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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Missile Test by North Korea; Teens Lost at Sea for Six Days

Aired May 2, 2005 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, North Korea isn't just testing missiles, it's also testing America's patience.
Also, they're sunburned, they're dehydrated and exhausted. But, oh, they're glad to be alive this morning.

And stealing the show. The first lady gets the last laugh.

It is Monday, May 2.

You are watching 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, the most photographed woman in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, Private First Class Lynndie England, plans to plead guilty to reduced charges this morning. She's hoping to get a lighter sentence for her alleged role in abusing Iraqi detainees. We'll have a live report for you at the half hour.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is expected to sign Jessica's Law this morning. The law, which was named for Jessica Lunsford, calls for stiffer sentences for sexual abuse and a lifetime monitoring of sex offenders.

Prosecutors in Michael Jackson's trial plan to wrap up their case this week. They'll call their final witnesses today and tomorrow. No word yet on just who will be called to testify.

And that runaway bride who sparked a nationwide hunt with her disappearing act could still face charges. A source briefed on the investigation says Jennifer Wilbanks bought her bus ticket out of Georgia days before she vanished.

To the Forecast Center now -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST:

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We begin this morning with a CNN "Security Watch." North Korea test fires a short-range missile, putting U.S. diplomacy to the test. The missile landed in the Sea of Japan. Join us live from Tokyo is CNN's Atika Shubert -- tell us more, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Japan is actually playing down the event. Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, is currently traveling through Europe. He could make a statement later today, in which he may mention something. But so far, there's been no formal statement from the government.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda briefly told reporters that the incident was described as a domestic military drill in North Korea, the test of a very short-range missile, one that he described as being not a security threat to Japan.

So, clearly, Japan is trying to play this down, saying there have been tests like this before, nothing to be alarmed about. However, Japan is somewhat concerned and is certainly monitoring tests like this -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, why are they playing it down so much? You know, we're having these six nation talks. And, of course, North Korea wants to talk to the United States alone. The United States says no. And North Korea continues to test these missiles and to make the world believe that it's developing nuclear weapons.

So what's the answer here?

SHUBERT: Well, what exactly motivates Pyongyang has always been something of a mystery. But one reason, perhaps, that Japan is playing it down is that it really doesn't want to play into North Korea's hands. North Korea has tested missiles before. In 1998, it tested a long-term -- a long-range missile, excuse me -- and that was perhaps the most shocking, because it proved it could hit Japan and was working on a missile to hit U.S. shores. And then in 2003 it also tested several short-range missiles. And it tested them when the Bush administration was putting a lot of pressure on Pyongyang. And that's exactly what's happening now.

The United States is pushing the United Nations to take stronger actions against North Korea. And that's when this short-range missile test occurred. So some analysts could say that this is part of North Korea's negotiating strategy. And if that's the case, it's certainly not to Japan's advantage to play into North Korea's hands -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Interesting tactic.

Atika Shubert live from Tokyo this morning.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Also, this anti-war and anti-nuke protests are the backdrop of a United Nations conference that begins today in New York. At that conference, the U.N. will review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the streets outside the U.N. and in Manhattan Sunday, protesters made their point loud and clear -- abolish all nuclear weapons now.

A disturbing image out of Iraq. A videotape shows insurgents holding a 63-year-old Austrian contractor hostage. A rifle held to Douglas Woods' head as he pleads for his life. Australia says it won't bow to insurgent demands to pull troops out of Iraq.

And smoke is rising over Baghdad again this morning after a string of deadly explosions. Four car bombs went off at separate sites. At least 13 Iraqi civilians are dead, nearly two dozen wounded. Insurgents have staged a series of attacks in the Iraqi capital over the past few days.

And imagine being lost at sea for nearly a week with no food and no water. That's what happened to these two teenagers. But they say they never lost hope or faith. They were finally rescued near Cape Fear, North Carolina nearly 100 miles from where they first shoved off their small sailboat.

We get more from Mike Hughes of CNN affiliate WCSC.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TROY DRISCOLL, SURVIVOR: I was OK for the first night and the second night. But after the second night, I thought that we were not going to make it because I thought the Coast Guard was going to get us real soon. But no one was there.

JOSH LONG, SURVIVOR: Basically, I thought that I might never see my family again. I just prayed every day that god would send me home or send -- take me to him.

MIKE HUGHES, WCSC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seventeen-year-old Josh Long and his best friend and sea mate, 15-year-old Troy Driscoll, each say it didn't take very much time to realize their Sunday afternoon fishing trip would turn into a fearful adventure.

DRISCOLL: As soon as we got the rope tied, we knew that we were in trouble.

LONG: You could see nothing but water. So it just was a mind game and it really got to me.

HUGHES: The boys found themselves lost at sea, floating seemingly helplessly for six days, surviving on only small sea creatures they found in the salty ocean waters. Both boys credit god and each other for the strength to endure.

DRISCOLL: It was a miracle and Josh, if I wasn't -- if it wasn't for him and our teamwork together -- we never argued, we were just encouraging each other and we were making it.

LONG: I think it was a test from god, this whole experience was. And that was to test my faith and my best friend's faith and the faith of my family. And it just showed how everybody, we came together and pulled through it.

HUGHES: And it was those same family and friends who welcomed the boys back with balloons, flowers and posters celebrating their survival. The teens say if there's a lesson to be learned it's...

DRISCOLL: Be thankful for what you have before reality actually hits you in your face. Just make sure you have your life in a good grip or hand hold and know that they're there for you and you love them and give them more respect back.

HUGHES: And as far as getting back in the water some time soon...

LONG: I lost everybody's gear, but as soon as I get my gear back, I'm going to be out on the water. But I'll make sure I have two motors this time on the boat.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Is that so?

That report came from Mike Hughes of CNN affiliate WCSC in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Coast Guard is reviewing the case to see how the boys drifted so far out of their search area.

In other "News Across America" now, prosecutors still have not decided whether to press charges against the so-called runaway bride. Jennifer Wilbanks back home after a bizarre week that saw her take a bus to Las Vegas before turning up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A source close to the investigation says that Wilbanks planned her disappearance in advance.

A third and fourth suspect set to be arraigned today as part of a buried treasure hoax. That makes four people arrested in the case. The first two men made headlines when they claimed to find as much as $125,000 buried in their yard. Investigators say the money was actually stolen from a barn they were hired to repair.

A Los Angeles teenager is in stable condition after being shot while driving on the freeway. The victim told police the shots came from a passing car. It is the fourth freeway shooting in the L.A. area in recent weeks.

Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, a tough road ahead for the nation's new intelligence chief. He's found himself in the midst of a turf war. What a surprise.

Also, if you think the first lady is just a quiet political wife, think again. She is taking center stage in a big way.

And forget what you learned in astronomy class. We'll take you where no man has gone before.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:12 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

North Korea test fired a missile that fell into the Sea of Japan. But officials in the region say the test is not linked to North Korea's nuclear program. The test comes just days after President Bush abductor, in which he said that multinational talks are needed.

In money news, billionaire Warren Buffett is welcoming another billionaire onto his board. Shareholders of his company, Berkshire Hathaway, approved Microsoft's Bill Gates as a board member. Gates is the world's richest man, while Buffett is number two.

In culture, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy" was number one with moviegoers over the weekend. The film, which is based on the best-selling book, pulled in $21.7 million. The other big debut was the "XXX" sequel, which finished third.

In sports, coming around the turn, Jeff Gordon. He avoided a 25- car crash and a 6-car crash with just two laps remaining to win NASCAR's Nextel Cup Aaron's 499 at Talladega Super Speedway. We're not going to see the crash again?

MYERS: Yes, there is it right here.

Jennifer Wilbanks twenty-five -- there it is.

MYERS: I'm getting some e-mails. I think Earnhardt, Dale, Jr., obviously, hit the 4 car, Mike Wallace, in the back and spun it. But I'll tell you what, I watched this thing over and over and over, frame by frame by frame, and I don't think that's going to happen. I think Jimmy Johnson cut him off. And then Jimmy bounced off the wall here and then pushed more cars out. So I don't know what was going on there yesterday, but it wasn't unlike the Busch race, which might have been the best race of the weekend, the 312, on Saturday. What a great day.

What a great weekend for racing, Carol.

I'm sure you don't agree. That's OK.

Where are you, Carol?

COSTELLO: It was.

MYERS: Did you watch some of it?

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: Yes. OK. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A look at the latest headlines for u.

Did you hear Laura Bush at the White House correspondents dinner?

Listen to a bit of her act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: George and I are complete opposites. I'm quiet, he's talkative. I'm introverted, he's extroverted. I can pronounce nuclear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It was an act that brought down the house. Laura Bush stole the show at the White House correspondents dinner. She was funny, but she also stepped so far outside her shadow, she's fast becoming a force on the Hill.

Let's head live to South Carolina and political analyst Amy Walter.

Good morning, Amy.

AMY WALTER, "COOK POLITICAL REPORT": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, the president actually appeared on stage first. She interrupts him mid-joke saying, "I've been attending these dinners for years and just quietly sitting there. I've got a few things I want to say for a change."

Should we read anything deeper into this?

WALTER: Well, probably not. But look, I think it was a very smart move by the White House to showcase Laura Bush. She's obviously very, very well liked and she's the most popular person in the administration right now. So it really doesn't hurt to put her out, forward and remind Americans what they do like about the president, which is they see him as a good guy, a family man and this is, the president, right now, who's not exactly enjoying high approval ratings. He's actually probably at this lowest point right now of his presidency.

So putting his very popular wife forward is not such a bad move politically.

COSTELLO: So, whose idea was this?

WALTER: I don't know, quite frankly. But I think, look, you know, she has become much more comfortable going forward. You saw her during the campaign. Remember, in 2000, she was not very active. But in 2004, she was much more active, put herself out there, was doing many more interviews with the press, was getting more involved with the day to day campaigning. I think, quite frankly, she has become more comfortable. It's a lot easier after you've been doing it for a few years.

COSTELLO: It certainly is.

WALTER: Like anything else, right?

COSTELLO: Like anything else, you're right.

We want our viewers to hear another zinger from Laura Bush before we go on.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BUSH: Here's our typical evening. 9:00, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I'm watching "Desperate Housewives." I mean if those women on that show think they're desperate, they ought to be with George.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right, so Laura Bush's approval rating, as you said, is somewhere in the stratosphere. So why not get her to sell her husband's Social Security plan?

WALTER: Yes, see, then that would change everything, wouldn't it?

COSTELLO: You never know.

WALTER: That's why she's so well liked, because she doesn't do anything like that, because she can be outside of the political realm.

COSTELLO: Yes, but wait a minute. Didn't she step into the stem cell debate? That didn't hurt her.

WALTER: No, it didn't. But at the same time, this is not somebody who has tried to do much on the public policy debate. Maybe if we saw her go forward and try to sell some of the more controversial parts of her plan, it might work for the short-run. But I think if you put her out on the road day after day after day talking purely about policy, I don't know how well that would go over.

Remember, we did have another first lady who tried to push a public policy debate. Remember, someone named Hillary Clinton?

COSTELLO: Oh, yes. I think her name was Hillary Clinton.

WALTER: Yes. There was that health care thing.

COSTELLO: And I think it had something to do with health care things.

WALTER: Yes. That didn't go well.

COSTELLO: Yes. OK.

Amy Walter, thanks for joining us this morning.

WALTER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: We appreciate it.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, Americans are always looking for easy ways to better health. Are supermarkets taking advantage? We'll look at the grab and go food phenomenon next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Maybe your mom always told you to eat your fruits and vegetables. Well, now the government is saying the very same thing.

Carrie Lee is here to tell us about what some companies are doing to make it easier for you to follow that advice, and hopefully cheaper.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Always cheaper is a good thing.

Well, you know, the new government pyramid recommends five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. We've been hearing a lot about that lately. But by some estimates, people eat about half that amount. So some companies are trying to capitalize by making fruit more convenient.

The trouble with fruit is it's difficult to keep fresh and have on hand when you want it.

So some new food lines are on display at the supermarkets annual convention. And among the ideas, fresh sliced fruit marketed to kids and packages of carrots and celery sticks designed to fit into car cup holders.

Also, fast food chains are responding. You may have heard about this. McDonald's has already added apple slices with a caramel dipping sauce to its menu and they're planning to roll out a fruit and walnut salad.

COSTELLO: Oooh.

LEE: McDonald's is now the biggest food service customer for the nation's apple growers. Isn't that interesting?

COSTELLO: Really?

LEE: Yes. Wendy's also has introduced new fruit items. And if customers are willing to buy these fruit products, of course, companies will be willing to provide them. So if there's demand, there will be the product available. COSTELLO: And, you know, I understand the sliced fruit and like easy pickings. But when you go into the grocery store and the fruit is slice for you, it is really expensive.

LEE: It is expensive. Well, there's a lot of manpower required to do that. It's expensive for the fast food companies, as well. Think about cafeteria lines, all those women working in school cafeterias. But that's something that they're having to contend with and deal with if they want children to eat healthier.

COSTELLO: And I like the McDonald's. They have healthy apples, but you dip them in caramel sauce.

LEE: Exactly. Exactly. Sort of six of one, half a dozen of the other.

COSTELLO: It tastes a lot better.

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures?

LEE: Things looking up today. And I'll tell you, April was really brutal for stocks. The Dow lost over 300 points during the month. It was the worst month for the Dow in about two years.

But looking up this morning. We have a Fed meeting tomorrow. Insurance giant AIG, a stock to watch today. The Dow component is going to restate results going back to 2000 and it's going to lower their net worth by $2.7 billion. A huge story.

COSTELLO: Oh my goodness.

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: Oh, that'll do something to your stock.

Thank you, Carrie Lee.

LEE: OK.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Can you believe it, a shouting match between the FBI and the CIA? Want to know what the shouting was about? Power, what else? It is the first test for the new intelligence chief, John Negroponte. And just in time.

Correspondent Brian Bennett is here to tell us more details.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN BENNETT, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Hi.

Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, Negroponte has been on the job for, what, less than a month? I can envision him a referee.

How loud was the shouting? BENNETT: Well, so far the FBI is trying to restructure the way it gathers intelligence inside the United States. And that is encroaching on some of the CIA's turf traditionally. And for more than a year, the FBI has been trying to redraft some of the rules around how they collect intelligence inside the United States, and particularly individuals who go abroad that can be useful and have information about terrorist threats. And the CIA are saying hey, that's our territory, that's the stuff that we do, that's our bread and butter. And they have to work out exactly where the work of the FBI ends and where the work of the CIA begins.

COSTELLO: Oh, and that's not easy. BENNETT: And that's where John Negroponte steps in.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Because, you know, you always think of the CIA when it comes to spies. And now the FBI is telling Negroponte they can do a better job.

So what's Negroponte going to do? How is he going to like, you know, calm ruffled feathers and tell somebody to get the job done? BENNETT: Yes, that's the big question in the intelligence world right now.

One thing, we've seen some indication. John Negroponte has hired two of his staff already. Both are from the CIA. So it is looking like he could be favoring that equation of the intelligence community. But it's hard to say.

We've seen Bob Mueller, the head of the FBI, be very adept, particularly on the Hill, at convincing lawmakers that -- of the FBI's mission and their ability to do the job, despite a lot of critics.

COSTELLO: And the FBI agents are kind of making matters even messier, because the FBI is spying on the CIA and then passing along damaging information to the right people.

It sounds like such a game and that doesn't really make me feel very safe. BENNETT: Well, that's right. There was an incident in the commission on the -- the presidential commission that was looking into the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction before the war. And one of the members of the commission was an FBI agent who took a document back to headquarters that the commission didn't think should have left. And that woman was taken off the commission. And a lot of sort of bad blood has come between the CIA and the FBI over that. You know, the bottom line is the Americans want to be and want to have confidence in their government, that they're out there getting the right information and getting it in the hands of the right people. And we have to hope that...

COSTELLO: And that has to start, Brian, with an end to the infighting. So, Negroponte has a tough job ahead, doesn't he? BENNETT: This is where Negroponte could step in. He can look at the problem holistically and say what we need is to get the good information and to get it through the right channels and have the right analysis so that we can prevent future attacks.

And so what he needs to do is look at the entire picture and say well, how do we do this most effectively and not pay attention to turf battles and who did what traditionally?

COSTELLO: So good luck to him.

Brian Bennett from "Time" magazine.

If you want to know more, the article is in this week's edition of "Time."

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the so-called poster child of the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal goes to court today. We'll have a report from Fort Hood, Texas on what's in store for Lynndie England.

But first, she is the towel draped bride that had the country riveted. Yes, that's the runaway bride with the towel on her head. We'll have more on Jennifer Wilbanks' run from the altar next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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