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Tiger Woods' Apology, CPAC Conference, Al Haig's Death, Healthcare Reform; New Details on King Tut's Death

Aired February 20, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Tiger Woods is back in rehab in Mississippi today after giving a very public apology in a tightly controlled televised event. Yesterday, the golfing phenom apologized to his wife, family and fans for the much-publicized sex scandal. But Woods gave no indication of when he will return to the game that gave him his fame. And in case you missed it, here's some of his nearly 14-minute statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation and kids all around the world who admired me. I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So how did Tiger Woods' apology rate with his corporate sponsors? We'll look at that next after a look at some headlines.

Soldier-statesman Alexander Haig is dead at the age of 85. The four-star general served as a White House chief of staff and U.S. secretary of state and he ran for president back in 1988.

Take a look right now, live pictures from the CPAC Convention in Washington. Conservatives are winding up a three-day meeting with hopes of winning Congress in November.

And more stiff resistance in Afghanistan as coalition forces begin the second week of their offensive against the Taliban in Marjah.

So just about everybody is talking about Tiger Woods' very public apology. And if you miss it Woods yesterday admitted to a national televised audience that he "had affairs, was unfaithful and cheated on his wife." So was this a game-changer for golf's biggest star? Christine Brennan is a sports columnist with "USA Today." She joins us from Vancouver, British Columbia. Christine, I know that you thought that this was a breathtaking moment. Was this moment really to reach out to those sponsors, endorsements? Was this an apology really for them?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, "USA TODAY" SPORTS COLUMNIST: The breathtaking comment that I made was more just, wow, to see a man we're so used to seeing the fist pump Fredricka and on top of the world, now literally at rock bottom. So I think it's the beginning. If I were a sponsor, obviously I'm not, but if I were I wouldn't have anything to do with him right now. Obviously he wants to be left alone. He's got bigger issues than golf and earning money. It's about getting his life back in order, if we are to believe everything he said. I'm certainly going to take him at face value until we find out otherwise.

But I think the sponsors who are with him are probably happy that they're starting the road to wherever this is going, this story that is the fall from grace of all time. But I also think that there will be no new sponsors signing up. I mean, this is a guy out of the limelight. He is gone; he is not playing golf for the foreseeable future. So why, if you want to have someone endorse your with product, why would you pick him? Right now obviously I don't think that's the case.

WHITFIELD: And why does he do this? Why have this kind of forum, this press conference or not really a press conference, this televised statement take place now, months after the fact it was made very public?

BRENNAN: It sounds like it was because he had this 45 days in rehab. If that's the case, then here we are. Friday, of course, during a tournament that happened to be sponsored by Accenture who of course is one of his sponsors that publicly dropped him and understandably dropped him, of course, that was the Tiger of old. I've written that I'm not so sure he's changed a lot. I hope he has, for him and his family.

But this stick it to Accenture on Friday that was vintage Tiger from the past. So I don't see a lot of change there, even though those words sounded very nice and very heartfelt yesterday. Look at the timing and I think a lot of people would say, especially pr experts would say Fredricka, where was this in December or January to fill that void, the vacuum of all of the negative publicity?

WHITFIELD: And he said and we just heard it again in the statement, I do plan to return to golf. When I do, I'll be more respectful of the game. Did this sound to you that he is hoping to return to the game of golf this year? Did you hear kind of more of a long-term pitch from him?

BRENNAN: I would say long term. We don't know. Number one answer here is, we have no idea. Having said that I will venture a guess that we will not see him this year. And that is huge, obviously.

WHITFIELD: And how damaging is that for him? How damaging is that for the game of golf, the sport of golf, the business of golf?

BRENNAN: Oh, it's huge because they take a 50 percent hit when he's not there. So jobs will be lost. There will be tournaments that won't have the fans that show up otherwise. TV ratings will plummet. They already have. That's that. But I think we're looking at the issue of a man who is trying to get his life together. That's the number one thing I heard.

The fact that golf was mentioned so late in this press conference, almost as an afterthought, again, that's the breathtaking part of this. This is the number one golfer in the world, the number one athlete in the United States and around the world. The fact that this is almost an afterthought I think tells me that he won't be coming back anytime soon.

WHITFIELD: Does it make you kind of wonder, too, why wouldn't he just say, I'm just going to get back to my life, get back to the game of golf, his real first love, and let everyone else kind of get over what he's been through and allow him to get on with his life? Instead it seems like he is delaying his life to patch these things up publicly and perhaps even privately.

BRENNAN: If you want to be cynical, you could say it's all a pr move, it is all calculated. Tiger is one of the most calculating and corporate-driven men in sports. He is the number one with not letting anyone past that wall and into his psyche. So if you want to be cynical you could say it's all an act. If you want to believe him, you could say this is a man in deep, deep, deep trouble who realizes it.

He's a very smart guy. He gets it and he doesn't care about golf because he knows he has far bigger problems. If that's the way you look at it, a much more pro-Tiger view, which I would like to say, keep an open mind on that. Then if that's the way you look at it, we've got a man who is at rock bottom, as I said, and golf is the farthest thing from his mind. And that is, of course, a shocker, but that's where this story has taken us, at least to this point.

WHITFIELD: "USA Today" sports columnist, Christine Brennan, thanks so much. Enjoy Vancouver as well.

BRENNAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk politics now. Some big-name Republicans are in D.C. today and most, if not all, want one thing, President Obama's job. They're wrapping p up the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. If there is one theme, it's their vow of a comeback in this year's midterm elections. Today's finale is a result of the group's presidential straw poll. Former house speaker Newt Gingrich addressed the crowd within just the past hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, (R) FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: I believe that the radical left is a secular, socialist machine so dedicated to values destructive of America that if it is allowed to remain in power, whether that's in Sacramento or that's in Albany or that's in the city council or that is in the federal government, that machine is antithetical to the survival of America as a prosperous, healthy country based on sound principles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In addition to Gingrich, other CPAC presidential straw polls choices include Mississippi Governor Haley Barber, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

He was a soldier and statesman. Alexander Haig also ran for president, but he never could live down his response to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Haig died this morning. We'll take a look back on his very long political career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Former secretary of state Alexander Haig has died. The Haig family says he died today at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore from complications associated with an infection. Haig was 85. Despite a long career in the military and in politics, Haig will always be remembered for remarks he made just after the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan back in 1981. Wolf Blitzer reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER HAIG: As of now, I am in control here in the White House.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the confusion after President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Alexander Haig, his dynamic secretary of state, unintentionally put himself in a tough spot. Haig said he wasn't bypassing the rules of constitutional succession, just trying to manage the crisis until the vice president arrived. The criticism that followed was relentless. Many say it doomed Haig's political ambitions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially the way it was presented, by the media with some assistance from the White House staff.

BLITZER: But Haig had practiced dealing with turmoil. As White House chief of staff during Richard Nixon's presidency, he had a hand in crisis management during the Watergate scandal. Nixon as history notes facing certain impeachment over the scandal, resigned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out your notebook. There's more.

BLITZER: For a time, there was even a thought that Haig might have been deep throat, the mysterious character depicted in the movie "All the President's Men" that leaked the information to the reporters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you thought I'd help?

BLITZER: Something he consistently denied.

HAIG: I concluded it was probably a high official in the FBI.

BLITZER: Haig spent more than 30 years in the U.S. army fighting in Korea and Vietnam. Among the honors in his highly decorated military career, the distinguished service cross for heroism in combat in Vietnam. He was the supreme allied commander of NATO forces in Europe for five years.

As Reagan's secretary of state, Haig tried to mediate between Britain and Argentina to head off a war over the islands in 1982. But his attempt at diplomacy failed. Haig was considered a hawk on foreign policy in the Reagan administration that often put him at odds with other voices who had the president's ear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The problem was that some of his palace guard had other axes to grind.

BLITZER: It eventually led to his departure after just 18 months on the job.

RONALD REGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: With great regret, I have accepted the resignation of secretary of state Al Haig.

BLITZER: He disagreed with the president's controversial plan on aid to the contras and opposed Reagan's handling of Iran.

HAIG: When I left the administration because I couldn't bring those differences into any meaningful change.

BLITZER: Haig often liked to say he had served seven presidents. In 1988, the retired four-star army general decided he wanted the job for himself. He was considered a dark horse for the Republican presidential nomination. And pulled out before the New Hampshire primary. Friends say Haig was one heck of a guy and he wholeheartedly agreed.

HAIG: Inside this exterior of militant, turf-conscious, excessively ambitious demeanor is a heart as big as all outdoors.

BLITZER: Wolf Blitzer, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's the first lady, not the president, who took center stage in Washington this morning. Michelle Obama spoke to the opening session of the National Governors Association. Governors from across the country have gathered to talk about issues such as health care and unemployment. The first lady asked for their help in tackling one of her main priorities, childhood obesity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Let's stop wringing our hands and talking about it and citing statistics. Let's act. Let's move. Let's give our kids the future they deserve. Look, I look forward to working with all of you in these efforts over the months and years ahead. I'm going to need you. I'm going to need you championing these causes, giving me feedback, giving me direction and guidance. It will not work any other way. And our kids can't afford for us to get this wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: The conferences end tomorrow with a governor's ball hosted by the president and first lady.

"Viral Video Rewind" is next. Josh Levs is already in position, ready to hit the "play" button.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I like the image. Yes. You know what we're going to call it; we bring you all the week's hottest, best videos online. I'm going to give you a little taste of one right now. Fred we've all heard pop music. Never quite like this. Take a look. Who knew that a couple of balloons and an empty wooden box could make such a melodic racket? The hottest videos and stories behind them, straight ahead.

WHITFIELD: I thought for a second that was an air guitar.

LEVS: You know what? It's better. He's actually making that sound.

WHITFIELD: Now I see that string. I can't wait.

LEVS: Got the story behind it coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. The country's oldest Civil Rights group is about to choose a new leader. The NAACP is expected to name its new chairman; this hour out going Chairman Julian Bond has held the post since 1998.

New concerns for Americans who use the diabetes drug Avandia. The Senate report released today says the drug is linked to tens of thousands of heart attacks. The report claims drug maker Glaxo Smith Cline knew of the risks fro years but worked to keep them from the public. The drug maker says it rejects any claims that Avandia is not safe.

The evacuation order for the Los Angeles Foothills has been lifted. Residents are being told they can return to their homes after overnight rains ended without triggering mud slides. The forecasters warn another storm is expected tomorrow evening.

More news still ahead, but first we thought it would be a good time to have a little fun with some viral videos. That's where Josh Levs comes in. You've got a lot today.

LEVS: Yes we do. One of the things I love about the internet is it's a place for people to showcase talent not likely to see at Carnegie Hall. They may go online and get even more viewers. Take a look at these two guys.

WHITFIELD: I'm envious they have this much time.

LEVS: Look at that.

Let me tell you what you're seeing here. Some people say it's reminiscent of Seinfeld a little bit.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LEVS: An actual balloon there and one on a box. They have a web site Balloonbase.com. At first they were upset, saying the video was stolen for this web site. We check a lot where they post viral videos. It started going viral and people were loving it.

WHITFIELD: Now they're happy. OK, we like the exposure.

LEVS: Exactly. Enough people have seen the original. I like the music they can do.

WHITFIELD: Look at that.

LEVS: Time to move from music to dancing.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. We always have to have a little dancing.

LEVS: Every week I have dancing for you.

WHITFIELD: I like it.

LEVS: Check out this kind of dancing. This is a true Internet phenomenon. The high-energy dance called jump style. This video, 30 million hits, Fred, on this video.

WHITFIELD: People trying to learn the moves.

LEVS: It is. I was thinking about that thing Michelle Obama was talking about, let's move, get kids moving. They're doing this. Let's get this to catch on even more. They're dancing to music --

WHITFIELD: This is from where?

LEVS: I know who it is but I don't know the city. Will along with everything else which is being posted on my Facebook page.

WHITFIELD: I didn't know about this jump style move. Is that stateside or is that somewhere abroad?

LEVS: its exercise and artistic expression. What could be better in the world?

WHITFIELD: Nice combo. Good stuff.

LEVS: Next the dice.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes. We saw that great tease.

LEVS: You've got to see the dice. It's amazing. This guy you get to see him setting it up. It is legit, authentic. Let's skip to the next section. I want you to see what he does with dice. Watch this. Watch with what he puts together. True and legitimate portrait. First, James Dean all using thousands of dice placed exactly right. And then -- WHITFIELD: I'm not even seeing a photograph underneath it where he can match it.

LEVS: Some people are just brilliant. I look up what young artists do, why would it occur to a person to use dice? Look at this. If that wasn't amazing enough, he's going over James Dean and replacing it with Marilyn. By going across every -- they show you the close-ups to show you its actually working.

WHITFIELD: That is impressive. All by himself really?

LEVS: All by himself. I think he has a team helping by him, but he's the artist, David Alvarez.

WHITFIELD: Go David.

LEVS: Another thing we see frequently a flash mob. People decide they're going to show up in public and do something crazy. This one we'll do quickly. Look at this.

WHITFIELD: How did they get people to do this?

LEVS: This is in the shopping mall in Bristol, England. Hundreds of people come with their light sabers.

WHITFIELD: Shop today. Bring your light sabers.

LEVS: Pretty much. What happens is flash mob organizers send out the word through the Internet. Certain time, certain place, be there.

WHITFIELD: Unbelievable. You know, it's all in fun.

LEVS: It's all in fun.

WHITFIELD: Everyone is looking for a release these days. We're taking everything just way too seriously. This is a way to just let go. Bring that light saber out of the closet -- I don't know. I don't have one. Do you?

LEVS: No, not at all.

WHITFIELD: What's the matter with me?

LEVS: Maybe I could go back and get one like when I was 5. Before we go, let's skip to the last video, the ski one. I know we have to run. This is the Zen for you. This is nice.

WHITFIELD: I always like to have that, a moment. Exhale.

LEVS: Now we're going to go to the ski thing.

WHITFIELD: Now inhale.

LEVS: Watch this guy. Right in the middle of the screen you can see a tiny guy; he goes down the mountain using skis and a parasail. He's skiing down. Any then any time there's a big cliff, he just jumps off of it and goes flying. This is from a movie called, "Claim" the greatest ski movie ever.

WHITFIELD: You know what? In a strange way, I find this a little more comforting, the notion of going down full throttle with the safety net of that sail.

LEVS: Isn't that amazing? He lands and just keeps skiing.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEVS: I want everyone to know --

WHITFIELD: I like that escape, beautiful. Wow. Gee whiz.

LEVS: I do have to tell everyone, this is where all the links are posted. Show the screen. It's at Facebook right now. I post it in advance. You can go there now. All the links are there for you. We also at twitter, and the blog. Any of your favorite videos, go ahead and send them.

WHITFIELD: I love it. Thanks so much. It was a nice release. Wasn't the total Zen but it was a nice rush.

LEVS: You know, I like that. It was lots of energy.

WHITFIELD: It was good.

LEVS: But one deep breath. Next week more Zen time.

WHITFIELD: I need it. All right. Thanks, Josh.

Well with, a Texas town that has become an absolute cash cow for doctors. They've run up huge bills using, however, your tax dollars. A special investigation when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Check your partisanship at the door. That's what President Obama is telling Democrats and Republicans ahead of next week's health care summit. In his weekly address, the president says insurance companies are raising rates and will continue to do so until there is reform. But the Republican response places the onus on Democrats to negotiate a bipartisan deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Next week is our chance to finally reform our health insurance system so it works for families and small businesses. It's our chance to finally give Americans the peace of mind of knowing that they'll be able to have affordable coverage when they need it most.

REP. DAVE CAMP, (R) MICHIGAN: Democrats must first listen to the American people and scrap their massive government takeover of health care. We must go into the summit with a clean slate, focused on making health care affordable. That's what Americans are asking for. And that's what Republicans will continue to work for. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Congressman Dave Camp says the health care meeting will be a charade if it means more of the same back room deals and partisan bills.

A special investigation into one Texas town that some say has become a cash cow for doctors. Drew Griffin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look on almost every street corner here in every strip mall, and you will see the business of health care is booming.

In McAllen, Texas, they spend almost twice as much per Medicare beneficiary as the national average. According to a Dartmouth University study, health care costs are growing faster here than anywhere else in the country. For some physicians, this town in cattle country has become a medical cash cow.

DR JAVIER RAMIREZ:, PEDIATRICIAN: Who else do we have?

GRIFFIN: Dr. Javier Ramirez came to McAllen 30 years ago. He helped found this county's neonatology program. He thinks some doctors here have lost their way.

RAMIREZ: I want to say that they forgot to practice medicine.

GRIFFIN (on camera): They forgot to practice medicine?

RAMIREZ: Yes, the way it's supposed to be. You need to assess patients before you do a test.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): His office is full. He often tries to treat his tiny patients here as outpatients, spending the time to teach parents how they can care for their children themselves. It's good health care, but he admits it's a poor way to run a business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

RAMIREZ: If I have a baby in my office and I bring him back to my office the next day, and the next day, I get paid very little. If I put him in the hospital, just the simple fact I put him in the hospital, I get paid more.

GRIFFIN (on camera): A lot more.

RAMIREZ: Yes. Plus, the hospital makes money.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): That's because higher-cost services and facilities receive higher reimbursements from insurers.

Dr. Elliott Fisher is a lead researcher for the Dartmouth health cost study. DR. ELLIOTT FISHER, DARTMOUTH ATLAS PROJECT: Hospitals tend to emphasize those kinds of services where they will -- they can be sure they will make a profit. And they need to keep those beds full.

GRIFFIN: Dr. Ramirez found that out the hard way. He is now involved in a lawsuit with one of the biggest hospitals here, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, saying it hurt his business and his reputation.

Though Ramirez is actually one of the doctor owners of the hospital, he was once barred from practicing there, he says, after complaining staff ordered tests and procedures for his newborns that he found unnecessary.

DR. JAVIER RAMIREZ, PEDIATRICIAN: Listen, on my babies you don't do this. You call me first, I will see them and if I think a baby needs a test, I'll be the first one to order it.

Well, it didn't work that way. They made it mandatory. So, I couldn't stop them. I could not stop it.

GRIFFIN: Because of privacy laws, it is hard to determine if all those babies Dr. Ramirez talks about actually needed the tests or not. The hospital denies the allegations in court documents and will not comment on the case. But the hospital's chief financial officer, Susan Turley, did take us through this immaculate, high-tech and well- staffed facility.

(on camera): And the critics who say, look, this is a procedure factory, they do a ton of tests here, the billing is very high...

SUSAN TURLEY, CFO, DOCTORS HOSPITAL AT RENAISSANCE: Come look at the numbers. They're not. Compare what I bill to any other hospital in this county. It's publicly available. You can get it from Medicaid, their Web sites, (INAUDIBLE), don't get paid any more.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): What's hard to believe is that this state- of-the-art hospital keeps expanding and profiting, even though 75 percent of its patients, according to Turley, are on Medicare or Medicaid.

Turley says the privately-owned hospital thrives because of reinvestment, patient satisfaction and efficiencies. But, the researchers at Dartmouth found that most providers in high-use areas, like McAllen, thrive off of volume.

FISHER: The physician in the hospital is paid for each individual service. They're rewarded for more services, not better services. They're rewarded for more care, not better care.

GRIFFIN: More care was one thing that brought Dr. Jorge Zamora to the attention of the Texas medical board. He's in private practice with three offices in Texas and a jet to fly between them. Zamora apparently does pretty well. Though he and his lawyer would not talk to CNN, medical board records detail a case that seems to illustrate exactly what critics say is wrong with health care. Last year, the Texas medical board fined him $30,000 for failing to meet medical standards including ordering care the boards complain called "excessive."

(on camera): What does the Texas medical board consider excessive treatment? Well, take a look at just one of Dr. Zamora's patients who came in with a swollen ankle and complaining of pain in both feet. That person got a nerve conduction study, immunoglobulin levels were tested, testosterone was tested, uric acid tested, urine analysis, an antibody panel, lupus panel, hepatitis virus panel, screening study for bone density, even an ultrasound of the abdomen for a swollen ankle.

FISHER: Health care will not be affordable for the middle class in another 10 years if costs keep growing as they are now. And what's unfortunate is that it doesn't need to be that way. You know, we can have much better care at much lower costs if we have the will to get going on redesigning our health care system.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Back at Dr. Javier Ramirez's office, it's more hands-on care with one of his brand-new patients. This takes a lot of time, time Dr. Ramirez will be paid little for. Changing health care, he believes, will require rewarding doctors for this, not unnecessary tests and hospital admissions.

RAMIREZ: We have excellent physicians, we have good facilities to provide services, but we need to change certain patterns. You cannot put money before the patients. You cannot put money before the patients.

There you go.

GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, McAllen, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, heavy rain is in the forecast for California tomorrow. It's something we would expect during an el Nino year. But el Nino could also bring extreme weather somewhere that we wouldn't naturally expect. Our severe weather system and the team coming together with some answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. At least 32 people are reported dead after a mud slide on the Portuguese island of Madeira, scores more are hurt. A storm hit the island destroying houses and knocking down trees and power lines. Madeira, a popular resort destination is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.

And President Barack Obama today praised Alexander Haig as a "warrior-diplomat who dedicated his life to public service". Haig died of complications from an infection today at the age of 85. His military career included four years as NATO's supreme allied commander. He served White House chief of staff and U.S. Secretary of staff and briefly ran for president in '88.

And one week after they launched their offensive in southern Afghanistan, coalition forces are making slow progress. CNN reports Atia Abawi reports that Marines are making headway in their drive to throw Taliban forces out of Marjah, but they're still facing stiff resistance.

And the "Endeavour" space shuttle is heading home. It undocked from the International Space Station last night after a 10-day visit to the space station. It is scheduled to land in Florida late tomorrow night depending on weather.

All right, el Nino is back. The weather system is behind the lack of snow in Vancouver and the mud slides in California.

Jacqui Jeras, what does this mean for spring?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, probably more of the same, Fredricka. You know, not looking good. And by now, you know, we no el Nino has been around for a couple of months and I think we're all familiar with what happens in the western United States, but what might surprise you is what we think el Nino is going to do in the coming months to places like Florida. Believe it or not, that state could get tormented with twisters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) the second deadliest tornado day in Florida's history, an overnight super cell tornado ripped a 71-mile path of destruction through Lady Lake and Lake Mack, 21 people were killed and 76 injured. It was a strong el Nino year and the most recent el Nino-related tornado breakout in the sunshine state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the path that the tornado had taken, it completely leveled this mobile home park.

JERAS: 1997 and '98 was the pinnacle severe weather el Nino season in Florida producing 43 tornadoes, seven of those were powerful F-3s or stronger, a rare occurrence outside of the plains. One of them damaged hundreds of homes in Winter Garden.

The storm of the century hit on March 12 through the 13th 1993. El Nino brought numerous tornadoes to northern Florida and intense winds created a storm surge up to 12 feet on the western coast.

Fast-forward to 2010. Experts say el Nino conditions are ripe again and could potentially spawn 15 to 20 Florida tornadoes between now and April.

So, what happens during el Nino conditions that Florida gets so many deadly tornadoes? Warmer than average waters in the eastern Pacific drive the subtropical jet stream across the southern tier of the United States. These fast winds in the upper atmosphere help direct more frequent storm systems from west to east. Due to the warmer and wetter climate in the southeast, there's a greater chance of clashing air masses to converge here and cause rotating thunderstorms.

Alabama, Georgia and north Florida all see increases of severe weather in el Nino seasons, but it's twice as likely in central and southern Florida. And el Nino tornadoes usually happen at night when people are sleeping and less likely to hear warnings.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And that active weather is setting up that we could see stormier weather in Florida in the upcoming weeks. And Fredricka, the one thing people need to keep in mind, you know, what's so scary is this happens at nighttime, so you want a NOAA weather radio, because this is going to wake you up in the middle of the night if those sirens go off and help keep you safe.

And of course a reminder is that the lowest level of your home away from windows and doors is the safest place to be. The forecast for el Nino, by the way, expected to stick around now through at least mid-April and some climatologists are saying it could potentially even linger into the summer months. So, that's a little bit on the unusual side.

WHITFIELD: Oh, really? Yeah, prolonging it, that's pretty frightening. All right, thanks so much, Jacqui. Appreciate that.

"CNN Heroes," ordinary people doing extraordinary things. This week's hero, Susan Burton. She's a one-time crack addict and six-time inmate who got out, got clean and transformed her life. Now she's helping others to do the same.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN BURTON, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I am writing in regards to my parole plan. I am 21 years old with two strikes. I am scared to relapse again. I want to be a success story. Please hold a bed for me.

We all leave prison saying I am going to get my life on track, and you end up getting off a bust downtown Los Angeles, skid row. People know who you are when you come off that bus, and you are targeted. Many times you don't even make it out of the skid row area before you are caught up into that cycle again.

My name is Susan Burton. After my son died, I used drugs and I just spiraled into a pit of darkness. I went to prison six times, finally I found rehab. And I thought that I could help women come home from prison.

I picked them up, bring them back into the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Susan, she is really like a mother to all of us. She offers you a warm bed, food, and like a real family.

BURTON: I want to see you shine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She made me want to change my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You (INAUDIBLE) Miss Burton.

BURTON: Sure, you came a long way.

I want the women to realize they have something to contribute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is nice.

BURTON: That's what it's all about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow, extraordinary. Since 1998, Susan Burton has helped more than 400 women get their lives back on track. To nominate someone that you think is changing the world, go to CNN.com/heroes.

OK, we'll talk about some happy scientists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All this time we spent here in this lab doing all this hard work and finally we've got it. It's amazing. We couldn't believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, the true story of the Golden Dynasty when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: King Tut has been back in the news this week. And we now have the results of years of DNA testing, his DNA and the DNA of 15 other members of the royal family. So here's a little bit of what we've learned about the famous pharaoh. He was born with a club foot, a cleft palate and a weakened immune system. His parents were probably brother and sister, and he died of complications from a broken leg, probably made worse by malaria.

So, Paul Gasek is the executive producer of "Discovery's" the "King Tut Unwrapped," and that runs tomorrow night.

Paul, this is really fascinating. This study provides, perhaps, the best picture of what we've been able to glean thus far about King Tut's family tree.

What was most fascinating about this for you?

PAUL GASEK, KING TUT UNWRAPPED: Well, I like the finding malaria finding, you know, and I think everybody wants an answer. We wanted to know why he died. He died suddenly at the age of 19, so the cerebral malaria, serious malaria, it's the worst kind. I mean, millions of people still die today in Africa from this malaria. So, it's plausible that this is probably what did him in. But, how it played out is still something of a mystery. I mean, did he die in his bed? Did he fall down the stairs from a dizzy spell and have a hard fall, or there's another possibility, which a Dr. Hawass suggested. You know, maybe -- he was buried with a chariot, it's a beautiful thing, very low center of gravity, sophisticated axle wheel assembly, replaceable rims on the tires. Put a couple of horses on this thing, it went fast.

So, here's a young guy who was driving the Ferraris of his time. Now, he's driving along and he has a dizzy spell from malaria and flips the chariot and dies in a car wreck. I mean, the interesting about all of this new evidence is that it sort of enlarges the range possibilities. And it sort of makes somebody who was a mystery into something more of a real person.

WHITFIELD: So, do you suppose, you know, continuing to examine the DNA might it help close the gap on some of those potential attributes of his death? Do you think we'll ever really know for sure? Will there always still be kind of hypothesis?

GASEK: Well, I mean, no one was there, but there is other stuff, too. You know, he did have a broken leg, so that would indicate that hadn't really healed when he died. So, that sort of indicated that maybe he some kind of accident or hurt himself. Maybe he was killed in battle. You know? The Egyptians were fighting with the Hittites up north, maybe a problem there.

As it turns out, the forensic analysis of him shows that actually his skull and his body were mummified actually twice. There were two layerings of resin on him. So, maybe he died at a distance from the capital and they did a field mummification just to preserve him until they could get him back to the capitol to mummify him.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: I'm sorry, go ahead.

GASEK: No, that's OK. No, no, I just -- I think, you know, the DNA just opens up the realm of so many different possibilities, and it turns -- it turns Tut into a real person. So, I think maybe a little less mysterious so much more interesting, now.

WHITFIELD: So, tell me how you structured his documentary? We're looking at some of the tape which shows kind the science room, real life discoveries that were made and at the same time what appeared to be combined with maybe re-enactments. How do you approach this storytelling?

GASEK: Well, there are several layers. I think the DNA was the new stuff, but it was really kind of a detective story, because we -- what we had, we had archeological evidence which has been around for a while, but when you begin to inform it with CAT scans and DNA, different things kind of come out of it.

And so, I think what we tried to do is we tried to start with what we knew or what we thought we knew and then kind of add things on as we went along and kind of change things.

You know, this business of his club foot is very interesting, because actually, if you look at the CAT scans, his feet look flat, and clubbing is actually a rotation of one of the feet sort of inside, you know, it sort of turns inward. You don't see that. He did have a necrosis, kind of a bone deterioration in the ball of his left foot and of course the guy was buried with over 100 walking sticks. So, for a long time it was unsure, like, what are the walking sticks about? Well, he probably walked -- he was in pain, so he actually needed them. They weren't just sort of royal symbols.

WHITFIELD: This 19-year-old guy.

GASEK: A 19-year-old guy.

WHITFIELD: That's fascinating stuff. Paul Gasek, executive producer of "King Tut Unwrapped" tomorrow "Discovery" channel, much more that we can all learn and glean from this documentary and hopefully one day we'll get some the other answers too, you never know where science might take us. Right?

GASEK: It's on at 8:00 tomorrow night. And that's -- tomorrow night's about his family and then 8:00 Monday is about him. So, it's sort of two stories that we'll tell. I think you'll like them both.

WHITFIELD: Perfect, Paul, thanks so much, appreciate it. and congrats on what must have been a really gratifying project.

GASEK: It was.

WHITFIELD: OK.

All right, a gathering of the nation's most influential conservatives is underway, but at this year's CPAC convention, gay conservatives have a voice. So, what's their message and how is it going over with some of the more traditional conservatives?

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WHITFIELD: CPAC is the conservative event of the year, and it's underway now in Washington. Of course, the economic foreign policy and social conservatives have turned out in full force, but this year gay conservatives also have a voice, and as Brianna Keilar tells us, it's getting a mixed response.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here at the exhibition hall at CPAC, some of the usual participants.

This is the oil and natural gas lobby, and then over here you have a group that is for getting rid of all federal taxes. And then, right across the way from them, you have the National Organization for Marriage, which wants marriage federally defined as between a man and a woman.

What's so fascinating is just two booths down, take a look at this. This is a group founded by gay Republicans that obviously see social issues very differently.

KEILAR: Don't ask, don't tell.

JIMMY LASALVIA, GOPROUD: We think that gay and lesbian service members should be able to serve openly and honestly.

KEILAR: Whether there should be a federal ban on same-sex marriage?

CHRISTOPHER BARRON, CHAIR, GOPROUD: Well, it's the ultimate Washington power grab to say those who have a federal constitutional amendment that will federalize their version of marriage.

KEILAR (voice-over): Traditional conservative values these are not, and the views of the gay activist group GOProud are rankling some attendees at CPAC.

HERB LOX, CPAK ATTENDEE: That's freedom of speech, but as far as promoting it, it's totally wrong. What happens with the -- with the area of this, where we're getting to this -- this sexual relations with the same -- the same sex, it's undermining the very civilization we're part of.

KEILAR: GOProud isn't just promoting the issues that set it apart from many Republicans, it hopes to draw attention to the beliefs it shares, limited government and fiscal responsibility. In fact, it's co-sponsoring the entire event, and that does not go over well with religious conservatives.

Liberty University Law School, founded by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, boycotted the event, but ask the younger set here and they're more accepting.

DEBORAH COREY, CONSERVATIVE BLOGGER: People in the under 40 age range have become a lot more accepting of homosexuality, but I think there's also more of an attitude among Americans that's sort of more the Libertarian that says, you know, people have the right to do what they want to in their own lives and to take the consequences for it as well.

KEILAR: And what about those manning the booth for the National Organization for Marriage?

KEILAR (on camera): So, I -- I mean, you know, you're two -- you're two booths down from GOProud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I -- I refuse to see that as an issue.

KEILAR (voice-over): As cameras rolled, they actually decided to make an introduction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want to say hi. Hope have more time to talk the next four days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could have the beer later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could have the beer summit later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It worked for Obama, so...

KEILAR: A meeting, yes, but don't expect a meeting of the minds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gays and lesbians have the right to live as they choose, but they don't have the right to redefine marriage for the rest of us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll have more on the CPAC convention, straight ahead.