Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
President Obama to Host Chinese President for Trade Talks; Green Jobs Lost to China; Flood Threat in Pacific Northwest; Adoptive Families Reconnect Through Internet; Five Tips to Land Dream Job; Lost Boys of Sudan Discuss Sudan's Secession Referendum; Golden Globes Awards Tonight
Aired January 16, 2011 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another victim of the Tucson shootings is being mourned today. Funeral services were held this afternoon for 76-year-old Dorwan Stoddard. He was one of six people killed by a gunman who opened fire January 8th, last Saturday, as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents.
Witnesses say Stoddard, a retired construction worker, died trying to shield his wife from the bullet. Stoddard's widow, Mavy, suffered three gunshot wounds in the attack, and CNN's Ted Rowlands spoke with her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seventy-six-year-old Mavy Stoddard says she and her husband, Dory, were living a fairy tale.
MAVY STODDARD, WIDOWED SHOOTING VICTIM: We had as good a marriage as I believe anyone in this world could have.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): They were classmates who shared a first kiss in school, but didn't marry until they were in their 60s. Both were widowed, both had raised four children. For the past 15 years, Mavy says she and Dory had a ball.
Last Saturday, the couple decided to go meet their congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords.
STODDARD: Tell her how -- how we admired her for going in person out among the people.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): When the shooting started, Mavy says Dory put himself between her and the bullets.
STODDARD: He threw himself over me. I don't know whether he threw me down, whether I -- my first thought was, "Get down," when I saw what was happening. I think it was the last shots that killed him.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Dory was pronounced dead at the scene.
STODDARD: He died in my arms -- on my leg, actually. On the side of my leg, with me talking to him and telling him I loved him and kissing him. So, he saved my life, and gave his for it. And you can't ask for much more. And he would have protected me with his dying breath, same way he loved me.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Mavy says she feels sorry for everyone involved, including the man responsible.
STODDARD: It's a horrible thing that happened. It touched so many lives, it hurt so many people. That's why I feel no real animosity. I do forgive the young man. I hate what he did, but I don't hate him.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Mavy was shot three times in the leg. She'll make a full recovery, but she'll be without the love of her life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was Ted Rowlands reporting. Also in Tucson today, a Walk for Peace to honor Congresswoman Giffords and the other victims of last week's shooting rampage. About 500 people turned out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GAIL URBANSKI, WALK FOR PEACE PARTICIPANT: I don't want to be alone. I want to be with the people of Tucson, because this has hurt us all. And I think this is -- I'm looking forward to healing. I'm looking forward to -- maybe appreciating this community more than we already do. And so many good things have been said about Tucson. It's all true. We'll heal together. We're in this together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Today's Walk for Peace ended at Giffords' Tucson office. Congresswoman Giffords continues to recover from her wounds. She remains in critical condition at a Tucson hospital, but a friend says she's, quote, "doing great." US Representative (sic) Kirsten Gillibrand says Giffords is able to move her arms and legs and to actually look at people who are visiting her.
Two other survivors of the Tucson shootings remain the hospital, and both are listed in good condition. A third survivor, 58-year-old James Tucker, was released yesterday.
And one survivor of the Tucson shootings is being evaluated, now, at a mental health facility. Sixty-three-year-old James Fuller is a former Giffords campaign volunteer. He has wounded -- he was, rather, wounded in the January 8th shootings and has publicly tried to link gun rights advocates to the attack.
Fuller was detained at a town hall meeting yesterday after an outburst during a discussion on gun control. He told Tea Party member Trent Humphries, quote, "You are dead," unquote. Fuller was arrested for disorderly conduct and making a threat. Authorities say he will be held for observation for at least 72 hours.
Expect the economy and trade to take center stage at the White House this week. President Obama plans to host China's president on Wednesday. And last hour, I talked with Ted Fishman, an expert on major economic trends, and the author of "China, Inc." And we talked about why this state visit is so important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED FISHMAN, AUTHOR, "CHINA, INC.": Part of the reason is because there has been so much tension between the two leaders. They've met seven times to date. In one of their last meetings, there was a big negotiation around whether they would meet at all.
So, as Hu Jintao moves out and a new group moves into power in China in the next two years, and the president faces reelection, they need to find a prosperity path together to cement both of their credibility. And I think this is one of the deals they struck for this business -- for this visit.
They didn't have a real definite date on it until just a short time ago. And then, once they set it, they decided to go all out and go for this cooperative strategy.
WHITFIELD: So, do you see the US or President Obama extending some sort of offer to China that would mean both China and the US would benefit?
FISHMAN: You know, I actually see bigger offers coming from China. I think China's going to be striking very, very large business deals, tens of billions of dollars' worth of business, and they're going to hope that, through the back channel, that the rhetoric from the US and from the White House and from the Congress gets toned down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Author of "China, Inc." Only last week, treasury secretary Timothy Geithner said China needed to do more to address the trade gap between the two countries.
And China is also at the heart of this next story. A Massachusetts solar panel maker is shutting down its main American factory, laying off hundreds, and shifting production to China. And it's doing this after receiving $43 million in aid from the state of Massachusetts.
Well, earlier today, I talked with the former energy chief for the Massachusetts governor, and he says China isn't the problem. He blamed the US Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IAN BOWLES, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT CHIEF: Clean energy industry in the United States needs a strong congressional law -- new law calling for clean energy.
Clearly, China's making a massive bet, going in five years from zero percent of the world's solar production to, now, more than a third. They're making a trillion-dollar bet on clean energy, so is Europe. The United States is just deeply out of step with the rest of the world and losing a very large industry. It's hard to see.
WHITFIELD: So, in a case like this, what did China offer that the US can't assure this company in order to keep it here?
BOWLES: Well, low-interest financing for their factory is one. In our case, the state provided, maybe, less than ten percent of the capital, $400 million or so, that was invested on the private side. And China, two thirds of the capital will be provided by the state, guaranteed customers, price support, things of that nature. So, we're really -- fighting this with a pop gun compared to what is happening all around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Ian Bowles, there. The Obama administration has been investigating whether China is violating free trade rules by providing so many subsidies to solar panel manufacturers.
All right, let's talk weather, because things have changed quite a bit, dramatically, just over the past couple of days. This is a different week that we're going into, Bonnie, than the week we just left, weather-wise.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right.
WHITFIELD: Huge.
SCHNEIDER: This time one week ago, we were bracing ourselves for many days stuck downtown. We left our homes behind and lived here.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHNEIDER: But those are all memories, now. We're going to look for a much better week with some exceptions. Let's get right to it.
I want to show you where we're watching for heavy snow, particularly into the overnight period tonight. That's in upstate New York. Lake effect snow warnings continue until 4:00 AM on Monday. So, we'll see an additional four to eight inches of snow in the counties you see here that are highlighted.
Please be careful, because driving conditions can change very rapidly with lake effect snow. It's a very localized event, and things can be very dramatic with it.
We're also seeing some snow popping up over Cleveland. Further inland, as well, into New England, but nothing really too heavy once you lose that lake effect.
Here's what's interesting. We've got some rain -- rain, not snow. Just rain across the Gulf Coast. We had snow a week ago into Tennessee and Alabama. So, the rain will help kind of get rid of the rest of the snow and ice because it's warm enough that we're not looking at things freezing over tonight in most places, which is, again, good news, so we can get rid of some of that ice.
Rain is not a good thing, though, here in the northwest. This is where we've been tracking some very heavy rain. There were two mudslides on Thursday in this region in western Washington State. And what that means is, we're watching for more systems to work their way in. A steady stream of moisture -- you can see the jet stream right here, coming up, in the Pacific. So, watch for more heavy rain bands to work their way into this region.
But, on a positive note, things are changing across the southeast. As we go into this week, we're looking at a little bit of a warm up. We're finally going to be -- tonight, temperatures won't drop below freezing in a lot of places that have been seeing freezing overnights for the past few days.
In fact, we can show you a live picture of Atlanta. Let's see if we can find any snow out there. Oh, yes, it's still there. But what's nice is that things will start to warm up and we'll get rid of it. And I think we'll be looking for milder conditions, and not just for Atlanta, for the Carolinas.
Once the high pressure goes offshore, we'll look for better weather. Not super warm, but closer to normal and a little bit more of what we're typically used to this time of year.
WHITFIELD: Normal would be nice.
SCHNEIDER: It would be, wouldn't it?
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, thanks Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: See you later, appreciate that.
All right. Millions of Americans, like many of you, were adopted as a baby. So, what if you want to find your birth parents?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAURA STEVENSON, ADOPTED AS BABY: The woman was the same age as my birth mother. The father was the same age as my birth -- the person who signed as my birth father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The internet and social media are making it easier, but is it an invasion of privacy for the birth parents?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The internet has made the world smaller, and the same tools that you and your high school classmates use to kind of reconnect? Well, apparently, they too are helping adopted children who are now adults reconnect with their biological roots. CNN's Julie Peterson has one woman's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVENSON: My dad, my mom, my sister. JULIE PETERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened 19 years ago in a restaurant parking lot.
STEVENSON: You can see Cracker Barrel in the back.
PETERSON (voice-over): That's where Maura Stevenson as an infant was presented to her adoptive parents.
STEVENSON: That's when I started my real life, my life in a family that loved me, and a family that wanted me, and a family that actually fought to find me and get me.
PETERSON (voice-over): Now a freshman in college, Maura's always known she was adopted and is close to her adopted family. Still, she wanted to find her biological roots. At first, her adopted mother was skeptical. But after going to an adoption support group with Maura, Marcia Stevenson came around.
MARCIA STEVENSON, MAURA'S MOTHER: Her birth mother gave her life, and I feel like I gave her love, and I thank her every day of my life.
PETERSON (voice-over): Maura was able to quickly connect with a family tree using the names and dates from her adoption paperwork. She went to two social networking websites.
MAURA STEVENSON: They're all linked together. The woman was the same age as my birth mother. The father was the same age as my birth -- the person who signed as my birth father. And then they had the two boys in between them. So, that's how we kind of connected everything together.
PETERSON (voice-over): Maura learned that she has two older brothers, both raised by the parents listed in her paperwork. She reached out to the brothers, who told Maura that they remember their mother being pregnant. She says her birth mother doesn't want to be contacted.
STEVENSON: She actually made her profile -- her Facebook profile private. I never befriended her, because I had a mother and a father that I consider my mom and dad. It didn't matter as much to me as finding my brothers.
PETERSON (voice-over): Adoption expert Leslie MacKinnon says there are dangers for adoptive children searching for their birth families. It can be a huge shock to be contacted by a child you gave up for adoption, and everyone involved needs to be sensitive. There can be a silver lining.
LESLIE MACKINNON, SOCIAL WORKER AND ADOPTION EXPERT: If an adoptive parent can really support their child in the search, what ends up happening is the child is even closer to them.
PETERSON (voice-over): Maura said finding her two brothers was a thrill, one that helped her resolve a lifelong mystery.
STEVENSON: I found out that I'm Scottish and Irish. It just -- it explained the blond hair, because my brother has blond hair, too. And he has bluish-green eyes, just like me. I liked knowing where I had come from.
PETERSON (voice-over): Maura hopes that one day, the time will be right for her to meet the woman who gave her life. She has a message for her birth mother.
STEVENSON: Thank you for giving me up for adoption and not doing something like abortion, and that I've had a good life.
PETERSON (voice-over): Julie Peterson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And this weekend, I talked with two adoption experts about the internet and the easy access it can provide those who are looking for their birth parents.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MACKINNON: Many kids will get right on there today and look and find relatives. And what I say is, if you'll prepare yourself, there are support groups across the nation. You can find an adoption therapist. There are books about how to go about this, because what happens is the person who's searching is preparing the whole time and is knowing that's the direction they're going in --
WHITFIELD: Preparing for a while, "What if I never find, or what if I do?" --
MACKINNON: "What if I find?"
WHITFIELD: "What if there's a rejection?"
MACKINNON: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: So, when you have this dialogue with someone who says, "You know what? I really want to know. I really want to reach out."
MACKINNON: Right.
WHITFIELD: Do you recommend, now, that this is -- this is one of the tools you want to use?
MACKINNON: I don't have to recommend it.
WHITFIELD: They're already are doing it.
MACKINNON: It has taken off.
WHITFIELD: OK.
MACKINNON: It has taken off. I have even birth families who kind of monitor the child they relinquished to see how they're doing and what's going on in their life. But what I do say --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: That's a very new dynamic.
MACKINNON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And this has really changed adoption, the world of adoption.
MACKINNON: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: In so many different ways.
MACKINNON: Absolutely. My thing is just, educate yourself. Because that person that you contact is likely to be very startled. They weren't expecting it. And there are ways to make contact that will increase your chances for a good connection, not a shocking one.
WHITFIELD: Right. OK, well, I'm going to bring in Adam Pertman into this conversation as well. He actually wrote a book on how adoption, in his words, "is transforming America." Good to see you.
ADAM PERTMAN, EVAN B. DONALDSON ADOPTION INSTITUTE: It's good to be here.
WHITFIELD: So, while I thought --
PERTMAN: It's a good topic.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it really is fascinating. So, while I thought maybe this was kind of a new thing, we hear from Ms. MacKinnon here, no, this is -- this is old hat. This really has revolutionized the world of adoption in so many different ways. At what point did you start noticing, this is not the adoption that we knew of 30 years ago and beyond?
PERTMAN: Well, a couple things worth saying. In terms of the transformation, boy, the internet is transforming everything, right? I mean, it isn't just adoption. We're focusing on this today and the ways that it is changing that practice, but this is happening everywhere, and we have to learn to deal with it.
So, it's not a question of, do we think this is a good idea? This is a -- whether it's a good idea or bad idea, this is happening on the ground every single day. So, I agree with Leslie. What we need to do is educate ourselves.
WHITFIELD: How much information do you need in order to have a successful search?
PERTMAN: The answer is, it depends. One thing I want to say. We often sort of infantilize adopted people. Say, "adopted kids." We're really usually talking about adults.
Now, there is a kid element to this, and it's one of the biggest reasons why we need to figure out how to do this internet thing, this social media thing right, because of those kids. But usually, we're talking about adults.
WHITFIELD: Right.
PERTMAN: People who have reached a certain age.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: And I mean that loosely, kids --
PERTMAN: So, that's important --
WHITFIELD: I kind of feel like you're always someone's child, right?
PERTMAN: Oh, I understand. It's in the language. It's how we talk about it.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
PERTMAN: But, in any case, the answer is, it depends. It depends on -- it's not true that the people at the other end, whether they're adoptive family or the biological family, aren't ready. A lot of the times, they're ready, and --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: They might be expecting in an adoption.
PERTMAN: They want to hear from those people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, so you heard from the experts there. Prepare before you try to connect. There are books on the subject, and therapists dedicated to adoption issues, as well.
All right. Landing your dream job. Find out five ways to turn that dream into a reality, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Some advice on landing your dream job is coming up in just one minute but, first, a look at the top stories.
Flooding around the world has killed hundreds of people. Brazil is among the hardest hit areas. Most of the damage and the death are just outside Rio de Janeiro. And parts of Australia and the Philippines are also devastated by flooding.
New Jersey police have arrested a suspected cop killer. Jahmell Crockam was captured overnight. He faces murder charges and charges include illegal possession of a firearm. The 19-year-old man is accused of shooting a police order as he sat in his patrol car on Friday.
And history is made at the Miss America pageant. The new Miss America is -- can you believe she's 17 years old? She's from Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan is the youngest pageant winner ever. Scanlan plans to use her platform to help people overcome eating disorders, and then she wants to go to law school and become a judge.
All right. Landing that dream job. Many people feel that it can only happen in their dreams, but Jennifer Remling says it's time to wake up. She's the co-author of the book "Carve Your Own Road." And Jennifer joins me now with five concrete ways in which to pursue your dream job. And first, you say, you've got to really crystallize, what is that job.
JENNIFER REMLING, AUTHOR, "CARVE YOUR OWN ROAD": Yes, absolutely. I think so many people tend to romanticize their dream job, because it sounds exciting.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
REMLING: And they don't look at the realities of it. So, I suggest that they do an apprenticeship or an internship. That's not just for high school students or college students. Or do an informational interview with somebody who's already doing that, and get into the nitty-gritty of what the real job's about.
WHITFIELD: Do some research.
REMLING: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And then, you need to kind of research your own credentials --
REMLING: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And make sure that your skill set or your education base is up to par, that it really can help you segue into that dream job.
REMLING: Right. Yes, actually, a lot of people have transferable skills already. So, I always recommend that they take an inventory of their existing skills and see how they might be able to transfer it to their dream job. And a lot of times, there's a lot of stuff there already that they can use.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's cool. And then, how do you build that bridge to that dream job? You've figured all this other stuff out. Now, how do you carve that route?
REMLING: Well, I think that you have to be willing to put in extra hours. A lot of times, I've known people who have worked at night or on the weekends doing that actual work so they can build credibility and references in that actual area and just sort of taking the plunge into it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, sometimes you want to keep what you have --
REMLING: Right.
WHITFIELD: Work toward the other thing. You just don't want to drop everything because now you're without anything.
REMLING: Right. Yes, I think it's important to keep your job and test it out.
WHITFIELD: And that's where the finances comes in --
REMLING: Right.
WHITFIELD: As well. Even when it comes down to your dream job, this may be what you want to do, but now you've got to figure out how is this going to be economically feasible for me? Can I afford this risk?
REMLING: Right.
WHITFIELD: That I might be taking.
REMLING: This is the number one reason that people don't pursue their dream job.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
REMLING: Because a lot of times, when you make a shift, it's going to cost you financially. And so, look at your finances, see where you can cut back, and put a plan in place. Or you can save some extra money so that you can -- when you make that transition, it's not such a big financial hit.
WHITFIELD: And then, sometimes you have a dream job and you almost don't want to tell anybody.
REMLING: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: About it. So, you kind of keep it closed. But you say, you really do need to kind of publicize it, you need to network, because that really could help bridge that bridge --
REMLING: Right.
WHITFIELD: To that dream job.
REMLING: Well, yes. And I think, be careful who you talk about until you're ready. But when you're ready to get out there, networking is the best way. Because, when you just send your resume out, it goes into a database. And so, when you get out and talk with people, they may know people, and they can help you much quicker than just sort of going into that database that's sort of a black hole.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Well, hopefully, it'll be a good year, 2011, for those who want to pursue that dream job.
REMLING: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Look ahead and try to build the road in which for it to happen.
REMLING: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jennifer Remling, thanks so much. REMLING: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Good to meet you.
REMLING: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. All right, meantime, voting is over. We're talking overseas, now. And now, the ballots are being counted in what could become the world's newest nation. Next, I'll talk to three men with a personal stake in Sudan's historic referendum.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In one minute, we'll be talking to comedian George Wallace and his unique take on some of the recent headlines. But first, a look at today's top stories.
Turmoil in the North African country of Tunisia. We've seen rioting and looting since the popular uprising forced its president from power on Friday. And now, a report that as many as 1,000 of its ex- president's bodyguards are facing off with soldiers. There's word a unity government has been formed, but the details won't be announced until tomorrow.
And the White House will be setting the latest talks between the US and China. At least the White House will be hosting the latest talks. President Obama is playing host to President Hu Jintao on Wednesday. Front and center, the economies of both nations and the growing tensions over trade.
And one of the Tucson shooting survivors has been arrested and sent to a mental health facility for evaluation. Police say 63-year-old James Fuller threatened a Tea Party member at a town hall meeting, yelling, quote, "You are dead," unquote. The Tea Party member was answering a question about gun control.
Now, overseas, after a week of voting, ballot counting is underway in Southern Sudan. At stake, whether the nation remains as it is or is split into two separate countries. Many voters traveled by ferry or bus, some traveling for days just to participate in the historic referendum.
President Obama congratulated those in Southern Sudan on their week- long referendum, saying the peaceful and orderly vote was an inspiration to the world.
So, joining me now are three of the nearly 4,000 young men who left Sudan amid a civil war, and then resettled here in the US. They're known as the so-called "lost boys of Sudan." Many of them are young men, now. But Majok Marier, as well as Ngor Mayol, they're both here with me in Atlanta. And Daniel Gai is in Denver.
Gentlemen, good to see all of you.
MAJOK MARIER, "LOST BOY": Thank you.
NGOR MAYOL, "LOST BOY": Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Let's begin with you, here, in Atlanta. Majok, did you get a chance to vote by traveling from Atlanta to, say -- the nearest location here in the States would have been Tennessee. Did you have an opportunity to vote?
MARIER: Yes, I did, and I was really happy to go to Tennessee and then start to cast my ballot, separation of Southern Sudan for the (INAUDIBLE) that we have been through. And I was really happy and thankful for everybody that did the effort to have the movement for our people to be our free and independents and enjoy the nation like the other people around the world, because Sudan was hoping for 21 years.
WHITFIELD: It's extraordinary. Ngor, I wonder, what does this mean to you in terms of your hope in terms as to whether the majority of people -- and I understand a great majority of young people took advantage of this vote in Sudan. I wonder, Ngor, if you feel fairly confident that this will mean a separation of Southern Sudan if you do believe that this vote means a new nation is about to be born?
NGOR MAYOL, "LOST BOY": Absolutely. This process means a lot of things. It means freedom to the world and freedom to the United States because we need a free country where we will show an example of other country in trouble.
WHITFIELD: It was --
MAYOL: And I would say congratulation to President Obama for putting more pressure to bring both parties to agree and have a peaceful referendum.
WHITFIELD: It may take weeks before the final tally. We understand it could be mid-February, February 14th, before there's a final tally. And when that it is announced, if it were indeed it were announced that Southern Sudan has ceded and it will becomes a separate -- its own nation, will you believe that -- will you believe that result?
MAYOL: I will believe that what we've been waiting for 55 years. So, we didn't -- we didn't been in war for 21. We've been in the war since 1956, until when the peace agreement was signed in 2005. So, we were given a duration of five years -- I mean, six years for referendum, and this is it.
WHITFIELD: And Daniel Gai in Denver, if I can bring you into the equation here. You did not get an opportunity to vote, is that correct?
DANIEL GAI, "LOST BOY": Absolutely, yes. I was in (INAUDIBLE) when the registration took place. And when I came back to Denver, the registration was already over.
WHITFIELD: So, you --
(CROSSTALK)
GAI: But I'm still grateful that my -
WHITFIELD: OK.
GAI: I'm still grateful that my brothers and my sisters, they are together and vote for the separation.
WHITFIELD: But at the same time, is it true that you feel rather skeptical about this vote, skeptical that Southern Sudan could indeed become its own nation?
GAI: A hundred percent I am.
WHITFIELD: Why?
GAI: And as a matter of fact, after I hear the result, because I was in Juba in November of 2010. I went there for a literature program in Juba. And when I see the energy of our people in the cities and in the communities and people in the diaspora, I could see and I could feel that in my mind and my eyes, and after 21 years of war we've been through, I could see that we are and this is the moment for us to determine our destination. And that's why I feel so grateful that secession will come through the ballot through our friends and people of Southern Sudan casted in.
WHITFIELD: You're all young men now. For some of you, your separation from your country happened when you were young boys. So, I wonder if your country becomes an independent nation or two countries and Southern Sudan becomes an independent nation, is it your intention, Majok, to go back to -- in some way, play a part in a new country?
MARIER: Yes, well, that's a good question. For us, we have a lot of problems with our people back home. I just came recently from Southern Sudan. Actually I arrived here on the 28th of November. And I spent one week and traveled to Nashville, Tennessee. And I have been able to cast my ballot on the 9th.
So, we have a lot of problem for the power structure (INAUDIBLE), and the war. So, to us here in the United States, we have preferred the new country for the things that we can establish for our own people because they have a lot of problems that have to be addressed. That means all of us who are here in the United States would not like to go back home and stay there. You have to be around here so that you can do something that could help our own people, they are suffering.
WHITFIELD: And, Ngor, particularly, Southern Sudan is very rich in so much, oil, in grasslands, for the herdsmen. Do you think the kind of killing that's taken place between Arabs there and -- as well as the herdsmen there, do you feel that that killing and that the battle over that very resourceful, important land will end if Southern Sudan becomes an independent nation? Or do you worry that there will still be these violent struggles?
MAYOL: Absolutely. You have -- you're asking that question, that I have to answer the way I know it. I went to Southern Sudan twice. I went in 2006 after 17 years in exile. And I went in 2009, in February.
What I have seen there is really devastating, and seeing Southern Sudan is on the way to be a new country, I think the war will be stopped. We will be a different country. We will have a border, whereby there's no many more gun will be flowing in in Southern Sudan. The government will do their best and insecurity will be reduced.
So, I'm not worried about any war that can broke out. We will be a responsibility government and there will be no war. This is the end of it.
We have lost the lives of 2.5 million, and that will be the end. We will be remembering them and we will bring the world (ph) to Southern Sudan.
WHITFIELD: And Daniel in Denver, do you have that same hope? Do you picture if Southern Sudan becomes an independent nation that there would be no more fighting, no reason for any more fighting and that the rich resources in Southern Sudan would indeed be that, owned by the people of Southern Sudan and managed?
GAI: Absolutely. You know, it's my personal belief -- I will not talk ahead of what the government of Southern Sudan will say. But of the personal level and my experience and what I have already seen and experienced, I went back in 2008. I was reunited by the organization that is based in Denver called Project Education Sudan. And we have to start building school in the area, on the ground.
My hope to join Project Education Sudan, I knew that ahead of time that there will be a time for us to come to vote for a referendum on separation, which just came this week.
And to answer your question, I think the lives that are lost for 21 years, 2.5 million, and what is going on now in Darfur, I think enough is enough. If I was the government, I will say enough is enough and I believe so, that the government of Southern Sudan have the same people like me and the others, same people that are working for the next generation to come.
If there was a doubt in people's minds, then there should be no referendum to sign for and vote for. They are voting for it and we are voting for it to stop the killing of innocents and start the development of the country to look like other nations.
WHITFIELD: It's a historic moment and we appreciate you, Daniel Gai, for being part of this discussion.
So, the referendum, the votes, the tallies maybe in by mid-February. And if it ends up being that the majority of people voted for an independent Southern Sudan, we're talking about a new country by possibly July.
Majok Marier and Ngor Mayol, thank you as well for your participation of the discussion. Appreciate it. Nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you two. WHITFIELD: And we'll have much more of the NEWSROOM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK. It was a very interesting week because so much of the country was paralyzed by snow and ice. And, now, at least for the sake of Atlanta, you know, a lot of it has melted, so we can move on now, sort of, kind of.
Comedian George Wallace, he was snowed in, too, just like everybody else here in Atlanta.
You know, you kind of live in Vegas, you kind of live here, too. Good to see you.
GEORGE WALLACE, COMEDIAN: I live in New York. I'm living here, kind of, sort of snowed in. I've been in here for a week.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
WALLACE: I was on my way to Argentina, got stuck at the airport. And I'll tell you what? I don't, it snowed Monday --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: -- and this is Sunday, right?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: And there are still patches of snow out on the street.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: What is going on? I mean, it just -- the city just came to a stop. The airport wasn't working. I mean, the -- everything.
WHITFIELD: We don't have the kind of plows and sanding and salting that a lot of other cities --
WALLACE: But the bus wasn't working.
WHITFIELD: No.
WALLACE: The mailman wasn't working.
WHITFIELD: No.
WALLACE: The Falcons wasn't working. They definitely want to win.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Oh. So, it was tough being at home, wasn't it, for you?
WALLACE: Well, I was at a hotel.
WHITFIELD: OK. WALLACE: The most expensive hotel, it was --
WHITFIELD: And it was all right.
WALLACE: Eight dollars for a bottle of water?
WHITFIELD: Well, that's the way it is with hotels.
WALLACE: I didn't flush the toilet. I didn't touch nothing. For $8 a bottle of water, I didn't touch nothing.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
WALLACE: This is expensive, but I'll tell you what happened --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: -- since I've been here. And, by the way, it's good to see you again.
WHITFIELD: It's good to see you, too. George Wallace now (ph).
WALLACE: And all of my friends on the radio, around America, at the time I was doing a morning show, they say I always like to give, but I never gave you anything for Christmas. So, I brought --
WHITFIELD: Well, you kind of did. It was a fruitcake.
WALLACE: I want to send you to dinner at the best restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia.
WHITFIELD: Should I believe this?
WALLACE: Would I lie to you?
WHITFIELD: Well --
WALLACE: This is sort of a restaurant, the food is so good. It's a restaurant -- what's the name? I forgot the name of the restaurant. Have you ever heard of it?
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: Kevin Rathbun Stake House.
WHITFIELD: OK.
WALLACE: Have you heard of it?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: It was so good.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. I will take that actually.
WALLACE: The food is so good that when you walk in, people are licking their finger, you know, with the sauces all over them. And it takes some money now, because you have to give -- you have to write your paycheck when (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: People are running out of the pawnshops to this place. But staying in Atlanta, nothing, nobody --
WHITFIELD: So, really, really? OK. I'm going to check this out.
WALLACE: Nobody went to work.
WHITFIELD: See with my name was actually on this. OK. We'll see.
WALLACE: Nobody did anything in Atlanta. Except one thing.
WHITFIELD: What?
WALLACE: Nobody made it work, did they?
WHITFIELD: No, well, except here.
WALLACE: Listen, except the Mexicans. I got to give the Mexicans a good plus here. They all made it work. Not one Mexican called and said they won't. They're all there on time.
WHITFIELD: OK.
WALLACE: I don't know how they did it. But nobody else came to work. They've never seen snow in their life but they made it to work.
WHITFIELD: I don't know how you got here. Oh, really?
WALLACE: I can tell -- I just love these people when they just get out, working. They was pushing cars and shoveling snow, but they made it to work. I admire them for that.
WHITFIELD: Well, you were talking about the big money that you spent, you know, while being stuck at the hotel. Let's talk about the big money that was won at that mega millions lottery and now, it's opened up a little bit of a controversy between an estranged couple.
WALLACE: Two people won that. The lady I'm concerned about is the lady in Idaho, I think, that's where she is. She gets $190 million. But the law there says that -- she's separated and she's filing for divorce from her husband but her husband may get half the money.
WHITFIELD: It's not apparently official. Yes, they're not officially split. They're not divorced, I think.
WALLACE: But they're not together. He shouldn't get anything. He should get what he invested. He should get nothing.
WHITFIELD: It depends on the state that you live in.
(CROSSTALK) WALLACE: I mean, this is -- this is --
WHITFIELD: Yes, you don't like it.
WALLACE: Does he get -- does he get her dresses, her old dresses that she throws or anything like that? He doesn't -- she didn't -- you know, what does she get?
WHITFIELD: Maybe the gains are part of the equations, then both gains.
WALLACE: You know what's wrong with the lottery too?
WHITFIELD: What's the matter?
WALLACE: If you win $380 million, that's how much you should get. You shouldn't get -- you shouldn't be taxed on that money. That money is already been taxed. I don't like that.
WHITFIELD: Uncle Sam wants a little slice of everything.
WALLACE: Sam has already gotten their money. That's why I need to be in charge of this country. I will create the whole country called Wallaceburg.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Whenever there are earnings, that means there are taxes that must be paid.
WALLACE: Wallaceburg, I'm going to create my own country, Wallaceburg. I mean, if you're caught stealing, the judge won't have a gavel. He'll have a whip. Like they do down in Singapore. And they just get you down to Times Square and whip you.
WHITFIELD: Flogging.
WALLACE: Yes, of course. The guy (INAUDIBLE) something, got flogged. That's what we should do.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. OK. Well, we're still talking about big money. And there's a big old burger in your neck of the woods in Las Vegas that costs big bucks.
WALLACE: Five thousand dollars for a hamburger. Can you believe that?
WHITFIELD: Tell me about this. Have you had it?
WALLACE: Have I had it? If I buy it, you'll hear about it. I can tell you that, I'll be on the news. I'd be jumping off the building out there.
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: It's a Kobe beef. And it's really good. Also, you'll get a bottle of wine with it. That's what it really is, a bottle of wine. Five thousand dollars, it's Kobe beef.
I said, for $5,000, I want Kobe beef, I want Shaq beef, I want Magic beef, I want LeBron cheese on it. You know what I'm saying?
WHITFIELD: Well, maybe it's because there are so many high rollers in Las Vegas, you know, including you, George Wallace.
WALLACE: The people in Las Vegas are crazy. I just shopped on this store called IKEA. You've heard IKEA?
WHITFIELD: Yes, of course.
WALLACE: So, I go to this store, IKEA. I did not know the policy. I mean, Scandinavian furniture.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WALLACE: The strongest furniture (INAUDIBLE). I mean, I bought -- I'm so dumb I bought a whole living room set from there, right? And my cousin called me yesterday. Her name is Joan and she weighs like 380 pounds. She said to me, what you're doing? I need to stop by and sit down and talk.
And I told her, well, you can stop by here, but you can't sit on my IKEA furniture.
WHITFIELD: George Wallace, all right.
WALLACE: But, listen, I go to IKEA. I did not know the policy. I told the sales person I'd like to have that desk. So, he said, OK, I'll go in the back and get it. I said, OK, I take this one on the floor. He said, no, sir, you have to put it together. I said, no, but it's OK, I take this one. He said, sir, you got to put it together. He went in the back, he came back, I wrote him a check, signed a check, took the check and ripped it into a thousand pieces and give it to him.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
WALLACE: He says, we can't take this. I said, put it together. That's what I'll be thinking.
WHITFIELD: George Wallace, you always have lots of interesting experiences from IKEA.
WALLACE: Next week, we're going to talk about so much.
WHITFIELD: I look forward to it. All the best to your sister, too.
WALLACE: God bless you.
WHITFIELD: Enjoy your travels.
WALLACE: Hello to my sister. God bless you, Ms. Lesley (ph). I love you.
WHITFIELD: Maybe you will get out of Atlanta and make it back to --
WALLACE: I'm out of here. My flight leaves in about 10 minutes.
WHITFIELD: OK. Very good.
WALLACE: I'm out of here.
WHITFIELD: And hopefully with your iPad this time. We'll talk about that another time. Yay, was it returned?
WALLACE: No.
WHITFIELD: Another one?
WALLACE: I stole this one.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right. George Wallace, good to see you.
WALLACE: Thank you so much. You're looking wonderful. CNN, comedy news network, CNN.
WHITFIELD: At least for the next few minutes.
All right. We'll be right back with much more here on CNN. Cable News Network, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Ten minutes from now, my colleague, Don Lemon, will be along. In fact, he's here right now.
(LAUGHTER)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Fred. How are you?
WHITFIELD: Hi. How are you? Happy New Year.
LEMON: I'm doing great. Happy New Year.
WHITFIELD: We have not seen each other in forever.
LEMON: I know. I know. People say, "How's Fred?" I don't know. We're like two ships.
WHITFIELD: The holidays and all the good stuff and the snow. Anyway, you've got a lot coming up in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Yes, speaking of the holidays, it's a very, very sad story. We're talking about a young lady who went missing during the holidays, Fred.
We have the story, her name is Phylicia Barnes. She turned 17 the other day, but she wasn't home in North Carolina, Fred, to celebrate the milestone with her family. No one knows where Phylicia is.
She's an honor student. She's from North Carolina. She disappeared three days after Christmas while visiting her half-sister in Baltimore.
WHITFIELD: Oh.
LEMON: And you know, there's been a lot of question about -- every time there's a missing woman, especially a missing woman, people believe that there may be some disparity in race when covering missing women. So, Baltimore police say that they have tried to get the word out far and wide as soon as possible, but without much success, Fred.
Now, I spoke with the chief of public affairs with the Baltimore police about whether he thinks the slow response might have been due to her being African-American. Take a listen, Fred.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY GUGLIELMI, PUBLIC AFFAIRS CHIEF, BALTIMORE POLICE: Don, I think the question has to be asked. I mean, here we are 17 days later, and today, we're on CNN. But day two, day three, when we were putting information out about Phylicia's disappearance, we were talking about birds falling out of the sky in Arkansas and fish coming up dead in Maryland's harbor. And this girl's in danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, a lot of people have the same sort of feeling about that.
WHITFIELD: Are there any clues? Are there --
LEMON: Nothing.
WHITFIELD: Just vanished?
LEMON: Nothing. And they're fearing the worst.
Let me -- let me tell you what her mom said. Her mom -- her mom is Janice Sallis. And I just met her just a moment ago here in the Green Room. Here's what she has to say about the race part -- she said, "No one ever called to tell me that she was reported missing." She believes the onus on the police, right? She said, "When I did speak to the officer, he told me that she will be walking in the door any minute. And I told him that the first 48 hours are critical, and he said, 'Ma'am, you've been watching too much TV.'"
So, she says she's gotten a lot of support from people of all races, but she wants police to do more.
So, 6:15, about 30 minutes, we're going to be talking to her here on CNN.
WHITFIELD: Oh, we look forward to that. That's heartbreaking.
All right. Don Lemon, good to see you.
LEMON: Thank you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Much more on the NEWSROOM right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Some of your favorite Hollywood stars are getting ready to walk the red carpet. The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards, well, it begins in just a few hours. But, you know, the walk begins like now -- beginning with our Kareen Wynter.
You can't have a red carpet moment without our lovely Kareen on it, there at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills -- Kareen.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. What could make it better is having you here. At least we're talking.
We are just a couple hours away from the big show. What an exciting evening it's going to be. You know what? It always is the case with the Golden Globes because it's one of those few awards shows out there that really honor both television and film.
So, Fred, again, a couple of hours away from the start of the show. We're waiting for all of those beautiful stars to line in and get this red carpet going.
And one of those stars, you know, we'll be keeping an extra close eye out for, Jon Hamm. He's from the ABC hit -- AMC hit, rather, "Mad Men." And it could be a huge night for him. That's because he is nominated in the Best Actor/Drama Category. Also, "Mad Men" nominated in the Best TV Series Drama category.
But Jon Hamm and "Mad Men," they have a little bit of competition this year from Steve Buscemi. He's of the HBO hit, "Boardwalk Empire." So, they'll be duking it out. Buscemi really getting a lot of acclaim for his role where he plays a prohibition era politician. So, they'll be going head to head.
And what's fun about this award show, so many awards shows that we cover, is that it's really anybody's guess. So, you can't leave out the other contenders in the drama category such as "Dexter," "The Good Wife," and another AMC show, "The Walking Dead" -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kareen Wynter, thanks so much. We'll be tuning in throughout the evening, watching you and Brooke Anderson there on the red carpet, giving us the lowdown on everything. Thanks so much from the Beverly Hilton.
All right. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, I'll see you back here again next weekend. Don Lemon is coming up next with more of THE NEWSROOM.
