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Interview With Syrian New Yorker Who Left Home to Fight With Opposition; Whitney Houston's Final Days; GM's Record Profit; U.N. Takes Up Resolution Condemning Syria; Whitney Houston Leaves Fortune Behind; Santorum Releases Tax Returns; Stephen Colbert Suspends Taping

Aired February 16, 2012 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

I want to get you up to speed for this Thursday, February 16th.

More fierce attacks today across Syria as the revolt continues, enters its 12th month. The U.N. General Assembly plans to vote this afternoon on a resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad for the brutal crackdown.

Meanwhile, our journalists in Syria say government forces appear to be losing their tight grip across the northern part of the country. We're going to get a firsthand account on the ground from CNN's Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Young men and old sit on the ground chain-smoking next to Kalashnikov assault rifles, weapons, light weapons, that they say they've gotten within the last couple of months. They tell us that they're trying to protect their communities, their families, their villages by laying rings of improvised landmines, but they're fully aware that they do not have weaponry to match the tanks, armored personal carriers and air power of Bashar al-Assad's army.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: We are learning more this morning about how Whitney Houston spent her last days. A source briefed on her behavior tells CNN that she was drinking heavily the week before her body was found in a Beverly Hills hotel room. Hotel guests reportedly overheard her complaining that her drinks were watered down.

Here's what HLN's Dr. Drew said about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, "DR. DREW": The fact that she could go to those treatments as recently as last May and she come out, and she and the people around her think that partying with alcohol is somehow OK because her problem is other drugs, it shows that the treatments were abject failures. Abject failures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A bill to keep your money in a paycheck, it is a done deal. Lawmakers have resolved all of the differences on extending the payroll tax cut.

Now, once they sort out the remaining technical issues, the bill is going to go to the House and the Senate for final votes. So, if you make $50,000 a year, the tax cut is worth about $83 a month. Legislation also extends unemployment benefits, prevents a tax cut in fees for Medicare doctors as well.

We're a long way from November, but the road ahead looking up for President Obama. The latest polls showing him leading his Republican rivals in hypothetical match-ups.

So the new CNN/ORC International poll, President Obama leads Mitt Romney 51 percent to 46 percent. They were virtually tied in January. He holds a lead with 52 percent to 45 percent for Rick Santorum.

North Korea celebrating the 70th anniversary of the birth of its late leader, Kim Jong-il with a large military parade you see there in the capital city of Pyongyang. The event also being used to shore up support for his son and chosen successor, Kim Jong-un. Well, soldiers are paying respect to his father while pledging loyalty to him.

The death toll in the Honduras prison fire now at 382. Inmates' families anxiously awaiting to find out if their loved ones were among those victims.

The fast-moving fire broke out on Tuesday. It is one of the worst tragedies of its kind in decades in Latin America. They've renewed focus on the deplorable prison conditions in that region.

Two Russian cosmonauts taking a stroll in space right now. They are preparing the International Space Station for the arrival of a brand- new module next year. Now, they're also installing shields to protect it from space debris.

The revolt in Syria entering its 12th month. The world is now ready to condemn President Bashar al-Assad for killing his own people. But today's U.N. General Assembly vote, it's only symbolic.

Well, the death toll is rising. A Syrian man who left New York to join his fellow Syrians in the fight against the Assad regime now joining us via Skype.

Wasseem Sabbagh is at a refugee camp. He is on the Turkish/Syrian border.

Wasseem, first of all, explain to us how it is that you leave Brooklyn and your family in Brooklyn, and now try to head to Syria, essentially putting your life on the line?

WASSEEM SABBAGH, LEFT U.S. TO FIGHT WITH SYRIAN OPPOSITION: Hi. Actually, my family, they are not in Brooklyn. They are in Homs. So I've decided to leave Brooklyn to join my family, to die with them, because it might be the last chance for me to join them.

MALVEAUX: You say your family is in Homs in Syria. Have you had a chance to talk to them? Do they know that you are trying to cross the border and head in their direction?

SABBAGH: No. I tried so hard to get contact with them, but I couldn't.

MALVEAUX: And how did you make it to the Turkish border? What is your plan? How do you plan on trying to actually reach your family?

SABBAGH: Actually, after I -- hearing the news every day without taking any part of it, so I decided to leave. But as long as I know that my name has been blacklisted at the Damascus airport, I thought it could be safe or possible for me to go by ground to Homs.

So I thought it could be the easiest way to go to Turkey and, from there, to find my way into Homs. But unfortunately, it was impossible.

MALVEAUX: You say that you are willing to risk your life. Why?

SABBAGH: There's nothing that has been left to live for, so it's a matter of dignity. It's a matter of future. I want to be with my family if they are going to die.

MALVEAUX: When you cross the border, if you are able to cross the border, and you find your family, what will do you next? Will you try to get them out of the country?

SABBAGH: Actually, today it's different to me, because the whole Syrian people, they are my family now. So somehow it's not my own family I'm talking about. So it's all Syria now.

MALVEAUX: It's a larger family.

SABBAGH: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Do they believe in what you are doing? I mean, what good can come of this, do you think, putting your life on the line and potentially not coming back?

SABBAGH: I believe that every one of us -- I mean the Syrian people who are fighting against this criminal regime -- if every one of them took a small part of the big picture, then we may be able to do something eventually and free our country.

MALVEAUX: Do you feel like you have the kind of support you need, or are you there by yourself, on your own, trying to cross the border to get to your family?

SABBAGH: We honestly don't have any kind of support. And we have been listening to news every day, and we are hoping to get something from anyone. But no, there's nothing at all. It's our own -- it's our own fight, and I don't know why the Syrian blood is so cheap. Is it water? I don't know.

MALVEAUX: Wasseem, we want to thank you so much just for talking to us, for risking your life to talk to us, for being there where you are to bring this story to us. It is so important, what is taping place there.

Please keep in touch with us, let us know if you're able to cross the border, if you do see family, if you do have some support when you enter that country. And please, please be safe.

Thank you, Wasseem.

SABBAGH: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're hearing troubling new details now about how Whitney Houston may have spent her last days.

Don Lemon is live in Los Angeles with the latest.

And Don, what have you learned today?

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some very disturbing details, and it would lend itself to the possibility of the end -- not really the possibility, Suzanne -- the end that Whitney Houston came to if, indeed, true.

According to sources who were briefed on Whitney Houston's activities and behaviors the days before her death say that she really had some erratic behavior partying at the hotel bar and at the pool, and also jumping in and out of the pool, doing somersaults. A guest complained that she looked disheveled and that her clothes were mismatched and said she was complaining loudly that bartenders and wait staff were watering her drinks down, and that they were putting too much ice in her drink.

And these are very disturbing reports as you look at the pictures of her there just days before her death at the pool. You see a drink. We don't know for sure what's in the drink, but it does coincide with the reports that people say they saw her in the hotel, at the pool area, in the bar, wandering around and also drinking at the pool.

They said that at times, Suzanne, she was alone, and also there were times when she was with her entourage, and that she was drinking. But they saw her, and then also with a male companion.

It's very disturbing, but it gives us an idea of her activities and really her physical state leading up to her death.

MALVEAUX: And what do we know about the investigators who were questioning her doctors about these pills that they found in the room with her?

LEMON: Suzanne, not just questioning. They've issued subpoenas to doctors on the West Coast, on the East Coast. They want to know everything, every single doctor who treated her ever -- ever -- every single person who ever prescribed a pill to her, every single person who ever filled a precipitation medication for her.

They want to know, because they want to be exactly 100 percent sure, clear that she was not doctor-shopping or pharmacy-shopping, as we hear so much about in these celebrity cases. At this point, they say it doesn't appear that any of that is the case. Everyone has been extremely cooperative, and some doctors and pharmacists have been able to give them information that leads them to other doctors and pharmacies. But again, nothing appears out of the ordinary at this point -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And we know as the investigation continues, obviously her family is preparing for the funeral this Saturday. And I imagine this is just going to be a who's who of musicians, music legends, actors, everybody in the community.

Do you have a sense of who's actually going to be attending?

LEMON: Absolutely. And it pains me to have to report about her activity the days before she died, because your heart, Suzanne, you know, goes out to the family. I mean, Cissy Houston, Bobbi Kristina and everyone.

So your heart goes out to them, but Cissy Houston, famous before her daughter was even born, a famous gospel singer. And the family friends with the Winans family -- and the Winans are part of the celebrities who will be there -- CeCe and Marvin Winans, Aretha Franklin will be there, Chaka Khan, L.A. Reid, Ray J and Brandy, Valerie Simpson, the bishop T.D. Jakes. I'm going to be speaking exclusively with T.D. Jakes on my show this Saturday as well.

So, a who's who of celebrities. The Reverend Jesse Jackson you see there as well, going to be participating, and at least will be there for the funeral. And also, it's going to be streamed live on CNN.com as well -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Don, thank you for your excellent coverage. I appreciate it.

CNN has full coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral this Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Don's going to be there, and he's going to be joined by our own Piers Morgan, Soledad O'Brien, as the world says farewell to legend Whitney Houston.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): If I had a million dollars -- (END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. One of our friends has a million dollars, hitting the jackpot. Our friend, co-worker, CNN Producer Jen Hauser just won the Georgia lottery. The pay out, a cool million bucks. It couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

Get this -- she still showed up today for work. She's actually coming on the show later to talk about what she plans to do with this money. We hope to give her some ideas.

Today's "Talk Back," we want to hear from you. What would you do with a million dollars?

Hit me on Facebook with your responses, Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN.

Some milestones in Motor City. General Motors reports record-breaking profits, and it's the first time in seven years that the big three automakers in the black at the same time.

Alison Kosik, she's at the New York Stock Exchange to break down some of these numbers. This is pretty extraordinary, that this is happening all at one.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. So this whole turnaround took about two years for the big three to kind of turn everything around, and not just in their profits. They're also hiring as well.

Now, Ford and Chrysler reported their earnings a few weeks ago. Today, we heard from GM. They reported an almost $8 billion profit for 2011. That is a record high, but it definitely wasn't easy.

They slashed and burned during bankruptcy, but ultimately setting themselves up to make money by closing plants, selling off some brands. They changed its union labor contract. So now what you see is GM as a leader machine and a company that can benefit even more from the recovering economy -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And we're also hearing that GM is cutting costs, they're changing their pension plan. Do we think that's even necessary?

KOSIK: It is, because GM's pension, Suzanne, its pension plan is running out of money. What it's going to be doing now is moving all of its salaried workers into 401(k) plans.

Now, GM is still going to continue making contributions, but 401(k)s, they're cheaper than traditional pension plans. And what it essentially does is shift some of the cost to the workers, and this is helping GM to keep a lid on expenses, because at present, you know, sales here in the U.S. for GM are good, but GM is losing money in Europe -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And do we as taxpayers, do we still own a piece of this, a piece of GM? KOSIK: Yes. The government still owns about 30 percent of General Motors. It's waiting to sell those shares until GM's stock -- the price picks up. That way, the government can make more money.

GM right now is up 4 percent, but it's trading below its IPO price. So, the reality is, if the government did it sell today, it would be at a loss. So the government is holding out until at least it makes a bit of a profit.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

MALVEAUX: All right. That's good news.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: It is time for "Travel Insider." So, as CNN reporters, producers, we often get the inside scoop on some of the great places to go. My friend Brianna Keilar shows us where she likes to unwind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brianna Keilar, and I cover the White House for CNN. And one of my favorite places in the D.C. area is Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. It's about seven-and- a-half miles south of the White House.

This is a place where you can come and get a great meal, do a little shopping, and even get a history lesson. This is, after all, the hometown of George Washington, and here at the old Presbyterian Meeting House, you can find the gravesite of his personal physician, James Craik.

It's a little spooky. It's one of the stops on the ghost tour here in town. But I say we get out of here and go find some other spirits.

This is one of my favorite places in Old Town to end the evening. This is the PX speakeasy. It's completely unmarked, and the blue light means that they're open, so you can just knock on the door and come on in.

When you get upstairs at PX, you might be lucky enough to show up on a night where Todd Thrasher, the owner and bartender, is here.

Thanks, Todd.

TODD THRASHER, OWNER AND BARTENDER, PX: How are you? Nice to see you.

KEILAR: He's here to mix you a drink.

So what are we having tonight?

THRASHER: I don't know. What are you in the mood for -- rum, vodka, gin?

KEILAR: Let's try gin. THRASHER: Gin tonight? OK.

So this is (INAUDIBLE). It's a fortified wine from France, purple basil. Put a little dash of gin just to give it a little bit of a backbone. Three drops of citric acid in there, orange flower water, a little bit of ice to start. Stir 31 times, not that I'm counting.

You smack it, wave it to the cocktail gods. The sweet basil.

KEILAR: That's amazing.

THRASHER: Thanks very much.

KEILAR: Cheers from Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Syrian forces pounding the city of Homs for the 13th straight day. While the government keeps up its relentless assault, new diplomatic efforts are under way to try to end the bloodshed.

We want to bring in our national security contributor, Fran Townsend. She is also a member of the CIA External Advisory Board.

And Fran, the U.N. General Assembly takes up this mostly symbolic resolution on Syria today. So what do we make of what's actually going to happen here?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look, I don't think we have any reason to suspect that both Russia and China, if not one, both, won't once again use their veto power. Let's remember, Russia has a commercial relationship and is basically Syria's arms supplier to the Assad regime, and they've got a critical port in the Mediterranean that the Syrian have permitted them to use for their nuclear warships. And so, Russia's self-interested here, and I don't have any reason to believe based on our talking with diplomats that we think we're going to change Russia's mind.

MALVEAUX: So when we look at the situation on the ground, our own reporters say it appears that the Syrian government, the security forces there, they're losing their grip, at least on the northern part of the country.

Do we think it's a window of opportunity for the international community to jump in and help the opposition?

TOWNSEND: Well, absolutely. I mean, first and foremost, what we need to provide them is humanitarian aid in far greater quantities than anything that has been provided so far.

I mean, there continues to be some debate about whether or not to arm the opposition. Sort of like in Libya, the people are not sure who the opposition is and who they would be arming, but certainly there needs to be a much more open media environment so that there's international observation of the atrocities that the Assad regime is committing there. And there needs to be humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, which are, we understand from reports on the ground, in very short supply right now.

MALVEAUX: Fran, I want to turn the corner to Iran. There's a lot taking place there. There was a big production Iran made yesterday touting the progress on the nuclear program. Do we think this is more bluster from Iran, or something to back this up?

TOWNSEND: Well, the problem is we can't be sure unless, remember, Saddam Hussein and Iraq had lots of bluster and it turned out that the WMD program has been dormant for years. And it turned out that the WMD program has been dormant for years. They moved from 3.5 percent to 20 percent enrichment, which is not necessary for a civilian nuclear program. That is achievement we ought to be concerned about. When they talk about more modern centrifuges, that is something we should be concerned about. You hope the effectiveness of the sanctions which we have seen will make that far more difficult for them to implement.

MALVEAUX: And, Fran, we should let our viewers know that you and other former national security officials support the U.S. State department dropping the terror designation for MEK. I want to move on to another issue taking place here, Iran and Israel accusing each other of bombings in other countries, Thailand, India, and the Republic of Georgia. There's this back and forth taking place here. Do we understand whether or not there is actually a proxy war that is taking place already between Israel and Iran?

TOWNSEND: You know, Suzanne, the facts here are extremely murky. I don't think we fully appreciate and understand what's going on, but I will say when you see the types of attacks in the republic in Georgia, in India and Thailand that are clearly Iranian-related, this is sort of out of the Iranian play look. They use Hezbollah and the plot to kill the Iranian ambassador to the U.S. They want to intimidate and instill terror not only in up populations but to intimidate governments in terms of their policy.

MALVEAUX: Fran, finally, in Iran there are some signs that the sanctions are working, that people are suffering. Do you see any signals that the Iranian government, the leadership is actually willing to negotiate?

TOWNSEND: You know, we've seen signs of this in the past. When they feel pressure, they indicate that they are willing to negotiate, except we never see any real credible follow-up or real steps. They engage in negotiations basically as a stall tactic, and then they back away from them when the pressure is eased off them. I don't think we have any reason to think this is any more sincere than previous efforts.

MALVEAUX: Thank you for your perspective as always. Thank you.

She leaves behind family, friends and millions of dollars. We'll take a look at Whitney Houston's fortune. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The Lin streak now at seven. Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings last night ensuring the Lin puns won't go anytime soon. It has Linspired Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In less than two weeks he went from frugally sleeping under the covers of a teammates' couch to the cover of "Sports Illustrated," and the three letters of his last name have become everyone's favorite word game.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's Linexplicible.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE COLBERT REPORT: My symptoms are Linsomnia and Lintestinal blockage.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Winning has become Linning.

Headline writers are finding it thrilling, citing divine Lintervention. Shots like this with half a second left in the game sure look divine.

ANNOUNCER: Lin for the win.

(CHEERING)

MOOS: The rhymes trip off the lips of announcers.

ANNOUNCER: Lin to the rim.

MOOS: Jeremy Lin, cut by two teams, came off the bench and made the hapless New York Knicks winners. Now Linsanity is inspiring songs.

(SINGING)

MOOS: And to top it off, Lin comes across as a really nice guy, a team player.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe this is happening to you?

JEREMY LIN, NBA PLAYER: No.

MOOS: He has an economics degree from Harvard and did a parody video telling kids how to get into the Ivy League school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Step one, get glasses. If you already have glasses, get bigger glasses.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MOOS: After Lin was seen doing a multi-step handshake that includes cupping the eyes to signify thick, nerdy glasses, a few folks standard the Linning, just those Tebowing photo ops, but focusing on the eyes.

(on camera): If all the Lin word play and puns are driving you nuts, too bad. It's spreading like Linfluenza.

(voice-over): If you have trouble making up your own, there's the Jeremy Lin word generators. Lin plus insult, Linsult. Lin plus indestructible, Lindestructable. Lin plus ninja, Linja.

Lin himself came up with one.

LIN: Super Lintendo. I played that growing up.

MOOS: Director Spike Lee got giddy reciting poetry-slamming Lin nicknames to the "Wall Street Journal."

SPIKE LEE, DIRECTOR: Jeremy, I move so fast, I must be on Ridlin. Jeremy, stop Asian profiling.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Stephen Colbert offered Lin an endorsement deal.

COLBERT: Of premium Linoleum tile.

(LAUGHER)

MOOS: But Lin prefers the basketball court. He's become a Linderella story. Kissed not by a prince.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We couldn't get a stop.

(SHOUTING)

MOOS (on camera): Jeanne Moos, CNN, Lint, New York. Get it?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: I get it?

All right, another Linner, or winner. A friend of ours at CNN won big on a scratch ticket. That's all we can talk about this morning. For today's "Talk Back" today we ask: what would you do with a million dollars.

Here's a sign of the times. Penny says, "I'd fill up the gas tank in my car."

We'll have more responses up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The fire is out but the outrage continues. An anti- crime group in Washington state has blocked plans to have Josh Powell buried next to his two sons. Powell killed the boys and himself by setting the House on fire earlier this month. Crimestoppers and a local sheriff have reportedly bought plots on both sides of the boys' grave sites to prevent Powell's family from burying him near the children.

Her voice was a national treasure.

(SINGING)

MALVEAUX: Whitney Houston gives that to us. She leaves behind a huge personal fortune.

Tom Foreman reports on her enormous wealth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Measuring the wealth of Whitney is difficult at best, but a good starting place is her 1992 hit movie "The Bodyguard." Over 20 years it has made almost $411 million. The soundtrack has sold 17 million copies in the U.S. alone. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, that's the most ever, more than "Purple Rain" and "Saturday Night Fever." Of course, the film also gave us that song.

(SINGING)

FOREMAN: "I Will Always Love You" sold four million copies in the first year alone. That's seven records every minute. It was great news for Houston and maybe even better news for Dolly Parton, who wrote it. Under recording law, Parton and not Houston and her estate is the one that gets paid every time you hear it on the radio.

She talked about the tune recently on Anderson's daylight daytime talk show.

DOLLY PARTON, SINGER: I got all the money for the person and writing and I bought a lot of cheap wigs.

FOREMAN: Still, Houston's music was the cornerstone of her empire and her records broke records time and again. She produced more number one singles in a row than even the Beatles. Her songs climbed the charts fast but stayed near the top for long periods.

How much she earned from all of that is uncertain, but when ABC's Diane Sawyer asked about rumors using crack the singer himself suggested she had enormous wealth.

WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight, OK? I don't do crack. I don't do that. Crack is whack.

FOREMAN: Now her songs are dominating online sales just as Michael Jackson's did after his sudden loss. And that could be worth many millions. In two years after his death, billboard says he sold 16 million songs and almost 11 million albums. Certainly there have been celebrities that spent their fortunes as fast as they made them, but Houston would have to work at that. In the mid-'90s was widely regarded as one of the wealthiest entertains on the planet.

The show underwent a huge transformation.

FOREMAN: Her appeal continues. The Grammys packed with references and tributes to Houston scored its biggest audience in almost 30 years. When "Sparkle" is released later this year, industry experts expect it to build even more on the fame and fortune of Whitney Houston.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: CNN has full coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral this Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. eastern. Join Piers Morgan, Soledad O'Brien and Don Lemon as the world says good-bye to a legend.

Find out how much Risk Santorum made last year and how much he paid in taxes. Santorum releases his tax returns. We have details in the "Political Ticker." The update is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right. So Rick Santorum says sometimes he works six, seven jobs a year. He said it paid off. He released his tax returns for the last four years.

At the political desk in Washington is Mark Preston.

His earnings, what do we know of his tax rate?

MARK PRESTON, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL DIRECTOR: We know his tax rate is a lot higher than what Mitt Romney's tax rate was. Let's take a look at these numbers right here, Suzanne. Just last year alone, he made nearly $1 million but his tax rate was 28 percent, a little more than 28 percent.

His earnings were down actually from the year before. We're hearing a little over $1 million. Now, compared to the average person, this is a lot of minute compared to Mitt Romney of course, Mitt Romney's tax rate, what was it, about $27 million, was 15 percent. So Rick Santorum releasing his taxes a little later than most people but let's see what people say.

MALVEAUX: And I'd like to know what the six or seven jobs are, too, that he says he has. I guess that's a lot of work there but he says he made nearly a million dollars and now we can see his tax rate. Tell us about the secret service protection for Santorum. What is that about? Is that actually happening?

PRESTON: We are not quite sure. We know that his campaign has reached out to the Homeland Security. This is very routine in many ways. Last night Rick Santorum was on Piers Morgan. He was asked about it and he said he didn't know anything about it. That's not too surprising. A lot of these decisions are made by aides. A request is made and put into the secretary of Homeland Security and it's kicked up to Capitol Hill where they look at the request and make a decision. Right now he does not have secret service protection. Mitt Romney does. It wouldn't be too surprising given the crowds that Rick Santorum is starting to generate for him to get it very soon.

MALVEAUX: And we know looking at Michigan, all eyes on Michigan. Mitt Romney has an endorsement. This has been a tough fight is this significant? Who is this?

MALVEAUX: It's significant in that it's the Rick Schneider. He was born in Michigan and his father was a former executive of a major car company up there as well. He really points to Mitt Romney's career as a businessman and not a career politician which, not surprisingly, Suzanne, we heard that over and over and over again from Mitt Romney. Now, the big question is, do endorsements really matter? In the past, they haven't necessarily mattered with South Carolina. It's always good to have people like you, Suzanne. In the end, it's probably not bad.

MALVEAUX: Not a bad thing at all.

All right. Thank you, Mark. Good to see you.

For the latest political news, go to CNNpolitics.com.

All right. We love this story. A friend of ours here at CNN just won $1 million from a scratch ticket.

Mario says he would buy a place to live. "Nothing too grand, just a place to call my own and make sure I could invest some to live off. Buy some tools to work with and then donate the rest."

Alexi would "Open a store, create jobs and in the long run turn it into many more millions."

Gary says he "Would buy a cheap but nice house, a car I can depend on, pay a few bills, and start a savings account."

And Karen says, "I would hide from my relatives."

That's always good advice. Or new relatives you never knew you had.

We are going to have the lucky winner on in the next hour. She will tell us what she is going to do with the money and get advice from our own Christine Romans.

Fans of Colbert, why taping has suspended abruptly. We'll have a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: It is no laughing matter that Stephen Colbert has suspended taping. What do we know?

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: "Showbiz Tonight" has confirmed that Colbert has suspended taping due to unforeseen circumstances. There was a repeat show last night and there will be another repeat tonight. Fans were already in their seats when they were told that the show was canceled. There's no reason on the show's web site. Nothing from their Twitter feed. Just a lot of speculation out there right now. We did ask Comedy Central and Stephen Colbert's publicist for information on this and, as of right now, they haven't gotten back to us but we will continue trying to find out today.

MALVEAUX: Has there been previous circumstances that might give us some clues here?

HAMMER: No. This is unprecedented. It's reportedly only happened twice before for the Daily Show on Comedy Central and one of those was when Jon Stewart had a baby and when a staff member unexpectedly passed away. There are reports that it's expected to be on the air soon. Fans, of course, hoping that it's true and that the reasons behind this is not serious.

MALVEAUX: Is there any reports that maybe he's out sick?

HAMMER: Well, it's all speculation at this point. I had wondered that myself. Maybe the guy just got sick, got a little sore throat or something like that. If that were the case, though, they would put that notice up. Of course, we're talking about you, Stephen, look forward to you being back on the air.

MALVEAUX: We hope he is well.

Thanks again, A.J.