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American Morning

Snow Piles Up in the Northeast; Snow Emergency in Boston; Giffords Recovering at Lightning Speed; Dow Breaks Through 12,000; Zuckerberg's Facebook Page Hacked; Protests and Unrest Continues in Egypt

Aired January 27, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, another monster winter storm. Believe me, we lived it coming in this morning. Pounding the northeast. A thousand canceled flights. The roads are a mess. And many schools shut down from Washington to Boston.

HOLMES: Doctors are now calling Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' recovery one that's happening at, quote, "lightning speed." Meanwhile, we are getting some new evidence against the accused Tucson shooter.

CHETRY: Mexican drug smugglers getting pretty creative. Caught on tape, catapulting marijuana over the U.S. border instead of trying to actually cross it. We'll show you how that all turned out.

HOLMES: Also, it has been the duo you've been waiting for. Yes, Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber together during the Super Bowl.

CHETRY: At last.

All right. Well, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, all that and much more. Hope you'll stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Still coming down this morning. There is a look right now. Live pictures from Boston as another storm dumps snow on the northeast. More than a foot in many places. Another messy morning. Certainly draining cities' snow removal budgets. Schools canceled up and down the East Coast on this AMERICAN MORNING.

And welcome. Thanks so much for being with us. It's Thursday, a very snowy one for much of the country, January 27th. I'm Kiran Chetry.

HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. I think it's fair to say, this is getting ridiculous now.

The East Coast, my goodness, a lot of folks woke up this morning, looked outside and said we ain't going nowhere. The East Coast once again getting hit by a monster storm. The snow is not being measured this morning in inches in a lot of places. It's being measured in feet.

There are schools closed. There are government offices closed. Your office might be closed this morning as well. You need to check. Also, airports, it's a big deal. A lot of people need to be paying attention to. A lot of airports are closed in the northeast this morning, including the New York airports. It's going to cause all kinds of travel delays across the country this morning. Like I said, New York City schools in particular are closed. D.C. government offices are closed as well. And we talk about feet of snow.

Just take a look this morning. Let's start in D.C., give you an idea of what's happening there.

Yes. People still trying to brave it out there on the roads. It is not happening this morning. And a lot of places just impossible. To show you what's happening in New York City this morning where we woke up and just had to battle. So many of our people did not make it in this morning. Others, it took them a long time to make it in this morning. Did it not, Kiran?

CHETRY: Yes, it did.

HOLMES: But it was just about, again, being measured in feet in a lot of places. Then in Boston, kind of the same thing. Feet of snow, we're talking about, folks, being measured and some places it is just going to cause all kinds of problems maybe for the next, even several days for a lot of folks as we now try to dig out from this.

CHETRY: Yes. And we're watching the storm. And we're set up all over the northeast this morning.

We have Rob Marciano. He's standing by in the extreme weather center for us this morning. We're starting with Reynolds Wolf who's live out in Boston today, where as you can see it is still coming down up there.

Hey, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. About to the tune of 11.5 inches in south Boston. But here right along Columbus Avenue in downtown Boston, we've had, I'd say probably anywhere from eight to 10.

Now last night, 7:00 p.m., the city of Boston declared a snow emergency, obviously for good reason. And as the snow has been coming down, we've seen it definitely affect a lot of the city services. There have been some spots where we have seen some plows coming through.

The roads are actually in pretty good shape. The city offices in terms of just downtown Boston, some of the city services will be open, in fact, in city hall. City hall is going to be open all morning. And all employees are expected to arrive at work. So have fun with that commute.

In terms of the city schools, all public schools are going to be closed for the day today. Community centers are going to be open but only from 6:30 this morning until 7:00 tonight. As far as Logan airport is concerned, I can tell you they've canceled about 100 arrivals and over 200 departures. As the snow continues to come down, I would imagine those numbers will increase on both sides.

The snow itself is expected, though, to decrease. In fact, around 7:00 this morning, that low is going to kick out to the Atlantic. The snow is expected to drop a bit but still the wind may be fairly strong so we might have some whiteout conditions at times. Again, that blowing snow could be an issue for a lot of drivers. So the thing is, if you don't have to get out, if you don't have to drive, by all means, stay at home for the time being.

Let's kick it back to you in the studio.

CHETRY: All right. You're right about if you don't need to be out there today. And some of the schools are closed, as we said, some offices are closed as well. Don't do it. It's really a mess out there.

Reynolds, thanks so much.

And this winter storm totals not the only thing crushing records. We're also talking about the snow budget in the nation's capital. They've already spent about 40 percent of their $6.4 million budget.

Here in New York, they've reportedly burned through the entire thing, $38.8 million in our snow removal budget. And the city here, gone. Also in Boston, they depleted about 66 percent of their snow budget which is $16 million.

HOLMES: And take a look at what happened on one stretch of I-95 in Connecticut. This is just north of New York. It was closed all night long, about a five-mile stretch.

Take a look at that, folks. Trucks just stuck. Not going anywhere. Just had to park it for the night. Now we are told this stretch of I- 95 did reopen just a few minutes ago.

CHETRY: Yes. Boy, it's been quite a mess, though. I was driving a similar route. We were coming down 95 southbound from the northeast in the suburbs. And this is what it looked like this morning. We actually got stuck trying to get on to 95.

HOLMES: Yes.

CHETRY: There is -- that's our car. Behind us is another car, a sedan trapped. I love this amateur video. And then in the back is the state plow, can't even get through because of the other car. We ended up being saved, thank goodness by just a couple of really nice, good Samaritans who were coming by in their own personal plow and they hopped out to clear a path for us. So, what normally takes about 30 minutes took about 95.

HOLMES: Wow.

CHETRY: But we made it.

HOLMES: OK, you're right. She's a professional. You had to put amateur video up on the screen. Now, of course, some people having a good time with this. Showing you Dupont Circle. Schools are going to be closed there today. But look, they got together, had a nice little snowball fight.

Now, this looks fun and fine and dandy. But you have about 300,000 people who do not have power right now in the area so not everybody having a good time with this. Let's check in with Rob Marciano now.

Is this storm, Rob, getting out of here?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is winding down just a little bit, but as you pointed out, thousands of people, tens of thousands of people without power. And the deal with the storm, as opposed to the other storms and the blizzards that we've had with the heavy snow and the wind, this snow has been on the heavy side. It's been a high- water content snow. Temperatures haven't been terribly cold so that has put a lot of weight on tree limbs and power lines. That's one of the issues that we've seen. And, of course, clearing the roads, clearing the sidewalks or just getting through wet snow is a lot more difficult than getting through the light, fluffy stuff so that's certainly an issue here.

Here's the back side of it heading through Islip, New York, maybe New Haven, Connecticut rapidly moving back to the east. Boston, of course, is still in it. Will be for several more hours there. Winds and maybe some coastal flooding there for you, folks, as this storm continues to wind down for the northeastern shoreline. But the damage is done, as far as how much snow we've already seen with this.

Check out some of these numbers. Central Park, 15.3 inches of snow. That, on top of what we've seen for the entire month of January makes it a record for the month of January in Central Park with over 32 inches of snowfall. Almost three feet there. Philadelphia, 14 inches. Newark, 14.2. Wilmington, Delaware 10.4. New Cannan, where it's probably still snowing just a little bit, 10.4.

All right. Airports, still runways shut down at JFK and Newark until further notice. We're going to give you updates throughout the morning. But it's going to be a slow digging out process because you've got to deal with the runways and you've got to deal with the taxiways. You've got to deal with all the gates as well. So it's a lot bigger project than you would imagine.

So New York, Philadelphia and Boston, if you're traveling out of those airports, definitely call before you leave the house. And if you're stuck in that terminal, well, just, you know, grin and bear it. I suppose it's going to be a slow go this morning and this afternoon.

Thirty to 60-minute delays expected in Detroit. In Cleveland and Chicago and Minneapolis, also a little bit of snow there. There's another system behind this one that's pulling out in the northeast, and that will be affecting the lower Great Lakes and eventually the same folks that are getting the snow now will get a little bit more snow tomorrow. A little bit more snow tomorrow. I don't think it will be as devastating or as crippling as this snowstorm, but certainly it's not going to melt anytime soon -- T.J. CHETRY: No, we're not -- poor T.J. So he's used to being in Atlanta. Since December 14th, it has snowed eight times in New York City or once every five days. That is very rare for a winter here.

HOLMES: That's what you tell me.

MARCIANO: You're the good luck charm there, T.J.

HOLMES: I appreciate that, Rob.

CHETRY: I know. Right?

Newark -- thanks so much, Rob. It looks like Newark is saying that they're not planning on trying to reopen until 7:00 p.m. So call ahead. And Kennedy is hoping to reopen in two hours. But they say all the airlines are waiting to change these. So if you don't have to fly --

HOLMES: That's something at least to help out.

CHETRY: -- it might be a good idea to reschedule.

HOLMES: Yes.

CHETRY: Well, doctors are growing more optimistic about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. They say that she's progressing at lightning speed. Those are their words.

Giffords was moved from a Houston hospital to a nearby rehab facility yesterday, after she was upgraded from serious to good. The challenge now is they want to try to help her try to speak. She does have a breathing tube, a trach tube, actually. She is breathing on her own but unable to speak because of that tube in place. Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, says he is excited about her progress but realizes that the next phase of recovery is a long road.

Meantime, law enforcement sources telling CNN that in the weeks before the Tucson shooting, suspect Jared Loughner searched the Internet for information on political assassinations, on lethal injections and solitary confinement. Loughner is accused of trying to assassinate Gabrielle Giffords. This new evidence could potentially hurt any insanity defense.

HOLMES: It really has been the year of the comeback for Michael Vick. He had a great year on the field. A lot of people even considering him a potential MVP candidate. But now, another step in that progress. He has landed his first endorsement deal, first national endorsement deal since he went to prison. This is a two-year deal with Unequal Technologies. That is the company that makes sporting equipment, and they make the protective vest that he wore this year after he was injured. His ribs had to protected, so he signed a deal. No word on how much he is getting in this endorsement deal.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods, could this be the year of his comeback? He is returning to pro golf. He is playing today. Going to be teeing off in the Farmers Insurance Open happening at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Yesterday, he held a press conference. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PRO GOLFER: I honestly was consumed by other things in the last year, and had to deal with that. And life goes on. Life moves forward. And that's what's exciting about this year is that having the proper perspective on things. And my kids are doing great. And that's my number one priority. And golf falls somewhere down the list after that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: You may remember the kind of year Tiger Woods had last year. He did not win a tournament on the tour last year. That was the first time that's happened in his pro career. Also at this time last year, he was actually in rehab. He is also ranked third in the world in golf now, after losing his number one ranking last year.

CHETRY: Singer Jimmy Buffett is out of the hospital this morning. He fell off the stage while performing in Australia. It was caught on tape. Take a look. You can hear the crowd groaning after it happened. He was actually knocked unconscious by the fall. His road station on Sirius radio says he got several stitches because of the cuts to the head. There you see him just sort of drop off the stage. He was playing sold-out shows all week in Sydney.

HOLMES: Glad to hear he is alright. But a nasty tumble it appeared there.

Well, you remember that color-coded terror threat alert level you learned? You know that coded system? Well, now, it's going to go away. What's going to replace it? We'll tell you.

CHETRY: And the next time you check in somewhere on Facebook or like something, you could wind up appearing in an advertisement? There's a new ad campaign about Facebook that we want to tell you about this morning.

HOLMES: And the new House speaker, John Boehner, talking about restoring honor to the House. Talking one-on-one with our Kathleen Parker. Stick around for that.

It's 11 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Here is a live picture of the streets of New York this morning, where if you're getting ready to get up and out, it is going to be a difficult commute. Officially, I guess this was at 3:00 a.m. Said that they had 15.3 inches of snow in Central Park this morning. So very rare for this time of year. And I think they're breaking records all over the place for the month of January.

New York, 30 degrees right now, going up for a high of 35. And it looks like the snow is tapering off so that's some good news. This is the bad news, though. The commute is snarled for sure. This is a look at I-95 this morning, coming from the north to the south, trying to get into the city. A lot of these big rigs ended up getting stalled or stuck, in some cases, even jackknifing and it just really made for a mess -- many stretches of I-95. This is northbound, actually, were shut down today.

A little quick update for you in the airports -- the FAA is saying that Newark Liberty will reopen this morning at 9:00 a.m. So, this has been changing. They originally said 1:00, but now 9:00 a.m., they're going to reopen. And Kennedy airport, 10:00 a.m. LaGuardia, ostensibly, is open, but I don't know how many flights are getting out.

HOLMES: A thousand flights have cancelled. But at least a thousand, we're told, have been canceled. You need to check with your airline this morning. And, again, this is going to cause backups across the country.

We need to tell you about a developing story. We're keeping a close eye on out in Utah. A Utah military base right now, this is the Dugway Army Base, actually that carries out test for troops against biological attacks. It's on lockdown right now.

Officials are saying at this time it was shut down last night to resolve a, quote, "issue of serious concern." That's pretty much all we're getting right now. A spokesperson for the base says that no one is being allowed in or out. All personnel, up to 1,400 people are safe. Not in any immediate danger right now.

But we're still working to get more word on why exactly it's shut down. We'll get an update. We'll pass that along to you.

CHETRY: Also, an American missionary shot and killed in Mexico. Texas police say that 59-year-old Nancy Davis and her husband were confronted by gunman in a black pickup truck while driving near a Mexican highway near the city of San Fernando. They were trying to outrun them but could not. The couple lived in Mexico since the 1970s. Mexican authorities are now investigating.

HOLMES: Also, the U.S. is keeping a close eye on what's happening to one of its closest allies in the Arab world right now. The video you're seeing is out of Egypt. There have been protests. Thousands have taken to the streets to protest what's happening as far as government corruption, and also what's happening with the economic situation there. People have been hurt.

Police have been battling these protestors in the street who are calling for the president Hosni Mubarak to be out. Now, at least 500 people were arrested, according to the interior ministry. And journalists right now are complaining in the area, saying that Web sites of two newspapers have been shut down and also Twitter in the region has been blocked.

CHETRY: Well, it's something that we all learned how to live with after the 9/11 attacks. Now, the Homeland Security Department has decided to get rid of color-coded terror alert system. Secretary Janet Napolitano is expected to make it official today. A lot of critics slam this, saying it just confuses the public and scares more than it prepares. Authorities tell us that it will be replaced by the national terrorist advisory system that will focus on specific threats.

HOLMES: And some are saying it sure looks like he's campaign mode. We're talking about President Obama hitting the road after the State of the Union address, visiting Wisconsin yesterday. This is him touring a manufacturing plant. He's talking about innovation and entrepreneurship. Again, many people thought this certainly look like a campaign, trying to sell some of the things he was talking about in his State of the Union address.

You see him being greeted there at the airport, being given a Green Bay Packer jersey after, of course, he picked his hometown Bears to win the game.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: He's thrilled about that. But they -- a little dig at the president there.

But this is a state that the president won pretty handily in the 2008 election. But it certainly went Republican in the midterms.

Meanwhile, his vice president, Joe Biden, he's in Indiana, appearing to be campaigning as well. He's at a company called Ener1. It makes batteries for electric cars. He's promoting more tax dollars for high tech innovators. The administration wanting 1 million advanced technology cars on the road by 2015.

CHETRY: So, while the vice president was selling the president's State of the Union message in Indiana, the state's governor was busy trying to explain why he didn't even watch the speech. Republican Mitch Daniels was reading to Indiana school kids yesterday when reporters asked for his assessment of the president's address. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MITCH DANIELS (R), INDIANA: I didn't watch it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you didn't watch it.

DANIELS: I was watching the Purdue game, as long as it was watchable. Honestly, I've read the accounts. I've got the text of the speech. And I'll be reading it between now and the next stop. But I think I'll just say that I'm very hopeful that we're going to see changes in national policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Governor Daniels may be a big Purdue fan. But the feeling is not necessarily mutual. In December, he announced that the university would be getting no new money from the state. In 2009, he ordered the school to slash its budget by 30 percent.

Well, you know him as the star of the Old Spice commercials. And now, he's back, he's here let you know about the man that your man could smell like.

HOLMES: And also this morning, a congressman is suing over his lunch. We'll explain what happened to this man's teeth.

It's 20 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, you probably know him as Old Spice's suave, shirtless man. The man who tells you what your man can smell like.

Well, Isaiah Mustafa is back. The new ads don't start airing until February 7th. But we have a preview from the himself. Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISAIAH MUSTAFA: Hello, ladies. As well as the men, mammal, beasts and the mighty sequoias of the Redwood Forest. As you can see, I've returned. And it's not because I've forgotten my jacket.

The real reason that I'm back is because I've made a campaign of new advertisements to inform people on the crazy blue marble that we call earth how they or their man can use Old Spice to smell as fresh as the freshest smelling places on Earth.

Along with being educational, these advertisements carry an entertainment value that is second to none. I know because I've seen them and have a strong memory in my brain if you like a sneak peek.

Try staring through my striking brown eyes and looking at them as I currently remember them in my brain. You can't get past the striking brown eyes, can you? Don't worry, that's commonplace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well --

CHETRY: The old one was better.

HOLMES: Well, I'm sure. He's teeing up the new ones, right? It's just kind of a tease. I'm sure it will be good.

CHETRY: That was 25 seconds. He has to tell you in 25 seconds.

HOLMES: That was the trailer. What did you think, Step?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I thought it was an ad for an ad. It was like a preamble to what we will see. But they're interesting, though, because women love them. Men are indifferent. But P&G knows, the company behind Old Spice, knows that women are the ones who have all the buying power in the house. So, it's really for the women.

CHETRY: Right. And do they say whether or not Old Spice actually saw an upswing in sales?

ELAM: Indeed.

CHETRY: All right.

ELAM: Indeed, it works. So, it works as far as a business.

HOLMES: And we're talking about it. It's all that matters. As you hear Old Spice this morning and that's worth something.

ELAM: How do you say, "My striking brown eyes," though, without laughing? And you say it twice. Oh, yes.

HOLMES: I'll do it for you here shortly.

ELAM: Your eyes aren't brown.

All right. But let's take a look at the Dow. We haven't talked about that in a while. Yesterday, we did cross over the 12,000 mark for a bit, and then we came back down.

But take a look at this graph that we have up there for you. Close above 12,000 -- that would be an 83 percent gain from a 12-year low on March 9th, 2009, back, remember, when we were in the throes of the recession. That is noteworthy because for anybody who thought the market was crazy in 2009, and they took the money out, they would have missed this up-curve of 83 percent gain to get back to where they were.

Now, I know that's great and all. But for a lot of people out there who have been checking their 401(k), you're probably thinking, you know what, that's not taking me back to where I was. That's true. We got a graph for you on that.

Take a look this. You got here that if you look at the all-time high on the Dow, which we hit on October 9th, 2007, 14,164, if you look where we are, we are still 15 percent off of that level. Granted, that's a lot better. We are moving in the right direction. A lot of people who are getting closer to retirement are watching these numbers.

But the whole point here is that we are on our way back to being in a more favorable place, even though we have road to go. I should also mention the Dow actually closed below 12,000 yesterday. We'll be watching it today if maybe the numbers are able to make it to the markets, because there's just so much snow on the ground. And we all look crazy coming in walking.

HOLMES: Yes, it's just a good psychological number to hit.

ELAM: It's psychological.

HOLMES: It makes people feel a little better.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: Yes. I mean, and psychologically, how bad it felt when we were in the 8,000 and saying it's just going to keep getting worse.

HOLMES: Yes.

ELAM: And will we ever get those money back. But look, we're coming back. I guess that's the main point here.

For everyone out there with your 401(k), if you haven't been able to like, kind of, open that statement and look at it, take a look at it. It may not hurt as badly as you think.

CHETRY: All right.

HOLMES: Stephanie, thank you this morning.

ELAM: Good morning.

HOLMES: We'll see you again here shortly.

ELAM: OK.

CHETRY: Well, another snow emergency on the East Coast. People are running out of patience now. Cities are running out of money as well to deal with the storms. We're going to update you on the situation, the airports and the roads.

HOLMES: Also, we'll take you to one state where a magazine with Elton John on the cover is covered up, as if it's a "Playboy" magazine in the store. We'll explain this strange story.

Twenty-seven past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Good morning.

Six-thirty here in New York. There's a look at the streets in Manhattan today. A pretty hairy commute this morning for people coming in. Some of the roads have been plowed, but there's certainly not very easily drivable this morning.

Thirty degrees, it looks like it's tapering off the snow. It's going to be 35 degrees for the high today. And right now, they already have about 15 or more inches in Central Park.

Just to give you a quick update as well. The airports, call ahead if you're flying out of any of them today, LaGuardia, Kennedy or Newark. Both Newark and Kennedy are planning to reopen this morning. The time keeps changing. So I would call if you're planning on traveling in and out of New York today.

HOLMES: All right. And Washington, D.C., for you folks working for any federal agencies there today, you need to know that those will be open but they are under a two-hour delayed arrival this morning. People will have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework today. So, that is an option. It sounds like a pretty good one. But, again, a two-hour delay. And also, we have about 400,000 households without power in that area reportedly this morning as well.

CHETRY: So, let's get you updated -- snow emergencies along the East Coast this morning. Here's a look at the weather map right now. It is still coming down in some areas. They're expecting over a foot of snow when it is all said and done in New York and Boston.

Since December 14th, it has snowed eight times in the New York City area. That's an average about once every five days. The city has already seen 36 inches this season, which is 15 inches above averages, and I believe Rob said they're breaking January records for snow totals.

HOLMES: All right. And you folks trying to travel, or have a loved one travelling today, you just to keep a close eye. I mean, get that computer hand. Check the FAA Web site. Check a lot of these airport Web sites because these times are kind moving around. They have been moving around.

But Newark, LaGuardia, JFK, they're all going to have delays. Some of them closed right now. Again, they're scheduled to reopen for the most part this morning. JFK and Newark at least. LaGuardia is reporting that they are open and dealing with about 15-minute delays. Don't know how true that is.

But we know that there are at least a thousand flights that have been canceled so far. So, you really, really need to check online before you do anything this morning, having to do with travel in and out of the Northeast.

CHETRY: And all of the snow crushing the snow removal budgets down on the East Coast as well. Here in New York City, they've reportedly spent the entire thing already. And we're talking about just the end of January, $38 million. That's how much it costs. I believe Mayor Bloomberg was talking about using more than 200,000 pounds of rock salt already and counting.

Just north in Boston, they've already reportedly burned through 66 percent of their $16 million snow removal budget.

HOLMES: I want to turn to Washington, D.C. now -- with the new House Speaker John Boehner says he wants to change things. He wants to change the way Congress is run. He's kind of revealing some of his plans to our Kathleen Parker. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN PARKER, CO-HOST, "PARKER SPITZER": You have an idea what the House needs to be. I know you wanted to restore honor to the House as you see it. Tell us about that.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, the Congress is broken. And I think most Americans realize that Congress is broken. We need to open up the House. We need to let all members from both parties participate in the debate, offer their ideas, represent their constituents and let the House work its will.

The House should not be coerced to produce legislation that fits my needs or to fit anyone else's needs. And I do believe that if we open up the House, it will drive more power back to the committees where members are going to have to begin to work together again. And I think the result of this is we'll have better legislation, we'll have more bipartisan legislation, and we will begin to melt the scar tissue that is built up between the two political parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is, meantime, suing a congressional cafeteria. The Ohio congressman said he bought a sandwich three years ago, and while eating it bit into an olive pit. He's suing four different companies involved with the cafeteria for $150,000. According to the lawsuit, Kucinich, quote, "sustained serious and permanent dental and oral injuries requiring multiple surgical and dental procedures, and has sustained other damage as well, including significant pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment."

HOLMES: Well, take a look at this video, some surveillance video. See if you can figure out what's happening in it. It's kind of grainy there but you clearly see some people. What exactly are they doing? Well, according to federal official, they are using a catapult to shoot marijuana across the border.

These are drug smugglers who are caught on tape. This is at the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona. This is a remote video surveillance system. But 45,000 pounds of marijuana were seized and the suspect, I do believe, were taken into custody.

CHETRY: Getting more creative to find their way around the crackdowns.

Well, she drew national attention flying around the dome of the Library of Congress' reading room. There she is. A female Cooper's Hawk apparently got in through a window or air vent and then couldn't get out. Well, the now, has been grounded. She was safely captured yesterday. They used a pair of starlings as bait. The hawk was then taken to a rehabilitation center in Virginia.

HOLMES: And take a look at this creature as well. What do you think that is?

At first sight, you may think you're looking at an alligator. We're told --

CHETRY: That lizard-like tone.

HOLMES: Yes, it is a lizard. Something called a monitor lizard. It was captured in Riverside, California.

But this sucker is five feet long. It was found just walking around. Animal control did get this thing. But they believe it's probably somebody's pet.

We'll see if someone shows up to claim it. But it is legal to keep these as pets in California.

CHETRY: Aww. It doesn't look that bad.

HOLMES: It looked bad.

CHETRY: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING: a crackdown on anti-government protests, continuing in Egypt. Police now are using tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators who want the president out. We're going to tell you what the White House is saying about it this morning.

HOLMES: And many of you 500 million-plus Facebook folks, you have concerns about your privacy on Facebook. Well, you may even be more concerned when you hear that the founder of the company can't even keep his fan page safe.

It's 36 minutes past the hour.

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HOLMES: Good morning. Welcome back to this AMERICAN MORNING at 39 minutes past the hour.

Officials in Egypt right now say at least 1,000 people have been arrested this week in anti-government protests demanding an end to the president, his 30-year reign there.

CHETRY: Yes. CNN's Zain Verjee has details on that and some other big international stories for us this morning, live in London.

Hi there, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys.

You know, we have not seen this kind of public rage in Egypt in 30 years that President Hosni Mubarak has been ruling the place. The situation there is very tense. People are bracing for a third day of protests.

Now, police have cracked down pretty hard on protesters out on the street. Four people have died. And you know what? The protesters keep coming out. They are not backing down.

They basically want President Hosni Mubarak to go. They're mad about things like high unemployment, lack of freedoms that they say they don't have, increase in the cost of living in the country and the corruption there.

Well, analysts that I've spoken to today say that what we've got to do is wait and see what happens in the next 48 hours, whether these protests are going to spread, because T.J., Kiran, Friday and Saturday is the weekend in the Arab world. So, let's see what happens. It could get ugly.

HOLMES: And, Zain, are they really attributing what happened or what is happening in Egypt right now to what has been happening in nearby Tunisia?

VERJEE: Yes, in part, they are. They think that what happened in Tunisia has really spurred people on and this situation has moved far swifter than anyone ever thought that would be the case.

But you know what? The issues are the same. People have been frustrated with President Hosni Mubarak's rule for a really long time. You got a population in Egypt, something like 82 million and about 40 percent live below the poverty line.

When you look at the pictures of the people out on the streets, also, it's important that you can see that it's a secular group there. You've got Muslims. You've got Christians. You've got rich people. You've got business people. You've got factory workers.

So, it's really galvanized so many people. And they're using social media to get out on the streets, Twitter and Facebook particular -- although Twitter has been saying they've been totally blocked and Facebook has got limited access. The government is denying it, but that is playing a key role.

CHETRY: Zain, that's a tough thing for the United States. I mean, Egypt considered an ally, yet, you know, the White House is having to sort of walking a fine line because they can't ignore the will of the people as well. So, what's going on with that in terms of diplomatically?

VERJEE: Yes. You nailed it. You know, on the one hand, the U.S. is supporting the freedom and democracy in the Arab world. And on the other world, they've supported autocratic regimes like the Egyptian regime for example because it's been a long ally of the United States. Egypt has been a friend of Israel, being the first Arab country to recognize the Jewish state.

So, I think they're looking on with this situation with nerves. The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that there should be reforms that support the legitimate needs and requirements of the people.

I think one thing, just to note, that was interesting at the State Department yesterday, the spokesman was asked, "Do you support Hosni Mubarak?" And the answer was: we support our ally, Egypt.

HOLMES: All right. Zain Verjee for us this morning -- Zain, we appreciate you as always.

And to our viewers, you can see Zain every morning, right before this show begins, at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time on "WORLD ONE," right here on CNN.

Zain, thanks so much.

VERJEE: Thanks, guys. Thank you.

CHETRY: Thanks, Zain. Well, too hot for an Arizona grocery store. A big controversy over the "Us" magazine cover that features Elton John and his same sex partner David and their baby Zachary in Arkansas, triggering quite a controversy when customer complained that it was obscene. So, the managers at Harps grocery store put a cover on it, to cover up the cover, and using what they call a family shield.

Then the complains started pouring in about. Some people said, wait a minute, we can see scantily-clad women in bikinis and on and on, but we can't see two people and a baby? So, the magazine is now being sold openly again.

HOLMES: Still to come this morning, information you're going to need to know if you are traveling or you know anybody traveling, it's going to be causing a mess up and down the East Coast today. Another powerful storm, Rob Marciano is joining us right after the break.

CHETRY: And the mystery in the black and white on Biscayne Bay. How did the baby grand get on that narrow sandbar? Well, we may have the answer this morning. Jeanne Moos takes a look.

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CHETRY: Just into CNN. A bit of breaking news out of Davos right now. The World Economic Forum is taking place in Switzerland. They're reporting a minor explosion occurred at a hotel there. They're saying no one was hurt. And they're trying to look into it right now, an explosion in a storage room in the basement of the hotel. That's according to a spokesperson for the police. And they say that there's minor damage, but nobody was hurt.

HOLMES: Nobody hurt. This is happening about a mile away from the main venue where this economic forum is taking place. Actually, some of our people are there, including our Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He has been covering it there. And again, about throwing it out there as we're covering this event, not saying they're anywhere close to where this is happening, but we don't know if it's just some kind of an accident or something intentional that was placed there and meant to do harm or get some kind of attention. We're following that story for you. Get some more details when we get them.

Also, Facebook fans out there, there are 500 million of you out who use Facebook. You worried about your security? The founder of Facebook worried about his as well. Apparently, his fan page has been hacked. There's a message on his page that read, quote, "let the hacking begin." If Facebook needs money instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way?" end quote.

Now, they have not put out an official comment, but it appears that whoever put that message out may not excited about some of the new money and new investors that Facebook is apparently starting to bring in.

CHETRY: Yes, but, you know, certainly gives you pause if the founder's account can be hacked. HOLMES: Wow.

CHETRY: All right. Facebook is also rolling out a new way for the company to advertise. This time, you're the star. And the way it works is if you like something or you check in, a company can use those posts and then put them in an ad that will appear on your friends' pages. Right now, there is no way for you to opt out of the so-called sponsored stories. So, you can just imagine that there will probably be some controversy about that.

Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber on the same bill. That's right. The Prince of Darkness and the Biebs finally teaming up for Best Buy's first Super Bowl ad. We're not sure what exactly they're doing in it. The Best Buys says the two will help the company tell the Best Buy's story.

HOLMES: Forty-eight minutes past the hour now. We check in with our Rob Marciano. Rob, we are hearing now Philly, D.C., Boston, New York, all of the schools are closed there. Tell us why.

MARCIANO: Hydrometeors as we like to call them.

HOLMES: Of, course.

MARCIANO: Snow. A lot of them has that. Falling out at sky. Good morning, guys. Yes, we got the snowstorm that is beginning to pull out of the northeast, but folks in Eastern Long Island, Eastern Connecticut, certainly Rhode Island and Eastern Mass still in it as far as seeing heavy snow, and there's still some snow behind this, although, not as significant as what you've already seen across the I- 95 Corridor, and it's the heavy, it's the wet snow.

There's someone had that some sleet and freezing rain mixed in with it at times. So, that makes it more difficult to shovel, and it certainly makes it more difficult to plow and drive through. And Boston and Providence and the cape now still seeing some significant snow, and it will continue to accumulate over the next few hours, 8 to 12 inches or 14 inches possibly in some cases will be the final accumulations in these spots as it has been across much of the I-95 Corridor.

The fairly uniform numbers when you look at the grand scheme of things. Central Park has seen 15.3 inches of snow. And when you factor in what we've already had for January, that's a record for the totals in January over 32 inches. 14.9 in Philadelphia, and Newark's seen 14.2. Wilmington and New Cannan coming in with about 10 inches of snow.

All right. Newark and JFK do have some runways that are still struggling to re-open and they're closed until further notice. They're traveling over those (ph) airports, certainly, Boston and D.C. digging out right now and continued some snow across parts of Minneapolis with our next system that's going to come in. This one doesn't have nearly as much moisture, maybe an inch or two with this as it comes in. So, you won't see things like this. And I want to applaud our Kiran Chetry for braving the elements. I mean, she had a shorts, right, T.J.? She can maybe get a hotel room and make sure she is there, but to get this video like no other photojournalist can, of course, with an armada of snowplows to get her here and emergency vehicles.

CHETRY: No, see what happened around this? OK, that car pulls up right when the snowplow was trying to plowed this on ramp to 95, and that car was just completely stuck. So, then, the snowplow was stuck, too. We have these nice good Samaritans on their own snowplow stopping, and they actually helped us out. We gave them a nice tip.

MARCIANO: That a girl. Actually, those pictures, though, highlight just how much snow is falling across the northeast. Good stuff, Kiran. Glad you made it in.

CHETRY: Thank you, Rob. It was all in the name of reporting. Appreciate it.

HOLMES: Thanks, Rob.

CHETRY: First an explosion, then cabin pressure was lost in one of their planes. Now, new trouble for Qantas. We're going to tell you what happen -- I mean, whether or not it's safe to fly.

HOLMES: And it is a super volcano that's at one of this country's most popular national parks and is it ready to erupt? Ten minutes to the top of the hour.

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CHETRY: There are plenty of scales in the ocean, fish, of course, and then a grand piano, at least, in one part of Florida. We told you yesterday about that baby grand that was perched on a sandbar of the coast of Miami. Yesterday, they said, wonder how it got here.

HOLMES: We may have figured this thing out, though or have we? Here's Jeanne Moos.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not your usual piano bar, a piano on a sandbar. It appeared a few weeks ago about 200 yards from shore in Miami's Biscayne Bay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's too funny.

MOOS: Leaving boat captains scratching their heads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's probably the weirdest things I've seen out here.

MOOS: In the words of the local press --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How the heck did this happen? MOOS: We think it may involve these two, but first, a few theories and jokes. It's from the "Titanic," payback in a nasty divorce. It's so unexpected, so charming, you can almost imagine a mermaid tickling the ivories.

(SINGING) under the sea

MOOS: Then strike a nice chord if we could tell you that the piano is still playable, but reporters who've made it out to the sandbar say, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This piano is so banged up you can't even bang out any tunes on it.

MOOS: Suzanne Beard (ph) was so smitten with it that she took about 225 photos, and National Geographic included one in its photos of the week feature.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's awesome.

MOOS: Now, when the piano first appeared, residents saw what some thought was a music video shoot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a piano bench and the guy was sitting there like he was playing the piano.

MOOS: Some spotted a woman with long hair on the piano. Conquers up images of Michelle Pfeiffer singing "Making Whoopi."

(SINGING) keep showering a little love --

MOOS: Instead, try picturing these two lugging an old piano out into Biscayne Bay. William Yeager (ph) called CNN saying he and fellow filmmaker, Aknewous Yeager (ph) did the deed acclaimed we can't confirm. They're making a film called "Jesus of Malibu" about a spiritual journey across North America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to you help me to change the world.

MOOS: Yeager told the "Miami New times" it took them about six hours to get the piano out to the sandbar. They pulled a home-made barge behind the boat. They say they've left pianos in other places from Malibu to Death Valley, and they called this one highly symbolic and profound.

Less profound is the "The Miami Herald's" caption contest with entries range from, you can tune a piano, but you can't tune a fish. To our favorite "play it again sand."

(SINGING) you must remember this.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --

(SINGING) as time goes by.

MOOS: New york. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: That's so cute and new place for them to rest, the pelican.

HOLMES: So, we still don't know, still a mystery, for the most part. We're getting closer to the top of the hour. A quick break. We'll be right back.

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