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Gun Control Debate Lingers; Watch Out for RSV; Why Superstition over 13?
Aired January 13, 2013 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: It's 4:00 p.m. in the East, 1:00 p.m. on the West Coast. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield. It is a pleasure to be with you. If you are just tuning in thanks very much for joining us. These are the top stories we are following right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The gun control debate, it takes center stage on Tuesday. That's when Vice president Biden's expected to present his recommendations to President Obama on how to reduce gun violence in this country. A ban on assault weapons likely to be among those proposal. New York Senator Charles Schumer today asked Walmart and other retailers to stop selling those guns voluntarily.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: I'm urging our country's major gun retailers like Walmart and Sports Authority, to suspend sales of modern assault-style weapons until Congress is able to fully consider and vote on legislation to curb gun violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Gun shows are thriving ahead of any possible action in Washington. The National Rifle Association President David Keene put the blame squarely on the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID KEENE, PRESIDENT, NRA: The two people who were selling so- called assault rifles are Senator Feinstein and President Obama, not us. They are the ones that are scaring American gun owners. It isn't the NRA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Tomorrow, by the way, marks one month since the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, and residents are meeting there this afternoon to discuss what to do with the Sandy Hook Elementary School which now stands vacant.
CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is in Newtown. And Susan, is there any consensus among the people there, those who have been speaking, about what to do?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Marty, everyone has a different idea and we have been hearing lot of them during the course of this meeting, which is still going on. It's a public forum. One of the ideas even included creating a planetarium there so that people could go there and look at the stars. What was most powerful about this was the number of parents of Sandy Hook, victims and survivors primarily who were speaking before this crowd, some of them, at times, breaking down into tears.
For example, one mother who said, "the children are so scared there, they shouldn't go back. They should tear down the school, build a memorial there." Another mother who had a different opinion who said that we must teach our children to be strong, that the children want to go back, that they should rebuild the school and create a memorial there. And then a father who spoke up and said "This is much more than our children, something - being simply strong. That we have to be sensitive to all different ideas here."
And yet another mother who said "That the teachers are too scared to go back and we must not let, in this case the shooter win. We must come to a consensus about what to do." But I think everyone agrees that it's hard to get everyone on the same page but at least, Marty, here we are seeing that an official conversation is under way and there will be many more of these forums before a final decision is made.
SAVIDGE: Yes, no doubt about it. A very difficult discussion to be had. Are people there also weighing in say on the debate over gun control?
CANDIOTTI: You know, they are really not. They are trying to keep focused on this one subject. However, tomorrow, a different story. There will be a press conference sponsored by a group that's been proactive in this town called Newtown United, then changed its name to Sandy Hook Promise. In any case, they, too, are expecting, among the people there who will be speaking, the relatives of some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims, who will be weighing in on gun control issues, how to improve mental health care issue in this country, how to improve safety at schools and other public buildings. So a lot going on over the next couple of days.
SAVIDGE: Susan Candiotti joining us. Thank you very much, Susan.
Turning overseas, there has been another shocking incident of gang rape in India. The latest happened this weekend in the northern state of Punjab. Police have arrested six suspects. A manhunt is on for a seventh. The 29-year-old woman was taken to an undisclosed address after she got on a bus and raped all night long.
That attack eerily similar to an assault last month where a group of them gang raped a woman and brutally beat her after she boarded the bus. She later died that attack sparked protest and international outrage.
In Egypt, former president Hosni Mubarak will get a new trial. His lawyer believes the retrial could take place within two months. Mubarak's currently serving a life sentence for ordering the killings of peaceful protesters during the Egyptian uprising. The 84-year-old was deposed after 30 years in power.
Today also marks the one-year anniversary since the "Costa Concordia" disaster and the cruise ship is still laying on its side. Hundreds of people who are working on that wreck are observing a moment of silence to commemorate the disaster. At least 32 passengers and crew died went ship sank off the coast of Italy. Meantime, officials announced that that ship will be towed to port in one piece in September. Italian prosecutors are still weighing charges against the ship's captain.
We turn now to the nation's capital.
Where you can see, from these picture, preparations are under way for the next presidential inauguration. The band's playing "Hail to the Chief" but that of course is not President Barack Obama. It's his stand-in at today's big dress rehearsal. Athena Jones had a front-row seat to the stage and she joins us live from The Mall. Hello, Athena.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Martin.
SAVIDGE: So who are the major players?
JONES: Well, you just showed some of this. I mean this has been a dress rehearsal, real-time that took place during a large part of today, starting early in the morning. We saw the pipe and drum band practicing, the marching band practicing. We saw members of every branch of the military practicing marching in formation and then you have those stand-ins, the stand-ins for the president and vice president as well as the first lady and even two little girls standing in for Sasha and Malia. You know, the guy standing in for President Obama said the view from that podium is really, really fantastic. Martin.
SAVIDGE: Once-in-a-lifetime event. How about if you're planning to come as a tourist? What's the situation like for hotel rooms there?
JONES: Well, you know, it's interesting, I mean they're expecting far fewer people about half the number of people who showed up last time when it was estimated to be about 1.8 million. This time around, 600,000 to 800,000, still a lot of people. But if you are looking for a hotel room, you are in luck, according to the Chamber of Commerce. We got a chance to speak with them. Let's listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA LANG, PRES. WASHINGTON DC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: We are told that the hotels are not sold out. So it's very different than it was four years ago. So there is still availability in all of the major hotels around the city. Rates are much higher, as I'm sure you've heard than it would be for a normal day in the District of Columbia. You know, our hotel rates are higher than a lot of cities anyway, but they are averaging around $600 a night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So there you heard it there. There are still hotel rooms, if you're willing to spend a pretty penny, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Yes. Always the case isn't it? What about rain? I mean, there's always the chance for that. How would that impact plans?
JONES: You know, they have contingency plans to move the ceremony inside if the weather gets really, really bad. But right now, we are still several days out. But right now, it's not looking that's going to happen. The forecast right now is for high 40s, partly cloudy. If you remember last time around, it was really, really cold on inauguration day. It's not expected to be that way this time around. It's going to be at least a little bit sunnier certainly than we have seen today, Martin.
SAVIDGE: And then the swearing-in takes place on Martin Luther Ling Junior day. Is anything special planned for that?
JONES: Well, that's right. You know, the official swearing-in will be at the White House next Sunday, on January 20th, which is the constitutionally mandated day for the swearing in. But the big public ceremony is taking place on Monday. This is only the second time that the inauguration day has fallen on that federal holiday, the last time was back in 1997 at the second inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
But special things the president is going to do on Monday. He is going to be using one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s traveling Bibles to take the oath of office on. He will also use a Bible that belonged to President Lincoln that's on loan from the Library of Congress. And you know who will be giving the invocation? Merely Evers-Williams, that is the widow of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. So a few special things happening on that special day. Martin.
SAVIDGE: Certainly will be. All right. Athena Jones, thanks very much, joining us live from Washington.
JONES: Thanks.
SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, it's been nearly 30 years since a woman from New York has won Miss America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your new Miss America is - Miss New York!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: There she is, 23-year-old Mallory Hagen accepting the crown at the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas last night. She tap danced to James Brown's "Get Up Off that Thing." Well there were no meltdowns, there were a few firsts. Miss Iowa let the audience know that she has Tourette's syndrome and one comment she made is getting a lot of attention on the web.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIAH CARY, MISS IOWA: I personally know people who have had to go to medical marijuana for their last - their last resort for their health care and I completely agree with that; however, I do not think it should be used for anything but recreational use in health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: And then there was Miss Montana. She was the pageant's first contestant with autism.
There are a whole lot of people in Hollywood who hope to bring home an award tonight in particular, a Golden Globe. That's the star-studded awards show that will happen this evening.
CNN entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner joins us from Beverly Hills. The awards hour is less than four hours away, are you feeling the excitement out there?
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Martin, I am feeling the excitement. And I know some people may say, you know, entertainment is the toy department. But this is a big night for entertainment. And if you like star-gazing and star-watching, then the Golden Globes is definitely the place for you, because it's where movies and film - movies and film? Movies and television collide, all the stars from Hollywood are here.
Now there is a couple of movies that are kind of starting to come out in front and lead the pack. One of them in the drama category, because the Golden Globes cut things up with drama and comedy, one of those movies is "Lincoln." It comes in leading the back with seven nominations. It seems like Hollywood is really embracing history this year. They are really loving those historical pictures and Steven Spielberg made a great movie. He could very well win for best director. Daniel Day-Lewis can very well win for best actor but we can also see Ben Affleck sneak in and win best director for "Argo."
Now we all heard the buzz this week how he was not nominated for a best director for an Oscar but it seems like he is getting a lot of love from the Golden Globes, from the S.A.G. awards and he was also won for the Critic's Choice Awards just the other night. Now, on the comedy side of things, "Silver Linings Playbook" is becoming the little movie that could. It's really starting to pick up steam this awards season. All of the actors in the movie are nominated for an Oscar. So we will have to see what the Hollywood foreign says about them tonight and see if they take home some awards.
On the television side of things, movies like "Homeland" are up. Claire Danes a heavy favorite to take home best actress in a drama for her work in "Homeland." And we know that the president has said that is his favorite television show. So we will just have to see how this plays out and I am, for me, my favorite thing will be Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, I'm sure, hosting tonight. They are going to be super funny. I can bet you. Martin.
SAVIDGE: I don't think that's tough bet to make. I can almost guarantee it. All right. Nischelle Turner. Thanks very much. Good talking with you. Enjoy the evening.
TURNER: Sure. SAVIDGE: There was no lone gunman. We have heard that claim before about the assassination of JFK. But for the first time, confirmation that his brother, Bobby, thought so too. That story ahead.
Plus, you know the flu can be deadly but there is a surge in another virus that can kill and it targets infants. If you're a parent, you can't afford to miss that segment.
And then we got some apps to help you find out where the flu is in your neighborhood.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Well, everyone is worried about the flu outbreak this season, and rightfully so, there is another virus that is creeping across the country. Emergency rooms are overflowing with cases of RSV or Respiratory - did I get that right. (INAUDIBLE) it's a virus infection, a very serious one. It infects the lungs and the breathing passages of especially young children, infants. And it can be potentially dangerous, if not deadly if it's not treated on time.
Now the man I was talking to off-camera joins me, Dr. James Fortenberry, he is the pediatrician-in-chief at the Children's Health Care of Atlanta and he joins me now. First of all, let me get the name correct again on that, RSV is -
DR. JAMES FORTENBERRY, PEDIATRICIAN-IN-CHARGE, CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE OF ATLANTA: Thank you, yes, you're very close, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, but RSV is a great way to think about it.
SAVIDGE: All right. We think of this as being, in some way related to the flu, it's not, right?
Correct. RSV virus is a different virus from the flu virus. Unfortunately, those two viruses while some others are hitting us all at once right now. The flu came early this year and that's happening on top of the RSV virus that tends to hit our kids this time of year anyway.
SAVIDGE: OK. So what makes this so potentially dangerous for infants?
FORTENBERRY: The RSV virus does tend to hit premature infants and children less than a year of age harder than it does you or I, you or I might have the common cold RSV. With babies their air passages are very small and they get swollen and filled with mucus from the RSV virus and so it causes much more problems with wheezing, blocked airways and decreased in breathing activity.
SAVIDGE: So what (INAUDIBLE) turn fatal?
FORTENBERRY: Well, thankfully, it's very rare to be fatal but it is very important to be recognize it early on and be seen by your doctor or to be seen in an emergency room if your child is having difficulty breathing, wheezing or if you see differences in their pattern of breathing because that is where it can cause the problems it can slow down the breathing and children very rarely need to be on a ventilator. Thankfully, most children could do very well RSV.
SAVIDGE: And I know this is going to scare a lot of parents, especially those that ave infants, because you are dealing in a time that you have flu, and so you may confuse symptoms but there's no vaccine, right? I mean what can you do for a child that may or may not have this?
FORTENBERRY: Correct. The best thing you can do is work to prevent - prevent being exposed to the virus. Staying well yourself, if you're - if you're sick, stay home, get better at home. Wash your hands. That's the way that that this virus passed, actually through hand-to- hand. So strict hand washing at home for you or your children. Staying away from other sick children, if you can avoid that. Keeping your child closer, especially infants and especially premature infants right now, keeping them away. So it's just - really those standard kind of protection things that we think about for the flu as well, too. Can also help in preventing the passage of RSV virus.
SAVIDGE: All right. Well, hopefully awareness will sort of immunize people somewhat about the illness for their children.
FORTENBERRY: Yes, very well said.
SAVIDGE: Dr. Fortenberry, thank you very much. Thank you for coming and talking us today.
FORTENBERRY: It's good to be here.
SAVIDGE: There was no lone gunman. We have heard that claim before about the assassination of JFK. But for the first time, confirmation That his brother, Bobby, thought the very same thing that story ahead.
Plus, the White House is making a big push to curb gun violence, but the NRA says good luck selling that to congress. Our Candy Crowley sits down with the head of the NRA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Was President John F. Kennedy assassinated by a lone gunman? His brother, Robert Kennedy, didn't think so. That is according to his son, Robert Kennedy Jr., speaking at a roundtable in Dallas. He says his father publicly supported the Warren Commission, which said it was a lone gunman but privately, he was much more critical of that conclusion.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his father thought there was strong enough evidence that he asked the Justice Department to look into a possible connection between the assassination and the mafia, the CIA and other organizations. But he never publicly voiced those concerns because he thought it would take away from the civil rights fight that was gripping the country at the time.
And as we approach the one-month anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary, the debate over gun control moves to the new Congress and the White House task force that is headed by the vice president. I'm going to speak with Candy Crowley about that gun debate in Congress in just a moment. But she spoke with NRA president David Keene on "State of the Union" today. And this is him talking about the NRA's meeting with the vice president and how the White House has been dealing with stakeholders in the process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEENE: ... checking the block. If they were able to say we've met with the NRA. We've met with he people that are strong second amendment supporters, that doesn't mean that there isn't an area for agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Keene is arguing there isn't enough support in Congress, I take it, to pass new gun control legislation. So how do things really stack up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST "STATE OF THE UNION": Well, push hasn't come to shove. But I will tell you that he has some agreement there. Joe Manchin, as you know, Democratic senator from West Virginia. He's a conservative. He bucked his party. He's also very strong. He gets an A from the NRA, said "I don't think an assault weapons ban can pass unless it's part of a larger package." So he doesn't think as a stand-alone, Congress will pass an assault weapons ban.
Now, David Keene said right now, an assault weapons ban could not pass. The NRA does have a lot of supporters. It helped any number of friendly campaigns. It has deep pockets but Keene made a point that you know, the president, when he gets on the bully pulpit, can be very effective.
So I think everybody took it from right here, right now, here is what I see. Now the White House has said we are going to go out and you know, really pitch this, so we'll see if they do but I think right now, you have, what really appears to be a lot of the same schisms that you've had there in terms of why an assault weapons ban according to, certainly the NRA, won't work.
SAVIDGE: All right. Let me just ask you, because the president is pretty busy also doing cabinet building. And the latest nominee is Jack Lew and I'm wondering how is that one really being received?
CROWLEY: Well, depends on - I think we have to take sort of all -- the 50,000-foot view from these - for these cabinet nominees that the president has. Jack Lew has been around a lot. He has a very long resume, particularly on the fiscal side of public service. And I don't think he is going to have much of a fight. I think when it gets to a vote, Jack Lew becomes the next Treasury secretary.
Will he get a rough going over by Republicans? I think so - there are some very famous passages in a recent book by Bob Woodward where John Boehner talks about how he wanted Jack Lew out of the room because he saw him as an obstructionist. There are a lot of people who say that Jack Lew is the reason the big deal between Boehner and the president fell apart. There are lots of versions of that story, I should add.
So there are some Republicans who think that Jack Lew is not a consensus builder. That as Treasury secretary, he will be looking to stiff-arm Republicans as opposed to kind of work with him. So you will hear - there will be a lot of that but I don't see anything now that says to me, "Oh oh, Jack Lew is in trouble."
SAVIDGE: And the president has also been getting a lot of flack, I was going to say some, but it's been a lot, for not really having a particularly diverse cabinet and I'm wondering does he really feel that pressure?
CROWLEY: I'm not sure he does. We will see. I think certainly hears it. Certainly his staff is aware of it. They put out a picture of the cabinet recently and it was like so overwhelmingly white male that it just sort of, you know, begged for some remark, particularly among women, some minorities, what a second, whatever happened to diversity? A lot of Republicans saying "If George W. Bush put together a cabinet like that he would be all over him." One of the folks that we spoke to today, Elijah Cummings, who is an African- American lawmaker from Maryland, the Baltimore area, said "It does matter." It matters that you put forth minorities, that you put forth women. You know, you really should have them in these high-level positions.
He thinks give it some time. Not all the staff positions are filled. Certainly, the cabinet still has some holes in it. So Cummings is holding out for something that looks a little more like America, if you will, in the cabinet. I think it matters, he says, but I think we're prejudging it to a certain extent.
SAVIDGE: Well, we'll have to wait and see. Candy, I always look forward to every Sunday. It's a pleasure to talk with you.
CROWLEY: Thanks, Martin. You, too.
SAVIDGE: All right. Finally, this political footnote, it has been said many times Congress is unpopular but worse than cockroaches? Apparently so.
New numbers from public policy polling pitted Congress against the worst of the worst. The results are in. And Congress is less popular than cockroaches. So, who did Congress beat? Actress Lindsey Lohan, 45 percent to Lohan's 41 percent. One of the more interesting polls I have heard in a while.
OK. You have always dreamed of walking the red carpet. That's right. It's Golden Globes time. And we have got some inside stories from a guy who has been mingling with the stars for years.
Plus, a shocking find in New York. Not sure what this is? How about a hint. It is more than 200 years old and it's loaded.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Welcome back. I'm Martin Savidge in for Fredricka Whitfield. If you are just tuning in, thank you very much for joining us. These are the top stories we are following right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The head of the National Rifle Association said today that he doubts that congress will pass a ban on assault weapons but that didn't stop New York's Senator Charles Schumer, from trying another tactic. Today, he appealed directly to Wal-Mart and other large retailers to quit selling military-style guns while congress decides what to do.
Japan airlines have confirmed that one of their Boeing Dream liner jets was leaking fuel. The plane was involved in a fuel spill last week. After an inspection, the airline says it was coming from a nozzle on the plane's wing. The airliner has been plagued by a series of mechanical problems the last few months. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it is launching a full examination of not just the plane but also its design and assembly.
Thousands of Russians marched in Moscow today to protest the ban against Americans adopting Russian children. Protesters accused Putin of using the orphans as political pawns, saying it is the children who would ultimately suffer. The ban has hurt U.S./Russia relations.
Now checking some stories that are trending on the internet this hour.
Wonder bread may soon have a new owner. Flowers Foods, own other of Nature's Own and Tasty Kake says it is buying Wonder and four other brands from the bankrupt Hostess Company for $360 million but it doesn't look like there are any takers yet for Twinkies.
Tim Tebow's brother got so excited after the Ravens defeated the Broncos, he couldn't resist tweeting it out but since he lives in Colorado, it seems not everyone in Denver shared his happiness that night.
A new HBO documentary on singer Beyonce is developing deep into her private life and even shows a sonogram of baby Blue Ivy. The documentary produced and directed by Beyonce scheduled to air on February 16th.
Facts about the flu are trending all over the web. Now that the flu has spread to 47 states. But the CDC says the situation seems to be slowly improving. So far 20 children have died, in a moment we are going to show you apps to keep you well. In the meantime, also encouraging, doctors are that is, those of you who haven't got your flu shot to go and do it. So where do children pick up the most germs? Our Brian Todd has been looking at that the one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Cynthia Norris knows she has got to get creative; she has got to keep a nationwide flu outbreak from slamming into her school. And with a small group of kids' ages 6 to 11, it is the visual that counts. She spreads glitter on her desk.
CYNTHIA NORRIS, REGISTERED NURSE, PATUXENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: And then I'm going to put my hands in it. And that represents the germs. The germs that we don't see, OK? So, if I come and I touch you, this glitter being the germs will be what I would pass on to you and you can potentially get sick, OK. Now, my phone rings, I pick up the phone. Now after I put it down, look at that. What does that represent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Germs.
NORRIS: Germs.
TODD: As the registered nurse at Patuxent Elementary School in upper Marlboro, Maryland, Norris is a like a field commander against the flu. Her other tactics, coloring sheets with cleanliness pledges to sign, demos on hand washing, sanitizer dispensers all over the place. What do you think of this, does it help you?
AMILY A. BAKER, 6TH GRADER: Yes. Because like when you clean your hands, you make sure it is clean and you don't get a lot of germs.
TODD: Do you find a lot of this hard to remember to try to prevent the flu?
BAKER: No.
TODD: Neillsville, Wisconsin, is in the region of the country that the Centers for Disease Control say has been among the hardest hit. The school district officials say one out of every five students there has had to stay home recently with flu-like symptoms.
JOHN GAIER, NEILLSVILLE, WISCONSIN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR: We are working hard to try to find kids with symptoms in the district and having our nurse checking those kids out, sending them home if need be.
TODD: Cynthia Norris says the most common ways flu spreads in schools, kids touching each other, drumlets from sneezing or sniffling on their hands, sharing food and other items and just close proximity to others. But mistakes are made by parents, too. Do a lot of parents have kids on the borderline or whatever, do they err on the side of sending them to school too many times?
NORRIS: They do. They do. They do. Sometimes the kids, I told my mom I wasn't feeling good. Mommy said you will be OK and they will send them to school. And so a lot of times, they are just not keeping them home that 24-hour period after they have a fever.
TODD: A mistake also Norris says, by many teachers who don't stay home when they are sick. As bad as this outbreak has been, health officials in some school districts around the United States, including this one, say they may have caught a break. They say that just before the kids broke for the holidays, they noticed more flu-like symptoms, more widespread symptoms but since the kids have come back from vacation, they have noticed fewer cases, at least in some districts.
So, the holidays may have been a mitigating factor keeping kids away from each other and keeping the flu from spreading, at least in some cases.
Brian Todd, CNN, upper Marlboro, Maryland. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: To help you and your children against the flu facebook, Google and others have created some flu-fighting apps. Our CNN money tech reporter Laurie Segall joins us now to go through them for us. Hello Laurie.
LAURIE SEGALL, CNNMONEY TECH REPORTER: Hey there.
SAVIDGE: You know it is kind of an interesting idea to think that there is an app for that and there is an app, actually to help track the flu right from your smart phone. So tell us about that one first.
SEGALL: Sure, you know they all promise to help you track the flu and this kind of thing. So I went through and I found the ones that I thought were probably the best that you can download. There is an app called Fight the Flu. And it is essentially it allows you to track and see how bad the flu is in your neighborhood. Let me pull up the bold points and go through it. Essentially you can track flu activity in your area by just putting in your zip code. It will show you how it is compared to the national average.
You can also receive alerts if there is a lot of different virus going around, you will get that alert. You can also learn more about the symptoms, you can go into the app, say I'm aching, I have a fever and it will tell you a little bit about specific flu symptoms. You know obviously is this going to replace a doctor? No but it will actually utilize gps and it will enable you to actually find doctors nearby. If you aren't feeling that well and you think you know that this could actually be the flu, you have that 48-hour window to try to get to a nearby doctor.
Martin.
SAVIDGE: There is also a website apparently that shows how widespread the flu is in your area and it is called Flunearyou.org. Go through that one for us.
SEGALL: Sure. You got all these data nerds taking all these information from the CDC, from Google trend and you are looking at it right now. Essentially it is showing you how bad the flu is from taking all this information on the web in the different areas. So I can go to New York and I can see that there are these different green points that shows that are no symptoms in this area, these red points that show well this is where it is really, really bad and it is really a great way to visualize what's happening. Because as we have been talking about spreading really quickly, you want to make sure you are prepared but sometimes you know you want to educate yourself about it as I said before you're combing through CDC data, you are combing through Google trends data, because there is so much information out there on this. This is taking all the tech nerds and the data and putting it into one forum.
Marten.
SAVIDGE: If only there was an app to tell where you to get some good chicken soup. Laurie Segall thank you very much. Appreciate it.
SEGALL: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: A red carpet insider shares his stories, just in time for tonight's "Golden Globes." Find out what really goes on before and during the big show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: All eyes will be trained on the red carpet before the "Golden Globes" tonight. Everybody wants to see their favorite stars and what they are wearing. David Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango joins us now. Hello David good to see you. And you are all dressed for the part I see right there.
DAVID KARGER, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, FANDANGO: I am this is a little detour that I'm making on the way to the Beverly Hilton for the "Golden Globes."
SAVIDGE: David I know that you've been on red carpets before, I never have. So give us a sense. What is it like to be there for all of this?
KARGER: It's mania. Because there's people screaming and everyone's arriving and everyone usually arrives within the same kind of 15- minute block from each other. Everybody wants to be the last person to show up on the red carpet, because they think it is kind of a peck order thing. But the thing about it is if you never really know who is about to come up to you next, so you can prepare all you want. But the order of celebrities that approach you of course you can never predict and also you can't really have an idea of what mood people are going to be in and what they will be like, whether they will be nervous or not.
One time Zac Efron wanted me to ask him before we went on what questions I was going to ask him. Other times, Russell Brand once took the microphone out of my hand at the Oscars and started addressing the crowd. So, a lot of unpredictable things can happen, but that's what makes it fun.
SAVIDGE: Yes it is. It gives it an incredible sense of spontaneity. You have been inside the globes' ballroom for that ceremony. What is it like on the inside then?
KARGER: It's kind of mind-blowing because it's more megastars per square inch than you can ever imagine and because the "Golden Globes," of course, have film categories and TV categories, they also have a best song category so there's musicians there, too. I remember ten years ago once, I was waiting in line for the men's room and I was right in front of Elton John and right in back of Billy Bob Thornton and they started talking to each other, kind of over my shoulder. So I got to witness this very bizarre conversation between these two people that didn't know each other but met in the men's room line at the "Golden Globes." But that's the beauty of the "Golden Globes."
SAVIDGE: Sure. Sure. So I got to ask you what are your predictions? Who do you think is going to come away with a golden globe? KARGER: What's great about this year is that it's a true race. There's a lot of movies that could actually win. In the major category, best motion picture drama, "Lincoln" is the safe bet but I wouldn't be surprised if a movie like "Argo" ends up winning and I think Ben Affleck who did not get a nomination for the academy awards for best director I think he could actually win the golden globe tonight.
I also think "Les Miserables" will do very well because the "Golden Globes" have comedy and musical category, too and I think that should do very well, win best picture and also I would imagine Hugh Jackman will probably win best actor as well.
SAVIDGE: All right. David Karger I guess we will wait and see how your predictions hold up. He is with Fandango. Thanks very much for joining us. Have a good time tonight.
KARGER: Thanks, Marty, I appreciate it.
SAVIDGE: You bet.
Moving out of the great divide on gun control. And no, I'm not talking about arguments over whether we need -- or fewer. There's another divide on the issue among Christians.
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SAVIDGE: Tuesday, Vice President Biden and his gun task force are expected to announce solutions on how to curb gun violence, but did you know when it comes to gun control there appears to be a divide among Christians? CNN's Athena Jones reports why different religious faiths see gun control differently.
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JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You-all know this is a complicated issue.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Gun control is front and center at the White House and a matter of debate among Christians.
ROBERT JONES, PUBLIC RELIGION RESEARCH INSTITUTE: There is a fascinating religious divide on the issue of gun control.
A. JONES: A survey by the Public Religion Research Institute conducted before the Newtown shooting, found six in ten Catholics support stricter gun control laws, compared to about a third of white Evangelical Protestants and 42 percent of white mainline Protestants.
R. JONES: It is not just about theology it is also about culture and geography.
A. JONES: The poll also found white Evangelicals are the most likely to own guns. Many live in southern and rural areas where guns are a way of life. So, what does the bible say about weapons? SHAUN CASEY, WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: Scripture teaches that Christians are not to take weapons and avenge other people however there is an affirmation that government has a divine role to punish evil doers and so there's tension.
A. JONES: The polls showing increased support for gun laws after Newtown, could we see a shift among Evangelicals?
CASEY: May be a tipping point where more folks in those communities realize there are things we can do as a society to tamp down this kind of mass violence that doesn't require taking away everybody's guns.
A. JONES: Pastor Daniel Darling is calling on fellow Evangelical to support limits on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.
DANIEL DARLING, EVANGELICAL PASTOR: The scriptures call us on to love our neighbors more than we love our guns.
A. JONES: Still some conservative Christians say the focus shouldn't be on guns but on the environment giving rise to this violence.
TONY PERKINS, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Instead of having, as the NRA proposes a policeman in every school, our policy should be focused on getting a dad in every home.
A. JONES: Vice President Biden said Friday he is glad Evangelical groups have participated in his gun policy task force meetings because in the past, they have been "reluctant to engage on the gun issue."
Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.
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SAVIDGE: You can see more about this story on our "Belief blog" at CNN.com/belief.
A maintenance shed in New York City's Central Park turned up a shocking discovery, a loaded cannon from an old British warship dating you to the Revolutionary War. It's been sitting around for centuries. Workers were cleaning the rust when they found the cannon still had gunpowder and a cannon ball. A spark or a flame could have set it off.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an amazing surprise. It was there for so many years and people were sitting on it when it was a loaded cannon.
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SAVIDGE: Technicians removed about two pounds of black powder and they have disposed of it at a gun range. What an amazing story.
Well have you checked the calendar today? Should I mention it? It is the 13th. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Lots of people are suspicious about the number 13 including FDR. We wondered what that fear is all about. So we will talk to Dr. 13. Aren't you lucky? It's only here at the CNN NEWSROOM and its next.
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SAVIDGE: Do you hate the number 13? If so, you are not alone. Many people are deathly afraid of it and today should I point out is the 13th day of the 13th year of the century.
Congress, oh yes, by the way is also is in its 113th session. All of that got us wondering why there so much superstition surrounding the number 13. In a word triskaidekaphobia. You can't avoid it every year has at least one Friday the 13th. Some years have up to three. The last time that happened was just last year, in 2012.
Now if that freaks you out, you can rest a little easy. Because next year, with three Friday the 13ths and it won't happen again until likely 2040, which will give you a little time to rest up. Thomas Fernsler is an associate scientist at the University of Delaware he is also one of the foremost authorities on the number 13, who knew. And he is even known on campus as Dr. 13. So, Dr. 13, thank you very much for joining us today. Happy 13th to you.
THOMAS FERNSLER, "DR. 13:" Thank you.
SAVIDGE: How did this whole superstition of 13 originate?
FERNSLER: Most people who are triskaidekaphobic feel that it started at the time of the last supper around crucifixion of Christ. They will tell you that well Jesus was 13th at the last supper, look what happened to him. But there are some other evidence that it actually got started in Nordic mythology when Loki the god of evil, crashed a dinner party of 12 other gods and killed Balder, who was the most favorable among them.
SAVIDGE: A dinner party seemed to be the source of the problem here, at least way back in history. The other thing that's interesting is that I used to think this was just an American superstition. This seems to apply, no; it's not, more of an international thing.
FERNSLER: Well in this country, we seem to have some what I would call 13 traditions, like avoiding the 13th floor of tall buildings and in a lot of hospitals, they don't have a room number 13. But there are some issues overseas as well with the number 13. For example in Paris, you can still hire a professional 14th guest in case you wind up with 13 at a dinner party.
SAVIDGE: Those French, they are always thinking. All right. Well let's talk about kind of some fun trivia. And I wanted to talk about one I remember very well, which is an Apollo mission, "Apollo 13." And of course that number is significant. But there were a number of other 13s surrounding that mission. Tell us about it.
FERNSLER: Right. In the movie "Apollo 13," they covered, of course, the mission number, which is 13. And also the launch time. Now, the rocket was launched at 2:13 Eastern Time but at the point Houston took control over it, at that moment, that was actually 1:13 Central Standard Time and 1:13 is 1313 hours Military Time. The other thing was that it happened on April 13th when the fuel cell exploded in the Apollo capsule.
But actually, the producers missed two other references to the number 13. The first was if you look at the numeric date of launch, April 11, 1970, the numeric date, 4/11/70. If you add those digits, 4 plus 1 plus 1 plus 7 plus 0, you get 13. The other one is that they launched from pad 39, which is the third multiple of 13.
SAVIDGE: You can drive yourself crazy with all of this. Well let's talk about the White House now, because I know 13 has affected really 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in the past. Tell us what presidents were really superstitious.
FERNSLER: In deed it has. We have had a number of superstitious presidents probably the most was Franklin Roosevelt. FDR was superstitious about things like lighting three cigarettes on a match. Not dining 13 at a table. In fact there were a number of times when Grace Tully, his secretary was called to round out an ill-fated dinner party if it was 13. The other thing about FDR was that he actually -- he didn't want to leave on a trip on the 13th of the month. In fact, as president there were times he would actually order a train to leave at 11:50 p.m. on the 12th or wait until 12:10 a.m. on the 14th. And even in death, FDR avoided a Friday the 13th and he went on his final journey on the afternoon of April 12th, 1945.
SAVIDGE: Yes. Of course.
FERNSLER: Millard Filmore was --
SAVIDGE: Go ahead.
FERNSLER: Millard Fillmore was our 13th president and that's interesting simply because Fillmore was never elected to the office. He succeeded Zachary Taylor upon Taylor's death in 1850.
SAVIDGE: OK. I will stop you real quick and then we are just about out of time but there is nothing really to this we have fun with it but I mean the superstition is all it really is, there is nothing to support it's really bad, right?
FERNSLER: Not that I'm aware of. I do have fun with it. I like the number 13, some people sometimes ask me if I'm superstitious. Absolutely not. I will tell you however that every time I fly commercial airliners, I always wear the same shoes and the same socks and the same pants and the same shirt, the same lucky cap but I am not superstitious.
SAVIDGE: No I bet you are not. Dr. 13, Thomas Fernsler, thank you very much for joining us today on the 13th.
FERNSLER: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: Bye bye.
He was called a very lucky man. But after wining the lottery, he ended up dead. Police say he was poisoned but that's not the end of this story. Find out what's happening now in the investigation. And a year after the Costa Conordia disaster, the massive cruise ship is still grounded off of Italy it may not be for much longer.
And I will tell you about plans to honor one of the Newtown massacre victims. Its part of our week ahead.
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