Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Storm Tips Houses Into Ocean; North Korea Vows to End Korean War Pacts; Accused Theater Shooter Faces Arraignment; Jodi Arias Trial; Asteroid Passes Earth Today; Brooklyn Brews Success; New TSA Rules on Knives on Planes; TSA Tests for IEDs; Vatican Pope Deliberations; Home Care Services For Seniors

Aired March 09, 2013 - 11:00   ET

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


BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday March 9th. Good morning to you I'm Briana Keilar in for Randi Kaye.

In Massachusetts, houses are falling into the ocean, ruined by a ferocious storm surge. Find out what officials are doing to save other homes from the same fate.

Angry threats and a dramatic display of defiance. North Korea ratchets up tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the U.S. is responding.

And rocker Jon Bon Jovi opens up about his 30-year career, his bucket list and why he's considered an official enemy of the NRA.

A town in Massachusetts is getting ready for a major clean-up operation today after a winter storm slammed the northeast. Take a look at this house. It looks like it will tip into the Atlantic Ocean any moment while another home has already fallen into the waters. And authorities are beginning to demolish it to limit the impact on other homes nearby.

John Atwater of affiliate WCVB toured the damage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ATWATER, REPORTER WCVB: And right now as we approach high tide the waves are just rolling right in. You can see down at what used to be the first floor. And the waves are just coming in. As they go in, they're carrying out chairs, tables, wood. There's metal coming out of that house. Obviously a lot of personal belongings here, a very sad story but the problem, all this debris is coming out and then hitting other houses down the coastline.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Meanwhile, Colorado, parts of the Rockies and the plains will get more snow today. At least 400 flights to the area have been canceled.

Two deadly bombings rock Afghanistan. One happened near a building in Kabul where Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was getting briefed. Police say a suicide bomber detonated explosives in front of the Afghan Defense Ministry killing nine people. The Taliban is claiming responsibility and says the attack is a message for Hagel. U.S. military officials say Hagel was not in danger and his briefing continued as planned.

East of the capital, a suicide bomber targeting coalition forces was spotted by an Afghan policeman. The officer threw his arm around the bomber to minimize the blast. The policeman and eight children were killed.

The political powder keg is building on the border between North and South Korea. North Korea today formally rejected sanctions that the U.N. imposed against the communist country for its recent nuclear test. Plus, North Korea is vowing to end pacts from the Korean War and threatening a pre-emptive 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 just 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 now testing.

Here's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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 border facilities. Kim wants the world to see this as he has dramatically stepped up his dangerous rhetoric.

He's 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, SPOKESWOMAN, STATE DEPARTMENT: We're also going to continue to increase the pressures 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.

CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: 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 hide 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 (on camera): 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 VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: At the Vatican, the first visible sign that the conclave to elect the new pope is about to happen. Today workmen installed a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. White smoke from that chimney means a pope has been picked. Black smoke means the vote is inconclusive. The conclave begins Tuesday. Cardinals are holding meetings today to prepare for the vote.

Also today, the Fisherman ring and seal that Benedict XVI used as pope have both been scratched making them invalid. The new pope will get his own ring and seal.

Back in the U.S. the man accused of killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater last summer is due back in court on Tuesday for an arraignment hearing. But James Holmes faces a new legal hurdle. A judge has rejected his defense argument that the state laws on insanity pleas are unconstitutional.

Dave Young of affiliate KDVR has more on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE YOUNG, REPORTER KDVR (voice over): The massacre last July at this Aurora theater set off a firestorm of calls for more restrictive gun laws have brought tearful testimony from victims' families this week.

TOM SULLIVAN, VICTIM'S FATHER: He was senselessly murdered by a man who walked into that theater with a weapon equipped with a 100-round magazine. He open fire, killing 12 including my son, Alex and injuring physically 58 others.

YOUNG: Those who treated victims also carry emotional scars.

DR. BARBARA BLOK, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: This was a tremendous number of patients in a very short period of time with emotional stories and just a very hard thing to go through for everybody.

YOUNG: Now lawyers for James Holmes suffer a setback. The judge ruling Colorado's insanity defense process does not violate his constitutional right against self-incrimination or his right to remain silent, making it likely he'll plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

DAN RECHT, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And that will trigger all of the consequences of a not guilty by a reason of insanity plea including a required evaluation by the state at the state hospital.

YOUNG: State law requires Holmes to cooperate without evaluation, opening up his medical records including treatment from CU psychiatrist Lynn Fenton who alerted CU police he might be dangerous. Legal analyst Dan Recht says that raises more questions for Holmes' defense.

RECHT: And if you assert your right to remain silent, are you not cooperating and therefore, you can't use the insanity defense?

YOUNG: The judge promised to answer that question at the next hearing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: That was Dave Young with our affiliate, KDVR in Denver.

And now to the economy and new signs the recovery may be gaining momentum. Hiring picked up substantially in February, bringing unemployment down to 7.7 percent, that's the lowest it's been since December of 2008.

The economy added 236,000 jobs last month. Almost double the amount it gained in January and much more than experts had predicted. Stocks are on a roll, as well. The Dow closed at record highs for four consecutive days ending the week up more than two percent.

President Obama tonight takes a break from his push to stop those forced spending cuts. He'll be giving a speech at the Grid Iron Club Dinner, a yearly event that involves Washington journalists doing parodies of politicians.

But this morning the President stayed on track using the latest jobs numbers as another point against the $85 billion in cuts which went into effect eight days ago. In his weekly address, the President pointed out 236,000 new jobs were added in February and the country needs to maintain its momentum by replacing the cuts. They'll slow the growth of the economy according to analysts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As Democrats and Republicans, we may disagree on the best way to achieve our goals, but I'm confident we can agree on what those goals should be. A strong and vibrant middle-class, an economy that allowed businesses to grow and thrive, an education system that gives more Americans the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future. An immigration system that actually works for families and businesses, stronger communities, and safer streets for our children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: But Republicans continue to resist what the President calls quote, "Balanced deficit reduction" which means raising taxes while cutting spending. They say new taxes will crush American workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: President Obama speaks of his deep concern for struggling Americans. Yet his plans are focused on growing government, not the economy. He has no effective plan to create better jobs, more hiring, or rising wage. That's what's missing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Senator Sessions is the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. He says that Senate Democrats will present their plan for a budget on Wednesday. That will be the first time in four years.

Sky watchers can enjoy a rare treat today. That is comet Pan Stars and it's 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. That is very rare and very cool, I think we can agree. Naked eye comets happen only once every five to ten years. So a special thing will be seen.

All eyes on the sky today as an asteroid whizzing past the earth. We'll tell you how that might affect us.

And accused boyfriend killer Jodi Arias gets grilled. Not just by the prosecutor but by jurors themselves. Hear how she answered on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: This Wednesday, murder defendant Jodi Arias will take the stand for her 18th day of testimony. So far she's admitted to shooting and stabbing her ex-boyfriend and also to lying about it. And she took on more than 200 questions from the jurors themselves.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the latest from Phoenix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

KURT NURMI, JODI ARIAS DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Did you go to Mr. Alexander's home on June 4th with the intent on killing him?

JODI ARIAS, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER OF TRAVIS ALEXANDER: 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 events and it was a negative experience for me. And it's 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.

TRAVIS ALEXANDER, MURDER VICTIM: You cannot say I don't work that booty. 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 Alexander suggesting she dress up like a dirty little schoolgirl.

NURMI: The idea of the schoolgirl in that outfit, was that something that -- that you were interested in, or was it something 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 --

SHERRY STEPHENS, PRESIDING JUDGE: Why did you put the camera in the washer?

ARIAS: I don't have a 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 timestamps put Arias at Alexander's house at the time of the killing.

(on camera): 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, then sliced his throat so deep his head was nearly cut off.

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

ARIAS: No.

NURMI: You -- when you were asking on cross-examination if you did that, do you recall telling us that you did?

ARIAS: Yes.

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

ARIAS: It was definitely not a recollection.

KAYE (voice-over): The jury also wanted to know this --

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

ARIAS: I could only speculate because I don't remember. KAYE: And this --

STEPHENS: 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.

NURMI: 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, that's because of my own bad choices in the beginning.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Bad choices that could cost her, her life. Randi Kaye, CNN, Phoenix.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: It is a big day for space geeks. An asteroid is flying past the earth today. What will it mean for us earthlings? That's next.

And if are you leaving the house now, just a reminder. You can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone, and you can also watch CNN live from your laptop. Just go to CNN.com/tv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It's happening again. A big space rock the size of a city block is passing us today. That's about 2.5 times the distance from the earth to the moon, that's how far away it is. I asked theoretical physicist, Lawrence Krauss, what this might mean to us earthlings?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE KRAUSS, THEORETICAL PHYSICIST: These things happen all the time. We're able to see them better so we're seeing more of them. But objects -- well, lots of meteors are hitting the earth every second -- about 100 tons worth of material is falling on the earth every day.

This one meteor that went over Russia was a rare event -- once every century. The asteroid that we're now seeing, I was calculating, I think it's about a million tons. That kind of object impacts on the earth about once every million years. And therefore, you know, I don't think we have to worry about that. And it's neat that we can see them.

But in fact, one day there will be a big object heading towards us and about every hundred million years there's an object that is large enough as it once did 65 million years ago to wipe out the dinosaurs. And the interesting thing is because we can now see large objects well in advance, we might be able to see it well enough in advance to actually do something about it and deflect it before it hits the earth.

KEILAR: Well, I want to ask you about that. But first, I want to know that if this object, the size of a city block, a million tons as you say, were to hit earth, how much damage are we talking about?

KRAUSS: Well, we're talking about a huge amounts of damage. Not enough to destroy civilization or wipe out the species. It's -- it would be enough to cause incredible climate change, and it would probably -- it's hard to estimate, it would be like many, many, many nuclear weapons explosions. Would be severe damage. Depending where it hit, if it hit the ocean it could cause a tsunami. So it would kill a lot of people, but not wipe out the species.

KEILAR: Sure.

So you said there could be time to divert an asteroid. First off, there's -- I might be concerned because we didn't know about this one -- we found out on Sunday. That's not a lot of lead time. What would you need to do to divert an asteroid? I'm assuming that you're going to tell me it's not some sort of intervention a la "Armageddon" that involves Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck?

KRAUSS: Well, it doesn't involve Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, but it's not that different. In fact, the point is -- it's true, we didn't see this one until Sunday. But this one -- even though it would cause a significant amount of devastation -- this is not large enough to be planet-threatening. The ones that are large enough to be planet- threatening is like ten kilometers across or something. Those we could see a few years in advance probably.

And then there are various ways, including just sending a rockets ship up and maybe landing on it and running your rocket engines. Just a little bit, if you're far enough from the earth, you just have to divert it a little bit for it to miss the earth. It's not quite science fiction.

And it's important, in fact, that we -- we do that, it's important that we have a monitoring system that can look at all near earth objects. This one is not that close, not anywhere near as close as the asteroid a few weeks ago. It's farther away than the moon.

KEILAR: It's fascinating stuff. A little scary. Lawrence Krauss, I will tell you, you make me feel a little more secure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: That was theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss. Thanks to him.

Overall beer consumption, it is down in the U.S. What's this all about? A former journalist who bet on Brooklyn and a high-quality brew is finding a lot of fans. Tom Foreman takes us on this American journey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every day amid the hustle of Brooklyn, something is brewing at Steve Hindy's place. It looks like, tastes like and goes down like beer but it smells like success.

STEVE HINDY, CO-FOUNDER/PRESIDENT, BROOKLYN BREWERY: We sell beer now in 25 states. And the name Brooklyn rings bells in Sweden, in Britain, in Italy, in France, in Germany, in Japan, in China.

FOREMAN: Hindy was a long time foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous places. He quit the news business back in the 1980s and decided to turn his hobby of making beer into a small business.

He started in a part of New York where property values were comparatively reasonable. His small team focused on keeping costs low, quality high, helping community charities instead of buying big ads, and crafting distinctive brews that stood out from mass produced beers.

GARRETT OLIVER, BREWMASTER, BROOKLYN BREWERY: I think the reason why we've been successful is that we've always trusted that people have good taste rather than trying to dumb things down or do focus groups and try to figure out what does everybody like.

FOREMAN: The result, even as the recession raged, Hindy's place kept going. Even as per capita beer consumption plummeted, the Brooklyn Brewery kept growing.

HINDY: Well, I think it's just the fundamental fact that people are drinking less beer, but they're drinking more special beers. And, you know, we offer a whole range, a whole rainbow of flavors of beer.

FOREMAN: This year, he says they will expand their staff of 90 people, open a new shop in Stockholm, and sell $50 million worth of beer.

HINDY: Our future is very exciting.

FOREMAN: For a former reporter and Brooklyn, that's a headline.

Tom Foreman, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Passengers can now board with their pocket knives. The move is receiving sharp criticism from a major airline leader. Hear who and why next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

***30

KEILAR: The CEO of Delta has some sharp criticism for a new TSA rule that lets small knives inside the cabin of a plane. The TSA is allowing knives 2.36 inches, that's six centimeters or shorter, no wider than half an inch. Delta's Richard Anderson sent a letter to the Transportation Security Administration saying quote, these items have been banned for more than 11 years and will add little value to the customer security process flow in relation to the additional risk for our cabin, staff and customers. The head of the Association of Flight Attendants also says it's a bad idea.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

VEDA SHOOK, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (via telephone): Myself, I'm a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines. And that's one of the airlines that also was opposed to this years ago. We're expecting more airlines to join in this chorus with us today. As Alaska Airlines' CEO at the time remarked that in 2000, an Alaska Airlines passenger had a 2.5-inch knife and attacked crew members. He says that a weapon such as a pointed tip could cause great harm on crew members and passengers in the cabin. So the story was the same seven years ago as it is today.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KEILAR: The TSA says it's lifting the small knives ban to match international rules. Box cutters and razor blades are still banned.

TSA leaders say the prime concern for its security agents is not letting an IED, improvised explosive device onto to a plane, but that's what happened in Newark. According to the "New York Post," the paper reports the device was a test and Newark's failure to find it is one of a series of lapses at that airport. CNN's Mary Snow has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The test at Newark airport was to see if a fake improvised explosive device would get past screeners. According to the "New York Post" it did. It quotes sources saying an undercover TSA inspector with a mock IED in his pants went undetected twice including during a pat-down. The TSA wouldn't confirm the report but said in a statement, due to the security-sensitive nature of the tests, TSA does not publicly share details about how they are conducted, what specifically is tested or the outcomes. The TSA says it regularly conducts covert testing and this is what it looks like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slip the detonator in. Get this thing positioned.

SNOW: CNN went along with undercover TSA inspectors called red teams in 2008. The inspector had a fake IED on him when he went through security at Tampa national airport. A screener failed to detect the device and the undercover inspector then instructed him on what he did wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to have to get my shirt up to inspect it, OK? That's what I want you to do now.

SNOW: Just how many screeners fail to detect devices in these drills is unclear. But one aviation security analyst says some failures are to be expected. RAFI RON, NEW AGE SECURITY SOLUTIONS: There are a lot of very important lessons to be learned in order to improve the program and to increase the level of alert and the professionalism of the people that implement it.

SNOW: Just this week, the head of the TSA said protecting against IEDs are the top priority.

JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: The greatest risk is non-metallic IEDs, whether that's explosive, whether that's an electronic initiator or a chemical initiator, whatever that may be, that's what I want our security officers to focus on.

SNOW: While the TSA wouldn't specifically address Newark airport, the airport has had problems in recent years. There was a man who become known as Romeo who slipped past security to greet a woman, forcing a terminal to shut down for hours. Last year roughly two dozen baggage and traveler screeners were fired for security lapses and thefts. Former TSA Administrator Kip Hawley says it's unclear why Newark continues to make headlines.

KIP HAWLEY, FORMER TSA ADMINISTRATOR (BY TELEPHONE): I don't understand it, why it should be, but that would tell you they've had a lot of problems at Newark which is probably why they keep testing it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: The issues at Newark airport have prompted calls for an extensive security review. Congressman Peter King, the former chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, wrote to the TSA administrator asking for a top-to-bottom look at Newark's TSA operations and a plan to fix them. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

KEILAR: Don't forget to set your clocks an hour forward tonight. Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 a.m. tomorrow. So you will unfortunately lose that extra hour of sleep. On the upside though, it means you'll have an extra hour of sunlight every evening.

The conclave is about to begin. But the cardinals aren't seeing eye to eye on a key issue. We'll tell you what that is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: In just a few days, the Catholic Church could have a new leader. The conclave to elect a new pope begins on Tuesday and the voting process is steeped in ritual, tradition and, in this case, possibly some palpable tension.

Ben Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the cardinals gather inside the Sistine Chapel next week to select a pope, they'll be sworn to secrecy. The chapel's swept for listening devices, electronic counter measures deployed to prevent the use of any electronic communication.

But as the cardinals gathered in Rome this week before being cut off from the outside world, word has already leaked about a possible rift between the cardinals from north and South America and cardinals from other countries over timing of the conclave. Those from the Americas wanted to air some issues before the conclave; the others wanted to just get on with it.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: There's this kind of guerrilla insurrection going on among cardinals from other parts of the world, including some Americans who are very theologically conservative and very progressive in terms of business management, that really want to shake things up around this place. And I think part of the drama of this conclave is going to be which one of those currents prevails.

WEDEMAN: All that according to the few church officials who are talking but asking not to be named. Come Tuesday, the conclave will begin with a special mass in the morning and a first vote in the afternoon inside the Sistine Chapel where work crews have been busy preparing the building for its historic role. The cardinals' movement will be closely restricted to between the chapel and their nearby living quarters inside this Vatican residence, the rooms, all without televisions, radios, phones or Internet, assigned by lottery.

Once voting gets underway, the cardinals will cast ballots in order of seniority. And they're not allowed to vote for themselves. They'll keep voting up to four ballots a day until the two thirds majority needed to declare a winner is reached. Each ballot is threaded on a length of string to prevent fraud. After each vote, the ballots are burned, sending up the now-famous smoke signals, black for no winner, white for a new pope. The big question now, how long before the white smoke.

ALLEN: They know that if this conclave goes more than three or four days, the drumbeat in the media will be paralysis and crisis in the Vatican. They want to get this wrapped up. On the other hand, right now they don't have a clear front runner so they've got about four days to get their act together so this does not become a gridlocked conclave.

WEDEMAN: Whenever it comes, a crowd will be eagerly awaiting just like they did eight years ago to celebrate the new pontiff to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The NRA takes aim at legendary rocker Bon Jovi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The NRA put you on a list of enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: We'll have his response to that and we'll talk to him about his life on and off the stage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Isn't it hard to believe that it's been nearly 30 years since Bon Jovi released the break-out album "Slippery When Wet?" You know that you've sung more than a few of those classics at karaoke. I know that I am certainly guilty. But the artist and the man has moved past those leopard pants and hairspray days. He's now working with his community not because he has to but because he can.

Victor Blackwell sat down with Jon Bon Jovi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jon, 30 years of Bon Jovi, 125 million albums and you've got your 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 then three and now starting the fourth. Do you feel a responsibility to write music that is more socially conscious?

JON BON JOVI, MUSICIAN: 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."

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BON JOVI: Who wouldn't want to write, you know, that when you're 25, that's 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 who would still do it.

BON JOVI: Not me.

BLACKWELL: Not you?

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

(MUSIC)

BON JOVI: That's cool, you know, that's fine.

BLACKWELL: Yeah.

BON JOVI: 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 at the top?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BON JOVI (singing): I ain't a soldier, but I'm here to take a stand because we can --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Because we can. Is it a nod?

BON JOVI: Yeah, a little bit, but not directly to, you know, I campaign to the president kind of stuff. It's not that. It's, you know, 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 bit.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: Yeah. 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. These were my people. This was, you know, where I grew up, these were my memories, this were my family's, and my personal properties. My everythings. And, 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 know, 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 weapons?

BON JOVI: I'm all for it. I'm all for it. You know, 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.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BON JOVI (singing): It's my life - it's now or it's never --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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, you know, bored. I'm not bored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BON JOVI (singing): It's my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: You can see more of this interview with Jon Bon Jovi online at CNN.com.

If you love sports cars and you have some cash to splash, watch out for the Bugatti. We'll tell you why it will make your heart go vroom, vroom every time you turn on the ignition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: If you have a couple million to spare and you feel the need for speed, the Bugatti is one car you just might want to own. And the show room in London says the exclusive sports car is rolling off the lot relatively speaking.

Our Jim Bolden has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BOLDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the sound of a finally tuned hyper sports car and the sound and sight of hyper wealth. The Bugatti grand sport, zero to 60 in under three seconds. Two Bugattis costing around $1.3 million each are tucked away here amongst the Bentleys at HR Owen's show room in London's Mayfair. And if you want the keys, you have to go through Anita Krizsan.

ANITA KRIZSAN, SALES EXECUTIVE, HR OWEN: It's a very popular machine.

BOLDEN: Krizsan sells Bugattis to the super, super rich. She sold 11 in 2012 for a total of around $15 million, more sales than even she expected. What was your number, your prediction?

KRIZSAN: My number was eight.

BOLDEN: OK. So you obviously exceeded that.

KRIZSAN: Yes.

BOLDEN: What's your secret prediction for 2013?

KRIZSAN: I try to keep it to myself. BOLDEN: Bugattis are 10 times the sticker shock of some of these Bentleys. So while the salesmen tend to those eyeing these British made luxury models, Krizsan patiently waits for a whole other class of buyer.

KRIZSAN: The Bugatti customers are car collectors, as well, so they aren't just buying Bugattis but many other cars. They are car enthusiasts.

BOLDEN: Not just the 1.5 million euro car. So who is coming to the door? Krista's boss says it's more the British-based foreign nationals.

JOE DOYLE, CEO, HR OWEN: If you are looking for one particular shift in customer base, it would be the increase in international domicile versus a decline coming from the banking sector.

BOLDEN: You can't test-drive a Bugatti here and they wouldn't let me take a spin around Barclays Square. Prospective buyers instead head to France where these, the fast road legal cars are built. They top out at 265 miles per hour. So all men who come in and buy Bugattis or do you see some women as well?

KRIZSAN: No. There are a few female owners, as well, which is really nice. I'm hoping to increase the number in the next coming years.

BOLDEN: If you're wondering how Krizsan is doing this year, so far two sales in two months. So she's on course to break her own 2012 record.

Jim Bolden, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Not a bad car.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: I like that assignment.

KEILAR: Pretty sweet. You got lucky. CNN NEWSROOM starts at the top of the hour. Fred, what do you have for us?

WHITFIELD: It would be even better if they were on the racetrack however right?

KEILAR: Definitely. I would really be excited.

WHITFIELD: We got a lot straight ahead in the noon Eastern hour. So we've got a story, a legal case about a mom sending her kids to visit, you know, the grandparents, but then the mom allegedly sends some weapons for the kids to do harm, very odd, bizarre story. Our legal guy is going to tackle that one.

Then it is happening all too often, children's Social Security numbers being stolen. The identity theft problem has now branched out involving your kids. How to protect your kids.

Then the Oz, the great and the powerful, is it a great and powerful movie? Our Gray Drake (ph) will be along to give us an idea of whether she thinks this is one that you need to go to it.

KEILAR: It does look beautiful. The cinematography looks just amazing. Look at it.

WHITFIELD: It is eye candy. But does it have the content, I guess, that will keep you at the edge of your seat?

KEILAR: Someone in my ear just said does it have flying monkeys? I don't know.

WHITFIELD: We'll see. Apparently there are a few things from the "Wizard of Oz" that they weren't allowed to include in this one. So they're restricted. Something tells me monkeys, that's part of it.

KEILAR: You're right. Fred, thank you very much. Coming up, find out what job the government says is the hottest job out there and it's not in tech or finance. That's your hint ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It's being called the silver tsunami, baby boomers turning into senior citizens and creating what's called the fastest growing job market out there -- home care. But the high-growth job often pays a low wage.

Here's more from CNN's Zane Asher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY HEADLAMP, HOME CARE WORKER, HOME INSTEAD: Companionship is the most important thing. You have to be a (INAUDIBLE) person.

ZANE ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mary Headlamp is a home care worker, the fastest growing job in the U.S. There are almost two million home, health and personal care aides in the country and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be another million by 2020.

HEADLAMP: You're offering something that is very rewarding for yourself. It makes you feel happy.

ASHER: And Mary's company is adding jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're hiring 45,000 caregivers in the next 12 months.

ASHER: Why?

AL-JEN POOR, NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE: Some call it the silver tsunami. In America today, every eight seconds someone turns 65.

ASHER: Baby boomers are aging. Four million a year are becoming senior citizens and the country will need an army of workers to take care of them.

HEADLAMP: -- his laundry, make his bed, prepare his meals.

ASHER: Mary likes her job but this occupation doesn't pay very much. The average home care aide makes less than $10 an hour. Mary says she makes $750 a week for live-in care, responsible for her client 24 hours a day.

POOR: The people that we count on to care for our families cannot take care of their own. And that's got to change.

ASHER: Many personal care aides are exempt from the Federal minimum wage and overtime due to a 1974 change in the law that puts companions for the elderly in the same category as babysitters.

VILMA ROZEN, HOME CARE WORKER: This is not recognized like a career. We need to have a very good salary.

ASHER: Vilma Rozen is proud of her work and makes more than the average wage but hasn't always been so lucky.

ROZEN: The children of this elderly (INAUDIBLE) and they can work and produce money. But who is the one to stay in the house to take care of the other one? Who is the one to make this possible?

ASHER: In the meantime, Mary says it's not all about the pay.

HEADLAMP: You have to love the person, love the job that you do, even if it's not paying a high money. You have to love to take care.

ASHER: Zain Asher, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield. Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you. I know you are enjoying kind of the sunshine down here.

KEILAR: I am.

WHITFIELD: Because it's been very cold in the northeast and other parts of the country.