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Moment of Silence to Honor Victims of Tucson Shooting; Horror & Heartache In Arizona; Snow, Ice Shut Down South

Aired January 10, 2011 - 10:59   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Carol Costello. Our focus for Monday, January 10: in just a minute, the president will lead the nation in a moment of silence for the 20 people who were shot in Arizona.

Doctors in Tucson are getting ready to update us on the condition of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords today as the young man accused of shooting her gets ready for a court appearance.

And our other big story for this Monday, a major snow and ice storm paralyzes the South. Millions of people feel the winter sting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a very pretty weather right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The visibility is bad and the traction is really bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Let's head to the South Lawn of the White House for a moment of silence.

(BELL RINGS)

And you're now looking at a shot of Congresswoman Giffords' office as the country mourns her, mourns what happened to her and prays for her recovery. President Obama asks the country for this moment of silence so that we could draw Together as a country, so that some unity could be achieved, and we could think and pray about those who survived that shooting rampage on Tuesday and those who died.

We want to take a closer look now at the six people who lost their lives in that tragedy. The victims were as young as 9 years old and as old as 79, all had gathered to hear Congresswoman Giffords speak in Tucson on Saturday. Christina Taylor Green, she was 9 years old, born on September 11, 2001. Christina was attending the Congress on the corner event because she was recently chosen to be on the student council at her elementary school. Her father, John Green, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gabe Zimmerman, the 30-year-old who was Giffords' director of community outreach. He worked with constituents who needed Giffords' help with an issue. Zimmerman was engaged to be married.

Dorwin Stoddard, the 76-year-old was shot in the head while trying to shield his wife from the gunfire. He was a retire construction worker. His wife was shot in the legs. She is expected to make a full recovery.

U.S. district judge, John Roll, the 63-year-old, had stopped by to say hello to Giffords after attending mass on Saturday. The day to Pennsylvanian began his career as a bailiff and rose to be chief judge for the District of Arizona.

Dorothy Morris, the 76-year-old and her husband, George, they'd been married for 55 years. Her husband was wounded in the shooting.

And Phyllis Schneck, the 79-year-old was known for her volunteer work and for her fabulous holiday dinners.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (on-camera): The man police accused of causing so much tragedy, Jared Loughner, will appear in court later today in Phoenix. Eventually, he'll be represented by a public defender paid for by the government. Live to Tucson, national correspondent, Susan Candiotti. She's been at the University Medical Center for a few days now. Susan, first off, we know Congresswoman Giffords remains in critical condition, but what about the others?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they've all been upgraded their conditions. There are only three others who remain in serious condition and the rest, fair. So, everyone else is doing much, much better each and every day. And as you indicated, Carol, we'll be getting the latest on everyone's condition in just about an hour or so from now.

But coming back to the investigation, you know, we're learning that chilling paperwork has found in Jared Loughner's home as well as eyewitness accounts from former classmates and teachers who now say they were scared to death of him are painting a troubling portrait of this young man. And, in fact, all this is happening as a backdrop as federal investigators continue to look into his past.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello? Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 911, there was a shooting at Safeway.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The calls to 911 paint a picture of the chaos that unfolded as a crazed gunman opened fire outside the Safeway Grocery Store.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like the guy had a semiautomatic pistol, and he went in. He just started firing and then he ran. There was multiple people shot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Oh, my God. CANDIOTTI: The man who allegedly pulled the trigger, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, has so far been charged with just the crimes related to victim who were federal employees, including two counts of murder for killing a federal judge and a congressional aide to attempted murder judges for killing two other aides and the attempted murder of Congresswoman Giffords. Loughner, apparently, isn't talking in custody, and the FBI isn't commenting on his motive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will say and emphasize there is no information at this time to suggest any specific threat remains.

CANDIOTTI: Investigators did reveal what could be a key piece of evidence, discovered in a safe in Loughner's home, a letter from Congresswoman Giffords thanking him for attending a similar neighborhood event back in 2007. Investigators say they also found a separate envelope with what appears to be Loughner's signature and the following words, "I planned ahead. my Assassination. Giffords."

Loughner's past also includes a troubled time at Pima Community College where he was first suspended and then quit last October after what the school said were multiple run-ins with campus police.

BEN MCGAHEE, JARED LEE LOUGHNER'S INSTRUCTOR: He was physically removed after probably the third or fourth week.

CANDIOTTI: To return to campus, Loughner was told he would have to present a doctor's note stating he would not be, quote, "a danger to himself or others."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (on-camera): Of course, the school never got that note, because as we said, Loughner left the school, dropped out, and now we know, Loughner has become a source of untold misery to so many people -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Susan, do we know what he had against Congresswoman Giffords. I mean, they found this note from her, you know, in his belongings thanking him for coming out to see her. Do we know what exactly he had against her?

CANDIOTTI: We don't. And, of course, investigators probably do. We've been asking them for more questions about what contact would have happened between the two of them around that time. But for now, the FBI refuses to disclose whatever evidence they might have of that. You can suspect that they are looking into phone records and any other evidence of any meetings that they might have had with each other.

Perhaps, the parents, who we know have been cooperating with the authorities, have been able to provide some information. But, so far, they're not speaking with us publicly, either. You know, today, he makes a brief appearance in court, the suspect in this case. It's really just a matter of shuffling paperwork at this point. Probably, have a lawyer assigned to him. But he has yet to be indicted and certainly more charges are expected. In fact, the FBI director said as much yesterday. COSTELLO: Susan Candiotti reporting live for us from Tucson, Arizona. Thank you, Susan.

There is cautious optimism about Congresswoman Giffords' condition. Her doctors have said that all weekend long, and that optimism has also been echoed by her longtime adviser, Mike McNulty. McNulty talked with CNN's Drew Griffin in an exclusive interview after he just returned from visiting Giffords in the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MCNULTY, GIFFORD'S SIX-TIME CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: She will come through. You know, as the president said, she is tough as (INAUDIBLE). She will come through. Despite the fact that she took a Glock 9-millimeter slug to her head, the fact that someone can survive that, I find is astonishing. And I can only think that God has more important things planned for her in the future.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Are you concerned about reduced capacity for this?

MCNULTY: You know, the -- there've been enough people expressing optimism about how well she has done, thus far, that I have pretty high hopes that she is going to return to her old self.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As unthinkable as the story is, heroes are emerging out of the tragedy like Daniel Hernandez. He's 20 years old. He was an intern. He'd been working for Rep. Giffords for less than a week, and he left into action. He actually used his bare hands to stop the blood that was gushing from the congresswoman's head wounds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL HERNANDEZ, REP. GIFFORDS' INTERN: She had collapsed and on the floor. And she was injured. She had a shot to the head. So, I tried to make sure that I picked her up so that she wasn't in a position where she could asphyxiate in her own blood because of the position that she was originally in, making sure that I was holding her up, sitting in an upright position so that she could breathe more easily.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: When the ambulance arrived, Hernandez road with Giffords to the hospital. He stayed with her as long as he could. The congresswoman's husband, Astronaut Mark Kelly, he's supposed to command NASA's final shuttle flight this year. Well, he's come out and he's issued a public statement. We got that today. He says, "Many of you have offered help. There is little that we can do but pray for those who are struggling."

He went on to say, if you need to do something tangible, anything, donate to one of the causes his wife has long supported. Tucson's Community Food Bank was one hi suggestions and also the American Red Cross. Of course, the other big story we're following today, a big snowstorm. It is absolutely paralyzing the southeast. Let's take you live to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International airport. We'll get there in just a second, but you can imagine scene there, can't you? There are literally hundreds of people sleeping on the floor, taking naps wherever they can because, guess what, AirTran canceled all of its flights in and out of the airport. We're tracking the storm for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: City snowed in, it's not New York. Try Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta rarely sees much if any snow at all. This storm has absolutely paralyzed Atlanta and much of the southeast. States of emergency already declared in Georgia, Louisiana, and in Alabama. And many people are going nowhere, as you might expect. Normally, hundreds of planes are flying into and out of Atlanta's main airport, one of the busiest in the world. Well, not today.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled. Nothing is going into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Thousands of people are stranded. They're catching a nap wherever they can and biding their time, and you know, trying to be patient. It's a difficult thing, especially for these people. They're newlyweds. They were heading to their honeymoon. Not those people, but you'll see them in a second.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you bring all warm weather clothes?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did have flip-flops on and this is the warmest thing I have. So, I have been walking in the snow in my flip-flops. It's OK. God's in control, and we are just along for the ride and everything will work out in the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Bonnie, you're really happy when you're newly married, nothing really matters. And as time goes on, you get really, really upset about everything.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'm glad the snowstorm hit them early in their stages of their marriage.

COSTELLO: Exactly. I was laughing at Atlanta earlier with the snow, but now, rain is falling and it's starting to decrease (ph) like ice has humbled me.

SCHNEIDER: It humbles us all, Carol. Here in the south, you know, you may think, a few inches, what's the big deal? Well, there's a big deal because the cities are just not used to this kind of snow. One southern city that was faced with snow and ice us Shreveport, Louisiana in Northern Louisiana. We have some pictures to show you what it look like. Look at the ice coating the trees. Very rough conditions there. It doesn't take that much ice to weigh down the tree branches and the power lines and that's when we see power outages. This ice will continue. Louisiana will start to see improvement in the weather conditions, but the winds are strong, too. And that could really knock down any branches that are just barely hanging on with snow and ice abound. Look at the big picture now. We still have some freezing rain working its way across Atlanta.

Columbia, you're getting a wintry mix. And then, it's all rain in Jacksonville, Florida, but a cold raw day. Some of the temperatures that are popping up now, it's below freezing across the board. And what that means is whatever is out there, whatever has been falling, several inches in one area, a little bit less than others. We are going to see all of this freeze over. And on top of that, you get the freezing rain coming down. So, there's a glaze of ice on top of the snow.

It's really almost a worst case scenario situation because you can kind of manage through snow, but when you have ice on top of it, doesn't mean (ph) you have no traction. Here are the snowfall totals, and I mentioned a few inches, well not in Tennessee and parts of Mississippi. Oxford, Mississippi, 10 inches of snow. You know, we're not over with the storm yet. In fact, our computers models are forecasting that we have the potential for even more ice accumulating.

Notice the area in purple here through Central Alabama into areas south of Atlanta, Georgia. This takes us all the way to Wednesday morning. So, we're looking at more ice accumulating and then the storm starts moving to the east. It will impact the Carolinas. It's already doing that now, but tomorrow will be even a worse day in that part of the country. And then, Wednesday, this whole thing winds up into possibly for a nor'easter for New York, Philadelphia, Boston. We're looking at wind, snow and possibly blizzard-like conditions.

So, with all that said, what do you need to do to prepare when the weather is like this? Well, there's a lot of things that you need to do because this winter is just beginning. So, just to keep in mind for your home some safety tips like supervise your space heaters. Never leave candles burning in an empty room. Change your batteries in smoke detectors, of course, for carbon monoxide detectors and also avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from gas stoves and kerosene heating. So much to keep in mind this winter season.

And for those of you that are concern also about your car, if you're frequent driver, although, I don't recommend that in weather like this. Obviously, avoid driving in freezing rain because that is the least -- the worst weather for getting traction on your car. Stock your car. Always have everything. Be prepared. You can never be prepared enough. Ice scraper, brush, bag of sand. You wouldn't think you need that in Georgia.

Fully charged cell phone, and of course, if you become stranded, stay calm and stay in the car. We don't want to be in that situation, but unfortunately, a lot of people , Carol, might find themselves in it this winter. COSTELLO: Well, crazy thing about Atlanta, they don't have enough salt trucks. I mean, the roads have not been touched in downtown Atlanta. It's just strange to see.

SCHNEIDER: It is. It is. It is strange. And it's strange to see several inches of snow. We get a dusting here and there like we did Christmas Day, but this is very unusual.

COSTELLO: Yes. And people are staying off the roads. It looks like, you know, looks like Armageddon out there. There's no one. The streets are empty across the southeast. Schools and businesses are closed. Of course, there's simply no way to get there. So many roads are packed with snow that Alabama transportation officials are doing what they can to clear the highways, anything they can.

Huntsville has at least half of dozen trucks pouring salt on the icy roads, not helping much, though, can't do much with ice. But the temperatures because temperatures are staying below freezing, so, as I said, that's a tall order. The big worry from Arkansas to the Carolinas is, of course, all of that ice on top of all of the snow. Already thousands of people are without power. Utilities in the northeast have actually sent crews to help.

Here in Atlanta, as I said, a few drivers are braving the roads and that is a good thing. At least, the path is clear for skiers. I like his spirit. I-Reporter, Aaron Greenwood, says this guy pulled up in front of his house and pulled out his key skis. He pulled them out of the bag of his jeep and then he took all down the street. Rob Marciano was seeing quite a bit this morning in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. You're jealous of that guy, aren't you?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I know. We haven't seen any skiers, but, you know, we had shown that i-Report of somebody doing that in the blizzard in New York City, and obviously, we got a couple copycat YouTubers out there. Not a bad night to do it. Last night, it was gorgeous across Atlanta, much of the south, when the snow started to fall, but it quickly went to sleet, and now, it's become a dangerous situation. And this city, for the most part, is shut down. They're not even running the city buses. They've pretty much given up on that.

Here's what the roadways. This is a busy thoroughfare or main street here in Atlanta, Centennial Olympic park drive, on any given day, this would have tens of cars going by it in a minute's notice. It's starting to get a little bit choppy, but it's still very, very icy. And there are no doubt other roads that are beginning to glaze over. You can see this light mist of rain that's falling into subfreezing temperatures and that's causing obviously problems on roadways and we had issues with folks being stranded last night.

And there are still a handful of spots that are deemed impassable. And one of the reasons is that they're just not prepared for this, although, they're giving it a go. I mean, the Georgia Department of Transportation for the city area of Atlanta, they've got about 50 sanitation trucks that have been -- or dump trucks, I should say, that have been retrofitted to have, you know, salt and sand spreaders in the back and plowers in the -- plows in the front. And -- but we haven't seen much of that.

So, it's just going to be a very, very tough go. Power outages, we are now seeing over 5,000 people without power in Georgia. We expect that number to climb as the freezing rain continues. Similar numbers in Mississippi and Alabama. I do want to show you this video that we're getting in. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm told it's a BMW that catches on fire, and the guy says because he slammed on his brakes too hard. I don't know if that's possible.

COSTELLO: What?

MARCIANO: But nonetheless, dramatic stuff. When you talk about the people who don't know how to drive in the snow, I guess, maybe your car would catch on fire regardless.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

MARCIANO: Something else that I didn't think -- something else you have to believe to see, or see to believe, and I didn't have my camera handy, but just driving down Marietta Street was a Zamboni machine, the stuff that they use to smooth the ice rink. I'm not kidding. And I assume it's from the park rink going back to Phillips arena. Maybe, they share the same Zamboni. I don't know, but it was quite a sight.

COSTELLO: Was it -- I mean, were they like making the ice nice on the street so people could ice skate?

MARCIANO: Oh, yes. It's smooth as -- you know, the kids are playing street hockey now. That brought it to a whole another level. No, I'm kidding, but it was just en route. Anyway, all joking aside, dangerous travel conditions, and unless, you have to get out, you know, just stay and wait for this to go by. The problem is it's not going to go above freezing until tomorrow afternoon, Carol, so we're in this for another 24 hours.

COSTELLO: OK. Thank you very much, Rob. We appreciate it.

Six people gunned down in Tucson, Arizona this weekend. We're remembering the victims killed in that mass shooting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Live pictures outside of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords office in Washington. This is where she would have reported to work this morning. You can see the flags place there to show support. Gabrielle Giffords continues to fight for her life in a Tucson hospital this morning.

We're also remembering those killed in the shooting. One of them, 9- year-old Christina Taylor Green. She dreamed of working in politics. She was just elected to the student council. That's why she wanted to meet Congresswoman Giffords. And an elderly church leader who shield his wife with his own body to protect her, and he died trying. CNN's Casey Wian has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was born on 9/11 and died in Saturday's mass killings in Tucson. Christina Green's father says the nine years in between were very special.

JOHN GREEN, FATHER: It does say something about our society that, you know, my daughter was born on a tragic day, and she went out on a tragic day.

ROXANNA GREEN, MOTHER: She was a great friend, a great sister, a great daughter. I was so proud of her. And I just want everyone to know and I think a lot of people that know us and knew Christina Taylor that, you know, we got robbed. She got robbed of a beautiful life that she could have had.

WIAN: Christina attended the event hosted by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords because she had recently been chosen for student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School where families brought flowers and left a note that read in part, "we are deeply saddened by the loss of this precious child."

JOHN GREEN: There's going to be a lot of those kinds of moments that -- I had one this morning, just waking up. She comes up and says, daddy, it's time to get up. She didn't do that this morning.

WIAN: John Green is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Christina's grandfather, Dallas Green won a world series managing the Philadelphia Phillies. She was one of the few girls who played at the Canyon del Oro Little League.

CLYDE TURPIN, PRES., CANYON DEL ORO LITTLE LEAGUE: Well, everybody knows what happened.

WIAN: League president, Clyde Turpin, tried to explain the tragedy to other players who knew Christina.

TURPIN: Fine little girl. I mean, a wonderful little girl. But there was a young man who pulled me aside and said, you know, Christina was a classmate of mine and I think we should plant a tree out here.

WIAN: Dorwin and Mavy Stoddard shown here in a 1997 picture attended the Church of Christ. Dory, as he was called, built this room for parishioners with small children.

MICHAEL NOWAK, MINISTER: And they both fed the needy, housed the needy, gave money to the needy, and gave clothes to the needy. So, they were very important to us.

WIAN: Saturday, Dory was shot and killed. He pulled Mavy to the ground, his body covering hers. She was shot three times but survived. Their minister had this message for fellow parishioners.

NOWAK: And I'm on telling them as to not take this as an anger against anybody, but a way to be drawn together and encourage each other and be there when Mavy gets out of the hospital.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Casey Wian's reporting. There is still sadness and anxiety among members of Congress over the shootings in Arizona. Details in a live report for you from Capitol Hill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A kind of shady gentleman came up, asked me if he could talk to the Congresswoman. So just like anybody else, I redirected him to the back of the line. Came back about 30 seconds later and before I knew it, he was barging through the tables toward the Congresswoman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: He's talking about the suspect, the suspect accused of killing six people and wounding 14 others in Arizona. He is due in court today. Jared Lee Loughner is a 22-year-old former community college student. He was suspended because of disruptions and told not to return without a doctor's note saying he wasn't a danger.

The FBI now say the weapon used in the shooting was purchased at a gun store in November of last year. It was a Glock 9 millimeter. As for now, Loughner faces charges related to the victims who were federal employees. Two counts for murder for killing a federal judge and a Congressional aide. Two attempted murder charges for killing two aides. And the attempted murder of Congresswoman Giffords.

We don't know if Loughner's public defender will be in court with him today. We do know who she is, though. She is Judy Clark, a roving public defender paid by the government. She's based in San Diego. You may not recognize her name, but you will certainly know her previous clients. They included Unabomber Ted Kaczynski; al Qaeda conspirator Zacharias Moussaoui; Olympic Park bomber Eric Robert Rudolph; and Susan Smith; she's the South Carolina woman who rolled her car into a lake in 1994, with her two baby boys strapped inside.

One of Loughner's former professors from Pima Community College spoke with CNN's Drew Griffin about his student's behavior. He says Loughner sometimes shook and blurted things out in class. And he appeared to be under the influence of drugs at times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN MCGAHEE, LOUGHNER'S FORMER COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR: The rest of the days, he was very quiet and just kind of isolated and in his own little world and didn't want to talk to anybody.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: At one point, did you try to get him removed from the class? Or did you get him --

MCGAHEE: I did. I tried two times at least. I think on the third attempt, he had said something about the Constitution, like violating his First Amendment rights. And I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back that caused him to be kicked out of the class.

He was a threat. He actually wrote something on the quiz that said "mayhem best" and wrote that in big, bold, capital letters.

GRIFFIN: Mayhem?

MCGAHEE: Mayhem best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Something else that Ben McGahee was afraid of, he was really afraid of, he was afraid that Loughner might one day bring a weapon to class. He never did.

Members of Congress are shocked and saddened by the horrific attack that left Representative Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded. And the shooting also raises concerns about security for lawmakers.

Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar, live for us from Capitol Hill.

So, any new word on security for our senators and representatives?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think right now, Carol, the word and the discussion is talk about maximizing practices that are already in place. There is going to be a -- I guess sort of a briefing on Wednesday for members of Congress from the U.S. Capitol Police, from the Sergeant at Arms here, the FBI is expected to take place.

But I want to show you some pictures that took place here on the east steps of the Capitol, just about a half hour ago. There was a moment of silence, as you know, that was honored everywhere. But the moment here on the steps of the Capitol, you had a number of staffers, as a lot of members of Congress aren't back in town. There are a few. You can see Eleanor Holmes Norton of D.C. there, toward the left side of the screen there.

But this really stands in contrast to what we were going to see this week. On Wednesday, we were supposed to see a vote in the House of Representatives to repeal health care reform. And instead, we were really struck by this sight, a bipartisan gathering of staffers, a moment of silence paying tribute to Congresswoman Giffords, and also to the other survivors, as well as the other victims of this shooting.

Now, security, of course, a big concern for members of Congress. We caught up with one, Congressman Fred Upton to see what he thought. And there certainly are some different points of view.

Here is what he said.

REP. FRED UPTON (R), MICHIGAN: For the most part, I think most of us would balk at additional security things, knowing that that would -- that's not who we are. We come from the communities that we represent. We're the same people, you know, that we were before. You've got to have maybe an extra eye out for precaution for something that might happen. And our thoughts and prayers are certainly with our colleague and tragically the folks that lost their lives, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, not all members of Congress feel this way, Carol. There are some, for instance, we've heard from Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah, also a Republican as Congressman Upton is.

And he has said that in his role as a subcommittee chairman, he's thinking of proposing having the U.S. Marshal Service available should it be needed to help secure members of Congress, much the way federal judges are protected.

But you can see some people, some members of Congress, a lot of them, they pride themselves on giving their constituents access. Another member of Congress said, you know, we're public servants. We can't be having six or seven armed guards turning up with us when we go out in public.

COSTELLO: Well, if you think about it, there's no problem way to protect them at every possible moment of the day, especially when they're out in a super market, right, just among people?

KEILAR: No. And I think what we're hearing now from law enforcement officials certainly here in the Capitol is that it kind of needs to be done on a case-by-case basis. That if there is some sort of specific threat, that this is really just sort of a reminder that these members of Congress need to take this seriously. If they're in their home district and they think there's an issue, they need to pay attention to it, get in touch with local law enforcement and take the it and take the steps that are needed.

I think vigilance is the word that we're hearing used a lot, especially when it comes to these members being back in their home districts, Carol.

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar, live in Washington, thank you.

Think about it. A bullet traveled through the Congresswoman's brain and she is alive. I'll talk with the neurosurgeon next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL LEMOLE, CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: I was able to assess Congresswoman Giffords within the last few hours. And I'm happy to say she's holding her own. No change is good in this instance, because she was already functioning at a fairly high level. And she's still doing that.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: Hopeful words out of Arizona. And just to let you know, doctors in Tucson will update us on Congresswoman Giffords at the top of the hour. We now know a little bit more about her injury and how she's responding to doctors. We're told she was able to squeeze her doctor's hand and she was able to wiggle her toes. Those are good things.

Doctor Jonathan Slotkin is a neurosurgeon at the Washington Hospital Center. He joins us now.

Thank you, doctor, for being here with us.

DR. JONATHAN SLOTKIN, NEUROSURGEON, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: So when doctors hold that briefing in Tucson, are there key words we should be listening for during that briefing?

SLOTKIN: Yes. Right now, the most promising thing is that she's stable. During this recovery, there are going to be ups and downs. There's going to be good days and bad days. But the fact that she's still following commands is one thing we're going to want to be looking for. That means that she can process speech, she can understand speech, and she can affect a motion response, which is a higher brain function.

COSTELLO: I mean, that sounds so hopeful and we're all praying for her recovery. We know a little bit more about where the bullet entered her head. We know it entered at the back of her skull --

SLOTKIN: Right.

COSTELLO: -- and it pierced the left side of her brain and then it exited her forehead.

So what does that tell you about her prognosis?

SLOTKIN: Yes. So, on this model, she entered -- the bullet entered in the posterior left side of the brain and exited out the front. On the one hand, the left side of the brain typically will be in control of speech. But it is encouraging that we've heard she is at least able to understand speech.

There are also other important functions served in this area, including motor control, as well as some aspects of memory. We're going to be wanting to go look for over the next several days if they're able to get the breathing tube out, is she also able to produce speech in addition to understanding speech?

COSTELLO: I was going to ask you that, because you know, we think to ourselves, oh, it's great she's able to wiggle her toes and she's able to squeeze the doctor's hands.

But, you know, how hopeful are these signs, really?

SLOTKIN: These are very encouraging at this stage of the game. Now, certainly, to all of us, those sound like pretty simple tasks. Squeeze my hand, show me two fingers. And the next several days are really going to tell us a lot about more complex commands, and particularly is the production of speech, her ability to put out speech still preserved, or is it going to need some degree of rehabilitation?

COSTELLO: And she probably has a breathing tube in, right, so she can't exactly -- I mean, doctors can't ask her to speak, even if she could.

SLOTKIN: That's right. With the breathing tube in, you wouldn't be able to ask her, can you produce speech for us? So right now, can she understand speech, which is a slightly different area of the brain is the one thing that we do know.

COSTELLO: Her doctors are saying the next 48 hours will be crucial. Why is that? Is it because of the swelling in her brain right now?

SLOTKIN: That's one of the main reasons. There is a peak swelling window which she's in for right now, where, you know, for example, let's say you get kicked in the knee. It might actually swell more in two or three days than it does up front.

Well, she's in the peak swelling period right now and gradually that's going to improve over the next several days. There are some other conditions that we need to be on the lookout for over the next several days, including a clamping down of the blood vessels that occurs as a reaction to the blood around them. And that itself could even cause strokes and certainly this treatment team would be on the lookout for that, no question.

COSTELLO: Doctor Slotkin, thanks so much for joining us.

And again, doctors in Tucson will brief us on the Congresswoman's condition at the top of the hour. That will take place at the University Medical Center in Tucson. And, as I said, we'll take you there life. Right now, it's noon eastern, that press conference by doctors is scheduled for noon Eastern, which is 9:00 Pacific Time, just to be clear.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We have some good news today. This just into CNN, Ford is hiring. The automaker just announced it will add 7,000 hourly and salary jobs in the United States between this year and next. CNN's Poppy Harlow is at the Detroit Auto Show. She'll be talking to ford's CEO in the next hour. We're excited to hear from him. She'll join us live in about 45 minutes.

Let's talk more about jobs because you know the unemployment rate is still high. It actually took a dip in December, but -- and there are still five people out there for every job opening. So -- But there's some bright news from Ford. Keep that in mind.

Christine Romans is in New York. That's true. That is good news from Ford.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And we need truckers and Ford will be hiring and we know that there was a top fed official this weekend, Carol, who said maybe there could be 3 million jobs out of this year. So there is some hiring.

You've got a lot of competition, though. Every word and every move counts once you finally get the job interview. You've probably waited a long time to get this chance so you don't want to blow it. Paul Sullivan, author of "Clutch," says be adaptable at what he calls present.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL SULLIVAN, AUTHOR, "CLUTCH": And being present is important because it keeps you focused just on that job interview. You don't want to go in there and tell somebody all the great things you've done in the past. You want to tell them what you can do, what skills you have, and how they can help that company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Here is what you need to know. Companies only hire when they have a problem to solve. So they hire someone to fix that problem. Present yourself as the solution to the problem. Analyze the job posting very thoroughly and walk into the interview with a list of ideas and questions

Carol, it's pretty clear that you've got to make sure that you know that there's a problem to solve and you are the one who can solve it.

COSTELLO: I think one thing you can't do, though, is you can't go in there begging for the job, showing them you're like desperate for it.

ROMANS: I know. I know. Do not say, "Wow, I really need this job." And that goes without saying. And you don't want the hiring manager to think that other companies passed on hiring you over and over again. Desperation is not going to get you anywhere.

Downplay the gap on your resume. You've got to fill it, Carol, with volunteer work, continuing education classes, new computer classes, freelance work, working with working your professional organization, even painting the walls at the he neighborhood gym. A gap -- in a neighborhood school, rather.

A gap on the resume, it's not unusual. Bosses want to see that you've filled it somehow with professional related work or volunteer work.

COSTELLO: Yes. Try to be optimistic, even when you're feeling blue. We know it's tough. But you can do it.

Thank you, Christine.

ROMANS: You can.

COSTELLO: Oh, go ahead. ROMANS: You're welcome. Oh, I was going to say, you know, no matter how you feel, have a sound bite about yourself, a 30-second elevator pitch going into the interview. Know what you're going to say before you get in there.

Carol, something they always ask is what is your biggest weakness? And I've often though, there's just no way to artfully answer that question. But, do not say, "My biggest weakness is I'm a perfectionist." Because, Carol, believe it or not, everyone says that.

COSTELLO: I've said that.

ROMANS: There you go.

COSTELLO: And it doesn't work, you're right.

Christine, thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: It's making headlines on the CNN political ticker. Mitt Romney's rumored race for the White House. It could be starting. For those stories and more we'll have them for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A possible road to the White House takes one GOP hopeful to the Middle East. Peter Hamby part of the Best Political Team on Television, live from the political desk in Washington.

Hey, what's crossing right now?

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, Carol. Well, obviously the political world is focusing on Arizona right now and what happened out there over the weekend. But there are other political headlines bubbling up that we're following.

The biggest political news today, I think, is that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney showed up in the Middle East yesterday. He's doing a week-long tour through Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, kind of burnishing his foreign policy credentials as he looks ahead to a potential presidential bid that seems likely.

Just today he met with Hamid Karzai. Karzai's challenger in the last presidential election, that disputed election last year, Abdullah Abdullah. And yesterday he met with General Petraeus over there. So we'll be keeping tabs on Romney as he moves throughout the Middle East this week.

And speaking of 2012, Gallup came out with some new numbers about this wide open crop of candidates that are thinking about running for president in 2012. And what you're seeing in these numbers, an interesting thing that's emerging is something called Name I.D., it's sort of the white whale of politics and campaign that drives people nuts trying to get voters to know who their candidates are.

You're seeing two tiers emerge in this long list of potential candidates. At the top, Republicans and Republican leaning Independents say that Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Ron Paul. Most Republicans know them and basically have a favorable opinion of them. The other candidates Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels, John Thune, Haley Barber; all these folks that we in the political world know about, Republicans out there don't have as much familiarity with those guys. So that's going to be a challenge for them in the next year.

Obviously these are early numbers. Presidential race can change dramatically and early front-runners, you know, often don't do well. You can ask President Ed Muskie, President Giuliani about that. So, that's what we're following today, Carol.

COSTELLO: Looks like it's only 2010. I can't believe. But you're right. It will give them -- I guess the candidates appreciate it because it tells them what to work on, right? Those early polls.

HAMBY: Yes, exactly. I mean, this data, I mean it's early but, you know, you know the advisors to these candidates are already digging through it deeply no matter what. Everyone's always hungry for numbers in politics.

COSTELLO: Yes. So, thank you, Pew research.

Thank you, Peter.

Your next political update in an hour. And for the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.

You are online right now. So are we. The big story you're following and talking about, of course, is the shooting in Tucson.

Sandra Endo is watching what's trending.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. Two million Facebook users are talking about this online and it's also dominating the comments on blogs and on Twitter.

I'll have more on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The tragedy in Tucson making headlines around the world. And it's what you're talking about online. CNN's Sandra Endo joins me live from Washington with what's trending.

No surprise here, Sandra.

ENDO: That's right, carol. Absolutely. It's trending today. The deadly shooting in Arizona. And as you mentioned it's not only major news here in the United States, also making headlines around the world.

Take a look at the front page news of Australia's "Sydney Morning Herald," "Anger, Hatred, Bigotry." And also from "El Nueva Dia," from Puerto Rico, another headline dominating the front page.

So certainly major news around the world, and interestingly, also, online. The marketing director for Facebook said this weekend that more than 2 million people were talking about the shooting, using the social networking web site. Here's some comments posted today.

Thelma Moore Stewart says, "How sad I feel. Almost numb. How can we teach others about the power of words that incite hatred and distrust?"

Cynthia Marshall Coleman also writes, "What can we do to stop this kind of action? There's too much hatred voiced daily."

And back here on the Twitter board, trending on Twitter, of course, a lot of comments we're getting here.

Peres Shephard (ph) says, "Let's be clear, Jared Lee Loughner is neither a liberal nor a conservative. He's a whack job."

And of course, he is the suspect arrested in this case facing federal charges.

Also one more Tweet to mention, Carol, Mista Gemini writes, "Regarding Jared Lee Loughner, why is it always after the fact when former classmates, neighbors, want to say how eerie the assailant was?"

So certainly we'll have a lot more comments coming in throughout the hour and next hour, as well.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Sandra. We appreciate it.