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Massachusetts Starts Cleaning Up After Winter Storm Slams Northeast; Deadly Explosion Goes Off Near Chuck Hagel's Briefing In Afghanistan; Another Asteroid Passes Earth; Labor Market Moved Forward In February; Unemployment Lowest Since 2008; Looking For Certain Smoke From The Vatican; Justin Bieber - Worst Week Ever?; Stealing Children's Identities; Where To Go For A Grown-Up Spring Break

Aired March 09, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's the top of the hour. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We look at the top stories right now. Part of the Massachusetts coast starting to clean up after a major snowstorm or winter storm slammed the Northeast. This one house, take a look, looks as if it will tip right into the Atlantic ocean at any moment. Another home has already fallen in. And authorities are beginning to demolish the house to limit the impact of nearby homes.

John Atwater of affiliate WCVB toured the damage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ATWATER, REPORTER, WCVB: You can look down at what used to be the first floor. And the waves are just coming in. And as they go in, they are carrying out chairs, tables, wood. There is metal coming out of that house.

Obviously, a lot of personal belongings here, a very sad story. But the problem, all this debris that's coming out and then hitting other houses down the coastline. Just behind the house, you can see a backhoe there. What they're going to do is start trying to dismantle these houses to try to limit the impact on others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: My goodness. Temperatures in that part of New England are expected to warm up today, getting up into the 40s.

All right, it's out of this world, and it's huge! And it's headed our way. We are talking about another asteroid. This one is the size of a city block. And it's passing by earth right now.

Coming up, we will talk with a NASA expert to find out why we are having so many of these close encounters lately and that's about 15 minutes from now.

On to Afghanistan now. There's been a deadly explosion in the capital city of Kabul. Police say at least nine people were killed and 14 others injured when a suicide bomber on a bicycle detonated explosives. It happened near the Afghan defense ministry.

Defense secretary Chuck Hagel was being briefed in a building nearby, but he wasn't hurt. The Taliban is claiming responsibility.

Meanwhile, secretary Hagel met with rank-and-file troops. It's his visit to Afghanistan, first one, since assuming his post. He also pinned two purple heart medals on soldiers from California and Washington state. As for the bombing today, he says it doesn't change the mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: War didn't stop. And we have a war here. And that's just the reality. We're going to continue to work with the Afghans and our coalition partners to fight that war and to assure that the Afghan people have every ability and right to develop their own country their own way in a democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Hagel last visited Afghanistan in 2008 when he was a senator.

Overseas in Vatican City, we are seeing signs that the Roman Catholic cardinals are preparing to select a new Pope. The papal ring and seal belonging to Benedict XVI were destroyed a short time ago. The next Pope will get a new fisherman's ring and seal with his own name on it after he is elected.

A chimney was also installed today on the roof of the Sistine chapel. That's where the 115 cardinals will gather Tuesday for the start of the conclave. People from all over the world will be waiting for white smoke to appear from that chimney. And that will signify that a new Pope has been chosen.

Former south African-American Nelson Mandela is in the hospital again, but officials say there's no serious problem. The Nobel peace prize winner is in for a routine checkup and getting some tests done. Mandela is 94 years old. In December, he got a lung infection and also had gallstone surgery.

There was a surprise jump in this week's jobs numbers in this country. Alison Kosik explains from the New York stock exchange that one of the biggest increases came from an unexpected sector.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The labor market moved forward in February. Employers added 236,000 jobs. That means the economy has been adding jobs for three straight years now. The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest since 2008.

And one notable standout, the construction sector. It's making a comeback, adding 48,000 jobs in February and over 100,000 jobs since November. That's a nice turnaround considering that the industry lost millions of jobs during the financial crisis. Construction is typically one of the last parts of the economy to recover after a recession. But now with the housing market coming back, construction jobs finally are as well, although there's still a lot of ground to make up.

But Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, said while the overall trend in hiring is good, there's still plenty to be concerned about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SWONK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MESIROW FINANCIAL: The trend has been in the right direction especially on the fire engine. We have seen that in jobless claims. And we've seen a lot of reports that suggest that consumers are feeling a little better about the situation today in the jobs market as well. That's the good news. That perception is yet to show up in the reality of the data. And until we really see people putting their hat in the ring and looking for jobs because they know they're going to get them, we won't feel a lot better about this economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And that's the problem. Thousands of people are still dropping out of the work force. They've given up hope, stopped looking. That helps lower the unemployment rate, too, but for the wrong reasons. So for now, a good jobs report but still room for improvement - Fred.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Alison.

All right. The political powder keg is building on the border between north and South Korea. North Korea today formally rejected sanctions that the United Nations imposed against the communist country for its recent nuclear tests. Plus, North Korea is vowing to end pacts from the Korean war and threatening a preemptive nuclear attack. And that's prompting South Korea to promise a strong retaliation.

It's gotten so intense now China is calling for all sides to calm down. But North Korea is not backing down from its nuclear program, and the U.S. has just learned of a new weapon the North Koreans are testing.

Here's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost hysterical North Korean troops greeted their leader, Kim Jong-Un, during his made-for-TV inspection tour of military border facilities. Kim wants the world to see this as he has dramatically stepped up his dangerous rhetoric. He has even threatening a nuclear attack on the U.S. as he faces tough U.N. sanctions for his recent nuclear test. The Obama administration isn't backing down.

VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: We are also going to continue to increase the pressure if they don't make the right choice.

STARR: On his way to Afghanistan, defense secretary Chuck Hagel made clear how closely the U.S. is watching.

HAGEL: The United States of America and our allies are prepared to deal with any threat.

STARR: CNN has learned the U.S. has recently stepped up surveillance using aircraft, radars and satellites already nearby. Military officials say so far there are no signs of unusual military moves by the north.

But there is a disturbing new weapons program, the kn-08. U.S. officials say this missile shown in a North Korean military parade last year, is now undergoing engine testing. It's a three-stage ballistic missile with a potential 3,000-mile range.

That's not as far as the rocket North Korea launched which could hit Alaska or Hawaii. So why does the U.S. think it's so dangerous? The North Koreans can drive the kn-08 around on a truck launcher.

JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: They would have a bunch of these in an underground bunker, in a garage and possibly under cover of darkness, they would all leave the garage and start driving around at random. And within a few hours, you could have a really hard time figuring out where they had all gotten off to.

STARR: The U.S. believes a recent satellite launch in North Korea actually included some testing of kn-08 components. And at that test site now, classified U.S. imagery is showing more activity, vehicles, personnel and electronic equipment signs the North Koreans may be getting ready for yet another missile test.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And she's faced questions from attorneys, but this week accused murder Jodi Arias took questions from the jury. They could give her the death penalty, if convicted. We will show you what happened and what's ahead for the next week.

And we saw what happened when a meteor came crashing down on Russia last month. Well, today, a big asteroid is having a closer encounter with earth. We will talk with a NASA astronomer about it.

And Jon Bon Jovi opens up with CNN about the NRA, putting him on an enemies list. Of course, we will talk to him about his music. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Murder defendant Jodi Arias isn't just being questioned by lawyers. She's also answering questions from jurors. And so far she's admitting to shooting and stabbing her ex-boyfriend and lying about it. And this week she faced more than 200 questions from the jurors.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the latest from Phoenix.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Jodi Arias, this week was all about proving she never planned to kill Travis Alexander.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you go to Mr. Alexander's home on June 4th with the intent on killing him?

JODI ARIAS, DEFENDANT IN TRAVIS ALEXANDER MURDER: No, I didn't.

KAYE: The jury is well aware Arias has changed her story three times. Two years after the killing, she finally said she did kill Travis Alexander, but in self defense. She claimed his anger and the physical abuse worsened after she caught Alexander masturbating to a photo of a young boy. But if it was so startling, why hadn't she written about it in her journal?

ARIAS: It was a highly negative event and a negative experience for me and it is not something that I wished to remember.

KAYE: Another week, another sex tape. This time, the defense played mainly Alexander's voice, an effort to paint him as the more experienced sexually.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You cannot say I don't work that. We've had two and three-hour sessions many times.

KAYE: The defense did all it could to clean up Arias' image. Even trying to explain away the text message Arias sent to Alexander suggesting she dress up like a dirty little school girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The idea of the school girl in the outfit, was that something that -- that you were interested in or something that you were doing to please him?

ARIAS: It would be more for his pleasure because just being with him was enough for me, but he enjoyed that kind of stuff.

KAYE: By midweek, it was the jury asking the questions. More than 200 in all delivered by the judge. They started with this zinger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did you put the camera in the washer?

ARIAS: I don't have memory of that. I don't know why I would do that.

KAYE: The camera contained pictures of Alexander in the shower. This one taken just two minutes before his death. Photo time stamps put Arias at Alexander's house at the time of the killing.

And what about Arias' failing memory the day Alexander died? She has testified that she shot Alexander first and doesn't remember anything after that. Here in court, her defense lawyer tried to raise even the slightest doubt that it was Arias who stabbed Alexander nearly 30 times and sliced his throat so deep his head was nearly cut off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any memories of slashing Mr. Alexander's throat?

ARIAS: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you were asked on cross-examination if you did that, do you recall telling us that you did?

ARIAS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that a recollection or a logical assumption on your part?

ARIAS: It was definitely not a recollection.

KAYE: The jury also wanted to know this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did you place Travis' body back in the shower?

ARIAS: I could only speculate because I don't remember.

KAYE: And this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is it that you have no memory of stabbing Travis?

ARIAS: I can't really explain why my mind did what it did. Maybe because it's too horrible.

KAYE: When the jury's questions were done, Arias' defense lawyer stepped in, yet again. to try to repair the damage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Jodi, that is the ultimate question. Why should anybody believe you now?

ARIAS: I lied a lot in the beginning. I understand that there will always be questions, but all I can do at this point is say what happened to the best of my recollection. And if I'm convicted, than that's because of my own bad choices in the beginning.

KAYE: Bad choices that could cost her, her life.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Phoenix.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now, to a controversial new law that gives teachers in South Dakota the option of carrying a gun on the job. The governor signed a bill into law yesterday. It gives school staff the authority to carry a firearm in a k-12 school in that state. The law leaves it up to school districts to decide whether to allow that. South Dakota is the first state to enact such a law.

And a school south of Albany, New York, that is, just suspended its armed guard in-school program after an officer accidentally discharged his gun in a hallway while students were in class. The officer is now suspended while the incident is investigated. No students or staff were injured.

A month after a destructive meteorite hit Russia, scientists are giving a watch on an asteroid to pass it close to earth. Right now, we will talk with a NASA astronomer about it straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Sky watchers can enjoy a rare treat today. Comet Hamstars (ph) is now visible on the western horizon in the northern hemisphere. Folks in the U.S. may even be able to see it with the naked eye, which is pretty rare. A naked-eye comet happens only once every five to ten years.

And now to our other out-of-this-world story. An asteroid, the size of a city block is hurling towards the earth right now. And that has many people wondering about what kind of experience we might have? Will it be like this?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: That was the scene when a meteor slammed into southern Russia last month. It exploded and shattered windows for miles. About 1500 people were hurt.

As for today's asteroid, though, we're told not to worry. Though it is 262 feet wide, it will only get within about 605,000 miles to earth. That's less than half the distance from the moon.

So, joining us right now from Los Angeles is NASA astronomer Amy Mainzer.

Good to see you, Amy.

AMY MAINZER, NASA ASTRONOMER: Hi. Good to see you, too, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Will anyone be able to actually see this asteroid as it passes by, 600,000 miles away?

MAINZER: Yes. You've got to have some fairly serious amateur telescopes to be able to see this particular object. It has already glided harmlessly by us. It has made a fairly close approach. About 2 1/2 times the distance from the earth to the moon. But this one, there is no chance of it impacting the earth. And it's on its way out back into the outer solar system.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, you said it glided by. Does that mean it really is among, you know, lots of other asteroids or, you know, similar kinds of debris just floating around the atmosphere, and that just happens to be one of the bigger ones that kind of skirted past earth so many thousand miles away?

MAINZER: Yes. This particular object is actually on the smaller side for an asteroid. As you mentioned, it's about 260 or so feet across. And that makes it actually fairly small for such an object. It was discovered on Sunday. And the reason that it was discovered so soon relative to its close pass is because for an asteroid that small, we are able to detect it when it makes this close approach.

Now, the good news is, astronomers all around the world have piled on to observing this particular object. It was discovered by the Catalina's sky survey. And there have been 500 recorded observations of it so far.

WHITFIELD: Wow! So, say it was on a different course and was coming straight, you know, for earth, what, if anything, could be done to intersect it?

MAINZER: Right. Well, the main thing we obviously want to do with asteroids is detect them as far away from any potential impact as possible. And so, the good news is that NASA has really been stepping up their efforts in the last ten years or so to find and track these objects and keep an eye on them. So for this particular object, we know very well that it is not going to impact the earth. Obviously, we want to keep our eyes peeled, though.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And when that meteor slammed into Russia, it was the biggest blast since -- you know, there was one back in 1908 hitting a Siberian forest. How similar or how different, you know, were these potential threats? You know, an asteroid versus a meteor that could potentially make contact with earth?

MAINZER: Right. So the only real difference between an asteroid and a meteor is just whether or not it actually comes into the earth's atmosphere, whether it actually gets to us. But basically, this particular object, the one that just passed by us, is about four times larger, we think, than the one that hit (INAUDIBLE) on February 15th. So not that long ago.

Now, close approaches do happen fairly often. They are out there. And part of the reason we're hearing more about them nowadays is because we are actually doing more surveys. As astronomers are searching the skies, naturally, they are finding these objects and seeing them, which is what we want.

WHITFIELD: And what can we learn from these?

MAINZER: Well, basically, this is teaching us about the frequency with which asteroids make close approaches to the earth, what their orbits are like, how big they are, what they're made out of because obviously we want to do our very best to track and find these objects long before there's any potential for an impact.

WHITFIELD: Amy Mainzer, NASA astronomer, joining us from Los Angeles. Thanks so much. It is fascinating.

MAINZER: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right, NASA is proving the Mohawk guy isn't the hippest thing they have got going these days. Remember him from the Mars Rover landing? Well, now astronauts are getting in on the -- you guessed it - it -- what is that?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: There is no stopping this tune and the dancing. My goodness. It's out of this world. Thankfully, they are doing it from the safety, I guess, of earth. They are doing this at the flight facility in Virginia, the walloped flight facility in Virginia.

All right, so, exactly what happens when cardinals pick a new Pope? We will take you inside the Vatican for a look at exactly how the voting process will take place and what the cardinals do if there is no clear winner.

And stick around because we'll show you how your kids or your grandkids are becoming victims of identity theft. The way you can do to stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been in and out of foster care for most of my life. When you move from place to place, you don't really get the same connections that your peers have. You get very insecure. You don't think that people really care about your desires and wishes.

DANIELLE GLETOW, CNN HERO: When I became a foster parent, I realized a lot of these children decide that it's not worth wishing anymore because it isn't going to happen. People have made promises to them that they haven't kept. Do you want to take any of the babies?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.

GLETOW: All right. Here you go.

Everything's brand new. I thought, how do we give them the feeling that people are out there that care about you even if you've never met them?

My name is Danielle Gletow, and I've helped make wishes come true for thousands of foster children all over the country.

Anybody anywhere anytime can look at hundreds of wishes from children in foster care. Working on auditioning for a play. He needs the radio in order to practice with his audition CD. Wishes are as unique as the children who make them and so personal. Isn't that beautiful?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Yes.

GLETOW: These small things make an enormous difference in the life of a child. It's really just a kid being a kid. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wish was for a suit so that I could attend a family member's funeral. It meant a lot that someone took the time and they knew that that was important.

GLETOW: This looks awesome.

When a child's wish is granted, we are reassuring them that their voices are being heard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: I love you, Evie.

GLETOW: There is this big world out there that just wants to wrap their arms around them and protect them. And we need to all step up and do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello again. I'm Fredrick Whitfield. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. A look at our top stories right now.

Parts of Massachusetts, the coast there starting to clean up after a winter storm slammed the Northeast. This house looks as if it will tip right into the Atlantic Ocean at any moment. Another home has already fallen in. And authorities are beginning to demolish the house to limit the impact on nearby homes.

In Afghanistan, there's been a deadly explosion in the capital city of Kabul. Police say at least nine people were killed and 14 others injured when a suicide bomber on a bicycle detonated explosives. It happened near the Afghan defense ministry. Defense secretary Chuck Hagel was being briefed in a building nearby, but he wasn't hurt. The Taliban is claiming responsibility.

And don't forget to set your clocks an hour forward tonight. Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 in the morning. You'll lose that extra hour of sleep, but it also means that you'll have an extra hour of sunlight every evening.

And here's what's trending. Danica Patrick is having a rather rough week. She was hit in the head by a rock at a dirt racetrack in Las Vegas. And she wasn't even racing. Patrick was a spectator at the track. She was checked out by medical staff, but they said she's doing just fine. Just last weekend, she crashed into a wall at a race in Phoenix.

And then there's New York Yankees' legend Mariano Rivera, who says he is retiring. For 19 seasons, he has been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in all of baseball. But Rivera missed most of last season with a knee injury. Rivera has more saves than any pitcher in baseball history.

And on the same weekend, his film "Oz The Great and Powerful" opens, actor James Franco gets his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was joined by several friends including actor Seth Rogen. Franco starred in such hits as "Spiderman" and "127 Hours."

Now to Vatican City where the scene is being set for a new pope. The papal ring and seal belonging to Benedict XVI gone, making way for a new ring to be created for the next pope. A chimney that will signify when the pope has been selected was actually installed as well, and you'll have to wait until Tuesday when that conclave begins. A hundred and fifteen cardinals meeting.

And the process -- the voting process is both sacred and secretive. Jonathan Mann takes us inside for a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the oldest, enduring electoral system in the world, and many of its traditions have been unchanged for centuries. The conclave, which means locked with a key, dates back to a time where cardinals were locked in until they chose a new pope. Now it's the world that's locked out, figuratively speaking, as much of the conclave will take place behind closed doors.

The gathering begins with a morning mass in St. Peter's basilica. In the afternoon the 115 voting cardinals, those under 80 years old, enter the Sistine chapel where each will take an oath of secrecy. The penalty, automatic ex-communication.

After the oath, preparations are made for the election, taken by secret ballot. Lots are drawn to select three cardinals who will help collect ballots. Three more cardinals to count the votes, and three others to review the results. Printed on the ballots, the words eligo im summum pontificem, meaning I elect as supreme pontiff.

Each elector writes the name of one candidate on the lower half of the ballot and folds it in half. The cardinals are not allowed to vote for themselves.

Then in order of seniority, the cardinals take a ballot to the altar. Each places a folded ballot onto a small disc and then the ballot is dropped into a chalice. Once all the votes are cast, the ballots are tallied and the results are read aloud.

More than a two-thirds majority is needed to declare a winner, in this case 77 votes. If there is no winner there's another vote. If there is still to winner, two more votes are scheduled for the afternoon. Voting continues, up to four ballots a day, until there's a winner. The ballots are burned after each session an incinerator inside the chapel, sending off the most famous smoke signals in the world. If there's no winner, they're burned with a chemical that gives off black smoke, telling the crows waiting in St. Peter's square that a new pope has not yet been selected.

When there is a winner, the ballots are burned alone, giving off white smoke, a sign from the cardinals that they have chosen a new pope to lead the church. Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And coming up, rocker Jon Bon Jovi. A lot of people love him, but the NRA, not so much. Find out why he's on the gun group's enemies list straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Pop star Justin Bieber just may be having the worst week ever. And it all stems from his trip to London. His fans booed him at a show on Monday for being two hours late. He had a meltdown on Twitter Wednesday, tweeting about people judging him. He collapsed on stage Thursday during his concert. And then tweeted a shirtless Instagram picture of himself resting in a hospital.

But yesterday, well, he had had enough. Check out this confrontation with a photographer who cursed at him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Moron.

JUSTIN BIEBER, POP STAR: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) did you say? What did you say? (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come back (EXPLETIVE DELETED) all right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Bieber eventually tweeted an apology saying this. Quote, "Sometimes when people are shoving cameras in your face all day and yelling the worst thing possible at you, well, I'm human. Not gonna let them get the best of me again."

All right. Speaking of music sensations, it's hard to believe that it's been nearly 30 years since Bon Jovi released their breakout album Slippery When Wet. But Jon Bon Jovi has moved past the leopard pants and the hair spray. CNN's Victor Blackwell talked with Bon Jovi, who is now working with his community, not because he has to, but because he can.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON BON JOVI (singing): Oh, raise your hands

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jon, 30 years of Bon Jovi, 125 million albums. And you've got the 12th studio album coming out now in a few days. As you move on from the Slippery When Wet days and you go into decade two and three and now starting the fourth, do you feel a responsibility to write music that is more socially conscious?

JON BON JOVI, SINGER: No. But I said when I was 25, I was never going to be 50 painting my fingernails black and writing bitch on my belly.

(LAUGHTER) BON JOVI: But I said that, you know. I said it as a kid, and then I grew into that, which was good. And the truth was is, when you are 25, you should write "You Give Love A Bad Name." Who wouldn't want to write that when you're 25? That was what life was about. If I was 50 trying to write that now, I'd be deemed a dirty old man. It would be a little sick and twisted, you know?

BLACKWELL: But there are some still doing it.

BON JOVI: Not me. Not me. We've grown up in public. And that's sort of the, you know, the cuteness is you can go okay, go on. Right here, insert the clip Bad Name with my hair down to here.

(SINGING)

BON JOVI: That's cool. That's fine. But that's not who I am now. You know? It's a progression and revolution.

BLACKWELL: What about now? Hence the name of the album? What's the message of that lead single off the top.

BON JOVI (singing): I'm not a soldier but I'm here to take a stand because we can.

BON JOVI: Because we can, is it a nod? Yes, a little bit but not directly to you know, (INAUDIBLE) president. It's not that. It's why should we? Because we can. You know? Why should we get involved in making our neighborhood a better place? Because we have to, you know? And because we can just sang a little better.

BLACKWELL: So let's talk now about some of the things you do off stage. Let's talk about home. You grew up in New Jersey. We all know what happened there with Hurricane Sandy. What did you feel when you went back and you saw what had happened to the shore and to the communities and the people there?

BON JOVI: I was devastated. You know, these are my people. This was, you know, where I grew up. These were my memories. These are my families and my personal property. These were my everything. You know, it makes you more aware next time you see tragedy on CNN that that is somebody's people. That is somebody's neighbors. And you can't think of it just in the context of television where you feel empathy. You have to, you know, take it to that next level and say, we can help that.

BLACKWELL: I want to get to the gun issue. The NRA put you on a list of enemies.

BON JOVI: Oh, well.

BLACKWELL: Why would they do that? What are your thoughts on this proposed ban on some semiautomatic guns?

BON JOVI: I'm all for it. I'm all for it. I think background checks should be mandatory. I don't believe that you need assault weapons in the woods to hunt. I believe that 50-round clips doesn't really make it fair game, does it? I think it just -- it's a little extreme.

(singing): It's my life and it's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever.

BLACKWELL: What do you want to do that you haven't done? I mean, you've done so much. What do you want to do?

BON JOVI: I have a bucket list. But, you know, I'll leave it at that. And people should always have a bucket list. They should always have a list of things that they haven't done that they want to do. I think when you stop dreaming, stop reaching, then you start slowing down, and then you get bored. I'm not bored.

(singing): It's my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we can tell he's not bored, thank goodness. You can see more of Victor's interview with Bon Jovi online at CNN.com.

All right. Identity thieves are finding shocking new ways to commit their crimes. They are now going after kids! We'll tell you how to stop your children from becoming victims next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You're not going to believe this story. An identity thief gets caught in the act by her victim. Colorado waitress Brianna Preedy's (ph) wallet was stolen about a month ago. Police say someone used her stolen I.D. to write hundreds of dollars in bad checks. And then earlier this week, she was checking a customer's I.D. She's a waitress and bartender and realized that she had been handed her own stolen driver's license.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA PREEDY (ph), IDENTITY THIEF VICTIM: My I.D. You gave me my I.D.? But I didn't say anything. I handed it back to her. I said sure, I'll be right back with your margarita. Went straight to the phone and called the cops. I put on my server's smile and tried to take care of them, but I was shaking like crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Police showed up within minutes and arrested the suspect. She is facing identity theft and drug charges.

So, it's bad enough someone steals your identity and uses it for fraud. But what if they steal the I.D. of your kids? Believe it or not, it is one of the fastest growing kinds of identity theft. People stealing the personal information of small kids, even babies.

I want to bring in Joe Mason, co-author of the book "Bankrupt at Birth." Joe, since the 1980s, the IRS has basically required kids to have Social Security numbers. How exactly are identity thieves getting those numbers? JOE MASON, AUTHOR: Well, you're exactly right, Fredricka. In '87, the IRS thought that every taxpayer should show proof of their dependent. So they started ensuring that all juveniles had Social Security numbers in order to file them on their tax return.

And what's happened naturally is that's created unintended consequences. And thieves are getting hold of child's Social Security number --

WHITFIELD: How are they getting that?

MASON: They're getting it from a variety of sources. As parents, we all know how often we're asked for information about our child. And this could be from the school. It could be from a sports team. It could be from any sort of a pharmacy, doctor's office, day care. And typically we get the clipboard, we get a pen and we're asked to fill it out. And most parents hand it back completed.

WHITFIELD: Wow. OK, so are you now encouraging us as parents to perhaps not write down the Social Security numbers whenever it is requested in any of these forms for your kids?

MASON: Yes, there are some legitimate reasons for it. But what I want to do is encourage parents to always challenge whenever they're asked for it. Ask why the information is need. Ask how the information's going to be protected. Ask how you will be notified in the event of a breach.

And parents need to be very, very selfish and very protective of the information of their children because they can go for years having someone else use their identity only to find out, come 16, 17, 18 years old, that they're in for a rude awakening at a very critical stage of their lives.

WHITFIELD: So, you're also suggesting that parents need to do a credit check of their kids using that Social Security number just to make sure that no one has stolen their identity.

MASON: It's a good idea. A credit check on your child can be done. And also there are monitoring systems. Identity Guard's got a very good one to monitor the identities of children. And you as a parent can be notified in the parent can be notified in the event anything suspicious is occurring with that information.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, what do you do if it turns out that someone -- maybe you did that credit check or you find out that someone has taken the Social Security or identity of your kid?

MASON: Well, what you do is the first thing you do, you need to notify the credit reporting agencies, and they need to put a freeze on that Social Security number. Notify the local police department. After all, this is a crime. Notify your financial institutions, because you too may be vulnerable as a result of your child's identity being stolen. And it's something that parents have enough to worry about and adding this to the list is something that no one wants. WHITFIELD: What a nightmare. And if your identity is stolen, everyone knows how long it takes before you can finally get it resolved. So, as best you can, it's good to try to prevent it.

Joe Mason, thanks so much.

MASON: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, a spring break without kids and no college students? If that sounds like your kind of fun, don't go anywhere. We have some tips for booking your ideal grown-up spring break.

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WHITFIELD: If your vision of a perfect spring break does not include the kids or college crowd, then we have some tips on how to make your dreams come true. There's still a little time to book a spring trip just for grown-ups. Jetsetter.com's editor-in-chief Kate Maxwell shares some of her best spring break destinations for adults. We started with a destination off the beaten path on Mexico's Pacific Coast.

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KATE MAXWELL, JETSETTER.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joluchuca is just south of Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The Caribbean coast which has Cancun, those places can get a little crowded at this time of year. But the Pacific Coast is not as crowded. It's also a fantastic surf spot.

And we really like Playa Viva. It costs from $137 a night when you book three or more nights. And it's kind of eco chic, it's quite rustic. So, don't expect air conditioning. It's communal table for meals. Your cell phone might not work that well. I think that's a great thing, personally, if you want to escape.

WHITFIELD: That's right. That's getting away.

MAXWELL: Exactly. There's also even a turtle sanctuary, so you can help out with turtles. So, a really, really beautiful part of the world.

WHITFIELD: And then you can check out the Aztec ruins, as well?

MAXWELL: Exactly, there's Aztec ruins around there, too, so you've got some culture as well as your beach and sun.

WHITFIELD: Perfect relaxation. Now let's head to oh the Caribbean, to St. John's. You say there is a perfect getaway there.

MAXWELL: So Galley Bay in Antigua is one of our favorite Caribbean resorts. All-inclusive, but not like the all-inclusive you've heard about in the past perhaps. It costs $430 a night, and that includes all your meals and your alcohol. And it's kind of like staying at a friend's estate if you have those kinds of friends. It's super romantic as well and just a beautiful, beautiful beach escape. Lots of Caribbean properties have that kind of pastel color scheme. This one doesn't. It's really kind of very elegant and simple in design. Really, really like it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, gorgeous. Sort of intimate. OK, and then you say there is a resort you love in San Martin.

MAXWELL: Exactly. (INAUDIBLE) is really good value for the Caribbean. This is also a leeward island St. Martin. It costs from $90 a night. That's, again, if you book three or more nights.

And it's a really barefoot chic kind of place. It's on 140 acres of lush rain forest. Obviously, you can just sit on the beach and do absolutely nothing. Or you can even go zip lining. So there's two extremes. And, again, the Caribbean, wonderful water sports, as well.

WHITFIELD: All right. A little romance, a little adventure in St. Martin.

MAXWELL: Right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Kate Maxwell, jetsetter.com.

MAXWELL: Thanks, Fredricka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can find out more about all these getaways by go to jetsetter.com.

All right. She was paid to have a child for another family. But then after an ultrasound showed the baby had serious medical problems, the couple asked the surrogate to abort. She refused and then went on the run. That story coming up.

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