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U.S. Closes Embassy In Syria; GOP Candidates Look To Tomorrow; Obama Ratchets Up Campaign; Missing Woman's Husband Torches Home; New Charges In Homeless Killings Case; Woman Reads Bible To Attacker; Queen Elizabeth's 60 Years On Throne; Deadly Cold Snap In Europe; Apple Product Making Plant Under Fire

Aired February 06, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And it is the top of the hour. Thanks for joining us, everyone.

The U.S. closes its embassy in Syria and is recommending that all U.S. citizens leave the country immediately. Now this follows reports that Syria's army is firing rockets and mortars into some city neighborhoods.

Now we are getting reports that a doctor in a field office there in Homs says that at least 30 people have been killed. Opposition activists say that they blame the U.N. Security Council for not passing a resolution condemning the regime.

Senior State Department producer, Elise Labott here with more. So Elise, have all American diplomats working at the embassy left Syria?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: That's right, Kyra. There were about 17 diplomats left. A couple left a few days ago. Ambassador Robert Ford and the rest of them just arrived in Jordan a little over an hour ago CNN was told. We broke the news.

State Department moments ago issuing a statement saying the recent surge in violence, including bombings in Damascus on December 23 and January 6 have raised serious concerns that our embassy is not sufficiently protected from armed attack.

We, along with several other diplomatic missions conveyed security concerns to the Syrian government, but the regime failed to respond adequately. And Kyra, officials tell me Ambassador Robert Ford was able to get around.

But given those recent bombings, they believe they bear the hall marks of al Qaeda and the embassy could be a possible attack. They believe al Qaeda is in the country and they were worried about attack on the embassy.

PHILLIPS: Well, we are watching this story closely, Elise and you're bringing us all the latest information. Please keep us updated through the hour. Appreciate it.

Now back here at home, Mitt Romney ran the table in Vegas leaving town with 50 percent of the vote, the same as the other three candidates combined, by the way.

Now the Republicans look ahead to tomorrow and three more contests in the nation's midsection. As candidates hit the ground, the president has already taken to the air. Last night in interview just before the Super Bowl, he made his case for re-election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I deserve a second term, but we're not done. We created 3.7 million jobs in the last 23 months. We created the most jobs since 2005. The most manufacturing jobs since 1990, but we're not finished. The key right now is just to make sure we don't start turning in a new direction that could throw that progress off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right, so are voters ready to buy that argument? CNN political editor, Paul Steinhauser, live in Washington. Paul, what do you see in the new poll?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, it seems Americans are divided on that. You heard the president just say he deserved a second term. He deserves to be re-elected. Look at the numbers, Kyra, out from ABC News and "Washington Post."

And they asked just that and you can see among registered voters nationwide, Americans are split on that, 49 percent say he deserves a second term, 49 percent say he doesn't.

Go to the next screen as well. This is interesting, you know, a hypothetical matchup in November. President Obama versus say, Mitt Romney, as the Republican nominee, who would have the upper hand?

Well, look, now from this new poll, the president with a 6 point advantage. It was basically dead even back in January. You know, since then, of course, you had new unemployment report that came out Friday.

This poll was conducted half before and half after that. And also, I think you're seeing some people getting turned off by bitterness and negativity on the Republican side. You know, among independents, the president really making up ground over Mitt Romney -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All the candidates are looking forward to Minnesota and Colorado today?

STEINHAUSER: You got it. That's where all four of the Republican presidential hopefuls are going to be, why? Well, tomorrow, we got another round of caucuses and primaries.

Minnesota, you've got 37 delegates at stake tomorrow in that caucus. In Colorado, 3 delegates up for grabs. Both states proportional, and Missouri holding a nonbinding primary.

But guess what, Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot in Missouri. So Rick Santorum hoping to have a good night in Missouri and maybe even Minnesota -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Paul, thanks. CNN tomorrow, live coverage of the state primaries and caucuses begins at 6 Eastern, followed by CNN's complete coverage of the results, 7 Eastern right here on CNN.

Police in Washington State say a fire and explosion that killed Josh Powell and his two boys was intentional. The tragic end to a puzzling case that began when Powell's wife, Susan, disappeared two years ago.

Thelma Gutierrez is live in Peers County, Washington with the latest. So, Thelma, it is sad. It's a bizarre turn of events. What can you tell us about the investigation now?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, Kyra, that investigators who have been on the case ever since Susan Powell went missing in Utah have traveled here to Washington.

They will be talking with detectives to see if they can go over details. They'll come and visit the scene to again try to determine what, in fact, happened to Susan Powell. They say that case is very much active.

PHILLIPS: Now, he sent an e-mail just before the explosion, right?

GUTIERREZ: He did, and that's something that they're looking very closely at. They're saying here, investigators are saying that this was premeditated. He knew exactly what he was going to do, and they point to that e-mail.

We talked to the sheriff's spokesman a short time ago, Kyra, he told us that shortly before this explosion went off in this neighborhood that the attorney received an e-mail and it just simply said I'm sorry, goodbye.

Also that a cousin of his in Texas received the same e-mail, and they're saying there was absolutely no indication that he would have done something like this according to the attorney, but he did know he was very, very upset after losing custody of his children.

PHILLIPS: And Thelma, why, he had lost custody of his boys, why?

GUTIERREZ: Well, Kyra, this is what's most disturbing in all of this. We were talking to the sheriff's spokesperson. He told us that Josh Powell's father, Steven, with whom he lived here in this neighborhood for a short time.

He had actually been arrested back in September of 2011 for possession of child pornography, 14 counts, and also for voyeuristic acts. And so based on the fact, Kyra, the judge looked at that, said it wasn't a safe place for these children to be.

That is why he lost custody. That is why the children went to go live with Susan Powell's parents also here in Washington. He tried to get custody back, Kyra, last week, went to a hearing. The judge denied his request. So he was very despondent from what authorities are telling us.

PHILLIPS: Thelma, finally you had a chance to talk to the neighbors. Did they know the family? Did they see this coming, any insight?

GUTIERREZ: You know, the most interesting thing, Kyra, is that, you know, neighbors out here didn't know that Josh Powell even lived in this neighborhood. It's a really quiet place. You can see his home right behind us. It is at the end of a cul-de-sac between the two pine trees.

People say they just didn't know that any of this was going on. They are devastated to find out exactly what happened. They say the first thing they knew yesterday shortly after noon, they hear this terrible explosion.

You can see what's left of Josh Powell's home. It is completely devastated. It is completely in ashes, and they say they ran out. They heard a series of explosions following, and saw this tall wall of flames and then inside, the most disturbing, were the bodies of the two children and also of an adult male.

Authorities say they have no reason to believe that they are anyone else, but Josh Powell and his two sons, the seven-year-old and the five-year-old, who were in one room in the middle of the room together when they died.

PHILLIPS: Thelma Gutierrez in Washington State for us. Thelma, thanks.

Well, President Obama thinks he deserves a second term. Do you?

Plus, London is celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 60 years as monarch, we'll show you how. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking stories cross country now. In California, a new twist in the case of an Iraq war vet who prosecutors say brutally killed four homeless men. Today, he will be charged with fatally stabbing the mother and brother of an old friend.

And nearly 500 passengers and crew members got sick from a neurovirus infection aboard the Ruby Princess and Crown Princess cruise ships. Both of those boats are based out of Fort Lauderdale. A spokeswoman says, the crews are disinfecting the ships now while CDC investigators search for the cause of that outbreak.

In North Carolina, police are looking for a man who slashed a woman's neck. The woman had just gotten home from bible study. So what did she do? She didn't panic. She began to read scriptures to the man about an hour. Well, he apologized and then he left. She's in stable condition with 25 staples to her neck. Sixty years and a 41 gun salute. It's quite a party for Queen Elizabeth. And of course, CNN's royal correspondent, Max Foster is live in London following the diamond jubilee.

And of course, all the photos, I don't know if I repeated myself three times or not. I think we had a mic problem, Max. This is nothing compared to what's going to happen in June, right?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: The big weekend really is June, but the palace points out, this is a year of celebrations, which is why today was so important. She's sending out all her children and grandchildren out around the world in her name to visit the countries where she is queen as well.

Because she is queen not just the U.K. but 15 other countries around the world including Canada and Australia, for example, so a series of celebrations coming up and today, the palace released a few photos, new official portraits of the queen, one of them showed Prince Phillip.

This is interesting one because you see the queen in a fairly standard pose, but she's actually standing in front of the Queen Victoria memorial. She's wearing the same necklace that Queen Victoria wore in 1897 for her diamond jubilee picture.

The point Elizabeth is making is that there's only two monarchs that have ever been on the throne for this long for 60 years and they were both women, Victoria and Elizabeth.

So she's part of a unique club, this is a big event. She says she has no plans to retire either. She's renewing her commitment to the people she said today. She's going to go on and on and she has been out and about as well today, Kyra, so busy day for her.

PHILLIPS: And I understand it will be quite a guest list at one of the major get together, is that right?

FOSTER: Yes, over the years, going to be all sorts of get together, it's going to be big lunch involving all of the European monarchs around the world later on in the year, and also I know that President Obama has been speaking about the queen recently in very fond terms.

She has met every single U.S. president, bar one. President Obama said it was his favorite state visit when he came last year. So, I know, there's a big American contingent coming to the celebrations, particularly after last year, you remember the royal wedding.

The mile behind me was full of a million people. They are expecting even more for the jubilee celebrations beginning of June we believe. We'll see, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I am sure you'll be at all the celebrations. We'll check in with you, Max. Thanks so much.

Well, there are more GOP presidential contests tomorrow. If Rick Santorum doesn't come out on top, will it be the end of his campaign? We ask our "Political Buzz" panel next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Europe, the death toll is rising from the most vicious cold snap in decades. More than 200 have died in Eastern Europe, more than half just in one country, the Ukraine.

Matthew Chance is joining us from the capital city, joins us by phone. Matthew, any relief in sight? Give us details of what people are doing.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): It is very cold indeed, Kyra, as you just mentioned. So many people have lost their lives. Temperatures reaching, you know, degrees that are far lower than is normal in what is ordinarily a very cold country at this time of year.

The health ministry in Ukraine has revised the number of people that have been killed as a result of the weather, upwards to 135 over the course of the past nine days. So it really is a deadly deep freeze the country finds itself in.

And it's not just Ukraine, of course, this is a weather front that's expanded across areas of Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, well over 300 people now confirmed dead in various countries in this continent here.

PHILLIPS: You have covered this region, Matthew, for some time. Have you ever seen or experienced this?

CHANCE: I mean, about six years ago, there was a winter when I was based in Moscow, which was probably even colder than this, but it is not just the temperatures that are important, it is the way the local authorities respond to it.

If the response isn't adequate then, you know, people, homeless people generally tend to die, that's what we have been seeing on this occasion. I am spanning here in the center of Ukranian capital, near one of the few tents that's been set up by local authorities with fires inside, stove heaters, room heaters.

They're offering tea and sort of basic food like porridge and bread and things like that. But I think the fact is that across the country and across the region, there are just so many homeless people because of the economic conditions. Couple that with low temperatures, and it is leading to this very, very high death toll here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, please keep us posted. Thank you.

Well, they earn less than a dollar an hour. They sleep where they work, and they make the Apple products that you use every day. We're talking about employees at the Foxconn factory.

CNN's Stan Grant investigates the technology giant and spoke with one employee that says some workers are treated like animals. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Believe it or not, this woman has never seen an iPad before, even though she toils more than 60 hours a week making them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it.

GRANT (on camera): You like it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

GRANT (voice-over): She's like many migrant workers from rural China spending endless hours putting on screens, but never glimpsing the finished product.

Here is another first. This is her only meal in a restaurant since she started at Foxconn, a company that produces electronics for the world's leading brands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very interesting.

GRANT: Sure is a change from the factory where she works, sleeps, and eats. She doesn't want to be identified. We'll call her Miss Chen. If she's caught speaking to us, she says she will lose her job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): When we were being trained for work, they told us if we accept interviews, we will be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law. It's really a big deal.

GRANT: Miss Chen is one of more than a million workers at Foxconn in China. She works at this factory in the city of Changdu installing iPad screens.

The company makes the iPads, iPods, and iPhones that has made Apple a commercial and cultural icon. But there are no I-workers here, only we workers. Miss Chen says we work whenever Foxconn says so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They use women as men and they use men as machines. There's another way of saying it. They use women as men and use men as animals.

GRANT (on camera): Well, this is the front gate of the Foxconn factory. It's as far as we're going to be able to go. But every day, literally tens of thousands of workers go through these gates.

According to the worker that we spoke to, people don't tend to stay very long here. If they have any complaints, the attitude of management is if you don't like it, you can leave.

(voice-over): Only weeks ago, workers threatened mass suicide at a Foxconn factory in Rohan manufacturing Microsoft products. Microsoft said in a statement they investigated and found the matter related to staffing assignments and transfer policies, not working conditions.

The company noted that it works to ensure employees are treated fairly. Foxconn says it resolved the dispute. But in 2010, the company made unwanted headlines when more than a dozen workers killed themselves, forcing Foxconn to improve its factories.

The company tells CNN they boosted pay and provided counseling. Foxconn now boost that its on site healthcare and working conditions, which it claims are among the best in China.

Apple is being criticized for its links to overseas factories. It maintains it would not work with companies that didn't respect their employees. In a recent e-mail to staff, Apple addressed critics.

It says, quote, "We care about every worker in our worldwide chain. Miss Chen, though, sees it differently."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Do they care about us? I don't know. At least I am not getting any of that care.

GRANT: Foxconn insists workers are treated fairly and their rights fully protected. Workers rights group say the company favors only a privileged few, executives, managers. For the many thousands of others, it is run with a military culture.

They point to unpredictable hours at the whim of management, complaints of inadequate breaks and workers not even allowed to speak on the factory floor.

As we found, they're not too keen to speak outside either. We had to meet Miss Chen at this restaurant. It is a rare outing for her. Foxconn takes up every waking moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It is so boring. I can't bear it any more. Every day, I get up from work and go to bed. I get up in the morning and I go to work. It became my daily routine, and I almost felt like I was some kind of animal.

GRANT: Hers is just one tale, but it's an experience repeated elsewhere by other disgruntled Foxconn employees. She says she will leave soon to go back to college. She has no desire to return here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I don't want to work in Foxconn.

GRANT (on camera): You don't?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't.

GRANT (voice-over): But there's the lure of the iPad.

(on camera): You like it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to have one. Would I have enough money?

GRANT (voice-over): Enough money? Right now, Miss Chen says, she earns less than a dollar an hour. Stan Grant, CNN, Changdu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And a spokesperson of Apple's headquarters sent this statement this morning. Quote, "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made. Our suppliers must live up to these requirements if they want to keep doing business with Apple.

President Obama thinks he deserves a second term. Do you? That's the topic in our "Political Buzz" segment and it is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now. The U.S. has closed its embassy in Syria, and pulled out the last of its staff today. Washington says Syria refused to address security concerns.

And the death toll is rising in Pakistan. At least, six people confirmed dead, possibly dozens of others trapped in a collapsed factory. A boiler explosion is being blamed.

In Italy, the captain of the "Costa Concordia" wants off house arrest. This morning, he made that plea to a panel of judges, a move sure to outrage the families of those killed.

All right, "Political Buzz," your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today, Sirius XM political talk show host and comedian, Pete Dominick, Hiram College professor, Jason Johnson and CNN contributor, Will Cain.

First question, guys, Mitt Romney winning Nevada, winning Nevada big. Now he's looking toward Colorado and Minnesota. If he wins both, is that it for Santorum, Pete?

PETE DOMINICK, SIRIUS XM POLITICAL TALK SHOW HOST: I'm sorry, Rick Santorum is still in the presidential race? I didn't realize that. Listen, Rick Santorum is hanging in there because there's a sliver of supporters that agree with his anti-marriage equality, anti-choice, and anti-science points of view.

This guy should have been disqualified after the last CNN debate when he ended with global warming is a hoax. Something that his Catholic pope disagrees with, Pope Benedict saying this kind of change is happening and we should worry about it. I don't know why he is still there, so, yes, he is done in short.

PHILLIPS: Will?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I don't know. It is not if, it is when, Kyra. I don't know if it is tomorrow or next week, but looks like Rick Santorum's campaign will come to an end. We had this debate, I had it with some conservatives about there's still 50 percent of conservative electorate that doesn't like Mitt Romney.

So maybe, just maybe Iowa had it right. Maybe that alternative shouldn't have been Newt Gingrich. It should have been Rick Santorum. We will never know. But he sure has grown as a candidate, and might have been able to be the Mitt Romney answer, but he is not.

PHILLIPS: Jason?

JASON JOHNSON, PROFESSOR, HIRAM COLLEGE: Well, you know, the Nevada GOP is like better at counting cards than they were counting votes. It took forever for us to finally see that there's no chance for somebody like Santorum to be successful.

This race is now Mitt Romney's. No one else will challenge him. No one else is going to catch up with him. He pulled off Florida. He pulled off Nevada. He is going to win probably all of the primary states on Tuesday.

It is time for the other candidates to roll up their sleeves, say we have to start working to beat Barack Obama because they're not going to beat Mitt Romney.

PHILLIPS: All right, here we go. President Obama tells Matt Lauer, he deserves a second term. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I deserve a second term, but we're not done.

We created 3.7 million jobs over the last 23 months, we created the most jobs since 2005, the most manufacturing since 1990, but we're not finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Pete, does he deserve a second term?

PETE DOMINICK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well Kyra, that's -- that's definitely going to have to be up for the voters. But when we think about how incumbents get re-elected and we look at this situation and how bad the economy was, worst situation since the depression, and how it's grown.

Hey, listen, if we keep adding jobs, most voters don't look at things the way Will and Jayson and I and everybody that works at CNN do, day to day, really deep in depth. They say, what's the unemployment rate? Is Gadhafi dead? Is bin Laden dead? Do I have a job? How is my house doing? That's about it, how am I doing?

And if people think that things are better and it looking that -- that way, he'll probably win again.

PHILLIPS: Will?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, well I don't just think he deserves a second chance, but that's because of long term issues, Kyra, it's things like -- it's the way he's building this country for the long term, things like the healthcare bill, or trying to force in a cap and trade bill.

These are the reasons that I disagree with President Obama. If he puts his focus on the short term, on the economy, on this unemployment rate, I think he's going to have to live and die by the sword.

So if the economy is not better in six months, he set himself up for some tough questions. I agree with Pete, it's more though, than a number on the wall, it's more than the unemployment number, it's how do voters feel, how is inflation, who is housing, how is unemployment. All those add up to a feeling voters have. And we'll just see if they feel better in November.

PHILLIPS: Jayson.

JOHNSON: Of course he deserves re-election. He doesn't have any real competition. I mean, if you look what Barack Obama is up against, he is up against Mitt Romney, a guy who made his career off of firing people and laying people off in order to make more money.

So Barack Obama may have not done a great job, he may have failed to do all sorts of promises, he may have battened down on any of the policies that he promised he was going to initiate in 2008, but he deserves to be re-elected because the other options on the Republicans side are weak, ineffectual and aren't going to be able to get things done.

So he wins by default.

PHILLIPS: You "Buzzer Beater" now, 20 seconds each on this one. Flip flopping on "SNL".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a surprise to see you here, Mitt. As I recall, you found the idea of a moon colony silly back in 2012.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh Newt, you were all wrong. Ever since you left earth, it's been a nightmare. Please forgive me and let me work in your admoonistration (sic).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just supposed to believe that you completely changed your position?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it wouldn't be the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Ok flip-flopping but he's still the GOP frontrunner. So could public opinion flip-flop on flip-flopping when he's up against Obama -- Pete?

DOMINICK: Kyra, I hope the public opinion flips on the phrase of flip-flopping. It's a horrible phrase. I don't know what to replace it with, but it means you change your mind because of political expediency, which listen Mitt Romney has never been a nominee in a general election, he's only been hit that he changed from liberal to conservative. That -- that same criticism might not come.

Let's just say change in the mind and not use flip flopping. I don't think it'll matter.

PHILLIPS: Will?

CAIN: No I disagree with you, Pete. Actually flip flopping doesn't mean changing your mind because of political expediency, it means changing your mind. Voters don't go so far to say why did he change his mind. Sometimes it's not so cynical it's for political expediency. I'm not speaking to Mitt Romney, I don't know why he changed his mind on so many issues.

But we ought to think a little more beyond that. Oh you changed your mind. Well, maybe you had a legitimate reason to change your mind. Will it be a big issue in November? Kyra, no.

PHILLIPS: Jayson?

JOHNSON: Voters don't care about flip-flopping, they care about inspiration, they care about vision and they care about the future. If you think about a week ago, Barack Obama is singing "Let's Stay Together" and Mitt Romney is basically butchering ":America the Beautiful". That's the kind of thing that's going to hurt Mitt Romney this fall. The man can't inspire people. America doesn't want a manager, America wants an inspirer that's going to hurt him, not flip- flopping.

PHILLIPS: Guys thanks, I appreciate it.

DOMINICK: Thanks Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet. Well, CNN tomorrow, live coverage of state primaries and caucuses begins at 6:00 Eastern. That's followed by CNN's live coverage of all the results at 7:00 Eastern time right here on CNN.

All right, from prayers to a potty mouth, after last night's loss, Tom Brady's supermodel -- supermodel wife rather reportedly cusses out a fan. We've got the scoop, word by word.

Plus, we're going to talk with the senior Muslim correspondent for "The Daily Show". This guy is making chick flicks now. We're putting him on the spot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The food he grew up with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Super Bowl lived up to the hype. A thriller of a final play in Indianapolis last night. The Patriots, Tom Brady throwing a Hail Mary pass right into the end zone. You'll see here once it comes off the right hand, the ball actually knocked down, there it is, and the New York Giants are Super Bowl champs. Giants quarterback Eli Manning wins the MVP.

There's another part of the Super Bowl that -- there's another part of the Super Bowl that may have stolen the show. Everyone is talking about singer MIA's performance at the half time performance.

Nischelle Turner live in L.A., so Nischelle what is it about -- about this half time performances. There always has to be some type of drama.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You think people would learn, right, Kyra? But obviously not and I would put a bet on this morning that Madonna is a little ticked off at MIA. You know Madonna put on a fantastic show last night.

But now all anyone wants to talk about, is how MIA decided to used her middle finger to communicate with the fans. Now you know she was actually also caught on mike swearing, but that wasn't really clear. The middle finger incident well, that was so quick, you probably missed it just like the MVP sensors did. They were just a split second too late to block the image and the NFL no, they are not happy this morning.

They issued a statement saying, quote, "There was a failure in NBC's delay system. The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans". And NBC for their part, they actually apologized as well.

And you know Kyra, we reached out to Madonna and MIA for comment, but neither of them have responded to us just yet.

PHILLIPS: All right, meanwhile, Tom Brady's wife didn't have a problem responding I guess to some fans about last night's loss?

TURNER: Yes. You know, this is kind of disappointing because what actually happened, the situation was Gisele just watched her husband lose the Super Bowl. And apparently she was being heckled by some Giants fans as she went into the elevator.

She must have not known that there was a camera rolling and that this could get out. So I just kind of want to show you what happened. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He didn't even catch the ball like he was supposed to.

GISELE BUNDCHEN, TOM BRADY'S WIFE: My husband cannot (EXPLETIVE DELETED) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: Yes, she was venting about some of Tom Brady's receivers on the team. Now, I don't know if there were any receivers' wives nearby to hear that, but I can't imagine that she knew there was a camera there rolling and thought that this would get out.

You know I actually can get her losing her cool here. Tough game, she's already been taking some heat pregame for the e-mail that she sent out asking for friends and family to pray for Brady. That was supposed to be private as well.

But in this case, she probably should have waited to get her anger out while she was still in the suite or waited until she got into the car with Tom.

Now, we reached out also to one of Gisele's representatives to get her reaction to all of this and we were told Kyra simply "no comment".

PHILLIPS: Got you. Thank you so much.

If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, Nischelle's got it. A.J.'s got it every night "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT", 11:30 Eastern on HLN.

"The Daily Show" senior Muslim correspondent, a leading man in his very own chick flick. Where's the satire? Assif Mandvi in the hot seat next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, you aren't just handed the title senior Muslim correspondent on "The Daily Show", you earn it. You pay your dues, have hands-on experience. Oh, yes, you have to be openly Muslim, too. So when you got all that, you break stories. And I believe Assif Mandvi actually did win an Edwin R. Muslim award for this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASSIF MANDVI, SENIOR MUSLIM CORRESPONDENT, "THE DAILY SHOW": Most of the Muslims know aisle five (INAUDIBLE) nine-year-old.

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Assif, any hardware store carries fertilizer and lumber.

MANDVI: Right. But it is the deals they offer, believe me. We are building a lot fewer victory mosques if we can't get lumber at a dollar a foot.

And check this out. Leisure time monkey bars for $120? At that price, I am training the whole neighborhood. I mean, come on.

STEWART: All right. I get it. I get it.

MANDVI: Two-for-one deals, 100-pound propane cylinders. Come on, you can afford not to blow something up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It is such an honor to have this award winning "Daily Show" correspondent with us. Assif, how did you get the scoop that aisle five was actually the terror aisle?

MANDVI: How did I get the scoop of what?

PHILLIPS: That the terror aisle, it was aisle five. You broke the story.

MANDHI: Oh, yes, aisle five. We all know this. It is common knowledge.

PHILLIPS: It is.

MANDVI: It's very well known.

PHILLIPS: So this was just something you knew, you didn't break the story. You didn't have an inside scoop?

MANDVI: No, no, no.

PHILLIPS: Nobody tipped you off?

MANDVI: Well, I broke it for non-Muslims. As a Muslim, we all know where the lumber is.

PHILLIPS: Ok. From satire to sappy --

MANDVI: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Why you're really here. It is for a shameless plug. Your check arrived, I cashed it, the flowers arrived, they're beautiful.

MANDVI: Terrific.

PHILLIPS: So here you go. Ok. I am telling all the viewers right now, you can't miss your new old movie, "Today's Special". Let's roll that --

MANDVI: I like how you put it, new old movie. Yes. It is out on DVD right now. You can rent it where DVDs are rentable or buy it. It is called "Today's Special. And it is a heart-warming romantic comedy with Muslim characters. There you go.

PHILLIPS: Let's take a look. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANDVI: Don't you want to measure that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man who measure life never knows his own measure. MANDVI: You read that on a fortune cookie?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, yes.

Hire a dirty taxicab driver to drive you 40 miles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Treat yourself to a comedy.

MANDVI: You never use a recipe?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything I need is here and here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It is your own Mr. Miyagi. It's like the karate kid in the kitchen. A chick flick.

MANDVI: Exactly. That's what it is. It really is.

It's got a little bit of "Karate Kid". It's a little bit of "eat, drink, man, woman", you know, all that kind of stuff. It is a foodie comedy, you know.

PHILLIPS: And tell me why this movie? Of course, you know, we laugh, we have fun with you, we enjoy you on every level with regard to comedy, but you've got a message in this movie.

MANDVI: Yes. I mean, this is -- I wrote a play years ago called "Sukina's (ph) Restaurant", which is a one-man-show that we did off Broadway in New York here. This is sort of inspired by that. And it's sort of taken from semi-autobiographical place of my own family and set in the world of an Indian restaurant, a Muslim American family that owns an Indian restaurant.

And so there was an element of truth for it, about it, for me. And you know, so I just wanted to tell the story about a real American family that happens to be Indian, that happens to be Muslim, and you know, it is sort of heart warming and fun and funny.

PHILLIPS: Yes, you are a funny guy. Beneath that humor, ok -- I'm going to get a little serious here for a moment --

MANDVI: Ok.

PHILLIPS: -- the Council on American Islamic relations did recognize you for your courageous work in exposing anti-Muslim bigotry on national TV.

MANDVI: They did.

PHILLIPS: Tell me why that's important to you. As a Muslim comedian, I am guessing this has changed quite a bit since '95 when you were an Arab cabbie in "Die Hard with a Vengeance".

MANDVI: Well, CAIR gave me this award for coverage in media, which you know, on some level was for my brilliant pratfalls and stupid faces that I make on "The Daily Show". But you know, I think, it was also an honor for me to be, you know, sort of honored by my own community in a way, to let me know that they were watching, and that the stuff we do on "The Daily Show" is sometimes actually, does remember in some way the voice of the sort of moderate Muslim, at least my character I play on "The Daily Show" as it were.

And there isn't really a lot of voice out there for that. So I was honored for the award, even though the clip they showed at the awards before I received my award was of me doing pratfalls.

PHILLIPS: Assif -- well, we love you on "The Daily Show".

MANDVI: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: The movie is so sweet. Most popular chick flick out in the country right now.

MANDVI: Hey.

PHILLIPS: Any dirt on Stewart you can give us? He is always taking us to task. You got anything for me? Anything?

MANDVI: On what?

PHILLIPS: On your boss, Jon Stewart.

MANDVI: On my boss, he is a terrific guy, you know. What can I say about Jon?

PHILLIPS: You write it -- you write his stuff, don't you? You write.

MANDVI: I do, I write all his stuff. The man smells like paprika. He is terrific.

PHILLIPS: He loves curry and we love you. Assif, thank you.

MANDVI: Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

Coming up, the Nevada GOP takes some heat for releasing caucus results a day late. We're going to talk about that in our political ticker. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Tracing the descendants of American slaves. CNN's Athena Jones goes in depth on what's called the first of its kind in an online database.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: African slaves first arrived in Virginia in 1619. Now in fading ink and yellow paper, more of their stories are being told. DR. LAURANETT LEE, CURATOR, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY: This is just the beginning.

JONES: A new online database allows users to track down information about their ancestors in the state, whether they were slaves, free blacks or slave owners, says Dr. Lauranett Lee.

LEE: You can see the enslaved people that were listed in this broadside.

JONES: More than 80 came to the Virginia Historical Society's first workshop to learn how to navigate their site, including a history teacher who flew in from Indiana.

GALE CARTER, HISTORY TEACHER: I think it is just innately human to want to know our origin.

JONES: And amateur genealogist, Robert Payne.

ROBERT PAYNE UNKNOWNNOLONGER.VAHISTORICAL.ORG: Researching black folk is difficult. So any time you can find a new resource, it is always good to investigate.

JONES: The UnknownNoLonger project and workshops made possible with $25,000 in grants from the energy company Dominion is aimed at helping people fill in the gaps in their own family history and in the process, the nation.

LEE: We're not only looking at African-American history, we are looking at American history from a Virginia perspective.

JONES: The society has amassed more than 8 million documents, donated mostly by well-to-do Virginia families. More slaves lived in Virginia than in any other state. And this city, Richmond, was at the heart of the U.S. slave trade. Many black men, women and children were brought here to be sold to other states.

Some 3,200 names of slaves, and free blacks and slave holders have been entered into the database so far. And the site is updated weekly.

LEE: For so long, people did not know who their ancestors were, did not know where to even go to look for it, and it is important for people to know who they are because having that sense of identity enables people to have a sense of dignity, a sense of knowing who they are within this American landscape.

JONES: The documents, deeds and wills, granting slaves their freedom, and even passes that allowed slaves from one plantation to visit another are now searchable for free with the click of a button.

Assistant archivist Page Newman walked me through a search of a slave inventory list.

You have the names, the ages, their occupation, values.

The Virginia Historical Society is helping to fill in details of America's slave history. Uncovering pieces of the past, name by name.

Athena Jones, CNN, Richmond, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Let's take a look at some stories we are working on for you. Straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, 11:00 Eastern, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor hosting a young Republicans job summit in D.C.

And then at 3:00, former Detroit mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick has a pre-trial hearing. He's accused of defrauding the state of Michigan and private donors by using public money for personal expenses.

Then at 3:30, Senator Bernie Sanders holds a news conference; he opposes any deep cuts and changes to the U.S. Postal Service.

And in today's "Daily Dose", a new government study says that many kids are still getting exposed to second-hand smoke. And now they want more states to ban second-hand smoke in cars. They surveyed about 20,000 students. Close to one-third say they have driven in a car with someone smoking who's in the past week. Drivers may not realize it that even when the window is down, smoking in a car can create toxic levels of circulating smoke.

Well, a former presidential mistress talks about steamy details in a new memoir. A woman who says that she was a teenage mistress of John F. Kennedy; she lays out how the affair began when she was a White House intern.

Suzanne Malveaux will have details in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Having flashbacks: Paul Steinhauser of some counting issues, some calculating issues. Now it struck Nevada.

STEINHAUSER: Kyra, what is it with caucuses? Remember what happened in Iowa, right? first Romney won, then Santorum won two and a half weeks later. Not as bad in Nevada, but there is some -- some people are criticizing the final vote from the Nevada GOP didn't come out until this morning. And they're saying, you know, it is kind of two days later. Why did it take so long?

There's some criticism on that. A lot of that had to do with Clark County. That's the Las Vegas area, Henderson. Their vote totals didn't come in really until yesterday. That's why the Nevada GOP didn't finally get all of the numbers out until early this morning.

The other thing, Kyra, some people are criticizing that they showed up to late. They weren't allowed to go to caucus because they showed up too late. Some people were questioning the rules. So there's a lot of harping in Nevada. Officials say we will get it better four years from now. The other thing is the turnout. Guess, what; 11,000 less people took part this year in caucuses than four years ago. That could be troubling for Nevada. Remember this is a battle ground state. Republicans want to win this state back from President Barack Obama.

One last thing, Kyra, look, they did have water though. Clark County GOP gave us water, their own bottles, you see the labels there.

PHILLIPS: Got to keep you hydrated, you have a lot to talk about. Paul, thanks. CNN tomorrow, live coverage of state primaries and caucuses begins 6:00 p.m.; that's followed by CNN's complete live coverage of the results at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Lot's of water, lots of coffee in Suzanne's case.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm ready to go. They could have spent their money a little bit better. Don't you think. You've got labels on the water and until we get real ballots or something, you know --

PHILLIPS: Where are those priorities? Always something.

MALVEAUX: I think we could improve on our system. I really do. Good to see you.

PHILLIPS: I agree.