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Killed for 5 Bags of Rice; President Obama Proposes Bank Overhaul; Deducting Haiti Donations; American Businessman Saves Life of Haitian Child; Weight Loss Through the Power of Prayer; The Heroes of Haiti

Aired January 22, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Friday, January 22nd, and here are the faces of the stories driving the headlines today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

You, the American taxpayer. Congress working on an early tax deduction for donating to help Haiti.

Charles Beall, an American businessman in Haiti, scrambling to save a young quake victim with a severe brain injury.

And Mr. Happiness, the hip-hop monk on 22s, rapping to make Buddhism more appealing to the kids.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Signs of hope amid a sea of despair and frustration in Haiti. More and more basic supplies are getting into Haiti for those earthquake victims, but significant problems remain. Aftershocks last night and this morning forced searchers to briefly back off.

Our Karl Penhaul and Anderson Cooper -- look at this -- were reporting when the ground began rumbling. The main pier in Port-au- Prince has been partially reopened. Officials had hoped to move 150 containers through the port yesterday and pump that up to 250 today.

And an adviser to the United Nations says some children -- listen to this -- are missing from hospitals there. Fifteen cases have been documented, raising fears that the children are being put into an international adoption market.

There are also stories coming out of this tragedy that are just hard to explain. You just can't figure out how it happens.

CNN's Karl Penhaul has the story of one man who was killed over several bags of rice. Police say he was looting. His friend says that's ridiculous.

We caution you, the video here is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As we drove up to this busy crossroads just beyond the Port-au-Prince Airport, we spot two Haitian police officers detaining two young men.

Then, a single shot rang out.

(on camera): As we were stopping the truck, more shots rang out and we clearly saw the two detainees falling to the ground.

(voice-over): This is where we begin rolling our camera.

(on camera): As we got here to the spot, it became apparent that the incident was somehow connected to bags of rice.

(voice-over): Both men lie bleeding, both shot in the back by the police. We saw one officer firing shots while his captive was on the ground. Twenty-year-old Gentile Cherie is gasping for breath. He is dying.

The other young man is unable to stand. He's stunned, but speaking. He says they didn't steal the rice. They were not looting.

"The cops jumped on us. It was a gift. It was a gift," he says again and again. Five bags of rice are scattered nearby.

"A truck stopped, and we jumped on, and the driver gave us the rice as a gift, but the cops shot us," he says.

This patrolman was one of three involved. He won't answer. Minutes after, this police area commissioner arrives. I ask him if the police have a shoot-to-kill order for suspected looters. "Nobody can do this in any country. Even if somebody was stealing a bag of rice, nobody has a right to do this," he says. He promises to investigate and says he's calling an ambulance. We wait. No ambulance arrives.

Passing United Nations peacekeepers stop a truck and load the wounded man aboard. A small crowd carries another wounded man who says he was waiting for the bus when he took a stray bullet in the side. He tells us he's a Christian minister who was going home after applying for a job as a policeman.

We asked around in the small shops. Witnesses told us nobody was looting. This story owner says the rice bags fell from the truck and passersby simply picked them up.

Two-and-a-half-hours after the shooting, and Gentile Cherie's body was still on the sidewalk.

(WAILING)

PENHAUL: Nearby, his mother had come to grieve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: CNN sent a crew to the Haitian government compound at the airport to ask about this incident and several other similar incidents reported by other media.

CNN's Karl Penhaul joining us live now.

And Karl, have you heard anything from the Haitian government?

PENHAUL: No. So far, Tony, we haven't.

We did send that team out yesterday, shortly after this incident, to try and track them down, and also to the main police commission building. Again, no response from there. But as we've seen throughout this whole disaster, the Haitian government and the Haitian authorities have been sorely absent.

HARRIS: Karl, were you able to determine who was responsible for this shooting? I mean, we saw in the video people with backpacks and rifles. Who are those people?

PENHAUL: Right. When we were driving up to this scene -- and you'll appreciate we were heading somewhere else -- this wasn't going to be our story, this was something we chanced upon. And so when we heard a first shot ring out, that's when we said, hey, what's going on?

And we focused our eyes, but we still hadn't got our camera rolling. But we clearly saw -- we clearly saw, myself and also the CNN cameraman, Jerry Simonson (ph), two cops on the shoulders of the detainees and then more shots ring out.

Those guys -- or the man that died -- was executed at pointblank range. He was shot in the back. The wounded man was also shot in the back. He did survive, though.

HARRIS: All right. Well, we've got to get answers on this.

CNN's Karl Penhaul for us.

Karl, appreciate it. Thank you.

And a reminder. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta report live from Haiti tonight as musician Wyclef Jean and George Clooney host "Hope for Haiti Now."

You can be a part of the solution. The global telethon at 8:00 Eastern tonight, right here on CNN.

Let's see here, live pictures -- or pictures from just moments ago. Just moments ago.

OK, appreciate it. Thank you, Margaret (ph). Thank you, Roger (ph).

The president arriving, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The president heading west from downtown Cleveland to Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio.

The president will tour a wind turbine plant there. The president is expected to talk about clean energy technologies and tax breaks to encourage hiring. The president leaving Cleveland Hopkins, which is west already of downtown Cleveland, and heading to Elyria.

Stocks are falling again, but yesterday the drop was a staggering 200 points. And it all came after President Obama railed against big banks again. This time, he wants to limit their size and certain kinds of trades.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.

And Susan, are we to believe that the sell-off we saw yesterday -- I'm not sure what's happening so far today -- is Wall Street's response to the proposed regulations?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. There's no question that the market was spooked by the president's comments. And one of the reasons why was it took a lot of people by surprise.

You know, I don't often talk about -- I don't give you political analysis, but, you know, coming two days after this upset win that was very much tied to health care reform -- that was on Tuesday -- you know, health care reform not so popular. Railing against big banks really popular.

So, you know, the fact is the president was talking about limiting risks and limiting size. Maybe it shouldn't be so much of a surprise, but let's face it, risk and sometimes crazy risk is the reason why banks make so much money. They don't know what's coming, but they know something is coming, and it spooked the market.

HARRIS: Wait. Susan, didn't Wall Street expect some change?

I mean, we've been talking about this for years. There's legislation working through Congress that changes some of the dynamics of the financial institutions of what they can and cannot do. Come on.

LISOVICZ: Yes. And, I mean, some of it should be basic common sense.

I think we talked a lot about some regulation that could have alleviated some of the misery, suffering that we've seen over the last year. It was put into place after the stock market crash of 1929.

And really, what the president was talking about was the separation again of banks, banks that are insured by the FDIC, protected by the full weight of the U.S. Treasury. And then you have investment firms which do what investment firms do. They take risks. I mean, that is a necessary part of the marketplace.

HARRIS: Well, make a decision of what you want to be. You can be one or the other. You can't be both.

LISOVICZ: Well, I can tell you this -- I mean, there's going to be -- there already is ferocious lobbying in Washington ahead of it. And, you know, one of the realities is we've seen Congress work together very quickly. Kyra and I were just talking about how your tax deductions can be taken for 2009 if you make a deduction to Haiti to encourage more people to donate. And that happened, you know, in the course of a couple days.

Financial reform, not going to happen in a couple days. It may take years. And that's something that Congressman Barney Frank was talking about yesterday.

Even if something does happen, it will take years perhaps for some of these big institutions to unwind some of their assets in order to adhere to the law. So this is not going to happen next week.

HARRIS: I want another segment. I want another segment to talk about this...

LISOVICZ: Well, that will come in the next hour.

HARRIS: ... because it feels like -- OK, next hour. All right, Susan. Appreciate it. Thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

HARRIS: I need to read the rundown.

An exclusive CNN investigation into why the government was interested in another passenger on Flight 253.

And Reynolds Wolf is tracking weather and a state of emergency in California with the mudslides. We're talking about people being evacuated and flights delayed.

Our Reynolds Wolf is next, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: An airline security summit in Geneva today. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sitting down with representatives from 230 carriers, urging them to adopt new U.S. security rules.

President Obama announced the measures after a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a plane on Christmas Day. But Napolitano is warning against a cookie cutter approach to security to keep terrorists off their mark. Many airports, particularly some in Europe, have not implemented the U.S. security rules. Officials cite privacy concerns and a lack of resources.

Two Nigerian-born men, one a Muslim-turned-extremist, the other a Christian by birth, both on the same Christmas Day flight, both on the U.S. government's radar. One man the public now knows well is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the young man authorities say was prepared to take down the Detroit-bound Flight 253. But there was another passenger the U.S. government had its eye on.

Special Investigations Unit Correspondent Abbie Boudreau has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMMANUEL CHUKWU, FLIGHT 253 PASSENGER: I was coming home to the U.S. to see my family to celebrate Christmas and my birthday with them.

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Emmanuel Chukwu, born in Nigeria on Christmas Day, a former mechanical engineer at Ford, and now a U.S. citizen and the father of four.

(on camera): You have a Nigerian passport and a U.S. passport.

CHUKWU: Yes.

BOUDREAU: And you've made this trip between the United States and Nigeria many, many times?

CHUKWU: Yes. You know, about 20 times or more.

BOUDREAU: Really? Dating back how far?

CHUKWU: 1995 (INAUDIBLE) United States.

BOUDREAU: OK.

And this is Emmanuel's boarding pass from the flight on Christmas Day, Flight 253.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the pilot announced the descent into the Detroit area, this noise -- this sound, you know. "Pow."

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Five rows directly in front of Emmanuel Chukwu, an explosive device ignites.

CHUKWU: Then people started screaming, "Oh, there's smoke! There's smoke!"

BOUDREAU (on camera): The plane lands and what goes through your mind?

CHUKWU: Oh, I just said, "God, thank you for my life."

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Alive, but soon under scrutiny, his name and travel records flash red flags to government officials on the ground. CNN learned Emmanuel Chukwu was tracked in a massive database called TECS.

CHUKWU: And they were picking some people at random for questioning.

BOUDREAU (on camera): Did they ever say if you were part of any sort of government database that tracks people when they fly?

CHUKWU: Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. BOUDREAU (voice-over): The government database houses everything from immigration violations and criminal records to watch lists and flight manifests.

Kathy Kraninger, a former homeland security official and now a security consultant, explains.

KATHY KRANINGER, FMR. HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL: TECS really is the backbone or the mainframe that -- the real operating system for customs and border protection that has the information from other law enforcement agencies so that it can be accessed by law enforcement, generally speaking.

BOUDREAU: A hit on TECS would be an immediate flag for additional screening.

(on camera): They patted you down?

CHUKWU: Yes, they patted me down. Patted me down, took all my document, my wallet. You know, went through my wallet, went through everything. You know? My wife is pregnant.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Nine months pregnant, his wife, Janefrances, waits at home for word.

JANEFRANCES CHUKWU, WIFE: The children were asking where their father was. The plane was supposed to land by 11:40.

BOUDREAU: Meanwhile the FBI's questions get tough.

E. CHUKWU: And they asked me if I was ready to take a polygraph test. I said, "Of course. Why not?"

BOUDREAU (on camera): Did you take a polygraph?

E. CHUKWU: No.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Then, Emmanuel Chukwu says he may know why his name is in the government database.

E. CHUKWU: In 2008, September, 2008, when I was going back to Nigeria, I left here with my gun, a gun I bought here in the U.S. Official purchase.

BOUDREAU (on camera): A gun.

E. CHUKWU: Yes. I have this gun, I want to take it with me. What is the procedure for taking this gun?

BOUDREAU: So you were calling customer service from the airline to try to get information on, how do I transport a gun from the U.S. to Nigeria?

E. CHUKWU: Yes.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Emmanuel Chukwu says he unpacked the unloaded shotgun as instructed in his checked luggage, but when his connecting flight landed in the Netherlands, Dutch authorities stopped him.

E. CHUKWU: They said to me, "Oh, you have a gun in your bag." I said, "Yes, yes, I know I have a gun in my bag."

BOUDREAU (on camera): Why did you buy a gun to go to Nigeria?

E. CHUKWU: Well, I just did it for protection, for my own personal protection.

BOUDREAU: Personal protection?

E. CHUKWU: Yes.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): It's illegal for ordinary citizens to carry firearms without permission in both the Netherlands and Nigeria. Dutch authorities confirmed the incident and that Emmanuel Chukwu was arrested and charged with carrying a gun. He was let go within days and given a two-year probation.

(on camera): Did they ask you those questions about the gun on Christmas?

E. CHUKWU: Oh, yes, they did.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): It's unclear whether a record of the gun incident or other risk factors like Emmanuel Chukwu's travel patterns and personal profile triggered his secondary screening in Detroit. The Department of Homeland Security will not comment.

Emmanuel Chukwu's wife says her husband is no terrorist.

J. CHUKWU: What I know is that my husband is not going to harm anybody, has never harmed anybody. I hope that they put the right people in the database so that, you know, they will be able to catch the people that will cause harm to the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOUDREAU: Now, just to be clear, Emmanuel Chukwu was not the only person on the plane to get a secondary screening after Flight 253. He tells us there were a handful of others who were questioned. Most were men, they were in their 20s and 30s, and he says just about all of them had darker skin. So, at first he thought he was getting a secondary screening because of the color of his skin and because he fit a certain profile.

HARRIS: Yes. So he was profiled. Does he feel that he was?

BOUDREAU: Well, he's not quite sure. He feels like maybe it was -- maybe it was that he was profiled.

He's actually OK with the fact that he was profiled, because, he says, you know what, I expected it and I was respected during the process. But his wife, which is interesting, she's also Nigerian. She doesn't feel it's fair for people to be profiled because of the color of their skin or because of the country that they might come from. She thinks that should be based on intelligence information.

HARRIS: Right. Right. I got that.

I've got to tell you, we had a conversation a couple of weeks ago with a group of Nigerians in response to everything that's come in the aftermath of Flight 253, and we'll have that conversation next hour.

But you mentioned a database in your reporting here that I'm not even familiar with. I would imagine that folks at home aren't as well.

BOUDREAU: Right. Right.

HARRIS: And what is it and how many files are in this database?

BOUDREAU: I mean, we're talking about millions of records in this database. And it goes back to the 1970s.

It is the mother ship of all databases. I mean, it actually -- you can access other databases through this one, and watch lists as well. And it's important for people to realize that everyone who's on this database does not -- not everyone triggers an actual secondary screening.

HARRIS: Right. Right.

BOUDREAU: It's only certain people who might have criminal records or immigration violations and things like that. But none of this is stopping Emmanuel Chukwu from traveling. I mean, he's planning a trip to Nigeria right now.

HARRIS: Good stuff, Abbie. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BOUDREAU: Thank you.

HARRIS: I've got to tell you, as a result of the Christmas Day bombing attempt, the U.S. has put Nigeria on a list of 14 countries of interest. That requires Nigerians to go through extra stringent screening procedures when boarding a plane to the United States.

As I mentioned to Abbie just a moment ago, I spoke with a group of Nigerians who say putting Nigeria on this terror list is unfair and ineffective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EZEKIEL MACHAM, ALLIANCE OF NIGERIAN ORGANIZATION IN GEORGIA: This young man was not influenced by some of those conflicts in Nigeria. He was influenced by conflicts in London and Yemen.

LOUIS EBODAGHE, NIGERIAN IMMIGRANT: If not for this dumb act by this one little kid, we would not be discussing this here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: OK. We will have more of this conversation next hour.

Still no permanent director at TSA, the Transportation Security Administration. Erroll Southers pulled his name Wednesday. One senator, as you may recall, had put a hold on the nomination, concerned Southers was planning to unionize TSA workers.

Last hour, Southers set the record straight during a NEWSROOM interview with Kyra Phillips.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERROLL SOUTHERS, FMR. TSA DIRECTOR NOMINEE: I did not want to unionize the TSA. My response to Senator DeMint, both in person and in writing, was that I wanted to take a comprehensive overview of the organization, look at how it was operating, how it might operate under collective bargaining, a cost-benefit analysis, operational capabilities and, more importantly, talk to the 50,000 Transportation Security officers who would affected by this decision.

It was then and only then, with the information that I had after the assessment, that I would forward my recommendation to Secretary Napolitano. I never said I intended to unionize.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And then there's this -- Southers' nomination faced new trouble recently. He admitted using an FBI database to check on his estranged wife's boyfriend some 20 years ago.

Let's get you caught up now on our top stories.

A jury begins hearings today and hearing testimony today in the murder trial of Scott Roeder. The Kansas man is charged with killing a doctor who performed late-term abortions. Roeder admits in a court filing he killed the doctor. He said he did it to save the unborn.

Air America, the almost six-year-old liberal talk radio network, is pulling the plug and liquidating. The network launched by comedian and now Senator Al Franken to counter conservative radio. Ad sales fell during the recession and no investors stepped up.

A quicker tax break for you if you're helping people in Haiti. We've got details.

And another story about helping out that, frankly, really moved our cynical news hearts. We will show you what the homeless are doing for people in the quake zone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Some help for all of you who are helping Haiti's earthquake victims. A new bill will let you write off your donations this tax season.

Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, is on top of that for us.

And Gerri, look, this sounds like good news all around.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you know, just last night this bill passed the Senate, Tony, and President Obama is expected to sign it into law as soon as next week. A similar measure passed after the tsunami in 2005.

And here are the rules.

For example, you must have made your contribution, your donation to the crisis in Haiti between January 11th and March 1st. Also, this year, a lot of folks donated to organizations via text messaging, as you know. This bill allows taxpayers to substantiate those deductions made by a cell phone with their phone bill that shows the date, the amount and the name of the organization that got the contribution.

So, really trying to make it easy here to give money and to get that tax deduction -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Gerri, are there any other tax benefits that we could see in the coming days and weeks?

WILLIS: Well, you know what's interesting? After Hurricane Katrina, there were a number of tax benefits. And some of those benefits, well, they could be reinstated by Congress.

For example, in this tax year it may be easier for individuals and corporations to deduct the value of food donations they make. The IRS typically has very strict rules about deducting food donations.

Of course it's important to know what you can't deduct just as much as what you can. Here are things you cannot deduct: aid to an individual, aid to a foreign government. And keep in mind here that any donations to foreign organizations, even legitimate relief organizations that are based, domiciled somewhere else, the charity must have some kind of presence in the U.S. for you to be able to deduct that contribution -- Tony.

HARRIS: That is terrific.

All right, Gerri. Appreciate it. Thank you. Have a great weekend.

Should we talk about "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" before I let you go?

WILLIS: Oh, let's definitely do.

This week on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning -- did I mention that? We'll have more on charitable giving in the wake of the Haiti earthquake.

And protecting your money here at home, from affordable home loans to credit card swipe fees.

Tune in for "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," Saturday at 9:30 a.m., right here on CNN.

HARRIS: Awesome. Thank you, Gerri. Have a great weekend.

People all over the world are reaching out to the victims of Haiti's earthquake, some who have little or nothing themselves. Images like this have touched a nerve with some of the homeless thousands of miles away in Philadelphia. They are going door to door, business to business, collecting clothes, blankets and other supplies for people in Haiti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD SHIMOYAMA, HOMELESS IN PHILADELPHIA: Those people don't even have water, they don't food, they don't have shelter over their heads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they have less than you do.

SHIMOYAMA: Exactly.

CATHERINE CANADY, HOMELESS COUNSELOR: I've seen them do a lot of things, but this is maybe one of the most overwhelming things I've seen them do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Yes. Catherine tells CNN people have been calling her all night saying they plan to drop off more donations this weekend. The Ridge Avenue Shelter is still trying to find a way to get all those donations to Haiti.

And you can be a part of the solution as well in Haiti. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta report live from Haiti tonight as musician Wyclef Jean and George Clooney host "Hope for Haiti Now." The global telethon airs at 8:00 Eastern tonight, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Sundance Film Festival gets under way with a promise to return to its roots, showcasing independent films. Founder Robert Redford is also urging festival-goers to remember the earthquake victims in Haiti.

Live now to Sundance in Park City, Utah. CNN Entertainment Correspondent -- there she is -- Brooke Anderson, she is also co-host of HLN's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

Brooke, good to see you.

If you would, take some time here and set the scene for us.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Sure thing, Tony.

And no, I'm not in founder Robert Redford's kitchen. I'm actually in one of CNN's workspaces here at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah.

We've got producers Kay (ph) and Rachel (ph) hard at work behind me. But they don't stop working, Tony, actually.

And on the screen here, we are screening the movie "To Catch a Dollar." It's a Sundance movie and it's about the Nobel Peace Prize- winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who will be here.

And now take a look outside on the balcony, because this is where we do a lot of live reports, a lot of live interviews. Down below us is Main Street.

Now, this is going to get more and more crowded over the next few days. About 40,000 people are expected to attend the festival.

Last year's festival, Tony, generated $92 million in economic activity for the state, 2,000 jobs. So, festival organizers are hoping that this year's numbers and figures are at least comparable to last year.

And the festival did officially kick off last night with the premiere of the movie "Howl." Now, that's about the trial of Allen Ginsberg after his poem "Howl" was published. Star Jon Hamm told us that the setting here at Sundance for his film's premier is really breathtaking.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES FRANCO, ACTOR: The structure was pretty similar. They just had to put the ears out a tiny bit. So I asked Rob and Jeffrey to make some, like, prosthetics.

At first it was just like putty, but then they made them. So we did that. The nose is a little different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: OK. That was actually James Franco from the movie, talking about getting some prosthetics for his ears, for his role in the movie "Howl." But Jon Hamm did tell us that it's just stunning here and he's really enjoying himself.

Now, this festival has been a labor of love for Robert Redford for nearly 30 years, but he told us at yesterday's press conference that his thoughts, his attention are also on those suffering in Haiti. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT REDFORD, FOUNDER, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: I feel really bad about it. I spent time in the Dominican Republic and a little time in Haiti years ago. It hits hard. The outpouring of concern and feelings by America -- that's one of the great things about America, we do step up. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Now, Tony, a lot of people here, of course, will be tuning in to CNN tonight for that Haiti relief telethon led by George Clooney, Wyclef Jean, and of course, our own Anderson Cooper.

HARRIS: Boy, that's going to be terrific. That's really going to be good. I can't wait for that.

But back to the festival here for a second. Any films generating buzz out there, Brooke?

ANDERSON: Yes, a lot. In fact we just got word that Davis Guggenheim who also did "An Inconvenient Truth", his movie here at Sundance, "Waiting For Superman" about the flaws in the education system was actually picked up, was bought by Paramount Vantage. So you'll be seeing that one in theaters.

Also, a lot are talking about the documentary "12th and Delaware". It's about an abortion clinic and an anti-abortion clinic on opposite sides of the street in Ft. Pierce, Florida and the battle over the right to choose and the right to life.

And then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you've got "Drunk History", Tony. It's a series of outrageous short films in which a person gets drunk and recounts a historical event. And then you've got like Will Ferrell, Jack Black acting out the scene...

HARRIS: And it looks like Don Cheadle there? Is that Don Cheadle?

ANDERSON: Yes, Don Cheadle takes part as well. So it's a pretty star-studded outrageous series of short films. They are also on YouTube, but they are being shown here at the short films at Sundance and everybody is getting a big kick out of those.

HARRIS: That looks pretty outrageous.

I'm just reaching here, anything else at this year's festival that stands out so far for you?

ANDERSON: You know, there are tons of movies, nearly 200 movies will premiere here. In fact, "The Oath" is one, I just saw that yesterday. It's about two brothers-in-law in Yemen who had ties to Osama bin Laden, one his driver, one his bodyguard. A lot of people are buzzing about that. The list really goes on and on. And, Tony, the tone of the films just runs the gamut.

HARRIS: That's terrific. Good stuff. Good to see you, Brooke. Have a good time out there.

ANDERSON: Good to see you too.

HARRIS: Yes, good to see you.

Tornados, floods, mud slides and crumbling cliffs. It sounds like a Hollywood end-of-the-world movie, but it is all too real for the people of California. We are tracking the storms.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Reynolds Wolf in the Severe Weather Center. That was good stuff.

President Obama takes his economic message from the White House to the heartland. We are live from Ohio with a look at a rough week for America's bottom line.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on our top stories now.

Signs of revitalization in Port-au-Prince. The city's port is partially reopened, that means more supplies for earthquake victims. Some businesses also have reopened in the city.

Later today, a judge in Los Angeles will hear arguments on whether movie director Roman Polanski can be sentenced without appearing in court. Polanski is under confinement at his vacation home in Switzerland. He pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year- old girl in the late 1970s, but fled the country before sentencing.

And if you own a Toyota, listen up. The carmaker is recalling 2.3 million vehicles to correct a problem that could cause the gas pedal to stick. That's pretty serious.

An 8-year-old boy in desperate need of help and a hero jumps in to save him. We will bring you that story from Haiti.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In the fight to save lives in Haiti, American Charles Beall emerges as one of the faces of the headlines. He managed to get a dying boy through to Haiti's log-jammed airport. Our Brian Todd explains what happened as efforts intensify to get the airport operating more efficiently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Those who run critical aid through this airport, stung by complaints that supplies aren't touching down when they should, not getting off the tarmac fast enough, now say they have streamlined the operation.

CMDR. CHRIS LOUNDERMON, U.S. NAVY: The aid is flowing in, not only from the United States government and the United States military, but all around the world.

TODD: Officials say up to 160 flights a day are coming through, compared with about 25 just after the earthquake. But this is also where victims are brought when they need to get out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him on a medevac and back to the States or we're going to lose him.

TODD: As we're finishing up a live report, an American man rushes up to us, tells us he's got a boy that has to be medevaced immediately. He says he's a businessman working independently with aid groups.

When we check this out, we fight 8-year-old Ouise Retas (ph) in the back of an SUV, cradled in the arms of a missionary, an IV drip attached, barely hanging on.

CHARLES BEALL, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN: This boy is suffering from a severe brain trauma. We just brought him from Hope Hospital, it's Fair Hospital in downtown Port-au-Prince where a doctor said that if we cannot get him medevaced to a U.S. hospital or another hospital where they could operate on him immediately, that he was going to die.

TODD: Charles Beall says he's just looking for anyone to tell him how to get Ouise on a medevac flight and he doesn't know where to start. I offer to take him to the U.S. military command center which is right next to a field hospital. As my photographer Floyd Jarmuth (ph) and I are huffing down there with him, we spot CNN's medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta. Dr. Gupta is a neurosurgeon and we ask him to take a look at Ouise.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: (INAUDIBLE) take a chopper or you've got to go to (INAUDIBLE) those are the only two places that have a CAT scanner. He needs a CAT scan.

TODD: We all pile in the SUV and head for the field hospital. While we wait outside, Ouise is given some medication inside and quickly stabilized. Minutes later, he's brought out, taken to a chopper and airlifted to the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort.

Later, Beall tells me how he was able to get the boy on the tarmac even though he's not officially connected with any aid group.

BEALL: So I talked to a couple of police officers downtown into riding in front of us, and then I hired a car. We placed the boy in a private vehicle, the two police officers led us all the way through.

TODD: He says he talked his way through three checkpoints at the airport. I then spoke to one of the doctors who treated the boy.

(on camera): What would have happened if he had been held up outside the airport? If somebody hadn't let this guy in, what would have happened?

MAJ. SHEA BRANNAN, U.S. AIR FORCE DOCTOR: Who knows. He was critical. He was sick. He was very critical when he got here.

TODD (voice-over): We are later told that Ouise was in stable condition onboard the Comfort.

One commander at the airport told me, this wasn't just one guy sweet-talking his way onto the tarmac. He said officials at the checkpoints look at who's coming through and if they can see that patients like this boy need critical care, they'll let them through.

Brian Todd, CNN, Port-au-Prince.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And this programming note, be sure to watch "HOPE FOR HAITI NOW," a global telethon hosted by musician Wyclef Jean and George Clooney. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta report live from the earthquake zone, that's tonight 8:00 Eastern right here at CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Some of you have decided that this is the year to lose weight. Well, there are all sorts of ways to get it done. Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at one that incorporates prayer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): It's a Wednesday afternoon at Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church near Augusta, Georgia, but some parishioners aren't here just for the gospel, they're here to lose weight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't drink any sodas.

YVONNE DENT, FIT BODY & SOUL INSTRUCTOR: I ate more salad. Even I ate raw vegetables.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really made a big effort to walk.

GUPTA: It's called the Fit Body & Soul Program. Initially part of a study by the Medical College of Georgia, and now an indispensable program for churchgoers and community members alike.

DENT: And we do not want our health, our weight to hinder us from doing what you have willed for us to do in this world.

We're trying to educate folks on the point of, you know, the high incidence of diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, cancer and stuff amongst African-Americans.

GUPTA: The tenets are simple -- diet, exercise, food journaling and community support, all of it resting on the backbone of faith.

DENT: In everything that we do, we always pray. We're here to support each other with prayer and with scripture.

GUPTA: And the results? They have been promising.

RODNEY EDMOND, ASSOCIATE PASTOR, WATER BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH: I lost 30 pounds. My life lost 25 pounds during the whole thing. Blood pressure went down, cholesterol level went down, so we were very pleased.

DENT: My goal was eight pounds, but I've reached ten pounds and I've kept it off, like, a year and a half.

GUPTA: But the Pastor Robert Ramsay says there's no secret to their success.

REV. ROBERT RAMSAY, WATER BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH: Food can be a powerful temptation and you need that inner strength to overcome that temptation. So I think every congregation can do it and they should endeavor to do this.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And as you have seen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta remains in Haiti. Join him tomorrow and Sunday morning for special reports on the devastation there, 7:30 Eastern, Saturday and Sunday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Here's what we're working on for the next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Haiti out of the rubble and into the light. We will talk to an American rescue team about the highs and lows, the terror and the triumphs of what they do.

Plus, my conversation with Nigerian-Americans about their homeland. They are loyal Americans who love their African homeland and don't understand why Nigeria is on the U.S. "Countries of Interest" list.

All that, and more, just ahead in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: President Obama takes his message about jobs and the economy to a hard-hit area of the country today. The president is in Ohio right now, he is holding a town hall meeting in just a few hours.

Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us from Elyria. And, Ed, let's start with this, maybe you can give us an idea of why the president has decided on Ohio today?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, if you think about yesterday when the president was beating up on Wall Street, it was sort of shades of Al Gore in the 2000 campaign talking about the people versus the powerful, very populist. Today, in hard- hit Ohio, it may be a little bit more of Bill Clinton in 1992, I feel your pain.

As you say, this is a very hard-hit area. The president came here as a presidential candidate to this community outside Cleveland and unemployment has only gotten worse. In fact, we have new information just breaking this morning that, in fact, unemployment in the state of Ohio has gone from 10.6 percent to 10.9 percent. So it's much worse than the national average. And you have got the House republican leader John Boehner, who hails from the Buckeye State, saying this shows the stimulus does not work.

Now obviously, the president is going to try to make the case that things would be even worse if not for the stimulus, the $787 billion that came in his first 100 days. But as you know and as the White House acknowledges, less bad is still not good enough for a lot of people in states like Ohio. And that's why the president is out here, especially after that Massachusetts special election, trying to say, I feel your pain, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. And, Ed, let's push ahead to next week, the State of the Union Address. I'm curious, will the president lay out a proposal for a second stimulus program?

HENRY: Well, as you know, the White House has been very careful not to call it a second stimulus, because then that will play in to the republican charges that, look, the first one didn't work, so now they're rushing on up a second one.

Nevertheless, you'll remember at the beginning of December the president gave a major economic speech back in Washington and basically laid out, no matter what you call it, it's a second recovery plan of some kind. It was going to have the "Cash for Caulkers" program, the Energy Efficiency program to try to create some jobs. Number two, it was going to have more transportation spending; number three, some business, small business tax cuts.

But what's interesting is it hasn't really gone anywhere so far in the last month or so. President likely, we're told by his aides, to give it another push in the State of the Union speech Wednesday night, his first State of the Union Address to the nation.

But he's dealing with a whole new dynamic back on Capitol Hill now, not just on a health care. And if he's going to get something like that through, he's going to have to sweeten it for republicans now to get it through the Senate where they no longer have the supermajority. So he may have to add some more tax cuts, for example, if he's going to win over some republican votes -- Tony.

HARRIS: There you go, senior White House correspondent Ed Henry. And, Ed, in Elyria, Ohio, grab a pirogue for me, Ed.

HENRY: I will.

HARRIS: Live coverage of the president's town hall meeting during the 2:00 p.m. hour of the CNN NEWSROOM with Ali Velshi.

And next Wednesday, watch President Obama deliver his State of the Union Address right here on CNN. Our primetime coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

You know, instead of honoring one everyday person doing extraordinary things as our CNN Hero of the Week, we've decided to salute the heroes in Haiti, everyday people showing tremendous courage and resilience since the earthquake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of the worst ever natural disasters in the western hemisphere couldn't have chosen a more fragile target. Through it all, the Haitian people have rallied their strength and persevered. People dig through rubble with their bare hands, searching for trapped relatives and rescuing neighbors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to go to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's alive? Is she OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she's OK, she's alive.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Survivors share food and water, and in random moments, high above the ruins, a new sound, hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. Because God is with me.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: In the midst of grave tragedy, the Haitian people remain hopeful, embracing life and each other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)