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New Day Saturday

GOP Grapples with Image Problems; Cancer Concern over Soda Coloring; New Super Bowl Ads and Teasers

Aired January 25, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Next hour of NEW DAY starts right now.

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing them prescription for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Silly misstep or new crisis?

BLACKWELL: Bieber has left the building at least Miami. His fans are still Beliebers, but could a possible deportation mean they have to idolize him from afar.

PAUL: We're a week away from the big game. We have glimpses of the famous ads. So which one is "Adweek" calling the strangest commercial they have ever seen? Your NEW DAY continues right now. When we get to it, I want you to tweet us and let us know what you think of some of those ads.

BLACKWELL: I bet the strangest one is the Schwarzenegger ad. It has to be.

PAUL: We want to wish you a good Saturday morning. If you are just getting out of bed because you can and you have the day off, I hope. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell, 8:00 here on the east coast, NEW DAY SATURDAY. Thanks for being with us.

PAUL: Yes, and we do want to begin with this major development in a story that we've all been following for weeks. This judge orders a hospital to remove a pregnant woman from breathing machines now.

BLACKWELL: Yes, this is the decision that relatives of Marlice Munoz had been hoping for. The attorneys for the hospital are now publicly acknowledging that Munoz's family has -- what they've been telling the world for some time now.

PAUL: That she has been brain-dead since November 28th, for one, and that her fetus is not viable too.

BLACKWELL: Well, hospital officials have kept Munoz alive citing a state law that forbids removing life sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient. Nick Valencia is now outside that hospital in Fort Worth. So we have still got, you know, a day, a little more than a day until this is actually closed, right, until we know if this is the end for this battle?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and for the family, it has been a very emotional past -- almost about two months now and they have another agonizing weekend ahead of them this weekend, Victor. The judge ruled yesterday that the hospital has until 5:00 p.m. on Monday to remove Marlice Munoz from the ventilator.

And within that window, the hospital has a chance to appeal. They are consulting with the district attorney. They've released a statement to the media saying that they are going to weigh their options and see what they might do. But they have that time between now and 5:00 p.m. on Monday to abide by the judge's ruling. Yesterday, as the lawyer for the Munoz family left the courtroom, she spoke to the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No comment.

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And for the family, they said this all along, Christi and Victor, has been about their grieving process. They want a proper burial for Marlice Munoz. The hospital here behind me, JPS, John Peter Smith Hospital, they say they have been following state law and they have no legal precedent or case law to go off of and they believe that this law was applicable in this case.

Now there were some crucial facts that both the hospital and the family agreed on yesterday. As you mentioned, Christi, the fetus is not viable and Marlice Munoz has been legally brain dead since November 28th.

BLACKWELL: Such a difficult chapter for this family. We'll find out Monday at 5 p.m. if it's over for the family. Nick Valencia, thank you.

PAUL: So let's talk about the legal angles of this case. CNN legal analyst, Paul Callan with us right now. Paul, thank you for being here. Paul, did the Munoz family have any legal recourse against the hospital for the fact that even up to now they kept Munoz on ventilators since medical records show that she's been, you know, brain dead since November?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALSYT: I think it is unlikely that they would succeed in a lawsuit against the hospital although I must say, it is a shocking case. You know, I was reading the judge's decision earlier this morning. Mr. Munoz, who is a paramedic himself, said that every time he leaned down to kiss the forehead of his wife while she was the hospital, he smelled death because she was already dead.

The hospital was forcing her to stay on artificial breathing machine to keep her body alive so that the fetus, a potential baby inside her, could live. That baby, of course, the papers now say is not viable. Meaning it couldn't live even if it were born today. So the hospital keeping her alive is a real problem, I think.

PAUL: Right, and you bring up a whole point. If the baby is not viable, what is this whole fight been about?

CALLAN: You know, Texas law -- the hospital says, listen, Texas law says you cannot deprive medical services from a pregnant woman. Now of course, that law was designed so that a woman who is pregnant wasn't thrown out of the hospital and her fetus deprived of medical services. However, in this case, the Munoz's were saying she was legally dead and you kept her vessel, what was left of her, hooked up to machines to keep a fetus that was never going to live and this is a horrible, horrible tragedy for all concerned.

PAUL: Yes, but isn't that kind of a gray area? I mean, they don't know. She was 20 plus weeks along when this happened. Anybody who has been pregnant knows that that is pretty close to being viable. So this is kind of a gray area, isn't it about whether the baby could have survived or not, or no?

CALLAN: Well, Christi, she was my understanding is she was closer to 14 weeks when the accident itself took place. What happened here and I think this is what makes this a very difficult case for the judge, the baby became potentially viable at least in theory, as she remained in the hospital. If the baby had been born at 14 weeks, statistically, the probability of living was minimal.

But now, if that fetus is still alive, the probability of survival is greater, although the Munoz' are now saying that that baby is severely deformed. I think the papers that I last saw indicate that the fetus might in fact also be at all viable. It might be a dead fetus so it's just a horrible tragedy.

Yes, it is loaded with gray areas. It is going to affect the whole country because as technology advances and we can keep premature babies alive longer, hospitals are put in this bind. What do they do? It's a tough, tough situation for all concerned. PAUL: All right, Paul, thank you so much for walking us through some of the questions we have this morning. It's good to see you. Thank you.

CALLAN: It's nice being with you, Christi.

BLACKWELL: It's 7 minutes after the hour. Let's look at other stories we are watching this morning. First up, the Dow plunged below the 16,000 mark for the first time this year. It dropped nearly 600 points in its worst week since 2012. Investors have been disappointed by corporate earnings and a possible slowdown in growth for the China's economy.

George Zimmerman is facing a new legal fight this time surrounding the new art work he is trying to sell. The Associated Press and a freelance photographer have sent him a cease and desists letter. The photographer's attorney says Zimmerman ripped off an AP photo to make this portrait on the right. It shows Florida State Attorney Angela Corey announcing murder charges against him. He was acquitted last summer. Zimmerman's art first came to light last year when he sold a painting of a blue American flag for more than $100,000.

Nuns have won a victory at the Supreme Court. The court ruled the order that Little Sisters of the Poor does not have to provide birth control coverage for employees at nursing homes that it runs. Now the nuns have objected to the Obamacare contraceptive requirement on religious grounds. They will remain exempt for now while their case proceeds in a federal appeals court. I think as long the element of not having to provide that coverage, but also not having to fill out a form that was at the center of this case.

Well, it may have just gotten Delta setback by the Supreme Court. We are talking about Obamacare. Enrollment numbers for Obamacare are ramping up after all those glitches we saw early on, 3 million people have now signed up for private insurance plans through Obamacare since October 1st. The first three weeks of January, about 900,000 people enrolled. March 31st is the deadline to sign up or pay a fine.

PAUL: So I know so many of you are waking up to this brutal winter weather and these temperatures that just won't seem to give.

BLACKWELL: But there is good news. There is always some good news. Warm temperatures could be on the way.

PAUL: There's always tomorrow? Is that it?

BLACKWELL: Tomorrow, tomorrow. I love you tomorrow. Let's bring in meteorologist, Jennifer Gray. How about it, some warmth?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: There is always spring and summer in the next couple of months. That is what I'm waiting for, but yes, warm up in the south over the weekend. So the cold temperatures will stay in the north. If you are in the Ohio Valley and the northern plains, there is actually a blizzard watch in effect for the northern plains. The Ohio Valley though, you can see snow from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis and even places in Tennessee, snow in the northern portions of Nashville early this morning.

So yes, while there is the warm up in the south, a very different story in the north, Green bay, 7 below, these are windchills and then 16 below in Minneapolis, 25 below zero in Duluth. That's what it feels like and look at the temperatures. They will be yo-yoing over the next couple of days, Atlanta, 49 for today. That is only 4 degrees below normal.

We will be right at normal tomorrow at 53, but then wait for it. The cold air is coming, Chicago, 3 below zero. That's your high temperature as we get into the beginning part of next week. That's 34 degrees below normal and then by Tuesday, temperatures 34 degrees in Atlanta. Your high temperature 19 below normal and then 2 below zero. Your high temperature in Chicago, 33 degrees below normal.

So guys, even up in the north, they will be waiting for spring. It is so, so cold and only going to get colder as the week goes on.

PAUL: They are used to it, though. It's what they know.

BLACKWELL: In Atlanta, we're not. We are not.

PAUL: I'm from Ohio. Come on, people. Put on a coat.

BLACKWELL: All right, Jennifer Gray, thank you. So the late night comedians and all the hosts, they have been making fun, poking fun at Justin Bieber, but a dui charge is nothing to laugh at.

PAUL: No.

BLACKWELL: Could Justin Bieber get off scot free because of the blood alcohol tests?

PAUL: Plus, it is frightening to watch that. Why some of the small cars are performing miserably in the new crash tests.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Can you imagine living like that?

BLACKWELL: No.

PAUL: And even after a night in jail, Justin Bieber's fans are still right there with him. The teen heartthrob was mobbed as he left his hotel last night. Thursday's run in with the law left him facing of dui and resisting arrest. It could be getting worse for him.

BLACKWELL: Bieber's act may seem old in Miami now, but you can be sure prosecutors will be taking a closer look at the 19-year-old. Let's go to CNN's Tory Dunnan who is in Miami covering this story. Tory, first we saw that video. Where is Bieber now?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor and Christi, what I can tell you is he is no longer in Miami. You saw in the video that he came outside of this exclusive home/hotel late last night and was met by screaming fans and paparazzi. He eventually left this location and went to a nearby airport where he headed off to an unknown destination. So basically as of now, we know that he has left Miami. So people won't be chasing him around this area at least for now.

PAUL: I think this is the thing that everybody, you know, raised their eyebrows that he admitted that he had a beer. He admitted that he was on prescription drugs and had smoked marijuana. His blood alcohol level came back in a legal arena. So I mean, he can't be convicted of dui, can he?

DUNNAN: Well, here's the thing. Let's talk about what we know with all this, a source close to the investigation tells me that Justin Bieber was given two breathalyzer tests. The results of those test 0.011 and 0.014. That is below the legal limit, but you have to remember that a dui covers more than just alcohol.

According to Miami Beach Police, he failed a sobriety field test and he also admitted as you mentioned that he had been drinking. That he had used marijuana and also taking prescription pills. But beyond that police said that they brought in a drug recognition expert or evaluator who then determined that Justin Bieber has been using drugs as well.

Also I want to mention that an additional test was given to Justin Bieber. The results from that test will come back in about two-to- three weeks. So at that time, they will get a better sense of exactly what was in his system, if anything.

BLACKWELL: So there is the dui charge, I understand this resisting arrest charge, what else potentially could Bieber face?

DUNNAN: Right. So I've talked with the state attorney's office and what they say is happening at this point in the game, they are going to take a look at all of this evidence including the social media accounts. We know there is a lot about this incident. People posting videos and pictures on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the likes.

The state attorney's office is going to come up with a conclusion about whether or not they will up the charges. But at this point, they say it is way too early in the game to really know where this case is going to go.

BLACKWELL: All right, CNN's Tory Dunnan in Miami for us, thank you.

PAUL: He is 19. He is not legal to do any of that anyway.

All right, this next video may make you think twice about buying a smaller car. Find out which popular brands performed terribly in a new crash test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Up and at it, everybody in New York City, look at that gorgeous shot of Lady Liberty looking over the harbor there. So it is partly cloudy in the city right now. Snowflakes are coming so just be prepared. We want you to know what's happening. High of 30 degrees in the big apple today and we are just glad you are rolling over and starting your day with us. We're glad to have you company.

BLACKWELL: Hopefully the snowflakes don't stay for long. We have some video we want to show you. It's a van barreling through the window of a fast food restaurant in Orlando. Look at this surveillance footage. It shows a woman and child running from the window as a van comes crashing into a Popeyes. It happened last December, but the video was released this week. Five people were injured in the crash. The driver faces several charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, no way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: OK. So we know there are plenty of ads out there that show cars doing some pretty absurd things, right? When it comes to this one, though, the FTC is stepping in. You saw the ad looks like cell phone video of a Nissan truck pushing a dune buggy up sand. You don't see the cables that are pulling the two cars. The FTC and Nissan have reached a settlement. No monetary fines are going to be paid, but Nissan won't be making anymore deceptive ads.

BLACKWELL: I don't see that cable at all. So you know when you are driving in traffic and you look over and someone is in a car the size of, I don't know, a large shoe box.

PAUL: A smart car?

BLACKWELL: Yes. You always think the parking must be great for that.

PAUL: You would think so, yes. You know what? This is what I always said that is frightening to me. What is the safety in that car?

BLACKWELL: Yes, that is the consideration.

PAUL: So that's what we are talking about now and we are going to see some video of some of the most popular cars and the crash test that is exposing some of their serious flaws. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crashes are loud, violent and meant to be. Eleven of America's most popular small cars getting crunched in, in what's called a small overlap crash test. The front of the car partially clipping a barrier at 40 miles an hour, the results as disturbing as this video. Of the 11 subcompact and mini cars tested, six got a rating of poor.

One was the Nissan versa, America's top selling mini car. You are watching most of its front section ripped off in the test. The two worst performing, the Honda Fit and the Fiat 500, America's fifth and eighth best-selling subcompact cars.

JOE NOLAN, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: These vehicles are just not received the highest priority from the automakers to make changes that are important to improve safety.

TODD: Joe Nolan is with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which conducted the tests. He says none of the cars tested got the top score of good. Only the Chevrolet Spark did reasonably well with an acceptable rating. The dummies in the driver seats wore seatbelts and had frontal airbags available. In the Honda Fit --

NOLAN: The structure pretty much collapsed around the driver. The steering column moved back and away from the driver. The driver's head slid off the airbag and struck the instrument panel directly.

TODD: And with the Fiat 500.

NOLAN: The driver's door ripped off at its hinges and opened.

TODD: Creating the risk of ejection he says. Other cars getting lowest grades, the Toyota Prius C, Hyundai Accent, the Mitsubishi Mirage. We saw many of those vehicles on display at the Washington Auto Show. None of those automakers provided anyone to speak on camera, but gave statements about the crash test.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Makers of the cars that flunked this test made various points in their replies to CNN. They said this test is a new one, not like the main test, like side impact, rollover or head on test. They point out that this test could help them make improvements to their vehicles like Honda promises to do with this Fit for next year. They say their cars meet government regulations and that safety is their priority. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

BLACKWELL: Those drivers, the dummies they nearly hit the wall.

PAUL: Absolutely, but I mean, at least, as you heard him say, it is fine. They say they will use it and make it better.

BLACKWELL: Let's see what happens after that test.

A school teacher goes to a holiday pot luck, but her fellow guests are pot unlucky. Why she is now facing criminal charges?

PAUL: Guess what? Dolly Parton is back on stage. Do you believe that gorgeous woman is almost 70 years old? Come on.

BLACKWELL: The "9 to 5" is one of my favorite songs.

Also a legally blind teenager in Georgia sees the world differently, but that does not stop her from helping others. She has collected and donated about 10,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless and her impact is now inspiring others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): Meet 13-year-old McClain Hermes, an reader and fierce competitive swimmer. Behind that smile lies a deeper story. McClain is legally blind. Her vision began to fail when she was 8 and doctors say in a few years, she will not see at all. But this 7th grader from Georgia doesn't want your sympathy. She wants your old shoes. In 2009, her father showed her an article about footwear soles being recycled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were giving people $5 discount or something on a new pair of shoes if they turned in shoes.

MCCLAIN HERMES, SHOES FOR THE SOULS: So we decided instead of recycling them, we would give them to people.

BLACKWELL: Shoes for the Souls was born. They say around 10,000 pairs of shoes have been collected over the past four years. Today, McClain is making a special delivery to an Atlanta homeless shelter. McClain challenges all teams to make a difference.

HERMES: If you have a dream and you think it's unrealistic, just keep on doing it. You will get there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: It's 8:30 on the dot right now for you. Welcome back. We are so glad to have your company. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Five things now to start your NEW DAY.

PAUL: Yes number one an urgent warning for you if you're headed to the Winter Olympics in Russia. The State Department is issuing a new travel alert for the Sochi Games after what's being called an uptick in threat reporting. Now the warning starts when the games kick off February 7th runs through March 16th.

And the State Department also is warning athletes, coaches and others do not wear your official U.S. Olympic uniforms while you're away from the competition.

BLACKWELL: Number two, possible steps forward in ending Syria's deadly civil war. Some counts have the death toll at more than 120,000. Syria's warring sides met for talks with a mediator in Geneva today. A delegate from Syria's opposition party says the two sides are meeting at a table and speaking through mediators but not directly to each other. One session took place earlier this morning, the second session will happen this afternoon.

PAUL: This California elementary school teacher is now charged with poisoning after authorities say she laced a dish that she took to a pot lab with marijuana. Police say Teresa Badger admitted that she put pot in the dish several adults who ate the food reported feeling sick as did a 15-year-old who ate it after the party.

BLACKWELL: Number four, the so-called revenge porn king has been released from jail on a $100,000 bond. He is here leaving, he's covering his face at least trying. Hunter Moore was arrested on federal charges Thursday. He is accused of hacking into people's e- mail accounts to steal nude photos and post them online. Now the judge ordered that he must stay off the Internet as part of his bail while he lives with his parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOLLY PARTON, SINGER: Jolene, Jolene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Oh, the one and only Dolly Parton, now 68 years old. There is no way. Look at her. And here she is kicking off her latest world tour to a sold out crowd in California. The Blue Smoke World Tour is Parton's first in three years. And in a statement the country star said she was just glad to be opening the show in the USA. That woman has got some energy.

BLACKWELL: Sure does. "Jolene" is a good song too.

Time for a political gut check. Republicans doing a little gut checking of their own this week after a misfire at the winter meeting in Washington. You've probably heard this. Former Governor Mike Huckabee was aiming for Democrats on the issue of mandated birth control, that's his words. But some say he really just shot himself in the foot with this comment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEEN, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS: 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 their reproductive system without the help of the government then so be it.

And if the Democrats want to insult the women of America --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: No surprise, the Democrats pounce. You see this is an ad they put on YouTube mocking the new improved GOP that's quote, "Leading the way to the 1950s."

Joining me now is CNN political commentators Maria Cardona and Will Cain. Good to have you both. Will I'm going to start with you.

WILL CAIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes you should.

BLACKWELL: A little spark here.

CAIN: Victor can I just say, I want to ask you a question. We need to explain. Because when I heard the term Uncle Sugar, like I'm sure everybody watching --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CAIN: I'm like what does that mean? MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CAIN: I kind of assumed that some kind of bastardization of a sugar daddy.

BLACKWELL: Yes in my mind.

CAIN: But somebody told me it's actually an old tiny slang term for the -- for the federal government like I don't know like World War II. So there you go yes. Republicans using old tiny slang terms. If that doesn't reek of old men I don't know what does.

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: For most people who had, who heard that I thought the old tiny slang, I think they thought that he was putting Uncle Sam in the context of a pimp.

CARDONA: I did -- right.

BLACKWELL: But let me read to you what Molly Ball (ph) wrote and here it is, it's from the Atlantic. "Huckabee managed to illustrate exactly the phenomenon he was trying to decry -- the perception that Republicans don't know how to talk to or about women."

Ok now we want to be clear here that these aren't as you're describing, you know he is not saying that he believed women had these uncontrollable libidos. He thinks that's the message the Democrats are relaying but come on now it's muddled at best beyond the Uncle Sugar reference.

CAIN: Yes, it's sloppy. I read someone say it's a 54 word sentence; 50 words of which are a dependent clause. So clearly it's muddled. However Victor, it's not impenetrable, it's almost impenetrable. But it's not -- meaning one can discern the meaning of what he was saying with a little bit of effort.

And so it's clear, he was attempting to characterize Democrats' point of view or how he sees Democrats' point of view towards women that they are creating a single issue to appeal the women this issue of birth control. Whether or not you agree or disagree, right, it's clear what he was trying to say.

And I think there's some willful ignorance definitely on the part of Democrats. And I think some on the media to ignore the meaning of Mike Huckabee's statement. I think that is unforgivable. I mean whether or not we agree or disagree, we should read the sentence and understand. He was characterizing Democrats point of view.

BLACKWELL: Do you think that's what he was doing Maria?

CARDONA: He -- I think he was. And clearly, I think wrongly, what he was trying to describe Democrats. But let's listen to what Will said. He said if you discern and take a little bit of effort and we all know in politics, if you have to have listeners discern with any effort, you have lost the message.

And the problem here is that when you have a Republican man talking about a woman's libido, it underscores every single thing that came up in the last election about how clumsy and frankly stupid Republicans were when they had anything to do in talking about women, women's issues, women's health care, women's bodies. They should just be quiet about that. And they need to take the remedial classes that they were giving out, the sensitivity training, remedial classes for every Republican male whoever wants to say "women" in their sentences.

BLACKWELL: Let me get to you, Maria first on this one about the RNC. You know we can go back and forth on this one for the five-minute segment I know.

CARDONA: That's true.

BLACKWELL: But let's talk here with the big changes for 2016. One of the most significant changes moving up the convention from late August or September to June. The RNC says that this will allow them to have a fund raising edge, of course, their nominee then can have access to their general election funding and you know maybe the nominee won't get as dented and dinged like Romney did with all those debates. Do you think this is going to work for the RNC, Maria?

CARDONA: Victor, they could move their convention until next week. And until they fix the way that they talk to voters and again Huckabee is a great example of this, nothing is going to really help. Because look, what voters are looking for and this is what they looked for in 2012. What voters are looking for is who is the candidate that best understands what they are going through? And right now we still see middle class voters, working class voters with everything that Obama has done to improve the economy, and it has been a lot they are still struggling.

That's why this President, this administration is going to focus on how to continue to create jobs and call on Republicans to help them do that and frankly one of the things if Republicans really want to help women, let's try to help the one out of three women who are in poverty or on the brink of poverty right now by how about equal pay for equal work. it's very simple; or raising the minimum wage, very simple, let's hear Republicans talk about those things and then maybe women will start listening.

BLACKWELL: Well let's talk about the scheduling because that's what the question -- about the scheduling of the convention in June. The purpose and you think it is going to be effective?

CAIN: The purpose is to back up the release of funds dollars -- funds Victor. It is that when you push the convention off so long, you can't release funds and advertising to spend on the general election until after that point. And so what happens is the Democrats had their convention before the Republican convention. They got to release general election advertising attacks on Mitt Romney before then he had to hold his dollars back right, so what they want to do is bump up essentially the general election fight. It'll help because so much the election these days is fought -- these days is fought through advertising.

I will say this, look, I know that Maria pivoted. She started talking about how Republicans need to talk about women.

BLACKWELL: Yes it was a pivot yes.

CAIN: Yes that's what we call in TV a pivot right.

CARDONA: I do.

CAIN: Away from the question that was asked to what I want to say.

CARDONA: Oh I think I answered the question.

CAIN: Good Maria but I'm going to give you this. I'm going to give you this, I'm going to say, I'm going to tell the truth. Republicans do have a brand problem. We do. And for -- for 50 plus years, the brand of Republicanism was about national security and fighting the Soviet Union and then terrorism. The problem is now that both Democrats, and I'm going to indict some in the media as well, have been able to paint the brand of Republicans through using the extreme outliers the aberrations the Richard Murdochs of our party. And we have to figure out a way we being conservatives, how to retake a brand that appeals to people.

I will admit when you look at any poll and it show the Republicans are not in a favored position, because we've got a brand problem. Brands have -- political parties, political pundits, networks all has to ask themselves what their brand is. Because that's how -- that's how people boil you down.

BLACKWELL: I've got to ask you about this. You said that you know some of the outliers in the party, but if we look back over history, and I'm talking specifically in the context of bringing minorities Hispanics especially into the Republican fold, in 2008 after John McCain lost, that was all the talk about bringing Hispanics in then in 2010, he was building the dang fence.

After 2012, again we need to bring Hispanics in and then you know the Senate, the Republicans in House don't want to bring up an immigration bill. So it's the loss, the autopsy and then nothing happens. Why will this year be different?

CAIN: Well then so here is the thing. You truly want to know the struggle within conservatism, the struggle within Republican Party on how to appeal to minorities or women. It's this. It's that the policies that we rest our foundation upon. It's what we believe in that we have policies that should apply to everyone equally whether or not if that's economic policies, constitutional rights, the focus on liberty and freedom. It's equally applicable.

Whether or not you're white, black or Hispanic whether or not, you have male parts or female parts. It should apply to everyone. So it doesn't lend itself to special interest pandering. Ok it doesn't lend itself to say here is what we're going to especially for women. No, we have solutions we believe are for all Americans. And what is difficult then is to say what are you doing for women? What are you doing specifically to appeal to them? Well our answer to that is we're trying to help all Americans because we see them all equally.

BLACKWELL: Yes we've got to wrap it up there -- we've got to wrap it, Maria. You know -- I think we're at seven minutes now. Maria Cardona and Will Cain, thank you. We'll do it again next week.

CAIN: Yes.

CARDONA: Thanks, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Sure thank you.

PAUL: You know we'll do it again next week.

BLACKWELL: We will indeed yes.

PAUL: Hey still to come on NEW DAY, new worries about that can of soda. And this time the risk is more sinister than just extra calories and sugar.

Plus polar bear plunge == the miniature version. You know you cannot take your eyes off the newest addition to the Toronto zoo. We'll show you more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So listen, parents at bath time know that -- with babies I should say that bath time isn't easy. But come on, look at the polar bear cub. And everybody is look at this on the Internet it was being -- it's being raised at the Toronto Zoo. He is actually the only one of his mom's litter to survive birth in November. But after around the clock care and special formula, the yet to be named cub, as you can see, is doing very well.

BLACKWELL: I typically I don't go in for animal stories, but this is cute.

PAUL: Yes. That's worth it.

BLACKWELL: This is cute.

Usually when you hear a warning about soda, it is about the sugar -- right?

PAUL: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Too much sugar in the soda. But Consumer Reports is sounding the alarm over an ingredient that gives your favorite colas that caramel color.

PAUL: The group is concerned that one of the ingredients may cause cancer. But how worried should you be.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with some answers here. Hi -- Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Consumer Reports says that an ingredient in brown sodas could be carcinogenic. And so they went out and they bought sodas in various parts of the country and they found that two brands, Pepsi One and Malta Goya had higher levels than what's allowed in California without a warning label. And so they think that this is a problem.

However there are other scientists that say that this ingredient is not carcinogenic. The American Beverage Association says that their products are safe. The Food and Drug Administration says that this ingredient does not cause harm but they are going to look at more data. They're going to study more foods and they may possibly issue regulations.

So while the scientists battle it out, it is up to you to decide -- Victor, Christi.

BLACKWELL: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

PAUL: Now football fans, I know you're going to be gearing up for cold weather ahead and the Super Bowl next week but things are heating up for SeaHawks player, Richard Sherman.

BLACKWELL: Yes, coming up we'll tell you why the cornerback has been slapped with a hefty fine but if you're not into football -- I'm raising my hand -- there are always the commercials to look forward to.

PAUL: In the bag -- yes.

BLACKWELL: Up next we'll take a look at some of this year's biggest ads.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Next week's Super Bowl is not the only thing that football fans are talking about. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman -- he's been slapped with almost $8,000 in fines for taunting.

PAUL: Sherman was penalized during Sunday's game for using a choking gesture toward a 49ers quarterback and then, of course, after that there was that now the infamous rant when he went on in a post-game interview.

But Sherman told CNN he regrets his actions because it did take away from his team's success. We will see what, you know, happens next week.

BLACKWELL: Yes. As they go into the game.

PAUL: But some people don't really care about the game.

BLACKWELL: No, no. Next Sunday, they are talking about the commercials. We are getting a sneak peek at this year's big Super Bowl commercials. The big trend we're seeing already, celebrities and a lot of them. Stephen Colbert, David Beckham, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be plugging something at the game.

PAUL: And yes, he's back. You heard Victor right. The former governator in short shorts and a wig warming up in this bizarre Bud Light commercial promo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: Surprise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: James Cooper, the editorial director at Adweek joining us now. James, it's so good to see you. So help us understand this weird commercial with Schwarzenegger. First of all, does it work although we --

BLACKWELL: I don't get it. I don't get it.

PAUL: -- I don't know what it's about. And secondly, does this promo represent kind of a new norm, you know, advertisers making commercials for their commercials?

JAMES COOPER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR AT ADWEEK: Yes. I think this Arnold ad is very clever. I mean it is bizarre, but I think it's really grabbing people's attention. It has gotten already a ton of views on YouTube and has been shared in social media in a very intense way.

So having Arnold back -- I think people are welcoming him back. It is good to see him, even though it is a very odd sort of teaser. And in terms of the teasing of these ads, you know, these ads are expensive -- $4 million a shot for a 30-second spot, that's a big investment. So to tease ads has become a really important trend. They want to sort of extend the profile of the investment. And it goes live on YouTube and it is shared and it is sort of extends the life of that $4 million.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I wonder if some of the pre-promotion though as we saw -- even in movies, as we saw with "Anchorman 2" all of that before took away from what we expected to be a the big box office weekend.

But I want to talk more about the celebrities. So we have the "Full House" cast reunited for yogurt, Stephen Colbert with nuts, Ben Kingsley with Jaguars, the car -- is there such a thing as too many celebrities?

COOPER: You know, I really don't think so. If the ad is clever and the celebrity is big enough, it is an instant grab for the viewer. You see Arnold Schwarzenegger in this ad in a sort of bizarre light, you're going to pay attention. If you're going to see Scarlett Johansson in a Sodastream ad, you're going to pay attention.

It's a very simple way to grab people's attention in a very noisy environment. So I think it is effective. And again, the only time it is a problem is if the ad created was terrible and it gets hammered on social media. Then the celebrity doesn't really matter.

PAUL: Well, let's talk about Doritos. Because I think Victor has a very clever idea of it. I want your take because you're professional. I mean they are going in this different direction using amateur filmmakers for their ads. And you know, some of the funniest finalists are going to be chosen to air on game day. Is that a smart move?

COOPER: Yes, I mean well, Doritos has been doing this for a while. It is called crash the Super Bowl and they sort of go out there and solicit people to sort of to submit their Super Bowl ad from amateurs that take pretty much ads from anywhere. The reason these ads work is that they tend to be humorous. Humor is one of those -- sort of the emotional levers that really work in the Super Bowl.

These ads tend to be really funny, maybe a little slapstick, maybe a little silly but they go very viral. People always say that's a very funny ad, I have to send it to my friend, you know, via Twitter or Facebook. So these (inaudible) do very, very well. They're not sort of the high art ads that you might expect, but they tend to be really funny and they get shared.

BLACKWELL: Do these ads, they are going for $4 million -- $4 million plus for a 30-second spot, is there any evidence that they translate into profits?

COOPER: Well, I guess that is sort of the Holy Grail. You sort of have to ask yourself is that outlay really, really worth it? I mean it is a lot of money. But think about it. It's 110 million people watching -- that's the biggest audience of the entire year.

You also have social media now, which extends that audience into perpetuity. So you know, it's a big platform -- you can't aggregate that many people in one place all year. And so it is a way for car companies, beverage companies to really get their brands out there in a big way and for a sustained way if the ad is really good.

PAUL: That is a good point. James Cooper, the editorial director at Adweek. Thank you so much for getting up early with us here. We appreciate it.

COOPER: No problem, guys. Thanks a lot.

PAUL: It makes so much sense, doesn't. You are paying $4 million, but it is not just for that 30 seconds. It is for everything.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's online forever.

I just watched a Super Bowl ad. My favorite, I found is Paul Harvey doing -- yes, Paul Harvey the farmer ad for Dodge.

PAUL: Ok, I haven't seen it.

BLACKWELL: That's such a great ad. Find it if you haven't seen it.

Coming up, a car slams through another vehicle and then hits a boy with his grandmother. You've got to see this. Up next -- we will show you the incredible video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: The Sochi Olympic organizers have bigger problems to deal with, but this picture of twin toilets in one stall in the Olympic ski center has gone viral. Can you imagine? This was tweeted by a BBC reporter.

Russian sports officials say communal toilets are actually standard at the country's soccer stadiums. You guys are like 14 inches apart here. Apparently though, these have been replaced.

PAUL: I hope so.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, TALK SHOW HOST: This is a weird thing. Did you see the cover of the "New York Times" magazine? It has a picture of Hillary Clinton's head photo shopped to look like a planet. This is real. This is the weirdest thing. Take a look at this. Crazy, right?

Actually that's just the cover they went with. They almost picked this one. Here is Lebron James dunking with the slam dunk for 2016. That would have been the better one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Well, of course, the second wasn't real. But we're talking about the first one on the cover of "New York Times" magazine coming up in about five minutes with Erin McPike in Washington.

"Must-see moment" now and it's some of the most amazing video you will see especially of -- well, let's just show it. I don't want to give it away.

PAUL: Yes. Well, I mean it is disturbing initially, but the good thing is nobody was hurt. So that's what you have to remember as you are watching this. A young boy walking with his grandmother in Brazil, a car slams into a parked car and look at that thing go right over these two. But look at the little boy. I mean he just gets up and walks over to his grandmother to make sure that she is ok. Grandmother's legs did get run over, but she said she is fine. Thanks goodness.

BLACKWELL: It is amazing that either of them survive that.

PAUL: And that is why we can watch it and go, oh, my goodness. But thank God they're ok.

BLACKWELL: Well, thank you so much for starting your morning with us.

PAUL: Yes, we've got a lot more ahead for you in the next hour of NEW DAY SATURDAY which starts right now.

9:00 straight up. Well, almost with about 15 seconds. I'm Christi Paul. We are so glad to have your company today.