Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Recipe for Success in Charm City; New Export Contracts With China; Decrease of Suicide Rate Within Active Duty Military But Increase in Guard and Reserves, Report Says; Who Cares About Caloric Intake?; Palin's Unfavorable Rating At All-Time High

Aired January 19, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 7:00 out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Kyra Phillips this morning.

Here are the stories that have us talking this morning.

Check out this remarkable video out of Philadelphia, local station WCAU captured this raging fireball. A gas main exploded killing one utilities worker and injuring five other people.

And in Spokane, Washington, the FBI says a potentially deadly device was planted along a parade route celebrating Martin Luther King day on Monday. An agent say the device was hidden inside this backpack, that you just saw along with with some t-shirts that you see right there. They're showing the shirts in hopes that someone will recognize them.

And on to Haiti now. Charges are filed against the exiled dictator who returned home over the weekend. Jean-Claude Duvalier, also known as "Baby Doc" has fled the country 25 years ago and has not revealed why he's back now. Source in the country says the charges are related to financial corruption and may also include human rights violations.

America and China now, it's among the most important relationships that we have with a foreign nation. A rising superpower. And today, President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao get down to business. The White House welcomed the Chinese leader last hour. You see him there meeting with Vice President Biden, Joe Biden, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there. And then now a bilateral meeting is getting under way.

It is the first of several meetings on the calendar for today. And President Obama and President Hu will hold a joint news conference later on this afternoon. So there is a whole lot of ground in which to cover. Money, trade, the military. Human rights.

Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is joining us live. So, Ed, we understand that the two have been in the Oval Office. And they are in the White House now, soon to begin these bilateral discussions. What else would take place?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they've started the bilateral talks, and as you know it, Fred, they're in the Oval Office right now as we speak. And it's interesting because there are these big substantive issues. But what do think they talked about first? What do two leaders do when they sit down? The weather, if you can believe it.

One of my colleagues who just came out of the Oval Office and overheard President Obama explaining to President Hu that, yes, it's pretty normal to be this cold around January, pretty chilly in Washington right now. So you can see that even these two powerful leaders, heading up these two big economic superpowers will even talk about mundane things like the weather. But they're going to move quickly on, obviously, to trade. To talking about trying to reform China's currency. Also human rights. And big security issues like North Korea.

Now, we're told by senior U.S. officials that President Obama's tone in these private meetings like the one in the Oval Office right now is going to be firm, it's going to be direct, it's going to be tough in urging China to move forward on some reforms but that in public, of course, for diplomatic purposes, they're going to stress the positives a lot more. And that's exactly what we saw when President Hu arrived on the south lawn. Both leaders talking about where they agree.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At the time when summed out the benefits of cooperation between the United States and China, this visit is also a chance to demonstrate. We have an enormous stake in each other's success. In an interconnected world, in a global economy, nations, including our own, will be more prosperous and more secure when we work together.

HU JINTAO, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): Our participation as partners should be based on mutual benefit. China's future and mutual destiny are tied to those of the world and China- U.S. relations have become closer. Our two countries should seek to learn from each other through exchanges and achieve win-win progress through cooperation. This is the right approach for us to develop our relations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Both sides, obviously, stressing cooperation. And a nice handshake after that when they went into the Oval Office where the bilateral talks are under way right now. But important to know, the president, President Obama also noting at one point that the rights of all people need to be respected, perhaps a gentle way of mentioning human rights. Just to my right, there's - and you can see the handshake there. But just outside the White House, (INAUDIBLE) a flavor of what's going on there. A lot of protesters shouting about Tibet. Free Tibet, trying to send a message to President Hu. You may hear a little bit of that.

We've got pictures of them as well. So all of this playing out as these two leaders sit down in the Oval Office. Also behind me, it's probably hard to see the white on white but there's some scaffolding back there. That's the north portico, that is where President Hu will be arriving later for the state dinner. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Ed Henry, appreciate that. That's what's taking place across the street. Whereas on the right hand side of the screen, you're seeing there the meeting between President Hu and President Obama in the Oval Office there, chatting up a little bit, and then also doing the handshaking there, a view of the photographers there as well.

So, this is it. After months of wrangling and weeks of debate now, we're leaving the scene of China and the U.S.. Now, we're talking about what's happening on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers in the House, in particular, will vote today on repealing the new health care reforms. Right now, live pictures, the House is getting ready to enter its final stage of debate. The vote is expected later on this afternoon. And Republicans almost certainly say they have the votes to back the repeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM REED (R), NEW YORK: I rise today in support of the repeal of the job killing Obamacare legislation. This bill is a whopping 2,500 pages of monstrosity of new spending and government bureaucracy. Rush to approval after only 48 hours of arm-twisting and deal-making.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: And I challenge our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, on the Republican side of the aisle, who are vociferously advocating the repeal of healthcare reform on the premise that it's a job-killer, to name one area of healthcare, one, where there have been job losses. I would suspect that we would hear crickets chirping because there are none.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. That was earlier. That's what's taking place right now. Majority leader Eric Cantor of Virginia speaking just after we heard a few words from House Speaker John Boehner. Let's listen in to Mr. Cantor.

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: ... this is the first step towards achieving that. As the Speaker said, we also believe that this bill is detrimental to job creation in this country. We believe it's bad for the economy. And we are going to begin to deliver on posing an alternative and better way for the American people.

We've also said that we are going to be a results-driven Congress. So I've got a problem with the assumption here that somehow the Senate can be a place for legislation to go into a cul-de-sac or dead-end. And leader Reed continues to say that he is not going to bring this up for a vote in the Senate. The American people deserve a full hearing. They deserve to see this legislation go to the Senate for a full vote. Interestingly, Senator Schumer says that this is a political win for the Democrats. If so, let's see the votes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the Speaker and leader said today, we'll have our vote. The speaker asked last year -

WHITFIELD: All right. You're listening to the Republican commitment to have a vote on repealing health care reform. That vote likely to take place later on this afternoon in the House. But you heard Mr. Cantor talking about how in the Senate, it is not likely to have any success, the kind of success that Boehner and Cantor are hoping for in the House. We'll keep you posted on the efforts to repeal health care reform in the House today.

In the meantime, let's talk about some nasty weather in some parts. This is a picture of misery in parts of Washington state. The problem, mud slides. A highway worker said it looks like a bomb went off, seeing all those big trees littering highways. As much as six to 10 inches of rain in less than a day triggered those mudslides. Jacqui Jeras now in the weather center. Oh, my gosh, to see that kind of timber come rolling down the hill, that is frightening.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is, it's a scary thing. They didn't get a lot of that rain yesterday. And pretty much no rain is expected across the northwest today. That's the good news. But the bad news is that the soil is still very, very saturated. So it remains an unstable situation. So we've got, you know, what's been just a promenade of storms coming in the Pacific northwest and they've been making their way across the country. The last storm in the Pacific northwest is now moving through the Rockies and starting to throw some moisture in parts of the plain states.

So we're looking at some wintry weather moving in at this hour across the Rocky Mountains, into western Colorado, we've got some snow coming down around (INAUDIBLE) Nebraska, and a little freezing rain, a bit of a concern in Wichita and into parts of Oklahoma. But that's very, very light. Winter storm advisories are in effect, as well as watches as the system will start to spread all the way into the Ohio Valley into later tonight into some places that haven't seen a lot of snow, as of late. They're going to get a couple inches. You know, it's not a monster storm of the century, for example.

We don't think you'll get a foot out of this. But Kansas City, it's been a while since you've seen five to nine inches of snowfall. So that's going to be pretty heavy for you and then we're looking at maybe four to six, north of St. Louis, Indianapolis maybe four to five inches expected around there. That's going to head over into the Cincinnati area as well. And then eventually, likely turn into a northern eastern storm. Yes, the heads-up on that one for you probably come Friday.

With this Arctic air that's building in across the upper midwest and these are the temperatures that you're going to be waking up to tomorrow morning. Look at that, 14 degrees below zero in Fargo. 14, maybe they could handle that. But you add in the winds, we're talking 20s and 30s below, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: My god. (CROSSTALK)

JERAS: It's going to be pretty ugly there tomorrow morning.

WHITFIELD: I don't know how folks do it but they are hearty in that part of the country.

JERAS: It's like 100 degrees in the summer, what's the difference? You're not going outside the other way.

WHITFIELD: I don't mind 100 degrees.

JERAS: Really? (INAUDIBLE)

WHITFIELD: It doesn't make a big difference for me.

Thank you, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

Take a look at this. Who is that man racing (INAUDIBLE)? That's our Rob Marciano. And I want to explain, what is he doing in Colorado? Have you even seen that kind of sport? It's kind of the newest rage.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, yes.

WHITFIELD: He's into it.

And a famous mom goes use through child birth without speaking. It's called a silent birth. Kelly Preston and John Travolta talking about scientology, silent labor, and her new son. That's next in your showbiz update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Also part of the prime time line-up, "American Idol" is back. But the judges' bench looks a lot different this time around. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer is live in New York. A.J., it's hard to think of "Idol" without Simon Cowell, but we must.

A.J. HAMMER, HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes, Fred, for so many people, love him or hate the guy, he really was the show. So it's going to be very interesting to see exactly how "Idol" plays out now after all the buildup last year. There's been so much speculation about it ever since last season wrapped up in May.

Finally, the new season fires up tonight. In case you've somehow missed it, new judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler will join the last original judge Randy Jackson right there on the "Idol" panel. Nigel Lythgoe is the show's executive producer. And "Showbiz Tonight" just caught up with him to get inside scoop on Steven Tyler's judging approach and to find out if J. Lo is indeed the new big diva in town. Watch what he told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NIGEL LYTHGOE, "AMERICAN IDOL" EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Ryan Seacrest is much more of a diva than Jennifer Lopez. And even if you can't sing, Steven will say, I hear your spirit singing to me but don't give up your day job. You know, it's very pleasantly done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes, that's the kind of guy Tyler is. It doesn't sound like he's going to be filling brutally honestly, mean guy (INAUDIBLE) Cowell. "Idol" was still a ratings juggernaut last season. But viewership did continue to drop off some. Still, Fred, there are a lot of very excited fans, very eager to see exactly how this new formula is going to work out. You know we'll be watching.

WHITFIELD: Of course, you are watching other things, too, such as the birth of a new son by John Travolta and Kelly Preston. And they're now talking, they're breaking their silence about this silent birth.

HAMMER: Yes, there have been a lot of questions about this. And Preston just appeared on the "Today" show this morning to talk about their new baby and she explained that she and John, who are scientologists went through what's called a silent birth. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY PRESTON, ACTRESS: A silent birth is basically just no words as much as possible. If you need to moan or if you cry out or you know, all of that, of course, that's normal. But just bringing them in as peaceful and gentle a way as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It's a different approach than a lot of people take. But Preston says after giving birth three times, she believes silent birth helped her to have, "calm and peaceful kids." In the interview, she also talked about how her family's got an outpouring of support from so many people, Preston and Travolta's oldest son, Jett, died of a seizure, 16 years old, two years ago. Preston says that while she still thinks of Jett every day, all of this support and this new baby, of course, Fred, has been, as she put it, "wonderfully healing." So that's good to hear.

WHITFIELD: Congratulations to them on their new bundle of joy.

And then, let's talk about somebody who was known for her great hairdo and now come to find out why Jennifer Aniston says she hated it. Why is she talking about the "Rachel" hair?

HAMMER: I think there are a lot of women freaking out about it. This has a lot of women talking and buzzing. Because well, Aniston says she hated the haircut and this was the haircut that helped make her famous. You may remember this do from its "Friends" heyday. But right there on the February issue of "Allure" magazine, Aniston said the haircut was not her best look. And it was as she put it "the ugliest haircut I've ever seen." There were a lot of women who went out and modeled their hair. Yes, they ran out. They got the hairstyle that she had after that character. So I think they might disagree with that. Fred, did you give in to the Jen haircut?

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: No, I didn't have it but I liked the haircut. Hey, who cares about what I have to say. But I kind of thought that was one of her best looks. I mean, she always looks good. But that was kind of a signature, put her on the map look?

HAMMER: Yes, I guess, it was really more her character's and she hated it. (INAUDIBLE) who knows.

WHITFIELD: Oh well. Not surprising. All right. A.J. Hammer, thanks so much. Appreciate that. See you.

All right. Well perhaps you want more information on everything breaking in the entertainment world. Of course, you do, A.J.'s got it this evening on "Showbiz Tonight" 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 on HLN.

And this is what happens when you put a bunch of cowboys on skis and tell them first one to the bottom wins. I'll tell you what they're doing up there in the first place anyway.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're getting more information about a videotape that may show exactly what happened on the day of those tragic shootings in Tucson. Joining me now is Richard Kastigar, Pima County sheriff and chief of investigators. So Richard, I understand there's this surveillance tape, how was it acquired and what does it tell you about the scene of the crime?

RICHARD KASTIGAR, PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT. (on the phone): Fredricka, good morning. There are a number of tapes but I think this information has been out there for some time. But Safeway did have surveillance cameras both within and outside of the store. I viewed the tape the day of the incident. And those computer hard drives with the tapes on them have been turned over to the FBI. But, and quite honestly, we did not disclose the information on these tapes for a variety of reasons, most importantly, to protect the family. From, really, the graphic detail that exists on those. However, this information is out there. And I have been discussing it. So I can tell you what I've seen, if you wish.

WHITFIELD: Well, tell me what you've seen.

KASTIGAR: Well, one portion of the tape, and please understand, there are really dozens of different perspectives from different cameras with different time lines in seeing our suspect, Jared, in and around the Safeway. But there's a portion of the tape where you can see very clearly, that Jared, the suspect comes out on one of the doors, he walks around a table, a collapsible perhaps a six-foot table, and when he does so with very significant purpose.

He walks up to the congresswoman, points a gun at her face and shoots. She is barely in the frame of that video. The suspect then turns to his left and actually kind of walks out of the perspective or the video itself. And we know, from talking to witnesses, and others in and around that chaotic scene, that he fired indiscriminately from that point forward at people that were seated in chairs.

This would have been to the congresswoman's right. He then turns back to his right, and engages the aide for the congresswoman, Mr. Barber, you can see that he is shot up and around the face and neck area. At that very moment, as Mr. Barber is attempting to go to the ground perhaps as a result of the injury, or perhaps to flee. You can see the judge, Judge Roll, very purposefully put his arms over on Mr. Barber, pushed him down, in an attempt to have him crawl under the table but actually is an obstruction from the two of them for escaping that rests behind them.

And it's my estimation that the judge really, I think, offers himself, or helps a friend or a colleague by pushing him under the table, in doing so, he exposes his back to the shooter. The shooter then does shoot him in the back. And you can see before the tape finishes that they're starting to really retreat from the opposite side of the table. And that's pretty much the extent of the video that I watched.

WHITFIELD: So, it certainly tells you a lot about the instincts of the victims in those final moments. And, so, based on what you envisioned when looking at the crime scene, just moments after it happened, how does that compare to what you ended up seeing, right there on videotape? Did it alter your understanding in a very profound way?

KASTIGAR: Well, you know, in law enforcement, we have somewhat of a sterile view of crime scenes. And as much as this has affected me personally, I have to detach my personal feelings from this investigation. Having said that, it gave me a perspective to substantiate what we were being told. There were dozens of folks at that chaotic scene who each had their own perspective. Some were injured. Some were wounded. Some watched what transpired.

And when we were talking to all of these folks, it was really unclear to try to piece this together what took place. And when I watched the video, it helped me understand very clearly the purpose and the focus that I believe the suspect had. I was concerned about what his objective was. And was very clear to me that he walked up and fired the first round right at Congresswoman Giffords. He then, of course, as I mentioned, turned to his left, came back to his right, subsequently killing the judge.

WHITFIELD: And what more did this tape reveal to you about Jared Loughner, the suspect himself? Was he wearing ear plugs? That was something that's been reported. And how close was he to Congresswoman Giffords when he fired the shot?

KASTIGAR: Well, we know he was wearing ear plugs, because when he was arrested, the ear plugs were removed. And that suggests perhaps, in my mind, some understanding of what he was about to do. Actually, he was in the Safeway. There was even a video of him talking to one of the grocery clerks in there. He's pointing to his ear to indicate to the clerk that he can't hear because he's got ear plugs in. Somewhat interesting.

WHITFIELD: And in the proximity to Congresswoman Giffords, did you have a better view of exactly how close he was by looking at this videotape?

KASTIGAR: Yes, Fredricka, it was clear to me that he was within 24 to 36 inches within her face with the weapon.

WHITFIELD: Richard Kastigar, now this information, the surveillance tape, he said has already been passed over to the FBI. It is the hope of the Pima County Sheriff's Department to not try to, I guess, impair the trial, by releasing the video publicly, before releasing it to the FBI. Is that about right?

KASTIGAR: Fredricka, you know, this case is not a who done it. We know very clearly from all the evidence and all the different witnesses and the witness accounts who committed this crime. And, yes, we are protective of evidence. But there are other reasons for it and they may become apparent, you know, down the road, some bits and pieces of this evidence.

But my sincere concern with regard to this videotape was, yes, it is evidence. I wanted to protect the families from this graphic description. However, I supposed it's a bit ironic for me to be speaking about it. But it is out there. And actually this morning, I did talk to the family and let them know that we have discussed this.

But as it exists right not, it's with the FBI. And I would imagine they're doing other things with this right now. And it may be presentable for some - throughout some future point.

WHITFIELD: Richard Kastigar, chief investigator with the Pima County Sheriff's Department. Thanks for your time. I appreciate that.

KASTIGAR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And we'll have much more of the NEWSROOM after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. So it's amazing where one cake can take you. Just ask the guy known as the ace of cakes, Duck (ph) Goldman has built up America with a recipe for success, sweet and simple. The story now from CNN's Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the shadow of the Baltimore skyline on a rough edge of town, Duff Goldman is building up a remarkable business.

Good to see you.

DUFF GOLDMAN, CHARM CITY CAKES: Welcome to Charm City Cakes.

FOREMAN: He's a star on the Food Network and this is where his team spins out those dazzling creations that have captured the imagination of millions.

It wasn't always this way. Eight years ago, Duff was a struggling musician, just looking for a way to pay the rent.

(on camera): What did you play in the band?

GOLDMAN: I'm a bass player. I still am.

FOREMAN: So you were essentially unemployed.

GOLDMAN: Pretty much, yes. So I called my dad and I said, "Dad, how do I start a business? He said, "Sell a cake." OK.

FOREMAN (voice-over): By creating what others did not, Duff caught the attention of cable TV scouts and turned his small bakery into a big brand. Ever since, people have listened to his ideas about business.

GOLDMAN: When I started this place, I sold a cake. That first cake that I sold I got a deposit. With that deposit I bought some cake pans. I bought some flour. I bought some eggs. I bought some butter. That's literally how simple it was.

FOREMAN: By buying only what he can afford and focusing on quality, he avoided the dangerous debt that doomed so many others during the recession.

And so, the jobs have lasted and the customers keep on coming; some for a few hundred, some for many thousands of dollars per cake. And for Duff, the creations are spectacular, but the recipe remains simple.

GOLDMAN: To build in tough times, you need to do things correctly. There's no short cut. There's no formula. There's no magic pill. There's no spell. There's no anything. Just -- you need to pay your bills and keep your employees happy. You just have to do a good job.

FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Baltimore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow, and a huge Ponzi scheme in middle America comes crashing down. We'll tell you about the man who blew the whistle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The stock market, well, the opening bell just rang just about an hour ago. Let's take a look right now at the numbers with the Dow down just about five points or so. Hopefully, things will perk up a little bit later on today.

Some encouraging news already, perhaps coming from the White House. So, might there be a ricochet effect on the markets as well? Let's check in with -- oh, in fact, let's take a listen right now. That moment between President Barack Obama at the White House and Chinese president Hu Jintao.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At a time when some doubt the benefits of cooperation between the United States and china, this visit is also a chance to demonstrate a simple truth. We have an enormous stake in each other's success. In an interconnected world, in a global economy, nations, including our own, will be more prosperous and more secure when we work together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, apparently, the bilateral talks have been going on barely 30 minutes, and already we understand from some White House sources that there is some progress to speak of. Our business correspondent Christine Romans is in New York. You talked with some contacts. What are we learning?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, a senior administration official is giving some numbers to the work that they've been doing actually into the weeks heading up into this particular event. You know, these things always have the stage craft and the diplomacy, and then the splur (ph) of business deals announced to sort of show they've accomplished something.

Well, we know the size of the deals. They're going to announce $45 billion in new contracts, new contracts for exports from the United States to China in some 12 different states. These are businesses in about 12 different states, 70 different types of contracts. Everything from agriculture products to Honeywell projects, Cummings engines, a whole host of things, including some tie-ups for green technology as well. Even a hybrid bus deal that will be announced today.

Also, an announcement that a $19 billion of Boeing aircraft will be bought by the Chinese. Some 200 different Boeing planes. A big criticism has been that the Chinese don't buy enough of our stuff. The Chinese -- but when you buy a bunch of aircraft that helps to narrow the gap a little bit, although just a little bit. However, we do have a yawning deficit.

Also, one other thing I wanted to tell you that the senior administration official was saying that that $45 billion in contracts announced today is going to be used to support - that's the word they used, support, 235,000 jobs. Clearly, they're trying to put a spin on the optics of this whole event, that yes, this relationship can support American jobs, instead of all the headlines you just see about Americans losing jobs because of competition with China. One other thing on software that I found interesting. For years, software companies have been concerned that one of the biggest users of counterfeit American software is the Chinese government. And they've said, how can China be serious about intellectual property rights when the government computers are run by counterfeit software?

Well, again, the Chinese, according to our government, have promised to stop using counterfeit software. In fact, this time, have put money in a budget in an audit process, to legalize the software used within china. If the Chinese follow through on that, that would be a big win for the software industry.

WHITFIELD: And so, Christine, real quick, that 245,000 jobs being supported - we're talking about sustaining existing jobs, is that what that lingo means? Supporting?

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: -- job creation.

ROMANS: They used the word --

WHITFIELD: Right.

ROMANS: The word they use is support. They don't say create. They use support - 235,000 jobs. Twelve states, 70 different types of contracts and companies, everything from those airplane purchases to a hybrid bus to clean energy deals to agriculture products.

This is short of a show craft of obviously this whole state diplomacy that they're going to show us a bunch of deals and working on them for some time. Critics are going to say Hu Jintao is going to come bearing gifts and try to divert the attention from this big, unfair trading field -- playing field, by giving a few deals. $45 billion is nothing to sneeze at. And 235,000 jobs, if the White House is right, is -- you know, it's good.

WHITFIELD: All right. The signs of progress already very early in the game. Thanks so much, Christine Romans in New York.

All right, let's take a look at some of other stories making headlines. Crews were working on a ruptured gas main in Philadelphia when this happened. A spark tragically ignited. A local station, WCAU captured the raging fireball. A gas main exploded, killing one of the utility workers and injuring five other people.

And in Colorado, a mother is charged in her child's death. Police say 34-year-old Shannon Johnson was on Facebook and left her son unattended in a bathtub. The 13-month-old infant drowned.

And Sargent Shriver died yesterday. He married into the Kennedy clan but made quite a name for himself. Shriver ran the Peace Corps and later coordinated President Johnson's war on poverty. And in a life devoted to public service, he also won the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Shriver's daughter Maria remembers him as a gentle man as he struggled through Alzheimer's. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA SHRIVER, DAUGHTER OF SARGENT SHRIVER: Sometimes, he doesn't say anything, but sometimes he'll say you're beautiful. And I'll say to him, "I'm your daughter, Maria." He goes, "You are?" I go, "I am. You're my dad." And he goes, "Wow."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Sargent Shriver was surrounded by his five children and their families when he died. He was 95.

And this hour, the U.S. Army is confronting the issue of suicide in its ranks. The picture is decidedly mixed. While suicides fell among active duty personnel last year, there was a troubling increase in the reserves and the National Guard. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has been sifting through this study, and she's joining us now with a closer look. Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Fredricka. At this hour, in fact, the Army is briefing reporters here in the Pentagon about all of this and it is a mixed picture.

Let's look at some of the numbers right off the top here. Now in the active duty military, those who are full-time active duty in the Army, in 2010 which just wrapped up, 156 suicides. Certainly a tragedy, but a bit of good news, perhaps, if you can call it that. That's down six from last year. The Army has been confronting escalating suicides for years now. So, any decline shows a little hope, they think, that their suicide prevention and awareness programs are working.

But in the guard and reserves, the figures there show you 65 more this year than last. That's a problem they don't really know why that's happening. The guard and reserves, about half of them never even deploy to the war zone. These are people living in their communities, and this tragedy befalls them. They commit suicide. The Army just beginning to look at that.

And a lot of suicide prevention, a lot of new mental health programs in the Army trying to offer counseling and awareness even before troops go to the war zone. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Something else unrelated to this study that I want to ask you about. Apparently, Mullen's wife fainted at a ceremony. What more can you tell us about that?

STARR: Yes, just a little while ago, Mrs. Debra Mullen, who is the wife of -- we'll show you the video in a minute. Mrs. Debra Mullen, the wife of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff was with everyone at the White House on the South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony for the Chinese president. She'd be standing along with everybody out in the cold on this cold Washington morning for about 40 minutes.

Let's show you the video now. If you look very carefully between the two leaders, you will see a woman in a red coat falling, and she is immediately helped up by a man in a Navy uniform next to her. Of course, her husband, Admiral Mike Mullen, we'll zoom in on that. And you'll see this lady in a red coat.

At first, Mullen's staff did not acknowledge what had happened. But a short time ago, they gave us a statement saying, quote, "Mrs. Mullen fainted this morning while attending the welcoming ceremony. She was escorted indoors by Admiral Mullen and quickly recovered. She is doing just fine. We wish her the best."

Most people don't know Deborah Mullen. We do. I can tell you she's a lady who spends a lot of time behind the scenes working with the wounded troops, working with military families. She's a really nice person, and we wish her the best. She was - she did -- her husband helped her up and she was escorted out under her own esteem (ph). We'll be checking in on her medical condition.

WHITFIELD: Yes, glad to see she was able to walk out there. All right. Thanks so much for keeping us posted. Of course, we wish her the best.

All right, we're going to talk about caloric intake coming up. Calorie counts posted on restaurants -- at restaurants. They're supposed to help you make healthy decisions, right? Well, a new study says that you don't really care after all. You don't really care about that information. You order what you want anyway. Is that you?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. So, when you go to a restaurant that posts how many calories are in the entrees, do you start thinking, maybe I shouldn't order that? Well, a new study says you're still going to order what it is you want, no matter how ugly the truth is.

Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now. Why do we do that? So much for all this great help!

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. That's what this one study says. So, this one study looked at people who ate at a restaurant called Taco Time, which I had never heard of that. It's out west, it's in Seattle in the suburbs. And that's an important distinction because in Seattle, you have to put how many calories are on - you have to put the calories on the menu. But in the suburbs, you don't.

So, they looked at was there a difference between how people ordered? And they found that there wasn't. And there were a lot of things you might want to think twice about at this restaurant. For example, the 609-calorie beef natural soft taco or the 906-calorie beef big time Mexi-burrito.

WHITFIELD: One taco?

COHEN: Yes. 906. So, that's about half the calories some people are supposed to get in one burrito. So, apparently people didn't really care when they saw those numbers. WHITFIELD: Okay, so of course a lot of advocates for these whole labeling were hoping this is going to impact how people order food, et cetera. But it's not working. They're not very encouraged now by this.

COHEN: Well, it's important to remember this is one restaurant. And so, maybe the kind of people who go to Taco Time don't really care so much about the calories. Maybe they want a taco.

WHITFIELD: They want that 900-calorie burrito.

COHEN: They want that 900-calorie burrito, right! That's what's important to them. They go for the taste and so they don't care. Maybe it has to do with the way that it's labeled. Maybe there aren't so many attractive alternatives that are less than 600 calories. Maybe that's the point.

So, I wouldn't take too much. It's interesting, though, at this one restaurant that's what they found.

WHITFIELD: OK. So at other restaurants that adhere to, you know, giving you some information about your meals, is there, I guess, a conclusion on those?

COHEN: Yes, they had a different experience. For example, Starbucks in New York City. They found when they put the calories on there, people actually did order -- you know, dishes that have fewer calories, or drinks that had fewer calories. It did work.

And also some restaurant chains, when they were forced to put the calories on there, the restaurant chains on their own said, oh, wait a minute, maybe we ought to change the menu up a little bit and come up with some healthy dishes.

So, it really has had an impact. But it is interesting that at least at this one restaurant with this particular clientele, it didn't seem to matter.

WHITFIELD: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much. It's always helpful to have a little extra information, but I guess if you get a hankering for a certain thing, you've got blinders on.

COHEN: Right. But I know I've changed what I've ordered.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I'm sure I have, too!

COHEN: Because I say, I want this, and then I'm like, whoa, you got to be kidding! A chicken Caesar salad, all of that dressing, you know, let's get something else.

WHITFIELD: Yes! All right. Thanks so much. Happy eating anyway.

COHEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sarah Palin, her popularity apparently sliding in the polls. We'll get the lowdown on the latest numbers, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Sarah Palin's unfavorable rating is at an all-time high. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is at the CNNpolitics.com desk with the rundown of the numbers. Do tell.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I sure will. These are brand-new numbers, fresh on the ticker as well. Fred, this is a case when an all-time high is a new low. Check it out. Favorable and unfavorable opinion. Unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin now up to 56 percent among Americans. That's up 7 points from last October when we polled last on her.

You know, this comes after two weeks in which she's been spotlighted a lot because of those shootings in Arizona. That may have been a contributing factor.

Check this out as well. Very partisan difference here on Sarah Palin -- Democrats. They very much don't have a favorable opinion of Sarah Palin. Look at that, Republicans still have a pretty favorable opinion of Sarah Palin. There's a pretty big swing, and there's the unfavorables. What a difference that is.

Hey, Fred, earlier this hour, you were talking about that big health care vote in the House later today, a vote on possibly repealing health care. We don't think it will get past the House, but it could pass there. What do Americans think? We know that Democrats and Republicans don't' agree on this issue.

But check this out from the new poll as well. It seems older and younger Americans don't agree on the issue as well. Those under 50, well, they're kind of divided on whether the lawmakers should repeal all the provisions in the health care law. But look at that, 50 and older, they favor repealing the health care law. That may be because some older Americans are worried that the new health care law could affect their benefits in that (INAUDIBLE).

Fred, that's what I got right now on the ticker. Back to you.

WHTIFIELD: OK. Thanks so much. Paul, once again, congratulations on your new bundle of joy, papa.

STEINHAUSER: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: All right. You definitely have your plate full now. All right, thanks so much, Paul.

And of course, we'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder, for all the political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.

All right, this is premiere week. On "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT," it continues with Condoleezza Rice as you've never seen before. She sat down with Piers for a candid conversation about politics, policy, and her personal life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Did you drink alcohol while you were in office?

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, occasionally. Sure. Occasionally. Occasionally.

MORGAN: When you're in your kind of job, can you actually get intoxicated?

RICE: Of course not.

MORGAN: Never. That's it.

RICE: No, no, no, but I would never want to get intoxicated anyway. I don't like that sort of sense that you don't know what you're doing.

MORGAN: No, I can imagine. You like to be in control?

RICE: I'd rather be in control of things like that. But, no, you do have to remember that you are always on. The phone call can come at 3:00 in the morning. You have to be absolutely alert if that phone call comes at 3:00 in the morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice opening up about her time in the White House, the State Department, and who she thinks will win the Super Bowl. You know she's a huge football fan. The premiere week of "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" continues tonight at 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(AUDIO GAP)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: -- Wolf and I did yesterday, this doesn't have to do with skis or snowboards. It has to do with snow biking, which is something -- it's a new thing on the mountain.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.

MARCIANO: And after trying it, it's the one of the most -- it's just an absolute blast. Instead of wheels, you've got skis on the bike, you've got little these Fred Flintstone-type skis on your feet. You just blast down the mountain, and it's just so much fun!

WHITFIELD: And you're skiing the same runs or biking the same runs as the snowboarders?

MARCIANO: That's it, man. You just carry the bike on a lift. No! Same runs. So, it gets a little squirrely when you have limited skills like Reynolds and I have. So you've got to watch out for the crowds. I'm told it's fairly safe. It was a lot more fun and not as painful as I thought it would be.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh - uh-huh?

MARCIANO: Tomorrow, we're going to highlight some terrain park action. I think you'll enjoy that.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that looks like a lot of fun. Although something tells me, the ski purists, they're getting used to the snowboarders. I don't think they're going like the bikers on the slopes, too.

MARCIANO: Whether you're a purist or not right now, you got to love it right. It's absolutely crushing. It's dumping right now.

WHITFIELD: Oh, nice! All right, Rob Marciano, enjoy the flakes there at Steamboat Springs.