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CNN Saturday Morning News
Hacker Group Threatens U.S. Government Websites; March in National Mall Favoring Gun Control Commences; Nine-Year-Old Opens Charity; Hillary Clinton Testifies Before Congress; Armstrong Asked to Testify Before USADA; Man With Spinal Injury Opens Rehab Gym Chain; Interview With "Argo" Screenwriter Chris Terrio
Aired January 26, 2013 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Flights canceled, hundreds of car wrecks, all the result of an arctic blast along the East Coast. Are we close to a thaw or more of the same?
A teenager makes a stunning announcement to a high school crowd. And now the video, the admission is viral. We'll talk with him live.
It's a movie winning acclaim, racking up nominations, and now being invoked by the secretary of state. I'll talk with the writer of "Argo."
Good morning, everyone, I'm Randi Kaye. It is 10:00 on the east coast. Thank you very much for starting your morning with us. The secretive hacking group Anonymous says that it has declared war on the U.S. government. Overnight they hacked the Federal Sentencing Commission's website, posting a video and a letter threatening, quote, "chaos," if their demands aren't met. For at least the last two hours, the site has been totally shut down.
Nick Valencia joins me now to tell us a little bit more about this. First of all, do we have any idea when the ussc.gov page might be up and working?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We reached out to the department of justice. Our Washington, D.C., bureau tried to get in touch with the DOJ but has not been successful. The site's been down a little after midnight when Anonymous said they hacked in. As a bicycle move, they feel -- as a symbolic move, they feel that hackers are victims of draconian charges by -- trumped up charges by the department of justice.
KAYE: What do they want? What do they hope to accomplish besides getting a whole lot of attention?
VALENCIA: We're trying to figure out if this is more than a high- profile prank, tomfoolery, whatever you want to call it, how dangerous this damage could be and serious this threat is. In the statement they mention Aaron Schwartz, 26 years old. Two weeks ago he committed suicide in his Brooklyn apartment. He was about to face federal charges of computer fraud. Now a lot of people in this Anonymous group and others including his family, Schwartz's family, blame the Department of Justice charges as the reason why their son committed suicide.
In the statement by Anonymous on the website, they say this, "With Aaron's death we can no longer wait. The time has come to show the United States Department of Justice and its affiliates the true meaning of infiltration. The time has come to give this system a taste of its own medicine. The time has come for them to feel the helplessness and fear that comes with being forced into a game where the odds are stacked against them."
KAYE: That's a pretty strong statement about what they think he was going through. They also mention in this letter warhead. And each warhead has the name of a Supreme Court justice attached to it. What is that about?
VALENCIA: Yes. It's a little bizarre. They didn't want to speculate in fact about what the warheads, the damage they can cause, the files, sensitive material --
KAYE: These are virtual warheads.
VALENCIA: These are virtual warheads. It's an Internet attack. They try to go after other web sites before in the past, FBI and DOJ website. They've been successful hacking those sites before. We don't know exactly why they've decided to name these files after current Supreme Court justices. What we do know, though, is that they're asking Anonymous syndicates to download files and be prepared when the order comes down for this Operation Last Resort they're calling it to be prepared to hack other government websites.
KAYE: We haven't heard from the government. We haven't had any reaction yet.
VALENCIA: No. We've reached out to the DOJ, and we're about to reach out to the state department, the Washington, D.C., bureaus, calls doing that now. We just don't know what the government is saying, their stance. We know that the ussc.gov web site seems to have been taken down. It's not accessible at this point. Over the last couple of hours, it pops up with the Anonymous website page, how it's been hacked. Right now it's down entirely.
KAYE: All right, Nick Valencia, thanks for the update. I know you'll continue to watch it. Thank you.
And just weeks after the country was stunned by the Connecticut school shooting tragedy, gun control supporters are gathering in Washington right now for what's expected to be a big march and rally. They want Congress to toughen up gun control legislation. Lawmakers, celebrities, and survivors of gun violence are all expected at the today's events. We'll find out more from CNN's Emily Schmidt. She is at the National Mall in Washington where it's looking a little chilly there. But set the scene for us if you will, Emily.
EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, good morning. It is chilly here, but that's not stopped the people who have gathered this Saturday morning. You see them gathering here now near the reflecting pool by the U.S. capital. In the next hour or so, they'll be doing what they call a silent march down to the Washington Memorial. Their message is something that started with two women on Facebook and said we need to do something after the Newtown, Connecticut, shootings. Their solution was to have a march to start the conversation in another way.
And one of the women who will be joining this march is Selma Deleon. She lives in a nearby suburb of Washington, D.C. And Selma says she's here because of her seven grandchildren, all of whom are fine. Tell me why you believe this is necessary --
SELMA DELEON, MARCH PARTICIPANT: My grandkids are in good health. They are happy. They play. They're unafraid. And I'd like to keep it that way. I've been outraged, and I grieve for all of those innocent victims that have had to endure so much tragedy. And I cannot just sit silently and watch another tragedy.
I'm here because children need to be protected. There's no reason for these assault guns. I believe in people having their rights protected, but I also need to have my kids, my grandkids, and all kids who are silent and all the parents who are not able to stand here today, I want to express my outrage and do it for them as well.
SCHMIDT: Selma Deleon will be joining the crowd marching to the Washington monument in the next hour or so. Randi, their message today is only the first step. Back to you.
KAYE: And sig names expected today, Emily. Who can we expect to see there?
SCHMIDT: We're expecting to see Hollywood actress Kathleen Turner, who is also an activist. Late yesterday we saw Secretary of Education Arne Duncan mention that he and his family saying they would be here today. So this is something that has grown up within just the past six weeks after the Newtown shooting. These are not people who have a lot of experience organizing marches. They feel this is something organic, very grassroots. They want to see where it will take them.
KAYE: Emily Schmidt, thank you for your reporting there.
For much of the country, this morning it is cold out there. The national weather service warning of bitterly cold temperatures, possibly deadly conditions this weekend for much of the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. The Tennessee valley and the Carolinas are also on ice. Any reprieve is still days away.
Frigid air also making life tougher for victims of super-storm Sandy. Many still don't have even the basic utilities to heat their home since the storm struck. Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is joining us from Staten Island. Susan, you spoke with a resident there who still can't go home. Is that a problem for many? I mean, what is life like for these people now?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a problem for people here on Staten Island. You see that even now, a few months after super-storm Sandy hit, there is still demolition work going on, removing debris. But a lot of people, as you said, are still living in their homes without the basic necessities. Some of them simply don't want to leave. They want to stay put among their own belongings. But there are city program where they can leave and get help while they're waiting for repairs to begin.
One of the people receiving that kind of help is Larry Gonzalez. But he has a problem at his house because he believes it should be demolished and he is in an argument with the city that thinks it can be repaired and FEMA and the like. A lot of heating oil poured into the house when a storm surge came and filled his basement with like four feet of water. And he's getting really frustrated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY GONZALEZ, SANDY VICTIM: They're telling me, oh, it can be cleaned up. When I ask if they would bring their kids in here, they tell me no, or they don't answer me. If you're not willing to bring your children here, don't expect me to bring mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Today the city has workers going around from door to door making sure the people who are trying to stay put where they are and work through this arctic blast, that they can go to an apartment -- a hotel, rather, and ride out the storm, ride out the arctic blast, if they want to. So they are trying to do as much as they can, but again, it's the long-term effect that this is something on people. As we know, after hurricanes and these kinds of storms, it takes time to rebuild.
KAYE: Yes. I'm sure FEMA has told them that. But patience, I'm sure, is wearing thin there. Susan Candiotti, thank you very much.
What began as an acceptance speech for a high school teen turned into something much, much more. What this New Jersey student said in front of his entire school that has now gone viral. He'll talk with me about it in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. A New Jersey high school holds an awards ceremony for its senior class. And Jacob Rudolph, musician and leading man of the stage, wins the prize for best actor. But it is the real-life drama from Jacob's acceptance speech that made his classmates, more than 300 of them, stand up and cheer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACOB RUDOLPH: Most of you see me every day. You see me acting the part of a straight guy when I'm in fact an LGBT teen, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. Unlike millions of other LGBT teens who have had to act every day to avoid verbal harassment, physical violence, I'm not going to do it anymore. It's time to end the hate in our society and accept the people for who they are, regardless of their sex, race, orientation or whatever way. I am what I am, and that's how I'm going to act from now on. (APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Jacob's father posted that video on Facebook and in just a week it has gone viral. And I'm joined now on the telephone by Jacob Rudolph. Good morning to you, amazing to see you so strong, saying it like it is. Why did you choose that moment to come out, and what did you think of the response you got?
RUDOLPH, (via telephone): Well, I chose that moment because I realized soon after that I wanted to do the speech that if I performed it wouldn't just be my coming out, it would be me coming out for kids who didn't know how to come out or didn't have the courage to do so. So I think when it hit me that it was for the LGBT community so much more than it was for myself, I knew I had to do it.
KAYE: And what did you make of the response? It sounds like people were cheering for you.
RUDOLPH: Yes. I mean, the standing ovation that I received from about 80 percent of the auditorium was -- it was overwhelming. It was not what I expected at all. I couldn't be happier with the response I received.
KAYE: When you say it was for others, not just for yourself, what do you hope for them?
RUDOLPH: I hope that I have been able to impact enough individuals in a sense that they understand that they are who they are, and nothing is going to change that, not society, not their families, not any sort of pressures. But I have impacted so many people, I'm so thankful.
KAYE: In your speech, you mention harassment. You also mention violence. Were you ever bullied? And if so, I'm curious how that affected you. We talk to so many kids who have been bullied, and it's traumatic for many of them.
RUDOLPH: Yes. I mean, I can only hope to have that end soon.
KAYE: So you have been bullied?
RUDOLPH: Well -- not necessarily by my peers. But I've seen other individuals receive harassment at my school.
KAYE: What's it like for you to watch and see that, especially because of their sexual orientation?
RUDOLPH: It's terrifying in the societal sense that we haven't been able to reach a point of understanding and compassion yet.
KAYE: In your speech, I'm curious -- I wanted to ask you because you didn't use the word "gay." When you said what you said, you said LGBT and added an extra "t." Can you explain that?
RUDOLPH: Well, I didn't add the extra "t." I said "LGBT teen." But I intentionally used LGBT because it's a much more broad spectrum of sexual orientation, and I think using "gay" or "straight" or even "bisexual" at this point is more of an antiquated word considering how many people are still questioning their identity and I think it is acceptable to change over time.
KAYE: Have you heard from other students and other teens who might be struggling and might be wanting to come out but might be afraid to? What have they said to you?
RUDOLPH: I have received so many Facebook messages from people I've never even met before saying that after seeing my video they've been able to come out to their friends and families. And I've even had a couple of my friends come out of the closet to me, as well.
KAYE: What do you think is the answer? You know, we talk so much about bullying and trying to put an end to it, and certainly bullying of gay and lesbian students. What is the answer, Jacob?
RUDOLPH: Well, I feel like the answer is in two parts. I feel like it starts in the home with parents of LGBT individuals giving unconditional love and support to their kids just as my parents have to me. And I think that it also starts in the educative system that we start learning about LGBTs and learning that a lot of the myths and biases that we hear throughout our days in school, they are just myths, and they are biases. So I think the more we become enlightened and educated on these subjects I think that's going to help immensely, as well.
KAYE: Jacob, do you think you might make this a cause as you grow up? As you age in life, or do you have other plans?
RUDOLPH: I don't intend to make it my life's mission, but I'm definitely going to be active in the LGBT community as much as I can.
KAYE: What did you make of your dad posting it on Facebook, your video, because I think a lot of kids certainly are afraid to talk with their parents? Had you ever mentioned this to your parents before, or was this the first time they had heard it, as well? What do you think of the idea that your dad is the one who posted it?
RUDOLPH: Well, I had told both of my parents about a year prior to the speech, so it didn't come as a shock to them. And I was all for my dad posting it on YouTube. I wanted everybody to see it.
KAYE: Well, they certainly have. Jacob Rudolph, appreciate it. And certainly appreciate what you've done. Thank you.
RUDOLPH: Thank you guys so much for having me.
KAYE: Thank you.
RUDOLPH: Also --
KAYE: Lance Armstrong hit with a deadline to testify. We'll tell you his response and his reasoning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Lance Armstrong is answering a warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. They say he has less than two weeks to step up and testify. But he says no way. USADA's chief Travis Tygart says Armstrong must testify before the February 6 deadline if he even expects them to consider dropping his lifetime ban. He also had this to say to "60 Minutes" about Armstrong's assertion that he didn't really think he was cheating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS TYGART, CEO U.S. ANTI-DOPING AGENCY: It's amazing. I mean, this guy -- you could go to almost any kindergarten in this country or, frankly, around the world, and find kids playing tag or four square and ask them what cheating is. Every one of them will tell you it's breaking the rules of the game. No real athlete has to look up the definition of cheating. It's offensive to claim athletes out there working hard to play by the rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Armstrong's attorney says his client has scheduling conflicts that will keep him from testifying in time. He also says they don't think Armstrong should testify before the U.S. agency anyway. They think the International Anti-Doping Agency is the one with the real authority.
Time now for a look at the top CNN trends on the web. A sneak peek at the new Mercedes Super Bowl ad featuring "SI" cover girl Kate Upton washing a car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Yes, that might turn some heads. Sex sells, that's nothing new. I'm looking at the guys in my studio that will remain nameless right now, never paid this close attention to one of my shows. But some critics are saying it is too sexy for the Super Bowl. Someone posted on the Mercedes Benz Facebook page saying, "Hot girl, great car, and somehow I think this is the worst ad Mercedes has ever made."
The artist who painted the first official portrait of Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, is now defending his work. It got some big-time criticism when it was unveiled earlier this month. Some say it made her look like a ghost and about 25 years older than she is. Now British artist Paul Elmsley is firing back, saying people should see it with their own eyes because it doesn't photograph way. Even though according to the "London Evening Standard" postcards of his work are the fastest selling of any painting at the National Portrait Gallery.
And finally, a local reporter goes into an animal pen -- what could possibly go wrong?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the manatee county fair, Linda Carson, ABC 7 -- would you not eat my pants? Ah!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: It's dangerous fieldwork, I tell you. That is ABC 7's Linda Carson on the ground. She was at the manatee county fair. She said they're in Palmetto, Florida. Let's see this again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you not eat my pants? Ah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: She was doing a story about kids that raise goats. And she shook it all off. She's OK. And we're told the pen had been recently cleaned. That's a good thing.
For much of the country this morning, the weather forecast is simple, one word -- cold. It is bitterly cold for much of the northeast, the mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. Icy roads are blamed for hundreds of wrecks. Let's check in with meteorologist Alexandra Steele who's trying to keep warm in studio with me. What do the next few days look like?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The thing is, we've hit bottom, just like that poor reporter. She was down. We've been down, and we're on the rise. We'll talk about the warmth. We'll see about a 20-degree rise.
But where we're seeing the wet conditions, all the rain and no from yesterday in the east is gone, the onslaught of moisture in southwest, Phoenix, Vegas, Los Angeles, all seeing pretty rainy day. And as we head toward the north and east, what we're going to watch is a piece of that energy move into the intermountain west. It's dry in Colorado now. But we'll watch what happens from here into the upper Midwest. We're going to see an ice storm develop once again.
And Chicago actually has a winter storm watch posted from tomorrow morning through Monday morning. The timeline, 1:00 tomorrow afternoon, here's Chicago. The pink delineates where we will see freezing rain. Why it's freezing rain instead of Chicago instead of snow, you ask, is right at the surface is where we have temperatures at the surface, immediately close to the ground. We have them above freezing. And so we're seeing some temperatures right along there where we're watching the liquid fall to the ground but freezing on the surface where temperatures down there are cold. But above that in the atmosphere, it's much warmer. We're going to watch this ice storm move east and then impact the northeast for the day on Monday.
In terms of temperatures, it has been frigid, the coldest arctic air of the season. That is pushing eastward. Finally, this big ridge of high pressure, temperatures 20 degrees warmer than where they've been. Chicago, 20, gets to the 40s heading toward the week ahead, much warmer air on the way. Look, 60s in Paducah. Places that were dealing with the ice storm only yesterday, 68 in Nashville as we head toward Tuesday and Wednesday 70s. We're going to see temperatures there, 20 degrees above where they've been as we head toward Tuesday and Wednesday, the big warmth coming in a couple of days. That's the end of it.
KAYE: OK. Thank you very much.
STEELE: Sure.
KAYE: It's easy to say that you'd like to change the world. But this week's CNN Heroes recognizes a kid who is really doing it. When he was just six years old, Will Lourcey saw a man asking for food and decided to do something to help him. Now he and his friends are attacking hunger in their hometown. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL LOURCEY, CNN HERO: One day when I drove home from a little league game, I saw a homeless man with a cardboard sign that said, "Need a meal." so I told my mom I wanted to do something.
BO SODERBERGH: Will Lourcey is a nine-year-old child. I hesitate to call him child. I think he's in a category of his own. As a seven- year-old, he decided he was going to take on this issue of hunger.
LOURCEY: Welcome to FROGS. My group is called FROGS, and it means friends reaching our goals. Our motto is having fun while helping others.
I want you to write what we could do for a spring project.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will's big personality does not come from me.
LOURCEY: Fire me up. Pepper me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think every time you meet will, you look and say, are you kidding me? Together with his buddies, they have raised over $20,000 or the equivalent of 100,000 meals for the area food bank. When you see somebody who gets so engaged and gets so much of the community engaged, it's an endorsement of the battle we fight to end hunger.
LOURCEY: Thank you for your time, and remember, no matter how tall or small you are, you are making a big difference.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Now a little trivia for all you political junkies watching. Who was the last secretary of state to later become president? If you know the answer, no Googling, you can tweet me @RandiKayeCNN. And I'll have the answer for you after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Now five stories that you need to know about this morning.
Number one, the hacker group Anonymous has declared war on the U.S. government. It took over the web site of the United States sentencing commission this morning and posted this video. Now the video demands reform of the justice system and hackers threaten chaos if the government doesn't meet their demands. They say it's retaliation for the suicide death of Internet activist Aaron Schwartz. He was facing federal computer fraud charges and 35 years in jail.
Number two, thousands of people are expected to march on the National Mall in Washington later this morning to support tighter gun control measures. Live pictures as you watch this. Lawmakers, pastors, even some celebrities will be joined by victims of mass shootings including residents from the latest one in Newtown, Connecticut. They want Congress to enforce a ban on military-style assault weapons and require universal background checks.
Number three now. In a controversial move, the Milwaukee County sheriff took out a radio ad that warns people to arm themselves. Listen to Sheriff David Clark.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAVID CLARK, MILWAUKEE COUNTY: With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. But are you prepared? Consider taking a certified safety course in handling firearms so you can defend yourself until we get there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: County officials say they're not aware of any layoffs or furloughs and that they ad sounds like it's encouraging vigilante justice. They say it's irresponsible to suggest 911 isn't adequate. Sheriff Clark has not made a comment.
Number four, the next "Star Wars" movie will be directed by J.J. Abrams. You may know him as the creator of "Lost" or "Fringe." Last night Walt Disney announced Abrams will direct "Star Wars Episode Seven." I'm pretty excited about that one. This will be the first "Star Wars" film since Disney bought LucasFilm. Abrams says it is an absolute honor.
And number five, President Obama and Hillary Clinton are parting ways. Clinton is leaving her job at the state department flex week. The two sat down for what you might call an exit interview with "60 Minutes." Clinton talked about how she felt it was her duty to take the job while the president just wanted to highlight her selfless service.
Earlier I asked if you knew the answer to this question -- who was the last secretary of state to later be elected president. Do you know it? The answer is James Buchanan. He's actually the sixth secretary of state to become president. And that includes the first secretary of state, Thomas Jefferson. That was a tough one. Thanks for playing along.
It has been a big political week from the inauguration to a deal on the debt ceiling to the president naming a new chief of staff. But we wanted to focus on a few others that caught our attention. First, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill, she was testifying about the attack in Benghazi that left four Americans dead. Now at one point Clinton angrily snapped at Republican Senator Ron Johnson who wanted to know why the exact origin of the attack should have been revealed much earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything to prevent it from ever happening again, senator.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Joining me now, as they do every week, CNN contributor Maria Cardona and Amy Holmes, the anchor of "Real News" on "The Blaze." Full disclosure, Maria, you used to work for Hillary Clinton. Are you proud of your former boss?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: She did an amazing job. It was vintage Hillary Clinton. Look, her performance this week, it was so many things. She was unequivocal in taking responsibility for what happened which is absolutely the right thing to do and something she did from the first -- from the get-go. She was deft in deflection of questions that had been asked and answered. She was fierce in confrontation of those senators, like the clip that we just saw who were blatantly political in the face of the deaths of four American.
And she was also -- she showed raw emotion when she talked about having to meet the caskets and the families of the four fallen patriots. I think she comes out of this, if it's possible, perhaps even more popular than she was going into it.
KAYE: All right, let's look at the flip side now. Amy, you've been an outspoken critic of the way the administration handled Benghazi. Were you satisfied with what you heard from Hillary Clinton?
AMY HOLMES, ANCHOR, "REAL NEWS ON THE BLAZE": Well, I agree with Maria that it was vintage Hillary Clinton. There was -- it was full of contradiction. On the one hand, she says she takes full responsibility. But then later in questioning with Senator Rand Paul, she said that in fact the report said that only assistant secretaries and on down bear responsibility. It was contradictory when it came to actual foreign policy.
And the question -- what difference does it make -- it makes a difference if the attackers were local falafel and hummus vendors hiding rocket propelled grenade launchers in hummus or if they were international terrorists who have been popping up in Algeria in that hostage situation where three Americans were killed. Clearly to understand what happened, how to prevent it, and bring the perpetrators to justice it makes a difference.
KAYE: Falafel and Hummus -- I like how you worked that in.
This week marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, an interesting backdrop for a new bill proposed in New Mexico where a Republican state lawmaker wants a law that would punish a rape victim if she becomes pregnant from the attack and then has an abortion. She would be charged with tampering with evidence. So let me get your take on this, Amy. I'll go to you first.
HOLMES: Yes. I looked at the story, it was so strange. And I did a bit more research. In fact, that lawmaker, a female lawmaker I should underscore, she said that that was very misinterpreted. And in fact, she has changed the language of the legislation that she's introducing there in New Mexico. And from what I understand her intent was to punish sex abusers who coerce their victim into getting an abortion to cover up their crimes.
Now I don't know if this is because it was an issue that was brought to her by a constituent or it was an episode she saw on "Law and Order." I don't know. I don't live in New Mexico. I think leaping all over her to disparage her, pillory her, and villain-ize her is not the way pro-choice people should go about this. And I happen to be pro- choice myself. I think understanding where she was coming from was a lot more important.
KAYE: Maria, your take?
CARDONA: Really, really GOP? Come on. I think I just need to give this lawmaker woman Republican a bit of advice -- get the memo of Governor Bobby Jindal's speech to the Republican Party this past week. Stop being the stupid party. This is unbelievable that she would have introduced this bill in the wake of what happened, the shellacking that the Republican Party took in these last year's elections.
President Obama fully re-elected. I know Republicans love to say that the -- that American voters re-elected the House of Representatives, majority Republican. But what they don't disclose is that the Democrats actually received three million more votes in the House than Republicans did. So I think that she needs to really come back and take a look at what her motives are, what she wants to do in terms of the future of the Republican Party, and really understand what this bill means from a substantive standpoint. It's absolutely ridiculous.
KAYE: Let me get to this last one because it's a goody. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg getting political, going to hold a fundraiser for Governor Chris Christie, who is running for reelection. Is this the best guy you could have in your corner, Amy?
HOLMES: I think it always is great to have a person worth $10 billion in your corner raising money for you. And Mark Zuckerberg is also a supporter of president Obama. So it's interesting the way he seems to be perhaps a post-partisan, young, politically engaged young man. He's only, what, 28 years old at this point. So I watch the -- I watched "The Social Network." Mark Zuckerberg may not be the most charming guy, but has deep pockets.
KAYE: Having grown up in New Jersey, I know the holy trinity of what Chris Christie needs. You have Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart maybe, perhaps, and Bon Jovi. Who needs Zuckerberg when you got these guys, right, Maria?
CARDONA: You know what, I agree with Amy. When you have somebody in your corner that's worth billions of dollars, it's not a bad thing. And I --
KAYE: He's not New Jersey.
CARDONA: But you know what, I think it bodes well for the future of bipartisanship, Randi, because yes, Mark Zuckerberg has supported Democrats, supported President Obama, but I also think it shows Chris Christie and what an interesting Republican he is. And we'll see what happens moving forward. There's a lot of talk about him in 2016. I know that he's, you know, made some people mad on the Republican Party on their side. Again, it could be a roadmap for how the Republicans become relevant again.
KAYE: Maybe we'll expand the holy trinity. We'll see. We'll see.
CARDONA: There you go.
KAYE: Thank you both. Great to see you, as always. Maria Cardona, Amy Holmes. Have a great Saturday.
HOLMES: Thanks.
CARDONA: You, too.
KAYE: Want the real story behind "Argo," Ben Affleck's film about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis? I went one on one with the Oscar-nominated screenwriter to talk about everything from criticism over the film's accuracy to the Ben Affleck Academy snub.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your middle name? What's your middle name? What's your middle name? Shoot him, he's an American spy. Look, they're going to try to break you, OK. Try to get you agitated. You have to know your resume back to front.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You really believe your story's going to make a difference when there's a gun to our heads?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think my story's the only thing between you and a gun to your head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Have you seen Warner Brothers' "Argo" yet? The film, based on a once little-known rescue mission of U.S. diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis, won a couple of Golden Globes this month and is up for best picture at the Oscars. The film's also been hit by critics over its accuracy. This morning I spoke with "Argo" screenwriter Chris Terrio about the whole controversy.
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CHRIS TERRIO, SCREENWRITER, "ARGO": The essence of the whole operation is true. There was this moment in 1979 and 1980 when six people had to get out of Tehran. And just as it proceeds in the film, Tony Mendez, CIA officer, went to Hollywood, created buzz around the fake movie to create a cover story to get six people out. All that is absolutely true.
John Chambers, played by John Goodman, the makeup artist in Hollywood who won an Oscar for "Planet of the Apes," he was secretly working as a CIA agent, as a man who was designing prosthetics and disguises for CIA assets all over the world. So that character of a man in a make-up trailer making "Planet of the Apes" masks who by night is working for the CIA, that's absolutely real.
KAYE: Let me ask about something that "Slate" has written about this. A criticism in case you haven't heard it. "Much of the stuff "Argo" leaves out is even better than what made it in. For example, the downplaying of the Canadian involvement in the rescue." How do you make the choices -- first of all, how does that make you feel? Do you pay attention to that? How do you make the choices in terms of what to leave out and what to put in?
TERRIO: You feel that many of your sins are sins of omission. If we actually told everything that was happening, we'd have a 12-hour miniseries or longer. There are all kinds of Canadian heroes in this. Pat and ken Taylor, John and Xena Sheerdown, Canadian diplomats who also helped to hide Americans in the city. You know, there are -- there's no shortage of heroes everywhere you look in this story. So you go through a painful process of trying to figure out what is the most compelling way to economically tell the story in a way that is truthful to the, sense of what happened and also -- the essence of what can happened and calls hold an awe audience's attention.
KAYE: Let me ask about Ben Affleck, the star of your film.
TERRIO: That guy.
KAYE: In some way he was snubbed by the Academy, not getting nominated for best director, but won the golden globes. Do you think this is a political commentary by the Academy? What do you make of it?
TERRIO: I don't think so. I think that the movie got seven nominations, and I think that all of us on the team are thrilled that we got seven nominations. I think the way that nominations work out, sometimes the math is weird and maybe sometimes the outcome isn't exactly the one that you wanted. But you know, where -- Ben is up for an Oscar because he's one of the producers of the film. So he's still in the running to be on the stage for best picture if we were lucky enough to be on the stage. So I think, you know, I think ben -- Ben and I and the team, we are just thrilled that people have seen the movie and at that academy has given us some attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And even before the Oscars, on February 24, "Argo" is up for best picture tomorrow night during the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. We wish them the best of luck.
This week's cold weather has made for cool images from amateur scientists testing the physics of subfreezing temperatures to wild scenes produced by Mother Nature. More of these next.
But first, one man was in the prime of his life when an accident confined him to a wheelchair. Now he's turned his experience into a business that helps others. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has his story in this week's "Human Factor."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANNI KOURI, SUFFERED SPINAL CORD INJURY: I was playing volleyball at the beach, and I dove in for a swim to cool off.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What happened next would change Janni Kouri's life forever.
KOURI: I dove through a wave and there was a sandbar behind the wave. And I hit my head and instantly fractured my c5 and c6 vertebrae.
GUPTA: He spent two months in the ICU with nearly fatal complications. Eventually he recovered enough to start the rehab process. But the only program available for his specific needs was more than 2,000 miles away.
KOURI: It's shocking just to think that now I have to go all the way to Kentucky to get the best rehab, which is obviously what anybody wants in this situation.
GUPTA: So Curry left everything behind and moved to Louisville for the next year. He made some good progress, but for anyone with a spinal cord injury, rehab is truly a lifelong process. He started asking himself, what's next.
KOURI: Why don't we take what they're doing at Frasier rehab, take it out of the hospital-based center and take it into a community-based facility?
GUPTA: That's just what he did. Immediately after returning to California, he put his business savvy to good use and opened Next Step Fitness, the first rehab gym outside of a hospital setting. And remember, he's not just the president of the enterprise, he's also the client.
KOURI: I'm able to stand now for about 45 seconds to a minute when somebody helps me up. I walk with a walker for, you know, probably a couple hundred feet. So, you know, I definitely believe there's hope for me. GUPTA: Training here costs a lot, up to $1,600 a month. Curry says that's a lot less than what his training costs elsewhere. Scholarships for low-income families are also available.
KOURI: Our goal is to open community-based facilities across the country to make sure that people with any type of physical disability has access.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
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KAYE: Welcome back. The folks at the bad lip reading website, they are at it again, this time turning attention to the inauguration. Take a look at their spin on what the president and chief justice said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, repeat after me. I'm proud to say yo mama took a Cosby sweater.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm proud to say yo mama took a Cosby sweater.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elvis Presley had sex appeal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elvis Presley had sex appeal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll do the spaceman boogie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll do the spaceman boogie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The "Twilight" films, "Hunger Games," and NFL players have all gotten a bad lip-reading treatment as well. This time it was the president.
Bitter cold and blizzard conditions delivered a hefty dose of winter to a huge swath of the country this week. They also produced marvelous images including some from amateur scientists who bundled up and headed out for some experiments. In Fargo, North Dakota, one of our affiliate reporters tried this -- a frozen banana. He used it as a hammer to nail in a piece -- used it to get a nail into a piece of wood. He also tried the trick of throwing a cup of hot water into cold air. You'll see it here. Yep. And then just simply turns to mist.
The same guys tried this. They hung a wet t-shirt outside, wet shirt, and then they waited for it to freeze. It got pretty stiff. And one of our CNN iReporters in Minnesota cracked an egg in a snow drift and watched while it froze solid, didn't take long there in Minnesota.
In Utah students had fun sliding around on some frozen pavement. Not too risky. And take a look at this. Water used to fight an extra alarm fire this week at a warehouse in Chicago quickly froze encasing the vacant building in a block of ice. It's not just here in the U.S. Overseas they are seeing a serious cold snap, as well. Take a look here. It's a chimp at a monkey and ape sanctuary in Wales. That's him. He's shuffling through the snow in a blue blanket. Look at him. He's trying to pull it over himself and stay warm. He looks cold. At least they gave him a blanket. Maybe they could get him inside perhaps.
From Wales and chilly chimps to Scotland and stylish ponies, yes, they are dressing them in sweaters or as they call them jumpers. Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fasten your cardigans, prepare to see "ah." These Shetland ponies really know how to fill out a sweater. Were these the biggest sweaters you've ever knitted?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes. Indeed, yes.
MOOS: Their names are Fivla and Vitamin or as the Scottish say --
JO TONKINSON, PONY OWNER: Vitamin.
MOOS: They are the new poster ponies for Scotland's tourist organization. And instantly the world has gone gaga over them.
TONKINSON: We got a call saying would your ponies wear jumpers. I said, I don't see why not.
MOOS: The owner sent measurements to Doreen Brown known for her Shetland wool wear. But pony dimensions are different.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to work out where his legs came and then of course, you have the wide neck compared to a human being.
MOOS: How do you get a cardigan on a pony?
TONKINSON: It was just a case of putting one foot in, put the other in, button it up.
MOOS: Most of the buttoning was done lying on the ground which was only possible because 17-year-old Fivla and Vitamin are so calm. No accidents, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No, no. No.
MOOS: Scottish tourism officials wanted to combine their two most famous exports, Shetland ponies and Shetland knit-ware. In the case of these sweaters --
TONKINSON: And they looked absolutely dreadful until they went on the ponies.
MOOS: That's the case with a lot of clothing, huh? We've seen a lot of critters wearing sweaters from penguins to dogs, pigs, even turtles on a blog called animals in sweaters. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is that?
MOOS: That's a sweater fit for Hannibal Lector. At least Vitamin and Fivla weren't subjected to that. Actually, horses wear covers all the time. I once dressed up in played to match a horse. But that was no match for these two dressed by Scottish tourism.
And how much did they have to pony up for a sweater fit for a pony? A little over $200 per horse, a bargain. Fivla and Vitamin got their sleeves dirty during a shoot, but the sweaters are hand washable.
I don't want to -- I don't want to sound insulting, but the sweaters make them look a little fat, don't you think?
TONKINSON: They are fat.
MOOS: Who you calling fat? Button your lip, lady.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: They looked pretty darn cute there.
The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING starts after a quick break.
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