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American Morning
Harsh Words for Chinese President; Carlina White: Lost and Found After 23 Years; Terrell Owens Gets Personal; Bank's Big Military Mistake; Berlusconi's "Superman" Quip; U.S. Surgeon General Urges More Support for Breast-Feeding Mothers
Aired January 20, 2011 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Coming up on the top of the hour now. In a remarkable recovery continues. Gabrielle Giffords this morning making miraculous improvements. She can get up out of bed now, stand with help.
Also, a golden gala, the White House state dinner for President Hu Jintao of China. The celebrities and the surprising guests at the president's table on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY (on-camera): Good morning to you. I'm Kiran Chetry along with T.J. Holmes. It's Thursday, January 20th. Glad you're with us on this AMERICAN MORNING. So, yes, a lot of few surprises with the guests that showed up last night.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: It had a lot of us scratching our heads as well, like, how do they get the ticket? But we'll still -- and they were all deserving up a ticket, but some of the names might throw you off a bit as well.
Another name might throw you off this morning. Terrell Owens, you might know him from reality show, know him as the outspoken pro bowl receiver, but he's going to be here in studio with us this morning to talk to you about something maybe you didn't expect him to talk to you about. He's coming up.
CHETRY: Also ahead, an amazing story. Imagine a baby stolen from a hospital, 19 days old, 23 years her family didn't give up hope. Reunited now. We're going to hear from her family. Alina Cho has the unbelievable story.
HOLMES: But first, what have we been hearing over the past several -- two weeks now since the shooting about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. There were days we heard that she opened her eyes, that she smiled a bit, she's touching her husband, she's recognizing, she's tracking movement. Listen to what she's doing now. She has stood up. She needs a little help to do so, but doctors say she at least has the strength to do it on her own, but right now, they're helping her with it. She should, as well, be out of the hospital and could be headed to rehab at some point today or tomorrow. And congresswoman scheduled to fly to Houston. She'll be checking into a facility that specializes in brain injuries. CHETRY: Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is live in Houston this morning and joins us. You obviously know more about how these recoveries go, but for just lay people hearing this that after less than two weeks after being shot and the bullet going through her brain, she's making these types of stride, standing now.
DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. I think many people assume that if you take a bullet in the brain, that that is probably it, or even if it doesn't kill you, that it's going to permanently injury you in some terrible way. That's not necessarily true. With the help of the great surgeons she had in Tucson and with the folks here in Texas, people really can recover.
This is the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research. This is where she'll be headed, one of the top places in the country for recovering from a brain injury, also near where her husband, Mark Kelly lives and works. And yesterday her trauma surgeon in Arizona talked about her progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. PETE RHEE, TRAUMA DOCTOR: Today, we were getting her out of bed against. We were able to stand with assistance. She's got the strength to stand on her own, lift her head up. I see improvements every single day.
And then for a period of time, we were also able to get her into a chair, that's a mobile chair, and we went to a written dough so she could see the mountains of Tucson which there's no doubt in my mind really lifted up her spirits, I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Now, it's interesting, doctors want her spirits lifted, not just to be nice and not just for her peace of mind but because that really helps on the long road to recovery. I've heard surgeons who say the patients' attitude can make or break a recovery. That surgeon you just saw, he'll actually be accompanying Giffords here to Houston tomorrow. Kiran, T.J.?
HOLMES: Remarkable for us lay people, but remarkable to hear how she's coming along. Elizabeth, we appreciate you this morning. We'll check in again. Her doctors as well have scheduled a news conference for noon eastern time today. We'll give you the update on her progress. You will see it live right here on CNN.
CHETRY: There's also been a development in the case of Jared Loughner this morning, the Tucson shooting suspect formerly indicted by a grand jury in Tucson facing three attempted murder charges, one for the Giffords shooting, two other counts for wounding aides Ron Barber and Pam Simon. Prosecutors say that there are more charges coming and that Loughner could be facing the death penalty. He'll be back in court on Monday for a plea hearing.
HOLMES: Let's turn to Washington now. Hope the Chinese president enjoyed his night last night. It won't get a whole lot better than that today. He's heading to Capitol Hill to talk to lawmakers and could get a bit of a frosty reception there.
But last night, nothing but pomp and circumstance, warm remarks, all smiles at the state dinner for the Chinese president. Listen to the list of stars who were in attendance.
CHETRY: U.S. figure skater champ, Michelle Kwan. There she is looking beautiful. Film star Jackie Chan, he is arriving there. Also singer Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin and clothing designer Vera Wang.
HOLMES: Let's talk to our Ed Henry now. He's covering the story for us at the White House live. Ed, good morning to you. This is not the most important thing. Let's start with this at least. We're always intrigued to find out who got to sit at the table with the presidents.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's amazing. If you look at the president's table alone, I believe there probably has not been this much star power in D.C. sing T.J. Holmes came to town and dined alone.
(LAUGHTER)
Look at this table. Four presidents at one table -- Obama, Hu, former presidents Carter, Clinton, Secretary of State Clinton, the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry, the head of GE Jeff Immelt, the actor B.D. Wong. You mentioned Barbra Streisand. She has this quip. Someone asked why did you get on the list? She said I once worked at a Chinese restaurant. I'm not sure that was the most PC comment of the night.
But when you look at the actual menu, there was not Chinese food. This was American food. This is what the White House traditionally does, highlight the best of America. You look at it, pear salad with farmstead goat cheese, Maine lobster, dry aged rib0eye with buttermilk crisped onions. This was rolling out the red carpet for the Chinese president.
Not everyone on Capitol Hill was happy about that, but the president trying to show, look, we've got to work with China one way or another. You asked how do you get on the guest list? It does not hurt if your brother is the White House chief of staff. The new chief of staff Bill Daley, Mayor Richard Daley was also at the President's table. So that one table had the mayor, four presidents, all kinds of senators and secretary of state, a lot of star power.
HOLMES: All I know is you. That hasn't gotten me anywhere in life thus far, Ed.
(LAUGHTER)
Let's turn to business. I hope he enjoyed his night last night. It might not be so warm and receptive for him when he goes to Capitol Hill today.
HENRY: Just look at some of the congressional leaders that were invited in both parties and didn't come. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, he didn't come. He made a comment while he was out there to a local TV station calling President Hu a "dictator." Senator Reid sort of walked that back and said I was talking about a different form of government.
Speaker Boehner also declined the invite saying he'll meet with President Hu today. But you have to wonder if maybe these leaders were skittish at being at this red carpet affair for the Chinese leader when you have individual lawmakers like Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, who had this to say about the Chinese president yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHRIS SMITH, (R) NEW JERSEY: To President Obama and Secretary Clinton, please be very specific in your conversation with Hu Jintao. Just a glossing over of we talked about human rights, something on a list of talking points simply won't cut it. Be specific and press this man who I believe ought to be at the Hague being held to account for crimes rather than being treated with a state dinner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Pretty strong words that the Chinese president should be at the Hague. By the way, Speaker Boehner office says by way of context here, he doesn't go to a lot of these state dinners. The last one he went to was for Queen Elizabeth when President Bush threw that state dinner. As you can imagine Queen Elizabeth a little less controversial than the president of China.
HOLMES: Whoa, the Hague?
HENRY: Pretty strong words.
HOLMES: My goodness. I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese president called in sick to the meetings today. We'll see if he shows up. Ed, good to see you as always, buddy.
HENRY: Good to see you.
CHETRY: One place you can watch coverage of Chinese President Hu's visit is China -- one place you can't watch it, or you can watch it is in China. Reporting on Hu's visit including demonstrations against China's human rights record were blacked out. CNN airs on a delay there and the programming also blacked out several times yesterday. So you can watch some of it but it is highly edited and highly censored.
HOLMES: That's amazing. Some of the Congress people saying we're celebrating this guy like this, look at what they do, suppress freedom of speech and freedom of press.
CHETRY: And problems in Tibet, on and on.
HOLMES: Christine Romans, we talked about a consumer agency that's supposed to be looking out for us. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Look, there was no teeth in consumer protection for 10, 15, 20 years, and that's what led to the bubble. The Obama administration trying to stand up this new consumer protection agency. Elizabeth Warren, who is a passionate supporter of consumer right is the interim director.
But there are reports out there that unless the Obama administration can get their final pick to the Senate and through the Senate by July 21st by the time this thing is supposed to be up and running, that there could be lapses, some serious lapses in consumer protection.
The way it stands right now, the big banks and consumer lending facilities will be overseen by this new agency. The person who will run the agency has to be approved and confirmed by the Senate. The bureau of consumer financial protection is something that is just being constructed right now.
Now, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, all of the big ones, they'll have to write things clearly and plainly. There will be new rules to regulate how that goes.
But other companies, companies like payday lenders, a small nonbank lenders, companies like Countrywide, American General, how will they fit into this if there is not someone running this agency?
It might be quite frankly too soon, six months, right, to be concerned about this. But there are reports out there saying that there are concerns that unless everything goes as planned and they get somebody named in there, there could be lapses of oversight of the very kind of firms they're trying to get oversight for because they led to the financial crisis.
HOLMES: We have a problem already. It's not even up and running.
ROMANS: And then the politics, oh, politics.
CHETRY: You hear Elizabeth Warren said, do you lose out on some of the power by not being confirmed? She said, listen, I wanted to get to work right away.
ROMANS: They are working. I talked to people at treasury and at that agency. Holly Petraeus has been appointed to oversee veteran protections and things of the like. So they are moving forward.
HOLMES: Christine, thank you, as always.
CHETRY: Some more incredible and devastatingly sad pictures from Brazil and the flooding disaster. Now the number of people killed now above 800. And officials say that number will likely reach 1,000. The devastating flooding and mudslides near Rio de Janeiro, you can see the waters in this picture rushing through, bursting right through a levee.
HOLMES: Take you to a radar picture now. We have another week, another storm, of course. Another winter storm we're keeping an eye on. There it is. You see where it is and where it's moving in the Midwest, making its way east. We could be talking about a lot of snow, six inches on the ground in some places possibly.
(WEATHER BREAK)
CHETRY: We have an update for you on the situation in that Philadelphia neighborhood after that huge explosion. They're trying to clean up right now. And you may remember this was a gas main explosion that happened in this Philadelphia neighborhood. A utility worker was killed. Right now they're mourning the loss and also trying to recover.
HOLMES: Also coming up, she was kidnapped when she was 19 days old. Now 23 years later she is back in her mother's arms.
It's 13 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it's 16 minutes past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Give you a follow-up on a story and video we showed you this week. Take a look. You'll remember this if you saw it. But this was this huge fireball. The video you're seeing here is out of Philadelphia.
Wow, a gas explosion happening there. One person was killed and now we know that victim was just 19 years old. Five other people were injured as well. Some of them injured seriously.
We also have video from an I-reporter who lives near the blast site. Take a look here at some of the damage, some of the aftermath. It took firefighters quite some time to get this under control, some two hours to put out the fire. But again, the update we're getting, the victim was just 19 years old.
CHETRY: Well, if you have a car that doesn't need a key to start, listen up. There's a new report in "USA Today" saying that when they did the testing, it's basically pretty easy for car thieves to hack into your keyless entry and then steal your car with the push-button ignitions. Swiss researchers found that the backers can tap into the signal for your key fob that it sends out, then open the doors, the trunk. And, of course, again if you have keyless or the push-button, you can just push the numbers on the side of your car. It's easier for them to steal.
HOLMES: Thieves are brilliant. Boy, if they'd put some of that to legal use.
CHETRY: Exactly.
HOLMES: Man, they could do amazing things.
Another amazing story to bring you this morning. Nineteen days old when she was kidnapped back in 1987. Here we are all these years later. This little baby girl is back home. Certainly a grown woman now. But you have to hear how this story all came about. Our Alina Cho with the story that has everybody talking this morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it definitely has the water cooler story of the day.
Good morning. You know, this is an incredible story what happened to little Carlina White, not so little anymore. You know the last time Joy White saw her daughter, she looked like this. Just 19 days old. It was a story that made national headlines 23 years ago.
Carlina White was an infant from Harlem. She was taken to the hospital for a 103 degree fever and was kidnapped by a woman posing as a nurse. It stunned the city. It stunned the nation, and it stumps the NYPD. Detectives essentially were left with nothing, no leads. Only hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY WHITE, MOTHER, CARLINA WHITE: I hope she's all right. Whoever got her, I hope they're taking good care of my baby.
ELIZABETH WHITE, CARLINA WHITE'S GRANDMOTHER: I thought about her a lot because one day I was hoping that someone would knock on the door and say, I'm Carlina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, she was never heard from again. Carlina was raised under a different name and was reportedly abused. But in her teens, smart girl, she began to think something was up when she wasn't able to find her birth certificate. That led her to the Internet where she actually found baby pictures of herself on the Web site for the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. In the end, remarkably, she found her own way home. And to be sure, the NYPD took DNA samples and guess what, they were a match.
So this is her then. This is her now. On Friday, she was reunited with her real mother, Joy, who says she never gave up, even left her daughter's photo on the dresser all these years. The family's prayers, 23 years later, finally answered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT CONWAY, CARLINA WHITE'S AUNT: Carlina was our missing link and we have gotten her back in the name of Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
ELIZABETH WHITE, CARLINA WHITE'S GRANDMOTHER: She was just like she'd been around us all our life. She was no stranger. She was just -- you know, just fit right in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The big question, of course, is who kidnapped Carlina all those years ago. Authorities still have not identified the suspects, but they could face federal charges. A lot of people, of course, asking was the suspect the person who actually raised Carlina White? Authorities certainly are not talking about that. They're remaining tightlipped.
But imagine, a cold case. You know, and 23 years later, authorities get the call from the girl herself.
CHETRY: I know. That's the amazing part because some say it was a cold case and others said they just totally missed what was right in front of their nose, which was this woman who had sort of befriended her mother in the hospital when she brought the baby in with a fever and then was dressed in a nurse's uniform. But they questioned her and could never tie her to this.
CHO: Well, in the end, she lived just 45 minutes =-- 45 miles away in Bridgeport, Connecticut, from her parents in the Bronx. It is an unbelievable story. But happy to report, of course, that there is a happy ending all these years later. Can you imagine that reunion and what that home is like to be in now?
HOLMES: Great story, Alina. We appreciate you this morning. Thanks so much.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: Coming up, Terrell Owens, he gets personal. He's here to talk a little bit of football, but also about something that touched his life. An illness that one of his most beloved family members is dealing with and how he wants to help.
HOLMES: And not that a lot of people out there need another reason to dislike big banks, but you're not going to believe what they did this time. But not just that, who they did it to.
Twenty-one minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-three minutes past the hour right now. Our next guest is often described as flamboyant, sometimes as controversial. It doesn't go anywhere quietly.
HOLMES: And we are seeing that in his face right now. He's sitting right here. We're talking about T.O., Terrell Owens, here with us to talk maybe around the issue you're not used to hearing T.O. talk about.
Good to have you here, my man.
TERRELL OWENS, NFL WIDE RECEIVER: Thanks for having me.
HOLMES: What do you think? Even for the non-sports fans out there who might know your name but not really sports fans, what do you think when they hear Terrell Owens? What do you think is the first thing that comes to their mind about you from the non-sports fan?
OWENS: Probably what they hear from a lot of the media outlets that I am flamboyant, probably selfish, not a good, you know, person, teammate and things of that nature.
HOLMES: And how long is it going to be before that changes, do you think? What would you like them to think about you when they hear the name Terrell Owens?
OWENS: Well, I mean, I think what I've done on the field pretty much speaks for itself but inside my heart, that's a different story. And that comes and stems from why I'm here today is, you know, my grandmother, she has Alzheimer's and she's been stricken with the disease since 1996. And so that's pretty much been my passion and pretty much for my success on the football field, that's who I am.
CHETRY: And, in fact, you were very candid about what it's like to deal with it. And we have a little clip from your show on VH1 about your grandmother. Let's take a look.
OWENS: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRELL OWENS, NFL WIDE RECEIVER: You always said speak your mind, no matter what. They can say whatever they want, grandma. You made me who I am. I'm proud of who I am.
I love you, grandma. I know you hear me. I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Just an amazing emotional moment for you talking to her. She basically helped raise you for a good part of your young life. What is it like having a person who is just totally different than what they used to be like?
OWENS: It's tough. And I think that's been probably the worst part of the disease is really we're the ones that are suffering more so than they are. And now it's like an estimated 5.3 million Americans that have the disease and by the year 2050, an estimated 16 million will have the disease. And so the family members, those are the ones that really suffer.
HOLMES: You can tell you still -- I don't know when was the last time you might have seen that clip. But it's clear that still gets you worked up to see it.
OWENS: Yes.
HOLMES: What year you say she was diagnosed?
OWENS: '96.
HOLMES: '96. You were drafted what year?
OWENS: 1996.
HOLMES: OK. How disappointing is it that she never really got to see maybe a lot of your success.
OWENS: Well, she hasn't. Again, you know, she knew I was drafted but never really, you know from that point was able to really comprehend what I've done, what I've become in my career. And I tell a lot of people now that when I step on that football field and I listen to the national anthem, you know, I look around the stadium and I can see her face.
CHETRY: How is she doing?
OWENS: She's doing good. I mean, you know, anybody that's knowledgeable about the disease, it takes your mind away. And I think for the first four or five years where she had -- her state of mind was the fact that she recognized me and my mom, just a couple of people. And she doesn't even remember her own son. So I can tell that I was very, very special to her.
HOLMES: It's almost -- people are probably sitting at home right now surprised by listening to you right now because they do know "The T.O. Show," "The T. Ocho Show" and all of that stuff. How about this? On a different note, if you will, are there some things about your life you maybe wish she didn't know? Because you have lived a heck of a life and you played some headlines here and there? Are there some things you wish she didn't get to see? Or would you just prefer her to see everything?
OWENS: Well, I would want her to see everything because, you know, no one's perfect. You know, she wasn't. And there are things that, you know, growing up in the household that I had to see. You know, some things I didn't want to hear and all that good stuff. But, you know, I'm proud of who I am. I'm proud of who I've become. And no matter what, I feel like through all of these, you know, trials and tribulations I feel like I've come out on top. And, you know, obviously with the celebrity status that I have, I'm using that, you know, to really, you know, bring awareness to a disease that is really affecting my household and millions of other households around the country.
CHETRY: We are going to link up the information. I know that you guys are talking about the passage of the National Alzheimer's Project Act and just trying to bring awareness. And so we'll link that up with our Web site. But thanks for joining us. It was great to have you in today.
OWENS: Oh, thank you.
HOLMES: T.O., I'm so sorry. We have to ask you before you leave, where are you playing next year?
OWENS: That's a good question. I don't know. I'll leave that into the hands of God. You know, I'm always going to keep my faith that I'll land on my feet somewhere.
HOLMES: You're playing, though?
OWENS: Yes, definitely.
HOLMES: Not set to retire? You're 37 now, right?
OWENS: Yes.
HOLMES: Had a great year or no?
OWENS: Exactly.
CHETRY: And you're a free agent, so if you had your dream place, where would you go?
OWENS: It's always tough. It's one of those things especially, you know, with me, I've got to have a good quarterback. You know, it has to be the right system for myself. And so I know I can still play the game. Obviously I proved that this past year, despite, you know, a lot of people saying, you know, kind of really assessing what did or didn't happen in Buffalo. But I think I proved to a lot of people this year.
HOLMES: We had to ask a football question. He wants to go to a place with a good quarterback. That probably eliminates about 25 teams.
CHETRY: You want to go back to the Eagles --
OWENS: I want to go to the Super Bowl. I want to get there again and have that chance to win a ring.
HOLMES: Good to see you this morning. Best to you and your family. I know you're all dealing with a tough time, have been dealing with it for quite some time. But thanks for coming in this morning.
OWENS: Thank you.
HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour. Quick break, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Beautiful shot this morning in New York City. Welcome back on this Thursday, January 20th.
With the sun coming up over New York, unfortunately, some snow is on the way by this time tomorrow. There's going to be a storm in the Midwest as well. Rob is going to have the full forecast a bit later.
Meantime, good morning once again to you. Thirty minutes past the hour. I'm Kiran Chetry.
HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
Listen to what Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has done now. She's taken another major step and she's getting closer to actually taking a step. We're told she is now standing.
Now, she does need some help, but doctors at the same time say she's capable and has the strength to stand on her own, but right now, still giving her some assistance as she does it, but taking this thing ever so slowly. She's going to be heading to a rehab center in Houston, we believe tomorrow.
Meanwhile, as far as the investigation, the accused Tucson shooter, Jared Loughner, is now being charged with three counts of attempted murder.
CHETRY: Fresh off the gala at the White House state dinner, Chinese President Hu Jintao will be heading to Capitol Hill today for some face-to-face meetings with congressional leaders. He can expect a much chillier reception for some members of Congress. Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner turned down invitations to attend last night's state dinner. Reid even called President Hu a dictator in his TV interview this week.
HOLMES: And we are getting closer to having a new country on the world stage. Have you been watching what's happening in Sudan? Well, they have been voting in a referendum, trying to decide whether or not if the South wants to secede and form their own country.
Well, some preliminary results are in. We know that, officially, they have met the threshold of 60 percent. That's how many voters would have to turn out for it to go forward, but at least meet that threshold. They are expected to get the official results next month. But everyone expects that, overwhelmingly, they will vote to secede and form their own country.
CHETRY: Well, one of the nation's biggest banks is now admitting to not only wrongly foreclosing on homes, but in thousands of cases, wrongly overcharging military families on their mortgages.
HOLMES: And this goes against rules that were set out to protect the people who are protecting us.
Jason Carroll is here with the story.
And you said a little earlier, a lot of people don't have a lot of love for big banks sometimes. But if f you didn't like them before, you're sure not going to like to hear this.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no, not after this one. You know, a lot of people calling this a real slap in the face to those who served this country. You know, the bank has already admitted to this costly mistake and tells CNN it is mailing refunds.
The person whose largely responsible for all of this coming to light is Julia Rowles. She calls her family's experience with Chase a four- year nightmare. It began in 2006 when her husband went on active duty. They notified Chase because according to federal law, the bank should have adjusted their mortgage rate. Under the Service Members Civil Relief Act, interest rates should be capped at 6 percent for those in active duty. But Chase continued to charge the family up to 9 percent, saying more than $10,000 was overdue.
The couple got an attorney and discovered the bank may have overcharged 4,000 military families and foreclosed on the homes of 14 service members.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA ROWLES, OVERCHARGED BY CHASE: Every time we talked to Chase, they were telling us we were in the wrong. It's amazing to me that we found out how big this is. This is our number one battle right now -- not for ourselves but for the other families that I'm speaking for them right now. And I'm hoping that they're watching right now and listening and can understand and answer this call that Chase needs to be held accountable for their actions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John and Julia are absolute perfect clients, because they have kept all of their documents. They had every statement, every piece of correspondence, both from and to Chase. I was shocked that they had to endure two years of collection calls on a frequent basis that they did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Well, Chase has admitted to making the error, saying, "We made mistakes here and we are fixing them. There is no finer group of people than the men and women in the armed services who fight to protect our country every day. And while any customer mistake is regrettable, we feel particularly badly about the mistakes we made here."
The bank says it is mailing $2 million in refunds to the service members overcharged, and it has resolved 13 of the 14 accidental foreclosures.
The Rowles believe they're still are owed money. They're suing the bank for themselves and for the other members of the military in a class action lawsuit.
You know what's interesting also about this is Chase -- even though they did issue this apology and they are trying to give this money and trying to get back, you know, the homes that were lost -- but there still has been in explanation in terms of why this happened to begin with.
CHETRY: Yes. About who dropped the ball and also how you make up for us, she said two years of harassing calls from collection agencies, all of the time that they spent trying to prove their case.
CARROLL: And imagine, you know, you guys both know, the stress that these service members are under anyway. So, imagine the stress of dealing with the harassing phone calls and the thought of perhaps even losing your home. You know, when I spoke to Julia last night, she was saying, you know, her husband at one point was even considering about leaving in deploying --
CHETRY: Right.
CARROLL: -- and leaving her home dealing with this mess.
HOLMES: Well, nice to know maybe things are going to be made right. We'll see what happens with the lawsuit.
Jason, we appreciate you this morning, as always.
CARROLL: Right. HOLMES: Well, he is a world leader, but this world leader is now accused of playing a role in a prostitution ring and also accused of having sex with a 17-year-old prostitute. So, what does he do? He's cracking jokes.
We're talking about Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dealing with his latest scandal and his response to this one and I quote, "I'd be better than Superman if I'd had parties with 24 girls," end quote. He is hilarious, isn't he?
CNN international correspondent Dan Rivers live for us in Rome.
Are they laughing?
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think a lot of Italians here who are really fed up with this now. The damage that this is doing to Italy's image abroad is incalculable.
This is the evidence that has been leaked from the court, 389 pages of intercepted phone calls of Berlusconi's friends and associates which paints a picture, according to prosecutors, of a world of sleaze, of vice, of prostitution and of payoffs.
Now, all of this, Silvio Berlusconi is coming out and furiously denying -- he was on TV again last night for 10 minutes broadcasting to the nation, basically saying, I have nothing to be ashamed of, I haven't been paid any prostitutes. I've never paid for sex -- denying the whole thing.
But these prosecutors from Milan are really going after him.
And at the center of the scandal, as you say, is this 17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer nicknamed Ruby the Heartbreaker who it's alleged Berlusconi had some sort of relationship with. Now, she's also being on TV last night here in Italy denying she ever slept with Berlusconi, claiming that she told Berlusconi in fact that she was 24 years old. She denied that she had asked for hush money, some $7 million of hush money to keep her silence. But she did admit that she took $10,000 from Berlusconi, was offered it in order to help with her studies.
So, it's all a pretty murky business here and one that Berlusconi is saying is politically motivated by his enemies to bring him down. He's refusing to resign.
Many Italians we've spoken to this morning, even those who like Berlusconi, are pretty fed up with it.
HOLMES: All right. Superman and Ruby the Heartbreaker, there is nothing like Italian politics. Dan Rivers for us -- good to see you as always. Thanks.
CHETRY: How about this? Everybody would love Super Bowl tickets, of course, right?
HOLMES: Yes, of course.
CHETRY: Sports fan or not, just to be able to be at the big game. Would you pay $200, though, to sit outside of the stadium?
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) stadium though.
CHETRY: There he is. And some are banking on people deciding to do just that. We'll have details f or you coming up.
HOLMES: Also coming up, take a look at the screen. Does this look like work to you? We will let our Rob Marciano explain why he's getting paid for this assignment.
It's 38 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: All right. Sometimes what happens behind the camera is even funnier than on what's happening on the camera. We'll playing highway to the danger zone and (INAUDIBLE) stage man, got clip by one of our cameras zooming in. So, that was the danger zone. But, you duck.
Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. There is he, safe and sound. Thank goodness. We would not know what to do without him.
Meteorologist Rob Marciano has had a good run, which continues. But he gets some very, very interesting and challenging assignments.
HOLMES: And some of our viewers might remember some of these. He started, what, the one we'll show you on the left. He started out here. He was skydiving. This was I believe back in 2008.
CHETRY: Nice.
HOLMES: Then he actually got to be a groundskeeper for the New York Yankees for a day. That was back in '07. He also went to firefighters' school at a point as well. And then finally, you might remember the last one, he certainly enjoyed -- that's skydiving there. But he got to be a NASCAR driver. That was just last year, 2010. We're actually still paying insurance claims on that one.
CHETRY: Exactly. He looked great in that NASCAR suit, too. You know, it just fit him perfectly, looked like it could be him. What's his name, Jeff Gordon and the other Dale Earnhardt, Jr., they all made a good team.
Anyway, Rob goes from predicting snow to boarding on it today.
HOLMES: All right. He is taking a look and again, we keep having to justify why you're there. You are working but you're giving us behind the scenes stuff, you're giving us some stuff out there as well.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, that's true. And all that you ran -- I'm just trying to build my resume for when the day CNN pulls the rug out from under me. So, I'm just looking for a backup plan.
CHETRY: That's right. You have to have a plan B. MARCIANO: You do. Well, snowboarding has never been my forte. I've only done it a handful of times. But, you know, these kids, the last 10 years, they've been just getting nuts, getting huge air, doing tricks, you know, 360, 720, double corks, all this crazy nutty stuff.
Well, they have an advantage now because -- now, they can go indoors. There's an interesting facility just north of here. I got to go to not just one but two ski resorts to shot this story in order to learn a few tricks on a snow board. So, bear me. But, dude, this is going to be awesome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SHIMPENO, WOODWARD AT COOPER: We take skiers and snowboarders and teach them how to be gymnasts.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Woodward at Copper Mountain is a state-of-the- art facility for aspiring free stylist. Rick Shimpeno is going to teach me a few tricks.
(on camera): A guy like me who got limited skills on a snowboard, you're going to teach me how to spin and slide and twist and clip?
SHIMPENO: Absolutely.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Basic tumbles and rolls teach proper crash technique, but it's the trampoline that gets you the big air.
SHIMPENO: Loved it. Absolutely loved it.
MARCIANO (on camera): This is getting fun now.
(voice-over): On to the board.
SHIMPENO: Did you feel extreme.
MARCIANO (on camera): I felt totally extreme. I feel like a total hawk (INAUDIBLE).
SHIMPENO: Are you going to send it on the next one?
MARCIANO: Totally going to send it.
SHIMPENO: Send it.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Which means taking my first jump.
(on camera): He says I'm good to go. But I'm doo-doo in the diapers right now.
SHIMPENO: Yes, Rob. Yes!
MARCIANO: So, I decided to put my new skills to the test, no foam here at Steamboat's terrain park. Wish me luck.
Oh! Yes! Did you really think that was me? That's my stunt double. Way to rip it up, kid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
MARCIANO: Give me my jacket back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE). Come on, there's no way I was going that big. I'd kill myself. There's no insurance claim big enough for me to try that stuff. Sorry to pull trickery on you. We wanted to show somebody who knew what they were doing truly on a board. These kids going huge, not only at Steamboat but at other resorts around the country. And it's just really impressive to see them do what they do.
CHETRY: You have reached a new pinnacle. You have stunt doubles working for you now.
MARCIANO: Totally cheating. Sorry. Got my jacket back. Didn't look bad on that kid. He might have a future at CNN when I get fired.
CHETRY: And you also were not too bad, though, I will say because I can't even maintain a vertical stance on the snowboard. It's hard. It's much harder than skiing to me. Have you done it?
HOLMES: No, I don't go down the mountain on something slick. No. I just don't roll like that. But I respect those that do.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Rob, good stuff, as always, buddy. Congratulations out there. We'll check in with you again from Steamboat Springs.
MARCIANO: All right. Thanks, guys. See you then.
HOLMES: It's 46 minutes past the hour. Be right back.
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HOLMES: About 10 minutes to the top of the hour. We'll give you a look at some of the stories we're keeping an eye on, including another storm this week that could cause some problems, possibly you if you start to travel. Northeast is going to be bracing again for another storm. The system is making its way through the Midwest right now. This one could be leaving six inches of snow on the ground in some places.
CHETRY: And the record cold weather so far this season heeding into Florida citrus crop. Farmers in south Florida are calling on Washington for some help. They're asking for a statewide disaster declaration. So far, damage in Miami-Dade is estimated at more than $54 million.
HOLMES: And get your Super Bowl tickets but you won't be allowed to go into the game. We're talking about $200 tickets. Sounds pretty good, right? But what that gets you is a place to stand outside the stadium. The game is going to be at the $1-plus billion new Dallas Cowboys stadium, but the owner Jerry Jones, he wants so desperately to break the attendance record for Super Bowls. The only way you can do that is to sell tickets for the outdoor section. It's an outdoor plaza where you'll get to see game on a video screen.
CHETRY: You know what, though? I was thinking, if he wanted to break the attendance record he doesn't have to charge $200. If he made it cheaper, he'd get a ton more people. He wants some money, too.
HOLMES: He's a pretty rich guy. Pretty smart guy, too.
CHETRY: $200?
HOLMES: That's pretty cheap for a Super Bowl ticket if you actually get to the game, I suppose.
CHETRY: To stand outside the stadium and stare up at the big screen?
HOLMES: To be a part of the environment. But if you want them, you have to buy four. They come in a four pack. So it's actually going to cost you $800.
CHETRY: Insult to injury. Great. Have fun.
HOLMES: Quick break. We're right back.
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CHETRY: This morning, the U.S. surgeon general is issuing a calling to action opening to offer support to breast-feeding mothers despite the studies showing that breast-feeding is beneficial, just 13 percent of infants are still exclusively breast-fed at the end of six months.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin is hoping to change those numbers. She joins us exclusively from Washington, this morning.
Thanks so much for being with us.
DR. REGINA BENJAMIN, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Well, thank you for having me.
CHETRY: No doubt this is an important topic. Of the health concerns out there, why did you find it so important to focus on breast-feeding and support for new moms?
BENJAMIN: Well it's really important. Prevention is the foundation of the public health system and prevention is a foundation of my work as Surgeon General. And there's no better way that a mother could have prevention and practice is to breast-feed. And that was one of the reasons that we really wanted to address this.
As you said, less than -- most women want to breast-feed. While 75 percent start out breast-feeding, less than 13 percent are exclusively breast-feeding at six months. And it's even -- those numbers are even lower in African-American women. And so something happens between that first initiation of breast-feeding and that six-month period. And so we're trying to break down some of those barriers that moms experience when they're trying to breast-feed.
CHETRY: Yes. And let's talk about those numbers. You talked about them and I'll put them up again -- 75 percent start out, giving it a try. Obviously it's very encouraged. At six months, 43 percent are doing it, but not exclusively. And 13 percent of moms are exclusively breast-feeding.
You know, part of it is -- and this is something that you talk about -- it's difficult. It's difficult to do and there's not a lot of support out there. But when you talk about a call to action, who needs to be listening and who needs to be helping get this change going?
BENJAMIN: Well, everyone can help mothers breast-feed. And that's what we're asking everyone to kind of chip in and help these mothers who want to breast-feed. You know, everyone can't breast-feed and don't want to, but those who want to, we should make it easier for them.
For example, today, many women work. Most women work. And in the workplace, it's very hard sometimes to go back to work after delivery and you need a place that's private, that's clean to be able to breast-feed. So we're asking employers to provide a clean and private place that a mom could breast-feed, other than a bathroom.
CHETRY: Right.
BENJAMIN: And we want to make sure that they're given that support. And particularly for moms who are the low wage earners, it's really hard for them to take frequent breaks to be able to breast-feed or pump. And so if the work environment would be a little bit more conducive and a little bit more understanding, I think it would help.
CHETRY: I do want to ask you, though. I mean, from experience, I went back to work at eight weeks both times after having both of my children, continued to try to do the exclusive breast-feeding. Between needing to pump milk and racing home to give milk bottles to the caregiver and all of that.
I mean, at some point, are we putting too much pressure on women?
BENJAMIN: Well, I think we can make the environment a little bit easier. Again, having it as a culture. Having a little bit easier time for you. If you had those places, those lactation rooms or places to be able to go in at work, to be able to be comfortable, to be able to pump and take the milk back for your baby at home.
We also encourage family members. In the older days or other days in the past, grand-moms and moms, everyone breast-feed and so it was easy to give that support. We don't see as much of that anymore. So there are community organizations that are helping to teach moms, spouses and grand-moms how to support the mothers in the home.
CHETRY: Right. I want to ask you quickly because there was a new study out saying that perhaps children who were exclusively breast- feed may have some allergies and nutritional inadequacies by not introduced to food earlier.
Do you still stand by exclusive breast-feeding for six months is the way to go?
BENJAMIN: We do. And American Academy of Pediatrics does, too. Basically that report that came out supported the six months. They basically suggested that you may want to give more iron and give some supplements, and we agree with that. We can give supplements.
But the benefits that the mother gets and the child, the mother -- the child is less likely to have ear infections, to have pneumonia, asthma. And mom herself gets benefits. Mom is less likely to have breast cancer or ovarian cancer. And the other thing is, many people don't realize that babies who are exclusively breast-fed for the first six months of life are less likely to become obese.
CHETRY: Right. It's a big issue about that, too. Weight gain in the future.
Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General. Great to talk to you, this morning. Thanks so much.
BENJAMIN: Thank you very much.
CHETRY: We'll be right back with your top stories in 90 seconds.
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