it will be a close game. >> the debate continues online and on facebook and twitter. i'm dan jones. >> and i'm newt gingrich. join us tomorrow for another edition of "crossfire." erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com next, bitter cold. the frigid air forcing schools to close, cancelling flights and postponing a major vote in washington. plus the family of the 13-year-old girl declared brain dead looking for a miracle tonight. >> she has been taken from children's hospital and brought to a place where they will use her name instead of calling her a body. and a major shake up at "saturday night live." let's go "outfront."

good evening, everyone, thanks for joining us i'm don lemon in for erin burnett. a major vote in washington postponed tonight blamed on the weather but did either side have the vote? it's a bill that affects 1.3 million americans and whether they get their unemployment checks. a vote to proceed would have been big for the democrats. tonight they didn't have the bodies on capitol hill. straight now to joe johns who is on capitol hill for us. there was uncertainty about the vote and now the reason we are hearing is the waersds. would the democrats have had the votes? >> we don't know. if all 100 senators were here at the united states capitol tonight, everybody working it would have been a cliff hanger by almost anyone's assessment. the democrats need five

republicans to go with them. we have counted four republicans who will vote to open up debate on the issue. but there is a question of one more republican, according to our count. we don't know whether they had the votes. but we know senator john koren of texas went to the florida or saying there were 17 not present from texas. the weather causing problems to get here. >> 1.3 million americans waiting word on that and their families. so then what happens? where do we go from here, joe? >> tomorrow, 10:00 eastern time, the senate is expected to take up this issue, which they could have taken up tonight. it would have been a win/win for them since if they get the numbers and can open up debate, perhaps they have a bit of momentum on this issue and other issues. if they don't get the numbers and they don't get the vote,

then they have a political issue to take to the polls later on. that is, of course, unless republicans figure out something with them in the coming days and weeks. >> joe johns on capitol hill, appreciate your reporting. is it clear that democrats are going to keep this issue atop of their agenda. i want you to listen to just a few of them. >> instead of punishing families who can least afford it. republicans should make it their new year's resolution to do the right thing and restore this vital mick security for their constituents right now. >> we have never over the last half century cut off emergency unemployment benefits when long-term unemployment was even barely over half the rate that we have right now. now is not the time to start. >> let's start helping the middle class. let's start helping the poor. the rich are getting richer and

the poor are getting poorer. >> joining me now, paul and political columnist, and paul carney. tim, are you buying the excuse of the weather? >> probably a little bit of both. as joe pointed out, the senator from texas is part of the republican leadership for the senate. i do think weather was a bipartisan issue. and the best vote counters say that the democrats are maybe a vote or two short of the 60 they need. keep in mind, the viewers should know, the republicans are filler bustering this. the extension of unemployed benefits to americans who -- most americans think deserve it. they have to get 60 instead of the 50. >> are you buying it, tim? do you think it's just the weather? >> they didn't have all the

democrats it's clear they didn't have all the votes. will they have the votes when they are all in there. and the republican filibuster, democrats had a chance in the budget deal to put in this unemployment insurance extension. when you hear the democrats, it's clear they were more interested in having a fight over unemployment insurance than they were in extending unemployment insurance. >> you have to go there. we moved on. let's talk about the president. the president will address unemployment benefits tomorrow. how important is this vote for the democrats to set the agenda for the year? >> it's terribly important. the question of the squeeze of the middle class. you saw harry reid talking about that. the democrats want to focus on that for the year. the collapse of the middle class is the defining of our time.

president obama said that and he will say it again in the state of the union address do. we extend unemployment benefits and raise minimum wage and pass protections for the women in the workplace. that's the heart of what the democrats want to talk about all year. >> you are talking about this fairness in pay and equality that the president and the democrats have been talking about. the democrats have been taking a beating over obamacare. and they are taking a page from bill de blasio's, income inequality. will it work elsewhere nationwide? >> i think the republicans will have to counter. if the republicans keep saying you can't tax the rich, obama and the democrats are pretending to care about the middle class. the republicans need to target the middle class and get rid of

the regulations that keep entrepreneurs out and stop worrying about mitt romney's 47% talk. i think that will be more coherent than the democrats ad hoc middle class. that's the only way to counter. >> instead of this narrative about the redistribution of wealth and saying it's not right and all the president is trying to do is redistribute the wealth. they need a plan for the middle class? >> i hope they do. it's hard to change old ways but maybe this time around they'll do it. >> democrats hope this will overshadow obamacare or give them time for obamacare to start working the way they thought it would. should republicans be worried that the game plan could work? >> there is a reality here. there are -- you pointed out at

the top of the show. there are 1.3 million americans whose benefits have run out. it's not because they're lazy or stupid but because of this recession that we are now digging out of. we have to act on. it's politically helpful to the democrats. tim's advice to the republicans is a good one but it's they can't quite seem do it. vast majorities of republicans support raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits. it shouldn't be a partisan issue. raise the minimum wage and extend the unemployment benefits. >> raising the minimum wage will exacerbate the unemployment problem and extending unemployment helps people out of jobs but it increases unemployment. democrats aren't interested in finding the right balance of policy, they want determine gojic points. one of the reasons that

republicans are afraid of rolling out policies is because the democrats have easy kujles as if that makes people richer, extend unemployment benefits as if that has no negative effects on the unemployment rate. >> tim and paul, we'll be talking more about this. the family of a 13-year-old girl declared brain dead is not giving up. and a police chief in detroit wants more guns on the street. tens of millions of americans bracing for historically low temperatures. we'll tell you which parts of the country are most at risk. i'm beth... and i'm michelle. and we own the paper cottage. it's a stationery and gifts store. anything we purchase for the paper cottage goes on our ink card. so you can manage your business expenses and access them online

instantly with the game changing app from ink. we didn't get into business to spend time managing receipts, that's why we have ink. we like being in business because we like being creative, we like interacting with people. so you have time to focus on the things you love. ink from chase. so you can. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yeah. everybody knows that. did you know there is an oldest trick in the book? what? trick number one. look-est over there. ha ha. made-est thou look. so end-eth the trick. hey.... yes.... geico. fifteen minutes could save you... well, you know. became big business overnight? ♪ like, really big... then expanded? ♪ or their new product tanked?

♪ or not? what if they embrace new technology instead? ♪ imagine a company's future with the future of trading. company profile. a research tool on thinkorswim. from td ameritrade.

new details tonight in the case of jahi mcmath has been on

a ventilator since suffering complications from tonsil energy. her family is fighting a legal battle to keep her on a ventilator. and now they are concerned about jahi's safety. we will not be saying where she went or where she is. >> weir grateful and proud. we want to thank everyone who supported us and in our corner and prayed for us and everyone who helped to donate to make this possible. >> it is a very emotional case here. and joining me is jeffrey toobin. bobby, thank you for joining us. i want to start with you, the spokesman for children's hospital in oakland. he said it is unfortunate for

the schiavo foundation to play on the idea that jahi might come back to life in a highly emotional case. this has a lot of emotional controversial like your sister's case did. why did you decide to get involved with the mcmath family? >> i don't think we are giving the mcmath family any false hopes. all we're saying is that the family should have the right to make the decision to provide jahism with the help to see if she can improve before you make the decision to end her life. and the family should be the one making the decision and not ethics committees and hospital boards. we are seeing it more and more with the ethics committees are making the decisions instead of families when it comes to medical situations particularly when the hospital has a financial interest involved. >> do you think is it the

hospital making the decision. three doctors and a judge have declared jahi brain dead. is it time for a court to step in? >> i can't blame the family for clinging to hope. but there is no hope. brain death is death. this poor child has been dead since december 12th. and to have outsiders come in and exploit what is going on here is appalling. the family should be allowed to mourn but to give them false hope and suggest there is controversy when there is no controversy is tragic. >> is there anything unusual about it? he is saying that the hospital has decided rather than the family deciding? >> the coroner -- it's not just the hospital. it's the coroner too, has said this poor child is dead. this is the fact.

there is nothing further to be done for her. it is terrible. but the only thing that's worse is to give these poor parents false hope because there is no hope. their child is gone. >> and bobby i know you say this is a decision that should be made by the family. her body is being kept alive with machines. is there a time frame in which she should be kept in this state when there is no sign of improvement? >> i don't know if jahi is going to improve. but there have been cases where the same diagnosis have been made to people who emerged from this brain dead condition. that's all we are saying. we're not saying she is going to get better. we are saying they should have ever right to provide this girl with a chance to see if in fact she can improve. doctors are wrong all the time. when you have a hospital that put her in this condition in the first place, you can understand why this family distrusts the

hospital in wanting to care for this girl. >> that is not true. brain dead people are dead. they do not come back to life. >> there are physicians -- there are physicians that have -- that do not believe -- that take issue with this brain death criteria. not everybody agrees. they referred to my sister as a corpse. she was not close to being brain dead and people have to get their medical facts right and understand what brain injury is and the families involved. >> we can argue about that until the show is over. but should the family have the right, the legal right to keep her on a ventilator or machine as long as they want? >> i certainly am not going to quarrel with what this family wants to do. if they want to pay to have a hospital keep pumping air into her lungs, certainly no one is

going to arrest them for desecrating a corpse. but that is what could happen to a hospital that persists in this. it is unfair. this is not a legal process. it's not a moral process to give this family false hope and -- you know of course no one wants to interfere with the family. they can grieve and do this if they want. but no one is doing them any favors. >> as a legal analyst you are giving us the facts here. no one wants this young lady to be brain dead. it's really tough here. and it's not that you are trying to use language that is hurtful but those are the facts according to you. >> that's how i see the facts. >> bobby we appreciate you joining us. thanks to jeffrey as well. >> you're welcome. still to come, it's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and one of the most

important. dennis rodman back in north korea. he brought some friends with him. and a major change at "saturday night live." hey kevin...still eating chalk for heartburn?

yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

it is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. but for those trying to save the elephant population in central africa, it's one of the most crucial. in an exclusive cnn report we follow a group of ecoguards in the republican of congo. some of the images you are about to see are graphic.

>> it's been eight grueling hot hours on this river, chasing poachers in the republic of congo's largest national park. for thee ecoguards disappointment follows disappointment. >> when you put your hand inside it is still quite warm which means they probably left early in the morning. finally around a bend, signs of activity. smoke rising along the bank. they rush ashore and fan out into the jungle. within seconds, a gunshot. and the pursuit begins. the terrain is dense and disorienting. the men force their way through the undergrowth and slosh through knee-deep water. our cnn team can barely keep up. >> they've all gone forward, trying to chase down what seems

to be a poacher who at least most definitely is armed. they appear to have caught him completely by surprise. the head of the park's anti-poaching division brandishes the weapon caught by his men. pumped by adrenaline he describes what happened. he tried to shoot me like this, he says. he then tackled the poacher, grabbing the gun but the poacher got away. the men find the poacher's canoe, weighed down with fresh elephant meat and more hangs off the sides. >> this is to take out -- >> it's a sickening image of the trade that has decimated the parks elephants. central africa has been estimated to lose 62% of the forest elephants in the last decade. in this park alone thousands

have been killed in the last five years. in the week we spent here we only saw one alive. the park about the size of connecticut is patrolled by 76 ecoguards, not nearly enough but 40% of them are former poachers themselves which helps big time. >> they know how poacher work. so it's easy for them to think like them. >> it's part of a program created in the last year where poachers are giving amnesty if they hand over their weapons and confess. this raid is proof his program works. but the unit's successes come at a price. corruption is a way of life. all of these ecoguards have been threatened. frank tells us three men

attacked his wife. they tried to rape her. she was strong. she pulled back and ran away. the same men who are part of the poaching ring tried to attack him. he stabbed one of them. the unit doesn't find any ivory but four guns, ammunition and a cell phone. a potential lead to the poachers. the ecoguards torch the camp to send a message. these men often find themselves pursuing people they once worked with, friends, neighbors and family members. in the fight against the ivory trade, out here, it's now personal. >> and stopping the illegal ivory trade has become a worldwide effort including in china where six tons of ivory were destroyed today. a growing group of nations has made similar symbolic gestures

including the united nations. still to come, tens of millions of americans bracing for a historic and life threatening deep freeze. a detroit police chief takes on his city's crime rate. why he thinks more guns are the answer. and a photograph in a newspaper that reunited a family. 'm an idaho potato farmer. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what? is your tv powered by coal? natural gas? nuclear?

or renewables like solar... and wind? let's find out. this is where america's electricity comes from. a diversity of energy sources helps ensure the electricity we need is reliable. take the energy quiz. energy lives here.

welcome back to the second half of "outfront." in an unexpected move, liz cheney is bowing out of the senate race. she cited serious health issues

that have recently arisen in our family. cnn learned from multiple sources close to the family that that involves at least one of her children. her candidacy was rocky from the start from her citizenship in wyoming to a dispute over same-sex marriage. jihad jane was indicted in 2009 and allegedly part of a plot to murder a swedish cartoonist. four years in jail she has served will count to her sentence. she had faced life in prison. but received leniency for helping the fbi in other terrorism cases. in utah marriage licenses for same sex couples can no

longer be issued. they appealed a decision that for a short time allowed gays and lesbians to tie the knot. >> it's unfortunate that many utah citizens have been put into this legal limbo. but we are evaluating their legal status currently. >> the supreme court justices made the move 17 days after a judge struck down the amendment that banned gay marriage. a picture is worth much more than a thousand words in the bitter washington cold. a young man huddled under a blanket. the man, nick symmonds had been reported missing in new york after days of searching for him, there he finally was, on the cover of "usa today." between the paper, the photograph, and the family, the metropolitan police were able to track him down. he and his family have since

been reunited. and urban outfitters underfire for a woman's t-shirt with the word depression scrawled all over it. a retailer pulled the shirt and in a tweet said we're sorry to those offended by the tee we brought from @depression.com brand. another memorable fashion don't came in 2010 when they released and yanked a shirt with the words "eat less" on it. now to a historic and life threatening deep freeze. a cold front is thrusting two thirds of the u.s. into an icebox. temperatures for tens of millions of americans are plunging into the single digits. in new york the thermometer is expected to dip to as low as 5 degrees. but that is balmy compared to

other places in the united states. fargo, north dakota expected to hit a negative 24 degrees. minneapolis and indianapolis, 15 below. and the frigid air forcing schools and government offices in several states to close. delays at the nation's airports as well. and it is illegal to drive except for emergencies. in a moment we will go to chad myers with the forecast. but ted rollins is in chicago with more. >> the streets were empty throughout the day. those who were out were doing everything possible to stay warm. >> right now i have on leggings you should my jeans, wool socks, three shirts, a jacket, a had, a hood and gloves. >> for those who have to work in it? >> i keep moving around and thermo in the gloves. >> touches are not just

uncomfortable but dangerous. 13 deaths have been blamed on the weather. >> in weather like this it's not going to take long. 15 minutes or even less. >> the homeless across the region are a huge concern. in indianapolis and chicago, homeless advocates are working with city government to make sure everyone is accounted for. >> outreach teams that are out there already every day trying to get men and women out of the cold, get them into shelter. >> in parts of minnesota temperatures dropped to 40 below, closing schools statewide for the first time since 1997. >> in five minutes kids can get frostbite. >> in chicago it's a one-two punch it comes in the wake of a storm that dropped more than a foot of snow. painful. just pain. >> the weather has created great

jo online videos showing what happens when you shoot a water gun when it is negative 41 degrees. and this kid in iowa jumping on an icy trampoline. >> this is what a deep dish pizza looks like in this temperature. you get the idea. pretty cold. only knuckleheads are out here. >> what are you standing across from the wrigley building, right? it's cold out there. what is the biggest concerns out there in chicago and in the area? >> well, it's for the most vulnerable, the elderly, the kids, school has been closed again tomorrow, not only here but in other areas around the midwest. and the homeless. people have been going out, cities are work with agencies and work with the homeless to go out and warn the homeless who

may not know what is coming and get them inside. get them to safety. it is really life threatening if you are exposed too long. >> you see that building behind you. i worked there three years and it was way too cold. that is the nbc tower in chicago. thank you, ted. appreciate it. stay warm. we are seeing dangerously cold temperatures in many parts of the u.s. many of us have never seen. chad myers has more on the big chill. minus 11 in chicago. >> and the wind chill is colder than that. where ted is standing in that live shot, it felt like 35 below. there is the north pole, don. there should be a jet stream going up and down like that. but it's not doing the circle. it's doing the dive down to the gulf coast. that's what we are talking about. the vortex. international falls, 43 degrees

below zero. if your pets are outside get them inside somewhere because they are just not ready to handle this type of weather and not that type of wind and wind chill. 7 in buffalo. a big event going on in buffalo. a blizzard. i know that is breaking news but it is. we have not had a blizzard warning in buffalo for 20 years. that's how long it's been. this is how historic this storm truly is. in the morning, new york is 11. boston was 54 degrees. it's going to plummet over 35 degrees tonight. 17 in atlanta and birmingham right now. it will be cold all the way down to new orleans. there will be suburbs of new orleans down to 15. and think of all the plants outside. jacksonville, you will be down to 20 degrees. 24 tomorrow. your average low is 41. shouldn't even be flirting with that. 7 degrees in atlanta.

we have days of this to go. it warms up by the weekend but not before then. >> i saw 2 degrees on atlanta. can we call it hot-lanta any more? >> they cancelled the school because of the cold. and i will tell you, i have lived in buffalo, grew up there. lived in detroit and also in nebraska, they make clothes different for the north. the jacket you buy here would not last one day in buffalo where the jacket in buffalo will keep you warm to minus 30. >> stay warm, chad myers. a story we first told you on friday, detroit's police chief says he thinks that more people with concealed weapons would deter violence. so why does he think more guns would help? the detroit police chief james craig joins me now. it is probably really cold where you are as well.

thank you, sir. >> thank you. >> listen, you have, in the past, called for stricter gun laws and called on congress to ban assault weapons and put in gun control measures. but you think more concealed weapons is a good idea. why is that? >> more concealed weapons by good americans who are responsible. very different. you know, certainly in detroit we have a very different situation going on here unlike other places i have had the good fortune of working. it's no sect that detroit is violent. so good americans who are responsible who conceal weapons can make a difference. there are studies that show that. >> we will turn more about the studies but let's focus on detroit now. according to your own statistics there was a 7% overall reduction in detroit in 2013 without the extra guns on concealed weapons. you have figured out ways to

deter criminals. aren't there better ways than arming more citizens? >> that's one strategy in the tool box. i'm suggesting that while we're using statistics our model which has had an effect we have seen a 7% reduction overall in crime. i'm excited about the trend downward. we have seen 52 less people murdered in the city of detroit. 105 less people shot in the city of detroit. i've only been here six months. we are trending in the right direction but it's here's the bad news we saw 333 murders for 2013. compared to new york, we're a city of 700,000. look, this whole thing with concealed weapons has been around in detroit now for about ten years. >> you can get a license to carry -- you can get a license to carry in detroit. it's been on the books for a while now. >> this is not new.

>> i want to tell you what the brady campaign told me. their comments go like this the american people know there are better answers to violence than putting more guns on the streets that too often wind up in the wrong hands. we are better than a nation of vigilantes like george zimmerman who was permitted to carry a gun despite his history of violence. what is your response? >> we are not talking about vigilantes. we are talking about good americans who are trained. good americans that need personal protection. i don't care what city you talk about. we cannot be everywhere. we had a 91-year-old man just last week pulled out of his car at gunpoint, thrown in the snow carjacked and there is story after story. this is about personal protection. and unfortunately i don't care if you are talking about los angeles, a place i spent 28 years or in the state of maine,

the police cannot be everywhere. this is about personal protection and in some instances the protection of others. we have seen the good samaritans go to the aid of others because they were good americans with concealed weapons permits. i disagree with that statement. >> police chief james craig. thank you for joining us. we will be watching to see how it works. >> it's going to work out. thank you, happy new year to you too. dennis rodman arrives with a team of basketball players. what he will talk about. "saturday night live" does something it hasn't done in more than six years. so there i was again, explaining my moderate to severe

chronic plaque psoriasis to another new stylist. it was a total embarrassment. and not the kind of attention i wanted. so i had a serious talk with my dermatologist about my treatment options. this time, she prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. did you run into traffic? no, just had to stop by the house to grab a few things. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go-- yea, sure ya did. [ male announcer ] introducing at&t digital life. personalized home security and automation. get professionally monitored security for just $29.99 a month. with limited availability in select markets. ♪

and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest. he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

. back with tonight's outer circle. tonight we go to north korea where dennis rodman and a team of former nba players have arrived to play a controversial basketball game on kim jong-un's birthday. and here is what rodman has to stay about his latest trip. >> dennis rodman is back in north korea to celebrate the birthday of kim jong-un. going with him are doug christie, and vin floyd. this is a regime with a dire human rights record that threatens to unleash nuclear war. on top of that, rodman has no place to press kim jong-un to free kenneth bae. >> i'm not trying to save the world or kenneth bae. that's not my job.

my job is one thing, sports. i'm not an ambassador or whatever. no, i'm not. i'm going to do there and do my thing and try to interact him with that on that. the guy is awesome to me. that's about it. >> but these guys do speak the language of sport and were telling me they can break down barriers and build bridges through basketball. put good money on the always beating the north korean selection but how much would you want to spoil a north korean dictator's birthday treat? after six years, "saturday night live" is finally getting a black female comedian. finally. >> i didn't say anything about a girlfriend. but you can call me -- >> the show confirming reports that the comedian will join the cast when they return in two

weeks. she is the female african-american cast since 2007. the show has been under fire for a lack of diversity. the producers held tryouts for african-american women. cheryl i want to talk to you first. i have to talk to a black comedian first. "snl" poked fun at itself for kerry washington having to rush to change outfits to play a number of black women. what is your reaction? >> i think it is great. she is excellent. she is a perfect choice. more chocolate on tv. more chocolate on tv. i'm loving it. >> did you ever apply or audition for "snl"? >> no i think i'm too robust.

i'm a different kind of comedian. i think the young ladies like the tiffany haddish and robin montagues who are doing sketch comedy and impersonations. now you have one, have all. i need five sisters on now. they need more diversity. how you cracking these jokes. i will guest host, but you don't need me in all the sketches. >> let me get a word in, girl. this is not the talk that you're the co-host of. >> i just wanted to make sure. >> why do you think it took six years to hire another black woman? >> you know what i think? i think what kerry washington did increasing the ratings, that's what you have to prove. having black women on the show increased the ratings higher than they've ever had. now that you see diversity will work in your pocket, let's have

diversity. this is not going to hurt you. this girl did a wonderful job. everybody loves scandal, so we need more of this. look at what's happening on "the talk." ratie inings increasing on "the talk." >> right, there are two african-american women on "the talk" on "the view." barbara walters was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone on that. you take a look at the cast, there are two african-americans on the cast, males, and five white men, one woman, all white, right? was this a necessary move on the part of the partners? this is a new cast, the ones that were just hired. >> let me ask you this question? how many asians have ever been on "saturday night live". >> this isn't about asians, though i understand where you're going. you look at this age of

diversity, snl, for six years not to have an african-american woman, an asian woman, doesn't make it any more -- doesn't make it right because they don't have an asian, a hispanic, it doesn't make it right, that's not an excuse. >> i look at lorne michaels and his track record over four decades, he's discovered more raw talent, belushi, murphy, murray, myers, fallin, fey, mia rudolph. >> what does that have to do -- >> this show has been successful for 38 years because he's not checking off boxes. >> you mean to tell me in the entire country. there are no women of color in the entire country who are not as -- just as funny as the five or seven white kids that they just hired? >> i don't -- >> you still haven't answered my question. 38 years, okay? >> that doesn't make it right.

you mean to tell me there aren't any asian people as well who aren't as funny as those five or seven white kids. >> if you want to go against lorne michaels track record, these people they run hollywood, practically now. two are going to have their own late night talk show. it's not a matter of checking boxes. >> go ahead, cheryl. >> here's what i seem to see this young man saying, what lorne michaels can relate to is his own culture and what's making him laugh, but if there had never been an eddie murphy that was doing great things with white characters and great characters. gum by is da bomb. i don't care you have to open your eyes to the talent and then open up your checkbook. the show has been okay for a few years, now it's getting better. >> let's talk about this and the

history of the show, there have been three primary cast members. the show has been successful with the current formula. do you think that is going -- >> when it was apparent that president obama was going to be elected, in anticipation of that, could he have found a female to play michelle. >> it's not just about finding someone to play a certain character. there are some funny you know what in the country, and eespecially black women. >> i can't buy that. >> i had to finance my own radio show, because people were telling me, there are no females

in radio, and i'm not going to wait on you. i had to finance my own movie scripts, because they said, well, females are not funny. that's what people believed, until we put some money in your pocket. >> sheryl, you are hilarious. i love you. >> i work for cbs, i can't do all the jobs. but i can play kevin hart, i could play kevin hart in a movie. >> go ahead, joe. i'm just saying, look, there have been plenty of men that have played women over the years and they've been very effective. you remember dustin hoffman nominated for an oscar, keenan thompson should be applauded -- >> you need to stay with the black, the discussion is, black people going back to work, and putting us in opportunities. always get the opportunity. we're not against white people getting the opportunity. what we're against is the exclusion of black talent that will make black people watch more easy than any race of people.

put us on tv. >> last word, sheryl, thank you very much. >> that's my last word? i don't get to come back? >> no, sheryl. >> okay, i'll say -- >> i'll see you at your show, i forget where it's going to be. thank you very much, still to come, white house press secretary jay carney shocks reporters with his new look. e on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪

a major vote delayed in the senate today, and yet there was only one thing people in washington were talking about. jay carney's beard. he debuted his new look at his first press briefing of the year today. and reaction on social media debating whether it was a good look. one person even started a twitter handle for the beard. he's the most recent high profile personality. al gore grew one after he lost the 2000 election.

last year the host of the "today" show grew them in support of movember. let us know what you think of jay carney's new look. i'm don lemon. thanks for watching, ac 360 starts right now. >> don, thanks. tonight, everyone. the deep freeze gets deeper, and you'll be feeling it even if you're some place warm right now. he says he's confident he was forced out of the nfl because he stood up for marriage equality. the always outspoken chris kluhy's first interview since leaving the nfl. we begin tonight with cold that can kill in minutes.