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Two Students Shot in Philadelphia School; Christie Headlines Fund-Raisers in Florida; Wildfire Now 30 Percent Contained; Tea Party Group Wants Boehner Booted; Will Bridge Scandal Hurt Christie in Florida; Obama Moves to Rein in the NSA; AFC And NFC Champs Crowned This Weekend; 49ers And Seahawks Fight For NFC Title; Report: Bill Belichick Wants Pats About Pot; The Return Of Broncos Coach; No Relief In Fire Forecast; Target Breach May Be Tied To Russian Mob; Michelle Obama To Celebrate 50 Tonight; Actress To Receive Honor Of A Lifetime

Aired January 18, 2014 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I wish I could watch it live as it all happens but that's way past my bedtime.

BLACKWELL: Ours, too.

PAUL: You and me both.

WHITFIELD: I'm counting on you all in the morning to bring it back to me in realtime.

PAUL: We'll do what we can.

WHITFIELD: Yes I'm counting on you. Thanks Christi and Victor. Good to see you guys. Have a great day.

BLACKWELL: You too.

PAUL: You too.

WHITFIELD: It is the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour of the CNN NEWSROOM which begins right now.

As you know, shots were fired inside a Philadelphia school, prompting a lockdown. Parents rushed to find their children. Police are still searching for a suspect in this latest school shooting.

Plus, the First Lady celebrating a milestone, 50, and the White House is ready to party. We'll have more on the event and all of what Washington will be talking about later on.

And shoppers who think their personal information is safe because they didn't shop at Target need to think again. That huge credit card breach might be just the beginning. What you need to know, coming up.

Philadelphia police are searching right now for the suspect in yet another school shooting. Investigators issued an arrest warrant this morning a day after two students were shot in a high school gym. Both of them are expected to be ok. Nick Valencia joining me now with more on the investigation -- so what do we know about this suspect, what happened and of course, the big question is always why?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL REPORTER: And the big concern right now is this alleged shooter still on the loose Fred. Philadelphia police very concerned right now at this hour, I just got off the phone with them a little while ago. A juvenile suspect, no longer a person of interest, as Fred mentioned, an arrest warrant has been issued for this juvenile. He was expected to turn himself in earlier this morning. He still has not turned himself in.

I talked to a detective at the Philadelphia Police Department. He says the concern and the worry is that this could happen again. As far as they're concerned Fred, an alleged shooter on the loose -- the alleged suspect shot two students and we don't know the motive here. And police have not ruled out whether or not this is maybe an accidental shooting.

WHITFIELD: And oftentimes, big cities, there are searches, random and scheduled searches, of students particularly in big city schools. Was that the case here? How did a gun get into a school?

VALENCIA: Police weren't clear on whether or not there were metal detectors at this school. And a big concern of the parents, among the parents when they talked to local media yesterday, was exactly how this gun got on campus. There were seven students in a gymnasium. At some point the gun went off, two students were shot. Non-life threatening injuries so those two students are expected to survive. But yes, the big question at this hour, not only the whereabouts of this alleged shooter Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

VALENCIA: But as you mentioned, how that gun got into the school in the first place.

WHITFIELD: Right sad situation. All right thanks so much, Nick for bringing us the latest details as we get them

Thank you.

VALENCIA: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right now new details about a different school shooting. This one, a month ago in Colorado, a security guard at Arapahoe High School is now speaking out, saying the school didn't do enough to prevent the shooting in December. In a post on Facebook, Cameron Rust claims alleged shooter Karl Pearson had previously threatened teachers and looked up guns on the Internet while on campus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMERON RUST, ARAPAHOE HIGH SCHOOL SECURITY GUARD: After we noticed that he quickly closed his computer and we immediately told her supervisor what we saw. And we were told he would bring it up in their administration meeting, and then that following Monday after the administration meeting, we were told there was nothing that they could do about that and it was his personal computer, and that he could look up what he wanted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: During the attack, Pearson allegedly shot 17-year-old Clare Davis. She later died of her injuries. Officials say Pearson took his own life at the school. Police say they are looking into the security guard's statements now.

And family and friends will say good-bye today to a man shot and killed inside a movie theater after a texting dispute. Chad Oulson's funeral is scheduled for today in Land O'Lakes, Florida. He was shot dead Monday. His wife Nicole was injured.

Retired police officer, 71-year-old Curtis Reeves, is charged with second degree murder and has been held without bail. Police say Oulson was texting his daughter's babysitter during movie previews when Reeves told Oulson to put his phone away. Officers say the argument ended with that shooting.

Two Americans and two British citizens have been killed after a suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan Friday. Nine foreigners and eight Afghans were also killed. The Taliban took responsibility and said it was payback for an air strike this week that killed civilians. Security forces killed the gunmen in a shootout.

All right back in this country, Governor Chris Christie is in Florida raising cash for his fellow GOP governors. It's part of his new role as head of the Republican Governors Association. But the controversy in his state of New Jersey might still upstage his visit.

Tory Dunnan is in Orlando where Christie and GOP supporters gathering for the first of several events there, it's Christie's first time out Tory out of state that is since the bridge scandal broke.

Does he try to shake it off, stay on the defense or is it a nonissue while he's touring the Sunshine State?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know Fred we'll see, but what's really interesting about this is that really, this is one of the first opportunities for members of his own party, of the Republican Party, to go up to him at several of these events and ask him questions, ask him what they want to know. You mentioned the first of several events happening right now. It's here at this country club in Orlando. Important to point out that these are all behind closed doors, in fact, we haven't even seen Governor Chris Christie go in here. This particular event is a fund-raiser for Florida's governor who is not shying away from the help, even with this controversy. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: I know with Chris, he did the right thing. He apologized he went to the community and apologized. So I look forward to seeing him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUNNAN: All right. Also I want to point out though Fred that there is an event happening tomorrow in North Palm Beach and all eyes are going to be on that event that's because it's a donor outreach event. It's at the home of billionaire and co-founder of Home Depot. And we've heard him so far, the interest has skyrocketed since this scandal took place, going from 50 people to 100 people, 500 people, so he says despite all of it, the numbers are growing. People actually want to go to that event.

WHITFIELD: And how about Democrats in that state? What are they saying about all this? Because in a large way, he's kind of -- Christie has appealed to both Democrats and Republicans.

DUNNAN: They're not sitting on the sidelines. In fact, the Democratic National Committee released this ad this morning. Quote, unquote, "Welcoming Chris Christie to Florida." It's pretty much the opposite there.

Also happening today, the chairwoman of the DNC is shadowing Christie as well as Governor Scott at several of these events and providing responses. Here's what she had to say when I asked her why she was doing this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: He's campaigning with our governor today and doing it in a way that is totally private, answering no questions, no public events and you know, I think that means either Chris Christie doesn't want to answer any questions, or Rick Scott doesn't want to be seen in public with Chris Christie. It's probably a little bit of both.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUNNAN: So Fred, obviously one thing, Republicans are talking about is the fact that Democrats are focused so much on these events today that they still see Chris Christie as a possible threat should he decide to run in 2016.

WHITFIELD: All right Tory Dunnan thanks so much. Keep us posted there from Orlando.

All right a U.S. district judge in North Carolina has struck down a law that requires women to have an ultrasound and see the image of the fetus before they get an abortion. On Friday, the judge called the state's law unconstitutional. Supporters of the law argued it would discourage women from having abortions.

All right not a great way to end your vacation. Royal Caribbean says more than 60 passengers got sick from a stomach illness during a recent cruise. Yesterday, the "Majesty of the Seas" returned to Miami after a four-day getaway to the Bahamas. More than 2,500 people were onboard. Cruise officials suspect Noro virus which is very contagious and can spread through food, water or contaminated surfaces. And no matter where you live, the historic drought in California just might affect you, particularly at the grocery store. Fruits, nuts and vegetables are all expected to rise in price that's because about half of those foods come from growers in California. It's a huge industry in the state. More than an estimated $45 billion a year. The same farmers also use 80 percent of the state's water to irrigate their fields. The severe drought brings with it the risk of dangerous wildfires as well as we are already seeing in California.

CNN's Kyung Lah reports on one major fire now burning in the mountains near Glendora.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is what California's drought looks like. The driest year in a century met a flame-friendly canvas for the Colby fire. Thousands evacuated, five homes gone in an instant. The drought, declared the Governor, has plunged California into a state of emergency.

GOV. JERRY BROWN (D), CALIFORNIA: We are in an unprecedented, very serious situation and people should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, on nature and one another.

LAH: In his state of emergency speech, the Governor asked everyone to cut back water use by 20 percent. His declaration does lift some environmental restrictions to allow the state to move water to parched regions more easily. The challenge, there is not much to share among the state's 38 million residents. Reservoir levels are at record lows. Snow packs this season, 80 percent lower than normal. Los Angeles got just over three inches of rain in all of 2013, about a quarter of what's normal.

More firefighters will be hired and they're on alert for this dangerous drought. As for the Colby fire that's still burning, it started as an accident. Police say these three men set an illegal campfire. They and their attorneys couldn't be reached for comment. The fire rapidly exploded out of control. The challenge for firefighters: more dry winds and a forecast without any rain stretching on into the weekend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Kyung Lah from Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

All right Chris Christie in Florida is helping to raise money for Republicans, but could the bridge scandal make him a liability?

And the hottest ticket tonight is at the White House. It's Michelle Obama's 50th birthday party. So who might take to the stage?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The group the Tea Party Patriots wants House Speaker John Boehner fired. The nonprofit organization tweeted this morning quote, "We're tired of the leadership in Washington. It's time to #FireTheSpeaker," unquote. The patriots want supporters to sign a petition calling for representatives to boot Boehner.

The group blames Democrats for the size of the national debt and the government and wasting money, but targets Boehner for going along for the ride, they say. We did reach out to both Speaker Boehner and the Tea Party Patriots for comment and so far, no comment from them.

So while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is in Florida raising cash for his fellow GOP governors, bridgegate and a federal review of how he spent Sandy recovery aid money continue to haunt the governor. A new poll shows New Jersey registered voters are mixed on whether he's telling the truth about the bridge controversy. 46 percent say he's telling the truth; 32 percent say he is not; and 22 percent say they are unsure.

Neal Asbury is a conservative radio talk show host in South Florida. He hosts the nationally syndicated "Neal Asbury's Made in America" show. So Neal, good to see you.

What are your listeners saying?

NEAL ASBURY, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Fredricka, thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Excellent. What are your listeners saying about Christie and these investigations?

ASBURY: My listeners think that the governor's just got a bum rap here. Let's be honest. I mean this is a relatively minor political squabble in a relatively small state. Nobody got killed on that bridge. Compare that to Benghazi, where four Americans were killed, including an American ambassador.

Nobody lost their health insurance on that bridge. Yet millions of people lost their health insurance because of Obamacare. So I mean, it's way blown out of proportion -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, wait a minute. What are your listeners saying about Chris Christie? Because I mean we have heard the comparisons being drawn between Benghazi or Obamacare, in terms of all the things that are haunting or this White House administration are being criticized for. But as it pertains to Chris Christie, because he's the who's one on the stage there in Florida, on the heels of or on the midst of these investigations, which are pretty darned sizeable. I mean, nobody would dispute that one.

But what are your listeners saying about why they either -- do they support him? Why do they continue to support him?

ASBURY: Oh absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Or why do they, you know, believe that there is something smelly about this?

ASBURY: I believe that this could very well backfire on the liberals and their friends in the media because they are treating Governor Christie unfairly. That's what my listeners are telling me. Look, my listeners prior to this, many of them were upset with the governor, because of him coddling President Obama, the Obama hug. It's quite ironic that he's down here helping Governor Scott, who against another Governor Crist, who was destroyed by an Obama hug. But this is bringing I believe many conservatives back to Governor Christie. Quite counterintuitive that this could actually help his standing within the conservative community because they think he's being treated unfairly.

It is outrageous that all of these things are going on in this country and the Democrats want to pivot --

WHITFIELD: So what are they saying about how --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Neal, what do you mean, people say he's being treated unfairly? He came out in that news conference, a little over a week ago, he stayed out there for a good two hours, tried to be --

ASBURY: He apologized.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: He tried to be as transparent as possible. But what is the part you say people feel he's being treated unfairly? In what way? What do you mean?

ASBURY: He came out, he was very decisive, he was very strong, he was very humble. And compare that to President Obama, who is very weak and very timid and very arrogant. So I think if you look at these two leaders and you see Governor Christie as a real American leader right now.

And as they're trying to destroy him -- hey, look, Fredricka this has as much to do with Hillary as it does with Governor Christie. The Democrats want destroy the governor because they believe he can beat Hillary. This is their best chance of destroying him.

So I think that bringing many conservatives back to the governor because they are thinking he's treated unfairly.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: But the arguments that are being made that if there's any destruction, it's because he's self-destructing potentially, if he had anything to do with this bridgegate.

ASBURY: But Fredricka, there's nothing linking him.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: So far subpoenas, as far as we know, haven't involved a subpoena of the governor. He is central to the investigation.

ASBURY: With all the investigation that's been going on -- with all the investigation that's been going on, with all of the resources that's being poured into New Jersey, people and money to destroy the governor and they can't tie him directly to this yet, it seems to tell me and my listeners that there's nothing there.

WHITFIELD: So your feeling is this should not be investigated, that it's a waste of time and money and resources -- period?

ASBURY: I believe this is just as much about 2016 and destroying the governor because he is a real threat to Hillary, as it is to any crime that was committed. Look, there's real problems in this country. We should be talking about poverty and jobs and that's what the Democrats don't want to talk about. They want to talk about this perceived scandal which does not impact the vast majority of Americans. That's wrong and that's outrageous.

WHITFIELD: All right Neal Asbury. Thanks for your time.

ASBURY: Thank you Fredricka. Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Ok.

All right. Straight ahead, President Obama is proposing changes for the NSA but one thing won't change for now.

And Broncos head coach John Fox is one game away from the Super Bowl. That pales to the life-threatening obstacle that he faces off the field.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now of the intentional destruction of the Minnesota Vikings' Metrodome -- it is coming down after 32 years. It's been part of the skyline there but it's time to move on. So they -- kind of by deflating this, they actually just ended the air in the stadium to help deflate it and then it will continue to collapse even further over a period of time. But today was day one of a destruction that will take more than a day. Bye-bye to the Metrodome.

The National Security Agency will keep saving records on your phone calls and e-mails at least for now. President Obama made that clear yesterday as he laid out a number of proposed reforms at the NSA. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ridiculed the President's modest proposals as quote, "embarrassing".

CNN chief national correspondent Jim Sciutto has a closer look at how the President is trying to balance civil liberties with national security.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- to oversight by --

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Responding to months of spirited debate sparked by the explosive revelations of Edward Snowden, today the President told Americans what he would do and not do to rein in mass surveillance. OBAMA: The power of new technologies means that there are fewer and fewer technical constraints on what we can do. That places a special obligation on us to ask tough questions about what we should do.

SCIUTTO: The most significant changes affect the most controversial surveillance program -- the bulk collection of Americans' phone records. Effective immediately, the NSA will need judicial approval before searching the data.

The President asked Congress to create a panel of public advocates to counter government search requests. And he asked the attorney general and intelligence community to explore moving the data out of NSA control. He also ordered an end to spying on the leaders of dozens of close U.S. allies.

But he left several questions unanswered, including who will hold the phone metadata, phone companies or a new third party, and which cases the public advocate would take part in. Crucially, the President did not eliminate bulk collecting, arguing, it's just too important.

OBAMA: Not only because I felt that they made us more secure but also because nothing in that initial review and nothing that I have learned since indicated that our intelligence community has sought to violate the law.

SCIUTTO: For the NSA's most ardent critics, leaving bulk collection alone is a glaring omission.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: I think we've got to go further. To my mind, when every single phone call made in the United States of America is kept on file by the government or some other entity, I think you're talking about a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.

SCIUTTO: So do any of the changes make us less safe?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: If these programs were stopping huge terrorist attacks, you know, maybe they would -- should be more, you know, there should be more concern. But the problem -- the fact is that these programs are not.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SCIUTO: You do have critics on both sides. Supporters of bulk collection are worried that this judicial review process will take too much time and that that might compromise terrorism investigations. They are encouraging the President to send proposed legislation to Congress so that Congress can debate this. Congress is also going to have to weigh in on the public advocates that the President wants to take part in the foreign intelligence court.

So this is not the end of the conversation. It's going to continue. We will see a lot of debate on this in the coming weeks and months.

Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

And this incredible image coming out of Brazil -- lightning striking the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.

Plus the son of a famous televangelist reveals why he believes his dad is ready to go to heaven.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the stories crossing the CNN News desk right now.

About 100 passengers who survived that Asiana plane crash in San Francisco last summer have filed a lawsuit against Boeing. It claims Boeing knew or should have known the plane had inadequate warning systems and other deficiencies. Three people were killed in the crash and more than 180 people injured. Boeing would not comment on the lawsuit.

The son of televangelist Billy Graham says his dad is quote, "ready to go to heaven", end quote. Franklin Graham revealed the 95-year-old reverend who has been in poor health since late last year is very weak and he's praying his father regains his strength. The younger Graham says he hasn't been able to communicate well with his dad because of his condition.

And Prince Harry now has a desk job. He's ending his time with Britain's Army Air Corps and taking a staff position. That means the prince won't be flying Apache helicopters in combat missions anymore. The Kensington Palace news release says Harry will help coordinate projects and events involving the army in London.

It's a big, really big weekend for football fans and by Monday morning, we will know who is off to the Super Bowl and who best to share and set the plate for us, Joe Carter.

JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Who do you think will be in the Super Bowl? Do you want to answer?

WHITFIELD: No way.

CARTER: My picks are Denver and Seattle. I'm really going out on a limb right there, right. I pick Denver for the obvious reasons, but Seattle for their defense. I mean, this team statistically has the best defense in the NFL. You can't run on them. You can't pass on them. Also, the 49ers on Sunday are going to have to deal with their crowd. I mean, that crowd is definitely an X factor. They are world record breaking loud.

WHITFIELD: Won't that excite you, though?

CARTER: Well, you can't coordinate. You can't talk to your teammates and put together some sort of an audible call or if you want to change the defense, if you want to communicate in between the plays, it's difficult because it's deafening. They have said it's the same decibel level as a jet engine or rock concert. It's hard to communicate. I mean, it's definitely affected the 49ers the last two times they played there because Seattle has absolutely dominated. When you look at the numbers, Seattle has outscored them 71-16 the last two times the 49ers have been in Seattle.

Now as far as the AFC championship goes, everyone is talking about the two quarterbacks. How can you not talk about the quarterbacks? Brady versus Manning, Manning versus Brady, I mean, they are obviously the best two quarterbacks of this generation. But when it comes to the post season, there is a big disparity here because Brady has been to eight championship games, when you count this Sunday.

As far as Peyton, he's lost eight times in the first round of the playoffs. He's the one and done king, as they say. You got to give credit to New England because this team, when you look at the big picture, they are really loaded with a bunch of guys that we really don't know who they are.

They have had journeymen type careers in the NFL and here they are once again in place to win or at least compete for another Super Bowl.

WHITFIELD: That's very nice.

CARTER: This is kind of a cute story. It's kind of cute. It's definitely trending on bleacherreport.com. Patriot's coach, Bill Belichick, he told his guys when you go to Denver this weekend for the game, nobody and I mean nobody is allowed to smoke the illegal marijuana. He said don't go out there and be stupid.

Obviously it's legal in the state for recreational use, but it's still a banned substance in the NFL. Tom Brady was asked about it yesterday and basically said I don't want any part of this question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you excited about that? No?

TOM BRADY, PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: We haven't talked about that. This is a very important game for us and it's a business trip.

END VIDEO CLIP)

CARTER: It's funny how everybody gets a little squirmy.

WHITFIELD: Don't want to sound anti or a proponent.

CARTER: This is a well-put sign but in an odd place. A church sign clearly pulling for the Broncos. Now it says on the sign that God has no faves, but the sign guy does. Go Broncos. Clearly he's a Broncos fan, but the kicker here is that this sign is in Providence, Rhode Island, which is literally smack dab in the middle of Patriots country. The sign is 22 miles away from Foxborough, where the Patriots play. Clearly Denver has its fans standing coast to coast.

WHITFIELD: My goodness.

CARTER: So I'm a Broncos fan, born and raised in Denver so I'm excited for the Broncos this year.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Well, then, maybe you -- maybe it hits a soft spot, this next story, as well. Joe, you are very familiar with this.

Two and a half months ago, Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox collapsed on a golf course and then thought he was about to die. Now after undergoing major open heart surgery, he is just a game away from that Super Bowl. Our Rachel Nichols talked to him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Fox is a football lifer, spending decades chasing Super Bowl championships. He has taken jobs for it, moved cities for it, missed school plays and family dinners, and spent hundreds of thousands of hours watching film.

JOHN FOX, DENVER BRONCOS HEAD COACH: I have been twice, once as defensive coordinator and once as head coach. I don't want that rug burn again or that rope burn as you walk across the field and you're not the winning team. But some day, hopefully this year, we'll be able to be in New York and hoist that trophy.

NICHOLS: There is not much that Fox wouldn't give to finally win, but this year, he nearly gave his life.

UNIDENTIFIED ANCHOR: Broncos Head Coach John Fox hospitalized today after feeling lightheaded on a North Carolina golf course.

FOX: I've had this aortic valve problem since birth. It's something you're born with. You know, they monitor it the older you get. It's open heart surgery. It's a major, major surgery to go and actually replace the valve. So I put it off. I thought I was going to make it to the end of the season.

NICHOLS: He didn't. Two and a half months ago in the midst of the Broncos' bye week, Fox collapsed on the golf course near the house he keeps in Charlotte.

FOX: Well, it was pretty humbling. You know, it was a little bit scary. I had an episode where I really thought I was dying. Fortunately, I was with friends. They called 911, got the paramedics there. They were able to get me stabilized and two days later, I had open heart surgery.

NICHOLS: As Fox began the road to recovery, one of his assistants was named the Broncos' interim head coach. But that didn't mean Fox could step away from the game.

(on camera): You can watch film on your iPad. You can Skype into team meetings, but there's still someone else standing in for you on the sidelines, on game day, coaching your team. What is that like to watch?

FOX: That was the hardest part. It's been probably 200 games since I missed a game. That was very hard. That was probably the hardest part.

NICHOLS: Were you like a kid on Christmas morning when you got to actually come back here to Denver and rejoin the team?

FOX: Yes, it was neat. I flew back on a Wednesday, day before Thanksgiving, was able to come out and talk to the team. It couldn't have been better, I mean, everybody, you know, for responding and going through an adverse situation, I think all in all it's made us better.

NICHOLS (voice-over): John Fox is a football lifer and he still wants that trophy. But this year, this life-threatening, life-affirming scary wonderful year, he's happy just to be in the chase.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, good for him.

CARTER: I think it sends a message to not just professional coaches, but to anybody out there that puts too much emphasis on their job, where they just give too much time and that's kind of the case John Fox fell into where he knew he had a heart problem, but he was getting too involved. He wasn't paying attention to his health.

WHITFIELD: That's so hard when you are a perfectionist, someone who is pursuing greatness and the pressure is immense as a football coach.

CARTER: He said a lot about his wife, how much she's been able to balance him out and how, you know, good wife, good life. How she's really been helping him balance himself and making sure he doesn't put too much emphasis on the job. He's very mindful of his food intake and his rest. It's important to also make sure that yes, you're taking care of your team, taking care of your family, but take care of yourself.

WHITFIELD: Is there a visible difference in him on the sidelines?

CARTER: You know, watching the press conferences, and I definitely feel like he's enjoying the moment more. Seems cliched to say but he's getting a second chance, if you will because he said that normally when he goes back to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, he goes fishing. Had he gone fishing that day he would have been on a boat, which would have been too far away to get to the hospital, which means he could have died. He realizes the position that he was put in. Somehow he has been given a second chance and he is definitely enjoying the moment.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, that's your team. Thanks so much, Joe.

CARTER: Go, Broncos. Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: That was your last shot. All right, thanks so much, Joe.

All right, firefighters could use some rain to battle those wildfires in California. CNN meteorologist, Jennifer Gray is here to tell us if they are going to get any. JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's been a tough go in California and it is going to continue to be very, very dry. I guess the only glimmer of hope is that the winds are starting to die down just a little bit. That will help firefighters. But this is basically the pattern over the last couple of months, that stubborn ridge of high pressure has kept all the rain out, it has brought in the strong Santa Ana winds and it has definitely been a fuel for a lot of those fires.

Relative humidities have been down in the single digits and so just adding insult to injury there. We are going to see above average temperatures over the next couple days. We should be at 66 in L.A. For the next couple days, we'll be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than that. So it is going to stay warmer than normal and precipitation is going to stay below normal over the next several days, if not weeks.

Another story we're watching is out in the northern plains, the Midwest. We're seeing a winter weather advisory anywhere from Minneapolis and even south of Chicago and look at this, even a blizzard warning for north eastern portions of South Dakota. Of course, we are seeing some snow pushing in, not huge amounts, Fred, but we could see anywhere from two to four inches of snow just to the south side of Chicago.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, OK, very good. Jennifer, you probably saw this image out of Brazil, pretty incredible. Lightning strike, wow, right there, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue towering over Rio de Janeiro. So the 130-foot tall statue is a frequent target for lightning strikes. I guess no surprise there, right, Jen?

Well, officials say a strike in Thursday's storm chipped this time a piece off the thumb. A different finger was chipped in a storm last month. So some nasty storms, I guess that only happens with big rainstorms, or do you know whether there's I guess, you know, is it common for lightning strikes to happen without storms there?

GRAY: Well, lightning can strike up to 30 miles outside the actual thunderstorm. So doesn't necessarily have to be raining, but those were some pretty incredible images.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Jen. We'll be right back with more in the NEWSROOM after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. government is warning retailers to be on high alert. It turns out the hackers who used malicious software to steal data from millions of Target customers may be using that very same software at other stores across the country. Now there are reports that these hackers may be tied to Russian mobs. Here's Christine Romans.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, a lot of what investigators know about the hack is being kept under wraps as cyberforensics experts sift through the clues. But what we do know is that Homeland Security is worried this isn't an isolated event.

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ROMANS (voice-over): The U.S. government now warning retailers across the country to be on high alert, that massive attack on Target over the holidays may have compromised the personal information of up to 110 million customers. It could be just the beginning.

In a brand new bulletin, the Department of Homeland Security now revealing that Target may not have been alone, that the malicious software has potentially infected a large number of retail operations. And for the first time, they are detailing just how those hackers pulled off one of the biggest data heists ever.

ROBERT SICILIANO, MCAFEE ONLINE SECURITY EXPERT: Now with this new information that many other retailers could potentially have been breached, that number could potentially double in the next couple weeks.

ROMANS: Here's how they did it. According to a cybersecurity firm called I-Sight, who has contributed to the investigation, they used highly sophisticated and nearly undetectable malware named Kaptoxa. That's a computer program that is surreptitiously placed in a company's system to corrupt point of sale systems. That means at the register itself, your information was being grabbed.

I-Sight says many retail organizations may not know they have been infected. The software infests retail processing systems, allowing the hackers to collect the data from outside and most troubling of all it's using new technology that makes it virtually undetectable by all security software.

SICILIANO: It's an unknown exploit, one that they haven't seen before.

ROMANS: Just who are the hackers? There are clues. Part of the code is written in Russian. The "Wall Street Journal" cites an unnamed U.S. official who said these details suggest the attack may have ties to organized crime from the former Soviet Union. Target is still dealing with the fallout this morning. In a new e-mail by Target to its customers, it said the cyberattack stole much more than pin numbers. It stole names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well.

SICILIANO: Consumers need to be aware right now, paying very close attention to their statements. You can check your statements online every single day.

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ROMANS: Target will testify before Congress in early February. No federal laws exist that set out rules for when and how companies must report these breaches to customers and law enforcement. Officials say the objective of the hearing will be how customers can protect themselves -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Christine.

All right, the first lady, 50, and the White House is throwing a huge bash tonight, but all the plans seem to be top secret.

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WHITFIELD: First lady Michelle Obama is now 50 years old, and she's ready to party. Her birthday actually was yesterday, and the White House is celebrating tonight. It's apparently telling guests eat dinner before you come and be ready to dance. We understand there will be lots of drinks and lots of desserts because that's the way she wants it and even there are reports that Beyonce and Adelle might be performing tonight.

The first lady is, of course, embracing this milestone and here's the latest example of that. She actually tweeted a picture of herself, a selfie there with her AARP card yesterday, and said excited to join Barack in the 50 plus club.

So I'm joined now live by Sally Quinn, columnist for "The Washington Post." So Sally, it's nice to see that she's celebrating 50 and we know in a very big way. What kind of details have you learned about this party tonight?

SALLY QUINN, COLUMNIST, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, you know, they are keeping it very much under wraps. Everybody's speculating about who is going to be there and who's not going to be there and talking about the fact that it's eat first. I suspect that there is going to be plenty of food, knowing the Obamas and knowing the White House so I don't think that's going to be an issue.

But you know, this is going to be a party of her friends. This is not official Washington and they have never been really part of official Washington and I think for her 50th birthday it's probably the most appropriate way to celebrate it with people that they are close to and that they care about.

WHITFIELD: Right, and it's common knowledge that she and her husband don't necessarily, you know, run around town with the Washington circles. Every now and then, you see the two of them going out to dinner, but I understand she does get out and about on her own, meeting up with her BFFs at favorite restaurants.

Even sometimes, showing up at Target like everyone has seen in the past, she's like to find ways to have her me time. And what does that say about her? Whether it be this milestone or really just about this first lady, trying to make sure there is room for me time and just doing it my way?

QUINN: Well, I think first of all, the Obamas have never had been part of Washington and they're very much to themselves. They have their own friends who come to the White House. She goes out a lot with her girlfriends and pals and has dinner, but you don't ever see them on the circuit at all.

But I think the most important thing I would say about Michelle Obama right now is that there's incredible sense and she's imparted this to women all over the country, all over the world, really, of liberation. She talks a lot about balance in her "People" magazine interview, she talks about how she started doing more yoga because she wants to stay balanced.

She doesn't want to lose her balance when she gets older and break a hip. You could talk about that in terms of her life as a whole. That she has really managed to balance being a mother, being a wife and also, being involved in issues that she cares about and nothing too excess. She's balanced everything in a way that she's saying to women everywhere, look, this is what I'm doing with my life right now and this is just fine.

And whatever you want to do with your life is also fine. You know, there have been a lot of criticism about her, why didn't she take some big job? She's got all this education. She went to Harvard Law School. But what she's doing I think is more important than that, which is that she's showing people that this is my life, this is what I want to do. I want to spend this time, precious time with my children I will never get back.

I need to support my husband. He's got the most powerful and stressful job in the world. I can be a great help mate to him and also, I have a great platform for doing incredible work with the military, with obesity, with education, as she announced the other day. And have an impact that she would never be able to have in any other position.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and she does seem to have an ease that she exudes that I think is very complimentary and really very reassuring to a lot of women, whether they're working inside or outside the home. Sally Quinn, always good to see you. Thank you so much. And we'll be right back with much more.

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WHITFIELD: The Screen Actors Guild Awards are tonight and Rita Moreno will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, presenting her with the honor, her long time friend and former electric company alum, Morgan Freeman. I had the chance to talk to Moreno about her life and the discrimination she faced early in her career.

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RITA MORENO, ACTRESS: I found out very quickly when I came to this country and it was New York, about 5 years old, that I was a spick according to the kids on the block and a garlic mouth and pierced ear, all the words you hear on the "West Side Story," by the way. Even though at the time, I didn't even speak English. The way in which those words were spit out at me, even as a very little girl, I knew something was wrong with me.

And when I began to understand the words, it was even worse. And you know, if you're young enough and you're told often enough that you have no value, you believe it. Children are very tender and very vulnerable and very believing. They'll believe anything you tell them.

And I carried that with me for far too many years. It's the thing that sent me into psychotherapy many, many years later when I was finding I was really miserable in my life, that I didn't like myself too much and my friend then, Marlon Brando, who was then my lover, said, this man who was seriously disturbed said to me, you need to see a therapist.

I love the irony of that. He was right, of course. I'm a very stubborn person. I hang on to my neurosis like nobody's business, but I know a lot of people like that. It's comfortable even though it's scary.

WHITFIELD: Because it's comfortable for most people to live with a facade. The person that everyone thinks they know and then there is of course the person. Sometimes, it takes a lot more courage, most time to take a lot more courage to reveal exactly who you are and what you're thinking and feeling, whether it be you know, revealing your strengths our your weaknesses, especially.

MORENO: You are so smart and you are so right and you know, what really was shocking to me, because the book covers something you rarely get to see anymore. It covers the early Hollywood that no longer exists, and the bias and the prejudice that I lived with for years and years and years in Hollywood when I was a young woman.

That was a shock and it was sad because I really felt when I went to MGM under contract at 17 that I was going to be a star. I could be like Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor, and then it turned out that I could only play roles that required accents.

And that begot something kind of rather amusing in a way because whether I played a Polynesian girl, I was always the house ethnic. When I played the Polynesian girl, an Arabian girl, an East Indian girl, I always had the same accent.

WHITFIELD: Did it always bother you? Was there a point that you said, I'm going to do this? I accept it, but then you write it became very demeaning.

MORENO: It always was demeaning, but somewhere inside of me, I always felt there was a stubborn streak that said, you are talented. Even when I was a little girl, you have talent. Somehow, if I persevere, somehow, some way, someone will see that in me and give me a break and it happened in west side story and of course, the king and I, but "The King and I," yet again, I was talking like this, you know, and beautiful role, fantastic movie. But there I was doing the same thing, only with more beautiful costumes.

WHITFIELD: So, if you had an opportunity to kind of reach back to you teenage years, the early part of your career and you would be able to advise yourself, given your life path, your odyssey, what would you have advised that young girl about to embark on a life in entertainment?

RITA MORENO, ACTRESS: I would have said to Rosy, to Dolores Alverio, don't go to Hollywood. Go to the theatre where people were still allowed to play different kinds of roles. But my thinking, my what's the word for that, my set, my take was that in order to be a famous star, you had to go to Hollywood. I had never done theatre unless I was, my gosh, much, much older.

So Hollywood was the answer for me. It wasn't the best answer. In the meantime, however, it made me very strong. In the meantime, I met someone like Marlon Brando, who ultimately did me one of the greatest favors he ever did any woman, which was to say, you need help.

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WHITFIELD: She is remarkable and congrats to her for the big SAG Award.