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American Athletes Warned About Dangers in Russia During Olympics; Cold Weather May Affect Super Bowl; Justin Bieber Faces Charges; Sheriff Joe Arpaio Accused of Cruel and Unusual Punishment; Teacher Accused of Poisoning Potluck With Marijuana-Laced Food; Hillary Clinton Magazine Cover Draws Attention; Mike Huckabee Criticized for Controversial Comments on Female Contraception; Grammy Nominees Announced

Aired January 25, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Just as the Republican Party tries for an image rehab, they get this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, FOX NEWS HOST: They are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive without the help of the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Silly misstep, or new crisis?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A woman attends a potluck, but she may have taken the term too literally. Why she's now facing poisoning charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: And Bieber has left the building, or at least Miami. His fans are still believers though. Could is a possible deportation mean they're going to have to idolize him from afar?

Good morning to you. If you're running around like a crazy person this morning, we're with you there. I'm Christi Paul at 10:00. Make sure you're on time.

BLACKWELL: That sounds like a weekday morning, not a weekend morning.

I'm Victor Blackwell. It's 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 out west. You're in the CNN Newsroom.

PAUL: So we want to begin with you this morning with this major development in a story we've been following for weeks. A judge now ordering a hospital to remove a pregnant woman from breathing machines.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's the decision that relatives of Marlise Munoz have been waiting for for some time. Attorneys for the hospital are now publicly acknowledging what Munoz' family has been telling the world.

PAUL: Number one, that she has been brain dead since November 28, and two, that her fetus is not viable.

BLACKWELL: Hospital officials have been keeping Munoz alive -- I don't know if you can say alive -- kept her on a respirator and a ventilator, citing a state law that forbids removing life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient. Nick Valencia is outside the hospital in Fort Worth. I corrected that because clinically and by law in all of the 50 states brain dead is dead. But even with this ruling, Nick, I understand that this isn't necessarily over.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, and the anguish was evident on the face of Erick Munoz, the husband of Marlise Munoz, as he left the courthouse yesterday. This is a ruling that they've been fighting for at least two months now, since November 28th. That's when Marlise Munoz was clinically and legally brain dead. They've been asking the hospital to take her off the ventilator. Yesterday there were some crucial facts that were agreed on by both sides, the hospital and the family, saying that the fetus is not viable and Marlise Munoz is legally dead, brain dead I should say. As she left the courthouse yesterday, the attorney for the family, the Munoz family, spoke to the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER KING, MUNOZ FAMILY ATTORNEY: This is the decision we sought. There's nothing happy about today. This was a sad situation all of the way around. We are relieved that Erick Munoz can now move forward with the process of burying his wife.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jessica, anything to say?

JESSICA KING, MUNOZ FAMILY ATTORNEY: We also want to say that we are very, very appreciative of the courtesy of the attorneys and the judiciaries in this process and that we really feel justice was done today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Munoz, is there any way to describe what this is like for you today?

ERICK MUNOZ: No comment.

HEATHER KING: Mr. Munoz is not ready to comment presently. He needs to prepare for the future and for Monday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Now, all along the hospital, JPS Hospital, has been maintain that they've been simply applying state law, that it was applicable in this case, and that state law of course is that a pregnant woman cannot be defied life-saving treatment. But the argument here is that she's been legally brain dead.

Now, interestingly enough, Victor and Christi, one of the co-writers of this law who is now an SMU professor said the hospital was misinterpreting the law all along. And it was a very emotional day yesterday in the courtroom, lots of very graphic details emerging. Some of the most, you know, really graphic details, we'll spare the viewers. But Erick Munoz saying that his wife is no longer alive, that her eyes are soulless, that when he grabbed her, the bones cracked. The smell of death was coming from her body. This is really about grieving for the family. They want to have a proper burial for Marlise Munoz and just move forward. But another anguish -- more anguish this weekend for them as they wait and see if this hospital will appeal that decision. By Monday, 5:00 p.m., is when the hospital has to pull the ventilator on Marlise Munoz.

BLACKWELL: Our thanks to Nick Valencia in Fort Worth, Texas.

PAUL: We certainly appreciate it.

The other big story obviously for a lot of you is you -- maybe you're opening the door to let the dog outside and you do not want to step one step out because of the brutal cold.

BLACKWELL: It is so cold across the country. A lot of states are battling records from the deep south, the northeast, snow and ice and sleet and freezing rain. Dangerous conditions on the road for drivers. And with just a week to go until the Super Bowl, here's a big question. Will this weather affect next week's big game? Officials say that if New Jersey gets hit with enough snow workers would meantime to shovel, which means kickoff could be delayed or postponed. Super Bowl Monday, may be.

PAUL: No.

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: There's no way. It's going to take a system bigger than anything we've seen all year for them to actually move the Super Bowl a day away. So let's hope that doesn't happen, and we've seen some pretty nasty systems move through already this season.

We're going to show you a couple different forecast models that we look at when forecasting. We're going to sew you this GFS model actually shows a low in the vicinity of New York, New Jersey, around game day. That's one of the models we look at. Another model we're looking at shows a system pushing off to the north. So we could be in between systems. Still a lot of uncertainty. Confidence is still very low when forecasting actually the game day forecast. But if you compare the two, it looks like we're probably going to see chilly temperatures, may see flurries or rain, some precipitation. It looks like wind should stay relatively light. So confidence obviously will grow as we get closer to game day.

Let's look at the high temperatures though because this is happening now. We are going to see a warm-up across the south. Temperatures actually in the 60s in New Orleans, even 70 degrees in Houston, a far cry from where you were just a couple days ago. Your high will be 70 on Sunday. Look at these temperatures drop off though. Memphis, high temperature of 32 on Monday, 23 on Tuesday, and even in Atlanta, 34 degrees, your high temperature on Tuesday. So the south warms, guys, just a little bit for the next couple of days. Ah, yes, nice.

PAUL: Take it while we can get it. Thank you so much.

So imagine being told, look, don't look too American, because if you do, you could be in trouble.

BLACKWELL: Yes, that's the State Department's warning to the U.S. Olympic team heading to Sochi, Russia, for the winter games. It's urging the athletes to layoff wearing the red, white and blue Olympic uniforms outside the so-called "ring of steel," this security area, secured area in the Olympic village surrounding the Olympic host city. Now that's because of an increase in terror threats.

PAUL: CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is joining us from Sochi right now. So, you know, nick, how concerned should athletes and their families really be about their safety? Are they feeling it? Do you have a sense that people are tense or upset about it?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, the State Department's advice to American tourists coming here is that Americans aren't specifically the targets of the Islamist insurgency that's across a lot of the region of southern Russia, less so here in Sochi in the far west. They're not specifically targets but they should be careful.

Obviously people are more concerned that privately the State Department was giving this warning to American athletes. When they leave this secure area, this so-called ring of steel where the Olympic village will be and the venues, they shouldn't walk around wearing bright logos suggesting they're Americans too much. They say that's advice they've given in the past as well. But really we know there's a threat here. It's no secret for the past decade this has been a dangerous part of the world, all of the way across to the Caspian Sea here. The militants have said they will engulf these games in flames.

The real issue is, does any of that potential violence get passed the steel cordon that 37,000 Russian police and security officials have tried to enforce here? People are probably going to be OK inside that, around this Olympic area, everybody hopes. It's just that when they head out across into the broader parts of Russia where the police are known for corruption and inefficiency, that's where there could be real problems. Christi?

BLACKWELL: You know, Nick, I want to talk about something just a different angle of this. Every Olympic city has a lot of construction, there's a lot of work to do to prepare for the world coming to the city. But is Sochi ready?

WALSH: I think, yes, is probably the clearest way to say it. I've not been across all parts of the Olympic venues. In fact, a lot of the time it's very hard to get in. Just yesterday we were trying to go to near the ski jump area, told to leave, trying to go near some of the hotels, told to leave. Construction is still going on there. I think there's a feeling though that the pace is picking up and it's probably going to get there.

There will, of course, be some issues, I'm sure, near the time. But the real question is can that be put aside, can the security fears be put aside and people go back to what this is all about, fun, at the end of the day, sports, competition, international kind of bonding. Instead the real concern is how safety is necessary to come here right now.

I have to say, though, today, beautiful view where I was standing. The mountain, the backdrop stunning where you got a glimpse perhaps of how maybe this could turn out to be a spectacular two weeks ahead. Victor?

PAUL: I certainly hope so for all of us watching and for all of you there. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so very much.

So let's take a look at your money, if you dare right now, because I know it was an ugly week on Wall Street. The Dow got slammed dropping nearly 600 points in its workweeks in years. Inspectors were spooked, I guess, by less than stellar corporate earnings and fears that China may be slowing down its red hot growth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Screaming fans, you see them here going wild over Justin Bieber as he leaves Miami after, you know, that arrest for dui and resisting arrest then. A live report from Miami ahead.

PAUL: Plus, controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio is back, this time feeding his inmates just bread and water for a week as punishment. He's joining us next to tell us why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, 38 Arizona inmates accused of defacing small American flags in their cells are being punished now.

BLACKWELL: The punishment, getting only bread and water to eat. The jail is run by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, one of the most controversial sheriffs in the nation. But when we say bread, look at your screen. This is the bread. It's Nutraloaf. It's stuffed with a bunch of other grounds of food. And one inmate who has been released was on the water and Nutraloaf diet and said this is not fit for humans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY VISNOSKY, FORMER INMATE: It's something I wouldn't feed an animal. I felt malnourished, hunger pangs, I was losing weight. Basically I felt like this is cruel and unusual punishment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: So Sheriff Joe Arpaio joining us on the phone to talk about it. Sheriff Joe, thank you so much for joining us. You know I worked in phoenix for several years.

JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF: Yes, I remember you. Yes, I remember you, and good luck.

PAUL: Thank you. I ate some of this stuff when you first -- when you first started using it. And I got to tell you, it was -- it's nasty. But I know that you say it has all the nutritional elements that are required every day for people. But is this, in your -- is it cruel and unusual? Does he have a point?

ARPAIO: They get their 2,800 calories. By the way, since you left we only give them two meals a day so I'm not concerned what this guy is saying. By the way, if he wants to eat steak, don't come to jail. That's my message. The guy you had on.

BLACKWELL: Let me ask you this, sheriff. These 38 inmates are being punished for defacing the American flags you put into their cell, part of a program you started in November to promote patriotism. "Star- Spangled Banner" is played every morning, "God Bless America" every night. I'll ask this, why is it the job of the correction system to create patriots? Aren't they there to serve out the time? Why is it important that they become patriotic?

ARPAIO: Because we have a lot of educational programs, on drugs, alcohol, you name it. I put all the veterans in one area, too, that have committed crimes to hope and he'll them, educate them, so when they get out they can find a job. I run the jail system, the sheriff. I'm elected and I decide what the policies are. So why can't I have patriotism in our jails? I mean, they live in the United States, most of them. And I don't think that's bad, to educate them, talk about the constitution and so on.

BLACKWELL: And I think there are some who would agree with you. But this is also a matter of free speech, is it not? I mean, the Supreme Court has ruled on defacing the American flag.

ARPAIO: It has nothing to do with the First Amendment. When you mess with the flag you're destroying government property. When you deface the flag, it's on the wall, that's destroying that wall. So that's what it's about. It has nothing to do with First Amendment or the right to speak out.

PAUL: What you're saying, sheriff, I know gets a lot of people riled up and it does bring me to my last question. A little birdie told us you may be considering a run for governor. Is that true?

ARPAIO: Well, every four years people ask me to run for governor. And I did raise $3.5 million just in 12 months. So, you know, I know I would win if I ran. I haven't made the decision. But this is the last hoorah. I am a senior citizen. If I'm going to do it I would have to do it now.

PAUL: So you're going to do it?

BLACKWELL: Do you want to be governor?

ARPAIO: I don't know. I haven't decided. I've got five months to decide.

PAUL: OK. Well, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, I know it's really early there, so I thank you for getting up and talking to us this morning. And you know, just thanks for taking time for us. We appreciate it.

ARPAIO: Thank you.

PAUL: Sure.

All righty, so from Arizona to Miami.

BLACKWELL: Big swing.

PAUL: From the police might not be real fond of Justin Bieber. His fans, look at this, they don't seem to mind that the singer is facing charges.

BLACKWELL: We're going to tell you why the legal trouble may just be starting for the Biebs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: It's 21 after the hour now. Justin Bieber's next personal appearance in Miami may be in a courtroom.

PAUL: Yes, the 19-year-old faces charges of DUI and resisting arrest, and it could get worse before all is said and done. CNN's Tory Dunnan covering Bieber's arrest in Miami. So first off, Tory, I know eventually he could face even more charges. Do we have a good guideline of what they might be looking at?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Victor and Christi, this all according to the state attorney's office. We talked to them about all of this. They say they're looking at the evidence, talking to possible experts and also taking a look at social media pictures as well as videos of this incident and then they're going to come up with a determination of the charges whether or not those charges will be upped.

There has been a lot of talk about possible charges about drag racing, but the state attorney's office at this point says it's just too early in the game to really tell where this case is going to be going.

BLACKWELL: Tory, does the DUI which -- I have to remind people, DUI, driving under the influence, not necessarily alcohol. But his blood alcohol level was within the legal -- below the legal limit. So does that stand here?

DUNNAN: Right. This all according to a source who is close to the investigation saying that he was given two breathalyzer tests. The results were .011 and .014 according to that source. Those are below the legal limit. But as you mentioned you have to remember DUI is more than just alcohol. And Miami Beach police say that Justin Bieber failed a field sobriety test and also admitted to officers that he had some alcohol, had used marijuana, and also taken prescription pills.

So they called in a drug recognition expert, and even beyond that they did an additional drug test. But Victor and Christi, they said the results from that additional drug test won't be coming back for about two to three weeks, and at that point we'll get a better sense of what was or wasn't in his system.

PAUL: OK. So when is his next court date? When does he have to come back?

DUNNAN: Christi, that's all going to depend upon this state attorney's office. Once they make the determination of the charges, then we'll have a better sense of when that next court appearance might be.

BLACKWELL: All right, Tory Dunnan live in Miami, thank you.

PAUL: You know, there's one star that wishes Justin Bieber would just stop, collaborate, and listen. We actually spoke with Vanilla Ice last hour. The rapper has had his own run-ins with the law, but he says it's up to the Biebs to make better choices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANILLA ICE, RAPPER: It's like a snow globe. It gets shaken up. It's going to have to settle before he finds his purpose and his meaning the life. Mine is family and friends, and it's pretty much that's what it is for everybody. But until you have the right friends, and you don't listen to your family, you know, it's hard. It's hard to transition in normal life into being an adult from a kid. Imagine trying it in Bieber's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Good point. Vanilla Ice also said Bieber may be young and dumb right now, but hopefully someday he's going to settle down and realize the best day in life is family and friends, which obviously, Vanilla Ice has done.

BLACKWELL: He knows the story well.

The Hillary Clinton's face pasted on a planet, have you seen this magazine cover? It's getting a lot of buzz in the political world, but is it for all the right reasons? We're going to have that debate ahead.

Plus, a teacher is accused of poisoning co-workers with pot in a potluck.

PAUL: All righty, first though, if you're about to take a vacation soon, you might consider Denver for three big reasons -- beer, burritos, and ice skating. That all goes together, right? Chris Grundy, host of DIY's "Blog Cabin," is our travel insider in the mile high city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS GRUNDY, DIY NETWORK: Hey, Chris Grundy with HGTV and DIY network. It's snowing in Denver, Colorado. Follow me and I'll give you travel tips in my town, the mile high city. On a cold day there's nothing like a hot brunch, stupid style. One of my favorite dishes, smothered breakfast burrito, very Denver. What makes it unique?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's regional American so it hits all the favorite foods all over the country.

GRUNDY: I'm looking around, very retro.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It definitely has that late '60s, early '70s feel.

GRUNDY: Digging into this burrito. That's what I'm talking about. It's time to work off some of that grub. You're at the evergreen ice skating rink. This place is eight-and-a-half acres. It's got 12 hockey rinks and a giant free skate area. Ice, ice baby. Now that my legs and quads are on fire, my day off at the renegade company. You can't come to Denver without sampling a little bit of brew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have four beers you're trying today. We have the IPA, Russian imperial stout, triple IPA, and black gold, the imperial peanut buttercup stout.

GRUNDY: I heard that you had this. And that's good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every keg has a pound of peanut buttercups.

GRUNDY: There you have it, a perfect day in Denver. For Travel Insider, I'm Chris Grundy, cheers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Doesn't Saturday feel good, take a nice little breather there. Bottom of the hour and we're so glad for your company. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Here are five stories we're watching this morning.

PAUL: Number one, a judge in Texas orders a hospital to remove a pregnant woman from breathing machines. This is a decision relatives of Marlise Munoz have been hoping for. Attorneys for the hospital now acknowledge Munoz is brain dead and her fetus isn't viable, so now her husband has to wait to see if the hospital files an appeal. And that deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Monday.

Number two, a 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a student was shot and killed at South Carolina state university yesterday. Police are still looking for at least three other suspects though who may be tied to the crime. This is the third shooting at a university this week alone.

Number three, George Zimmerman is trying to sell another piece of art. This is it right here. The Associated Press and freelance photographer sent him a cease and desist letter. The photographer's attorney said he ripped off that AP photo on the left to make the portrait on the right. It shows Florida state attorney obviously announcing murder charges against him.

And number four, the Supreme Court has ruled a group of nuns that runs a charity does not have to comply with the Obamacare contraceptive mandate. The nuns says the mandate offended their religious beliefs and they rejected to filling out a form that would have allowed an insurance company to provide the contraception coverage independently, so they won't have to do that for now while their case proceeds before a federal court appeals court.

And number five, French media outlets are report that French President Hollande and his companion are expected to announce today that they're separating. A palace press officer tells CNN, no, it's all rumor. There is no confirmation of any statement today, but she was recently hospitalized for stress following the press reports that Mr. Hollande was having an affair with an actress.

BLACKWELL: All right, is this creepy or complimentary? We're talking about this "New York Times" magazine cover. Look closely there, because on that planet is Hillary Clinton's face. Now, that's the cover. But the cover story actually looks at the political atmosphere around Clinton and how it could play into a possible bid for the White House in 2016.

Listen, on social media people are having a field day with "planet Hillary." Look at the pictures. That's over Justin Bieber's head, mocking the magazine cover. Not everyone thinks this is such a great thing, so complimentary. Critics say the photo is disrespectful and sexist. So was "New York Times" magazine out of line here? Let's talk about it. Joining us now, CNN political commentator Sally Kohn and Ben Ferguson. Good to have both of you back.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

BLACKWELL: Let's start here. And I want to say with the "Times" said about the cover. They write, "At first we were going to put faces on celestial bodies orbiting around her, but it felt like overkill. Instead we added other galactic elements that would surround planet Hillary." First, to you, sally, what do you think? Art, or are they out of line?

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I don't think it's either. Look, first of all, it is a very interesting story, and I encourage folks to read it, about the powerful gravitational pull that Hillary has in politics right now and all the celestial bodies surrounding around her. So I get the metaphor they were going for.

Look, everyone I talked to thinks it's creepy. We think we all agree, it's just kind of creepy looking. Now, the more interesting question, of course is, is it sexist? I got to say my jury is out here. On the one hand praising in a sense this political figure who is a woman for her powerful effect in the political world is a good thing. On the other hand, it's worth noting that of all "The New York Times" magazine covers over the last five years or so only one other one has depicted this detached political head, and that was Sarah Palin. So it's a little, I don't know, coincidence? I think not.

BLACKWELL: Let's look through a few of these, Ben. We know that this is not the first time that Clinton herself has been on a cover that was gone viral. Last week we saw the high heeled woman in a pantsuit running away and a guy holding on to the heel. Can anyone stop Hillary? Do you think the powerful men are held to this same, I don't know, I wouldn't call it scrutiny, but to the same -- from the same perspective for magazine covers?

FERGUSON: Well, I mean, look at the elephant in the room cover with Chris Christie. This is politics and part of it. But I actually think is getting a little bit blown out of proportion. If you read the article, it was a glowing review for Hillary Clinton and the power that she possesses. If you're a Democrat right now and you want to be in a campaign, you're not trying to beg Joe Biden to allow you in his inner circle. You're wanting to be in Hillary Clinton's inner circle. She obviously is a front-runner. And I think that's what this magazine article is writing.

And I think some people are looking into this a little bit too much. If I'm a candidate and I can get an article written as glowing of a review about how powerful I am and this is the picture they're going to use on the cover, I think every politician I know would take it every single time. And some people maybe didn't like it, but I bet you Hillary Clinton's campaign staff, or soon to be campaign staff, has no problem with this article at all.

BLACKWELL: Yes. If you read the article it kind of gives the categories and the orbit at which these people that she's known for years and the people she'll have to bring into the circle to win, center around and circle around Hillary Clinton.

FERGUSON: People are crawling over -- people are crawling over one another to get close to Hillary. She is by far the frontrunner here. He schedule shows it. It's full-time campaign mode for her. And, again, I talked to democratic staffers. They're begging to get close to her. And that's what the article was saying, because she is going to probably be the nominee. And Joe Biden if anybody right now is probably begging and wishing he had the same cover this morning.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about politics and women specifically, talking about former governor Mike Huckabee, aiming for Democrats and the issue of birth control, but some say he really just shot himself in the foot with this comment. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUCKABEE: If the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without uncle sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, OK, so, Sally, I'm turning to you on this. I see your facial expression and you're shaking your head. He was not saying that he believed women have these uncontrollable libidos, but what do you think about the way he phrased it?

KOHN: Even some of my phrase who are women on the right think he put his foot in his mouth on that one. I will say, in general, and this is not specifically to Governor Huckabee because I don't know, but all Republican men who are getting subsidized Viagra through their insurance companies who nonetheless object to women being able to get subsidized contraception through their insurance under Obamacare should, first, raise their hands and sort of self-identify before making this point.

I mean, this is about being able to get affordable access to contraception, and tying this up in a critique of women's sexuality, as though it's something to be, you know, sort of controlled, whereas male sexuality is to be celebrated -- even Bill O'Reilly drew the difference between contraception and Viagra. This sort of general Republican preoccupation with women's sexuality and controlling it lately, is, I don't know, not exactly 2014 and not exactly going to win you elections in 2016, either.

BLACKWELL: Ben, this was an attempt to change the conversation at this winter meeting but even at trying that, this slip-up or mischaracterization, how do Republicans get back on track?

FERGUSON: I mean, you've got to credit this to Governor Huckabee himself. And I think his point was, is that women shouldn't be reduced to just birth control once a month, and women are smart enough to be able to take care of their reproductive, you know, ideas on their own and that they don't need to be treated as if, you know, the only thing the government is going to do is get you a pill every 30 days.

Using the word "libido" was not a smart move. I totally agree with that. But I don't think this is indicative, as some are trying to imply, that every Republican man thinks the same way or would have said it the same way as mike Huckabee did. Mike Huckabee said something that is on him. It's not indicative of every other Republican plan out there. I wouldn't put my arm around him on that exact statement and go, yes, I agree with him on this one. It's what he said, how he said it, and it's an individual person that may be running for president.

BLACKWELL: Sally, your facial expression shows that you have one more thing to say.

KOHN: Look, what I love -- why love about the conjunction of these two stories is that if the Republicans keep going the way they're going, especially alienating women voters, what that Hillary cover is going to be is like "Goodnight Moon," you know? It's "Goodnight, moon. Good night, Republican chances of winning the White House in 2016. I mean, they're shooting themselves in the foot. All we have to do is sit back.

FERGUSON: I do have to say this reminds me of the exact quotes I was hearing when Hillary Clinton was the frontrunner last time and she lost to Barack Obama. So there are some other tales out there in history that might be a reminder of just because you're out there in the front right now doesn't mean you're going to end up on the podium in a couple of years.

BLACKWELL: But these are also the same conversations that Republicans were having about Rudy Giuliani, too, in 2006. Ben Ferguson, thank you so much. Sally Kohn, our newest CNN commentator, good to have you on the team.

KOHN: Thank you. A pleasure. Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: All right.

PAUL: All righty, next on Newsroom, a preview of hot performances about to hit the Hollywood stage for the Grammys on Sunday. And we're going to take you through the list of nominees.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So never mind the awards, dare I say it, the live music at this year's Grammys is what's shaping up to be the concert that some of us just dream about.

BLACKWELL: Think about some of these artists. Katy Perry, Daft Punk, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Madonna has just been added.

PAUL: The two surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, performing to celebrate 50 years since the iconic rock band first stepped foot in America. Let's talk about them with Tom O'Neil, the editor at Goldderby.com, and Kim Serafin, the senior editor of "In Touch Weekly." First of all, before we get to the nominees, do you think the two of them will perform together? Tom?

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, GOLDDERBY.COM: Well, so far -- yes, so far they're not admitting it. But, look, CBS has been trying to figure out a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary in some special way, so they decided let's do it on the Grammys. We know this isn't just about those two. This is going to be an amazing tribute that includes Maroon 5, John Legend, Alicia Keys, John Mayer. This is going to be a fantastic show that they're keeping under wraps for now. But the tribute should be the highlight of the Grammy show.

BLACKWELL: Tom, quickly, you track what other industries say about the Grammys. What are you hearing about predictions?

O'NEIL: Well, for album of the year, at Gold Derby we poll other experts, about eight from "Entertainment Weekly," the Associated Press, et cetera. In the album of the year race four of them are going for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and we give them 10-9 odds you can compete against by the way at the site in terms of a gaming situation. But Taylor Swift is right behind. Three of our experts think she will win. She won this race four years ago, and she had the number one album of the year. So this is a very tight contest.

PAUL: What about, we've got Jay-Z, named in nine categories. Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift receiving multiple nominations. Kim, what do you think?

KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, you know, I think -- you mentioned Justin Timberlake. Personally I think he got snubbed for album of the year. But I'm with Tom. I think Macklemore and Ryan Lewis certainly win album of the year, though, again, Taylor Swift, you know, don't count her out because it's an award show and Taylor swift wins something every award show. I get dizzy thinking about the awards she's won, possibly best country album, though she's more pop now. So I would say certainly look at those two for album of the year.

You know, Lorde this is another one. Look for her to do well. She also didn't get the nomination for album of the year but record of the year you will see "Royals" win for Lorde. She also got snubbed for best new artist. So that was also an interesting one to leave her out of that. That's an interesting category. That's definitely one to waych, because Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, look for them to possibly win that one. He performed at last year's Grammys, I think with Elton John. He's not really a new artist. But it's not going to be an Adele type of year this year. You're not going to see one artist sweep everything. If anyone does get a lot of awards it probably will be Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

BLACKWELL: There's that iconic photo, you see Beyonce, Norah Jones, and Adele standing there with an armful of five, six, seven Grammys. Tom, I'm coming to you with your view of who was snubbed, Miley Cyrus, not nominated, Kanye West. And please nominate Kanye for something. We see what happens when Kanye is not pleased with who gets an award.

PAUL: I thought you were going to say he did something big where he deserved it.

BLACKWELL: The album is OK, but please nominate Kanye. Who do you think is the biggest snub this year?

O'NEIL: By far Justin Timberlake, as Kim was just saying. We thought this could be his year to win. But he was completely snubbed across the board in the general field. And as Christi was just saying as the segment opened up, the person with the most nominations is Jay-Z. Why isn't he in the top categories? That's outrageous.

PAUL: Kim, what do you say to that? We were talking about that earlier. And are we going to see he and Beyonce performing together?

BLACKWELL: "Drunken Love," let's hope.

SERAFIN: I hope so. I guess L.L. Cool J. did say don't miss the top of the show. A lot of people think this could be where Beyonce and Jay-Z are performing together, which would be incredible. The Grammys are known for doing these kinds of interesting pairings. Of course, Beyonce and Jay-Z not so interesting considering they're married, but you do have odd combinations, like Robin Thicke performing with Chicago, Daft Punk and Stevie Wonder are going join them. I don't know if he's going to wear a strange "Star Wars" helmet or not. But yes, to see Jay-Z and Beyonce together, I think everybody wants to see this. Who is Madonna going to perform with?

PAUL: Who knows what's going to come from that. Hey, thank you so much, guys, Tom O'Neil editor of Goldderby.com and and Kim Serafin, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly."

BLACKWELL: Thanks, guys.

Up next, a teacher is giving new meaning to the term "potluck" after hosting a party that landed her in jail.

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PAUL: OK, so you are invited to a potluck, the kind of party where everybody brings a dish and you all share.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: How nice.

BLACKWELL: I usually take some type of dip. People like dip. Well, police in Benicia, California are now accusing a guest at a recent potluck of adding one ingredient too many. We're not talking too much paprika. Not too much salt.

PAUL: Or too much dip, mind you. They say the food this elementary schoolteacher brought was laced with pot. And now she's facing charges.

BLACKWELL: Andria Borba from CNN affiliate KPIX has more.

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ANDRIA BORBA, KPIX: Benicia detectives say the trouble began on November 21 at a part involving several teachers from Matthew Turner Elementary. It was a potluck. After the party several of the 20 people there began feeling ill, seriously ill.

LT. FRANK HARTIG, BENICIA, CALIFORNIA, POLICE: One of the partygoers was rushed to the hospital with severe reactions. She was hospitalized. The very next morning another partygoer was taken to the hospital because she continued to feel like she was under the influence of something. She wasn't sure exactly what it was.

BORBA: Hospital blood tests confirmed the presence of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. And it wasn't just the holiday partygoers who ate the allegedly laced food.

HARTIG: One of the attendees took some of the food home, and their 15-year-old juvenile ingested this food and became ill. BORBA: That's when police investigation began and the person who brought the alleged laced dish was identified as 47-year-old Teresa Badger, an elementary schoolteacher. Witnesses told Benicia detectives Badger admitted putting pot in the dish. Badger's neighbors say the charges, three felony counts of poisoning, don't fit the woman and mother they know.

DAVE PADILLA, NEIGHBOR: What I hear from you guys is totally out of character. Teresa is about as kind, she's a dedicated teacher, she's someone who keeps to herself.

BORBA: Badger was arrested Friday afternoon at her home. When our cameras were there an upstairs light was on but nobody answered. The Benicia police department is not commenting on exactly what item Badger may have brought to that party, saying they still have people to interview in this investigation.

In Benicia, Andria Borba, KPIX-5.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Now, for more on this, go to CNN.com stories right there on the homepage. She should have taken dip.

PAUL: I don't know why that's so funny.

BLACKWELL: A good seven layer starts a party.

PAUL: Everybody likes dip.

BLACKWELL: The Super Bowl will be played outdoors this year. Next, a look at the threatening weather players and fans may face and what that means for the game.

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BLACKWELL: If you are gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday you may have to postpone the party plans because Mother Nature might get in the way of the big game.

PAUL: I'm not buying it.

BLACKWELL: I don't want to believe it.

PAUL: I think they're going to do everything they can. How much money would it cost to change things around? Meteorologist Jennifer Gray, I know you can't control the weather, but what does the crystal ball tell you?

GRAY: I'm totally with you because I think it will take a huge snowstorm. They're saying it's going to take something bigger than anything we've seen this season, and we have seen some big storm systems push through and it has made those guys tough out there because Mother Nature has not been kind to the NFL.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GRAY: This winter season has been nothing short of extreme, with record freezing temperatures and major snowstorms impacting millions across the country. And for the NFL players this season, and the fans in the stands, they have not been immune to the elements.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: We saw strong winds. We saw heavy rain. We even saw tornado warnings at one game. And then you had all the snowy games in December and the playoff game when you had negative degree wind-chills. We have seen everything.

GRAY: That tornado warning came during week 11, forcing those inside Soldier Field to seek shelter.

JIM ARNOLD, INSIDE SOLDIER FIELD: Wind gusts to 70 miles per hour. And the wind and rain was horizontal flying underneath the concourse and everyone was running for the exit. It was just crazy.

GRAY: The game was delayed for nearly two hours. Three weeks later came the snow, big time. Philly set a record that day with nearly nine inches dumped on the Eagles-Lions game. The Dolphins got smacked with the white stuff against the Steelers that week, too, as did other teams on the east coast.

SCHOLES: The game that everyone was talk agent nonstop was the Lions- Eagles game in Philadelphia. There was over a foot of snow on the field. I remember one shot where Calvin Johnson caught a ball and he got a helmet full of snow when he came up and that was one thing everyone was talking about. And it was definitely fun watching the game. The players struggled at first but then did the hang of it a little bit.

GRAY: Snow is one thing. The bitter bone-chilling cold is another. Take the Packers-Niners game in early January, negative 10 with the wind-chill. Some dubbed this one the Ice Bowl II as it was one of the coldest in NFL history. The original Ice Bowl in 1967 and also in Green Bay holds the record with the wind-chill, it was a brutal 36 below zero at kickoff.

The big question now is if Mother Nature will rear its ugly head one more time for the Super Bowl. But Andy says all fans will get a swag bag to survive the big chill.

SCHOLES: When they sit down in their seat they're going to have a cushion and the cushion is going to be a zipper pocket and it's going to be like a cold weather survival kit. It's going to have gloves, it's going to have a beanie, hand warmers, lip palm, tissues, a neck warmer. And it's going to have the thing the quarterbacks wear on their belt where they put their hands in them and warm them in between plays. It's going to say "Super Bowl" on it. It's a pretty cool deal.

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GRAY: All right, now you want the forecast. The short answer is, we all really know. It's eight days away. But we do know that it will most likely be chilly as these forecast models continue to come together. One model is forecasting some sort of precipitation in the vicinity. Another one is showing a low pushing off the coast. So, Victor and Christi, it's still just too early to tell. We'll get confidence as we move closer to the game day.

PAUL: Jennifer, thank you so much. And you know what, we just put in our eight hours, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Let's toss it over to Fredericka Whitfield.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I don't know. I think you guys deserve a little overtime.