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Rep. Giffords Opens Her Eyes; Australia's Monumental Floods; Plane Crashes on Florida Beach; Texas Men on Horseback Charged With DWI; Record Foreclosures in 2010; Gallaudet University Alumni Help Haiti's Deaf Survivor; Presidential Speech Buzz; Old Age Can't Silence Her Vote; Rare Frog Species Found; Scarecrows -- for Pirates

Aired January 13, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West.

Here's some of the stories that have us talking this morning.

The mother of a missing 13-year-old in Texas denies she and her live- in boyfriend hosted a New Year's Eve party days after she disappeared. And affidavits show they both failed polygraph exams. We're on the story.

Here's something you probably didn't know. The earth's magnetic North Pole is shifting making for a slight change in compass readings so Tampa's international airport is taking note. Reopening a runway with new numbers and signage.

Harsh realities intruding on the Cinderella story of Ted Williams. The homeless man with the golden pipes. Just days after being flooded with job offers and second chances, he says he's back on booze and entering rehab.

It was a glimmer of good news from the weekend shooting rampage in Tucson and it happened last night at this memorial service for the six people killed. President Obama lifted the crowd with just one simple and heartwarming sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. Gabby opened her eyes.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: First lady and also Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano holding the hand of Mark Kelly, Congressman Gabby Giffords' husband. She's still listed in critical condition but if prayers, cheers and karma can make any difference, Giffords has all of that.

And let's not forget the five other victims of the attack. They're also still in the hospital.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Tucson just outside the University Medical Center.

Quite a ceremony last night, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Kyra. And people here in Tucson really looked at last night's ceremony as an uplifting experience and I know a lot of people around the country thought it looked like a pep rally on television but inside that auditorium people I talked to said it was a very warm feeling and it really made a difference for this community that has had such a tough week.

And the president's words were very uplifting I think to everybody. I don't know if you can watch that and not retract when he gave the news that she had opened her eyes so the community here out now, though, has taken that next step today -- later, in a few hours, little Christina Green will be laid to rest at a funeral service.

So reality is definitely hitting this community, too, now in this phase of memorial services which started last night but now today will be a very, very somber funeral for Christina Green.

PHILLIPS: Well, and meanwhile, too, we're finding out that hospital workers apparently have been fired after allegedly looking into medical records of some of the shooting victims? What do we know, Ted?

ROWLANDS: Well, you know, it's a sad reality, this obviously a story has international interest and for whatever reason, whether these worker were solicited by members of the media or whether it was just their own curiosity, apparently three staffers and an actual nurse were caught accessing the private records of some of the patients that were victims of this rampage at the hospital.

Immediately let go, fired all four of those individuals, but hard to believe the motivation for that. But the hospital quickly dealt with the problem when it came up.

PHILLIPS: Everybody wanting to get as much as they can on the story. Well, the great news was that the congresswoman opened her eyes and that definitely rejuvenated that community.

Ted Rowlands, thanks so much.

And we're also hearing remarkable stories of heroism from people who were caught in the gun fire.

Last night CNN's Anderson Cooper actually spoke to a woman who literally threw herself in front of the bullets to shield her daughter. Here's their story in their own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY REED, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: He was probably 10 feet away and I was facing him speaking with the Stoddards. Unfortunately, Mr. Stoddard passed. I was shot and then Mr. Stoddard jumped in front of his wife and was shot, and he continued down -- the gunman continued down the line. You have to imagine how small a space this was. We were between a brick wall which was the store and a stanion which was only a person and a half wide. When they were cleaning my wounds, the medic who cleaned my wounds is a war veteran and he kept saying, oh my god, look at the amount of gun powder on her. So he was quite close. He went down the line, shooting and --

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: He actually was just walking down the line shooting?

REED: It wasn't quite walking but it wasn't running either. He was moving quickly and he shot me first here, and then Mr. Stoddard jumped in front of his wife. We had just been speaking about college for Emma and then -- and then I shoved Emma against the wall and put my arms on either side of her.

He shot in this arm and then he shot me in the back as he passed. After he passed, the lady behind me standing in line grabbed the next magazine. You could hear him releasing the magazine in order to come back. To put a new magazine in. And come back.

EMMA MCMAHON, DAUGHTER OF SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I thought they were fireworks. I thought at first somebody was just playing a prank and throwing fireworks at the congresswoman.

I didn't realize what was happening until I saw people prodding against the wall and screaming, so I kind of caught against the wall, and then I felt my mom over me. But it was over so fast. It must have taken less than 10 seconds so it wasn't until really the whole thing was over that I realized what had happened.

COOPER: Your mom saved your life.

MCMAHON: Yes, she did.

COOPER: Tom --

MCMAHON: I'm so grateful for her. It's just unbelievable.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the attack on Congresswoman Giffords has prompted top law enforcement officials on Capitol Hill now to review security measures and so far they're not recommending any big changes to how lawmakers are protected in Washington or back home in their districts.

They're urging lawmakers to adhere to existing guidance such as providing updated contact information. Lawmakers are also being told to designate a contact in each office to coordinate security needs. And if members or their offices receive any kind of threat, they need to report it to a special division of the Capitol police.

This just in to CNN. The number of Americans filing jobless claims is up. 445,000 people filed for unemployment benefits this week, ending January 8th. That's up 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 410,000 according to the Department of Labor. The east coast of Australia looks like a war zone. Swamped by a muddy wave of water. The floods have actually been compared to Hurricane Katrina, called the worst natural disaster ever for the state of Queensland. Fifteen people are dead, dozens are missing, more than 20,000 homes are flooded and waves are lapping up against -- skyscrapers, rather, in Brisbane.

It looks like a ghost town after all the evacuations there. The flood area stretches over an area the size of Germany and France combined. Recovery could take months, maybe even years, but leaders say that region will bounce back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA BLIGH, QUEENSLAND PREMIER: And as we grieve for family and friends, and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are. We are Queenslanders.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Phil Black is on the flooded banks of the Brisbane River.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Brisbane River is now dropping slowly. It peaked at a level lower than was expected but still high enough to flood more than 20,000 homes. The people who lived in them are now scattered across the city staying in big evacuation centers as well as with family and friends.

And for many of them it could be weeks before their homes are considered safe enough for them to return to.

Now even while the floodwaters were dropping here, they proved just how dangerous they can be by claiming their first life in the city. That of a 24-year-old man who was swept away and drowned while trying to check on his father's property.

Brisbane, the state capital, is now one of more than 70 towns and cities across the state of Queensland that are flood affected. The Queensland government says the recovery operation after weeks of floods across a massive area involving multiple river systems is now a post-war proportions and it's going to take years.

Phil Black, CNN, Brisbane, Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, torrential rains are also tearing through Brazil causing flash flooding and mudslides. The mountains northeast of Rio are getting the worst of it and -- entire neighborhoods, rather, are actually coming crashing down. Hundreds of people have been killed and the deluge could continue through the end of the week.

And back here, parts of New England hammered by as much as three feet of snow. The National Guard mobilized in Massachusetts now. Governor Deval Patrick is calling on the troops to help dig people out. More than 4,000 homes across that state are without power. And Boston's Logan International Airport canceling all morning flights.

Iced over roads look like icing skating rinks in Connecticut after the storm slammed that state.

In Rhode Island, neither rain nor sleet nor snow could keep this mail carrier from making her rounds, though. She hoofed it delivering letters to about 600 homes in Providence.

And it was near whiteout in New Hampshire where the flakes go fast and furious. Streets nearly abandoned. And just a few stragglers bold enough to step out into the storm.

Tell you what, Rob, makes our conditions look like cake walk when you see that.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. But when you see southerners trying to get around on the ice, it's just tough.

PHILLIPS: Yes. That's right. We're not prepared for it.

MARCIANO: No, not --

PHILLIPS: We don't have the resources.

MARCIANO: And on top of that, I don't care where you're from, it's just been a tough go around part of south including Atlanta. And certainly a tough go even though they are prepared for it across parts of the northeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Other point that came out yesterday, Kyra, the global temperatures for 2010 were -- both land and sea were tied for 2005 as the warmest, just the land was the warmest. And for the U.S., I think we were 23rd warmest. So it doesn't feel that way, does it?

PHILLIPS: No. Not at all. Not at all.

MARCIANO: So think warm thoughts when you go out and slip around the ice.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let me take you back to the sixth grade. What's the worst thing you ever did in the sixth grade?

MARCIANO: Oh. You know, one thing comes to mind and I just can't say it on TV but --

PHILLIPS: Really -- oh, now I really want to know. You really can't say it?

MARCIANO: No, it's -- Dr. Smith was the principal and -- anyway, it took me years of therapy to get through this. Are you going to bring it up now, really?

PHILLIPS: Come on, you got to tell us now. Are you serious? You're not going to say anything?

MARCIANO: Yes -- no.

PHILLIPS: OK.

MARCIANO: I'm not -- but it wasn't as horrible as you think. I just don't want to divulge that information.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: OK. Well, I guess some kids snorted powdered Gatorade when they were 11.

MARCIANO: Yes, that's what I did. It's just powdered Gatorade.

PHILLIPS: Yes?

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: We didn't have powdered Gatorade back then.

PHILLIPS: What about taking a whiff of magic marker or glue?

MARCIANO: I know. I just did some before. That's how I get my day started here.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Well, those must have been the hardest drugs you've ever tried.

MARCIANO: Just about it.

PHILLIPS: I hope.

MARCIANO: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Well, those days are actually over and today we're talking about one school that actually wants to do random drug testing -- are you ready -- on sixth graders. Yes. Mom and dad, how does that grab you? Rob?

MARCIANO: I would have passed.

PHILLIPS: Ready to have kids? You would have passed.

MARCIANO: Very nice though. Are you ready for two, is the question.

PHILLIPS: Yes. Tell me about it. I'm thinking oh boy, these twins, if I catch them sniffing anything, they are --

MARCIANO: Yes, you stay away from my magic marker, too.

PHILLIPS: They're going to --

MARCIANO: They're all mine. PHILLIPS: -- boot camp in sixth grade.

All right. And two men and a horse and a mule go to a bar. Sounds like a joke, right? Nope. It's not. The horse and the mule appear to be sober. The guys riding them, police aren't so sure.

MARCIANO: Nice. Come on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, let's take a look at other news happening Cross Country, like the crash landing on the beach in Venice, Florida. Three adults hurt. A child on board not hurt. No one on the ground was hit, but that plane was on its way from Venice, the Orlando area, when it went down. It's not clear what exactly went wrong.

Austin, Texas, and a DWI stop that, well, you might expect in 1860. Two men rode a horse and a mule to bars downtown and tried to get people to come out and take pictures. Police say the men were drunk. "Horse on drunkback," shall we say, as the accused mentioned, and they were charged with DWI. They dropped it later to public intoxication. And there's got to be a Jeff Foxworthy joke somewhere in there.

Anaheim, California, Disneyland saluted Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta. He received the Medal of Honor last year for his heroism in Afghanistan. Other military medal winners and their wives were treated to a day at the park, Disney's way of thanking them for their service.

So, what kinds of tests did you take in sixth grade? Math, social studies, geography? How about marijuana? Percocet? Oxycontin? Well, one school in New Jersey wants sixth graders, 11-year-olds, to take drug tests. Standardized testing just isn't what it used to be. CNN's Mary Snow actually went to the school. So Mary, what brought all of this on?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Kyra, it is hard to imagine that sixth graders would be thinking about drugs or alcohol. School officials say they're doing this more of a deterrent, that they do something similar in the high school. And many of their parents were in favor of this. Last night, the board of Belvidere High -- Middle School, that is, voted to approve random drug testing for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, what happens when we multiply?

SNOW (voice-over): A lesson in math conversions is what you might expect in sixth grade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me the ratio.

SNOW (voice-over): But for these 11-year-olds in Belvidere, New Jersey, learning real-life lessons may come earlier than most kids in their state. School officials want to randomly test middle schoolers for drug and alcohol, something that is usually reserved for high school students.

SANDRA SZABOCSIK, PRINCIPAL, OXFORD STREET ELEMENTARY: When parents call or even when we get anything from the police, it's very general.

SNOW (voice-over): Principal Sandra Szabocsik says she gets calls about weekend parties involving marijuana and alcohol in this small, rural community. She can't pinpoint a specific drug problem at her school, but says there are realities that can't be ignored.

They include 2009 drug bust in a nearby town involving teachers arrested as part of a ring selling prescription drugs. Szabocsik hopes the random tests will serve as a deterrent in keeping middle schoolers away from drugs and alcohol.

SZABOCSIK: I'm hoping that because they know they could be tested come Monday, maybe they'll just say, "No. I can't do that. I'm afraid." And I also look at it as a way they can say "no" to their peers.

SNOW (voice-over): In order to conduct testing, both parents and kids have to agree to participate. We spoke with several parents ready to sign up.

CHRISTINA TAURIELLO, PARENT: Oh, I think it's great.

SNOW (on camera): Why?

TAURIELLO: Because, you know, the kids now, you don't know what they're doing, performance enhancement drugs, things like that. Even regular drugs. The kids are not as open to come home and tell their parents.

SNOW (voice-over): But others question the need to expose kids this young to random tests, saying it can backfire.

GREG CASTERLINE, PARENT: What's the message being sent to them that they have to be random drug tested? There's a question, then, about the integrity of every kid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Now, the ACLU has been very critical of random test drugs -- use of these drugs among children, saying it's not a good civics lesson and it doesn't deter drug use. Now, schools who do these kinds of tests say they do.

In this particular program, Kyra, school officials say if a test comes back positive for drug or alcohol use among a middle school student, they won't be punished, but they'll be offered some counseling.

PHILLIPS: Might need more than counseling if they're starting that young. We probably don't want to give away what kind of drugs they're testing for, right? Because they don't want to tip the kids off. But it's definitely an interesting question because I would love to know what an 11, 12-year-old is doing. SNOW: Yes, well, in this school, they're going to be testing for the top five drugs that are used by young people, and the school said, "We don't want to name them, because that would tip kids off."

But we talked to one of the companies that make the kits, and they can pick up prescription drugs on these tests. So, you know, that is one of the big fears among a lot of parents and school administrators, now, is kids taking prescription drugs from their parents' medicine cabinets.

PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. We'll follow up on the story.

SNOW: Yes.

PHILLIPS: See what kind of effects it has down the road. Mary, thanks so much.

Well, thieves break into a man's house, and they take the one thing that just can't be replaced. Yes, on top of the dresser, his wife's ashes. He was saving them until the day his and hers could be joined together forever in their garden. Looks like he's going to be alone in the garden. Next hour, he's going to tell us how his community has rallied around him, and we're going to try to appeal to those thieves who may not even realize what they've stolen.

And one year ago this week, a powerful earthquake rocked Haiti. Buildings caved, streets crumbled, and a nation was changed forever. We're following one group working to make sure that deaf survivors are not forgotten.

And more than one million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure last year. But it could have been even worse. Numbers dropped off at the end of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's been one year since a monster earthquake rocked Haiti, changing the Caribbean nation forever. This was Port-au-Prince January, 2010. Rubble where a city once stood. 230,000 people died nationwide, more than a million people left homeless.

So many people lost everything. Each one of them, a name, a face, a story. But one group is trying to make sure that deaf Haitians aren't left out as the nation rebuilds. We followed these activists from Gallaudet University working to build a community for Haiti's deaf population.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVIE MARC CHARLES WEIR, FRIENDS OF DEAF HAITI (through translator): I'm Sylvie Marc Charles Weir. I currently have just founded an organization called Friends of Deaf Haiti.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): The goal is simple, yet daunting. Trying to make sure Haiti's deaf population isn't forgotten.

WEIR (through translator): We found the land and tents, water, medicine, different organizations all working together.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): This tent city in Port-au-Prince was set up exclusively for Haiti's deaf earthquake victims. Three hundred people are living here, and it's one of the cleaner and safer of the tent cities in Haiti.

Friends of Deaf Haiti is made up of Gallaudet University alumni. Together with Haitian and French officials and several international relief agencies, they're making sure that Haiti's deaf community isn't left out during the reconstruction.

JUAN CARLOS REINBOLD, FRIENDS OF DEAF HAITI (through translator): After the earthquake, now, we're working to focus on being successful for deaf people and have them have equal rights with hearing people.

JIMMY MARCILLON, ASSOCIATION OF DEAF HAITIANS (through translator): Finding land, right now we have temporary land. We'd like to find some that could be more permanent. So, my dream is in the future that that could happen, we could find good land to establish, perhaps, an education center.

PHILLIPS: As Haiti continues to dig out from the rubble, activists are taking it upon themselves to teach new skills to the deaf. Like sewing workshops for women. Classes are also held to build morale, like this fitness class. And painting and clay activities for children.

And amidst all the devastation. there are people here who say this is a golden opportunity for change.

RICHARD LYTLE, GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY (through translator): It's a terrible time. but it's a wonderful opportunity as both the Haitian government and the international groups begin planning for a new Haiti. For deaf people, for people with disabilities, where the emphasis is not on dis-ability (sic), but the emphasis becomes on a- bility (sic).

PHILLIPS: Haiti is one of the poorest nations on the planet, but the people here are proving they're resilient, both deaf and hearing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's happened to a lot of us. You book a flight online but, when you show up, that's not the airline that you picked. Department of transportation is putting airlines on notice, now, and the clock is ticking.

(MUSIC - "Fly")

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Here's some other stories that had us talking right now.

The search goes on for a 13-year-old Texas girl missing for two weeks. Investigators say that Hailey Dunn's mother and the mother's live-in boyfriend failed polygraph exams on her whereabouts. Authorities say they're looking for several persons of interest in this case.

A state Supreme Court judge has ruled that 12,000 New York City teacher evaluation reports can be released. The judge dismissed confidentiality concerns, saying parents need this information. The teacher's union says the reports are flawed and it plans to appeal that decision.

Power crews restoring electricity to Massachusetts homes knocked out by the region's largest snowstorm. When the final totals are added up, parts of New England could get up to 34 inches of snow.

Delta Airlines adds a new feature to booking a seat; an auctioneer's gavel. And the Transportation Department wants a little more transparency online so you actually get the flight that you booked.

Our Christine Romans is walking us through the latest travel news. Our first airline story, though, takes place before you get to your flight and it involves all those new scanners.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And your birthday suit.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: This is a judge ruling that 2,000 pictures of people who volunteered to have their pictures taken in that whole body scanner so that the Department of Transportation could assess just how thorough and how good the pictures were. Those -- that cache of pictures cannot be released to the public.

There was a privacy advocacy group, Kyra, who had sued to get those pictures, to look at them to see exactly, you know, exactly what they're showing and whether maybe there could be a better way of doing this or whether there were privacy concerns at all. But, a judge has said no. Because of concerns of terrorism, they don't want potential terrorists to be able to see that cache of 2,000 whole body scans and potentially see flaws and loopholes in the system, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, the Transportation Department's also dropping the hammer on online booking sites.

Explain what's going on.

ROMANS: Have you ever, Kyra, booked a flight and then you show up at the airport and it's a different carrier than you thought it was?

PHILLIPS: Right, exactly.

ROMANS: Right, because of code share agreements. That happens to people especially if you're using online travel agencies and one flight is going out on one carrier and the other one coming back on another.

Well, the Department of Transportation says the passengers have a right to know, Kyra, which airline is operating their flight. The DOT is giving airlines and ticket agents 60 days to make sure that their web sites show code sharing agreements and that information has to come up on the same screen right next to the itinerary so you know exactly when you buy the ticket, Kyra, who is actually flying the airplane. So you're right. Department of Transportation ordering more transparency in that whole code sharing agreement.

PHILLIPS: OK. Good.

What's the deal with Delta auctioning off seats when they bump people off flights?

ROMANS: I love this one. You know what? Because before I had a bunch of kids I was carrying around on airplanes with me, I would do this. You would get bumped. You'd raise your hand and say, yes, for $200 I'll be bumped and go on the next flight. And this was the way passengers could travel in the future, get a little compensation up front for being bumped off of an oversold flight.

Now, Delta is taking bids for bumping, Kyra. The auction begins at check-in. If you check in for your flight at home, they could prompt you and say, what would you take -- how much money would you take if we are oversold? And Delta will take the lowest bidder. It helps Delta because they save money on all of the time and torture up there at the gate when you get there and you get bumped to the next flight.

But if you're smart and put the right amount in, you could make a few bucks before you leave the airport if you're oversold. So this is interesting. (INAUDIBLE) watching to see if other airlines follow suit, too.

PHILLIPS: You're always looking to make an extra buck?

ROMANS: I am. I'm always looking to make an extra buck before I leave for the airport, however. I do not want to get to the airport and be bumped.

PHILLIPS: It's all those kids. You don't want to be bumped and you need those extra bucks.

ROMANS: Traveling circus. Traveling circus.

PHILLIPS: I've seen the pictures and you and all your little ones.

Thanks, Christine.

ROMANS: You're about to experience it and it's all glory, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: OK. Let's hope it's good glory.

Well, the North Pole is on the move and that means changes for pilots and new signs along some of the nation's runways. Our own Rob Marciano is going to explain it coming up next.

But first, check this out. You no longer have to imagine driving John Lennon's car. This is the first ride the famous Beatle bought after getting his driver's license. Not bad, huh? 1965 Ferrari 330 GT Coupe. The car will be sold February 5th in Paris by a British auction. The firm is Bonhams and the car has an estimated value between $155,000 and $220,000.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, fly me to the moon but if I'm going to get stuck in an airport for hours or days, fly me to Jacksonville, Florida, please.

The "London Observer" ranked the best places for stranded passengers. Jacksonville International was the only U.S. airport to make the list, thanks to its art gallery. They have comfy chairs, too. Heathrow, Seoul, and Amsterdam also made the list.

Well, roving North Pole means changes on the ground at Tampa International Airport. Today it will roll out new names and signs for the facility's runways.

Rob Marciano here to explain why it's time for a new direction.

We're seeing a shift at the poles?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, the North Pole, the magnetic North Pole I should say, which is different, of course, from the true North is constantly in motion. And so much so, it's actually been speeding up lately. And over the years, aviation has to take it into account and they have to rename their runways, basically, because every runway is based on a compass setting. And when you hear a pilot say, I'm coming into runway 1-L Left, that means that they're coming into runway 1-L left, which means 10 degrees, it's going into 10 degrees, which is pretty much just east of north. And if you're coming in the opposite direction, you're flying into 1-9 Right, coming down to the south.

Well, this is the airport configuration of Tampa Airport. These used to be zero and the top ones were 1-8, as in 180 degrees and 0 degrees. Well, this is all changing, and by the way, Reagan National just did this a few years ago. Minneapolis did it about 10 or 15 years ago. This is all because magnetic North is on the move, my friends. And since about 1831 tracking this. And they literally go up there -- explorers do -- with planes, and they get up there, basically with a magnetic compass and try to figure out where the magnetic north is. And it's been on the move: 1948, 1972, getting a little bit closer to true North as we go on. And 2001, moving now, at anywhere from about 25 to about 40 miles per year.

And all of this, by the way, is because of the inner core of the earth is basically iron. We've got solid iron on the inner core that spins at a slightly different rate than the earth on the outside. And then you've got this liquid outer core. Because that's liquid and because it's metal, it has a charge to it. And that constant motion of the liquid will actually change the magnetic field of the earth. And a lot of scientists think that we may actually see a flip, where the North Pole will be on the South Pole and vice versa.

So, interesting stuff. You don't really have to worry about it too much if you have a GPS, because that, obviously is determined by satellites. But if you are going old school on me and you're going up to the north Georgia mountains --

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy.

MARCIANO: -- and you got a compass out, you have to take into account your deviation, which changes. Like in Atlanta, it's about four degrees difference between regular North and magnetic North.

PHILLIPS: I was never good with a compass and I was never good with GPS. I'm hosed when it comes to directions.

MARCIANO: We'll get you the talking navigation. Stick with that.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Well, people are talking about President Obama's speech at the memorial for the Tucson shooting. We're going to talk about his message and the impact, next.

And for our ladies who may have been frustrated by a fruitless search for a prince, pucker up. If the old Grimm fairytale were true, we'd have a batch of potential new princes now that a species of frogs have turned up in Haiti, not seen in more than two decades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "CONAN": Actually 49 out of 50 states have snow on the ground right now which is unbelievable. It's so bad even our studio has been affected. It's snowing right now and our trombone player, La Bamba.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's horrible.

O'BRIEN: It's very hard hit. Oh, please. It's not real snow. It's asbestos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Some people last night at the memorial for the Tucson shooting victims had a bit of a feel of a rally but perhaps local residents looking for closure, looking for answers were open to President Obama's message.

Our White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us to talk about the impact of that speech and it was interesting as soon as he came up to the podium. And you've got to expect it, I guess, Ed, you've got a whole bunch of university students in there. I mean, they were cheering for him like he was a rock star.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a little bit and then you have the fact that as I think we heard from folks like John King on the ground that there were of people who have just been -- through such a traumatic few days that they sort of just had this pent-up energy, this -- just wanting to kind of release it and just say, like, look, you know as you see sometimes in the grieving process, the first couple of days everyone is so upset and sad. And then they start thinking back to good memories and -- and maybe they just had all that pent up and wanted to finally have a little bit of -- of an excitement, a positive energy after so much, so many terrible days after the initial tragedy.

And I think what the President's broader message was to try to say, look, we saw everything going back and forth with Sarah Palin and then folks in the left. Blame game and all of that and he said, look, stop playing that, let's try to come together. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do.

If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate as it should let's make sure it's worthy of those we have lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: And if you think back to some of this President's other speeches that have sort of been highly received and successful, one would be in 2008 that that race speech when he talked about Reverend Wright. And the reason why it got such a positive response, and it wasn't just about the politics of the moment, he was able to sort of elevate the conversation about race in America at that point.

Maybe, and I stress maybe, he did the same last night. We'll see how -- sort of -- sort of it how plays out over the next few days, not just the reaction but in terms of what kind of action people in both parties actually take after those words last night.

As to maybe he was able to elevate the conversation, as well, after a little bit of silliness back and forth about who's to blame. Maybe he's able to sort of push it forward and say forget about that, let's try to focus on some positive here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes. And I think probably the most amazing moment of that rally was -- when he announced to everybody through Mark Kelly --

(CROSS TALK)

HENRY: Yes.

PHILLIPS: -- Gabby Giffords' husband that she opened her eyes.

HENRY: Yes and that's part of the reason obviously why there was a lot of excitement the way you started in terms of applause and -- and people having almost a rally attitude. It was like, wait a second, beyond all of the difficult moments there have been in the last few days, all of a sudden there was some good news and that was obviously a very, very emotional moment.

And I think that was part of -- part of the energy we saw in that room as well -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: Ed Henry thanks so much.

HENRY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We'll have your next political update in just about an hour. And of course, for all of your political news just go to our Web site 24/7 CNNPolitics.com.

Old age can't stop one woman in Sudan from casting her ballot -- ballot rather. She was going to exercise her right to vote; and being 115 years old, now that wasn't going to stop her. You'll meet her coming up in the "Morning Passport".

And 40 years ago today Americans were talking about a new TV show that have premiered the night before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy the way Glenn Miller played --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Songs that made the hit parade --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys like us we had it made --

-- those were the days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, 1971, producer Norman Lehrer changed the face of the American sitcom. "All in the Family" remembered as a comedy rather, that not only embraced the social issues of the day, it put them in a strange hold, usually at the hands of the show's cranky, but hilarious patriarch Meat Head, Edith, Gloria, and of course, all the family introduced us to Archie Bunker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those were the days --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, species that we thought went away now found again and the unusual plan to make pirates go away; all part of our "Morning Passport".

But first, Zain Verjee, she's got a great story about this amazing woman of Sudan. You always have an amazing story on some amazing woman.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Because you know, you have an amazing show, Kyra. This one is really, actually, great. This woman is a star. She's 115 years old, and she's gone ahead to participate in a referendum that's going on in Sudan. And basically they're trying to decide whether or not they want to split away from the country, be their own country, and it would be like the 193rd country in the world. But Kyra, just look at her. This is really the highlight. The oldest voter in southern Sudan. Her name is Rebecca Dinduch (ph). She was carried up the stairs in her wheelchair. You can see how they put a purple ink on her thumb and she voted that way. She even wore her best lacy glove on one of her hands.

This woman, Kyra, has seen Sudan go through colonial rule, through a long and very devastating war with the north, where two million people were killed, and now she is living this moment, it is a huge deal. There she is, dressed up in her best; her kids and her grandkids wheeling her in there. She was determined to vote.

PHILLIPS: So what's the -- and I wonder what the key is to that many years of life. That's what I would like to know.

VERJEE: Good food and exercise, lots of love. She's got 12 kids.

PHILLIPS: There you go. All right. That sounds good.

VERJEE: Meditation.

PHILLIPS: Meditation, yes. I can see it. She looked pretty mellow.

All right, let's jet over to Haiti. By the way, in just less than an hour, we're going to talk to that blind musician that you might remember, Ramel Joseph (ph), he's going to be on with us --

(CROSS TALK)

VERJEE: Right.

PHILLIPS: -- coming up.

But you actually have -- have a different type of story out of Haiti. These tiny frogs?

VERJEE: Yes. Well you know, I mean one year on we're all looking at how far Haiti has come and the devastation and rebuilding and the kids and the cholera, but this is something the researchers are really drumming up because they say this is a bit of good news. And it's about these guys, ribbit, it's these rare fog species, Kyra, that have been found.

You know, there's one variety that's smaller than that coin, you can see.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

VERJEE: They are frogs as well, they've discovered that whistle. They call that one Mozart. And there's also -- there's another frog that can actually throw its voice like a ventriloquist so it avoids its predators.

So it's really incredible. It is a good news thing, good news story. There's a lot of biodiversity in Haiti that's not all destroyed. So these guys are hopping back from the edge -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right. Then maybe if you kiss them they'll turn into a prince.

All right, let's move on to something else.

It may seem pretty unfathomable, but pirates still a huge problem on the high seas. And you actually found out about a pretty unusual way to try to ward them off.

VERJEE: Yes. There are so many different ways that people try and deal with it, you know. For -- it means it -- think about patrolling the U.S./Canada border on a scooter. Ok, that's how hard it is for these guys. They're warships but there are just not enough of them in such a huge area. So check out this creative way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE (voice-over): The hope is this can ward off pirates. It may seem laughable, but mannequins posing as guards in the dead of night could fool pirates and force them to flee. There are other tactics as one NATO commander tells me.

LARRY TRIM, NATO COMMANDER: Barb wire perhaps around their -- their ship. They have extra lookouts posted to look for Somali pirates. They have a routine where they can fire flares, water hoses, et cetera.

VERJEE (voice-over): Warships try to stop pirates before they hit major shipping lanes like the Gulf of Aden.

Just compare the size here, a powerful warship like this, completed outfitted with weapons and technology, chasing boats smaller than the size of this one out on the Indian Ocean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: There are many ships too, Kyra, that will have their own private security, armed guards, to take them through these treacherous waters. There's also this thing called the citadel where they keep supplies like food, water and communications if pirates get on board they can go into that safe room, shut the door and at least have enough to survive.

The reason all of this matters is if piracy is on the rise, the goods we get in our stores, the gas that we put in our cars, it's going to affect the prices. So they go up, the more piracy goes on -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Got it. We'll look for more of your reports. Zain, great to see you. Thanks so much.

VERJEE: You too.

PHILLIPS: Here's a look at some of the other stories that have us talking in the CNN newsroom.

Uncle Sam rethinking school meals, saying forget the fries, go for the fruit. The USDA says healthy lunches mean healthier kids. We're taking a look at the new guidelines.

If your child is prone to ear infections you want stay tuned to this. Two new studies suggest antibiotics are better than nothing at clearing up symptoms. But pediatricians say there's more to the story than that.

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