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CNN Sunday Morning
US Airways Pilot Gets Hero's Welcome; Blagojevich Takes His Case to the Public; Indiana Woman Wins Miss America Crown; Pakistanis Disapprove of U.S. Missile Strikes
Aired January 25, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for January 25, in this year of the -- what? -- the Year of the Ox, I'm told. Happy Chinese New Year. I think it's the Year of the Ox.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I think what I really like about that is that now you're going to say your name.
HOLMES: OK, now...
WHITFIELD: It's the Year of the Ox, I'm T.J. Holmes.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. What are you saying? That the two things go together?
WHITFIELD: Hey, I'm just saying, you -- you had to do it.
HOLMES: Always a pleasure to have you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well thanks so much.
And no, don't adjust your television set. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Betty Nguyen. She's usually here at this hour. I'm usually later on in the day. But she's doing me a favor.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Thank you, Betty. And she gets to sleep in.
It's 6 a.m. right now here on the East Coast, 3 a.m. on the West Coast, where they celebrated the homecoming of a hero pilot.
HOLMES: Sully. Yes.
WHITFIELD: Everyone saw that live on television throughout the day. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
All right. Let's take a look at some of the top stories taking place right now.
No welcome for this site. This is Texas, and look at these wildfires. Yes, it is January. And to see something like this taking place very unusual. However -- even in Texas. And in January, it is very dry. We're talking about somewhere upwards of 6,000 acres have been scorched. Just take a look at the pictures right there. In many cases, the flames simply licking the residences, ranches, causing extensive damages across Hawley, Texas.
HOLMES: We'll take an eye on that story, which continues today, of course.
But also, this: across the pond, over in Europe, a lot happening with high winds. No hurricane, but you've got hurricane-force winds. About 99 miles an hour. We've got 14 -- at least 14 people that we know of dead, about a million folks without electricity. Reynolds Wolf is going to be coming up, talking to us about the weather here as he always does, but also about those high winds that are whipping over in Europe.
WHITFIELD: All right.
Meantime, other things happening overnight we want to bring you in on. A frightening scene at a wake during a wake in Kansas as a shot rang out. Two people were actually killed, seven others wounded. Wichita police say they're still searching for the gunman.
HOLMES: Also, we'll take you to central Africa now, where fighting there continues. This is still fighting -- carryover, really, from the 1994 genocide that we saw in Rwanda. But the rebel forces continue to go at it there. The U.N. now saying that nine Hutu tribal fighters and several Rwandan and Congolese troops have been killed in this recent fighting. Both governments have formed a partnership.
Now Rwanda and Congo have historically been enemies in a lot of this fighting, but they have formed -- joined forces now to combat a lot of the ethnic violence that we're seeing. This fighting comes a day after a Congolese rebel leader was arrested by Rwandan authorities.
WHITFIELD: And a desperate search intensifies for a gunman in Miami. Police are pleading for information after someone opened fire on a crowd outside a grocery store with an AK-47. Two teenagers were killed, seven wounded. Police say there were so many witnesses, however they're trying to get the cooperation of people in order to give up some information. They saw something, and police need some information to advance their investigation.
HOLMES: All right. We'll turn back to the -- that flight, US Airways 1549 that landed where planes aren't supposed to land, the Hudson River, of course.
WHITFIELD: But oh, he did a great job.
HOLMES: He did a great job.
WHITFIELD: They did a great job, the whole crew.
HOLMES: Sully did a great job. But we've seen these dramatic pictures here. And of course, we've got the good news, everybody survived and whatnot.
But now the work begins as they try to piece together exactly what happened. Now we had -- an official said that -- that the exact cause not released just yet. But, you know, everybody said it might have been birds, and it looks like, yes, that is indeed is what happened. They pulled that -- that left engine from the Hudson. They pulled that yesterday. Early reports show some soft-body damage. That's kind of consistent with a bird strike.
Now earlier in the week, investigators found organic material in the plane's right engine.
Now we see this video, we see it over and over.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: Amazing. Don't ever want to stop watching, because we know it had a happy ending. So many plane crashes caught on tape do not -- it probably didn't end well.
WHITFIELD: I know. This is hopeful.
HOLMES: So this is one -- this is one that was really amazing video to see.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And of course, everybody and anybody who will be flying anytime soon, they're hoping that it's Captain Sully who is in the cockpit there along with the rest of his crew, because they just did everything right.
So a huge homecoming celebration for him in his hometown of Danville, California, just outside of San Francisco. Just take a look at the map right there. They threw him this huge welcome party.
And you know what? He was a little reluctant about all of it. But he did show up, and CNN's Dan Simon was there as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD CHANTING: Sully! Sully! Sully!
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crowd cheered for several minutes the moment Captain Sullenberger came on stage. His wife, Lorrie, nearly broke down while thanking the thousands who came to honor their hometown hero.
LORRIE SULLENBERGER, PILOT'S WIFE: I knew when I married Sully, the one thing for sure was that he was the most honorable man I knew. I have always known him to be an exemplary pilot. I knew what the outcome would be that day because I know my husband.
But mostly for me, he's the man that makes my cup of tea every morning.
I'd like you to meet my husband, Sully.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
SIMON: And with that, we heard the US Airways pilot speak for the first time since ditching his plane in the icy Hudson River.
CAPT. CHESLEY "SULLY" SULLENBERGER, US AIRWAYS PILOT: Lorrie and I are grateful for your incredible outpouring of support. It's great to be home in Danville with our neighbors and our friends.
Circumstance determined that it was this experienced crew that was scheduled to fly at that particular flight, on that particular day. But I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you, we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do.
SIMON: And that was it. But his brief, humble and soft-spoken remarks served as an exclamation point on a cold, rainy day. He was presented with multiple gifts, including a first-of-its-kind from the town's police chief.
CHIEF CHRIS WENTZEL, DANVILLE, CALIF., POLICE: It is with great honor and admiration that I name Captain Sullenberger an honorary Town of Danville police officer.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
WENTZEL: Badge No. 1 for his bravery, commitment and leadership.
SIMON: The fire chief gave him a medal of valor, and the district congressman gave him a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol.
(on camera): Originally, the town of Danville wanted to throw a parade for Captain Sullenberger, but he only agreed to participate if it were a muted celebration. But looking at this crowd, it wasn't so quiet.
(voice-over): Some neighborhood restaurants, meanwhile, have changed their menus. There's the "Hudson Hero" at this deli. And a pizza place has created the "Sully Special."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What he did there on the Hudson was just absolutely amazing. And it's a great story. A lot of negative energy out there with the economy and everything else. It's just great to have -- finally a great story we can all celebrate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I think it's kind of exciting. We have our own little hometown hero that -- who would have thought? And I think what he did was extraordinary and impressive and I just want to see him and be here and honor him.
SIMON: As one local official said, there were 155 reasons to honor Captain Sullenberger -- a reference to all the lives saved.
Dan Simon, CNN, Danville, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, while he's being honored out in California, not really the same kind of reception for the Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich. His impeachment trial starting up tomorrow. Don't know if he'll be there. He says he'll boycott the thing.
But he is still trying to do a bit of damage control. Blagojevich has hired now a PR firm to help him coordinate media interviews and other news requests.
CLTV's Ashley Yarkin has more on the tit-for-tat happening in Chicago right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM ADAMS SR., ATTORNEY: Listen, I've known Ed Genson almost 50 years. Known him intimately. And I only got one thing to say about Ed Genson: cuckoo.
ASHLEY YARKIN, CLTV NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're a legal team that's taken a tumble -- that being attorney Sam Adam Sr.'s response to the governor's lead attorney stepping down.
ADAMS: I can tell you this: I love Rod -- Rod Blagojevich, and I'm going to do everything I can for him. And that's just how I feel about it.
YARKIN: Before meeting at Blagojevich's home, his attorney, Sam Adam (sic) Jr. promised to fight, despite the Senate proceedings he says are unfair.
SAM ADAMS JR., BLAGOJEVICH ATTORNEY: There's a number of things that we have to discuss of course and -- and new strategies that we have. And -- and find out what we're going to do here, figure out what -- where to go from -- from here on out.
We -- you know how I feel about the Senate proceedings down there. You know exactly how he feels. He's told you himself. This is a -- a highly prejudicial Senate proceeding that doesn't allow him the right to call witnesses, doesn't allow the right to contest the charges. And -- and we're not going to participate in this.
YARKIN: Across town at a news conference, Mayor Richard Daley made clear what he hopes for.
MAYOR RICHARD DALEY (D), CHICAGO: These are very serious steps. And I -- I -- I just believe that he -- he has to look at his family and look at the people of Illinois and be able to make the right decision on behalf of himself and his family.
YARKIN: Besides a brief appearance...
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: (INAUDIBLE)
YARKIN: ...and his recent hire of Tampa-based PR firm The Publicity Agency, used also by Drew Peterson, no one would say exactly what those next steps would be.
ADAMS JR.: We'll make a statement later.
YARKIN (on camera): Of course, though, we'll eventually hear more from the governor himself. As the Senate trial starts Monday, he'll be in New York, making appearances on "Good Morning, America," "The View," and "LARRY KING LIVE."
At the governor's Ravenswood Manor home, Ashley Yarkin, CLTV News.,
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Ashley just stole my line.
Yes, you can hear from the governor. He will be -- the day that his impeachment trial starts, he's actually going to be doing a run on a lot of shows, as you just heard, including our "LARRY KING LIVE." You can see that Monday, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
WHITFIELD: All right. Special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell -- well, he's not wasting any time beginning his job as mediator. Sources tell CNN that he could begin touring the Middle East and Europe as early as next week.
One of Mitchell's primary tasks will be to work on anti-smuggling efforts with Egypt to stop Hamas from re-arming. He was selected by President Obama on Thursday.
President Obama, meantime, has a little free time this morning -- or so we think. There are no events planned, but the economy is never far from his thoughts. He met with his economic team yesterday to discuss recovery strategies and the national budget.
And in his weekly radio address, the president said the country is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis and called for urgent action. President Obama wants his economic stimulus to be passed by Congress by February 16 -- which is, by the way, Presidents Day. And he hopes it will create up to 4 million jobs over the next two years.
HOLMES: Well, a story to bring you out of Atlanta. A 19-year-old is dead, and they believe -- police -- that it was a robbery. But all he really had on him was a $3 bag of ice. We'll give you details of that story coming up.
WHITFIELD: And Reynolds Wolf will have a look at the cold days ahead. But you know...
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I know. I'm telling you guys...
WHITFIELD: Cold is relative, isn't it?
WOLF: Yes, brutal times. Not much to see, but plenty to feel out there.
Take a look at this: Thunder Bay currently 13 degrees below zero. That is not your wind chill, that is your surface temperature. Fargo, same story. Minneapolis at 7 below. And all this cold air is on the move.
We're going to let you know where it's headed, what that will mean for millions of Americans. It's coming up in just a few moments.
You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This is going to be T.J.'s probably favorite segment.
HOLMES: Now why would you say that? I have other favorite segments.
WHITFIELD: Because it involves gowns, swimsuits, models, crowns.
HOLMES: Things like that?
WHITFIELD: And favorite beauties (ph).
HOLMES: Oh, dee-dre (ph). That is -- it's early. We're awake now.
Yes, Miss America has been crowned. We will let you know what state she's from. Maybe she's representing you. And we'll show that picture again.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It looks like a good time. These can get dangerous though.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I know.
HOLMES: Good times.
WHITFIELD: As long as there's no rocks in the middle of that snowball. Because, you know, that does happen. People are mean.
WOLF: Did you check out that dude though? (ph) Dude -- there was a dude there that was wearing, like, that ski-mask (INAUDIBLE)>
HOLMES: The goggles.
WOLF: Not a ski mask, but the -- but the goggles.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Yes, I mean, sporting the goggles probably a wide -- you know, a good idea. Because, you know, once you lose an eyeball, all the fun ends.
WHITFIELD: That's right. I'm out. I'm out.
HOLMES: This -- we told you about this yesterday. This is what happened...
WOLF: There he is. HOLMES: ...yesterday afternoon -- yes, that kid. This is at the University of Wisconsin.
WHITFIELD: That's a like a picture (INAUDIBLE)
HOLMES: Yes, University of Wisconsin-Madison. They were trying to break the record for the biggest snowball fight. Who knew there was a record for that?
WHITFIELD: Wow.
HOLMES: But the record was 3,700 I believe. But they got all these people together on Facebook and whatnot, and 4,000 signed up. But it appears maybe they didn't get -- not that people -- many people showed up.
WOLF: Exactly. I mean, because this...
WHITFIELD: But they all had fun.
WOLF: Is there an official snowball-fight counter? Is there?
HOLMES: I don't know.
WOLF: And who's -- is that him? Maybe that's dude with the flag. Yes, apparently I'm going to count 2, 3, 4 -- oh, give me some goggles. You know, it's that kind of thing.
HOLMES: I think the -- the other couple of thousands realized they had better things to do, and they had lives maybe. And they went about them. And they didn't show up for this.
But look at that -- a few hundred people maybe.
WHITFIELD: Well, it's so cold there, you might as well make some fun.
WOLF: This is true.
HOLMES: So this was their chance. They had medics on standby and police and things like that.
WHITFIELD: And people were sweating after all this.
HOLMES: I'm sure they were.
WHITFIELD: It started out really cold, and then it became really hot.
WOLF: Lets me know it's here (ph).
WHITFIELD: Maybe it felt like Florida.
WOLF: Hells bells, how fun can it be when you have medics standing by? I mean, is -- does anyone -- isn't anyone a little concerned/ WHITFIELD: Just in case someone did take a rock into a snowball.
WOLF: I guess that's true.
HOLMES: All right. We got other things to move on...
WHITFIELD: Not everybody likes clean fun.
HOLMES: Clean fun.
WHITFIELD: Oh really?
HOLMES: Well, this is clean fun.
WHITFIELD: Yes, well....
HOLMES: Let's just roll that beautiful footage...
WHITFIELD: You're so happy ...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: But let me have my moment here, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK.
HOLMES: This is Miss Indiana. Yes, Indiana, Reynolds.
WHITFIELD: Oh, if you guys could just see them...
WOLF: Go Hoosiers!
HOLMES: Her name is Katie Stam.
WHITFIELD: ...when they're not on cam.
HOLMES: She's 20 -- 22-year-old. She's the first Miss America from Indiana Congratulations to her.
But the event was last night on the TLC Channel. Now this an 80- plus-year-old pageant, but it's been falling off in the ratings over the past couple of years, so TLC has it now. And they tried to do it interactive yesterday. They did, like, an "American Idol"-type thing, had the viewers kind of call in and vote.
WHITFIELD: Did that work?
HOLMES: No, I don't know if it really worked. A lot of people didn't...
WHITFIELD: So you didn't -- you didn't dial in. Or...
HOLMES: I didn't get to watch it. I didn't get to watch it.
WHITFIELD: You didn't send a little e-mail?
HOLMES: I did not, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right.
WOLF: That's where TiVo comes in now.
WHITFIELD: But he sure knows a whole lot about it, huh?
HOLMES: Well, I read in. I prepare for this show.
WHITFIELD: I'm very impressed. Well, that was kind of fun.
Well, congratulations.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Aces.
WHITFIELD: Miss America.
WOLF: Good times, Indiana.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Yes.
WOLF: There you go.
WHITFIELD: Carry on.
WOLF: Hey, cold times in Indiana and all across the Midwest. We're dealing with all kinds of wind and weather. Millions of Americans within, I'd say 24 to 48 hours, are going to be dealing with ice and snow and sleet. It's going to be a big mess.
WHITFIELD: Brr.
WOLF: Yes. Let's get to it.
Right now, what we're talking about, fairly dry conditions in parts of Texas. Not so good there, because you are dealing with those wildfires. Let's go right to it and show you what's happening out there. If we get the weather computer, we're going to pop it up.
It looks pretty calm there for the time being, from Lubbock back over to places like Amarillo. Dallas, too, northward to Oklahoma City dry as can be. But when you look into parts of -- of T.J.'s home state, back into Arkansas, you're seeing a little bit of pink pop up, some white, too, there on the radar. That's indicating a little touch of sleet and snow high in the -- well, in the high hills.
Back over to Kansas City and up in Wichita, we're seeing some scattered snow showers, too. But the heaviest snowfall, you're going to have to go farther to the west, back into parts of the Wasatch range, into the central Rockies.
And I'll tell you, as you zoom out, we're going to zoom in, right here near -- near Salt Lake City, and down in the lower elevations from Ogden back into Salt Lake City, seeing some scattered rain showers. But when you get high aloft to the mountains above 8,000 feet, it's going to mix in with that chilly air, and that's where that snow is going to begin to pile up.
Same story back towards parts of Colorado, where we could see 1 to 2 feet. Right now, we have watches and warnings that are in effect for a good part of the mountains.
The other story that we were talking about, the cold conditions -- as we wrap things up very quickly -- 13 degrees, current temperature in Fargo; 16 in Duluth. All that cold air is going to make its way slowly to the south. A lot of that snow pretty much to our north for the day today, but into Monday and Tuesday -- again, as we wrap things up, check it out: We could some sleet and some freezing rain in -- mainly in parts of the Ohio Valley, back into the Central Plains possibly and into the mid-Mississippi Valley. Could be a big mess for a lot of folks.
Let's send it back to you at the news desk.
HOLMES: All right. Renny Ren, we appreciate you as always, sir. We'll see you here shortly.
Well, you know, he hasn't -- the honeymoon still continues, maybe, for President Obama.
WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, it's only been five days, right? Oh, this is the fifth day.
HOLMES: The fifth full -- full day, is it? Hard to keep up.
WHITFIELD: Yes. I'll let him do the math. It's too early.
HOLMES: But you know what? We're not giving him a honeymoon period. We are on him. We are holding him -- his feet to the fire.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: Josh Levs taking a look at the -- is it called the "Obameter," or the "Obamameter"? What are we going with?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think -- I think it's supposed to be the "Obameter."
HOLMES: "Obameter." We'll go with "Obameter."
LEVS: I think it's like a thermometer.
HOLMES: OK.
WHITFIELD: OK, that's cool.
LEVS: Except not at all like a thermometer in any way. Just have to...
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. LEVS: I tell you -- OK, so Fred already knows this -- T.J. does it surprise you to hear that he made more than 500 promises on the campaign trail?
HOLMES: Doesn't surprise me at all.
LEVS: Doesn't surprise you?
HOLMES: That's all?
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: And that there was somebody actually, you know, taking count.
HOLMES: Counting.
LEVS: Yes, I know. It's impressive. Actually, I'm going to show you guys this, and the rulings on whether he's keeping them, which are already coming in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Pakistan is calling on President Obama to stop suspected U.S. missile strikes on al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan, saying civilians have been killed in attacks since his inauguration.
With the start of a new U.S. administration, Pakistani officials hope the U.S. will adopt a more "holistic" approach in dealing with terrorism.
But as Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports, it appears the new president, for now, is sticking with Bush administration tactics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ...do solemnly swear....
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just as President Barack Obama was sworn in on Tuesday, General David Petraeus was in Pakistan, pressing top officials yet again to crack down on militants.
The first sign the Obama administration's not going to ease up on the hunt: two CIA missile strikes Friday killed more than a dozen people in the tribal region. There have been some 30 strikes like these over the past year.
The new president is making clear the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan will get more attention.
OBAMA: This is the central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism.
STARR: CNN has learned from a top U.S. official the missile attacks are authorized under a covert program which has been briefed to Mr. Obama. The reason for the program's existence? To target and kill senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, and keep survivors on the run. Suspects may be tracked for weeks before strikes are called in.
Under George Bush, the president did not have to approve each strike beforehand. It's believed Mr. Obama, for now, has the same arrangement, according to U.S. officials.
Even during the campaign, candidate Obama made clear he wouldn't hesitate to cross Pakistan's borders.
OBAMA: If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets, and President Musharraf will not act, we will.
STARR: In an interview Friday with Wolf Blitzer, Musharraf -- now out of office -- said Pakistan doesn't expect the U.S. strikes to stop.
PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, FMR. PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN: Well, nobody in Pakistan is comfortable with the strikes across the border. They are not -- no doubt in that. Public opinion is very much against it.
STARR (on camera): The latest missile strikes came one day after President Obama named a new envoy to the region and promised renewed diplomatic action. But many people in the region say these strikes are doing little more than antagonizing an already-tense part of the world.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, take a look right here: A small plane crashing in Oceanside, California, causing sewage to fly everywhere. The great lengths one of our I-reporters actually goes to catch it all on tape so you can see it this morning.
HOLMES: Also, President Obama, he's lending a helping hand. He's a busy man. Are you that busy? What are you doing with your free time these days?
Ways for you to pay it forward. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey there, everybody, and welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Betty Nguyen. Don't get worried. No dirty e-mails, nasty e-mails. Betty will be back. I'm just filling in temporarily because she's doing me a favor. I'm a little...
HOLMES: She's loved, but she's not beloved.
WHITFIELD: She's very loved. OK, don't hate. Green is not your color.
HOLMES: You know we love our Betty.
WHITFIELD: I know. I know. Just kidding.
All right. Top stories this morning we want to fill you in on.
A desperate search for answers in Miami. Police are pleading for information after someone opened fire on a crowd outside a grocery store with an AK-47. Two teenagers were actually killed, seven others wounded. Witnesses describe a very terrifying scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was like a war zone, as if I had enrolled in the service.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of people on the ground. They told me, "Get on the ground."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, so far, police say they don't have any suspects and they're still looking for a motive.
And the son of a well-known Atlanta recording studio owner shot and killed on a late-night run to the convenience store. Adair Freeman is the son of Russ Freeman, the owner of Hot Beats Recording Studio, which has produced big names like Ludacris and Matchbox Twenty.
Well, police say Adair was am bashed while returning from the store, which is next door to the studio. And those who knew him say that he had big dreams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DERON HARDAWAY, CO-WORKER: I could see the energy that he had gotten from his energy -- his father, and it just was -- he was a great person. And he is going to be truly missed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, so sad. Well, police are describing the attack as a possible robbery and they're reviewing surveillance cameras in the hopes of perhaps identifying that shooter.
HOLMES: Well, the left engine of that US Airways plane that landed in the Hudson looked like it was attacked by birds. That is according to federal investigators. They pulled that engine from the water yesterday and they say a preliminary inspection revealed soft body damage, which can be caused, in fact, by birds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Sully! Sully! Sully! Sully!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, it sounds like a campaign rally almost.
WHITFIELD: The next chapter for us?
HOLMES: You know he's being recruited by somebody.
Well, lots of cheers for the pilot of that flight, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, or Sully, as you heard the crowd cheering. The hero's welcome party in Danville, California, his hometown -- this was yesterday. He spoke publicly for the first time, even though he was a little brief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHESLEY SULLENBERGER, PILOT: Lorrie and I are grateful for your incredible outpouring of support. It's great to be home in Danville with our neighbors and our friends. Circumstance determined that it was this experienced crew that was scheduled to fly on that particular flight, on that particular day, but I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: That's all you got, Sully? Give us something. Please.
WHITFIELD: Short and sweet.
HOLMES: Short and sweet.
WHITFIELD: Precision. He said, you know, the story is like this. Let me contain it for you. That's it.
HOLMES: And that was it. He's not trying to bask in the globe -- the spotlight. No, he's just, all right, thanks for sharing. I'm going back to work.
He got a lot of honorary titles. He got the Medal of Valor. Some of the restaurants naming menu items after him. We need to figure out what they are calling them.
WHITFIELD: Ooh, the Sully burger. Doesn't that sound good?
HOLMES: The Sully burger. Makes perfect sense.
WHITFIELD: Catchy?
HOLMES: Something having to do with landing, I'm sure. I can't come up with anything off the top of my head right now. WHITFIELD: I'll get back to you on that one.
HOLMES: What is on a Sully burger, my producer is asking? What would you put on a Sully burger?
I don't know. We'll get back to you.
HOLMES: Well, keep it simple, because, you know, his words are simple. So maybe it's just a burger that -- burger and bread, our producer said. That's simple all right. A little lettuce, tomato, maybe a little American cheese. That's it.
Simple. The Sully burger.
HOLMES: Name drinks after him. The Sully burger.
WHITFIELD: I like it.
HOLMES: Well, we'll wait to hear from him next hour. I'm going to look that up. We're going to get back to you. That's going to drive me nuts. I want to know what they're naming their menu items.
WHITFIELD: OK. I'm sure we will soon find out.
All right. Well, from the war to the economy, to dozens of other issues, all on the plate of President Obama. A long list of promises came along with that big plate, too.
HOLMES: All right. We know it's just the first week, but already people are trying to see if he's going to keep a lot of those promises.
Josh Levs here this morning here to show us the Obameter that is going to be keeping track of all these promises.
Josh, good morning.
LEVS: Yes, good morning to you guys. I think you just nailed the term that we're going to be using for a long time.
The Obameter. As T.J. knows -- Fred, you know this too. Throughout the election we did a lot of reality checking, a lot of truth-squading.
We also looked at the really cool Web sites out there that do the same thing, including PolitiFact. Let's zoom in, because I want everyone to see this. This is so cool.
This is what politifact.com has put together now. They're coining this term, it's theirs -- "The Obameter."
They're tracking Obama's campaign promises. They have totaled more than 500. Check it out. They list the actual quotes that he said, whether it was on his Web site or one of his speeches or in an interview. Twenty-six screens of these things that you can go through. And what they say is that throughout his entire presidency, they're going to keep a close eye on how this goes.
Now, something interesting already happened. I'll show you the headline over here. "Not so fast, an Obama resolving door policy." You can see this is from today.
What they did was they changed a ruling. And here is what happened. When President Obama signed an executive order just last week to limit the influence of lobbyists, this is what he said...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And that was widely hailed.
Now, PolitiFact saw that and they said it meant he was fulfilling a campaign promise. Then they read the fine print in that executive order, and they found that includes exceptions "in the public interest."
It's something that we've covered here, so I want to zoom back in on the board. Check out this headline: "Questions surround Obama nominee's contractor ties."
What this is about William Lynn, a lobbyist for -- who has been a lobbyist for Raytheon, which is a giant defense contractor. This is Barack Obama's appointee for deputy defense secretary.
So once they saw that, this exception, PolitiFact said, hey, that's not exactly keeping his promise, but it's not exactly breaking a promise either. So they kind of dialed down the ruling to compromise.
And T.J., those are the kinds of shades of gray that I know we all loved during the campaign, but we're expecting to see some of those, too.
HOLMES: Yes, and it's early right now.
LEVS: Absolutely.
HOLMES: You know, we've still got this honeymoon period. But for the most part, right now, is he getting the thumbs up?
LEVS: They are, yes. They're giving him good marks.
In fact, let's zoom in back -- I can show you the numbers that they got so far. It's pretty cool. If we go to the top of their screen over here, promises kept, they are giving him five. They have that one compromise. None broken so far. But again, we've only got a handful, and they're saying that there is still some work going on, on these.
And since we have a little bit of time, guys, let's just play a little bit of that PolitiFact song as a testament to the cool folks at PolitiFact who spend 24/7 doing nothing but reality check.
You got that? There you go. Love it.
(MUSIC)
LEVS: It's so cool. It's totally a theme song. What we're going to keep doing on "Reality Check."
Plus, we're going to keep looking at these great guys, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, all those helping us do this "Reality Check."
WHITFIELD: That's catchy.
LEVS: I think it's catchy.
WHITFIELD: I like it. It's cute.
LEVS: Maybe it did more for T.J. He doesn't look too thrilled.
HOLMES: I'm just saying...
WHITFIELD: He's into it. He's not ready to burn it on to a CD.
HOLMES: I'm sure they come up with a hip-hop version, I'll be all over it.
WHITFIELD: OK. I'm sure they'll work on that at your request.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right, Josh.
LEVS: Hip-hop version, please.
HOLMES: Josh, we appreciate you.
A lot of folks out there spent folks, maybe even years, campaigning for Senator Barack Obama. Senator Barack Obama, well, he's the president now. So what do you do with all those volunteers?
Our Kara Finnstrom finds out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations.
JUNE SOBEL, OBAMA VOLUNTEER: I have not been politically engaged for, what, 35 years? He is the man that led me to become engaged again.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June Sobel is a member of a very large club, the volunteers who the president says got him elected.
OBAMA: This is your victory.
FINNSTROM: Obama's grassroots army here in Thousand Oaks, California, and across the country mobilized voters going door to door, through phone banks, and in an unprecedented way with the Internet.
So now that they've celebrated victory, what's next?
MARTY KAPLAN, POLITICAL ANALYST: It becomes a kind of standing militia to be deployed for all kinds of reasons. Imagine if the high command mobilized the people in a particular state or congressional district and said, hey, do you remember that stuff you campaigned so hard for? Well, your member of Congress is going to vote against it unless they hear from you.
FINNSTROM: Political analyst Marty Kaplans says this framework of volunteers can mobilize neighbors for everything from fund-raising to service.
OBAMA: Help renew America at USAService.org.
FINNSTROM (on camera): Just days before the swearing in, we found some of those same volunteers giving their time and energy in a much different way. Here at the Canayho (ph) free medical clinic...
CATHY COLE, OBAMA VOLUNTEER: Well, this was a wonderful opportunity for us to come and clean the clinic, look at their supplies, see what their wish list was, and take the energy we had during the campaign and push it into something that was great for the community.
FINNSTROM (voice-over): On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Obama volunteers took part in thousands of service projects nationwide. Inspirational, passionate activism, but will it fade along with victory's buzz?
EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON, AUTHOR, "HOW OBAMA WON": At the smaller level it works. But the bigger level, in terms of getting the people involved to do the same things on big-ticket issues -- health care, jobs, community improvement, all of these kinds of things -- it's going to be much more difficult.
FINNSTROM: Big campaign promises to keep, not just for the man in charge...
SOBEL: I have to be one small part of the big change.
FINNSTROM: ... but for the army.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And you can find out how to donate your time and supplies at CNN.com/impact. And you, too, can impact the world.
WHITFIELD: All right. Yesterday morning -- I'm getting ahead of myself, really.
HOLMES: Uh-oh. Are you?
WHITFIELD: OK. We'll save that. Yes. We'll get back to what happened yesterday.
HOLMES: I didn't know where you were going.
WHITFIELD: Right.
But right now, the chips come tumbling down in more alleged Ponzi schemes. And that's happening around the country. Even in the Catholic Church, of all places.
HOLMES: Oh, not the church. Not the church.
And also...
WHITFIELD: It's supposed to be untouchable, but no.
HOLMES: No.
WHITFIELD: Not in this case.
HOLMES: Well, we have seen -- we were talking about this yesterday -- the best companies to work for out there. The top companies.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: Now the ones that are paying the best.
You need to grab a pen and paper. This is a list you want to see. These folks are getting paid. We've got the top five coming up.
WHITFIELD: Yes, but are there job openings?
HOLMES: Yes. And you need to have a law degree. I'll throw that in there as well.
WHITFIELD: OK. Nice hint.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, emergency workers in Oceanside, California, had a sticky, icky, nasty, stanky situation they had to deal with out there. They had to clean up a raw sewage spill that was caused by a plane crash, of all things. Officials say at least two people were injured Saturday when their low-flying private plane struck a power pole. The plane also managed to shear off a sewage valve, releasing 25,000 gallons of raw goo before it could be stopped.
Hmm.
WHITFIELD: And that's putting it mild and gently, goo.
HOLMES: Quite mildly.
And our CNN iReporter Chris Morrow went through great lengths to capture video of the crash for us.
Wow, Chris. I hope you showered since.
The plane went down in a heavily populated area not far from...
WHITFIELD: Had a little nose plug or something.
HOLMES: And this is a she, I am told.
Forgive me, ma'am.
You say she?
Well, Chris actually happened to go down the wrong road, passed through the media area entrance to gain some access. The area was quarantined because of the sewer contamination, but Morrow still managed to shoot the video.
Thank you for all you went through.
Officials say no word yet on why the plane was flying so low.
WHITFIELD: I hope she had boots, as well.
HOLMES: Let's hope she had some boots.
WHITFIELD: Because a lot of muckety-muck there.
HOLMES: And I think the boots are in the crash by now.
WHITFIELD: Right.
HOLMES: You can send your video and pictures to ireport.com. You don't have to go through all that to get the pictures, but we do appreciate it.
Again, thank you so much. And you can say that "I report for CNN."
WHITFIELD: All right. Monday is a big day. And it's also the deadline for disgraced money manager Bernard Madoff to report all of his foreign business assets. He's accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Here now is CNN's Ines Ferre, reporting that Madoff isn't the only one.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wake of Bernard Madoff's alleged record-breaking financial scam, authorities are bringing to light similar frauds. This week, in Buffalo, New York, Richard Piccoli was charged with mail fraud, accused of defrauding Catholic parishioners in what the U.S. attorney calls a $17 million Ponzi operation.
GRETCHEN WYLEGALA, ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY: He has been very diligent about paying the money that he promised people. In fact, this may be a surprise to the victims, that this is an investment fraud.
FERRE: Federal prosecutors alleged Piccoli lured investors by advertising in Catholic newspapers, promising more than 7 percent returns. Instead, he used newer investment money to pay out earlier investors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I flipped out, because to know that this guy was still out there after having dealt with my uncle...
FERRE: John Reed (ph) says late uncle was one of Piccoli's victims, investing his life savings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not enough punishment for him. Yes, there just isn't.
FERRE: The 82-year-old Piccoli has not entered a plea. He did not respond to CNN's calls.
In Philadelphia, the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint for a Ponzi-like similar allegedly operated by Joseph Forte. This one worth about $50 million. The complaint alleges, among other things, solicitation fraud. No criminal charges have been filed.
The victims say they found out what was going on, on New Year's Eve via letter from the fund's accountant. Calls to Forte and his accountant were not returned.
MICHAEL GOLDBERG, BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY: All Ponzi schemes are variations of the same theme. You know, the theme is the profitability and trust. They always have slightly different stories of how they make their money. Some could be secret formulas, others could be like Madoff, beating the market.
FERRE: Bankruptcy lawyer Michael Goldberg has been dealing with Ponzi schemes for more than 30 years.
GOLDBERG: I'm a little surprised how many there are right now becoming visible, but there are still dozens of them out there. They're just incubating right now, waiting to come out. FERRE: Especially at a time of economic uncertainty.
(on camera): Some experts say Ponzi schemes are very attractive to potential investors when the stock market is soaring. It all starts to fall apart when they collapse.
Ines Ferre, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. I know you were looking at this list and trying to see if Turner Broadcasting was on it. It's not.
WHITFIELD: Sorry. I don't mean to check.
HOLMES: Yes. Sorry.
The top paying companies, there is a list out. "Fortune" has a list out of top-paying companies. And yesterday we did the best companies to work for, top five.
WHITFIELD: And here they go.
All right. Bingham McCutchen. Yes, average pay, $256,000 and some change for an associate. And that's in Boston, Massachusetts. That's the average...
HOLMES: The average.
WHITFIELD: ... which means there is a whole lot more, and then sometimes there's a whole lot less. But you bring it all together, and that's the average.
HOLMES: That's a good average. Not bad.
All right. Lehigh Valley Hospital...
HOLMES: Allentown, Pennsylvania.
WHITFIELD: ... and Health Network.
HOLMES: Yes, that's pretty good. I mean, doctors make pretty good money, we understand.
Here are the next two. Orrick Herrington, another law firm, $240,000. Alston & Bird, that we're quite familiar with here in Atlanta, $203,000.
WHITFIELD: Speak for yourself.
HOLMES: Well, I'm familiar with their work.
WHITFIELD: Some know it a little bit better than others.
HOLMES: I'm familiar with their work. Not that I need to be represented. I don't want to give people the wrong idea. (LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: I don't know. I think you're painting a very interesting pictures.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: What's going on here? You need representation.
HOLMES: I do.
WHITFIELD: Many times.
HOLMES: And the last one is a law firm as well...
WHITFIELD: I've embarrassed him now. He's actually turning beat red, as red as my dress.
HOLMES: Not that red, but...
WHITFIELD: Now we are matching. All right.
HOLMES: And the last one there, another law firm. So four out of the top five all law firms. So get your law degree. It pays, apparently, to be a lawyer.
WHITFIELD: Yes, start inquiring -- are there openings? That's your next follow-up question.
HOLMES: Well, firefighters are certainly busy today in Texas. They're working pretty hard. Take a look at what we've been taking a look at.
Fires burning there. We'll give you details exactly what is happening there.
And Ms. Whitfield goes to Washington.
WHITFIELD: Yes, but I wasn't alone.
HOLMES: Yes, a few people there.
WHITFIELD: There were millions there.
HOLMES: But I saw you in the crowd.
WHITFIELD: Yes. But we have an interesting perspective to share with you.
HOLMES: Let's see it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. We're off. Dad's all bundled up. It is cold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eight hundred and 400 hundred? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's beautiful.
WHITFIELD: All right. Ready to roll.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That's dad, all bundled up. It was really cold out there. You know, that you know.
But you know what? He had a good time, and he left with that very warm fuzzy feeling. I will share the experience with you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Did I just see T.J. in the crowd there too?
HOLMES: You did not.
WHITFIELD: Let's do a replay on that.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: OK. T.J. not among these folks right here. They are calling themselves kind of polar bears, all taking a dip there in Maryland, in the Chesapeake. And it's all for a good cause.
They're trying to raise money for the Special Olympics. This is kind of an Olympic feat, isn't it, doing that? Get it, Olympic feat, as we see these feet dipping into the cold waters?
HOLMES: Oh my goodness.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Anyway, the event raised $2.5 million. They did it, but they feel good about it. And now they have official bragging rights.
HOLMES: I always wanted to do that.
WHITFIELD: And you are a big dog when you do one of those.
HOLMES: Really. They do a couple of things around the country.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: And you know, I always wanted to do it. I never...
WHITFIELD: No. Really?
HOLMES: And just kind of wondered what it's like. It's always to raise money for charity or something. So it's a good cause.
WHITFIELD: It is a cool thing, but that's something I never wanted to do.
HOLMES: I'm curious if I can do it.
WHITFIELD: Full confessions here.
HOLMES: All right.
WHITFIELD: But I admire those that do it. Congrats.
HOLMES: And they raised a lot of money.
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's nice.
HOLMES: So congratulations to you guys.
Well, imagine getting a review only one week after starting a new job. Well, only six days in office, and President Obama getting some feedback.
We'll take a look at the latest, yes, job approval numbers already out for his administration.
Also, take a look at this.
WHITFIELD: Oh, isn't that beautiful? Happy Chinese New Year. And this time it's the Year of the Ox. A look at prominent ox people and what this new year will bring.
And wait until you find out what kind of people T.J. is. Here's a hint... slivering (ph).
HOLMES: You're in the same company.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello there. Welcome back, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
WHITFIELD: It is January 25th. Where is the time going? I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Betty Nguyen this morning. It's 7:00 a.m. here on the east coast. Thanks for starting your day with us.
HOLMES: And, a new day, it's a new year.
WHITFIELD: A new year.
HOLMES: That'd be Chinese New Year.
WHITFIELD: Especially in China.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But for everyone who celebrates and recognizes the Chinese New Year.
HOLMES: We need -- I'm always looking for a recent party.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: The Chinese celebration, though. You might want to know what you are. It's the year of the ox. We will reveal shortly what our team here, what we are. There, you got the tiger, you got a rabbit, you got ox, you got snake, you got all kinds of stuff.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I think we are all kind at the bottom of the barrel.
HOLMES: We are ...
WHITFIELD: It's like look at, you know, what we are.
HOLMES: Yes, we got a couple of rats -- we got rats in the building.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: We'll explain what we are talking about coming up.
WHITFIELD: And you got to know these young people, quite inspirational, to hear their songs. And they encouraged a lot of people to vote, apparently. They don't (ph) like to seek credit for that, right?
Well, they also got a journey of their lifetime as they made their way to Washington, D.C. Don Lemon went along on a ride with them. And he'll be bringing us their journey to Inauguration Day. Ron Clark kids, Ron Clark Academy here in Atlanta.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: All right. And President Obama, I know, your first six days on the job. It doesn't seem like maybe you should get some down time at your first six days of your job. But the man is a president, he is getting a little down time this morning. No schedules today.
WHITFIELD: The economy, top notch.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: A priority for him, never far from his mind.
CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: On his first weekend in office, President Barack Obama met with top economic advisers to discuss that massive $825 billion economic stimulus plan. Now, that plan was also the focus of the president's first weekly address to the nation. On the heels of his meeting Friday with congressional leaders here at the White House, the president said that if the U.S. doesn't act boldly or swiftly, the bad economic situation could get, in his words, "dramatically worse."
But some Republicans are still skeptical, including House Republican leader, John Boehner. He is concerned about the price tag and whether some of the costly projects will actually stimulate the economy. Here's what the president had to say about that.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I understand that skepticism, which is why this recovery plan must and will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my administration accountable for these results. We won't just throw money at our problems, we'll invest in what works. Instead of politicians doling out money behind the veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made public, and informed by independent experts whenever possible.
QUIJANO: In addition, the White House insists the plan will create or save up to 4 million jobs over the next few years. President Obama is scheduled to head to Capitol Hill in the next coming days, to press his case directly with skeptical Republicans.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now, so far, so good for President Obama. New poll numbers show that more 2/3 of Americans approve of the way he's handling the job so far.
CNN's deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser -- I always approve of how you're doing your job -- joins us now live from Washington this morning. What are we learning from these numbers? It's early.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I guess, we're learning it's never too early to poll, T.J., right?
HOLMES: Yes.
STEINHAUSER: Because this poll is taken by Gallup. It was taken Wednesday through Friday, and they released it yesterday. Of course, Barack Obama was sworn in as president on Tuesday.
And as you mentioned, 68 percent approve of the way Barack Obama is taking care -- doing his job so far as president, only 12 percent disapprove, and, I guess, the remaining 20 percent not sure yet. But, 68 percent, that is about 10 points higher than where we saw Bill Clinton and George W. Bush when they took over the White House in their first week.
It is -- you know, interesting numbers. It's not the highest ever. John F. Kennedy -- 72 percent when he took over in January 1961. Listen -- the guy won an overwhelming victory in November, and his approval ratings during the transition were extremely high.
Will these numbers stay? We'll see. You know, we just love to see how he does, how much pushback there is. We'll see what happens.
HOLMES: Well, I would have hated for anybody to check my job performance after my first six days at CNN.
STEINHAUSER: Oh, come on.
HOLMES: All right. We will move on here. You talked about his predecessors there. But let's talk about some -- let's get away from presidential politics. Let's go to some state politics here.
Illinois -- what is going to go down this week with Rod Blagojevich? He's got a trial starting that he's not even going to show up to.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, he's not going to be there. It starts tomorrow in Springfield, Illinois, in the State Senate. Remember, the Statehouse overwhelmingly, 117-to-one voted to impeach him. That's pretty overwhelming.
But Rod Blagojevich he will not be there tomorrow when the State Senate tries him. He says he's not going to get a fair trial. He says he can't even call witnesses that he wants to defend himself. He basically said it's like the old western tale where they're going to try him and then lynch him.
So, he says, "I'm not showing up." He says it's a sham. He says he continues to say he's innocent. Remember, he was arrested on December 9th, and federal charges of corruption among them that he tried to basically sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.
So, this is quite a story. And we'll see how it unfolds starting tomorrow. Not only could you he his job because if you try him and impeach him, he loses his job as governor, but he does eventually face these federal charges. He could land in jail, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, it's going to be interesting to see the trial of a man who doesn't even show up to his own trial. As we know, he's going to be doing other things, doing a lot of interviews, including our "LARRY KING LIVE" tomorrow.
Paul Steinhauser, we're going to be talking to you again soon, my friend. See you shortly.
STEINHAUSER: Happy Chinese New Year to you, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Happy Chinese New Year, too. We will figure out if you are an ox or a rabbit, snake or anything here shortly.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right. Well, today, coming up on "STATE OF THE UNION," of course, with our John King -- New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is going to be up talking to our John King, talking about President Obama's first week in office. It's going to be getting a lot of attention, everybody is, you know, dissecting what has been happening in the first six days.
Also, the premiere of Will.i.am's inauguration film. Will.i.am, the producer and an artist. He has been very supportive of Obama, putting a lot of music out. He did that video online that a lot of people will remember. But he's premiering a new video, all on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING" and, of course, the best political team on television, this morning starting at 9:00 o'clock Eastern Time.
WHITFIELD: Special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, well, he's not wasting anytime beginning his job as mediator. Sources tell CNN, the former senator from Maine could begin touring the Middle East and Europe as early as next week. One of Mitchell's primary tasks will be to work on anti-smuggling efforts with Egypt to stop Hamas from rearming. He was selected by President Obama on Thursday.
And more now on the Middle East -- Israeli forces have left Gaza, and a cease-fire remains in effect. Israel's 22-day war on Gaza's Hamas leaders left widespread destruction on the territory already reeling from a blockade.
CNN international correspondent Karl Penhaul joins us now.
So, Karl, what are the challenges in this cleanup process?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, one of the main challenges right now is going to be just how to rebuild Gaza as far as the civilian population are concerned, because beyond the thousands that that were killed or maimed in this war, there are also, according to Hamas estimates, 4,000 homes that were completely destroyed and the 20,000 other homes that were partially destroyed. Now, Hamas itself, the authority there on the Gaza Strip, is offering about $4,000 or $5,000 to homeowners whose homes were completely destroyed but they will be dependent on international aid for those homes to be rebuilt.
Now, of course, with Hamas being designated a terrorists group by the United States and also by the European Union, in those areas will be keen to insure that this international aid will not end up in Hamas hands and thereby boost its military machine. And on the other hand, just the mere fact of getting the building materials in is going to be a problem, because that economic blockade continues and Israel is controlling the border crossings, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So, what kind of assurances that a cease-fire will actually hold?
PENHAUL: Well, so far, even in the course of the last week since the cease-fire has came in to effect, there have only been one or two reports of violations, none of these being serious by either side. Yes, we have seen on the Rafah border with Egypt signs that the smuggling tunnels are being rebuilt and some of them are even refuted to be in operation once again. And yesterday, in fact, I met with a group of fighters who are associated with Hamas, and they certainly didn't seem to have been crushed, which is what Israel's intention was in launching this war. But, for now, it seems like neither side, neither Israel nor the Hamas factions are wanting to fight now and they seem to be taking this time to rest and retool.
WHITFIELD: Karl Penhaul, thanks so much for that update, coming from Rafah, Egypt.
HOLMES: Well, you will remember these young men and women. They performed two songs that took them from Atlanta to D.C., the Ron Clark kids. You will remember them.
WHITFIELD: Quite unforgettable.
(KIDS SINGING)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my God, they are too cute.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Too cute. So, we'll take you on their journey, because it was pretty extraordinary. They went to the presidential inauguration -- and boy, was their schedule packed?
HOLMES: Yes, and they were here in our studio. We had them before they left.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HOLMES: And all of these kids are just remarkable.
WHITFIELD: Everybody knows them now.
HOLMES: Everything, they say, yes, ma'am, and no, ma'am, yes, sir, just respectful and polite and just our (ph) kids.
WHITFIELD: And talented and smart -- the total whole package.
HOLMES: The whole package, love being around.
WHITFIELD: They sound like you, T.J.
HOLMES: No. Well, I was not like that at that age, right, Ma? All right.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: It took a lot of work, huh, mom?
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: All right. Well, Reynolds Wolf, though, is a well- behaved young man. He's always been (INAUDIBLE).
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Who are you fooling?
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Oh, come on. My goodness. All right, guys ...
WHITFIELD: That's the public persona, right?
WOLF: Hey, we're about personas here. Absolutely.
Hey, we got a weird persona with our weather. Try cold and try damp in many parts of the country. We're seeing the snow begin to pile up across parts of the Mideast anywhere from three to seven inches of snow between now and tomorrow. And into the Rockies, several feet of snow in many spots. Plus, we are talking about a big possibly dangerous ice storm for parts of the Ohio valley -- that maybe affecting us in the Monday and Tuesday.
More on that coming up in a few moments. You are watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING -- seriously.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Yes, they're trying to get me to dance along with these kids. But -- the fairy tale continues for the students at Ron Clark Academy. Since they stole a show at President Obama's inauguration, they've been enjoying their new found celebrity in our own resident celebrity, Don Lemon. He shows us their journey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): They couldn't walk five feet without congratulatory shout-outs, or people snapping their picture. The students of Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy were one of the breakout acts of the inauguration. The pint-sized creators of two political rap songs, one encouraging people to get out and vote -- the other paying tribute to the winner, Barack Obama.
(KIDS SINGING)
LEMON: Their journey to D.C. was like a fairy tale. First, the videos of them performing the songs spread like wildfire on the Internet. Then, came the invitations to perform at inaugural events.
RON CLARK, FOUNDER RON CLARK ACADEMY: And thankfully, we are going to the inauguration.
(CHEERS)
AUJAHUNA SMITH, 7TH GRADER: I actually hope that the president gets to hear our song, and that we could actually meet him.
LEMON: It was a day-long trip. First by plane, from Atlanta to Riley, North Carolina. Then, a six-hour car ride to D.C.
Just like any touring musicians, the performances were non-stop, a brunch, a Martin Luther King, Jr. event, an international conservation gala, media interviews, and impromptu performances.
They were making such an inaugural splash that Barack Obama got wind of it and they got a phone call.
CLARK: He said he was from the transition team, and President- elect Obama had heard all about what we were doing in the city, as get seen on TV, he was so touched by our enthusiasm and passion that he wanted to just get a message to them.
LEMON: Understandably, it was a busy time for the man about to become America's first black president. The students never got to perform for him, but watched with tears of joy as he was sworn into office.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Speechless -- I'm speechless. It's so amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: It's all great to be here. I mean, how many kids my age will be able to say that I was there when the first African-American president was inaugurated?
LEMON: One day, they hope to get their wish, and perform for the man who, just like them, beat the odds and made dreams come true.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Oh, something tells me they are eventually going to get that invitation.
HOLMES: It will happen. It will happen.
WHITFIELD: And there will be tears once again -- tears of joy.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: That's very cool.
HOLMES: Good.
WHITFIELD: Very fine, congrats to them -- because, I mean, it was a great journey that they took.
HOLMES: Congratulations.
WHITFIELD: All right. Meantime, Happy New Year, everybody.
HOLMES: Happy New Year.
WHITFIELD: You are like, what? And you look at the calendar. The Chinese New Year is what I'm talking about.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: It's the year of the ox.
HOLMES: The ox. WHITFIELD: And we're going to do a little math a little bit later to find out you're the year of the what?
HOLMES: And you're the year of the what.
WHITFIELD: I am the year of the what?
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And Reynolds, and Josh, you're the year of the what?
HOLMES: Yes, we got some ...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: We are scoundrels up here.
HOLMES: Yes, willfully. But find out what you are before you heard (INAUDIBLE), all right?
WHITFIELD: Right.
HOLMES: Just get it, stay with us. We'll reveal all -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Oh, pictures are always fantastic, the sound as well -- the ringing in of the Chinese New Year. And even if it's not -- even if it's not happening and celebrated actually in China, it's still pretty remarkable. This is Peru. And, of course, this is unfolding in Chinatown, in Lima, Peru. The Chinese New Year is beginning tomorrow; it also signifies the arrival of the new sign which is the year of the ox.
HOLMES: So, for everybody, I don't know how familiar you all are with the Chinese zodiac symbols. But if you are an ox, means you are a calm person, you work hard, and have resolve, you have tenacity. That's what they say about those who are the ox.
WHITFIELD: Those are very complimentary. And Wolf is like, "Could that be me?"
HOLMES: Do you know what you are, Reynolds?
WHITFIELD: And we know what you are.
WOLF: It's going to be right. You know, it's what I'm made of.
WHITFIELD: OK.
HOLMES: Do you know what you are, Reynolds.
WOLF: You know, I think I'm a dog, pretty dog, which I think the dog ...
WHITFIELD: Woof, get it, Reynolds, woof.
WOLF: ... is you do a good making ...
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there we are. Look at us.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
WHITFIELD: Nobody is getting my jokes. Reynolds, woof ...
HOLMES: At least it's the wolf.
WOLF: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: ... you are the dog.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Dogs are great making toast and ice water and we're snappy dressers and we tap dance.
WHITFIELD: Yes. There are some interesting things about being ...
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Actually, you are a dog, it says you have a deep sense of loyalty, you are honest and you know how to keep secrets. And it also says dogs are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn and a bit eccentric. Is that you, Reynolds?
WOLF: Well, I mean, I could have said I mark my territories.
WHITFIELD: Ouch!
WOLF: So, I guess that's why I'm here.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. He was there. That's hilarious.
LEVS: Well, check out these two, they're both deep, right? Snakes are deep, I'm seeing it up here.
WHITFIELD: Yes, we are snakes; we are the year of the snake.
LEVS: You say little, and you possess great wisdom.
WHITFIELD: I like that.
LEVS: I like this, too. However, they are often quite vain, selfish and a bit stingy.
WHITFIELD: There's always a downside.
HOLMES: You hear the control room? They are going nuts right now. WHITFIELD: I know, they are like, "Yes, aha, we could have told you that." Hey, wait a minute.
LEVS: By the way, I saw ...
WHITFIELD: And what about you? You are a rat.
LEVS: I know, I know, I'm a rat.
WHITFIELD: You dirty rat.
LEVS: I know, what's that about?
WHITFIELD: Well, that's OK, quirky rat.
LEVS: But, you know what? OK, I had a minute before I came up here. Guess who else is a rat?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEVS: Cameron Diaz, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson. That's pretty good company for me, right?
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Who are the other snakes out there? But we know, oxen, I mean, President Obama is an ox ...
HOLMES: OK.
WHITFIELD: Yes, Robert Redford ...
HOLMES: An ox?
WHITFIELD: An ox.
LEVS: Really?
HOLMES: Who are the snakes? Somebody give me snakes, a good snake.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I don't know, we need to dig up a little bit. Walt Disney is also an ox.
LEVS: All right. I don't know, we'll have some for you.
WHITFIELD: Since this is a year of the ox, we thought we should.
LEVS: We're getting some list of snakes.
WHITFIELD: We're going to find out who else is a snake out there.
HOLMES: This is -- I don't know if this is good company. We've got to do better than T.J. and Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: It never sounds good to be called a snake.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: There are people watching who are snakes, and they are listening (ph).
WHITFIELD: I don't know.
HOLMES: It just sounds bad.
LEVS: No, it is. You can change that.
WHITFIELD: We are nice. We are nice people.
LEVS: Right. You are good snakes.
WHITFIELD: We are good snakes.
LEVS: One big happy ...
WHITFIELD: We are the non-venomous kind and we're toothless.
HOLMES: Right.
WHITFIELD: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: And have a snake without teeth, without fangs.
WOLF: Hey, guys, you want to take a peek at the weather?
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Can we do that?
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: OK. I got really into it.
WOLF: Let's go right to the forecast and tell you what's happening. One of the big stories we are following around the nation is a set up where we're going to see a lot of that cold air that's been piling up in the Midwest and the Great Lakes. These all are going to come screaming towards the south as we get to Monday and Tuesday. That's also going to interact with some moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.
And that combination is going to bring a chance of rain, sleet, snow, maybe a little bit of ice for parts of the Ohio valley, to Midwest and into portions of Central Plains. It could be a tremendous mess for a lot of folks. We're going to keep a very sharp eye on it. We always do here in the CNN weather center.
Again, Reynolds Wolf, your dog, sending it to you, guys. Yes.
WHITFIELD: Reynolds, woof.
HOLMES: Well, thanks, dawg.
WOLF: Word.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Well, we'll see you again, shortly.
LEVS: (INAUDIBLE). That's a cool rat.
WOLF: There you go.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: I like the delayed response.
LEVS: I knew it's like people (INAUDIBLE) come up with something. I just got one.
WHITFIELD: Josh is happy to be a rat now.
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: Yes, it took like two minutes, but there is one.
WHITFIELD: Oh, you are making me cry.
LEVS: After this, I don't oversell things. You got to see these pictures from the inauguration. It's incredible.
We're going to zoom in on any person there. You'll be able to see all of it, including Fred right in the middle of the witnessing crowds.
WHITFIELD: Of the millions.
LEVS: That's coming right up.
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: I don't lose my time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's check in with Josh again.
HOLMES: Yes.
WHITFIELD: He always has fun technology to share with us.
HOLMES: And he's pretty geek up about this one. So, take it away, Josh.
LEVS: Yes, I don't think I'm overselling this one. It's incredible technology. It's called GigaPan. Check it out. Let's just zoom right in. I want to use the time I have to show you this. So, this, on GigaPan.org, is a shot of the inauguration. Looks like a nice shot, right? Check out what you can do. You can zoom in on anywhere in the entire inauguration, and see a crystal clear photo of every single person's face. For example, I'm going up here to where the ceremony was happening.
Look at this. Barack Obama over here, you can go all the way in. They are talking about massive pixelation, which means no matter where you are, you're seeing a completely clear image. You can see everyone who is part of the ceremony.
And you can see in the audience -- here, folks, is Fred, there you are Fred. And there is your dad. See the whole family set up right there. And the way that we got there, as you told me about that yellow sleeping bag.
WHITFIELD: Hey, but he was warm.
LEVS: It's awesome that he was bundled up. So, we were able to use that to zoom all the way in. If you were there, even if you weren't.
WHITFIELD: That was me.
LEVS: It's incredible. And I've never seen any technology like this. We're going to keep looking into this, and see how they do stuff like this. GigaPan.org, you can see these amazing photos. Have fun with this, and this could be a future, guys.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. It is the future. The future is here. That is tremendous.
HOLMES: But with that hat and the binoculars, I'm not convinced that was you.
WHITFIELD: Oh, really?
HOLMES: I didn't see you.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: We were only about 100 feet away. But I wanted to look even closer.
HOLMES: Even closer.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I would hope.
HOLMES: All right. Well, Josh, thank you with that. We will use that.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Josh. That's fun.
HOLMES: And you were there, and you actually got to go. Your dad was there. Let's take a quick peek of what we are going to see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: It's now 9:45, here at the foot of the Capitol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: People are like, "Why was she there?"
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: I only got the really cool seat because I was along with the Tuskegee Airmen who were special guests.
HOLMES: All right.
WHITFIELD: So, their experience through their eyes -- coming up.
HOLMES: And we will see that.
But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Doctor Sanjay Gupta starts right now. We'll see you soon.
