snchts hello, everybody this is "cnn sunday morning" for this march 28th on a sunday. good morning. i'm t.j. holmes. >> good morning, everybody. 5:00 a.m. in st. louis. 3:00 a.m. in vegas.

president obama has paid 15 recess appointments, including at least one that's extremely controversial. also this morning sarah palin taking time in nevada to try to clean up the comment that got so much controversy about the retreat and reload. listen. >> now, media try to get this right, okay. that's not inciting violence. what that is doing is trying to inspire people to get involved in their local elections and the upcoming scheduled elections. it's telling people that their arms are their votes. it's not inciting violence. >> that's not all she had to say. she fired up the crowd in nevada. she kept stirring up the crowd. we'll show you how she did it. all the details straight ahead. but first our top story this hour, pope benedict the 16th is celebrating the start of the christian holy week by providing

over palsalm sunday there. the former first lady barbara bush is in the hospital this morning. she is expected to be there for the next day or two for routine testing. it's not clear exactly what tests she's undergoing. the 84-year-old hasn't been feeling well for about a week. a busy week ahead for president obama tomorrow. he'll attend a credentialing ceremony. then he's going to host a dinner marking the beginer of passover. on tuesday he'll sign the health care fixes bill that passed last week. later he'll meet with french president nicholas sarkozy at the white house. on wednesday he's giving speeches. including one on workplace flexibility. thursday he's off to push for his health care reform in maine. he'll then attend a democratic funding event in boston. then on friday the president will talk jobs in charlotte,

north carolina. bipartisanship, forget about it in washington. it looks like divide between the white house and republicans getting wider. president obama says he is making 15 of these so-called recess appointments. one in particular has republicans howling mad this weekend. labor lawyer craig becker is nominated to the agency overseeing relationships between unions and employers. now he has the job through this recess appointment. candy crowley asked about this particular appointment. >> republicans wrote him and said please don't do a recess appointment with craig becker to the national relations board. they think he's a union plant, if you will. they think he will do check card. they think he's bad for the board. yet the first thing the president did, of course, was to god and do that appointment. >> he made a series of recess apointments because, candy, we are in a position where the

republican party has taken a position to try to slow and block progress on all fronts, whether it's legislation or appointments just to make the comparison at this point in the bush administration five appointees on the floor of the senate had not been approved when that president bush made 15 recess appointments. we have 77 appointees who is not gotten a vote because they've been held up by the republican party. some of them are in very sensitive positions, in treasury, department of homeland secure and on boards like the labor relations board that -- where there are huge number of vacancies. >> we mention that had the president did appoint a total of 15 people with these recess appointments. now, of course, presidents do this. president bush actually did the same thing. he had about the same amount at the seem time in his presidency as well. we want to highlight a few of

the 15. we mentioned the becker going through the national labor board. mark pearce appointed as well. a couple more serving in the treasury department. eric hirschhorn. secretary of commerce. the president also nominated some three people to the equal opportunity commission. so they'll start serving through this recess appointment as well. these people now, at least these 15, will be in their jobs, will be able to serve now through the end of 2011. that is when the senate is going to finish its next term. now the white house aide, david axelrod also talked about the fallout from the health care bill passing. you can watch all of that interview on the state of the union coming your way at 9:00 eastern this morning. another story we're following closely, the tea party express will roll into phoenix and flagstaff. two more stops on the tour that

ends on tax day, april 15th. yesterday sarah palin stirred up the crowd during an appearance in harry reid's hometown. jessica yellin was there. >> reporter: thousands of people pulled into searchlight, nevada, many coming from out of state to kick off a nationwide cross country tour by the tea party express. folks delivered the message that they want smaller government, in nevada, the defeat of harry reid. the big attraction for the day was sarah palin. she's a darling of the crowd, the movement's biggest rock star, and she delivered her message with force. >> what is going on in our country? what's going on in d.c.? washington has broken faith with the people that they are to be serving. that's why here in searchlight and across the country we're sending a message to washington. it's loud and it's clear. and in these upcoming elections we're saying that the big

government, big debt, obama/pelosi/reid spending spree is over, you're fired. >> reporter: and palin also had a word for the media. she accused the press of mischaracterizing her comments when she said it's time for the movement to reload. she meant it's time to go out and vote. not to commit violence. the event was held in senator reid's birthplace of searchlight, nevada. he thanked the tea party activists for coming to his hometown, spending money and stimulating the economy, but the election will be decided by nevadans, not by folks for out of state. this plans to end in washington, d.c. on tax day, april 15th. time to say good morning to mr. reynolds wolf. today some places around the country could get ugly. >> especially in parts of the

southeast. it looks like we could see storms in parts of alabama, mississippi and georgia, florida, carolinas. bafgly the southeast is going to have a bulls eye that will include heavy rain and possibly isolated tornadoes. we'll give you the full details coming up. we want to show you more sights and sounds and flag waving from this psalm sunday mass going on right now. into an incredibly strong, healthy cat. his coat is incredibly shiny and soft and very thick. everybody thinks he's the most handsome cat they've ever seen. [ woman announcing ] purina one for indoor cats... unlocks the brilliance of nature... with a natural fiber blend that helps minimize hairballs... and maintain a healthy weight. [ laurie ] he's a character. he brings so much laughter into this household. and he's the best-lookin' cat there is. [ announcer ] it's amazing what one can do.

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the music, of course, new york. >> give it away? >> always does. >> the lights were out in new york for a while last night. >> indeed they were. >> intentionally, though. let's show you some of the pictures from last night. about 8:30 last night. several cities around the globe really dimmed the lights. including major attractions. you can see the eiffel tower there in the middle. 8:30 local time is earth hour across the world. you essentially turn your lights off. a lot of cities were involved. every major city. probably yours as well. everybody spent an hour in the dark. did you observe this? >> i did not. somewhere in one of those cities, someone said, dude, did you forget to pay the bill? what happened? >> guest: but it's a good cause.

it's supposed to draw attention to global warming and climate change. it's trying to teach people to be better about conserving. last year a billion people across the globe took part. they do it here in atlanta. we participated in the past. so it's a good call. >> make them aware of the light switch. >> that as well. >> people are going to be aware of the rough weather. strong winds right here in atlanta and many other places in the southsooes. we're going to show you what's happening outside. not much. we're going to be seeing it pick up later in the day. we expect temperatures up to the 60s in atlanta. then you have a frontal boundary coming through, that's where we could get severe storms. let's say, for example, you're planning on trying to catch a flight. maybe you're trying to get atlanta and fly out around 10:00 in the morning.

you should be okay. maybe at 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, you may have issues. here's why. a low driving its way east. as that rumbled its way to the east, that's where you could see heavy rain, even flash flooding possible in georgia and the carolinas. it would not be unusual to have rough stuff later on. what's happening now is we're seeing the low right over parts of the ohio valley bringing some rough weather right into parts of downtown nashville as we speak. other places a little further south, you could deal with small hail, winds that could be coming through that could be kind of loud. high temperatures for the day, yes, here we go. 61 in atlanta. 78 in tampa. 79 in miami. back to denver with 56. we wrap things up in los angeles and phoenix with high temperatures into the 80s. 80s seem warm for phoenix now. a couple months we'll be up to

117, 115. today is a cool day in phoenix. >> reynolds, it was 10:40 a.m. >> 10:40 a.m. i'm going to check it out. >> best of luck. >> coming up, josh levs here with a reality check. the president made a specific promise as a candidate. did he fulfill it with his health care bill? did he break it? . easy to start. easy to walk. ♪ and with the industry's largest bag... easy to unload. moving lawn care forward. more innovation. more great values. craftsman. trust. in your hands.

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big win for the president. >> yes, but you heard the song promises, promise ls. did the president keep his campaign promises? our josh levs takes a look. >> no matter where you stand in the political spectrum you probably agree that politicians should keep their campaign promises. and that is something we love about politifact.com. which has the obamater, tracking the president's promises. now that he's signed health care legislation into law, politifact is judging whether or not he kept a campaign promise. one that can have a huge impact

on how much health care costs to all of us. here's what the president said ability that in the new law. >> now we're going to create exchanges all across the country where uninsured people, small businesses, they're going to be able to purchase affordable, quality insurance. they'll be part of a bipg pool. >> this calls for the creation of state-based health insurance organizations. ideally with real serious competition to keep the prices down. but what's in this law is not exactly what the president promised. he said during the campaign that he would create a single national health insurance exchange. they pound out many democrats favor the exchange, saying the government could enforce uniform standards. state officials say they're in the best position to implement these because most current health care regulation happens at the state level. so they rate it a compromise. often times that's how it works in politics.

a candidate can make all sorts of promises, in the end it's a process with lawmakers. we're hearing from you. weigh in on facebook or twitter. let us know your thoughts. i'm josh levs, cnn, atlanta. josh, thank you. ahead when fortune smiles, what a beautiful sight it is. you won 42,000. no, you won 42 million. oh my god! >> can you imagine? you're in a casino. you win $42 million. and the casino cuts you a check for $23.

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general motors says if you have a particular van, stop driving it now. the car maker is recalling 5,000 chevrolet express and gmc savanna passenger vans. there's some issue with the alternator of these particular vans. the engine could actually catch fire. so, again, these vans, you need to be on the lookout. 5,000 chevrolet gmc savanna passenger van. so far no issues, no accidents to be reports with the vans. hopes dimming for 46 missing south korean sailors. 58 were rescued on friday night shortly after their ship sank on the waters between north korea and south korea. the defense minister says the ship appears to be split in half. yet another crane accident to tell you about out of new york city. this crane, which had been attached to a reck wrecking ball

slipped and hit a 25-story building in lower manhattan. nobody hurt, but people were evacuated. streets were closed. you may remember in 2008 there were two crane accidents that killed a total of nine people. last week the former crane inspector from new york admitted to taking $10,000 in bribes. with this current accident, no injuries to report. plils are investigating. >> you're looking live at the back of pope benedict xvi. catholics are celebrating this day leading up to easter next sunday. the catholic church embroiled in a sex scandal that many are accusing the pope of being involved with. this is a live picture of vatican city. st. peter's scare. in a modified pope mobile. ÷÷÷

some of the nation's veterans are asking congress to give them something back, more dogs. >> a service being can really be the only ally a wounded soldier has to do simple things that many of us take for granted. pentagon correspondent barbara starr talked to vets about it on capitol hill. >> hi, mam. kevin stone. and this is mambo. >> mambo. hello, dear. >> mambo the dog can do many

things, including lobbying a senator. mambo is a service dog who has been with disabled veteran kevin stone for two and a half years. yes! give me some. all right. >> reporter: they and other vet dog teams came to the halls of congress hoping to convince senators to promote more programs for service dogs for wounded veterans. >> he's my better, better half. >> i can see that. >> he's my arms and my legs when they don't function. >> get it. good boy. thank you. >> former army captain and iraqi war vet and tuesday work together to overcome louise post-traumatic stress and other injuries from a knife attack by an iraqi. >> i had never heard of a service dog. i didn't know that a service dog could help me. >> what does he do for you? >> what does tuesday do for me? what doesn't he do for me? >> reporter: it's not just helping him with things like

dropped canes or maneuvering stairs. >> do you think he senses your mood? >> he can tell when i'm hungry. they are so keen, their senses are so keen. he can sense that i'm getting stress or anxiety or a panic attack. >> reporter: it takes nearly two years to train service dogs like tuesday and mambo. the $25,000 spent to train tuesday sounds expensive, but stone argues dogs like mambo save the government money. before he got his first dog, stone took more than 4,000 milligrams of drugs a day. today he takes just 10 milligrams. >> i always go to the d.a. eight times a month for years and then having do go and only now once

or twice a year for a flu shot and for my sports physical. >> reporter: the dogs can't say how they feel about their jobs, but a wagging tail and big eyes may say it best of all. barbara starr, cnn, washington. >> a lot of people having to question, is sarah palin the unofficial leader of the tea party movement? some just think the two kind of go together. talking about that and the future of the gop. stay with us. wow, is this... fiber one honey clusters? yes. but it can't have... can't have about half a

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welcome back to "cnn sunday morning." i'm t.j. holmes. >> good morning, everybody. first lady barbara bush is in the hospital. she's expected to be there for the next day or so for routine testing. not clear what the tests are. but a spokesman says there's no emergency here. the 84-year-old hadn't been feeling well for the past week or so. civil rights activist d dorothy height remains hospitalized in serious conditions. social media sites reported that the civil rights icon had died. her family called cnn to clear up the story. height was admitted to a hospital earlier this week. she just turned 98 years old.

can you imagine things getting more partisan in washington, d.c.? the divide seems to be growing between the republicans and the white house. he's making 50 or so recalled appointments. one has delivered opposition. that of craig becker to the agency that oversees relations between unions and employers. several business groups and republicans call him a radical. the tea party political movement resumes its cross country tour this morning. they headed to phoenix and flagstaff today to kick off the 44-city march on washington. with sarah palin. the former vice presidential canada was stirring up anti-obama sentiment during an appearance in senator harry reid's nevada hometown of searchlight. >> washington has broken faith with the people that they are to

be serving. that's why here in search light and across the country we're sending a message to washington. it's loud, and it's clear. and in the upcoming elections we're saying that the big government, big debt, obama/pelo obama/pelosi/reid spending spree is over. you're fired. >> white house aide david axelrod talked with candy crowley about the fallout from the health care reform passing. you can watch that on "state of the union." political parties need a yun vizzed front to pull off the big changed that sarah palin was talking about. the tea party activists aren't walked in locked steps with members of the the gop. some predict the tea party will inevitably help democrats by splintering the vote in november. i asked republican analyst about that. >> is it a natural marriage between the tea party and the republican party?

people just naturally assume that it is. would you say it is just a natural marriage in these two groups need to work together? >> we're starting to see the stereotype of the republican party as being the elitist party. republicans didn't do a good job of saying republicans are every day americans. we want life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. that's what you're seeing from the tea party movement. they're not coming to tea parties in rolls-royces. these are working class folks, retirees that want an opportunity pursue the american dream. if the republican party can bring those folks into the fold, they can rebrand themselves as the party of the every day people. >> how difficult is it going to be to rebrand as a party of the people? we just had the health care bill passed. a lot of people have problems with it one way or another. there's things people aren't going to argue with. a child with preexisting condition can't be uncovered. a child 26 can stay on parent's

insurance. people with preexisting conditions can't be denied. most americans won't have a problem. if the republican party tries to run on a platform of repeal the bill, they're talking about repealing things in the bill that everybody does like is that going to work? >> some needs to change the messages. maybe instead of kill the bill. maim the bill. maim the bill. they may have to look at the bill as like a block of marble that they have to chizzle out. everybody agreed on expanding coverage, but the right way. if they look at maim the bill, not kill the bill, they can find compromise areas that will allow every day americans to say at least the republicans had it right. they're correct on the spending.

we do need to get rid of the democrats in november. >> he is a tea party activist. we put a poll out there. here's what we found from the cnn poll. tea party activists tend to be male, rural, voters overwhelmingly conservative and would vote overwhelmingly republican in a two-party race for congress. a busy week ahead for president obama. tomorrow he'll attend a credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. then he'll host a dinner marking the beginning of passover. on tuesday he'll sign the health care fixes bill that passesed last week. later he'll meet with french mt. nicholas sarkozy at the white house. on wednesday he's giving speeches, including one on workplace flexibility. then he'll attend a democratic fund-raiser in boston. then on friday the president will talk jobs in charlotte, north carolina. >> we've been talking anltd the weather that could get interesting, dangerous for folks trying to travel.

serious stuff. hail, flash flooding and tornadoes this morning, reynolds. >> we have a storm system in the southeast that could be a jackhammer in places like alabama, back into part of georgia, even the koocarolinas. we'll give you an idea of what to expect. it's all moments away. >> all right, thank you. and she thought she won a bunch of money at the slot machine. but guess what? there was a glitch. we'll explain. rear propelled mower. easy to start. easy to walk. ♪ and with the industry's largest bag... easy to unload. moving lawn care forward. more innovation. more great values. craftsman. trust. in your hands.

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she was in a colorado casino. she was playing the slots. >> are you buddies? >> she's my buddy now. you play these things. you wait, you wait on this thing to light up. it lit up for louise. >> you hear that's what happens. >> i never see it really. this is what happened to louise but -- >> she saw it light up. she thought she was a millionaire. she thought she won $42,000 and that her life had just changed forever. get this. the casino said her good fortune was just a machine malfunction. >> come on. >> when there's something out of the ordinary, we know there's a

problem, we immediately call the division of gaming. we inform the guests that we're going to do so. and there's very strict procedures that we follow. >> i put money in there to win. regardless of if it was 42 million, 42,000, 4,000. i felt whatever that machine said, i should get it. >> she thought it was 42,000. but the machine said 42 million, so she misread it. you know what she got, reynolds? >> what did she get? >> she got a room for the night. she got breakfast. she got $23, the same amount of money she played with. >> not the equivalent she thought she won. >> she was playing penny slots. >> that could be troublesome. she did get a pretty good return all things considered. from personal experience, when you win something of that magnitude. it can change your life forever. >> what did you win? >> a freebie gulp at the

7-eleven. >> we had a beautiful day in atlanta. it was great day for yard work, wasn't it? >> a great day for yard work. what we're going to see today is probably a better day to stay inside. if you're hoping to get rainfall in, you've hit the jack pot. we have showers moving through. nothing severe this time. here's nashville up here. let me circle a couple things for you. a few particulars from the screen. there we go. in nashville and chattanooga. a few scattered showers about to come through. heavier rainfall. if you're to look out the window, you'll see dark skies. all of this moving in your direction. atlanta, a few spotty showers this morning. more will be on the way. here's the culprit. take a look at this big "l", the area of low pressure, the blue line that extends south of it is your frontal boundary. as it drives eastward it's going to interact with moisture from the gulf of mexico and atlanta. high temperatures going up in the 60s and 70s in parts of the southeast.

we could get strong storms. severe storms, maybe a few isolated tornadoes by late afternoon. we're talking about the hours of 3:00 into the early evening of 6:00. a rough thing to watch out for. rain possible. out to the west, things are much drier in the central plains and texas. from strahan to about seattle, you could see rainfall or snow. that's a quick look at your forecast. more updates throughout the morning. if you're in the southeast be ready for the chance of rough weather later on. >> we're not done with you just yet. you never stop with some of these stories you bring us. they're always interesting. a horse whisperer this time, reynolds? >> this is a great story. we all deserve a second chance in life. sometimes for animals, not just people. you'll meet a fellow who tames horses that are untameable. that story is just moments away. ÷

at least 321 people dead, more than 250 kidnapped,

including at least 80 children. human rights released numbers from a previously unreported rampage in the democratic republican of congo. the lord's resistance army, an infamous armed group there is said to have carried out the attacks in the villages for more than four days in december. cnn cannot independently con frm this report. general motors says if you have one of these vans stop driving it now. the car maker is recalling 5,000 chevrolet express and gmc savanna passenger and car go models. it affects vans built over the past two months. the problem appears to be a faulty alternator that can cause the engine to catch fire. thankfully so far no accidents or injuries have been reported. well, first it was reforming health care. the president can take that off his checklist. now many consider the next national order of business should be reforming immigration law.

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that was garth brooks. >> that's why we have those. for me. not the viewers. we're talking about wild horses here. but they're getting tamed if you will. you know the saying, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. there's a guy who can make a horse dpri or go just about anything he wants. they have the story from e el dorado, arkansas. >> here in america people call me horse whisperer. >> reporter: joe says at the age of 19 he started on a trek across the outback of his native australia to find his purpose. >> i bought two horses and decided to ride. i worked from property to property. i went and made it my life. >> reporter: these days he's a modern day cowboy in america.

>> get a sleeping bag. i sleep on the ground with my horse at night. >> reporter: among his journey, he helps people with unworkable horses. >> he has a real unusual way of training horses. i've never seen it before. >> i haven't had one yet i couldn't fix. i was given a 6-year-old stallion that had never had a hand on it. he was kicking and biting. he wanted to do me in. he come around an hour and 50 minutes it took me. but i got to him. >> he also makes time for horseplay. >> standstill when i first get on him. i thought i knew everything. because i've road horses most of my life and own them. i found out i didn't know nothing compared to this man. >> reporter: joe's technique is simple. >> i put enough pressure on the horse that he realizes he can do it. i take the horse past his limit.

i show him a greater fear. >> reporter: the greater fear, the use of flags and commands to desensitize and demand the horse's attention. >> it's reverse psychology and body language. you learn to read the animal. >> he's 18 months old. never broke. never ridden. this halter was all you could get on him. in 40 minutes joe was riding him without beating him or being cruel. >> then release it. >> reporter: whether teaching his technique or riding from state to state. only joe knows where he'll end up next. >> as long as i'm on a horse down the side of a road i'm happy. >> reporter: the amazing thing about his method is how he tries to get on the horse's level. no whips were used this this. everything is very gentle. the cerebral approach. the thing that's amazing about it -- >> he's saving the horses.

>> in some circumstances, yes. these are untameable horses. they get really a second chance. el dorado. >> we welcome them all. >> don't we all? thank you. >> that's a great story. nice heartwarming thing for a sunday morning. coming up, high school students join clubs, volunteer, work extra hard to make the college application look really good. those with some creative talent can film their experiences. why one college is accepting video entries and why that may show a different kind of intelligence. ♪

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what a beautiful day in new york. you're looking at manhattan in central park. that's my home. with any luck with the weather i'll be back there today.

we all know the college admission process is competitive. you have to be smart, of course. good grades, high s.a.t.s. and if you're applying to a tough university in massachusetts, well, a personal video can help, too. it's part of the application. does a youtube video measure a different kind of smart? you be the judge. what does this, this, and this have to do with getting into college? >> i hope the admissions auditors will notice it. be like, hey, this guy is really cool. >> they're now accepting personal videos as part of the application process, among the first in the nation to do so. not to replace essays, grades or s.a.t.s. the videos are not required. but students are getting into it. >> i'll bring the goods like barnum and bailey. >> reporter: already almost

1,000 students are taking part out of the 15,000 applications they received. some on youtube have been viewed by thousands. demonstrating creativity in animation, wilderness survival skills. >> i'm making on oven. >> reporter: and in her case a twist on a familiar phrase. walk a mile in my shoes. in her case, literally. >> i wasn't trying to come off as saying i have 3,000 shoes. i want to show who i am. the goal with applications is these are humans looking at files fill with so many papers. they're trying to discern who are you, would i want to meet you, would i be intrigued by you? >> what does a youtube video provide that the application doesn't? >> you really get to see these applicants in their adolescent theft. their cleverness, their

goofiness, you see who they are as human being. >> they call it refreshing. >> it's very easy to fall in love with someone in one minute. it's also easy to get turned off. what these students are doing by providing videos is a very high wire act. they're taking huge risk. which is why i love them. >> reporter: showing a kind of intellectual side to go along with the other credentials. >> can you tell me range what you got on the s.a.t.? >> i got 2300 out of 2400. >> oh my gosh. you didn't need that video. >> for others, a place where playing with fire can be a ticket to college. >> everyone else talks about community service being a varsity athlete. it's really the only thing i know that i do that nobody else does.

>> except for t.j. >> really, they would want to see that part of your game? >> you know, the college admissions process is complicated. what they say they're looking for are human beings. who jump off the screen f you will. this is the way they communicate. this is why they want to accept the videos as part of the application. . it will never take the place of the essay. it's still important to be able to write eloquently on paper. but it's a supplement. a thousand of the 15,000 applicants took part this year. we'll see how many of them get in. they'll start getting acceptance letters soon. >> you talk about the essays, the grades, what percentage could that video be of your chance of getting in? >> they won't say. sometimes on paper these kids

all start to look alike. you see them on video. you start to imagine them walking the halls, walking the campus. in that sense they say this will help. >> yeah. i don't know if they want that kid walking the halls, starting fires in the dorm rooms and whatnot. our next hour of "cnn sunday morning" starts now. good morning to you. it's palm sunday. >> good morning, everybody. 7:00 a.m. in atlanta. 6:00 a.m. in fargo. 3:00 a.m. in searchlight, nevada. thanks for starting the day with us. president obama has work to get done. he's made 15 so-called recess appointments, including at least one that's extremely controversial. sarah palin putting in time in searchlight, nevada, to clean up the comments she made that got all kinds of people upset.

the comment about retreating and reloading. take a listen here. >> now media try to get this right, okay. that's not inciting violence. it's trying to inspire people to get involved in the local elections and telling people their arms are their votes. it's not inciting violence. >> that wasn't all she had to say. she tooking on the president and top congressional leaders. he message to washington is straight ahead. our top story is pope benedict xvi is presiding over palm sunday services in st. peter's square in vatican city. holy week continues until next sunday, which, of course, is easter. first lady barbara bush is in the hospital this morning. she's expected to be there for the next couple of days for routine testing. it's not clear what test she's

undergoing. no emergency here. a staff aide says the 84-year-old hasn't been feeling well for the past week. and civil rights activist d dorothy height remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. some social media reported she died. height was admitted to a hospital earlier this week. she just turned 98 years old. bipartisanship in washington. forget about it. it likes like the divide between the white house and republicans is growing even wider. president obama is now making 15 recalled appointments. they can't get approved, so he does this when congress goes on recess in the phrase "recess appointment." one has republicans really upset this weekend. he's a labor lawyer, craig

becker. he's nominated to the agency that oversees relations between unions and employers. candy crowley asks a top white house aide about this apointment. >> senator, republicans wrote him and said please don't do a reassessment to the national relations board. they think he's a union plant if you will. they think he will do check card. they think he's bad for the board. yet, the first thing the president did was to go ahead and do the recess appointment. was that necessary? >> he made a series of recess appointments because we are in a position where the republican party has taken a position to try to slow and block progress on all fronts. whether it's legislation or appointments, just to make the comparison at this point in the bush administration, there were five appointees who on the floor of the senate who had not been approved when that president bush made 15 recessed appointments. we have 77 appointees who have not gotten a vote because they've been held up by the

republican party. some of them are in very sensitive positions in treasury and department of homeland security and on boards like the labor relations board that -- where there are a huge number of vacancies. as we mentioned, the president did make 15 recessed appointments. that's about the same number that the previous president george bush had about the same time in his presidency. a couple of them are going to the treasury department. another one going to the same department. according to the white house, all the appointments that the president has made, his nominees have been held up and waiting for a vote. an average of 7 months. if recessed appointments means the 15 people could serve in their jobs until the end of 2011. he also talked about the fallout from the health care reform passing. watch the entire interview at

account 9:00 eastern on "state of the union." planned rallies in phoenix and flagstaff today. the tour kicked off with a rousing rally in harry reid's nevada hometown. former republican vice presidential candidate sarah palin was the keynote speaker. several people at the rally expressed dissatisfaction with washington politics while palin talked about recent criticism of a post on her facebook page. she had called for conservatives not to retreat in the wake of the health care vote. >> when i say it's not a time to retreat, it's a time to reload. now, media, try to get this right, okay.

we're trying to inspire people to get involved. it's telling people their arms are their votes. it's telling people, don't ever let anybody tell you to sit down and shut up, americans. >> they're not listening to anything. health care, the economy, the job situation, they're not listening to anything. >> mr. obama, since you've completely ignored the economy, does the health care plan cover starvation? >> we didn't bring guns. we didn't bring knives. when we talk about taking back our country, we are going to do with it with our vote in november. >> a threat doesn't mean anything violent. >> it's not violent at all. >> now the teralternative, the so-called coffee party sponsored several meetings.

these get-togethers a lot more subdued. they want more cooperation among lawmakers. a more liberal group, though. we're talking tals this morning. reynolds wolf has been giving us the warning if you will. could be dangerous day weather wise in some places. >> springtime is often a time where you have a pretty unstable atmosphere. you could see lightning, strong winds, maybe tornadoes. thanks, reynolds. she thought she won a bunch of money at the slot machine. guess what? there was a bit of a glitch. we'll explain. thritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

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get it now? are you a van? i don't think so. >> crash into me. it's not about the song. thank you. keep this thing going here. this is sent to us by an i-reporter. this was about 10:15 in the morning. was this just yesterday? this is 92nd and 5th avenue. a guy thought he heard a car accident when he heard it. he ran out and looked out and saw this. a tree crashed into a vehicle down on the road. he took a picture for us. despite what you see, nobody was hurt in that. it wasn't windy or anything. >> we did have damage in arkansas and places like e el doredo. it's bad about the i-report because someone somewhere, probably up in new york city, you know car we parked outside, no parking ticket today.

that's the good news. we could see strong winds pick up later today. it could be rough. let show you what's happening in atlanta. right now an ominous look. a few rain drops falling here in atlanta. you see the camera making a slow pan around the city. umbrella weather today. the reason why we're going to see the scattered showers is simple. let's go to radar if we can. very light to moderate shower activity. if you think the day is going to get better in terms of your forecast, it probably isn't. this line of showers driving off towards atlanta by later in the afternoon between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 late afternoon, early ianin inevening, some of storms could be severe. we have all the the moisture from the gulf, also from the atlantic. the frontal boundary comes through and creates lift. it pushes the moisture higher aloft. it's going to interact with

cooler air. that coupled with the jet stream could make things the rough. same story in charlotte and up the eastern seaboard. today rain top to bottom. out west yesterday where we did have snow, shouldn't be an issue for today. once you get knot of san francisco, rain could be an issue for you. more snow in the forecast for you in the cascades. 57 degrees. 61 in atlanta. 79 in miami. 80 degrees in phoenix and in los angeles. back to thy and boston, 40s and 50s. you're up to speed. that's your forecast. let's send it back to the news desk. >> we appreciate it. >> thank you so much. we feel for this woman. she thought she won the jack pot at a slot machine. guess what, there was a glitch.

>> a bunch of people coming up. you won 42,000. some said you won 42 million. i'm like, oh my god. >> oh my god. she thought she did. guess what? the casino gave her $23 instead. we'll explain. exciting flavor combinations, plus a touch of garden greens make it irresistible. indoor delights. feed the senses. between having to and wanting to. the craftsman rear propelled mower. easy to start. easy to walk. ♪ and with the industry's largest bag... easy to unload. moving lawn care forward. more innovation. more great values. craftsman. trust. in your hands.

do you need a pick me up this sunday morning? here's your motivational minute from dawn johnson. >> reporter: good morning. welcome to morning motivation. this is melissa dawn johnson. as you get started with your day, have you considered the power of your words? yes, your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body. well, your words have weight. the power of words is that they are able to create opportunities and positive advancements in your life. words have created opportunities and helped people get to the next level of life. remember, you have the power to brand your day with the power of your word. this is melissa dawn johnson. visit me at my blog. until next week, maybe every day

brand-tastic. >> i need that every weekend. don't laugh. melissa is great. we need her. i begged for that. sometimes this early in the morning, you need a little something. >> you smeed a little something to feel good. >> get you going. >> had a late night? >> maybe. >> maybe not. >> thanks to melissa as always. we've been talking about the health care bill a lot. we know it passed. so the fight leading up to it was ugly. after it passed things really got ugly. threatening phone calls against lawmakers. i talked to one personally affected. why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal!

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general motors says if you have one of these vans, stop driving it. the car maker is recalling 5,000 chevrolet express and gmc cargo models. gm says the problem appears to be a faulty alternator. so far no accidents or injuries reported. hopes are dimming for 46 missing south korean sailors. 58 were rescued shortly after their ship sank on friday night in the waters between north and

south korea. since then no survivors or bodies have been found. the country's defense minister says the ship appears to have been split in half. the navy plans to value saj the ship in an effort to learn what happened. a very busy week for president obama. tomorrow he'll attend a credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. then he'll host a dinner marking the beginning of passover. on tuesday he'll sign the health care fixes bill that passed lastz week. on wednesday we'll give a few speeches, including one on pork place flexibility. thursday he'll push his health care reform in maine. then a democratic fund-raiser in boston. then on friday the president will talk jobs in charlotte, north carolina. t.j.? it's all about health care reform and what's turned out to be an intense aftermath.

>> i know many americans are angry the health care bill, and angry at democrats in washington for not listening. >> i believe words have power. >> stupak, you baby-murdering scumbag. >> they're going to run on a platform of repeal in november. nouf been hearing that. >> you have seen the fallout from the health care bill passage. it is the law of the land now. we've seen them before all playing out now. in virginia a gas line is cut at the home of a congressman's

brother. and i asked that congressman, representative steve pperriello about this. they put what they thought was his address online. have there been nil threats and also has your family, have the police caught anyone in connection with what happened at your brother's house? >> there's an on going investigation. local and federal law enforcement have been doing an incredible job. me and my family appreciate it. we are trying to keep an eye on everything. there was the brick thrown through a window yesterday morning. we immediately condemned that. we're very concerned of escalating violence and want to make sure everyone takes a deep breath and gets back to the rule of law. >> also you may have to take precautions. have you and your family all had to take extra security precaution sths. >> well, we're putting the particular focus on my brother and his family, obviously.

i think the local law enforcement is doing a great job of keeping an eye on them. trying to make sure everyone understands first of all that's not my house. and second of all, that we have to get back to. people are taking precautions. that's important to do. but i think it's particularly important that leaders make absolutely clear what is inbounds and what's out of bounds and the threats are out of bounds. >> you think the guy who posted your brother's address thinking it was yours, you think charges will come against him? >> i don't know. the very conservative attorney general of my state has been absolutely clear. he's been very strong on this. he said this wasn't even close to the line. this was way over the line. even the posting of the address. even if it had been the right address. so i appreciate that the republican leadership of my

state have taken a strong stance against this. we have more mixed signals from the folks in washington. but i think people get this as a basic sense of something that's just wrong. >> you're a new guy on the block in a lot of ways. you came in a fresh face, probably. in some ways a little naive. but is this what you signed up for? i'm sure you went up there hoping and eager to make big changes in washington. is this what you signed up for? >> i was in africa for a couple of years. i was in afghanistan for a while. i'm used to tension situation. i didn't expect to use that mand r mindset here back in my own country. we have a very strong proreform group in my district. strong anti reform groups. the vast majority of them are good decent people doing what they think is right for the community and for the country on both sides of the debate.

these things are intense. we are trying to do change that i think is going to make people's lives better here in the country. that's why i support these things. i understand others disagree. we handle it at the ballot box. >> he announced days before the vote he was planning to support the bill. one of the few westerners to interview osama bin laden will join us live. peter burgen talks about the new threats. een checked for cortical spreading depression. [ doctor ] yeah. actually, he was. november 11, 2009. came back negative. march 23, 2007, a c.t. scan for nasal polyps -- also negative. july 1, 2006 -- advised to quit smoking. january 4... [ male announcer ] imagine a day when your medical history

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pay attention. >> i'm trying to get the twitter thing set up so i can read some comments on this story. we'll get you there. we'll get you there. everybody is commenting. we've been asking about this particular story. in a casino in colorado. you want to hit a jack pot. >> of course. >> louise chavez hit a jackpot. then she really got a bad hand from the casino. >> she saw the slot machine light up. she thought she was a millionaire 42 times over. the casino said her good fortune was just a machine malfunction.

watch. >> when there's something out of the ordinary that we know there's a problem, we immediately call the division of gaming. we inform the guests we're going to do so. there's very strict procedures that we follow. >> i put money in there to win. i felt whatever the machine said, i should get it. >> she got a room for the night. she got breakfast and $23, the same amount she played with. >> you have to sit there for a while to put -- >> she thought she won millions of dollars. she got 23 bucks. they're going crazy sfwlchlt what would you do p if something told you this and you were in a casino. a lot of people are saying they would go crazy, blow up. one would say i would split the difference.