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U.S. Diplomat Sent to Kenya; Dangerous Weather Conditions in California; Iowans Opt for Obama on the Democratic Side and Huckabee on the Republican Side; Will Chris Dodd Call it Quits After Iowa Results

Aired January 04, 2008 - 09:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live this Friday. This is on the rundown for January 4th. National new comers big winners in Iowa. Today on to New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton rocked by a third place finish.
Twenty-seven years of his life lost. Today, a Dallas man is out of prison. His campaign to clear his name championed by a judge.

And a pop star pops up at a hospital strapped to a stretcher. Mental evaluation for Britney Spears. In the NEWSROOM.

Iowa in the rearview mirror. New Hampshire in the cross-hairs. The road to the White House winds through New England today. Before the sun came up, candidates' planes began touching down. New Hampshire holds its primary on Tuesday. Here is a look now at the new front-runners. Barack Obama finished first among the Democrats in Iowa. Once again, we are looking at live pictures now in Fort Smith, New Hampshire. Now we are at -- anyway, he finished well ahead of John Edwards, I should say. Hillary Clinton, though, was a close third. We will talk more about that later. Meanwhile, there is Hillary Clinton's event, her husband Bill, of course, in Nashua, New Hampshire -- a live event for you this morning as well.

On the Republican race, Mike Huckabee won big over the big budget campaign of Mitt Romney. Fred Thompson and John McCain tied for a distant third. Iowa can be a springboard or a graveyard. Democrat Christopher Dodd is calling it quits, as is fellow Senator Joe Biden. Both campaigns pulled the plug after dismal showings in Iowa.

Big wins, fatal losses. What do Iowa's results mean to the rest of the presidential campaign? CNN Chief National Correspondent John King takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iowa's verdict is changed.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: Years from now, you'll look back and you'll say that this was the moment. This was the place where America remembered what it means to hope.

KING: And more change. MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A new day is need in American politics, just like a new day is needed in American government and, tonight, it starts here in Iowa.

KING: The first votes dramatically reshape the race for president in both parties. New and different, winning out over candidates more familiar.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now you know, we have always planned to run a national campaign.

KING: And with deeper pockets.

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You win the silver in one event, it doesn't mean you're not going to come back and win the gold in the final event and that, we're going to do.

KING: On now to New Hampshire and Barack Obama senses a chance to deliver the knock-out blow.

OBAMA: They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high.

KING: Democratic turnout was way up and Obama's victory was convincing. Senator John Edwards vowed to fight on while Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd bowed out. But, the biggest question among Democrats is whether Senator Clinton has the resilience that became her husband's trademark.

CLINTON: Who will be the best president on day one? I am ready for that contest.

KING: Questions for Republicans, too. Evangelicals powered the big Huckabee win in Iowa. But the former Baptist preacher faces more difficult terrain in libertarian New Hampshire. Senator John McCain is the favorite there now and under attack by Romney, who can ill afford to lose again. McCain says his rival is ignoring Iowa's lesson.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That negative campaigns don't work. They don't work there and they don't work here in New Hampshire. They're not going to work.

KING: Round one changed just about everything. Round two now just five days away.

John King, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Happening right now. We want to get to more of the live events right now. You are looking at Senator Hillary Clinton, coming to us from the stage there in Nashua, New Hampshire. And, to the right of her is the stage where we will shortly see Barack Obama. That is Fort Smith, New Hampshire. So, we will continue watching these pictures all morning long. Lots of events going on this morning, one day after the Iowa caucuses.

So, next up is, of course, New Hampshire. The clock counts down to Tuesday's primary. The leading candidates, as we said, are already there and so is our Dan Lothian. He is in Manchester this morning.

Dan, good morning to you. Do you think New Hampshire voters will follow Iowa voters? That is the classic question.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is, indeed, the classic question. But, what you will hear here on the ground at least when you talk to the voters in New Hampshire is that, you know, they have independent minds, independent thinkers. They don't just rubberstamp whatever happens in Iowa. Certainly, you cannot underplay what happened in Iowa.

When you win in Iowa, you do come here with a lot of momentum. While people may not necessarily gravitate to that, they will certainly give you a second look if they were not already supporting you. So, it certainly will benefit someone coming in here as sort of the front-runner, the person with all of the momentum.

But, again, what I just said, that the people here on the ground say that they are independent thinkers and they don't necessarily rubberstamp what happens in Iowa. Just because of what happened in Iowa where Obama makes the surprise win and he comes here with all of that momentum, they just don't buy into the fact that could necessarily happen here. Certainly, if you look at the polls, Hillary Clinton is leading Obama here in New Hampshire. Although her numbers have been shrinking over the past few weeks. But it will be a very competitive race not only on the Democratic side but also on the Republican side.

COLLINS: All right. Dan Lothian, watching things for us in Manchester, New Hampshire, ahead of Tuesday's primary, thank you. We want to take a moment to listen in to Senator Hillary Clinton. As we said, she is speaking now on stage in Nashua, New Hampshire. Let's listen for a moment.

CLINTON: And I am grateful to have so many strong New Hampshire leaders who are backing my campaign. Leaders like Speaker Terri Norelli and the State Senate President, Sylvia Larson and Dr. Susan Lynch and former Democratic chair Kathy Sullivan. People who know, as I do, that New Hampshire voters are going to be weighing and assessing everything in the next five days.

The short period of time but, it's enough time. Time for people to say, "Wait a minute, number one, who will be the best president for our country on day one, walking into the oval office, after you're sworn in on January 20th, 2009? And who will be able to withstand the Republican attack machine to get elected in the first place to go in to the White House?"

COLLINS: All right, there you have Senator Hillary Clinton on stage in Nashua, New Hampshire, one day after the Iowa caucuses talking to her supporters there ahead of Tuesday's primary. Also, we'll let you know, the other screen we are showing you there is the stage where we will see Barack Obama. He will be headed to Fort Smith, New Hampshire. We will take some of that speech as well in just a few moments.

Also, if you would like to listen in a little bit further to either one of these candidates, you can certainly do that on cnn.com.

Meanwhile, they have moved on to New Hampshire but not before thanking Iowa. Highlights from the Obama and Huckabee victory rallies in just a moment.

Right now, we want to get to the weather situation. Certainly, a lot to talk about in that department as well. A powerful winter storm hammering the west coast with heavy rain and blistering winds and paralyzing snowfall. We want to go live now to Truckee, California, in the Sierra Nevada mountains where we find CNN's Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf who is breaking now -- bracing, I should say -- for a record-breaking snowfall.

Hey there, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi there, Heidi.

We're currently in downtown Truckee. This is the Diner Pass Road right behind me and it's fairly busy this morning, not just with people making their way to and from work or -- you've got a lot of trucks coming through here. Salt trucks, pile trucks, just trying to stay ahead of a lot of precipitation as it comes down. When we first came out here this morning, mostly we were just seeing some snowflakes -- scattered snowflakes.

Right now, it's primarily a rain event but much of this as we get to the mid-morning hours and into the afternoon is going to switch over into snow and some of that snow over the next 24 hours could be very deep. Currently, we're under a blizzard warning and will extend from now all the way to 10:00, Local time, on Saturday could see one to three feet of snowfall here in the Truckee area and the Tahoe Basin but high aloft, on one of the bridges, you could see snowfall totals anywhere from five to six, maybe even as much as eight feet or higher in some locations.

Wind is also going to be a tremendous issue and wind was a big issue yesterday. Take a look at this video that we have for you. This is along parts of I-80 where we had a lot of the wind. We had some ice on the roads -- a lot of that blowing snow. And, when you have people that are in a big, big hurry and you have those icy and snowy conditions it's a bad equation. And, accidents are bound to happen. That certainly what they had yesterday: a lot of jack-knifed trucks. They could see those same issues today and CalTrans has been advising people if you don't have to get on the roads, especially those high mountain passes, you avoid them, if at all possible.

One thing they have been doing, as you can see behind me, if you can come back to me, this is one of the many salt trucks we've had right here through Truckee. We've had a lot of these on the freeway and as that precipitation comes down, granted it is rain, but as it's been coming down, they have been keeping the roads clear -- really a bang-up job. But, with snowfall rates, Heidi, that are expected to go anywhere from two to six inches per hour and as we do anticipate later on today and into early tomorrow morning, it doesn't matter what kind of trucks you're using or what kind of salt.

When you have that much snow, the volume of snow is really, really tough to stay ahead of it. But, they're going to do their very best. They certainly have their work cut out for them. We are going to have more in the forecast here -- what you can expect in terms of the wind, the snow coming up throughout the morning.

Back to you and the studio in Atlanta where I'm sure it's warm and dry.

COLLINS: And dry it is. You are right about that. All right, Reynolds, we will check back with you a little bit later on. Potentially dangerous situation there.

WOLF: See you.

COLLINS: We want to get over to Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. She is tracking all of it from the severe weather center now.

Hi there, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi there, Heidi.

This is a very powerful storm and likely one that Californians are going to be remembering for years. This is going to rival, if you remember, the one in January of 2005. There you can see the swirl here right up into the Gulf of Alaska. Into that area -- that is all the cold air that's helping to pull it into this area. And, look at all the bright colors coming in here in the northern California, central California, that is all the moisture, the energy that is coming on in.

We've seen rain already pretty heavy so far this morning. Particularly, around San Francisco, Sacramento, and on northward. You get up into the higher elevations and here near Red Bluff and we're looking at two to four inches which has already come down. We think that heavy rain is going to continue to move southward today and move over the burn areas in southern California and that will spell a huge mess because landslides and mudslides will be a great probability.

Here is Lake Tahoe, by the way, and here's Truckee, where Reynolds Wolf is and you can see that rain. The snow is up there at the higher elevations beyond 7,000 feet already but as that cold air starts to move in behind the system, we will watch the snow levels drop down. Even the lake level here likely going to see between one and three feet of snow. The higher elevations looking three to five feet. That is not to mention the next storm system that comes in Saturday night and into Sunday so we're looking at total accumulations from now through the weekend, possibly as much as eight to ten feet overall.

Now, this is our computer model forecast showing you how much snowfall we're expecting the next 48 hours and normally you'll see this white and think look at that, that is one to three inches. It doubled itself up because it couldn't handle more than the 12 inches so, really, we are looking at that three to five feet and really just incredible and you're going to see heavy amounts all across northern California. The rainfall, watch out that continues to spread southward with time and we could see two to four inches easy.

You get into the hills and some of the mountains there and we could see six to eight inches of rainfall. So a lot of flooding. Urban and street flooding, not to mention the winds, Heidi, exceeding hurricane force strength. We're going to talk more specifically about those winds coming up when I see you again at the bottom of the hour.

COLLINS: All right, wow, an awful lot to watch there on the coast. Appreciate that, Jacqui. We will check back.

Also as a reminder, if weather news is happening where you are, send us your video or photos if it's safe for you to do that. Go to cnn.com and click on I-report or type I-report at cnn.com into your cell phone. Meanwhile, more drama for Britney Spears. The pop singer is in a hospital this morning, rushed there after a custody showdown over her kids. CNN's Kareen Wynter joins us from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center now in Los Angeles.

Good morning to you, Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

You ask yourself, more drama, how can this happen with Britney Spears? Anything is possible, though. Unfortunately, it happened just hours ago. Last night, when police were called to her studio city home. You can see this video here. Police and paramedics on the scene really hauling the pop star out on a stretcher to a nearby ambulance. How did this all start? Well, Los Angeles police tell us that they were called there for a family custodial dispute. Spears, you know, is in a bitter custody fight right now with her ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James. They were home at the time.

We also obtained a video from the celebrity outlet hollywood.tv that shows Britney Spears on a stretcher being pulled in here where we are right now to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and, also, her husband Kevin Federline wasn't too far behind. Police also say that when they got to the scene last night that it appeared as if she was under some sort of controlled substance. They wouldn't say if it was alcohol or drugs so there is a lot to sort out at this hour. We've been checking in frequently with hospital officials that are inundated with media requests and haven't really gotten back to us in terms of her condition and what really sparked all of this.

COLLINS: All right, well, CNN's Kareen Wynter is following that story for us out of Los Angeles there on Britney Spears. Kareen, we know you'll stay on top of it for us. Thanks. Trying to halt the escalating crisis now in Kenya. A top U. S. diplomat due to arrive today in the capital, Nairobi. This is a scene today in a devastated shanty town. Officials say at least 300 people have been killed. And 100,000 displaced since last week's disputed presidential election. Machete-wielding gangs have been setting fires, looting, and attacking rival tribes. The opposition party is now demanding a new elections to settle the disputed votes. They say the president rigged his reelection. No response yet from the president to that opposition demand.

Will oil hit triple digits for a third day in a row? We're watching this morning. Oil futures briefly hit $100 a barrel the past two days before retreating slightly. Crude oil soared almost 60 percent in 2007. Prices at the gas pump haven't risen quite as fast but they are beginning to catch up a bit so, be ready to empty your wallet next time you fill up your tank.

On the case now, Scotland Yard specialist in Pakistan powering up the assassination investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Iowa, in their rearview mirror, the presidential candidates hit the ground running, though, in New Hampshire with just four days to make their case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We want to get you back to some of these events that are happening this morning, one day after the Iowa caucuses. On the left of your screen there, you see Sen. Hillary Clinton who came in third place last night, now talking to her supporters in Nashua, New Hampshire. As you well know, the primary will take place on Tuesday so everybody gearing up and stating their cases for that primary. Very shortly -- that was supposed to begin at 8:00 this morning but then, it's beginning about an hour late.

We are still waiting, on the other side of the screen, there for Barack Obama to come to the podium and address his supporters from Fort Smith, New Hampshire. That event was to begin at 8:45 this morning but I'm sure that very energized and excited crowd because of his victory last night is looking forward to seeing him come to the microphones so he is running a tad bit late, as well. We will keep our eye on these events for you all morning long and bring them to you as they happen.

Meanwhile, I want to get back to this story in Georgia: hiker Meredith Emerson vanishes in the Georgia mountains on New Year's Day. The nights are cold and now, the search is desperate. A person of interest, though, has been named.

Our Rusty Dornin is following the search in Blairsville, Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What happened to 24-year-old Meredith Emerson and her black lab Ella as they hiked familiar trails in the mountains of north Georgia, New Year's Day? Friends found her snow-covered car, a water bottle, and the dog's leash. Now, police say they are looking for a person of interest -- Gary Michael Hilton, 61 years old, who may have been one of the last people to have seen or spoken with Emerson. Witnesses say he was weather-beaten, carrying an old pack and had few or no teeth. According to police, witnesses say Hilton was seen talking to Emerson while their dogs played. Now, police want to talk to him.

KIMBERLY VERDONE, SPOKESWOMAN, BLAIRSVILLE UNION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We want to find out who he was and kind of talk to him and see what happened and what their conversation was throughout the day.

DORNIN: A witness told police that a white mini-van belonging to Hilton was seen in the parking lot of the trail head where she disappeared.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Meredith! Meredith!

DORNIN: Friends, family, and co-workers join search and rescue teams hitting the trails where she was last seen. Frigid temperatures meant the search had to be called off at sunset. Friends say Emerson is very athletic and knew the trails here. Her former martial arts instructor described her as strong -- "120 pounds of pure tough," he said.

PEGGY BAILEY, FORMER MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR OF MEREDITH EMERSON: She's got a good chance because of who she is and what kind of physical shape she was in and her knowledge of the trails and her level-headedness and ability to follow -- to not do anything risky.

DORNIN: Her friends set up a Web site, helpfindmeredith.com, asking anyone with information to contact police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Rusty Dornin is joining us now live this morning from Blairsville, Georgia.

Hey, Rusty, can you update us on the search that's happening this morning?

DORNIN: Well, actually, Heidi, they had dog teams out all night -- about five dog teams -- and just preparing here to do a press conference in about 15 minutes. Now, family and friends have been gathering here since very early this morning. You can see Meredith Emerson's roommate in that white jacket that is Julia Karenbower. She was the one who found the note that said Meredith had gone hiking on New Year's Day and alerted people when she had not come home. She and other friends have been gathered here and, of course, are staying in close contact with the law enforcement authorities.

If you look over here, you can see really what the topography is like. Hillsides are heavily wooded. This whole area, we're up about 4,500 feet, very frigid temperatures overnight. You can see all the cars that are parked here at the Global State Park -- they are volunteers, they are search teams, law enforcement. There is more than a hundred people that are gathered here ready to hit the trails again to see if they can find any trace of Meredith Emerson -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Rusty, this Gary Michael Hilton that they have named as a person of interest, we had heard yesterday in one of the early on press conferences, there have been reports she had been seen with this man several times throughout the day. Is there any new information on that?

DORNIN: There is no new information on that and police are still saying that he is not a suspect, they are not saying there was foul play yet, but he was one of the last people to be seen or perhaps have seen Meredith Emerson and that was talking to her. Several people saw her on the trail talking to him.

They are trying to get more information from those people but that's been difficult as well because there has been five or six witnesses but a couple of them have wanted to remain anonymous. So, police have had no way of getting in contact with them again to get more information.

COLLINS: Frustrating. All right, CNN's Rusty Dornin is following the story for us today in Blairsville, Georgia. Rusty, thanks for that.

Good for the environment but those ugly new light bulbs could be a health hazard. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sheds some light.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good for the environment but maybe not so good for you. New energy-efficient light bulbs are generating some health concerns this morning. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is here now to talk more about this.

So, Sanjay, an advocacy group says the bulbs can actually trigger migraines. Is that possible?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There is no scientific evidence to say this for sure but you're absolutely right. A lot of people buzzing about this, if you will, talking about the relationship between lights and migraines. It's a well-established relationship, Heidi, I'll tell you. I actually suffer from migraines in full disclosure and if you have a migraine headache, looking at the light can be awful. It can make your symptoms much, much worse -- called photophobia.

At issue here, though, is this question: could the light be inducing or causing the migraines in the first place? Again, no scientific evidence to suggest that for sure but the specific concern is what is known as a flicker rate. These lights flicker at a certain rate and low energy lights flicker at a slower rate and that is how they save some energy but, they are also a little bit dimmer and could that possibly be a problem when it comes to overall migraines. Not sure. A lot of people complaining about it. You can't ignore that. When someone says these lights cause me to have headaches, that is what they are telling you.

COLLINS: Wow. I know this report also talks about these same types of bulbs maybe triggering seizures in people that have epilepsy.

GUPTA: Lighting and seizures are actually a more well-defined relationship. We know that strobe lights, for example, can induce seizures in someone who has epilepsy and those relationships between migraines and epilepsy, as well. People who have migraines are more likely to have seizures in the long run. You can see there about a third report light as a trigger, specifically. Is there interplay between all these -- between migraines, seizures, and lights? There seems to be. There is not again a specific link between lights and migraines but I think that may be forthcoming.

COLLINS: Because, I know when I have migraines, light hurts definitely me when I'm having one but I can't say -- I don't recall it actually causing one. What does cause a migraine? Isn't it different for everybody?

GUPTA: It is. I think, that is the heart of all this. Because, for some people, apparently it can be light. For a lot of people, stress -- about 80 percent -- and women, it's hormonal changes, certain foods like wine, chocolate, cheeses...

COLLINS: All the good stuff.

GUPTA: It's a balance. You eliminate a lot of the good stuff out of your diet to avoid the headaches. But, exactly what you said, though, the first thing a lot of people want to do is go to a dark room and get away from the lights because that makes the symptoms so much worse.

COLLINS: It still seems to be such a mystery and only a few people fighting it.

GUPTA: Yes, you save energy on the light but if it's getting you headaches, you may want to save energy another way.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. All right, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you, Heidi.

COLLINS: And, we want to get to the opening bell this morning but we're going to wait on that. We're going to say hello and welcome you back to the half hour, first. Not quite ready with the opening bell on this Friday morning. We do want to let you know we're ready and watching for all kinds of live events. Just one day after the Iowa caucuses. As you can see, on the left of your screen there, we have Senator Hillary Clinton who came in third place last night.

She is onstage talking to her supporters in Nashua, New Hampshire. This is where, of course, the primary will happen on Tuesday so, already getting ready and gearing up for that. And also Barack Obama, we're waiting for him to come on stage there in Fort Smith, New Hampshire, and address his supporters.

There you have it -- the opening bell: New York Stock Exchange this morning. Yesterday, I believe we ended up just slightly to the positive side of things -- almost 13 points up. Dow Jones Industrial averages waiting now, resting at 13056. Today, jobs report that just came out at 8:30 this morning. We will try and find out if people are reacting to that as far as the trading scene or not. We will talk more of business with Susan Lisovicz a little bit later on today.

Meanwhile, she was supposed to appeal to women voters in Iowa, but it came down to age, not gender. Some of the why's and how's behind the Democrat vote in Iowa from earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How did Barack Obama defeat Hillary Clinton with the female vote? What does that mean for New Hampshire and beyond? Bill Schneider joins us with more. And then, she got beaten nine ways to Sunday last night, didn't she?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She certainly did. Women were supposed to be her base voters but, you know what? Women voted for Barack Obama and so did men. How did that happen? Well, there was a huge age difference in the vote. Barack Obama carried the women's vote 35 to 30. And what we found was among older women, they did vote for Hillary Clinton.

Middle-aged women, Hillary Clinton women placed second to Obama and younger women, Hillary Clinton placed third behind both Obama and Edwards. The big effect here was age, not gender. As you got older, you were more likely to vote for Hillary Clinton. It was young voters that put Barack Obama in first place.

ROBERTS: Barack Obama was making a huge play for independent voters. How did he do on that front?

SCHNEIDER: He carried independent voters by a solid margin. Obama 41, Edwards 23, Hillary Clinton came in third among independents. Now, this is very, very important as we head to New Hampshire, because in New Hampshire, independents are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary. They are likely to make up over 40 percent of the voters. There are only about 20 percent of the voters in the caucuses in Iowa. If they are heavily for Obama, Hillary Clinton could face big trouble coming into New Hampshire.

ROBERTS: Jim Bidahai (ph) also made the point that this should be a shoot across the Republicans too. That if Barack Obama can attract that many independents, what might he do in a general election as a nominee?

SCHNEIDER: Barack Obama's appeal has always been across party lines. He says, he wants to unify the country. He wants to bring Democrats and Republicans together. We saw some evidence of that with his appeal to independents. If he can appeal to Republicans, if he looks like the unifying figure, he can really go right on from here and storm a lot of primaries.

ROBERTS: Now, you told us just a second ago, Bill, that Barack Obama won decidedly among younger voters under the age of 30. Hillary Clinton won decidedly among voters over 65. They were both targeting them. But they were also both targeting first-time caucusgoers. We heard about Hillary Clinton delivering shovels to all of the precinct captains, so that any snow that fell could be shoveled away and not dissuade this first time caucusgoers from going out last night. Who won among those first-timers?

SCHNEIDER: Obama. Obama did very well among first-time caucusgoers in Iowa, who were a majority of those, who showed up last night to vote in the Iowa caucuses. They turned out very heavily for Barack Obama. That was a huge swell in turnout. Over 200,000, it hasn't even been close to that in the past. It was just a record turnout and most of them came out for the first time ever to vote in Iowa.

ROBERTS: Pretty extraordinary night and what an amazing story we have today.

SCHNEIDER: It is. A real breakthrough.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A record turnout in Iowa. So, what will happen in New Hampshire? The candidates have moved on, but not before thanking Iowa. Highlights from the Obama and Huckabee victory rallies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Happening right now in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There you have, Senator Barack Obama, at the -- I guess we could call it a victory podium at least, after last night's events at the Iowa caucuses. It was Democratic winner there. And so now, he is speaking to his supporters there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This event was supposed to begin about 8:45 and got under way, almost an hour late. So that is what's happening now and we hope to be listening in to some of what he is saying to his crowd here in just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama is hoping to keep the momentum from his Iowa victory, going there in New Hampshire. After the results were in last night, he thanked the people of Iowa for their support. And in case you missed it, here is part of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this New Year, 2008. In lines that stretched around schools and churches, in small towns and in big cities, you came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents, to stand up and say that we are one nation. We are one people. And our time for change has come. You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that's consumed Washington. To end the political strategy that's been all about division, and instead make it about addition. To build a coalition for change that stretches through red states and blue states. Because that's how we'll win in November, and that's how we'll finally meet the challenges that we face as a nation.

We are choosing hope over fear. We're choosing unity over division and send a power message that change is coming to America. You said the time has come to tell the lobbyists who think their money and their influence speak louder than our voices that they don't own this government - we do. And we are here to take it back. The time has come for a president who will be honest about the choices and the challenges we face, who will listen to you and learn from you, even when we disagree, who won't just tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know. And in New Hampshire, if you give me the same chance that Iowa did tonight, I will be that president for America.

I'll be a president who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American, the same way I expanded health care in Illinois, by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get the job done. I'll be a president who ends the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and put a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of working Americans who deserve it. I'll be a president who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.

And I'll be a president who ends this war in Iraq and finally brings our troops home, who restores our moral standing, who understands that 9/11 is not a way to scare up votes, but a challenge that should unite America and the world against the common threats of the 21st century. Common threats of terrorism and nuclear weapons, climate change and poverty, genocide and disease. Tonight, we are one step closer to that vision of America because of what you did here in Iowa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Also want to let you know, of course, to make sure that everything is fair on both sides of the political aisle, we are going to be hearing from the winner on the GOP side of things, Mike Huckabee's victory rally coming up in just a few minutes. Meanwhile, we want to go back to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where we have been waiting to hear from Barack Obama today, after all of that happened last night as we just heard from him. Let's go ahead and listen in for just a moment.

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OBAMA: I'll be a president who finally makes health care that is affordable and available to every single American a reality. The same way that I expanded health care in Illinois by bringing together Republicans and independents and Democrats to get the job done. I'll be a president who ends those tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas and put those tax breaks into the pockets of hard-working Americans who deserve them. I'll do that if you stand with me in four days' time.

I'll be a president who harnesses, the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation, once and for all, from the tyranny of foreign oil. We can do something about climate change if we are serious about change in Washington. That's what we can do in four days' time. And I'll be a president who finally brings an end to this war in Iraq and brings our troops home, who restores our moral standings and who stops using 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a way to unify the country and unite us against the common threats of terrorism and nuclear proliferation and poverty and genocide and disease. I am running for president because of what Dr. King...

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COLLINS: Some of the words this morning to Barack Obama's supporters there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Sounding familiar to what we heard in his victory speech last night. The Democratic winner there in the Iowa caucuses.

We want to look at this story now. Experts from Scotland Yard arrive in Pakistan. Their mission help investigate the assassination of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Live to Islamabad and CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance.

Matthew, good morning to you there.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi. There is a five individuals from Scotland Yard, that said to be forensics experts that have arrived in country now and have teamed up with their Pakistani counterparts to get involved in that investigation into the killing last week of the Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. There are many forensic teams.

They are getting a briefing today. They are later be visiting the site where the explosion and the shooting and the attack against Benazir Bhutto actually took place. It's been a very controversial investigation so far, that has been run by Pakistanis.

There is a great deal of controversy over the exact cause of death of Benazir Bhutto. Was she shot by a gunman? Did she die by the bomb blast, the shrapnel going into her, or did she hit her own head on the car that she was driving in, as she tried to escape the attack? These are all the theories that had been bandied around over the course of the past week or so, since that killing of Benazir Bhutto.

Now, President Musharraf, the Pakistani leader, says the reason he has invited this technical team from Scotland Yard is to provide technical support, forensic support. He said he is not entirely happy with the way the Pakistani investigation has gone so far. Things like the washing of the crime scene almost immediately after the attack took place, destroying any potential forensic evidence.

But many observers in Pakistan believe the real reason is a political one. President Musharraf has been coming under a great deal of pressure, particularly from the political party of Benazir Bhutto, who say they can't trust him to carry out a free and fair investigation -- Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Matthew Chance updating the story for us on the investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Thanks so much, Matthew.

The rising oil prices. The credit crunch. More trouble ahead? Well, possibly. We'll explain in just a moment.

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COLLINS: A wicked winter storm with heavy snow, rain and hurricane-force wind gusts blasting the west coast. California getting the worst of it. Up to ten feet of snow expected in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Too much snow even for some Tahoe areas ski resorts which could actually shut down the ski lifts. Actually, did shut down the ski lifts yesterday. Wind gusts in some areas could top 100 miles an hour today and tomorrow. In the lower elevations, rain is the real worry. Mudslides threatening communities, scorched by last year's wildfires.

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JEFF MCHADDAD, CONTRACTOR: The fire did burn all the way up to the house, so there is no cover on the hills. So just getting prepared for all the big rush of water.

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COLLINS: That is often what we see in cases like this. Flooding especially a threat for people living in California's low-lying central valley. Officials are warning homeowners near creeks to put sandbags around their houses.

The West coast isn't just gearing up for snow, but a lot of rain and those mudslides that we talked about. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking all of it from the severe weather center now. Boy, so much fallout after those fires swept through, Jacqui.

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COLLINS: He didn't do the crime, but he did the time. A man cleared after 27 years.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations. Sorry, it's taken so long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Homecoming ahead

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COLLINS: We want to take you back for just a moment to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we are watching Senator Barack Obama. A very happy man at this point. He was the Democratic winner last night in Iowa. Now, has fast forwarded and moved on to New Hampshire, getting ready for the primary on Tuesday. Of course, we are going to be hearing from our Jessica Yellin who is at the event. She will be coming at next hour and tells a little bit more about it.

Meanwhile, if you would like to watch more of it, you can see it live right now on cnn.com.

Oil prices hover around $100 a barrel. A sign of a tough year ahead. Louise Schiavone has a look.

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LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just in time for winter and just ahead of the traditional spring gasoline price hikes. Energy prices have hit a punishing new threshold surging to $100 a barrel this week and settling under that on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It's making everything more expensive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It creates a hardship actually. You know, when you get these gas prices like they are, you know, they affects you in so many ways you don't even realize it. Like taking your family out to eat dinner, there is less of that.

SCHIAVONE: Says one analyst, blame the speculators. Players like investment banks and Hedge funds who are steel reeling from the mortgage meltdown.

TYSON SLOCUM, PUBLIC CITIZEN: They were fleeing from that, looking for ways to try to make up for lost ground and to put their money in a place where they could recover some of their losses effectively.

SCHIAVONE: From wheat to gold and silver to copper, tin and zinc to oil and gas, world demand is high and the price to the U.S. is higher than most.

SCOTT SEAL, ENERGY ANALYST: You know, the U.S. dollar doesn't buy as much crude petroleum on the international marketplaces as it used to, because of the declining value of the dollar and that contributes to the price of not only gasoline but the price of crude petroleum.

SCHIAVONE: For the average consumers we spoke to, paying the bills has become more of a stretch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody used to fill up. People got to have to think of it. They come and get $3 or $4 at a time. I mean, it's ridiculous.

SCHIAVONE: As President Bush signals, he was considering an economic stimulus plan. One thing did decline. U.S. currency values, with the Euro now nearly equal to $1.48 in U.S. dollars. Louise Schiavone for CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Iowa springboard or quicksand? Presidential candidates are looking ahead and so are we.

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