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FBI Searches for "Fake Mom"; Giffords to Leave Hospital; Two Green Sea Turtles Released Back Into Wild; Arizona Boy Rescues Sister; FBI Launches Huge Mob Sweep; Worst Traffic in America; Extreme Parenting, Co-Sleeping; Hijacked By Pirates; NFL Playoff Preview
Aired January 21, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": Amazing.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": Another great story from our CNN Heroes.
We do appreciate you being with us here this week on this AMERICAN MORNING.
CHETRY: Yes, hope you have a fantastic weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday.
In the meantime, the news continues with Kyra Phillips in the CNN NEWSROOOM.
Good morning, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys.
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:
Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords will undergo rehab today in Houston. Less than two weeks after shot in the head, she went outside for the first time yesterday for the first time for physical therapy.
Before the sun came up the dragnet came down. FBI agents carried out raids in three northeastern states in one of the largest single day strikes against the mafia. More than 120 people now face charges from bookmaking to murder.
Long-time film critic Roger Ebert showing off his new face. It's actually a silicone prosthesis that took two years to make. Ebert lost much of his jaw to cancer. He'll wear the prosthesis on his new PBS show which premieres this weekend.
But we begin with that young woman, Carlina White. Well, she solves her own kidnapping. It's a remarkable story and it finds the real family that she hasn't seen since she was about 3 years old. The focus of this remarkable story now: finding the woman who snatched Baby Carlina from a New York hospital in 1987.
Here is the woman the FBI is believed to be looking for right now. Ann Pettway, the woman who raised Carlina. Pettway's got a pretty shady past, too. This is a mug shot from another arrest not even related to the Carlina case.
CNN's Alina Cho is following the story for us.
So, Alina, let's start with what we know about the investigation and the search for Pettway?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. So, here is what we know at this moment, Kyra. Investigators, as you might imagine, are remaining pretty tight-lipped about the case. They will only say officially that the investigation is ongoing, which it is, of course. And they won't officially name Ann Pettway as a suspect.
Having said that, "The New York City Post," which is, you know, broke this story, said that the U.S. Justice Department will pursue a case against Pettway. Pettway was tracked down by "The Post" at her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. She apparently said that she was coming back to .Connecticut to, in her words, to straighten this all out. She also told "The Post" quote, I raised her and I was a good mom -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
So, let's talk about I guess you should say fake family versus the real family. We're now starting to hear from the family she grew up with, neighbors, uncles, cousins. How are they responding to all this?
CHO: That's right. I mean, it's a remarkable story really in every way, Kyra. And a lot of people don't think about that extended family of Ann Pettway, the woman who allegedly raised her and the woman who is allegedly behind the kidnapping.
You know, these are people around Carlina White for 23 years and now being led to believe that she's not who they thought she was. She was raised as a girl named Nedra Nance.
So, here's what Ann Pettway's uncle and friend said about Carlina White in this case. Here's what they said to CNN affiliate WABC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm mad and I'm fed up and I'm hurt. I'm disappointed, simple as that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had mixed emotions. It was shock. It was anger. It was fear that someone could do this and then go on for so many years as if this didn't happen.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
CHO: And, Kyra, keep in mind that Carlina White grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which is just about an hour's drive from the Bronx, where her birth mom and father live, just 45 miles away. And so, they were so close and yet so far. It's a cliche to say this. But it took 23 years for this reunion to happen.
And, as you know, by now, it happened because of Carlina White's own search on the Internet and finding baby pictures of herself which, by the way, she said didn't quite look like her.
What really struck a chord in her, Kyra, was the fact she said those photos looked like her own daughter.
PHILLIPS: Wow. That's just -- I mean, it's wild, all the way around.
And I know that you actually got a little inside scoop and got to learn more about this first dinner with her real mother and her. How did it go? What was the vibe? What do you know?
CHO: Well -- I mean, can you imagine what it was like to be inside of that room?
I mean, Joy White, the mother of Carlina, said, you know, I cooked, I invited the whole family. Mother and daughter got pedicures. You know what I mean? It was a joyous occasion all around.
Carlina said, you know, everything is brand-new. It's like being born again. Now, hearing that from a 23-year-old woman might seem odd if you didn't the background of this story.
Her father said, "My mother always told me she could be alive, that whoever took her wanted a child. And that now she's older, she will find you." Prophetic words.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
CHO: And certainly, we all know words that finally came true. And so, they do have a lot of catching up to do, 23 years. But they -- you know, having looked at the pictures and seen the video -- I mean, they really do look like a family again, and what a joyous occasion and what a great story to report.
PHILLIPS: Yes, pretty incredible. Not only does she get her daughter back, she's got a brand-new grandbaby.
CHO: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Alina Cho, great job working this story. We'll talk more for sure, a lot more -- many more developments to come. Alina, thanks.
Less than two weeks after suffering a gunshot to the head, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords enters the next phase of her remarkable recovery. Just about two hours from now, she will actually leave her Tucson hospital. She's going to travel to Texas. Her new stop will be a hospital in Houston for more treatment and evaluation.
And then Giffords will be transferred yet again. Her next stop: a rehab center that specializes in severe head injuries.
Now, yesterday, yet another milestone. Her medical team was able to take her outside the hospital for the first time so she could do her physical therapy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK KELLY, REP. GIFFORDS' HUSBAND: I'm extremely hopeful that Gabby is going to make a full recovery. I've told her that. She recognizes it. She's a strong person, a fighter. I mean, she's a fighter like, you know, nobody else that I know. So, I am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And a local VFW in Tucson will provide a motorcycle escort for Giffords as an ambulance carries her to nearby Davis- Monthan Air Force Base. The Air Force will fly her to an airport in Houston and a helicopter will transport her to the hospital.
But this journey may be nothing compared to the grueling challenges that she faces in her recovery.
CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is in Houston for the next stage of Giffords recovery.
And, Elizabeth, it's so awesome to see her husband so optimistic and talking about how positive he and the family continues to be. But there's a lot ahead for Gabby Giffords.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it certainly is. Doctors say it is a marathon, Kyra. It is not a sprint. But they are so excited to see the progress that she's made.
The doctors told us yesterday that she scrolled through an iPad, that she could pick out colors, and a doctor here told me that she reached up and adjusted her husband's tie -- which, you know, Kyra, that sounds like such a small thing to you and me -- but actually it's kind of big. You have to think through. I see something I want to change. I direct my arm to go and make that motion. That's a sign of a relatively high level of thinking and that is what they want to see.
And her trauma surgeon in Arizona, Dr. Rhee, spoke to reporters yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDO CLIP)
DR. PETER RHEE, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, UMC TRAUMA CENTER: We were able to take her to the helicopter pad today outside and show her -- give her some fresh air and give her some sunshine. She was able to see the Arizona mountains, so, hopefully, the last time before she comes back from Houston.
But we did our physical rehab out there. We did a physical rehab out there where we were assisting her in her standing and help her get her balance and so on like that. She is able to stand now with assistance.
She is not independent at this stage. She can't walk at this point, but we feel she will able to do some of those activities in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Now, Giffords is due to arrive here in Houston at 1:15 this afternoon -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Now, you actually spoke with her neurosurgeons, right, Elizabeth, there in Houston? And they are being pretty cautious?
COHEN: They are being cautious, Kyra.
Here's how it all went down yesterday: Giffords' office said that she was transferred from Arizona to the rehabilitation hospital behind me called TIRR, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research.
And the doctors said, well, now, that's actually not true. They said we don't think that she's to come here. In order to go to rehabilitation, you really have to be ready for it.
So, take a listen to the conversation I had yesterday with her new neurosurgeon, Dr. Dong Kim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Why isn't she going right to the rehabilitation hospital?
DR. DONG H. KIM, CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY: Well, there are concerns about ongoing medical issues. And, again, I don't want to be more specific about that, but she's not quite ready for rehabilitation yet. So, we're going to be coming here doing a thorough assessment. And once we've been able to do that, we'll be able to tell you more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Now, as you heard, Dr. Kim didn't want to say exactly what medical issues they're still concerned about. However, he did say that, in general, at this stage, they worry about infections. They also worry about fluid, about swelling around the brain -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: We will follow the story along with you. Elizabeth, thanks so much.
Well, President Obama is a announcing a new effort to get Americans back to work and setting up the president's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric, will actually head up the new board. The council focus on new ways to attract best jobs and businesses to the U.S. The council replaces the Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Midwest is digging out from even more snow. Look at these pictures. Indianapolis got hit with it yesterday. Officially, three inches, more like five in some places. Blowing snow and frozen roads causing hundreds of accidents in that area.
Deep freeze is actually locked itself in over Chicago and Wisconsin as well. And then New England is about to get it again, too. And there's another winter storm headed to the Northeast.
Jacqui Jeras, I thought things were supposed to calm down.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's January.
PHILLIPS: No, I guess. It's January. You're right.
Why do I feel like it's so much later? Maybe because we are ready for spring?
JERAS: We are so ready for spring. You know, this week is the most depressing week of the year, right?
PHILLIPS: It is?
JERAS: Monday is blue Monday and it goes to how much daylight you get and how sick you are of the cold winter. And then --
PHILLIPS: We weren't blue.
JERAS: People who have the holiday blues, you know, bills and all that. It's a tough week.
PHILLIPS: We got to be positive. We're going to pump everybody up.
JERAS: Well, it just gets better from here, right?
PHILLIPS: OK. Good.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: Fifty-eight days, I think it is, until the first day of spring. How about that? Tell that to the people in Boston, huh?
If you're winter weary, I'm sorry. Yes, there's a live picture WCVB-TV, our affiliate. They got about two inches on the ground in Boston. And a winter storm warning that affect four to seven total probably, locally heavier amounts, especially West of the city.
This is going to be a high impact storm for you but short duration. The snow is going to wind down, say, by mid-afternoon or so, but the winds are going to be really kicking in.
All right. You're done with it in New York City and New Jersey. So, that's good for the most part. You're looking at anywhere between two and four inches of snowfall that you've had.
The storm system is riding up the coast and there you can see it. So, it's a good thing that this is a fast-moving system because things are going to look a lot better by the weekend.
Arctic air is what's invading the nation's midsection. Take a look at the temperature. This is on the thermometer, Kyra, not to mention the wind chill. It's 28 below in International Falls right now. And the wind-chill indices, even all the way to Chicago and 20s and 30s below zero this morning. Burrr.
PHILLIPS: Wow. We'll keep bottling up, I guess.
JERAS: No, you got the turtle neck, so, very appropriate.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: All right.
Well, is isn't just celebrities who go through rehab. Meet Butterball and Peachtree and tell you why they went through rehab and what's going to happen to them -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right, let's head Cross Country, starting in Oklahoma City, things got a little dicey yesterday for this driver. Roads were pretty slick from a coating of snow and ice, and he just spun out of control, flipped his jeep. Word is, once that jeep got upright, the driver just brushed himself off and drove away.
Next stop, Biscayne, Florida. Meet Butterball and Peachtree. They are two green sea turtles released back into the wild after rehabilitated at the Miami Sea Aquarium. Butterball was found on a Florida beach with a hook in his mouth. Peachtree was rescued after a run-in with a motorboat.
And in Arizona, an eighth grader watched as his five-year-old sister got hit by a truck after getting off her school bus. She was struck under the truck, and this brave boy, well, he ran over, pulled her out, and carried her home. The little girl was later flown to the hospital and is now being treated for a broken leg.
Cue the music from "The Godfather." The FBI says this is one of the largest crackdowns ever on the U.S. Mafia. Do you think we'd miss it? Forget about it!
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the FBI says it was a very bad day to be a "Goodfella." Agents carried out one of the largest single-day strikes against the Mafia in FBI history. Those raids hauled in more than 120 people from New Jersey to Italy. And the names read like an episode of "The Sopranos." Tony Bagels, Vinnie Carwash, Junior Lollipops. And the changes -- or the charges, rather -- range from bookmaking to go murder. CNN's Jason Carroll has been following the story and joins us live from New York.
I kind of wonder how they get those names. It's a very serious story, they commit some pretty serious crimes but, boy, you read those names and you can't help but crack a smile, Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. You can't make those kind of names up, right? They sound like they come right out of some sort of a Hollywood script. They are just four out of some 127 alleged mobsters pulled off the streets and arrested in the largest FBI crackdown of its kind.
Federal and local authorities handcuffed suspects in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Florida. They targeted alleged members from the five largest organized crime families. You can see some of them, there, in handcuffs. Some of the families including the Gambinos and the entire leadership of the Colombos. Charges include murder, extortion, and drug trafficking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The reality is, it is an ongoing threat, a major threat to the economic well-being of this country, in addition to being the violent organization that it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Kyra, here's what is interesting about this. Some of these crimes actually date back to 1981 and include what the Justice Department calls "classic mob hits to eliminate rivals."
The arrests are based on 16 indictments. One defense expert who we spoke to says that the crime bosses in the past, he has represented crime bosses from the past, and he questions whether or not the charges in this particular situation will actually hold up in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY SLOTNICK, ATTORNEY: I've tried those cases, and I've watched the juries come back and say, "not guilty, not guilty, not guilty, not guilty." It's not an easy case to try.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Well, the US Attorney's Office is confident the charges will end up sticking in court, and they say they've made a serious dent in organized crime, especially among the new generation of leadership that was coming up through the ranks.
Absolutely incredible. You know, it actually, Kyra, took 800 members of state and local law enforcement to get out there to arrest all of these guys. They said it was a very big day for them. But once again, the real big question is, will all of the charges end up sticking.
PHILLPIS: Yes. Well, coming up in about 35 minutes, Jason, we 're actually going to talk to a member of the Colombo family who has since gotten out of the mob. It'll be interesting to get his take on what he thinks about this big bust. Jason Carroll, appreciate it.
This week, we're taking a look at extreme parenting. Parents that take their child-bearing to the cutting edge or, some may say, over the edge. You can decide on this one. It's called co-sleeping. Mom and Dad sharing the bed with their kids. I'll be talking about that coming up next.
But first, we all complain about being stuck in traffic, and everyone thinks it's worse in their own city. Well, here's the evidence. A survey of the worst commutes in the country. In the bottom five, you've got Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, New York, and Miami. If you're in one of these cities, you spend an unbelievable 42 to 48 hours a year stuck in your car. And hey, it gets worse. I'll tell you who's in the top five next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
PHILLIPS: OK. So, you want to know the worst cities in America for traffic? Here you go. Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco all get honorable mention. But Chicago and Washington, DC are tied at the top of the list, followed closely by Los Angeles.
Now, if you're in one of the worst cities, you can expect to spend a whopping 70 hours a year just sitting in traffic for your commute.
Well, we've been preparing a series for this week called "Extreme Parenting," when, out of the blue, a woman who calls herself "Tiger Mother" actually blasted into the scene. A memoir from a Chinese- American law professor whose ultra-strict parenting techniques has triggered a national debate and led CNN NEWSROOM to ask a question we've not heard anyone ask before. "You know you're an extreme parent if --"
Well, we're going to have plenty of stories to help you fill in the blank and plenty of parenting experts as our guides.
Now, for a parent, not many things are more exhausting than the 2:00 AM wail of a new baby, except maybe the 3:00 AM wail just an hour later. Yet, some parents don't have to drape the robe over their shoulders and trot down the cold, dark hallway to the child's room. Why? Because the child is right there in the bed with their parents. For years. Stephanie Elam talked to a couple of families about their practice of co-sleeping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN DURRELL, CO-SLEEPING DAD: I just pillow him up here. And pillow up there.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Want to ruffle some feathers? Mention you're co-sleeping.
DURRELL: A lot of people are closet co-sleepers.
ELAM: Taboo or not, every night, Ryan and Alexandria Durrell snuggle up with one-year-old Mason and four-year-old Storrie (ph).
ALEXANDRIA DURRELL, CO-SLEEPING MOM: She's less hairy than my husband.
ELAM: Mom usually bunks with Storrie (ph) in her room, and Dad has Mason in their bed. A lot of the time, they all end up here together. Tired yet? Not the Durrells.
DURRELL: I love waking up in the morning. I get little soft kisses all over me. "Get up, Daddy." It's the best.
ELAM: Maria Carbone wouldn't dream of sleeping any other way.
MARIA CARBONE, CO-SLEEPING MOM: You'll find a foot here and a head over there. But it works for us.
ELAM: She and husband Genio usually wind up in bed with six- year-old Anthony and four-year-old Daniel.
CARBONE: I'd rather them be in the same bed with me and sleep continuously for, you know, seven or eight hours a night rather than having to wake up every few hours.
ELAM: But most medical experts say children need to sleep in their own beds alone.
LAWRENCE SHAPIRO, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: After two years, it's just not appropriate from the child's perspective, it's not giving them what they need. Autonomy is very important at this 18-month to 3 to 4 years of age.
MEGAN MASSARO, CO-SLEEPING MOM: We just sleep with our bed pushed up here.
ELAM: Mark and Megan Massaro put a king-sized mattress on the floor to accommodate their daughter Annabella.
MARK MASSARO, CO-SLEEPING DAD: By giving our child everything she needs early on, we're setting herself up for having a great relationship with us.
ELAM: But what about their own relationship? The phenomena was even parodied on the big screen's "Away We Go."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where they sleep. We practice family bed.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: So, what if the two of you want to, you know? Be alone?
ELAM: So, doesn't family bed get in the parents' way?
RYAN DURRELL: It's just happening somewhere else, somehow else.
ALEXANDRIA DURRELL: At other times. And we're flexible.
ELAM (voice-over): Flexibility that may be tested as the kids get older.
ELAM (on camera): Why do you like sleeping with Mommy and Daddy?
ANTHONY CARBONE, SIX YEARS OLD: It's cozy.
ELAM: It's cozy?
MARIA CARBONE: How can you deprive a child of that closeness when they want it? I wouldn't trade it for anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM: Kyra, I have to tell you, when it comes to co-sleeping, when you talk to people about it, it's definitely a hotbed of debate. So much so, we actually had a hard time finding people who were willing to go on TV and admit that they're sharing their bed with their young children.
But when people look at this as well, they're also kind of amazed. Then again, a lot of them look and say, "That looks awfully familiar to what's going on in our house," Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I've seen family members do it, and I've never seen a good outcome. I don't know.
ELAM: Some people say it's fine. The kids can stay there until they're ready to get out. But Dr. Shapiro pointed out that he's talking about kids that are two years and older. Because before that, you're bonding with the kids and maybe you're breastfeeding and all those things.
That's not the issue. It's really about that point when they're getting to -- out of the crib and into the bed. And he says, at that point, the kids need to know that that's where they sleep, parents sleep here, and there should be a separation.
PHILLIPS: Got to have that independence early on. And that sleep for the parents. You know about that. Thanks, Steph.
ELAM: We'll see how you feel about that in a year.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly. We'll be talking. They're in the cribs, believe me. Thanks, Steph.
Well, our military families have it difficult enough with the everyday stresses that they face, but for a Marine Captain Jonathan Rowles and his wife, Julia, they also had to deal with the threat of losing their home. Their bank was talking foreclosure, except the bank got it wrong, really wrong. Julia joins us next to tell us her story.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Okay. Wall Street started the week with a shake-up in the tech world. Steve Jobs' leave of absence. And now we're ending with another big management shuffle. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Who are we talking about now, Alison?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPODNENT: We're talking about companies - plural, Kyra. Talking about Google CEO Eric Schmidt. He announced he's stepping down in April. But no, no, no, he didn't go the traditional route and just send out a resignation letter. He went to Twitter and tweeted, quote, "Day to day adult supervision no longer needed." So, co-founder Larry Page is going to go ahead and take over. The news is overshadowing Google's strong earnings.
Also, there is an executive shuffle going on at HP, Hewlett- Packard. Ex eBay CEO Meg Whitman is joining the board there.
All right, we've got a higher open today for stocks. The Dow right now is up 65 points; the NASDAQ higher by 14. And stocks are being helped by a four percent jump, now a five percent jump in General Electric shares. Its fourth quarter earnings rose 51 percent, beating estimates. It's higher profit was helped from growth and equipment orders and its finance unit. This is an economic bellwether company because it's involved in such a broad range of businesses.
All right, Kyra. I know you're a celebrity in your own right, but if you could have any other celebrity job, , which would you want? There's a survey out that says these are the top spots. Take a look. Apple CEO Steve Jobs gets the top spot, along with investor billionaire Warren Buffett. President Obama and Martha Stewart, people want their jobs, too. Mark Zuckerberg. And would you believe, Anderson Cooper rounds out the list.
(LAUGHTER)
KOSIK: Yes, everyone wants Anderson Coope's job as well. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: It's a tough job. I don't know if I'd want to take the reins of that!
KOSIK: Plus. he is on "Saturday Night Live." He is everywhere!
PHILLIPS: I'd like to go the musician route. Wouldn't that be fun? Play the piano, the guitar, sing.
KOSIK: Only if I could sing, yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, we're still dreaming. Alison, thanks.
About 9:30 here in the East, 7:30 in the West. Quick look at some of the stories we are following right now.
In about two hours, Representative Gabby Giffords will enter a new phase in her recovery from a gunshot wound to the brain. She will be moved from a Tucson hospital and flown to Houston for more treatment and rehab.
Chinese president Hu Jintao wraps up his U.S. trip today in Chicago. His visits there include stops at a Chinese-owned auto parts firm and a Chinese language and culture center. Hu spent three days in the nation's capital, meeting with the president and congressional leaders discussing economic and human rights issues.
With the unemployment rate hovering between 9 percent and 10 percent, President Obama expected to name GE's chairman Jeffrey Immelt to head his new council on jobs and competitiveness. The council will focus ways to speed up economic growth.
Let me ask, you aren't our members of the military dealing with enough stress and challenges already? I mean, they are coming back home injured, jobless and even homeless. And sure, you see the thousands of homecomings we cover of our bravest service members.
But now we have learned many of them return home from deployment to face yet another threat, foreclosure. Now we are also learning that about 14 military families who were faced with losing their homes just recently -- well, why did it happen? The bank screwed up.
The Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act limits mortgage interest rates to six percent, and according to media reports, JP Morgan Chase exceeded that and has now has admitted to overcharging more than 4,000 troops for their home loans.
Julia Rowles and her Marine husband, Captain Jonathan Rowles nearly lot their home in this mess. Captain Rowles is an F-18 fighter pilot, and he served as a Marine for five years in the western Pacific. He is now stationed in South Carolina. The Rowles say the bank took months to fix that error, overcharging them by as much as $900 a month. But it didn't end there.
Julia Rowles joins us with her lawyer, Bill Harvey. So, Julia, the bank tells you they would fix this problem and the next thing you knew, you had collections calling you?
JULIA ROWLES, SUING JP MORGAN CHASE FOR FORECLOSUERE: Yes. It took even years for them to say they were going to correct it, and nothing was ever corrected. Every three months, we were supposed to recertify our SCRA standing, which we did. Every month, they would tell us it would be fixed next month, it's going to be fixed next month. And eventually, about two years ago, the collection calls started coming in. From there on, every day, twice a day, we would get collection calls saying we owed well more than we even owed.
PHILLIPS: That is just crazy! So, what did you do?
ROWLES: We tried to deal with it on our own for years. We spent hours every day, every week, dealing with their customer service, their collections representatives, explaining what SCRA meant and our protections that were granted in 2006. Finally in April of 2010, we sought legal counsel.
PHILLIPS: So, Bill, I mean, as you read through all of the details here, I mean, it looks like JP Morgan Chase may have violated a military statute here.
BILL HARVEY, ROWLES' ATTORNEY: The protections we are talking about are designed to relieve our active duty, our fighting forces, men and women, of the stresses of collection calls, foreclosures and everything that the Rowles have experienced. We just think it's a grave injustice, and we're seeking compensation for them.
PHILLIPS: Let me read the statement that we got from JP Morgan, and Julie and Bill, I want you to weigh in on this. They commented on your case specifically and the story. They say, quote, "We made mistakes here and we're fixing them. There's no finer group of people than the men and women in the armed forces who fight to protect our country every day. While any customer mistake is regrettable, we feel particularly badly about the mistakes we made here and will be mailing a total of approximately $2 million in refunds to those who may have paid more than required. We welcome the opportunity to talk to Captain Rowles and others who would like to discuss their accounts."
So, I guess my question to you, Julia, did you have a conversation with anybody? Do you feel better about where your case stands now? Or is this still a daily fight for you?
ROWLES: We have not spoken with Chase since we started the litigation process in April. However, we spent years trying to fix this before seeking legal help, and they were unresponsive. So, that statement to us does not even begin to touch upon the problems and the harassment and the emotional distress that we have dealt with since 2006.
PHILLIPS: And I can --
HARVEY: Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Yes. Go ahead, Bill.
HARVEY: Kyra, anybody who has ever been caught taking money wants to give it back, say I'm sorry, and cry no harm, no foul. That's what is happening here. Unfortunately, the law does not allow that to happen. We're dealing with emotional stress, emotional damage that occurs when these men and women are around the world in trenches, fighting for our freedom. And that is what the SCRA is designed to prevent.
PHILLIPS: And that is a point well made. I mean, Julia, your husband is an F-18 pilot. You had to stress enough about, OK, will he land safely after his bombing runs and make it home to the family. And then you have to worry about losing your home. How did you sleep?
ROWLES: We didn't sleep. For years, John would actually be on the phone with collection agents walking to a flight brief. So, for me to think about that, the only thing he thinks about before a flight is Chase and how they are harassing myself and my husband is not where his mind needs to be and not the other minds of thousands of other families that are going through similar situations that we did.
PHILLIPS: Such a point well made. Julia, we appreciate you and also your husband's service, of course. We want to stay up on this case.
Bill, keep fighting hard. We want to see everything done right for our military families. Thank you to you both.
HARVEY: Thank you, Kyra.
ROWLES: Thank you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
House Republicans talking a lot about health care repeal and jobs, but majority leader John Boehner says that banning federal funds for abortion is one of the party's highest priorities.
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PHILLIPS: Time to check in what is happening inside the Beltway. Here with some hot topics out of Washington, senior political editor Mark Preston. So, Mark I hear the new RNC chair is reaching out to some Republicans with pretty deep pockets.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: He is, Kyra. In fact, he has only been in office now for a week. It will be a week at 5:00 or 6:00 this afternoon. And he has named very big named Republican donors to his finance transition team. Some would say that this is one of the biggest moves he has made the past week and reason being, a lot of criticism that the former Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, did not do enough to reach out to big donors.
So, let me give you some of these names. Sam Fox, he's a Missouri businessman. Al Hoffman is a Florida developer and Ron Wiser is the former chairman of the Michigan Republican party. They are going to be tasked with trying to reach back out to the big donor base, the big Republican donor base.
On Capitol Hill, social conservatives have got something to cheer about. John Boehner, the Minority Leader --excuse me, let me take that back -- the Speaker of the House John Boehner has -- has said that the idea of -- of abortion is going to be a high priority for the Republicans.
In fact, he says the House Representatives will consider legislation to permanently bar federal funding for elective abortions, calling the measure one of our highest legislative priorities. We talked a lot about the economy we haven't talked a lot about social issues; however John Boehner is putting that certainly at the forefront -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, well, it's the 50th anniversary of the JFK's inauguration and the last Kennedy to serve in Congress spoke about his uncle's legacy and actually pointed to the next generation of Kennedys. So what's Patrick Kennedy saying?
PRESTON: So Patrick Kennedy was in "John King USA" last night. He talked to John about you know, the legacy of his father, the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Of course, his late uncle John F. Kennedy and he talked about the future. There's a lot of speculation that Joseph Kennedy's son, Joe Kennedy III, he's an assistant District Attorney up in Massachusetts could be the next person we'll see here in Congress.
Now, interestingly enough we haven't had a -- we have had a Kennedy in Congress every year from the Truman administration until now when Patrick Kennedy decided to not to run for re-election.
However, he was saying that his second cousin has the perfect profile. Now this young man, Joseph Kennedy who was a Congressman, his son, this young man thought about running for Congress this past year but decided not to. So maybe we'll see a Kennedy run again -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll watch it.
Thank you so much, Mark. And we're going to have your next political update in just about an hour.
And a reminder: for all the latest political news just go to our Web site CNNPolitics.com.
Well, powerful unrelenting waves hammer fishing boats in Australia's most dangerous river, some people say the fishermen were just even crazy to try and cross it.
But first, 1978 on this day; you don't need a passport, just a groovy pair of shoes. Oh, yes. That -- that's all you need. You remember this? January 21st, 1978 when the Bee Gees new album "Saturday Night Fever" hit number one? Oh yes, we all had the 8- track. Come on. You're silent (ph) too if you had it. It stayed at number one for 24 weeks that was unquestionably helped out by a movie with the same name of course. Starring, you got it, John Travolta and all those fast moves.
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PHILLIPS: All right. Grab your passport and head with us around the world.
We're going to begin in South Korea where the Navy says it has rescued sailors from a ship that was hijacked from pirates.
That was just perfect timing for you Zain Verjee. You've been doing this entire special on pirates; talking to them, and talking about the threat.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes and Kyra, you know, this was a very dramatic, very dangerous operation by South Korean forces. If you take a look at the pictures, you can see how the ship there is almost totally bullet-riddled in there. They were able to rescue 21 crew, those are all the hostages that they freed. Eight Somali pirates were killed, they captured five.
This also was a situation where the captain took a gunshot. He had a bullet wound to the stomach but I understand that his injuries are not life-threatening.
Kyra, the one thing to note about this attack, is that it's important because it rarely ever happens because of crew safety.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Well, we've also been seeing some pretty dramatic video of fishing boats in treacherous waters. And we were wondering actually how the cameras got shots of this video and then we realized how close they were to the people on the rocks. I mean, what were they thinking?
VERJEE: That's what everyone is saying. The locals Kyra, are saying these guys were absolutely crazy. What they were trying to do is cross the sand bar here. And just look at that boat. You know, one instance you see it and the next one you don't. You can see how huge those waves are and how dangerous they are. At one instance, one of the boats just totally disappears from view.
But the thing too Kyra, people are saying they're nuts about is that they weren't even wearing life jackets. And this is such a dangerous place to be, it's just on the south side of New Zealand. So they were very lucky they managed to get out alive.
PHILLIPS: Yes, no kidding.
Zain Verjee, have a great weekend. It's great having you with us all week.
VERJEE: You too.
PHILLIPS: Well, a new teen show that might be too hot for MTV. Heck, it might be too hot for U.S. child porn laws. We're talking about the show "Skins" next hour.
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PHILLIPS: Ok, the NFL's conference championship games set for Sunday as two teams look to punch their tickets to the Super Bowl. Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson and Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports here to break down the Sunday's games.
Oh boy, is this going to -- are you guys going to be calm, cool and collected here or --
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: I don't know how you can be calm. It's exciting, right?
JAMAL ANDERSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I'm a little bit calm, I'm a little upset, too, you know.
FISCHEL: Oh yes you --
ANDERSON: I was kind of expecting another team to be in this game.
FISCHEL: Yes you're still a little hurt by the Falcons going down last week.
PHILLIPS: Oh you feel a little sad, feel a little on down in the dumps there, Jamal?
ANDERSON: Yes.
FISCHEL: You know and Jamal, you know, that's one thing we've been talking is the Jets and Steelers they just met three weeks ago.
ANDERSON: Right.
FISCHEL: What's different about this time? Why will the Jets lose? Last time they beat the Steelers.
ANDERSON: Well, I'll tell you what. The biggest difference in this football game is one player, Troy Polamalu. He was out of the game the last time. And one thing, the Jets, the last time they played that the Steelers they were having a tough time. Remember they got blown out by the Patriots. They went home and lost a game again.
They had had to win in Pittsburgh, they had to win. And everybody was talking about how banged up the Steelers were. But Troy Polamalu didn't play. So that made a difference. The Jets went up there and did it.
They're just playing a very, very good football right now, one of the more talented teams in all of the NFL.
But the way that they dominated the Patriots you've got to think the Jets is going to have a heck of a plan for Roethlisberger and company.
FISCHEL: Rex Ryan has been ready every week for the team.
ANDERSON: Yes.
FISCHEL: Absolutely and of course, no matter what's going on, the Jets have been right -- all kinds of distractions, there was of course, trip-gate.
ANDERSON: Right.
FISCHEL: There was accusations of sexual harassment of a female reporter.
ANDERSON: Right.
FISCHEL: You know and then there all of these -- this discussion -- this whole distraction about the foot fetish videos. Well, the Jets -- Kyra was thrown off by this one.
PHILLIPS: Stop it. No, I'm sorry because we did a segment and we got in trouble. I just had to laugh. I choked on my water. Sorry.
It was weird. Ok, can I just tell you? It was weird.
FISCHEL: It's a distraction for an NFL team trying to focus on getting into the Super Bowl. Will it be a distraction Sunday?
ANDERSON: I do think this is a time when playing in New York and being a New York Jet actually helps. I mean they're in New York City. They got 25, 30 beat writers where most teams have two or three or four. Everything that goes on in New York is just kind of another thing.
It seems, listen, with all of this controversy with Rex Ryan, it didn't really matter. He still was talking about how the game is him versus Belichick. How he was going to take out Brady; how he was going to take out Manning.
PHILLIPS: How hot his wife's feet are. Sorry, go ahead. Continue.
ANDERSON: That was Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Continue.
ANDERSON: It was amazing. They continued to do what they were supposed to do and put together great game plans. You have to think, Manning, Brady.
Is Roethlisberger in there next? You know what I was about to say and I stopped.
PHILLIPS: He's off on his motorcycle.
FISCHEL: Well, Roethlisberger, of course, has had his own drama this year.
ANDERSON: Right.
FISCHEL: He was suspended the first four games of the season, the accusations of sexual assault. He seems to have put that behind him and he is playing very well. Again, looking like a guy that can lead the Steelers to another Super Bowl.
ANDERSON: Yes, there's no question about it. And they're home again. And this is a team who's been there before, Jeff. They know what to expect.
Of course, Sanchez and the Jets were in the championship last year. But Ben has got a couple rings already. I don't know, the thing for me is just the Jets are playing really, really good. They're just one of the hotter teams right now in all of football and obviously the Packers, too. FISCHEL: If the Steelers get to the Super Bowl and win, Roethlisberger becomes only the fifth quarterback to win three Super Bowl rings, lead his team. He's been great. He's absolutely been great. We'll see if the Jets can control him, the (INAUDIBLE) game with the Steelers.
All right. Let's move on to the NFC.
ANDERSON: Right.
FISCHEL: Huge rivalry. I mean this goes back decades. Bears and Packers, it is as fierce as it gets in the NFL.
ANDERSON: Yes.
FISCHEL: No. From a Packer fan.
PHILLIPS: Yes. That's right. Living in Green Bay, getting to cover the Packers, I remember it. It was intense, it was great. They messed with each other big time.
FISCHEL: Yes, they do. And they placed twice this year already. What have we learned from those two meetings?
ANDERSON: Just like you said here. The rivalry hasn't changed. It's almost amazing to me that these two storied franchises, obviously some of the originals in the NFL have never met in a championship game like this. That's kind of crazy.
What happens with division rivalries is you know each other so well, these guys from Green Bay could probably call the Bears' plays and vice versa. You have the perfect setup for a football game.
I'm getting hyped right now because I'm like, you have a great defense in Chicago, you have a great quarterback and offense in the packers in Aaron Rodgers, outstanding wide receivers. The key to this game, I give Chicago the nod for running backs with Matt Forte and company. The key to this game when you have two close teams, is you have to go to the quarterbacks, ok?
Jay Cutler makes a lot of people nervous. Jay Cutler, sometimes you make me nervous. But he is where he's supposed to be. He's guided the Bears to the championship game. Is it Jay Cutler or Aaron Rodgers? Number 12 is outstanding. I'm going watch what he did --
PHILLIPS: I have to hear your guys' predictions. Jeff?
FISCHEL: Well, that's the thing. I mean if you ask me who I trust in the NFC, I trust Aaron Rodgers. I mean there's no doubt about it. So if you're going to make me pick I definitely go with Rodgers in the NFC. In the NFC, I'm going to experience of the quarterback.
And I'm going to say Roethlisberger does it again.
ANDERSON: Right. I would love to see Chicago versus the Steelers but I do think we're going to end up with the Packers and the Jets.
PHILLIPS: Love those Packers. That's what I was hoping for.
All right guys. Thanks so much.
ANDERSON: Pleasure.
PHILLIPS: All right. See you.
