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Egypt's 'Day of Departure'; Egyptian Military's Critical Role; Saving Brooklyn; Can't Light Up At Park; The Help Desk; Super Bowl Uniting Americans; From Homeless To Super Bowl

Aired February 04, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.

Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, they're loud, festive. So far, peaceful today. The army has surrounded the plaza, apparently to keep supporters of President Hosni Mubarak out. But late reports say people for and against him are locked in street battles less than a half-mile from the square.

Al Jazeera says thugs stormed its offices in Cairo today and burned television equipment. The Arab language network says it's the government's latest move to stop coverage of the protests. Authorities ordered Al Jazeera to halt operations in Egypt last Sunday, but it has not done so.

Protesters hit the streets in Jordan today.

(CHANTING)

MALVEAUX: Several hundred people gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman to demand President Mubarak go. A small demonstration compared to last week, perhaps because of the heavy rain. Well, Jordan's king fired his prime minister this week and pledged political reforms.

A new development to tell you about in the case against Jared Loughner. CNN confirms the federal government will prosecute him first. He's charged with attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. State prosecutors will pursue a criminal case against him afterwards.

Well, he's a go. NASA announced a short time ago that Mark Kelly will command Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final flight in April. Kelly's participation has been in doubt since his wife, Congresswoman Giffords, was shot almost a month ago. She is now in rehabilitation.

Well, the unemployment rate fell to 9 percent in January. That's down from 9.4 percent the month before. But the Labor Department reports the economy created just 36,000 new jobs. Now, that is far fewer than expected.

Now I want to go back to Egypt and the anti-government protesters who refused to be silenced or intimidated. Our Ivan Watson is in Cairo. He is on the ground. Ivan, give us a sense of what this feels like, what it looks like today, the mood in Tahrir Square.

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's absolutely festive. I don't know if you can hear over the microphone, Suzanne, the sound of music blaring from speakers behind me.

A crowd of thousands, if not tens of thousands, waving flags, chanting. People from all different walks of life gathered here after this square was the scene of bloody fighting for two days and two nights. And now, apparently, given a space after Friday prayers for a massive demonstration where people have come together to repeat one demand, the ouster, the overthrow of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

Now, this has been, here in the square, completely peaceful. I have seen no signs of violence or clashes. But what a difference in a sprawling city like this a few hundred yards can make.

I just got back from taking a walk down some side streets here, where hundreds of young Egyptians, anti-Mubarak demonstrators, have been in pitch battles for hours now, where pro-Mubarak supporters and the anti-Mubarak youth have captured, if you can believe it or not, several city blocks to the east of here, including an area called Talaat Harb Square. And they have set up barricades and checkpoints. The streets are littered with debris, and during what was a 15-minute walk there and back, I saw at least five young men carried back wounded, one with an apparent broken foot, carried back to a medical -- like a first-aid center that's been established on the edge of this square, where there was a prisoner pretty badly beaten around his face, who was being watched over by an Egyptian soldier.

So, a massive, peaceful, joyous rally here, and gangs of pro-and- anti-Mubarak youth in pitch battles, throwing rocks just a few hundred meters from where I'm standing in the side streets -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Ivan Watson, there on the ground.

Thank you so much. We appreciate that.

Well, there is another blast of snow and ice for states along the Gulf Coast. It is so bad in Dallas, that American and Southwest Airlines cancelled more than 600 flights today. Now, that has many football fans scrambling for another way to Dallas for Sunday's Super Bowl.

Now you're up to speed in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, here's your chance to "Talk Back" on the Super Bowl. Carol Costello, she has our question for you about football.

Carol, what are you asking?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, an insane number of you will be worshipping at the altar Sunday. And I'm not talking about that altar, I'm talking about worship of another kind -- football. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but Sunday means football, and maybe church if you fit it in.

The NFL is enjoying a fine season. The 2010 regular season reached 207.7 million viewers. That is the most in history.

I don't care if you love Sarah Palin or if you love Nancy Pelosi. Chances are, if you root for the same football team, you're sitting together.

It got me wondering. What is it about football that draws us together? I talked to the New York Jets -- at least some of them. They say hope is the secret ingredient.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON TAYLOR, NEW YORK JETS: There's always a chance that your team and your marker, who whoever you root for, can come out of nowhere, win the Super Bowl, or get in the playoffs.

REX RYAN, COACH, NEW YORK JETS: It's still one of the only games that it takes courage to play. You know, like, there's some other ones that -- you know, and if I was staying in and watching the 95- mile-per-hour fastball, it probably takes some courage. But, you know, like, this is still a physical sport, more so than any other one, and I think people really like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, there you have it. Rex Ryan says it is about smashmouth football, violence, but other people think it's about other things, like the soap opera that goes around football players nowadays. They say that's what draws in women.

They say it's the NFL marketing campaign. They've made football patriotic. And as you heard Rex Ryan say, kind of a quintessential America thing to watch when he talks about courage and patriotism.

So, "Talk Back" today, what is it about football that unites Americans?

Let us know what you they on Facebook.com/CarolCNN. We'll have some of your answers in about 50 minutes.

MALVEAUX: All right. Looking forward to it, Carol. Thank you.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, now a quick look on what's ahead "On the Rundown."

Egypt in crisis. The Egyptian military could play a crucial role in the country's future.

And raising shrimp in the Nevada desert. It's an unexpected way of "Building up America."

Also, New York bans smoking outdoors. It's one of our under- covered stories of the week.

And finally, your turn -- that's right -- to "Choose the News." We're going to recap those three stories that you get to pick from.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Well, with the future of Egypt's government uncertain, Michael Holmes is going to explain just how critical the military could be in a transition of leadership.

But first, this Sunday would have marked Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. But besides the nation's 40th president and an accomplished actor, one of Reagan's first jobs was as a lifeguard. And he was pretty good at that too.

So how many people has Ronald Reagan said to have saved from drowning. Was it, A, five swimmers; B, 21 swimmers; or, C, 77 swimmers?

We'll find out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: OK. So, while he worked as a lifeguard for seven -- well, he worked as a lifeguard. This is Ronald Reagan. The question is, how many swimmers to the soon-to-be President Ronald Reagan save?

The answer, amazingly, is C, 77 swimmers. He was a pretty good swimmer himself, I guess.

In the streets of Cairo it's been called a "Day of Departure," or "Farewell Friday." Thousands of protesters, they're calling for President Mubarak to step down. But if he was to leave, well, who fills the void?

Our Michael Holmes is here with a breakdown of how important the Egyptian military is going to be in this transition. It is the subject of today's "Globe Trekking."

Michael, good to see you.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: You know, you look at this -- I had a chance to talk to a friend of mine, an Egyptian journalist, and he said he was detained, along with other journalists.

HOLMES: Yes, it's been pretty rough to be a reporter out there.

MALVEAUX: Yes, absolutely.

HOLMES: Slightly better today. Yes. MALVEAUX: I think so.

And what kind of role does the military play now? What do they do?

HOLMES: Yes, it's a vital question when you want to talk about Egypt, because the Egyptian military, as we watch now, is trying to maintain control in the square. But with Hosni Mubarak on the ropes, what's the broader role of the military in all of this? And it's worth discussing.

It's really the one stable outfit in all of this, the military. We see them continuing at the moment, not always successful, we have to say, to keep the pro-and-anti protesters apart.

Ivan Watson just tweeted a few minutes ago that there's been some clashes just off Tahrir Square. Obviously, things moving very fast.

It's honestly pretty hard to answer the question of what next when it comes to the military. It's been much calmer in recent hours, although, as I said, there have been clashes.

Mubarak adamant, it's not him who brought on the violence we've seen, but security forces certainly haven't stopped it either. There's no shortage of people saying that many of the pro-Mubarak protesters were either working for part of the security forces, or at least were paid by them.

Now, I want you to listen to this sound bite, and we'll have a chat about it. This is Admiral Mike Mullen speaking on "The Daily Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: The outcome there is really up to the Egyptian people, and also their leadership, including the army. I mean, in discussions I've had with their military leadership, they have reassured me that they have no intent to fire on their own people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Which is something we have heard more than once as this has unfolded. It's clear that while the political and diplomatic contact with the government from the U.S. has really not brought about much change, the U.S. and Egyptian militaries continue to still be in contact, proof of the strong relationship that has existed between the two for many, many years is ongoing.

The soldiers themselves reportedly doing their best to stay out of the fray. As I say, just continuing to try to separate the two groups as best they can.

MALVEAUX: We've seen at least five dead, hundreds of people injured. I mean, just how much control does the military really have in terms of their role in this and what is taking place on the streets?

HOLMES: They're crucial behind the scenes. They're running the thing in many ways on a political level, as much as on the streets.

There's a sense that what Mubarak wants is to show that without him at the helm, everything falls apart. There would be chaos. But, you know, their argument really holds little water when the fact is he is still in charge. He's the president. And what we're still seeing on the streets, of course, has been less than normalcy.

Let's talk about this character his. He's a very important player here, Lieutenant General Sami Enan. Now, that's where Mullen, who's reportedly getting his promises from about the military not firing on the people, and the rest of that.

But to give you a sense of the broader Egyptian military -- and it's important to note, there are 468,000 active military personnel in Egypt. That includes the army, navy, air force, paramilitaries as well.

Now, like in a lot of countries in the Middle East, all men are required to serve in the military. And, in fact, serving in the military is held in high regard there. Of the past four presidents, including Mubarak, all of them were military officers. And for this to come out, OK, the military is going to have to continue to play a strong role in where the country is being steered.

MALVEAUX: Yes. But just how stable is the military, Michael, when you take a look at this group?

HOLMES: Yes. It's probably the most stable outfit in all of this that's going on. No suggestion that it's anything otherwise.

And the good news, of course, when you're talking about the uprising itself, it's been a non-ideological uprising. The military is going to continue to stay pretty stable. There's no evidence to the contrary.

Why? Well, being in the military is actually a pretty good gig in Egypt. A good paycheck, good conditions. The morale is said to be very good. And let's not forget that the U.S. is pumping in $1.3 billion to the Egyptian military a year.

So, the leadership is going to undoubtedly do whatever they can to hold on to that privileged status. I talked yesterday, actually, directly with a couple of Egyptian military officers who say that the attitude of the military is flexible. Let's call it that.

They want to see a calm transition to an election in September, which means pretty much what Mubarak is offering -- stay in place until that happens. But they also say that there is a flexibility depending on what happens in the days ahead.

That can change. The military does call the shots behind the scenes. MALVEAUX: And Michael, we'll obviously be watching very closely in terms of the military, whether or not they turn or not. That's going to be very crucial.

HOLMES: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Thank you so much, Michael. I appreciate it.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: Well, after a spike in muggings and robberies in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, a few men got together to try to help the community. The group, We Make Us Better, started with seven members who would escort subway riders. Now it's evolved into something that is much, much more.

That's what we're talking about in this special Black History Month edition of "What Matters."

Joining us from New York are cofounders Richard Beavers and Kareem Varlack.

Thank you so much, guys, for joining us. Really appreciate it.

It's quite incredible when you hear your story. It all began, really, when there was a friend of yours who needed some help, who made a phone call who had been mugged.

Can you tell us a little about it?

RICHARD BEAVERS, COFOUNDER, WE MAKE US BETTER: Suzanne, what happened, actually, was I received a phone call around 4:00 in the morning from a friend of mine who had been walking home from the train station, and when she got on her block, a group of young men came up behind her and robbed her. And when I went to see her, and we sat down and talked, it was at that point that I had come to the decision that it was time for myself and other men in the community to step up and have more of a visible presence in the community.

MALVEAUX: And how did you get this group together, this group of men together, to go into the neighborhood and actually do something and take action?

BEAVERS: Well, it actually came about rather organically. Myself and Kareem, and some of the other committee members, we met one day at a local establishment, and the conversation came up. And from there, it just sparked the organization We Make Us Better.

MALVEAUX: And Kareem, tell us, how did the community respond when they started to see you guys out there escorting folks from the subway at night?

KAREEM VARLACK, COFOUNDER, WE MAKE US BETTER: I mean, we got an overwhelmingly positive response. People were happy to see us out there. They were happy to see men in their community taking action. They felt that it had been a long time coming, and they were good to see the visible presence of positive activity.

MALVEAUX: And you guys are doing more than this. I mean, this has expanded beyond escorting people from the subway. But there seems to be a much broader mission to your group now. Yes?

VARLACK: Definitely. What we've done, food service. We've had -- we want to get the men involved through mentoring. We want to get men involved with their children.

We had a father and son event at a barbershop at the Gallery. We turned Richard's Art Gallery into a barbershop, had some men come out. They got free haircuts and they brought a young man with them. And that's to foster the kind of relationships we want o have of father/son bonding. And it's gone beyond that.

MALVEAUX: Thank you very much, both of you, Richard Beavers, Kareem Varlack, for your excellent work in the community. I know a lot of people really supporting what you do. So thanks again.

And to read more on this amazing story, check out this month's edition of "Essence" magazine.

So what happens when the people revolt? Fareed Zakaria tells us what turns ordinary people into revolutionaries.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Now a look ahead at what's "On the Rundown."

The power of protests as Egyptians take to the streets again today. We look at successful social movements throughout history.

And NASA discovers new planets in our galaxy. It's one of the under-covered stories of the week.

Also, more of your answers to our "Talk Back" question. What is it about football that unites Americans?

And finally, there is still time let for you to "Choose the News." You pick which of three stories you'd like to see.

Young people protesting on the streets, demanding change in Egypt. It's a familiar scene throughout history.

Here are some people's movements that changed the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD (singing): We shall overcome

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Mass protests, people demanding change.

In the '50s and '60s, the fight for African-Americans' civil rights. Demonstrations take to the streets, boycott buses, hold lunch counter sit-ins. A quarter of a million march on Washington.

The outcome, the signing of major civil rights legislation --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This purpose is not to divide, but to end divisions.

MALVEAUX: -- desegregating the country, granting voting rights and protection in employment and housing.

The summer of 1965, college students demand an end to the Vietnam War. From San Francisco to Washington, D.C., students burned draft cards and demonstrate. The result, Americans in the government turn against an increasingly unpopular war.

Fast forward, 1989, and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Half a million people march in the streets of East Berlin demanding free elections. A week later, the cabinet resigns and jubilant crowds tear down the Berlin Wall, a symbol of freedom, piece by piece. Communism in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the end to the USSR.

Now, a people's revolution is spreading across the Arab world from Tunisia to Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and Syria.

(CHANTING)

MALVEAUX: Hundreds of thousands take to the streets, angry over a rise in poverty, a lack of jobs, and a growing gap between the rich and poor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Joining me now is Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS," which stands for "Global Public Square."

Fareed, thanks for joining us this afternoon.

I want to ask you here, what is the tipping point that moves people, thousands of people, from passive participation like voting a petition online, complaining to a neighbor, to action? Take me to the streets. Missing work, even risking their lives.

FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": Well, remember, Egypt is a very brutal military dictatorship. So, when you see 200,000 people out on the streets of Cairo, 50,000 people out in the streets of Alexandria, the courage it takes those people to get out there -- they are risking their lives, they are risking their livelihood -- it represents a much larger number of people.

And the tipping point, I think, is the fact that Egypt is now increasingly connected to the world. They see what is going on everywhere else. They saw what happened in Tunisia, and they decided that they, too, could have some change.

You know, you can look at the immediate causes, food prices and things like that, but the underlying cause is, this is a very repressive regime, really a military dictatorship, and people were fed up. I think, as I said, you have to keep in mind, for every person out there on the street, there are likely 10 who support them, but are just too scared for their own lives.

MALVEAUX: And what does successful protests have in common. What's the common denominator?

ZAKARIA: That's a very good question. They all have passion. They all have anger. They all have a sense of injustice. But the successful ones have organization and the leadership. So that, you know, if you think about our civil rights movement, so much of it succeeded because of Martin Luther King and the coalition that he spearheaded.

You need to channel all of this anger, this rage, this discontent, and for that, you need leadership. And that's where the Egyptian movement is in trouble, because it is headless. It does not have leadership.

Now, why is that? Because the regime has very cleverly and carefully made sure there are no political movements. Anyone who could have been a Martin Luther King, a Nelson Mandela, has been killed, exiled or is in jail. So, the people right now on the street are leaderless, brotherless. There's a small collection of official opposition parties. That's the problem. You need a leader at the end of the day.

MALVEAUX: Fareed, thank you so much for joining us. As always, very insightful. Join Fareed on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. "GPS WITH FAREED ZAKARIA," every Sunday, right here on CNN.

Well, time is running out for you to "Choose the News." Want you to cast your vote by texting 22360. Vote one for China's mouse tribe, two for lawyers using Facebook posts in court cases or, three, for from homeless to Super Bowl. Now, the winning story will air later this hour.

First, the unemployment rate takes a big tumble in January, but as you see, there's not a lot in that headline to celebrate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Let's take a quick look at markets here. We are seeing the Dow Jones, the market's down by seven points at this moment.

This comes at the same time that economists describe the January jobs report out today as being disappointing. The economy added just 36,000 jobs. That's a lot fewer than expected. But the unemployment rate fell to nine percent. It's down from 9.4 percent the month before.

Some of the biggest job losses were in the construction sector. It was hit hard by, as you can imagine, severe winter weather in January.

In "Today's Building Up America" segment, a story you might find a bit hard to believe because a business saw a golden opportunity in the Nevada desert. It is raising shrimp. That's right. Shrimp, and making a lot of money. Here's our CNN's Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Las Vegas, tourists love big spectacles and little shrimp, eating 22 million pounds a year. Problem is in this land-locked state, shrimp are often frozen and from far away. But this year, that could change.

FRANK DELUCA, GANIX BIO TECHNOLOGIES INC.: The size of this building is a 36,000 square foot fabricated structure.

FOREMAN: A half hour north, Blue Oasis is building a plant to grow shrimp in the desert and take on the foreign companies which dominate the American market. Scott McManus is the CEO.

SCOTT MCMANUS, GANIX BIO TECHNOLOGIES INC.: I mean, its 1.4 billion pounds is brought into the U.S. last year, approximately. And 90 percent of that comes from overseas.

FOREMAN: Each of these tanks can hold 100,000 shrimp and they hope to harvest 500,000 pounds a year.

(on camera): Why hasn't this been done before?

MCMANUS: Well, the big issue is how do you deal with the affluent within the system?

FOREMAN: The waste?

MCMANUS: The waste, exactly.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Here, each tank is an ecosystem unto itself. Waste water is naturally recycled in what they say is a chemical-free process and never dumped into the environment but they won't say much more about how the system works. That's their secret developed at a remote lab in North Dakota over the past eight years.

(on camera): So where are we now?

MCMANUS: Right now, we're in what we call our sort and ship facility.

FOREMAN (voice-over): They will say they hope to take the idea far beyond Vegas, putting these fresh shrimp farms and new jobs near every major city.

(on camera): You think that will sell?

MCMANUS: Absolutely.

FOREMAN: You're counting on it?

MCMANUS: Exactly. I'm counting on it big-time.

FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Apex, Nevada.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The most undercovered stories of the week now. Stories that have been buried under the headline, from a ban on smoking in public parks to the discovery of five -- that's right, five -- new planets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're staying on top of developments in Egypt's Tahrir Square. Live pictures you're seeing right now of the tens of thousands of anti-government protesters. They've been cheering and chanting and staying quite festive today. But less than a mile from this site, we are getting reports of street battles between protesters both for and against president Hosni Mubarak.

Now, since the start of the demonstrations Egypt's health minister says that eight people have been killed and about 5,000 wounded.

Just last hour, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said security forces and a gang of thugs stormed their Web site office in Cairo and arrested its employees. The group has long been banned in Egypt for its Islamist views. President Hosni Mubarak told ABC News he won't quit because it would result in the chaos and a Muslim Brotherhood takeover. A spokesman for the group discussed the crisis on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED MORSY, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SPOKESMAN (via phone): (INAUDIBLE) it is not acceptable from the people, because if more than five million people from yesterday sent the word clearly and loudly for this regime has already came, according to the people. So, whatever is said after that is not accepted. It's rejected.

So, what can we say now that this (INAUDIBLE) should start right now? And that the Egyptian people now are altogether saying the same thing. We need a new era, a new regime. We have a constitution. Some articles in the (INAUDIBLE) need to be changed. But we have a constitution. We can have this (INAUDIBLE). This is the word of the Egyptian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Morsy, rather, also told CNN the Muslim Brotherhood is against violence and committed to freedom of press and religion.

Well, we want to go to our segment here now for our undercovered stories segment. Now, these are stories that basically went under the radar this week. There are quite a few, as you can imagine.

New evidence we may not be alone in the universe. NASA's scientists say the powerful Kepler telescope has spotted five previously undiscovered planets that are about the size of Earth and in our Milky Way galaxy. That means they could have water on the surface. That's a key ingredient for life to form. And another story. Illinois has become the sixth state to allow civil unions. That gives same-sex couples many of the legal protections that are granted to married couples. Heterosexual couples will also be allowed to enter into civil unions. That's an option to tying the knot.

One young man raised by a gay couple gave a rousing speech to Iowa legislators in support of this law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH WAHLS, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT: If I was your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe I'd make you very proud. I'm not really so different from any of your children. My family really isn't so different from yours. After all, your family doesn't derive its sense of worth from being told by the state you're married, congratulations.

No. The sense of family comes from the commitment we make it each other, to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. It comes from the love that binds us. That's what makes a family.

Now, with the next two hours, I'm sure we're going to hear plenty of testimony how damaging having gay parents is on kids. But in my 19 years, not once have I ever confronted by an individual who realized independently that I was raised by a gay couple.

And you know why? Because the sexual orientation of my parents have had zero effect on the content of my character. Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And now to the best, most undercovered story of week, New York City's ban on smoking in public parks. For more, we go to Amy Holmes. She is co-host of the radio show "America's Morning News" and former CNN political contradicter. And Eric Cunningham. He's our favorite satirist. Founder of TheFullGinsberg.com.

Thanks so much for joining us. Good to see you both here.

AMY THOMAS, CO-HOST, "AMERICA'S MORNING NEWS": Great to be here. Thank you.

MALVEAUX: What do you think? This New York smoking city ban. Good idea, bad idea? Amy, I've got to start with you.

THOMAS: Well, I wonder if Mayor Bloomberg thinks he's the mayor of New York or Singapore? I mean, he's going to put caning on the books here.

Tobacco is a legal substance. And these bans, you know who they hurt most? They hurt most of the working class people, where the syntax (ph) - I believe a pack of cigarettes is $13. And I can assure you, if you go a private club in New York, if you go to a club with a really high entrance fee or bottle service, you can smoke inside. I've been to parties where people are smoking inside. It's people who want to take a work break, you know, loading the docks in the middle of the night and take a smoke break that are the people who are going to really suffer.

MALVEAUX: Eric.

ERIC CUNNINGHAM, FOUNDER, THEFULLGINSBURG.COM: Well, I feel like the ban is more in parks and I feel like that's -- moms send their kids to parks. Like that's where you go to get fresh air. That's the whole point, is to get fresh air at a park. I mean we could -- we could send kids to bars where there is the smoking ban. I don't think we want to do that either.

HOLMES: Well, this law would actually cover where people are gathering, like in plazas and, you know, all around New York City. So what this says to me is backdoor prohibition. And if New Yorkers want to have an argument about whether or not smoking should be outlawed completely, that's an honest debate, but let's be honest about it.

MALVEAUX: Well, what are they not being honest about, do you think, Amy?

HOLMES: Well, I think they're -- I think Mayor Bloomberg is not being honest about his intent. And we know from his previous, you know, crusades that this is somebody who's kind of a Grinch. I mean this is someone who wanted to cut sodium from food. So there goes your Chinese food delivery. He just is another -- who, excuse me, he just cut trans-fat because he doesn't like fast foods. So, you know, now smoking is next.

MALVEAUX: Eric, you've got to jump in here. She's talking fast food. She says the mayor's a Grinch.

CUNNINGHAM: Yes, I know, I'm just -- I feel like, yes, I feel like restricting food option isn't very Grinch-like. He's trying to help people. To me, I would imagine that's the opposite of being a Grinch. That's more Santa Clausy or that kind of thing. He wants to help out kids all over the world.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll just leave it there. You guys are both great. Thanks. Eric Cunningham, Amy Holmes, glad we've had a chance to talk about it. But something, you know, people haven't been talking about. At least not -- hasn't made the news this week, but really an interesting story. Thanks, guys.

Well, you are talking back to us about football. What is it about this game that seems to bring a lot of folks together?

Keisha (ph) writes, "I think it is because you can rough someone up without getting in trouble. We all have moments we want to knock somebody over."

More of those responses up ahead in "Talk Back."

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk" where we get answers to your financial questions. With me this hour, Jack Otter, he's the executive editor of moneywatch.com, and Carmen Wong Ulrich, she's the author of "The Real Cost Of Living."

So glad you two are here with us. Let's get right to our questions.

The first comes from Marcia who says, "I have saved $8,000 in cash. Which investment options are considered safe? I want my money to grow, but I would like easy access to the money if need."

What do you say, Jack?

JACK OTTER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, MONEYWATCH.COM: Well, unfortunately, growth and safety don't always go together.

ELAM: True.

OTTER: Here's my trick for Marcia. Complete safety is a CD. But my trick for her is, go for a five or 10 year CD. Now if she doesn't want to lock her money up for that long, that's OK. Make sure that the early withdrawal penalty is no more than two months' interest and you'll do a lot better than you would by, say, getting a six-month CD and rolling it over, rolling it over. You get over 3 percent now on a 5 percent CD, which is an unusual anomaly because a five year bond is only paying 2 percent. So that's a big spread. Three percent ain't bad these days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day, the Super Bowl. What is it about the game of football that seems to bring so many folks together? Carol Costello, she's got all your responses.

Carol, what are people talking about? What are they saying?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ah, they have lots of different reasons why football is such a unifying sport. The NFL is enjoying a fine TV season. The 2010 regular season reached 207.7 million viewers. That is the most in history. So our "Talk Back" is, you know, does anyone not watch football? The exact "Talk Back" question is, what is it about football that unites Americans?

This from Frederick. He says, "when the Atlanta Falcons score a game winning touchdown, I'm hugging guys around me in the Georgia Dome whom I'd probably fight if we were having a conversation over politics. I receive high-fives from women who'd probably lock their car doors if they saw me walking down the sidewalk when they get a crucial first down."

This from Scott. He says, "nothing in football comes easy. Every inch, every first down, every tackle, every touchdown takes months, years of intense work, sweat, pain and heartbreak. Football resembles life in a way."

And this from Amanda. "Americans are united by nature. We can and will find any reason to have a party and come together."

I don't know if I completely agree with that one, but I like the sound of a party and coming together and having fun and watching a good football game like, you know, like the Super Bowl.

MALVEAUX: I admit it's the party.

COSTELLO: It's the party.

MALVEAUX: Being invited to the Super Bowl party. You get to eat, relax, hang out with friends, have a cocktail. I mean, it's the party. You know, it's the tradition of it all, don't you think?

COSTELLO: I like the game. I know you're not -- are you really into Super Bowls or into football, Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: I'm not a -- you know, I'm not a huge football person, but I'm big on that big Super Bowl party, hang out, get together, you know. It's -- I mean even in college, you know, you just -- you're there and the college game and you're freezing and you're there with your friends. It's fun. It's a great time. You know, the tailgating and all that stuff. I like that.

COSTELLO: And when you're growing up, you gather with your family on Sunday, no matter what, and watch your team play. It's just the thing to do. It's an ingrained part of our culture and it's important in a way to so many people. A lot of people cry over football. They get very emotional over football. It's bizarre.

MALVEAUX: Carol, you're the sports expert. You're the sports expert. I'm going to ask you to break it down on Monday. Like, what it all meant and how the teams did. But I will be watching. I will be watching.

COSTELLO: OK, good, Suzanne, I'll call you throughout the game to make sure you are.

MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Carol. All right, that's great.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Our producers are now tallying the votes right now on the story that you wanted to see this hour. Your "Choose The News" winner. That is coming up straight ahead.

And check this out. If the economy is squeezing your love life, OK, here's our "Random Moment of the Day." It has a cheap Valentine's Day solution. Here's what you do. You go to White Castle. That's right. The burger chain now will only serve couples with reservations the evening of February 14th. There's this special, romantic menu that awaits alongside table-side service. They have Valentine's decorations. And White Castle's website says call now to reserve your table and your place in her heart.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: You voted for it. Now we're going to air it. The "Choose The News" winner. OK, here it is. This NFL player spent most of his childhood homeless. Now that he is headed for the Super Bowl, he's making sure that kids in need know better days are ahead for them as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES JONES, GREEN BAY PACKERS WIDE RECEIVER: It was tough. I mean, I can't say, you know, it was easy. But, you know, my mom had to do what she had to do. I believe it made me a better man, you know, living in those homeless shelters. You know you understand that, you know, how to appreciate the little things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jones' constant need to adapt ultimately fostered a determination to keep himself off the streets. That determination earned him a scholarship to San Jose State and led him to Green Bay as a third-round draft pick in 2007. A goal fulfilled and a promise to his mother kept.

JONES: She's always been my motivation. You know, I told her since I was five years old that, you know, that I would make it to the NFL and I would take care of her and make sure she wouldn't have to worry about anything else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life in the NFL does come with its share of excesses (ph). Things he could barely dream imaginable while homeless. So many things that players may take for granted aren't lost on this 26-year-old. Take a team meal, for instance. Unlike any he ever ate in a shelter.

JONES: Sometime I go down there in the cafeteria and we've got food lined up. You know, all the food you can eat. And, you know, you hear some of the players saying, hey, we've got the same stuff today? You know, just like, I could never hear myself even -- fix my mouth to say that, you know, from where I came from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And where he comes from is the same place he now tries to keep anyone in the Green Bay and San Jose communities from having to go, with his Love Jones For Kids Foundation. His success has him sharing the challenges he faced growing up with other young people in homeless shelters and schools.

JONES: I just try to make then understand, it's not your mom's fault. You know, it's not your dad's fault. You know, they're trying. You know it's just the way life, you know, has -- has detoured their path. You know, you guys are here, but, you know, there's better days coming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those better days are here for Jones. And the best may be yet to come on Sunday. With his mom in attendance, a Super Bowl win for Jones and the Packers will mean a wave of emotions for this family.

JONES: It's probably going to be all tears. And, I mean, it's going to be happy tears because where I've came from, you know, from being five years old telling my mother that one day I am going to play in the Super Bowl. And the day is finally coming and, man, you know, it's a dream come true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: I love that story. Thanks for choosing that one. Jones started his foundation to help poor and homeless kids in his hometown of San Jose, California, and his current city, Green Bay. It works with other non-profits to support education, housing and other programs.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.

Hey, Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Suzanne, you have a great afternoon. Thank you so much.

MALVEAUX: Thanks. You, too.