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More Johnson & Johnson Recalls; Rain, Flooding in Northwest; WikiLeaks to Release Documents on Offshore Banking; Health Care Fight Resumes; Trouble in Tunisia; The Business of Pirating

Aired January 17, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": Right now, we want to hand it over to Kyra Phillips in the CNN NEWSROOM in Atlanta.

Hello there, Kyra.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": Hi, Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, guys. Thanks.

Nine a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West.

Here are some of the stories that have us talking this morning:

Get ready for a flood of more documents from the whistleblower WikiLeaks. A Swiss banker hands over secret banking records. WikiLeaks says it will reveal an intricate shell game of offshore banking and tax evasion.

A 13-year-old girl back home in Georgia after a statewide alert led to her. And the accused kidnapper, 18-year-old Luis Garcia now is under arrest.

Hollywood heavyweights boasting new trophies, among the Golden Globe winners, "Social Network," "Glee," and "Boardwalk Empire."

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PHILLIPS: But we begin with the next time that you have a headache, you may be harder -- it may be harder, rather, to hunt down a bottle of Tylenol at the drugstore. Have a cough? Well, Sudafed may be in short supply, too.

Johnson & Johnson is pulling about 43 million of packages of certain type of Tylenol, Sudafed, Benadryl and more. It's another hurdle for the drug company that has spent over a century building a name based on quality. Honchos (ph) say this recall only affects wholesalers, that consumers don't need to be worried. But it's been a string of turbulent months for Johnson & Johnson.

The company has recalled St. Joseph's aspirin, Rolaids and even bubble gum flavored Tylenol melt-away strips. Johnson & Johnson is a household name, as we all know. But this may threaten its reputation.

The company's online list of recalled products is 14 pages long. And these are over-the-counter remedies that a lot of us keep stock in our medicine cabinets.

Christine Romans is live in New York.

So, Christine, how much are shoppers willing to take?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, here, this is a company that says since the 1940s has prided itself on being quality. You pay a premium for these products because you think that the Johnson & Johnson name is going to give you something a little bit better that their competitors. Instead, the very brand that has supposed to be the go-to for moms, dads, doctors and nurses has been pulled from the shelves for over a year now.

Forty-three million products in this most recent recall. You mentioned them: Tylenol, Benadryl, Sudafed, Sinutab. There were all distributed in the U.S., the Caribbean and Brazil.

But, look, this is after month after month of recalls. Last January, a recall over moldy smell in some of their products. In May, 40 different kinds of children's medicines were pulled.

This angered and outraged parents and pharmacists quite frankly because there were holes in the shelves and in some cases, there still are.

In August, Acuvue contact lenses are recalled. And in December, Rolaids are recalled over foreign materials.

And just a few days ago, there was another separate recall over some labelings.

So, this is a brand that has taken a huge hit even as the company is very, very big with a lot of different kinds of products. These are very high-profile products that are basically exactly the kind of brand recognition this company has been striving for.

Now, it's different kind of, Kyra, products, with different kinds of problems. They're not all the same problem, which also is another reason why brand managers say -- and image managers say this is a problem that could linger for Johnson & Johnson.

PHILLIPS: So, are these recalls hurting the company? Are people start buying generics and other brands?

ROMANS: Yes. You have children's products, for example, sales have fallen for Johnson & Johnson children's products. And the pharmacy chains have seen a surge of their sort of pharmacy or store labeled products that are the same kind of formulation has skyrocketed. Overall, sales down 25 percent, $1.3 billion for the most recent quarter.

But here's what you're going to see, I think. You're going to see Johnson & Johnson have to prove to customers in the U.S. that there's a reason to pay more for its products when they have been doing just fine for the past year using products from -- you know, no-name products right there on the shelf instead. PHILLIPS: Got it. All right. We'll keep tracking the story. Thanks so much, Christine.

ROMANS: OK.

PHILLIPS: Well, a lot of nervous eyes in Haiti right now -- nervous because a ghost from the country's troubled past is back. Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti once again after 25 years in exile -- he just showed up with his new wife. This is the man the Haitian people chased off the island after years of dictatorship, corruption and fear from him and his father.

So, what's he doing back in the country after all these years? Police says he's showing solidarity with his people after the earthquake. But there's a leadership vacuum in Port-au-Prince right now, thanks to a dispute over the presidential election. Duvalier is supposed to talk to reporters today.

And here's a little Baby Doc 101. You may remember his father, Papa Doc. He was elected president of Haiti in 1957. He then declared himself president for life. He died in 1971.

That's when Baby Doc took over. He was only 19 years old at the time. The regime was notorious for its corruption and its brutal police force. The Haitian people forced Duvalier from power in 1986 with some helpful pressure from the United States.

Well, next hour, we're going to find out what Haitians and Haitian Americans are saying about his return.

And we have an update on Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the apparent target of that shooting rampage in Tucson nine days ago. Doctors say Giffords is now breathing on her own, and her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. Giffords who suffered a gunshot wound to the head was among 13 people wounded in that attack. Six others died.

One of the victims is in custody today after allegedly threatening a Tea Party member at a town hall event. Sixty-three-year-old James Eric Fuller was shot and later blamed the shooting on the extreme rhetoric of some conservative leaders. Well, those feelings may have erupted on Saturday when he became upset at the public meeting and a local Tea Party leader who was speaking.

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TRENT HUMPHRIES, TUCSON TEA PARTY FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER: I was making the point that, you know, sometimes, we're really quick to jump on political angles. And maybe we need to slow down and look at the victims first and then have a discussion about politics a little bit later. And then he rose from his seat, took a picture of me and said, "You're dead," you know?

And then -- and then that's pretty much what I saw. And then immediately afterward, they closed the program down, and then I was taken out. So, I didn't see anything after that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Police say that Fuller has been involuntary committed to a county mental service so doctors can evaluate his state of mind.

Well, flooding in Washington State is forcing a series of high-water rescues. The National Weather Service says more rain today could push other waterways over their banks as well. Streams and rivers already swollen by the snow melt. Firefighters in the community of Randall are going door-to-door today, telling people that they may have to evacuate.

A falling tree killed a state transportation worker last night. And police had to close sections of three state highways in southwest Washington because of landslides.

And more of the same in Oregon where heavy rains caused landslides, closing part of Highway 20. And the Wilson River Highway, which stretches from Portland to the coast.

Downed trees, tons of mud blocked the roadways there throughout the Northwest. Parts of Oregon, earth movers worked into the night trying to get those roads reopen.

Let's get more details on the Northwest flooding. Jacqui Jeras watching it all for us.

Did I say that right? Is it Randall, or Rendell (ph)?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think it's Randall.

PHILLIPS: OK, good.

JERAS: Yes. You know, big mess out there. And this thing is going on, you know, it's a rough weekend overall, with all the rivers that are out of their banks, with all the landslides that have been taking place.

But we've really been stuck in this wet pattern across the Pacific Northwest for three weeks now. So, the soil is really, really moist and it's just kind of hanging at that threshold where things are going to be sliding. And even though, you know, we're still looking at rain today, it's going to start to taper off. And even as we dry out throughout the week, we think that landslide risk is going to stick around, you know, probably at least through Friday because of that.

So, you know, we've seen several inches of rain in the last couple of days. Here you can see all the flood warnings which are in effect and this stretches into Idaho, too, by the way. So, covering many states here.

And that heavy rain is being coupled, we've had record temperatures. So, look at Seattle, 56 degrees yesterday. Olympia, 56, and Spokane, in the 50s as well. So, you're getting snow melt into the lower elevations and that also what's helping to push some of these rivers out of their banks. So, watch for improvements as we progress throughout the week, but things are going to continue to be kind of touch-and-go and rather dangerous across much of the area throughout the week.

Now, we also want to talk about one other weather story that we're dealing with and that's what is going on across parts of the Southeast. And we do have an area of low pressure that's bringing heavy thunderstorms across Florida at this time. That's going to be riding up the coast through the Carolinas and then tomorrow head through the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

We got big mess here and we're going to talk a little more specifically about that storm and what you can expect for that tomorrow coming up a little later in the show -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. It sounds good. Thanks, Jacqui.

JERAS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: This just in to the CNN NEWSROOM, one of the most powerful men in the computer industry is stepping down. This morning, we're told that Apple CEO Steve Jobs e-mailed his employees that he's going to be taking a medical leave of absence so he can focus on his health. He says he will keep his title and still take part in the company's major decisions. Jobs is considered extremely private and has refused to address health concerns that have dogged him in recent years.

And all around the country, schools and government services are closed today, in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. A nation reflecting on the civil rights icon who shared his dream and shepherding the movement that redefined America as we know it today. Events are being held around the country.

Here in Atlanta, Georgia, where King is buried, it's a national historic site that bears his name, having a ceremony. Also, next hour, services will be held at Atlanta's Ebenezer Church where King and his father once preached.

So, would you let your kids go to school on Thanksgiving? Probably not. And the school would probably never suggest it. But some kids are going to school today, Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday, to make up for snow days. Well, a controversy is our topic today and a lot of feedback from you on this.

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PHILLIPS: And maybe these Justin Bieber fans can't sound like their heartthrob, but they sure take a shot of winning a trip to the world premiere of new movie.

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PHILLIPS: News happening across the country right now. Let's go ahead and start in Florida. A little off key there, but still, Justin Bieber fans tried their hardest to sound like the pop star. Take a listen.

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PHILLIPS: A little better. The singing was held to give teen a chance to win a trip to L.A. for the world premiere of Bieber's new movie.

And hundreds of pieces of mail spilled on to an interstate highway when the backdoor of a mail truck popped open. That mail scattered over a 20-mile stretch of Missouri. A postal inspector says -- or 70- mile stretch, rather -- the mail came from one or two companies and most if not all, we're told, has been found.

The bride wore a hockey sweater and so did the groom. And instead of "Here Comes the Bride," the music was "Rock You Like a Hurricane." Two Carolina Hurricane fans said their "I dos" at center ice of RBC Arena. The team gave them the perfect wedding present. They beat Tampa Bay.

So, if you're going to make up a snow day, should you really pick Martin Luther King Day to do it? That would probably never happen on Thanksgiving or Labor Day, right? We were talking about our civil rights icon that changed history. But students in at least in two state schools will be going regardless. And it's caused a bit of a controversy.

CNN's Jason Carroll on the story for us.

So, what states are we talking about, Jason? And what exactly are they saying?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, we're talking about North Carolina and South Carolina. We do have another update for you. Several counties in northern Georgia that planned on being open today are now closed, but not because of political pressure, Kyra. That's because of bad roads. The county said there were just too many dangerous roads out there that are flat-out inaccessible because of the storms.

So that, now, just leaves two cities in South Carolina and two counties in North Carolina, including one around Charlotte, by far the biggest district there. So, by our count, approximately 168,000 students in about 230 schools will likely be in class today, probably right now. We say "likely" because, in Charlotte, the local chapter of the NAACP is calling on parents to keep their children home.

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KOJO NANTAMBU, PRESIDENT, CHARLOTTE NAACP: We do not want to use Martin Luther King's birthday at any time as an alternative. That's the only celebration that we have.

SANTRIE WALLS, PARENT: I'm not sending my daughter to school. I won't send her to school on that day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: You heard from just a few parents there. Protests and calls for boycotts have come -- have also come in from Al Sharpton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Sharpton saying, as far as what he is saying, "We're urging people to keep their kids home. It is un-American not to observe the holiday."

As for the school districts, they say they really had no choice. They said there was no intent to dishonor the legacy of Dr. King, but they simply have too many snow days to make up and only a handful of days that they can legally use.

Another option would have been to shorten the spring break. Many of the schools say that they are encouraging teachers to take this opportunity to talk about Dr. King today. But of course, Kyra, it's a very sensitive topic.

And, as you know, King was born in Georgia and, after his death, there was a tough fight in the Carolinas just to get the holiday recognized. South Carolina was the last state to recognize it, and that didn't happen until 2000. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: So, is the King holiday the only one being considered?

CARROLL: Well, no. And that's actually a good point here. Some of the districts, specifically in Georgia and South Carolina, say that they are also considering Presidents Day, they're also considering Memorial Day as a way of making up for their snow days. So, it's not just King Day that they're looking at, here. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Got it. Well, you can see Thanksgiving. You can go without eating turkey and come to work on that day, but we're talking about our civil rights icon, here. A man who changed history, Jason.

CARROLL: Yes. And you can see why there's sensitivity there, especially in the South. One suggestion was made a little earlier, I heard somebody that said, well, what about having some of the students go to school on a Saturday? But you can imagine how unhappy some of the kids would be, knowing that they had to do school on a Saturday.

PHILLIPS: Yes. Sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do. Jason, thanks.

Well, as you can imagine, I've gotten a lot of feedback from you about this story. Here's just some of your tweets.

"Going to school on the holiday doesn't really take away from what the day means, since he fought for kids to go to school anyway."

This tweet, "Disgraceful. It's just not supposed to be done. MLK day should be celebrated and honored. Pick another day."

And this one wrote in and said, "What would -- what would Dr. King say? He'd agree that education is important. Going to school on his day does honor him."

"Well, they obviously perceive it as something not to be recognized. It's a shame that people still think that way."

And here's one more. "I'm sure Dr. King would rather children learn something that day rather than just sit around."

Well, Prince William and Kate Middleton are busy planning their April wedding. And like many couples, some of their choices aren't going over too well with certain family members. So, is the royal wedding causing royal pains? We're talking about it.

And the Golden Globes kicked off Hollywood's award show season. So, who won Best Actor and Best Actress? The best and worst dressed? We'll recap all the highs and lows for you.

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PHILLIPS: Well, the glitz, the glam, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We saw it all as the stars came out to honor the best in TV and movies at last night's Golden Globes. The Globes kick off Hollywood's award show season, and is a good predictor for who will take home an Oscar, as well.

The red carpet was hot, while ballroom at the Beverly Hilton hotel was a bit frosty. The show was hosted by British comedian Ricky Gervais. No one was safe. He actually took jabs at many of the stars, including Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, and Robert Downey, Jr. So, when Downey came up and had the chance, he fired back.

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RICKY GERVAIS, HOST, GOLDEN GLOBES AWARDS: He has done all those films, but many of you in this room probably know him best from such facilities as the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angeles County jail. Please welcome Robert Downey, Jr.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., ACTOR: Aside from the fact that it's been hugely mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones, I'd say the vibe of the show is pretty good so far, wouldn't you?

(LAUGHTER)

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PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. Well, Gervais was noticeably absent in the second half of the show, going MIA for about an hour. A lot of theories out there about what happened to him. Word has it that he may have been told to tone down his sarcasm, so he just bolted.

So, who actually took home the Globe? Here's a look at some of last night's big winners. "The Social Network" won Best Motion Picture in the Drama category. Best Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical went to "The Kids Are All Right."

Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, named Best Actress and Actor in a Drama Film. Annette Benning took home Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Surprise of the night was Paul Giamadi's win for Best Actor in a comedy for his role in "Barney's Version." And finally, "Boardwalk Empire" was named the Best Drama on TV. Best Comedy or Musical went to "Glee."

Drama brewing at Buckingham Palace. Prince William and his bride-to- be doing what most engaged couples would do, taking the lead in planning their upcoming nuptials. But reports say the wedding plans are ruffling some royal feathers. Royal biographer Mark Saunders tells us why in this morning's "AM Extra."

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MARK SAUNDERS, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: The queen is said to have heard that the details of the wedding, for example, Kate going to the church in a car, not a coach, were actually first released on William's twitter account.

Now, this was something -- the queen has no problem with modern technology. She uses e-mail, she has her own Facebook page. But she felt Twitter was slightly undignified for the details of a royal wedding.

And she went into a room at Buckingham Palace and demanded a phone. And she was given a phone, and she phoned William and she said, "So, Kate's going to the Abbey in a car? What next? Are you going on a bicycle?"

Apparently she went very quiet. And when the queen -- the queen's anger is always denoted by silence. For most members of the staff at Buckingham Palace, when the queen is silent, that's when they get worried.

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PHILLIPS: Reports say they couple is also keeping the economy in mind and toning down their April wedding. They're going to ask guests to give charitable donations in lieu of gifts.

"Piers Morgan Tonight," it premieres tonight. First-ever guest, Oprah Winfrey. After the sit-down, Oprah actually told CNN it was one of her toughest interviews in 20 years.

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OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": I had been betrayed by somebody in my family who had gone to the tabloids and for, you know, $20,000 had sold me out. And Stedman came into the room with tears in his eyes. We knew that it was coming out. Stedman came into the room with tears in his eyes, and he said, "The story's out. I have a copy of it if you want to see it. And I'm really sorry. You don't deserve this." It was that moment.

PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": And you looked at him and you thought, "I love this man"?

WINFREY: No. I looked at him and I thought, here's somebody who is willing to stand in and stand up for you. And that's what love is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Tomorrow night, Piers welcomes Howard Stern. Then, Condoleezza Rice steps in on Wednesday. Thursday, Ricky Gervais. And watch George Clooney on Friday. "Piers Morgan Tonight," 9:00 PM Eastern on CNN.

It's your money, and you earned it. Make it work for you. Month-by- month calendar to keep your finances on track for 2011.

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PHILLIPS: Almost 9:30 on the East Coast, and that means it's almost 6:30 on the West Coast. Here are some stories that had us talking this morning. Yet another recall for Johnson & Johnson. It's pulling about 43 million packages of certain types of Tylenol, Sudafed, Benadryl, and more. Yet another hurdle for the drug company that spent over a century building a name based on quality. Honchos say this recall only affects wholesalers, and that consumers don't need to be worried.

An update on Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the apparent target of that shooting rampage in Tucson nine days ago. Doctors say that she's breathing on her own. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. As you know, she suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was among 13 people wounded in that attack. Six people died.

Get ready for a flood of more documents from the online whistle-blower WikiLeaks. A Swiss banker hands over secret banking records. WikiLeaks says it will reveal an intricate shell game of offshore banking and tax evasion.

TEXT: CNN = POLITICS

PHILLIPS: Well, Congress returning to work this week, and Republicans will resume their fight to repeal the health care reforms. The House is likely to back that repeal, but that's probably as far as it goes. The repeal is unlikely to pass the Senate and, of course, would face a presidential veto anyway. Republicans say that they still plow ahead, though, because it's an important debate that must take place.

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SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: I think we ought to try to repeal it, because we ought to build a basis so that we have gone in the wrong direction to solve the real problems in health care. The real problems in health care is it costs too much. And what we've done is expanded the coverage but haven't worked on the cost. And we haven't allowed any market forces to do it. So I -- even though Senator Reid says it's not going to get a hearing in the Senate or get to the Senate floor, the fact is, we're not through with the debate on health care in this country.

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PHILLIPS: Well, lawmakers in the House will begin debating it tomorrow. But, the fight itself will continue to play out, of course, for many months ahead.

CNN Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on the Hill.

So, Brianna, walk us through what we're expected to see happen?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It all starts tomorrow, Kyra. Tuesday we'll be seeing the debate that leads into Wednesday, which is the actual vote in the House to repeal health care reform. Republicans are expected to pass this easily. They have the votes. And then on Thursday, there would be another vote that would instruct committees to begin drafting legislation that would replace health care reform legislation.

Now obviously the expectation is this doesn't get through the Senate. The president is a Democrat. This is his huge priority. He's not going to OK this. So the long-term strategy for House Republicans is to then try to incrementally dismantle health care reform, pick it apart piece by piece, maybe on funding things, and then try to pick things that may be unpopular that they think, perhaps, they can get through the Senate. Of course, that's a process that you alluded to, that's going to play out over months, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Much has been said about changing the tone in Congress, following what happened in Arizona, specifically a show of bipartisanship at the upcoming State of the Union address.

So, what do you think's going to happen?

KEILAR: Yes. This is sort of a very politically charged next couple of weeks, especially with this health care repeal vote we're expecting. And Democrats and Republicans are saying, you know, we are going to have this debate, but we're going to keep it simple.

And then the other issue has to do, yes, with the State of the Union. This is almost to show, I think, when you look at it, you can really see those divisions. Republicans are on one side, Democrats are on the other. Republicans stand for certain parts, Democrats stand for certain parts. And they'll sit on their hands for the parts maybe that they don't like of the speech, right?

Well, what they're talking about doing -- and this is a proposal from Colorado Senator Mark Udall -- is to actually mix up the seating, have some bipartisan seating.

And just listen to what Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York said his plan is for the big day.

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REP. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: My colleague Senator Mark Udall called for Democrats and Republicans to sit together at the State of the Union. I called up Tom after he did that and he graciously agreed, we're going to sit together Wednesday night at the State of the Union.

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KEILAR: So he's talking about Tom Coburn, who is a conservative Republican from Oklahoma. Chuck Schumer obviously a pretty liberal Democrat from New York. And he's in leadership. You almost can't get two people opposed on the political spectrum there, Kyra. So this certainly is an interesting commitment that they definitely are going to sit together.

You have a lot of other Democrats and Republicans saying, hey, you know what, we like this idea. It'll be interesting to see, though, as we move toward that day, which is a week from Wednesday, if they do really mix things up. It would be something like we haven't seen.

PHILLIPS: Well, we'll be watching. Brianna, thanks.

It is mid-January and a lot of us are saying new year's resolutions? What resolutions? But, if you made getting your money in order a goal for 2011, our money pros are laying out a month by month calendar, trying to keep you motivated.

This month you're supposed to take stock of your finances. Next month, you prioritize your payments for all of that holiday spending. And then by March, well, get ready for taxes. In April, start planning for your summer break. May has got a great time to make sure you're getting the best possible deal on car and home insurance. And then June, the perfect month to start socking away some cash for the holidays.

Illyce Glink is a personal finance expert, joining us live from Chicago. Those were great tips she had for us.

Now, you already got us all the way to June. So let's get to July. You say it's time to check your credit?

ILLYCE GLINK, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: You know, it's always a good time to check your credit. If you're thinking about making a big purchase in the fall or in the winter of next year, or later this year, you're going to really want to understand where you are going. So annualcreditreport.com, it's the only place where the three credit bureaus play nicely together. You can pay about $9 for a credit score. It's a very easy way to check your credit without any other hidden obligations.

PHILLIPS: OK. And then August, teach your kids one more money lesson. Boy, you could go a million different ways with that.

GLINK: Right. Can you only pick one lesson?

But, you know, August is back to school time for so many people. Your kids are going back to school. Your college-aged kids are going back to college. Maybe you've got new college graduates who are entering the workforce. Take August and make it a money lesson month, whatever it is. While you are doing it, teach yourself something new, as well.

PHILLIPS: What would be a lesson you would teach?

GLINK: You know what? I like to have my lessons to the kids going all year around. What I'm always hammering home -- and maybe this would be a good money lesson for the future is spend -- if you're going to spend, spend with some savvy. Spend with money smarts to it. So think very carefully about what you think you need for going back to school and wait a week and see if that actually is what you needed, or is there something else that could take the place that's half the price.

So try to spend with a little bit of savvy.

PHILLIPS: Got it. All right. September, end of year planning.

GLINK: Right. So this is the beginning of what I call the last three months of the year where you're starting to think about how you're going to wrap things up.

End of year planning, end of life planning, retirement planning, this is kind of a nice time in September, as the leaves are starting to go brown in parts of the country, to think about ways to make things easier down the line. So start to check your retirement income.

Make sure you understand where that's coming from, of how much you have to save in order to get where you want to go in retirement. This is a great time to do it. It's also a good time to think about wills, powers of attorney. Make sure that all of your insurance beneficiaries are the right people. It's just a good time to do it.

PHILLIPS: Yes. October, study your benefits because you can make changes come November.

GLINK: Exactly. Well, we all know October is the beginning of open enrollment season. We've got -- you know, usually you're allowed to make some selections going forward at work. That's great.

But also, October is the time where you want to check your W-2, make sure you paid enough taxes, what you're paying into the IRS. You don't want any weird surprises the following April. And so this is a time when, in October, you still have enough paychecks left in the year, you can make some minor adjustments; withhold more, withhold less, so you come out even April 15th.

PHILLIPS: All right. And November, that's easy. Early holiday sales. Start, you know, getting up on all the bargains come December.

But then December, ease up on the tax load.

GLINK: Oh, I think so. You know, prepay your mortgage payment if you can. Push off income, if you can. Make sure you open up a Roth IRA or self-employed 401(k). These are all steps that you can take so the following April 15th, you're going to have an easier time of it.

PHILLIPS: Got it. Illyce Glick, good advice. Thanks for joining us. Millions of women suffer from PMS. You know, that irritability, cramps, headaches. Well, listen up ladies. Researchers in Brazil think that they have found some relief. Our Health for Her segment, coming up.

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PHILLIPS: A decade ago, the World Health Organization said to feed newborns just breast milk for the first six months. But some British researchers are worried this could lead to iron deficiency and that babies could be prone to allergies. The authors suggest introducing solids as early as four months. And if you want to bump the odds that your kids will eat leafy vegetables, they say, introduce bitter tastes early on.

For millions of women, when PMS strikes, it disrupts their daily routine -- irritability, depression, abdominal cramps, headaches. Well, now Brazilian researcher say they've found evidence a cocktail of fatty acids can actually help mitigate those symptoms. They say women taking supplements over six months reported that their symptoms became far milder than they were before.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Sanatorium is looking a lot like a White House candidate. We're going to have more on what he's up to today.

And 25 years ago, he'd been widely accused of corruption. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to say, see you to Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Now in the wake of a troubled election, Baby Doc has returned.

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PHILLIPS: One of the most remarkable things about living in Atlanta, Georgia, is you can actually go to Sweet Auburn Avenue and see where Martin Luther King rests side-by-side with his wife Coretta Scott King. And not far from this spot that you're looking at is Ebenezer Church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, and so did his father. Family members laying a wreath right now, honoring their father.

A conservative group launching a drive to draft an Indiana Congressman for a White House run. CNN political producer Peter Hamby at the CNNPolitics.com desk with that story.

Hey, Peter.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, Kyra. Happy Monday.

Yes, Mike Pence the Indiana Congressman probably not well known to the entire country. He's not a Mitt Romney, he's not a Sarah Palin, but he is beloved by conservative activists. They believe he's a strong fiscal conservative, a strong social conservative.

And now a group has formed started by a former Reagan administration official and former Congressman, Jim Ryun, they are starting an online petition drive to try to draft Mike Pence into the presidential run in 2012. He's openly said he's considering a presidential bid. He could also run for governor of Indiana. He set a timeline for himself to decide by the end of this month.

So he's only got a couple of weeks to decide and these conservatives are trying to bring some grassroots pressure on him to really get in the race and show that he has support out there. As you know these sort of draft efforts and presidential years don't always bear fruit.

They have worked in the past, draft Goldwater being the best example from the '60s but, draft Wesley Clark in 2004 didn't really turn out very well.

Another dark horse candidate, who's not being coy about his intentions, is Rick Santorum the former Pennsylvania senator. He is more or less running for president already even though he has not officially declared.

Today he is in the early primary state of South Carolina speaking to the Aiken County Republican Party, one of those kind of rubber chicken lunches that these candidates do in the early days of the presidential primary.

So we'll keep tabs on what he says down in South Carolina today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: It sounds good. And also the controversial Michael Steele ousted Friday as chairman of the RNC. Now, the new guy in charge is cleaning out?

HAMBY: That's right, Reince Priebus. He is the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. One of the -- one of the more controversial things Michael Steele was doing that really angered committee members toward the end of his tenure there was he was spending a lot of money on this convention planning effort in Tampa, Florida.

That's where the convention is in 2012. He had a liaison to the convention that he was paying down there. The RNC was paying for real estate for this person to live; just another example for Steele's critics to point to, the kind of profligate spending under his reign.

Just this weekend literally you know, 24 hours after coming in, Priebus put out a statement saying he's fired that whole committee planning staff and that he's going to head down to Tampa and kind of straighten things out.

So you know, he's going to try to take this kind of a low key, competent (ph) approach as he tries to fix things and repair relationships after Michael Steele's controversial tenure at the RNC -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Peter thanks.

We'll have your next political update in just about an hour. And here's a reminder too; for all the latest news you can always go to our Web site CNNpolitics.com. A whirlwind in northern Africa, a day after Tunisia's Army clashes with armed gangs and agents of the former leadership, well today, a new Tunisian government could be announced. We've got it in your "Morning Passport".

Well, millions of people who tuned in every Sunday night, you'll remember this familiar theme.

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(MUSIC FROM "BONANZA")

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PHILLIPS: That music meant one thing, appointment television; it's time to watch "Bonanza." After 431 episodes the second longest- running western ended that run on this date in 1973. Now, you can still watch it in syndication. By the way, the show is four stars now all gone: Lorne Green, as "Ben"; Michael Landon, as "Little Joe"; Danny Blocker (ph), as "Hoss (ph)" and just last year Adam Pernell -- Adam rather -- Pernell Roberts.

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PHILLIPS: Hostage-taking on the high seas, pirating is serious business. And a new government may come to Tunisia after a popular revolt helped oust its former leader.

But first, things in Haiti couldn't get any more chaotic; now, the return of a familiar face, one that many Haitians are still very much afraid of.

Zain Verjee, in London.

So the last time we saw "Baby Doc" he was being run out of Haiti on a rail. And everybody's wondering, what has prompted this return and what his motive is Zain?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Surprise, surprise, Kyra, he is back. Jean Claude Duvalier arrived at an airport there on Sunday night. It was a huge surprise and a lot of people are puzzled. They are wondering what his motive is. He said he's going to hold a press conference with reports and answer questions.

But you know, this was a guy who was ousted -- something like 25 years ago. He left -- he railed as he said out of the country, he tortured and killed thousands of people, he stole millions of dollars from the country. He persecuted his opposition.

And Kyra, he's also coming back to Haiti at a time of political crisis. There's been a huge cholera outbreak so it's a -- there's the health crisis in the country as well as reconstruction after the earthquake that -- earthquake that's kind of stalled.

So his entry into Haiti at this point really throws the whole political situation into a lot more chaos. And what many Haiti watchers say, Kyra, is well, if he comes in and what about other exiled leaders, will they come? Are we going to see Aristide here as well -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Yes and those are -- those are all good questions. And we're going to try and -- and weigh out more of what this means for the Haitian people at the top of the hour, Zain.

Now, we may see a new government in Tunisia today, after all the protests and violence. How did we finally get to this point?

VERJEE: It's been really bad Kyra. I mean, the -- Tunisia has had three leaders in a period of 24 hours. What they're trying to figure out today is whether or not they can form a government. The president for 23 years, President Ben Ali had to take off. He fled to Saudi Arabia.

People were just basically upset that there was such a terrible economic situation. Food prices were high, unemployment was high. And they never felt that he really delivered on any of the reforms that he promised.

But you know what, Kyra. People are also not too happy with the current leadership even if there is an interim leadership there was something like 2,000 people out on the streets today protesting. Police fired teargas. They fired shots in the air as well.

And the situation is still dangerous on the ground. It's unpredictable. A lot of looting is still going on. There are army checkpoints all over the city.

One thing that's important to note for the U.S. is that this is a big deal in Tunisia. It does matter because the U.S. has allies in the Arab world that are autocratic countries. And the U.S. has never really wanted to push those countries too far for reform because of fear that an Islamist regime may get in there into a vacuum. So they're really watching to see what happens in Tunisia.

PHILLIPS: All right. Finally, you have been filing this series of reports on the dangers of pirates and how they operate on the high seas. You actually talked to a former hostage.

VERJEE: I did, I went to my home to Mombasa in Kenya and I met with a hostage there. There were something like 600-plus hostages Kyra that the pirates are holding for ransom. They have 29 vessels or so hijacked.

Here is what the hostage I spoke to said.

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VERJEE: I was scared. We suffered a lot, they mistreated us, he says. They wouldn't give us water. I was lucky a Spanish ship eventually rescued me.

In the end most ransom money is parachuted down to pirates. This is a rare look at a ransom drop in action. Look at the upper right of the screen. See that red canister? It is water tight and it's filled with ransom money.

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VERJEE: It's a really amazing way that they drop that money in, Kyra. That money comes on the ship, the pirates will count -- they have a counterfeit machine just to make sure the money is not fake. And they also make sure that it's the right amount. It usually comes in at about $3.5 million to $4 million on average to release a ship and its crew.

The reason this is scary as a development for the U.S. is that many analysts that I have spoken to and experts say that a big b chunk of that cash goes to el-Shabab and they are a designated terrorist group by the U.S. State Department. And they believe that they use that money to organize and buy arms and kill Americans. So that's a dangerous development.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, we look forward to following the series. Zain Verjee, thanks so much.

We're following a lot of other developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM and our reporters are all over these stories. Let's start with Elizabeth Cohen -- Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, is your child, well, at least not your children -- they're not out of the womb yet. But are other children addicted to video games? A new study says a lot of kids are. And I'll tell you the signs to look for to see if your child is running into trouble. I'll have that at the top of the hour.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Apple CEO Steve Jobs makes an unexpected announcement this morning. Will his leave of absence take a bite out of Apple's share price? I'm Alison Kosik in New York; I'll have more on that at the top of the hour -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks guys.

And Martin Luther King Boulevard, MLK Avenue, King Street; they go by different names but there are at least 800 streets named after the civil rights leader. We're taking his dream to the pavement with a group of young filmmakers next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.

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PHILLIPS: Ok. We now know which teams are in the NFL's final four and just one win away from the Super Bowl.

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