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American Morning
Our Generation's "Sputnik Moment"; Giffords Headed to Rehab; Interview with Rep. Steny Hoyer; Riding the Big Ones; Room Service Needed
Aired January 26, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, top of the hour here now. Good morning and welcome to you all to this AMERICAN MORNING for Wednesday, January the 26th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us this morning.
We're monitoring the situation in Houston, where Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is expected to be transferred out of the ICU and into rehab sometime this morning. Here's the look at the ambulance that's going to be carrying her for that approximately mile-long journey to rehab. Doctors upgraded Congresswoman Giffords' condition from serious to good and we're going to be getting a live report with more detail just ahead.
HOLMES: Also, same old story, same old song. We've got another storm that is going to cause all kinds of travel headaches for a lot of you out there. It is going to be hitting the northeast and some places are going to be getting at least a foot of snow. We'll tell you exactly how long this thing is going to be causing some headaches.
CHETRY: And when you see pictures like this, sometimes you say, are these dudes just plain crazy? After seeing the big wave, surfer wiped out, seriously injured actually last week. We're going to talk to another big wave rider that keeps hitting the waves, despite the risks, about why they do it.
HOLMES: Well, how can we do both of these things? We have to think big about the future but we also have to think about this debt that we are under. The president hitting on both of those themes last night in the State of the Union; of course, most of it was spent talking about economic growth, jobs and investment in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is our generation's Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the space race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We'll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: An investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And he plans to do all of that, while trying to spend a lot less money. He outlined a plan to try to win the future with new jobs and also cutting spending.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Now, this would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade and will bring discretionary spending to the lowest share of our economy since Dwight Eisenhower was president. I'm willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without, but let's make sure that we're not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And let's make sure that what we're cutting is really excess weight. Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening and overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel like you're flying high at first, but it won't take long before you'll feel the impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: OK. What was that?
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Candy Crowley is here.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Smoked salmon we understand this one. It's just still -- even the second time around.
HOLMES: He was into a lot of energy and analogy and throwing Sputnik in there. We understand what he was trying to do. But did everybody get the message, you think?
CROWLEY: You know, I think some of it. There were some things you can think -- you can tell sort of fell flat in that room.
But, you know, one of the things that we talked about what was the speech intended to do? You know? Was this a policy speech? No. It was too light on specifics to really be counted as a policy speech.
Was it a pep rally? It seemed a little too subdued to me to be labeled a pep rally.
But I do think that what the president was trying to do here was offer sort of a philosophical "let's try to remember what makes America great" kind of speech. I was -- last week in preparing for stuff I was doing on air, we looked back at a poll last summer and the question was: are America's best days behind it? About 65 percent of the people said yes.
You can't create a good economy if people think you're going down the tubes. I think this was one of those, "Hey, remember America? Remember us? We're great, remember Sputnik? We came back after that?"
He had a couple of lines that I really liked. What was is: "We are poised for progress." And he got around to the State of the Union and almost the last graph of the speech when he said, you know, America has always been able to, you know, come around. We've always been able to take on the challenges. And so, because of that, the State of the Union is sound.
So, I think that's what he was going for was "Hey, you guys come on, you know, we can do this."
CHETRY: It was different because you're right. It was a lot more focused last year. He touched on a lot of different issues and talked about specifics like closing Gitmo and turning back from different wars. And so, it was interesting to hear this one.
And also it was interesting to hear the dueling rebuttals from the GOP. We heard from the official response and then we heard from the Tea Party. Let's listen to a little bit of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: Our nation is approaching a tipping point. We are at a moment where if government's growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, America's best century will be considered our past century.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: You voted out the big spending politicians and you put in their place great men and women with a commitment to follow our Constitution and cut the size of government. I believe that we're in the very early days of a history- making turn.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
CHETRY: All right. So, let's touch on the elephant in the room everybody is talking about which is why is she looking to the wrong camera? She was looking off-camera and a lot of people commented it was distracting.
CROWLEY: Except if you were watching it on the Web and then she was looking right at you. That was a web camera, because this was initially, they said, oh, let's talk to the Tea Party folks out there via the Internet. So, she is looking at the Internet camera -- whereas, our cameras and other cameras were at a slightly different angle. So, that's why it was distracting on TV but not on the Internet.
HOLMES: Do you think in some way it helped the president to have them mixed and matched in the room last night? Helped or hurt in some way? Because he didn't have his cheerleaders over there to enthuse him and then he didn't have -- I mean, Americans were looking at that, it didn't look like there was much of a split in the room. So, maybe they're thinking, oh, Democrats and Republicans are all kind on board what the president is saying.
CROWLEY: Which was sort of the point. I mean, yes, I mean, think this -- this is something that was, OK, this is really silly and, frankly to take on this kind of third grade, Sally, you sit with Jimmy, Jimmy, you sit -- it took that on.
But the fact of the matter is, it gave it more heft. It took the pep rally out of it. It really did. You didn't have one team and the other.
But I think the other thing the president said that, you know, a lot of lines I thought were kind of lost while we were trying to figure out, you know, where he was in general going.
But he said what comes of this moment, talking about post- Tucson, will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow. And think that's exactly right. Yes, it presented a nice picture of the country. But the fact is, where are you today and what are you going to do for us today?
HOLMES: You're a political junkie, would you want him to do this again next year? Or do you appreciate seeing the two sides just this little pep rally thing?
CROWLEY: I think there's time for a pep rally. Man, I mean -- you know, it matters what the president says. Look, let's face it, they are props, you know? I mean, no matter how you look at it, Congress is a prop in all of this. So --
CHETRY: It did seem, though -- there did seem to be like an edge off of a lot of people. I mean, it did -- it was nice to see people talking. It was nice. You know, I was looking at the reactions and Boehner didn't make any faces when he didn't agree with something the president said. So, it just -- it seemed as though it was a little bit more --
CROWLEY: It made it less stupid. Do you know what I mean? It did give I think sort of the -- people keep talking about raising the level of the rhetoric and these are important things. I thought it did that. It made it seem less, you know, Kabuki Theater.
HOLMES: Yes. Well, Candy Crowley, we appreciate you spending time with us. We know you had a late night last night and I do miss you on Sundays.
CROWLEY: Come back, always forgive us (ph).
HOLMES: All right. Well, Candy Crowley, you can see her and you can make her the best part of your Sunday like she used to be the best part of mine. "STATE OF THE UNION," Sunday mornings, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and again at noon Eastern, right here on CNN.
Thanks, Candy.
CHETRY: And the stunning recovery continues. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is expected to check out of the intensive care sometime this morning, and into a rehab facility at TIRR Memorial Hermann Medical Center in Houston.
These are live pictures right now. That's the ambulance that's going to carry her to the rehab facility now that her condition has been upgraded from serious to good.
HOLMES: And our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is there for us.
Elizabeth Cohen, good morning to you. We were told it was maybe going to happen around 8:00 this morning, but that is now kind of a floating target. Do we have any update on when she might be moved to rehab and what might have been happening that caused them to switch her to good condition from serious condition?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. We are told, T.J., that this is going to happen any minute now. So, I'm watching that same ambulance, glancing down to see if there's any movement there.
And, T.J., what we've been told for several days that there was one thing keeping her in the intensive care unit and that was her hydrocephalus and that is a term for too much fluid in the brain. You can't have that. That's too much pressure. It's really dangerous.
So, we were told she's got to stay in the ICU until that goes away. So, apparently, it's gone away. We don't know if it went away on its own or they may have installed some kind of a mechanical drain inside her to drain the fluid away. Hopefully, we'll learn more about that once she comes in.
She'll be coming to the hospital behind me right there. It's called TIRR Memorial Hermann. That stands for The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research -- T.J., Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. We wanted to ask you one other question. That she was watching the State of the Union. And you said also that she watched an hour of television on Monday night. How significant is that?
COHEN: You know, it's significant that she had that much attention span. And I know this sounds strange, but it's significant that it's significant. In other words, I think it tells us something that her husband is excited that she was able to pay attention to television for an hour. That tells you something about where she is in her recovery.
And what doctors are looking for at this stage is: is there something new every day she can do? And everything we've heard from her husband and everything we've heard from her neurosurgeon -- I got to sit down with him exclusively yesterday -- is that she's able to do something new every day and that makes them very happy.
CHETRY: Amazing. Her recovery continues and now, she's moving on to the next step. Not going to be easy, though, of course.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth.
Well, we're talking about the winter weather and it's already starting here. There's a live picture right now in New York City. A little bit of snow is already starting to fall in Central Park this morning. Nice and snowy and we're just going to add to that. New York may get three to six inches of snow. They are expecting more of that in Boston.
All major airports in the Northeast are certainly going to feel the impact. So, there is a chance of more long delays and, unfortunately, cancellations.
HOLMES: Let's talk to Jacqui Jeras about that now.
Jacqui, how quickly is this storm going to move through?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, pretty quickly. In fact, we are talking about 24 hours probably and things are going to be a lot better into the Northeast. It's just -- you know, what happens between now and then is going to be the problem.
Look at how big this storm is, though. It's coming in two different pieces and we've got winter storm warnings and advisories in effect for 19 different states, from Alabama all the way up into Maine.
There you can see where the snow is coming down at this hour. In the South, we're looking at snow in places like Nashville and Louisville, where one to three inches are going to be expected. Mostly rain for you, though, into the Carolinas.
And then the Northeastern corridor, this is kind of a warm-up to what we're going to get a little bit later. You saw the snow in New York City. We've got snow in Philadelphia, mixing at times for Baltimore and D.C. And that's probably going to happen in Philly and maybe even in New York City with some sleet building in.
And then the accumulating snow, though, we think is going to happen overnight tonight. So, that low is going to ride up the coast. It's going to intensify. We're going to watch those winds pick up tonight and things will be better by midday at the latest for tomorrow.
We are already seeing problems at the airports, ground stop in Philadelphia. We've got an hour delay. It's a ground delay program at LaGuardia. That means people taking off from other airports across the country to get into New York City, that's where we have the issues.
OK. Let's play who's had too much snow. Almost everybody. Philadelphia, you've had 22.7 inches, which is more than 15 above where you should be this time of the year. Pushing 30 above average for New York City, as well as Boston. And pushing 50 above average for Syracuse.
So, go ahead and complain. We're going to add to those numbers for every single one of you.
CHETRY: Wow. Setting records? Are we setting records this year?
JERAS: Not seen a lot of records just yet, but that's something we'll have to watch if we get any more of these nor'easters coming through, which is a good possibility.
HOLMES: All right. Jacqui, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again soon.
Well, a lot of people out there are looking for jobs out there. Well, how would you like to work for one of the best companies in the world? Well, they are hiring, a lot. We'll tell you.
CHETRY: Also ahead, there is a bipartisan alliance, at least we saw one last night with the seating arrangements. But is this going to continue on into the law-making portion? Up next, we're going to talk to House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. Can Democrats and Republicans reach common ground? And, is he the man to do it?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Fifteen minutes past the hour now.
President Obama drove the point home last night that sitting together means little if Democrats and Republicans can't actually work together when it counts. That partnership, of course, is critical to his formula for winning the future. So, how will it happen?
Joining us from Capitol Hill, one of the president's point men in the House, Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, the Democratic whip.
Thanks so much for joining us this morning, Congressman.
REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), MINORITY WHIP: Good to be with you, Kiran.
CHETRY: I want to ask you about the talk of civility, the seating arrangements. Of course, you sat with your Republican counterpart, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy.
How different was the mood last night than, say, last year's State of the Union?
HOYER: Well, I think it was significantly different. I mean, the fact that Republicans and Democrats were sitting together, not sort of in two camps ready to pop up on something they liked or pop up on something -- or sit -- or sit silent on something they didn't like, I think the fact that we were together, I think, was a good start. It created an atmosphere that I think is important.
But as the president pointed out, sitting together will be not the key, working together will be. I think the American public expects us to work together. And what the president and what I thought was a serious thoughtful call to action, not a rah-rah speech but a serious reflection on the challenges that confront us and his suggestion of some of the solutions, I thought that it created an atmosphere to listen to that speech.
Now, hopefully, that atmosphere will carry over to meet the challenges, given the fact that there are differences of opinion. But, Kiran, one of the things we saw in the post-election session was that it can be done. Not 10 years ago, 20 years ago, but last month, it was done where we came together and made compromises by definition compromises, have some things in that each party doesn't like, but, on the whole, they believe the proposition is supportable.
I think we need to do that. I think we can do that. I've been working with Mr. Cantor and Mr. McCarthy --
CHETRY: Right.
HOYER: -- and Speaker Boehner, in discussions to hope that we can move forward in a way that will affect change.
CHETRY: All right. So, two things I want to ask you about then. One is, of course, the health care situation. The president last night said working to, you know, that the repeal is not necessarily helpful, that working together to sort of tweak moving forward would probably be more helpful.
Do you really think you're going to get any give from the other side who -- they voted to repeal it? They want to repeal it, not necessarily just change.
HOYER: Well, there was a vote to repeal in the House. That, obviously, is a pledge Republicans made and they have fulfilled that pledge. But I don't really think it was a serious effort and, frankly, the debate surrounding it didn't make it much of a serious debate.
Bill Frist, a former Republican leader of the United States Senate, very close to George Bush, and a great surgeon in his own right, a great medical leader -- Bill Frist said that, talking about getting rid of it, it didn't really make sense, that it would be the basis upon which we would build to make sure that we had affordable, accessible quality health care available to our people.
I think he's right. I think it will be the basis. I think that's what the president said last night. That would be the basis upon which we could build.
He was open to making improvements. He said that anything of this magnitude certainly could be improved. I think we all agree on that.
But as Senator Bill Frist, the former Republican majority leader said --
CHETRY: Right.
HOYER: -- it will be the basis on which we will build.
CHETRY: I want to ask you about the budget, because the GOP has a very different take on what it will take to balance the budget, what it will take to get out of deficit spending.
But where do you see common ground after listening to the GOP responses last night on any type of legislation to bring down the deficit?
HOYER: Well, certainly what we saw was common ground in a recognition that dealing with a budget deficit is an absolutely critical objective if we're going to stabilize and grow our economy. We cannot sustain the deficit picture that confronts us.
The president referenced that two commission reports that were made. One, his commission that he appointed; the other commission led by Alice Rivlin and Senator Pete Domenici. Both of them put forward that we had to deal across the board with spending and revenues that we had deal, not only with domestic nondefense, non-security spending, which the president talked about, our Republican friends talked a lot about -- but we also got a deal with defense spending and spending on health care, and the president mentioned Medicare and Medicaid in particular.
We have to deal across the board with spending, constrain it, make sure that it's sustainable in the future, and get our deficits down.
CHETRY: He also mentioned earmarks. He said, anything that comes across this desk that has an earmark he's going to veto it. It didn't get that response from the Democrats. I saw a standing ovation from Senator John McCain who has talked about this time and again.
Why do you think the Democrats might not have been as excited about that prospect?
HOYER: Well, very frankly, the Constitution of the United States, in Article I, we heard a lot about reading the Constitution, says that it is the Congress of the United States that's given the authority under our Constitution to appropriate monies and to apply those to needs that the Congress sees in the country.
I think that's a constitutional responsibility of the Congress. I frankly wasn't very taken with the president's thought. Clearly, if there's an additional spending initiative by the Congress that is not appropriate, the president ought to veto it. On the other hand, if it is an appropriate expenditure in a community, in a state, in the nation, then I think, frankly, the president ought to sign that.
I thought simply a blanket statement that because Congress adds an item of spending to the appropriation bills that he would, therefore, veto it -- I think that was unfortunate and a proposition with which I do not agree.
CHETRY: Well, it was great to get your take this morning. Congressman Steny Hoyer, Democratic whip, thanks so much.
HOYER: Thank you.
CHETRY: T.J.?
HOLMES: Well, Kiran, Hall of Fame wrestler and ex-governor Jesse Ventura is now suing the government, but when you hear why -- you might be on board, too.
Also, some people out there can't even walk and chew gum. They certainly don't need to be walking and texting. There ought to be a law against this. Well, maybe there will be soon.
It's 21 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A live look here in Houston, Texas. We are standing by.
The ambulance is the one we are anticipating will take Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from the hospital she has been since she got to Houston just days ago. It's going to take her to the rehab center where her rehab can officially begin.
This is all good news and significant news because it's just another major milestone step in her recovery because her condition overnight was upgraded from serious to good. That, of course, is a good thing. They were having some issues with some fluid that needed to be drained from her brain. That's why she hadn't been moved yet.
But another significant moment for her and that she's moving to this rehab center. It's only going to take her about a mile away from this hospital to that rehab center. But we are keeping a close eye on the continued remarkable recovery of Gabrielle Giffords.
Meanwhile, we'll turn to Jesse Ventura now. He's suing the federal government. In particular, he's got a beef with the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security. Of course, he's the former Minnesota governor and former pro-wrestler.
He's upset about -- you guessed it -- those aggressive pat- downs. He actually has a titanium plate in his hip that he says sets off the metal detectors thereby subjecting him more often to some of those pat-downs. Now, he doesn't want any money, he just wants an acknowledgment that his rights are being violated.
The agency is not necessarily responding to him directly, but standing by their security procedures.
CHETRY: Well, talking on the phone while walking in New York City may become illegal -- at least if one stay lawmaker gets his way. Brooklyn Senator Carl Kruger is zeroing in on what he calls distracted walkers. He's proposing a bill that would ban the use of cell phones or iPods in crosswalks.
This comes after several accidents. You may remember the Pennsylvania woman that fell into the fountain at the mall while texting last week. Well, under that proposal, if you get caught doing it, you could face a $100 fine. Again, it's still a proposal.
HOLMES: Just a proposal right now.
"Jersey Shore." Are you a fan? There are plenty of you out there. Many of you hate to even admit it. Well, they are leaving Jersey. That might make some folks in Jersey happy.
However, Italy, you just hold on. They are coming your way. Yes, this group is heading to shoot their, what, season four is this? They are heading to Italy for it.
MTV says the gang will drop in on Vinny's Italian relatives for a traditional family dinner. The new season will begin filming this spring. The show is slated to air later this year.
CHETRY: Maybe it will be nice, go change of pace for them. "The reason we're always partying and drunk is because we're at the Jersey Shore. That's what you do." So, what happens when you're in Italy, huh?
HOLMES: Vinny, what is it? Does he have a name? Which one is Vinny? Does he have --
CHETRY: Yes, Vinny. Vinny is the youngest one, the smallest.
HOLMES: He doesn't have a name, The Situation or
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Yes, he doesn't have. OK.
CHETRY: No, because he doesn't have that many abs, at least as many as the others.
Surfers tell us it came barreling through like a freight train. Everybody run through like a giant washing machine is how they described it. What was it like to survive that monster wave? We're going to talk to Grant Washburn. He's a big wave surfer. He's going to tell us what it was like and why they risk their lives out there.
HOLMES: Also, one of the best companies to work for is going on a hiring binge. We'll tell you who and how maybe you can get one of those jobs.
Our Stephanie Elam is coming up. We're getting close to the bottom of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Bottom of the hour on this "AMERICAN MORNING." We are starting to see some activity around the ambulance there in Houston that is expected to take Gabrielle Giffords from that hospital to rehab so she can officially start that rehab. We were told it would happen sometime this morning and we might see it on our watch at least on this "AMERICAN MORNING."
She is not going too far. The rehab center is only a mile away, but another remarkable step, another milestone in her recovery and rehabilitation after her condition overnight was upgraded from serious to good.
CHETRY: We see some people standing out there now. So maybe they are getting closer to moving her.
During her final night in the ICU, Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly held hands in her hospital room and watched the state of the union address together. Earlier this week she reportedly she watched CNN for a solid hour. Doctors say it's a very good sign because it means she is able to pay attention, her attention span is there and that is she is focused on what she is watching.
HOLMES: And a the State of the Union last night, the president trying, trying to inspire a nation for us to become the nation as he put it, we once were, that great nation was able to out-educate and out-innovate and outcompete the world. And where does it start? That starts in the classroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones.
(APPLAUSE)
And over the next ten years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.
(APPLAUSE)
In fact, every young person listening tonight who is contemplating their career choice, if you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher. Your country needs you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: One of the more touching moments of the speech, he reminded us that education also begins at home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: It's family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated but the winner of the science fair. We need to teach them that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And the president also had some warm words last night for the new House Speaker, John Boehner. He mentioned Boehner's first job was sweeping the floors which prompted the leader who is known to shed a tear or two or three or a hundred.
CHETRY: Leave this guy alone!
HOLMES: He has made light of it. Everyone knows. But, no, I think it's great that he wears his heart on his sleeve and he gets choked up at the drop of a hat.
Well, one star from last night's event is someone you never heard of. You have seen her picture there, Kathy Proctor, who got a shout- out from the president. Not a lot of people knew who she was. Even the people sitting around her but I bet they know now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: One mother of two, a woman named Kathy Proctor, had worked in the furniture industry since she was 18-years-old. And she told me she's earning her degree in biotechnology at 55-years-old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: I love it. She's adorable! Actually seeing it for the second time now, I love the reaction of the second lady that she says that is me. She goes, yes. The president is talking.
HOLMES: Clearly not everyone in the room knew, and not everybody is getting a shout-out from the president. If you get one, you want people to know you just got one and she got one. We know who you are, Kathy Proctor, right now.
CHETRY: Congratulations.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: She could have been like that's me!
CHETRY: She was very subtle.
ELAM: It's me. It's me. She didn't turn around.
CHETRY: Maybe just didn't see that on camera.
ELAM: Google is hiring!
CHETRY: That may make some people jump out of their seats hearing about Google hiring. It's highly competitive. That company is a company a lot would love to work for. The stock options you debit there and you might be pretty comfortable.
They say they are hiring across the globe and across the business. They are saying this will be the year they hire the most people they have ever hired in a year. They won't tell us exactly what that means but they have hired at least 6,000 people in 2011, and so it's going to be a very nice year for some folks looking for a job.
They are looking for computer science, people interested in building web-based operating system, and we got a first tip about this on the blog. They say they want to look into some instant search technology and cars that drive themselves. If you're Google, why stop at the internet?
So going from there to recall drugs. Let's talk a little bit about Johnson & Johnson.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: You can't get a lot of things that you're used to seeing and you're forced to go with the store brand. Now a lot of people might say, it saved me money. Why go back?
ELAM: Some may not go back and may not trust it because it was a long recall. It was in May of last year. Now Johnson & Johnson says some of the drugs will not be back in your shelves in good quantities until the end of the year.
There's Children's Tylenol and Benadryl and Motrin as well that was recalled. They shipped four million bottles last year of children's toil which is a drop in the bucket compared to what they normally do. The issue was about quality control. Seeing as I am a new parent and you try to go find the children's Tylenol, it is like a massive hunt. It was gone quickly for people who had sick little babies.
So this is not good for them and did impact their earnings and so it's not good news for the company. But Google is hiring. There is good news. I feel like everything I've said today is negative.
HOLMES: How can people get those jobs?
ELAM: They always post their stuff on Google.com. I think it's /jobs. But check that out. That is where they post the things to get in. All across the world people will be looking at those jobs, so on polish up that CV.
HOLMES: Thank you very much. Stephanie, I know you're familiar with the maverick surfing site out in the Bay Area. This is a place where they get some of the biggest waves in the world. Take a look at this video. These guys are talented and some would say they are just plain crazy for doing this. But one surfer in this incident was seriously injured. We're going to be talking to another big wave surfer live next. Talk about just why they do it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: All right, we want to explain to you what you're seeing there. We will re-rack that and explain what you're seeing. This is a surfer injured by this monster wave last week. He is recovering now in fair condition.
He is a 30-year-old young man, but this spot is known for producing some of the biggest, most dangerous waves in the world. It's called "Maverick." It's a location near Half Moon Bay out in California.
CHETRY: Sometimes the waves get as high as 50 feet. Our next guest was there and he witnessed the accident last week. Grant Washburn is a big wave surfer and loved doing it all his life, and he helps organize the Maverick's big wave competition. He joins us from San Francisco this morning. Grant, thanks for being with us.
GRANT WASHBURN, BIG WAVE SURFER: Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: So our first reaction when you see that video and humongous wave, you don't look like real people. Just little dots there sprinkled around. A lot of people say why put your life at risk? Why do you do this?
WASHBURN: I think we actually asked the same thing sometimes. Why would you do it? It really is a lot of fun. That is the simple reason. For something that when I was a little kid, I was attracted to, and all of these guys out there are doing it because they love it. They can't stay away when the waves get big.
HOLMES: Grant, I lived out in the Bay Area for three years, so I'm familiar with this Mavericks area. But explain to people who aren't familiar with it, why this particular spot is unique and why it does produce the types of waves it does produce?
WASHBURN: Well, the first thing is the proximity to the north Pacific, so you have giant waves coming from, you know, the biggest ocean on the planet. But, secondly, the geography is really unusual. There's like an underwater canyon and this very sharp bunch of rock that sticks up into the deep water, and that is where the surfers can catch the biggest waves. If it was just a beach, we would never be able to get waves near this size.
CHETRY: I get you. This wasn't the actual competition. Is this a rogue wave? Will you explain what was going on when this happened and when the man was injured?
WASHBURN: Yes. This isn't a rogue wave. This was a wave that, you know, it's a very big wave. The storm that made it was several thousand miles away in the Pacific and it traveled all the way across and by the time it came to mavericks, there weren't a lot of these waves, but this is one of the biggest ones of the day. You know, not a rogue wave, it's just a big set. But it is very serious situation and you got to be super careful.
HOLMES: Grant, explain the level of expertise of some of these guys who are out there. These aren't novice surfers out in this area? WASHBURN: No. Almost everyone in the water is extremely experienced, and beyond that it's not so much the talent of their surfing ability but their endurance and stamina to deal with heavy ocean conditions.
So guys that are water polo players or, you know, spear fishermen do really well. Of course, you want to be a pretty good surfer, too because otherwise you will fall off and get smashed. It's more like a triathlon like it is conventional surfing.
CHETRY: Let's show the video one more time. Jacob Tready (ph) is the surfer who almost drowned trying to escape this wave. Where he is in relation to where you want to be when you're trying to catch this wave and we have it highlighted again there and we see him. What was going on?
WASHBURN: They were all drifting in a bit because there hadn't been a lot of waves. He was too far inside. As he is going up the face here, he should probably get of the board earlier. The entire half of the way and the top half of the way will go over with the rest of the wave. And this is a very serious situation for a surfer because you will land very deep and probably get held down for two waves, which I think is probably what happened to him.
HOLMES: Is that the biggest danger at Mavericks? It's a rocky area as we know as well but is this always going to be the biggest issue? You get sucked down and almost drown in this water?
WASHBURN: Yes, that's for sure the first problem. The first thing that everybody is worrying about is not getting caught inside or sucked over like that or on when you wipe out being able to hold your breath and stay calm until you get up to the surface.
The rocks are the second problem later on, which I understand he went through the rocks, too. There are a number of things there that can be pretty serious. Everybody out there is really careful and only doing it within their own means really.
CHETRY: And have you been stuck under that long periods of time like Jacob was?
WASHBURN: I'm not sure exactly how long he was under. Everybody in the water out there is under -- we understand that it's possible to be held under for almost a minute or more, so we all practice holding our breath.
You don't know what -- what happened. He could have got the wind knocked out of him, too. Or it could have been some -- some turbulence under water that kind of knocked him down. Whatever it was, he -- he wasn't able to, you know, make it through without losing consciousness.
HOLMES: And Grant, last thing here for me, I know you'll have to watch the conditions and wait until they are right and then you give these guys a 24-hour notice to come up for the actual competition at Maverick. So -- how close are you? Are you looking at the conditions? Any chance the Mavericks actual competition is going to happen sometime soon?
WASHBURN: It's a pretty unusual year. We don't always know if we're going to get the right -- the right day. This year hasn't been a very good year as opposed to like last year which was really excellent. We have another month. We are hopeful but if the right waves don't come, we'll just wait until next year.
CHETRY: Wow. All right. Well, as we said, we're in awe of looking at it because you guys are about one percent of people who surf even of --
(CROSS TALK)
HOLMES: Yes.
CHETRY: -- braving those huge waves. Grant Washburn, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
HOLMES: Thanks Grant.
WASHBURN: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Well, we have another nasty storm. Oh yes, the East Coast is about to get hit once again. Our Jacqui Jeras is keeping a close eye on this one and the problems it is going to cause you.
It's a quarter to the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: A little foggy this morning out there in D.C., right now, light drizzle and 36 degrees and looking at a wintry mix as this system moves up the coast today; 37 degrees for a high in the nation's capital.
HOLMES: And meanwhile, in New York City, yes, more snow. Outstanding, as we listen to the song "Big Yellow Taxi." They went to yellow taxi, circling around at Columbus Circle this morning. More snow expected here. Other parts of the northeast, some places could get up to a foot of snow.
CHETRY: And the only problem is that -- when the snow really does starts to come down, oops, the taxi disappear. You can't get one to save your life.
Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras right now. She's keeping track of all of this when it's coming in and when it's headed out and how many inches some cities might get around the East Coast. Hey, there.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey guys.
Yes. And I can sense all that enthusiasm there, T.J. I can tell you can't wait.
HOLMES: I'm used to it by now, all right?
JERAS: Well, you know, it doesn't take long. Does it?
(CROSS TALK)
CHETRY: He's seen more snow this week than he has in his entire life.
HOLMES: Yes, that is actually true.
JERAS: Probably so. I believe that, absolutely. Well, we can add to that today, definitely. Yes, maybe a good three to six inches in New York City, heavier on the west side of town.
So the I-95 corridor is really going to be kind of the money place we think in terms of -- that's where the most accumulating snow will be there and just to the north and west of there.
Look at all the states getting in on this winter action now. We're talking like 19 states which are under advisories and warnings at this hour. This morning, we've got snow coming down in Nashville as well as Louisville, one to three inches expected, widespread in this area.
Mostly rain here though, as you head through the Carolinas, as well as into Virginia. But we're looking at snow at this hour for New York City. Philadelphia, we're getting a wintry mix, as well as Baltimore and D.C. and mostly rain right now.
But we're going to get that second wave; what you're seeing in -- in the Nashville area for example that's going to be heading up here and that's when the real accumulating snow is going to start to move into the northeast and that's really not going to happen until probably after sun down for tonight.
But we've got delays with what we've got going on at this hour. In LaGuardia we're looking at ground delays around an hour. Philadelphia, your ground stop has been lifted; however, you're looking at delays now pushing three hours.
So that's from people who are taking off from other parts of the country and trying to get into Philadelphia. We also expect delays in Boston today, Baltimore and D.C., Atlanta and Charlotte we've got some fog we're dealing with and Seattle looking for some delays as well.
How much snow are we talking about? Well, these numbers vary quite a bit. We expect to lesser into Washington, D.C., because you're going to feel a little bit more of a mix. A little heavier as you head up towards Baltimore, maybe three to six for Philly and New York.
But you -- there you can see where the worse of the snowfall is going to be just off to the west there. So a real doozy of a storm, guys. Best thing I can tell you, it's quiet almost everywhere else and it's a quick moving storm as well.
HOLMES: All right.
JERAS: In and out, T.J. You can handle this one.
HOLMES: I can handle this one.
JERAS: One more day.
HOLMES: All right, Jacqui, we appreciate it.
CHETRY: Just in to CNN, we have new information about when Gabrielle Giffords is going to be set to be transferred out of ICU and into rehab. It's taking place at 9:30 this morning, we just learned. Overnight doctors upgraded the Congresswoman's condition from serious to good. And she is going to be making that trip and starting her intensive rehab later this morning.
HOLMES: Well, we have all stayed in a hotel that wasn't the cleanest or wasn't as clean as it should have been. Well, it's probably not as bad as this place we're going to tell you about coming up next. It has been voted now the dirtiest hotel in the country.
It's about 10 minutes to the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Oh, oh. It looks like Phil has got a case of the bedbugs. Maybe he stayed in one of those hotels.
HOLMES: Ok, I don't know. This one didn't have bedbugs this one has flying roaches, most bugs (ph) will carry your bags into the room for you.
CHETRY: They'll change the channel. Hey, there may have the remote.
HOLMES: Well, we're talking about a particular hotel. And -- well, it's just -- well, God bless them. But the Grand Resort Hotel in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has now been voted the dirtiest resort hotel -- excuse just the dirtiest hotel -- in the country. This is according to Trip Adviser. Of course, people go on there and make comments and they put this altogether. And it looks like this is the nastiest.
Now, the hotel is actually putting out a statement and, you know, give them credit. They say, they are taking this very seriously and they want to do better, we assume.
Now, the number two on the list, folks out in Oakland; Jack London Square, the Jack London Inn was vote number two and, number three, the Desert Inn Resort in Daytona Beach, Florida.
CHETRY: All right, be advised.
HOLMES: Motel Six sounds pretty good right now. CHETRY: Yes, exactly.
Well, friending your parents, more and more teens say they're fine with this. According to a new study roughly two-thirds say they are comfortable being Facebook friends with their parents. They don't care.
One of the study's author says it's just a new line of communication from a generation that's grown up with the Internet.
HOLMES: Yes. It's no big deal.
All right. Just a couple of minutes to the top of the hour.
Quick break here, we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Take a look at the newest and hottest concert venue in Miami.
CHETRY: And that was the perfect song for that picture.
HOLMES: What was that song?
CHETRY: I don't know but it was some piano and it said under water. Love song.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Well this piano -- we'll show you this picture once again. But it just showed up. This piano, a grand piano weighing 650 pounds, look at where it is. It is out on a sand bar.
Nobody can figure out how it exactly got there. Nobody exactly plans to take it away but it's a mystery right now how it got there. But you could turn this into a very cool concert venue. People go out maybe in their boats and just gather around that sand bar and somebody goes out there and plays a nice concert. That would be cool.
CHETRY: I don't know if that piano is still in working order. I'm not sure the years of salt and brine may have messed with the strings.
HOLMES: It looked like someone put it right in that spot.
CHETRY: Yes. It's a pretty picture though -- neat.
HOLMES: It is a cool picture.
CHETRY: Love it.
All right. Well that's going to do it for us today. Thanks so much for being with us.
We're going to hand it over now to "NEWSROOM" CNN's Kyra PHillips. Hey Kyra
HOLMES: Hey Kyra.
