Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

WikiLeaks Plans to go Public with Swiss Bank Records; Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave; Congresswoman Giffords is Upgraded to 'Serious' Condition; Repealing Health Care; Tornado Warnings in Florida; Job Outlook Looking Up; Australia Bouncing Back; A Look at the Golden Globe Winners

Aired January 17, 2011 - 12:01   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Carol Costello. Let's check CNN's big stories.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is taking another medical leave effective today. Jobs did not get into detail about his new health problems in an e- mail to employees. He was absent from Apple for part of 2008 and 2009 for a liver transplant.

Human rights groups are demanding Haiti arrest the former dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier. He returned to the country last night, although it's not exactly clear why. Duvalier fled to France 25 years ago to escape a popular uprising. Haitians in the United States are in a state of utter disbelief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody, like, was in shock, you know. Why Haiti? Why now? This news fell on us like a brick that Duvalier was in Haiti. We are all in shock. Just when we thought that it could never get worse in Haiti, it has gotten worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are asking question at this time to see why, at this time, do we want Duvalier at this time to be in Haiti? That's the question everybody is asking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: WikiLeaks plans to go public with Swiss bank records in a matter of weeks. A whistleblower says he wants to expose tax evaders. He handed two disks to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today. The disks allegedly contain the banking records of 2,000 clients, including celebrities and politicians.

Let's get started with a pressing question of Steve Jobs' health, though. CNN's Alison Kosik is in New York.

And Alison, Jobs is not releasing many details about why he needs to take this leave, is he?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: He's really not, but I'll tell you what. If you're an investor in Apple right now, right away you're thinking, OK, what is going to happen with Apple share prices, especially since Steve Jobs has really created this persona as an irreplaceable superhero with Apple? So, really, his health really has become very relevant to what happens to Apple.

And his well-being has become this huge conversation point in recent years. Even when he does step out in public, people often say, gosh, you know, he looks really frail.

And what often happens when a CEO has a health problem, especially when it's such a high-profile leader like Jobs, it can cause a company's stock price to take a real hit. But, you know, that's not really what we've seen with Apple.

Despite all of his health problems, Apple shares, Carol, have soared in value. They're up 170 percent over the past three years and more than 400 percent in the past five years.

Now, the stock market is closed today for Martin Luther King Day, but we're going to be following Apple's stock closely tomorrow, when trading resumes. By the way, Apple's earnings come out after the closing bell tomorrow -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, it all sounds great, but Steve Jobs, I mean, he has a long history with Apple. But it hasn't been without some drama.

KOSIK: There really has been quite enough drama there for him. You know, he founded the company in 1976, was dismissed in what was basically thought of as a board room coup in 1985, and then he returned in 1997.

Now, Jobs is credited for reviving what was then a struggling computer maker. He is really considered a true visionary.

You know, on his watch, you know, were those gadgets that we know and love. They all came out, the Mac desktop computer, the iPod, the iPhone, and most recently the iPad. You know, these are some of the most talked-about products ever.

Even "Fortune" came out and said the past decade in business basically belonged to Jobs. So he obviously takes this leave of absence with a heavy heart -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik, thanks.

We'll look deeper into Steve Jobs' medical problems. Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will drop by in just a few minutes.

Heavy rains and melting snow, that can mean only one thing in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of flooding. Watches and warnings up across Oregon and Washington, roads are closed, including the Wilson River Highway, which stretches from Portland to the coast. Emergency crews are busy rescuing people caught in floodwaters. And just what they do not need, more rain is on the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE SKORICH, RESIDENT: My wife's ready to move right now. I don't know if you noticed, but you can hear the boulders rolling, and it sounds like a bowling alley.

JIM MONROE, RESIDENT: You are a little apprehensive here and you're on edge with this much volume going and this much debris moving again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: They're not alone with their weather problems. Bonnie Schneider is here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Now to Tucson and more encouraging news about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Doctors have upgraded her condition from critical to serious. They say she continues to do well.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the hospital, where we expect to get an update in the next hour, maybe.

Thelma, Representative Giffords took a big step forward over the weekend. Tell us about that.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Carol.

The congresswoman has now had her condition upgraded from critical to serious, and that's partly because she can breathe on her own now through a tracheotomy tube which was inserted on Saturday. Also, she has a feeding tube to help her gain some nutrients, that kind of thing.

But doctors say it's just a terrific move forward. We're expected to hear more from them. There are three patients, Carol, who are still here at the hospital.

COSTELLO: It's all such encouraging news. And as I look at that memorial behind you, it seems to get bigger and bigger every day.

GUTIERREZ: Yes, it really does. And Carol, there was a very poignant moment last night when we were standing out here.

We noticed that a patient was wheeled out. She was surrounded by police officers. And we took a closer look, and it was Suzie Heilman.

And she is still a patient in the hospital, but she told the police officers that she wanted to come out. She wanted to see this memorial before she says it went away.

Her husband was with her, and he wheeled her through that path in the memorial. A Mariachi band came out, they serenaded her. And what was really touching to see, so many well-wishers coming up to her, talking to her, lots of tears shed. A very touching moment out here -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And Mrs. Heilman was the woman with Christina Green, right?

GUTIERREZ: Yes. She was the woman who took Christina Green over to the event on Saturday, that very terrible Saturday. And, you know, she was going through the memorial yesterday, and many people came up to her and offered their condolences. And she just had tears in her eyes.

And it was just such an emotional moment, to watch her connect with all these people who are coming up to her. You have to wonder how she feels right now and what she thinks of as she wheels through there looking at pictures of all the victims and seeing all those messages that are out on that memorial right now.

COSTELLO: And there are so many wonderful people in America, in Tucson, and I know that she appreciated those words of comfort.

Thelma Gutierrez, live in Tucson.

We'll go back to the hospital when that live coverage at the hospital update on Representative Giffords begins. As I said, that's scheduled for the next hour, right around 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

The House is set to vote on repealing the health care reform law this week, but there is a lot of talk over the act's official name. We'll tell you why.

First though, our "Random Moment" is moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Heading out for a ski vacation? The "Random Moment" reminds you, don't forget the family pet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Atta girl! Yes. What a good slide! What a good slide!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Who needs skis? This dog has figured out the law of gravity. The Lab flips on its side to emanate its human friends on the slopes. A frolicking physics lessons doubling as the "Random Moment of the Day."

The House of Representatives set to vote on a repeal of the president's health care overhaul this week. The bill is called Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act. "Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the name after Speaker John Boehner started calling it other names on his Web page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Job-killing? Is this an example of the heated rhetoric we need to stay away from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We should be gentler, Greta. Perhaps job- euthanizing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would go with job-choking or freedom-raping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're taking our jobs and giving them a lethal injection of socialism that is poisoning our economy and our freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen. I like that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

So we're agreed. Let's call it the "repealing the giving our jobs a lethal injection of a socialism that is poisoning our economy and our freedom health care alive." See? We can work together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Greta Van Susteren.

Joining me now is CNN Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar.

So, some Republicans are calling this thing a different name, like the job-crushing health care -- what is it, the job-crushing health care -- what is it?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, the bill actually says in it "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." That is the name of it. Right?

COSTELLO: Yes.

KEILAR: But we've been hearing recently Speaker Boehner calling it "job-crushing" or "job-destroying." All of this -- you know, it's a very subtle distinction, right? But it's an important one, and we've noticed it. And it comes amid all of this talk of toning down the rhetoric.

The thing, Carol, is the bill will remain by its name even though some Democrats have said that perhaps the bill name should change. It's already in the process of going to the floor.

According to one Republican source, you have to go through a whole other process, a whole other vote. So it's going to remain as it is. But, yes, this -- certainly, it's sort of a small distinction that we've noticed coming from Speaker Boehner.

COSTELLO: Well, I guess it's a hint of sensitivity there.

Let's talk about what exactly this will accomplish, though. It's probably going to pass the House, but that really doesn't matter, because it's not going to pass the Senate. And the president would veto it anyway.

But within the health care act, there are things both Democrats and Republicans agree ought to be repealed. So why not concentrate on those things and skip this repealing the whole entire health care act?

KEILAR: That really is the long-term strategy for House Republicans, that they are going to try to attempt a bit of a death by a thousand cuts. But first up, they say, this is an important statement to make. They told voters they would work to repeal this law, so what we're going to see is debate beginning on Tuesday, tomorrow. We're going to see the words starting to fly tomorrow. We'll be keeping a close eye on that on the House floor. Then we'll be seeing the vote on the actual repeal on Wednesday. Thursday, we'll see a vote that is instructing committees to start replacing that legislation that would be repealed.

Now, this is interesting because this is sort of more the long-term strategy that I mentioned for Republicans. Maybe they find parts of the health care bill that they can try to de-fund, try to delay. And there are certain parts that -- you know, there are some Democrats, maybe enough Democrats even in the Senate who don't like -- you know, one thing that comes to mind, Carol, the 1099 thing. This is something that I think is going to get a lot of attention, that anyone who is basically requiring services from someone in excess of $600, they have to deal with 1099 paperwork.

It's going to create a lot of paperwork. You've heard a lot of small businesses say it's going to be a burden on them, enough so that there are many Democrats who oppose it. And the money that it generates, or really the tax revenue that it brings in, is supposed to help pay for health care reform. But I think this is something there's kind of some bipartisan dislike for.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly.

KEILAR: And this is probably one of the things that Republicans will target.

COSTELLO: Because there are even some Democrats who sponsored that bill that will go through the House, to repeal the 1099 thing, right?

KEILAR: Exactly. That's something that you hear a lot of Democrats -- and I was at town hall meetings before health care reform passed, and you heard a lot of Democrats listening to this criticism, Republicans listening to this criticism coming from their constituents. And it seemed to be very widespread, and there are -- I think there's a lot of bipartisan support for doing away with that.

COSTELLO: I think the bigger problem is that many Americans don't understand what's going to happen when all of the parts of the health care bill go into effect, or the health care law go into effect, because some parts of the health care law won't go into effect until 2014. So I don't think many Americans understand exactly how it will affect them.

KEILAR: Yes, there are a lot of things that don't go into effect until 2014. What you have Democrats focusing on through this debate, the popular items that are going into effect and are already in effect.

For instance, even just this year, that people who are up to 26 years old can stay on their parents' health insurance. This helps a lot of, you know, parents who have kids who are coming out of college, trying to get that first job. Those are really the talking points that you're going to see Democrats sticking to, hanging on to those things that are in effect, Carol, since there are a lot of things that are going to be years off.

COSTELLO: I know you'll be listening tomorrow.

Brianna Keilar, thanks.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: For the 25th time, the nation is observing the federal holiday honoring the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The King family placed a wreath at King's tomb in Atlanta today.

Many Americans are remembering King's civil rights legacy by volunteering in their communities. This is true for the Obamas as well. The president and first lady, taking part in a volunteer event in the Washington area.

And we actually have these live pictures of Atlanta. This is MLK's tomb where King is buried. And as you can see, that wreath has been placed right there.

In Colorado, a reminder of why Martin Luther King Day is still so relevant. Brett Reese is a local school board member, and also owns a radio station. Now, this is the editorial his station, KELS-FM, has been airing about Martin Luther King Jr.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRETT REESE, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Just a sexual degenerate, an America-hating communist, and a criminal betrayer of even the interests of his own people.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: According to "The Denver Post," Reese says he has received death threats since he started airing the piece. There has been a public outcry. Both the media and the school board is not so happy he is doing this. In fact, it asked him to stop. And as far as we know, it has not.

Well, let's turn our attention to something more -- well, something funny, I hate to say, texting while walking. It turns out it can be pretty darned dangerous.

Jaqui Jeras is tracking the hot stories online today.

And this one has quite a few hits, because you just can't help but laugh at it.

JERAS: You can't. You know, yes, it's like watching a train wreck, right? You can't look away in this type of video.

We all know about the dangers of texting and driving, right? It's even been banned in some cities and some states. But texting and walking? That could be next.

Did you see it? Did you see what happened?

So, this woman is in a mall. This is in Berkshire, Massachusetts. And she is just walking along texting, not paying attention to where she's going. And, yes, right in the fountain.

COSTELLO: I like how she just pops up and walks away, and then looks around to see if anyone noticed.

JERAS: Right. It's like that commercial, right? Have you seen the one where it's like the bad news is you fell into a fountain. But the good news is nobody saw you do it.

COSTELLO: Exactly. And it was only water.

JERAS: It was only water.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

JERAS: I would have walked with my head hanging low immediately to my car.

COSTELLO: Oh, me, too. That would be so embarrassing.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Hey, something else that's trending, this is kind of interesting. School buses are testing cameras out to catch drivers who aren't doing the right thing.

JERAS: And you know what? There are a lot of drivers out there not doing the right thing, by the way.

This is trending big time on "USA Today" right now. And basically, what it is, we all know that most of the school buses already have cameras inside to watch the kids. Well, this is a camera on the outside of the bus so that you can see the cars.

What they're trying to do is try and stop people from passing the buses when they're trying to load and unload the school buses. They're doing this as a testing in different cities and counties all across the United States, including my county, by the way, right here in Georgia.

It was a sad reason why they chose to do it in my county, which is Cobb County, by the way. A little girl was killed in this type of situation when a car tried to pass her. So they are hoping to prevent this.

They're saying they have already caught people passing the buses using this camera. It costs about $1,500 to $1,800, so they are a little bit on the spendy side. One other problem is, for example, in Maryland, where they are testing some of these cameras, they can catch the people doing it, but they can't actually prosecute them for it.

COSTELLO: Why?

JERAS: It's against the law. Entrapment? I don't know. Right?

COSTELLO: Then why have them? Just saying.

JERAS: Well, it creates awareness though, right --

COSTELLO: That's true.

JERAS: -- if you're thinking about it?

COSTELLO: That's true. That's a good point, Jaqui.

JERAS: Yes. That's right. Safety, safety, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Jacqui.

Steve Jobs' new health crisis. We'll talk about his past scares with the CNN medical team.

And the countdown is on. "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" premieres in about eight-and-a-half hours. Piers' first-ever guest, Oprah Winfrey.

After their sit-down, Oprah told CNN it was one of her toughest interviews in 20 years. In this sneak preview, she talks about her relationship with Stedman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: 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 is 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, 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)

COSTELLO: After Oprah appears, premiere week guests include Howard Stern, Condoleezza Rice, Ricky Gervais and George Clooney. It all kicks off tonight at 9:00 Eastern on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Steve Jobs is taking a second medical break from Apple, the company he founded in 1976. He sent this e-mail, but didn't really spell out what his health problems entailed. We do know he received a new liver in 2009. He was out about six months then. And Jobs also battled pancreatic cancer in 2004.

We want to bring in our CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen just to try to figure out what is wrong.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. It was so sad to hear. I think all of our hearts just dropped when we heard that news this morning.

So, before we talk about what his future may look like, let's look at his medical history and look at sort of what he's been through. In 2003, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Thank goodness it was actually a form that is much easier to treat and with a much better outlook than other forms of pancreatic cancer.

Then a year later, he had surgery to remove that tumor from his pancreas. And then in 2009, he had a liver transplant. When we talk to doctors about why a pancreatic cancer patient would have a liver transplant, they said probably because it spread to his liver, the cancer spread to his liver. And so he was given a transplant to get a healthier liver.

COSTELLO: I know he's been, you know, herbal treatments or maybe or some kind of, you know, out of the medical realm he's been doing his own kind of thing to try to get better.

COHEN: I don't know about him in particular, but I do know some cancer patients will go through the sort of mainstream, the regular, you know, medically accepted treatments, and then will do some alternative treatments to kind of bolster their immune system or help their body recover. Because these are heavy duty surgeries that he had.

COSTELLO: So, we know he had pancreatic surgery. What does that tell you about what he could be suffering from now?

COHEN: Right. About what's going on now. I talked to several doctors about these. These are pancreatic cancer specialists. They said, look. Of course we really have no idea, but they said with a patient like this, what I would be concerned about is has his pancreatic cancer come back? That's, unfortunately, would be a possibility.

Another possibility is that when he had that pancreatic surgery, that could have made him diabetic. Could have made him a Type 1 diabetic, like a juvenile - like a kid -- diabetic, and he could be suffering complications from diabetes.

He could possibly be rejecting the liver even though it's been a year and a half. That's possible. He could be having infections because when you get a new liver, you have to suppress your immune system. And when you suppress your immune system, it leaves you vulnerable to all sorts of infections. It could be none of the things I just mentioned. But those are some of the possibilities.

COSTELLO: They sound like such serious things. So, what would be the treatment for those things? COHEN: They are serious things. Liver rejection is tough to get through. If it is -- if his cancer has come back, you know, he may have beat it the first time, but if it's come back there aren't a whole lot of treatments left to him that work terribly well. So, these are all serious, serious things that I've mentioned. But again, of course, we don't know exactly what's happened.

COSTELLO: We don't know, and I really don't think he'll let out many details, either.

COHEN: No. I think he has been very private about all of this, as one can understand with a serious diagnosis.

COSTELLO: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.

COHEN: Thanks.

COSTELLO: We'll lighten the conversation with shockers from the Golden Globes. Our showbiz report live from Los Angeles, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Natalie Portman and Colin Firth were just two of the stars to take home top honors from last night's Golden Globes. And you know when that many stars gather in one place, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT'S" host Brooke Anderson is all over it! And you were.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'll do my best, Carol. Yes. I have to tell you, this may be one of the first years in a very long time that the conversation is more about the host of the show than the actual award winners.

Ricky Gervais was not afraid. He took shots at the Hollywood Foreign Press, the organization that runs the Globes. Listen to part of what Ricky said in his opening monologue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICKY GERVAIS, HOST, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: It was a big year for 3-D movies. "Toy Story," "Despicable Me," "Tron." Seems like everything this year was three dimensional. Except the characters in "The Tourist."

I'd like to quash this ridiculous rumor going around that the only reason "The Tourist" was nominated was so the Hollywood Foreign Press could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angolan Jolie. That is rubbish. That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Ricky going straight for the current controversy surrounding the Globes there. A former publicist for the globes accusing the Hollywood Foreign Press of accepting bribes in exchange for nominations. Of course the Hollywood Foreign Press says those allegations are without merit. But that aside Ricky also took on Scientology, Cher, Hugh Hefner among others. And listen, his objective was to be over the top. He said prior to the show obviously he didn't cross the line enough last year because they invited him back this year.

Carol, there is a ton of outrage today over Ricky's approach, but c'mon! This is what he does. This is the kind of humor he is known for. Yes, I was cringing with some of the jokes, but I can't say I was surprised. And I know some of his targets laughed it off and were good natured about it as well.

COSTELLO: Well, some of the stuff he said was true, though. I mean, it was valid criticism.

ANDERSON: A lot of it was true, but not things that people say in front of the stars sitting right there in front of them.

COSTELLO: Some of it was just mean, though. I mean, I did feel sorry -- some of it was just mean.

ANDERSON: Yes. Mean spirited. It didn't have to be quite that mean spirited.

COSTELLO: Do you think he will be back next year?

ANDERSON: Not so sure about that.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I wouldn't invite him back. Brooke Anderson, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world? Don't miss "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." Next installment, Golden outrage! Brand-new controversy after the host of the Golden Globes took shocking jabs at Hollywood's biggest stars. Isn't that what we just did?

Anyhow. Plus, Michael Douglas's dramatic return to the center stage after his cancer fight. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" with the biggest shockers from the Golden Globes, live at 5:00 and 11:00 Eastern time on HLN.

We take the public pulse on gun control in the wake of the Arizona shootings. The results of a new poll on our political update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Taking a look at top stories now.

The former Haitian dictator known as "Baby Doc" is back in his home country after spending some 25 years in exile. Jean Claude Duvalier's unexpected return comes as the country struggles to recover from an earthquake, a cholera epidemic, and ongoing political crisis. Doctors have now upgraded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' condition from critical to serious. Giffords is off the ventilator. She's breathing on her own through a tracheotomy tube inserted over the weekend. A fellow lawmaker says Giffords is moving both sides of her body and is making progress every day.

And heavy rains in Oregon and Washington have triggered mudslides. Officials say the warm rains are melting snow packs.

Taking the public pulse on gun control in the wake of the Tucson shootings. Paul Steinhauser, part of The Best Political Team on Television, live from the political desk in Washington. Paul, what's crossing now?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Carol, let's talk about the shootings and what Americans think about them. We conducted a poll, CNN and Opinion Research Corporation. National survey we did it over the weekend. And some contradictions here.

First off, I guess we could talk about the blame game. A majority of Americans, and they say the current gun laws deserve some of the blame, that they're possibly responsible for causing that shooting out in Arizona. But check this out. Even though a majority feel that way, what about changing gun laws, making them stronger? You can see right here, 7 out of 10 people say no change, no change. Only 28 percent say they'd be more likely to support a changing gun control laws, but the majority there, Carol, say no change.

Here is another contradiction. And this is about that harsh rhetoric, and you've heard a lot of blame game over whether the harsh rhetoric here in Washington between politicians has anything to do with the shootings. Well, a majority of Americans say yes. They do. But look at that right there. Seven in 10 say that they don't think things will change for very long. That maybe things will get better for a little bit when it comes to harsh rhetoric, but seven in 10 say it won't last long and 18 percent say no change whatsoever. Carol?

COSTELLO: Ooh! Americans are a cynical lot. Aren't they?

STEINHAUSER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Especially when it comes to politics. I hate to even bring it up, but what did they say about Sarah Palin?

STEINHAUSER: Yes. A lot of conversation obviously over that Web site Sarah Palin put up last year. Remember, this was during the health care debate. And what she did, she put up a Web site that had 20 targets over it over 20 congressional districts including Giffords'. These were all districts that John McCain and Sarah Palin won in the 2008 election where Democratic lawmakers were voting in favor of the health care law. A lot of people say, well, that may have had something to do with it.

Well, no. Americans don't feel that way. Look at these numbers right here. Thirty-five percent say only a great deal or a moderate amount of blame should be put towards Palin on that Web site. Fifty-nine percent say no, not much at all. Not much at all blame should go to Sarah Palin because of that Web site.

Carol, those are our numbers.

COSTELLO: See? Americans are smart and cynical.

STEINHAUSER: They are.

COSTELLO: When it comes to politics. Thank you, Paul. We appreciate it.

For the latest political news, go to CNNpolitics.com. We're checking out all the top stories online so you don't have to. Jaqui Jeras is monitoring it all. What have you found, Jaqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's all about the Golden Globes and Ricky Gervais. Right? It's all anybody could talk about it today. I know you and Brooke just did it ten minutes ago, but we've got to talk about it again because this is trending on CNN.com, trending on Twitter. It is all over the Internet; it's the number one story.

You can see right now, we've got 600 comments on that that just came up. Yes, there's like two or three different stories on dot com right now. all related to this. And normally we're all chit-chatting about the dresses and what the girls will wear, but this year it's all about Ricky Gervais and whether he was hilarious or maybe a little too harsh perhaps. You decide.

All right. That's it for what's trending right now. Carol's back with more in the NEWSROOM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The weather's getting even nastier in Florida. More tornado warnings to tell you about. Let's head to the weather center and Bonnie Schneider.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, we are tracking a new tornado warning for south Florida and this does include parts of Brevard County. This goes until 1:45 Eastern Time. And you can see where it's highlighted. It includes the Kennedy Space Center, parts of Brevard, Orange, and Osceola County. This goes until 1:45.

But it's actually part of a larger area of severe weather we're tracking, which includes a tornado watch, actually two of them. And you can see that the radar is showing some very heavy rain working its way through this region and then to the south, right through the Miami-Dade area. And we're seeing some really heavy thunderstorms coming up from Hialeah, straight into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, into Miami-Dade County. So these tornado watches will go until 7:00 p.m. tonight.

This is just the beginning. I'm anticipating a very strong risk of severe weather throughout the day today, especially as we go into the afternoon hours. Please be careful. If you don't have to be outside during these downpours, stay inside because many of these thunderstorms will be severe and they could contain hail and damaging winds. We'll keep track of it for you.

Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks, Bonnie.

If you're looking for work, take heart, the job market is improving, if, of course, you know where to look. Our Christine Romans joins us again.

So, where do we look?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, "YOUR BOTTOM LINE": Well, it's improving. It's not terrible, but it is improving. And that's what we've been looking for. Anywhere from 2.5 to 3 million jobs expected to be created in the U.S. this year, Carol. Washington insiders are beginning to grow more confident. Cautious but confident. Former White House Economic Adviser Larry Summers is a little more optimistic, telling CNN's "FAREED ZAKARIA" this weekend, Carol, more jobs are on the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE SUMMERS, PRES. OBAMA'S FMR. CHIEF ECONOMICS ADVISER: I think the prospects for starting to see significant employment growth and reductions in unemployment right now are better than they've been in the United States in a number of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: He said some jobs will never come back. You've heard that before, haven't you? But he noted new jobs in health care and information technology, Carol.

Now, I want to show you some of the trends, because some of these trends are already underway. You can look at last month's figures. Health care added 36,000 jobs. Hospitality and leisure grew by 47,000 jobs. And we've been telling you about the so-called stem jobs. Science, technology, engineering, math, all of these are areas of growth.

Now, many of these careers are on the government's list of the fastest growing careers for the next decade. What are they? Among them, biomedical engineers. They'll see the greatest job growth over the next few years, Carol. And at $82,000 a year, it's a career that, yes, takes higher education, but does pay off eventually. Computer analysts. They are growing fast, earn an average of $76,000.

Another huge area of growth that does not require a degree, home health aides and personal and home care aides do not require a college degrees but the average salaries reflect that in the low 20,000s. Finally, financial examiner. Those jobs bring in close to $80,000 a year.

Carol, here's something else to consider. A separate study by the Brookings Institute shows where you look for work is also critical. People who lost a job and took the risk and moved to a place with a lower unemployment rate, they had better luck getting work than people who stayed put. It's not for everyone. I mean you have custody agreements, you have parents -- elderly grandparents you're taking care of --

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) for some.

ROMANS: But there are people who are starting to say, I've -- right, I've been sitting here for a year and a half. I don't have a job. The people who take the risk and move have a slightly better chance of being re-employed.

Carol.

COSTELLO: It's a brave thing to do still. Christine Romans, thanks.

ROMANS: Yes, it is.

COSTELLO: Australia begins to dry out after weeks of rain. We'll look at how one city is bouncing back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The president and the first lady celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday at an elementary school in Washington, D.C. This is Stuart Hobson Middle School. It's also Mrs. Obama's birthday and we believe the students were serenading her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD (singing): Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's so cute. Mr. And Mrs. Obama were also painting vegetables on the walls at Stuart Hobson Middle School, of course, to promote healthy eating. So they look like they're having a lot of fun. Doing a little community service in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There is a controversy erupting over the King holiday though in some school systems today after snow buried much of the southeast. Many districts are desperate to catch up on missed classroom hours. Some have gone so far as to ask students to come in today, on Martin Luther King Day, to make up lost time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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)

COSTELLO: Al Sharpton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson also calling for a school day boycott. Here's what Al Sharpton had to say about it. I'm quoting here. "We're urging people to keep their kids home. It's un- American not to observe the holiday."

Catastrophic flooding in parts of Brazil. It's been raining every day for almost a month there. As you can see, there are rivers running through the center of towns. More than 600 people are dead. Hundreds of homes destroyed. Thousands more at risk. Brazilian health officials are worried about the spread of water borne diseases. These pictures, by the way, are from i-Reporter Lorena Amaro. You can see what a miserable, muddy mess it is.

We're also seeing disastrous flooding in several other countries. At least 51 people have died in the Philippines where it's been raining for weeks. Rescuers say more than 1.5 million people have been affected. Around 2,000 homes damaged or destroyed. Disaster officials estimate the damage so far at $9.5 million.

On the up side, the rain has finally stopped in northeastern Australia. Cities like Brisbane are starting to bounce back. The very latest from Jessica Rich from Australian 9 News Network.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA RICH, AUSTRALIAN 9 NEWS NETWORK (voice-over): For outsiders, it looked like any other Monday morning peak in Brisbane. From the air, roads into the city were clogged with traffic. On the ground, the CBD (ph) throbbed with people -- workers, retailers, shoppers trying to get their lives back on track after days of lockdown.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's good to see everyone coming back to work and trying to support Brisbane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's all good because I'm trying to get some normality back into life at the minute. So, yes, just pump up the troops for the morning run and see how we go from there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bit unusual (INAUDIBLE) last week was a bit surreal. Yes. I think it will take a while. Yes, I think people are going to -- it will take a while to bounce back, yes.

RICH: For the city, cranking back up the economy is now as vital as the cleanup. Retailers will hurt for a long time, but today the chance to make money again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have 20 percent trade to what we used to have. So, yes, it's a significant factor. Hopefully that'll start picking up in the next couple of weeks.

RICH: Reopening its vital supply chain today, the Rocklea (ph) Markets, Brisbane's hub for fruit and vegetables. Last week it was completely submerged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Through the work of a hundred soldiers at least yesterday and 180 volunteers and other contractors, here we are. Our market is operating. RICH (on camera): But so many other parts of the CBD are a long way from returning to normal. Along with the mud, major roads are still closed, ferries won't be operational for at least three months, and then there's the issue of power, still cut to four major buildings.

RICH (voice-over): Even those with power aren't necessarily open for business. Buildings have to be made safe and residue waters sucked down before workers can get back in. Out here on the iconic river, it looked like a magic Brisbane day. But for restaurants either side of it, it was time to count the cost. In this case, crates and crates of very good wine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see some rather good stuff amongst this. Probably about 24,000.

RICH: A look at all of Brisbane and around 18,000 homes are still without power. Nearly half expected to remain offline for at least another two days. On the upside, only 300 people remain in evacuation centers.

Outside the city, many townships are still doing it tough. In Kodna (ph), between Ipswich and Brisbane, flood victims today tried to salvage what they could. But there's not much left to save here. All of these houses, empty shells. Around them, the cleanup just goes on and on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't need tears. There's enough water been down here already. The community spirit has been absolutely outstanding.

RICH: It's still very early days since the natural disaster soaked and shattered this city and its outskirts and it will need a long time and a lot of muscle before it holds itself back into running order.

Jessica Rich, 9 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Getting better, though.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.