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31 Dead at Explosion at Moscow's International Airport; Suspect in Carlina White Kidnapping Turns Herself In; Update on Congresswoman Giffords' Condition; Two Police Officers Killed in St. Petersburg, Florida; State of the Union: Congressional Prom Night?; "Becoming Chaz" Big Hit at Sundance Film Festival

Aired January 24, 2011 - 10:59   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Have a great day, Randi. Thanks.

Live from Studio 7, I'm Carol Costello.

We begin with breaking news.

Russia says at least 31 people are dead in an explosion at Moscow's main international airport. These pictures just coming into us. And I warn you, a very graphic video to show you.

A hundred and thirty people were wounded, along with those 31 who were killed. Reuters and Russian news agencies say a suicide bomber carried out the attack in the baggage claim area.

We'll have a live report from Moscow in just a few minutes.

Police in suburban Cleveland scramble to evacuate all 3,000 people in the Village of Fairport Harbor today. It turns out it wasn't necessary, thank goodness. Five houses and other buildings caught fire after a primary gas line ruptured. But the fires are out, the gas turned off.

Happening now at the White House, the president and first lady will outline new ways for the government to support U.S. military families. They'll be joined by the vice president and his wife, Jill Biden. Michelle Obama promotes the new push for military families on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Thursday.

Detroit's police chief says visitors may soon face a security screening to get inside a police precinct. That's because a man opened fire inside a police station this weekend, wounding four officers. Police managed to shoot and kill the gunman.

Here's the Detroit police chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RALPH L. GODBEE, JR., DETROIT POLICEMAN: -- began firing. And as you can imagine, I mean, utter chaos and pandemonium took place.

But through it all, our officers maintained courageous calm, they returned fire, they took cover. They did all the things that we train them to do under pressure. And we're very fortunate. We're very blessed today to stand before you with the belief that all four of them will be OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Back to our breaks news now.

Russian state TV says at least 31 are dead, 130 wounded after an explosion at Moscow's main airport. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke about the tragedy a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMITRY MEDVEDEV, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As for the investigation, we need to establish an investigation committee to perform as soon as possible all investigative actions on site. I have ordered the Moscow mayor and the governor of the Moscow district to come there. They're currently heading for the airport. And we need to make -- to do everything we can to make sure all investigation -- investigative actions are carried out and all information is obtained.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN is getting pictures from that Moscow airport. But they're so graphic, we're going through them. When we find some suitable for air, of course we'll put them up for you.

Right now, Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Dougherty joins us. She spent years in Russia. She was the CNN Moscow Bureau Chief.

And Jill, this is Moscow's busiest airport passenger-wise. I know you've been in that airport a million times. Where exactly did this explosion occur?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the question, Carol. I mean, it appears that it happened outside of the security area. But, you know, that information is changing as we speak.

But one thing you can say is it is a modern airport. It was upgraded a few years ago. It's really top notch in terms of security inside, it would appear.

There are other areas where it may not be. And obviously something happened.

And President Medvedev, just a few minutes ago, did say that some security laws are not working. So he didn't elaborate on what that means, but obviously he appears to think that something was not being carried out the way it should be.

And by the way, you know, Carol, I've been checking -- oh, go on, please.

COSTELLO: No, no. I just want people to understand exactly what happened more. Was it a suicide bomber, or is it someone who set off a bomb in that area?

DOUGHERTY: Yes. They believe that it was a suicide bomber.

So you have this airport. It's outside Moscow quite a bit, a very busy airport. It has domestic flights and international flights. And, as I said, a pretty sophisticated place.

It appears that there was a suicide bomber. They have immediately launched an investigation. And it's a terrorism investigation. So that is what they suspect right from the beginning.

Also, you know, Carol, I've been checking some Web sites, and there's one radio station in Moscow that's a news radio, checking that Web site. They have been -- the security and police, et cetera, have been checking security cameras, according to these media, and checking who looks familiar, who doesn't, is there anybody suspicious. And that's one thing immediately that they are going to be doing.

And the president sent, as you probably know, the mayor and the governor to that airport. They will be, you know, supervising and hopefully getting to this investigation. But the question still at this point is, who and why?

COSTELLO: I was just going to get into that, because when we say "terrorists," our mind always flips to one exact thing. But in Russia, when you say "terrorists," what does that usually mean?

DOUGHERTY: Terrorism in Russia usually means the caucuses, Chechnya. And although, you know, that hasn't been, at least in the West, a lot of news reports about that region, but it continues to fester. And that would be the first -- the suspicion that Russian authorities would have, it would be certainly the first suspicion that Russian people would have.

And then also, you have to put this together. Perhaps there is no connection, but President Medvedev will be off on a very important trip this week to a very big economic summit in Davos, Switzerland, high profile. And I'm sure carrying the message that Russia is a good place to invest, secure, et cetera. And this obviously comes to the foreground in that type of trip.

COSTELLO: Tell us a little more about the makeup of the caucuses, because some in Russia are saying this is an Islamic insurgency. Tell us what that means.

DOUGHERTY: Well, increasingly, it has been. I mean, the area that we're talking about is Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, areas near the caucuses mountains in the south of Russia. And a lot of those areas are Muslim.

Originally, it started out more as a separatist movement, but it has taken on an international significance, because, you know, some of the fighters that you find around the world in spots like Afghanistan, in Iraq, et cetera, were inspired -- I guess you could use the word -- by Russia's crackdown on their separatist movement a number of years ago. And so it continues to be an inspiration for terrorists around the world.

Some of them have gone there. Some of them want to go there. And it's very much in the mix internationally.

Now, for Russians, you have to go back -- I mean, for years they have been dealing -- really since the beginning of President Putin, when Putin was president -- with a number of terrorist attacks carried out by Chechens. So, as I said, that would be the first suspicion.

COSTELLO: OK. Jill, stick around. Matthew Chance is on the phone right now. He's on the way to that airport in Moscow.

Matthew, what do you know? What's the latest information?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.

Well, information still very much trickling down to us here in the Russian capital. There's transport chaos, I can tell you, in the center of the city.

I'm in a car right now, as you mentioned, trying to get myself to Domodedovo Airport, which is about 25 miles or so outside of the city's center. It's quite a distance away, actually. And even on a day when something's happened -- I was discussing this with the driver -- it's difficult to get there, there's a lot of traffic, even on ordinary days. But today, obviously, the roads apparently have been cut off as we approach the airport.

We're trying to get closer, but in terms of what information we're getting, very difficult at the moment. The latest figures we have are still the ones that you've been reporting within the past two minutes. Government officials are sticking with that figure of 31 people killed as a result of that apparent suicide bomber blast.

COSTELLO: And not only that, Matthew -- not only that, but 130 injured or more. We're getting in pictures from the airport right now. They're very graphic pictures. We've gone through them. We're going to put some up on the air.

Tell us about -- you've been in that airport as well. Tell us about the scene there and what it might look like, because I know you've been in contact with people there.

CHANCELAM: I can imagine -- I can just imagine it. From what I've seen throughout my career, I can just imagine what it would be like to explode a suicide bomb in an airport as crowded as that on a night like this, when so many thousands of people, Russians and, of course, people from around the world as well, that use Domodedovo as the main point of access in and out of Russia, business people, tourists, people seeing friends and family and loved ones. And I think in this area where the explosion took place -- and we don't have that confirmed yet, but it seems to be in the location of a coffee shop called Cafe Asia (ph), which is just as you come out of international baggage reclaim.

You come out as you, as you do so often in these airports, and you're confronted by a wall of taxi drivers who are touting for your business, trying to get you into their car so they can drive you into town. And it's a very narrow part of the airport as well.

And so people are very tightly packed. There's usually hundreds of people in that hall waiting for loved ones, taxi drivers as well.

And so, if it is, indeed, a suicide bomb that's been detonated in that area, it will be absolutely catastrophic. And I think that's why we're seeing such high casualty figures, 31 dead, 130 injured.

COSTELLO: And if it is right there in that particular spot in the airport, Matthew -- I'm just comparing it to airports here in the United States -- there really isn't much of a security presence in that particular area. Is that true as well in Moscow?

CHANCELAM: Yes. It's the place you go to when you're picking up somebody who's arrived from an international flight. You go there, you wait outside the sliding doors. You've got a barrier keeping you back from (INAUDIBLE).

But the doors open, and then the people come through. And there's hugs, there's kisses. There's taxi drivers confronting you. You know, and so it's exactly that kind of situation that exists -- places that exist in virtually big, modern international airport in the world that I've traveled through.

You're right, security to get there, as you'll know, as you've gone into an international airport just as a regular civilian, not as a passenger, it's not that tight. Of course there are patrols of police. Of course there are security cameras.

But I think what Jill Dougherty was reporting, and I feel I can confirm this as well, is that what tends to happen is they tend to scan your bag when you go in and not your actual personage. They don't tend to put you through a metal detector, just your bag.

And I can tell you from experience, not even your bag sometimes. Sometimes you just walk straight through until you get to check-in, and then after that you have to go through very intense security. But of course you wouldn't have to go through that security if you're just going to meet somebody from an aircraft. And so if it is a suicide bomber, or somebody with a bomb that's planted it there, they perhaps would not have had to go through most areas (ph) of the security enforced at Domodedovo.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance, we're going to let you head to the airport. You're heading to the airport right now. When you get there, we'll rejoin you live.

Again, a suicide bombing in a Moscow airport, the third largest in Russia. Thirty-one people dead, 130 injured or more.

When we get more, we'll get it to you.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A woman accused of snatching a baby from a New York hospital more than two decades ago is due in court this morning. The stolen baby is now 23 years old. She's reunited with her biological family after essentially solving the case herself. The woman accused of taking her is expected to face federal kidnapping charges.

Let's bring in National Correspondent Susan Candiotti. She's outside the courthouse in New York.

Susan, how did the suspect -- her name is Ann Pettway -- how did she end up in custody?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we actually talked about some exclusive details about how -- the circumstances under which she turned herself in on Sunday. And now we have even more information about that.

It turns out, according to a law enforcement source, that she contacted a Bridgeport Police officer that she knew via his personal Facebook page on Sunday. Then a meeting was arranged for her to turn herself in. So with the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Department, she then contacted the FBI and she turned herself in to the FBI on Sunday.

Now, she is expected to be making her very first court appearance here in New York City. She was brought here last night on federal kidnapping charges. This will be her first appearance in court. It should be a very short hearing.

But the real break in this case appeared to come on Saturday, when there was a sighting of Ann Pettway as she went to a pawnshop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, trying to sell some of her jewelry. She didn't like the price she got, so she quickly left. But an alert employee then contacted the police after recognizing her from media reports.

Here's how police confirmed that it was her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. KEITH BRYANT, BRIDGEPORT POLICE DEPT.: They were able to obtain some video surveillance from the store. And based on what they observed and what -- the photographs that we had of her, they confirmed, in fact, that it was her in question.

CANDIOTTI: And she came in by herself?

BRYANT: She came in by herself, yes. And she turned around and she left on foot.

The clerk advised the detectives that he didn't observe her get into a car. He immediately jumped on the telephone and called the police department, made them aware of his sightings.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CANDIOTTI: Of course, finally, there may be an opportunity for everyone involved in this case, particularly Carlina White and her birth mother, to find out exactly why, as this case rolls along, why this happened to begin with, why she was snatched as a baby back in 1987, when she was only 19 days old.

Back to you.

COSTELLO: We're not likely to find out much about that in court today, right, Susan?

CANDIOTTI: No. This is really a very normal hearing. It should only last a few minutes. It's just to acknowledge that she is there. They'll probably quickly set a date for when she will have a bond hearing, a detention hearing, and then it'll roll on from there.

COSTELLO: Susan Candiotti reporting live from New York today.

Thank you.

The young man charged in the Tucson shooting rampage heads to federal court today, too, for arraignment. Jared Loughner will answer to three counts of attempted murder this afternoon. He'll appear before a California judge sitting in Phoenix. Arizona judges recused themselves because one of their colleagues was among the victims. Prosecutors are expected to push for murder indictments later.

Doctors say full-fledged rehabilitation for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will wait because fluid is building on her brain.

Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins me now to kind of take us through what's happening with Congresswoman Giffords.

I guess this isn't so uncommon, Elizabeth, is it?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not uncommon at all. Doctors tell me this actually happens quite frequently with people with this kind of an injury.

Let me tell you what her brain -- what sort of is going on here.

This is the way a normal brain would look. You have some fluid. You see it there in blue, Carol. And here you have a buildup of more fluid after an injury like the one that she had.

And this pink around here is swelling, and that puts pressure on the brain. That's obviously not a good thing. So what they do is they drain it. They just literally put a pipe in there and drain it so that it drains outside her body to take some of that pressure away -- Carol.

COSTELLO: See, that sounds absolutely awful to me. But it's a common procedure that they do all the time? It's something they're not worried about?

COHEN: No. It's something they do all the time, and it's something that keeps you in the intensive care unit. That's the thing.

When you have something going into your brain from the outside, that can relatively easily get infected. And so they do want to get this out as soon as possible. You can't live forever with a drain going from your brain to the outside. It just could get infected too easily.

COSTELLO: Oh, my gosh.

Despite all this, she's making remarkable progress, right?

COHEN: Right. Doctors say she really is doing quite well.

She still can't speak. She still can't stand up on her own. But they're really quite impressed with the strength on her left-hand side.

And I spoke over the weekend to Dr. Gerard Francisco, one of her doctors in Texas. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. GERARD FRANCISCO, TIRR MEMORIAL HERMANN: At one point her leg was dangling in the bed, and we asked her to bring her leg up. After a couple of seconds, she brought the left leg up without any further delay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, to bring the leg from a dangling position up on to the bed sounds so small, Carol. But really, it is a very, very good sign. And while she can't go into full-time rehab yet, she does have a couple of hours of physical therapy every day.

COSTELLO: When she finally makes it into rehab -- and we hope it's soon -- how long is her road to recovery?

COHEN: You know, it's measured not in days, not in weeks, but in months. I mean, four to six months. It could even be longer than that.

I spoke to a policeman who had a very similar injury to hers. And three years later, he's still undergoing physical therapy. He's doing great, but he said he's always looking to get even better.

COSTELLO: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks for making it clear for us. We appreciate it.

COHEN: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Let's head live to the White House now, because President Obama is speaking, along with his wife. The president and the first lady are outlining new ways for the government to support U.S. military families.

Let's listen to the president. (JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with these presidential directives, these are reserved for some of the most important and complex national security challenges. I think Mike Mullen will share with you, since becoming president, I've only ordered about a dozen, including this one, which we believe is the first one ever on behalf of military families.

And today I'm proud to announce that for the first time ever, supporting the well-being of our military families will be a priority not just for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, but all across the federal government. That's why all these cabinet folks are here today.

Sixteen members of my cabinet have committed their departments and agencies to making military families one of their highest priorities. And we're focusing on four areas, the things you said mattered most to you, whether you're Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine or Coast Guard, active Guard or Reserve, a veteran or a member of a family of a fallen.

We didn't wait for today to launch these efforts. Many of these efforts have already been under way, and that includes innovative new partnerships so that in tough fiscal times, our government is more efficient and serves you better.

Let me just list our primary areas of focus.

First, we are putting new emphasis on the quality of life for our military families. The Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, for example, have joined forces to improve community mental health services and prevent suicides.

A new office in the Treasury Department is working to protect military families from abusive practices like predatory lending. It turns out that military families are more subject to some of these financial scams than just about any other group.

The Agricultural Department is expanding its support for families in rural areas. A disproportionate number of our military families come from rural areas, or are stationed in rural communities.

The Interior Department -- we --

COSTELLO: Let's step away from the president right now. This isn't over.

On Thursday, Michelle Obama will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about what else the United States can do to help military families.

We're going to toss to a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Again, we're following breaking news out of Moscow.

In Moscow's busiest passenger airport, a suicide bomber set off an explosion that killed 31 people and injured more than 100 people. That explosion, we believe, ripped through a baggage claim area.

We've been getting in video over the past 30 minutes. And as you can see, some of it is disturbing. We've been screening it. We just wanted to show you a bit of what it looked like inside that Moscow airport.

We've also just learned that the Russian president has postponed his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, because of the bombing. And that's according to Kremlin officials, and that's what they told us just a short time ago.

President Obama assesses the state of the economy in his "State of the Union" speech tomorrow night. He says jobs will be the main focus, along with revving up the economy in general. The president says he might also include a call for bipartisanship and civility.

He gave supporters a preview of the speech in a taped message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I'm focused on making sure that the economy is working for everybody, for the entire American family. How do we make sure that people have good jobs with good benefits? How do we make sure that somebody who has a good idea can suddenly start a business? How are we going to make sure that we have the most innovative, dynamic economy in the world? And how do we make sure that our kids are able to compete with workers anywhere in the world?

Now, to do that we're going to have to out-innovate, we're going to have to out-build, we're going to have to out-compete, we're going to have to out-educate other countries. That's our challenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So the president gives his take on the state of the union and the economy, and then lawmakers put their spin on it. But what is the state of the union when it comes to, let's say, housing?

CNN turned to a number of top experts for their insight. Christine Romans of our Money team joins us now from New York to talk about what those experts are saying.

Hey, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.

Well, we asked them to rate the state of housing in this country. We talked to a variety of very top experts about where things stand right now with your most important asset, probably your biggest debt, too, your house.

We asked them is it weak, improving, strong, or very strong, where we stand right now? And the answer, to a person with no disagreement, was that the state of American housing is still weak.

Here's what Mark Zandi from Moody's Analytics explained, why it is so weak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ZANDI, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: Housing is the economy's weakest link. Of course, it was ground zero for the financial panic in the Great Recession. And we still have more work to do.

Home sales and housing construction, they have stabilized at incredibly low levels. But unfortunately, I think we've got more house price declines coming.

We have over four million mortgage loans in the default process. Many will go through to a distressed sale, and that will put downward pressure on housing values. So, unfortunately, more house price declines are coming. The housing sector is weak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: More house price declines coming. That's what Mark Zandi just said. Here's why.

Bank repossessions last year, this is -- you know, the padlock on the front door, Carol, averaged 3,287 every single day. Every day, and we're on track for that kind of number or higher for this year, because according to RealtyTrac, you've got four million to five million overall foreclosures. That's every stage of the process before that padlock on the door.

What about home values? Mark Zandi said he thinks that they're going to continue to decline.

Well, Mark Zandi, he -- overall, you're going to see prices maybe move up 0.6 percent. That's the average from RealtyTrac, 0.6 percent. But you have forecasts all the way from another decline of 11 percent to a rise of 5 percent for home prices. So that's what it looks like when you "stabilize" at very low levels.

So, that's just the hard facts, the state of the housing market.

COSTELLO: I know. Whatever way you look at it, it's ugly. It's just ugly.

ROMANS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Christine, you're going to be back.

And when Christine comes back, she'll take a look at the state of the job market. You may be surprised at what the experts have to say about that.

We'll find out just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Live pictures from the White House where President Obama will be putting the finishing touches on tomorrow night's State of the Union address. Of course, you can see that live here on CNN with the Best Political Team on Television.

President Obama will give his assessment on how the country is doing. So what is the state of the union when it comes to jobs? Again, CNN turned to a number of top experts for their insight.

Christine Romans of our Money Team is back with us from New York to talk about their conclusions.

Christine, take it away.

ROMANS: And again, Carol, we asked them to rate the state of the job situation in this country. We asked them if it's weak, if it's improving, if it's strong, or very strong. And the consensus was that the jobs market is improving. After a very brutal couple of years, they're seeing some bright spots.

Again, Mark Zandi from Moody's Analytics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZANDI: The job market is improving. We've created more jobs over the past year -- 1.35 million private sector jobs over the past year. And I think all preconditions for a better job market are coming into place. Businesses are very profitable, their balance sheets are strong. It's increasingly no longer a question of can they go out and hire more, it's more of a question of are they willing. And I think they will become more willing in coming months. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The big question, of course, is who will they be hiring as they creep out there and begin adding to their payrolls?

Bill Rogers, a former Labor Department Economist in the Clinton administration, now at Rutgers University, he told us the first beneficiaries of this new accelerated hiring will be people with the right match of education, experience, and skills. He said we're going to be very far from being able to provide enough jobs to absorb all those people who lost their jobs in the recession.

Just today, along the lines of the better news about the job situation, the National Association for Business Economics, a trade group, those economists forecast that 42 percent of their members surveyed said they will be hiring within the next six months. Forty- two percent said they will be hiring. That compares with 29 percent a year ago. So, Carol, you can see the improvement there.

And when you look at the number of people, number of those folks who said they would be firing, that was just seven percent. So it's the best spread between hiring and firing. The employment outlook, at a 12-year high.

So, there you go. We're going to have a lot of work to do to dig out of the hole, Carol. There is no question about that. People who've been out of work 99 weeks, the 99ers, they're still going to have a difficult time finding their way. But the job outlook, according to the experts that we surveyed, they pretty much agree that it is improving -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, that's a bit of bright news and we like that.

Thank you, Christine.

Tune in to CNN and CNN.com tomorrow night for the State of the Union address. Our prime time coverage with the Best Political Team on Television begins at 7:00 Eastern. Then President Obama's speech begins at 9:00. That's followed by the Republican response and a full wrap-up with reaction and analysis anchored by Anderson Cooper.

She delighted TV viewers in the '70s on her parents' variety hour, "The Sonny and Cher Show." Now Chastity Bono's gender transformation is the subject of a new documentary, "Becoming Chaz."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAZ BONO, "BECOMING CHAZ": I don't have memories until later in life, in fact. Until at least, like, four, five, six. I don't remember anything from my early childhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: "Becoming Chaz" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival Sunday. CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson is in Park City, Utah.

I see you have some very special guests with you who had a lot to do with the documentary.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: They certainly did, Carol. Yes, "Becoming Chaz" is the documentary that Oprah Winfrey could not wait to get her hands on. She bought it before the festival even started. And I'm joined now by the men behind the documentary, Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey.

Congratulations on the premiere. I was there. Standing ovation, rousing applause. It was a huge success.

FENTON BAILEY, CO-DIRECTOR, "BECOMING CHAZ": Yes, it was very exciting. We spent about two years making this film and last night was sort of the icing on the cake. It was really exciting.

ANDERSON: Well, the movie chronicles Chaz Bono's transformation from female to male. What surprised you the most about Chaz and about the process that you learned during filming?

RANDY BARBATO, CO-DIRECTOR, "BECOMING CHAZ": The physical changes are evident. The profound psychological shift as he really becomes a man. I think that surprised us. I think that surprised his partner Jennifer. And actually, I think it surprised Chaz himself, too. ANDERSON: I asked Chaz after the screening, during the brief Q&A, you know, if it was difficult to relive any of the moments, the tough times when he watched it on film. And he said, yes, there are some ups and downs. But it's not hard to watch it. He's happy now. He just wants to help other people who might be struggling with gender identity issues, as well.

What message do you hope this movie sends?

BAILEY: One of the messages I hope it sends we actually have more in common with someone like Chaz Bono than we think. Like, we imagine someone transitioning from one gender to another is so different than we are. But, in fact, Chaz is just a regular Joe. And we have a lot more in common than I think we realize.

ANDERSON: He has a great sense of humor. So the heavy moments were, you know, uplifted with light hearted moments, as well. So you guys did a great job with that as well. But there were times that were difficult to watch. For me, his mother Cher obviously had a tough time accepting it.

Have you spoken with her since the movie? Has she seen the movie and her part in it?

BARBATO: We don't know if she's seen it. When you transition, it's the beginning of a process, not the end of a process. It's like life, it's something to be managed. And you can see the relationship shift from a mother/daughter relationship to a mother/son relationship. And I think there's a long way to go. But we've all got a long way to go, right?

ANDERSON: And when does the movie -- very quickly -- it will air on the OWN network in the spring?

BAILEY: In the spring. I think maybe even May 1st is what I heard.

ANDERSON: Looking forward to that. Congratulations.

Carol, it's "Becoming Chaz," and they're planning a sequel, as well.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Thanks so much, Brooke.

We've been telling you about breaking news out of Moscow for the past couple of hours now. We have an update on how many were killed. We still believe that 31 people were killed. And officials in Moscow are now downgrading the number of people injured to 54 or so. We're going to have much more information out of Moscow and that suicide bombing in the busiest airport there, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Telling you about that breaking news out of most Moscow. A suicide bomber set off an explosion in the busiest airport in the city of Moscow. Thirty-one people are believed to have been killed and some 54 seriously injured and another 94 or so suffered slight injuries. Amazingly enough, according to Russian authorities, the airport is up and running. They say there have been no delays, which is kind of hard to believe with so many killed in that baggage area.

Joining us now is our national security contributor Fran Townsend.

I'd like you to put this in perspective and tell us what this explosion in this airport might mean the United States?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Russian government struggle against Chechens and extremists who are also sort of Sunni extremist, al Qaeda-like group is years in its history.

In 2004, two Chechen women blew themselves up on planes, bringing planes down and killing everybody on board with explosive vests. This is a change of tactics that, as you mention, has real implications for TSA here in the United States.

Our understanding right now is that the suicide bomber comes into the arrivals area where you pick up your bags. The problem with that for U.S. officials is there is no screening. Anyone can come into the arrivals area to meet guests, to pick up their bags. Once you're in the arrivals area, oftentimes you can go upstairs or further into the airport where there is food courts and shops and get closer. You can't get into the gate area without going through security. But you can get pretty far into the airport.

And so, already here in New York, you're seeing in office buildings the security folks are approaching you before you get inside the lobby of the building. And I think you're going to see a change in protocols around U.S. airports, around arrival areas.

COSTELLO: So what might that mean? Will everyone -- will people not be allowed in the airport to meet their loved ones who are picking up bags? Will we have to park even farther from airport curbside than we already do?

TOWNSEND: I don't expect you'll see people having to park further away. Although that has often been a concern for security officials. The question will be, will there be more of a police presence? Will you see more bomb-sniffing dogs as you enter through an arrival area? It'll be very difficult to screen everyone coming into that area.

And frankly what we've seen over the years since 9/11 are al Qaeda and Sunni extremists will adapt their tactics around the screening procedures that they can observe at airports, at train stations. And so this is just one more adaptation. Security officials are going to have to see how can they adapt to, to try and protect the traveling public.

COSTELLO: Fran Townsend, many thanks to you. Live in New York today.

And again, in case you're just joining us, a suicide bomber set off an explosion in a Moscow airport, its busiest passenger airport, killed 31 people, injured about 100 more. You're looking at pictures we're just getting in to CNN. The suicide bomber set off that explosion right outside of a little restaurant in the airport, near the baggage claim area, which is causing all of this concern all around the world.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: We have an update on a story we've been following this morning out of St. Petersburg, Florida. Two police officers have died. A gunman shot and killed the two officers and wounded a federal marshal who were trying to serve an arrest warrant at a home. This makes at least 10 officers shot around the country in the past 24 hours. The others were in Detroit, Indianapolis, and Washington State.

Existing home sales jumped 12 percent in December. Is it your time to become a homeowner? Stephanie Elam is here to tell us whether it's better to rent versus buy in this strange market.

Hi.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. That's what a lot of people are wondering. Twelve percent is a big jump and economists say that put sales at the highest level since June when the home buyer tax credit expired. With the median price of homes sold at $168,000, you might be thinking about moving from the renters market and becoming a buyer.

But there are a few things to consider. First, Carmen Wong Ulrich, who's the author of "The Real Cost of Living," says you need to consider these five questions before you even start on the path to homeownership. One, do you plan to stay in your house for more than five years? Do you have job security? Do you have six to eight months o of living expenses saved outside of your down payment? And, do you have 10 percent to put down? Is homeownership also, is it important to you personally and financially.

If you answered yes to these following questions homeownership might make sense for you. But don't feel you need to make any sort of rushed decision right now. Historically the housing market hasn't bounced back overnight ever. That's never happened. So you actually do have some time, Carol.

COSTELLO: But it's taking such a long time this time around.

But if you really have your mind set on buying a home, though, Stephanie, what can you do to lessen the cost, to make it possible?

ELAM: Right. And Everyone would love to have that slice of the American Dream. But you've got to make sure you've got all of your financial documents in order. Take a look at your credit score. John Ulzheimer, he's from SmartCredit.com says an elite score is around 750. The higher your score, the lower your interest rate you'll be able to earn from the mortgage company.

Also, Carmen has other simple advice. Buy less house than you think you can afford. You want to be able to pay the mortgage if you want to pay the mortgage if you suddenly lose your job or if you lose a job or have unforeseen medical expenses. And those things that you don't know, usually those are the most painful ones, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. Those are the killers.

ELAM: Yes.

COSTELLO: So how do you figure out the real cost of renting versus buying? I know, Stephanie, you're going to come back and answer that for us in a couple of moments.

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COSTELLO: We're back with Stephanie Elam on renting versus buying.

And Steph, you have a quick way to figure out how to compare the costs. So, let's talk about the costs.

ELAM: Yes. Yes. We spoke to Carmen Wong Ulrich. She told us about this rule of 15 she has to figure out the costs associated with renting versus buying.

So, take a look at this. Multiply your annual rent by 15, then you want to compare that to the going asking price for a home in your area. If the sales price is much higher than your annual rent times 15, then renting may be the best option. But if your rent is higher than the sales price, then it might be a buyer's market for you.

And one last thing Carmen also said to us. You got to remember the other real expenses. For owning, there's utilities, there's maintenance, there's property taxes, there's extra community costs probably. With renting, you don't want to forget with real estate agent's finder's fees, security deposits, and renter's insurance.

All of those little things in both columns can really add up. And there's one added bonus though, if you are renting. If something breaks, you can always just call the owner and say, hey, come fix it.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's true. That's so nice, isn't it? I miss those days.

ELAM: Yes. I know, those were good days.

COSTELLO: Stephanie Elam, thanks very much.

A former senator wants his job back and it's causing quite the stir on Capitol Hill.

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COSTELLO: Former senator George Allen wants his old job back but it's how he's going about announcing that that has Democrats all atwitter.

Dana Bash, part of the Best Political Team on Television joins us from Capitol Hill.

So what's all of the fuss about, Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The fuss is about just as you said, George Allen, the Republican, former Republican senator, former Republican governor, also from Virginia. He does want his old job back.

You remember, Carol, back in 2006, this was one of the closest races. It was one of those not called until well after Election Day. And now he is going to say today, look, I want to come back to Capitol Hill.

But Democrats are not waiting for that. They already are going after George Allen, talking about, you remember that so-called "macaca" moment, that so-called infamous moment --

COSTELLO: Who could forget?

BASH: -- that he was caught on tape. One of those first moments that was caught by one of those trackers where he made a comment that was seen as potentially racist. He, of course, denied that and said that's not what he meant. But regardless, that was where things went downhill from there.

Democrats are saying that's the least of his worries. That since he was defeated here, that he has been somebody who is a Republican established candidate who has been involved incorporate interest. And that, actually, to be honest with you, might be one of his biggest issues there. There is already a Tea Party candidate in that race for the Republican nomination in Virginia, Carol. So, that may be a big problem for him in this climate when it comes to Republicans.

And second item on the ticker, Carol, is all of the buzz here on Capitol Hill. Of course, we are just over 24 hours away from President Obama's State of the Union address here. And the issue is spending, spending, and spending.

Republicans were all over the Sunday's talk shows yesterday. We're also hearing from them today, talking about the fact that they really mean it when they say they are going to make sure that spending is slashed.

You remember, in the pledge that House Republicans made? They said they were going to cut back to 2008 spending levels. Well, there are a lot of Republicans in the House who say, that's not enough. We want to cut even more. We want to cut trillions of dollars and that will mean some really tough cuts for programs that are popular. And the President and Democrats are saying, OK, we understand we need to cut some spending but they also want to increase in areas like infrastructure and clean coal technology, clean energy. So this fight is just beginning. It's going to dominate, dominate over the next several months.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. But of course they're going to try to do that in a bipartisan spirit and to set that up, they're going to sit together, Democrat and Republican at the State of the Union.

And already jokes -- for Senator Kristen Gillibrand and Senator John Thune sitting together, I think USA called them the prom king and queen?

BASH: Well, you know, I know we don't have a lot of time left but let me just tell you that from last week or even before that when this started becoming a thing here, that was absolutely what it was. Our congressional producer Ted Barrett (ph) said from the beginning, this is turning out to be like the prom. Everybody is racing for a date.

And I've talked to so many members of Congress who have told me, you know, the stories about them calling their Republican or Democratic counterpart and saying, would you go with me? Would you go with me? One ever joked about whether or not she was going to get a corsage. So, we'll see.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: It will be interesting. Dana Bash, many thanks to you.

Your next political update in an hour. And for the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.