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CNN Saturday Morning News

Gun Control March Today in D.C.; Winter Weather Wreaks Havoc; North Korea Threatens U.S. and South Korea; Pentagon Lifts Ban on Women in Combat; Sandy Victims Left in the Cold; Hillary Clinton's Legacy; Mentally Ill Felon Obtained Firearms; Selling Eels to the World; Best Local Eating In China; Stomach Bug Rears Ugly Head

Aired January 26, 2013 - 11:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, January 26th. Good morning everyone I'm Randi Kaye, I'm glad you're with us.

Live pictures right now thousands of marchers descending upon Washington's National Mall to support one of the President's most ambitious proposals, tightening gun restrictions. We'll go there live in just a moment.

A treacherous winter storm wreaks havoc across much of the nation. Snow and ice are blamed for hundreds of accidents and flight delays. Is a second storm in the works?

Days after threatening the U.S., North Korea takes aim at its southern neighbor. We'll take a closer look at how dangerous Pyongyang's nuclear capability really is.

We begin this hour on Washington's National Mall where a march is about to get underway in support of gun control measures recently introduced in Congress. The event grew out of the Newtown massacre, according to the group's Facebook page. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan tweeted that he and his family will be there.

CNN spoke with one of the organizers who had never taken a public stance on gun control before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOLLY SMITH, CO-LEADER, WASHINGTON GUN CONTROL MARCH: It's been a remarkable learning experience. The realization that we're citizens and this is an act of citizenship, and being a citizen isn't just sitting around gassing about it and talking about it or being an armchair activist, it's actually moving into it. Physically with your body, embodying citizenship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: CNN's Emily Schmidt is on the Mall there. And Emily, it looks like things are picking up a bit.

EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, the crowd is growing here. And so many people are echoing what you just heard. These are people who maybe have never been to Washington to be in a march before. But they felt moved by what happened in Newtown. I want to introduce you to one of those people.

Loren Svetvilas who is holding a sign with the name of Benny Wheeler, a family friend, you are, of one of the children who was killed in Newtown. Why did you come today?

LOREN SVETVILAS, FRIEND OF BEN WHEELER'S FAMILY: I just felt that I needed to be here as part of a movement to make change. The sadness that's being felt by so many of us. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, you know, a family member, friends. Things need to change.

SCHMIDT: Do you feel there's an action that you are in particular looking to happen?

SVETVILAS: Personally, I don't see it necessary for guns in the world that we live in. But directly assault weapons, large capacity magazines. We're -- we're not -- we're not at war with each other. We're not at war with targets. We're not at war with hunting. I just feel that Congress has a -- has a job to do and -- and that is to make change for us to keep us safe.

SCHMIDT: Thank you. He is one of the people who is here today. Randi, important to note though, that just across the street a small counter- demonstration of people who are supporting gun rights. One of the people there, I said, why are you here? Did Newtown change you? He said, yes, he thinks that people in schools should be armed. He thinks that could have made a difference in Newtown.

So what we are seeing in Washington, two very different opinions separated only by one street -- Randi.

KAYE: Emily thank you very much for the update from there.

In Egypt, 22 people are dead after protests broke out in the city of Port Said. The demonstrations began after 21 people were sentenced to death for their role in riots at a football game last year. 74 people were killed, 1,000 injured in those riots. The death sentences will be reviewed by Egypt's highest religious authority by March 9th.

Hillary Clinton will soon relinquish her post as Secretary of State after the acrimony of the 2008 primaries. Many people didn't think that she would accept the post or even stay this long. But any tensions between Clinton and President Obama seem to be ancient history as the two sat side by side for an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes." Obama had nothing but high praise for Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE KROFT, "60 MINUTES": Why did you want to do this together, a joint interview?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well the main thing is I just want to have a chance to publicly say "thank you". Because I think Hillary will go down as one of the finest secretaries of state we've had. It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her.

I wish she was sticking around. But she has logged in so many miles, I can't begrudge her wanting to take it easy for a little bit. But I want the country to appreciate just what an extraordinary role she's played during the course of my administration and a lot of the successes we've had internationally have been because of her hard work.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: A few years ago it would have seen -- would have been seen as improbable because we had the very long, hard primary campaign. But you know I've gone around the world on behalf of the President and our country.

And one of the things that I say to people because I think it helps them understand, I say, look, in politics and in democracy, sometimes you win elections, sometimes you lose elections. And I worked very hard, but I lost. And then President Obama asked me to be Secretary of State and I said yes. And why did he ask me and why did I say yes? Because we both love our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Clinton has not revealed her future plans or whether she will run again for the White House.

Many people have noticed the Secretary of State sporting some new eyewear this week. Clinton, who normally wears contacts, is still suffering lingering effects of the concussion that she received last month when she fainted and hit her head. The eyeglasses reportedly are of a type used to correct double vision. "The New York Times" wrote a tongue-in-cheek article about the glasses when Clinton wore them during her fiery congressional testimony on the Benghazi attack.

A powerful Arctic blast unleashing misery across much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and northeast. Temperatures so low, the National Weather Service is warning of bitterly cold conditions all the way through the weekend. The one of the biggest dangers is ice on the roads. Late last night ice is believed to have triggered a ten-car pileup south of Louisville, Kentucky, forcing the closure of Interstate 65.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We spend almost three hours in traffic, and we didn't go no -- nowhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all we can do. Just try to be safe and not wreck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And this is what it looked like near Norfolk, Virginia. Ice and snow caused hundreds of wrecks in the mid-Atlantic yesterday and forced a hundred flight cancellations in Charlotte, North Carolina alone.

So the question is, how long is this ugly weather is going to stick around? Our meteorologist Alexandra Steele, live in the CNN Weather Center this morning. Good morning to you. So what's the answer?

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: All right, well I've got the answers. Well the temperature department, we're going to pick up about 20 degrees. Freezing rain, we've got another ice storm to talk about and let's start here on the southwest. Look at the onslaught of this moisture, kind of incongruous with this time of the year. January is usually pretty dry, February.

But we could see potentially about three inches of rain forecasting over the next couple of days which is actually about half of what they usually see for the whole year. So Cottonwood Canyon, the potential for flooding certainly is there.

But a piece of this energy, that's going to be a piece of the energy that creates that ice storm for Chicago. Chicago tomorrow morning to Monday morning, winter storm watch for you. For the potential for freezing rain, not snow.

And here's why -- all right, this is the future cast. Tomorrow afternoon, by about 1:00, here's Chicago. This is the freezing rain. Why is it freezing rain and not snow? Because at the surface close to ground temperatures there are below freezing, but up higher into the atmosphere, it's warmer than that. So we're seeing that moisture come down liquid and then freeze on contact.

So here's tomorrow night. Could see a lot of freezing rain here from Green Bay to Chicago. And then as we head toward Monday, there goes all that weather potentially freezing rain and snow in the northeast.

Temperature department, that cold, frigid Arctic air -- bye-bye for now. A ridge of high pressure is moving in this week, temperatures about 20 degrees warmer than where they've been. So Chicago today at 20 as we head towards Monday, Tuesday, getting toward 40 and then 50 degrees.

So Randi, we're going to watch this warmth spread eastward. That's where it is Monday, Tuesday, the axis of the warmth. Kentucky, remember, they were just ensconced in an ice storm. How about flirting with 70 on Tuesday and then Wednesday, Washington, no snow for you at 61 degrees. 79, almost 80 Randi in South Carolina for next week. Really, Wednesday/Thursday for you.

KAYE: Oh that sounds so good, doesn't it?

STEELE: Yes. How we can change in a heartbeat right?

KAYE: That is true. We know that. Alexandra thank you.

STEELE: Sure.

KAYE: Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is ready to cooperate with an international agency digging into doping but not the U.S. anti-doping body. The USADA has given Armstrong until February 6th to talk with them. In an interview to be broadcast Sunday on CBS's "60 Minutes," USADA chief Travis Tygart blasted claims by Armstrong that he didn't cheat. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS TYGART, CEO, UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY: It's amazing. This guy, you could go to almost any kindergarten in this country or frankly around the world and find kids playing tag or Four Square and ask them what cheating is. And every one of them will tell you it's breaking the rules of the game. No real athlete has to look up the definition of cheating. And it's offensive to clean athletes who are out there working hard to play by the rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Armstrong's lawyer says scheduling conflicts prevent his client from talking with the USADA before that February 6th deadline.

North Korea threatening the U.S. and South Korea again. We have the details on what they're saying this time.

Also, women will now be able to serve on the front line in combat roles. We'll tell you if everyone agrees women are ready for the fight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Twelve minutes past the hour now.

First the U.S. and now South Korea. North Korea is threatening both countries after the U.N. imposed tougher sanctions against it. So is it just rhetoric, or does North Korea really have the capability to attack? Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has all the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's latest saber rattling. Threatening the South just one day after Pyongyang said it will lob missiles at the U.S. and conduct a new nuclear test, leaving no doubt leader Kim Jong-Un isn't giving up his father's nuclear program. The U.S. might not is advanced warning of a new underground test.

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: They have the capability, frankly, to conduct these tests in a way that make it very difficult to determine whether or not they are doing it.

STARR: But there are signs they're ready to test if ordered.

JOEL WIT, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: The North Koreans are maintaining a fairly high state of readiness at the test site. And that means that if the order is given from Pyongyang to go ahead, they can probably conduct the test in a few weeks.

STARR: Satellite imagery shows a tunnel entrance where the device may undergo final assembly. A bunker for personnel and equipment and a communications network to make sure the order to detonate can be carried out. North Korea's weapons-grade inventory is believed to include plutonium for up to 12 devices and enough enriched uranium for six more. How dangerous is all of this?

JOSEPH CIRINCIONE, PRESIDENT, PLOUGHSHARES FUND: I still think we're years away from North Korea having a capability to deliver a nuclear war head on a missile even to a country as close as Japan or South Korea and they're even further away from having a long-range missile that could hit the United States.

STARR: But North Korea's nuclear threat is closer, a lot closer than Iran's. North Korea has nuclear devices, Iran does not. North Korea has weapons-grade material, Iran does not. And North Korea has tested long-range missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead. Iran has not.

In a new test, the North Korean regime has to show its bomb design actually works. A 2006 test basically fizzled. A 2009 test worked better. It was half as powerful as the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. If it went off at the U.S. capital, it would obliterate two square miles.

(on camera): Some experts believe if the pace of activity continues at that site, a test could happen at any time.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The secretive hacking group "Anonymous claims it will leak sensitive information about the Department of Justice unless prosecutors stop going after hackers. In a long letter addressed to "Citizens of the World" and posted on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Web site, "Anonymous" is threatening chaos if the government doesn't meet its demand.

The group also posted a YouTube video denouncing federal prosecutors who go after and quote, "destroy the lives of hacktivists they apprehend". That was a reference to web activist Aaron Swartz who committed suicide earlier this month. Swartz faced a possible 35 years in Federal prison after allegedly stealing millions of online documents from MIT.

Women on the front lines. But not everyone agrees that women are ready for combat.

And if you're leaving the house right now, just a reminder to take us with you. You can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. You can also watch live from your laptop. Just go to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: A big victory for women in the military this week. The Pentagon has agreed to allow women in front line combat roles. But will this help or harm the U.S. military? Here's Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): With a stroke of his pen, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta altered the look of the American sword.

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier. But everyone is entitled to a chance.

LAWRENCE: Panetta officially opened well over 200,000 combat jobs to women. Now the question is, can they physically qualify?

SGT. JENNIFER HUNT, U.S. ARMY: I think that it's already been proven.

LAWRENCE: Sergeant Jennifer Hunt was attached to an infantry battalion in Afghanistan. She still remembers the six-mile runs in full gear.

HUNT: I just found that physically taxing to, you know, have that pack on my back, but I still was able to, you know, make the requirement of, you know, of going that six miles.

LAWRENCE: A number of NATO countries permit women in combat like Canada, France, Germany, and Australia. The British do not.

The Secretary's action technically opens all jobs, but the services can still apply for specific exemptions, if women are not able to meet certain physical standards.

GEN. ROBERT CONE, U.S. ARMY: The concern I get when I talk to soldiers is really about lowering standards, saying that we have people on our team that can't carry their share of the weight.

LAWRENCE: In the military, they mean that literally. Some soldiers are loaded down with armored plates, packs, boots, and equipment, and they're hauling around more than 100 pounds. Tank loaders have to lift a 40- to 50-pound shell out of a confined space, spin it around, and push it into the breach. A senior defense official says that standard cannot be lowered.

Officials have identified specific physical requirements for each combat job. Next, they'll turn that information over to scientists who can build physical tests to measure if a man or woman is fit for the front lines.

CONE: At recruiting stations, you can't say, "Here, lift a 54-pound ammo shell and put it in a tank."

LAWRENCE: For example, next summer, 400 male Marines and 400 female Marines will go out and perform various physical tasks relating to specific combat jobs. The Marines will then use those results to come up with a fitness standard. But if no women or even very few are able to do the task, the Marines will have to quote, "go back to the drawing board."

Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: So the question is, is everyone happy about including women in front line combat roles? I asked Zoe Bedell, a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve and one of the plaintiffs in the ACLU lawsuit to allow women on the front lines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. ZOE BEDELL, U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE: This is a very positive step forward. And we definitely want to see how this shapes up. What the service chiefs submit to remain closed. But this is a huge step in the right direction and we're glad that it's happened.

KAYE: One of the things that has gotten a lot of attention ever since this announcement and even well before this, but sexual assault, certainly a concern for female troops. Not just by enemy troops, we know that, but even among their own ranks.

I want to share some numbers with our viewers this morning. Numbers coming from the Department of Defense shows that more than 3,000 reported sexual assaults occurred in 2011. Secretary Panetta said that number was probably closer to 19,000.

So, what is your take on this? Does adding more women into stressful situations concern you at all? I mean, is there enough protection?

BEDELL: No, sexual assault is definitely an issue in the military. It's both for men and women, and something they need to take seriously. But the response to that is not to take away women's equality within an organization and deny them rights or make them more second class citizens.

The response is to treat them as full equals and to say, no, we're not going to tolerate this behavior. It's not acceptable, these are members of our organization and we don't treat people that way.

And once the military really embraces that attitude, that's when you'll start seeing some of these numbers come down, I think.

KAYE: I want to bring in someone else here, Elaine Donnelly. She's the president of the Center for Military Readiness.

Elaine, good morning. You have said that lives --

ELAINE DONNELLY, CENTER OF MILITARY READINESS: Good morning.

KAYE: -- could be lost unnecessarily because of this announcement. Explain that.

DONNELLY: Well, because we're talking about the infantry battalions, armor, artillery units that attack the enemy, Special Operations Forces.

Although women like Zoe have been serving with courage, we honor and respect them for their service in harm's way, we're talking now about the tip of the spear battalions. In that environment, women do not have an equal opportunity to survive or to help fellow soldiers survive. And there's 30 years of studies to back that up.

As far as the issue of sexual assaults are concerned -- wow, it's a huge problem and it's getting worse. But you don't make it better by transferring all the issues that involve sexual assault into those infantry battalions.

In fact, when General Dempsey suggested just the opposite, maybe this is the answer. No, General, that'll only make it worse and there's no reason to do that.

And I'm also concerned about what about the enlisted women they don't want this? What about men who can't speak out about this?

General Dempsey also said if the standard's too high, then we'll question why is the standard so high?

KAYE: But --

DONNELLY: That means that gradually, incrementally, standards will be lowered. They will be equal, but lowered and we won't have the same tough training for the infantry that we have now.

KAYE: So let me get back to your first initial comment there. Are you saying that women are not as qualified as men?

DONNELLY: I didn't say qualified. They can serve and they are. In the positions where they are in support roles, where their talents are used best. But in the infantry, physical standards do matter, physical capabilities. And 30 years of studies have backed this up.

But I'm a little curious. We know that when the Marines open the infantry officer course asked for volunteers, they asked for 90, they only got two, one woman lasted not even a full day and the other a few more days after that.

So, if the test didn't work out and we respect them for trying, where is the results of the rest of the tests? The Marines have not been forthcoming on this. The Department of Defense really doesn't allow the --

KAYE: Let me --

DONNELLY: -- members of the Joint Chiefs to be fully candid about what's going on.

KAYE: Let me just jump in here because you mentioned Zoe and she's still with us.

And, Zoe, why don't you tell us what is your reaction to what Elaine is saying?

BEDELL: Well, there's a couple of things in there. First, in regards to the Marines test, two people does not represent the entire Marine Corps. And, fact, these women were asked to go to a grueling three- month school where when they came out of it, they still were infantry officers. So, they were taking the risk without any of the reward and all of the downside.

So, I don't think you can generalize about all women everywhere from that situation. And in regards to the physical standards, that's absolutely an issue. We absolutely are not asking for quotas for women, we're not asking for a set number of women in these roles. We don't want the standards lowered. We just want women to have a chance to compete to meet those standards and equal opportunity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: That was Captain Zoe Bedell of the Marine Corps Reserve and Elaine Donnelly, president of the center for military readiness.

First there was Superstorm Sandy, now it's the frigid temperatures. Find out how storm victims who are still without the heat are dealing with the bitter cold.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: If you think it's cold outside, imagine how miserable is it is for people still without power since Superstorm Sandy. That's right. Three months after Sandy struck, many people riding out the bitter cold winter without heat.

Our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, joins me now from Staten Island which was hard hit in the storm. Susan, how are people coping there with the cold, and how are their frustrations?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, imagine how hard it will be. Today, for example, Randy, it's probably only going to get up into the 20s. And with the wind chill factor it is very cold. Yet some people are still hunkering down. There is work still going on to recover after Superstorm Sandy. For example, down the street they have taken down homes, the U.S. Army corps of engineer will be taking away this debris.

We're talking to people who do have the opportunity, some of them, to leave their homes, but they're hanging in there even without power and light. It's tough in this cold weather. But there are programs out there where you can move into an apartment or a hotel paid for by FEMA, and we talked with one woman who's done that while there's a debate going on over whether to demolish her home. She talked about the toll that all this is taking on her family, especially her children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLA CHATI, SANDY VICTIM: It's really hard on the kids. It really is hard on the kids because they don't know when they're going home. That's all they want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now there are people from the city going door to door this day to people who still don't have heat in their homes to see whether they can help them. Also to make sure they know that if they are victims of the storm they can get into a hotel this very day if they want to. KAYE: Susan Candiotti, thank you very much for that.

When Hillary Clinton steps down as secretary of state, she will leave behind a long and sometimes bumpy legacy from veteran of sharp elbows politics to master of diplomacy. What's next? History has shown there really is no such thing as good-bye for her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): This is not the first time Hillary Clinton seemed to say goodbye.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure.

KAYE: When you just knew she'd be back to say hello. She launched herself back in the days of the nerdy circular glasses as the woman who could take tradition and crack it like a nut.

She and Bill Clinton met and fell in love at Yale. Then in 1974, she moved to Arkansas to teach, making partner at the Rose law firm five years later. She kept working after her husband was elected governor of Arkansas. She would become the first, first lady to do so.

CLINTON: I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies.

KAYE: Then came Washington.

CLINTON: This health security card will represent a right of every citizen, and it will give each of us the security of knowing we will be taken care of when we need help.

KAYE: Her health care initiative came crashing down in 1994. Her high visibility came at a cost. The superwoman learned to steel herself in the face of repeated controversy. There was the unexplained suicide of White House Counsel Vince Foster and questions about the Clintons' Whitewater land deal. But the challenges didn't end there.

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.

KAYE: The affair and House vote after that to impeach her husband threatened to derail team Clinton, but Hillary was nothing if not resilient. She ran for Congress and was elected senator from New York with 56 percent of the vote. She became the first, first lady to enter Congress and in 2007, another first.

CLINTON: When people tell me, you know, I don't think a woman can be elected president, I say, well, I don't believe that, but we're going to find out.

KAYE: She became Hillary like Shakira or Cher. It showed independence. It was a hard-fought campaign against Barack Obama, but Hillary never backed down.

CLINTON: Shame on you, Barack Obama. KAYE: Even when campaigning got ugly. Not long after that, Clinton welled up at the New Hampshire diner and ran away with the primary, another victory. But in the end, she conceded, wrapping up her historic presidential bid.

CLINTON: Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time --

KAYE: But her persistence and passion convinced the man she tried to beat to cast her on the world stage.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: In her, you will have a secretary of state who has my full confidence.

KAYE: The former first lady and senator from New York would become madam secretary in 2009. Yet now, a millionaire' miles and 112 countries later, she finds herself entangled in one final controversy.

CLINTON: I'm in charge of the State Department, 60,000-plus people all over the world, 275 posts.

KAYE: Testifying it who knew what when in light of the attack on the compound in Benghazi. But if history is any guide, Hillary Clinton may emerge unscathed once again and reinvent herself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Now it's not clear exactly when Clinton will relinquish her post at the State Department, but it reportedly could be by the end of next week.

As the debate heats up over gun control, we'll take a closer look at one disturbing case. It involves a mentally ill man convicted of killing his mother and this, his arsenal of firearms he was able to purchase after he was released.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Now to the chilling case of a Minnesota man who was discovered by police with an arsenal of 13 firearms in his home including handguns and an AK-47 and a .50-caliber Desert Eagle. Christian Philip Obrander was also found with a disturbing note to his mother that read, quote, "I am so homicide," and quote, "I think about killing all the time" according to police.

But even more disturbing is the fact that he got his hands on these firearms at all. He's a convicted felon who spent time in a state hospital for killing his mother with a firearm more than a decade ago but has since been released. The incident exposes the dangerous loopholes in the nation's gun laws and Minnesota's system of criminal background checks.

Joining me now is CNN legal contributor Paul Callan. Paul, this is such a disturbing case at the heart of the gun debate. One handgun advocates say don't take away our guns, just do the background checks. On the other hand, others say it's not enough, but in this case it failed. So legally speaking, what is the fix?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, you're right, Randi. This is a terrifying example of the utter failure of gun control regulations that are currently in place. I mean, this is a functional equivalent of the character Jason from the "Halloween" movie getting out of the mental hospital.

And then being armed with AK-47s, this Desert Eagle semi automatic magnum, and the other of the 13 weapons he had on him. It's a shocking, shocking case. It happened because of a combination of factors.

Number one, although Minnesota has a law that requires you to go to a police station and get a permit to purchase these kinds of weapons, they don't require you to be fingerprinted or show a Social Security number.

So he went into a police station, reversed his middle name and first name, and they gave him the permit. Then he goes to a gun store to buy all of these weapons and he's supposed to get a -- supposed to clear a federal check, but there was nothing in the federal data base to indicate that he had been confined to a mental institution.

Well, exactly because, you know, people who oppose national records of mental health treatment have created a system where his name is not even listed in the national directory. And he was confined as mentally ill and dangerous until 2003, of course, after killing his mother.

KAYE: I think all he had to do was wait until he was 28 to get those records purged, but now, if a disaster had been committed as a result of this flaw in the system, who would be liable, Paul, other than the suspect, anyone?

CALLAN: Probably no one. I think people will be shocked to know that Congress in 2005 passed legislation that largely immunizes gun dealers and gun stores from liability and lawsuits like this. You would have to prove that the gun store actually knew they were selling the gun to somebody who was going to go out and do harm.

Of course, the gun store will just say, we made a phone call and there was nothing in the record data base. In terms of the police and Minnesota, now they made a big mistake. His name should have been in their criminal records system, at least until he was 28 years of age.

They made mistakes, but there's immunity that protects them from suits. So in the end, had he killed people, they would have no remedy in fact under existing law.

KAYE: That was Paul Callan. Thanks again.

Most people don't think much of eels. We're going to introduce you to a man in Pennsylvania who loves these wriggly creatures. You'll find out why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Eels may not be high on your list of favorite treats or mine, but around the world they are a popular delicacy. In today's "American Journey" report, Tom Foreman found a man in Pennsylvania who is making a living satisfying the demand for eels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just outside Philadelphia at the Delaware Valley Fish Company in Norris Town, a new shipment has arrived, wriggling, slithering, sliming its way into the world market.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do about a million pounds a year.

FOREMAN: And Barry Kratchman could not be happier.

BARRY KRATCHMAN, DELAWARE VALLEY FISH COMPANY: I'm a third generation eeler or sniggler.

FOREMAN (on camera): A sniggler?

KRATCHMAN: You can actually find that on a crossword puzzle.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Although never popular with many Americans, eels are enjoyed on tables throughout Asia and Europe, considered delicacies whether served raw, baked, boiled or fried.

KRATCHMAN: Love it. Tastes like chicken. What you're looking at here is an eel holding system.

FOREMAN: And that has created a kind of appreciation all along the east coast of the United States where the eel trade helped support hundreds of fishing families and 30 employees in this company alone.

For most of the year, eels caught wild in waters from Florida to New Finland pour into this site, to be sorted, graded, packed, and sent live overseas. Scientists are concerned in what appears to be declining numbers of eels along coast and so are the people in the business of catching them.

KRATCHMAN: There is habitat pressure. They built dams over the years. As with we harvest these eels, everybody wants to make sure that it is sustainable.

FOREMAN: After all, Kratchman says, he's been up to his elbows in eels his whole life.

KRATCHMAN: In fact, you know, when I sort a lot of eels, you go to sleep, you start to see eels in your sleep, that vision of eels penetrates your brain and stays there.

FOREMAN (on camera): That's creepy.

KRATCHMAN: It is a little creepy.

FOREMAN (voice-over): it is also the business that even in these tough times is sustaining his family and many others on their American journey. Tom Foreman, CNN, Norris Town, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Gosh, can't even look at those things.

The next "Star Wars" movie will be directed by J.J. Abrams. You may know him as the creator of "Lost" or "Fringe." Well, last night, Walt Disney announced Abrams will direct "Star Wars Episode 7." This will be the first "Star Wars" film since Disney bought Lucas Film. Abrams said it is an absolute honor.

Tina Turner is about to give up her U.S. citizenship and become a Swiss citizen. The 73-year-old singing legend has been living in Switzerland since 1995. Who knew? Reports say she's passed her tests and is waiting official approval. She said she can't imagine a better place to live.

Boeing Dreamliners are grounded after technical snags developed with the aircraft. So what really is wrong with them? We'll have details on the investigation.

But first, when traveling to other cities and countries, the best way to get a real taste of the place is through the local food. CNN I- Report has teamed up with "Travel and Leisure" magazine to create a global list of 100 places to eat like a local. Here's CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong with a sample.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. When you want to eat like a local, I come to City Hall Maxim's Palace. You could tell it by the line, it's a pretty popular place.

Yes, it's in a ballroom and yes, it has a view of the harbor that tourists adore, but make no mistake about it, the locals love it here. So much so they've been coming here for 30 years to get their dimsum fix, dimsum served the old-fashioned way -- by trolley.

Now you know why this place is called a palace, now crystal chandeliers aside, this place is massive, 120 tables serving some 800 people a day. Now it is time to eat. And if you see something you like, just hail the trolley, stop the server and just pick a little bit of everything.

Again, don't be afraid to try a little bit of everything. Deep fried squid, rice rolls, chicken feet, steamed pork buns, shrimp dumplings, barbecued pork pastry, egg tarts, and I don't even know what this is.

If you pay a visit to City Hall Maxim's Palace here in Hong Kong, remember two things, number one, be prepared for a long wait and also, take your time to try everything and anything to really eat like a true local including enjoying the chicken feet.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: From eels to chicken feet. I-Reporters, here's your chance to help us create a food lovers' map of the world. Go to ireport.com/100places, all you have to do is send us a photo of your favorite restaurant and dish, why it's special, and how you discovered the place.

The definitive list of 100 places to eat like a local will be revealed in March. Some I-Reporters will be on that list so be sure to stay tuned to see if you are one of them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Investigators are trying to find out why the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's batteries are causing some problems. But while that probe is under way, all 50 aircrafts around the world are grounded. Our Sandra Endo has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is one of the cell cases.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Piece by piece inside this NTSB lab in Washington, analysts are dissecting the charred battery, which caught on fire in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner earlier this month in Boston.

DEBORAH HERSMAN, NTSB CHAIRWOMAN: We know that the lithium ion battery experienced a thermal runaway. We know that there were short circuits, and we know that there was a fire.

ENDO: The FAA gave special permission to Boeing allowing the use of these light weight batteries only if safety measures were installed to prevent overheating.

HERSMAN: We do not expect to see fire events on board aircrafts. There are multiple systems to protect against a battery event like this. Those systems did not work as intended. We need to understand why.

ENDO: The investigation was launched after two 787s this month experienced issues surrounding the jet's unique use of lithium ion batteries. First battery behind the wings of a Japan Airline's 787 exploded and caught fire while on the ground in Boston.

Initial tests rule out excess voltage and overcharging. Another battery problem, this one near the cockpit of an Al Nippon Airways Dreamliner led to smoke in the cabin while in the air over Japan, forcing an emergency landing.

Excess voltage has also been ruled out, and for now it doesn't look like overcharging was an issue. The NTSB is looking for defects or contamination in the battery, but said the problem could be elsewhere.

United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier with six Dreamliners in its fleet. The CEO said, "All new aircraft types have problems, and the 787 is no different. Customers will flock back to that airplane once we're able to get it back up again."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENDO: Boeing, which manufactures the Dreamliner, says it welcomed the NTSB's progress and has hundreds of engineers and technical experts work around the clock to resolve the issues. For now, all Dreamliners will remain grounded, and that includes any test flights. Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.

KAYE: "CNN NEWSROOM" starts at the top of the hour. Miguel is here to tell us what's going on.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have a packed afternoon. I'm very good. How are you? We're going to keep track of everything in the headlines obviously. There's an ongoing cyberstrike against the government.

Burt Reynolds is in the hospital and quite ill. We'll also look at Hillary Clinton and her legacy and see what we learned from her life as secretary of state. She's leaving office.

KAYE: Leaving next week.

MARQUEZ: Yes, she's leaving next week. The Harbaughs, the Brother Bowl, we'll look at that.

KAYE: They're both coaches.

MARQUEZ: Both coaches, one with the Ravens, one with the 49'ers. We'll see who has the upper hand given who was born first, an interesting little rivalry. Apparently, the loser is the one who gets the most love at the end of this whole thing is the take-away for me.

Maybe I just gave it away. We'll also look at the infamous -- our legal panel, the arias case with HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell, a case out in Arizona. This woman shot and stabbed her boyfriend, stabbed him 29 times. Her defense starts this week. And then Subway sandwich to the test. I have it over there.

KAYE: I almost ate it.

MARQUEZ: We're going to put Subway sandwich to the test and we're see is it really 12 inches. They're being sued.

KAYE: Yes, they're being sued because people are saying it's not really 12 inches.

MARQUEZ: They've been short change. It's shrinkage. It starts off as 12 inches, but it's been shrinking so now there are class action lawsuits, Australia started this, it went viral, and everybody wants their Subway sandwich to be 12 inches.

KAYE: What about the six-inchers hold up, do we know, maybe?

MARQUEZ: The 6 inches are also a little shorter so all of this is being rectified by Subway right now.

KAYE: I can't believe this. This is serious. You're going to measure live on the air. I can't wait for the results.

MARQUEZ: Try to contain yourself.

KAYE: Tell me what time. I'll be home watching. I cannot wait. Miguel Marquez, thank you very much.

Well, the flu is just one serious illness to avoid this season, especially if you're in a crowded, confined space like a cruise ship. What you need to know to protect yourself and your family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: With influenza now rampant across most of the U.S., many people are taking some extra precautions. But those same measures might not protect you from another highly contagious illness that can knock you down for days, very busy moment here in the studio.

It is called the Norovirus, but you probably call it the stomach bug. Here's CNN's Lisa Sylvester with tips on how to avoid it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You might have heard of it before. There have been several major outbreaks on cruise ships in recent years. The Norovirus in layman's terms is a stomach bug. We are at the height of a new season with a new strain.

The Norovirus is spread through food or drink that has been contaminated. You can also get it if you touch a contaminated surface or object and then put your hand to your mouth. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. It hits you all of a sudden.

DR. GARY SIMON, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: It's very contagious. There are multiple epidemics of it, and other than cleaning the areas, there's really not a whole lot people can do about it.

SYLVESTER (on camera): The Norovirus is so contagious because it's so hardy. Your typical hand sanitizer alone won't do it, typical disinfectant wipes to wipe down surfaces, normally that would be fine, for instance, with the flu virus but not the case with the Norovirus.

What you need to do is wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and when you wipe down surfaces, make sure you use a bleached-base solution.

(voice-over): Most people infected recover after a few days. In rare cases, it can be fatal, particularly for the very old and very young and those with weaker immune systems. According to the CDC, there are more than 20 million cases of the Norovirus each year, resulting in about 800 deaths in the U.S.

SIMON: So infectious and requires such a low concentration of virus, it's rapidly spread through a population. That's why you see outbreaks on cruise ships, in dormitories, in places where people are in close contact with one another.

SYLVESTER: Top five ways of protecting yourself according to the CDC -- wash your hands often, wash fruits and vegetables, cook shellfish thoroughly, clean surfaces and wash soiled laundry, and when you're sick, don't prepare food or care for others.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Some great advice there from CNN's Lisa Sylvester. Well, "CNN NEWSROOM" continues right now with Miguel Marquez. You are back.

MARQUEZ: I am back. I've survived so far. Thank you so much.

KAYE: Have a great afternoon. I'll be watching.

MARQUEZ: Have a lovely day.

KAYE: Thank you.

MARQUEZ: Take care.