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Deep Freeze Grips Midwest; Government Steps Back from Mortgage Biz; Coach Donates Kidney to Player; "Bath Salts" Crackdown; Cairo Protesters Go to Parliament; : Facebook And Anorexia; Flu Shot & Narcolepsy; Eggs: Healthier Than You Think
Aired February 09, 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: New this morning: A dramatic shift in how doctors should treat breast cancer. What could be a groundbreaking study on whether it's necessary to remove cancerous lymph nodes and why less is more may be the best strategy.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Also, the House rejects a plan to extend the Patriot Act and some are saying this is a sign of Tea Party influence.
CHETRY: And a college athlete gets the gift of life: a kidney donated by his own coach -- the heartwarming story on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(MUSIC)
CHETRY: And good morning to you on this Wednesday. It's February 9th. Glad you're with us. I'm Kiran Chetry.
HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
We will start with a big storm. Yes, this sounds like a broken record here but it's targeting a different area of the country.
Just take a look at this mess here now literally. You can read it and you may want to weep. But places like Dallas, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, Atlanta, Georgia, Montgomery, Alabama, Nashville, Tennessee -- some of you need to pay attention. Some places are going to get up to a foot of snow but a deep freeze for America's midsection.
We're talking about a foot of snow in parts of Kansas. We have roads closed there. Police is not able to keep up right now with all of the accidents. The schools are shut down again for a school system already out of snow days -- a lot of places at least are so far.
Oklahoma is going to be a focal point as well, expected to shatter some records today. The average winter in Oklahoma City gets 19.1 inch of the snow for the winter. Well, this winter, they're at 13.7 inches before today. They're at twice the normal rate.
CHETRY: Well, parts of Oklahoma, as T.J. said, are going to be bracing for as much as a food of snow and everyone is being told to stay off the roads and to stay inside if possible.
Ed Lavandera is live in Oklahoma City this morning to let us know what it's like telling everyone to stay inside.
And there you are outside getting snowed on this morning bringing us the story. Hey, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys.
I feel like I've seen every snowflake fall here in the last week or so here in Oklahoma. This is about preparing here in this state for another round of heavy snow. Most of the heavy snow from what we can tell that's fallen so far in the northern part of the state.
Here in Oklahoma City, the snow is falling much fluffier and lighter than what we saw last week, but it's almost kind of like Groundhog Day as this area again once again covered in snow. So, it will be interesting to see just how quickly this place -- it almost feels like they had just finished digging out from the last storm and now, more snow is starting to fall.
And as you mentioned record snowfalls, and it's really a story of temperatures as well. We're back to feeling the negative 13 below zero wind chills right now. And that's really the hardest part of all of this, guys.
CHETRY: Absolutely. And they are telling people to stay off the road. People listening?
LAVANDERA: Yes. Well, you know, it's still early. So, there's no point to get out there. But you know what? Last week, they had a really major problem. People out there -- National Guard had to be used to rescue people, cars stranded.
And with these temperatures, that's a really dangerous situation. You get stranded in your car and it doesn't take long for hypothermia to set in.
CHETRY: Absolutely. All right. Ed Lavandera out there bringing us the story this morning -- thanks.
Rob Marciano is tracking all of this. So, boy, the hits keep coming. Now, we're talking about possibly another foot in parts of Oklahoma.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And like Ed said, they just -- they just got done with the last one right before the Super Bowl.
Dallas is going to get into this as well although it's not snowing there just yet. Here it is. The good news with this storm, it's marching fairly quickly to the east. So, it should be done in OKC by lunchtime. Here's the back edge of it, it may be by about mid-morning there. So, the heaviest pulse is coming through now.
Tulsa, which really got slammed last go around is getting the heaviest amount of snow into getting to Fort Smith and eventually into Little Rock is where we think we'll see the more significant snow tallies. Six to 12 inch depending on where you are. Oklahoma City will probably get about six, maybe seven or eight. And then one to three potentially across Dallas. Obviously, the further north, you are closer to Red River, the more issues you're going to have. And I think Dallas and DFW, and Love Field will the very least have delays and maybe some cancellations as well. Obviously, check before you head to the airport.
Houston, you're not going to see snow. You got temperatures that are in the 40s.
Memphis, you're well into the 20s. So, you will see some of the snow, but a lot of this energy is going to dive down to the south. So, as it does that, that means that lesser amounts will occur in places like Nashville, in places like Birmingham and Huntsville, and places like Atlanta, which we do expect to see a little bit of snowfall from this system. But that will come through again quickly tonight and into through tomorrow night.
The other big part of the story is the cold air behind the single numbers and in some cases, well below zero and of course the wind chills is what makes it the most dangerous. It feels like minus seven right now in Kansas City. It feels like minus 13 in Wichita. It feels like minus 25 in Sioux Falls and Minneapolis, well below zero as far as the wind chill. Same deal in Chicago and Oklahoma City, where Ed is, 13 degrees below zero is what the wind chill looks like there.
We'll highlight the track of this storm and what it means specifically for bigger cities like Atlanta a little bit later on in the program -- guys.
CHETRY: Travel is going to be difficult today for sure. Rob, thank you.
HOLMES: Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: You got it.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
CHETRY: The supertanker full of crude oil reportedly hijacked en route to the Gulf coast of the United States. "Reuters" is reporting this tanker which is named the Irene SL was just out of Kuwait when it was attacked and stormed by armed men off the coast of Oman this morning. There's a crew of 25 aboard the Greek-flagged vessel. No Americans, but seven Greeks, 17 Filipinos and a Georgian onboard.
Right now, there's been no communication with the vessel, according to the latest statements. But we will bring more information on this hijacking of an oil tanker as soon as we get it.
HOLMES: Also a breaking story we're getting out of Iraq right now where at least seven people are dead, another 68 wounded after three car bombings. This happened in the northern part of the country all in Kirkuk, northern Iraq. One of those bombs targeted the headquarters of the British intelligence force. Police say these attacks were coordinated. They're investigating a possible al Qaeda connection. CHETRY: Also new this morning, a bill to extend key parts of the Patriot Act, including expanding wiretapping has failed in the House. It fell seven votes short of the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. It's a sign of how the Tea Party is shaking things up in the political landscape in Washington.
Most Republicans who voted against that bill are new House members. It's important to note they have another chance to bring this to the floor where they could pass it with a simple majority, but there are key provisions of the Patriot Act that expire at the end of February.
HOLMES: Also, a key member of Congress is just back from Afghanistan is saying only a small number of U.S. forces will be withdrawn this summer. This is California Congressman Howard McKeon. He chairs the House Arms Services Committee. He was there as a head of a congressional delegation in Afghanistan.
The White House wants to start bringing troops home this summer. But again, Congressman McKeon is saying he predicts only a small number will be brought back. He says the emphasis needs to be placed on 2014 -- that is the date for complete troop withdrawal.
CHETRY: And one in 50 U.S. troops on the front lines in Afghanistan is a robot. The Marine Corps top robot handler says there are now 2,000 of these so-called "ground bots" fighting alongside our men in uniform.
While robot technology has gone beyond the bomb disposal units, there are some limitations. Ground bots are restricted to missions where they can be closely monitored by humans.
Well, the country's newest Medal of Honor recipient, Staff Sergeant Salvador Giunta, is now leaving the Army. He plans to move to Colorado with his wife in June to continue his education. Sergeant Giunta has served two tours in Afghanistan, and is only living Medal of Honor recipient from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
HOLMES: Also, it is a stunning change in the way we treat breast cancer. There's a new study out that says women with early stage breast cancer do not need surgery to remove lymph nodes from their armpits.
This, of course, could be a painful procedure with several complications but it has been a given, just accepted as common practice for many women to do that and doctors to want to do this to so-called "get it all," if you will. But now, it may not be necessary and those lymph nodes could possibly be treated with radiation or other medication.
Some of the leading cancer centers in this country may be changing their practices because of this new study. This is a major development. We'll get a lot more throughout the morning, including from our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who will join us next hour live here in the studio.
CHETRY: Well, President Obama has kicked the habit, at least according to the first lady. During a round table with reporters yesterday, Michelle Obama said it's been almost a year since the president smoked a cigarette. So, what made him stop? Well, she says that the president wants to be able to tell his daughters the truth if they ask whether or not daddy smokes.
HOLMES: All right. Well, also coming up on this AMERICAN MORNING: the government has its report out on those runaway Toyotas. You remember those acceleration problems? Well, some people aren't buying what the government is selling now. We'll explain.
CHETRY: Also, Lindsay Lohan expected to go before a new judge today to face new charges that could land her in jail.
HOLMES: Also, a college coach gives a life-saving gift to one of his players: one of his kidneys. You'll love this story this morning.
It's 10 minutes past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHETRY: Well, Toyota is trying to move on now that a government investigation has found that the reports of sudden acceleration really met no fault with the company's electronic throttle systems. There are many, though, who are skeptical of the findings.
Toyota recalled, you'll remember, nearly 8 million vehicles, blaming sticky pedals and bad floor mats. Well, government investigators, with the help of NASA engineers, backed the company's claims and cited another cause, driver error.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD MEDFORD, NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN.: This is simply a rewrite of history. In fact, if we look back at the testimony both from Toyota and NHTSA just months ago, they've indicated that sticky pedal was, in fact, never a cause of unintended acceleration. And I don't know how it could be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Toyota still faces hundreds of lawsuits over reports of unintended acceleration.
HOLMES: Well, also new this morning, they are known as the "Bell 8." These city officials from Bell, California, this small little town, who are getting salaries in the range of $300,000 to $400,000 -- had a lot of people scratching their heads.
Well, at a preliminary hearing yesterday, they're trying to find out if these eight should be tried on public corruption charges. Six of the eight current and former city council members are accused of misappropriating $5.5 million in city funds. They have now rejected a plea deal. Not sure of the details of that deal. They allegedly used some of these public funds for, as you know, those salary increases, personal loans, you name it.
There are two other members who are not offered a plea deal. Their preliminary hearing is set -- or yet to be scheduled, I should say.
CHETRY: Camden, New Jersey, is still looking for ways to bring back dozens of laid off police and firefighters. The city says that they have some options in the works. The federal emergency management agency may be willing to offer Camden a $5 million grant to help fund the rehiring of some firefighters. However, it doesn't apply to the police department.
Meanwhile, we are learning that the city council derailed a proposal that would have hiked property taxes, which would have helped to rehire officers and firefighters as well. The council is planning to meet as early as today to revise the budget.
HOLMES: Well, just anybody in this country who has a mortgage, you know the names Fannie and Freddie. What would happen if Fannie and Freddie went away?
Our Christine Romans "Minding Your Business". We're not saying they're going away yet, but it's being talked about. It's on the table.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And what would be in their place and would it be able to support a healthy housing market? Do you need something - some kind of government intervention to support a healthy housing market?
Good morning. A big, big news this morning that the White House on Friday will unveil three potential scenarios for the government to get out of the home loan business or at least step back from the home loan business and phase out government support of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Ed Henry confirming of details of a pretty extensive "Wall Street Journal" story this morning. This affects everyone. This affects your home loan, your ability to get a loan. Many people say that the government unnecessarily propped up the housing market and helped fuel some of that hysteria in the home market. Others say, look, if you have a - a quick withdrawal of these - of government support for Fannie and Freddie, you could actually see borrowing costs rise. No question the home prices drop again.
Keep in mind, this comes at a very fragile time, so the White House will be clearly have to be very, very careful about what they're doing here. You have a new report this morning showing that 27 percent of all home loans - 27 percent are under water. That means 27 percent of homeowners owe more on the house than the house is even worth. In the last quarter of last year, home prices fell another three percent.
So what are these three proposals? We don't have very many details. We'll know in a couple of days. But the White House moving to address what has been a Republican battle cry for several years and pull back on Fannie and Freddie. We have already pumped $150 billion to keep these (INAUDIBLE) institutions alive. These institutions have been reviled by many people who are good government watchers because they are revolving door for ex-congressmen, ex-senators, federal employees who move right out of government and get a high-paying job at Fannie and Freddie.
What do they do? You know, they - they back -
HOLMES: There is some good. People - there is some good.
ROMANS: Sure. They back - they back, you know, nine of the 10 home loans are filtered in some way through Fannie or Freddie or the FHA. How do you pull back from that in a - in a responsible way and what is in its place? What level of government involvement is in its place? We're going to find out in the next few days.
CHETRY: Wow. All right. Big changes.
ROMANS: Big changes in Congress. They got - they got to work with Congress on it too, so it could be a nice interesting fight.
HOLMES: All right. Christine -
ROMANS: Sure.
HOLMES: -- thank you so much. We'll see you plenty throughout this morning.
CHETRY: Maybe you've noticed this at your workplace - the cubicle. Is the cubicle getting smaller? We're talking about your cubicle. The average American office worker had 90 square feet of work space back in 1994.
Now, the International Faculty Management Association said that number is down to 75 square feet. But it's not just you. Your bosses have seen their offices shrink too as they try to save on commercial rent.
HOLMES: Well, you have a smaller work space, you need a smaller computer. And tech companies now have shipped more Smartphones than PCs in the fourth quarter of 2010 - 101 million Smartphones. That's up 87 percent from the same time period a year earlier. Meanwhile, PCs are only up about three percent. So we know that's the direction we're going.
CHETRY: Yes. Changing times. You can do everything on that thing now. That's a handheld computer.
HOLMES: Everything.
CHETRY: Practically everything.
Well, up next on AMERICAN MORNING, he may be the ultimate players' coach, donating his kidney to save a sick player and give him a new lease on life. Jason Carroll is going to be joining us in a moment with this remarkable story.
HOLMES: Also, Super Bowl seat gate continues. The NFL is making a new offer now to those 400 fans who had tickets but no seats. Is this deal going to be enough to keep those folks from suing the NFL?
It's 18 minutes past the hour, and Christine Romans says no way. Stay with us.
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HOLMES: It's 21 minutes past the hour now.
Lindsay Lohan - well, she's expected to be charged in a Los Angeles District Attorney's office, expected to charge her with felony grand theft.
CHETRY: Why did you say eww (ph)?
HOLMES: Expecting that - well, it's unfortunate that we haven't had a lot of positive news about - about this young lady who is clearly a beautiful, young woman, talented, had so much going for her. She's just had so much trouble over the past several years. Yes, a lot of people say it's her own fault, it's her own doing, but you - you just want some good news about the young lady.
She's accused of leaving a jewelry store with a $2,500 necklace and not paying for it. They usually notice things like that. Her attorney says she is innocent. This was all a misunderstanding of some kind and they'll actually fight these charges.
CHETRY: Well, we often hear coaches talk about the importance of commitment. Tom Walter, coach of the Wake Forest baseball team, went above and beyond that.
HOLMES: Yes. You will love this story. This will be the story of the morning, something that gets you going this morning, some positive - some positivity.
Jason Carroll is joining us with this. Gives him the gift of life literally and gives him a kidney. Wonderful story (ph).
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is dedication at a level like I have not seen. Absolutely incredible.
You know, Kevin Jordan was selected by the New York Yankees in the amateur draft, but Jordan's decision to play baseball for Wake Forest University, that decision may have actually saved his life. Earlier this week, his coach, Tom Walter, donated one of his kidneys to Jordan. Both are recovering at Emory Hospital - Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Coach Walker is up and walking and made a visit to his star outfielder yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM WALTER, COACH, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: I would do it again a thousand times out of a thousand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Do it again if he could. A little over a year ago, Jordan was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that eventually led to kidney failure. The search was on for a donor but no one in Jordan's family was a match. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN JORDAN, FRESHMAN, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: We tried about all of the people that we knew as donors. Coach came up in the clinch. He came through and (INAUDIBLE). I'm just thankful for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Well, Jordan says he already feels a difference not being on dialysis. He'll need to be on medication obviously to keep his new kidney functioning properly. But his doctors say that shouldn't stop the star athlete from competing again. Expectations are Jordan will resume playing in the 2012 season.
Coach Walter plans to be back at work and in the dugout when Wake Forest plays its first game of the season. That's going against LSU. That's going to be next Friday.
Both the coach and Jordan will be speaking at a press conference later today. You know, also, the coach said that when we recruit our guys, we talk about family, we talk about making sacrifices for one another, for our teammates. So it's something we take very seriously. Obviously took it right to heart or right to his kidney.
HOLMES: Why do they stall (ph) - who even thought - I guess the coach took it upon himself to - to ask or to check to see if he was a match.
CARROLL: Well, yes. And here's what happened. You know, even when the process was going on in terms of looking for a match, you know, the coach said to his father, to Jordan's father. He said, look, if you don't find a match, call me. You know, I'll come in and do a test. They couldn't find a match. He came in and did the test.
CHETRY: That's amazing. None of his family members were a match and his coach was. I mean, that's divine intervention there.
CARROLL: That's exactly what his father called it, a divine intervention.
CHETRY: Really? Well, right.
HOLMES: Great story.
CHETRY: And the fact that he's going to be able to play again in the 2012 season is pretty amazing.
CARROLL: Fingers crossed.
HOLMES: All right. That's a great story.
CHETRY: Thanks, Jason (ph).
CARROLL: All right.
HOLMES: We appreciate that this morning. We got another story about two teenagers that are OK. You might not believe it after you see this picture, though. A close call in Missouri. Take a look at what happens here, folks. That's the trailer of a truck. It tipped over, landing on the car. And you saw the video of the car there. The passenger side is crushed.
The truck was carrying trash when it tipped over trying to exit the Highway 141 in Baldwin. But, again, the teenagers are OK after one side of that car was taken out.
CHETRY: And also check out this video. This is a sinkhole that swallowed a city dump truck in Houston. The truck was actually there to try to fix problems with the road when the road itself gave way yesterday. It was about nine feet deep. The driver wasn't hurt.
City officials are blaming an undetected water main break. You know, I always wonder - and I feel bad for the tow truck operators. I mean, how do you even get started on that thing?
HOLMES: Those guys are professionals. All right.
CHETRY: I mean, a nine foot sinkhole.
HOLMES: Well, some of you out there have been on these safaris before. We know you've done -
CHETRY: Speak for yourself.
HOLMES: OK. I have done these things and I have heard about other people doing it. And like why you would you get that close if you do? It gets in you. You see a lion really close and want to get close and you want to get closer.
CHETRY: And you just want to go hug the lion.
HOLMES: You do. OK.
Well, this is what not to do maybe on your safari. A couple of tourists got a little too close to hippos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's close. That is close.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's another one. Where's the other one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). He's coming. Oh, no!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Who knows that a hippo could swim like that? But, yes -
CHETRY: The hippo knew clearly.
HOLMES: But the tourist did not. But you - as you continue to watch this, they're trying to get out of there on their boat and the hippo, the hungry, hungry hippo - I guess they call him that for a reason - kept on coming at them. And the men say one of the females felt threatened and that's why it went after them
Jason Carroll is sitting here telling me he's been through this before. It happened to him. I don't believe that. None of us believe that.
CARROLL: That is true except I was in a canoe. It was a canoe - I still couldn't tell (INAUDIBLE).
CHETRY: They were in a motor boat. You were in a canoe.
CARROLL: Well, it didn't charge me like that one did, but it did open its big mouth. And when you're that close to a hippo, you realized how big and how dangerous they are.
CHETRY: Yes, they're actually notoriously - they are very aggressive animals. People think, oh, I see them at the zoo and just laying around the water.
CARROLL: It's very true.
CHETRY: They're very aggressive, so -
CARROLL: One of the most dangerous.
HOLMES: OK. You've - OK. You've sold us a bad bill of goods on that story. We thought it was dramatic. It opened its mouth?
CARROLL: Yes. But when you're - but when you're like eight feet away from it, it's pretty terrifying. And then when you have to, you know, get a - paddle your butt out of there really quickly -
CHETRY: When you're up hippo's creek without a paddle -
CARROLL: Thank you.
CHETRY: -- you know, you're in trouble.
CARROLL: Thank you.
HOLMES: It is the third largest - third largest land mammal out there and, yes, they're pretty fast in the water as well.
CHETRY: Fish tales on this show.
HOLMES: Yes.
CHETRY: Well, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, dangerous narcotics sold legally at your corner store. Lawmakers are saying this is happening and they want to put a stop to it.
HOLMES: Also, Republicans in the House tried to repeal the president's health care law. That didn't work. Well, now they have another plan, to cut off the funding.
It's 28 minutes past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHETRY: Beautiful, beautiful shot this morning in our nation's capital -- sun rising over the Capitol building. It's 23 degrees right now. A little later, 36 degrees, but it's still going to feel much colder than that. The wind chill temperatures across the country today are making things feel a lot cooler than the actual temperatures.
HOLMES: Gorgeous picture this morning out of Washington, D.C.
CHETRY: Isn't it great?
HOLMES: And we're at the bottom of the hour here on this AMERICAN MORNING. T.J. Holmes, alongside Kiran Chetry. Thank you for being here.
We are talking weather once again. Yes, it is winter, but it's getting a little ridiculous now.
CHETRY: True.
HOLMES: Another storm to tell you about -- dropped a couple of feet of snow in the Rockies and expected to drop at least a foot in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, but also Atlanta, Memphis, Little Rock, Dallas. All of you folks need to be on the lookout. There's going to be some really cold temperatures as well, going to be feeling this later in the week.
CHETRY: Italian prosecutors have requested an immediate trial for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He's accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and abusing his power in trying to cover it up. A judge now has five days to rule on this request. Berlusconi is denying any wrongdoing and claims that the allegations are political mudslinging.
We're going to get more on this developing story when we check in live with Dan Rivers coming up in the next hour.
HOLMES: Also, Super Bowl seat-gate, it continues now. You know, the story by 400, I should say, 400 people who had tickets to the Super Bowl were denied seats. The seats weren't ready in time.
Well, the NFL, as you know, offering them three times the value of the ticket. They were also offering them a seat at next year's Super Bowl. Well, now they've upped the ante a little bit -- the NFL has -- now offered to give them round trip airfare and hotel, but to the Super Bowl of their choosing now. So not just next year's.
We'll see if this works and see if that keeps some fans from suing the NFL.
CHETRY: Well, it's a brand new drug similar to cocaine or ecstasy with one big difference. Right now, it's perfectly legal in most places.
HOLMES: Yes. Alina Cho is here with this story.
And it's been out there for a little while now. "Bath salts." This is a really odd story.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning.
You know, the name does sound innocent, "bath salts." But they're really not. And even though they are legal in most states, experts say their effects can be as powerful as cocaine or ecstasy.
Now, there have been reports of psychosis, hallucinations, even death. Now, some states, including Florida, Louisiana and North Dakota have taken action. They are banning the drugs.
Now, Congress is considering same. In fact, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York recently proposed a bill that would bath salts on the list of federally-controlled substances.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: The so-called "bath salts" are nothing more than deadly narcotics. And they're being sold cheaply to all-comers, no questions asked at store counters around the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Now, you can buy these drugs in convenience stores, smoke shops, even online. They come in tubs like that or in Kool-Aid type packets with names like Red Dawn and Purple Wave. They sell for approximately $20 to $80 a pack. It's relatively cheap.
And, of course, that makes them particularly appealing to teens. Now, the salts can then be smoked, snorted or ingested.
The White House drug czar also recently put out a warning about bath salts. Poison control centers have reported a sharp rise in calls about the drugs. There have been more than 250 calls so far this year.
And drug enforcement agents and law enforcement agents say, listen, you know, smart and savvy pushers are always going to stay one step ahead of the game. But lest you think this is not serious. You know, in one case, several officers in Florida were needed to subdue a man who actually tried to tear a radar unit out of a police car with his teeth. There was another incident in which police say a woman attacked her mother with a machete thinking that she was a monster.
HOLMES: Oh, my goodness.
CHO: It's like a psychotic break.
CHETRY: What are they sold for then in retail stores?
CHO: I mean, they're called bath salt and, you know, our Deb Feyerick is actually working on a piece about this. They ordered them online and I asked her, I said, "Can you have actually use them?" I mean, traditionally, you know, you think that you sprinkle them in bathwater. She said, these are just called bath salts, but they're really not, and they're missing that key ingredient.
And, again, so it begs the question: why aren't they banned? And now, they're trying to take federal action.
CHETRY: Very, very unusual, but you're right, a growing problem.
Alina Cho for us this morning, thanks.
HOLMES: Alina, thank you so much.
CHO: You bet.
HOLMES: We're going to turn now to what's happening on Capitol Hill. Republicans will try to block the funding for the health care law next week when the House is expected to vote on a spending bill. Majority Leader Eric Cantor making this official saying this is, in fact, what Republicans will try to do now, says he expects the House bill will defund the law. He's having lunch with the president today, meanwhile, along with fellow Republican John Boehner as well as Kevin McCarthy.
CHETRY: Well, it was billed as the first Tea Party town hall. Six members of Congress, including Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Senator Rand Paul of Connecticut and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah facing questions from conservative activists at the National Press Club in Washington last night, but it turned into more of a pep rally. Some of the big themes: smaller government, lower taxes and less spending. A consensus that the Tea Party as well is here to stay.
HOLMES: Well, coming up: they are not going anywhere in Egypt. They're still making demands of the government, still want Mubarak to step down. And they are heading over to the parliament. We'll take you to the very latest from Egypt.
CHETRY: We talk a lot about Facebook and monitoring Facebook, especially for young kids. Well, now, there's a new study taking aim at the site claiming that kids who spend a lot of time on Facebook may be more susceptible to eating disorders. We're going to tell you more about that and what Facebook is saying in response.
It's 37 minutes past the hour.
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HOLMES: Forty minutes past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING.
We are going to give you another example here. We're getting some new video of just the chaos and violence in Cairo. This video is coming to us from Al Jazeera, happened about a week ago. But we are told the pickup you're seeing there is carrying government loyalists actually trying to run people down in the middle of the street. Pickup loses a bit of control there. A couple of guys fall of and you see what happens afterwards. The crowd that's there goes after and attacks the men who fell off the back. They're dragged. They're kicked. They're beaten. And the chaos ensues.
But, again, just one more example of what it's been like in Cairo the past few weeks.
CHETRY: Protesters pouring into Cairo's Tahrir Square again this morning and many didn't leave. They spent the night in their tents. Some of them camped out in front of Egyptian army tanks, acting as human barricades.
This morning, we're also hearing from the leading opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Frederik Pleitgen is live for us in Cairo this morning with more.
Hey, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran. Yes, you're absolutely right. There are a lot of people coming into Tahrir Square again today.
Of course, yesterday was really one of the biggest showings that we've seen ever since all of this began. This morning again, hundreds of people, if not thousands of people coming into the square again. Again, it's very full right now. The people there is telling me that they're going to come back every day.
It seems to me as though more and more families with children are now actually coming into the square. And one of the reasons for that might be the fact that it's actually been quite safe to go there for the past couple of days and certainly also this protest has been galvanized by that Google executive who, of course, was released two days ago and gave that emotional interview. So, right now, the protests here is still going strong, Kiran.
CHETRY: And what about the Muslim Brotherhood? Details about them speaking out more about this?
PLEITGEN: Well, we're still waiting to hear back from their press conference. They're giving a press conference which should be going on right now. We sent a crew there to cover that. We're still waiting to hear back about what they say.
However, we do know the Muslim Brotherhood, of course, has entered into negotiations with the government along with other opposition groups. It's not clear where they stand at this point, whether or not they might leave the negotiations or stay there. We're waiting to hear from them and will keep you updated once we get news of that, Kiran.
CHETRY: And meantime, Fred, there is a lot of concern over the Cairo museum when protesters broke inside. Any details on what actually went down? PLEITGEN: It's really a bizarre story, Kiran. It all happened last Wednesday when we had all this violence which, of course, happened right outside the Egyptian museum. And what happened is that a bunch of looters tried to get into the museum. One looter -- only one looter actually managed to get in and he broke a couple of things and then he was arrested.
But the museum's artifacts were really saved by the fact that a really large group of looters got on to the premises, but instead of raiding the museum, they raided the gift shop and made off with a bunch of fake King Tut masks thinking those were the Egyptian artifacts. It's quite a bizarre story, Kiran.
CHETRY: Right. They got lucky somehow not because of good intentions, but because of a mistake.
Frederik Pleitgen for us this morning from Cairo -- thanks so much.
HOLMES: You may remember, we told you this story yesterday, about a Texas school district that was looking to develop an Arabic language class. It's Mansfield Independent School District. They say they were recently awarded a federal grant from a foreign language assistance program. They were aiming at trying to get more Arab language speakers. There will be a high demand for them.
Well, the school district is coming back now saying these classes are not going to be mandatory. Early grades will be exposed, rather, to elements of Arabic language among the state-mandated curriculum. Middle and high schools, Arabic course will be offered as an elective course, not mandatory.
It did cause some outrage among some people who thought this was going to be mandatory.
We did reach out to the school district. We did receive a statement from them. Let me read it to you. It says, quote, "Some have raised questions and concerns about the district's implementation of the grant. Therefore, Mansfield ISD is slowing the implementation process and will be seeking input from parents in a variety of ways."
CHETRY: Well, still to come this morning, another winter storm dumping snow in the nation's heartland, moving east and also we're dealing with frigid temperatures and wind chills. We're going to check in with Rob Marciano for the travel forecast right after the break.
HOLMES: And for some, it is the most bothersome part about flying these days. You have to pack all your liquids in the little bag, little Ziploc bag. Well, what if you didn't have to do that anymore? A California professor -- and you're seeing it here -- he might have a method that could put it into all that. And it has to do with wine. We'll explain.
We're a quarter of the top of the hour here on this CNN AMERICAN MORNING.
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HOLMES: And good morning, Oklahoma City. Some pictures from Oklahoma City where they're expecting, at some point, they're going to break a record for snowfall in that area. They're expecting, in some places, in Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, maybe as much as a foot of snow. They're not the only ones going to be getting it today. Several places major storm to tell you about today. But hey, it is going to warm up to 18 degrees later today there in Oklahoma City. That's something. CHETRY: Yes. Until you factor in the wind. Then, you're back to being cold again. What are you going to do? This has been a tough winter. Forty-eight minutes past the hour. Check of the weather headlines. Rob Marciano in the Extreme Weather Center for us this morning. It's getting old.
MARCIANO: Yes, it is getting old. And, you know, to say that they have near blizzard conditions right in Oklahoma City and some points just north to Tulsa, that's getting old. I'm sure the folks who live there are saying just the same thing, but the good news is there is misery in company, isn't there? I mean, just about everybody this winter has endured something.
So, we're all in this together, folks. All right. You got it in Tulsa right now. It's heading quickly. That's the plus thing with this system. It is moving relatively quickly. So, it's not going to be a long-term event, really, a 12-hour shot of it. Tulsa to Oklahoma City right now, we're seeing the heaviest amount of snow. Winds gusting over 20 miles an hour.
Visibility is down to about a quarter of a mile. This is very close to blizzard conditions albeit very briefly. Just north of Tulsa, we have reports of a foot of snow and three to four foot snowdrifts. So, dangerous driving conditions, obviously. Just give it a couple of hours, and you get out there a little bit later on late morning and early afternoon, and things will improve remarkably.
Six to 10 is what we expect in Oklahoma City, eight to 14 just north of Tulsa, four to eight around Little Rock. Memphis will get some as well, two to four, and Dallas maybe one to three inches. Not quite as much as they had last week. Most of the energy is just north of the Red River, but nonetheless, you're going to see it. Temperatures are dropping in the big "D," and it will be cold enough to at least see some snow on the north part of town.
Because of that, over an hour delays in New York and Dallas and Philly and Detroit. The northeast, no precip today but just some wind. Houston and Memphis seeing some low visibilities as well. The rest of the map doesn't look all that bad, you know? Just this one little sore spot right there. Got some fun video for you. At Montevideo, Minnesota. That's right. You know, if you don't have a hammer handy, just take a banana, hang outside for a little bit, and the frozen banana will do the job just fine.
A little science experiment there in Minnesota, you know? Why not? If you're bored, just go have at it. Temperatures cold enough for that today. Wind chill advisories in effect, and carpenters across the north country probably cringing right now.
CHETRY: Yes. And how long do you have to leave the banana out there?
MARCIANO: You know, about an hour is what these folks did. So, you know --
CHETRY: That's all it takes? Imagine your hands. Imagine your ears. Man.
MARCIANO: Then peel it, maybe melt a little chocolate, dip it -- just tenderized them out.
CHETRY: First, it's a hammer, and then, it's a banana split. Yummy. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right, guys.
HOLMES: Thanks, Rob. We'll see you shortly.
Also coming up this morning, they brought in some of the smartest folks they could find to try to figure out why some of these Toyotas just took off on their own, but did these NASA engineers and what not, were they able to figure this out? We got a live report coming up.
CHETRY: And a hooters girl turned politician, and she says she owes it all to her days in the orange shorts. Fifty-one minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: It's time for an "A.M. House Call." Six minutes to the top of the hour. Stories about your health now. Too much time on Facebook may lead to an eating disorder in young kids. Researchers in Israel found that the more time teen girls spend on the site, the more likely it is they'll have a negative body image, and perhaps, be subject to eating disorders. They say that girls are constantly comparing themselves with their friends and trying to measure up to them.
But the study also found that the risk was moderated somewhat if parents were involved in how their kids use the internet. Meantime, a spokesperson for Facebook suggested photo-shopped models in magazines are doing more damage than a person's online friends.
HOLMES: Also, listen to this. A possible link between H1N1 flu vaccine and narcolepsy, that, of course a sleeping disorder that causes people to just fall asleep suddenly. This was found in Finland where they had a reported 60 cases of narcolepsy during the 2009 flu epidemic there. Now, most of these cases were among young children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization says, so far, all of the cases they found were in people who also carried a gene that predisposes them to narcolepsy. Maybe, the theory goes, the gene coupled with the vaccine, put you at a higher risk of developing the disorder. CHETRY: You know, eggs sort of like coffee. It's good for you, one day it's bad for you. It's good for you, it's bad for you. One of the country's favorite breakfast foods is now apparently healthier than you think. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that eggs today have a lot less cholesterol than it did years ago.
A large egg has 185 milligrams of cholesterol down from 215 milligrams. The drop, they say, may be change in the hen's diets or the way they're bred. They also found that eggs today have higher levels of vitamin D. This is great news.
HOLMES: Sanjay, can I eat eggs or not? Can I eat eggs? OK. Sanjay said we can eat eggs. It's all good.
CHETRY: Sanjay, can I bring liquids on the plane? Hopefully, soon, you'll be able to say goodbye to the Ziploc bag, taking it out, putting it, and they rolling it through, right? A California chemistry professor says he's developing a special liquid scanner. Nine years ago, Matthew Augustine invented a way to scan the chemical content of wine without having to uncork the bottle. Now, he's says he's demonstrated this to homeland security officials as a way to scan for dangerous explosive liquids.
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PROF. MATTHEW AUGUSTINE, U.C. DAVIS CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT: It's a different compounds absorb different radio frequencies. And if you can track that with high resolution, you can determine the chemical compounds. What we envision is essentially a two foot by two foot by two foot box, right, that's connected to a laptop computer.
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CHETRY: Tell us more. Anyway, I don't know if it would actually make the time that you spend going through airport security longer, but, hey, it may be a great thing. Augustine says that his scanner could be ready to start testing in about a year.
HOLMES: People would love that because that is one of the most annoying parts. Yes, it's all in the sake of safety, but taking them out, packing them in, all that stuff. We'll see what happens.
We're getting close to the top of the hour and reset for you in just a moment. Don't go away on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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