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CNN Live At Daybreak
Operation Matador Takes Its Toll; Weekend Entertainment
Aired May 13, 2005 - 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.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The futures of thousands of civilian and military workers and their families hang in the balance. Donald Rumsfeld prepares to hand out a highly anticipated list of base closings.
Plus, a cocaine trafficking sting operation in Arizona. You won't believe what some of the accused do for a living.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "STAR WARS: EPISODE III," COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Yes, get out your light swords. Episode three of George Lucas' epic adventures is headed your way, and we've got a preview.
It is Friday, May 13, and you are watching DAYBREAK.
And good Friday morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in today for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, armed rebels have stormed a prison in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, freeing hundreds of inmates and clashing with soldiers. Ten people have died and 34 others wounded, including a man who was mistakenly shot to death at the Israeli embassy.
Convicted serial killer Michael Ross was executed by lethal injection about three-and-a-half hours ago in Connecticut. It was the first execution in New England in 45 years. Ross was convicted of killing four teenaged girls and confessed to another four murders.
An Air France jetliner on its way from Paris to Boston was diverted to Bangor, Maine after a passenger's name appeared to match one on the U.S. no fly list. But the man and the plane were later allowed to travel on to Boston.
Word out of the Vatican this morning -- Pope Benedict says Pope John Paul II is being put on the fast track to sainthood, avoiding the usual five year wait.
To the Weather Center now.
Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers -- good Friday morning to you, Rob.
Isn't it always great when it's Friday?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is.
I mean, you keep telling us it's Friday the 13th.
WALLACE: I know.
MARCIANO: Please stop doing that.
WALLACE: I'll try.
MARCIANO: OK.
This hour let's try.
WALLACE: We're hoping it's going to be a...
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: The nation's military bases now bracing for major changes. But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the changes he'll announce this morning will be less severe than he first thought. Secretary Rumsfeld says his list of domestic base closings, realignments and, in some cases, expansions, will save the government $48.8 billion over the next 20 years. Lawmakers, as you can imagine, are anxious to see if their communities are on the hit list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CURT WELDON (R-PA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The Congress does not want to be burned by either a Democrat or a Republican president that randomly and specifically selects those bases that he thinks are most important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Ninety-seven domestic bases have been closed since 1988. The closings and realignments have netted a savings of $18 billion. But changes, though, closing down those bases have cost the military $22 billion so far.
To Iraq now, Operation Matador has Marines on the front lines fighting insurgents in western Iraq on the border with Syria.
And as CNN's Paula Zahn reports, one platoon from Ohio has been devastated by this battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) PAULA ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here in Ohio, in the dead of winter, 155 young Marine Reserves from the Lima Company packed their gear, said good-bye to loved ones and got ready for their very first deployment to Iraq.
Barely old enough to buy beer, most were still in college. But this year, they went on a drastically different spring break.
The call to duty took these Marines to western Iraq and the banks of the Euphrates River, near the border with Syria, where they joined a U.S. offensive called Operation Matador, now in full force.
Their mission? To choke off a deadly supply chain feeding the insurgency with money and weapons, and root out supporters of Iraq's most wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES CONWAY, JOINT STAFF OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: And there's some suspicion that their training exceeds that of what we have seen with other engagements further east.
ZAHN: Going house-to-house and pushing west toward Syria, the Lima Company Marines waged a tricky and deadly battle, identifying friend versus foe.
C.W.O. ORRIN BOWMAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I've talked to a couple of villagers who say that the insurgents have commandeered their homes from time to time to fire upon American positions. So it's difficult for the Marines to weed out who's an insurgent and who's just a person caught in the middle here.
ZAHN: After just five days of fighting, the unit once called "Lucky Lima" is now coping with some devastatingly bad luck. One of the squads from its 1st Platoon has suffered the kinds of casualties that families back home dread. Every member has either been wounded or killed since the offensive began. That's according to two embedded reporters, including Ellen Knickmeyer of the "Washington Post," who watched as a roadside bomb detonated under one of the Marines' amphibious tractor vehicles on Wednesday.
SOLOMON MOORE, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": It appears that it was a double stacked mine, two mines stacked upon each other.
ZAHN: Four Lima Company Marines were killed by those mines, following the deaths of two others just days before. And many others suffered injuries that will scar them for the rest of their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one wants to tell their loved one that they've been injured or that they've been killed, but we will do our best.
ZAHN: As the Marines of Lima Company grieve and regroup, one can only hope they find comfort in the success of their mission. More than 100 violent insurgents eliminated as a threat to Iraqi peace and stability.
(END VIDEO TAPE) WALLACE: And, again, that was CNN's Paula Zahn.
A spokesperson for the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment will join us live about 30 minutes from now. And she is with the sister unit to Lima Company.
News in Washington.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has a lot on his plate. But after a major fundraising dinner last night, it's safe to say bipartisanship is not among his top priorities. At a $250 a plate dinner thrown by conservative supporters, DeLay had some harsh words for Democrats.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: America is safer, stronger, more prosperous and better prepared for the future than at any time since the end of the cold war. And in response to this mountain of evidence, this colossal testament to the strength of our ideas, our opponents have offered nothing. Nothing. No ideas, no leadership, no agenda. And in just the last week we can now add to that list no class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Tough words coming from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Democrats, as you may know, are calling for an ethics probe of DeLay concerning his travel expenses.
John Bolton's nomination for U.N. ambassador is moving to the full Senate. The bitterly divided Foreign Relations Committee voted along party lines to advance his nomination, but without a recommendation for approval.
Lawmen and soldiers got snared in a cocaine sting in Arizona. FBI agents rounded up 16 current and former law enforcement officers and U.S. soldiers. They're charged with taking more than $200,000 in bribes to move drugs through Arizona checkpoints. Those charged include a former INS inspector, Arizona National Guard soldiers and corrections department guards. More public officials may be arrested, as well.
The second military trial stemming from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse trial resumes this morning in Fort Hood, Texas. Army Specialist Sabrina Harman faces five counts of prisoner maltreatment. She could get up to six-and-a-half years in prison if convicted.
Staying with the military now, the Army has ordered a one day stand down on all recruiting operations next Friday. That's because of media reports about recruiting infractions. Those reports have snowballed into a P.R. nightmare. Some reports include allegations a recruiter showed a high school student how to pass a drug test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: You just have to follow the instructions to a T. And it's got like a 150 percent guarantee that you'll pass, you know. I've seen it work before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And during the stand down, the Army plans...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... investigation. So far, today, it appears to be a character issue. We're trained not to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And during the stand down, the Army plans to review its recruiting procedures. The Army has missed its recruiting goal for the past three months.
Other stories across America this Friday, May 13.
Federal officials will investigate the handling of Wednesday's alert that forced so many people from their offices in Washington. The scare was provoked by a small plane that flew into restricted airspace, triggering a couple of F-16s to overtake it.
CNN's Kyra Phillips spoke to the pilot of one of those F-16s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. TIM LEHMANN, U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD: Sure, there's a little bit of adrenaline going. But, again, I think that our training takes over, in this environment or in other environments. And we fall back, rely on our training, and that's what enables us to execute as required.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Colonel Lehmann and the other pilot escorted the plane to an airport in Maryland.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says don't expect the north bound Henry Hudson Parkway to reopen any time soon. A 50-foot retaining wall collapsed, burying several cars under dirt, trees and debris. Authorities say luckily no one was hurt.
Well, you think those New York drivers have problems, take a look at this drivers' obstacle. This 14-foot alligator stopped traffic in the middle of downtown Miami. Fortunately, though, the guys from Pesky Critters rounded up the beast and took it away. We're glad to hear that.
Still to come on this Friday, how Operation Matador on the Syria- Iraq border takes its toll on one Ohio community.
And paying the price of being a smoker -- one state approves legislation allowing insurers to do so. But is it fair?
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "MONSTER-IN-LAW")
JENNIFER LOPEZ: It's like nothing you've ever tasted. Trust me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Can Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda knock them out at the box office? Find out ahead.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Still to come, want to stay ahead of the pop culture pack? Ahead on DAYBREAK, from TV to books to music, find out the coolest things to look out for.
This is DAYBREAK for Friday, May 13.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: And here is what is all new this morning.
The future for thousands of people who work on military bases in the United States is up in the air this hour. Later this morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld presents the Pentagon's recommended list of bases to be closed.
In money, it is getting more expensive to buy a house. A 30-year fixed rate mortgage has inched up to 5.77 percent, after falling for five weeks in a row. It is the first rate increase last March.
In culture, "Saturday Night Live" will close out this season with Lindsay Lohan as host. It will be Lohan's second time hosting the show. British band Coldplay is the musical guest.
In sports, Miami takes a three game to nothing lead over Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with a 102-95 win. The Heat won without the Shaq, Shaquille O'Neal, who has a bruised thigh. It was the first time in his career that O'Neal has missed a play-off game.
Rob Marciano in Atlanta -- Rob, they'd better be hoping Shaq gets back, I'm sure.
MARCIANO: Well, they did all right last night. But, yes, Shaq always a dominating feature on the court. How are you feeling, Kelly?
How are your -- you do a pollen thing, your allergies?
WALLACE: I am fine. But so many of my colleagues are really in severe pain.
MARCIANO: Yes, well, here's...
WALLACE: What can you tell them?
MARCIANO: Here's the allergy forecast.
The oranges indicate where it's pretty high. And in the South grasses are becoming more important. In the Northeast, the hardwoods, the oaks, the birch, those trees are pollinating. So sorry if you're suffering. It's that time of year.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: Well, let's get some life into your weekend, shall we?
"Life" magazine can jump start your weekend with Will Ferrell's new movie, "Kicking and Screaming," celebrity interviews, and, of course, "Life's" signature photography.
And here to talk about all of this, "Life" magazine's editor, Meeta Agrawal.
We are so glad you could be here.
MEETA AGRAWAL, EDITOR, "LIFE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
Thanks so much.
WALLACE: You know, we're all so busy and you do something so great. Five things to look for, to watch, to listen to.
AGRAWAL: That's right.
WALLACE: Tell us what we should be looking for this weekend.
AGRAWAL: You know, we know that you have a million things out there, but we try to kind of take the best of it all.
For our readers who have kids, we think that there's a great special that'll be airing on HBO Saturday night called "Classical Baby." It pairs some kind of whacky animation with some great master works from everybody from Bach to Duke Ellington. And we think it's the kind of thing that if you record you actually won't mind watching over and over again.
There's also a great album out by Dave Matthews Band.
WALLACE: I wanted to ask you about that. I'm a big Dave Matthews fan. Many of us are. Is this something different? Are we getting something different here from Dave Matthews?
AGRAWAL: You know, it is that thing that you're going to love. But it definitely feels like the band's taken it to, you know, the next level. They've definitely matured a little bit. It's called "Stand Up" and it'll be the perfect soundtrack for your summer.
WALLACE: Well, we can't wait.
Your cover story this weekend, of course, Will Ferrell.
AGRAWAL: That's right.
WALLACE: "Kicking and Screaming" coming out this weekend.
We all know him from "Saturday Night Live," right, playing that soccer coach, also a cheerleader. But sports has been an important part of his life, it seems.
AGRAWAL: Sports have been very central to his life. He talks very candidly about how his mother got him and his siblings involved in sports at an early age, how it's something that brought him closer to his father after there was a divorce in the family, how he and his wife run marathons now. They even talk about -- he talks about running one after September 11 in New York and how he cried his way through Manhattan.
He and his wife now have a son, Magnus, who just turned one. And Will's hoping against hope, perhaps, that he'll be a soccer dad himself.
WALLACE: He's hoping. It's art following reality, or reality following art, I should say.
Also, you did something else. You all did behind-the-scenes "American Idol." The show getting so much attention, of course. I think, what, three people left.
What did you find out back stage in terms of how they put on the show, how the contestants get it all together? What did you learn?
AGRAWAL: Well, you know, it's such a phenomenon right now. But when we see the adults on Tuesday and Wednesday night, those are actually some of the quietest times of the week for them, if you can believe it.
WALLACE: The quietest times?
AGRAWAL: It is. You know, they have the rest of the week so much going on. And then you have the vocal coaches who were talking about how they're in the studios practicing and choosing their songs and the kind of like crazy, craziness that goes on just with that. I mean, you know, they know that when they get up there, whatever they sing is going to be the thing that, you know, will carry them. WALLACE: Is this because of the controversy -- are these vocal coaches provided by the show or are these their individual contestant, he or she would have a...
AGRAWAL: No.
WALLACE: ... a vocal coach?
AGRAWAL: There are coaches that the show provides and that everybody uses and that have been with the show since the very beginning. You know, there's also this interesting thing that I hadn't realized, that the idols aren't given makeup or hair assistance until they're halfway through the series. So when you see them at the beginning, they're just doing their own thing. And, you know, it's only when they get down to the final 12 that they start getting people to help them choose what to wear and do their hair and, you know, you start to see them really become pop stars.
WALLACE: Pop stars with all the handlers.
Amazing.
AGRAWAL: It's true.
WALLACE: Meeta Agrawal, "Life" magazine, thanks for giving us some tips, things to look for this weekend and in the days ahead.
We appreciate it.
AGRAWAL: Thank you.
WALLACE: And still to come on this Friday edition of DAYBREAK, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issuing his recommendations for base closings today. But here's the question -- do the pros really outweigh the cons? Find out ahead in a live report when DAYBREAK continues.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: A beautiful spring morning here in New York City.
And time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Some casinos are putting chips inside their chips to keep track of bettors.
Carrie Lee is here with more on the story -- what's going on here?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a really interesting technology, Kelly. It's going on in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Casino. They're testing chips that have microchips in them. They're using a technology called radio frequency identification, or RFID. Now, the casino can track how much players are winning or losing. And here's how it works. Sensors in the table can read the chip data and send it to a computer warehouse, or a computer, where a pit boss monitors how much the players are betting. It can also track where the chips are to prevent against theft and counterfeiting. So pretty cool technology.
And the cost really isn't that great for the casinos. According to the "Wall Street Journal," an RFID chip costs $1.25, while a regular chip costs just about $0.70. Wal-Mart uses RFID technology to track packages from suppliers' factories to its warehouse to its store shelves. Other companies are also working on using the technology to track pets, fish, livestock, even people.
My pet has it. My cat has one of these chips, or a similar chip. So pretty cool technology. You can see why companies would want to use it.
WALLACE: I like the end there, even people.
LEE: Well...
WALLACE: Will we all someday have a chip within ourselves? Our bosses could monitor our every move.
LEE: Think about it for children. And, you know, we've heard horrible stories recently. So there is an incentive to do this.
WALLACE: Absolutely.
LEE: So...
WALLACE: Very quickly, futures?
LEE: Yes. Futures are looking a little bit higher. We are going to watch shares of Dell today. They reported better than expected earnings, also have good things to say going forward. The stock was up a little bit early this morning. We'll see what it does at the 9:30 bell.
WALLACE: All right, Carrie, we'll be talking to you in the next half hour.
LEE: OK.
WALLACE: This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Good Friday morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello. Now in the news, the highly anticipated military base closings list comes out four hours from now. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the closings will not be as extensive as previously thought.
Possible trouble ahead this morning for New Jersey to New York commuters. Look at these pictures. Fire damaging a railroad bridge in Kearny, New Jersey. We're told some trains may be delayed.
And the nightmare in Montana, well, there it is flooding. Unusually heavy rain and snow have soaked parts of the state, prompting some school and road closures.
Pope John Paul II has been put on the fast track to sainthood. Pope Benedict XVI revealed the move earlier today. The fast track announcement avoids the usual five year wait.
To the Weather Center now.
Rob Marciano doing the duty for Chad Myers.
Good Friday morning to you -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Hi, Kelly.
Yes, Chad's been off all week, a well deserved vacation. He'll be back on Monday.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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 May 13, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The futures of thousands of civilian and military workers and their families hang in the balance. Donald Rumsfeld prepares to hand out a highly anticipated list of base closings.
Plus, a cocaine trafficking sting operation in Arizona. You won't believe what some of the accused do for a living.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "STAR WARS: EPISODE III," COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Yes, get out your light swords. Episode three of George Lucas' epic adventures is headed your way, and we've got a preview.
It is Friday, May 13, and you are watching DAYBREAK.
And good Friday morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in today for Carol Costello.
Now in the news, armed rebels have stormed a prison in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, freeing hundreds of inmates and clashing with soldiers. Ten people have died and 34 others wounded, including a man who was mistakenly shot to death at the Israeli embassy.
Convicted serial killer Michael Ross was executed by lethal injection about three-and-a-half hours ago in Connecticut. It was the first execution in New England in 45 years. Ross was convicted of killing four teenaged girls and confessed to another four murders.
An Air France jetliner on its way from Paris to Boston was diverted to Bangor, Maine after a passenger's name appeared to match one on the U.S. no fly list. But the man and the plane were later allowed to travel on to Boston.
Word out of the Vatican this morning -- Pope Benedict says Pope John Paul II is being put on the fast track to sainthood, avoiding the usual five year wait.
To the Weather Center now.
Rob Marciano in for Chad Myers -- good Friday morning to you, Rob.
Isn't it always great when it's Friday?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is.
I mean, you keep telling us it's Friday the 13th.
WALLACE: I know.
MARCIANO: Please stop doing that.
WALLACE: I'll try.
MARCIANO: OK.
This hour let's try.
WALLACE: We're hoping it's going to be a...
(WEATHER REPORT)
WALLACE: The nation's military bases now bracing for major changes. But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the changes he'll announce this morning will be less severe than he first thought. Secretary Rumsfeld says his list of domestic base closings, realignments and, in some cases, expansions, will save the government $48.8 billion over the next 20 years. Lawmakers, as you can imagine, are anxious to see if their communities are on the hit list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CURT WELDON (R-PA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The Congress does not want to be burned by either a Democrat or a Republican president that randomly and specifically selects those bases that he thinks are most important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Ninety-seven domestic bases have been closed since 1988. The closings and realignments have netted a savings of $18 billion. But changes, though, closing down those bases have cost the military $22 billion so far.
To Iraq now, Operation Matador has Marines on the front lines fighting insurgents in western Iraq on the border with Syria.
And as CNN's Paula Zahn reports, one platoon from Ohio has been devastated by this battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) PAULA ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here in Ohio, in the dead of winter, 155 young Marine Reserves from the Lima Company packed their gear, said good-bye to loved ones and got ready for their very first deployment to Iraq.
Barely old enough to buy beer, most were still in college. But this year, they went on a drastically different spring break.
The call to duty took these Marines to western Iraq and the banks of the Euphrates River, near the border with Syria, where they joined a U.S. offensive called Operation Matador, now in full force.
Their mission? To choke off a deadly supply chain feeding the insurgency with money and weapons, and root out supporters of Iraq's most wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES CONWAY, JOINT STAFF OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: And there's some suspicion that their training exceeds that of what we have seen with other engagements further east.
ZAHN: Going house-to-house and pushing west toward Syria, the Lima Company Marines waged a tricky and deadly battle, identifying friend versus foe.
C.W.O. ORRIN BOWMAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I've talked to a couple of villagers who say that the insurgents have commandeered their homes from time to time to fire upon American positions. So it's difficult for the Marines to weed out who's an insurgent and who's just a person caught in the middle here.
ZAHN: After just five days of fighting, the unit once called "Lucky Lima" is now coping with some devastatingly bad luck. One of the squads from its 1st Platoon has suffered the kinds of casualties that families back home dread. Every member has either been wounded or killed since the offensive began. That's according to two embedded reporters, including Ellen Knickmeyer of the "Washington Post," who watched as a roadside bomb detonated under one of the Marines' amphibious tractor vehicles on Wednesday.
SOLOMON MOORE, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": It appears that it was a double stacked mine, two mines stacked upon each other.
ZAHN: Four Lima Company Marines were killed by those mines, following the deaths of two others just days before. And many others suffered injuries that will scar them for the rest of their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one wants to tell their loved one that they've been injured or that they've been killed, but we will do our best.
ZAHN: As the Marines of Lima Company grieve and regroup, one can only hope they find comfort in the success of their mission. More than 100 violent insurgents eliminated as a threat to Iraqi peace and stability.
(END VIDEO TAPE) WALLACE: And, again, that was CNN's Paula Zahn.
A spokesperson for the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment will join us live about 30 minutes from now. And she is with the sister unit to Lima Company.
News in Washington.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has a lot on his plate. But after a major fundraising dinner last night, it's safe to say bipartisanship is not among his top priorities. At a $250 a plate dinner thrown by conservative supporters, DeLay had some harsh words for Democrats.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: America is safer, stronger, more prosperous and better prepared for the future than at any time since the end of the cold war. And in response to this mountain of evidence, this colossal testament to the strength of our ideas, our opponents have offered nothing. Nothing. No ideas, no leadership, no agenda. And in just the last week we can now add to that list no class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Tough words coming from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Democrats, as you may know, are calling for an ethics probe of DeLay concerning his travel expenses.
John Bolton's nomination for U.N. ambassador is moving to the full Senate. The bitterly divided Foreign Relations Committee voted along party lines to advance his nomination, but without a recommendation for approval.
Lawmen and soldiers got snared in a cocaine sting in Arizona. FBI agents rounded up 16 current and former law enforcement officers and U.S. soldiers. They're charged with taking more than $200,000 in bribes to move drugs through Arizona checkpoints. Those charged include a former INS inspector, Arizona National Guard soldiers and corrections department guards. More public officials may be arrested, as well.
The second military trial stemming from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse trial resumes this morning in Fort Hood, Texas. Army Specialist Sabrina Harman faces five counts of prisoner maltreatment. She could get up to six-and-a-half years in prison if convicted.
Staying with the military now, the Army has ordered a one day stand down on all recruiting operations next Friday. That's because of media reports about recruiting infractions. Those reports have snowballed into a P.R. nightmare. Some reports include allegations a recruiter showed a high school student how to pass a drug test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITER: You just have to follow the instructions to a T. And it's got like a 150 percent guarantee that you'll pass, you know. I've seen it work before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And during the stand down, the Army plans...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... investigation. So far, today, it appears to be a character issue. We're trained not to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And during the stand down, the Army plans to review its recruiting procedures. The Army has missed its recruiting goal for the past three months.
Other stories across America this Friday, May 13.
Federal officials will investigate the handling of Wednesday's alert that forced so many people from their offices in Washington. The scare was provoked by a small plane that flew into restricted airspace, triggering a couple of F-16s to overtake it.
CNN's Kyra Phillips spoke to the pilot of one of those F-16s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. TIM LEHMANN, U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD: Sure, there's a little bit of adrenaline going. But, again, I think that our training takes over, in this environment or in other environments. And we fall back, rely on our training, and that's what enables us to execute as required.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Colonel Lehmann and the other pilot escorted the plane to an airport in Maryland.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says don't expect the north bound Henry Hudson Parkway to reopen any time soon. A 50-foot retaining wall collapsed, burying several cars under dirt, trees and debris. Authorities say luckily no one was hurt.
Well, you think those New York drivers have problems, take a look at this drivers' obstacle. This 14-foot alligator stopped traffic in the middle of downtown Miami. Fortunately, though, the guys from Pesky Critters rounded up the beast and took it away. We're glad to hear that.
Still to come on this Friday, how Operation Matador on the Syria- Iraq border takes its toll on one Ohio community.
And paying the price of being a smoker -- one state approves legislation allowing insurers to do so. But is it fair?
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "MONSTER-IN-LAW")
JENNIFER LOPEZ: It's like nothing you've ever tasted. Trust me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Can Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda knock them out at the box office? Find out ahead.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Still to come, want to stay ahead of the pop culture pack? Ahead on DAYBREAK, from TV to books to music, find out the coolest things to look out for.
This is DAYBREAK for Friday, May 13.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: And here is what is all new this morning.
The future for thousands of people who work on military bases in the United States is up in the air this hour. Later this morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld presents the Pentagon's recommended list of bases to be closed.
In money, it is getting more expensive to buy a house. A 30-year fixed rate mortgage has inched up to 5.77 percent, after falling for five weeks in a row. It is the first rate increase last March.
In culture, "Saturday Night Live" will close out this season with Lindsay Lohan as host. It will be Lohan's second time hosting the show. British band Coldplay is the musical guest.
In sports, Miami takes a three game to nothing lead over Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with a 102-95 win. The Heat won without the Shaq, Shaquille O'Neal, who has a bruised thigh. It was the first time in his career that O'Neal has missed a play-off game.
Rob Marciano in Atlanta -- Rob, they'd better be hoping Shaq gets back, I'm sure.
MARCIANO: Well, they did all right last night. But, yes, Shaq always a dominating feature on the court. How are you feeling, Kelly?
How are your -- you do a pollen thing, your allergies?
WALLACE: I am fine. But so many of my colleagues are really in severe pain.
MARCIANO: Yes, well, here's...
WALLACE: What can you tell them?
MARCIANO: Here's the allergy forecast.
The oranges indicate where it's pretty high. And in the South grasses are becoming more important. In the Northeast, the hardwoods, the oaks, the birch, those trees are pollinating. So sorry if you're suffering. It's that time of year.
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WALLACE: Well, let's get some life into your weekend, shall we?
"Life" magazine can jump start your weekend with Will Ferrell's new movie, "Kicking and Screaming," celebrity interviews, and, of course, "Life's" signature photography.
And here to talk about all of this, "Life" magazine's editor, Meeta Agrawal.
We are so glad you could be here.
MEETA AGRAWAL, EDITOR, "LIFE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
Thanks so much.
WALLACE: You know, we're all so busy and you do something so great. Five things to look for, to watch, to listen to.
AGRAWAL: That's right.
WALLACE: Tell us what we should be looking for this weekend.
AGRAWAL: You know, we know that you have a million things out there, but we try to kind of take the best of it all.
For our readers who have kids, we think that there's a great special that'll be airing on HBO Saturday night called "Classical Baby." It pairs some kind of whacky animation with some great master works from everybody from Bach to Duke Ellington. And we think it's the kind of thing that if you record you actually won't mind watching over and over again.
There's also a great album out by Dave Matthews Band.
WALLACE: I wanted to ask you about that. I'm a big Dave Matthews fan. Many of us are. Is this something different? Are we getting something different here from Dave Matthews?
AGRAWAL: You know, it is that thing that you're going to love. But it definitely feels like the band's taken it to, you know, the next level. They've definitely matured a little bit. It's called "Stand Up" and it'll be the perfect soundtrack for your summer.
WALLACE: Well, we can't wait.
Your cover story this weekend, of course, Will Ferrell.
AGRAWAL: That's right.
WALLACE: "Kicking and Screaming" coming out this weekend.
We all know him from "Saturday Night Live," right, playing that soccer coach, also a cheerleader. But sports has been an important part of his life, it seems.
AGRAWAL: Sports have been very central to his life. He talks very candidly about how his mother got him and his siblings involved in sports at an early age, how it's something that brought him closer to his father after there was a divorce in the family, how he and his wife run marathons now. They even talk about -- he talks about running one after September 11 in New York and how he cried his way through Manhattan.
He and his wife now have a son, Magnus, who just turned one. And Will's hoping against hope, perhaps, that he'll be a soccer dad himself.
WALLACE: He's hoping. It's art following reality, or reality following art, I should say.
Also, you did something else. You all did behind-the-scenes "American Idol." The show getting so much attention, of course. I think, what, three people left.
What did you find out back stage in terms of how they put on the show, how the contestants get it all together? What did you learn?
AGRAWAL: Well, you know, it's such a phenomenon right now. But when we see the adults on Tuesday and Wednesday night, those are actually some of the quietest times of the week for them, if you can believe it.
WALLACE: The quietest times?
AGRAWAL: It is. You know, they have the rest of the week so much going on. And then you have the vocal coaches who were talking about how they're in the studios practicing and choosing their songs and the kind of like crazy, craziness that goes on just with that. I mean, you know, they know that when they get up there, whatever they sing is going to be the thing that, you know, will carry them. WALLACE: Is this because of the controversy -- are these vocal coaches provided by the show or are these their individual contestant, he or she would have a...
AGRAWAL: No.
WALLACE: ... a vocal coach?
AGRAWAL: There are coaches that the show provides and that everybody uses and that have been with the show since the very beginning. You know, there's also this interesting thing that I hadn't realized, that the idols aren't given makeup or hair assistance until they're halfway through the series. So when you see them at the beginning, they're just doing their own thing. And, you know, it's only when they get down to the final 12 that they start getting people to help them choose what to wear and do their hair and, you know, you start to see them really become pop stars.
WALLACE: Pop stars with all the handlers.
Amazing.
AGRAWAL: It's true.
WALLACE: Meeta Agrawal, "Life" magazine, thanks for giving us some tips, things to look for this weekend and in the days ahead.
We appreciate it.
AGRAWAL: Thank you.
WALLACE: And still to come on this Friday edition of DAYBREAK, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issuing his recommendations for base closings today. But here's the question -- do the pros really outweigh the cons? Find out ahead in a live report when DAYBREAK continues.
We'll be right back.
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WALLACE: A beautiful spring morning here in New York City.
And time now for a little "Business Buzz."
Some casinos are putting chips inside their chips to keep track of bettors.
Carrie Lee is here with more on the story -- what's going on here?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a really interesting technology, Kelly. It's going on in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Casino. They're testing chips that have microchips in them. They're using a technology called radio frequency identification, or RFID. Now, the casino can track how much players are winning or losing. And here's how it works. Sensors in the table can read the chip data and send it to a computer warehouse, or a computer, where a pit boss monitors how much the players are betting. It can also track where the chips are to prevent against theft and counterfeiting. So pretty cool technology.
And the cost really isn't that great for the casinos. According to the "Wall Street Journal," an RFID chip costs $1.25, while a regular chip costs just about $0.70. Wal-Mart uses RFID technology to track packages from suppliers' factories to its warehouse to its store shelves. Other companies are also working on using the technology to track pets, fish, livestock, even people.
My pet has it. My cat has one of these chips, or a similar chip. So pretty cool technology. You can see why companies would want to use it.
WALLACE: I like the end there, even people.
LEE: Well...
WALLACE: Will we all someday have a chip within ourselves? Our bosses could monitor our every move.
LEE: Think about it for children. And, you know, we've heard horrible stories recently. So there is an incentive to do this.
WALLACE: Absolutely.
LEE: So...
WALLACE: Very quickly, futures?
LEE: Yes. Futures are looking a little bit higher. We are going to watch shares of Dell today. They reported better than expected earnings, also have good things to say going forward. The stock was up a little bit early this morning. We'll see what it does at the 9:30 bell.
WALLACE: All right, Carrie, we'll be talking to you in the next half hour.
LEE: OK.
WALLACE: This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.
We'll be right back.
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WALLACE: Good Friday morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello. Now in the news, the highly anticipated military base closings list comes out four hours from now. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the closings will not be as extensive as previously thought.
Possible trouble ahead this morning for New Jersey to New York commuters. Look at these pictures. Fire damaging a railroad bridge in Kearny, New Jersey. We're told some trains may be delayed.
And the nightmare in Montana, well, there it is flooding. Unusually heavy rain and snow have soaked parts of the state, prompting some school and road closures.
Pope John Paul II has been put on the fast track to sainthood. Pope Benedict XVI revealed the move earlier today. The fast track announcement avoids the usual five year wait.
To the Weather Center now.
Rob Marciano doing the duty for Chad Myers.
Good Friday morning to you -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Hi, Kelly.
Yes, Chad's been off all week, a well deserved vacation. He'll be back on Monday.
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