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Remembering Alexander Haig; Conservatives Plot Strategy; Your Relationship with Money; Vancouver Watch; Showdown in Men's Speed Skating; Seatbelt PSA Goes Viral; Teachers Take Zero Gravity Flight to Promote Science
Aired February 20, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Do you spend it as fast as the government prints it? A personal finance expert is here to help you understand and improve your relationship with your money this hour.
And in the next hour at 3:00 Eastern Time, we're on a roll with an artist who used over 14,000 dice in an amazing mosaic and an OzAds (ph) favorite for a viral video.
And coming your way in 4:00 Eastern hour, you can't have the Winter Olympics without a figure skating controversy. Former champ Elvis Stojko is here to fill us in on the latest twists and turns.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.
A man of dignity and honor, Alexander Haig is being remembered today for his service to country, both in the military and in government. The four-star general, former Secretary of State and one- time presidential candidate died this morning at the age of 85.
President Obama called Haig, quote, "A great American who served our country with distinction." His statement continues on this way, "General Haig exemplified our finest warrior-diplomat tradition of those who dedicate their lives to public service. He enjoyed a remarkable and decorated career. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family." That from the President of the United States.
Haig served three Republican presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.
Bill Bennett was also in the Reagan cabinet and remembers him this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BENNETT, NATIONAL TALK RADIO HOST: He's used to being in command. He was used to the kind of discipline and ethos of the military and, of course, civilian life and civilian politics is different.
But he served his country well and for that he should be remembered. I always say, take a man in the totality of his actions, and if you look at Al Haig and the totality of his actions, he comes out very well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Bill Bennett is just one of the big names in Washington today. It's the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Let's go to our political editor Mark Preston who's there. So, what are people saying about General Haig? I know there was a big announcement made earlier today. But, in general, what are - how are people reacting?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you know, Fred, certainly there was an audible gasp when it was announced this morning that Mr. Haig had passed away.
However, I have to tell you that this is a very, very young audience here. About 10,000 people have attended this conference organized let's say over the past three days. I would say about 7,000 of them are college-aged students. So, a lot of them probably didn't know a whole lot about Alexander Haig. But, again, a lot of sorrow, a lot of remembrance right now for Mr. Haig.
WHITFIELD: So, let's talk about this audience, mostly very young people. You said, 7,000 who are pretty young. So what's the objective here and their involvement in this CPAC?
PRESTON: Well, I'll tell you, you know, it's almost like college spring break here, Fred. No question. You have a lot of these young folks walking around. They're talking about limited government. They're talking about less taxes.
But, you know, what I found interesting is that the social issues are not dividing this next generation of conservative leaders. There might be some that don't agree with same-sex marriage, that might not agree with abortion, but they're not arguing with those that do. They really have this common bond, is that it comes down to fiscal issues, and most importantly they want the federal government to stay out of their lives.
That's what we've heard over the past three days. And when they head home after this weekend, interestingly enough, they're going to be going home with lots of posters and paraphernalia that you wouldn't normally see, I would think, on college campuses, which tend to be rather liberal.
WHITFIELD: And so what about the Tea Party movement - the Tea Party movement having its first convention just a couple of weeks back in national? Is there much talk about how the Tea Party movement might be helping the conservative movement or might be dividing it?
PRESTON: Well, you know, Fred, a - a great question. You know, there's been a lot of talk, will the Tea Party movement actually split the Republican Party in November? Will they try to run candidates that are more conservative than, say, more centrist Republicans? I have to tell you, though, the Tea Party movement has been embraced here at CPAC and there really seems to be a general acknowledgement that they can't divide the Republican Party. If they want to try to win back Congress, they can't divide the Republican Party, if they want to take back the White House in 2012.
In fact, the Tea partiers held a - a happy hour last night where people streamed into it, open bar. They talked a lot about just limited government theme. But there wasn't a talk about taking over the Republican Party. Yes, they do want candidates that are more conservative, but they're more pragmatic, Fred, than what most people would come to believe.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mark Preston, thanks so much at the CPAC convention in Washington.
All right. Also in Washington, First Lady Michelle Obama in the spotlight this morning at the Nation's Governors Meeting. They opened up their winter meeting in Washington.
And in her address to the group, Mrs. Obama talked about her campaign against childhood obesity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Our kids didn't do this to themselves.
Our kids didn't decide whether there's time for recess or gym class or our kids don't decide what's served to them in the school cafeteria. Our kids don't decide whether to build playgrounds and parks in their neighborhoods or whether to bring supermarkets and farmer's markets to their communities.
We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And if - even if it doesn't feel like we're in charge, we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Monday, President Obama will meet with the governors at the White House.
New York Governor David Paterson has kicked off his bid for a full four-year term. His announcement this morning at Hofstra University. Political pundits are predicting State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, son of former governor Mario Cuomo, will challenge Paterson in a Democratic primary. Paterson got the job back in 2008 after former Governor Eliot Spitzer quit over a sex scandal.
And in Southern Afghanistan now, NATO and Afghan forces meet stiff resistance as a major offensive against the Taliban enters its second week. The operation is taking place in Helmand Province along the border with Pakistan.
CNN's Atia Abawi is embedded with U.S. Marines and she reports that they're making some headway, but the Taliban are putting up a quite a fight. Afghan President Hamid Karzai opened parliament today in Kabul and he called on the Taliban to lay down their arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. HAMID KARZAI, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN (through translator): Here, once again, I call on the Taliban and other opposition groups who are fighting against their own country that the outcome of the fight can only mean problems and difficulties for this country.
Stop the fighting. Come and join your country and help us with the reconstruction of this nation and country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The offensive against the Taliban is NATO's largest in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
All right. So, is your debt spiraling out of control? You may need to take a hard look at your relationship with money. We've got some tips straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK. Take a look at the screen right there. That's the amount of debt that U.S. consumers currently carry - $13.6 trillion.
So how does your relationship to money actually impact your spending style? Financial planner Karen Lee joins us to talk about this and some tips on understanding that relationship and how you even get to the bottom of it.
This is really interesting because there's a real psychology of money, our relationship with money, how we spend it, save it, et cetera.
KAREN LEE, FINANCIAL PLANNER: Right.
WHITFIELD: What have you noticed about people and the behavior of, I guess, their relationship?
LEE: Well, for 23 years I've been a financial adviser, and in the early years, of course, I thought the amount a person earned - that would have a lot to do with how successful they were. And what I found was that both how much they earn, how much they've already got saved, very little impact on their financial success.
A hundred percent of the impact is this relationship with money, how they view, how they value money in their life today.
WHITFIELD: So where does it come from? It comes from, you know, just when you're a child and you're watching how your parents spend money or what they're teaching you? I mean, what do we do? LEE: A couple of things. Very impactful is the way you were raised, what messages did you get. Some people don't talk about money in their homes. You might have gotten nothing watching your parents and what they did.
And then your adult experience, what has happened to you in your life, how you interacted, and those things will form a current relationship that you now have and impact, just what you said, how you save and how you spend and also how you invest your money.
WHITFIELD: So right now you're in a situation where, you know, your money is out of control, et cetera. I mean, you can't blame your parents anymore because now you're an adult and you've got to fix it.
LEE: Right.
WHITFIELD: How do you approach that?
LEE: Well, the - the reason I'm here and want to speak out about this is that I think that everyone is trying to fix it at a high level, putting Band-Aids on problems. I'm going to stop my credit card debt from spiraling out of control. And what we really need to do is step back just a little bit and say why am I doing this in the first place?
And the analogy I like to use is if you were an alcoholic and you were trying to - you said, I know I've got trouble. I'm going to quit drinking. Would it be easier to quit if you take a look at why you drink in the first place and came up with some alternatives to coping?
And that's what I think about money. If you're having these issues where your money is spiraling out of control...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEE: ... maybe we should take a look at what money means to you.
WHITFIELD: So, President Obama just recently, you know, announced - you're talking about a $1.5 billion program to help unemployed or underwater borrowers, for one, so they can get themselves out of trouble, this being in five states hit - hit hardest by the housing crisis. How is this going to help, especially if - maybe if you've gotten yourself into trouble because of this relationship with money that you're talking about?
LEE: Well, again...
WHITFIELD: How much did it help?
LEE: I - I don't know how much it's going to help the people who are currently in trouble. The - the question we have to look at is, we don't - we've got to stop the bailing out. When we bail out and make things all better, people don't learn lessons.
WHITFIELD: And not everyone gets bailed out. LEE: And that is one of the things about this bill that I think is going to be a - a real problem is that what about all the other states?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEE: Maybe they don't have the highest unemployment, but I think President Obama is going to have some people saying, this is not fair. I've got trouble, too.
I do think that with the housing situation that they're looking at the things that a lender can do, longer terms, lower the interest rates, and all that's good. The lender will get hurt in that. They're the ones who gave a loan that maybe shouldn't have been given in the first place, but with trouble with the implication that they should do allow principal reductions.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. Now, you know, you've got student loans.
LEE: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Too many Americans are just simply strapped with that debt. Kids are graduating from college. Yay, I got a degree, but I've got a sizeable debt.
LEE: And, apparently, this is actually new information to me that student loan debts are not wiped out with bankruptcy, like all other debts are. So did you see the article that was this woman who has $555,000 of student loan debt?
WHITFIELD: Of debt. Didn't know that (ph).
LEE: And, of course, she'd like - she'd like to declare bankruptcy.
WHITFIELD: Right.
LEE: It's not going to be an issue.
WHITFIELD: But you can't.
LEE: Right. For kids that are just now coming out of college, the most important information they can have is know exactly the terms of that loan. Know if there's a way to defer it.
There's sometimes - if it's a government loan, they're pretty flexible in terms of maybe if you went into the military. If a teaching degree, you could work at an inner city school or high-risk school. There are certain ways of getting deferral or forgiveness on these loans.
But most importantly, there's a personal obligation when you take a loan out, understand it and make those payments.
WHITFIELD: Yes, especially after you've gotten your college education. LEE: Sure.
WHITFIELD: You got something out of it. You do now have to pay it, but...
LEE: And if you - if you can't make that payment, if you're coming - call the lender before you miss it. Don't wait.
WHITFIELD: But part of the big problem, too, is you graduate, you get this debt, but you can't find a job. So now you can't pay it back.
LEE: Right. Right. Well, you know, in that case, I will say there's - there's some things - maybe we've got too many people getting student loans in the first place. How about community college for a few years, maybe transfer to a higher level school at that point so you can say you graduated from.
When I read that article, how does a person acquire $250,000 in student debt but then balloons to that amount?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEE: That's extraordinary.
WHITFIELD: And - and now let's talk about credit card debt because too many young people are graduating from college, you know, and they don't just have student loan debt to deal with, you know. Now they've got the bad debt, which is the credit card debt.
LEE: Right. So...
WHITFIELD: And everything changes on Monday.
LEE: Yes, correct. And the best...
WHITFIELD: Putting a clamp on that.
LEE: The best change in that reform that's coming out Monday is the limiting of credit to students or kids, anybody, 21 years or less. If they cannot show income, they would have to have a co-signer on that loan with them for the credit card. So that's great.
And there's - I thought a very funny thing about that. They're - they're saying that credit card companies must stay 1,000 feet or more away from college campuses if they're offering free pizzas. It reminds me of the...
WHITFIELD: I remember. What? I remember freshman year. I mean, first of all, I didn't even know that I could, you know, qualify to have my own credit card.
LEE: Right.
WHITFIELD: But I remember, you know, those first couple of days of, you know... LEE: When I read that, there I thought...
WHITFIELD: ... getting used to campus life, and there were desks, you know, throughout campus with people handing out...
LEE: Free pizza.
WHITFIELD: ... an instant presto credit.
LEE: Well, I chuckle...
WHITFIELD: I didn't take on - take it on. I'm so glad I didn't but...
LEE: Right. Good. I chuckled when I read that part of the reform because it reminded me of how a convicted sex felon has to stay 1,000 feet away from a elementary schools, and I thought that's how we're viewing credit card companies now. They're bad.
WHITFIELD: Right. All right. We're going to have a lot of questions...
LEE: OK.
WHITFIELD: ... from people who have sent us so many interesting questions via my Facebook and blog, and we want to pose to you to kind of help them try to manage this. And some really are rooted in the whole relationship with money. What do I do right now?
CNN.com/fredricka is where you can send some - send some of those questions as well as my Facebook, Fredericka Whitfield CNN and we'll get some of those questions on. Karen Lee will answer them, and hopefully you will be in financial straight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. A look at the top stories right now.
A new concern for Americans who use the diabetes drug Avandia. A Senate report says the drug is linked to tens of thousands of heart attack and drug maker GlaxoSmithKline knew of the risks for years but worked to keep them from going public. The drug maker says it rejects any claims that Avandia is not safe.
A key question for investigators in Texas, was the man who flew a plane into an office building Thursday in Austin trying to maximize the damage? The pilot, Joe Stack, apparently was enraged at the IRS, which has offices in that building. A law enforcement official says he may have removed seats from the plane and replaced them with a drum full of fuel before the crash.
And frightening moment on a flight today from the U.S. to Japan. Eighteen people were hurt when the United Airlines flight from Washington to Tokyo experienced turbulence. The plane landed safely in the Japanese capital. The injured were taken to hospitals, but there is no word on the extent of those injuries. Pretty scary stuff.
All right. We're back now with financial planner Karen Lee. And we've got some questions that you have been submitting online, on my Facebook, as well as on my blog. We talked about the relationship that you may have with money, and that kind of precipitated a lot of questions from you at home.
So let's begin with this one. And this person says, "Let's say I'm $4,000 in debt and I'm thinking about buying a home. Can I pay off half the debt and still buy a home?" That's from Theron (ph).
What do you think, Karen?
LEE: I - I think the answer is, sure.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEE: The question is, are you going to take the time to sit down and figure out, on your current income, do you have enough money set aside for emergencies in case you lose your job?
You need to be able to have enough net income that you can make the house payment, continue to pay down that debt, and also, of course, you've got to have your other monthly expenses as well. So I think, yes, you can, but tread cautiously.
WHITFIELD: And I guess it also depends on what's the home that you're looking at, how much is that.
LEE: Well, now, that will all lead to what is this payment that you're going to try to afford. Keep it low. Keep it as low as possible.
WHITFIELD: OK. And Morgan is asking this, "I live on disability and social security. I have a $60,000 mortgage and $6,000 in credit card debt. No savings. What advice can you give to people like me hanging on with a good credit score, but - but one emergency from a disaster?" That's a lot of people, actually.
LEE: Yes. That's very scary times. The main thing I would do is I call both my mortgage lender and my credit card company and I would just ask if there's any kind of relief available for me, programs that they can offer lowering interest rates, freezing some of those interest rates.
The mortgage, how soon had she gotten that mortgage? Maybe it's something that - rates are so low right now, she might go to refinance, even lower.
WHITFIELD: Are lenders really that pliable? Are they really negotiable right now and trying to reduce rates?
LEE: I'm hearing that they are. I'm hearing if you make a call in good faith before you're in trouble that they are working with people.
WHITFIELD: OK.
All right, this coming from Shelly. Shelly says, "I have a preexisting condition so I do everything in my power to keep my job that I hate that doesn't even pay that well. I yearn to start my own business, something I would enjoy and has the potential to make me richer. The only thing really stopping me is my insurance. What can I do?"
That's pretty scary. You want to hold on to your job if you've got insurance.
LEE: You sure do.
First of all, I recommend to anyone getting ready to start their own business, keep your day job. Work double time. Work weekends. Work night (AUDIO GAP), dream to build your own business but do it while you still have a regular job in place.
The insurance is going to continue to be a problem if she does decide to - depending on what her preexisting condition is, if she does start her own business, she'll still have to get her own health insurance plan. So she might be a person that's looking at long term, having to have a job, but it doesn't have to be one she hates.
Maybe there's a job at a retail institution or Starbucks that you'd love spending a little time at, you could get some insurance and do your - your business on the side.
WHITFIELD: OK. And Mary is asking this, "I filed chapter 7 bankruptcy. I'm employed. How long, realistically, will I need to wait until I can qualify for a home loan?"
LEE: Sadly, I think we're looking at about 10 years.
WHITFIELD: Ten years?
LEE: Seven to 10 years.
WHITFIELD: Was there - was there - OK. I was going to say wasn't there a seven-year thing?
LEE: Seven to 10. And - and you know what? I - I think we'll find out over time, again, it's going to be up to the lending institutions to see what wiggle room they decide to give people. But it's going to be a while.
WHITFIELD: Yes. You know what's really interesting, when we talked about the relationship of - that people have with money, and - and you talked about how there's a real psychology here.
LEE: That's huge.
WHITFIELD: You - you're starting to feel like a therapist more than you are a financial planner. LEE: I do. Right.
WHITFIELD: What's the, you know, bit of advice that you give people who come to you who are really, you know, underwater, in debt, whether it's their home, you know, mortgage, or whether it's their credit card debt.
LEE: Right.
WHITFIELD: What do you tell them about trying to recoup or redesign their relationship with money to help get themselves out of it?
LEE: The first thing is when they flash the kits (ph) before, come clean. Be honest. Lay it all out on the table to someone. And it doesn't have to be a financial adviser. It could be your best friend. It could be your parent, if they have good financial skills.
We got to quit hiding these secrets that we have about money and just lay it out on the table and then start a process of trying to rebuild.
WHITFIELD: Something I thought was really fascinating, something you said earlier, kind of off the air is that, you know, oftentimes people who have substantial incomes, who seem to have it all, are probably - or are oftentimes kind of in the worst shape. Why is that? What's root of that?
LEE: Well, I would - I guess the point I was trying to make there, Fred, is that these issues of people having bizarre relationships with money exist at all socioeconomic levels. It's not just our lower class or our middle class. It is at all levels.
Sometimes the more income people have, the more they spend because they think, well, that income's always going to be there for me and they can actually get themselves in even deeper. I see it all the time.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
All right. Karen Lee, thanks so much. I know folks really appreciate you answering their questions too, getting some great free advice...
LEE: No problem. Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: ... keeping us all in our financial straights. And our boundaries.
LEE: And good luck to everybody getting through this time.
WHITFIELD: All right. All right. Karen, thanks so much.
LEE: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, a hot rivalry on a - a very cold track. U.S. speed skater Chad Hendrick wants the gold today, but he's got to get past Shani Davis first, and that might be a little tricky.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Georgian luger who was killed during a training run at the Olympics was laid to rest today. Nodar Kumaritashvili was buried in his home village
The 21-year-old athlete flew off the track hours before the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, his body thrown against a metal support column. Georgia's president says the country will build a training center in honor of the luger.
In fact, let's go to Vancouver now and CNN's Mark McKay. He's checking in with us to give us some news about the women's Super G. What do you have?
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I can do that, Fred.
It's a scintillating race up at Whistler Mountain still underway at this hour. The women's Super G, another Alpine event on a brilliant Saturday here at the Vancouver Olympic games.
U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn, it's considered her best race, but, at the moment, it not a - the best position for Vonn. She sits third overall, with Austria's Andrea Fischbacher leading the way. We'll keep an eye on Vonn as she goes for her second medal here at the games.
Later this Saturday, we switch over to the Richmond skating oval. It's where the men will compete in the 1500 meter speed skating event. U.S. teammates Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick will be battling for the gold with their battles at the Torino Games now in the past.
Hedrick is a tough competitor and even tougher on himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCKAY (voice-over): By most measures, Chad Hedrick's 2006 Olympics was a huge success. He won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal in his Olympic debut. Impressive by most standards, just not his own.
CHAD HEDRICK, WON 3 MEDALS IN 2006 OLYMPICS: I'm here to be the best. I don't train going to win a medal, I train to win a gold medal. I think that's the difference between me and other people at times. And it may rub people the wrong way, but that's how I was raised.
MCKAY: Hedrick's Texas swagger did seem to rub his own teammate wrong in Torino, where he and Shani Davis dueled not only on the ice but in the media, as well, bashing each other over perceived sleights that others saw as just that, slight.
CATHERINE RANEY NORMAN, 4-TIME OLYMPIC SPEED SKATER: I think what happened in '06 was unfortunate. And you know, I think the two of them are just competitors. So I think it got blown out of proportion a bit, and the two of them, they're just competitive. That's it.
HEDRICK: Last time, the media, everything, it just turned into a big circus. The Shani and I thing is history. It's over. We're competitive guys. We drive each other to be the best we can be. And that's -- that's what it is.
MCKAY: If Hedrick wasn't happy with his three medals and one large distraction in Torino, satisfying himself in Vancouver may be even tougher. Now married and with a baby daughter, the 32-year-old is still trying to regain his Olympic form after taking time away from the sport.
HEDRICK: It's been an uphill battle for the past couple of years. Speed skating is all about the Olympics. It's not about World Cup. It's not about world championships. It's about coming every four years and showing the world what you have. And I feel like I have a lot to show the world again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKAY: He's already shown the world that he can win an Olympic bronze medal here at Vancouver. But when it comes to that battle with Shani Davis, Fred, Hedrick realizes where he stands because Shani has won, meaning a gold already in the bag, Hedrick says, so the pressure is on me tonight.
WHITFIELD: Yes, he wants that other shot. All right, let's talk about the short track now. History once again could be made tonight.
MCKAY: By Apollo Anton Ono (ph), looking forward to going into his short track speed skating race, the 1,500. And if he pulls up a medal off the podium, he will come away as the winningest winter Olympian in U.S. history. He is currently tied with Bonnie Blair (ph) for that honor. Seven medals would put Apollo at the very top. He tweeted earlier, said, Tonight's going to be crazy! Bring it on.
(LAUGHTER)
MCKAY: So we'll be watching for it.
WHITFIELD: All right, and potentially may see him doing this, you know, holding up two fingers and the five. All right, thanks so much, Mark McKay, appreciate that, from a beautiful day there in Vancouver.
Well, perhaps you want to own a piece of sports history yourself. The ski resort hosting the Alpine events could be sold off during the Olympics. The New York hedge fund that owns the Whistler Black Home (ph) ski resort is behind on payments. And in fact, an auction was going to be held yesterday, but creditors have pushed a sale back to next Friday, two days before the closing ceremonies. The owners could avoid an auction by actually filing for bankruptcy.
So who would think a public service announcement about seatbelts would turn into a worldwide phenomenon. Our Josh Levs has that and -- it started with a very simple message? JOSH LEVS, CNN: Yes, Fred, it started as a simple message. Take a look.
Now, this video has had views in the millions. You'll see what has people talking and buckling up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's a question all sorts of organizations actually face. How do you get people to do something important without being preachy? Well, one man has actually found an answer in one case, and it's now a worldwide phenomenon. Our Josh Levs is here to explain all this.
LEVS: Actually (INAUDIBLE) going to see it for the first time, just like you are. I mean, very -- not -- you know, it's had views in the millions, but most people still haven't seen it yet. This started off as a way of trying to get people to wear their seatbelts, and it became a video that's now being praised by people all over the world for its beauty. Here it is.
(VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. That gave me chills.
LEVS: Yes. I know. Me, too. It's amazing. So -- and every time, I get a little verklempt. I'm just saying that as a father, as a husband. You see that, and it's just -- it's -- there's no car. There's no seatbelt. But it's telling you this message -- Do this, stay alive with your family. It's so amazing.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and very simple, with the arms and "Embrace life."
LEVS: Yes. And the music. Come on!
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: So I reached out to the director. I talked to him by Skype...
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK!
LEVS: ... and asked him what was his thinking behind this. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL COX, DIRECTOR, "EMBRACE LIFE": The inspiration for "Embrace Life" came from wanting to offer a positive message towards road safety, really. A lot of the campaigns focus on the more graphic and horrific outcomes of accidents, whereas I really wanted to bring people into the conversation. The house represents a safety area, an area of where you're normally surrounded by your loved ones, and the car can be an extension of that. It's not only yourself that's impacted if something unfortunately goes wrong, but also a family -- family and friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: So it just went up on the Web about three week ago. It's already had just in one spot alone, about a half million views.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my.
LEVS: And it's been copied elsewhere on the Web, so easily more than two million views already. He's going to be a pretty big deal director pretty soon.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: I mean, I think this guy's (INAUDIBLE) about films and stuff.
Since we're talking about this issue, I want to tell everybody about seatbelt safety in America (INAUDIBLE) I have some statistics for you. Take a look at these right here, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Reduces the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent. Seatbelt use is credited with saving more than 13,000 lives in 2008. And they say that seatbelt use in America is now up to 84 percent. It's been going up each year. They keep looking for new, fresh campaigns to get even more people to do it.
Who would think this little place in England, in Sussex, England, would be the place that would create this viral -- nothing against Sussex. You just don't see it coming, right?
WHITFIELD: Yes. No, it's incredible.
LEVS: Created this video that now is all over the world. It's being carried by countries all over the world. There's no words in it, doesn't need to be translated. Every continent's got that thing playing on TV now. It's all over the place.
WHITFIELD: What an incredible accomplishment because the message is simple.
LEVS: Right. Use seatbelts.
WHITFIELD: It's been conveyed.
LEVS: Stay alive.
WHITFIELD: And as you mentioned -- did you say a half million?
LEVS: Oh, no, more. It's already had, in one place alone, 1.5 million views. Then it's elsewhere, too, so I'm confident saying it's had more than 2 million views already.
WHITFIELD: Wow. That's incredible.
LEVS: Yes. It's amazing. WHITFIELD: Well, you know, it's still -- I guess it's still perplexing and surprising why people choose not to, when you choose not to wear a seatbelt.
LEVS: Right.
WHITFIELD: The more you wear it, the more you get used to it, so you can't use the excuse that it's just not comfortable and it interferes with my driving. Wear your seatbelt! Simple as that.
LEVS: (INAUDIBLE) grew up with it. Some people think they've got too much stuff with them. But those kind of statistics, 45 percent, reduces the injury in America, fatal injury, 45 percent.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: Just do it.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's great. Thanks for bringing that to us.
LEVS: You got it.
WHITFIELD: We're going to see more of you later and more...
LEVS: Oh, yes. See you in a few.
WHITFIELD: ... videos, too, the former (ph) viral videos...
LEVS: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: ... the stuff you just can't get enough of. All right, Josh, appreciate that.
LEVS: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. President Barack Obama says Alexander Haig exemplified the warrior-diplomat. Haig died today at the age of 85. He worked for three Republican presidents, most recently as secretary of state for Ronald Reagan.
And conservatives plan a presidential straw poll today as their annual meeting in Washington closes out. Today's speakers at the CPAC meeting include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania.
And the NATO offensive in southern Afghanistan is in its second week now. A CNN correspondent embedded with U.S. troops says Taliban fighters are still putting up fierce resistance in the town of Marjah.
And a new strategy to make math and science cool to students, zero gravity flights for teachers. Tech guru Mario Armstrong -- well, he even took a spin himself.
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WHITFIELD: Teachers, politicians and corporate leaders say the U.S. is facing a crisis -- not enough students in math, engineering and science. So educators say one way to reverse that trend is to actually make those subjects cool and fun. Our tech guru, Mario Armstrong, joins us now from Washington.
MARIO ARMSTRONG, THEDIGITALSPIN.COM, NPR TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So one U.S. corporation is offering zero gravity flights to teachers. And I understand...
ARMSTRONG: That's right.
WHITFIELD: ... you actually participated, and you endorse it and say, yes, it's fun.
ARMSTRONG: Absolutely, Fredricka. I couldn't believe this. I actually went on this flight. It was amazing. You've got to get on this flight. Basically, what happens is, it's a specialized plane. It's done by Northrup (ph) Grumman Foundation. This program started in 2006. And it takes about 30 or so teacher and technology advocates, puts you into a plane and allows you to feel different levels of gravity. Yes, that's a great shot there!
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: And there you are with your gadgets, which we know you love.
ARMSTRONG: That's right. So people were -- teachers were doing all types of experiments and really trying to figure out what it feels like to ultimately be an astronaut. And all of this is videotaped so teachers can then take their experiences back into the classrooms and show this to students.
WHITFIELD: Oh, they're going to have to do that because, of course, the kids are going to look at the tape and say, Well, wait a minute. How come we can't do it?
ARMSTRONG: That's right!
WHITFIELD: So instead, it'll have to be the first-person experience from their teachers to really convey how cool and great it is and interesting, right?
ARMSTRONG: That's right. That's right. And this is so -- this is important. It's so critical. I mean, we're talking about in 2018, Fredricka, we will see about 1.4 million computer specialist jobs. That's a lot of jobs in technology. And we're seeing, though, a tremendous decline in the amount of women pursuing computer science, as well as other minorities, some numbers as high as 79 percent of a lack of interest in computer science majors from undergrads. That's a huge problem that we have to deal with.
WHITFIELD: That is huge. So another way to try to get particularly young girls involved in computer science or engineering, et cetera... ARMSTRONG: Right.
WHITFIELD: ... Barbie is now on board, Barbie always trying to stay...
ARMSTRONG: Can you believe it?
WHITFIELD: ... ahead of the game. And tell me what they're doing, you know, an old mainstay of the Barbie doll, to try and appeal to kids and particularly girls as it pertains to science and computer engineering.
ARMSTRONG: Yes, so listen to this. They ran a contest, Mattel ran a contest for everyone to choose Barbie's next career. So the public voted, Fredricka, and they voted for a computer engineer. And so...
WHITFIELD: Really?
ARMSTRONG: And of course -- just so you know, don't feel too bad. News anchor was, like, number two, so...
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: OK. I wasn't feeling bad, but glad you told me. OK.
ARMSTRONG: They are releasing a news anchor doll and a computer engineer doll in November. But so the deal is, though -- it's been met with some different conflict on line. Some people are really all about this doll. Some people think that the doll typifies stereotypes, and computer engineers don't -- women and computer engineers don't look like that. And I really have to say, look, I think it's about...
WHITFIELD: So we're talking about the dress, the dress of the doll we just saw.
ARMSTRONG: That's right, the style and the dress and the look. And my thing is this. Bottom line, old traditional ways are done. They're not working. Kids have lost interest. We need to bring tech to be cool again. We don't have the space race, like we did back in the day, to really get people excited about tech. So anything that can make it cool or anything that can make our teacher in science and math rock stars, I'm 100 percent behind that.
WHITFIELD: All right. The idea is, you know, to really hip-ify it all.
ARMSTRONG: That's right. I mean, you know, you see programs from Microsoft to Toshiba. I mean, even I have a non-profit called Tech Tech Boom to get more kids into this space. So it's very -- you know, it has to be cool. It has to be exciting. And then you will not believe what the kids do with the technology once you can get their interest.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, something that on the surface that doesn't seem so high tech. We're talking about a cow bell. We've hearing the cow bell during the winter games, not just this one but prior games, too. But now there is a way to kind of make it au courant. How?
ARMSTRONG: Oh! Can you believe it? I have it right here on my iPhone. And of course, I have to grab my Olympic medal here and put that on for you.
(LAUGHTER)
ARMSTRONG: And then I can do my cowbell on my iPhone. And you just shake your iPhone.
WHITFIELD: Oh! So is that what you were doing out there?
ARMSTRONG: So you can go, Go, USA!
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's kind of cute. So they really don't have the cowbell, not all of them. They actually -- some of these folks out there in Vancouver or Whistler, they have their iPhone (INAUDIBLE)
ARMSTRONG: They have their iPhone. They downloaded the free cowbell application, and they're out there just shaking away, saying, Go USA.
WHITFIELD: Oh, very cute. Very cute stuff. All right, Mario Armstrong, thanks so much, keeping us hip and cool and updated.
ARMSTRONG: You're welcome. I appreciate it.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate that.
ARMSTRONG: Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right.
ARMSTRONG: And look for that news anchor doll coming out in November.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes. Yes.
ARMSTRONG: I'll make sure to get you one.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes. Give me one more shake of that iPhone cowbell?
ARMSTRONG: You want the cowbell?
WHITFIELD: Yes, I like that.
ARMSTRONG: On our way out? Oh, I turned it -- oh, there we go.
WHITFIELD: All right. Go USA!
ARMSTRONG: Go USA! Vancouver!
WHITFIELD: OK! Go USA! Thanks, Mario. ARMSTRONG: All right, take care, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And of course, you can catch more of Mario Armstrong's tech segments Saturday mornings on the CNN NEWSROOM.
So one of our most popular segments is coming up. Josh Levs is here with a sneak peek. What you got, Josh?
LEVS: We got good stuff for you, Fred. This is really some exciting things. Let's show you this first video now. We're going to show you -- we always got a daredevil in the "Viral Video" rewind mix at 3:20 PM today. This guy uses a parasail in addition to skis to perform feats on a mountain unlike anything, trust me, you've ever seen before, and manages to always come out completely fine. We'll show you this and a lot more. Let's take a look at one more, too, so you'll get a little taste of what we've got coming up for you at 3:20 PM Eastern time today. Look at this, using dice to create portraits.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
LEVS: Then using those same dice to replace it with a different portrait!
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
LEVS: We'll show you how it's done. All of this coming up in what, 40 minutes, Fred, a little less. (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: Brilliant! OK, Josh. Thank you.
All right, and how about this for an escapee, in stripes, corralled on a busy rush hour freeway. And no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. That is indeed a zebra.
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WHITFIELD: All right, now to a few of our favorite water cooler stories that we just had to share with you this Saturday. Take a look at the video right now. So what's black and white and stopping traffic all over town? Yes, right there. Would you believe it was a zebra running loose on Atlanta's busiest highway? The runaway from the Ringling Brothers circus turned Thursday evening's rush hour into a circus until police and his handlers actually finally corralled him and loaded him into a trailer. Glad nobody got hurt there.
And here's another one that you've got to see to believe, a 75- year-old woman shopping at a Massachusetts 7-Eleven when an accused robber goes after the clerk behind the counter. And what does she do? She grabs the big handheld price scanner there and starts to simply flailing away. You go, granny! Police say the suspect made it out of the store with about $100 in cash, but it didn't take them long to track him down. She is fearless!
And when you drive on ice, you're supposed to slow down, right? Well, somebody forgot to tell these guys right here. This frozen lake in Wisconsin is their racetrack, and their tires actually have spikes that grip the ice. And they're taking to the curves like, you know, no one's business there. That's kind of fun.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's way fun!
WHITFIELD: Do you like the ice fishing thing?
JERAS: Do I like ice fishing?
WHITFIELD: Yes, do you do it? I mean, you're from Minnesota and...
JERAS: Yes. I've done it in the past.
WHITFIELD: So this is kind of tantamount to maybe that?
JERAS: Well, we used to have...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ... races on the ice, actually, kind of similar things.
WHITFIELD: Well!
JERAS: I think it was the St. Paul Winter Carnival that had those races.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my!
JERAS: So they're taking it to the next level there.
WHITFIELD: Jacqui, that's fun. I like it. I like it. Take it to the next level.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: I like it, too. Yes!
WHITFIELD: How's the weather picture looking for us this weekend?
JERAS: Well, you know, it depends on where you live, of course, as always. It's fantastic across the east. I mean, look at these temperatures, right? It's 60 in Atlanta.
WHITFIELD: Oh! I didn't know. We're inside!
JERAS: I know. It seems like crazy warm, but I looked it up, right, you know, climatologically to see how close to average we are. It's supposed to be, like, 58.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.
JERAS: So you know, it's, like, average. Yes! Right?
WHITFIELD: We just forgot because we've been in this, like, icy grip for so long.
JERAS: Yes. It's been cold for a long time. But change is on the way, per usual this time of the year.
WHITFIELD: OK.
JERAS: We've got cold air across parts of the north.
WHITFIELD: Take it away.
JERAS: OK. Let's show you the big picture for today. And most of the action happening across parts of the west. The east, as I said, is doing good, but in the west, we've got a series of storms that are going to bring in just this steady string of Pacific moisture and bringing in heavy snow across the mountains, and eventually some heavy snow tonight and tomorrow into the nation's midsection.
The meantime, spotty showers across California, some heavier rain here across parts of Arizona. And this is kind of the precursor to what's to come, the snow starting to come down across parts of Colorado, real heavy into the higher elevations (INAUDIBLE) we're going to see 12 to 24 inches, yes, plus, potentially into the higher elevations.
Now, the winter storm watches that have been posted in advance of the storm here across the nation's midsection, we're expecting to see a real heavy swath of snow somewhere right into this neighborhood. And this is going to be kicking up tonight throughout the day on Sunday and likely lasting into Monday morning.
Now, what you're seeing in Kansas City, this is just the beginning. This is the weakest of the waves. And then the heavy stuff we think comes tomorrow. Probably going to see a rain/sleet/snow mix, so just north of Kansas City, we'll see some heavier accumulations. Probably just south of Des Moines, over towards Ottumwa (ph) and the Quad Cities just north of Chicago and up into Milwaukee, we'll see those heavier bands of maybe 6 to 10 inches of snowfall. And the areas that are going to get some of the sleet mixing in can expect to see those lesser amounts.
So the big picture then here for your Sunday, showing you the two storm systems, one in the nation's midsection and then our next one coming in out west. And one other thing that we're watching here with these systems in the west is what we're going to be expecting with that shuttle landing tomorrow. You know, we've got high pressure over here. You would think clear skies, but we might get enough instability, especially with this approaching front, Fredricka, that we could have clouds and maybe some showers prohibiting that landing tomorrow.
You've got to have a backup. So as we look out at Edwards Air Force Base, they're going to expect to see rain showers. So White Sands in New Mexico might be the only option tomorrow. Of course, they might go ahead and expand that and try to land Monday instead. But we're likely still going to be seeing some rain showers especially across parts of Florida. So this is going to be interesting and something we'll be watching here at CNN in the next 24 and possibly up to 48 hours.
WHITFIELD: OK. So that could still be touch and go.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui, appreciate that.
Tiger Woods goes before the cameras and says he's sorry he cheated and disappointed so many. But is the apology and the public hug from his mom enough to get Tiger's sponsors back? At the top of the hour, I'll be joined by "USA Today" sports columnist Christine Brennan (ph).
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