tier positions and you're espousing a philosophy that is great if you can have round the clock care and et cetera. and maybe not so great for women who feel like, well, i don't have those same luxuries. >> probably that argument i always find is why are we saying she has no right to talk when she's successful. like who do we want to hear our advice from, some woman who is not successful? i think -- >> their books are less interesting for sure. >> we can't hold the fact that she went to harvard and worked at google and facebook, we can't hold it against her.people i talked to in silly con valley said yes she was lucky, but she was also smart. she's good and she's lucky. and i think you need a bit of both of those. >> but some of that is not necessarily is she not smart and lucky, it's more about the women you're speaking to can look at that and feel like i'm not sure i identify with what she's saying. >> but there are millions and millions of women in this country who can identify with

her. women get more of the university degree, more of the graduate degrees today. so those are exactly the women that she's talking to. and why shouldn't she help empower those women who have gotten all that education to then use it? >> why do wichl hate the whole feminist label? if you talk to -- when i speak to women at college, i'll say -- they absolutely recoil from it. almost like calling someone a feminist is like baby hater or something terrible. >> whoever is in charge of marketing for feminism needs to be fired. you ask those same women are you in favor of women earning the same as men -- >> and they'll complain about the opportunities they feel like they're not getting. >> but the thing is they are fem ni feminists, but they don't realize it. young women are very ambitious and i think they do want partners who are going to be -- who re they feel an equal basis. >> we're out of time this morning.

ladies, i thank you. guy, also. we appreciate it. you started us off. that's why i went to you. cnn newsroom begins right now. we'll see you back here tomorrow morning. have a great day. happening now in the newsroom, breaking overnight, the red curtains are up, the chimney installed, the vote on a new pope about to begin. could america's rock star cardinal be tops on the list? also -- >> when it comes to ambition to lead, to be the leader of whatever you're doing, men, boy, outnumber girls and women. >> sheryl sandberg and her feminist call to arms. but are women buying her message to lean in? in three words, not so much. and-46. >> we could add 341 federal employees koorks hacould have n furloughed if the president had not taken his last gulf outing.

>> no who are links for the president? not until the white house tours resume. plus chaos on the pitch. and full scale tackle it took to take down one little critter. you're live in the cnn newsroom. good morning. thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. we begin in afghanistan where 66,000 u.s. troops are on duty and on edge. this morning a gunman wearing an afghan uniform opened fire on nato and afghan service members. we now know that two americans are among those killed. the insider attack is the latest violence and comes amid deepening tensions and a visit from the new defense secretary chuck hagel. nick paton walsh is in beirut with more. >> reporter: what's also important about the attack is a number of coalition forces and afghan forces were either killed or injured, as well.

the details still coming in. but it happened in an area very close to the capital kabul. and today president karzai had ordered out all u.s. special forces from this particular region. after allegations that a militia loyal to them had been involved in a murder recently. now, of course we don't know if u.s. special forces were involved in this at all, but this particular the attack another green on blue as it's known will again strain the very difficult relationship, much remarkably brought to the surface over this weekend. chuck hagel's first visit to this most pressing issue on his plate, a press conference council between him and president karzai, the u.s. saying for security reasons which the afghan presidential palace then denied rngs and then youed that the curious comments from president karzai himself in which he suggested that the u.s. was somehow working with the taliban to furment the violent

to justify the longer term military presence there. enormous strains. and these soldiers deaths bringing that to a head. now let's head to the vaticannd and the count down t choosing the next pope. this morning red curtains hang from the central balcony where the new pope will be announced ame and make his first appearance. this american is among the leading candidates, timothy dolan is mobbed by well wishers in a moment worthy of a rock star. 115 cardinals in all can cast votes. 11 of them are american. cnn's chris cuomo is in rome with the latest. chris, i just can't get over the reception that timothy dolan is getting in italy. >> reporter: you're dead on right because there are no official rankings and there is no real way to know who is a

favorite. we're all just hearing things. but judging by the mass yesterday, he was mobbed. and it wasn't just media. we were at the mass and we heard locals saying he has a face like a pope. i don't know what that means, but it sounds good. the cardinal himself has been dealing with this prospect very humorously and dismissively. yesterday he gave a comment that, hey, i'm ready to go home. take a listen to the reason that the cardinal offered for why. >> i'm ready to go home. i ran out of socks. >> reporter: so that's really funny. and we were there with him yesterday and i said you need sock, my mother will send a care package. and he said green socks because st. patrick's day is coming up. no red. and he has a great balance of humor and also seriousness. this is his first conclave, and he is so excited for what he believes are the prospect for the church going forward. >> but does he have a real

chance to become pope? >> reporter: here's what we know. people here and those in the know at the vatican did not expect cardinal dl rtoll wla doh on the list, but he has baeen brought up. and he's mentioned in the papers almost every time. here is an interesting dynamic. in american presidential politics, when you have proper two candidates and it's deadlocked, one with l. make a compromise to create consensus. here they really can't do that. so when you have two people neck and neck, maybe both get thrown out and they look for a compromise. that's how we got john paul ii. but certainly the cardinal does not see it happening. >> but he would nt say if he did anyway. chris cuomo, thank you so much. the conclave officially begins tomorrow. let's head to ohio because this

morning in northeastern ohio, teddy bears and a make shift shrine mark the sign of a more guying weekend accident. six teenagers died when their overcrowded suv crashed into a guardrail and flipped in to a pond. >> i can't believe they're gone. they're babies. >> it will be a rough week. it will be a rough rest of the school year. >> two teenagers managed to escape, they ran for help. the crash happened early yesterday. it is not clear where the teenagers had been. police are investigating the crash of course, they say the suv was speeding. but there are no signs of alcohol or drugs inside the vehicle. the korean peninsula could be back on the brink of war. this morning north korea's army declared the armistice that ended the invalid. also today, south corekorea and united states began two months of military drills. last thursday the united nations

issued tougher sanctions against the north because of its secretive nuclear program. japan is remembering a devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit two years ago today. memorial service included this moment of silence in tokyo. the 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered massive waves and floods that wrecked the northeast coast and killed more than 15,000 people. here at home, knives on planes. the backlash has begun. as you know, the tsa will now allow certain kinds of small knives on board planes. but lawmakers like chuck schumer want the tchl sa to reverse their decision right now. >> it looks dangerous. and it is dangerous. this can kill someone. >> sxecexcept that's not the kif knife the tsa will now allow on planes because that can be

locked in place. confusing, right? rene marsh is at reagan international airport and joins us with a closer look. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, lots of rules as far as what can and cannot be brought on on when it comes to these small knives here. but when it comes to this new policy, what will it mean? it means that you can get through security lines like these with one of these. we're talking about these small pocketknives. and that is why we're seeing this battle start to brew because lawmakers are saying wait a minute, will this is not a good idea, it's scaring passengers and could endanger the flight crew. in a few weeks, knives like these may be allowed through airport security if a new tsa policy goes into effect. but some lawmakers are vowing to fight it. >> and today i'm asking the tsa to rescind that ruling and say small knives, any knives, are

not allowed on planes. >> reporter: new york senator chuck schumer joins unions representing pilots, flight attendants and federal air mal shals in publicly opposing the plan. delta airline ceo also expressed his objection in a letter sent to the agency. saying the change will, quote, add little value to the customer security process flow in relation to the additional risk for our cabin staff and customers. under the tsa's new policy, knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches and less than a half an inch wide will be allowed provided the blade does not lock in place. larger knives, razor blades and box cutters are still banned. the tsa administrator says the change will allow screeners to focus on things that could bring down an aircraft like bombs. >> the key factor for me is that that may detract us, may, detract us from that item that

could be catastrophic failure to an aircraft. >> reporter: the chairman of the house homeland security committee says tsa's highest priorities must be securing commercial aviation from the type of threats and weapons that could bring down an aircraft. but schumer says a knife does pose this that risk and given everything already banned, keeping them off planes only makes sense. >> does anyone think this which you're not allowed to bring on a plane, a bottle of shampoo, is more dangerous than this, a sharp and deadly knife? >> reporter: so again, tsa saying actually that knife he showed there would not be allowed on the plane. and the key here really is to make sure that the blade is within the length and width that they say and also it's able to retract. that's the key. as far as schumer goes, he says that if the tsa does not repeal 24 new policy, he says he'll try to overturn it by introducing

legislation. back to you. >> rene marsh reporting live this morning. just ahead, is the women's movement stalled, is feminism dead? one of the biggest names in tech thinks so. sheryl sandberg is ruffling some feathers. we'll talk with one of her close e. friends next. [ male announcer ] julia child became a famous chef at age 51. picasso painted one of his master works at 56. doris taerbaum finished her first marathon at 50. not everyone peaks in their twenties throughout their lives. passion keeps them realizing possibilities. an ally for real possibilities. aarp. find tools and support at aarp.org/possibilities.

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about 15 past the hour. time to check our top stories. several americans along with afghan troops have been killed in eastern afghanistan. a gunman wearing an afghan uniform fired on the group. the incident came amid comments

by afghan president karzai overshadowing defense secretary chuck hagel's overseas trip. hagel who met with u.s. troops denies the claims. >> any prospect for peace or political settlements, that has to be led by the afghans. that has to come from the afghan side. >> the commander of nato led forces in afghanistan also calls karzai's claim categorically false. nelson mandela is resting at home after a saturday night stay at the hospital. that's according to a statement from a presidential spokesman. doctors say the scheduled tests showed mandela is doing pretty well. the former south african president hasn't been seen in public since 2010. starting tomorrow, new york city begins its ban on big sugary soft drinks. the ban limits the size of drinks to 16 ounces.

mayor bloomberg's move is designed to reduce obesity rate, covers everything from restaurants and theaters to fast food joints and food carts. let's talk about sheryl sandberg, the facebook coo who was pushing a new kind of memphis tick agenda. and let's just say sandberg's ideas have proved to be polar i'ding. after all, sandberg seems to blame women for their failure to advance at work. and coming from a woman who had the luxury of a harvard education, that seems kind of elitist to many women. sandberg's book is called "lean in." here thshe is on "60 minutes". >> plenty of women are as ambitious as men, but i want to say it unapologetically that the data is clear when it comes to ambition to lead, to be the leader of whatever you're doing, men, boy, outnumber girls and women. >> but shall women will hear that and say, wow, she's telling

me i'm not working hard enough, i'm not trying hard enough. she's blaming women. >> i'm not blaming women. my message is not one of blaming women. there is an awful lot we don't control. i am saying that there is an awful lot we can control and we can do for ourselves. >> joanna coles is the editor-in-chief of cosmopolitan magazine and also a close friend of sandberg's. thank you for being with us this morning. >> my pleasure. >> first off i'd like to read one of the comments from people who watch sandberg's interview on "60 minutes" last night. this is one of those comments. quote, she has no sensitivity to the struggling mother. she is not facing reality for the average woman. ms. rich girl. end quote. in the interest of playing devil's advocate, would men be criticizing a harvard educated successful man who was dishing out corporate advice to men? >> no, of course not. nobody has attacked jack welch

and said, goodness, he can't relate to the poor man in the street. who are women supposed to take advice from? surely one of the most successful business women of our time. and i want to go further and say sheryl sandberg is a visionary. she's trying to start a national conversation and a movement where we can take the gloves off and actually have real conversations about real people's lives. and the conflict that many of us, not just women, but men, too, have with office and family. and we know in the american workplace the balance is wrong for men and women. and we know that there are many, many more women now at universities and in higher education. and yet that figure is not reflected in the board rooms. and furthermore, we know empirically all the research shows that businesses do better when they have senior management that reflects the population at large. so when they have minorities and

women represented in full. >> critics say sandberg's book is full of contradictions. she says don't be afraid to speak up, yet she was coached on speaking up too much. critics say they seems to want it both ways. >> there has been a lot of cartoon criticism of her book because that's the easy way to discuss what is actually a very complicated conversation. and i think what she's getting at is the fact that many people feel ambivalent about trying to lead in a workplace which is actually unfavorable to women largely because it demands tremendously long hours, hours that we don't see anywhere else in the western world. and women are still woefully underrepresented in politics. so what she's trying to do is start a nuanced conversation. and the idea that you would attack her even if your intro, she said she was elitist because

she went to harvard. for many, many people, harvard is an extraordinary aspiration. how amazing she went to public school in miami, there was no family legacy of going to harvard, she achieved it. and now she's being attacked for it. extraordinary hypocrisy. >> well, let me address that because i'm a person who went to a public university. when you go to ivy league schools, there are lots of people who attend those ivy league schools who have parents in very powerful places. >> what are you saying, should she go to -- >> i'm not saying that at all. i'm just saying that she had an advantage that many women did not. she had access to people that let's say i would never have had access to at kent state university. >> but she worked her way it to harvard. this was not something that was handed to her on a platter. she went to a regular public school. worked hard. she got to harvard. now we're attacking her for that? that makes no sense to me. >> let's talk about her views on

marriage. because i thought they were very thought provoking and pretty on point. let's listen. >> everyone knows marriage is the biggest personal decision you make. but it's the biggest career decision you make if you're going to have a life partner who that partner is going to be. >> that just puts more pressure on women. >> puts more pressure on women if they marry or partner with someone to partner with the right person because you cannot have a full career and a full life at home with your children if you are also doing all of the house work and child care. >> and of course that is absolutely true. but again, critics attacked her for that, too, saying she must have help at home, her husband is also in a powerful position and makes quite a bit of money. why not bring up those things, too. why not be fully transparent if you're going to offer advice in this way. >> well, when you read the book, sheryl is fully transparent. when you know her as a friend, she's always wrestling with the complications of running work and running a household with two

very bright smart absolutely adorable children. i think what she's trying to raise the point, and this is very much in the zone of any woman who right now is working three jobs and not bringing home very much money. this is exactly the book you want to read because what it's trying to figure out is the conversation that you can have with your domestic partner, your husband, your spouse, but how you share the pressure and how over the ebb and flow of both careers you pass the baton back and forth in terms of what we used to call just being a family and now is being called child care. i don't even know when that happened in the culture that being a parent suddenly became child care or baby-sitting. but what she's trying to do is analyze why families are under such pressure and the truth is 50% of american marriages he said end in divorce. that's not good for the workplace or families. and whshe'sry

how can we share the load. >> and i think it's great that these discussions have been started, but as a close friend of hers, did she expect this kind of backlash? >> one of the things that she loves hearing as a friend, she guest edited cosmo careers. and we started getting letters and e-mails from girls reading it who were so moved. this was the first time anyone had said to them you can do this, go for it. its he empowering. and i think she knew there would be critics and she is so much more excited and inspired by the younger women who have reached out to her and there are thousands of them. 40,000 people have already signed on to her website lean in and joined the movement who are saying we're with you and we want to have big, big lives with families and jobs and thank you for making us believe it's

possible. >> joanna coles, than you so much thank you so much for sharing. we appreciate it. a lot of people are talking about sandburg's "60 minutes" interview including laura bush. she sat down with erin burnett. >> i have two girls who have been leaning in since the day they were born i think. they're both very interested in the outside world and in life outside of themselves. teenagers are usually very self-conscious and my advice always is to move outside of yourself by looking at other people, by looking at ways you can use your ownletal talents. >> you can see the entire interview tonight at 7:00 eastern right here on cnn.

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now is your chance to talk back. the question for you this morning, will the obama charm offensive work? president obama is pouring on

the charm, at least whats passes for charm on capitol hill. this week the president will make the 15 minute drive from the white house to capitol hill to visit lawmakers face to face. all in an effort to improve relations and modify those forced spending cuts. republicans are not totally charmed. >> i believe anytime that both parties are talking, it's a good thing. now, this should have happened four years ago. i'm glad it's happening now, but is it about politics or is it genuine? >> which is it? >> only time will tell. >> what's not so charming is the gamesmanship. oh, yeah. that hasn't stopped. republican congressman louie gohmert introduced a bill making it illegal for the president to use federal funds to play golf. that is unless the white house resumes its tours for tourists. >> we'll be able to get the democrats and republicans across america, people that don't even have a party, just americans,

we'll be able to get their tour of the white house and all it will cost is one or two golf trips less. >> bap hasnobama hasn't played since the automatic cuts took effect, but michael bloomberg fired back. >> i find it fascinating people criticize him for taking people to dinner. he should be doing that every night. they criticize him for playing golf with people who he will deal with. she be doing that every weekend. you always can work better with somebody that you have a chance to build a social relationship with. >> and while politicians bicker over dinner dates and golf, the full effects of the spending cuts are yet to come. but hope springs eternal, right? talk back question today, will the obama charm offensive work? facebook.com/carolcnn. or tweet me at carol cnn.

thank you so much for joining me. stories we're watching right now in the newsroom, at just about 30 past the hour, you hear the opening bell ringing on wall street. investors are watching the dow to see if it will take a break from last week's record breaking rally 37 rally. alison kosik is live. >> reporter: after four record breaking days on the dow, it looks like stocks will take a breather today. and though the trend is still likely that the dow will go higher in the short term, you may wiped up seeing the market under pressure today. stocks are coming up quite the solid week. look at the dow, it's gained every day last week, each more than 2% for the week. already this year major averages are up 7% to 10%. this week the market is looking for more evidence of signs of strength in the economy, looking to how consumers are holding up,

are they spending monday. wednesday we get the retail sales and it will be a lot of attention paid on this because everybody wants to see if the increased payroll tax, the delayed tax refunds, and hire gas prices are keeping consumers from spending money. >> alison kosik reporting live from the new york stock exchange. north korea's army declares the armistice agreement ending the korea war invalid. according to a state newspaper. this comes as south korea and the united states begin military exercises. the drill scheduled to last two months. and involve 3,000 u.s. troops. north korea calls the drills an open declaration of war and threatens military action. wow. that was dramatic pictures of a fire and explosion in harrison, new jersey. firefighters were called to a fire at an apartment building when that explosion occurred.

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clock. p playing with us today, l.z anderson and will cain. >> morning. >> up first, congressman paul ryan, you remember him, don't you? the wisconsin representative was thrust into the national political stage after mitt romney tapped him to be his running mate. the man with the budget plan described by fellow republicans as bold in part for its cuts to entitlements. now ryan is back with a brand new budget. one that takes aim at an issue that continues to be the thorn in the side of some republicans. obamacare. >> are you saying that as part of your budget, you would repeal you assume the repeal of obamacare? >> yes. >> that's not going believe it . this is what budgeting is all

about, about making tough choices to fix our country's problems. >> john boehner also a republican famously said president obama's re-election meant his health care program was quote the law of the land. so our question, should republicans stop fighting obamacare? will. >> no. look, republicans want to be on the right side of history on this deal and advocates suggest it's deficit neutral, but do you think the government 34r57b planners in 1969 thought medicare would be some kind of big budget stuff that pulled us into endless deficits and debt? no, they didn't. the political reality is that paul ryan is not going to be able to accomplish an obamacare repeal at least until 2017. this fight will happen on the state level. it's governors opting out of medicare expansion through obamacare and it's happened in 17, north of 17 states now. >> maybe 18. but you're right. somewhere 17 or 18.

l.z. >> paul is an interesting character to me because here is a person who if you look back at the 2012 election didn't win the district that he was voting in, which means he didn't secure his neighborhood for the romney ticket. and i think part of the reason why is this reaction ationale. how do you build any level of credibility if you keep proposing these ideas? is obamacare a perfect law? absolutely not. and they should continue to tweak it. but no sense in repealing. >> next question. the tsa's decision to allow some small knives on 34r5eplanes spa shock and outrage and now senator schumer is demanding the tsa change its mind. >> it looks dangerous and it is dangerous. this can kill someone. >> and it's really dark in that room. just one problem with schumer

and that knife. that particular knife will not be allowed on board under the tsa's new knife rules partly because it appears to have a razor blade. but who can really understand what's allowed and not allowed on 34r5eplanes these days? our question, should knives be allowed on planes? >> no. simple as that. no. and not so much as me wondering whether or not someone will try to kill someone or take over a plane or hijack a plane. it's a simple matter of the fact is i was just in the airport. the tsa is barely hanging on trying to manage shampoo and shaving cream. you're asking them to measure the size of knives and whether or not they can be held in a certain position as well as baseball bats, as well as golf clubs? it's too much. too taxing. they're barely hanging on as it is. >> i'll quote the previous hefd the tsa. he said you ought to be able to take on on battle axes and

machetes, as well p. there is the insightful thing you can learn about this. what's the point of the tsa? what's the point of all the regulations? it's not to prevent acts of violence. those can be done with fists and blunt objects. ite it's to protect against human beings using the plane as a weapon or to blow up the entire plane. the previous head of the tsa's point is focus on bombs. quit with the sharp objects. people can do each other harm. focus on bombs. interesting. what's the purpose of the tsa? >> okay. we'll ponder that. now to our buzzer beater. 20 seconds on the clock. newt gingrich has some advice for his party. loosen up. the former republican presidential candidate saying if asked, he would go on the hit show the celebrity apprentice because republicans would be, quote, so much better off and

relaxed in shows like that and be interesting. new york congressman also a republican peter king seemed to be taking gingrich's advice to heart heading to the boxing ring. i hope we get to see him fight. the 68-year-old sparring at an exhibition match this weekend, entering the ring to the fight song from notre dame where he attended. spokesman says king is a big boxing fan and has been training for nine years. king called the event a great experience. our question, is newt gingrich right, are republicans too upsighup sig tight? >> i have never voted for a politician because they were cool. cool may be good in terms of getting media coverage, in terms of getting magazine coverage, but no rational person votes for

a politician because they are cool. so this notion that the republicans need to be less uptight and more cool perhaps they would win the popular vote is stilly. just work on policy that the majority of american people can buy into, stop being hypocrites and presenting a less adverse reality of america. >> will. >> so much to impact here. first of all, i'm not sure celebrity apprentice is the way to establish yourself as cool. second, our republican politicians somehow anti-cool, are they too uptight? as compared to what, deb any wasserman schultz? if you're asking if republicans or conservatives in the country are too uptight, i would question your perception. are conservatives perceived to be uncool? i would suggest get around a bit. >> many thanks for playing with us today. we'll be right back. ♪

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time to check our top stories. tomorrow 115 catholic cardinals will cast their first vote for the next pope. red curtains hang from the central balcony where the new pope will be announced and then make his very first appearance. new york cardinal timothy dolan is among the dozen or so leading candidates. sven lapril 14th they will the new president to replace chavez. made did your row ur the new president to replace chavez. made did your row ua is the int. heavy snow still causing travel problems across parts of iowa. dozens of cars slid off icy roads and into ditches in the western areas of the state. storm moving in to mitch nchiga expected to dump a half foot by this afternoon.

did you watch "saturday night live"? it was so funny and so was justin timberlake, he helped saturd"saturday night live" dra biggest audience in 14 months. the singer joins a small group of people who have actually hosted the show five times. we have to show you a sample. ♪ go vegetarian, hey, eat some kale, it's so much fun, veg out ♪ ♪ brown rice baby unmeal, unmeal ♪ ♪ i wish i had some glow sticks ♪ >> i swear i could watch that all day. i laughed so hard. snl grabbed its biggest audience since charles barkley hosted in

january 2012. back to reality now. talk back question for you, will the obama charm offensive work? facebook.com/carolcnn. your responses next. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above,

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done. you don't have to get along, but respect each other and do your my beloved gop is taken over by ego and hubress. charm offensive? why call it that? it implies the president is big disherntly honest. this from evan. he needs to stop leading and look like the gop look like a group of bond villains. please, continue the conversation. facebook.com/carolcnn. or tweet me. remember the old tiger woods? the man who dominated golf, the guy who made championship red a very popular color? well, he's back.

another win at doral. he may not be ranked number one, but he sure played like the best golfer in the whole entire world this weekend. joe carter has more in this morning's bleacher report. >> hi, carol. last year at this same tournament tiger had to withdraw because of an injury he had in his achilles. that was a concern after that tournament he'd never get his golf game back again. in the last year he roared back. he has five wins, more than any golfer in the world. a win at torrey pines, yesterday at doral.

both of those really dominating wins for him. to think he has two of his favorite golf courses ahead of him in bay hill and the masters. >> that's how i know i can play. that's the thing. be able to bring it out a couple times this year, and then able to close and get the ws on top of that. that's nice. any time i can win, you know, prior to augusta, it always feels good. all right. let's talk a little basketball now. the miami heat won their 18th straight last night by beating the indiana pacers by 14 points. what's up with the pacers? i thought they had miami's number this year. lebron james had one of his quietest nights offensively, but it didn't matter, because chris bosh, dwyane wade, mario chalmers had great games. miami goes for their 19th win in a row, i should say, tomorrow night against the atlanta hawks. liberty university, no doubt they are this year's ultimate cinderella story.

they made the ncaa tournament despite having 20 losses this season. they got hot when it counted the most. yesterday they won their conference tournament, the big south, which, of course, gives them big dance. pine marten, it's a little weasel. this is a soccer game in switzerland. one player catches it, carol. watch, it does not like to be caught. don't miss with the pine martin. they had to get out the antiseptic. that's a scary situation. they asked the goalkeeper, hey, you come over with the gloves on and bring him to safety. we want to make a point, he was safe. he was not of course, for all your entertaining sports news, including how the united states pulled out a win against canada yesterday at the world baseball classic, check out bleacher.com. welcome back, good stuff you

had for us. >> i have more fantastic stuff to come, too. i also interviewed prince fielder and i won't give it away, but that interview will air later this week. he said some surprising things you would not expect. he had big arms. they were like the size of both of my legs together. joe carter, many thanks. next hour of "cnn newsroom" after a quick break. thank you orville and wilbur... ...amelia... neil and buzz: for teaching us that you can't create the future... by clinging to the past. and with that: you're history. instead of looking behind... delta is looking beyond. 80 thousand of us investing billions... in everything from the best experiences below... to the finest comforts above. we're not simply saluting history...

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-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com that's how ameriprise puts more within reach. happening now in the newsroom, six teenagers killed in a car crash. police say they were speeding and should not have been driving that suv. >> we got to come together out here as a community, because we can't just lose each other like this. plus, the red curtains are up, the chimney installed. the vote on a new pope about to begin. could america's rock star cardinal be tops on their list? it's disheartening to come out here and see all this marine debris in an area otherwise so remote. >> and it was two years ago today the earthquake and tsunami hit japan. the crisis isn't over yet. it's arrived on our beaches and our dinner plates. also -- >> when it comes to ambition to lead, to be the leader of

whatever you're doing, men outnumber women. >> her feminist call to arms, but are women buying her message to lean in? in three words, not so much. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." good morning. thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. we begin this morning in afghanistan where 66,000 u.s. troops are on duty and on edge. this morning, a gunman wearing an afghan uniform opened fire on nato and afghan service members. we now know americans are among those killed, but exact numbers have not yet been released. this insider attack is the latest violence and comes amid deepening tensions. cnn's nick payton walsh has more on this latest attack. good morning.

>> reporter: carol, nato confirming two dead americans, but the exact number unknown. there are, apparently, afghan soldiers among the injured as well, and perhaps nato injuries. this happens in wardak province on the day president karzai ordered u.s. special forces to leave that province. after allegations they've been denied by nato and involved in the murder of an afghan militia on their behalf. also, as you mentioned, just on the heels of chuck hagel's first visit to kabul, u.s. secretary of defense there. seemed keen to build a good relationship with hamid karzai but finding the afghan leader very stridently saying he believed a recent attack was the result of u.s. taliban colluding to justify a longer term u.s. presence. accusations nato dismissed out

of hand, but it brings to the floor a tough challenge in the months and years ahead as he tries to get his successor into the presidential palace. perhaps he's banking on being and american as a way of shoring up popular performance after a nato campaign. carol? >> nick payton walsh reporting live from beirut this morning. now let's head to the vatican. this morning, red curtains now hang from the central balcony at st. peter's basilica. that's where the new pope will be announced and then make his first appearance. and this american is among the dozen or so leading candidates for pope. new york's cardinal timothy dolan is literally mobbed. dolan also enjoyed a warm reception from a standing-room only crowd when he said mass yesterday. >> reporter: you got applause

inside the church. >> you'll never get that at st. pat's. >> reporter: what was it you said? >> did you all get a copy? >> reporter: you said something and they applauded. >> i said there's a great crowd here. let's do two collections. we do it in new york. >> cnn's chris cuomo is in rome at st. peter's square. chris, you chatted briefly with archbishop dolan. is he a real contender? >> reporter: yeah, we did. >> cardinal, i'm sorry. >> reporter: yes, cardinal dolan. we have to get that right. he has been comedically dismissive. yesterday he said he was ready to get home for socks, green socks. he's been using levity for this. he only got serious when he talked about this being his first conclave and he believes very much so in the hopes of the

future of the church. carol, i want to bring in john allen, our senior vatican analyst. as exciting as it is for us as americans, to talk about americans being in it for pope is not completely farfetched, true? >> that's the novelty for 2013. for the very first time it's plausible to think we might get an american pope. the old taboo used to think you can't have a superpower pope. but we live in a different world in the 21st century. america is no longer the only superpower and we have guys striking a number of other cardinals as possible popes. >> reporter: it's difficult to explain unlike traditional politics where you have a neck and neck battle between two, there's a compromise between those two. here, if the two main candidates don't get it done, you may go to an entirely third person, right? >> remember what happened in

1978, john paul ii, there were two strong contenders, they each had strong support, but neither one of them could get across the magic two-thirds threshold, so what happened is the cardinals in the conclave went shopping for somebody else and gave us allan poeland. there are a number of handicappers who think we might see a similar thing this time. >> reporter: this is about the holy spirit, there is a lot of thought into who this should be and why. we hear the italian, obviously, and the brazilian very much. why these two men and what makes it make sense they should be favorites? >> you also have to throw mark ruelette from france. why? because what the cardinals seem to be wanting are three things out of the next pope, a global vision, a capacity to evangelize, meaning get people

excited about the faith, and third, govern. and each one of these three guys, in his own way, seems to put these three qualities together. problem, chris, no one of them perfectly incarnates that wish list, so these cardinals are going to have to look at which particular cluster of qualities comes the closest. >> reporter: thank you very much. we're going to talk a lot about this. this is also unusual these cardinals are more concerned what change they are going to get than who will be the change agent. it will be an exciting process for sure, carol? >> it all starts tomorrow. chris cuomo, thanks so much. other stories this morning, dramatic video of an explosive back draft in injury. five firefighters reportedly maj injured. none of them seriously, although one had extensive cuts from flying glass, as you can imagine. starting tomorrow, new york city bans sugary soft drinks.

mayor michael bloomberg's controversial move is designed to reduce obesity rates and covers everything from restaurants and theaters to fast food joints and food carts. representative congressman paul ryan is reviving a familiar fight, obama care. ryan isn't pulling any punches. >> are you saying as part of your budget you will repeal obama care? >> yes. >> that's not going to happen. >> well, we believe it should. that's the point. this is what budgeting's all about, chris, about making tough choices to fix our country's problems. >> ryan's budget plan will balance revenue and spending within ten years. here's some hopeful signs on the housing front. many of the 5 million people who

lost their homes due to foreclosure are starting to buy again. let's bring in alison kosik at the new york stock exchange to talk more about this. good morning. >> good morning. low interest rates are helping, making it easier to borrow money, especially for people looking to buy homes after they lost their last home to foreclosure. here's why. when you have late payments on mortgages, when you have to foreclosure on your house, when you sell at a short sale, all of that messes up your credit big time and foreclosure can knock up to 160 points right off of your credit score. if you've got a lower credit score, that means you're at a higher risk of default and have to pay a higher interest rate. sometimes an interest rate that's really sky high. there's plenty of evidence that foreclosed home owners are coming back into the market now. typically, banks making them wait seven years, the penalty box, before they approve a new

mortgage. but lenders are trying to work with people to bring them back into the market sooner than the seven years. they are taking into account extenuating circumstances, maybe a divorce, layoff, health issue, other one-time events. lenders are being more sensitive as these former home owners are trying to get back in. carol? >> allison kosik live at the new york stock exchange. coming up in the newsroom, japan remembers a national tragedy, earthquake and tsunami two years today sending tons of debris into the ocean. even now, japan's toxic garbage is littering hawaii's coastline. e tens of thousands of dollars on their 401(k) to hidden fees. is that what you're looking for, like a hidden fee in your giant mom bag? maybe i have them... oh that's right i don't because i rolled my account over to e-trade where... woah. okay... they don't have hidden fees... hey fern. the junk drawer? why would they... is that my gerbil? you said he moved to a tiny farm.

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just about 15 minutes past the hour. time to check our top stories. heavy snow still causing travel problems across parts of iowa this morning. dozens of cars slid off icy roads and into ditches. storms now moving to michigan. it's expected to dump about a half foot of snow by this afternoon. north korea's army declares the armistice agreement ending the korean war invalid. that's according to a state newspaper. it comes as south korea and the united states begin military exercises. the drill's scheduled to last two months and involve 3,000 u.s. troops. north korea calls the drills an open declaration of war and is threatening military action. mottly crew lead singer

vince neil is recovering from kidney stone surgery this morning. he was hospitalized yesterday after he walked off stage in a concert in sydney. neil was doubled over in his dressing room five minutes until show time and tried to play through the pain. neil is 52 years old. it was one of the biggest disasters in history, march 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit japan. close to 16,000 people died, and this morning, at the exact time that quack struck, japan's emperor led the nation in a moment of silence. you remember these iconic images, rivers and streams filled with debris. two years later, the garbage is still washing up on american shores. here's keyon law. >> reporter: carol, it was two years ago when i was in japan and the 9.0 earthquake struck. hundreds of acres of debris sucked into the pacific ocean. schools, houses, entire cities.

well, that debris has been swirling through the pacific making its way to the continental u.s. and now here to hawaii. debris like part of this beer crate from japan. slamming the shores of one of hawaii's most remote beaches, debris, big and small. covering every inch of the beach coastline. the foreign markings tell where some of it comes from. these are definitely from japan. this is some type of pickle. that's definitely japanese. hawaii wildlife funds megan lamson has seen the debris since last fall, like refrigerator, large buoys, even an intact fishing boat from japan. sucked into the pacific on that horrifying day two years ago. traveling through the pacific, volunteers like hwf have been fighting the already big problem of marine debris. only made worse with the 1.5

million tons of floating tsunami debris. >> it's disheartening to come out here and see all this marine debris in an area that's otherwise so remote. debris washing up from other countries. >> reporter: this is not just a litter problem. look at what's inside this arbatross, a sea bird. the team is researching the alarming rate of debris and the birds. >> here you see. >> it is filled with plastic. >> reporter: this is a stomach of a two-month old albatross. is that part of a drain? >> it's a brush, you see? >> reporter: about 80% of this baby bird's stomach is indigestible plastic, fed this by his parents who confused it for food. >> morally, this is terrible. how is this possible, right? majestic, far ranging, beautiful birds, right? in a pristine place of the north

pacific. then you open them up and this is, you know, what you find. >> reporter: he says every single bird he's opened up had some sort of plastic, some large ones like these toys and lighters in the adult birds. >> goes way beyond. >> reporter: it's also in our fish. noaa fishery biologist is cutting into a lancet fish, this is what tu that eat, the tu that that ends up on your plate. what's that black thing? >> a plastic bag. >> reporter: nearly half of the fish jan's cut into had plastic. >> one thing that is a concern that we don't know is if chemicals are absorbed by the fish. >> reporter: a disaster still in the making now widening its reach. the environmental activists here in hawaii say there's nothing they can do about the tsunami

debris, just clean up the beaches, but they do say if they look around here, they notice a lot of bottle caps for disposable plastic bottles. there is something they want the consumers to use, just use less plastic. carol? eight teenagers crammed into an suv that seats only five. police say they were speeding down a two-lane road and only some of them were wearing seat belts. trip ended in tragedy. we'll take you live to ohio for an update. of all promotions. there's nothing like our grilled lobster and lobster tacos. the bar harbor bake is really worth trying. [ male announcer ] get more during red lobster's lobsterfest. with the year's largest selection of mouth-watering lobster entrees. like our delicious lobster lover's dream, featuring two kinds of lobster tails. or our savory, new grilled maine lobster and lobster tacos. my favorite entree is the lobster lover's dream. what's yours? come celebrate lobsterfest and sea food differently. [ male announcer ] visit redlobster.com now for an exclusive $10 coupon on two lobsterfest entrees.

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now a look back on one of the big stories today. a question for this morning, will the obama charm offensive work? president obama is pouring on the charm, at least what passes for charm on capitol hill. this week the president will make the 15-minute drive from the white house to capitol hill to visit lawmakers face-to-face, manoy mano. republicans, well, say they are not totally charmed. >> i believe any time that both parties are talking, it's a good

thing. now, this should have happened four years ago. i'm glad it's happening now, but is this about politics or is this genuine? >> which is it? >> only time will tell. >> what's not so charming is the gamesmanship. oh, yeah. that has not stopped. republican congressman louis gomert introduced a bill to ban the president using federal funds to play golf unless the white house resumes its tours for tourists. >> we'll be able to get the democrats and republicans across america, people that don't even have a party because they are just americans, they'll be able to get their tour of the white house and all it will cost is one or two golf trips less. >> of course, obama hasn't even played golf since the automatic cuts took effect. still, one-time republican michael bloomberg fired back in his bloomberg kind of way. >> i find it fascinating people criticize him for taking people to dinner.

he should be doing that every night. they criticized him for going and playing golf with people who he's got to deal with. he should be doing that every weekend. you always can work better with somebody that you have a chance to build a social relationship with. >> and while politicians bicker, the full effects of those spending cuts are yet to come. but hope springs eternal, right? talk back today, will the obama charm offensive work? facebook.com/carolcnn or tweet me @carolcnn. just ahead, is the women's movement stalled, is feminism dead? one of the biggest names in tech thinks so, sheryl sandberg ruffling some feathers. you'll hear from her next. transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles.

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good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for being with me. checking our top stories. just about 30 minutes past the hour. tomorrow, 115 catholic cardinals set to cast their first vote for the next pope. red curtains now hang from the central balcony at st. peter's basilica, where the new pope will be announced and make his first appearance. new york cardinal timothy dolan is among the dozen or so leading candidates. sheryl sandberg, the facebook ceo, pushing a new kind of feminist agenda. >> i'm not suggesting women aren't ambitious. plenty of women are ambitious as men, what i am saying, and i want to say it unequivocally and unapologetically, the data is clear, when it comes to ambition to lead, to be the leader of whatever you're doing, men, boys, outnumber girls and women. >> she makes those comments in her new book, "lean in." her ideas and advice are proven

to be polarizing, though critics say she guided to the top thanks to the help of powerful men like larry summers and google chairman eric schmidt. we now know that a caged door was left open leading to a killing of a young woman in california. diana hansen, an intern at cat haven, a wild animal sanctuary, was cleaning another cage when the lion attacked. in her mother's first statement, donna anderson said, "i'm living the worst nightmare in losing a cherished child. her legacy will live on in the support of conservancies such as project survival's cat haven. in ohio, a community reeling after a tragic accident. six teenagers died when their suv veered off a road, flipped over, and rolled into a pond. eight had crammed into a vehicle that only seats five. some had seat belts on. police say the car was speeding down a two-lane road and then this.

>> as far as the vehicle's concerned, our preliminary investigation shows that none of the occupants of the vehicle had expressed permission to be in possession of the vehicle. however, no reports have been filed or anything of that nature at this time. >> brian todd is in warren, ohio, outside of cleveland where a news conference has just wrapped up. what can you tell us? >> reporter: carol, we do have some new information about how the two survivors were able to make it out of the submerged vehicle. you did hear the account about whether they had permission to be in the vehicle, but dramatic new information about how the two survivors got out, identified as brian henry, 18 years old, and asher louis, 15 years old. this is what the ohio state patrol had to say about how those two young men got out of the vehicle after it was hanging upsidedown in the water and was submerged. >> i know they were able to get to the rear of the vehicle in some fashion. they were able to break one of the windows.

they swam out of the vehicle and surfaced. it's my understanding they ran approximately a quarter mile to a residence where they called 911. >> reporter: and shortly after that, divers were on the scene, first responders were on the scene. they got there very quickly. they pulled five victims out of the vehicle. one of the deceased victims had been ejected from the vehicle. they recovered that body later on. they are telling us just now the first responders themselves have been shaken by the experience. carol, some of them were pretty new to the job. one other point of interest here, the toxicology tests have not come back yet. they are still doing those tests and can't determine whether alcohol or drugs were involved in this accident. >> any idea yet who that suv belonged to and where the kids took it from? >> reporter: we do know who it belongs to. it's a gentleman named marquis stevenson. i specifically asked the officials at the news conference did he have any relationship to

any of the occupants of the vehicle. he does not have the same last name as any of them. the state patrolman told me that he does not have any relationship to them. they are still trying to determine how they came to be in mr. stevenson's vehicle. they are not quite sure of that yet, carroll. that's going to be something everyone is going to want to know. >> brian todd reporting live from warren, ohio, this morning. our talk back question today, will the obama charm offensive work? your responses and our panel discussion coming up next. this engine's got some juice. how far do you want to take it? up to you. chevy cruze's six-speed transmission allows for lower shift points, offering an e.p.a.-estimated 36 mpg highway. okay, then. [ laughs ] what a test-drive. yeah. it's really more of a road trip at this point. yeah. [ male announcer ] chevy. mpg ingenuity. now get this great sign & drive lease on a 2013 chevy cruze ls for around $199 a month.

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all right. our talk back question today, will the obama charm offensive work? president obama is pouring on the charm with congressional republicans trying to improve relations after those forced spending cuts went into effect, but some aren't buying it. one congressman even introduced a bill banning the president from using federal funds to pay for his golf games until the white house tours resume for tourists. one-time republican new york mayor michael bloomberg says quality time on the golf course and at dinner could actually soothe tensions in washington. >> i find it fascinating people criticize him for taking people to dinner. he should be doing that every night. they criticized him from going and playing golf with people he's got to deal with. he should be doing that every weekend. you always can work better with

somebody that you have a chance to build a social relationship with. >> joining us to discuss, cnn political contributor donna brazil, writer for espn, elsie granderson and will cain. welcome to all of you. >> thank you. >> good morning. >> i guess my first question is, when did the white house tour become this important cultural iconic sort of thing that if you cancel the white house tours, it's like oh, my god. when did that happen, will cain? >> well, it's symptomatic. the point is, is it an evidence of grand standing, washington monumenting, we talked about that during the sequester battle. is it the president using a high-profile thing to show, hey, these cuts hurt. these republicans attempt to convince you. these republicans forced these cuts, see how terrible that is? that, by the way, carol, brings up the sincerity of this charm offensive. that's the whole point. is the charm offensive seriously

working towards a goal both parties want to achieve, and that is a big, grand deficit reduction. that's the question. >> donna, is cancelling the white house tours, is that grand standing on the president's part? >> well, first of all, carol, this city attracts more than 20 million visitors each year. washington, d.c. is a tourist hub, and the sequester will impact, not just white house tours, capitol tours, tours to other important monuments, and it will also impact people who live in this region. i think it's very serious in the hype. look, when president obama was sworn in the first time, kevin mccarthy, who was on cnn yesterday, the whip, said in a private meeting that we got to make sure this president fails. it's in robert draper's book, we have to challenge in him on every piece of legislation. president obama is trying to find common sense solutions so that we can get this country moving again. and he's going to work with republicans, he's going to identify them, with senator kirk

on gun control, senator mccain on immigration reform. his issue right now is to find people who are willing to take on the good of american people and not just their beliefs. >> charm offensive, it's kind of -- it's too late. it's too late for charm to work on republicans. this is from peter. he says, democrats can't resist saying that republicans are the ones responsible for the impasse, even as they try to charm. elsie, how charming is that? >> here's the thing, right, is that when you look at who the american people put all this blame on in terms of where we are with the economy, by and large the american people put the blame solely on the republican party. the president's approval rating remains two and a half to three times higher than that of congress. >> the president's approval rating has dipped, too. >> it's dipped, but it still remains significantly higher

than republican members of congress, and part of that is because the president has done a very good job of wanting to control the message. but also, too, his politics are more in line with what the american people want and his tone is what americans want to hear. this term charm offensive, republicans in congress really need the president to reach out to them more because he's the one carrying a lot more of the approval than the republicans are. they are not coming from a power of strength, they are coming from a position of weakness. >> will? >> the issue is sincerity. that's it. donna's answer to you, she assigned to the president some very laudable motives, motives to reach some compromise, but as your facebook poster pointed out, seems to be a long time in coming. it's been a long time. why is it just now, five years into his presidency that he's reaching out to republicans? the question then becomes sincerity. donna points out republicans want to fight president obama. we know this, white house said they want to destroy republicans

and take back the house. they want nancy pelosi back in charge of the house of representatives. the question is, when president obama meets with these guys over dinner or meets with republicans, are they trying to get a bill everyone can agree on, or is he setting himself up to look like the good guy with the media so he can win the midterms? >> that's ridiculous. >> i think will has a point here, because the president took his act on the road, right, and that really wasn't working for him. now he's doing this charm offensive hoping that voters might latch on to this and think better of his efforts with republicans. >> well, let me, first of all, say that president obama's not only trying to woo republicans, but he's also trying to woo democrats, as well. he's meeting with both caucuses this week. he's talking to democrats and republicans. the most important thing is he's listening. he's listening to their ideas. he's saying, look, let's stop thinking about the last election and the upcoming election.

let's focus on how we can restore economic growth, let's focus on these common sense issues before us, gun safety laws, immigration reform. let's fix our ailing economy so people can get back to work. and if you want to assign blame, fine. right now the american people just want these guys and gals to get together and work on behalf of their constituents. >> l.z., i hear donna, but i don't think the american people are paying much attention because they've lost faith in our politicians. they are like, whatever. >> right. that's true. >> i think the difficulty in this is, one, the republicans have been basically had their entire policies on the notion that the president's policy's hurting the economy. and every single time that they hear a positive job report, which we did last week, it makes the message more and more null and void. and in terms of, again, going back to what will was saying, five years and coming. the truth of the matter is the president came into this position reaching out. his cabinet reached out across

both parties. his approach towards health care reform initially reached across both parties. and it wasn't until it was very clear to the administration the republicans sole purpose was to defeat him and he became more partisan. this has not been something he's been doing five years, this is a scenario the republicans started. and once the tea party came into power in 2010, it was accelerated. hopefully now we're into 2013 and the second administration, we can begin to heal some of those wounds initially created by the republican party, not this president. >> i got to wrap this up. i'll buy some big old band-aids to heal those wounds. l.z. granderson, will cain, donna brazile, thank you. >> you need to make some gumbo. >> thanks to all of you. the largest maker of cell phones is about to join in on a new trend. we'll take a look at samsung's

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maduro. japan remembers a devastating earthquake and assume that hit two years ago today. memorial services included a moment of silence in tokyo. the 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered massive waves and floods that wrecked japan's northeast coast, killed more than 15,000 people. actress valerie harper is living with the knowledge she's dying at 73. the woman who made her name on the "mary tyler moore show" has terminal brain cancer, but she told "today" she's not giving up. >> first i saw, oh, my god, three months to live. it's not the whole truth. yes, that may be, but it could be six. it could be five years. you know, you just don't know. the thing i have is very rare, and it's serious, and it's terminal so far. i'm holding on to the so far, but i'm also quite ready to say

bye-bye. >> are you ever scared? >> sure. yeah. and i'm scared for my family. i think of, you know, not going to christina's wedding, but maybe i will. >> maybe she will. you wouldn't expect anything less of valerie harper, right? she doesn't give up. prayers are in order. here's to you, valerie. samsung, the largest smartphone vendor in the world is expected to unveil its galaxy s-4 any day now. samsung will likely continue a trend towards bigger smartphones, not smaller. alison kosik is live at the new york stock exchange. >> samsung's taken a page from apple, carol, in how it unveils its new device expected to be thursday. this is apple form, but this is samsung, of course. worst-kept secret with all the features about the new samsung

device, including a five-inch screen. that's .2 bigger than the s-3. samsung is continuing to move into the fab-let market. another feature to be included, something called eye scrolling. let's say you're reading an article on cnn.com, your eyes reach the bottom of the screen, the phone would automatically continue to scroll down for you. expectations are high for this one and it will be coming out right before the rumored iphone 5 is going to be coming out and before blackberry 10 goes on sale. if you're in the market for a new phone, you'll have lots of choices. carol? >> quite the battle, too. >> yes. >> alison kosik live at the new york stock exchange. an inspirational story getting a lot of attention at the south by southwest festival. a teenager builds his very own windmill out of junk parts and

is the focus of a fascinating new documentary. you'll meet him next. [ shapiro ] at legalzoom, you can take care of virtually all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. to book this fabulous hotel. michael, tell us why you used priceline express deals well, you can see if the hotel is pet friendly before you book it. and i got a great deal without bidding. and where's your furry friend? oh, i don't have a cat. priceline savings without bidding.

the south by southwest festival is more than a showcase of technology, it's a showcase of life and how we can overcome any obstacle, including the struggle for electricity. >> this kid has a chance. he has a chance to escape from poverty and to make a difference.

>> the documentary "william and the windmill" is being played at south by southwest. it's based on a best selling book about a teenager who builds his very own windmill in malowi. it's the story of william kamkwamba, he joins us with ben neighbors, the film's director and producer. welcome to you both. >> thank you, welcome. >> so happy to have you here. william, i want to start with you, because you have such an incredible story and it's certainly changed your life. tell me first, i mean, you're sitting in malowi. one day you decide my village needs electricity so i'll build a windmill? >> yeah, so what happened with that, when i was young, when i was 14 years, i drove out of school because of my parents couldn't afford to pay for my school fees. i was forced to drop out of school. when i dropped, i went to the library to continue reading. i was thinking to keep up with my school work, and that's when

i found the book which had the picture of the windmill. so, when i saw the pictures of the windmill, i thought i could be able to make mine so i can be able to generate electricity and also pump water. that's what attracted my attention to build the windmill. >> what did you build the windmill out of? >> i used bicycle parts and also tractor parts. using the scrap materials that i found at the junk yard, which was just next to my high school. >> that's just incredible. so, ben, what struck you about william's story? >> i was originally drawn to the imagination, i think, of william's invention. he did this when he was 14. i met him much later. i was attracted to the imagination, but also the transitions i knew would happen in his life. and since his invention, william's life has completely transformed. that's really been the focus of the story and made for a great documentary. >> william, tell us how your

life as transformed since the book came out. >> so, my life has transformed a lot. there's so many, like, changes. because of my story, i've been able to go back to school. i'm in college right now, i'm a junior. and different areas like learning how other people are doing different things in other parts of the world. it's beautiful for me. yeah. >> and ben, what should people take from william's story? >> well, i think there's a lot to learn from william's story, actually. one, it's incredibly inspiring, but the way the film functions, we really look at, i guess, what happens after a great success, the long tale of success. and that's what i hope people take from the film. >> well, it looks like a terrific documentary. thanks to both of you for appearing with us this morning. william kamkwamba and ben

nabors. >> thanks for having us. >> thank you for having us. >> we were delighted. we'll be back in a minute. . just tacos. yeah, it's our job to make you want it. but honestly... it's not that hard. old el paso. when you gotta have mexican. how we get there is not. we're americans. we work. we plan. ameriprise advisors can help you like they've helped millions of others. to help you retire your way, with confidence. ♪ that's what ameriprise financial does. that's what they can do with you. let's get to work. ameriprise financial. more within reach.

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