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Edited Mark Twain Classics; Encouraging News About Jobs; Winning Mega Millions Tickets Sold; Countdown to Capitol Hill

Aired January 05, 2011 - 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: 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out west. Here are some of the stories that have us talking at the top of the hour this morning. This is the day that the Republicans have been waiting for. In just a few hours they take control of the House. We're going to have extensive coverage.

And we got some encouraging news to share in the nation's jobs market. Payroll processor ADP says almost 300,000 jobs were created last month in the private sector. That's nearly three times the number that economists expected.

Two tickets purchased in Idaho and Washington state matched all the numbers on the mega million lottery. Now two lucky souls will split the $355 million (INAUDIBLE) were the winning tickets.

Countdown to Capitol Hill.

Balance of power officially tilts in Congress. Republicans officially take control of the House and new faces will help carry the banner for big changes. These so-called citizen legislators come from all walks of life from a pizza owner to a pottery maker, an auctioneer, even a youth camp minister, champions of voter anger sweeping dozens of lawmakers out of office. It's expecting 100 new people to this Congress. More than a third of freshmen lawmaker in the House have never held office before. Four others are joining the Senate. That's the highest number of (INAUDIBLE) in Congress in decades.

CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill where a bipartisan church service just ended and incoming Speaker John Boehner and outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared a common faith but the Republican leader wants to pursue some very different policies. And by the way, we said three hours from now. But that's not true. It's two hours from now. I apologize for that. This is all going to take place live right here on CNN. Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It will be a little more than. The House, of course, will come into session at noon and then we're going to be seeing the swearing in process and a lot of pomp and circumstance taking place. We're expecting it will be a couple of hours before it's all said and done, Kyra.

You know, one of the few common threads, one of the few common threads that the outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and incoming Speaker John Boehner have is that they are both Catholic. And that's why we're here at St. Peter's Catholic Church, a bipartisan church service has wrapped up. The incoming Speaker Boehner is now back at the Capitol. It's just a couple of blocks from here but our cameras caught up with him this morning as he was leaving his house. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), INCOMING HOUSE SPEAKER: I think the number one goal as the speaker is to protect the institution. And I think most Americans believe that Congress is broken and it's time to fix it and that will be my number one goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, after all of the pomp and circumstance today, we will be seeing Speaker Pelosi introducing the Speaker-elect John Boehner. He is going to be sworn in by the dean of the House, John Dingle, the longest serving member in the House, of Michigan. He is a Democrat, Kyra. So that's going to be an interesting moment.

But after that, Republicans are going to get down to business putting out their agenda. We will be seeing a vote where they are going to say to all members of Congress, committees in Congress, all of the leaders of office that they have to reduce their operating cost by five percent, of course, the big vote that we're keeping our eye on is going to be the one on Friday, a procedural vote that will lay the groundwork for that vote next week to repeal health care reform.

Republicans have the votes in the House. The expectation is that it is not going anywhere in the Senate. And just as a side note, I want to tell you something that you're looking out there, Kyra. This is the nameplate above the Speaker's office. It did, of course, say Speaker Nancy Pelosi and it now says, Speaker John Boehner, a sign of the times they are changing here on Capitol Hill.

PHILLIPS: You know when things get serious when the nameplate changes. Brianna, yes, it's down to business. It's the real deal. Thanks, Brianna.

And here's a reminder that we're living in the age of Facebook. For the first time ever, Congress will actually broadcast live on the social media web site. Republicans want full exposure of their succession into power in the House. Incoming House Speaker John Boehner announced yesterday that the live coverage will include him taking the oath of office and then afterwards his first speech.

President Obama will not be dealing with new faces and new titles on Capitol Hill. He's also facing some vacancies among his top people. One of the first challenges, replacing his former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. Two senior Democratic sources close to the process say that these men are the two leading candidates now. (INAUDIBLE) Pete Rouse and also former Clinton Commerce Secretary William Daley.

One of the most recognizable faces, maybe going as well, press secretary Robert Gibbs is reportedly ready to leave the job. He may go to another post in the White House or leave for the private sector. And several Democratic sources say that Gene Sperling will replace Larry Summers as the head of the National Economic Council. Sperling is a former Clinton administration official and is now a counselor at the Treasury Department.

Stay with CNN as the new speaker of the House, John Boehner, ushers in Republican control of the House. That gavel comes down and our coverage begins at noon Eastern, just two hours away. CNN's Wolf Blitzer will be joined by the best political team on television.

Well, a 10-year-old boy is in custody for allegedly killing his mother after arguing over chores. The body of Deborah McVay was found Sunday in her Homesville, Ohio home. Police suspect the 10-year- old shot and killed his mother with a .22-caliber rifle. That boy was taken into custody after he allegedly told a neighbor that that he had shot his mother. The victim's brother had this reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY MILLER, VICTIM'S BROTHER: Everybody is in shock. I just can't believe it. For something like this to happen, it's very devastating to everybody. We don't know. I mean, it's - I don't know. I don't know how this could happen. Why it happened

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: BJ Bernstein, a former prosecutor lives here in Atlanta, we're talking about a 10-year-old boy facing murder charges for allegedly killing his mother. What happens now?

BJ BERNSTEIN, ATTORNEY: Well, what is going to happen is the evaluation of how the case is going to be handled. Is he going to be handled as a child in juvenile court or as an adult in that jurisdiction. And it's really a hard thing to say, to even think about a 10-year-old being handled as an adult and hopefully the prosecutors will look at this carefully and see and really examine what is really happening in that child's home.

PHILLIPS: And how do you go about that?

BERNSTEIN: Before this incident.

PHILLIPS: What do you examine first? How do you start to gather information like that, B.J.?

BERNSTEIN: Well, first you look at the statement that the child made, how the child approached the neighbor trying to see, you know, was he calm? Was he agitated? Really start getting into the mind of this child and immediately, immediately there needs to be a psychiatric evaluation because clearly 10-year-olds don't naturally do this.

You can say a lot of things, you don't want to prejudge to say whether it's video games or whether the young person had been exposed to use of gun commonly in the family. Or was he himself a victim of something and exploded in rage over something minor in a major way.

PHILLIPS: So obviously this is tragic all the way around. What's the best case scenario for this 10-year-old boy?

BERNSTEIN: The best case scenario is very much, psychiatric care and that the courts, as they are working on this, look to how to heal this child and to make sure that society is also protected. So he will probably need to stay in some sort of protective custody for a while, get treatment, and work towards him being able to integrate back into society. You really don't want to see a situation where a 10-year- old can never be free if, in fact, he was a victim or he has some severe psychiatric problems. You want to work on those now.

PHILLIPS: Former prosecutor and active attorney B.J. Bernstein right here in Atlanta, Georgia. B.J., thanks so much.

It's been five days since a respected ex-Pentagon official was found dead in a Delaware dump. This was John Wheeler and police aren't just searching for his killer. They are still looking for a murder scene. But there are some new clues about the last few hours of John Wheeler's life. Officers tracked down his car near an Amtrak garage near Wilmington and a parking attendant in another garage said that she had a bizarre encounter with Wheeler just two days before his body was found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAN GOLDSBOROUGH, PARKING LOT ATTENDANT: He didn't have a coat on and really strike me that he didn't have a coat on and he didn't' have a shoe on. Then when I asked him where was his parking ticket at my garage, he said he couldn't find it, it was inside his briefcase. So when I asked him where was his briefcase, he said his briefcase was stolen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Police say they have narrowed down the number of trash bins where Wheeler's body may have been dumped. Some of them within the scope of surveillance cameras. Police are asking for the public's help filling in the blanks about what might have happen for this man who was the driving force behind the Vietnam vets wall and a champion for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

And check out this still frame from that vulgar video that caused a Navy captain his job. Yes, that's Oscar winner Glenn Close, unwittingly making a cameo appearance, by the way. She's pretty upset. She's calling the use of her image in this video "insulting and deeply offensive."

Close says she had visited the aircraft carrier "USS Enterprise" several years ago and other parts of that video not with Close feature anti-gay slurs and simulated sex acts.

And other celebrity news, Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab but not out of trouble just yet. We're going to tell you about here new digs and what her lawyers say about allegations about a troubled starlet assaulted a rehab staffer.

All right. Decades-old tree known as the shoe tree is history. Now authorities want to know who cut it down. And what's going to happen with all these shoes.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

PHILLIPS: Well, I told you that our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is continuing to break news at what's happening at the White House. Let's go straight to her. As we're getting word - oh, I'm going to tell it. Got it. all right. Suzanne just called in.

Robert Gibbs, you're used to seeing him there addressing all the reporter's questions at the White House. She has confirmed that he will be leaving. Possibly to work in the private sector. We're talking about all of the changes that will be happening there at the White House within President Obama's administration. This is one that Suzanne was able to confirm. She actually talked to Gibbs just moments ago and he has confirmed that he will be leaving his post there as press secretary and addressing all of those reporters' questions. Who will replace him? We'll find out hopefully soon.

And speaking of people moving on to new chapters of their life, Lindsay Lohan has left rehab. And she is bound for the beach. But what happens at the Betty Ford Clinic doesn't necessarily stay at the Betty Ford Clinic. And she could be in some legal trouble once again.

"Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer in New York with the details. Will this story ever go away, A.J.? Well, I guess you would be out of a job if it did.

A.J. HAMMER, HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": No, probably not. That's true, Kyra, and now that Lindsay Lohan is apparently out of rehab, the paparazzi seems to be back in the Lindsay Lohan business. She was caught on camera by TMZ. She was just on her way to the gym. So they're happy to be there shooting her as she goes along.

And during this little impromptu shoot, she made the shocking revelation that, hey, it feels good to be out of rehab. She is reportedly moving to a new place in Venice Beach, which is a pretty low-key community and they really have this avant-garde reputation. So naturally maybe some residents there are not too happy rolling out the welcome mat for her. In fact, there is one local on-line forum in Venice Beach, where residents are saying they are worried that she will bring the rest of young Hollywood with her.

And as for the possibility we told you about yesterday that Lindsay may be heading back to jail over that battery charge. Her lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley lashed out at the Palm Beach Police Department. She told "Showbiz Tonight" - this is the Palm Desert Police Department, that they went outside their usual role to "issue a press statement about what should happen in Ms. Lohan's case" and she found that to be highly unusual and she also found it deeply troubling. But regardless of what her lawyer feels, it's not going to keep Lindsay, Kyra, from staying out of court when she has to appear on this charge next month.

PHILLIPS: I'm sensing more and more drama. All right. You got some celebrity couple news to tell us about today.

HAMMER: Yes, good news, not so good news. We have one star couple that is splitting up, another pair of celebrities are getting together. I want to start with the good news, of course, the newly single John Mellencamp, one of my favorite guys in the music biz, he is apparently dating Meg Ryan. Now they have been caught on camera walking around New York City. Their reps haven't been willing to confirm anything to us yet but our sources are telling us that they got together just after Mellencamp split from his wife of 20 years, Elaine Irwin.

But now on to the bad news. Certainly bad news for some of the tabloids. "People" magazine reporting that Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal are no longer a couple. This was actually a pretty brief relationship. We'll have to see, of course, now if Jake winds up immortalized on Taylor's next album because you know, she has this history of singing about her ex's.

These guys were first caught on camera together in October and last seen together in public in early December and they spent New Year's eve in separate places. I actually like these two as a couple. But Kyra, it is impossible to imagine what it's like simply trying to navigate the usual difficulties of a relationship when you're constantly front page news just because you're in a relationship.

PHILLIPS: Isn't she too young to be singing all of the sad songs about all her ex's?

HAMMER: Not based on her experience, I guess. John Mayer, anyone?

PHILLIPS: She's growing up fast. A.J. Hammer, thanks so much. Well, if you want information on everything that's breaking in the entertainment world, A.J. has always got it. And you can see him every evening, "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on HLN.

Men in tights, fighting crime, a real life superhero in action in Washington state. You're going to meet him.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's travel cross country. First stop, Churchill County, Nevada, where a piece of Americana is no more. Someone cut down the so-called shoe tree along highway 50, just east of (INAUDIBLE) Nevada. The decades old cotton wood tree became known as the shoe tree when a newlywed couple threw each other's shoes into the tree to mark their nuptials. Well, the shoe throwing soon became a ritual for tourists. So here's the question, where is all the shoes going to go?

Now, would you be willing to spend 30 days in a lion's den? James Javelin is going just that, all in the name of charity. He's a wildlife rehabilitation expert is making his home with two African lions named Lea and Ed.

Finally in Lynnwood, Washington, where a man is wearing tights and a mask and a black and gold rubber suit in a personal fight against crime. One resident says the real-life superhero came to his aid seconds before his car was broken into and could have been stolen. The man in tights is Phoenix Jones. Affiliate KIRO reports that Jones is on crime watch in Lynnwood, nearly every single night.

All right. Let's talk about "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer," shall we? The Mark Twain novels are classics. You and your kid maybe read them in school. They're windows into 19th century American life, a history that includes painful chapters and a lot of hurtful words. New South Books is now publishing new versions of both books, taking out the "n" word, the word slave is going to be used in its place.

Now, what do you think? Is this sanitizing history to sound nicer in the present or does it make sense to have an alternative for readers who are too young or too sensitive to see that word over and over again?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, CULTURAL CRITIC: I think it robs us of the proof that we've evolved. That we've gone from being called the n word to Mr. President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, a great discussion on "AC 360" last night. And Syracuse professor Boyce Watkins was part of it. He's with us again. Also we've got Duke African-American studies professor, Mark Neal, two men with two different takes on this story. Great to have you both.

Boyce, let's start with you. Do you not feel that the point can still be made, you know, the point that Twain wanted to make without the "n" word, hearing the "n" word, reading the "n" word more than 200 times?

PROF. BOYCE WATKINS, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: Well, you know, let's be clear, I'm not typically a fan of censorship but I am a fan of making sense and keeping things age appropriate. You know, I had a kid that called me and they told me that when they read "Huck Finn" in class, that it was very hurtful to see this word over and over again. Actually, the kid got into a fight with another kid who felt that it was OK to use that word because they've been reading it all day in class.

And so my argument would be that you can still make the point that Mark Twain was trying to make in the book without the word being available and then once if people want to - you know, when it's age appropriate to go and read the raw version, I think that should be made available. I mean, in almost every other art form whether it's music, movies, whatever the case may be, and then you have the radio version that is available for public consumption and then you have the more explicit version that's available if you want to pursue that as well. So I think it shouldn't be any different in this case.

PHILLIPS: Well, Mark, what do you think? Should history be changed in this instance to reach a more modern audience, an audience that is used to getting, I guess, a PC version of things nowadays?

MARK NEAL, PROF., DUKE UNIVERSITY: I think the decision by New South is really indicative of this so-called post-race moment. I mean in many ways it's a whitewashing of American history. It really guts that particularly historical moment of the reasons why that moment was the moment, the reason why Mark Twain's book became the classic that it became.

I think if the book is appropriate to teach to whatever audiences are reading it, it's appropriate just as much with the language that it was originally written in. To me this strikes me more as an attempt if you knew South and if you're concerned about how skittish, you know, the Boards of Education are, school boards are about certain kinds of books being taught. For them it seems more like a money grab, it's an attempt to make the book much more marketable for classrooms in 2011 doing again post-race moment than actually dealing with the realities and difficulties of talking about race.

PHILLIPS: And Boyce, wouldn't you agree as an educator that it's how the book is put into context, right? I remember in junior high I had to get a permission to read "Catcher in the Rye." Because - someone's phone is going off. Boyce, that might be Mark Twain calling from six feet under.

WATKINS: Yes, sorry about that.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: All right. You better support my book. All right. We'll get back to the question. You know, I had to get a permission slip, right, -- to read "Catcher in the Rye." But I remember my teacher, whatever classic you put, you picked you were put into a group with another teacher and they put everything into context so you could understand, you know, why a certain writer was using certain words or cuss words or things that were considered a little, you know, outrageous for our age.

So, you know, isn't this about reading a classic and understanding why people use the word versus, you know, how we see the word as a very negative sounding word at this point. Boyce?

WATKINS: Well, let's be clear, it never makes sense to simply whitewash the atrocities of slavery, the history of our country, in fact, I've criticized Boards of Education for doing that because I don't think our children are given an appropriate education on what has happened to black people throughout the 400 year holocaust that we've experienced in America.

But I don't think that this book is necessarily the only way that you can teach that. I know personally as a parent of young children that I would want to at least have the right to sign a permission slip stating that I feel that it's OK to teach - to teach this book to my children, you know, using this word over and over and over again.

I don't think that you have to have them endure that in order for them to understand that, you know, that slavery was a horrible experience. I think there are many ways that you can teach slavery. And again, this is not sort of standard censorship where some government agency is coming in and saying you shouldn't be allowed, no one should be allowed to read this book in its current form. What it is saying is that for kids at that age, a parent deserves to have the right to say, "you know, I want my kids to learn about history but this is not necessarily the way to do it" because there are a lot of classic films and songs that I can point to.

For example, NWA song in the late 1980s, "F the Police." You know, the profanity was there for a reason but when you hear it on the radio, certain words are deleted for good reason. So I think it should be the same case for a book like this.

PHILLIPS: Well, and Mark, do you agree? Because we don't want to ignore history and we don't want to act like it never happened.

NEAL: I think Boyce makes a great point, you know, with regard to music. But I think when we're talking about literature, the way that we engage literature and music are very distinct ways. You know, one wouldn't necessarily be listening if you're 11, 12 years old, you wouldn't be listening to NWA's "F the Police" in the classroom.

The classroom is set up to have the kind of discourse around the difficulties of race in American history. So for me it seems very appropriate to be able to use a text like that. Again, if the text is appropriate and then the way that the text was originally intended is just as appropriate.

PHILLIPS: Yes. And we should also point out, you know, that Mark Twain, in no way, was writing about something that he - he wasn't a prejudiced man. You know, we talked about the fact that Mark Twain even wrote a letter to the dean of the Yale Law School wanting to pay for a young black law student's tuition saying, "you know, we owe this to the African-American community."

Actually, they were not using African-American community at that time but you get my point. It was from that time. But anyway, great discussion, gentlemen, It's going to be interesting to see kind of the fallout of what happens here. We'll definitely want to bring you back and see how this plays out. Boyce, Mark, thanks so much.

NEAL: Thank you.

WATKINS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You bet. And we also asked you what you thought about editing Mark Twain's famous novel. Here's what Tony wrote on our blog. He said "History cannot be changed, no matter how distasteful we may find it to be. If this material is given the proper context and discussed in class, our children will be more socially conscience. Otherwise, they are only learning lies.

And Lucine and her daughter attended a school with only three other black students and writes this, "She came home crying after the teacher played the "Tom Sawyer" audio book. She was humiliated and traumatized as her classmates stared at her. I don't think white people realize how dehumanizing it is."

And another viewer, Judy said, "If kids aren't taught what is offensive, they will not know why not to use a word. Hiding a thing that is offensive does not eliminate the need to protect against it." And finally, Navy Bean says he is thinking of re-writing the work of William Shakespeare now, "but I want all of the characters to be from Southern California and have an affinity for surfing and plastic surgery and because I don't want to offend, I'm going to replace all of the murders, betrayals, and hurtful words with gentle shrugs."

Thank you all very much for weighing in. Appreciate it.

Congressional Republicans say they are serious about spending targets. First on their list, bottled water.

And two ticket holders in Idaho and Washington state are millionaires. They're the winners of the $355 million mega million jackpot. Should they take their winnings in a lump sum or over 20 years? We're going to examine the choices in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's take a look at the numbers. The Dow industrials down 20 points. The opening bell rang just about an hour ago.

Two ticket holders in Idaho and Washington, well, they like the numbers. We're talking about the nation's newest millionaires. They are the winners of the $355 million Mega Millions Lottery jackpot. And that has got us talking about should they take their winnings in a lump sum or maybe over several years? CNN Business Correspondent Stephanie Elam joining us from New York to talk about those options.

Is it really that much of a tough choice?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It's like choosing between, I'd like heaven and then I'd like to be in paradise. If I choose them like that, like, which way should I actually go with? When we started thinking about this, Kyra, it was a big conversation yesterday among the fine folks in the biz update team that I work with here in New York. We talked about it a lot. So we started thinking, well, which is the better option?

There are a few things you do have to keep in mind, first off. You are not going to see all of that $355 million winners. You are not going to get all of that money. Because right off the top about a quarter of it is going to go to federal taxes. They take it away right off the top so you don't have to worry about it. Then you have state taxes, and then if you owe, let's say, back taxes or child support or something like that, they are going to take that, too. With this amount of money you are still going to be really rich, so that's fine. If you take a look at it, the lump is going to end up being less than if you were to take the 26 annual payments. The lump sum of $224 million payments, or 26 payments of $13.6 million a year? The lump is less.

If you know what you're doing, you invest it, and it could end up being more. I think that is the big thing people think about. If you're not a good saver, if you're a spender, maybe you like having the annual payments. I, for one, would be all over the lump payment, and that is actually what most people do, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. What's the first thing these winners should do? My guess is immediately go talk to a financial planner that you trust?

ELAM: Right, and then hide.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: But no, you can't always do that.

PHILLIPS: Change your phone number.

ELAM: You hide. I have a whole theory that actually if you do, do this, you just make up yourself with a lot of makeup, put on a wig, change your eye color so people don't know you in real life. But you actually have to go in some states and show yourself and do a press conference. You actually have to show yourself in a lot of states, that is part of the contract of winning.

But before you go pick up your numbers, I know you are really excited and you want tell people. Might just go in the closet and shout for joy in there. Don't let anyone know. Find a lawyer, find an accountant, get a plan together, and then you might just have to start massaging your jaws and get ready to say no a lot because people will find out. And it's public domain, where you live, what county, how much you won, what game you won. So people can find out. You want to make sure you protect yourself. And step back for a minute. And just make sure that you have everything set up in advance. Because it is a huge, big life changing event.

And, Kyra, one last thing I should tell you about. Most people say, I'm going to keep my job. I'm going to keep on working. But eventually most of them do end up quitting. And for the people who got five numbers right, five numbers, they are walking away with $250,000 each, 67 players did that. That's not bad. I'd be happy with that.

PHILLIPS: Yes, that is not bad at all. Hey, any kind of cash in this bad economy do us some good.

ELAM: Yeah, it's a good thing. And for the guys who did win, whoever won, men or women, safeguard those tickets until you turn them into the lottery people. Don't lose it.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Thanks, Steph.

It's just about 10:30 on the East Coast; 7:30 out West.

Here are some of the other stories that have us talking this morning. This is actually a still frame from that vulgar video that cost a Navy captain his job. Yep, that's Oscar winner Glenn Close unwittingly making a cameo in the video. Close calls the use of her image insulting and deeply offensive. She explained that she did visit the USS Enterprise several years ago and had no idea how it was going to be used in the video. The Navy relieved the command of Owen Honors for his prominent role in the making of those tapes. More testimony today in the Michael Jackson death case. The judge is deciding if the singer physician Doctor Conrad Murray should stand trial for involuntary manslaughters. One of the Jackson's security guards told the court yesterday that Murray appeared panicked while crouched next to the singer's body.

Sure a spilled cup of coffee can ruin a morning, or it can divert an international flight. A United Airlines pilot spilled his cup of Joe on the communications equipment during a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt and it triggered emergency codes, according to Canada's transportation agency. The plane had to land in Toronto with 225 passengers and crew on board.

It looks like change is coming to the White House staff already. Our Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry has the story from our CNNPolitics.com Desk.

Hey, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning, Kyra.

Very much expected that Robert Gibbs would be stepping down. We weren't sure which day, but Suzanne Malveaux, my colleague, has confirmed from Robert himself, that he told fellow staffers this morning at the White House that he's leaving. He will probably leave shortly after the State of the Union at the end of January. He wants to move on, give some speeches, maybe go on cable TV on behalf of the president.

The bottom line is that top Democrats say that Robert Gibbs is probably sort of help set up the re-election effort in Chicago heading into the 2012. He shuttle back and forth between Chicago and D.C.

And there's going to be an interesting battle among the candidates to replace Robert Gibbs. Bill Burton, his current deputy, Jay Carney, a former journalist, who is now Vice President Biden's communications director.

I'm also being told by senior Democratic sources there will be a whole slew of other staff changes that we may see as early as Friday. The president, I'm told in private, is very anxious to kind of get the new team in place before that State of the Union Address. And at the top of the list, of course, is chief of staff. I'm told it is down to two people. Either Bill Daley, the former Clinton Commerce secretary, or Pete Rouse, who is the current interim chief of staff. So we are expecting all of that news to start breaking over the next couple of days.

Secondly, as the House Republicans take power, today, Speaker Boehner going to be sworn in, in just a couple of hours, with our special coverage. They had made a big promise they were going to cut $100 billion this year. Already signs they are going to be backpedaling on that, cutting much less than that. However, Speaker Boehner is making clear they are going to start with their own budgets, at least. They are vowing, still, to cut congressional staff budgets, the committee budgets by 5 percent. They are going to be cutting back on travel, postage, stamps and even bottled water, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow. All right. So, we are also hearing that Twitter accounts are going to be changing on the Hill?

HENRY: You know, this is really the first transition on Capitol Hill. Transition of power where we've had Twitter at the forefront of social media and how not just people around the world interact, but how politicians interact.

Speaker Pelosi has already been trimmed down to--from @SpeakerPelosi to @NancyPelosi. She sent out a Tweet last night, joking, that this was a shorter version of her name, saved a couple of letters. So re- Tweeters, people who re-Tweet her Tweets, are going to be happy because they can type less letters. I guess trying to find a silver lining there.

Already Republicans are out of the box, ready this morning with a new account on Twitter at @SpeakerBoehner. So that's where you can go to find out what the House Republicans are up to. And just make sure everyone understands, I'm still @EdHenryCNN. No transfer of power.

PHILLIPS: OK. You're not going to be moving on?

HENRY: No, no plans.

PHILLIPS: Bigger and better things, Ed Henry?

HENRY: I can't comment.

PHILLIPS: OK. All right. You've got the gift to gab. That's for sure. See you again soon.

We have a political update in an hour. And a reminder for all the latest political news you can always go to our website at CNNPolitics.com.

Just nine of the 94 new legislators who will be sworn in today are Democratic. Coming up, I'm going to speak to one of them. He's the first Bangladeshi ever elected to Congress, Michigan's Hansen Clarke will be my guest.

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PHILLIPS: Today on Capitol Hill, as the sands of time shift, so does the balance of power. When the clock strikes noon in Washington, Republicans will formally take control of the House. In the Senate, Democrats hold on to their eroding majority with just a handful of seats.

One of those Democratic members being sworn in defeated the former head of the Congressional Black Caucus to get his post. And he joins me live, here in the NEWSROOM.

Hansen Clarke, you're less than two hours from officially taking on the new job. Tell me what is going through your head right now. HANSEN CLARKE, (D) MICHIGAN, CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: Well, I've already started working to help the people of Metro Detroit. I represent Metro Detroit, which is the hardest hit economic area in the country. My people want simple things. They want to get back to work. They want to get out of debt. They want to be financially secure, just like a lot of people in this country. So, I've already started months ago working with federal agencies to see how I can better train people for jobs that are here, and improve our public schools, so I can better train people for jobs that would be available for Metro Detroiters.

PHILLIPS: Well, it is interesting. You come from eight kids, your mom was a single parent after your father passed away. I was reading that you were actually raised on a crossing guard salary. Wow. I mean, everybody definitely respects and appreciates a humble upbringing. So when you're debating things like the economy, unemployment, health care, housing reform, tax cuts, you know how poverty feels.

CLARKE: You know, you're right. I learned hard lessons in my life, but I also know how valuable an act of Congress can be in someone's life. When I was unemployed, when I lost everything that meant anything to me, my family, my college scholarship, my income. It was a job that was created through an act of Congress that got me back on my feet. And it not only provided me a paycheck, but gave me self- esteem and it gave me a sense of mission that I could help people. Because I was assigned to work with truant high school kids in a local high school. So I know what Congress -- the kind of difference Congress can make in our lives. I want to be that type of congressman for the people that I represent in Metro Detroit, who right now are really hard hit. Not only have they lost their jobs and their homes, they are actually giving up hope. And I'm there to restore that hope and confidence in their government.

PHILLIPS: The state of Michigan has definitely been hit hard. I want to hit that in just a second. But I do want to ask you about this Mackinac (ph) Center for Public Policy report that came out sayings that 13 Metro Detroit lawmakers missed 100 plus votes last year, in Michigan's congress. And you were one of them. You talk about making changes on a much higher level now. How do we know that you are going to be there voting?

CLARKE: My overall voting has been 90 percent. I did miss a couple of days of voting in December because I was at congressional orientation, and here in Congress at the Democratic caucus meetings. So it's very important for me to be involved in Congress, to receive the training that I need to be a member of Congress. So, I don't make any excuses about that. I decided to put my congressional work first, and overall I've got a great voting record. And the Michigan legislature choose to have a lot of votes on one day, that I was actually here in Washington, D.C. working on behalf of the people that hired me.

PHILLIPS: Democrat Congressman Hansen Clarke, appreciate you sharing some time with us today. Good luck.

CLARKE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

CLARKE: Look forward to the opportunity of serving everybody.

PHILLIPS: Stay with CNN as the new Speaker of the House John Boehner ushers in Republican control of the House. The gavel comes down and our coverage begins, noon, Eastern. CNN's Wolf Blitzer joining the best political team on television for you live.

Ever wonder what makes for wedded bliss? One expert says the key is a "me" marriage. And we're talking to him. We're even hitting the millionaire match maker to weigh in on this. Can't wait for this one.

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PHILLIPS: All right. There's no "I" in team but there is an "I" in marriage. And there is a new school of thought that says keeping yourself satisfied makes for a happier marriage. So whatever happened to the idea that marital bliss comes from putting yourself second? Some researchers say it is time to scrap that question and ask these, instead.

That's right, it's relationship pop quiz time. Here we go. How much does being with your partner result in your having new experiences? How much does your partner increase your ability to accomplish new things?

Well, those are just some of the questions from a quiz developed by Ray Lewandowski Monmouth University. He is the co-author of this relationship study. He is joining us life from Tampa.

And in LA, the one and only Millionaire Matchmaker, Patti Stanger. Her DVD, "Married In A Year", comes out next month.

But Gary, I want to start with you. Those questions from your quiz, they are kind of intense. And you're not just asking, do you like long walks on the beach. How did you devise these questions?

GARY LEWANDOWSKI, ASSOC. PROF., MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY: These questions come from the self-expansion model, which was developed by Art and Arlene Erin (ph), my research adviser in graduate school. And the idea is that these things are in addition to some of the basics of a solid relationship. So the basis of a solid relationship is that your partner is your best friend. These are some of the things that in addition to that will help improve your marriage.

PHILLIPS: So Patti, you're a third generation match maker. This is kind of a shift in thinking, isn't it?

PATTI STANGER, FOUNDER, MILLIONAIRE'S CLUB INT'L.: Not really. There's nothing revolutionary about this. Most people date up. They want to learn something about somebody. I want to ski, I'll date a skier. I want to become a professor, I'm going to date somebody who is the dean of the school. There is nothing different here. You're going to find things that you have common interest and common values. And, of course, I'm going to want to be entertained. It's not revolutionary. It's what we really do on an subliminal unconscious level.

PHILLIPS: Gary, let's take it one step further. This sounds really selfish. You are saying it really helps couples if the relationship helps expand their horizons?

LEWANDOWKSI: Right. You have to keep in mind that a relationship does not occur in a vacuum. While I'm looking to have my horizons expanded, as you say, my partner is also looking for the same thing. What we're looking for from each other is not only for our partner to expand our sense of self, but for them to support us as we choose to go self-expand perhaps on our own individually. It's definitely a give and take process.

PHILLIPS: OK. Well, and it's so interesting, Patti, because there is an old-school way of thinking and I'd be curious what your mom and your grandmother would think, because they were in the same line of work as you. Where you're supposed to put your partner first, and you're supposed to care for their needs first.

STANGER: No.

PHILLIPS: You're saying no way?

STANGER: No. If women did this, we would be doormats forever. You don't do that. It has to be a partnership. You have to have things in common. And, more importantly, you're never going to take the chemistry out of the equation. Just because I want to learn something or I want to be entertained, I still have to be sexually attractive. That's the original basis of getting together. Otherwise you would be friends forever, roommates forever. So I agree with him, but I think that this is nothing new. I just think we don't talk about it. It's out of the box now.

PHILLIPS: So I'm curious, Gary-

LEWANDOWKSI: I would totally agree with that.

PHILLIPS: Yeah, go ahead.

LEWANDOWKSI: I was going to say, I would totally agree with that. What we're doing here is sort of introducing sort of a new vocabulary to help people describe and think about aspects of the relationship that maybe they have been taking for granted or have not really considered. A lot of times when people hear about this, they have an initial reaction, of course, this is obvious. But then you start thinking about it, and maybe we do this to a certain degree but could we do this a little bit more? And to the extent you can do some of these things more with your partner, and expand more with your partner, and have these new and challenging experiences with your partner, you're going to have an improved relationship. It doesn't mean that it's good in the first place. This should certainly help improve it.

PHILLIPS: I've got to agree with you both. You've got to respect your partner and your partner has got to make you better. That's one of the most attractive things in a relationship.

Gary, I don't want to get too personal. But what the hell, we're talking about marriage.

LEWANDOWKSI: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Do you have a significant other?

LEWANDOWKSI: I sure do. Actually today is our ninth wedding anniversary. So, Happy anniversary, Honey.

STANGER: Congratulations.

PHILLIPS: Ah, that's -- and what has made your marriage work for nine years? I mean, as you studied this and put this together, and you came up with these questions, from you thinking about your marriage? Were you thinking about your wife?

LEWANDOWKSI: Absolutely. My wife and I, we're best friends. We've been together for so long because she makes me a better person. And there are ways, perhaps, I might make her a better person. She is pretty fantastic already. She definitely makes me a better person and has taught me things about myself and about the world that, you know, that's what makes us work.

PHILLIPS: Now, Patti, you're the millionaire and CEO of the Millionaire's Club International. This is one of the biggest match making organizations. You were engaged, but it didn't work out. You have a little bit of a different story here. Explain the reasoning there and do you feel good about it? And how is your own operation helping you? Has it helped you? Are you learning through relationships that you're putting together?

STANGER: I'm single now. It's a real nightmare right now. It's not exactly a lot of fun. I'm learning how to get back in the trenches.

But I really agree with the study because the last reason I broke up with my fiance was because of some of the things that you just discussed. I want to be empowered, not depowered. I don't want to be seduced and reduced. I believe there was a lot of things that I realized I need to grow as a person. And this person was great as a person for somebody else, but not for me. So I agree with the study. I learned a lot in my last relationship that the study would have -- maybe I should have used the study first.

PHILLIPS: Patti Stanger, I look forward to your new DVD. And Gary Lewandowki, interesting stuff. Thank you both. I think everybody was paying attention to this segment. Thank you, guys.

LEWANDOWKSI: Thank you very much.

STANGER: Thanks for having me.

PHILLIPS: More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: The Coast Guard says that they are dealing with a disgusting spill on the Houston Ship Channel. Apparently last night there was a tallow spill. Tallow is animal fat, by the way. The Coast Guard received a report that a shore-based storage tank split open and approximately 250,000 gallons of beef animal fat just oozed out. They estimate that 15,000 gallons entered the Houston Ship Channel through a storm drain and roughly three-quarters of a mile of the channel is closed. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

We're going to have more from the CNN NEWSROOM after a quick break.