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CNN Sunday Morning
Republican Debate; Weekend Weather Update; Driving With A Cold Is Dangerous; Couple Ordered to Give up Child; 2012's Leap Second; Keeping Your Financial Resolutions
Aired January 08, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's Sunday, January 8th. It's 6:00 a.m. in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. in Chicago, 4:00 a.m. in Denver, 3:00 a.m. in Las Vegas. Good morning. I'm Gary Tuchman.
Republican presidential candidates duking it out on stage again. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum engage in a heated exchange. Rick Perry says he would send U.S. troops back into Iraq. We'll give you all the highlights if you missed the New Hampshire debate last night.
Plus, if you're driving while sick, one study says it's just as bad as driving while drunk. Why you shouldn't get behind the wheel if you're not feeling too well.
And, is there ever enough time in the day? We'll give you an idea about some extra time on the clock later this year. We'll explain.
ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, bringing you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
TUCHMAN: We start with politics and the race to be the Republican presidential nominee. The New Hampshire primary is now just two days away. So you could have expected fireworks at last night's ABC News debate in Manchester. Well, you may have been disappointed. There were a few shots fired, but maybe surprisingly, front-runner Mitt Romney wasn't always the target. CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser has the highlights.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Gary.
Round one of this doubleheader of debates this weekend up here in New Hampshire is over. And, guess what, front-runner Mitt Romney is still the front-runner. The former Massachusetts governor ,who's way ahead in the polls here in New Hampshire, really remained unscathed in this debate as a lot of his rivals for the Republican nomination didn't really attack him, but rather went after each other. Take a listen to this exchange between Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas, and former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who's really been surging in the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So he's a big government person, along with him being very associated with the lobbyists and taking a lot of funds. And, also, where did he get -- make his living afterwards? I mean he became a high-powered lobbyist on -- in Washington, D.C.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a ridiculous charge. It's -- and you should know better than to cite George Soros-like organizations to say that they're corrupt. So that's number one. Ron, I'm a conservative. I'm not a libertarian, I believe in some government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is placing all his chips right here in New Hampshire. He didn't really campaign in Iowa and he's hoping for a strong finish here in Tuesday's primary. Huntsman was touting his experience as U.S. ambassador to China, but Mitt Romney had an answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's nonsense to think you can slap a tariff on China the first day that you're in office, as Governor Romney would like it do. You've got to sit down and sort through the issues of trade like you do with North Korea, like you do with Iran, like you do with Burma and Pakistan and the south China Sea. They're all interrelated. And to have a president who actually understands how that relationship works would serve the interests of the people of this country from an economic standpoint and from a security standpoint.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm sorry. Governor, you were, the last two years, implementing the policies of this administration in China.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Texas Governor Rick Perry had a disappointing fifth-place finish in Iowa. He's hoping for a strong comeback. He appeared to make a little bit of news at the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would send troops back into Iraq, because I will tell you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now?
PERRY: I think we start talking with the Iraqi individuals there. The idea that we allow the Iranians to come back into Iraq and take over that country, with all of the treasure both in blood and money that we have spent in Iraq, because this president wants to kowtow to his liberal leftist base and move out those men and women. He could have renegotiated that time frame. I think it is a huge error for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: Those comments sure generated a lot of buzz online and on the social networks and they were a talking point in the spin room after the debate. This debate, only round one. A few hours from now, another showdown between these six candidates as we get closer and closer to Tuesday's primary.
Gary.
TUCHMAN: Paul, thank you very much.
Be sure to stay with CNN for all the news on the New Hampshire primary. Our special coverage kicks off Tuesday night, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Now for some other headlines.
Around 100 soldiers are locked down right now at Lewis-McChord Army Air Force Base in Washington state. Commanders there are reacting to a report of missing military equipment, including night lasers, guns, and scopes. The restricted soldiers are all part of the fourth brigade, second infantry division. Officials do say there is no threat to the public.
Police in the Denver area are trying to figure out why an area couple were the targets of a package bomb. The two people, a man and a woman, were injured when the bomb exploded in their car. It had been left at their front door. According to local reports, investigators are looking at a possible suspect, but there's no word on a motive in the attack.
Congresswoman Gabby Giffords is back in Tucson, Arizona, today for ceremonies marking the one-year anniversary of her shooting. Six people were killed and 13 others were injured in that attack. She and her husband Mark Kelly visited a memorial for Gabe Zimmerman, an aide of Giffords who was killed in the attack. This is a new picture of Giffords from just yesterday. There are more ceremonies scheduled in Tucson later today.
Mt. Rainier National Park has now reopened to the public. The park was closed down after a ranger was shot and killed last week. A former soldier is blamed in the shooting. He was found dead a little while later. A memorial for Ranger Margaret Anderson is planned for Tuesday.
A container ship grounded off the coast of New Zealand has finally broken into two. Big swells battered the helpless ship, knocking a couple hundred containers off the deck. Only around 15 have been recovered. Tons of milk powder from one of the containers spilled out into the water. The ship has actually been stuck on a reef off northern New Zealand since October. Officials say they're ready to clean up any oil that spills from the broken ship.
Well, it's six minutes past the hour. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele has a look ahead at the rest of your weekend weather forecast.
Alexandra.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi. Good morning, Gary. Good morning everyone out there.
Well, another day with record heat yesterday. Where's the heat? What the week will see. More rain on tap. And, also, some strong winds out west. Lots to get to in the weather department. Meet you back here right after the break with a full forecast. And a very cool story about adding time, right, Gary?
TUCHMAN: That's right. We're going to tell everyone that they're going to have more time in their lives.
STEELE: That's right.
TUCHMAN: But that's coming up. Thank you, Alexandra.
STEELE: Sure.
TUCHMAN: An iced in Alaskan town is just months away from running out of fuel. But help is on the way. More on the historic mission in about a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: An Alaskan city that's been iced in for months may get the emergency fuel that is desperately need within the next 48 hours. According to CNN affiliate KTUU, a Russian tanker carrying the fuel is less than 200 miles away from Nome, Alaska. The tanker is being escorted by a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker that's currently plowing a path through the thick sea ice in the Bering Strait. We spoke with Nome's mayor, Denise Michels, who says without this delivery, Nome would run out of fuel supplies before spring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR DENISE MICHELS, NOME, ALASKA (via telephone): And we've had four back-to-back snow storms and this below-zero weather snap for almost two weeks now. So there is more use of the low-grade diesel for heavy equipment to clear snow. (INAUDIBLE) Fuel and Delta (ph) came to us and told us that -- looked at their inventory and their -- the historical use and said by March, which is in the middle of winter for us, the Iditarod is running then, that we would run out of unleaded and low-grade diesel. Come March, we would have a serious issue because the first barge, fuel barge, can't get here until June, until the ice is cleared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: If the mission is a success, this will be the first time ever fuel's been delivered by sea to a western Alaska community in the middle of winter. The fuel tanker is expected to reach Nome on Monday.
Well, it's nine minutes past the hour. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele has our first check of the weather.
Alexandra, I was in Nome a few years ago for a story. It is a beautiful place, but it is a very desolate (INAUDIBLE) place, especially this time of year. STEELE: Yes, all that for 3,500 people, right, so they could get around with diesel and fuel.
TUCHMAN: Right.
STEELE: All right, thanks so much, Gary.
Well, we talked so much yesterday about the 1,100 records from the past seven days. Well, another record day of heat all the way from Texas to New York City. Look at these numbers. Galveston, Texas, hitting a record of 75. Greenville-Spartanburg in South Carolina, 71. In New Jersey, 64. In New York City, 62. So, the heat is on.
But that's really the end of the heat. We kind of hit the pinnacle and now we're cooling down. Although, as we look toward Monday, we still will be above average. But that cool front we were talking about, drop those numbers. So they're certainly warm, but not quite as dramatically so for some.
But, still, look at Minneapolis on Monday, 40. That's 17 above average. (INAUDIBLE). So really kind of the heartland where we see the axis of this cold arctic air usually. It is certainly not there. So, the heat continues all the way from Atlanta to New Orleans.
The big story this morning, though, if you're getting out and you're driving anywhere in the southeast is the fog. A lot of fog out there, slowing airport travel for sure. And also some rain. Some big boomer here in the southeast last night. Still a line of some showers. Not a total washout by any means, but foggy, cloudy with scattered showers from Memphis, south, all the way toward Atlanta and Charlotte, heading into the mid-Atlantic for today.
In terms of delays, here's where we could see them today. Atlanta, Georgia, Birmingham, so you certainly get the quadrant of the country in trouble. The southeast with the fog early on and the clouds and showers. Kind of sporadic, but they certainly could slow things down. Los Angeles as well with some fog early on.
A big picture today, a few things to be mindful of. The cold front moving through, dropping some of those temperatures. So everyone up in New Hampshire, it has been pretty mild. We're going to shave off a couple degrees. Here in the Southeast, still above average temperatures. But again, cloudy and showery.
Also, a couple different types of wind. Chinook winds in Montana, warm snow-eater winds. And in southern Cal, we do have some Santa Ana. So about gusting between about 40 and 60 miles per hour. That's the story in the wind department.
But here in the Southeast, a rainy go this morning. But look at this. This is where the rain's going to stay. Tuesday morning, an area of low pressure staying in the south. So the quadrant of the country, Gary, now will be wet tomorrow into Tuesday. Even makes its way into the mid-Atlantic by Wednesday.
TUCHMAN: Alexandra, when you talk about cold fronts, though, in the middle of January, that usually means temperatures, you know, ten below, 15 below in the northern part of the United States.
STEELE: That's right, cold, and I use that term loosely.
TUCHMAN: That's right. Loosely is right. But there's still a lot of winter to go.
STEELE: Absolutely.
TUCHMAN: Alexandra, thank you very much.
STEELE: Sure.
TUCHMAN: Well, we know driving while drunk is dangerous. But what about driving with a cold? Some interesting new information just ahead.
Plus, a proposal to make sure your lawmakers aren't legislating under the influence. Those details in less than two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: From Aretha Franklin to NFL great Emmitt Smith, many celebrities turned out for the 20th Annual Trumpet Awards in Atlanta last night honoring outstanding achievements and contributions to the African-American community. CNN founder Ted Turner was one of those walking the red carpet last night. He received the Golden Trumpet Award.
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker received an award for political leadership. He stopped by our studios yesterday, and I talked with him about the awards and presidential politics, including that controversial remark Rick Santorum made last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR CORY BOOKER, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Being in this game, you try to afford people as much latitude as possible when you're speaking constantly. That, to me, is patently offensive on the face. I'll give him some latitude about -- that he possibly made a mistake. But often in campaigns, and we've seen it before, people try to use bigotry or stereotypes about African-Americans as a foil to appeal to the lesser angels of others. And it's that kind of politics in all of America -- forget black people -- all of us tired of, we're just tired of. We want people to be appealing to our better angels and to have a vision for all of America, because at the end of the day, the aspirations of this country is that we will be the United States. That we will be a nation that finds a way forward for everyone. And so that's the first time I'm seeing it. I didn't not see the entire context and I don't want to contact -- comment too far. I don't want to cast aspersions on him. But just pulling out that one sound bite, from what I see, it's a little disappointing.
TUCHMAN: Now, speaking of Rick Santorum, one of the things he's talking about on the campaign trail is no cuts to the military budget. Barack Obama is saying we need a leaner, cheaper military. Do you think that's a smart move for Barack Obama in an election year? BOOKER: Well, again, I don't know about the politics, and this is why I report the president so much is because, at the end of the day, he obviously is gearing up for a campaign and has to make a lot of decisions. And I'm sure advisers probably told him better to do these things after the election. But the reality is, is we are spending more on military than most of the major industrial nations out there combined. That we have expenditures that are unsustainable in the long term that we ramped up for these two very expensive wars. And we can't keep fighting the wars of 100 years ago or 50 years ago. We've got to gear up our military to be far more focused on what the future holds. And I think that's what he's doing. We do not need to be spending this much money.
And in addition, we now know with the technologies that we have, we don't necessarily need the manpower we had before. And as I know from my police department, as well as the military, a large part of our expenses is sustaining that force. And not only while they're in the military -- I understand that even after they leave and they've given that incredible service to our country, we're still paying in terms of the benefits that they receive. So shrinking that force lowers overall expenditures.
But the preparedness is what's critical. And so when you have generals, when you have leaders, military personnel telling you that we could be far more effective with less spending, it's a responsible leadership. You know what, say, we're going to pursue that. We're going to lower military spending. Because everybody knows that the amount of money you spend on something -- we see this with public education -- doesn't mean necessarily that that's the kind of strength or result that we're going to get. You can spend less often and get more.
TUCHMAN: OK. One more prediction question. Who do you think is going to win the GOP nomination?
BOOKER: It's clearly to me that it's going to be Mitt Romney. It's clear to me it's going to be Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney, democrat and Republican.
TUCHMAN: And November of this year, who's going to win? I mean I know who you want to win, but do you think it's -- I know you're going to say Obama. Do you think it's clear-cut?
BOOKER: Right. Well, no, I don't think it's clear-cut.
TUCHMAN: OK.
BOOKER: I think President Obama has a difficult road helping Americans understand the incredible things that he's done. And I think that's the biggest thing I find even in Newark, when you ask people, what's Barack Obama done for the country, they are not as articulate. But once you start informing them of the challenges he faced, the accomplishments he made, you see suddenly people's realization and embrace of our president go -- get a lot more extreme.
TUCHMAN: Go visit Newark, New Jersey, sometime, folks. Go to a Nets game at the beautiful Prudential Center. A great stadium.
BOOKER: Hey, man, thank you.
TUCHMAN: Mayor Booker, congratulations on our Trumpet Award.
BOOKER: From one Jersey guy another, you don't give love a bad name, as (INAUDIBLE) would say.
TUCHMAN: OK. Springsteen, Bon Jovi, love those guys.
BOOKER: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).
TUCHMAN: OK. Thanks for joining us.
BOOKER: Jersey's greatest (ph) --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Mayor Cory Booker, Newark, New Jersey.
Well, family and friends of a missing Atlanta woman are desperately trying to find her. Thirty-six-year-old Stacey Nicole English vanished around Christmas. Police found her abandoned car still running just the other day, but they found nothing else. English's parents appeared on CNN last night. Don Lemon asked them about Robert Kirk, a friend who was visiting the young woman before she disappeared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN JAMISON, MISSING WOMAN'S FATHER: She asked him to leave. Argument, dispute, whatever it was, we don't know because we hear one side. Now there -- this new timeline has come forward. Someone had to see something.
CINDY JAMISON, MISSING WOMAN'S MOTHER: We called a few days after the first contact to him was made by the APD. And then a few days later, my husband and I just picked up the phone and called him and said, hey, have you heard anything from her? Have you reached out to call her? And he said no to both questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Tells an Atlanta paper that police are now calling him a person of interest. According to a police report, he told investigators that English was acting strangely, quoting the Bible, and talking about the end of the world during his stay.
Well, Democratic lawmakers turning the tables on other legislators who want to drug test welfare recipients. Georgia State Representative Scott Holcomb has introduced a bill that would require the state legislature, the legislators in the legislature, to take mandatory drug tests and prove they're not legislating under the influence. Holcomb says the bill is meant to push back on the wave of Republican bills to drug test the poor and jobless. He said this on his website, "if the General Assembly is going to pass laws requiring struggling jobless Georgians to pay for drug tests as a precondition to receiving state benefits, then members of the General Assembly should lead by example and take the tests first." Democrats in Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee have also introduced similar measures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: We are the 99 percent. We are the 99 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: What if I told you the Occupy Wall Street movement may have helped entrepreneur Donald Trump and cost some 99 percent-ers their jobs? The Milk Street Cafe near Zuccotti Park in New York City was forced to close less than a month ago after police barricades and nearby "Occupy" protests turned away business. And according to "The Tribeca Tribune" in New York, it has just been bought, that restaurant, by the only and only Donald Trump. The cafe's new name, Trump Street Bar and Grill, of course. According to "The Tribune," Trump is trying to retain as many of the original employees as possible.
So, is driving with a cold as dangerous as driving while drunk? A new study says yes. More after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Everyone knows that driving after you've had too much to drink is dangerous and selfish. But what about getting behind the wheel the next time you have a cold, the common cold? Our very own Nadia Bilchik has the answers for this "Morning Passport."
So, what's going on?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's happened is, in the United Kingdom, an insurance company, Young Marmalade and Cardiff University have got together and come up with a study that having a cold or flu can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. In fact, they say it's the equivalent to having four double shots of whiskey.
TUCHMAN: Well, that is obviously dangerous when you have four double shots of whisky to drive. But how do they do that study? I mean, obviously, if you have a minor cold, it's not as severe as if you have a major cold and you're hacking and you're wheezing and sneezing.
BILCHIK: Exactly. But, you know, with all of these studies, they're not totally finite. And there is some criticism about this study that isn't not very comprehensive. But it's certainly making people aware that having a cold or flu can impair your judgment, mood, and concentration. And those are the things they're looking at.
Now, they don't actually say in the study was it if they had taken some kind of flu medication.
TUCHMAN: Because that would, obviously, make it --
BILCHIK: Exactly.
TUCHMAN: I mean, I know when I take heavy medications, I'm like, nodding off.
BILCHIK: In fact, there's a rap term called "sipping the scissor." Have you ever heard that?
TUCHMAN: I can't say I have, Nadia.
BILCHIK: Well, now you have.
TUCHMAN: Had you heard that before you investigated this story?
BILCHIK: No.
TUCHMAN: OK, I'm just curious. OK.
BILCHIK: I had -- but, you know, rap terms are always so amazing. I heard the word dope -- for the first time, which is a word for something wonderful.
TUCHMAN: Dope. Doesn't Homer Simpson say that? Oh, dope
BILCHIK: Dope. Dope. If something's wonderful it's dope, d-o-p-e.
TUCHMAN: OK. OK. I -- that I have heard of.
BILCHIK: That you've heard.
TUCHMAN: OK. OK.
BILCHIK: Well, "sipping the scissor" is having codeine.
TUCHMAN: Oh, OK.
BILCHIK: So, obviously, in a flu or cold, you might be "sipping the scissor," and that would alter your mood incrementally.
But apparently this study was done with people who hadn't necessarily taken medication. But what they did was they test your braking and your basic reflexes and how you went around a curve. And they found that people who had a cold or a flu were literally as impaired as somebody who had been drinking. And that's the study. And, again, with all of these studies, are they ever definitive? But what it's saying, Gary, is, let's be careful. If you have cold or flu, be careful. Be mindful.
And then you asked me a question earlier, but I found this interesting.
TUCHMAN: Well, I asked you a question. You know, we hear a lot about -- you know, in many states you can't talk on the phone. Like here in Georgia, you can. But in other states you can't.
BILCHIK: Right.
TUCHMAN: You need to have an earpiece or a speakerphone. You can't text in most states.
BILCHIK: Right.
TUCHMAN: It's against the law. And then you also hear, though, you know, people say, oh, well are you going to make changing radio stations illegal, are you going to make wiping your nose illegal? The problem is, I think a lot of drunk drivers went, eh, driving drunk is no worse than all these things. But driving drunk is worse than all these things.
BILCHIK: Well, driving drunk we know definitively because the research on driving drunk is absolutely extensive and definitive. But a study like this comes out that just says, let's all be careful. So, Gary, let's hope you won't get a cold this season. Have you had your flu shot?
TUCHMAN: I've had my flu shot.
BILCHIK: OK. So --
TUCHMAN: But I get a cold every year no matter what and I lose my voice, which in this job is a very big hazard.
BILCHIK: Well be -- yes, I know. Well, be a little bit careful and don't go "sipping on the scissor."
TUCHMAN: Yes. No, I thank you for helping me learn some new terms today. That is very interesting. Nadia Bilchik, thank you for joining us.
BILCHIK: Thank you.
TUCHMAN: Appreciate it.
An adoptive couple just can't believe the judge's order. The child they've raised from birth has been taken away from them.
Plus, the Republican presidential candidates square off. We've got the hits and misses from last night's debate, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Welcome back, I'm Gary Tuchman. It's half past the hour.
Mitt Romney is leading the polls in New Hampshire and South Carolina. So it makes sense that he was the main target at last night's Republican presidential debate, right? Wrong. He largely sidestepped criticism while watching his rivals hammer each other on everything from spending to service in the military.
Ron Paul was the most vocal critic last night. Here's his exchange with Rick Santorum over spending.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're a big spender, that's all there is to it. You're a big government conservative. And you don't vote for, you know, right to work and these very important things. And that's what weakens the economy. So to say you're a conservative I think is a stretch. But you've convinced a lot of people of it so somebody has to point out your record.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am not a libertarian, Ron. I agree with you. You vote against everything. I don't vote against everything. I do vote for some spending --
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL: I think it has a role to play --
SANTORUM: Particularly in defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Meanwhile, Mitt Romney focused his attention on Washington. At one point he was criticizing the way the Obama administration has dealt with China. He offered his own strategy, which led to this exchange with Jon Huntsman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm president of the United States, I'm not going to continue to talk about how important China is and how we have to get along. And I believe those things. They're very important. And we do have to get along. But I'm also going to tell the Chinese it's time to stop. You have to play by the rules. I will not let you kill American jobs any longer.
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's important to note, as they would say in China, that (speaking in foreign language). He doesn't -- he doesn't quite understand the situation. What he is calling for would lead to a trade war. It makes for easy talk and a nice applause line. But it's far different from the reality in the U.S.-China relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: I am reasonably certain that is the first time that Chinese has ever been spoken at a presidential debate.
Now earlier on Romney had taken a shot at Huntsman for talking about carrying out Obama's plan for China while serving as ambassador -- and that's why he knows Chinese. But this was just one round for the Republicans. I should clarify that he knew it before he went there and knew it better after he left there. They do have another debate, the Republican presidential candidates, a little bit later this morning.
Coming up at the top of the hour, we'll have much more on the debate and the strategy. Patricia Murphy of Citizen Jane Politics will join me to talk about the real winners and losers here or rather the hits and the misses. That's around 25 minutes away.
Missing from the debate last night, as you probably know, was Michele Bachmann. She dropped out of the race after a disappointing sixth place finish in Iowa last week. That's something the folks at "Saturday Night Live" had a little fun with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MYERS, COMEDIAN: After a sixth place finish in Tuesday's Iowa caucus, Michele Bachmann announced that she was dropping out of the race. Here now to comment on her campaign, Michele Bachmann.
How do you feel now that it's over?
KRISTEN WIIG, COMEDIAN: Seth, while I'm disappointed that my campaign has come to a close, I am also looking forward to resting, to spending some time at home. And most of all, to blinking for the first time since this all started.
MYERS: Now, at points during your campaign, you alluded to the fact that God sent you the message that you should run for president.
WIIG: Yes, Seth. But what I haven't said until now is that God sent me that message via text. And I'm starting to think it was a mass text.
MYERS: Oh, so like a group text that he sent to a lot of other people.
WIIG: Yes, yes. That's what I fear, Seth, because when I texted -- when I texted him and then he texted me back asking for clarification as to what the Iowa results meant, he wrote back, "New phone, who's this?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Few are left unscathed on "SNL." As for the real Michele Bachmann we haven't heard much since she stepped away from the race last week. There's also no word yet on when or if she may endorse one of the other Republican presidential candidates.
Other stories making news this morning. A New York congressman is the first to endorse Jon Huntsman's run for president. Two sources say first-time representative Richard Hanna backs Huntsman's drive for quality education, specifically the need to teach more science, technology, engineering, and math.
And according to a campaign source, Rick Santorum will also pick up an endorsement. Santorum, a fiscal conservative, will get the backing of evangelical leader Gary Bauer later today in South Carolina. Bauer is chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. Bauer ran for president himself 12 years ago back in 2000.
Republicans could lose a seat they've held in California for a quarter century. Elton Gallegly says he's retiring at the end of his term. Redistricting would force him and challenge another long-term Republican congressman, Buck McKeon, something he doesn't want to do or he'd have to take his chances running in a new district with a Democrat majority.
"Entertainment" is reporting this morning that Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed a baby girl last night in New York. There have been several reports and rumors about the birth over the past few weeks. CNN hasn't been able to independently confirm if she gave birth or not. But "E! Entertainment" reports the baby's name is Blue Ivy. Another single lady.
Forget the penny for your thoughts. How about a million dollars for a penny? An unknown buyer paid that price for a one-cent copper coin minted in 1793. That's the first year the United States minted its own coins. Experts say the penny generated such a large price because of its exceptional condition.
Well, a heartbroken South Carolina couple just can't believe it. After raising a newborn baby girl for two years, a court gave her biological father custody. The deciding factor, a law aimed at keeping Native American families intact.
Here's George Howell.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gary, this story has generated a lot of responses from our viewers. Some people outraged by what has happened to the Capobianco family. Many others concerned about 2- year-old Veronica who, at this point, is caught up in a custody tug- of-war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: Veronica, a toddler, adopted and raised by the couple she's known since birth. Taken from them by a court order on New Year's Eve and turned over to the Native American biological father she has never met. A family torn apart by a law designed to keep Indian families together. The parents are Matt and Melanie Capobianco.
MELANIE CAPOBIANCO, ADOPTIVE MOTHER: Matt said when we had to do the transfer, it was like he was failing her as a father. To send her off with people that she didn't know, what she must think of us.
HOWELL: The Capobianco say it was an open adoption. Veronica's biological mother was in full agreement. But when Veronica was 4- month-old, the biological father, Dustin Brown, filed suit to get her back. Brown's attorney says he claimed he'd been tricked into signing papers agreeing to give up his daughter. Brown won full custody of his daughter under a law called the Indian Welfare Act of 1978. The law was designed to keep Indian children and their families together.
CNN legal analyst Avery Friedman says in this case the law was misused.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It's a wonderful law which seeks to preserve the integrity of families of Native Americans. But it cannot be used as a bludgeon to destroy the -- you know, the integrity of an existing family.
HOWELL: The assistant attorney general for the Cherokee Nation says the law is clear.
CHRISSI ROSS NIMMO, CHEROKEE NATION ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Some of the protections provided by the Indian Child Welfare Act, there's a placement preference. If children are removed by the state or if they're placed in a private adoption placement, the first preference is for a family member.
HOWELL: But in cases like this, what about the child?
MATT CAPOBIANCO, ADOPTIVE FATHER: I mean, everybody keeps saying, you know, how bad they feel for us, but I mean, she's a 2-year-old girl that got shoved in a truck and driven to Oklahoma with strangers.
HOWELL: The Capobianco's thought the transfer would happen on New Year's Day, but it happened on New Year's Eve. A lot sooner than they were prepared for. They've gotten to speak with Veronica once. A day after she was taken away.
M. CAPOBIANCO: She said, "Hi, mommy, hi, daddy." She sounded really excited to hear us. And she said, "I love you, I love you," numerous times.
HOWELL: Their daughter starting the new year with an entirely new family. The only family Veronica has ever known starting the year without her.
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HOWELL: Dustin Brown's attorney released a statement saying that the Indian Child Welfare Act was not used as a loophole and that he would have likely won his daughter regardless under South Carolina law. The Capobianco family has filed an appeal to the state's Supreme Court in South Carolina. That case could be heard later in the summer -- Gary.
TUCHMAN: George, thank you. What a difficult situation.
Well, later this year, we're going to have a 61-second minute. I'm not kidding. A 61-minute. More in, well, about a minute.
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TUCHMAN: Are we short of time? Not enough minutes in the day? Well, it's not much but in June, everyone, everyone in the world, will get one extra second. That's right, one brief second will be added to the world's clocks. Use the time wisely, I guess.
Meteorologist Alexandra Steele is in for Reynolds Wolf this weekend.
Alexandra, why is time getting tacked on 2012?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right. Do you have a minute? I need at least a minute to explain this second, OK? All right, in the 1950s atomic clocks were introduced to measure earth's rotation. Now the problem is, atomic clocks are incredibly precise. The earth's rotation now less so. Believe it or not some days are actually a little bit longer or shorter than other days.
So the goal here is to bring atomic clocks and solar time back in sync. So that's what it will do. So it will happen on this one day, on June 30. So if we didn't do it, after several hundred years, we'd maybe be a minute off between these two times. After several hundred thousand years, we may be having lunch at midnight. So to get these two in sync is what we need to do to avoid this problem.
And so at the stroke of midnight on June 30th, it will take two seconds instead of one to transition into July, Gary.
TUCHMAN: And what was the last -- I know it's happened before. But when was the last time we did this leap-second thing?
STEELE: Well, the last time was 2008. And it all began in 1972. Since then they've done it 25 times. But you know this is a leap year, too. Is there a relationship between leap year and leap second, there isn't. A leap second we've decided to do purposefully. A leap year is kind of a regularly scheduled thing that happens on its own.
TUCHMAN: I know you talked about how hundreds of years down the road we'd be eating lunch at midnight.
STEELE: Right.
TUCHMAN: But what if we just forgot about it and let --
STEELE: No, hundreds of thousands of years.
TUCHMAN: Thousands of years.
STEELE: Hundreds of thousands of years.
TUCHMAN: And that makes the point even better. Why not -- I mean, you know, it sounds like an interesting thing to talk about. But why don't we just forget leap seconds and we can let our descendants worry about it and sort it out later?
STEELE: Well, that's one of the options, right? That's the contrarian view. So yes, let them deal with it after. But we're a very pro-active society. And there are people that deal with this. And these people have decided that this is the way we're doing it.
TUCHMAN: You know, I guess it's no big deal to add a second to a clock after all. You just had Samoa skip the entire day of Friday, go from Thursday to Saturday.
STEELE: And so what's a second give or take?
TUCHMAN: What's a second when you lose 24 hours, you know?
STEELE: Yes. It's cool, though.
TUCHMAN: Yes.
STEELE: It's a fascinating story. I love it.
TUCHMAN: I think it's great, too, Alexandra. And thanks for telling us that fascinating story.
STEELE: You're welcome.
TUCHMAN: Well, saving more and getting out of debt. If that's what you hope to do in 2012, we have some simple steps to help you get there. That's next.
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TUCHMAN: Managing debt and saving money are two of the most popular new year's resolutions. But actually keeping them is a challenge for even those with the best intentions. June Walbert is here to help you keep you on track. She's a certified financial planner with USAA and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.
June, thank you very much for joining us, first of all.
JUNE WALBERT, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER: You're welcome.
TUCHMAN: You say rather than committing to a pile of --
WALBERT: So yes, you betcha big --
TUCHMAN: Yes, I'm sorry, but let me -- we have a little delay so I apologize about that. But I want to be polite and set you up properly and tell everyone that one of the things that you're saying is that you should commit to a pile of resolutions on January 1st, commit to just one resolution a month. Now why is that?
WALBERT: Well, big resolutions can really be daunting for some. And often they'll be put on the back burner within about a month or so. So why not eat that financial elephant one bite at a time. Do some small things that you can accomplish easily and build momentum from there. But I must say there's some financial promises that you have to make and keep throughout the year like living within your means.
TUCHMAN: Yes, so eat that elephant one bite at a time sounds appetizing. But it's also very important when you look at it figuratively. So what steps can people take this year to be more financially responsible? Why don't you break this down for us by month?
WALBERT: In January, this is the time to develop your plan for each month of the year. What is it that you're going to do and be specific. As an example, don't just say I want to pay down credit card debt. Say I want to pay $1,000 worth of credit card debt down by April 1st. Just as one example. It will work much better for you.
TUCHMAN: And what about the subsequent -- yes.
WALBERT: And in February, that's the time when corporate raises -- I apologize. In February, that's the time when corporate raises hit our banks and military paychecks have already gotten their raises. So don't let that money just get caught up in cash flow. Make sure that you have a plan for it such as I want to add 2 percent more of that money to my retirement account, or I want to pay that debt down as an example.
TUCHMAN: OK. So what about March, April, May and June, as we get to the warmer months?
WALBERT: Right. Well, March is spring cleaning time. And that's the perfect time to do a personal inventory of your things at home. Don't wait until the tornado sirens are blaring or the neighborhood is on fire. Do it now. Shoot video or take still photos, and then you can recreate the contents of your home just in case worse case scenario happens.
And in April, you know, we've just written that check or received that big check from Uncle Sam. This is the time to adjust your with holding because what we want to do, Gary, is we want to basically break even or pay $1,000 or get $1,000 back. Don't make a tax free or interest-free loan to Uncle Sam throughout the year. You can go to irs.gov and find the W4 calculator there.
And in May, kids are graduating. Droves of college students are coming home to mom and dad's house because they're saddled with debt. And I have to say, mom and dad, this is not budget neutral. You need to make plans for that money, and set ground rules because you don't want this to foil your retirement plans because that's one of the biggest expenses that you'll ever have.
TUCHMAN: And then June, what happens? The kids are out of school, what do you do in June?
WALBERT: Well, you know, I can hear wedding bells ringing already. And so instead of buying an elaborate gift for someone for their wedding, why not just give them some small memento and then write them a check so that you can help them jump-start their financial future by funding an emergency reserve fund or a house down payment?
TUCHMAN: You know, June, since your name is June, we're going to stop right now in June. We still have a half year to go. But you've left us in suspense. So stick around right after the break. We'll go July through December.
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TUCHMAN: Before the break, we showed you six financial resolutions to make from now, January through June. Certified financial planner June Walbert was kind enough to stick around and help us make a plan for the rest of the year, July through December. So we're going to listen very carefully. Let's start with July.
What do you think, June?
WALBERT: All right. So we're in tornado season and hurricane season is starting. So this is a great time to check your homeowner's insurance levels. You want to make sure you have enough homeowner's insurance so you can rebuild your home from the ground up, should worst case scenario happen.
Many people just simply insure for market value, big mistake, because that's an often not enough. Liability insurance is very important and very inexpensive. So you should insure your net worth by at least one or two times. So that you can be prepared in case somebody says, "I'm going to sue you for all you're worth."
And then August, back-to-school time. There's often these tax-free sales and those are two of my favorite words maybe besides on sale. And both of those are happening at the same time. No kids? Well, take advantage of it anyway and buy some things that you might need. But if you do have kids, this is really a teaching moment for you. Have them sit down, make a list within a budget, then they can shop. Any leftover money? Maybe they can buy a video game.
But if they buy those $100 jeans, they better like them a lot because they might be wearing them throughout the year. And then in September that's Life Insurance Awareness Month so what I say is plan for the worst but hope for the best. And life insurance is definitely not an exception. You want to make sure that you have enough life insurance to cover lost income, pay down a mortgage, and other debt. It's a critical part of a financial plan.
In October, make it a point to sit down and review your credit report for any errors. Many do have errors. But of course, it's important to effectively manage your credit throughout the year. Pay your bills on time every time. And keep those balances low.
And then in November, families often gather. That's a great time to have a family financial meeting. Does mom and dad, as an example, have long-term care insurance? If so, who's it with? Where are the powers of attorneys, wills, and living wills and things like that. Very important conversations to have.
And December, of course, we've just been through that, Gary. This is the time to streamline your stuff and start the new year fresh. Go through the attic, the basement, the garage, and your stuff that's in good shape, donate it to an organization so then you can both streamline and get a tax cut deduction.
TUCHMAN: June Walbert, you know your stuff. You were very prepared. And that's why we had you on. So thank you very much, I hope everyone was listening very carefully. We appreciate it.
Well, Gabby Giffords returns to Tucson, Arizona. Ahead, we look back at the day that stunned the nation as we mark the one-year anniversary of that deadly shooting rampage.
Plus, New Hampshire, the Granite state, is ready for the first primary of the year. But one restaurant in New Hampshire says no candidates allowed inside. That's next.
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TUCHMAN: Good morning, it's 58 minutes after the hour. Let's take a look at news "Cross Country." We'll start in New Hampshire.
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TUCHMAN (on camera): With just two days to go until the first in the nation primary, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, diner is telling Republican presidential candidates they're not welcome. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This isn't Iowa, we don't need them in our face 24/7. We can decide on our own.
TUCHMAN: In fact, Colby's Breakfast and Lunch is banning all politicians, no exception. And that's just fine with some of the customers. They say the campaigning can be a bit too much to digest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I invited Mitt Romney for lunch, but I told him to meet me here at 3:30.
TUCHMAN: Just so happens the restaurant closes at 2:00.
In South Florida a mysterious plane is being seen for the first time in 70 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just so out of place. It's an absolute wonderful thing to see.
TUCHMAN: A diver discovered the World War II-era plane last week off the coast of Jupiter. It's sitting upside down about 200 feet deep on the Atlantic floor. Jordan says he's been receiving calls from around the country from aviation buffs and other interested divers.
In Missouri, a fire was so bad in Lynn Creek that it drained the town's water supply. It happened Thursday at a company that makes scenery for model trains. Firefighters from 20 different departments helped fight it. Authorities say nothing looks suspicious, but investigators are trying to determine the cause. No injuries were reported.
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