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Selfless Act Results in Murder; Pentagon to Slash Spending; Monitoring Campaign Funds; Candidates Face Off In Florida; Happy To Pay More Taxes; New Rules For School Lunches; The President's Special Operators; Talk Back Question; Rachel Ray Interview

Aired January 26, 2012 - 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.

I want to get you up to speed.

Amazing video. This roof collapsing over an ice rink in Slovakia. One of the country's hockey stars was training young hockey players at the time.

As you can see, the trickle turns into a torrent before the entire roof caves in. Luckily, the edge of the rink was not affected, no one was injured. It's believed to have been caused by a buildup of that snow.

Republican presidential candidates, they're going toe-to-toe tonight for the last time before the Florida primary. They face off in a CNN debate in Jacksonville. It's a chance for the candidates to take a few more jabs at each other before Tuesday's primary.

A new poll now showing Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in a virtual tie. In the CNN/"TIME"/ORC poll, Romney is ahead by just two percentage points.

The man that Republicans are hoping to beat in November campaigning in Vegas today. Take a look at these live pictures.

President Obama, he's going to be focusing on energy. He's visiting a UPS facility that is going to be a major hub for trucks powered by natural gas. Now, the president is on a campaign swing through key battle ground states -- five of them.

Very intense and tense moments for Australia -- in Australia today. I want you to watch this.

So you can't really see her in the middle of the pile of policemen, but it is the prime minister of Australia being hustled to safety after a crowd of protesters get a little too rowdy. You've got to listen to just how they decided to cut a political function short right beforehand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We feel that the situation is deteriorating and can't stay too much longer. JULIA GILLARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: OK. All right. What about Mr. Abbott? Where have you got him? We'd better help him through too, hadn't we?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, what's happening? The crowd is shouting, "Shame! Shame!" at the prime minister. They're angry at the Australian government's policies towards aboriginal people. The prime minister, she got away safely. Nobody was hurt and nobody was arrested.

Brazilian rescue workers desperately digging through the rubble of three collapsed buildings. This is in a historic center of Rio de Janeiro. They have recovered now five bodies. They have rescued five people so far. Nineteen are still missing. There is no word yet on what caused those buildings to collapse.

Jessica Buchanan, she is safe right now at a U.S. Navy base in Italy after her rescue from kidnappers in Somalia. U.S. Special Ops troops parachuted in, picked up Buchanan and a fellow aid worker, and then killed all the people holding them hostage. Now, Buchanan's father says that he expects to see his daughter sometime today.

We are just 25 days into the new year, and New Orleans now has already amazingly experienced 18 murders. The latest crime especially tragic.

Yesterday, this father of two ran to help a woman who was being carjacked in his neighborhood. He was shot and killed.

Mike Ainsworth's children, they were with him at the time waiting at the school bus stop. They saw their father die, sitting at his side. Now, the woman who was carjacked, she was saved. She was rescued, she wasn't even hurt.

Joining us now by phone is Mike's brother, Bill Ainsworth.

And first of all, Bill, our condolences to you and your family that something like this should happen. What kind of man was your brother that he would risk his life to help someone in distress?

BILL AINSWORTH, MIKE AINSWORTH'S BROTHER: Well, it pretty much explains what kind of man he was. He was very selfless and he was always willing to help someone else, which is -- that was just typical Mike. If you needed something, anything, if he could help in any way he would.

So, when he saw this lady being carjacked, he just figured he could do something, so he did it. And luckily, she walked away from it. It's what he set out to do, even if he didn't walk away himself. He helped her.

MALVEAUX: Bill, do you know what happened? Do you know how that happened?

AINSWORTH: Yes, I've gotten a clearer story since yesterday. He noticed -- well, the lady screamed, and he was running over in the direction. The guy was already in the car with her.

And he jumped on the hood of -- I'm guessing to stop him from pulling off with her. And the guy shot through the windshield and caught him in the ribcage, and he wound up jumping out the car and running off. And my brother made it across the street and collapsed in a front yard.

From what I'm told, it was the lady's yard that was being robbed. And his boys ran up, and they were with him when he passed. You know, it was pretty much what happened, just gave himself like he normally did. He just gave what he had.

MALVEAUX: Bill, have you seen our nephews? Have you seen his sons? Can you tell us how they're doing? I imagine that the family is really trying to take good care of them.

AINSWORTH: Well, they are still in shock. Last night they were handling it better than I thought they would, but still, they're not handling it real well, but better. They are 9 and 11 years old, so it's a lot for them to take in.

MALVEAUX: It certainly is. It's going to be so hard for both of them.

I understand that your brother, that he was the kind of person who volunteered for the police to help raise money, that he was somebody who was always reaching out to the community. Is that right?

AINSWORTH: Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, him and I both got started at the same time doing volunteer work for (INAUDIBLE) organization, and he just -- while I'm proud of what I did, he did a thousand times more than me. He was very above and beyond everything and anything that he could do. Anything that he was asked, he was there for it. Anything at all. It didn't matter what they needed.

MALVEAUX: Bill, can you tell us what is taking place where you live there? We understand that there have been 18 murders in 25 days. And when you have someone like your brother coming to the rescue of a woman who is being carjacked, and is killed in the process, people want to know, what is going on in your community?

AINSWORTH: Well, this year has been busier than most as far as murder goes, busier than it has been in a few years. I have no idea what people are thinking these days. It seems to be a Wild West mentality. But while most people are afraid to stand up and do anything, which is just empowering people to do such things, there's not enough people like Mike to stand up and say we're not going to take it, we're not going to deal with it. MALVEAUX: Bill, we commend Mike for what he did, the extraordinary sacrifice that he gave. And, again, our condolences to you and to those kids and to your family during this time. Really appreciate the fact that you came on and talked to us today.

We do have some information. There is a composite sketch of the suspect.

We understand it's a description he is in his 20s. He is 5'6" to 5'8" in height, black male, 140 to 150 pounds. This is so far what the police have been able to put together of the suspect believed to have killed this good Samaritan who died trying to save the life of another.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The U.S. military is touted by some as a symbol of our global power. But not everybody is on board with President Obama's decision to trim the military, including leading Republicans who are now running for president.

That brings us to today's "Talk Back" question. And Carol Costello, she's live with more.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.

The United States is about to become a lean, mean fighting machine. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will announce half a trillion dollars in military cuts later this afternoon. That means trimming the Army by 38,000 soldiers. Marines will see a reduction in troop strength, too.

The Navy's number of carriers were dropped. And a number of drones will be grounded.

The underlying strategy here is to focus on small, secret operations like the raid that killed Osama bin Laden instead of larger ground wars like Iraq and Afghanistan. Although when it comes to Iran, the president says he's up for anything.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let there be no doubt America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But many Republicans say the president's desire to snip, snip, snip will hinder America's ability to wage a ground war if necessary. Mitt Romney says a leaner, cheaper military will endanger the United States because it not only has to worry about Iran, but North Korea and China, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As president, on day one I will focus on rebuilding America's economy. It's a foundation of our strength.

I will reverse President Obama's massive defense cuts. Time and again, we have seen the attempts to balance the budget by weakening our military only lead to a far higher price in the future not only in treasure, but also in blood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Romney suggests funding a larger military by defunding what he calls Obamacare.

So, the "Talk Back" question for you today: Does a smaller U.S. military make sense?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your responses later this hour.

MALVEAUX: And Carol, it's interesting. Most people, I don't know if they realize this, but this idea of dramatically changing the military was under President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld. It's only beginning to happen now, but this is something that's been in the works for some time.

COSTELLO: I know. And back then, Democrats were against the idea, but now they're all for it. It's a strange political climate we live in.

MALVEAUX: Yes. All right. We'll see what viewers have got to say about it.

Thank you, Carol.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Jessica Buchanan is safe, reportedly in good health today at a military base in Sicily. She is the American aid worker who owes her freedom to a U.S. Special Operations mission that saved her and a colleague from kidnappers in Somalia. A small elite team of specially-trained troops jumped in, grabbed the hostages, and choppered out of the country.

Want to go to Chris Lawrence, who's out of the Pentagon here.

And Chris, it's interesting when you take a look at this. This is a small unit. It's quick reaction.

This is really where the Pentagon is aiming to put the money and the resources for the future. Tell us a bit about the budget, the Pentagon budget, and why this is critical at this time.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, the budget definitely says that they see a lot of potential in Asia. A lot of the resources will be focused in Asia. So you won't see a cut in aircraft carriers.

You're still going to see the same number of bombers, but after beefing up the Army and Marines for these big land wars over the last 10 years, you're going to see fewer soldiers, fewer Marines. But the Special Operations community which hi snow growing at about five percent a year, that has been completely protected and will continue to grow.

MALVEAUX: And it was under former defense secretary Rumsfeld that the Pentagon first started to talk about revamping the military this way, making it kind of a leaner, meaner machine.

Why is it happening now?

LAWRENCE: Well, when Secretary Rumsfeld made that call, I believe it may have even been the day before September 11th, so everything changed. All of a sudden, we were in two big land wars. It's hard to revamp the service in the middle of a war. Now that we're out of Iraq, now that Afghanistan is in the winding down phase, now you're going to see the military sort of revamping.

MALVEAUX: Is it actually more expensive to train these elite Navy SEALs, these Special Op Forces, than doing, say, basic training for the masses?

LAWRENCE: Yes. Oh, huge. I've seen some estimates where the average cost to train infantrymen is maybe $50,000, $60,000. SEALs go through 30 months of training that can cost anywhere around $500,000.

So, big difference in training. SEALs and their Army brothers like Green Berets, Delta Force, it's a tremendous investment.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Chris Lawrence.

Thank you very much, Chris.

Later in the hour, I'm going to be joined by a former Navy SEAL and an author. We're going to talk with him about the future of special ops and what it's like to work in that secret military world.

Five days until Florida voters go into the polls, Republican candidates, they are pouring -- pouring money into that state. Florida has always been a critical state for politics.

John Zarrella, he is looking at one woman who plays such a big role in monitoring all those campaign funds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nancy Watkins. Straightforward, no nonsense.

NANCY WATKINS, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT: We do not hide these committees with the UPS Store addresses all over the place. You would not be here today if I didn't want you to know.

ZARRELLA: Here is a nondescript white building on a corner at 610 South Boulevard in Tampa, a hugely important piece of real estate. From here, at any given time, Nancy Watkins, certified public accountant and GOP campaign consultant, is handling the financial affairs for 100 different political entities.

WATKINS: I just need to sign the outside of the file copy, right?

ZARRELLA: From individual candidates to political action committees, PACs, and party committees, groups with names like the Super PAC for America and the We Love USA PAC, bottom line, her job is to make sure none of them run afoul --

WATKINS: My job will be to make sure you play within those foul lines.

ZARRELLA: -- of the minefield of state and federal election laws.

WATKINS: Anything that needs reporting, registration, I do it. Every dollar that will go in and out for your activity will go through this office just so I can monitor and make sure you remain in compliance.

ZARRELLA: Her first major foray into the field of campaign finance was for then-Republican Senate candidate Connie Mack, a quarter century ago. She hasn't stopped since. She's got the mementos to prove it -- a photo with President Ronald Reagan --

WATKINS: Look how I stand away. Can you see the reverence that I hold that man in?

ZARRELLA (on camera): Oh, yes.

(voice-over): -- a menu card from a White House Valentine's dinner she and her husband attended.

WATKINS: Heart of chocolate cake.

ZARRELLA: And of course there's the hanging chad paperweight.

WATKINS: November 7, 2000. If you'll recall --

ZARRELLA (on camera): Hanging chads everywhere.

WATKINS: -- those are chads. Those are actual chads.

ZARRELLA: No they're not. Really?

WATKINS: Yes, they are, from Florida voting cards.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Watkins is certainly self-assured. While undergoing cancer treatment 18 months ago, a bald Watkins posed with Florida's bald governor, Rick Scott. This year she was Michele Bachmann's campaign treasurer.

WATKINS: My goal was when they put their head on the pillow at night, they're not worried about anything that goes on under my purview.

ZARRELLA: She may fly under the public radar, but in Republican political circles, Watkins is on many a speed dial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: John Zarrella, he is joining us live.

John, I'll never forget the weeks I was in front in Florida with the hanging chads, the pregnant chads. I think I have a ballot, a souvenir ballot, from those weeks and weeks and weeks trying to figure out Bush v. Gore.

So they say she's on speed dial. Tell us why.

ZARRELLA: Well, listen, a lot of these organizations that she sets up, some of them last a year, 18 months. She's literally the treasurer, listed as the treasurer with the Federal Election Commission, on dozens and dozens of these. Some of them do not have offices, standing buildings. Most of them don't. They don't even have telephone numbers. So, everything runs through her office, and that way she can keep a close eye on all of them, as she says, to make sure none of them run afoul of that myriad of really complex Federal Election Commission laws.

MALVEAUX: That is unbelievable. She's got a huge job.

ZARRELLA: Yes.

MALVEAUX: OK, John. Thank you.

A breast implant maker is at the center of a health scare. An investigation into a French implant maker reveals some problems. We're going to tell you what women who are thinking about getting implants need to watch out for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A breast implant maker was arrested today. The details of the case are scary stuff for women who have these implants. The founder of Poly Implant Prothese was arrested after a French woman who had the implants died from cancer.

Elizabeth Cohen, she is joining us.

Tell us, first of all, what was wrong with these French implants?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they had a high rate of rupturing, Suzanne. That was the big problem.

And then it was discovered by some British medical authorities that the silicone inside them, it wasn't medical-grade silicone. It was silicone that apparently was intended for mattresses. That's what this group says.

So, silicone rupturing. The silicone wasn't even intended for the body, apparently.

MALVEAUX: Wow. That's very serious. How many women in the United States have these implants, do we think?

COHEN: You know, they weren't sold here. And so -- I'm going to repeat that. They weren't sold in the United States. So, women in this country who got the surgery done in this country don't need to worry. Now, if there are women who went to France to get implants, they need to make some inquiries to find out if they have them.

MALVEAUX: You talk often about empowering patients. How do women empower themselves to get implants safely?

COHEN: Right. If you want implants in this country, you should know that the silicone here is considered safe.

And so, first of all, you want to think about your options, because silicone isn't the only option. There are other options like saline.

And no matter how you do it, you want to ask your surgeon, what are the risks and complications? Too many times people think, oh, it's plastic surgery, what's the big deal? You can die from plastic surgery. It doesn't happen often, but it happens.

So, ask the question. Ask if the doctor is board-certified. And that's an easy Internet search to see if they are board certified to be doing this surgery. And ask if the facility is accredited?

Many times these things are done on an outpatient basis. You know, you're not in the hospital. That's OK sometimes. Just make sure the facilities are accredited.

Go to CNN.com/empoweredpatient for a full set of tips.

MALVEAUX: All right, Elizabeth. Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Also, be sure to tune in Sunday night. Dr. Sanjay Gupta spent an entire season following a North Carolina high school football team. He takes a closer look at the health and safety issues on the playing field. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports "Big Hits, Broken Dreams." That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

The race is tight, stakes high heading into tonight's presidential debate. So, what do Florida voters want to hear from the candidates in their last match-up before the primary?

We're going to talk about that in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on next.

The Republican presidential candidates facing off in the next big test in Florida, just five days away. We're going to show you about tonight's debate in Jacksonville.

Then the president says he wants millionaires to pay their fair share. At least three very rich men agree with the president. We're going to talk to them.

And later, I'm going to talk to chef Rachael Ray about her push to get kids and their parents eating healthier meals.

It is their final face-off before the Florida primary. The Republican candidates meeting tonight in a debate you can see here on CNN. The stakes are high. The race is tight. A new poll now showing Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in a virtual tie. In a CNN/"Time"/ORC poll, Romney is ahead by just 2 percentage points 36 to 34. John King, he's joining us live from the scene of tonight's debate in Jacksonville.

So, John, all eyes on Florida, where you are. What do you think voters are looking to hear from the candidates tonight?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, this has been a fascinating Republican race. And so we come into Florida, the biggest prize so far. Santorum wins Iowa. Romney wins New Hampshire. Gingrich wins South Carolina. So Florida will give somebody momentum.

What are they looking for? Of course on policy, they're looking for who has the best economic plan. Near 10 percent unemployment in this state. A devastating housing crisis in this state. Florida has not yet recovered from the meltdown in 2007 and 2008. So the economy and jobs without a doubt the biggest issue.

Number two, this is the first state where we will have a significant voice by a non-white piece of the electorate. Latino voters. Very important in this state. Very important in the Republican primary.

But here's the biggest question, Suzanne, as we look for this debate. The last debate before the primary. We know these debates have had an oversized influence on voters' opinion on the race. And the Gingrich surge in South Carolina came because conservatives said, we want somebody with feisty passion to debate President Obama next November. That's why you saw Governor Romney in the debate here in Florida the other night be much more aggressive, much more assertive in challenging Speaker Gingrich.

They know, Suzanne, tonight is their last chance to speak to a big mass audience. I would look for both Gingrich and Romney to be quite assertive and I would look for Senator Santorum and Congressman Paul to try to squeeze their way in. But if you look at the polling, Florida, right now, is a two-man race.

MALVEAUX: So, John, in light of the fact that a Florida winner takes all in the primary, could this evening, the debate performance of these guys, could it be a make or break moment for any of these candidates?

KING: It's hard to say make or break given that we're in this very contested, evenly divided primary at the moment with three separate winners so far. However, at some point we expect, if history is any guide, momentum will become a factor. So, somebody will leave here with a pretty big basket of delegates. The biggest basket of delegates as yet.

The question is, can that person -- let's say Speaker Gingrich wins Florida, can he go on and upset Governor Romney in Nevada? Can he win some of the smaller caucuses in Maine? Could he then win Arizona and Michigan? Or will Romney come out of Florida with a -- maybe a narrow victory with that big basket of delegates and put together two or three or four wins in a row? That's what we've yet to see in this race. The delegates could matter if this race goes on into March and April, having the 55 from Florida. That's a nice little piece to have in your wallet.

The question is, will it be a delegate race? Will it be Clinton-Obama 2008 or will ultimately momentum hold? And will Florida be the first wave of somebody's momentum? That's the question we'll answer Tuesday after a feisty debate tonight.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll be watching. Obviously CNN debate. The only place to be tonight. Presidential debate. We've teamed up with the Florida Republican Party to bring you the latest match-up, just days before the Florida primary. You don't want to miss this one. This is live from Jacksonville tonight at 8:00 Eastern.

He's retiring from the House and making history. Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, he's getting married. He is tying the knot with his long-time partner Jim Ready. Frank was the first member of the House to come out about his sexuality. That was back in 1987. Frank has served in the House for three decades.

They are billionaires and they say they don't mind taking a big tax hike if it means getting this economy back on track. We're going to go live to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the American tax battle is getting a lot of attention.

But first, "The Next List." We feature a fourth generation master silversmith. He's seen as an agent of change because in a world where speed is stuck on run, he is teaching us to stop, listen, look at unparalleled pieces of art.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UBALDO VITALI: I do believe that the biggest gift we have is to converse with a work of art. In recent years, through the great computer age, we are losing in a certain way interaction with the real object. Computer doesn't feel anything. It doesn't feel any joy. It cannot soften. Those things can only be learned through human contact.

Art can communicate all of those things in a very quick and easy way. Just look at them. Look at the work of art. Communicate with it. They are talking to you. Just listen and answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: The president says he wants to see millionaires and billionaires pay more in taxes. And two of the richest guys in the country, they don't think it's such a bad idea. Poppy Harlow, she's live from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

And, Poppy, good to see you there. It's a beautiful place. There's a lot of business that's being taken care of there. Obviously they're talking about Bill Gates and George Soras. Both of these guys worth billions of dollars. And they both agree that they wouldn't mind paying more taxes. Why?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: They absolutely do, Suzanne. For Bill Gates, it's a purely economic argument. He said, to have a stable America, a financially stable America, taxes must go up and the rich must bear more of a burden. For billionaire investor George Soras, he says it's about stabilizing the economy and creating a situation where middle of the road Americans have more opportunity. Because without that opportunity, we see social uprisings, just like we've seen in the "Occupy" movement.

I want you to take a listen to both of their answers on that point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE SOROS, CHAIRMAN, SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT: There is a great deal of frustration and anger. And I think that something ought to be done. So I -- that's why I'm personally very happy to pay more taxes.

HARLOW: Is it class warfare?

SOROS: Well, that's what my fellow hedge fund managers are saying, but I think it's because they don't like to pay taxes.

BILL GATES, MICROSOFT FOUNDER: It's absolutely the case that taxes will have to go up to close the government deficit. And I certainly think the rich should pay a larger share of that increase as we ask everyone to make some sacrifices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: I want to qualify that, Suzanne, because Bill Gates also went on to say, it's an illusion to believe that the rich paying more is going to take care of the budget problem, is going to close the massive budget deficit. That's not going to be the solution. But he says it's part of the solution.

One interesting point also, this debate about capital gains and if they should be taxed at a higher rate than 15 percent. He said that there needs to be more parity between capital gains, the money people like Mitt Romney and others make off investments, should be taxed more on par with ordinary income, money like you and I make. So I thought that was an interesting point. But Bill Gates also said, what we need is a full plan. Americans need to see how indebted this country is. We need to see the numbers. He's a numbers guy. And we need to see what this country owes so that Americans really get it. MALVEAUX: Talk a little bit about the Buffett Rule. You had mentioned that before about capital gains. It's clearly a very heated political issue.

HARLOW: Right.

MALVEAUX: What are the pros and the cons?

HARLOW: So the pros of the wealthier paying more in taxes would be that you would get more money for the government. And the idea would be that that would go to help bring down the debt. That is one of the pros that you'll hear argued. No one argues, like Bill Gates, that taxing the rich more is going to solve the problem.

Here are the cons. People that oppose this say, if you impose higher taxes on individuals, they are going to invest less and that's going to mean a weaker economy and that is not going to result in job creation and a more stable economy. So a clear divide here, even among the executives and the leaders here in Davos, over whether or not paying higher taxes is the solution.

It's a very clear divide here. You've got people on both sides of the aisle. But those are the pros. Those are the cons. Many more details, you can get into on it. But that is the basic argument.

MALVEAUX: OK, Poppy Harlow, thank you. It's very pretty there in Davos. You're doing excellent work. Thanks.

So, how do you get kids, school kids, to eat healthier lunches? Right? Well, you get a TV chef Rachael Ray to make the menu. That's right. I caught up with her at an elementary school where she seemed up with the first lady. They are serving up some healthy food and new rules for America's school lunches.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Right now in lunch rooms across America, 32 million school kids, they're eating pizza loaded with fat, they're eating salty tater tots. But they are not as excited about what is happening in the cafeteria where these kids are. I want you to watch this.

All right. First Lady Michelle Obama ate lunch with students at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. The menu was prepared by celebrity chef Rachael Ray. They were there to unveil new federal rules for school lunches. Pizza still considered a vegetable. But under the new rules, it should be a little healthier, less sodium, more whole grain. Schools are also supposed to serve up more fruits and veggies. And the milk is now low fat. I spoke with Rachael Ray about getting kids to eat healthy food.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: First of all, tell us what was on the menu.

RACHAEL RAY, FOOD NETWORK HOST: Today's menu was a whole grain taco and a turkey taco filling with lots of spice but not a lot of heat level to it to, you know, really develop kids pallets. There's a lot of color in the meal. There was a black bean and corn salsa. Lots of fresh fruit that included kiwi that the kids all knew how to eat and peal. And, of course, tomatoes and lettuce. It was a beautiful balance.

Today's a red letter day for American kids in that next to pizza or a french fry we are guaranteeing this country that starting this fall, universally a child will get a balanced meal. There will be more whole grains. There will be dark leafy greens. There will be fresh fruits and vegetables. And there will be reduced fat milk. You know, it's going to spill over to set that same standard in all of the vending machines across the country, too.

The children, it was just great to see them so exciting about eating food that was really good for them and excited to talk to each other about food and interact and sit down and really enjoy their meal. It was a really lovely lunch and I loved my own taco. It was delicious.

MALVEAUX: It looks good. It looks very good. And it's good to hear that the kids are actually eating that food, what's on their plate.

You talk about the fact that 30 percent of American children are overweight. What do we need to do, beyond changing the school lunches, to address that problem?

RAY: You know, I think that, you know, a lot of people don't actually make the connection that our obesity and type 2 diabetes rates are next door neighbors to children that are going hungry in this country. And the only level playing field we have as a nation is through our public food -- our public school system, to give every child a promise of decent nutrition and hopefully, ultimately one day, a promise of year-round nutrition, access to food even during summer vacation or breakfast programs.

It makes such a huge difference, not only in the health of their bodies, but in their health of their minds. Their test scores go up. You talk to any principal or teacher where a lot of these new initiatives are rolling out, and you just see better everything across the board. Better attendance, better grades, a stronger generation. I mean we can't afford -- literally can't afford to have a generation of kids that are on adult medicines as children.

MALVEAUX: Rachael, you brought up type 2 diabetes. Recently celebrity chef Paula Deen came under fire for dishing up these fried foods laden with butter and salt while keeping her diagnosis of type 2 diabetes a secret. Do you think that you and other celebrity chefs and her, do you think that they have a responsibility, you have a responsibility not only to promote good cooking, but also good health?

RAY: I think of life as, you know, all things in moderation. You know, I think on a Super Bowl weekend, I'm going to have nachos. And I don't mind showing people how to make nachos. But I think even if you're going to sit down and have a nacho, you can choose a whole grain chip, you can choose to put beans on there that are made, you know, lard- free, a lean meat, lots of veggies on top. I think you can eat all food as long as it's in pairing and in moderation, of course. It's all about portion size and what you're eating along with something that maybe is not the best choice for you.

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MALVEAUX: All right, Super Bowl Sunday, we all make some bad food choices. My personal favorite, homemade potato salad.

Navy SEALs to the rescue. The unit that killed bin Laden has now freed two aide workers, including an American woman. And her father says it made him extremely proud to be an American. So who are these heroes? I'm going to talk to a former U.S. SEAL.

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MALVEAUX: The military team that staged a nighttime hostage rescue in Somalia this week included men from the U.S. Navy's elite SEAL Team 6. The team parachuted into Somalia, killed the people holding these two humanitarian workers for ransom, and got out safely. The top secret world of special ops doesn't get much attention, but President Obama and the Pentagon have used it for several high-profile and successful missions.

I want to talk to Eric Greitens. He is a former Navy SEAL and author of the book, "The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL."

So, Eric, first of all, congratulations on all of the work that you've done. And it's top secret, so a lot of it we don't actually know about. But how do you think this rescue mission went down in Somalia?

ERIC GREITENS, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Well, Suzanne, it sounds like it was an incredibly complex and very risky operation. Any time that the SEALs are called in, it's going to be a high risk operation. To do a parachute insertion is that much more risky. When SEALs did a parachute raid in Granada in 1983, we actually lost a couple of guys. This was a very high risk operation, executed, though, by the world's best commando force. And we're really proud with how it all turned out.

MALVEAUX: What do you think those guys were going through, do you suppose, in hunting down those kidnappers and trying to find those hostages?

GREITENS: I think that they knew as they were going in that they were part of an incredible team. And one of the things that makes them so formidable on the battlefield is that they know that they have this support of everybody who's around them. So as they're entering the battlefield, they're thinking about their team, and they're also 100 percent focused on making sure that they're bringing those hostages home alive.

MALVEAUX: And, Eric, how much of your preparation is physical training and how much of it is mental?

GREITENS: Well, it's physical, it's mental, and it's also moral, Suzanne. Buds is considered to be the hardest military training in the world. In my class, we started with over 220 people. By the time we finished, we were down to 21. But it's more than just the physical courage and the tactical proficiency. What's also important is that everyone has the right moral sensibility and it's really important that there's the mental toughness that's necessary to be successful on the battlefield.

MALVEAUX: And we see the training of you and some of your colleagues as well. You know, this is the kind of work that you've done super secret and now the president has talked about the team that took out bin Laden. You've written a book about it. I assume that you believe it's a good idea, right, to talk about this in a public way, what you do and what the other Navy SEALs do as well?

GREITENS: What's really important is that there are certain tactics, techniques and procedures which are and must remain secret, Suzanne, because the most important thing is that we're able to continue these operations and that the Navy SEALs who are undertaking them are able to remain safe. What is fine, I think, to talk about, and what the SEAL community is happy to know, is that they are America's commando force, that they have been working for over 10 years on an almost daily basis dedicated to protecting Americans. And so when it comes to questions about the character of Navy SEALs, we want to let America know that this is a good investment that they've made in this force.

MALVEAUX: All right, and the Pentagon announced that it's investing more in that force as well today.

So, thank you, Eric. Good to see you.

GREITENS: My pleasure, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

We're getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. We asked, does a smaller U.S. military make sense? Colleen says, "yes, I've long thought that we need to reduce our military and foreign presence and use the money for defense-related jobs at home." Carol Costello, she's up next with more of your responses.

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MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello, she's here with some of your responses.

Hi, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.

Today's "Talk Back" question, does a smaller U.S. military make sense? Got a lot of response to this question, thank you very much.

This from Jason. "We will be the superpower of the world for the foreseeable future. This requires a large military. Unless we want a reinstatement of the draft, I suggest we continue to support and fund our military."

This from Nancy. "If they would downsize the Pentagon, the military would not be a burden on the United States. That's where the money goes, highly paid management and supervisors are the problem in every government agency. Cut from the top, it's the only sane solution."

This from G.I. Broyals (ph). "It's already a lean, mean, fighting machine. But it's about to become an emaciated one. Cutting funding is only going to weaken our nation and embolden our enemies."

This from Christopher. "We should increase the military. It's the only jobs the government can create at this point."

Please keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

MALVEAUX: All right, Carol, thank you. Good to see you.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne.