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Snow Collapses Metrodome; Senate to Debate Tax Plan Deal; The Popularity of Gift Cards; Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act Being Signed Into Law Today; Personal Privacy Cracked
Aired December 13, 2010 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Time to get serious. 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 7:00 a.m. out west. Here are some stories ahead that's talking this morning. Let me share with you.
From the upper Midwest to the deep south, a major storm pounding the eastern half of the U.S., heavy snow, and bitter cold grounding more than 1,700 flights.
And just minutes from now, President Obama will set tough new standards for school lunches for about 31 million kids to help daily requirements. It will mean more fruits and veggies and less fat and salt. First major change, by the way, to school lunches in 30 years.
And we're happy to report that a hostage incident has ended peacefully at a school in France. Earlier this morning, a teenager armed with two swords walked into a kindergarten class, held the teacher and five students hostage. He surrendered just a short time later.
All right. Let's begin with the raging storm we just mentioned. First stop, Minneapolis and some video that's gone viral. Tony and I were just talking about this. Watch it. The inflatable roof at the Metrodome buckles under the weight of the heavy snow.
First, the snow streams in, then a Teflon panel gives way and everything is caught on cameras because Fox TV was right there, Fox Sports, getting ready to shoot the game. Talk about picture-perfect position. And outside the familiar round tap top of the dome that's now sagging, crews are out bright and early scooping the snow off the roof and getting ready for repairs.
Now, upstate New York, also the sites of this storm as it heads east, several inches have already fallen in Buffalo and the area will see even more through the next several days. Some parts of the state will get the full impact of the lake-effect with as much as a foot or two of snow possible.
And a different story near Seattle, Washington, where there's too much rain, mudslides and flooding in the area has residents filling sandbags and watching the rivers rise. Several homes north of Seattle have flooded and mud slides have shut down passenger trains in that area, about 300 people staying in shelters now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the worst I've seen it. I think about 2008 we had about close to this, but this is a little scary right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just amazes me to see what nature can do. It's so powerful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little scary?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little scary. Little scary, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, if you call Chicago the windy city, you only have half the picture. Here's the rest. Heavy snow blanketing the region, causing major headaches for air travelers too. More than 1,300 flights canceled just last night at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELSEY MURRAY, DELAYED TRAVELER: It's just been frustrating because I was canceled and then I was moved to tomorrow night and now it's canceled and moved to tonight. I'm just hoping it doesn't cancel again tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Let's get an idea of what people can expect over the next few days of that storm. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano doing some last-minute checks there. What did you find out?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'm trying to see just how cold it remains in some of these spots. It was so bitterly cold this morning, I'm curious how quickly things are rebounding. Everybody getting a little bit of a chill pretty east of the Mississippi and even some folks west of the Mississippi getting into some chilly temperatures.
These are actual air temperatures across the northeastern core of the country, 11 Detroit, 15 in Cleveland. A lot of these places it's blowing, 20, 30, 40 miles an hour and you got snow coming on. So it is miserable. Meanwhile, 41 degrees in New York and we're actually starting to cool down. It's 52 degrees in Boston. It is warmer in Iceland right now than it is in Atlanta.
So atmosphere kind of topsy-turvy. That's what makes weather fun this time of year. And December is certainly the time of year where we get this kind of weather. We also get lake effect snow and the cold air coming over these warm waters from Cleveland up through Erie, Buffalo, just south of Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester, will get some of those actions and throughout the day today and also tonight.
Speaking of the deep south, this is what it feels like in Atlanta, the wind chill five. It feels like minus three in Nashville. We should have a live picture from Nashville, let's take a look at that. There were some snow showers there earlier today. There you go. WSMV, our affiliate out that way. It's currently around 13, as I mentioned, the wind chill is minus three. And that tower cam is kind of shaking in the breeze this there. It's definitely blowing.
We've got some video that's been coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM highlighting some of the snow that is falling around the Nashville area. More significant snow band setting up yesterday, and that has caused some travel headaches and some traffic accidents. The mid- south, the deep south, you get any sort of snow especially over the bridges and over passes. There you go right there, it will freeze quickly. That's the kind of situation we have this morning for the morning rush in Nashville.
It's not going to warm up very quickly there at all. As a matter of fact, it's not going to get above the freezing mark. Here's where the snows are right now and the rains. Rains, New York east to Boston, I think by the time the cold air will come into New York, you're going to be out of it as far as moisture goes.
And from Philly to D.C., New York City, maybe see some snow showers but that's about it. But the higher amounts will be one to two feet from Buffalo back to Cleveland, at least at the higher elevations. And then we've also got issues - I want to go to northwestern Indiana, just east of Chicago. Serious streams of lake- effect snow is coming down across South Bend, Indiana, and some of the areas here dealing with some travel problems as well. This batch of cold air, Kyra, is colder even from last week and Florida will be feeling that pinch tonight. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rob.
Unless Congress comes up with a deal by the end of the week, your taxes will go up December 31st. Now the Senate votes on the tax bill, but not all House Democrats are on board. What's the biggest sticking point? The estate tax provision. They feel it only helps the wealthiest Americans. Some conservatives are grumbling at the cost.
The Congressional Budget Office says it will add $900 billion to the deficit over the next five years. Still, Senator Dick Durbin says it's time to move forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: What we can seize on today is something that will help working families across America. It is the only stimulus we can bring to this economy. We need to work together to pass it and hope that this economy gets well. I think this president is going to come back and be strong with the House Democratic caucus even after the next - the swearing in that's going to occur January 5th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But as Congressman Elijah Cummings told our Candy Crowley, not every Democrat feels the same way. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS: I think it's quite possible the tax cut extension will be passed but not with my vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the White House is pushing the bill but the president looks like he's getting opposition on all sides now.
Steve Kornacki, is the politics editor for salon.com. He's in New York. So Steve, do you think the president anticipated how hard of a sell this bill would be?
STEVE KORNACKI, POLITICS EDITOR, SALON.COM: Yes. No, I think so. I think there is sort of a precedent here, if you go way back, if you can think of the first president Bush. He broke his no new taxes pledge and he knew he would face a revolt from the Republicans and he did and he ended up getting it through the House with pretty much minimal Republican support. I think when you look at what the Democrats really need to get this through the House right now, what they really need to get through the Senate right now, there's a lot of room built in there for defections. There's a lot of room built in there for sort of liberal legislators to take a principled stand.
Frankly, there's a lot of room for legislators, Anthony Wiener comes to mind, to do some grand standing on this. I think they definitely anticipated this, I think there's room for that. And I think, you know, most expectations are at this point are that there will be a lot of noise this week but it will get through when the week is over.
PHILLIPS: Steve, it's like our paychecks are being used as a political chip.
KORNACKI: I'm sorry?
PHILLIPS: It's like our paychecks are being used as a political chip.
KORNACKI: Well, I mean, that's the urgency that obviously the White House felt on this and that's the urgency that I think the Democrats will end up voting for this, you know, feel, if you get to January 1st and you don't have a deal on this, then, you know, the Republicans can go out there and they can say that the Democrats blocked, you know, your taxes staying at these levels or the democrats could make the same claim about the Republicans.
The problem that I think the Democrats realized that they have on this is, you know, when the unemployment rate is as high as it is, when the economy is as stalled as it is, people really aren't looking for excuses from the governing party. And so what the White House sort of saw as an opportunity here is, was, OK, we get these tax cuts extended. We're going to extend it for the middle class, we'll have to swallow hard on the extensions for the wealthy, but what we can also get is about $300 billion in economic stimulus. And if you think of all the debates we had this year in Congress, you know, the idea that Republicans at the end of 2010 would sign off and vote for $300 billion in stimulus. That's pretty remarkable. So the thinking from the White House is look, this is our last best chance of economic stimulus under these conditions. If we can get it through, we can get the economic growing, if the political climate changes a bit. They maybe finally we'll be in a position where, you know, we're in a favorable political climate where we can have a fight against tax cuts and win.
PHILLIPS: Steve, appreciate your time today.
KORNACKI: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Keep it right here on the latest on the tax deals. Senate holds a key test vote, scheduled this afternoon, 3:00 p.m.. We will have live coverage for you.
We have new details on it as well that we'll be sharing with you throughout the morning.
Now, Nicole Kidman takes on a real-life role to lift up women around the world. She'll talk to us as about her work as a U.N. good will ambassador.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, you know Nicole Kidman as an Academy Award- winning actress. But did you also know that she's been working to improve the lives of women all around the world?
CNN's Alina Cho takes looks at that part of Kidman's life as part of our special series "Big Stars, Big Giving."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS, UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: A lot of my life I've been trying to please my mother, and I suppose I still felt like I'd won an Oscar, I'd done this, my mom was still not like, OK, I feel like you really -
(LAUGHTER)
KIDMAN: And this is probably the thing that she most -
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Really?
KIDMAN:: Responds to in my life.
CHO (voice-over): So that thing Nicole Kidman is talking about is her work as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef, the United Nations arm that fights for gender quality and to end violence against women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take action, say no.
CHO: A role she's held for nearly five years. KIDMAN: I mean, these women in this organization, they're working for nothing, you know, and they're so committed.
CHO: Ironically, it was a movie role, "The Interpreter" that first drew Kidman to the United Nations. What she didn't know was that soon art, in part, would imitate life. Her work with UNIFEM has taken her to Congress, fighting for women's rights. She's also traveled to places like Kosovo and just this year, earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
KIDMAN: It breaks my heart. I mean, I'm a terrible person sometimes for this because I can become so emotionally involved and actually in Kosovo I had to be taken aside and told, this is going to be a very emotional path for the rest of your life. You're going to see and hear things that you should never see and hear, but they exist.
These girls with were raped, a lot of their faces were completely battered and destroyed and their bodies. And they had nowhere to go. When you see it, see it and hear it, I think it changes you forever. It certainly changed me forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By a nose, Nicole Kidman.
CHO (on camera): You are an Academy Award-winning actress. You are married to a music star. You have a beautiful family. Some people might ask, how does this woman, Nicole Kidman, relate?
KIDMAN: Relate? I don't know how you say, whether you relate, but I certainly feel and it brings me to my knees and I feel it's my duty and it's an honor to be able to do the work.
CHO: It brings you to your knees. That's a strong statement.
KIDMAN: Yes, but I mean it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Our Alina Cho joining us now from New York. So Alina, I know you're profiling several celebrities for this series, right? Who are you profiling, how did you select them and why?
CHO: Well, you know, we really wanted to make sure, Kyra, that the stars that we selected were really committed to the causes that they were talking about and that they are involved with. I think he can see from Nicole Kidman's face and the way that she speaks that she is committed. In fact, she told me she's going to be involved with the U.N. as long as they'll have her.
Of course I said, I think they'll have you. Now having said that, yes, tomorrow we're going to be talking to Halle Berry, another Academy Award-winning actress, someone who really is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She's really committed to the Jenessee Center, a shelter for domestic violence victims in Los Angeles. I spent a couple of hours with her there, last week or the week before. Interestingly enough, Kyra, all of these stars that we spoke to have a family component. For Halle Berry, her mother was a victim of domestic violence. That is why this project and this center is to close to her heart.
PHILLIPS: Well, we look forward to the entire series. Thanks, Alina. "Big stars, Big Giving" shines a light on celebrities and the causes that they support. This one-hour special debuts Christmas Eve 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
So what do you see when you look at this famous Mona Lisa painting? The unsure smile, the missing eyebrows? Historians have discovered something new, an actual Da Vinci Code hidden, somewhere within this painting. We'll try to decipher it for you, next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Warm, stable, and glad to be back on dry land. That's how the 650 people trapped aboard a crippled riverboat feel this morning after spending a shivering night on the rocks. It tops our "Cross Country" this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're very miserable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night was kind of a real pain. Our blankets fell over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually took the table cloths off tables and wrapped up in those.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That drama ended yesterday morning after 15 tumultuous hours on the rough waters. The riverboat lost engine power Saturday night. Strong winds pushed the boat around. Cruisers getting a full refund and annual pass to a nearby theme park for their trouble.
High-speed police chase in suburban Houston ends in a rollover crash that leaves the driver dead at the scene and a three-year-old little girl strapped inside the back seat actually hanging upside down. Police heard her crying in the wreckage and quickly pulled her to safety. We're told she's OK.
And congratulations to the Oasis Church of Pembrooke Pines, Florida. Over the wakened congregants broke the Guinness World Book record for the number of nativity scenes on display at the same time. 2,150 to be exact, (INAUDIBLE) the previous mark of 1,800. Talk to you about the Christmas spirit.
Now from Christmas sprit to the spit of adventure, like lead character from the "Da Vinci Code." Historians have found hidden messages in his most famous painting. Earlier I had a chance to speak with Brad Meltzer, the host of "History Channel Decoded." And ask him about these tiny little numbers and letters that historians have found in the eyes of the Mona Lisa, like the letter C, E and B and number seven and two and the letters L and V.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRAD MELZTER, NY TIMES" BEST SELLING AUTHOR: Listen, it doesn't take having your own TV show to know that LV stands for Leonardo da Vinci.
PHILLIPS: That's a no brainer.
MELZTER: But here's the thing is one Leonard da Vinci never made it that easy. He was a guy who wrote backwards, in mirrors and upside - I mean, it's just incredible the way the he obscured things. You're talking about one of the greatest minds of human history. This a man who invented the submarine long before anyone could even fathom such a thing. Invented a flying device so far before anyone could even think about air travel. So you know, this is what people forget.
When you decode this stuff, everyone wants to run in. But before you decode anything, this is what we do every single week on our TV show. Before you decode stuff, you got to figure out what it says first. And that's going to be the first part of this puzzle. Before you start pulling it apart, you got to make sure you know what the cover of the puzzle looks like. Otherwise, you're building for no reason.
PHILLIPS: Well, you're one individual who knows Da Vinci better than even some of the other experts out there. Why was he so wrapped up in these secret messages?
MELZTER: You know, this is one of those ones and you can see in this story they want to now exhume his body to see if it was really him, if it was him inside, to see what he looks like. To see if he looks like the Mona Lisa. It's a perfect allegory for Da Vinci himself because he took everything to the grave when it came to that. Nobody knew.
He used to take the Mona Lisa and carry it around with him because he didn't want to leave it alone. OK. That's not only crazy, that is amazing to me. I love when I hear something like that. And, you know, as far as why he did those things, I think when you're that kind of brain faced with all the other normal brains like the rest of us around him, maybe you just get bored. Maybe you are writing a secret message.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: We'll definitely stay on the story for you.
All right. Here's some food for thought. School lunches about to get healthier for millions of American kids at any moment President Obama will sign into law the Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act. Here is a closer look at what that means for your kid.
It's the first major change to school lunch standards in three decades. And it will impact about 31 million school kids. Among the new requirements, more fruits and veggies, also more selections of whole grains and low-fat dairy products. The new standards will also mean less. The lunches will have reduced amounts of sodium, sugar and fat.
Computers. Great for a lot of things except for keeping secrets. Just exactly how much of your personal information can be dredged up? Even for those who steer clear of social media, the distressing and surprising answers just ahead. Private eyes.
And live pictures from our affiliate KARE TV out in Minneapolis. This is a picture of the Metrodome from the outside. What's pretty amazing from the inside? Well, the heavy snow actually broke through the Teflon there on top, causing an avalanche of snow to cave in.
Don't know if we have the pictures from the inside, but it looks like conditions are a lot better this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Stock market opening bell rang about an hour ago, numbers right now, Dow industrial is up almost 22 points.
So are you planning on getting or giving a gift card this holiday? If so you'll want to hear which ones are the right ones. CNN business correspondent Stephanie Elam joining us from New York. All right, Step, Which cards are the most popular?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There are some really popular ones out there. But you know what, Kyra, just because for the fun of it, what do you think is the most wanted gift of all- time for the holidays? Not a gift card but the most-wanted gift for the holidays.
PHILLIPS: Oh, gosh. Among adults, among kids?
ELAM: No. Just like - let's say adults.
PHILLIPS: OK. No, no. I can't even take a guess.
ELAM: Cold. Cold hard cash. Apparently it puts you in the holiday spirit. That's what it is. People want money. At the top of the list, they're, like, give me money and I can figure out what I want for myself. And then after that, electronics, and then third on the list will be gift cards and then clothing and then perhaps jewelry.
I understand why money would be at the top of the list. But let's just take a look at gift cards. 56 percent of adults got a gift card last holiday season. Now all those Of those people who got a gift card, 27 percent of those adults say they're still having used it. Some say they didn't have time, some say they some say they just forgot about it. Some people said the store that it was for just wasn't convenient.
But take a look at the gift cards in general that are the top 20 most popular. There they are. You've got Wal-Mart at the top, amazon.com, Target, Visa. But what's interesting here is that Visa is on here, American Express is on here, MasterCard is on here. You can use those for anything. And also there's stores where you can get a lot of needs met as well, not just wants, but needs. Places like Wal- Mart or Target or Costco. Even gas stations. Look at 17, 18, 19 on there, gas stations. So, people are like just help me getting from point A to point B. An interesting sort of statement perhaps about the sign of the times, that people are still looking to get their needs met at this point, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Got it. All right. But what about all the fine print? Sometimes there's fees and special rules that go along with these cards, right?
ELAM: Yes. We talk about that a lot. And if you remember back to August, the federal government made some changes to make sure that consumers are a little bit more protected. And among them, they're limiting the fees on what you can be hit with. So, basically what they're saying here is there's now limits on when card will expire. So, your money on that card will be good on the card for at least five years. Even as it expires, you can reach out to the company and say, hey, I still had money, can you put it on a new card and not get charged for that. That's a new option that you have as well.
And any of the fees on the card have to be clearly printed on the packaging so you know up front you could possibly lose money if you don't use all of your gift card, say, to Target, within five years. I'm just using that as an example there. So, this is good to know, that there's a limit how much you could have subtracted from your gift card because of the fact you haven't used it all. So, it's a little bit safer investment for all of the people thinking about getting them for their loved one you this holiday season.
Kyra, are you going to get someone gift cards?
PHILLIPS: No. I like picking out something special and meaningful. Don't you?
ELAM: Me too! I feel the same exact way. I put a lot of thought into it. It makes me - I get all excited. I can't wait for them to open the gift.
PHILLIPS: I'm the same way. And - yes! I love creative surprises. Exactly. I've got a good one for J.D. You got a good one for your husband this year?
ELAM: Oh, I've already got it. It's hidden. And if he's watching this right now, that probably means he'll go look for it. But I'm so excited about his Christmas gift this year. It's the first one I got.
PHILLIPS: I am, too! What did you say, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: (INAUDIBLE) - in case he wants to return it for a gift card.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh! Did you just hear Rob?
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: "Get him a gift receipt in case he wants to return it for a gift card!"
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: I'm sure it's very special.
PHILLIPS: Okay, Scrooge.
ELAM: Yes, you know what? No gift for Rob!
PHILLIPS: Yes, I was just going to say, maybe Rob doesn't get meaningful gifts? Do we have some bitterness over there, Rob?
MARCIANO: Yes, you know. It's ongoing, and I'm trying to solve it with (INAUDIBLE) therapy, but it's not quite right (ph).
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: All right. E-mail me the gift, Steph. I want to know, and I'll tell you mine.
ELAM: OK, cool! I'll do it right after this.
PHILLIPS: OK. Rob! Shame on you.
MARCIANO: Couldn't help it.
PHILLIPS: All right. 10:32 on the East Coast, 7:32 out West. Here's some other stories that got us talking this morning.
We're happy to report that a hostage incident has ended peacefully at a school in France. Earlier this morning, a teenager armed with two swords walked into a kindergarten class and held the teacher and five students hostage. He surrendered a short time later.
And for all of you who can't get enough of Britain's royal family, well, here's the new engagement photo of Prince William and his fiancee, Kate Middleton. The April 29th wedding will be a national holiday in Britain.
Have you seen the video of the Metrodome? How could you miss it? It's been all over the place. Check this out. A portion of the fabric roof gave way, too much snow there, and, boom, you just saw the avalanche of snow. I guess it's going to pop up any minute, Rob Marciano, right here?
MARCIANO: We're slowing it down for effect.
PHILLIPS: Ah, gotcha.
MARCIANO: And the sands of time tick away.
PHILLIPS: Do you watch soap operas?
MARCIANO: Is that a soap opera?
PHILLIPS: Yes. Totally. (INAUDIBLE) What's the soap opera? Days of Our Lives. Thanks, guys, yes.
MARCIANO: Yes. I guess I do.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Your life is a soap opera, Rob Marciano.
MARCIANO: There's nothing on TV between 10:00 and 2:00.
PHILLIPS: And you're bitter because you're not getting meaningful gifts.
MARCIANO: Somebody send me a meaningful gift, please!
(LAUGHTER)
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Kyra, back over to you.
PHILLIPS: Rob, thanks.
Right now, President Obama is getting ready to sign a piece of legislation designed to make the food we feed our kids better. It's the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. And on hand as well is Michelle Obama. She's made children's health and nutrition a huge part of her push as first lady.
Also with us, we've got Peter Eisler, investigative reporter for "USA Today." He's done some incredible stories about our school lunches, our kids' school lunches. While the president is saying his thank-yous and getting ready to kick this off, Peter, you know all about the unhealthy food our kids are fed at school. What's happening today is definitely a step in the right direction, right? We're talking about the first time we've got upgrades in 30 years.
PETER EISLER, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, "USA TODAY": Yes. This will be the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the school lunch program, will have to adopt new nutrition standards for all schools that participate, which is virtually every public school in the country. And this will with be the first time in 30 years they've really revisited this piece of legislation and tried to bring it up to speed. They're going to provide more money for schools, greater federal reimbursement, which should allow the schools to buy better food and to put better food on the table for the kids.
PHILLIPS: You know, you and your partner exposed the fact that our kids, many of these kids that their only meal of the day is what they getting at school. They were getting food that as going to be donated to make dog food and cat food. I mean, it was appalling what you uncovered in your investigations.
EISLER: There were - there were -- the government both provides money to schools to buy food themselves and it also donates commodities to the schools. Ground beef, chicken in some cases. And one of the things we looked very closely at were some of the safety issues with respect to the food. There are some provisions in this legislation that would, for example, would provide better training to cafeteria workers, which would help cut down on the illnesses we're seeing in schools.
There's language that would help to speed alerts to schools if food that they have that they're serving to students has been recalled because there are safety problems with it. So, yes, there are a lot of very big changes in this bill.
PHILLIPS: And why do you think it finally happened? Because we're talking three decades of basically a lot of garbage given to our kids, and now finally something is going to happen.
EISLER: Well, this bill, you know, it's a consensus piece of legislation. It has pretty good bipartisan support. It has the support of a lot of industry people, the Grocers' Association and people like that. So, really everybody was able to come together and come up with a plan that had something for everybody in it. There are provisions in the bill that will help provide more - or get more low- income children into the program and get them free and reduced-price lunches. So, that will help for those kids not getting good, healthy meals at home. It will, as I mentioned, set new nutrition standards so the food should be healthier and better --
PHILLIPS: Peter, stay with us. The president is starting to talk about it now in detail. Stay with me, though. I want to talk to you on the back side.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- healthy futures that they deserve. And this bill is also about doing what's right for our country because we feel the strains the treating obesity-related health conditions puts on our economy. We've seen the connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform in school. And we know that the countries that succeed in the 21st century will be the ones that have the best-prepared, best-educated workforce around.
So, we need to make sure our kids have the energy and the capacity to go toe-to-toe with any of their peers anywhere in the world and we make sure they're all reaching their potential. That's precisely what this bill, the Healthy Hungry Free Kids Act (sic) will accomplish.
This legislation will help 115,000 children gain access to school meal programs, and wherever we can, we're doing away with bureaucracy and red tape so that families don't have to fill out mountains of paperwork to get their kids the nutrition they need. We're improving the quality of those meals by reimbursing schools an additional six cents per lunch to help them provide with healthier options. The first real increase, by the way, in over 30 years. Because when we our kids walk into the lunch room, we want to be sure they're getting balanced, nutritious meals they need to succeed in the classroom.
We're empowering parents by making information more available about the quality of school meals. Helping families understand what their kids are eating during the day. And to support our schools' efforts to serve fresh fruits and vegetables, we're connecting them with local farm. We're also improving food safety in schools and boosting the quality of commodities like cheese that schools get from the Department of Agriculture and use in their lunch and breakfast programs.
It's also important to note that while this bill is fully paid for, it won't add a dime to the deficit. Some of the funding comes from rolling back a temporary increase in food stamp benefits or SNAP, as it's now called, starting in the fall of 2013. I know a number of members of Congress have expressed concerns about this offset being included in the bill. And I'm committed to working with them to restore these fund in the future.
We know that every day across this country, parents are working as hard as they can to make healthy choices for their kids. Schools are doing everything possible to provide the nutritious food they need to thrive. Communities are coming together to help our young people lead healthier lives right from the beginning. And it's time that we made that work a little bit easier. So, these folks are fulfilling their responsibilities to our kids. This legislation helps ensure we fulfill our responsibilities as well.
Now, shortly after signing the first law establishing school lunches, Harry Truman said that nothing is more important in our national life than the welfare of our children, and proper nourishment comes first in obtaining this welfare. So, today I'm very proud today to sign this bill that continues that legacy.
Not only am I very proud of the bill, but had I not been able to get this passed, I would be sleeping on the couch.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So now I am -- now I am very proud to introduce somebody who's done so much to shine a light on these critical issues related to childhood nutrition and obesity and exercise. America's first lady, my first lady, Michelle Obama.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you all. Thanks so much, and good morning.
AUDIENCE: Good morning.
M. OBAMA: And thank you, Mr. President, for that very kind introduction. And all kidding aside, my husband worked very hard to make sure that this bill was a priority in this session, and I am grateful to you --
B. OBAMA: Because I would have been sleeping on the couch!
M. OBAMA: Uh-huh!
(LAUGHTER)
M. OBAMA: But I am thrilled to be here -- we won't go into that.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OBAMA: Let's just say it got done, so we don't have to go down that road.
But I am thrilled to be here with all of you today as my husband signs the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. Now, usually we hold these bill signings in the White House, but we felt it was important to do this one right here at Tubman Elementary because we wanted to share this moment with our partners, with the students, the parents, the teachers, the community leaders, like all of you here, who have been so instrumental. Our White House chefs have worked closely with educators at this school, and they've seen your commitment to serving high-quality school meals to all of your students. I've worked side- by-side with kids from the school as well as from Bancroft Elementary School to harvest our White House garden. We couldn't have done it without all our students helping us.
And I saw how hard they worked, and I also saw how you brave they were to try vegetables that many of them hadn't even heard of. And I also understand there are students from Merch Elementary School who are here today as well. And we all just had a great time last spring working up a sweat and exercising and playing on the South Lawn of the White House.
So, with everything that all of you are doing to give these children a healthy start in life, you are fulfilling the mission of this legislation every single day. That's why we're here. So, I want to thank you all, all of our partners, for what you've done not just in hosting us here today but in making sure --
PHILLIIPS: All right. Peter Eisler joining us as we watch this. Investigative reporter for "USA Today," has exposed many of the failings within our school lunches, what our kids have had to endure.
So, Peter, I'm curious, the first lady mentioned the White House chefs helping them with this program. Are the White House chefs that healthy? Do we know anything about them? That might be an interesting story.
EISLER: You know, I think they probably eat pretty well over at the White House. And the first lady, you know, has done a lot of promotion of farm-to-school programs and the use of community gardens and of course, has planted a garden at the White House that the chefs are using for some of the food over there. And one of the things that this bill does is it provides about $40 million over ten years to encourage schools to set up you these farm-to-school programs and to set up community gardens and to try to get more local produce and healthier produce into the kids' meals.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, as soon as the president signs this into law, how soon could we see these changes take effect, Peter?
EISLER: Well, I mean, some of the effects are going to take effect -- some of the changes will take effect very quickly. Others will take a little bit of time. The legislation directs the USDA to set new nutrition standards for schools. And those standards will be set based on the recommendations from the institutes of medicine. That process will take a little time.
But the reimbursement rates for schools will go up almost immediately. They'll get six cents more per meal, and the school lunch administrators have been asking for this money for a long time. They say it will make a substantial difference in their ability to buy better quality products and to put healthier, more nutritious meals on the table. So, I think that some of the stuff we'll see will happen very quickly.
PHILLIPS: Good. Good news. Peter Eisler, thanks so much for joining us today. Appreciate your work, appreciate you.
All right. And President Obama, on another note, stunned Mike Huckabee. The former presidential candidate, said that Mr. Obama's self-destructed when talking about the tax deal. We'll tackle that next.
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PHILLIPS: Browsers, cookies, search engines. No wonder that nearly everyone's personal privacy is at risk in this computer age. But exactly how much is nothing short of amazing. Poppy Harlow finds out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (on camera): Everyday, millions of Americans are getting their backgrounds checked and their private information collected. If you're online and especially if you're on social networking sites, your privacy is at risk.
Yes, I'm a public person. I report on television and I report online. But personally, I'm a very private person. So, I did something I've never done before. I put myself right in this story to try to find out just how much information is out there about me.
(voice-over): We gave Michael Fertick, the founder of Reputation Defender my name and e-mail address. His company dug around to see what they could find. MICHAEL FERTICK, FOUNDER, REPUTATION DEFENDER: You're a very private person, and the average person, the average viewer is going to be much less private than you, especially in social media. They don't know that they have been opted in by the machine. Even someone as private as you are has been opted in in such a way that the system can find out very deeply personal and private information about you. Some of which you're not even willing to share on the air.
HARLOW: He's exactly right. They pulled information about my family's health history, that my father passed away at 49 from cancer, and other issues just too personal to share. And --
FERTICK: Your religion. We believe and seem to be right that you are Episcopalian --
HARLOW (on camera): That's right.
FERTICK: -- which is not something you advertise.
HARLOW (voice-over): They also got my parents' names, college education and whether I'm married or not.
But on other facts they were wrong, like my salary, current address and phone number.
And here's what really shocked me. Reputation Defender came back with words on internet that are associated with me. They say it's just because these are things I've reported on as a journalist. But the bottom line, whether the information is out there correct or incorrect, it's being used to make decisions about you.
FERTICK: Whether they want to hire you, fire you, date you, market to you, sell to you, insure you or not. The important lesson, the takeaway, is it would be very easy for a machine to make a mistake about who Poppy Harlow is.
HARLOW: We should note, Reputation Defender did this report as just an experiment. The company actually operates solely to protect people's information on the web.
FERTICK: Anything you share in any kind social media can and will find itself in a database and ultimately into a score that is going to be the basis of major life decisions about you.
HARLOW (on camera): It's going to define you.
FERTICK: It's doing to define you forever.
HARLOW (voice-over): In the end, this turned out to be much more personal than I expected. In some ways, it was invasive. But what it showed me is just how much personal information is out there, true and untrue, and many of us have no idea.
In New York, Poppy Harlow reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Well, the Senate is taking up that tax deal that President Obama worked out with Republicans. And our Ed Henry is following that story at the White House and other things on the political ticker. Hey, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning again, Kyra. Interesting. This is really a big Senate showdown but looking like it's going to the go the president's way. They'll have a procedural vote where they need 60 votes, the supermajority, to move forward on the president's tax cut plan. It's looking like they'll easily get those votes, especially since you have a lot of Republicans supporting this tax cut plan, not something the president has seen a lot. That's why the action will really be in the House down the road.
And this Senate vote could provide some momentum. What's interesting is just last week, House Democrats had that nonbinding resolution saying they weren't even going to take up the tax cut plan, they were so upset about it. Now, the seem to be backpedalling on that. You've got a lot of House Democrats on the Sunday talk shows, basically saying they're not happy with the plan. But they're likely to bring it up, try to tinker with it, but in the end it's probably going to pass.
Secondly, interesting that Mike Huckabee, a potential Republican presidential candidate, really taking a pop at President Obama in an interview with "National Journal" magazine saying he thinks the president's news conference last week was amateurish and that he shouldn't have taken on Republicans in the way he did by suggesting they were hostage takers in this whole tax cut fight.
Also, Mike Huckabee saying to "National Journal" that he's surprised the president decided to extend the Bush tax rates for just two years and not three years, the reason being they'll now expire again --
PHILLIPS: Ed, stay with me.
HENRY: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Stay with me. Forgive me. President Obama just signing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act right now into law. As you know, Ed, this has been a big deal for the president and the first lady. The bill hopefully -- apparently there's parts of it that will be enacted right away. But it's going to provide children in need to better access to nutritious food. Also federal reimbursements for school lunches will increase. We're told by six cents per mea.
And Ed , you know, the USDA also going to be establishing new minimum guidelines for vending machines and school cafeteria food. We've been talking a lot about this. And a big deal, a big coup, for our country because it's been 30 years, Ed, since those school lunches have been upgraded. You and I could probably tell our horror stories of what we had to eat on those trays as they were coming in front of us as kids. So, hopefully less tater tots and processed foods. And it'll be more more fruits and vegetables for our kids. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
HENRY: Yes, I remember the phrase mystery meat in school.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly.
HENRY: So, that is good to see. Interesting as well that the president you heard his remarks right before he signed it, he introduced first lady Michelle Obama. This has been one of her key initiatives. And she's finally see it come to fruition. He joked that he's glad it passed because otherwise he would be sleeping on the couch. I'm not sure he was joking.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I think he - I know there might be some -- I didn't want to go there. I'm thinking are there --
HENRY: The first lady said, I don't know if we should go there. I think literally she was serious about it.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it's like, OK, we're moving on from this subject matter.
HENRY: Yes, exactly.
PHILLIPS: All right. Great. Ed Henry, thanks for playing. Appreciate it. Thanks for updating us.
We're going to take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.
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PHILLIPS: Well, every day at this time, we honor the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan for all of us. We call it "Home and Away."
Today we're lifting up Private First Class Matthew Wilds from Hammond, Louisiana. He died following a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan in August of 2009. He was just 18 years old. His mom wrote us and said "Matt was a good kid who never gave her any trouble and had wanted to join the Army since he was 13 years old and enlisted at the age of 17. Matt loved being in the Army, and he was so very proud he was an infantry Army soldier."
If you have loved one that you would like us to honor, here's all you have to do. Just go to CNN.com/homeandaway, type in your service member's name in the upper right-hand search field, pull down that profile. Send us your you thoughts, your pictures, and we'll keep the memory of your hero alive.
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