probably the -- maybe the worst thing you could do. So we want to make it invisible to them. And just they don't even realize, you know, that it's good for them.

NISSEN: Case in point, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. School cafeteria workers in New York City make thousands of them a day, but make them with whole wheat bread instead of white.

COLLAZO: We actually phased it in. We were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or other sandwiches with one slice of white and one of whole wheat. And we just kind of like weaned them off of the white flour that way.

NISSEN: To wean kids off high-fat, high-calorie favorites, school cooks here are frying less, baking more. A substitute for French fries, roasted potatoes. They still make macaroni and cheese, cheese sandwiches but use low-fat American cheese, low-fat mozzarella. School food here is also low in salt. Cooks use herbs and spices to season food.

COLLAZO: Why do we have to limit sodium? It's not good for you. It's not good for kids. They don't need it. And it's in nearly everything that they find in excessive amounts.

NISSEN: So is sugar. What to do about the collective sweet tooth of 1.1 million students?

COLLAZO: Our fresh fruit program is extensive. We offer fresh fruit every day.

NISSEN: Offering is one thing. Getting kids to take it is another. New York City school students are no less finicky than those anywhere, in fact, have a broader range of particular tastes. In this one elementary school, for example, students come from more than a dozen ethnic backgrounds, each with its own favorite foods.

COLLAZO: It used to be that there would be one menu that was citywide. So, across the board, it was lasagna day. But that doesn't play well in a lot of communities.

NISSEN: Now the menu is diversified.

COLLAZO: I could make a traditional roast chicken with low- sodium gravy and mashed potatoes, or I could choose to make a pollo guisado, which is kind of a Dominican-style stewed chicken. So they can pick.

NISSEN: Recognizing that students want a choice is key to the New York City schools' approach.

COLLAZO: They're students, they're kids, but they're still consumers.

NISSEN: Kids see ads on TV for wrap sandwiches. So the school food's program here offers tuna salad wraps. Pocket sandwiches are popular. So the schools offer a reduced-fat, part-soy Jamaican beef pocket. To get kids to drink more milk to strengthen their bones and teeth, when they get their teeth, schools offer it in chocolate and strawberry.

COLLAZO: Some of them are flavored milks. But the one thing they have in common is that they are low in fat.

NISSEN: Kids like canned beverages, so cans of juice are available. Kids like snacks in packages, so the cafeteria has packages of apple slices.

COLLAZO: How it's packaged, that really is the difference.

NISSEN: The program is working by most every measure. Kids are eating more fresh fruit, more solids, although there are still no breakthroughs to report on broccoli and cauliflower.

Overall, though, kids are wasting less, eating more, eating better. Better nutrition, studies show, helps concentration, can help learning.

COLLAZO: A well-fed child is a child that is going to do better academically.

NISSEN: Chef Jorge sees the program as part of students' lifelong education.

COLLAZO: We want to teach them good habits. It's our social responsibility. I don't even think of it as a choice to do it. To me, there's no other choice than to do what New York City is doing.

NISSEN: Food for thought.

Beth Nissen, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

We've been talking a bit this morning about the new exercise guidelines set forth by the government. If you've gained a lot of weight and you lost it recently, the government now saying you have to exercise 90 minutes every day to keep the weight off. Those of you who just want to like maintain and you were never obese, 30 minutes a day. And for those of you who want to keep your heart healthy, what, it's 60 minutes a day, Chad, exercise?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So we're asking this question: are the federal nutrition and exercise guidelines realistic?

MYERS: Got one from Gerald (ph) in Calgary. This is a cute one. I just recently learned that you only need 15 minutes of laughing to stay healthy. When I heard about the new 90 minutes of exercise, I laughed for five minutes. That's one-third of my daily quota.

COSTELLO: Love that.

This is from Susie (ph). Whoever they is is nuts. I'm a single parent with five kids, a full-time job, two part-time jobs and I'm also a part-time university student. I barely have time to use the toilet, let alone exercise for an hour. OK, so I'm gaining a bit of weight, but I also have a lot of love to share.

Good for you, Susie.

MYERS: Jeff (ph) in California says he's got the answer, make the remote control 10 pounds. Every time you have to pick it up, you'll be doing exercise, and in no time you'll have a 6-pack ab and buns of steel.

COSTELLO: I love that one.

This is from Mary (ph). She says, yes, you do have to workout 60 to 90 minutes a day. I just lost 150 pounds nine years ago and must exercise every day to keep the weight off. I might take one day off, but that's it. So Mary says you go, government. Yes.

MYERS: Got one here that says 30 to 90 minutes of physical activity, that's easy to do. We Americans just need to get off our butts. But that's from a sergeant in the Army.

COSTELLO: He doesn't count. He has to do it.

MYERS: He certainly does.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: And the next hour of DAYBREAK will begin right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired March 16, 2005 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 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."

Iraq puts its budding democracy to the test amid continuing violence. Right now in Baghdad, the newly elected National Assembly is meeting for the first time. A series of explosions went off near the site, but lawmakers did not evacuate.

Worldwide oil prices are falling this morning. It comes amid word that OPEC has agreed to immediately boost oil production by half a million barrels a day. Another boost could come later.

Back here in the States, should oil drilling be allowed in this Alaskan wildlife refuge? The Senate is expected to vote on that controversial question some time today. Senators are almost evenly divided over the issue.

And a new development in the case of a missing Florida girl, Jessica Lunsford, officials are looking for a man they call a person of interest. They say he has a criminal history, but they have not released his name yet.

And Jason Giambi will not be stepping up to Congress' plate. A House panel has excused the New York Yankees slugger from testifying in tomorrow's hearing on steroid use in baseball. The feds fear Giambi's appearance might interfere with their ongoing probe.

Curt Shilling, too, has refused to go, Chad, but he still has a subpoena issued for him, so we'll see what happens there.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know contempt of Congress is not really one thing you want to have on your resume.

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: It's just not where I'd want to go, so anyway, with that contempt of Congress thing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: In our "Security Watch" this morning, what if? According to "The New York Times," an upcoming Homeland Security report outlines a frightening range of attacks that terrorists could commit.

Here are some of the scenarios.

A 10-kiloton nuclear bomb going off in a downtown business district. Officials don't know how many casualties that might cause.

Also, airborne anthrax sprayed in five cities. That could kill 13,000 people.

And what if terrorists released a pneumonia-like plague in the bathrooms of an airport, sports arena and train station? The report says 2,500 people could die.

One hundred eighty people could be killed if a radioactive dirty bomb went off in a medium or a large city. The radiation could contaminate 20,000 others.

Keep in mind these are just scenarios. And the Homeland Security wants local municipalities to be prepared.

The Pentagon is sounding a cautious all clear following an anthrax scare. In the meantime, the ordeal has stirred up some bad memories for people in the Washington area.

Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Government officials now say it does not appear that the mail facility adjacent to the Pentagon or any other mail facilities were contaminated with anthrax. Preliminary test results from earlier in the day had reached a different conclusion. Officials say later tests determined the positive results were incorrect.

The scare shut off mail to the entire federal government in Washington, the White House, Capitol Hill, the departments and agencies.

PAUL HARRINGTON, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: Unfortunately, this is another situation where we have to be vigilant.

MESERVE: The Postal Service once again found itself handing out three-day doses of the antibiotic Cipro protectively to hundreds of its workers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go again.

MESERVE: Their work site, a postal facility in Northeast D.C., was closed Monday night for testing, and city officials took additional steps. DR. GREGG PANE, DIRECTOR, D.C. HEALTH DEPT.: We've also mobilized our hospital network and our epidemiologic surveillance, so they're on the lookout and on alert for any cases that could be related to anthrax.

MESERVE: Meanwhile, a flurry of activity for the D.C. Hazardous Materials teams. First, a call from the Internal Revenue Service about a suspicious letter leaking a black substance.

ALAN ETTER, D.C. DEPT. OF FIRE & EMS: HazMat tested the material and came up with a high probability of the kind of material that you would use in rat poison.

MESERVE: Mail to the federal government, including the Pentagon, is irradiated to kill biological agents, like anthrax. Your mail likely is not. But the Postal Service has installed new technology in every central processing facility in the nation, which constantly tests for anthrax.

(on camera): Officials are continuing with testing and precautionary steps until they are absolutely sure they are not dealing with a real threat. They expect definitive results soon. But based on all the information available right now, officials do not believe they have another anthrax attack.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We've been telling you all morning long that the National Assembly is meeting in Baghdad to finalize the government there. Eventually they'll be electing for good a prime minister and a president, but right now they're just finalizing the government. The president and prime minister part probably won't come until tomorrow or maybe a few days from tomorrow.

Right now we want to go live to Baghdad to talk to Ibrahim Jaafari who is expected to be elected the prime minister.

Good morning. Can you hear me?

He's not ready yet. When he is ready, of course we'll take you back -- we're going to try again?

Mr. Jaafari, can you hear me? Mr. Jaafari, can you hear me?

He cannot hear me, obviously. When we get this together, we'll go back to Baghdad, Ibrahim Jaafari. The National Assembly meeting right now in Baghdad to finalize the Iraqi government. And, as I said, when we get our audio problems worked out, we'll go back to Baghdad.

Turning our attention now to the Michael Jackson trial, which has seen some of its most dramatic moments yet. On the hot seat, the teenaged boy who is accusing Jackson of molesting him.

For the latest, let's turn to "People" magazine's London Bureau Chief Bryan Alexander, who has been observing this trial.

Good morning.

BRYAN ALEXANDER, LONDON BUREAU CHIEF, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Morning, Carol, how are you?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

So are people really following this trial still in Britain?

ALEXANDER: Oh my god, this is big news over here, front page of all the tabloids most every day. He's an international star. I mean just because you go beyond the U.S. borders doesn't mean it stops there. There's an intense interest in Michael Jackson.

COSTELLO: So what are people saying, what are experts saying in Britain about the cross-examination of the accuser in the Michael Jackson case?

ALEXANDER: Well it seems to go up, it goes down. I mean the accuser was on the stand, he seemed very effective while the prosecution was up. But the defense is slowly but surely tearing it apart. And I think everybody is monitoring that on sort of a day-to- day basis, knowing, of course, that really the end result is all that matters.

COSTELLO: I know it's really difficult to tell unless you're inside the courtroom actually looking at this kid, because some say he's a pistol, he's a smart aleck and that might be hurting his testimony.

ALEXANDER: Yes. Well that's very true, but he is connecting very effectively with the jury. The jury is looking at him. They're making eye contact with him. They're nodding. They're taking intense notes. So there does seem to be a connection there. Once again, that doesn't always leave the courtroom.

I think the bigger story out in Britain is the sort of the circus around the trial. That's really what's capturing the attention of the Brits over here.

COSTELLO: I think that's died -- after Michael Jackson appeared in his pajamas, I think things have gotten pretty calm, don't you?

ALEXANDER: Yes. Well, yes, it has calmed down, but I don't think that image of Michael Jackson showing up to court in his pajamas will go away anytime soon. I mean that was, even in Britain, they went live to that. All the news stations went live to the courtroom waiting for him to show up, and that was a pretty intense hour as we waited for him to show up. And then, once again, he did show up in his pajamas. That was front page news everywhere. And I don't think it will go from anyone's mind anytime soon.

COSTELLO: Well you know we have one, the E! News Channel, they're like reenacting the trial with actors.

ALEXANDER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Is that showing in Britain at all?

ALEXANDER: Yes. That's playing over here, yes. That's must watching, I must say, 9:30 and 2:30 every day. And once again, it's got its devotees. They write about the actor playing Michael Jackson. He's become a star in itself. There's interviews of him in the Sunday's paper. Everybody is paying attention to this trial and especially that newscast.

COSTELLO: Wait a minute, the guy who portrays Michael Jackson on the E! News Channel has become a star in Britain?

ALEXANDER: Yes. Interviews, how he does it, absolutely. How he gets his nose to look like that. We're all waiting for him to take the stand to see if he can do the Michael Jackson voice.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. So how does he get his nose like that?

ALEXANDER: Apparently it's a pencil. There's no plastic surgery involved, obviously. So he uses a makeup pencil.

COSTELLO: A makeup pencil, I see. Boy, he's getting more publicity there than he is here in the United States.

Bryan Alexander from "People."

ALEXANDER: Really?

COSTELLO: Yes.

Thank you, Bryan, for joining DAYBREAK this morning.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: All right. Scott Peterson, he will find out today if he will be put to death. He'll be sentenced in California for the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son. The same jury that convicted Peterson in November recommended death.

In the meantime, Laci Peterson's mother is blasting the sentencing arrangements. She's outraged over a decision to limit the number of seats in court for her family and friends while letting a larger group of journalists inside the courtroom.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, fighting for dogs' rights. We'll meet one man who's taking on the state of Kansas to get greyhounds the recognition they deserve.

Plus, imagine making lunch every day for one million of the pickiest eaters in the world. That story is ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Is a dog by any other name still a dog, well not if it's a greyhound in Kansas. No joke here, the state excludes greyhounds from the designation of dog. And some people are trying to change that.

Reporter Bev Chapman of CNN affiliate KMBC has all the details for you from Kansas City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here comes Woody (ph).

BEV CHAPMAN, KMBC-TV REPORTER (voice-over): What's in a name? Well apparently a lot when you are talking about greyhounds. Two years after pari-mutual racing was passed in Kansas, the law protecting pets in the state was changed to exclude these animals from the designation of dog.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With Plastrate (ph) right there in second.

KEVIN NEUMAN, OVERLAND PARK: Yes, say we know that spot, don't we? Yes, we do.

CHAPMAN: Kevin Neuman and his wife, Sherry, have fostered and adopted greyhounds for 11 years. Their house is a virtual shrine to the sleek, fast-moving animal.

NEUMAN: We fell in love with the breed. They are definitely a dog. They're a great dog.

CHAPMAN: That's why Neuman went to Topeka today to try and change the law.

NEUMAN: Your greyhound ought to be a dog in the state of Kansas.

CHAPMAN: The National Greyhound Association based in Abilene disagrees. The executive director calls the change unnecessary. He says greyhounds aren't bred for pets and therefore shouldn't fall under pet protection laws.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, here we go.

CHAPMAN: Advocates of the change in the law say as dog racing revenues and attendance at races wane there will be more pressure to breed a winner and the state should help protect these animals.

NEUMAN: More dogs are bred to get the fastest dog and more dogs are put at risk.

CHAPMAN: Breeding organizations dispute that, saying kennels are closely regulated by the National Greyhound Association and the Kansas Greyhound registry. But people who love the dogs and not the sport say it's time to call it like it is and to level the playing field when it comes to the law.

NEUMAN: Protecting a greyhound just like they would a Cocker Spaniel or a German Shepherd or any other breed of dog.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from Bev Chapman of CNN affiliate KMBC in Kansas City. Neither side is backing down from their positions.

Your news, weather, money and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Iraq's new National Assembly begins its historic first session today and explosions are heard near the building where that governing body is convening. We'll take you there live in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

The president of Harvard gets a no-confidence vote from his faculty. It's just a reminder of just how angry the faculty is over Lawrence Summers managerial style and his comments on women in science.

In money news, former WorldCom Chief Bernard Ebbers will appeal his fraud conviction. That's according to his attorney. A New York jury found Ebbers guilty of organizing the largest corporate fraud in U.S. history. He's 63. He faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

In culture, the much-anticipated musical based on "The Lord of the Rings" is set to have its world premiere in Toronto next year. The show will combine words, music, physical theater and of course spectacle.

In sports, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant were lighting it up last night. Iverson had 36 points, Bryant 20. Iverson also hurt his left thumb. But the final score, 76ers 108, Lakers 91.

So the Lakers continue to struggle -- Chad.

MYERS: Is that basketball -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes, that was basketball.

MYERS: Yes, OK. Yes, didn't see it.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

Good food that's good for you, after the break, one of the healthiest meals in town under two bucks. How one New York City chef reformed school cafeteria food for millions of children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Don't you love Abba early in the morning?

It's 5:51 Eastern.

There is a nationwide push to get kids to eat healthier. And while good habits start at home, school may be the next best place.

Our Beth Nissen reports on one chef's creative methods that are making a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JORGE COLLAZO, NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS CHEF: No, I need some half- pans. Do you have some half-pans?

BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jorge Collazo is the executive chef for New York City public schools, the largest school system in the nation. His job will seem to any parent like a form of mission impossible, make nutritious meals on a budget, $2 on average per lunch, that more than a million kids will eat.

COLLAZO: It's a big challenge. We don't say, eat this, it's healthy for you. That's probably the -- maybe the worst thing you could do. So we want to make it invisible to them. And just they don't even realize, you know, that it's good for them.

NISSEN: Case in point, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. School cafeteria workers in New York City make thousands of them a day, but make them with whole wheat bread instead of white.

COLLAZO: We actually phased it in. We were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or other sandwiches with one slice of white and one of whole wheat. And we just kind of like weaned them off of the white flour that way.

NISSEN: To wean kids off high-fat, high-calorie favorites, school cooks here are frying less, baking more. A substitute for French fries, roasted potatoes. They still make macaroni and cheese, cheese sandwiches but use low-fat American cheese, low-fat mozzarella. School food here is also low in salt. Cooks use herbs and spices to season food.

COLLAZO: Why do we have to limit sodium? It's not good for you. It's not good for kids. They don't need it. And it's in nearly everything that they find in excessive amounts.

NISSEN: So is sugar. What to do about the collective sweet tooth of 1.1 million students?

COLLAZO: Our fresh fruit program is extensive. We offer fresh fruit every day.

NISSEN: Offering is one thing. Getting kids to take it is another. New York City school students are no less finicky than those anywhere, in fact, have a broader range of particular tastes. In this one elementary school, for example, students come from more than a dozen ethnic backgrounds, each with its own favorite foods.

COLLAZO: It used to be that there would be one menu that was citywide. So, across the board, it was lasagna day. But that doesn't play well in a lot of communities.

NISSEN: Now the menu is diversified.

COLLAZO: I could make a traditional roast chicken with low- sodium gravy and mashed potatoes, or I could choose to make a pollo guisado, which is kind of a Dominican-style stewed chicken. So they can pick.

NISSEN: Recognizing that students want a choice is key to the New York City schools' approach.

COLLAZO: They're students, they're kids, but they're still consumers.

NISSEN: Kids see ads on TV for wrap sandwiches. So the school food's program here offers tuna salad wraps. Pocket sandwiches are popular. So the schools offer a reduced-fat, part-soy Jamaican beef pocket. To get kids to drink more milk to strengthen their bones and teeth, when they get their teeth, schools offer it in chocolate and strawberry.

COLLAZO: Some of them are flavored milks. But the one thing they have in common is that they are low in fat.

NISSEN: Kids like canned beverages, so cans of juice are available. Kids like snacks in packages, so the cafeteria has packages of apple slices.

COLLAZO: How it's packaged, that really is the difference.

NISSEN: The program is working by most every measure. Kids are eating more fresh fruit, more solids, although there are still no breakthroughs to report on broccoli and cauliflower.

Overall, though, kids are wasting less, eating more, eating better. Better nutrition, studies show, helps concentration, can help learning.

COLLAZO: A well-fed child is a child that is going to do better academically.

NISSEN: Chef Jorge sees the program as part of students' lifelong education.

COLLAZO: We want to teach them good habits. It's our social responsibility. I don't even think of it as a choice to do it. To me, there's no other choice than to do what New York City is doing.

NISSEN: Food for thought.

Beth Nissen, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

We've been talking a bit this morning about the new exercise guidelines set forth by the government. If you've gained a lot of weight and you lost it recently, the government now saying you have to exercise 90 minutes every day to keep the weight off. Those of you who just want to like maintain and you were never obese, 30 minutes a day. And for those of you who want to keep your heart healthy, what, it's 60 minutes a day, Chad, exercise?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So we're asking this question: are the federal nutrition and exercise guidelines realistic?

MYERS: Got one from Gerald (ph) in Calgary. This is a cute one. I just recently learned that you only need 15 minutes of laughing to stay healthy. When I heard about the new 90 minutes of exercise, I laughed for five minutes. That's one-third of my daily quota.

COSTELLO: Love that.

This is from Susie (ph). Whoever they is is nuts. I'm a single parent with five kids, a full-time job, two part-time jobs and I'm also a part-time university student. I barely have time to use the toilet, let alone exercise for an hour. OK, so I'm gaining a bit of weight, but I also have a lot of love to share.

Good for you, Susie.

MYERS: Jeff (ph) in California says he's got the answer, make the remote control 10 pounds. Every time you have to pick it up, you'll be doing exercise, and in no time you'll have a 6-pack ab and buns of steel.

COSTELLO: I love that one.

This is from Mary (ph). She says, yes, you do have to workout 60 to 90 minutes a day. I just lost 150 pounds nine years ago and must exercise every day to keep the weight off. I might take one day off, but that's it. So Mary says you go, government. Yes.

MYERS: Got one here that says 30 to 90 minutes of physical activity, that's easy to do. We Americans just need to get off our butts. But that's from a sergeant in the Army.

COSTELLO: He doesn't count. He has to do it.

MYERS: He certainly does.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: And the next hour of DAYBREAK will begin right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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