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American Morning

Judge Throws Out Health Care Reform; Update Facebook While Flying and What's in Store for Your Money; Government's Dietary Advice - Eat Less; Alleged Tucson Shooter in Court Today; King Abdullah of Jordan Appoints New Prime Minister

Aired February 01, 2011 - 07:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Good morning! It's a march of millions against Mubarak. They are bracing in Cairo, and the military is making a promise not to fire on protesters and take a look at the chaos at the airport. Americans trying to evacuate. It's going on right now, and they are scrambling to get on flights on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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HOLMES: Hello to you all on this first day of February. Welcome to this "American morning." I'm T.J. Holmes.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: I'm Kate Bolduan in for Kiran Chetry today. Good morning, everybody. Also ahead this hour we are watching a massive storm across the country this morning. Ice, snow, rain, wind, pretty much anything you can think of. It's about 2,000 miles long and has the potential to impact 100 million people.

Rob is tracking the latest forecast from Chicago where they are expecting the largest snow storm there since 1967.

HOLMES: Also ahead, the health care reform law has now been ruled unconstitutional by another judge. This is a major ruling. Our Jeffrey Toobin will be along to tell you what that means now for those health care reforms that have already gone into place and if the Supreme Court, ultimately, is going to decide this.

BOLDUAN: Up first, though, the uprising in Egypt where massive crowds are swelling to begin a march of millions as they've called it. This could be it country's defining moment. Just yesterday in the heart of Cairo government troops fire under to the air as angry mobs closed in. The look on one soldier's face really speaks volumes, a portrait of fear. A tense situation defused when demonstrators began chanting, "the people and the army are one."

Egypt's embattled president Hosni Mubarak scrambling to install a new cabinet and come up with concessions to keep his hold on power. His troops promising not to fire on peaceful protesters today. Our Anderson Cooper is joining us live from Cairo this morning. Anderson, earlier you said this is probably the largest crowd you've seen since you've been there. What is the atmosphere like? What is the feeling?

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Well, the crowd has only grown larger in the last hour. Literally people pouring in here by the thousands, I would say, in the last hour. The crowd is, I mean, there's no official estimate, but a number of us believe it's well over 100,000 people at the very least here in this square. It's certainly the largest crowd that we've seen in many, many days, if not ever so far in this square.

The atmosphere is enthusiastic, to say the least. I mean, people are here, they're here, staying here for hours and they're chanting and moving around and they're arguing and discussing things with one another. But it is very orderly. It's very peaceful.

What's amazing, for a crowd this size, there are no police visible in this crowd. There are soldiers but they're only on the periphery, so order is kept. And as you come in, they search you, they pat you down and they check IDs. And that's all protesters doing that on their own initiative. They just want to make sure that everyone remains calm, remains peaceful.

We've seen a number of political leaders who are in the crowd, as well. But this is a crowd, not necessarily about any one political party or any one religious group, these are just people from all walks of life in Cairo who have come to be here, to voice their opposition to President Mubarak.

BOLDUAN: I can only imagine how loud it is where you are because we can hear it on your mike. You had the unique opportunity to talk to opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei. Do you get the sense in the square that this is a tipping point in the protests?

COOPER: Well, certainly the protesters hope that's the case. Whether or not that really does turn out to be the case, we'll have to wait and see. But that is the idea of the protesters. They want a big show of force. They want to keep the momentum going.

I am going to step out of the way here so you can get a sense of the sea of people here packed shoulder to shoulder. But it's very important when you talk to protesters they want to keep that momentum going. They don't want the president here or the United States or anyone who is watching around the world to get the sense that the protesters, that their spirits are lagging or that their enthusiasm is lagging or that they're willing to settle for anything less than President Mubarak stepping down. If you are in the crowds as I was today, they will tell you nothing short of Mubarak leaving will satisfy them.

BOLDUAN: Can they keep up the energy and the momentum? That is the big challenge ahead. Anderson, thanks so much. Great work, as always. We'll check back in with you.

HOLMES: And one of the other great challenges there trying to get messages out and get messages around the country. The Internet is effectively shut down in Egypt, but listen to this. Google is now offering Egyptians a new speak to tweet service. You can call one of those numbers that you see there. If you want to take those down and maybe get it to someone in Egypt, by all means, do so, but this allows people instead of having to get on the internet, they can actually just leave a voice message and then Google converts that voice message to a tweet.

You don't need an Internet connection for this. This was an idea they came up with over the weekend trying to help people in Egypt get the message out. So far people are starting to use it.

Also, we know a lot of Americans are particular trying to get out of Cairo, trying to get out of Egypt. This is what they're finding at the airport, just other chaos. Most of the major carriers have canceled their flights into and out of Egypt. Thousands of people there are still stranded.

One hundred Americans were evacuated to Istanbul yesterday, among them 12 Notre Dame students. In total about 500 Americans were evacuated yesterday, hoping to evacuate another 1,000 today. Listen to how one British tourist sums up the frustration of trying to get out.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we have been here, we couldn't get to the embassy yesterday, there was nobody here. And Egypt, their office is in chaos.

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HOLMES: Now, according to the State Department, 52,000 Americans have registered with the embassy there, so they know that many, at least, are there in country. There could be here. But at this point just 2,600 Americans have contacted the state department asking for help in getting out.

BOLDUAN: Now, what could be the biggest and baddest storm of the season and that's saying a lot this winter, considering we have had several, massive in terms of strength and size. Winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England, blizzard conditions expected from Oklahoma to Michigan. In some spots, they'll be measuring snow in feet, not even inches.

The Midwest right now bearing the brunt of it all. Plows are out in force this morning and people are finding their cars already covered with snow and ice. So, let's get a first-hand look from some of the cities that are getting hit with this historic snow and Ed Lavandera in Oklahoma City, Reynolds Wolf is in St. Louis, and Rob Marciano in Chicago. Let's begin with Ed in Oklahoma city. Hey, Ed, what are you seeing?

ED LAVENDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. Well, it's already -- the snow starting to pile up this morning. The state of emergency all across the state of Oklahoma as emergency officials are telling us this morning that they're really waiting for the brunt of this snow storm to blow through.

But, really, before they start sending out the snow plows and the trucks on to the roadways, essentially they're saying just kind of a futile effort at this point with so much snow falling across the street.

We're in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City and, Kate, you can see just how quiet the streets are. We would imagine it would be this way throughout most of the day and a lot of these roads impassable. There is some concern with the high winds that are blowing through that that could cause major power outages across the state, but so far we're told by state officials that they haven't had any reports of power outages. So far, that's good.

They really expect the brunt of this snow storm to last until about mid-day. At that point, they'll send the trucks to clear out the roadways. But essentially, Kate, they're urging people to stay indoors. If they don't have to be on the road, there's no reason to be out there. That's the story here in Oklahoma.

Let's send it up the way to our good friend Reynolds Wolf in St. Louis. Reynolds?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks, chief. Right now the situation is all freezing rain for the time being, but I'm telling you, we're very confident that we'll see a lot more in terms of wind and snow. Apparently the national weather service agrees because a blizzard warning in effect for parts of the St. Louis area through tomorrow.

But again, for the time being, we're seeing freezing rain and also quite a bit of traffic on the roadway business hind us. A truck made its way behind us, also. A lot of plows that are preparing for the day ahead which, may, of course, include several possible feet of snow before all is said and done.

But the area is prepared. This happened back in 2006 and it was a big shock to a lot of people. They have been prepared for this. A lot of people have been out and about getting plenty of supplies. Power outages are a big concern. We had several hundred of those on both sides of the river. And as things intensify in terms of the winds, we may see more of those.

Again, speaking of the freezing rain, we have a little bit of a coating of ice, but if you want to talk about something super cool, we'll send it to Chicago and talk to Rob Marciano. Rob has the story in the windy city. Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks, Reynolds.

There you see it from Oklahoma City to St. Louis and now to Chicago. I was reading one of the technical weather discussions this morning and usually typically pretty dry, but this particular forecast said today mother nature is laying down the hammer, and that's what we will experience not only today but as we go through tomorrow, as well.

Let's try to break it down for you, Chicago just really getting the precursor of what's to come. Watches and warnings are stretching from New England to New Mexico, and it's really remarkable, especially the blizzard warnings out from Michigan back through eastern parts of Oklahoma.

Radar showing exactly where the precip is and a smorgasbord of it. The ice and freezing rain and the thunderstorms that are developing and moving across parts of Texas. By the way there is a ground stop because of the nasty weather that's rolling through there.

The line of thunderstorms motoring and crosses in the next couple hours, dangerous winds potentially there and severe weather and, of course, the snow, the snows are also reaching into the great lakes and the northeast.

So, you know, to get a snow storm that is bringing snow and sleet to New York, Boston and also back through Dallas and Denver, that tells you just how massive this storm system is. We could see up to two feet of snow here in Chicago. Doesn't sound like a lot, you think Chicago gets nasty weather. If you get ten inches of snow in Chicago, that's a big deal. So, this will probably be historic event, could be in the top five and this city is certainly bracing for the worst.

T.J. Kate, back out to you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, you guys. Thanks to all of you guys. Thanks, Rob. We'll check back in a little while.

HOLMES: Take a look at this, an emergency landing on a highway in New Jersey. They had to shut down only one lane. If you look in there, you see the plane being towed. There it is. But it had to make this emergency landing.

And what do you think? Some bozo flying the plane around and doesn't know what he's doing, maybe a training pilot. No, this plane is actually owned by your government, in particular, the Justice Department. They were actually taking part in a training flight for homeland security and safety efforts when they had a fuel issue. Nobody was hurt. Only two people were in that plane.

BOLDUAN: Illinois is the sixth state to legalize same-sex unions. The law will take effect in June and give same-sex couples many legal protections now given to married couples, like hospital visitation, adoption, and parental rights.

And President Bush's daughter breaking with her father, now saying she supports same-sex marriage. She took part in a video for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. Take a quick look.

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BARBARA BUSH, NEW YORKERS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY: New York is about fairness and equality and everyone should have the right to marry the America person that they love. Join us.

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HOLMES: We turn now to pictures in Dallas. This is always a nice moment. You see these guys acting like kids again, but these are the Steelers and the Packers showing up in Dallas for the Super Bowl. This is the packers first here arriving. Also we have video of the Steelers taking the scene. You see the Steelers' quarterback.

These guys, a lot of them never been to a Super Bowl and may never get back to one, so taking advantage of this moment. You see them with the flip cams getting off the plane. Hines Ward, one of the receivers for Pittsburgh, actually told some of the younger guys, everybody's eyes will be on you when you get off this plane. You need to be dressed well and look good. Everyone will be paying attention to you.

Some of them, clearly, didn't take his advice, but some came out pretty fresh. We don't have the picture of Hines Ward, but he came out dressed as cowboy. He had the hat, the boots, the big buckle, the whole thing.

BOLDUAN: Speaking of Super Bowl, do you still need a TV fit for the big game? Now is the time to buy. Stores are trying to get you to upgrade and, of course, impress your friends with some very sweet Super Bowl week deals.

At target you can get a Panasonic 50 inch plasma HDTV for under 600, and at Wal-Mart you can get a Samsung 46 inch led HDTV for about $900. That actually comes with a Blu-Ray player, as well. And to think I just bought a television and did not get that deal.

HOLMES: They take advantage, everybody is thinking about the big game. You have the people coming over and you want to be impressive.

BOLDUAN: I was unaware of these super sweet Super Bowl week deals.

HOLMES: Well, coming up, we are going to have our Jeffrey Toobin come along to help you understand this latest ruling on the health care law. It has been ruled unconstitutional, but what does that mean for you and your health care moving forward.

And the government's new dietary advice -- eat less. That doesn't sound so surprising. But what does the powerful food industry think about this?

HOLMES: Also, a major race taking place here in New York, but not on the streets. They are actually running up in the skies of New York. We'll explain this coming up.

It's 14 minutes past the hour.

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BOLDUAN: The president dealing with another big blow to his health care reform this morning. Another federal judge ruling that key parts of the plan are unconstitutional, and he took it even further saying the entire law has to go.

We want to bring in our Jeffrey Toobin, CNN senior legal analyst to get some perspective, much needed perspective on this.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: Good morning. So we're now two for two in terms of these challenges in the lower courts and some two dozen challenges still kind of working their way through. Why is this one so significant?

TOOBIN: Well, this is the one that was brought by 26 Republican attorneys general. It's the case with the most institutional backing. It's so far the longest, most detailed opinion against the law. But it is just one of many, as you point out. And this is going to be resolved by the Supreme Court, not a district judge in Florida.

BOLDUAN: That's still much more time to come, obviously.

TOOBIN: Right. The Justice Department has said they are not going to try to go directly to the White House, which would probably be possible. They are going to go to the Court of Appeals first. There are several different Court of Appeals dealing with the subject, so it might be a year before the U.S. Supreme Court gets this case.

BOLDUAN: Let's take a look a little bit at the ruling. You and I read a lot of Supreme Court rulings specifically. They can be kind of dry, if you will. But this one was a little bit more colorful than I'm so used to. So there are a couple of passages. One being Congress could require that people buy and consume broccoli at regular intervals not only because the required purchases will positively impact interstate commerce, but also because people who eat healthier tend to be healthier. In another passage referencing a watch, the act like a defectively designed watch needs to be redesigned and reconstructed by the watchmaker.

This is some pretty colorful language. What is the judge trying to do here by bringing in this kind of interesting --

TOOBIN: In that first passage, what he's trying to do is say that if you can regulate the health market, you can essentially regulate anything that Americans do.

BOLDUAN: Like a slippery slope.

TOOBIN: Right, slippery slope. And frankly, I don't think that's a persuasive argument. The health care market is very different from the broccoli market. If you don't buy health insurance, you're going to go to an emergency room. You're going to be a burden on the taxpayers. If you don't eat broccoli, you might eat something else. There's a lot less direct connection to the public good. But as that watch analogy is very important because that's what he says required him to invalidate the whole law.

The part he found unconstitutional was the individual mandate. The part of the law that said you have to buy health insurance. What he said is that's so much a part of the whole structure of the law. He has to throw out the whole law which includes many provisions that are clearly constitutional and not even up for debate. Things like allowing kids to stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26. No pre-existing conditions exclusion for children. All of that is clearly constitutional, but he says he has to throw the whole thing out. I think that's a very dubious part of the ruling.

BOLDUAN: So, likely to go to the Supreme Court. It's going to take some time because it's going to work its way through the courts and many other challenges. This is also causing a lot of confusion for just Americans in general. What should people know in the meantime?

TOOBIN: Well, in the meantime, the law is in effect. The parts of the law that have gone into effect like the business about keeping kids on insurance who have pre-existing conditions, that is still in effect. Some of the appeals courts are probably going to deal with this question of what happens in the meantime, but for the time being, the law is in effect, the parts that have gone into effect.

Another odd part about this ruling is the individual mandate doesn't even go into effect until 2014.

BOLDUAN: 2014.

TOOBIN: But he declared it unconstitutional now. For the time being, it's really just a waiting game until the U.S. Supreme Court gets it. We don't know when that will be, but it will be --

BOLDUAN: Maybe just in time for the election.

TOOBIN: You know what? It sounds like the timing is going to shape up that way and that's how we like the drama.

BOLDUAN: That's how we like the drama. Dramatic it will be.

TOOBIN: Indeed.

BOLDUAN: And we'll talk about it and we will need you very close to help us through it all. Senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, thanks so much.

TOOBIN: Good to be here.

BOLDUAN: Good to see you in person.

TOOBIN: Good to see you.

BOLDUAN: Finally.

TOOBIN: I know. It's like T.J., all of this -- you know, we're used to seeing each other through TV.

BOLDUAN: I know.

TOOBIN: And now we get to see each other in person.

BOLDUAN: T.J.?

HOLMES: Oh, we're having a moment that was outstanding.

Also, still ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING, listen to me, folks. Put the shaker down and back away from the salt. But if you don't want to listen to me, you're going to listen to the federal government maybe? We've got some new guidelines on what you should be eating.

We're also hearing from the food industry. What they think about it. Also, I'll admit I've been caught a couple of times. These red light cameras, you hate it when they bust you like that. But are all those tickets actually worth it?

Twenty-two minutes past the hour. Stay with us on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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HOLMES: Well, it's 25 minutes past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Welcome back.

A lot of people starting to use the Wi-Fi on the plane.

BOLDUAN: Right.

HOLMES: More and more carriers are starting to do this, but you have to pay for that service for the most part. But now, Facebook could allow access free while you fly.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

HOLMES: Stephanie, seriously? Most people when I'm on the plane and they do the Wi-Fi, usually when I see their computer, yes, they sneak peek. First thing they do --

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We're learning a lot about him today. A lot about him today.

HOLMES: The first thing they often do is go to Facebook.

ELAM: That is the number one site that people visit.

HOLMES: Oh, so you're ready to go.

ELAM: You know that, right? And in the skies, that is the case, as well. So, a lot of companies are getting their in-flight Wi-Fi service through this company called Gogo. Well, for the month of February on seven airlines, you can Facebook. They're all up for free. Just Facebook though. And those are the airlines. AirTran, Delta, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United and Virgin America. For the whole month, of course, here's the thing. If you want to go anywhere else on the Internet, you're going to have to pay for that. That's not going to be free.

This is all being paid for, believe it or not, by Ford. That's because they are actually -- I know T.J. is looking at me like I'm crazy -- but that's because they are doing a promotion for their new 2011 explorer SUV. So they are paying for this.

Now the whole idea here for Gogo, they're hoping that once you go to Facebook, check it out and maybe there's a link to a cool site and you want to go see that that.

BOLDUAN: Right. ELAM: That you will then pay for it and you'll be hooked and you want to do it. Now Kate says it's probably not the best thing because she likes when people are more quiet instead of being on the plane making some typing noise.

BOLDUAN: I like quiet. Maybe Facebook would be quiet at the same time, but I feel like you open it up to Facebook then it's going to be cell phones and then --

HOLMES: Just way down the road.

ELAM: Yes. You're probably going to lose that battle, too.

Also, I just want to know how you check in if you're that high up. Where do you check in? Like I'm near cloud number -- anyway, moving on to the markets, let's just take a quick look at what happened yesterday.

Hey, guess what? Despite all the things that are going on in Egypt and the fear, the markets were up yesterday. The Dow up 68 points. Nasdaq up 13. S&P 500 up nine. And guess what, guys? The Dow posting its best January in 14 years and its first positive January in four years. So, things starting to look better. Some people believe as January goes, so goes the rest of the year.

BOLDUAN: I like that.

ELAM: So that's the case --

HOLMES: Look at you "Ms. Positivity" this morning. Very nice.

ELAM: I hate it because I've been saying negative stuff for like a really long time.

HOLMES: That's all right. Stephanie, thank you. Come back any time.

ELAM: Sure. OK, good, thanks.

BOLDUAN: All right. So the biggest protests we've seen yet in Egypt, millions called to the streets to demand a new president and a new beginning. Who fills the void if the government goes? We'll take a closer look at the Muslim Brotherhood? Are they good for the U.S. or Al Qaeda?

Plus, the storm that could top them all. And a winter we won't soon forget. Oh, definitely not. A live report from the blizzard zone. Sorry, we even have to close that, just ahead.

It's 27 minutes after the hour.

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BOLDUAN: Good morning, everybody. Taking a live picture, taking a live look at Oklahoma City. Little bit of snow, oh, actually, a lot of bit of snow will be heading their way and many places throughout the country. A massive storm system. 2,000 miles long hammering the Midwest this morning. We'll go live to our Ed Lavandera in Oklahoma City in a moment.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan, Kiran Chetry has the morning off.

HOLMES: And hello to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes. Give you a look at some of the other stories we're keeping a close eye on this morning. Certainly right now, what has been happening in Egypt over the past week but also over the past few hours. Another demonstration taking place today. They're calling this the "March of Millions" and according to our reporters there on the ground, this appears to be one of the largest collections of people in the week of protests, of course, calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. We're keeping a close eye on what is happening there.

BOLDUAN: Haiti could be opening its doors for the possible return of its exiled president (INAUDIBLE). He was forced from power seven years ago and went to South Africa. But now the Haitian government says it's ready to issue him a diplomatic passport. It follows the controversial return two weeks ago of another former Haitian leader, Jean-Claude Duvalier.

HOLMES: Also, have you ever opened the mail and saw a picture of your vehicle running a red light? Well, yes, those red light cameras and those pesky things, you hate to get those tickets. You can't even argue when they have a picture of you. But according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, they are saving lives.

They have a campaign out saying "Red Means Stop." It says the cameras have reduced the rate of fatal crashes by 24 percent in 14 large cities between '96 and 2004. They say it has saved about 159 lives over that time.

BOLDUAN: Now, to the massive winter storm bearing down on a huge swath of the country right now. The storm system stretches from Albuquerque all the way to Boston. The worst of it will bring heavy snow, fierce winds and dangerous accumulations of ice. In Oklahoma City where the snow has been falling for hours already, people are being warned to stay off the streets. That city is bracing for snowfall rates of up to three inches an hour.

Let's go to Ed Lavandera. He's live in Oklahoma City right now. Hey there, Ed, how are things?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. The snow is really starting to pile up here across the state of Oklahoma where they are really expecting the worst of the snowfall to be from Oklahoma City into the northeast corner of the state near Tulsa. In some areas they're expecting blizzard-like conditions, if not full-out blizzard conditions as these winds have really picked up.

They kind of died down here for a little bit but they've gusting through at times quite heavily and that is really what makes this storm so powerful. They have been telling people to be on the lookout that the possibility of power outages is possible across the state, even though state officials have told us this morning that so far they have had no reports of power outages. But this is the snowfall that has essentially fallen since about midnight. So it has come quite heavily and you can see the winds now starting to pick up and those wind gusts barreling through and state officials say that they are not even really plowing the streets yet. They are waiting for the brunt of the storm to pass through before they send the heavy duty trucks and the machinery out into the roadways. They are doing it in case the emergency vehicles need to move around. But so far, they are just really urging people to stay indoors. And as you look around here in downtown Oklahoma City, a lot of people taking heed of that warning right now. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Ed, from what I can see of your shot, it almost looks like the snow is coming in sideways. I mean, is it the wind that seems to be most concerning or how much snow is going to be falling?

LAVANDERA: Well, there will be quite a bit of snow in some areas, 10 to 12 inches possibly expected. So we'll see how that kind of plays out in the hours ahead but the wind is really the difficult part and you can see right here essentially, you know, we're kind of stuck between some downtown buildings here. So you kind of get that tunnel effect of wind blowing through here.

But as you look out elsewhere, this is exactly the kind of thing that they're concerned about and they're worried about. Imagine driving on this and across roadways in Oklahoma. The plains here of the central United States. So there's not a lot of protection. If you're out on the roadways and these winds if they gust up to 35 miles per hour where that's expected in some places, that can cause a lot of problems if you're out on the roadways. That's why they're urging people to stay away. It's also one of the reasons why you've seen so many people racing to the grocery store in the last 24, 48 hours, to stock up on everything they need so they can hunker down for the next few days.

BOLDUAN: Very smart. Not the first time everyone's been hunkering down this winter. It's been a tough one. Thanks so much, Ed, we'll talk to you soon. T.J..

HOLMES: All right. Kate, it's been one of the biggest questions since we've watched these protests cropped up in Egypt. Suppose President Mubarak does leave, who then fills that void in Egypt? Who becomes the new leader of Egypt? Could it be a group called the Muslim Brotherhood. You've heard that name a bit in all of this coverage. This is a band political movement there that President Mubarak has called extremists.

Let's turn to our terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank. He sat down with top leaders of the brotherhood before. He joins us now. Paul, thank you for being here. Not calling them a terrorist group, but would you call them anti-American? This Muslim Brotherhood?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, they're certainly not a terrorist group. They abandon violence in Egypt, political violence in Egypt 30 years ago. They're very anti-Al Qaeda, but they do have some policies which are problematic for the United States. They are very hostile to Israel. Hamas is associated with them in Palestine. They sort of have this anti-American ideology but this is not an organization that is very radical like Al Qaeda.

There's a new progressive generation of leaders, which are taking leadership positions within the Muslim Brotherhood and they're willing to be much more pragmatic to open up a dialogue with the United States, not to tear up the peace treaty with Israel to contain Iran. And if they, indeed, do stand for elections in Egypt, they will only get maximum 30 percent of the vote. So they're not going to dominate Egyptian politics in the future and also the army in Egypt are going to have some very strong red lines.

So, the sky is not going to fall in if there are parliamentary elections in Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood takes a role, T.J..

HOLMES: Well, you said it there, "takes a role." In so much of the coverage it seems like people are saying all right, Mubarak is out and maybe the Muslim Brotherhood would move in. Is there any indication that, yes, they want to be a part of the process, but is there any indication that they actually want to rule the country?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, Mubarak has said for many years and presented a stark choice, it's either me or the Islamists. And the demonstrations we're seeing right now, really exploded this self-serving myth. You know, this is a secular, young middle class university graduates taking to the streets. They're capturing the imagination right now, not the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood are taking a back seat role right now. They're backing Mohamed ElBaradei. They said they're not going to present a candidate for presidential elections.

They're being pragmatic in all of this. Clearly the Muslim Brotherhood does want sort of govern Egypt along Islamic guidelines. That's in no way similar to what the Taliban are doing or Al Qaeda. They're much, much more moderate than that. In a civil society flourishes in Egypt, then they're going to have to work with all sorts of other parties. Maximum 30 percent of the vote and they're going to really be moderating by having to work with others, T.J..

HOLMES: Well, Paul, a lot of Americans not familiar maybe with the Muslim Brotherhood but they know Al Qaeda. Now, the Muslim Brotherhood and what we're seeing on the streets right now of Egypt, you believe, can actually lead to or help quicken the pace of the demise of Al Qaeda, why?

CRUICKSHANK: That's absolutely right. This is a very dangerous moment for Al Qaeda now. You know, one Arab regime has been toppled and another one is on life support and Al Qaeda has nothing to do at all and the people are capturing the imagination around the Arab world right. These young secular middle class protesters, not Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda seems irrelevant right now for a lot of Arabs.

And if there is a transition towards democracy in the Arab world, then the cultural, political, economic sclerosis that Al Qaeda has fed off in recent years, that will start to dissipate. So this is a very dangerous moment for Al Qaeda, but it's also a dangerous moment for the United States because Mubarak doubles down and crashes these protesters and the United States to see this complicit by people in the Arab world and Al Qaeda will have new recruiting opportunities. So, the stakes could not be higher, T.J., at the moment.

HOLMES: All right. Great point to make there. Al Qaeda trying to topple governments with violence and you see people out on the street trying to topple governments with their own voices and move towards democracy. Great point to make. Paul, we always appreciate your expertise. Thanks so much. Good to see you this morning.

CRUICKSHANK: Thanks, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Kate.

BOLDUAN: Up next on "American Morning," researchers say exercise may help with those trips down memory lane. We'll explain, coming up.

And one day a year, they shun the elevator and sprint to the top of the Empire State Building. 86 floors up. It's all for a good cause and this morning a New York baseball legend is expected to compete in that race to the top. It's 39 minutes after the hour.

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BOLDUAN: Forget the brain games, people. Turns out exercising can improve memory in older adults. That's according to researchers at a University in Illinois after studying 120 healthy seniors. Researchers found those who walked three times a week for a year strengthened the part of the brain that's involved with the long-term memory of places, people, events and things. That's good news.

HOLMES: All right. More health news for you now. It's about what you eat. There are some new guidelines out there, new dietary guidelines that are encouraging you to focus on what you eat and how you eat it.

Listen to this now. USDA saying it sounds kind of common sense. Cut back on salt - OK. Sugar, OK. Tobacco, fat and trim the portion size. That's common sense, it seems, but limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. Does that include weekends, though?

BOLDUAN: I don't know, we'll have to check on that.

HOLMES: OK.

BOLDUAN: And to check on that, we go to the man who knows all the answers, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us live. Sanjay, we'll talk about the alcohol in a second.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There are different rules for you guys, especially T.J..

BOLDUAN: But one of the recommendations, Sanjay, is to lose the salt. But with salt in pretty much everything, is that even possible to cut back?

GUPTA: Well, it's very hard. You know, one way to think about this is that salt besides a flavoring is also used as a preservative. That's how a lot of these foods you see in the grocery store keep their shelf life because of the salt. So you buy a lot of these foods that have the longer shelf life and you're going to get more salt. You buy less and you'll get less. That's one way to sort of think about it.

Also, you know, it's funny because on average Americans eat 3.5 grams of salt a day whereas the limit really for healthy people should be around 2,300. If you're over 51, if you have a history of hypertension, around 1,500. So reading those labels really seems to make a difference. But I will tell you, you know, as much as we sort of joke about the fact that these are common sense guidelines and they are, what is interesting to me, a lot of the various industries, including the food industry, are starting to do a lot of this sort of stuff on their own.

You know, you think about the fact that they regulate it and mandate it in some way to make these changes with regard to these contents, but they're starting to make some of these changes on their own.

HOLMES: Sanjay, they do these. The government puts these out every few years. I mean, the ones that are out now, are they that drastically different than the ones in place before? And any negative reaction or criticism to these new guidelines yet?

GUPTA: They're not drastically different. There's always going to be some criticism. For example, with salt, again, there's an institute called the Salt Institute, which may not surprise some people but surprise others. And they say that, look, is there really a correlation between salt and hypertension, for example? There's a lot of medical literature to suggest that there is, but there's always going to be a little bit of criticism.

But again, I think what this serves as even more than even for the consumer is the industry overall. General Mills, for example -- I was just in Davos, Switzerland, and General Mills was out there -- the CEO --and they talk about the fact that, look, we understand what this is creating in our society -- two-thirds of adults being overweight or obese, one-third of children. We have to start making changes here because we provide most of the food options for a lot of people to eat. And so we have to do our part because in the end that's going to benefit everybody.

So, putting labels, for example, on the front side. Putting labels for the entire package as oppose to per serving labels which can be sometimes misleading. Making sure these labels are easy to read and that the contents come down to single digits. That's what you're hearing a lot from the food industry now.

BOLDUAN: Very interesting. I mean, a little bit seems to be while logical, so many people are not following these guidelines. So, we still need to be talking about them.

Sanjay, thanks so much. We'll talk to you soon.

GUPTA: You got it, guys. Take care.

BOLDUAN: Still ahead, going back to Tucson. A judge orders the man accused in the Tucson tragedy to stand trial in that very city.

HOLMES: Also, how do you keep 100,000 people gathered in the same spot safe? Yes, super security in Dallas.

It's 46 minutes past the hour.

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BOLDUAN: They could be the biggest protests we've seen yet in Egypt, going on right now. Millions have been called to the streets to demand change and demand a new president. The Egyptian government is tightening its grip, though, sending groups to key locations. But so far demonstrations have been peaceful with protesters in Cairo even setting up their own checkpoints to keep out weapons.

HOLMES: It has been called the biggest, baddest, ugliest storm of the season. A season we've already seen a bunch of big, bad, ugly storms. This one will affect some 100 million Americans. Right now the Midwest is getting pummeled, expecting some of the snowfall to be measured in feet. This is a three-day event. So far hundreds of flights have been canceled. You need to be checking with your airline to see what's happening.

BOLDUAN: And Republicans in the red. New Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus says the GOP is $23 million in debt. A lot of red ink as they try to overtake the White House in two years. As for the Democratic National Committee, the Associated Press said it was $15 million in debt as of December.

HOLMES: The case against the alleged Tucson shooter is going to be in Tucson for now, at least. Jared Loughner. The case being moved from Phoenix to Tucson. He has pled not guilty to attempted assassination to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Also attempted murder of her two staff members. There was a California judge that's taken over this case when all of the Arizona federal judges recused themselves. Of course, one of the victims that was allegedly killed by Jared Loughner was their colleague, Judge John Roll.

BOLDUAN: And Super Bowl defense. Different kind of defense. The NFL is getting help from the federal government to secure Cowboys Stadium and a 100,000 fans for Super Bowl Sunday. Fans are being told that getting into the stadium will be more like getting on to a plane, which is all of our favorite experience these days. And air space around Cowboys Stadium on game day will be cleared.

HOLMES: You know, the president not going to the Super Bowl, I don't think at least, because his beloved Bears didn't make it. But, can you imagine, a lot of people saying don't come, Mr. President, because they are worried about the security. Who knows how much different it would have been.

BOLDUAN: Right. It's always stepped up when Secret Service is involved.

HOLMES: Always, always.

BOLDUAN: For good reason.

HOLMES: Well, take a look at these pictures. Some of you skiers out there can see this and respect this. This is just wild.

BOLDUAN: Whoa.

HOLMES: This is the craziest stuff you will ever see. This is called the Free Ride World Tour in the Swiss Alps. These competitors -- they're not just racing each other down the slopes. These guys are literally jumping off cliffs, it appears. But they're judged in -- oh, that's unfortunate. Oh, I hope his family wasn't watching.

Now, the competitors here are judged on their speed, their cliff drops, and the level of control they have. As you see. Some of them have more control than others.

BOLDUAN: Oh, my goodness.

HOLMES: But these guys are serious business.

BOLDUAN: It's beautiful and terrifying. T.J.'s going to take that up next winter.

First Lady Laura Bush and now one of President Bush's daughters are breaking with their dad. We'll play you Barbara Bush's new web video supporting gay marriage.

HOLMES: Also, parents, you want to check up on your kids, you might need to check their bedroom, maybe check that pillow to see if, I don't know, a gun is in there. Well, there is one state lawmaker who is giving parents a "how to" on how to spy on those kids. What you think about that idea? It's 52 minutes past the hour.

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

HOLMES: We are getting more breaking news out of the Middle East. Many people thought maybe there would be a domino effect after what we're seeing in Tunisia, and after what we're seeing in Egypt. Well now we're getting word that King Abdullah of Jordan has appointed a new prime minister.

We have seen over the past several days, also demonstrations and protestors taking to the streets of Amman, Jordan, as well. They're calling for democratic reforms, just like we've seen people do in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Yemen, in Jordan, as well. But, a new prime minister has been put in place to replace Samir Rafi.

Samir Rafi is the prime minister that many people had taken to the streets specifically were going after and said we should have the right to elect our own cabinet members, our own prime minister. And his name was specifically brought up with criticism from many off the protesters.

However, some of the protesters there also have argued that our protests here aren't necessarily like the ones you're seeing in Egypt. Yes, we want reform but we're not calling for the ouster of King Abdullah. So King Abdullah has now made a move. Now, we don't know necessarily why. This was just announced by the local news agency there.

But again, we don't exactly know why. We haven't gotten word necessarily why King Abdullah chose to make this move. It was in direct response to what is happening around the streets on Amman and other cities around Jordan. But he has made a move. Very interesting that he has made this move. And now many people thought maybe we will see some dominos across the region.

All started in Tunisia a couple of weeks ago and now the president of Tunisia, as we know, has fled. They have a new government being formed there. We're seeing this in Egypt now. Yemen we have seen protests, as well. And now in Jordan, it appears that maybe King Abdullah is listening to the people on the street.

Again, a breaking news story. A new prime minister now being appointed in Jordan. But many people will look at this, Kate, and say maybe this is a sign that there are some dominos starting to fall and many of these leaders, some would say regimes in the region are starting to take notice.

BOLDUAN: People have wondered if this was going to happen, similar to it did in the 80s and kind of how far the dominos would fall, if they would. Of course, again, we don't know exactly why this prime minister was replaced, but, of course, we'll be getting more information as the day continues.

Let's get to our top stories. They're coming your way in 90 seconds.

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