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GOP Presidential Race Continues in Florida; Japanese Man Remains in Town Evacuated After Nuclear Incident; Funeral Services for Etta James Features Star Performances; Financial Planner Gives Advice; Romney Promotes University Whose CEO Donated to Romney Campaign; Movie Critic Assesses Recent Box Office Arrivals; Former Foster Child Graduating College
Aired January 28, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live on this Saturday, January 28th, 2012. I'm Gary Tuchman in for Frederica Whitfield.
Well, search crews found another body today in the wreck of the Italian cruise ship. It was a woman wearing a uniform. Officials think she may have been a crew member. The number of confirmed dead now is 17 with 15 people still unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, six people who got off the Costa Concordia have filed a massive lawsuit against the company, $450 million. The ship hit rocks and sank two weeks ago. The cruise line has offered about $14,000 to each of the survivors.
London police make several arrests in a tabloid phone hacking scandal. The investigation now centers on allegations of police bribery. Among those arrested a police officer and several current and former employees of the "Sun" newspaper.
Jerry Sandusky wants a Pennsylvania judge to modify his bail so he can spend more time with his grandchildren. The former Penn State assistant coach is accused of sexually abusing young boys. The judge has forbidden him from having unsupervised visits with his grandkids or having them at his house overnight.
An 18-year-old student in Utah is free on bond accused of trying to bomb his school. Authorities got ticked off about the alleged Columbine inspired plot by a series of text messages. Dallin Todd Morgan is charged with use of a weapon of mass destruction. A 16- year-old could also face charges.
And in St. Louis thousands of people turned out for a welcome home parade to honor Iraq war veterans. Organizers say this is the country's first major home coming parade. One of the organizers said he didn't want to wait around for someone else to do it so he and some others planned the whole thing. Police lined the streets to see the war vets plus floats, the Budweiser Clydesdales, which are native to St. Louis, and several high school marching bands.
The two front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination are crisscrossing Florida this weekend just days before the big primary there. This Tuesday's primary gets closer and the attacks grow more fierce. Our Peter Hamby is in Miami, but let's start with Joe Johns with the Gingrich campaign in Orlando. Joe, last week I saw you face- to-face in South Carolina and we talked about the momentum Newt Gingrich had. He won the South Carolina primary by a big margin. Things have changed quite a bit over the last week, right?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: They certainly have. It doesn't look like Newt Gingrich is doing that well at all here, Gary, quite frankly. A lot of that probably has to do with organization on ground. Romney has been working hard for years. Also the air war, the television ads are so critical here in Florida because, frankly, it is just such a big state.
It's been accepted pretty much that Romney has been winning the air war here in Florida, but it has gotten very nasty. I can give you a little example of that. The Romney campaign put out an ad just today essentially talking about the ethics troubles of Newt Gingrich while he was in congress. The ad was quickly denounced by Tom Brokaw who happens to be a newsman who used to anchor for NBC. His appearance and likeness appears in that ad. NBC also denounced the ad.
And this sort of follows something that happened just yesterday over on the Gingrich side. They put out an ad accusing Romney of being dishonest, and in that ad they used the likeness of Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas. He denounced the ad and said he did not authorize this likeness being used there.
So this going back and forth here on these television ads just shows you how important it is in the state right now to try to reach the people on television, Gary.
TUCHMAN: It's really gotten nasty, Joe Johns. That is the 11th commandment of Republican politics. Ronald Reagan coined it -- thou shall not speak ill of thy fellow Republican. That's not what's happening.
Peter, you are now not actually in Miami but in our bureau in Plantation, Florida, which is Broward County but very close to Miami and in south Florida which is so important for both these candidates. I would imagine right now that Mitt Romney's feeling fairly good, right?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He absolutely is feeling good, Gary. They think they stabilized very quickly after that South Carolina bounce for Newt Gingrich and after he, Romney put Gingrich on his heels in our debate the other night with that one-two punch over Medicare and immigration really set the tone for the night. The Romney campaign feels like they are cruising.
I want to mention one thing. Joe just referenced this NBC ad or that NBC is asking the Romney campaign to pull this ad. Here is a dirty little secret. The Romney campaign knows exactly what they're doing here. That ad, which is basically calling attention to Newt Gingrich's ethics violations in the House started running here in Florida yesterday. The Romney campaign put out a statement announcing the ad this morning. The ad has been running for most of the day. Then NBC says, hey, you guys need to pull this ad. Well, now that brings even more attention to the ad and they're going to get all kinds of clicks on YouTube as people are like what is this ad everybody is talking about? Romney campaign officials are all over twitter saying hey here is a link to the ad that everyone is buzzing about. As much as it's bad NBC is asking the Romney campaign to pull the ad they know it is calling even more attention to Newt Gingrich's troubled history with ethics. Just a little back story there I think.
TUCHMAN: Joe Johns, one final question for you. If Newt Gingrich loses in Florida how devastating is that to his campaign that he couldn't maintain the momentum from South Carolina?
JOHNS: Well, it certainly would be hard for him. And, frankly, we asked him about that today. He says he plans to go all the way to the convention. He thinks he can do it. He also points out that if you'll look at national polls, and clearly he is leading in some national polls. So from the perspective of Newt Gingrich all is not lost quite frankly.
TUCHMAN: The Republican convention by the way also in Florida, Tampa, Florida to be exact.
JOHNS: That's right.
TUCHMAN: Thank you both very much.
And you can watch a replay of Thursday night's debate tonight here at 5:00 eastern time three hours from now. It's a great way to see your candidates one more time before the primary. You're candidates that means if you're a Republican. If you're a Democrat you won't see your candidate tonight.
Keep it here on CNN for the Florida primary. Tuesday night, our special coverage of the Florida primary, a very crucial Republican nominee primary begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern time.
Now a final farewell to a music legend. Etta James is being laid to rest in a star-studded funeral service going on right now as we speak. You're looking at live pictures. Congressman Maxine Waters from California is speaking right now. Reverend Al Sharpton is presiding over the service and any minute now Stevie wonder will perform at the service. At the close Christina Aguilera will sing Etta James' signature hit "At Last," and we will bring that to you when it happens. It should be very beautiful and poignant. Etta James died earlier this month from complications with leukemia. She was 73 years old.
A Japanese man refuses to leave his hometown though it is literally killing him. The air, water, and ground are all poisoned with nuclear radiation from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. He is furious at his government, but he is staying put. Find out why, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: We take you live to the memorial service for Etta James. Right now Stevie Wonder is performing "Los Angeles." Let's listen.
(SINGING)
TUCHMAN: I think your young ones may not realize how versatile Etta James was -- R&B, soul, rock, gospel, jazz. She won six Grammys. "Rolling Stone" magazine named her the 22nd best singer of all time. Etta James was 73-years-old when she passed away. We'll have more from the memorial service a little bit later.
In other news today, British troops will stay in Afghanistan until the end of the NATO mission there. That's according to Prime Minister David Cameron who promised the afghan president today that his troops will remain until the planned pullout of all NATO forces still set for the end of 2014. No such promise for the president of France. Nicolas Sarkozy announced yesterday he intends to have all French troops out of Afghanistan a year earlier than the rest of NATO by the end of 2013. France has less than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. and the U.K. combined have nearly 100,000 troops.
A Japanese man is refusing to leave his home near the damaged and dangerously radioactive Fukushima power plant. He is sick. He knows staying there will kill him. But he has a message for the country and for the world. CNN's Kyung Lah paid him a visit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the shadow of the Fukushima nuclear plant, one man's quiet defiance echoes through these contaminated empty streets, 10 miles away from disaster. It is inside a government mandated evacuation zone, but that hasn't stopped Naoto Matsumura from refusing to heed the evacuation order in place since the nuclear meltdown.
(on camera) Since then you've been living inside the exclusion zone?
(voice-over) "Yes," he says, "I remained. It began with a simple decision to remain to feed the animals on his farm. The government evacuated 78,000 residents around the exploding plant last March without a plan to rescue pets and valuable livestock. Weeks turned to months and now a year. Matsumura's captured pictures of a solitary life, his dying cattle and untended farm. Defiance grew into fury.
(on camera) Are you angry at the government, a year after the disaster?
(voice-over) "I'm full of rage," he says. That's why I'm still here. I refuse to leave and let go of this anger and grief. I weep when I see my hometown. The government of Tokyo don't really know what's happening her here."
(on camera): Do you feel the people of your town are the ones paying the price?
(voice-over) "We're the victims," he says, "The government and TEPCO, they're the perpetrators, but they don't treat us as victims." The clean-up he says has been painfully slow, only small signs of progress, like this park where the contaminated soil is under blue tarps. So he continues to keep tabs and needle Japan's government as the sole citizen.
Matsumura has actually taken on a neighbor's pet, this little dog, trying to keep this dog alive. Inside this house there is no electricity. There's very little access to water. And the reason why he would live in this way is because he says this is home.
(on camera) Are you worried about your health living there?
(Voice-over) "I'm completely contaminated" he says.
(On camera) Why take your personal health at risk for this?
(Voice-over) We have to decontaminate this area or else this town will die. I will stay to make sure it's done, he says. I want to die in my hometown.
Matsumura's determination has turned him into a local legend. Money has come in after he posted a YouTube video asking for donations. He survived on canned food, which he grabs outside of the exclusion zone. The local township looks the other way as he continues to break the law, but the pressure from authorities is growing. Matsumura said he would do this interview only outside the mandated evacuation zone.
(On camera) What is it you want the international community to know one year after the disaster?
(Voice-over) "You see what can happen? The U.S., Russia, and Japan, this is the third nuclear accident, the third time something we created ended up hurting us. We haven't learned our lesson yet.
Kyung Lah, CNN, inside the exclusion zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: We should note that my friend Kyung Lah exhibits great courage in doing that story in that exclusion zone herself.
So many people out of work, possibly out of their homes. The economy is causing more stress than you realize. Financial consultant Karen Lee joins us next with three ways to relieve that stress and improve your savings.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: It's the number one issue in American homes -- getting your financial house in order. Today in our weekly financial fix, stress and money. Let's bring in Karen Lee, the author of "It's just money, so why does it cause so many problems?" It causes problems, Karen.
LEE: It sure does.
TUCHMAN: A new study shows people are really inordinately stressed out. That is not that big of a surprise but the number is 60 percent or 70 percent. LEE: And this is the American Psychology Association. They do this study every year and inevitably the top stressor is money. Second is work. And like you said, 60 percent to 70 percent.
TUCHMAN: How do we deal with the money and the stress? What do we do? We all have bills.
LEE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: A lot of people can't figure out how to pay them. It affects your life in every way, shape, or form. What should you do.
LEE: The first thing I want to talk about is that money is still very secretive, sort of the last taboo. The first question I'm going to ask is are you keeping your financial situation a secret if you're single?
TUCHMAN: From your family?
LEE: Well, first if you're single, have you shared it with anyone? Are you carrying that burden on your own? If you're married and you're the spouse that handles the finances, have you shared it with your spouse? A lot of people will try to keep it to themselves. So the first thing is to start to share your situation and perhaps get help from a professional to start to share the burden so to speak.
TUCHMAN: Why do people keep it to themselves?
LEE: You know, we're raised in a society that we'd rather go on national TV and talk about our sex lives than our money. It's a taboo subject.
TUCHMAN: Once people share that with their loved ones, their spouses, families, what do they do next?
LEE: The next most important thing is to be prepared to make some changes. Quit accepting that this is the way you're going to live your life always with this stress and make changes. Look at reducing your lifestyle. If you're renting get a lower apartment. If you have a house, bring in a roommate. Change your car. Do whatever you have to do to cut back, and include your family in these decisions.
TUCHMAN: Karen, is that easier said than done?
LEE: Of course it is.
TUCHMAN: I guess that is a cliche, but people say I don't want to downsize my life and get rid of my car.
LEE: I talk about in my book all the time, it's just like diet and exercise. We say eat less and exercise more. Is that hard to do? Yes, because we all want to eat and enjoy. It is hard. But I can tell you as someone who has lived it if you will do these things you can get that monkey off your shoulder, the stress of money.
TUCHMAN: Tell me about what you just said, living it. LEE: I've lived it. I lived beneath my means all my life. So did my parents. My first couple chapters in the book are autobiographical. They built the American dream, multi-millionaires. My dad was an immigrant. There is probably a little part of you that will go through life feeling like you missed out, that you deserve more. But I can tell you, to get to my age and have the relief of not feeling like you're living paycheck to paycheck is the best thing in the world. So I do live it.
TUCHMAN: So finally, the last question I have for you, what is the very first thing somebody can do today to get their life in order?
LEE: Two things. One -- pay off al consumer debt. We'll say it's hard. The second thing is if you feel like you live paycheck to paycheck, you've got to build up an emergency fund. Now, even if you're saving regularly in your 401(k), which is the number one way people save money in this country, it's not having extra money in the bank for the deductible on your car insurance if you're in an accident. You need new tires. You've got everything else planned out perfectly but it's those little things that come up will throw you. You've got to have a cash reserve.
TUCHMAN: Karen Lee, you gave wonderful advice.
LEE: Thank you.
TUCHMAN: It's a pleasure meeting you in person.
LEE: You too.
TUCHMAN: Thank you very much. We should tell you next week Karen will talk more about getting professional help for your finances, right?
LEE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: And get more information by reading Karen's book. I love the title. "It's just money, so why does it cause so many problems?"
(LAUGHTER)
TUCHMAN: It doesn't talk to you like that. I just talk to you. Reach Karen at KarenLeeandassociates.com.
Well, something else that can cause stress, cooking dinner after a long day at work. And in today's "Health for Her" we meet a doctor who is spreading her message about making smart food choices in a very unique way. Here is Elizabeth Cohen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Better help for better life, that's Dr. Sandi Moore-Water's motto, and she is spreading the word through cooking.
DR. SONDI MOORE-WATERS, FAMILY PRACTITIONER: Tofu has no flavor by itself.
COHEN: When she realized her patients weren't getting the message during office visits, she and her husband started a free cooking class to show them.
MOORE-WATERS: We're just trying to make you into vegetarians or vegan, but just showing you that there is a different way.
COHEN: She says Americans have the worst diets of all the industrialized countries.
MOORE-WATERS: High in fat, high in cholesterol, and also high in sugar.
COHEN: Which can lead to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease. So what's on the menu?
MOORE-WATERS: We're going to demonstrate our basal pesto pizza for you.
COHEN: Instead of meat and cheese on their pizza they use a pesto sauce, vegetables, and veggie shrimp. These nachos don't have cheese. Instead the spread is made with cashews. And she uses tofu to make these mock cupcakes. Lavonda Cates has high blood pressure and thinks the new meals may help.
LAVONDA CATES, COOKING CLASS PARTICIPANT: I identified five different things I thought I could incorporate into my lifestyle.
MOORE-WATERS: That's what we want them to have, a better quality of life.
COHEN: One healthy meal at a time. With this week's health for her, I'm Elizabeth Cohen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: Checking today's top stories, authorities in Maine say blood has been discovered in the home of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds. Ayla was reported missing by her father on December 17th. He reportedly told police he put his daughter to bed the night before she disappeared. Police aren't saying if they know whose blood was found in the house.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is speaking out about the Pakistani doctor who helped lead the U.S. to Osama bin Laden. Panetta is telling CBS's "60 Minutes" the doctor who helped the CIA gather evidence should be released from custody. Pakistani officials arrested the doctor and charged him with treason following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The Pentagon is sending a search team into North Korea this year to find remains of missing U.S. veterans. North Korean and American military teams have conducted 33 joint recovery missions since 1996. They were suspended in 2005 because of rising nuclear tensions. About 8,000 service members from the Korean War are still listed as unaccounted for.
President Barack Obama introduced a new plan to help middle class families afford higher education. Both parties are heavily courting the middle class in this year's presidential campaign. GOP hopeful Mitt Romney is also talking education, but his mention of one particular school is raising some attention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Encounters between candidates and voters are usually routine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you mean enough to take on Obama? And I know you are.
TUCHMAN: But once in a while the encounters raise questions, like when Mitt Romney was asked in September about the cost of education.
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Full Sail University in Orlando.
TUCHMAN: What is Full Sail University, and why is Romney talking about it? A week later --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to know what you would do to make higher education more affordable and thus more accessible to young people.
ROMNEY: I was at one school called Full Sail University. It's in Florida. And they don't have summer vacation. They have you go right straight through from beginning to end so you can get through faster and you can be working faster. I mean, there are things, it's a for profit institution, this Full Sail University is. They're trying to think about how to make it more affordable and move people. We ought to be doing that, thinking about that.
TUCHMAN: Once again a shout out for Full Sail University, a school in Winter Park, Florida, that specializes in media and entertainment. While it has top notch facilities and successful alumni, costs are more than many college options.
(on camera) What Mitt Romney did not say during his shout out was that the CEO of Full Sail University is a major donor to his campaign.
(voice-over) James Bill Heavener has given the maximum $2,500 to Romney's campaign. So has his wife. But it's not only money he is donating. He is donating a considerable amount of time as a cochairman of Romney's Florida finance team. In a written statement Heavener told us "I believe governor Romney is the best candidate for what America needs at this time. We have 25 million people out of work and I believe with his experience he can get America back to work." I asked Governor Romney about the school at a rally in Tampa.
(on camera) Why did you single out Full Sail University?
ROMNEY: I got a chance to tour the university and was very impressed. TUCHMAN: I then asked Romney if Heavener's donation and loyalty had anything to do with his mentioning of Full Sail. No way, he says.
ROMNEY: Can you imagine $2,500 affecting what you're going to say?
TUCHMAN: But $2,500 is not the only money Heavener has donated. He has also given $45,000 to the super PAC that supports Mitt Romney. Romney, like all the candidates, is not allowed to coordinate super PACs. Gary Jones is the president of Full Sail University. He says Romney visited the school and met with him this past summer.
(On camera) Is Full Sail endorsing Mitt Romney for president?
GARRY JONES, PRESIDENT, FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY: No Full Sail is not.
TUCHMAN: And so Full Sail does not take a position on the presidential election?
JONES: Correct.
TUCHMAN: So if an employee wants to donate to Barack Obama's campaign that's OK.
JONES: Absolutely.
TUCHMAN: Or to Rick Santorum's campaign.
JONES: Sure, to anybody's campaign, yes. That would be the individual's right.
TUCHMAN: But still, back in September, with all the for-profit schools out there, why did Governor Romney single out Full Sail?
ROMNEY: I like the University of Phoenix and others.
TUCHMAN: Indeed, just a few weeks ago Mitt Romney did mention University of Phoenix and others.
ROMNEY: I know some hate the idea of these for profit universities like University of Phoenix and Full Sail and others. I like the competition.
TUCHMAN: But once again he mentioned Full Sail, a school that all agree Mitt Romney has sure taken a liking to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Mitt Romney and other candidates usually don't take questions from reporters while they're shaking hands, but obviously Mitt Romney felt very motivated to answer my question. Once again he says there is absolutely no quid pro quo.
We're expecting Newt Gingrich to speak in a Hispanic town hall meeting in Orlando. You're looking live right now at Orlando, Florida. The bald eagle and the American flag in the background and Newt Gingrich about to arrive. Both Gingrich and Mitt Romney have very busy days today, the critical Florida primary. Tuesday they are actively courting Florida's Hispanic vote, and his speech is expected to begin any minute now. We'll go live when it does.
You can watch a replay of Thursday night's Republican debate tonight 5:00 eastern. It's a great way to see the contenders one more time before the Republican primary.
And keep it here on CNN for the best coverage of the Florida primary Tuesday night. Our special coverage begins 6:00 eastern time.
Credit card offers may be clogging up your e-mail and your mail box. They promise zero percent interest rates, rewards, cash back, much more. In this week's "Smart is the New Rich," Christine Romans takes a look at what you need to consider before you apply.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: People are telling me they are starting to get credit card offers again for the first time in three or four years. What is your advice to people who were maybe troubled with credit card debt before and now banks are reaching out again?
GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: If you've gotten in trouble with credit card debt in the recent past walk those right over to the shredder. It's a one way trip. Now for the disciplined consumer who pays the balance in full every month, is not tempted to go out and spend money they don't have and instead looks at these reward card programs as a way to get paid for transactions they're going to make anyway, now is the time to be shopping around because there are a lot of very attractive offers and many have introductory bonuses to get you to sign up. So there is cash available for the taking for that disciplined consumer who is going to refrain from running up debt.
ROMANS: I always say the credit card companies aren't doing it because they like you.
MCBRIDE: No. It's a business, and so as a consumer you've got to make a business decision for yourself. This is the time to be shopping around and looking at getting a lower rate on that credit card because it is the consumer that has top notch credit that the card issuers are really drawn to that is the customer they want. If you have strong credit and you're looking to pay off that debt in 2012 now is the time to shop around for a lower rate.
ROMANS: For "Smart is the New Rich," I'm Christine Romans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: If you're planning to go to the movies this weekend, we have a couple flicks you might want to see. Movie critic Matt Atchity with RottenTomatoes.com joins us from Los Angeles. Matt, thanks for joining us.
MATT ATCHITY, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM: Thanks for having me. TUCHMAN: Let's start with "The Grey." Liam Neeson, great actor, the star. How is that looking to you?
ATCHITY: "The Grey" is Liam Neeson versus wolves this time. We've seen him take on kidnappers, secret agents. Now he is facing down wolves. And he plays a man who is a wolf hunter. He's in a plane with some oil rig rough necks. They crash in the Alaskan tundra and they have to fight their way out as these wolves are picking them off one by one.
TUCHMAN: This demands a listen and a look for a second.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to gather up everything that will burn, seats, luggage, any wood we can find.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said we need a fire. It's about 10 below and dropping. So we don't die, we build up a fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: It looks like a suspense-filled thriller. Did it meet your approval.
ATCHITY: Yes. It absolutely does. It's definitely a survival thriller but gets a little more philosophical than you'd expect. It's a fantastic movie. It's directed by Joe Carnahan who gave us the "A Team" last year which people were somewhat disappointed in. I actually think this is one of his best films. I loved this movie and I give it an "A." I think it is absolutely worth seeing. Definitely stay through the credits. There is a little Easter egg scene at the very end after the credits. So make sure you stay all the way through.
TUCHMAN: The old credit tip. More and more movies have stuff during the credits. The top grade for matt. Now we move on to our next movie and that is a movie with a very creative title. The title itself makes you want to see it, "Man on a Ledge." Let's take a look. We'll ask you about it.
ATCHITY: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on off this ledge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be crazy. Come in here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me help you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is someone talking to IRA right now. Whose name are they going to come up with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I'm your friend. Take my hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whose name?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: If you're scared of heights, not a movie for you. The title, the scene we're watching shows that it's a nerve-racking movie. How did you like it?
ATCHITY: You know, if you are afraid of heights this movie will make you nervous. That is Sam Worthington starring as the title character, the man on a ledge. He plays a cop who had gone to jail for a theft he didn't commit. He goes out there as kind of a stunt to clear his name and distract from his brother's heist that's happening across the street.
The movie starts to get sillier and sillier. I actually was mostly disappointed with this. It's not unwatchable but it's certainly relatively forgettable. I give it a "D." I don't think it is really anything you'd necessarily absolutely have to go see in the theater. The performances are OK, but really this is the kind of movie that if you're lying around the house at home watching cable and you're sick and it comes on you can sit through this. But apart from that I don't think it's essential viewing.
TUCHMAN: I'm disappointed. I love Elizabeth Banks. How was she in the movie?
ATCHITY: She's great. She is great. She's super cute. She plays the police lieutenant that comes out to try to talk down Sam Worthington's character. She kind of gets involved in matters. She is really good in this. All the actors turn in fine performances but the movie just goes so twisty and turny you can't really buy what they're trying to put in front of you anymore.
TUCHMAN: So Matt Atchity give it a "D" today, mixed grades. But nevertheless thank you for joining us and inspiring us to go to the movies this weekend.
ATCHITY: Thanks a lot.
TUCHMAN: Thanks, Matt. You can check out all of matt's grades and reviews by going to the Web site RottenTomatoes.com.
He is on a path to success now. But he started out facing a lot of tough challenges. Before we go to that story, which will be coming up soon, we go live to the memorial service for Etta James, because Christina Aguilera is singing, and she is supposed to be singing one of Etta James' greatest hits.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA, SINGER: Welcome to you today. Invited here to pay tribute to the great Miss Etta James.
(APPLAUSE) AGUILERA: There is a song that I've included in my tour now for over a decade since the first time that I was able to have a world tour and I went around the world for the past, throughout all my career saying that miss Etta James was my favorite singer in the whole, whole wide world. And I would sing this song every night, even to this day there is not a set list that goes by in a show that I do that I don't include this particular song. It's very emotional for me to sing it today as this has meant so much to me.
There's a line in the song that says "I found a dream that I could speak to." And for me that dream all my life has been Etta James. I have aspired to sing like her, to be like her, to emulate her notes and her passion and the love for what she did. I could feel it.
And out of all the singers I've ever heard she was the one that cut right to my soul and spoke to me. So tonight, Etta, this song is for you. This is called "At Last."
(SINGING)
TUCHMAN: Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. The space shuttle exploded 73 seconds into flight, killing all seven people onboard. Investigators discovered a flaw in the shuttle's booster rockets which caused gas to leak, triggering the explosion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TUCHMAN: When planning a vacation becomes too much work, you may need some expert help. Why not let a travel agent help out so you can actually relax? Reynolds Wolf is "On the Go" with that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The average traveler spends hours booking their own vacations, visiting about 21 sites and nine different web sessions for just one trip. That's one reason why travel agents are becoming popular again.
MARK ORWOLL, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR, "TRAVEL + LEISURE": Travelers are really looking for some advice, somebody who can answer questions for them, somebody who has experience in traveling. And they can't always get that online.
KERRY STEGMAN, TRAVEL AGENT: Maybe come up with something that you haven't thought of yet.
WOLF: Travel agent Kerry Stegman says beyond the convenience agents can help if something goes wrong.
STEGMAN: You actually have somebody you can call. Whether it's weather related, family emergency, or just any type of natural disaster, we're there for you.
WOLF: But Stagman she suggests interviewing agents before they plan your trip. If you are worried about costs, most agents make their money through commissions, but complex itineraries often come with a fee.
ORWOLL: If you have to pay a fee to a travel agent the chances are very good the discounts and savings they can get for you are going to compensate for any fees you pay to them.
WOLF: Making these globetrotting experts an option the next time you're on the go.
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TUCHMAN: "Beating the odds" -- how many times have you heard that phrase? Well, you're about to meet a young man who has done that and so much more. Shawn Hudson was a foster care kid, but that didn't stop him from becoming a real success story. Here's Julie Peterson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE PETERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The University of Alabama, a 180- year-old institution, center of the college football universe with its recent national championship, serving 31,000 students, one of them, senior and former foster care child, Sean Hudson. The social work major has a 3.7 GPA, but his path to success has not been easy.
SEAN HUDSON, FORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH: It was always this lingering thought in my head to just give up.
PETERSON: Hudson writes about growing up with his biological family before he was put into foster care when he was 11. He writes about a difficult childhood that included an absent father who spent time in prison. But it wasn't until after he was removed from his family for the second time at age 15 that he hit rock bottom.
(On camera) In the course of your life, what has the lowest point been for you?
HUDSON: I was constantly switched around to different group homes. And it was just that feeling of where am I going from here? Am I going to keep moving around to different group homes, what is the point of me even trying?
PETERSON (voice-over): And then a life line. Social worker Alice Westry (ph) entered his life, looking past foster care stigmas and opening Hudson's eyes to a future, his future.
HUDSON: She didn't judge me or look at me differently. She saw me as a regular child.
PETERSON: And inspired him to go to college. But it took more than good grades to get into the University of Alabama.
HUDSON: I was thinking to myself, me, a foster kid, trying to get inside one of the top schools in the nation is just impossible. And then I told myself, I can do this.
PETERSON: This historic university may have at first seemed big and imposing. But take a stroll with Hudson now and it feels anything but.
(On camera) Sean, we're walking around this campus and I feel like you know everybody. Everybody here knows you. How is that?
HUDSON: All I can say is I guess it is because of all the organizations I am involved in on campus.
PETERSON (voice-over): Among other things he has served on the student judiciary board and the Alabama Youth Advisory Council. And Hudson has earned multiple honors, an outstanding young leaders award from the foster club and the distinguished scholar award from the university. When he graduates later this year he'll be part of an elite group, foster children who earn a college degree, something just two percent of youngsters in foster care accomplish.
(On camera) What sets you apart, Sean, from the other foster care kids who just don't make it to college who aren't part of the 2 percent?
HUDSON: What makes me different from most foster kids is more the motivational part. I have people in the foster care system that actually believed in me.
PETERSON (voice-over): The 21-year-old works three jobs and has won 10 scholarships. His future plans include law school and helping others in foster care.
HUDSON: One of the things I want to do is effect change and kind of just bring on new policies. One area I want to go into if I get my law degree is advocacy and then go into public policy.
PETERSON: And on the home front things are looking up.
HUDSON: I just started to build a relationship with my biological family, so I spent most of my Christmas break with them and my foster family. It's like I got two families to go to so I got twice as much food to eat at Christmas.
Julie Peterson, CNN, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
