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CNN Sunday Morning
Writers Strike Could Soon Be Over; Spacewalk Scrambled Because of Astronaut's Illness
Aired February 10, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Hi, good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, it is Sunday, February 10th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CO-HOST: And good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, glad you could start your day right here with us. There is hope in Hollywood. The writer's strike could soon be over. New information on a tentative deal and what it means for your favorite TV shows.
NGUYEN: And calling in sick from outer space. Yes, today's space walk is scrubbed because of an astronaut's illness.
HOLMES: And an outrageous story we're following out of Toledo, Ohio. Marine reservist training for upcoming mission in Iraq has been kicked out of town by the mayor. Stick around for that one.
NGUYEN: And we do start with politics and clear messages sent by voters from the northwest to the gulf coast.
HOLMES: Yes and that message is, hey, we kind of like Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama. They had some pretty big victories last night. We'll get more now from CNN's Wolf Blitzer part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ELECTION CENTER (voice over): A clean sweep for Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We won in Louisiana. We won in Nebraska. We won in Washington State. We won north, we won south and we won in between.
BLITZER: The senator from Illinois topped rival Hillary Clinton by double digits in Louisiana's Democratic primary and he beat her more than two to one in caucuses in Washington State and Nebraska. The senator from New York didn't mention her losses in a speech Saturday night. Instead, she concentrated her fire on the Republicans.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm your nominee, you'll never have to worry I'll be knocked out of the ring because I do have the strength and experience to lead this country and I am ready to go toe-to-toe with Senator McCain whenever and wherever he desires.
BLITZER: The Clinton campaign is looking ahead to next month, expecting to fare better in two delegate rich states, Texas and Ohio.
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We had a big day today.
BLITZER: An understatement for Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor topped John McCain by more than two to one in caucuses in Kansas. An embarrassing defeat for the overwhelming front-runner in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
HUCKABEE: People don't want to be told who the president is going to be. And in the Republican Party, people want to make a choice. They don't want somebody else making that decision for them and they're tired of hearing somebody say, oh, he's the presumptive nominee.
BLITZER: McCain's campaign congratulated Huckabee but says that the senator from Arizona is still the party's presumptive nominee. But the results indicate, McCain is having trouble courting conservative voters, a problem he's acknowledged.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a lot of work to do to energy our base.
BLITZER: Huckabee edged out McCain in Louisiana and now the campaign moves to Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia which hold primaries on Tuesday. Wolf Blitzer at the CNN Election Center in New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, Maine is up next for the Democrats. That's where Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will try to secure the two dozen delegates at stake in caucuses there. And then in two days, three more primaries, the Potomac primaries, Democrats and Republican delegates up for grabs in Maryland and Virginia as well as Washington, D.C. And CNN's BALLOT BOWL, we got it back for you this weekend. We know you want it. It's your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered in their own words. BALLOT BOWL kicks off this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern time.
NGUYEN: So, will you see new episodes of your favorite television shows? Well, thanks to a tentative deal, the writer's strike could soon be coming to an end. An agreement was announced yesterday between the writer's guild and Hollywood production companies. So, let's take to CNN's Jim Acosta who joins us from New York. Jim, I'm going to ask, so, with this tentative deal, how soon could writers possibly be back on the job?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, according to what's being said out in Hollywood and here in New York, the writers could be back to work and not to mention not just the writers but all of these TV shows that have been in the dark for the past three months, they could all be back to work on Wednesday according to reports coming out of Hollywood and New York which is good news for fans of shows like, "24" and "Grey's Anatomy". Those folks have been laboring for months now, of watching mostly reruns of their popular favorite shows. So, that is good news for TV viewers out there. The writers are confident, yes, that their three-month strike is coming to a close. Leaders of the Writers Guild of America backed the deal Saturday after receiving concessions from the major entertainment studios that would offer some compensation for online use of TV shows and movies. The board for the writer's guild meets today to decide whether to authorize a vote to lift the strike and all of people, filmmaker, Michael Moore, he had some comments on all of this. He said that this was a historic moment for labor in this country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: The chief thing has been gained, that a union in the United States of America stood up to corporate America and said, we're not going to take this any more. I wouldn't have thought it would be the writers. You know, usually, I would expect it from the steel workers or auto workers, the fact it was a bunch of people that got beat up in school for you, because they like to sit around and write in journals is kind of impressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: This was the first writer's strike in 20 years for the Writers Guild of America and according to some estimates, it costs, just the Los Angeles economy $1 billion. So, this entire industry, Betty, is going to be glad to get back to work if all of this works out. But all indications are at this point that it will at this point.
NGUYEN: Not only the entire industry, Jim, but, hey, viewers at home. They'd like for this to be over too. So, it's looking pretty looking good. Thank you, Jim Acosta, joining us live from New York.
HOLMES: Well, Sunday of course for a lot of people a day of rest, while, a lot of people are working and working hard today. Survivors of the deadly southern tornadoes, they are picking up the pieces. It's also a day of faith. Of course this Sunday, a one Tennessee church resurrected after a disaster decades ago is determined to rebuild again. Susan Roesgen is in Lafayette, Tennessee with the story for us. Good morning to you, Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LAFAYETTE, TENNESSEE: T.J., I'm having a little bit of trouble hearing you out here. When I say that there is nothing left of this church, I mean, there is nothing left of this church, nothing really but dirt. We have a picture of what the Antioch missionary church used to look like. The church was founded in 1874 and this church building was about 100 years old. But history and age mean nothing to a tornado. And the tornado Tuesday night absolutely destroyed the church. Yesterday, church members came out here to sweep up what was left of it, they swept it up into a big pile and just burned the trash that was left. Now, we know that there are 315 members of this church and we understand that many members lost property and one member was killed here. A woman who lived in a mobile home just on the other side of this church was killed in the tornado. So, these last few days here have been a time of grieving and also a time to try to find hope, to try to find some kind of a blessing out of the tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE OLDHAM, CHURCH DEACON: God has all the control. Man has nothing to do with this. It's too much for men to have anything to do with this kind of storm. And it just been a blessing and a good feeling after that to know the love that people show and we try to -- right now I'd like to say thanks to everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Now, they are going to have a church service today, not here out in the cold. They are going to go to a local junior high school and have a service in the auditorium. Later this morning, T.J., you'll be talking to the pastor of the church, an inspiring man whose members have been through a terrible event here. And they're doing what faithful people do, keeping the faith. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Keeping the faith as well, we'll be talking about that a little later. Susan Roesgen for us there in Lafayette, we appreciate you. And that's coming your way in about 30 minutes in our Faces of Faith segment. The pastor of that church, Antioch missionary Baptist is going to join us here live to talk about their recovery efforts and how they are going to rebuild and where they are going to rebuild and really where they go from here.
NGUYEN: You know, all of this weather and destruction from the storms has just been devastating and you know, a lot of people looking at that, thinking, boy, can we see a little bit of good news on the horizon, any chance folks out there we're going to bring?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They're going to be seeing some better weather in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. But you know, one of the reasons why we had this big problem in terms of the tornadoes and in the case of contrasting air masses, you had a lot of that warm air coming in from the gulf, you had a lot of that cold air pushing right behind it where you have those contrasting air masses, usually you have severe weather. That cold air is going to come crashing down like an avalanche in parts of the Midwest today. We're talking about temperatures, sub zero conditions.
NGUYEN: Sub-zero, really?
WOLF: Yes, like zero would be here and then -
NGUYEN: Way down there.
WOLF: Hey zero, how are you doing?
NGUYEN: Goodness.
(WEATHER)
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds. We do appreciate it always. Well, the wife of a suspect in a deadly shooting rampage speaks out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAUREEN THORNTON, SUSPECT'S WIFE: As you move forward, remember that we are too are victims.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: A plea for understanding after a shocking crime.
HOLMES: Also: Houston, we need a doctor. One of astronauts in space gets sick. What does that mean for the mission? CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Falling stock prices and talk of a recession have some people looking for different ways to invest.
HOLMES: Yes, in this week's right on your money, we found one business owner who turned his love of super heroes and monsters into big bucks. Who knew? Here now is CNN's Christine Roman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHEN FISHLER, PRESIDENT, METROPOLIS COLLECTIBLES: My name is Stephen Fishler. I own Metropolis Collectibles in New York City.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fifty years ago, they sold for loose change, now comic books, movie posters and other vintage collectibles are big business.
FISHLER: This is worth about $75,000.
ROMANS: But Fishler didn't just suddenly cash in on this hot trend. It's a lifelong investment.
FISHLER: I started collecting comic books when I was four or five years old and in the early 80s, I turned it into a business.
ROMANS: It's a business that could be a solid investing alternative to the Wall Street weary.
FISHLER: There are people who may have been burned by the stock market and they feel that they wanted to diversify. Well, comics and vintage movie posters are the only options for them.
ROMANS: Fishler says, some rare blue chip comics have outperformed blue chip stocks. The first ever comic featuring "Batman" sold for 10 cents in 1939. A mint condition copy today is worth $485,000.
FISHLER: This is called our comic vault. There's probably about 200,000 books in this room.
ROMANS: But keep in mind, only a handful of these comic books can fill your bank account faster than a speeding bullet.
FISHLER: If people were to get into the buying and selling and investing of comic books today, I would not suggest to jump into the market. I would take six months to a year to sort of bring yourself up to speed. My secondary advice is: buy what you like, buy what you appreciate, what you enjoy and if you turns out to be an investment, so much the better.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Myspace and Facebook aren't just sites for young people to socialize. Oh, no, I'm going to show you how the Web is playing a key role in this year's election. You're watching CNN: The best political coverage on television.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: This is your day (ph), right, Betty?
NGUYEN: Apparently it is for those walking in space.
HOLMES: This is for the German, actually, Hans Schlegel, the song is "Manner", are you familiar?
NGUYEN: Yes, it's in your iPod, right?
HOLMES: No, it's not. It is missing from my play list currently. But actually, this guy is not feeling too well right now. Hans Schlegel is the astronaut, he's ill right now. He's not feeling too well.
NGUYEN: Yes, we're going to get the lowdown on that because there's a lot of information that we're just not hearing from NASA about that illness and why it's causing some of these delays. You know, CNN's space correspondent, Miles O'Brien has been watching all of this. We spoke with him yesterday and this morning, Miles, all right, break it down for us. What is wrong with Hans?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the thing, NASA has a scrupulous of policy of not talking about astronaut's health. They don't want to violate their privacy and we can understand all that is. So, let me just walk you through that and I think you'll understand exactly what's going on in space right now. First of all, the international space station, the shuttle flying over Africa right now about 350 miles above us. Things are happening on board but not what was expected to happen today. As you see, the chart indicating where they are right now. They should have been getting ready for a space walk, instead, they're moving a lot of material and supplies in from the shuttle to the space station. Now, that music you heard, that woke up the crew was in fact for Hans Schlegel the German crew member, after the music they got their little good morning blessings, if you will, from astronaut, turn to lucid, we actually heard from Hans Schlegel. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS SCHLEGEL, NASA CREW: Good morning everybody. Thank you very much for this piece of music, it's a German thing, it's talking about the nature of man and selected by my -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: So, get it on your iPod. In any case, Hans Schlegel will not be doing the space walk today. There will be no space walk today. It's been delayed by 24 hours. Astronauts Stan Love his backup -- there's Hans Schlegel there in training. Last time he flew was back in 1993. Astronaut Stan Love will replace him when they do this critical space walk now for tomorrow to install the Columbus European laboratory on the international space station. Now, here's what we know about space adaptation syndrome in general. About half of the astronauts get it. It usually dissipates after about two or three days. This is just glorified motion sickness, folks. NASA is not saying that he has motion sickness but it's the most likely cause for this EVA to be delayed and for Hans Schlegel not to be participating in the first EVA. It is not unprecedented. There you see him by the way as he comes in or as he enters in the hatch yesterday. That's the commander Steve Frick, as the shuttle arrived at the space station yesterday. The rest of the crew came on board and when we looked at Hans Schlegel, there was no obvious sign of illness there. There is precedent for this. Back in 1982, let's dial the way back machine, 1982, astronaut Bill Lenoir, there you see him, this was supposed to be the first space walk out of a shuttle had to be canceled.
Apparently he was very sick and apparently had eaten bad some bad jalapenos, on top of the fact that being in space causes these problems. So, we're going to watch that right now. Hans Schlegel is scheduled for a later space walk. It's unclear whether he'll be able to do that. One other thing to be aware of this morning, NASA is going to be focusing a little bit of attention on this part of the space shuttle "Atlantis" right here in the back. This little hump there in the back. There's a piece of blanket like this, that is kind of pulled up. Take a look at the pictures which have came down very quickly. We're going to show you what's going on. We don't know exactly how big it is. That is why they're focusing on it. We'll get the zoom shot in here if we could and show you exactly what we're talking about. I can't tell straight on it. There you see the shot right there. We don't know how serious that is or might be. Well, you see it right there. And we don't have the size of it yet and they'll get a better picture of it today. So, lots are going on in space to keep track of, guys.
NGUYEN: Yes, can you imagine a motion sickness in outer space? This is bad enough here on earth, but to have it up there.
HOLMES: But Miles, the guy had a cold, even if it's motion sickness, there's nothing to be embarrassed about really, why don't they just come out and tell us?
O'BRIEN: I'm totally in favor of that. And we kind of pressed them on this. And as a matter or fact, by kind of, you know, dancing around it, they made it sound probably a lot worse than it is by dancing around it.
NGUYEN: Well, yes, Miles, because the "Houston Chronicle" today says that the shuttle crew members requested a private medical conference with a flight surgeon. So, that makes you to believe that there's something major here.
O'BRIEN: Well, the whole thing you know, in describing it in those terms, the private medical conference, the flight surgeon and there was the health issue, it all becomes much bigger than, you know, a guy that's (inaudible) to space.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, thanks for breaking that down for us. We'll be talking with you in the 9 a.m. hour. Thanks, Miles.
O'BRIEN: You're welcome.
HOLMES: Well, a church is destroyed in the furry of a deadly storm. Now, a pastor is trying to rebuild while lifting the spirits of his congregation.
NGUYEN: Yes, and our Reynolds Wolf is tracking some severe temperatures. Good morning, Reynolds.
WOLF: Good morning. Yes, all that cold air that's been lock up in the Canadian premises is going to come roaring down to the Great Lakes this morning. Temperatures in Chicago right at zero, same story for the twin cities. I'll let you know how long this cold spells is going to last and what you can expect as we kick off the work week. That's coming up in a just a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, this is a day of mourning and prayer in Kirkwood Missouri, where five people were massacred at city hall. Crowds are still placing flowers at the make shift memorial for those victims. And yesterday, the shooter's widow, well, she paid her respects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAUREEN THORNTON, WIDOW OF CITY HALL SHOOTER: Today I won't see my husband any more. I don't get an opportunity to tell him I love him. I didn't get that opportunity. So, please, as you move forward, remember, that we are too a victim. God bless you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Police shot and killed the gunman, Charles "Cookie" Thornton, seen here after his shooting rampage.
Well, the search and recovery efforts resumed today for victims of Thursday's explosion at the sugar refinery plant in South Georgia. A fifth body was found yesterday. Three people are still missing. Meanwhile though, dozens of people gathered at the candlelight vigil last night to remember the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was there and I just had to come to let them know how much I love and appreciate them. I'm praying for them and thinking about them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Twenty plant workers are still hospitalized with severe burns, 17 of them are in medically induced comas.
HOLMES: Federal services yesterday for three of the five victims of last weekend's mall shooting in suburban Chicago. This one here we're looking at was for 22-year-old, Sarah Szafranski. Police has also release the composite drawing of the suspected shooter. They're looking for a black man between 5'9" and 6 feet tall, also, between 200 and 230 pounds, has thick braided hair and a receding hairline. The description was provided by the sole survivor of that shooting.
NGUYEN: In case you missed it last night, we do have all of results of yesterday's Democratic and Republican contests.
HOLMES: Also, Joshua Levs hearing back from viewers on the dotcom desk. Good morning to you, sir.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you, guys. All right. So, yesterday, we asked you about being honest about the impact of celebrities on your vote. Well, the responses came flying in fast and some folks said, yes, celebrities are impacting this race. We'll have that coming up right here in CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey, there, everybody. Welcome back. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen. Our top story this morning, politics, of course, and a big weekend so far for Mike Huckabee.
HOLMES: Yes, republican voters giving him a bit of a boost in yesterday's primaries and caucuses. Up first here, a pretty big win in Kansas. Big win, he captured 60% of the vote there. 24% for the presumptive nominee, John McCain. It may surprise a lot of folks but it didn't surprise Mike Huckabee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our strategy has been, let's go head to head wherever we can. Because we've always felt once the field narrowed and people had a clear choice, and we would be in a real position to start winning greater numbers of delegates. When the votes of many of the conservatives were split all over the place it obviously made it a little bit more difficult. But when the race was focused and you only have a couple of candidates and people are starting to really look at where we stand and differences, you know, maybe not hostile differences but differences. I think that what you're going to continue to see is that this is a real race despite what people may have thought about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And he wasn't just a one state wonder last night. He also won Louisiana. He didn't win it by much however. The numbers here, Huckabee beating McCain by 1%. Neither of them got any delegates however, because they both finished under 50%. The delegates will be doled out at the states GOP convention next weekend. That's how the rules are for the republicans there in Louisiana. Much different case on the democratic side, Barack Obama clear winner over Hillary Clinton. Obama got 57% of the vote there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And today the voters from the west coast to the gulf coast to the heart of America stood up to say, yes, we can. We won in Louisiana. We won in Nebraska. We won in Washington state. We won north, we won south, we won in between. And I believe that we can win Virginia on Tuesday if you're ready to stand for change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And you heard Obama there, he won Nebraska. He won Washington. The caucusgoers in Nebraska handed him a pretty dominating win over Hillary Clinton, 68% of the vote to 32% for Clinton. He also got twice as many delegates there. And an almost identical finish in Washington state, 68% for Obama, 31% for Clinton.
Much closer on the republican side however, too close to call. Even CNN not ready to call this caucus just yet. John McCain leading by just 2% with plenty of votes still to be counted. So, what's next? Betty.
NGUYEN: What's next, T.J.?
HOLMES: Maine is next.
NGUYEN: Of course.
HOLMES: Yes. We should try to find a way to get up there to Maine. Well, it's today.
NGUYEN: Little too late for that.
HOLMES: 24 delegates going to be at stake there. In two days, we got three more primaries - the Potomac primaries. Democratic and republican delegates are up for grabs in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C..
NGUYEN: Well, as you know, all of the major candidates have received celebrity endorsements. So, we wanted to know if that really influences the way you vote. And you know what, we got an earful. Josh Levs joins us now from the dot come desk. You've been reading these emails. Are they pretty good?
LEVS: They love this one.
NGUYEN: Really.
LEVS: As soon as I said it on the air they started immediately.
NGUYEN: So it is making a difference?
LEVS: Some people are saying it is making a difference in the race. Yes. I'll give you guys something. Oh, OK, we're moving out there in the picture. Let me show you something we have been receiving today. So, we can take it right through because we started yesterday and it just kept coming through the night. We haven't been able to count them all. But let me take you some of the responses about being honest. What the celebrities are impacting your vote or not. Let's start with this one.
"Celebrities have no influence on my vote. This democratic election, for me, is a decision whether to vote for my brother or my sister. My brother gives me inspiration and my sister gives me wisdom from experience. I will cast my vote based on deductive reasoning." That's Terry Treinen from San Antonio.
All right. "Most people will say celebrity endorsements won't affect the way they vote because they'll look foolish or naive. But aside from affecting undecideds, the celebrity endorsement can give comfort and encouragement to those already committed." Michael Sellers, Burbank.
Let's keep going. "I couldn't live with myself knowing I had voted based on what my favorite actor or singer went by. Yes, celebrities give the candidate good publicity and encourage our youth to vote, but it does not make me change my views on what I believe in." Tabitha Mosqueda.
All right. Next, "Yes, celebrities have a great impact on votes. So, Oprah's fans are for Obama. Spielberg's fans tend to move for Clinton. Please get the celebs out of the way and let Americans make their own personal decisions." From Alex Otakpor.
One more here. "I'd rather hear a soldier-in-the-field's opinion than an actor's. Let's stop making actors into heroes. Remember they only play heroes on TV." That's from Ben Baum.
We're going to keep looking at these but so you see, people are very passionate about this.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, I think that one person who wrote who said something that's very true. Who's going to admit it? Who's going to say, you know what, so and so is voting for so and so, but I'm going to vote for so and so because I love that actor? I mean, you don't think that they would really put that, you know, in words, but I think celebrities do kind of highlight a certain candidate and hopefully if you're smart you will go and do the research and see if that's someone you support.
LEVS: There's to no doubt that Oprah did a tremendous amount to help track a snowball for Barack Obama.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LEVS: I mean a lot of people weren't thinking about him as much. Boom, she goes on there, all of a sudden there's a snowball. It just keeps going and going.
NGUYEN: And that's why they love those celebrity endorsements because it gets people thinking and talking.
LEVS: Yes. There is a payoff.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Josh.
Well, CNN's "Ballot Bowl" is back this weekend and it is your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered in their own words. "Ballot Bowl" kicks off this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, we have to talk about this weather in the Midwest, cold, real cold.
NGUYEN: Really cold.
HOLMES: Freezing. Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on this, explaining to us earlier just what's happening and this cold air is coming down on them now.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely right. I mean that frontal boundary came right on through. With it, you get that cold air that is really dense and just coming in right behind the boundary itself. And take a look at the temperatures. Right now, in Winnipeg, we got 24 degrees below zero. That does not include the wind chills factor. Winds are going to huge issues in spots like Thunder Bay this morning. Now for people in Duluth, that are enjoying their coffee, they are going to need the entire pot to stay warm, 18 degrees below zero.
In Minneapolis out by the airport, you have 13 degrees. It's just a brutal time for the baggage handlers today. No question about it. Take a loot at the shot that we have compliments of KARE out of the twin cities. And skies, you can image, are dark. In the lower part of the screen, you can see a little wisp of smoke. I guess that's from one of the heaters on top of the buildings, everything blowing from the right to the left on your screen. That wind is going to be picking up and getting much stronger. Some gusts topping 40 miles an hour, maybe 50 later on today, certainly possible.
Let's go right back to the screen in the Navy Pier this morning in Chicago. It is two degrees below zero at this point. Milwaukee 3 below, Detroit right now 15 and out by the Rancine and in Lake Erie you've got 28 degrees.
You go a little bit farther off to the east. New York City this morning, 41. Now, out by Boston Common, out by the skating rink it's going to be just frigid for you. Skies clear for the time being. Expecting more clouds and with that some chances of snow and maybe even a touch of rainfall with 34 degrees at this point and we're going to have more on the forecast and let you know how long this cold air is going to stick around. That's coming up in just a few moments. So, for now, let's send it back to you at the news desk.
NGUYEN: Well, not only are freezing temperatures in the air. Reynolds, but love is in the air, did you know?
WOLF: It always is.
NGUYEN: It's there on you, right.
WOLF: Yes, that's what they say.
NGUYEN: Here's the deal though, can it be bottled and sold? Well, this pick-up artist thinks so.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really like you, I have to respond to my Emotions, they're saying, you rock. I feel an overwhelming desire to kiss this girl. I don't even know her but..
NGUYEN: What is he wearing?
HOLMES: That's not part of the curriculum.
NGUYEN: Are you sure?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: That was a script and this is a class that is selling the secrets of attraction to -- attraction to men.
NGUYEN: Well, maybe not that outfit though because I'm not sure if...
HOLMES: It works for some people, I'm sure.
NGUYEN: Some people, that's the bomb, but others, you know.
HOLMES: Did you just go with the bomb? Do people still say that.
NGUYEN: I think so. In my circle, they do. All right. So the pickup artist is part of our "In the name of love" special which is airing tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. You don't want to miss this one.
HOLMES: Yes. Coming your way from the most amorous team on television. All right. All right, folks, we need to turn back to a story, actually a total destruction devastation, but you know what it might actually have a very nice ending here. One congregation being tested after the devastating tornadoes in Tennessee.
NGUYEN: And social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, they are huge this political season. Young voters, they are going online and heading to the polls.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We got hope and faith rising from the rubble of the deadly southern tornadoes. A Tennessee church destroyed by the storm determined now to rebuild. Our "Faces of Faith" segment this morning takes us to Lafayette, Tennessee and our guest is Pastor Dean Sircy of the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Sir, thank you for some spending time with us this morning. Tell us what is if anything left of your church structurally.
DEAN SIRCY, ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: There's absolutely nothing. I'm standing right in the middle of where the church house was at. When I got out here at 3:00 in the morning, the tornado came through. I was the tallest thing on the premises.
HOLMES: Sir, when did you think to head to the church? I know you wanted to make sure you and your family were OK and you knew you were alright. And the storm was passing, and did your thoughts immediately turn to going to the church? And did you have a suspicion that maybe the church had been hit?
SIRCY: No. Actually, the tornado passed by my house, it didn't do any damage there. But one of members out here about 30 minutes after the tornado knocked the church down. We helped several members that live in the community. One got on the cell phone and called me and I was actually in my bathroom with my children and grandchildren trying to keep all of us safe. And then I heard that the church had hit and that my daughter was in Bowling Green and we didn't have no power. Everything was black. Once the station blew up, all of electricity went out everywhere. They called me and said the church was down.
HOLMES: Tell me what it was like. It was dark, I guess, when you got out there. But still, you said you were the tallest thing, but give us an idea, the best can you, take us into that and be descriptive here. What did you see and what was going on your mind when you laid eyes on the site where I guess your church used to stand.
SIRCY: I had to come up - I couldn't get through the main roads for the path of the tornado and I had to come up the back roads from my house. And I got pretty close to the church. But then had I had to climb in over all the trees that were down around the church. And I had to climb across those and make my way through. I already knew one of my members was dead and it was total dark. I had a little flashlight. And by the time I got to the church, I didn't really realize that I was at the church because it was flat on the ground. I thought something would be standing, you know. So I tried to -- there was a deputy sheriff here and I went and say to him, ask him where Miss Dixie was because she was the lady who got killed and we walked there and he kept everybody away from her.
HOLMES: Was she the only member of your church that was killed sadly, but almost how much other members of your church were affected in some way, form or fashion? How many others actually lost homes? Was someone or everybody in your congregation touched in some way?
SIRCY: Everybody in our congregation is touched in many ways. A lot of our friends got killed. Several of our church members lost their houses. Several of our church members wound up hurt. They'll hold funerals today and half of my congregation won't be in church because they're going to be attending the funerals.
HOLMES: Where are you going to be having church this morning, sir?
SIRCY: Macon County Junior High.
HOLMES: Junior High.
SIRCY: At Lafayette, Tennessee.
HOLMES: What are you going to preach about this morning and how do you go about preparing a lesson?
SIRCY: Actually, I'm not really fully prepared. I've been so busy with the people of the congregation. I sat down last night and prayed about it. And my message this morning is going to be on hope. That's where we need to be at. That's where we're headed.
HOLMES: You said, you're not really prepared, you said you're just going to kind of let it happen this morning?
SIRCY: That's exactly right. That's the way it's going to have to be. I'm just going to have to leave it in the hands of god and let him take over and go with it from there.
HOLMES: And you plan on rebuilding in that same spot? What's next for the church?
SIRCY: We're planning on rebuilding. There were some things that I wanted to happen. I set out here that night with no power or nothing and I had done a lot of prayer and done a lot of crying and I said, lord, there's two -- what do we need most? Two things, I wanted to have all of church to get together and meet and come together and have prayer and talk to another and find out what everybody needed and how many people were hurt and how many in the hospital and how many have lost homes.
The second thing I wanted to happen, is I wanted the people to come out here and clean up, start cleaning up on the church. Because you got to move from devastation back to some type of normal life and a normal Sunday for us. So I felt like if I got the people moving, they would be moving from devastation back to the life, to their life, to their normal life.
HOLMES: Well, sir, good luck to you and your congregation. Sorry for your loss, that member of your church. But really good luck with that lesson, you said you're just kind of put in god's hands and let it happen this morning. Good luck to you and good luck to your congregation. Thank you for spending some time with us this morning.
SIRCY: My pleasure. Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: We also have this news just in to CNN, there is an evacuation taking place right now in the North Sea. About 500 British oil workers are evacuating, and sources say, it's following a security alert regarding a "device on board. We don't have other details about that. But we do know that a number of coast guard helicopters are involved in this evacuation. Again, some 500 British oil workers are being evacuated from an oil rig at sea. This according to the British ministry of defense and that evacuation is taking place at this hour.
As soon as we get more information on it, there's a look at it right now. At least one that's similar. I don't have the details on this one in particular. But this is about 175 miles northeast of Aberdeen. And I am being told right now. This is the rig in question. Again, 500 British oil workers being evacuated from this rig right here in the north sea according to the British ministry of defense. And as usual, as soon as we get more information on this, we'll bring it straight to you.
HOLMES: Something else we're following here that just didn't sound right, does it? The marines kicked out of town by the mayor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scarring the people. I think (inaudible) scares the people more than the marines scare the people.
NGUYEN: So, why the mayor says the Marines may have actually scared the city.
We'll try to get to the bottom of that one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's cold and flu report. I treasure these moments together but what I don't treasure is giving you the bad news across much of the country, in terms of the cold and the flu. Every spot on the nation where you happen to see a state that is shaded in either purple, blue or red, that's a great chunk of the country, indicates that we have either local activity, regional activity or even widespread cases, especially in spots like Texas and parts of the four corners. However, where you see green on the map, in Florida, back into West Virginia and even into Maine, well, you only have sporadic cases of the cold and flu.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Young people, they flooded the polls in record-breaking numbers on super Tuesday, doubling, tripling and in one stay even quadrupling turnout from 2002 and 2005. The social networking website Facebook, well, its playing a big role in motivating students to take an active role in this political process. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVEN GOLDEN, PRES., EMORY STUDENTS FOR OBAMA: Invite everybody to that event, click of the mouse. NGUYEN (voice-over): At Atlanta's Emery University, sophomore Steven Golden organized a group of students for a Barack Obama last April. It started with seven members but has now grown to more than 200 Obama supporters. Golden says Facebook was an essential tool in getting the word out so students could get involved.
GOLDEN: Facebook is our number one friend. I can't stress enough how much Facebook has helped politics. There is a high school Facebook group and they also see how one believe strong for Barack, which I think is the biggest Barack Obama group on Facebook. How it just created so much publicity, how it created so much, you know, "buzz." So I really do think that all of these students are tying in through Facebook to get more active in the campaign.
With more than 65 billion hits a month, and millions of members visiting the site each day. Facebook has become the Internet's second largest social networking site after Myspace. It has energized and organized politically active students across the country.
BENJAMIN VAN DER HORST, FOUNDER, COLLEGE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Facebook is replacing e-mail for a lot of college students, we use the internal Facebook instant messaging system rather email to talk to people. And it's one thing we use to communicate with people all across the country.
NGUYEN: Technology, the candidates are using to their advantage. All have their own Facebook faces where they stomp for young voters, mobilize volunteers and raise funds.
LAUREN SALZ, COLUMBIA UNIV. YOUNG REPUBLICANS: The candidates campaign post what they call Facebook Notes, kind of updates what the campaign is doing and what the important issue of the day is. They also post events. It's a much faster, a more organized way of communicating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We probably have time for the different argument.
NGUYEN: But not all students are as quick to post their own political views, some worry it could cause future problems.
EVERETT MATTOX, UGA YOUNG REPUBLICANS: A lot of times maybe you don't want to be as googleable and you know, you don't want to say, type your name in and find out everything about you. There are certain areas of privacy that I personally want to respect about myself, trying to contain about myself.
NGUYEN: And some student activists just aren't ready to buy into the Facebook hype.
CHRIS KUWALIK, PRES., COLUMBIA UNIV. COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: It definitely has a big importance in this new dynamic. But the campaign, is it really going to revolutionized things. I don't thinks so, at least not yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: And to take a look at how Facebook has really come along. During the last presidential election, four years ago, Facebook was just a fledgling site that started at Harvard University. So, from there...
HOLMES: fledgling, no more.
NGUYEN: And to think how young people are getting involved, just look at these numbers. In Tennessee on super Tuesday, they quadrupled their turnout and Georgia, the young voters tripled in their turnout. So, young people are making a big impact in this election. That's why you're seeing so many candidates court that youth vote.
HOLMES: And that's the good way to do it. Facebook...
NGUYEN: All things, the tools that they use.
HOLMES: Do you Facebook?
NGUYEN: No, I don't, or myspace.
HOLMES: We got to get with it. Betty.
NGUYEN: I'm so behind when it comes to that. I'm kind of afraid of it. I don't know enough about it.
HOLMES: We'll get you there.
NGUYEN: I might invite you as my friend though.
HOLMES: But you have to have friends on Facebook.
NGUYEN: Probably be the one and only. OK. We'll continue our look at young voters in the next half hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Is this another school election that we're going to be participating in or, you know, is this a joke?
NGUYEN: Well, some are surprised to find out they can vote at 17.
HOLMES: Also, they fight for our country, but someone thought they were a little too scary for their town. That story next on this CNN Sunday Morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: They are the few, the proud, the unwelcome. Marines get the boot in Toledo, Ohio.
NGUYEN: Yes, the mayor pulls the plug on a training exercise. We'll get the story now from Jonathan Walsh of our affiliate WTOL.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JONATHAN WALSH, WTOL, CORRESPONDENT: Back in 2006, the Marines used downtown Toledo for their urban exercises, to prepare them for situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he observed some of that training and saw citizens walking by.
MAYOR CARTY FINKBEINER, TOLEDO: There was a look of wonderment on some people's places and there was a look of fear on other people's faces. He says in 2006, he met with the public safety director and chief of staff, I said, this is not a good idea.
WALSH: Mayor Finkbeiner goes on to tell us there was not enough information passed along to city leaders this time around.
FINKBEINER: Good planning can a lot accomplished in behalf of the military while protecting the health, welfare and safety, and tranquility of our men and women who live there.
WALSH: However, the marines company commander says...
MAJ. DAN WHISNANT: Yes. We had press releases going off this week and we had previous planning meeting, a final planning conference essentially in January and everything is good to go.
WALSH: We asked people in Toledo if they think the mayor's decision is right.
GWENDOLYN JONES, DISAGREES WITH MAYOR: No. I feel we would have welcomed the marines.
JENNIFER FILLMORE, DISAGREES WITH MAYOR: They are there to protect us. The mayor has the right to say what they can and can't do. But I think that should be up to the citizens and I don't think the citizens, not the mayor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scaring the people? I think the Carty is scaring the people more than the marines scare the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, it is Sunday, February 10th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for starting your day with us. And we start with impressive wins for Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee. How their latest victories going to impact the delegate count.
NGUYEN: And the youth vote is getting even younger. Yes, some states are now allowing 17-year-olds to cast a ballot.
HOLMES: Also: A tentative deal reached in the writer's strike. What it means now for your favorite TV shows.
Plus, we do you want to start with politics and that sweep last night by Barack Obama, taking all four contests on Saturday slate, now, hoping to make it five for five in Maine with the caucus happening there today.
NGUYEN: Yes, well, from a sweep to a bit of a stunner on the Republican side. Mike Huckabee taking two states. Are some voters sending a message to John McCain? Well, we do want to get more now on a significant Saturday from CNN's Wolf Blitzer, part of the best political team on television.
BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice over): A clean sweep for Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We won in Louisiana. We won in Nebraska. We won in Washington State. We won north, we won south and we won in between.
BLITZER: The senator from Illinois topped rival Hillary Clinton by double digits in Louisiana's Democratic primary and he beat her more than two to one in caucuses in Washington State and Nebraska. The senator from New York didn't mention her losses in a speech Saturday night. Instead, she concentrated her fire on the Republicans.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm your nominee, you'll never have to worry I'll be knocked out of the ring because I do have the strength and experience to lead this country and I am ready to go toe-to-toe with Senator McCain whenever and wherever he desires.
BLITZER: The Clinton campaign is looking ahead to next month, expecting to fare better in two delegate rich states, Texas and Ohio.
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We had a big day today.
BLITZER: An understatement for Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor topped John McCain by more than two to one in caucuses in Kansas. An embarrassing defeat for the overwhelming front-runner in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
HUCKABEE: People don't want to be told who the president is going to be. And in the Republican Party, people want to make a choice. They don't want somebody else making that decision for them and they're tired of hearing somebody say, oh, he's the presumptive nominee.
BLITZER: McCain's campaign congratulated Huckabee but says that the senator from Arizona is still the party's presumptive nominee. But the results indicate, McCain is having trouble courting conservative voters, a problem he's acknowledged.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a lot of work to do to energize our base.
BLITZER: Huckabee also edged out McCain in Louisiana and now the campaign moves to Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia which hold primaries on Tuesday. Wolf Blitzer at the CNN Election Center in New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, what's next? Well, Maine Democrat vote in that state's caucuses today, 24 delegates at stake there. And two days, three more primaries, Democratic and Republican delegates are up for grabs in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. CNN's BALLOT BOWL, well, it is back. It's your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered in their own words. BALLOT BOWL kicks off this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: Are you missing your favorite TV show right about now?
NGUYEN: You know, I don't do very much appointment viewing.
HOLMES: Meerkat Manor?
NGUYEN: Except for Meerkat Manor.
HOLMES: What is that though? It's on National Geographic, what is it?
NGUYEN: It's on Animal Planet.
HOLMES: Animal Planet. OK, that's a reality TV. So, no writers involved.
NGUYEN: That's my kind of reality TV.
HOLMES: Well, folks, your favorite TV shows could be back soon, could be on the works because the movie and TV writers backing a new tentative agreement with the producers.
NGUYEN: Yes and this could end the three-month-old strike. CNN's Jim Acosta joins us live in New York with the latest on this. I know a lot of people are anxiously waiting to see when this is actually going to be official.
ACOSTA: That's right, Betty. Hollywood likes a happy ending and while it seemed like this one would never come. It appears that the curtain is about to close on the writer's strike. The Writers Guild of America is now backing a deal reached with the major entertainment studios yesterday that goes to the heart of the labor dispute offering compensation for online use of movies and TV shows. The board for the Writers Guild is set to meet today to decide whether to authorize or vote that should lift the strike, if all goes well, the strike could be over as early as tomorrow. Filmmaker Michael Moore says, it's a historic movement for the labor moment in this country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: The chief thing has already been gained. That a union in the United States of America stood up to corporate America and said we're not going to take this anymore. I wouldn't have thought it would be the writers. You know, you don't usually -- I would expect it for the steel workers or the auto workers. The fact that it was a bunch of people that got beat up in school, you know, because they like to sit around and write in their journals. That's kind of impressive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The writers strike lasted three long months, costing the city of Los Angeles alone, an estimated of $1 billion. Now, all the viewers want to know is when their TV shows will be back with new episodes, the answer is unclear. The writers could be back to work on Wednesday, but it could take weeks to get those shows back into production but movie fans can rest assured should save the Oscars which is scheduled to air in two weeks. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, Jim Acosta. Thanks for following that. We'll be joining you a little bit lately. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Well, the findings of faith to rebuild, Betty, happening here in the tornado-stricken area here. It certainly is a no laughing matter but we talked to them earlier. They're feeling good about rebuilding, trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. So, even with all these destruction there, it's a sense of hope and certainly, sense of faith and inspiration to move on after all of these destruction. And our Susan Roesgen is there in Lafayette, in the middle of so much destruction. We've been seeing these stories from you the past couple of days, really, it never failed and so much death and destruction, sometimes, people find a way to inspire us all. So, good morning to you there, Susan.
ROESGEN: Good morning, T.J. It's really true. And as a reporter, I don't always know where they get that inner strength. I really don't know, especially, when you look at a situation like this, where there is really literally nothing left of this church but dirt. Nothing left of this church after 100 years of history. We do have pictures of what the Antioch missionary church used to look like, a brick church built almost 150 years ago, a church with 315 members who, you know, felt that this was a special place for them. But it took just seconds on Tuesday for the tornado to wipe out the church. Yesterday, church members came out here and they swept up what was left, scraped it up, scooped it up and just burned what little was left of the church. You know, it's really difficult for many of them, because although they have had their own homes damaged and they knew of people who lost their lives here, some of them just could not believe it when they got out here and saw how little was left.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTANI SIRCY, CHURCH MEMBER: I was really shocked. I didn't even - we pulled in to the church parking lot and I didn't even realize where we were. It just completely changed the landscape and the way everything looked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Now, they are going to have a church service this morning, not here of course. They're going to have it at a local junior high school. The pastor as you heard earlier this morning said, his message is going to be about hope, because when you don't have anything left, hope is really all you do have left, and, you know, the thing they also see in situations like this, T.J., I think is true is that a church is not a building. It's people. You can probably see behind me the smoke from the fire is still burning here. What little was left. They have found some soggy song books that the pastor says, they plan to dry out and use today at the service at the junior high school if they can, but that's about it. They're going on hope and faith.
HOLMES: And that's all they can go on and it seems like so often we see in these tornadoes, Susan, that there's always, are so oftentimes a church that get hit in the community and is wiped out. We're looking at the spot where you are, and there is really nothing left of this church. And I know what they had left, they kind of cleaned it up already. I mean, just a few days, the church was there, it's already cleaned up and gone.
ROESGEN: True. All gone.
HOLMES: All right. All right. Our Susan Roesgen, thank you so much for bringing us some of those stories over the past couple of days. Susan, we appreciate it.
NGUYEN: Well, let's get the latest on the weather outside. There's a lot of cold to tell you about in the Midwest today. Reynolds Wolf has been watching in and he joins us and we're not talking just about freezing temperatures, right, Reynolds?
(WEATHER)
NGUYEN: That would make some news. OK, thank you, Reynolds.
HOLMES: Thank you, Reynolds.
Well, this just in to us in CNN this morning. British officials say, an oil rig in the north sea issued a security alert, and now, authorities have sent helicopters to evacuate more than 500 workers there.
NGUYEN: There are no specific details on that alert, but British media says, the helicopters are carrying a bomb disposal unit to examine the explosive device found on the rig. Now, all of this taking place about 170 miles off of the city of Aberdeen in eastern Scotland. We'll stay on top of this story and bring you more just as soon as we get it.
HOLMES: OK, how old do you have to be to vote? Everybody knows it's 18 -- 18 years old, yes, but a lot of states now bending the rules a bit this primary season. We'll explain what that means. Also, ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLIN: Can you send an ambulance because my mom just had a heart attack. OPERATOR: How do you know she had a heart attack?
COLLIN: Because I hear her hiccups and now she fell on the floor.
OPERATOR: OK. Hold on honey. Stay on the phone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: What a smart little kid there. Teach your children well and it could save your life. We have a story that you will not forget.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Courting young voters. It's a necessity this election season but now the candidates have to aim even younger. Thanks to new rules like those in playing in the upcoming Chesapeake primaries. CNN's Kate Bolduan explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It seems like there or any sign that young people are bucking the stereotype of being disengaged and apathetic. Instead, they're getting involved in the 2008 presidential race and the candidates are taking notice.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody talks about how you're going to get the younger vote.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On Iowa, the day of the caucus, I've been telling reporters, you know, I think young people are going to come out like never before.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can solve our problems again, but I can't do it without your help.
BOLDUAN (on camera): And young voters are even younger in the upcoming Maryland and Virginia primaries, along with a handful of other states, 17 year olds can vote, as long as they are 18 by the general election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this another school election we are going to be participating in or it's just, you know, is this a joke?
BOLDUAN (voice over): That's what many teenagers may ask themselves, but Maryland high school students we talked to say, they love the idea.
BEN ELKIN, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I will be absolutely out there on Tuesday, staffing the polls and voting.
IAN MUIR, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I may not be as age or may not, I don't have a job or a secure income per se, I still have the right to say what I think. BOLDUAN: Polls show, young voters in general are doing just that, making their voices heard. The Pew Research Center says, the California Democratic primary is one example.
MARK LOPEZ, PEW RESEARCH POLL: Young people increase their share of voters on election from about 10 percent to 14 percent, to be able to do that is really quite striking.
BOLDUAN: Striking, maybe. But will it last? These students say, absolutely.
JULIE CHANG, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: Youth in America are realizing that when you don't vote, you don't get a say.
BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, voters, they are making a major impact and a major commitment. You know, I recently visited some college campuses to see how they're also using the Internet to get even more involved -- that is coming up next hour.
HOLMES: And also, a little later, CNN's BALLOT BOWL. It's back. It's your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered in their own words. BALLOT BOWL kicks off this afternoon at 1:00 o'clock Eastern time.
NGUYEN: So, we've got you covered on political stuff all day long, right? And we're keeping it all very real. You know what that means?
HOLMES: Yes, that means Josh Levs. Mr. Reality himself. Look at that. Look at that right.
NGUYEN: He enjoys the title.
HOLMES: Yes.
LEVS: I'm really having fun with it. Can I ask, you guys think maybe the term spin comes from because you roll your eyes when you hear it? Every time there is a new set of elections, I wake up and I look at what the campaigns are saying and I just can't believe what's coming out. So, now, we get a new set of primaries and caucuses; that means a new rush of dizzying spin. We're going to spreading all that out for you -- a dose of political reality, coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So, dead birds are piling up along the California shoreline and wildlife officials, they want to know why.
HOLMES: This as so many birds are wash ashore on the Marin County coast in the past two weeks. Some fear it's the fallout from a recent sewage spill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KERRY WILCOX, MANAGER, AUDUBON CENTER: To have so many at once washing up on shore so soon after the sewage spill is a little suspect.
BROOKE LANGSTON, DIRECTOR, AUDUBON CENTER: We're not seeing anything on them that's telling us why they're dead. There's no oil, there's no trauma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: OK. So, listen to this though, a total of 5 million gallons of wastewater was released into Richardson Bay and experts are testing birds' remains to see if that is possibly what may have killed them.
HOLMES: We have a story here that we're going to look this morning. A candle light vigil in Port Wentworth, Georgia for the victim of that explosion and fire at the sugar refinery. Recovery crews pulled another body from the charred area of the Imperial Sugar Refinery yesterday.
NGUYEN: And that brought the number of identified victims to five. The search though resumes today for three men still missing.
New from outer space. Check it out. NASA engineers are taking a close at space shuttle Atlantis. They're trying to see two small areas that may have been damaged during Thursday's liftoff and NASA says, German crew member, Hans Schlegel has unspecified medical condition. Yes, they won't say, what it is. He was supposed to take a space walk today to help install a science lab on the international space station. Well, the space walk has been put on hold until tomorrow.
HOLMES: Fresh from rehab. Amy Winehouse, well, she's the only one out of rehab right now, and others in the music world are gearing up for tonight's Grammy Awards, the best and brightest of the music industry being honored. Winehouse is up for six awards, Kanye West is leading the pack actually with eight Grammy nominations. Where did the Michael Jackson video come from?
NGUYEN: I don't know. I don't think he's performing at this year's Grammy.
HOLMES: I don't think so. I haven't seen an album from him since Thriller, I don't think but West and Winehouse are both up for album of the year.
NGUYEN: These guys really do put some moves but what's up with the dancer. That's when the guy came up on stage, remember they had -
HOLMES: I don't remember, it seems like that would have stood out in my mind.
NGUYEN: I think it was someone that just popped up on stage. And they said, whoa, just pulled him off. Anyways, more Grammy fun tonight. So, you don't want to miss that. HOLMES: We should get back to, you know, some politics. Win, lose or a draw, you can always count on the candidates to put the best possible face on every situation.
NGUYEN: But should you believe what they say? That's the big question. CNN's Josh Levs joins us now. You are Keeping Them Honest. So, are they believable?
LEVS: Are they believable? I don't know, this people decide that stuff but mind you (ph), there's so much spin, it's crazy and we have to, you know, go through it everyday and it's going to be more of it tomorrow, and more next week.
HOLMES: Really?
LEVS: And now, especially on the Democratic side. We're going to look at now because there is like a serious race for who wins this thing. So, let me just feature some few examples from this morning given, there's also of last night and let's start with this. The Obama campaign said in a statement last night and the wake of some of these contests, based on estimates of returns, Obama more than doubled his current pledged delegate lead. It sounds impressive and here's the problem. Every news agency in the world counts even the pledged delegates in different ways. You can't be absolutely sure. I really like the way CNN does it. This is what we have for you. We keep updating this at CNN.com. If you go to that page right now, you'll see our overall look at delegates and the breakdown. Right now, we have Clinton at 877 pledged delegates, Obama at 908. So, they're basically neck in neck even among pledged delegates. So, whenever you hear claims about delegates keep in mind, that keeps changing, we're always trying to do the tabulations and they're both pretty much neck in neck. Let's go to this one about money. The Clinton campaign made an announcement after a few losses last night which were totally expected. We have now raised $10 million from 100,000 donors since Super Tuesday. So, the translation there, hey, we still have momentum. Don't worry about the latest contest. And Obama campaign says, you know what? We've raised more. We don't have the final figures for there them. Yes, back and forth, back and forth. But what I want you to keep in mind here, we're talking about ludicrous sums of money. I mean, this is political history to make this type of money in a week and obviously, this campaign is historic in a lot of ways. But honestly, at this point, if someone gets $11.1 million and someone gets $8.9 million, it's not really different in the playing field. What might be different will be the other figure we could, which is - it's called cash on hand, how much they actually spend. No one is saying that. So, all these figures coming at you, everybody is doing great. Feel good for your candidate. Whatever, the fact is, they are both making tons of money. One final thing I want to point out before I go. We hear a lot in the Obama campaign, race doesn't matter, a big slogan in there in Obama camp. And to a lot of voters that is true, but it's also something America needs to look at, that the campaign is to look that it is making a difference. Let's take a look at Louisiana for example. And this is significant. We're going to scroll down, right there on dot-com. Look at that, age and race, on the left, majority of white voters by far going for Clinton; on the right, majority of black voters by far for Barack Obama. The reality is, there are racial differences in the voting blocs, this year, we see that all over the country, particularly in the south. So, you know, the experience and age are relevant, there is a racial difference in this campaign, something affecting a lot of voters.
NGUYEN: They just don't want to make that issue.
LEVS: Right, they don't want to be right there.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Josh.
Well, we do have a story just ahead that you really don't want to miss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLIN MAKEPEACE, CALLED 911: She fell over the couch and she -- she hit the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, she did hit the table. Here's a question for you though: Would your four-year-old know what to do if you suddenly had a medical emergency? Well, this one did, and that makes him a hero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. This is a life-and-death story that you really need to watch because a young mother suddenly falls gravely ill at home.
HOLMES: But she has a little angel there, his name is Collin. And Dan Krauth of WXMI in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARRI MAKEPEACE, MOTHER: He is my hero, and I'm here today because of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were the numbers?
COLLIN MAKEPEACE: 9-1-1.
DAN KRAUTH, MXMI REPORTER (voice over): Four-year-old Collin did more than dial the numbers when he found his mom in diabetic shock and his dad at work.
C. MAKEPEACE: She fell over the couch and she -- she hit the table.
KRAUTH: He had a full conversation about her condition with the 911 operator.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did everything. He did everything I asked him to do and more.
KRAUTH: Have a listen. C. MAKEPEACE (on the phone): Can you send an ambulance because my mom just had a heart attack.
OPERATOR: How do you know she had a heart attack?
C. MAKEPEACE: Because I hear her hiccups and now she fell on the floor.
OPERATOR: OK. Hold on honey, stay on the phone.
KRAUTH: He stayed on the phone, following instructions, unlocking the front door to paramedics could get in and holding the phone up to his mother, so the operator could hear her irregular breathing what he calls hiccups.
C. MAKEPEACE: Did you hear her?
OPERATOR: Yes, is that here breathing?
C. MAKEPEACE: Yes.
OPERATOR: So, she's making funny noises?
C. MAKEPEACE: Yes.
OPERATOR: It's real, she's making funny noises.
KRAUTH: And remember, he's only 4.
MELISSA FELLOWS, KENT COUNTY OPERATOR: The boy did a fantastic job. If the mom and dads in Kent County can learn from what this 4- year-old boy did, and teach their kids to do the same, that's what it's all about.
K. MAKEPEACE: It runs the blood through different systems.
KRAUTH: His mom Karri at home recovering. She's a Type I diabetic and undergoes dialysis three times a week. She spent three days in the ICU after that call. She doesn't remember anything about what happened, but won't ever forget what her son did for her.
K. MAKEPEACE: I know that he saved my life. If he would have waited any longer, or if he wasn't here, I probably wouldn't be here today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: What a smart little kid.
HOLMES: And the diagnosis was a little off, but still.
NGUYEN: But you know, she's laying on the floor and you're 4 years old.
HOLMES: But what do you say? But the 9-11 operator, I mean, could you imagine the kid? She said, hey, how do you know she had a heart attack? Lady, just sent an ambulance.
NGUYEN: Right now.
HOLMES: We'll talk about it later.
NGUYEN: All right, we're going to move on because "HOUSE CALL" is up next with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
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