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Report: Majority Of Congress Are Millionaires; Rodman's Teammate Has "No Regrets"; Fan Sues Over Pricey Super Bowl Tickets; Job Growth Much Weaker Than Expected; Car Industry Has Best Year Since 2007; Stars Ready For Golden Globe Awards; Feds Recognize Same-Sex Marriages In Utah
Aired January 12, 2014 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. These are the top stories we're following for you this hour.
It's an anxious waiting game for more than one million Americans whose unemployment benefits have run out. They're now pinning their hopes on Congress on the eve of a critical vote.
Outrage and concern over a water contamination crisis in West Virginia is escalating. Hundreds of thousands of people still can't use their tap water for drinking, washing or cooking. The possible health threats and economic impact of the chemical leak straight ahead.
And former NBA star Dennis Rodman wraps up his controversial trip to North Korea while his teammate, Charles Smith, speaks out about their payday. That exclusive CNN interview is just minutes away.
Let's begin with that critical procedural vote in the battle over unemployment benefits, which is expected in the Senate tomorrow. It's up in the air which way it will go after a tense week of debate. And people who have lost or will lose their emergency benefits are watching anxiously. Dana Bash looks at what's holding up lawmakers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This sure didn't sound like senators closing in on a deal.
SEN. ROB PORTMAN, (R) OHIO: Let's sit down and talk. We're adults, you know --
SEN. BARBARA BOXER, (D) CALIFORNIA: Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.
BASH: Just when there seemed to be hope for agreement on extending emergency unemployment benefits, the Senate floor devolved into a bitter, angry place.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D-NV) MAJORITY LEADER: We have continued obstruction that's taken place in this body for five years. It's time we get back to legislating the way we used to.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R-KY) MINORITY LEADER: Does the answer to my question not to say to my -- no.
BASH: Calling someone "my friend" in the Senate usually means the total opposite.
REID: The answer to your question is no.
BASH: These six Republicans crossed party lines earlier in the week and voted with Democrats to start debate on extending emergency benefits for Americans unemployed longer than 26 weeks. But those GOP senators refused to vote for a passage unless the cost of that extra government help is offset with budget cuts elsewhere.
Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, cut a deal with one of those Republicans, Dean Heller, on a paid-for $18 billion package to extend limited benefits through November. But the other GOP senators didn't like the deal and felt shut out of the process.
SEN. KELLY AYOTTE (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I would say, first of all, I voted in good faith. One of six Republicans to debate this bill, to solve this problem, and I can't get a vote --
BASH: These Republicans Reid needs complained he wouldn't let them offer amendments.
SEN. DAN COATS, (R) INDIANA: I don't even have the ability to offer an amendment that my constituents think is a -- they sent me here to do. They didn't send me here to just be told to sit down and forget it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Now Reid is reversing himself, saying he will allow Republicans to offer a limited number of amendments. But even if that satisfies Republicans, there is still no agreement on the fundamental question of extending unemployment benefits and how that will be paid for.
CNN is told that tempers are now cooling and those six GOP senators are in active discussions with Democrats and will be all weekend in the hopes of finding a deal by Monday. If they do something that gets real bipartisan support in the Senate, the question is whether the House speaker, who has said he won't take up unemployment extensions, will be forced to reconsider. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Dana Bash.
Now to big news out of Iran. Just over a week from today, Iran will start getting rid of its uranium stockpile. That's according to the White House which says Iran will dismantle some infrastructure that makes higher-level enrichment possible. It's part of a deal that was first announced in November. In exchange, some sanctions against Iran will be eased.
President Obama calls it a big deal saying, quote, "With today's agreement, we have made concrete progress. I welcome this important step forward, and we will now focus on the critical work of pursuing a comprehensive resolution that addresses our concerns over Iran's nuclear program," end quote. Former defense secretary Robert Gates sets off a firestorm with his tell-all book, "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. Gates makes some pretty harsh judgments about Congress and the Obama administration, calling Congress incompetent, hypocritical, and egotistical. He talked to CBS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I didn't enjoy it. There is nothing enjoyable about a job where you put men and women in harm's way for their country's sake. Nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Gates served four-and-a-half years under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. He says he stayed on the job out of duty to the troops, calling it "the biggest honor of his life."
Erin McPike joins us live now from Washington with more on Gates' interview with CBS. So, he had some tough talk for President Obama, especially when it comes to the war in Afghanistan.
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, he does. Even Republicans are questioning why he didn't wait until President Obama leaves office because they worry it undermines his authority on the world stage as commander-in-chief. But he defended himself by explaining that as someone who worked for eight presidents, he has the perspective to weigh in on the decisions to get in and out of war, which is relevant now with the administration trying to wind down the war in Afghanistan.
And here is how he explains his feelings for President Obama's approach to that effort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GATES: It's one thing to tell the troops that you support them. It's another to work at making them believe that you believe as president that their sacrifice is worth it. That the cause is just, that what they are doing is important for the country, and that they must succeed. President Bush did that with the troops when I was secretary. I did not see President Obama do that. And I said, as I write in the book, there was this absence of passion, this absence of a conviction of the importance of success that disturbed me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Now what he wrote about Vice President Biden was even tougher than that comment. What's interesting, though, as Biden and Hillary Clinton both consider presidential runs of their own in 2016, he had much kinder words for Clinton, even though he judged her for being too political at times. He said Clinton was one of his closest allies in the administration, and listen to how he described her in the CBS interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GATES: The thing that I like best about Secretary Clinton, other than the fact she has a great sense of humor, was she's very tough minded.
RITA BRAVER, CBS CORRESPONDENT: Do you think she'd make a good president?
GATES: Actually I think she would.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Now, we'll be seeing a lot more of days in the coming weeks or so as he embarks on a media tour to explain more how he felt about the administration in this book. So take a good look. You'll be seeing a lot of it this week, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Erin McPike, thank you so much.
And in just about two hours, West Virginia's governor will give an update on a water contamination emergency that has left 300,000 people in his state with no clean tap water for three days. A chemical used to wash coal leaked into the water supply on Thursday. Residents hope the governor will have some answers about when the water just might be able to resume out of their tap.
Our Alina Machado is covering the developing story from Charleston, West Virginia for us. So Alina, has the governor's office given any indication about what he will be saying later on today?
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the governor's office tells us that the chemical levels in the water appear to be going down. So, that's some good news. But they're also saying that it could still be several days before the ban is lifted. Residents here really are just eager to get things back to normal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As soon as we can, freshwater, clean water.
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the plea from more than 300,000 people waiting to learn their tap water is safe. It's been more than 48 hours since they were told to stop using the water. The end is still unknown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would expect we are talking days.
MACHADO: To think the city will be this slow for so many days.
DANNY JONES, MAYOR OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA: It's just -- You feel hopeless. You think about the -- what it is going to cost all these businesses.
MACHADO: That's the mayor in downtown Charleston where every restaurant has been closed since Thursday when the chemical leak was detected.
LISA CROUCH, MANAGER, CHILI'S: I almost forgot it was a weekend because you know, it's always so busy.
MACHADO: Lisa Crouch manages this Chili's. She says they are one of the few restaurants preparing to open sometime Sunday after getting the green light from the health department and taking special precautions.
CROUCH: Make sure that we have a three-pot sink with certain water. It's got to be bottled water only for sanitizing. We have to have all of our bathrooms and our sinks, our handwashing sinks set up with sanitizer, set up with water stations, set up with paper towels. Make sure if we cook, we use gloves.
MACHADO: Authorities continue to test water for the chemical, which is typically used to clean coal. In the meantime, the main priority for thousands is finding water that's safe to drink and use. FEMA has already sent truckloads of water to help residents with that task.
REV. MELVIN HOOVER, CHARLESTON RESIDENT: People are anxious because they don't have certainty about what's going on. We are, too, in the sense that we don't know how long this is going on. It doesn't make sense to panic right now. We still have options.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACHADO: That Chili's restaurant in downtown Charleston, by the way, is open. It's now open. We just stopped there and checked things out. It is very busy, as you would imagine, Fredricka. We stopped by and grabbed a bite to eat ourselves.
WHITFIELD: I'm sure the lines will be long there all day long. Thanks so much, Alina Machado, appreciate that.
Former NBA star Charles Smith is talking exclusively to CNN about his controversial trip to North Korea with Dennis Rodman. Smith sat right next to Rodman in that heated interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo last week.
Well, today, he said that the trip put a lot of pressure on Rodman but Smith doesn't regret anything. He said the North Korean government did not pay them. But he told CNN's Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul today from Beijing that they did get compensated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES SMITH, ACCOMPANIED RODMAN TO NORTH KOREA: You know what? First of all -- twofold. One, absolutely we were paid. It wasn't as much as the guys usually get paid when they do stuff with me or our group, but absolutely. I mean, the guys --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: How much was it then? That's a question I typically wouldn't ask, but how much were you paid?
SMITH: Let me finish answering the question.
BLACKWELL: Go ahead.
SMITH: That is no different than a top CEO of company retiring and becoming a consultant. So, if anybody has an issue with us being compensated, that's absurd.
BLACKWELL: How much were you paid?
SMITH: That was in answer to -- why should I mention? It's none of anyone's business how much we got paid.
BLACKWELL: I think it gets to motive, though.
SMITH: There is no reason to answer that.
BLACKWELL: I think it gets to motive because --
SMITH: No, listen.
BLACKWELL: -- I think there's a lot of people who ask why would --
SMITH: Why does it have to be --
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Why would a person go to North Korea as a birthday gift to Kim Jong-un? And the first half of the interview, the first 25 minutes, we talked about cultural exchange.
SMITH: Sure. Victor, we already --
BLACKWELL: And now we're talking about the check.
SMITH: Victor, I already answered the question about --
PAUL: Well, I think people were wondering who paid you.
SMITH: Victor, we already answered the question -- we already answered the question about the birthday date and all that. So, we're beyond that.
BLACKWELL: OK.
SMITH: What I'm saying to you is, why would anybody have an issue with us being compensated?
Paddy Power, along with our documentary film crew, paid for the expenses and gave guys honorarium to continue to do the trip.
Now, when I say it's more than money and it wasn't about that, trip, it was about the trip. I had an opportunity to go somewhere, to a recluse country that no one goes to. We were invited by the Olympic Committee from North Korea, that it assured our safe passage in and out, which they did. And it was an experience.
No, I have no regrets at all. I think I spent most of my time with a gentleman by the name of Ri Jung-mu (ph) who is the sports minister there in North Korea. We shared a lot of stories about he played soccer there in North Korea. We shared a lot of stories about sports and how they train and different sorts of things.
I don't know in the foreseeable future, but I believe that there are going to be positive outcomes from this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The NBA's commissioner has a different take on this trip and the issue of compensation. David Stern denounced the trip, and Rachel Nichols told our "NEW DAY" team that Stern thinks money did play a role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I had the opportunity to ask David Stern when he was a guest on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer why a guy like Charles Smith would take this trip since we know that Charles is a different guy than Dennis Rodman, who tends to do this thing. We wouldn't expect this from Charles.
And he just said, look, he said I think the guys were blinded by the payday. I know that was the topic at the end of your conversation with Charles Smith, and I do think money was a factor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Other basketball stars who know firsthand about using sports in diplomacy think it was a bad idea as well. Charles Smith painted the trip as a success. Yesterday, I asked Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar what he thought.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER: I think it certainly backfired on them. I don't think they had a really good idea of what they could accomplish because there's so much that is not known about North Korea. It's a very unpredictable place, and the leadership there can do some very bizarre thing.
Caution is usually the best way to approach situations like that. And when you have no idea of what's going to happen, it's usually a wise thing to do to stay away from those kind of situations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A group of players returned from North Korea this past week, but Rodman was not among them.
WHITFIELD: All right. A permit to hunt a endangered black rhino has been sold to the highest bidder. So, how much did it fetch? Answer is next.
Also, hurricane-strength winds tear through Raleigh, North Carolina, doing that. Condos under construction collapsing on the ground. Updates on the storm after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It will be cold along the East Coast this week, but not as cold as it has been lately. And the West Coast will get more rain. Meanwhile, this weekend, storms and high winds slammed the South, knocking over condos and semi trucks. Our Jennifer Gray has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no! Look at that!
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: High winds blow down this condo under construction in North Carolina, leaving behind a pile of rubble during a day of wild weather across the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saw my neighbor's patio furniture flying through the parking lot. So I went down into the garage and waited.
GRAY: In the Raleigh-Durham area, wind gusts reached 85 miles per hour, knocking down trees and power lines. Along with that wind, heavy rain, tornado watches and flood warnings across the region. In Georgia, firefighters successfully rescused a teenager from a mobile home after she was trapped by a fallen tree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They actually used an airbag placed underneath the tree to pick it up with air so we could get her out.
GRAY: High winds were a big problem in the West, too. Here is a report from Montana.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see how strong they are, blowing around the light posts here in Browning, and of course, causing damage across the area. It is so windy, it is hard to stand up.
GRAY: Check out some of the damage KRTV meteorologist Mike Rollins was talking about. Trucks blown all over Interstate 15. Meanwhile, some welcome relief for parts of the Midwest with temperatures higher than normal. In St. Louis, all they needed was sweat shirts for a visit to the zoo.
UNIDENTIFIED: Last week I had to wear bib overalls, hats, gloves, base shield, scarf, all sorts of stuff to keep on (INAUDIBLE). Quite a difference.
Meteorologist Jennifer Gray, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Then in Texas, an anonymous bidder paid $350,000 for a permit to kill an endangered black rhino. The controversial auction has been criticized by wildlife advocates. But despite protests, the Dallas Safari Club went ahead with it anyway. They say the money will be donated to help save the threatened species.
Our Ed Lavandera joins us live on the phone now from Dallas. So Ed, there were protests outside the auction venue, weren't there? ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): There were protestors outside, group of about 40 people turned out at the Dallas Convention Center to protest the Dallas Safari Club's auction of this hunting permit for a black rhino in the country of Namibia on the southern African continent.
This is the first time the Namibian government has allowed a hunting permit to be auctioned off outside of its own country. According to Dallas Safari Club, the last time the most money ever paid for one of these hunting permits before was $223,000. So, they set a record last night with this hunting permit selling for $350,000. The club said all of the proceeds will be donated to help conserve and protect the black rhino.
This has really sparked a fascinating debate because on both sides you have people who say they have best interest of the black rhino. The (INAUDIBLE) animal rights groups are saying this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. This animal should have been kept alive and used to build ecotourism and wildlife viewing and charging people for the chance to see a black rhino up close.
The people at the Dallas Safari Club and many hunters are saying this is actually a good way to protect the black rhino, which is a critically endangered species. There's only 5,000 of them left across the world; 1,700 of those are in Namibia. What they are saying is the Namibian government, this permit allows for the killing of one of these black rhinos that has already been essentially picked out out of two or three. They say it's an old, geriatric male rhino that no longer contributing to the population. They say it's also a threat to younger, stronger rhinos, and that because of that it's actually a benefit to the herd to eliminate it.
And so they are using this as an opportunity to raise $350,000 for conservation efforts which all sides will agree is much need money. So it really has, Fredricka, sparked a fascinating debate on the best way to help save the black rhino.
WHITFIELD: Ed Lavandera, thanks so much from Dallas. We're not done talking about this topic. We'll talk to Ben Carter, the executive director of the Dallas Safari Club. He'll be joining us to talk about the auction and this notion of conservation next hour.
All right. The Super Bowl. Well, it is the game to go to, right? If you can afford the tickets. One fan says price gouging has gone just simply way too far. Coming up, we'll tell you what he's doing about that.
And next, you're supposed to be looking out for us, ordinary Americans. But most members of Congress can't really relate to our money worries, say many. We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In New Jersey this week, a state legislative panel will pick up its investigation into the bridge closure scandal. The head of the panel, who is a Democrat told NBC News he thinks the closing of lanes on the bridge between New Jersey and New York City was a crime. New Jersey governor Chris Christie has denied he had any prior knowledge of the closures. The dust hasn't settled yet.
But could this scandal affect Governor Christie if he makes a presidential run? CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser has a look.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Fred. The next race for the White House really doesn't kick off until after November's midterm elections, but this week's firestorm surrounding New Jersey governor Chris Christie could have a major impact on the 2016 presidential contest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I come out here today to apologize to the people of New Jersey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: The Republican governor's trademark swagger and bluster were gone. A contrite Christie says the buck stops with him.
CHRISTIE: Ultimately I am responsible for what happens under my watch. The good and the bad. And when mistakes are made, then I have to own up to them.
STEINHAUSER: Christie is seriously considering a White House run. And if he does launch a bid, polls indicate he would be a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination.
While Christie appeared to hit all the right notes at his news conference, with new documents emerging and more investigation to come, he's got little political wiggle room. And the consensus from many Democrats and Republicans is this isn't going away anytime soon. A former Republican governor of New Jersey says --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, this is going to hang around. This is -- not going to get away with it. This is going to be a bad mark on his record.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Besides hurting Christie's image and standing, this controversy also impacts the governor's presidential aspirations in another way.
CHRISTIE: Bill Steppine (ph) was asked to leave my organization.
STEINHAUSER: That's one of Christie's top political advisers, the man who steered his two gubernatorial elections and who would have had a leading role in any Christie presidential campaign.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Paul. All right. When the United States was a young country, the people who governed in Washington were not always rich. But now things have changed. A new reports says more than half of the current members of Congress are millionaires. Our Tom Foreman has details.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka, this much is clear. When it comes to Congress, the rich are getting richer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And no American need be left out -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affordable housing to the American people.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Democrats are standing for the middle class families.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MAJORITY LEADER: Middle-class Americans.
FOREMAN: Despite all the talk about economic hard times from lawmakers, the Center for Responsive Politics has found the median net worth for a Congress member is now at $1,876,00, meaning for the first time, just over 50 percent are millionaires. That's a lot because when you think about the rest of the population, only about three percent of us can call ourselves millionaires. And look who has all the money in Congress.
Leading the list is Darrell Issa from California, a Republican with a net worth of $464 million. You can go to Virginia to find the top Democrat, Mark Warner, $257 million. And another Democrat in third, Jared Polis from Colorado with $197 million. And this is based upon their income from 2012 on their tax returns.
Congressional Democrats overall are slightly richer than Republican colleagues, and senators are much richer than members of the House. Senate majority leader Democrat Harry Reid is worth over $4 million. Speaker of the House Republican John Boehner has about a half million less than that.
Still, they all get salaries for a regular member of Congress: that's $174,000 taxpayer dollars every year or about four times as much as an average American would make in the same period of time. And how do they invest all their wealth? The Center for Responsive Politics found that the top stock picks for members of Congress include General Electric, Wells Fargo and Microsoft just to name a few.
But as a general principle they like to invest in real estate and big oil and credit card companies and big banks and securities. Indeed, in many of the businesses they are often called upon to investigate and regulate for the rest of us -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Tom Foreman.
The biggest game of the year also comes with the biggest price tag. How much people are paying to get to the Super Bowl next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Former NBA player, Charles Smith says he has no regrets about his trip to North Korea with Dennis Rodman. He spoke to CNN exclusively today and he said he got money from the trip, but it wasn't from North Korea and it wasn't the reason he went. Andy Scholes has more in today's "Bleacher Report."
ANDY SCHOLES, "BLEACHER REPORT": Good afternoon, Fredricka. Former NBA player, Charles Smith said he and a team of former players led by Dennis Rodman accomplished their basketball diplomacy mission in North Korea. Smith was at Rodman's side last week during a testy interview with Chris Cuomo on CNN's "NEW DAY."
He said the visit was not about politics, but about interacting with North Korean people. The day after that exchange Rodman sparked more controversy by singing happy birthday to North Korean Leader Kim Jong- Un. Earlier this morning, Charles Smith spoke exclusively with CNN to set the record straight about the trip to one of the most reclusive nations in the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES SMITH, FORMER NBA PLAYER: I absolutely understand why so many people are angry. That's why I went. When we don't have information, it creates -- lack of information causes a sense of fear. What we don't know, we tend to, you know, draw opinions that may or may not be true. I'm not defending North Korea by far. I'm just explaining to you what I saw.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Turning on bleacherreport.com, today is the rare NBA rain delay. Leaky roof at the Verizon Center in Washington caused two delays in the game between Wizards and Rockets. Actually had to bring out trash cans to catch falling water. The first delay stop play for 45 minutes. What are you doing to delay that long?
If you're Dwight Harris find the smallest kids in the stands to play one on one with. The kid had good moves. Goes in for the layup and he says not in my house, still a pretty cool moment. I'm sure that kid will never forget it. That's your "Bleacher Report." Back to you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: That is so wrong, but so memorable. You're right, Andy. Thanks so much.
All right, it's a big playoff weekend for the NFL and the New England Patriots dominated in a huge win yesterday at home. They beat the Indianapolis Colts 43-22. The Patriots advance to the AFC championship game. Over on the NFC side, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints 23-15. Fans made that stadium shake literally again. All that noise and stomping registered on earthquake sensors in that area.
The Seahawks and Patriots are now one step closer to the Super Bowl. But for fans to get the big game, it has nothing to do with skill or even luck. It's all about how deep your pockets are. John Berman has more on one fan who simply had enough.
JOHN BERMAN, ANCHOR, CNN'S "EARLY START": Fred, how would you like to pay thousands of dollars to sit in freezing cold temperatures off Exit 16W of the New Jersey turnpike. How awesome is that? Well, some people actually want to do that. They want to see the Super Bowl in person next month in New Jersey. But the big game comes with a big, big price tag. Now one man is becoming a hero to the down trodden fan, suing to get those prices lower.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN (voice-over): It's packed with superstar athletes, super charged performances, and it promises super high television ratings. But if you're looking for a seat inside New Jersey's Metlife Stadium --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The average fan, the true fan really can't afford to go to the game and enjoy it. They have to watch it at home.
BERMAN: The average Super Bowl ticket price has risen by $200 in the past five years, but that's just face value. Tickets for Super Bowl XLVIII are once again soaring into the thousands via secondary markets like Stub Hub and Ticket Exchange. One fan, Josh Finckleman is so upset he's suing the NFL after shelling out $4,000 for two tickets, much higher than face value.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think probably all the corporate bigwigs taken tickets.
BERMAN: His lawsuit claims the league has violated New Jersey's consumer fraud act by only releasing a meagre 1 percent of these tickets to the general public through a lottery system leaving majority of tickets susceptible to enormous price gouging.
JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: So with demand being so intense and supply, right, being so low, obviously you have gouging. It becomes problematic for the common fan who wants to go to the game.
BERMAN: According to the NFL, roughly 75 percent of tickets are given out to individual teams, who in turn are supposed to sell a percentage at face value to fans. But the lawsuit a little teams instead offer them in large part to resellers who grossly inflate the price.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think more people should have access to the tickets.
BERMAN: The lawsuit claims one such reseller packaged their tickets for a whopping $19,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: In a statement to CNN, the NFL claimed the Super Bowl ticket distribution process has been in existence for years and is well documented. We are confident it's in compliance with all applicable laws -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right, thanks so much, John Berman.
U.S. carmakers bounce way back from depths of recession. Find out why 2013 was the industry's best performance in years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA SHARAPOVA, 2013 HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETE: I do make great money for a living. You know, if I didn't want to play tennis again, I'd have enough money to live the rest of my life, but I do respect the money that I've made because I didn't grow up having a lot of money. It's important to be able to look back in those days and think, you know, I really came from nothing. We had a dream and I had a talent and moved to the United States.
ANNOUNCER: Her hard work paid off when she stunned the world and won Wimbledon in 2004, grand slam titles followed at the U.S. Open 2006 and Australian Open in 2008. But in 2012, Sharapova won the French Open and completed a career slam.
SHARAPOVA: I don't know if it's lucky or if it's just things fell into place, the four grand slams I won, were all four of them that were different. Who knows what the future will bring me and who knows what I may add to that list. So far I can say, yes, I'm pretty fortunate to be one of the few that has achieved that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Wall Street this week will be digesting news of a very lacklustre employment report for December. It was actually the weakest month for job growth since January of 2011. Christine Romans breaks it down for us.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, these job numbers a big disappointment and a dash to hopes and expectations that the job market finished better to end the year, 74,000 jobs created. The Labor Department said such slim hiring in part because it was so darn cold. You didn't have a lot of hiring because people were frozen out of the labor market, I guess.
It's 6.7% the unemployment rate. On paper, Fredricka, that should be a good thing, right, you know, lower unemployment rate. But the reason it fell is because so many people simply stopped looking for work. I always like to look at the trend. The trend had been improving.
In November, you had 241,000 net new jobs created, that's solid, solid number. Then in December, this mystery disappointment, 74,000, economists had expected more like 200,000 so a big disappointed, a big miss for those who are watching the market.
Quickly, construction jobs lost 16,000 there, no surprise, I think because it was so cold. Mining jobs lost and health care jobs down 6,000. That has been a steady performer. There was a hiccup at the end of the year. Jobs lost in health care. All in all, Fredricka, a disappointing report. An unemployment rate lowest in years, but for all the wrong reasons -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Christine Romans.
All right, despite the weak job growth in December, the U.S. economy has been in recovery mode for most of the last year. One of the big drivers of growth has been the car industry. U.S. carmakers sold 15.6 million cars last year. It was their best year since 2007. The industry added 173,000 jobs in the last years.
Christina Rogers is joining me now from Detroit. She covers the auto industry for the "Wall Street Journal." Good to see you.
CHRISTINA ROGERS, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Good to see you. Good afternoon.
WHITFIELD: So why are auto sales the bright spot kind of revving the economy?
ROGERS: Well, one of the big things, you have to understand the U.S. auto industry underwent massive restructuring during the downturn. Manufacturers were able to close dozens of plants, union contracts rewritten. In the case of GM and Chrysler, you know, they were able to clean up their balance sheets during bankruptcy. All this helped them come out stronger on the other end.
On the consumer demand side, I mean, during the downturn there was a lot of people who delayed new car purchases. So as the economy showed signs of improving, there's a lot of pent up demand. People really started coming back to showrooms. On top of that, there were low interest rates, greater availability of credit, and really the U.S. car market has bounced back much faster than expected despite all the other choppiness in the economic recovery.
WHITFIELD: So a big bounce back as it pertains to sales as you just underscored, but also in the form of jobs. I mentioned 173,000 jobs that were added over the last four years. We're talking mostly car companies and parts manufacturers were the big benefactors here. Do you see there's more of the same?
ROGERS: Well, it's kind of (inaudible). What we do know is industry sales will increase again next year, but they are showing signs of levelling out. You know, a lot of analysts concerned that, you know, maybe demand for new cars starting to plateau. I think there will be some growth. I mean, we've seen shifts added. We've seen investment in new plants.
At the same time, you know, the supplies of new cars are rising. We also had automakers cut back on production. I think we'll see some more growth. How much more growth in the automotive job market largely depends on where sales end up the next couple of years.
WHITFIELD: OK, and then the big Detroit auto show starting this week, journalists get to see all the good stuff first and then the general public gets to see it later in the week. What are you looking forward to? What do you think will be showcased that will keep the car industry in high gear, so to speak. ROGERS: Well, I think one of the big launches, one of the launches that will get the most buzz is the new Ford F-150 pickup truck. This truck is a major milestone not only for Ford but also for the industry. It's expected to be built mostly out of aluminum. There's some sport cars that have aluminum parts and everything, but this is a total breakthrough for a mass market vehicle like this to have much of its body built out of aluminum.
So I think that's going to create a lot of buzz. Aside from that, aside from the reveals, which there will be many, this is kind of the show where all the top executives show up. They meet with the press. So expect a lot of industry to come out of this. One of the first time GM's new CEO, Mary Bareth, is going to be talking to the press.
So we will be watching to hear what she has to say about GM going forward. So I think it's going to be a really good show. We'll also keep watch of kind of how people are feeling about the industry going into the New Year. So it should be a good show.
WHITFIELD: Exciting stuff. All right, Christina Rogers, thank you so much from Detroit.
ROGERS: Thank you for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right, and Hollywood is ready to kick off award season tonight with big Golden Globes. Who could be the night's big winner?
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WHITFIELD: Participation is high ahead of one of Hollywood's hottest nights, the Golden Globes awards. The show airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern and everyone is buzzing about which movies and stars will win. A.J. Hammer has a preview.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, HLN'S "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Well, you know, Fred, the Golden Globes is a Hollywood party like no other and there are three things you can basically always count on, on Sunday night. The champagne is going to be flowing before the celebs even sit down. The show will end when it's supposed to and there will be some seriously fierce competition in between.
Now, this year, one of the biggest Golden Globe showdowns is the battle between the outer space extravaganza, "Gravity," and the searing historical epic "12 Years a Slave." The two are vying for best film drama. My guess is that the sheer spectacle of "Gravity" could push it over the top.
In the lead actor category, you've got an all-out war this year between a living legend and an incredible newcomer. Robert Redford's performance in "All is Lost" getting him the nomination. He's a sailor, fighting to stay alive at sea, really a stunning portrayal. Also, Chiwetel Ejiofor, a free man who becomes enslaved in "12 Years A Slave." His performance unforgettable and this is the first time Robert Redford has ever been nominated for Golden Globes.
So it will be certainly nice to see him take it home, but I got to say I think whoever ends up taking the Globe for lead actor, that's a tossup at this point. The buzz is big about the big face off for lead actress. It's really all about Kate Blanchet in Woody Allan's "Blue Jasmine" and Sandra Bullock in "Gravity."
Blanchet already a two-time Golden Globe winner. I'd actually be surprised this year if she didn't take home another trophy and then there is one more powerhouse movie. I've got to mention it, "American Hustle." It tops the Golden Globe nominations with seven nods in all, along with "12 Years A Slave."
Fred, the word in Hollywood is that "American Hustle" is pretty much a shoe in for the Globe for best motion picture comedy or musical. It's going to be a pretty terrific night on Sunday.
WHITFIELD: It is, indeed, thanks so much, A.J. Watch A.J. Hammer on "Showbiz Tonight," Monday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Eastern on HLN.
Don't miss Nischelle Turner's live reports from the red carpet on the Golden Globes today starting 5:00 Eastern Time.
So are they married or not? Same-sex couples in Utah are asking that very question. Hearing from the attorney general what the answers are next.
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WHITFIELD: A victory for same sex married couples in Utah. Attorney General Eric Holder says the marriages will be recognized on a federal level even though they are in limbo on the state level. Here is Athena Jones.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Same-sex couples in Utah are hoping this announcement will help persuade Utah's governor that he's made a mistake refusing to recognize same sex marriages in the state.
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JONES (voice-over): Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson, same-sex newlyweds from Salt Lake City, Utah spent Friday celebrating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is an electric time to be in Salt Lake.
JONES: The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for more than a thousand couples like them. Are they married or aren't they? The top law man in the land settled that question at least on the federal level with Friday's announcement.
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I am confirming today that for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful.
JONES: The fight began December 20th, when a federal judge declared Utah's 2004 ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional because it denied same-sex couples the right to equal protection and due process. Many counties in the state began issuing marriage licenses. It took this couple by surprise. They were the first to take advantage tying the knot that same day.
SETH ANDERSON, FIRST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN LIST: When we knew that we could actually be legally married in Utah, where we live and work and go to school, like we dropped everything and ran out the door.
JONES: But in the state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, the justices blocked enforcement of the district court ruling until the constitutional questions are fully resolved.
SEAN REYES, UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL: The order stays the decision of the district court pending the decision by the circuit court of appeals.
JONES: Wednesday, Utah said it won't recognize the marriages until the issue is settled in the courts.
ANDERSON: It robbed us of due process. I think it illustrated animist towards LGBT people.
JONES: That left same-sex couples there in limbo until the attorney general stepped in.
HOLDER: These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds.
JONES: Gay rights advocates applaud the move. One that signalled the Obama administration is taking more active role in a legal and social debate that's been heating up in recent years, one that's far from over.
ANDERSON: This is not a gay rights issue. This is a human rights issue.
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JONES: A federal appeals court could hear oral arguments on the Utah case as soon as March -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Athena.
