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Toyota Fact Check; Help for Haiti; Tips for Toyota Owners

Aired February 05, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It is Friday, February 5th. Here are the faces of the stories driving the headlines today. Akio Toyoda, president for Toyota worldwide, an apology for accelerator and brake problems but no Prius recall.

Bobby Duval, a 2007 CNN Hero, back in the spotlight helping Haiti's earthquake survivors.

And Pierre Garcon, Super Bowl wide receiver and Haitian-American, building momentum for Haiti's long recovery.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, Tony is off today. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Right out of the gate we want to start this hour with a bull's eye, right in the bull's eye of a blizzard. A major winter storm is bearing down on parts of the East Coast, from North Carolina all the way to the Northeast.

Let's start now with our Rob Marciano, tracking it for us in the CNN Severe Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: We have some other big stories to tell you about this Friday morning -- the surprise on the jobs front today.

The Labor Department says the nation's unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent in January from 10 percent in December. That is fueling hope among some analysts that the jobless rate peaked in October at 10.2 percent.

There are caveats in this jobs report, and I'll talk about them with Georgia Tech economics professor Danny Boston. That's in a half hour here on CNN.

Next hour, President Barack Obama discusses job creation and small business initiatives at a forum in Maryland. You'll see that live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, so stay tuned.

The first national Tea Party Convention opened last night in Nashville's Opryland Hotel. Sessions scheduled today include how to conduct voter registration drives and where to find conservative votes. Organizers hope the three-day event will strengthen the year- old anti-big government movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We hope to come away from this convention with a clear feeling of where this movement might be able to take this country, ways that we can send messages to both major parties to straighten out policies in Washington so that they more clearly reflect the needs of the people that send them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But we're a little disgusted with both parties and what we see going on in Washington. And when we read our Constitution, it doesn't say what exactly is happening today. We feel like we're going in the wrong direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: People really have strong opinions about this, a lot of you. A lot of folks sounding off on our blog today.

Mike says, "The Tea Party movement demonstrates that America really believes in freedom and the right to express personal opinions. To criticize the Tea Party movement as pro-Republican is wrong."

And from Karen, Karen says, "I think the Tea Party movement has many hateful and extreme elements. Some are getting out a lot of misinformation to stop progress for this administration at the expense of the vast majority of Americans."

And you can tell us what you think at CNN.com/newsroom, and we'll get some of it on the air.

Toyota kicks into high gear working to repair growing vehicle and public relations problems. This morning, the company's president Akio Toyoda, made his first public appearance since Toyota recalls began to dominate the U.S. headlines just two weeks ago.

He apologized and promised to beef up quality control by setting up a special committee that he will lead himself. But Toyota did not announce any recalls for the Prius hybrid. Problems have been reported with the software that controls the 2010 model's antilock braking system. Meantime, the company is working to fix gas pedal- related problems on millions of recalled cars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AKIO TOYODA, TOYOTA PRESIDENT (through translator): The current problem is a huge problem, and it is a critical situation. We, as a company, must unite and work on to regain the trust from our customers, and I believe that is also my responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And for more on the Toyota recall and how owners are responding, we turn now to CNN executive producer Suzanne Simons, and she has a fact check for us.

What are you finding out about this?

SUZANNE SIMONS, CNN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Yes, Don.

Well, you know, the interesting thing is we know that only about 75 percent of people who are issued recall notices, who get them in the mail, actually go in and get their cars fixed. So the Fact Checks Desk wondered, you know, what happens? Is there any way to ensure that all of the people will make sure that their vehicles are safe before they're sold or they somehow get moved through the system.

Let's take a look at some of the options real quick, the manufacturer's options.

They can repair the defects, they can provide a replacement, or they can, of course, give a refund. Also, with these recalls, the larger the recall -- and the numbers show this to be true -- the fewer people who actually come through and respond to that.

So it seems like it doesn't make a lot of sense to have a lot of these cars on the road that have never been fixed. And in this case, if the statistics are true, some 25 percent of them could still be on the road and have never been repaired.

So one of the things that the Center for Auto Safety told us was that no current mechanism is in place to ensure compliance. There's nothing at state level, federal level to make sure that these cars are actually fixed.

However, there were some interesting suggestions on ways to fix that gap. Now, insurers could use VIN numbers, for example, and the insurers should have the most incentive to make sure all these cars are fixed. They're insuring them when they get in the accidents, right? So, if they use the VIN numbers to insure compliance, that's a big incentive.

Also, the Insurance Information Institute was suggesting as well that states could be great regulators. You know, a lot of states have emissions checks. When you go to get your emissions checked, you know, make sure that if there are any outstanding recalls on vehicles, that that's been addressed as well.

So, some great ideas coming out of this. Buy right now, if you can believe it, the fact is there is no mechanism in place to make sure that there is 100 percent compliance on these recalls. A little scary.

LEMON: Someone, I'm sure, will work on that. We're going to follow up.

Thank you, Suzanne Simons. We really appreciate it.

SIMONS: A pleasure.

LEMON: Stay focused -- one man's determination to keep kids safe and active following Haiti's earthquake. It proves why he is a CNN Hero.

We want to take you now to New York and the Big Board. There it is, the Dow, down some 31 points. You saw a huge sell-off yesterday. We will follow up.

What kinds of perks would you like to have at the place where you work? The number one business on "fortune" magazine's list of the 100 best companies to work for has some pretty nice ones. See if you can guess which firm tops the list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): This software company pampers its employees from head to toe. Where can workers shoot hoops or get a new hairstyle without leaving the corporate campus? The answer after the break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): What company has an on-site gym and a hair salon? Software giant SAS takes the number one spot on "Fortune" magazine's list of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For." The firm's North Carolina headquarters also has a free health care clinic, a day care center, massages and live music during lunch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it. I love it. I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A work life balance is also a priority. The private company offers flexible hours, a 35-hour workweek, and unlimited sick time. No wonder it's number one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We turn now to the situation in Haiti. And three and a half weeks after Haiti's earthquake, the magnitude of the disaster is becoming clearer. The prime minister tells CNN 212,000 bodies have been recovered, but he says we'll probably never know exactly how many people died.

More than 300,000 people are hurt. One of them, a 16-year-old girl known only as "Darlene." She was rescued after 15 days under the rubble. Her French rescuers tell CNN she's well enough to leave the French hospital ship today and go back to the hospital in Port-au- Prince.

Former President Bill Clinton is also returning to Haiti's capital today to help with relief and reconstruction efforts.

And 10 Americans remain jailed there, charged with kidnapping and criminal association. They were detained last week while trying to take 33 Haitian children out of the country.

A man who has legally adopted other children from Haiti who are still there told our Anderson Cooper the leader of the group was told not to go. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD PICKETT, ADOPTIVE FATHER OF HAITIAN CHILDREN: To me, it's pretty alarming because we're the legal parents of these children, and we give her explicit instructions not to interfere with them. For her to continue to come and try to find them, to take them to the Dominican, tells me that her intent is not actually the best.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Why do you -- do you think she -- did your wife, point blank, say to her, you know, not only don't go to the kids, but this is not the way to do it, this is not legal?

PICKETT: No, she didn't tell her that, but the person that gave Laura our contact information told her explicitly that you cannot just take any child across the border, you have to have the correct permissions to do that from the government. And Laura wanted to make the calls anyway to see if there were ways that she could get children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: More than a million people lost their homes in the quake. Among those rushing to help them, a CNN Hero.

Anderson Cooper caught up with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): More than two weeks after the earthquake, Boby Duval is overwhelmed. The soccer field he built for kids is now a home for hundreds.

BOBY DUVAL, CNN HERO: It's really something. I mean, where are we going start? We're going to start now? I mean, you know, it's just like, we were already in a hole. Now, we are in a much deeper hole now.

COOPER: Duval was a CNN hero in 2007. He founded a soccer training center called Athletics of Haiti, giving some of the kids from the poorest neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince an opportunity to get off the streets, play a sport, and get a meal.

DUVAL: Some of these kids have witnessed the worst atrocities. They live in the mud and no running water.

COOPER: Before the earthquake, his program served 1,300 kids a day. It was a safe place where kids could play and work on their skills.

DUVAL: The kids never missed practice and they are disciplined enough to keep focused on something positive.

Now, it's basically an after-school program.

COOPER: That after school program is now a lifesaver. Many families of the children who played soccer for Bobby have moved on to the field, nowhere else to go.

DUVAL: What we're trying to do is just keep it clean, give them a little bit of, you know, set up some bathrooms, set up some water and give them care. That's all. Understanding. So they are safe here.

COOPER: Safe and sheltered. Duval provided what tents he had. Those without them have gotten more creative.

(on camera): Are these goalposts, too?

DUVAL: Goalposts.

COOPER: Someone has made a little home out of goalposts.

DUVAL: Right.

COOPER (voice-over): Some kids still play soccer to pass the time. Families are making due the best they can. They cook on makeshift grills, wash clothes in discarded tubs. Duval says this is going to be the way of life here for a long time to come.

DUVAL: Save and serve, yes.

COOPER (on camera): Save and serve?

DUVAL: Save and serve.

COOPER: And that's what's essential right now. Save as many as you can.

DUVAL: Save as many as you can and serve as much as you can. That's it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And relief workers estimate three million Haitians are still in need of food, water and medical supplies.

If you'd like to help, go to "Impact Your World." Please visit CNN.com/impact.

You know, the recall of millions of Toyotas, who's responsible for getting them fixed? Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Man, people have a lot of questions about this story. If you own a Toyota, you may be a bit confused about all the recalls. You heard Suzanne Simons saying there is really no checklist in place to make sure that people are complying.

Is your car on one of those lists? And if so, what do you do?

CNN's Gerri Willis is staying on top of how the automaker plans to make good on all of this.

First of all, Gerri, good to see you.

But who's making sure consumers get their cars fixed?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well good morning, Don.

Yes, the bottom line here is that nobody is responsible for making sure consumers get their cars fixed. It's really the responsibility of Toyota owners to read their mail from their carmaker or hear about it through the media and then take action.

Toyota's only responsibility is alerting their customers and providing the fix for free. Beyond that, well, Don, you're on your own.

LEMON: OK. So what if -- let's say someone has an accident in one of these vehicles. Could they be sued? Would the damage be covered by the auto insurance?

WILLIS: Well, this is where it gets a little more complicated.

I talked to the Insurance Information Institute yesterday. They said that auto insurers will cover consumers in the event of an accident in one of these recalled vehicles.

Typically, then the insurer then goes and seeks reimbursement from Toyota. However, our sources also say that consumers could be sued, and successfully, by people injured in accidents in which the Toyota glitch played a role, particularly if the consumer didn't fix the problem.

So, how can you be held responsible for an accident? Well, one, Toyota -- if Toyota can reasonably establish that it sent a recall notice to the customer, and then the customer did not get the car fixed, and that the accident could be linked directly to the recall. Then the victim could hold the Toyota customer partly responsible for the accident.

Now, of course, Don, the rules are different in different states. But there's one thing I want to tell you about here, an important issue.

It's going to be really hard to sell one of these cars if you don't get the fix. New car dealerships can't sell cars that haven't gotten the fix.

As you know, probably, all cars have what they call a unique VIN number, so it's easy to track these vehicles. In fact, consumers can get that number when buying a car and find out its history by using carfacts.com. So it would be tough to unload one of these cars unless you made the changes you need to make.

And coming up this week on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," we'll have more on Toyota's massive recall, plus how to make a smooth transition into a new job, how to change careers without bungling the opportunity.

That's "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

LEMON: Thank you, Gerri. We'll be watching. And we appreciate the information on Toyota. Thank you so much.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

LEMON: You know, it might be picture perfect, but more snow is not exactly what people in the nation's capital want to see. Washington could get two more feet of snow. Two feet.

Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf ready and waiting.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Don. We're keeping a sharp eye on the snow coming down. It could be another historic snowfall. Actually, the second biggest snowfall of the season.

Coming up in a few moments, I'll let you know how the Virginia Department of Transportation is ready to duke it out with the storm.

That's coming up in mere moments. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Here we go. Storm warnings from North Carolina to the Northeast.

A major winter storm expected to paralyze parts of the region with up to two feet of snow. You saw the live shot earlier from Washington, D.C. The last thing they need.

This is Roanoke, Virginia, and CNN's Reynolds Wolf now live from Alexandria.

And every time we see you, the snow becomes heavier and heavier, Reynolds. And this is just the beginning of it.

WOLF: I know, it really is, Don. I mean, it is hard to believe.

As you mentioned, you know, possibly two feet of snowfall right here, the second big snowfall we've had of the winter season. And from this vantage point, the snow continues to come down across what appears to be a relatively empty lot.

This is a Virginia Department of Transportation lot where, earlier, we had some 60 trucks that were here, all lined up in a perfect queue. And what they're doing, or where they happen to be now, is way out there on 495, out on the roadways, doing what they can to keep the roads in tip-top shape. But before they went out there, what they did is they came right along that line to this point.

And if you happen to look at these two structures, it almost looks like -- well, to be honest, for lack of a better term, almost like a giant bra, if you will, with two big structures, each of them filled up with ice. Then you see this vehicle, this front-end loader, actually goes into each of these buildings, picks up, again, the salt. But also, something else, Don. It can also pick up some of the sand that you see here in the back.

The reason why you have sand, the reason why you have salt, the sand is actually used to weight the trucks, to give the trucks a little bit of leverage so that when it actually moves right on the freeways, it gives that front blade of the truck better capability of pushing away the snow. The salt obviously helps melt some of the snowfall that's going to come down.

Now, let's come in here for just a moment.

We've got Chris Turner (ph) with us, a CNN photojournalist. He's going to show you far better than I can articulate just this incredible structure.

I mean, you've got ice of course on the roadways, but here's the stuff to make it all go away. The salt that you see here, this salt, again, is going to be some they're using, and it isn't cheap. In fact, it's something that's extremely expensive.

You want to talk about major expense, the state of Virginia is slated only to use $97 million. That's in their budget for snowfall removal. Already, Don, they have spent $84 million. That doesn't include this major winter event, so certainly not the best case scenario.

In terms of money, it's not only, of course, that snow removal that gets expensive, it's also expensive in terms of education. A lot of the schools are actually going to possibly extend the school year. Many places like Montgomery County, in Maryland, have already used all their snow days, so it looks like they may be adding on a few more days, much to the chagrin of the students, no doubt.

Let's send it back to you, Don.

LEMON: Yes, yes, yes. Roanoke, Virginia, Reynolds, had not had a full week of school since Christmas because of the weather. And you're there. You got a workout. You don't have to go to the gym today from all that running around.

Good luck to you over the next couple of days. You're going to be busy. Thank you, Reynolds Wolf.

WOLF: Thanks, man.

LEMON: Millions are still out of work, but there is a change for better in the unemployment rate in this country. That's what we hear. We'll tell you about it in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hey, a brand new snapshot today from the labor market -- on the labor market -- and here's where things stand right now.

The unemployment rate is now 9.7 percent. That is an improvement from December. But 20,000 jobs were lost in January.

So we want to go to Stephanie Elam. She's at the New York Stock Exchange for more.

Hi, Stephanie.

Break this report down for us. Who's hiring? Who's not?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don.

Well, you know, a lot of it boils down to construction. That industry cut 75,000 jobs last month, and that's by far the most that we've seen for any sector here.

Most of the cuts were made in commercial building. And we've talked about this and the problems here in this area for a long time now.

Malls, offices, places of business are shutting down, so the buildings are vacant and we're not seeing much construction. Other areas cutting jobs as well include transportation -- think about those couriers and those messengers -- and then leisure and hospitality and the government. They're up there as well -- Don.

LEMON: All right. So everyone wants to know about hiring, right? So who's adding to the payroll these days? Hopefully, you know, a lot of people are, but who's adding, really?

ELAM: Yes. And the truth is a lot of people aren't hiring right now. That's evident by the numbers we're taking a look at.

But the standout here would be manufacturing, adding about 11,000 jobs. And that's the first gain in two years. So this is definitely a pleasant surprise.

Demand is picking up for big items like cars, so automakers are bringing workers back. That's a good sign. Retailers, education and health care also hired last month.

And here's one we always watch out for -- temporary workers. Fifty thousand temp workers were hired last month, and that's a good sign because employers usually hire temporary workers first before they pull out all the stops and invest in a full-time employee with benefits.

So, still, with the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, it is still uncomfortably high. We'd like that number to be closer to five percent. And it's not expected to come down anytime soon.

So we'll be keeping our eyes on this, but we're still dealing with it. But just keep in mind, in January of last year, Don, we lost almost 800,000 jobs, so definitely losing 20,000 is definitely moving in the right direction.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: Yes. A better direction would be, you know, if we see 20,000 jobs added or 200 to the whole picture.

ELAM: Right. And to see that for a couple of months, too, because, remember, we saw a blip of added gains -- of jobs in November, and then we lost them, plus that in December.

LEMON: Yes. As you said, take what we can. Every little bit helps.

ELAM: Right.

LEMON: Thank you, Stephanie.

ELAM: Sure.

LEMON: More now on the January jobs report and what the numbers tell us. Danny Boston is an economics professor at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Thank you so much for joining us.

You know, when you look at the overall picture, the overall gains and losses in the economy here, there is some question about whether or not the economy is just not producing enough jobs. So -- and that doesn't really reflect growth, even with today's numbers.

Should we look at those numbers with a skeptical eye, or is this all positive?

THOMAS "DANNY" BOSTON, GEORGIA TECH: I think on balance it's positive. You can look at various aspects of it, for example, expansion in the size of the labor market. It expanded. And the number of workers in terms of unemployment who lost jobs. That decreased.

And so, there's some positive signs that are taking place and on balance, it speaks to movement.

LEMON: If you look at the rate of what they're calling the recovery. We can't call it a plus for jobs or job loss -- reduction in job loss, compared to other recessions, is this recovering faster, are jobs being added quicker or is it behind?

BOSTON: Much, much slower. We're like a turtle as compared to where we've been in the past. But we also went through a really traumatic period leading up to this. So what we find is that as in, for example, the great depression, it took us 15 years to really come out of that. And so when you go through a really dramatic downturn, it takes a long time to recover, particularly when you have financial displacement. LEMON: And this time you think in the jobs is it going to take that long? That's a long time.

BOSTON: Not 15 years, no, no. That's just historical.

LEMON: OK, good. You are very big on small businesses.

BOSTON: Right.

LEMON: We know most of the jobs come from big companies people think, but you think there is a lot of growth to be had with small businesses and you have some ways you think that the government can help even with stimulus and all of that. What do you think?

BOSTON: Absolutely. Well, here's the situation. Over the last 15 years, small businesses have accounted for about 77 percent of all job growth. During the depth of the current last recession, they were accounting for 82 percent of all new jobs. Now, in the past, years ago, that kind of growth was generated among large businesses. So it's in small businesses, even more precisely if you look at the figures in detail, it's businesses with 50 or fewer employees, so there's a very select segment of really kind of high-growth small businesses and that's the segment that needs to get the support to continue to grow.

LEMON: But you have something, a different approach when it comes to small businesses. You talk about lending, the primary problem with small business and lending what?

BOSTON: Right. Well, when we think of small businesses and a prescription for their problems, most often we think of lending. Well, that's not just a problem that they're confronted with. Their problem is a problem of demand. They need to have adequate demand and sales in order to grow. Now, there are many of them that need loans, but most of them need sales in order to grow. And so we need to really focus on the other side of the equation, particularly to put in place policies, for example, I would say rather than a general across- the-board employment tax credit, we need to have a more targeted policy that might look at, for example, an investment tax credit and that would affect particularly high-growth businesses.

LEMON: We have a short amount of time because we have to make time, the president is going to be speaking about some of the issues that you're talking about right now. But the person at home who may be watching this, maybe they're sitting at home watching this because they don't have a job, they're out of work, patience?

BOSTON: There is really...

LEMON: People are tired of hearing that.

BOSTON: ... and there's no magic bullet, really. It took a long time to get here, it's going to take a long time to get out. I think any promise that indicates that there's a quick fix is really smoke and mirrors.

LEMON: Thank you very much, Danny Boston, we appreciate it.

BOSTON: My pleasure.

LEMON: The IQ level on this anchor desk went up about 2,000 percent when you arrived.

As we mentioned, President Barack Obama will deliver remarks of job creation and small business initiatives beginning 12:30 Eastern today. CNN will carry the president's message live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A moment of crisis. That's how Toyota's top man describes his company's current situation. In his first news conference since massive recalls began to grow two weeks ago, the automaker's president says I'm sorry, but he insists there's no cover- up and Toyota will make it right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AKIO TOYOTA, TOYOTA PRESIDENT (through translator): The current problem is a huge problem and it is a critical situation. We as a company must unite and work to regain the trust from our customers. And I believe that is also my responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Akio Toyota says his company is cooperating with U.S. investigators looking into possible brake problems on the new Prius hybrids. That brake system is also in the new Lexus hybrids as well; neither has been recalled.

Much, much more on the company, the recalls and the fixes. In about 30 minutes here on CNN, we'll be talking about an automotive analyst, Lauren Fix, and with our very own Peter Valdes-Dapena with CNNMoney.com.

And if you have a Toyota and still questions go to CNN.com/Toyota. The latest information on the problem and the recall all there. And there seems to be a new wrinkle in this story every single day, so make sure you check the site for updates.

On this Sunday's "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS", an exclusive sit down with the king of Jordan. The topic, the long-stalled Middle East peace process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN ANCHOR: Your Majesty, you live in one of the most consequential parts of the world, one of the most dangerous parts of the world and a place that has caused great frustration for the rest of the world. There's a saying in New York, nobody has ever lost money betting against the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. And there's a sense, I think, that it's almost like a bad joke. We just keep discussing it and yet nothing seems to change. KING ABDULLAH II, KINGDOM OF JORDAN: We are waiting for the United States to hopefully give us their undivided attention on this issue. So if we don't get a clear mandate over the next month or so, then I'm not convinced that we're going to move the process forward. What we have to keep in mind...

ZAKARIA: Let's stay on that, though. You're saying if in the next month you don't get a clear sense from the United States that it is pushing hard on this, you feel like things are going to stall.

ABDULLAH II: People are disheartened, people are not convinced. I think the credibility of the U.S. is under question now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Make sure you watch "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" on CNN Sunday at 1:00 Eastern, immediately following "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley.

More top stories now.

In Karachi, Pakistan, two deadly attacks during a Muslim holy observance. A bomb planted on a motorcycle blew apart a bus carrying religious observers. A second motorcycle bomb went off in front of a hospital where some of the attack victims were being treated. At least 18 people were killed and dozens more injured. No word yet on who was responsible.

Schools call off classes, airlines cancel flights and sand, salt and trucks, well, at the ready. Right now a major winter storm bearing down on parts of the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Parts of the region, including the nation's capital, could get up to 2 feet of snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: On the medical front, something you might not be aware of -- even if your weight seems normal, you still might be at risk of developing some serious illnesses and it's all tied to your levels of body fat and muscle mass.

Here's CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Just a few days back from Haiti and already some tough news I have to share with you about something known as normal weight obesity.

This is what we're talking about here, simply put, a lot of people pay attention to their weight and for good reason. It's an important thing to follow. If your weight seems normal, you think, good, I have decreased my chance of developing all sorts of different problems and you probably have. But if you have something known as normal weight obesity, where your body fat percentage is too high and your lean muscle mass is too low, you may still be at increased risk.

So this is sort of the important point here. People fall who fall into this category of normal weight obesity have four times the risk of developing something known as metabolic syndrome, putting at increased risk for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. So that's why a lot of people focused on this. The guess is 30 million Americans may fall into this category of normal weight obesity right now.

So here's the important thing. First step, probably get your body fat checked. If you're not sure where you fall under this, you can get it checked. Even some of the home scales do a pretty good job of checking it within about 10 percent. Better readings come from your doctor's office, maybe even your gym has a machine to test this. Find out what it is, take a look at the numbers. For men, it gets dangerous over 23 percent. For women, over 33 percent.

Also, the second sort of piece of advice here is that depending on what you're doing, you may want to add more resistance training to your workout, you may want to add more interval training, you want to do things to build up muscle mass. Anybody can do this. I talked to my mom recently about this and she's someone who did aerobics her whole life and I got her lifting dumbbells, actually lifting dumbbells building up some muscle mass in her body, decreases her chances of osteoporosis. And also again with this whole idea of changing the percentages between body fat and muscle mass, it helps with that as well.

So a little bit of a tip there. Normal weight obesity, tuck that term back away and there's something you can do about it.

Back to you for now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thank you very much. Good advice, Sanjay. To find out more go to CNN.com/fitnation.

He is playing the biggest game of his life, but one Indianapolis Colt wants the spotlight to be on Haiti.

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LEMON: The Saints and the Colts -- Super Bowl XLIV -- Sunday, Miami. Colts player Pierre Garcon is one of today's "Faces of the Story" that we want to share with you. He is putting a super focus on Haiti's long recovery.

His story now from CNN's Joe Carter in Miami.

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PIERRE GARCON, NFL PLAYER, AFC INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: A good friend of mine from New York called me and told me, did you hear about the earthquake in Haiti. I went home and turned on the TV to CNN and there it was -- people running around, dust everywhere, you know, buildings collapsed.

JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As one of the few Haitian players in the NFL, last month's earthquake hit home for Colts' receiver Pierre Garcon. Though born and raised in the United States after his parents immigrated, most of his relatives still live in Haiti.

GARCON: This is my cousin in Haiti. They live there now. They are doing fine. They are doing great. They had no harm to themselves.

CARTER: After learning his relatives were safe, Garcon's Helping Hands Foundation teamed up with a Haitian missionary to raise money. He also began to dedicate his play to the people of Haiti. After a record performance in the Colts AFC Championship win over the Jets, Garcon paraded around the field with the Haitian flag, bringing publicity to his cause.

GARCON: A lot more football fans are realizing, are recognizing that I am Haitian now and that my country needs help, and they've told me that they've donated. They appreciate what I'm doing to bring the awareness and that helps Haiti.

JOSEPH ADDAI, NFL PLAYER, AFC INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Pierre putting up the flag and representing Haiti, that touched a lot of people in Haiti and a lot of people on the team saw that and they wanted to be a part of that.

GARCON: It's a great flag. You know, if you just look at it and don't realize it, but it says a lot. (INAUDIBLE) you know, "Together We're Strong" that's what it says at the bottom. This is what we're trying to do right now is come together and get out of this bad situation and be strong.

CARTER: With a win on Sunday in a game that will be televised in over 200 countries and territories around the world, Garcon hopes to keep the momentum of relief efforts going.

GARCON: It's not over. There are still probably under the rubble still right now and there's still searching. And there is a rebuilding process that hasn't even started yet. And whatever I do, I try to represent them in the best manner and have the flag with me, you know, saying we still trying to help you guys out.

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CARTER: To date, Garcon says he's raised more than $60,000 with that foundation for the relief efforts in Haiti. And he said, after the Super Bowl, he's planning a trip to reconnect with family and friends as well as help with the relief efforts in Haiti -- Don.

LEMON: Got a lot on his plate. Thank you very much, Joe Carter.

CNN's Joe Carter in Miami, we appreciate it.

Here's what we're working on for the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.

He's advised five U.S. presidents on education policy and has led Xavier University for the past four decades. Norman Francis joins us to talk about the New Orleans Saints and the Super Bowl in our "What Matters" segment.

And bracing for a major winter storm, blizzard conditions are expected for parts of the northeast. We'll talk with a person in charge at the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.

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LEMON: You know, this next story really embodies the American spirit. A 3D imaging company in New Orleans is beating the odds, rebuilding and growing after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.

CNN's Tom Foreman looks at how the company is succeeding after the storm.

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Along with the thousands of homes and lives Katrina took on the Gulf Coast, countless livelihoods disappeared, too. Nearly 130,000 jobs were lost around New Orleans alone, as businesses crumpled and their owners fled.

MATT WISDOM, TURBOSQUID: I was born and raised here.

FOREMAN: Matt Wisdom stood firm.

WISDOM: It wasn't clear we could return to anything that we had known before.

FOREMAN (on camera): What made you decide to stay?

WISDOM: We just decided, you know, we can't be away from it. This is the time -- either come and make it work or leave and find a new life.

FOREMAN: Now, where are we now?

WISDOM: We are in the TurboSquid headquarters office in New Orleans.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But Matt's fledgling company, TurboSquid, which sells 3D computer models for commercials, movies, even here on CNN, faced the same problems hundreds others did -- the town's communications, transportation, banking and basic civic services were in shambles.

(on camera): No one business or even hundreds of them could do anything about all these difficulties they faced. so they got creative, and they got coordinated. And a man in here knows exactly how it happened.

MICHAEL HECHT, GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC.: This storm could have destroyed what this whole place, but what it really did is it gave us a chance at intense self-examination.

FOREMAN (voice-over): That's Matthew Hecht with Greater New Orleans, Inc., an economic development group. Since the storm, he points out aggressive efforts to improve schools, provide tax incentives for industry and a fresh business recruiting campaign have helped keep New Orleans' unemployment rate to less than half that of many other cities.

In addition, ambitious young businesses like TurboSquid are being grouped into buildings specially refurbished and made available for them at special rates to encourage interaction, sharing of information, even markets. The result?

HECHT: For every one older professional that we lost because of the storm, two younger professionals have moved in. What you are seeing here is one of the great comeback stories of our generation.

FOREMAN: At TurboSquid, Matt expanded sales into the global market and used the city's reputation as an art center to draw talent to his firm.

(on camera): What have you learned here that would help other communities as they try to get through this economic hard time?

WISDOM: Some of it is to do what you're good at, is to focus on doing one thing or very few things incredibly well, and building the best team of people around you.

FOREMAN (voice-over): It has worked. Matt's staff of 35 is twice as big as it was before the storm, and the company is now the largest online vendor in the world of 3D. Not bad for a local boy who just wanted to build up his battered home and help others do the same.

Tom Foreman, CNN, New Orleans.

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